The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Have you been feeling a time crunch lately?
If you are looking for more time, first decide for what you need it.
If it's a matter of finding more time to spend with loved ones, then the solution is simple -- reschedule business to make room for personal relationships.
But you might have to wait if you need more time to yourself.
Right now, the priority is turning away from solace and toward socializing more with the people you care about.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

London, England, United Kingdom

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

Valencia, Comunidad Valencia, Spain

Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland

Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Milton, Ontario, Canada

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

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 Nashville, Orlando, Walnut and more.

Today is:

Today is Friday, February 4, the 35th day of 2011.

There are 330 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are: 

Bubble Gum Day
Quacker Day
and
Wear Red Day.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

It's B.A.D.

It's B.A.D. this weekend according to the powers that be, so we here at Carolina Naturally will be highlighting blogs we have found that have held our interest for more than a click of the mouse.

It may not be strictly by the rules - that being finding less read blogs and promoting them - but we feature blogs we like, be they known, somewhat known or unknown ...

To wit we present: Incidental Comics as our first featured blog for this year's Blog-roll Amnesty Day Weekend.

However, we will refrain from featuring any of the 'big name' blogs as they are well known enough all ready.

Random Celebrity Photo

Sonny & Cher with Bob Dylan

The courageous, history-making women of Egypt

Egyptian women have been front and center in the uprising, which has led to President Hosni Mubarak agreeing not to run for re-election—promoting their cause on the Web, leading crowds, and providing help to injured protesters.

Read More

The 'Day of Departure'

Or 'Day of Leaving' if you prefer ...

Crowds throng Cairo on 'day of leaving'

Tens of thousands flood Tahrir Square as the U.S. tries to negotiate Mubarak's departure.

Dramatic change of mood 

Also: 

• First Mubarak interview
• Protests cost $310 mil/day
• Designer sorry for tweet

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians protest on the 'Day of Departure'

It's another day of massive protests in Egypt today. So far, it seems that things are relatively peaceful.

Via Al Jazeera:

Chants urging Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to leave office are reverberating across Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered at the square, the focal point of protests in Egypt, for what they have termed the "Day of Departure".

As the country entered its eleventh day of unrest, mass demonstrations commenced after Friday prayers.

Thousands also gathered in the city of Alexandria, holding up placards and chanting "He must go!" an Al Jazeera correspondent there reported.

Protesters there have said they will march to the city's main train station and stage a sit-in until Mubarak resigns.

Three thousand people also joined demonstrations in Giza.

The pro-Mubarak security forces are still wreaking havoc -- or trying to. CNN's Ivan Watson reported a short time ago that Egyptian Security Forces are trying to prevent foreign journalists from doing live broadcasting today.

Al Jazeera is live blogging events here. The network's offices were ransacked by pro-Mubarak thugs.

Supporters of Egyptian protests beaten in Syria

Sounds like another dictator is getting nervous about the protests spreading.

Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that Syrian authorities failed to intervene as 15 people who tried to hold a candle vigil in support of the Egyptian revolution were beaten in Old Damascus.

Syrians have been organizing campaigns on Facebook and Twitter that call for a "day of rage" in Damascus this week in using social networking sites to rally their followers for sweeping political reforms.

Like Egypt and Tunisia, Syria suffers from corruption, poverty and unemployment. All three nations have seen subsidy cuts on staples like bread and oil. Syria's authoritarian president has resisted calls for political freedoms and jailed critics of his regime.

Poll: 83% of Americans Want a Clean Energy Bill Passed This Year

A new Gallup poll has revealed some pretty interesting stuff about what Americans want to see done this year, legislatin'-wise.

Coming out on the very top was this little nugget: 83% of Americans want Congress to "pass an energy bill that would provide incentives for using solar and other alternative energy sources."

Yup, more Americans agree with that act than any other policy idea.

Climate Progress takes a closer look at more of the data here.

Non Sequitur

Charge dismissed against Huntersville commissioner

After a two-day trial, a Mecklenburg County District Court judge dismissed claims by the wife of Huntersville commissioner Ken Lucas that he assaulted her in their home.

Full Story

He's still a sleazy repugican that just got away with it.

Jared Loughner to be tried first in federal court

State and federal prosecutors agreed that the suspect in the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others will be tried first in federal court before any prosecution begins on state charges.

Full Story

Repugicans Move to Make PATRIOT Act Permanent

Freshly emboldened by their mid-term congressional wins, establishment repugicans are set to extend the unconstitutional police state Patriot Act.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote to continue and extend the law. “Having this debate year after year offers little certainty to agents utilizing these provisions to keep the nation safe,” said ranking member Chuck Grassley, reptile-Iowa.

Full Story

And if you don't know why extending this illegal act is insane read the following post and watch the video.

