SUNDAY 31st AUGUST 2014 08:23 BST

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (31st August 1944)
On the Russian Front...
53rd Army of Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front is welcomed unopposed into Bucharest, the Romanian capital. US POWs are liberated and flown to Italy by US 15th Air Force
U-1000 is severely damaged by a mine in the Baltic and written off
Polish Home Army begins withdrawing from the Old Town sector of Warsaw under heavy attack

On the Western Front...
Montgomery, commanding 21st Army Group, is promoted to field marshal 
Canadian 1st Army advances toward Forges, Buchy, and Dieppe
British 2nd Army reaches Amiens and begins crossing the Somme River  
US 1st Army captures Compiegne and continues to advance
US 3rd Army, with some units immobilized due to lack of fuel, crosses the Meuse River at Verdun
VIII Corps of US 3rd Army suspends attacks on Brest and regroups after taking significant casualties
Wilhelm Mohnke takes command of 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte 
US 7th Army captures Briancon and advances toward Lyon

In the Mediterranean...
US diplomat Robert Murphy meets with Tito on Vis Island

Italy...
British 8th Army attacking Gothic Line around Pesaro and Foglia River
US 5th Army crosses the Arno River overnight as German forces withdraw in that sector

In France...
De Gaulle's French provisional government begins moving from Algiers to Paris

In New Guinea...
With the remaining Japanese forces in New Guinea no longer a significant threat, US operations cease and Australian forces relieve the Americans 

In the Pacific...
Japanese vessels No. 2 Kairyu Maru and Kabuchi Maru sunk by USN PBY aircraft off Ceram Island 
Japanese vessel No. 8 Sanko Maru is sunk by RAAF aircraft off the East Indies 
IJN guardboat No. 2 Kyoshin Maru is sunk by US aircraft off Halmahera Island 
IJN auxiliary minesweeper No. 20 Hinode Maru and Japanese vessel Okuni Maru are sunk by USN submarine Barb off the Philippines
Japanese vessel Chiyoda Maru sunk by USN submarine Queenfish off the Philippines
IJN minelayer Shirataka is sunk by USN submarine Sealion off the Philippines
Japanese vessel Tientsin Maru is sunk by a mine off Woosung

In China...
Operation To-Go (Hunan-Kwangsi Operation): 
Japanese 11th Army is attacking Chinese armies west of Hengyang

In Burma...
Indian 5th Infantry Division of British 14th Army reaches milestone 96 on the Tiddim road south of Imphal

Today's Air Raids...
Dusseldorf, Germany by RAF Bomber Command
Reghin and Oradea airfields, Romania by US 15th Air Force 
Novi Sad and Kecskemet, Yugoslavia by US 15th Air Force
Po Valley, Italy by US 12th Air Force
Pagan Island and targets in the Palau Islands by US 7th Air Force
Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima by Carrier-based aircraft from USN Task Group 38.4
Kai Tek Airfield, Hong Kong by US 15th Air Force
Takao, Tien Ho, White Cloud, Hengyang, and Yangtze River shipping by US 14th Air Force 

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging 
The Milk Run 
Me Time
Quality Missus Time
Meditation

Twitter Followers = 1,973 (up 1)

Nonfollowed Eliminated = 0
Unfollowers Eliminated = 0
New Followers = 1 

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
This is effectively the last day of the Summer schedule before the "old routine" kicks in again tomorrow. On the whole, a good time has been had by all! The Weekend Job has become almost a pleasure, Son has further developed his talents, and Missus has declared Summer a total joy.

Daughter intruded into my life via her mother more often than was comfortable, and is clearly struggling with her own mind. I am hoping to be as distanced as possible from this person who I see as a potential threat to the shared happiness of the remaining three, but at present only vigilance is required.

As for my spiritual development I have learned that I can never let all my key disciplines drop - meditation, acceptance, faith, surrender, focus, study and making a difference are all essential to a fulfilling life-experience, and I shall diligently pursue them all.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU 
Are you properly looking after yourself in mind, body and spirit?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Dry and sunny throughout
Some heavy showers overnight
An initially moderate north-westerly will very gradually ease and swing south-westerly
Max Temp = 16 degC
Min Temp = 12 degC
Sunrise at 06:13
Sunset at 20:01

Weathertrack: High pressure over the Bay of Biscay will extend over Britain but retreat south as ex-hurricane Christobel tracks north-east across Iceland dragging weather fronts towards Britain.
Air Pressure: 1016 millibars and rising slightly

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
I've been dating a TV weather girl as I thought it'd make a nice change to be with a woman that wasn't right all the time. :D  

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY! 
Jimmy Carr - Improvisation

8. TRIVIA
The superstition that the bridegroom must not see his bride before the wedding stems from the days when marriages were arranged and the groom might never have seen the bride. There was the chance that if he saw her, he might bolt. Other sources say that to see the bride in her dress is peering into the future, which as an unChristian activity can bring bad luck. 

9. ZEN WISDOM
Paying attention lies at the heart of all spiritual practice - wherever the attention is fixed, that particular energy will control you. It is therefore essential to focus on energies that are wholesome, uplifting and healing.