The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Some casual acquaintance starts chatting you up, with perfectly good reason.
Once you start exchanging ideas, you should realize just how much you have in common.
Once that happens, you may realize that you really should have been spending a lot more time together quite some time ago.
There's no time like the present to make up for lost time.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Quebec, Quebec, Canada

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany

London, England, United Kingdom

Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Jihlava, Vysocina, Czech Republic

Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark

Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands

Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Temuco, Araucania, Chile

Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel

as well as Poland, and the United States in such cities as Sulfur Springs, Nashville, Muscle Shoals, Toms River and more

Today is Thursday, June 10, the 161st day of 2010.

There are 204 days left in the year.

Today In History June 10

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

Ball Point Pen day

and

Iced Tea Day

Anger high after U.S. Border Patrol shooting

Anger high after U.S. Border Patrol shooting

The latest incident, involving the death of a teen, adds to mounting tensions over immigration.  

Mexicans fuming 

Also: 

• Reports from witnesses
• Deadly force defense
• Ariz. immigration bill

Nasty solar storms on the horizon

Nasty solar storms on the horizon

The sun is entering an active period that may threaten communication on Earth. 

Risk to power grids, air travel, more

Also:

• Solar flare prediction
• NASA's new technology
• Jupiter collisions a mystery

Stalin-era mass grave discovered

In Russia, approximately 500 skeletons—nearly all of which show head gunshot wounds—have been discovered in a mass grave believed to date back to Stalin-era purges in the 1930s.

"Practically all of the skulls have bullet wounds," said Yaroslav Livanksy, the head of a group of volunteers who helped to excavate the site. He said money and clothes from the 1930s had been found at the site. A crushed child's skull was discovered close to a bead bracelet and a small slipper. Irina Fliege, a senior researcher with Russian human rights group Memorial, which collects information about Stalin-era killings, said she had no doubt that the victims were shot by Stalinist forces. She said far more bodies were likely to be found as adjacent sites are studied.
"This happens all over the country, it's impossible to say how often," Felige said. "All we can to is put up monuments to remember the dead."

DNA

DNA study unlocks Jewish diaspora Scientists have shed light on the complexities of Jewish heritage with an in-depth genetic study. DNA legacy of ancient seafarers

Culinary DeLites

Culinary DeLites

Busting 7 common myths about vegetables

Many people assume fresh is always more nutritious than frozen, or think potatoes make you fat.

Get the facts 

Also: 

• Veggies anyone can grow
• Find what's in season
• Skip these packaged foods

What 24 almonds a day can do for you

The high fat and calorie content in almonds benefit three major organs.  

A bonus for shiny, healthy hair 

Also: 

• The age-erasing diet
• Rethink your fridge
• Almond dessert recipes

Escape

Unspoiled islands you can escape to

These pristine beaches, villages, and protected rain forests make for blissful hideaways.  

Cambodia's secret spot 

Also: 

• Photos of the islands
• Affordable beach resorts
• Top weekend getaways

A workout plan to boost your brainpower

A workout plan to boost your brainpower

Experts say this is "the closest thing to a magic bullet" in terms of brain fitness.

Start with a nature walk 

Also: 

• Heal headaches naturally
• Find brain teasers
• Age-erasing diet

When knock-offs outshine the name brand

When knock-offs outshine the name brand

You might believe that generic-brand products are lower quality, but often that's not true.  

Where to save big 

Also: 

• Cut your grocery bill
• Warehouse vs. big box
• Compare grocery prices

Leaning Tower

New tower named world's most leaning

The tilt of the Capital Gate building is nearly five times that of Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa.  

How it was done 

Also: 

• More on the structure
• Tower over Ground Zero
• UAE growth to accelerate

And I Quote

Dig where the gold is unless you just need some exercise. 

 

~ John M Capozzi

An Incredible Adventure

An Incredible Adventure, Caught on Film

When Dutchman Dick de Bruin accidentally dropped his waterproof video  camera while scuba diving in Aruba, he must have figured he would never  see it again--but he was wrong. Six months later, the camera was found  on a beach in Florida, a thousand miles away containing an amazing  video. It turns out the camera's strap became tangled around the shell  of a passing sea turtle. Somehow, the animal had inadvertently switched  the camera on, capturing at least part of its thousand mile journey on  film.