Bad Cops

Florida police officer arrested in shooting resigns; victim paralyzed

Colorado police officer reinstated with back pay after being fired for using excessive force and breaking six department policies

Florida detention deputy charged with dealing in stolen property

Alabama police officer accused of shoplifting

Florida police officer accused of failing to turn over evidence

Jury convicts Pennsylvania trooper of one charge but acquits him of two others

Florida prison guard arrested for child porn possession

Texas trooper pleads guilty in steroids case

California deputy accused of soliciting sexual favors from arrested woman

Fired Michigan deputy is arrested on sexual assault charge

Florida deputy arrested over jail contraband allegations

Mississippi police officer held on drug charges

Nevada police officer involved in Costco shooting faces felony charge

Missouri cop is sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually assaulting and robbing four paid escorts

Georgia SWAT officer sentenced to four years in prison for lying about a boating accident that left fellow officer dead

And this is the video the Houston Police, Houston's Mayor and Houston's DA did not want you to see - the beating of a suspect by several police officers.

Note the Mayor's statement at the end - still not wanting the release of the video and erroneously or should we say deliberately, mis-stating a court ruling in his efforts to suppress the truth.

Shoe

Meaning of rose colors

The sentiment behind popular rose colors

Before you choose a bouquet for your Valentine, be sure you're sending the right message. 

Rose of passion 

Also: 

• Send a beautiful bouquet
• Guys' Valentine mistakes  
• Nine gifts she'll love

Ten Foods You Can Cook in a Coffee Maker

Sure, you can cook a squirrel in a popcorn popper, but those really aren’t that common since the advent of microwave popcorn.

Max Eddy of Geekosystem has a more practical guide for you: how to cook food in a coffee pot.

He has links to instructions and recipes including lemon pepper chicken, chicken pesto pasta, and fish steaks.

Full Story

A Martini Designed to Taste Like a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Nothing hits the spot quite like a grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of tomato soup. But it’s been hard to get sloshed on this combination…until now. Clive’s, a bar in Victoria, British Columbia, offers a cocktail called a “Cold Night In” that blends these flavors with alcohol. Here’s how bartender Shawn Sole makes one:

Soole starts with his own batch of “grilled cheese rum” — dark, viscous Mt. Gay “washed” overnight with a real-live grilled cheese sandwich, a seeping process to extract essential flavors and infuse them into the rum, before adding fresh-muddled tomato and basil, salt, Lillet Blanc and Glenfiddich Scotch whiskey. The effect is extraordinary: the grilled cheese rum leaps off the palate with flavors of cheddar, bread and butter, mingled with a dark sweetness, while the Lillet Blanc prevents the texture from veering into Bloody Mary territory. Topping the cocktail off with a drop of Glenfiddich adds a hint of off-the-grill smoke and evokes sipping, grilling and dunking.

Full Story

German firefighters called to rescue beer

A drunk man at the Kaiserslautern train station sounded a fire alarm Wednesday in hopes that fire fighters would rescue his beer, police reported. He is now under investigation for the misuse of emergency services.

The 44-year-old had stepped off a train along with a 28-year-old friend for a smoke break at the station in the Rhineland-Palatinate city. But the duo were dismayed to see the train drive away without them – carrying a bag full of beer they’d left behind, according to the police statement.

Panicked, the older man broke through the protective glass around a fire alarm, prompting Kaiserslautern fire fighters to rush onto the scene. “There was no real emergency,” the statement said. “Because there was no other contact person on the platform, the drunk man sounded the alarm.”

Authorities determined that he had a blood alcohol content of 1.95 promille, or .195 percent. The man also injured his hand while breaking the glass casing around the alarm, they said.

Artist makes himself 'invisible'

Artist makes himself 'invisible' in photos

A Chinese artist becomes a living sculpture by using paint to blend in with his surroundings.  

Can you see him? 

Also: 

• See his vanishing act
• More on the artist
• Guggenheim traces roots

Mansions with cool 'man caves'

Mansions with amazing 'man caves'

These homes all have ideal setups for watching the big game or just hanging out with the guys.

$32.5 million for one 

Also: 

• Richest small towns in U.S.
• Remodeling horror stories  
• When to refinance

StreetFlyer

The StreetFlyer vehicle, developed by Dr. Carsten Mehring, is supposed to represent a land version of hang gliding. The rider is suspended in a harness from the top. She steers with her hands and pedals the rear wheel. Mehring asserts that the StreetFlyer could serve physical rehabilitation purposes as it puts limited stress on the user’s limbs.

More here

Cities building for tomorrow

Cities that showcase 'the world of tomorrow'

A sleek, sustainable stadium in Russia brings to mind a Fabergé egg.  

