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
1st April 1933: The Nazi Boycott of Jewish businessesThe boycott was the first government-sanctioned antisemitic act by the new Nazi government of Germany, and was the idea of Julius Streicher. Streicher was fiercely antisemitic and in 1921, after accumulating a considerable following of his own, joined the Nazi party in 1921. In May 1923, Streicher founded the newspaper Der Sturmer, and from the outset its main focus was antisemitic propaganda.
In 1925, Streicher was appointed Gauleiter of the province of Franconia, and once the Nazis had come to power, wielded unchallenged power in the region. This gave him the ability to effectively organize the boycott.
The boycott was both a reprisal and an act of revenge against Gruelpropaganda (atrocity stories) that German and foreign Jews, assisted by foreign journalists, were allegedly circulating in the international press to damage Nazi Germany's reputation.
On the day of the boycott, Storm Troopers (Sturmabteilung; SA) stood menacingly in front of Jewish-owned department stores and retail establishments, and the offices of professionals such as doctors and lawyers. The Star of David was painted in yellow and black across thousands of doors and windows, with accompanying antisemitic slogans. Signs were posted saying "Don't Buy from Jews" and "The Jews Are Our Misfortune." Throughout Germany, acts of violence against individual Jews and Jewish property occurred; the police intervened only rarely.
Although the national boycott operation, organized by local Nazi party chiefs, lasted only one day and was ignored by many individual Germans who continued to shop in Jewish-owned stores, it marked the beginning of a nationwide campaign by the Nazi party against the entire German Jewish population. A week later, the government passed a law restricting employment in the civil service to "Aryans." Jewish government workers, including teachers in public schools and universities, were sacked.
2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
The Paper Run
Client prep and session
Shift 1 of the Weekend Job
TV Comedy Night
Twitter Followers = 2,109 (down 1)
Never-followed unfollowers eliminated = 1@GetRenewEnergyFollowed unfollowers eliminated = 2@lesanto, @NewsTime786New Followers followed back = 0-Spammers not followed back = 2@BlueCartHQ, @dKPiercioh0
3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATIONI'm very much in "get on with it" mode as I have duties to Missus Client and Weekend Job in that order. There's something about "busy-ness" that makes one's mind wonderfully clear and life simple. Of course it helps when you believe you can win and achieve in all these fields, which I obviously do!
After many fruitless attempts I was delighted to finally sideload Instagram onto my Kindle Fire HD6. The latest version of this platform is the first that I could actually get to work! I consider it essential to be on there as it's a must for most folks with mobile technology, so it will give my profile a boost.
I have now reached the point where internal silence happens naturally, and it's wonderful to be liberated from all those wasteful thoughts. Peace of mind is the absolute best thing you can experience, and I'm profoundly thankful to have experienced it. I can now simply enjoy the movie.
4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
What do you think is the best thing that life could offer?
5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Moon
Weathertrack
Air Pressure
1017 millibars and falling
6. TODAY'S ONELINER
I said I was good at making decisions. I didn't say the decisions I made were good. :D
7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Jimmy Carr on sex in long-term relationships
8. TRIVIA
A bat that dies while roosting will continue to hang upside until something shakes it loose.
9. ZEN WISDOM
A person’s true nature is revealed at times of the greatest adversity.
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
31st March 1822: The Chios Massacre
In March 1822, as the Greek revolt against Ottoman rule gathered strength on the mainland, several hundred armed Greeks from the neighbouring island of Samos landed in Chios. They attacked the Turks, who retreated to the citadel. Many islanders also decided to join the revolution. However, the vast majority of the population never got involved in the uprising.
Reinforcements in the form of a Turkish fleet under the Kapudan Pasha Nasuhzade Ali Pasha arrived on the island on 22 March. They quickly pillaged and looted the town. On 31 March, orders were given to burn down the town, and over the next four months, an estimated 40,000 Turkish troops, including convict batallions arrived. In addition to setting fires, the troops were ordered to kill all infants under three years old, all males 12 years and older, and all females 40 and older, except those willing to convert to Islam.
Approximately three-quarters of the population of 120,000 were killed, enslaved or died of disease. It is estimated that 2,000 people remained on the island after 21,000 managed to flee, 52,000 were enslaved and 52,000 massacred. Tens of thousands of survivors dispersed throughout Europe and became part of the Chian Diaspora.
Some young Greeks enslaved during the massacre were adopted by wealthy Ottomans and converted to Islam. Some rose to levels of prominence in the Ottoman Empire, such as Georgios Stravelakis (later renamed Mustapha Khaznadar) and İbrahim Edhem Pasha.
