BOXING DAY, FRIDAY 26th DECEMBER 2014 09:57 GMT

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (26th December 1944)
On the Russian Front...
Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front is fighting into into Buddapest
Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front spearheads reach 2nd Ukrainian Front, completing the encirclement of German forces in Budapest. Hitler orders Budapest to be held

On the Western Front...
The Battle Of The Bulge:
German 6th Panzer Army is halted on the northern flank of the Bulge
German 5th Panzer Army spearheads are halted around Celles 
The Allies send overwhelming air support to combat the German offensive, attacking ground targets and Luftwaffe fighters - 63 Luftwaffe fighters are lost today alone
The encircled 101st Airbourne Division in Bastogne is resupplied by gliders from USAAF 9th Troop Carrier Command

US 9th Army mops up Obermaubach

Off Norway...
German vessel Biwi sunk by Free Norwegian MTBs

In the Baltic...
U-2342 is sunk by a mine 

English Channel...
U-486 sinks RN destroyer escort Capel and destroyer escort Affleck is written off  

Channel Islands...
Red Cross vessel Vega arrives with food parcels and medicine for civilians on the first of six relief missions

Italy...
German 14th Army counterattacks US 5th Army in the Serchio valley, pushing back 92nd Infantry Division

USA...
OSS chief William Donovan departs for a tour of France, Italy, Egypt, and Asia 

In the Pacific...
US 8th Army is clearing northwestern sector of Leyte Island 

An IJN force with heavy cruiser Ashigara, light cruiser Oyoda, three destroyers, and three destroyer escorts bombards US beachhead on Mindoro Island. They are counterattacked by aircraft and USN PT boats. IJN destroyer Kiyoshimo is sunk by USN PT-223 and USN vessel James H. Breasted damaged by shellfire and friendly fire, set ablaze, and subsequently written off 

IJN auxiliary sub chaser No. 7 Kyo Maru is sunk by USN destroyer Fanning off the Bonin Islands

China...
General Albert Wedemeyer submits a plan for a counter-offensive to capture Kweilin, Liuchow, and Canton

Burma...
In the Arakan, Japanese forces complete a withdrawal from the Akyab peninsula

Ceylon...
General Frederick "Boy" Browning takes up his appointment as chief of staff to Mountbatten's South-East Asia Command 

Today's Air Raids...
Antwerp. Belgium by thirteen V-2 rockets
Blechhamer and Odertal, Germany by US 15th Air Force 
London by two V-2 rockets
Auschwitz, Poland by US 15th Air Force
Po valley and Brenner Pass, Italy by US 15th Air Force 
Luzon Island, Mindanao Island, Borneo, Halmahera Island, and Celebes Island by US FEAF  
Iwo Jima by US 7th Air Force
Lampang, Thailand by US 14th Air Force
Military targets including Sinsiang Airfield, China by US 14th Air Force
Japanese positions, transportation lines, and depots around Taunggon, Padan, Kyaukhlebein, Panghai, Mongyu, Na-hsang, Man Om, Hpa-lin, Burma by US 10th Air Force 

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
The Milk Run
Son Time              
Missus Time

Twitter Followers = 1,851 (no change)  
Non-followed Tweeps unfollowing = 1
@ReviveOurUSA
Unfollowers Eliminated = 0
New Followers followed back = 1
@KOBoyleComedian
Spammers not followed back = 0
 
3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
 I love it when a plan comes together! Christmas Day went exactly as planned, and as predicted was the best Christmas Day ever - completely free of any kind of grief, just people who care about each other altogether but also getting some space to themselves, and all catering was a triumph!

Today I expect more of the same, but even easier because there's no Christmas Dinner To organize. I will savour this pinnacle of happiness, joy peace and contentment and it will live on in my memory.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are the sacrifices you are making for others fulfilling, or is it time to sack people?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Mainly dry and cloudy
Chance of an isolated shower late morning
Wintry showers in the evening
Wind negligible
Max Temp = 3 degC
Min Temp = 1 degC
Sunrise at 08:25
Sunset at 15:50

Weathertrack:  A weak depression moving east across Britain will bring some showers and heavy snow to mountain regions
Air Pressure: 1029 millibars and falling

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
Who was England's first chiropodist? William the Corncurer. :D 

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!    
The Two Ronnies: The St. Botolph Country Dance Team

8. TRIVIA
Having sex at least once per week can lower a man’s risk of heart disease by 30%, stroke by 50%, and diabetes by 40%. It has also been shown that men with an active sex life are more likely to live past 80 years.

9. ZEN WISDOM
The greatest tragedy in life is not to die, it is to live as if dead, to let the life within us wither. Toward what goal or achievement are we striving in life? This is the important question to ask ourselves.