Article continues: Sea  Turtle Finds Lost Camera, Films Itself Swimming

Scientific Minds Want To Know

Scientific Minds Want To Know

World's oldest leather shoe discovered

Even though it's 5,500 years old, the well-preserved piece of footwear doesn't smell.

What size it is 

Also: 

• Images of the shoe
• Top discoveries of 2009
• A gladiator graveyard

New Discoveries in Dolphin Communication Reveal Use of Diplomacy to Avoid Fights

Photo via JD Ebberly

We know that dolphins have an advanced language, more complicated than most other creatures that we're aware of. But to what extent is only now being unraveled. A complex communication system is a sign of a complex social system, and scientists are just discovering that dolphins - intensely social creatures - use diplomacy when talking with one another. By revealing a new level of importance for the burst-pulse sounds used by dolphins along with their clicks and whistles, the researchers have realized that the sounds mirror behavior that keeps the social hierarchy and peace of the pod intact.

Article continues: New Discoveries in Dolphin Communication Reveal Use of Diplomacy to Avoid Fights

A 5,000-year-old murder mystery

Solving a 5,000-year-old murder - in perhaps the coldest of cold cases, Ötzi, a Neolithic Iceman who was murdered more than 5,000 years ago.
Discovered in the Alps almost twenty years ago by two hikers, Ötzi has been subjected to a deep study by archaeologists who used X-rays, CT scans, and a slew of other forensic techniques to piece together the 33 hours before the Iceman faced his killer.

From Cosmos:

"The unique thing about this find is that a man has been preserved in full dress with all his equipment," says Angelika Fleckinger, director of the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy, where Ötzi resides today. It's not only the Iceman's age, but the 'wet' nature of the mummification process that makes him so scientifically valuable, she adds. "The tissue is therefore elastic; a lucky circumstance, as some scientific examinations would otherwise have been impossible."

"Ötzi is much older than any other glacier mummy and is a very rare case in which mummification took place by dehydration before the body became embedded in glacier ice," say researchers led by Klaus Oeggl of the University of Innsbruck, Austria, in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews.

"Even the food residue in his digestive tract was very well preserved, and a test sample provided evidence of his diet, environment, and season of death."

Oeggl's team have used the remains of Ötzi's last meals (including ibex, grains and red deer meat) and tiny traces of different pollens, to reveal his whereabouts over his last 33 hours with surprising clarity.

"Ötzi's movements in his last days from sub-alpine regions down to the valley bottoms and then up to alpine regions again, as well as his lethal injury by an arrowhead, confirm that Ötzi's last days were hectic and violent...

"Who killed the iceman?"

Delta mixes up two unaccompanied kids

Delta mixes up two unaccompanied kids

A "paperwork swap" sends two young travelers to the wrong destinations.  

Where the children ended up 

Also: 

• Children traveling alone
• Delta sends dog to Mexico
• Airline complaint rankings

It's The Economy Stupid

It's The Economy Stupid

Housing recession is not over, expert says

Contrary to popular belief, the housing market has not hit bottom, an economist contends.

More foreclosures ahead 

Also: 

• Signs of modest recovery
• What's hurting home prices
• Mortgage calculators

What it takes to get a cheap home loan

One expert says these are the best mortgage rates you'll see for a decade. 

Credit score for best rate, refinancing 

Also: 

• Current mortgage rates
• Home prices in your area
• Affordable places to retire

On The Job

On The Job

A big sign of an improving job market

In the last three months, more people quit their jobs than were laid off by employers.  

Why quitters offer hope 

Also: 

• Bernanke's concerns
• New low-ball salaries
• Post-recession careers

Extravagant executive job perks

Extravagant executive job perks

For some bosses, a big paycheck is only part of their lavish compensation.  