There was popular outrage when the events were reported in Europe. French painter Eugène Delacroix created a painting depicting the events that occurred; his painting was named Scenes from the Massacres of Chios. Under pressure from the European powers, the Ottomans finally recognized Greek independence in 1830.
However, for the island of Chios, the damage was permanent. Prior to the revolt, Chios had been an important and heavily-populated prosperous trading centre, and the Ottomans had allowed it to be virtually autonomous. After the massacre, all this trade ceased to exist, and Chios never regained its commercial importance.
2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
The paper run and other errands
Business promotional work
Meditation
Me Time
Missus Time
Twitter Followers = 2,110 (up 6)
Never-followed unfollowers eliminated = 0@thegccworld, @krueRock, @wxfitness1 Followed unfollowers eliminated = 1@MrAskNew Followers followed back = 3@NikaStewart, @dghirardi, @relatiooonSpammers not followed back = 7@heidiimayoy, @Mudkippoxzs, @K8420_69_BBQOf, @arLets_DrawIj, @ZBniggisnog7N +2 untraced
3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATIONA day of mixed fortunes on the business front - one very happy client and one unhappy one! I guess you can't win 'em all. After previous bitter experience I make every effort to screen out the unwinnable before starting, but sometimes there are those who convince they have the right attitude when they don't. It only comes to light when they behave oddly during the course.
The former are time-wasters, the latter are "the flaky". I find the mindset of the time-waster oddly fascinating. They always come across as super-keen until the point that effort and commitment is asked of them, which is why I ask for the fee up-front. A few however make the commitment but their trust in you and their commitment is highly fragile - it's these, the flaky, that are hard to identify in advance.
What annoys me about time-wasters is their complete rudeness - they're like flirts that fix a date then stand you up without out a shred of consideration. The flaky are harder to see coming - they tell me what they want but not how they feel. Without that openness, you can't win with them. I think they're after anaesthesia followed by success. The reality is that no hypnotherapist can offer success without the client putting in some effort and proactive feedback, particularly if you're not immediately getting results.
I will continue to make every effort to screen out the flaky at first consultation, and make it clearer what's required of them. This doesn't mean however that my techniques are perfect. There are always lessons to learn from failure - it's not just a blame game.
Missus pulled a calf-muscle yesterday that has put her out of action for the second half of her holiday, and in a flash of insight this morning, I've suddenly realized I'm probably responsible! Missus' olanzapine-soaked brain has not made the connection, but I believe I know exactly what happened - yesterday morning for amusement I tickled her foot to wake her up.
Like many folks, she hates that and jerked away the leg - and as we know, jerking muscles in later life is NOT A GOOD IDEA. I have decided to confess this to no one except the 20 regular readers of this blog! It simply isn't in anyone's interest. However I have learned my lesson and will never tickle her again!
There are however some benefits. A weekend visit to ex-Daughter will now be off so she won't be getting financially exploited and treated badly over there! I will also get a couple of weeks off Thursday shenanigans. I don't dislike meeting Missus appetites - it's flattering she wants me - but I don't miss it either. Her ideal time just isn't mine! My sexual peak, such as what's left, is around 11am and hers is the early evening when I'm already flagging. It takes a little blue tablet and an hour to warm up sufficiently, and then you have to "play a role". A good fap in the morning is frankly much more the ticket and no tablet is needed.
This may seem to suggest a substandard relationship, but it isn't. It's important that sex is there but it's just not a cornerstone for me at this age. I get much more pleasure from my nightly backscratch - absolute ecstatic sensual bliss! I just lie there and absorb pleasure as she drags her nails through my fur - fucking excellent!!
I believe absolutely in the importance of an orgasm a day for health reasons, and get one most days, but I much prefer getting it on my own at a time and place of my choosing. An advantage of Missus' inability to notice things is that's fairly easy to arrange!
4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
How honest are you with yourself?
5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Moon
Weathertrack
Air Pressure
1014 millibars and rising
6. TODAY'S ONELINER
Wow, it's beautiful outside. I should probably do something. Like close my blinds so there's no glare on my laptop screen. : D
7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Jessi Mae Peluso on her breakups
8. TRIVIA
Historically, tea has been viewed as a health drink. Recent studies suggest that tea, especially green tea, helps reduce some forms of cancer, helps bad breath, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, reduces blood pressure, helps with weight control, kills bacteria and virus, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and has neuroprotective power.
9. ZEN WISDOM
When we draw strength from within instead of our circumstances, our outlook undergoes a dramatic transformation; everything around us looks completely different.
