MONDAY 22nd DECEMBER 2014 13:49 GMT

Read my book - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

Also available - EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK

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1. THIS DAY IN WORLD WAR 2 (22nd December 1944)
On the Russian Front...
Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front is attacking north of Budapest
Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front is attacking south of Budapest and breaks through the German line between Erd and Lake Velencze

On the Western Front...
The Battle of the Bulge:
German 6th Panzer Army engaged against US 1st Army around Butgenbach, Monschau Forest, Trois Ponts, and Stoumont
German 5th Panzer Army attacking US 101st Airborne Division around Bastogne and calls for the garrison to surrender. Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe responds: "Nuts!"
III Corps of US 3rd Army advances north to relieve Bastogne  

US 9th Army captures Untermaubach and Schneidhausen
Kriegsmarine Biber one-man submarines attempt to attack Allied shipping in the Scheldt estuary overnight, but most are sunk by Allied MTBs. However, a Panamanian vessel, Alan-a-Dale, is successfully sunk.

North Sea...
Kriegsmarine S-boats conduct minelaying operations along the Thames-Antwerp convoy route overnight, but are intercepted by a RN patrol of RN destroyer Walpole, two frigates, and a corvette. Two S-Boats are sunk

Italy...
USN destroyer Gleaves bombards German positions near French border but suffers damage from shore battery

In the Pacific...
USN Submarine Flasher sinks three Japanese cargo ships in the South China Sea
IJN torpedo boat Chidori is sunk by USN submarine Tilefish off Japan  

Japanese troops take Philippino President Laurel and his cabinet into protective custody
US 6th Army attacks around Lonoy and Tuktuk on Leyte Island
Offshore Kamikaze attacks damage USN destroyer Bryant

Burma...
Patrols of British 36th Infantry Division of Northern Combat Area Command enter Tigyaing, finding it abandoned
US 10th Air Force aircraft begin ferrying Chinese 22nd Infantry Division from Burma to China
RN Task Force 64 with destroyers Napier and Nepal and supporting warships bombards Japanese positions along the Arakan coast in support of 15th Corps operations  

Today's Air Raids...
Antwerp, Belgium by fourteen V-2 rockets
Bingen and Koblenz, Germany by RAF Bomber Command
Po Valley and Brenner Pass, Italy by US 12th Air Force
Halmahera Island and the Molucca Islands by US FEAF and RAAF
Off Borneo on Japanese shipping by US FEAF - 5 Japanese cargo ships are sunk
Off Timor on Japanese shipping by RAF and Dutch aircraft - Japanese vessel Nanyo Maru is sunk
Negros Island, Mindanao Island and Clark Airfield on Luzon by US FEAF  
Nagoya, Japan by US 20th Air Force
Magyidon and bridges and Japanese positions around Namhkai, Kinu, Tagaung, Thabeikkyin, Onbauk, and Na-lang, Burma by US 10th Air Force 

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Missus Time
Blogging
More Missus Time!

Twitter Followers = 1,847 (no change)  
Non-followed Tweeps unfollowing = 0
Unfollowers Eliminated = 0
New Followers followed back = 0 
Spammers not followed back = 0
 
3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
So proper Christmas break is here. Of course, "break" is a relative term, because with Missus on holiday too, she needs a lot more servicing. Never mind, she does let me have time to myself so there will be a healthy balance of stuff to do. After last Christmas at Daughter's, Daughter has a boyfriend's home to go to this year. This considerably cuts down my me time, but at least I know Missus won't be getting shoddy treatment at the hands of Daughter - or wasting any more money on someone who has never and will never appreciate it!

This of course leads me to an endless source of fascination - how my experience with my children has been polar-opposite extremes. I am after all the same guy! Since my relationship with Missus is also rock-solid, I confidently conclude that I'm not the problem! 

My experience of dysfunctional relationships, of which I've definitely had more than my fair share, is that life is much better in every way when you abandon all hope for them and declare them dead. Unfortunately I will never be entirely free of Daughter while Missus lives. I have accepted this and the need to keep a watchful eye on how Missus gets treated, intervening if I think her wellbeing is under threat.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Is there a dysfunctional relationship its time to declare dead?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Very windy throughout with squally showers
A strong south-westerly will blow throughout
Max Temp = 11 degC
Min Temp = 10 degC
Sunrise at 08:23
Sunset at 15:48

Weathertrack: Britain will continue to be in a strong airflow between depressions to the north and high pressure to the south, along which weather fronts will travel.
Air Pressure = 1008 millibars and static

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential. :D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY! 
Morecambe & Wise - Grieg's Piano Concerto - with a classic comedy line

8. TRIVIA
Those who suffer from depression are at risk for low bone mineral density. Depressed women are especially at risk for developing osteoporosis.

9. ZEN WISDOM
Just as a spring breeze awakens tender new shoots of green, sincere encouragement can thaw a frozen heart and instill courage. It is the most powerful means to rejuvenate the human spirit.