Where you can borrow a bike for free 

Also: 

• Most unique destinations
• Best new-design hotels  
• Budget getaways for 2011

Unexplained lights in Utah sky

Hey, it is Utah, after all ... the lights just may be illuminated gas released from the Mormons and their 'special underwear'.

The strangest things in the night sky weren't the red orbs, but the white lights that fell from them.

No explanation 

Also: 

• More UFO sightings
• Private island for sale  
• 'Aflockalypse' theories

Images show Mars' shifting dunes

Images show Mars' shifting dunes 

A study of the Martian polar region by an orbiting satellite shows that sand dunes, once thought to be frozen and static, change radically every year.

• Mars probe watches water-ice fade
• Mars domes may be 'mud volcanoes'

Shelter From The Storm

'T was in another lifetime, one of toil an' blood
When blackness was a virtue and the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

If i pass this way again, you can rest assured
I'll always do my best for her, on that i give my word
In a world of steel-eyed death an' men who are fightin' to be warm
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

Not a word was spoke between us, there was no risk involved
Nothing up to that point had even been resolved
Try imagining a place where it's always safe an' warm
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail
Poisoned in the bushes an' blown out on the trail
Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

Suddenly i turned around an' she was standin' there
With silver bracelets on her wrists an' flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully an' took my crown of thorns
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

Now the bonds are broken but they can be retied
For one more journey to the woods, the holes where spirits hide
It's a never endin' battle for a piece that's always torn
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

Well the deputy walks on hard nails an' the preacher rides a mount
But nothin' really matters much, it's doom alone that counts
An' the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

Well i've heard new babies cryin' like a mournin' dove
An' old men with broken teeth stranded without love
Do i understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn?
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

And now there's a wall between us, somethin' there's been lost
I took too much from granted, i got my signals crossed
Just to think it all began on a non-eventful morn
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

In a little hilltop village they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation an' they gave me a lethal dose
I offered up my innocence, got repaid with scorn
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

Well i'm livin' in a foreign country, but i'm bound across the line
Beauty walks on a razor's edge, someday i'll make it mine
If i could only turn back the clock to when God an' her were born
"Come in", she said, "I'll give you shelter from the storm"

Hand Preference in Humans, Animals Explained

Whether you more frequently use your right hand or your left isn't so much a choice as it is hardwired in your brain.    

Read more  

Three Seconds

Research: Hugs Follow a 3-Second Rule

Ever wondered how long a hug lasts? The quick answer is about 3 seconds, according to a new study of the post-competition embraces of Olympic athletes. But the long answer is more profound. A hug lasts about as much time as many other human actions and neurological processes, which supports a hypothesis that we go through life perceiving the present in a series of 3-second windows.
Crosscultural studies dating back to 1911 have shown that people tend to operate in 3-second bursts. Goodbye waves, musical phrases, and infants' bouts of babbling and gesturing all last about 3 seconds. Many basic physiological events, such as relaxed breathing and certain nervous system functions do, too.

And not just humans:

A 1994 study of giraffes, okapis, roe deer, raccoons, pandas, and kangaroos living in zoos, for example, found that although the duration of the animals' every move, from chewing to defecating, varied considerably, the average was, you guessed it, 3 seconds.

I am tired of ...

I'm so clever: Frugal ideas

When your propane tank is empty, have it refilled instead of exchanging it at the grocery or convenience store.

More here

Secrets of mail carriers

13 things your mail carrier won't tell you

If you're mailing books or CDs, there's a much cheaper option most people don't use.  

Why colored envelopes matter 

Also: 

• Woman tries to mail puppy  
• Postal service in trouble
• What waiters won't say

Customer service advice

How to fight bad customer service

You shouldn't be a jerk on the phone, but that doesn't mean you have to be nice.

Other tactics to get your way 

Also: 

• Proper phone manners
• Your card's in bad hands 
• Items cheaper in 2011

Overlooked tax deductions

The most overlooked tax deductions

If you can claim any of these write-offs, you could end up paying less to the IRS.  

You may save $800 with one tax credit 

Also: 

• Secrets of accountants
• Avoid IRS red flags  
• 2011 tax changes

Dilbert

The Jobs Report, and America’s Two Economies

At a time when corporate profits are through the roof, the Dow is flirting with 12,000, Wall Street paychecks are fat again, and big corporations are sitting on more than $1 trillion in cash, you’d expect jobs be coming back.

But you’d be wrong.

The U.S. economy added just 36,000 jobs in January, according to today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Remember, 125,000 are needed just to keep up with the increase in the population of Americans wanting and needing work. And 300,000 a month are needed — continuously, for five years — if we’re to get back to anything like the employment we had before the Great Recession.

Full Story

On The Job

Where to find the most secure jobs

The aging population will boost demand for medical professions such as home health aides.  

