WEDNESDAY 9th DECEMBER 2015 06:13 GMT

Read my book - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK
 
Also available - EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK
 
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1. ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
9th December 1965
The first Charlie Brown animation, A Charlie Brown Christmas, is broadcast
One of the most famous and poular animations in the world, it was based on the comic strip "Peanuts" by Charles M. Schulz. Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez, the program made its debut on CBS on December 9, 1965. In the special, lead character Charlie Brown finds himself depressed despite the onset of the cheerful holiday season. Lucy suggests he direct a school Christmas play, but he is both ignored and mocked by his peers. The story touches on the over-commercialization and secularism of Christmas, and serves to remind viewers of the true meaning of Christmas (the birth of Jesus Christ).

Peanuts had become a phenomenon worldwide by the mid-1960s, and the special was commissioned and sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company. It was written over a period of several weeks, and animated on a shoestring budget in only six months. In casting the characters, the producers went an unconventional route, hiring child voice actors. The animation's soundtrack was similarly unorthodox: it features a jazz score by pianist Vince Guaraldi. Its absence of a laugh track (a staple in television animation in this period), in addition to its tone, pacing, music, and drawings, led both the producers and network to wrongly predict the project would be a disaster preceding its broadcast.

A Charlie Brown Christmas received high ratings and acclaim from critics. It has since been honoured with both an Emmy and Peabody Award. It became an annual broadcast in the United States, and has been aired during the Christmas season traditionally every year since its premiere. Its jazz soundtrack also achieved commercial success, going triple platinum in the USA. Live theatrical versions of A Charlie Brown Christmas have been staged. ABC currently holds the rights to the special, and broadcasts it at least twice during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Shopping
Ironing
Meditation
Me Time
Missus Time

Twitter Followers = 2,041 (down 1)
Non-followed eliminated = 1
@DreamLiveGrow
Unfollowers eliminated = 0
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New Followers followed back = 0
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Spammers not followed back = 0
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3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION

The Monday night incident, which was not really an incident at all but simply a trigger releasing something latent, upset me a lot more than logic dictates that it should, but then I know full well that human beings are not logically-driven.

I lost considerable sleep and neglected housework and meditation. However, after the Daughter Free Zone was imposed for the first time last night, followed by an early night to pay off sleep debt, I have awoken feeling like my usual self. 

I feel like I learned something important - that sometimes we don't realize consciously how much something is bothering us until it reaches a certain critical level that finally overrides normal functioning. I don't feel like I made any mistakes because I simply did not realize that resentment had been slowly building subconsciously. When that resentment did finally boil over, I responded decisively.

In fact, my recovery time from emotional wounding generally is now unrecognizable from my past. I am now much better at defending myself and recover in days rather than weeks. This of course makes me a much nicer person to be around and much better able to care for Missus in the best way possible. 

I am most grateful for the restoration of balance and peace of mind and can now resume making all the difference only I can make.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Is there something bothering you that you haven't admitted to yourself?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Clear and dry start
Cloud slowly builds from mid-morning
Rain arrives mid-evening, which will turn heavy and persist overnight
A moderate south-westerly will turn strong and gusty in the evening
Max Temp = 9 degC at 1pm
Min Temp = 4 degC at 6am
Sunrise at 08:12
Sunset at 15:46
Moon: 

Weathertrack: A ridge of high pressure will quickly cross the country today, followed by a strong cold front overnight

Air Pressure: 1027 millibars and falling

6. TODAY'S ONELINER

To save my next-of-kin any funeral costs, I have donated my body to the neighbours :D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!

Tim Vine on Dave's One Night Stand

8. TRIVIA

Influenced by Richard Wagner, Bernhard Forster, (who married Elizabeth Nietzsche, the sister of the famous philosopher), selected an entire community of people based on their blonde hair and blue eyes and shipped them off to found a village in Paraguay named Nueva Germania in order to plant the seed of a new race of supermen. 

The village still exists, but subsequent generations abandoned the racial-supremacist ideals of Forster and interbred with the indigenous population. By 2002 only 10% of the population were of German origin.

9. ZEN WISDOM

Only when we learn to channel the energy we direct toward winning over others into winning over ourselves can we begin to develop our humanity.