WEDNESDAY 27th JANUARY 2016 07:09 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
27th January 1944
The Siege of Leningrad is lifted
German forces and their Finnish allies had surrounded the city on 8th September 1941. The Germans then pursued a deliberate policy of starving the city into submission. However, the Germans were never able to completely isolate the city as their forces halted a few miles to the east and much of Lake Ladoga remained in Soviet hands. When the lake froze in Winter, a limited trickle of supplies could be driven across it and others could be evacuated. 

This road was named the Road of Life (Russian: Дорога жизни). As a road it was very dangerous. There was the risk of vehicles becoming stuck in the snow or sinking through broken ice caused by the constant German bombardment. Because of the high winter death toll the route also became known as the "Road of Death". However, the lifeline did bring military and food supplies in and took civilians and wounded soldiers out, allowing the city to continue resisting their enemy.

Nevertheless, the 872 days of the siege caused extreme famine in the Leningrad region through disruption of utilities, water, energy and food supplies. This resulted in the deaths of up to 1,500,000 soldiers and civilians and the evacuation of 1,400,000 more, mainly women and children, many of whom died during evacuation due to starvation and bombardment. On Hitler's express orders, most of the palaces of the Tsars, such as the Catherine Palace, Peterhof Palace, Ropsha, Strelna, Gatchina, and other historic landmarks located outside the city's defensive perimeter were looted and then destroyed, with many art collections transported to Nazi Germany.

The land siege was partially broken after a Soviet offensive in January 1943 when a six-mile wide land corridor was punched through on the southern shore of the lake. Finally on 27 January 1944, the Soviet Leningrad-Novgorod Strategic Offensive expelled German forces from the southern outskirts of the city. This was a combined effort by the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts, along with the 1st and 2nd Baltic Fronts. The Baltic Fleet provided 30% of aviation power for the final strike against the Wehrmacht.

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Shopping
Lunch 
Meditation
Business promotional work
Making Supper
Missus Time

Twitter Followers = 2,067 (no change)
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 =0
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3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION

My overriding personal passion is my hypnotherapy practice, and I have been fortunate enough to see a flurry of activity in January to fire my blood. Though not every initial consultation needs to business, it nevertheless heightens morale, as it is what I really love to do. It took more than half-a-lifetime to figure out a fulfilling role for myself, but having finally found it, I truly love it!

Poor Son has now contracted the virulent Common Cold that myself and Missus have already suffered. Lacking the decades-worth of antibodies that we have accumulated, it has hit him worst of all, striking rapidly and severely. He is in for a very uncomfortable five days. Missus has now fully recovered and I am at the back end with sniffles and nasal soreness.

As an additional blessing I didn't have to do the "loonwalk" this morning, where I have to escort Missus to the top of the road to stop Shadow the cat following her (Missus is not assertive enough to shoo the cat away) - it was pissing down and this deterred the cats from going out. 

My main focus today is Total Internal Silence - being directed by intuition rather than thought. I have been distracted from this goal of late, and though this character is fulfilling fun to play, I want to get back to Universal Consciousness, the most satisfying and fulfilling state of consciousness.

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
What brings peace-of-mind

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD

Moon:

Weathertrack:

Air Pressure: 998 millibars and rising rapidly

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
My one-man show, "I Will Unload All These Groceries In One Trip If It Kills Me" is getting rave reviews from the neighbours. :D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Jim Meskimen - Hamlet In Celebrity Voices

8. TRIVIA
The term “junk food” was initially used in the 1960s but was popularized during the following decade when the song “Junk Food Junkie” reached the top of the US charts in 1976.

9. ZEN WISDOM
Our ability to respect others is the true mark of our humanity. Respect for other people is the essence of human rights.