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
30th March 1282: The Sicilian Vespers
In 1268, Charles I of Anjou, in alliance with the pope Clement IV, had defeated Manfred, King of Sicily, in the Battle of Beneveto. Manfred was killed in the battle and Charles became king of Sicily.
Unrest in Sicily began to grow immediately because of its very subordinate role in Charles's empire — its nobles had no share in the government of their own island and were not compensated by lucrative posts abroad, as were Charles's French, Provençal and Neapolitan subjects; also Charles spent the heavy taxes he imposed on wars outside Sicily. The unrest was encouraged and stirred up further by Byzantine agents to thwart Charles's projected invasion of the Byzantine Empire, and by the Aragonese king Pedro III, Manfred's son-in-law, who saw his wife Constance as rightful heir to the Sicilian throne.
There are conflicting accounts of what started the rebellion, but it began at the start of Vespers, the sunset prayer marking the beginning of the night vigil on Easter Monday, March 30, 1282, at the Church of the Holy Spirit just outside Palermo. After leaders were elected in Palermo, messengers spread word across the island for the rebels to strike before the French had time to organize resistance.
In a fortnight, the rebels gained control over most of the island, and within six weeks thousands of French inhabitants had been massacred and Sicily was completely under rebel control, except for Messina which was well fortified, and whose leading family, the Riso, remained faithful to Charles. But on 28 April, it too broke into open revolt and, most significantly, the islanders' first act was to set fire to Charles's fleet in the harbour.
Knowing Charles would attempt to recapture the island, the rebels appealed for the aid of the king of Aragon, Pedro III. Pedro landed at Trapani on August 30, and promised the Sicilians the restoration of their former privileges under Norman king William The Good. Successfully winning over the population, Pedro was crowned king Peter I of Sicily on Sepember 4.
Charles sent a fleet to blockade the port of Messina and invade the island, but all attacks were repulsed. The War of The Sicillian Vespers then raged for 20 years until in 1302, unable to take the island, the French and papacy recognised Peter's successor, Frederick III as "King of Trinacria" which effectively meant rule over the island of Sicily.
2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
Shopping
Client prep and session
Missus Time
Twitter Followers = 2,106 (up 4)
Never-followed unfollowers eliminated = 0
-
Followed unfollowers eliminated = 1
@DarrenKavinoky
New Followers followed back = 2
@alisonmimiwdf, @chaddy60bag
Spammers not followed back = 3
@wxfitness1, @GetRenewEnergy, @xTYLERxHxfew
3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATION
Well my quality day with Son turned out to be a quality afternoon with Son - at my expense! Nevertheless it was most enjoyable to have a blokey time. After that I got all the ironing done and had quality time with Missus, so a thoroughly pleasant time was had by all.
I was however taken by surprise by a bout of "semi-insomnia" - where I only sleep half the night. I felt ready for bed at 22:00, but by 23:15 I was wise awake again. I therefore made a start on this blog and browsed Tumblr until by 01:30 I felt sleepy enough to return to bed. But by 05:10 I was awake again, and horny! It's great to be horny without chemical assistance but at 05:10 after a broken night's sleep it's not particularly convenient.
All this is of course part of ageing - you lose those smooth circadian rhythms. Fortunately I feel no distress - I simply accept it and let my body do what it does. No doubt it will catch up on sleep in due course. At least while body is erratic, mind has never been better. A major breakthrough has been living intuitively, virtually eliminating internal conflict and greatly enhancing my ability to practice Acceptance.
Focus however is and always has been hard work to control. Whether I've had a good or bad day largely depends on how effectively I reined in focus. I need to work on keeping it on a very tight lead, to prepare for less benign circumstances. I want to make the best response in any situation, and that requires keeping focus firmly grounded, not "going off on one". There are plenty of dark memories and scenarios for focus to wander into, so it's crucial to wellbeing that I am tip-top at the Discipline of Grounding.
4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
How do you protect yourself from your own vulnerabilities?
5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Moon
Weathertrack
6. TODAY'S ONELINER
Of all the things life has given to me... I would like to return 20lbs :D
7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
Bill Burr on eternal judgement
8. TRIVIA
Charles Darwin believed that emotions were beneficial for evolution because emotions improved chances of survival. For example, the brain uses emotion to keep us away from a dangerous animal (fear), away from rotting food and fecal matter (disgust), in control of our resources (anger), and in pursuit of a good meal or a good mate (pleasure and lust).
9. ZEN WISDOM
When we change, the world changes. The key to all change is in our inner transformation—a change of our hearts and minds. This is human revolution. We all have the power to change. When we realize this truth, we can bring forth that power anywhere, anytime, and in any situation.
