WEDNESDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2016 08:21 GMT

Read my book - ENLIGHTENMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK
 
Also available - EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT FOR ORDINARY FOLK
 WISDOM, HUMOUR, AND LOTS OF OTHER INTERESTING STUFF CAN BE FOUND ON MY PINTEREST PAGE and FACEBOOK PAGE
TO FIND OUT WHAT I DO, CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE

1. ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
17th February 2008
Kosovo declares independence
Kosovo is Europe's newest though not universally recognized country. 

During the time of the Ottoman Empire, there was a demographic shift in the region where many Serbs moved north and ethnic Albanians replaced them, becoming the majority population in the area. After the collapse of Ottoman power, the 1st Balkan War and the Treaty of London in 1913, Kosovo was partitioned between Montenegro and Serbia.

In 1918 the region was incorporated into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, later a communist state after World War 2. In 1974 the region was granted significant autonomy, but not the republic status the Albanians wanted, causing unrest. 

During the 1980's there was more significant demographic shift, as Serbs moved away for better economic conditions, and due to high birth rates were replaced by indigenous Albanians. Tensions also rose between Albanians, Serbs and the Yugoslav federal government.

In September 1992 Albanian politicians declared independence, though this was not approved recognized by other countries except Albania. The federal Yugoslav army kept control of the region but it became increasingly tenuous. In 1996, the Kosovan paramilitary movement the KLA (Kosovan Liberation Army) began acts of sabotage and in 1998 full-scale war broke out between the KLA and federal Yugoslav and Serb paramilitaries. 

NATO intervened on behalf of Kosovo and in 1999 the Yugoslav army retreated, and Kosovo became an internationally-administered region, technically as part of Serbia. In 2008, with no universal international agreement over the future of Kosovo, its independence was recognized by a significant number of countries. Relations between Kosovo and Serbia were finally established in the Brussels Agreement of 2013.

2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Shopping
Client prep and session
Meditation
Me Time
Missus Time

Twitter Followers = 2,076 (up 2)
Never-followed unfollowers eliminated = 0
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Followed unfollowers eliminated = 0
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New Followers followed back = 1
@katiedeanmusic
Spammers not followed back = 1
@aptcreatedesign

3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION

I would quite happily never leave the house, so content am I at home with Missus, but of course duty summons me out occasionally, to shop, to attend the Weekend Job, to mark significant occasions with excursions with Missus, and sometimes with other folk.

I am ambivalent about such excursions. I could quite happily do without them (especially since they cost me money!) but I recognize their importance to my relationships. I am never wowed by them but find satisfaction in objective achieved and usually some enjoyment for myself. I also see them as opportunities to promote my practice!

4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are you nurturing and maintaining your relationships?

5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD

Moon:

Weathertrack:

6. TODAY'S ONELINER
My sister uses a ouija board to nag her dead husband :D

7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Charlie Brooker on God TV

8. TRIVIA
The world’s worst recorded landslide started by an earthquake occurred in 1920 in the Kansu province in China. The landslide killed about 200,000 people.

9. ZEN WISDOM
A truly beautiful person sees the beauty in others