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The place where the world comes together in honesty and mirth.
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.


Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
Perfection is simply not possible -- not for anyone.
Keep chanting this to yourself when you feel like you're not doing a perfect job, and remind yourself that all is required of you is that you do your best.
No more.
You cannot hit a home run every time at bat, so why are you holding yourself to impossible standards?
If you are down right now, that doesn't mean you have to stay down.
Your successes are not based on luck -- they are based on your abilities.
You are able.

 Some of our readers today have been in:
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Candiac, Quebec, Canada
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Red Deer Alberta, Canada
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
Paris, Ile-De-France France
Sofia, Sofiya, Bulgaria
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands
Hemel Hempstead, England, United Kingdom
Cairo, Al Qaihra, Egypt
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Muara, Brunei Darussalam
Ashdod, Hamerkaz, Israel
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Delhi, Delhi, India
Vienna, Wien, Austria
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia
San Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Crawley, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Rio De Janiero, Rio De Janiero, Brazil

as well as Slovakia, Malta, Bulgaria, Israel, Finland, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Sudan, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Maldives, Qatar, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Vietnam, Norway, Finland

and in cities across the United States such as Bellingham, Boyne City, Harlingen, Sylva and more!

Today is:
Today is Wednesday, November 30, the 334th day of 2011.
There are 31 days left in the year.


Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
National Meth Awareness Day.
  
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

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Wondrous Wednesday

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And I Quote

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Pew: tea party seriously not liked, even in tea party run congressional districts

This is interesting news, and could be a bell-whether for the next election.

From Pew:
Since the 2010 midterm elections, the tea party has not only lost support nationwide, but also in the congressional districts represented by members of the house tea party caucus. And this year, the image of the repugican party has declined even more sharply in these repugican-controlled districts than across the country at large.

In the latest Pew Research Center survey, conducted Nov. 9-14, more Americans say they disagree (27%) than agree (20%) with the tea party movement. A year ago, in the wake of the sweeping repugican gains in the midterm elections, the balance of opinion was just the opposite: 27% agreed and 22% disagreed with the tea party. At both points, more than half offered no opinion.

Throughout the 2010 election cycle, agreement with the tea party far outweighed disagreement in the 60 House districts represented by members of the congressional tea party caucus. But as is the case nationwide, support has decreased significantly over the past year; now about as many people living in tea party districts disagree (23%) as agree (25%) with the tea party.
Check out the rest of the polling. The repugicans are plummeting nationally, while Democats are holding their own. Even in tea party districts, voters now rate Ds and rs equally in terms of favorability. No wonder Boehner and Cantor pretty much shut up two months ago, you never hear from them anymore. They must have seen similar numbers privately, and realized that if they kept doing what they were doing, the end was nigh.

Two hundred arrested at Occupy L.A.

In a massive show of force, the LAPD drives protesters from the park and arrests more than 200.  
Also: 

Frank and Ernest

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The Man Who Busted the ‘Banksters’

The economy was tanking. Millions lost their jobs. Stocks were down. And since bankers seemed to be riding out the bad times better than anyone, the government appointed a commission to look into who was to blame for the crash. But this was 1933, and Ferdinand Pecora was chief counsel to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Banking and Currency.
Assigned to probe the causes of the 1929 crash, he led what became known as the “Pecora commission,” making front-page news when he called Charles Mitchell, the head of the largest bank in America, National City Bank (now Citibank), as his first witness. “Sunshine Charley” strode into the hearings with a good deal of contempt for both Pecora and his commission. Though shareholders had taken staggering losses on bank stocks, Mitchell admitted that he and his top officers had set aside millions of dollars from the bank in interest-free loans to themselves. Mitchell also revealed that despite making more than $1 million in bonuses in 1929, he had paid no taxes due to losses incurred from the sale of diminished National City stock—to his wife. Pecora revealed that National City had hidden bad loans by packaging them into securities and pawning them off to unwitting investors. By the time Mitchell’s testimony made the newspapers, he had been disgraced, his career had been ruined, and he would soon be forced into a million-dollar settlement of civil charges of tax evasion. “Mitchell,” said Senator Carter Glass of Virginia, “more than any 50 men is responsible for this stock crash.”
That was just the beginning. The proceedings became a “circus” and a media sensation. Read about how Pecora unearthed the dirty secrets of the banking industry that led to the Great Depression at Past Imperfect.

