TWELFTH NIGHT, TUESDAY 5th JANUARY 2016 07:45

Read my book - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK
 
Also available - EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK
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1. ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
5th January 1477
The 3rd Battle of Nancy - the end of the Dukedom of Burgundy
Burgundy had been settled by a Germanic tribe, the Burgundians, after the collapse of the Roman Empire, and had by the Middle Ages become a powerful extensive autonomous dukedom that included the low countries. 

In 1467 Charles The Bold inherited the throne, with ambitions to expand his territory to unite his scattered lands into one large empire. His aggressive expansionist policies against other dukes possessions in his way brought him into conflict with the powerful Austrian Habsburgs and the Swiss Confederation, particularly the Duke of Lorraine, Rene II. 

Open war broke out In 1474 and by late 1476 Charles was besieging Rene's capital, Nancy. Rene mustered a relief army and marched on Nancy. Whilst Charles was aggressive and decisive, unlike Rene he neglected the importance of battlefield intelligence and scouting. Rene's scouts reported that a frontal assault on Charles' army would be disastrous. Instead, an attack was launched on the weaker right flank.

Though Charles' cavalry easily forced back the inferior Swiss cavalry, the aggressive well-trained and numerically superior Swiss infantry rapidly overwhelmed Charles' soldiers. Charles' army was annihilated and Charles himself killed in the battle. 

Leaving no heir or army to continue the war, the Dukedom of Burgundy ceased to exist. The Low Countries were taken over by the Habsburgs and the heartlands went to France.  

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Client follow-up
Local shopping
Housework
Meditation
Me Time
Missus Time

Twitter Followers = 2,066 (up 1)
Non-followed eliminated = 0
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Unfollowers eliminated = 0
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New Followers followed back = 0
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Spammers not followed back =1
@6252_sport

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION

With Christmas out of the way, I finally summoned the forces of British Gas to replace my boiler's leaking pressure-relief valve, and bless them, an engineer came quick. The job proved not so quick (they never have the right part, do they?) and disrupted my housework intentions.

This is was not a disaster however. The boiler guy was friendly and the job got done, which means I don't have to think about the heating for a while. Today will involve doing the jobs I couldn't get to do yesterday. These will happily plod on with. I do not intend to be one of those sad old farts who fly off the handle because their routine is disrupted - the key to fulfilling life is making the best possible difference in the moment. 

Having "got it", I can simply get on with the bliss of being. 

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
What would bring you contentment?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD

Moon

Weathertrack:

Air Pressure: 981 millibars and rising

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
It's that time of year again - for intensive negotiations over the thermostat setting :D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Corey Podell on Teacher sex and her new boyfriend

8. TRIVIA
Ancient Greeks were known to spit on themselves to ward off the Evil Eye, and the ritual extended to babies as well. Medieval nurses licked the faces of their charges, while peasants all over the world would spit in the faces of babies. 

9. ZEN WISDOM
Ancient Greeks were known to spit on themselves to ward off the Evil Eye, and the ritual extended to babies as well. Medieval nurses licked the faces of their charges, while peasants all over the world would spit in the faces of babies.