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
29th March 1999: The Opening of the Royal Albert Hall
In 1851, the Great Exhibition (for which the Crystal Palace was built) was held in Hyde Park, London. The exhibition was a great success and inspired Prince Albert, the Prince Consort, to propose the creation of a permanent series of facilities for the enlightenment of the public in the area, which came to be known as Albertopolis. The Exhibition's Royal Commission bought Gore House and its grounds (on which the Hall now stands) on the advice of the Prince. Progress on the scheme was slow and in 1861 Prince Albert died, without having seen his ideas come to fruition. However, a memorial was proposed for Hyde Park, with a Great Hall opposite.
The proposal was finally approved and the site was purchased with some of the profits from the Exhibition. Once the remaining funds had been raised, in April 1867 Queen Victoria signed the Royal Charter of the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences which was to operate the Hall and on 20 May, laid the foundation stone. The Hall was designed by civil engineers Captain Francis Fowke and Major-General Henry Y.D. Scott of the Royal Engineers and built by Lucas Brothers. The designers were heavily influenced by ancient amphitheatres, but had also been exposed to the ideas of Gottfried Semper while he was working at the South Kensington Museum.
The recently opened Cirque d'Hiver in Paris was seen in the contemporary press as the design to outdo. The Hall was constructed mainly of Fareham Red brick, with terra cotta block decoration made by Gibbs and Canning Limited of Tamworth. The dome (designed by Rowland Mason Ordish) on top was made of wrought iron and glazed. There was a trial assembly made of the iron framework of the dome in Manchester, then it was taken apart again and transported to London via horse and cart. When the time came for the supporting structure to be removed from the dome after re-assembly in situ, only volunteers remained on site in case the structure dropped. It did drop – but only by five-sixteenths of an inch. The Hall was scheduled to be completed by Christmas Day 1870 and the Queen visited a few weeks beforehand to inspect progress.
The official opening ceremony of the Hall was on 29 March 1871. A welcoming speech was given by Edward, the Prince of Wales; Queen Victoria was too overcome to speak.
2. TODAY IN MY LIFE
Blogging
The Paper Run
Client follow-up
Quality Son Time
Missus Time
Twitter Followers = 2,102 (up 3)
Never-followed unfollowers eliminated = 1@startup_hallFollowed unfollowers eliminated = 0-New Followers followed back = 2@Dianefq1, @zzmDeathnoteBBSpammers not followed back = 2@krueRock, @thegccworld
3. TODAY'S SELF-OBSERVATIONAfter a bonus quality day with Missus and successful client session, something completely follows with a quality day with Son - planned by him - and starting once he's got up!
I never cease to be fascinated at how my relationships with my children have had such extremely divergent outcomes, when after all I'm the same guy. Since Missus adores me and Son calls me his best friend, one has to conclude that 2/3 aint bad. Clearly my personality gels with some and clashes horribly with others. Again, since I'm always just me, it must be to do with THEM - the stuff going on in their heads.
This Yin-Yang experience, which also runs through all other aspects of my life, has led to attitudes of Gratitude, Defiance and Acceptance. I confine my focus to fertile ground, where my talents and abilities are best received and have the best effect. The rest can kiss my ass and will be aggressively repulsed!
With those who like me, I still have to be gentle. Everyone has raw nerves and it is courtesy once you know them not to tread on them. Though I like to treat Son as a mate, there is a limit to the banter that can be exchanged. His confidence is fragile and still needs some nurturing and strengthening. As my own confidence and self-esteem has risen, I have increasingly understood the importance of tenderness to even the hardest if they are receptive to your wisdom.
I guess for every fish there is a pond just right for them. I have found mine and every day swim around in it gratefully.
4. TODAY'S QUESTION FOR YOU
Are you in the place that's best for you?
5. TODAY'S WEATHER IN BRADFORD
Moon
Weathertrack
Air Pressure
995 millibars and rising
6. TODAY'S ONELINER
Meaningless statistics are up 17% today
7. NOW THAT'S FUNNY!
QI - Reginald D Hunter on Marmite
8. TRIVIA
On the whole, boy babies are slightly heavier than girl babies. The average weight of a newborn boy is 7 lbs. 10 oz. while that of a newborn girl is 7 lbs. 2 oz.
9. ZEN WISDOM
Happiness is not something far away. It is to be found neither in fame nor in popularity. When you live with integrity, your hearts begin to fill with a happiness as vast as the universe. It’s about being true to yourself and starting from where you are.