Central banks take action

The Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and others act to ease Europe's debt crisis.
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Stocks leap after banks act

Stocks soar in early trading after central banks move to avert a global credit crunch.  
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Random Photos

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Pet peeves of job interviewers

Acting like you’re enduring an interrogation can shut down an interview.
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Creating jobs for middle class

One state in the nation shows how you create good jobs for people who didn't go to college. 
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The road to Happy

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Should you quit your job in 2012?

Should you quit your job in 2012?

********************
 Here are ten questions to ask yourself as you consider making a job change in 2012:

1. Am I excited to go to work, most of the time?
2. Do I see a path to learn more and do more on this job over time, unfolding naturally from the work I'm doing now?
3. Do the people at my workplace, especially the managers, see what I'm capable of and tell me so?
4. Does the work I'm doing challenge me intellectually?
5. Am I earning what I should be, based on the work experience and training I've had?
6. Have I snagged two or three significant new resume bullets in 2011 (or was it another year of running in place)?
7. Am I ethically and philosophically aligned with the company and the people I work for?
8. Do my bosses recognize that I have a life outside of work - or am I constantly adjusting my personal life to suit their needs?
9. Am I solving interesting and important problems at work most of the time, or working below my ability because that's what the job requires?
10. When I think about what's working and what's not working in my life, do I put "my job" in the list of things (like friends and family) that build me up, versus the list of things that tear me down?

Dilbert

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Medal of Honor soldier sues

Sgt. Dakota Meyer sues a former employer shortly after receiving the Medal of Honor.  
Also: 

Denied a Job Because of Criminal Record

Is It Discrimination?
Got a criminal history and can't get a job? That's discrimination, according to Washington D.C. council member and ex-Mayor Marion Barry (he would say that now, wouldn't he?):
“The idea of the criminal justice system is, they send you to jail for rehabilitation and punishment, and once you have served your time, it seems to me, your debt has been paid to society,” said Barry, who has had several run-ins with the law, including a 1990 conviction for misdemeanor drug possession.
In recent years, as officials have grappled with the city’s unemployment rate of nearly 12 percent, Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) and the council have pledged to reexamine the treatment of ex-offenders trying to reenter the workforce.
As Barry noted, about 10 percent of D.C. residents have a criminal record. People with such records, advocates and city leaders say, are far less likely to be hired — which is one reason the jobless rate exceeds 20 percent in Ward 8.
If Barry’s legislation is adopted, an employer would be allowed to inquire about a criminal record only after a “conditional (job) offer” has been made. If an employer rescinds the offer based on a past arrest, he would have to submit documentation explaining why the applicant could not work in that job.

Crabby Road

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The Death of the Fringe Suburb

Drive through any number of outer-ring suburbs in America, and you’ll see boarded-up and vacant strip malls, surrounded by vast seas of empty parking spaces.

These forlorn monuments to the real estate crash are not going to come back to life, even when the economy recovers.

Ziggy

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Free shipping now costs more

Retailers are raising their minimums, a move that often encourages more spending.
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Awesome Pictures

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Myths about colds and flus

Many of the things people do to purge their homes of germs won't help.  
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Kidnapper sues former hostages

A man who held a Kansas couple hostage in their home while fleeing from authorities is suing them, claiming that they broke an oral contract made when he promised them money in exchange for hiding him from police.

Public Transportation

Andrew Harding had to take a picture during a 5AM train ride in Chicago, or no one would believe what he saw. 
It makes sense when you realize the photo was taken on October 30th.  