One field pays $85,000 

Also: 

• Best second careers
• Network for success  
• Working for a bad boss

What unemployment drop really means

The jobless rate fell to 9 percent, but that figure doesn’t tell the whole story.  

Why the true rate may be 16 percent 

Also: 

• Areas that are hiring
• Online job index up  
• How to get a job

Unemployment: A health risk

Compared to people in employment, men and women who are unemployed suffer more often and longer from both physical and emotional complaints.

Full story

Senior kayaker's grueling voyage

64-year-old survives grueling solo voyage

Aleksander Doba sets a record while paddling his kayak across the Atlantic.  

He encountered constant hardships 

Also: 

• Aleksander Doba
• Best places to kayak  
• Sailor averts disaster

A Funny One

Three retirees, each with a hearing loss, were playing golf one fine March day.
One remarked to the other, 'Windy, isn't it?'
'No,' the second man replied, 'it's Thursday..'
And the third man chimed in, 'So am I. Let's have a beer'

Five Americans: How Health Care Law Affects Them

A couple on Medicare got a rebate check to help with prescription drug costs.

A Chicago man with diabetes got health insurance through a new government program.

Full Story

UNC researchers identify a gene critical for heart function

Dateline: CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

Everyone knows chocolate is critical to a happy Valentine’s Day.

Now scientists are one step closer to knowing what makes a heart happy the rest of the year.

It’s a gene called DOT1L ...

Full story

How healthy is your heart?

Just how healthy is your heart?

Several key numbers can help foretell whether heart disease might be on the horizon. 

What to look for 

Also: 

• Best foods for your heart
• New salt recommendations  
• Diet downfalls to avoid

B.C.

The Movile Cave

The Movile Cave is a cave in Constanta County, Romania, discovered by geologist Cristian Lascu in 1986 a few kilometers from the Black Sea coast. Construction workers were drilling 60 feet below Earth's surface when they noticed a large opening in the rock. Christian Lascu went down to investigate. He was shocked at what he found.

Movile Cave is one of Earth's most unusual ecosystems and had been completely sealed for more than 5.5 million years. The cave is populated with invertebrates that have adapted - through a process called troglomorphy - to their underground prison. They have done this by losing pigmentation, learning to navigate blind, and surviving on bacteria and fungi that derive energy from the sulfide hot springs beneath the cave.

This Week in Animal News

Screenshot: The Telegraph

For what is believed to be the very first time, researchers have captured the behavior of a female chimp mourning her recently deceased 16-month-old child, detailing how non-human primates respond to death.
We also have the sobering story of sled dogs slaughtered, the world according to a cockroach, bald eagles in love, people living with animals, and more in The Week in Animal News.

Article continues: The Week in Animal News: Chimp Mourns Child, Sled Dogs Slaughtered, and More (Slideshow)

Meet the Lizard-Hipped Dinosaurs

Meet the Lizard-Hipped Dinosaurs

Mosquito subspecies presents challenge in fighting malaria

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown subspecies of mosquito in West Africa that is highly susceptible to the malaria parasite and whose existence may stymie efforts to eradicate the deadly disease.

Full Story

Tiny Flea Has More Genes Than You

This tiny crustacean has 31,000 genes -- more than any other creature.

Read more 

Smithsonian scientists discover 7 new species of fish

Things are not always what they seem when it comes to fish — something scientists at the Smithsonian Institution and the Ocean Science Foundation are finding out.

Full story

Clean Up the Ocean by Breeding Vast Herds of Sea Cucumbers, Then Eating Them

Scientists in Britain — wait, I mean the United Kingdom (we must be proper now mustn't we — propose to breed sea cucumbers in large numbers. These animals will eat the waste off the ocean floor and can then be sold as a food product:

It breathes through its anus, can liquefy its body and acts as the waste collectors of the seabed. Scientists now believe that a species of sea cucumber living off the British coast could become a lucrative culinary export.
A project will begin this year to see whether it is possible to harvest commercial quantities of sea cucumbers – which are animals not plants – from beneath fish farms where the seabed is laden with the organic detritus.
Experts believe it may be possible to clean up the sea floor below the fish farms by cultivating vast “herds” of sea cucumbers while at the same time producing a valuable culinary delicacy that is highly prized in China and the Far East, where processed sea cucumbers can sell for extortionate prices.

According to the one diner quoted in the article, sea cucumbers taste like phlegm. What’s not to like?

Full Story

Louie: The Pig That Thinks He's a Dog

Louie is a nine month old pot-bellied crossbreed who can negotiate the toughest dog agility courses. Trained by his owner, Sue Williams, he trots, leaps and weaves around obstacles – as long as he gets a tasty ginger biscuit as a reward. He shows such skill that Ms Williams hopes he will compete in the prestigious Crufts dog show one day. Currently he is a hit at agricultural dog shows around the country.

Full Story

Animal Pictures