Martha Stewart's $2 million clause 

Also: 

• From homeless to CEO
• Unusual job perks
• Best first-year salaries

Green Roofs Now Required by Law in Copenhagen

Photo via Inhabitat

A new policy adopted last month has made green roofs required by law on all new buildings with roof slopes of less than 30 degrees. The initiative is one part of the city's plan to become totally carbon neutral by 2025, Inhabitat reports (via GOOD). And it's pretty impressive how much new green growth the policy will lead to:

Article continues: Green Roofs Now Required by Law in Copenhagen

It's Only The Environment After All

It's Only The Environment After All

Small town's bold idea to fight oil spill

The 1,000 residents of Magnolia Springs, Ala., aren't waiting for federal help — or approval.  

Their plan 

Also: 

• More about the town
• High-res video released
• BP to donate revenue

*****

"That's Bullshit" with Sam Seder

"That's Bullshit" with Sam Seder

Non Sequitur

Typical repugican ...

Skipping out on the Gulf

BP's pricey new ads skip Gulf states

The oil giant's campaign to refurbish its image isn't aimed at those most affected by the Gulf spill.  

Telling strategy 

Also: 

• Scuffle at cleanup site
• Spill plan's big flaws
• BP denies oil plumes

Teachers Get In Trouble for Teaching Students About Their Constitutional Rights

By Blog of the National Coalition Against Censorship

Two teachers at Norview High School in Norfolk, VA were recently put on administrative leave by the school after a parent complained about a video that she saw in Government class.  The video informed its audience on how to assert their constitutional rights during various encounters with police, such as during a car or house search. It was accompanied by a one page handout about a person’s rights when stopped and arrested by the police.   When the girl came home after school that day, she told her mother “You won’t believe what we are learning in Government. They are teaching us how to hide our drugs.”  The woman promptly called the school to complain about what was taught to her daughter, and the teachers were subsequently suspended.

There are two things that are rather irksome about these series of events.  First, why are parents are so ready to jump to conclusions and act on those assumptions?  It’s a little hard to believe that teachers would be lecturing their students on the best way to hide drugs from the police.  If the girl’s mother had just inquired as to what was actually taught that day, it would have been clear that this was Government class as usual, just an exercise in educating youth on the Constitution.

Second, and more importantly, why are schools eager to appease parents at the drop of a hat?  These are institutions filled with education professionals: teachers know what their students should learn and what the appropriate materials for teaching them are.  A school’s administration should trust that the teacher is making reasonable choices as to how a child is taught and with what.  In response to a parent’s complaint, they should first research the allegations. The administration at Norview High School, for instance, could have a gotten a copy of the leaflet given to students.  They also could have watched the video to see if anything inappropriate was shown.  Instead, the school acquiesced to the demands of one uninformed parent.

Sometimes, Mother doesn’t know what’s best.  That’s why we have schools and teachers.
Unfortunately, this is not a new problem.  Schools all over the country have bowed down to raging parents over something they don’t think is appropriate for their child.  It’s a distressing thought that a parent’s misunderstanding about a certain book or a particular lesson in school can translate into a child’s incomplete education.  Learning about an individual’s constitutional rights enhances one’s education and can even make for a better citizen.

School administrators need to have more confidence in themselves and their teachers.
They need to stick to what they believe is important for a child’s education.

Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe

When dealing with wingnuts ... Remember the rule: 

If they accuse someone of something, then they're already guilty of it.

Liars and Fools

Faux's Glenn Beck says some progressive groups don't have "a problem with blood in the streets".
And he's lying, of course.

Michael Savage asks whether or not Americans "understand that the presidency may have been usurped by a foreign power"
What an idiot.


Faux's Glenn Beck hosts author who has been member of hate group League of the South.
And this is news, how?

Michael Savage attacks Hispanic civil rights group National Council of La Raza as "the most violent elements of the Hispanic supremacist movement".
Once again, what an idiot.

Faux's Glenn Beck: All Democrats are Marxists.
Someone lacks an understanding of the meaning of the term Marxist.

Faux's Glenn Beck claims "many of the people that are in and around this president and this White House are going for a 'Marxist utopia' in the US."
Delusional is no way to live, asshole.