Daily Comic Relief

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Burger King revamps fries

Competition from rivals drives the chain to reinvent a key menu item for the first time in years. 
Also: 

Mashed potato decadence

It's hard to imagine your go-to recipe tastes better than Chef Fabio's comfort food creation.  
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Bacteria in bagged salads

The greens may not be nearly as clean as the "triple-washed" and "pre-washed" labels suggest.  
Also: 

Weekly fish lowers Alzheimer's risk

People who eat baked or grilled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

Only one brother survives after three suffer heart attacks on same day

Two Italian brothers suffered fatal heart attacks on the same day, while a third was left fighting for his life. The bizarre incident happened as Guido Garofalo, 45 and his older brother Alberto, 53, were on a picnic with their wives and children. First to have a heart attack was Guido who collapsed to the ground in front of the horrified group and as his brother tried to save him, he too grabbed at his chest.

Paramedics were immediately called to the scene at Pianeta di Nicolosi on the slopes of Mt Etna near Catania on the island of Sicily but both were declared dead by the helicopter crew that had arrived to help. The terrible coincidence then continued as it emerged at the same time a third brother, Salvatore, whose age is not known, suffered a heart attack as he visited their mother in hospital. Doctors and nurses rushed to help him and he is now recovering in the intensive care unit with staff saying the fact he was in hospital when he had the attack had "probably saved his life." He has not been informed of his brothers' death and a sister who lives in Rome and who is known to suffer from a heart condition has also not been told.


Dr Thekia Maurhoff, of the Garibaldi hospital in Catania, said: "All three cases are being investigated – it is quite unique and I have never heard of anything similar like this happening three heart attacks in three brothers all at the same time. From initial checks it would appear that all three brothers suffered from a heart condition and this lead to them all suffering attacks, virtually at the same time and in two cases they proved to be fatal.

"Salvatore is currently in a stable condition in the intensive care unit of the hospital and his condition is being closely monitored but the fact he was in hospital at the time certainly helped save his life." Professor Filippo Crea, an expert at the cardiology unit of Rome's Cattolica University, said: "Genetic factors almost certainly played a part in this tragic event as heart attacks in those aged under 60 are usually caused for those reasons."

A Bar Joke

A "C," an "E-flat," and a "G" go into a bar. The bartender says: "Sorry, but we don't serve minors."

So the E-flat leaves, and the C and the G have an open fifth between them. After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished and the G is out flat. An F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough.

A D comes into the bar and heads straight for the bathroom saying, "Excuse me. I'll just be a second."

Then an A comes into the bar, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor.

Then the bartender notices a B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and exclaims, "Get out now. You're the seventh minor I've found in this bar tonight."

The E-flat, not easily deflated, comes back to the bar the next night in a 3-piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender (who used to have a nice corporate job until his company downsized) says, "You're looking sharp tonight, come on in! This could be a major development." This proves to be the case, as the E-flat takes off the suit, and everything else, and stands there au natural.

Eventually, the C sobers up, and realizes in horror that he's under a rest. The C is brought to trial, is found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor, and is sentenced to 10 years of DS without Coda at an upscale correctional facility.

On appeal, however, the C is found innocent of any wrongdoing, even accidental, and that all accusations to the contrary are bassless. The bartender decides, however, that since he's only had tenor so patrons, with the sopranout in the bathroom, and everything has become alto much treble, he needs a rest, and closes the bar.

Secret to a smoother robot

Researchers have figured out a way to turn "moving like a robot" into a compliment. 
Also: 

NY historic site's skeletons still hold mystery

They ranged in age from 20 to 45, stood between just over 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, and most of them were male and intact, except for the one missing its skull.

B.C.

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Bloodsuckers

The mere mention of the Internal Revenue Service is enough to make most people squirm, but now some of the agency's own employees are feeling queasy after discovering bedbugs in their office.

Tax Office Snakes

No, not the self-important bureaucrat kind, the other kind, you know the ones that actually slither ...

Two farmers fed up with corruption emptied three bags of snakes in a busy tax office in northern India. Officials in Uttar Pradesh State had allegedly been withholding tax records to extract bribes.

An official says two farmers fed up with bribery demands emptied three bags filled with slithering snakes in a busy tax office in northern India.

Ringling Bros. Circus Fined Record Amount By USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has slapped the parent company of the "Greatest Show on Earth" with a record penalty for animal rights violations.

Animal Pictures

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
Your finances are getting to be a bigger issue in your life right now ... and preservation of your bank account should be a high priority starting today.
There's no need to drastically change your lifestyle, but a few nips and tucks here and there might be a good idea.
Brown bag it for lunch for one week ... try taking public transportation or carpooling ... go for drip coffee instead of a cappuccino.
Tiny, painless changes will help your wallet get bigger and healthier.

 Some of our readers today have been in:
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Newbury, England, United kingdom
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Candiac, Quebec, Canada
Bucharest, Bucuresti, Romania
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Newcastle, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Lima, Lima, Peru
Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Makati, Manila, Philippines
Jakarta, Jakarta, Raya, Indonesia
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Ashod, Hamerkaz, Israel
Quezon City, Manila, Philippines
Delhi, Delhi, India
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
San Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
Georgetown, Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Cork, Cork, Ireland

as well as Slovakia, Malta, Bulgaria, Israel, Finland, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Sudan, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Maldives, Qatar, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Vietnam, Norway, Finland

and in cities across the United States such as Falmouth, Geneseo, Hilton Head, Moravian Falls and more!

Today is:
Today is Tuesday, November 29, the 333rd day of 2011.
There are 32 days left in the year.


Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
There isn't one.
  
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

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Tuneful Tuesday

Have You Ever Seen The Rain? by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Today's Physics Lesson

The following  theorem can now be supported using some basic physics and two well known propositions, namely :

Knowledge is Power.
Time is Money.

As every physicist knows, Power = Work/Time.
Therefore,  Knowledge = Power = Work / Time = Work / Money, or
Money = Work / Knowledge

Thus for any given amount of work, as Knowledge approaches zero, Money goes to infinity (the executives). And conversely, as Knowledge gets larger, Money gets smaller (scientists and academics). QED

Night Owl or Morning People?

Who's Smarter
Early birds may catch the worm, but night owls have higher IQs. Hey, don't take my word for it - it's been proven, you know, by science:
Research examining various psychological correlates of circadian type (also known as diurnal preference) has been, over the years, quite expansive. A notable omission within this research program would appear a systematic exploration of the relation between intelligence and morningness–eveningness. The present study redressed this imbalance. 420 participants performed two self-report inventories assessing circadian type, as well as measures of intelligence from two psychometric batteries: CAM-IV and the ASVAB. The results indicate that, contrary to conventional folk wisdom, evening-types are more likely to have higher intelligence scores. This result is discussed in relation to current theories concerning the nature of human cognitive abilities.
The 1999 study: Morningness-eveningness and intelligence: early to bed, early to rise will likely make you anything but wise! by Roberts RD and Kyllonen PC, Dept. of Psychology, University of Sydney, Australia

Biggest brain myths busted

It’s often said that we use only 10% of our brain, but imaging studies show a different picture.  
Also: 

Stradivarius Redeux

The Betts Stradivarius violinStradivarius violin 'replicated'

A US-based radiologist "recreates" a 307-year-old Stradivarius violin in a move that may benefit music students.

World's best cities to live in

A European capital nabs the top spot in a global survey of 200 metropolitan areas. 
Also: 

The truth be told

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Did you know ...

Spreading social capitalism is as American as apple pie.

Civil rights leaders support #occupywallstreet, and it's driving faux news off the deep end.

Has #occupywallstreet revealed America to be a full blown military state?

A primer: How not to create jobs!

Crabby Road

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What your trash becomes

That plastic you tossed in the recycling bin could end up keeping you warm this winter. 
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Holiday safety must-dos

Nearly 18,000 people end up in ERs after falling while preparing their homes for the season.
Also: 

Clean your house in an hour

The key is to devise a system that allows you to move fast and never backtrack.
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Twenty unusual uses for coffee

Put a bowl of fresh, unused grounds inside your refrigerator to absorb any foul odors. 
Also: 

Eateries worth traveling to

These culinary destinations around the world include Michelin-star splurges and street food.  
Also: 

Culinary DeLites

It takes 20 minutes to make this fresh chicken dish with cherry-ginger chutney. 
Also: 

The Truth Hurts

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Coping with losing a job

Paying off your debt may not be the smartest move when you've become unemployed.
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