Louie Gohmert (reptile-Texas) suggests Obama administration would condone attacks on TSA workers.
Only the morons that provoke attacks - which by all reports appears to be all of them ... by their actions with passengers.

Faux's Glenn Beck: Obama has said "I'm your man" to Marxist revolutionaries.
Time for the Thorazine, Glenn ol'boy.

Faux's Gretchen Carlson says Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-California) can't say "God".
Gretchen can't hear, so?

Hate radio kook Michael Savage lies President Obama and ex-radical Bill Ayers are behind the Israeli Commando Raid.
This nut is seriously deranged.

The truth be told ...

Bad Cops

Bad Cops

Security video shows Cincinnati police officer exposing himself to workers at Sears store

Michigan deputy is charged with choking Michigan state trooper

New York police officer who pleaded guilty to official misconduct for taking three pizzas as payment for covering up a woman's traffic ticket now admits he faked his own shooting

Missouri cop found guilty of filing false report

"This will not occur in the future", official says after Georgia cops arrest and jail wrong man

Connecticut cop charged in hit-and-run

Georgia cop is charged with trespassing and violation of oath

Missouri woman say she was raped by school cop when she was 16

Seattle cop is fired under new policy requiring honesty, after failing to admit punching a man who complained about being Tasered

Medical assistance dog must be put down after being shot by Kentucky cops

Washington jail guard charged for 2008 assault of inmate

B.C.

Ugandan protesters fish in potholes

Residents in the Ugandan capital Kampala have been protesting against the state of the roads by going fishing in potholes. The protesters said the poor state of roads causes accidents and increases congestion.

Kampala's roads are in such a bad state that the city has been nicknamed "Kampothole". The capital is an opposition stronghold and the mayor said he is not given enough tax revenue to fix roads.

"To do one kilometre of a tarmac road requires you to have $1m (£660,000)," Mayor Nasser Ntege Ssebagala said. "That's a big problem." The protesters pretended to be fishmongers, selling fish from the large, cavernous, water-filled potholes.

"Five thousand shillings ($2; £1.30) fish - direct from Lake Ssebagala, the mayor of Kampala," they shouted to passing traffic. The group created a spectacle in their attempt to embarrass Kampala City Council. Motorists and bus commuters driving by shouted their approval.

Taboo topic sparks controversy in India

Taboo topic sparks controversy in India

The country's census may pose a difficult question to citizens: What is your caste?  

Ancient system 

Also: 

• India's caste system
• Indonesia's '157-year-old'
• No lights for Mother Teresa

They have names?

Fictional characters’ full names revealed

Pop icons such as Barbie, Mr. Clean and Cap’n Crunch actually have first and last names.  

List of 22  

Also: 

• Pop culture trivia games
• A culture of nicknames
• Cursed by his name

Man sues for injury caused by cactus sap

A maintenance worker is suing his bosses for up to £10,000 after he was nearly blinded while pruning a cactus in a shopping center. Carl Woodbridge, 22, was sprayed with toxic sap after he sliced into a branch on a 30ft tall cactus at ‘thecentre:MK’ in Milton Keynes, Bucks., in October 2008.

The liquid squirted from the plant, situated in an open walkway in the center, into his right eye, neck, face and arm. Mr Woodbridge fell to the ground in agony with blisters to his face and body and a burned cornea which caused blindness.

He was rushed to Milton Keynes Hospital where his eye was put under a tap for two hours before doctors scraped off a layer of latex-type film which was glued to his eyeball. A health and safety investigation revealed Mr Woodbridge, a technician for Ambius, a subsidiary of Rentokil Initial UK Ltd, was handed ”no protective clothing” and given ”inadequate” training.

His eyesight gradually returned but he must wear specialist glasses to protect his eye from the sun and bright lights. Rentokill Initial UK Ltd was fined a total of £12,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 costs after admitting health and safety breaches at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court last Friday. Injured Mr Woodbridge was forced to take six weeks off work and is now seeking thousands of pounds in compensation.