Welcome to ...

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.


Sunday, June 5, 2011

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
It can be very liberating to let someone else take the wheel for a while.
Kick back and put your feet up while someone else worries about how to get where you need to go.
Relationships are about balancing power, so it's okay for you to let the scales tip in their direction now.
Being passive isn't a character flaw, it's an element of every balanced person's personality.
Your quest for balance has been very successful, and this is one of the few final elements to incorporate into your life.

Some of our readers today have been in:
London, England, United Kingdom
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Stoke On Trent, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea

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 North Wales, Baton Rouge, Indianapolis, Iowa City and more.

Today is:
Today is Sunday, June 5, the 156th day of 2011.
There are 209 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Hot Air Balloon Day.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20110605/largeimagenq110605.jpg

Palin: I didn't 'mess up' Paul Revere history

Say What!
Man, just how stupid is this bitch. She was and is completely wrong and yet in repygican fashion she continues to tell the lie hoping it will become the truth. Never does.
Sarah Palin insisted Sunday that history was on her side when she claimed that Paul Revere's famous ride was intended to warn both British soldiers and his fellow colonists.

And I Quote

"Speaker of the House John Boehner, appearing alongside Rep. Ryan, offered these words of praise for the Wisconsin congressman: 'Preachers like Harold Camping go around predicting the end of the world, but it’s guys like Paul Ryan who do the hard work of making it happen.'”

~ from the Borowitz Report

Venezuela: Relations with US are 'frozen'

Venezuela's relations with the U.S. are frozen and President Hugo Chavez's government sees no possibility of improving them after its state oil company was hit with sanctions by Washington, the country's top diplomat said Sunday.

Are wild horses native to US?

American history textbooks teach generation after generation that the wild horses roaming the Western plains originated as a result of the European explorers and settlers who first ventured across the ocean and into the frontier.

Twin friars die on same day at age 92

The brothers were born seconds apart in 1919 — and died hours apart this week.  
Also: 

Historic flood begins to abate, but far from over

The Mississippi River flood of 2011 may seem like a thing of the past for people who fled rising waters that never came, yet the final toll is shrouded in murky water for thousands of people devastated as the flood made its way from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico.

Chilean volcano erupts, forces mass evacuations

Southern Chile's Puyehue volcano erupted for the first time in half a century on Saturday, prompting evacuation orders for 3,500 people as it sent smoke billowing into the sky, authorities said.

Germany: Sprouts likely cause of E. coli outbreak

Lower Saxony's agriculture minister says initial tests have confirmed that locally grown beansprouts are the likely cause for Germany's E. coli outbreak that has killed 22 people and sickened hundreds.

It's more than 8 times the size of a typical watermelon

A big piece of fruit has drivers doing a double-take.
A watermelon at Yandle's Roadside Market in Columbia is bringing in the business.

NASA Funds Nebraska Effort to Boost Science, Math

Nebraska 4-H will help a statewide effort to boost science and mathematics education for students in more than 100 schools.

Get more from your workout

Burn more calories and see faster results with tiny tweaks to these basic exercises.
Also: 

Clever ways to save time

Waking up 15 minutes earlier pads your morning with time to drink coffee and read.  
Also: 

World's 10 best new hotels

Amenities like private pools and camel rides earn these resorts a spot on the list. 
Also: 

America's richest counties

These five areas boast excellent school systems, robust economies, and high household incomes.
Also: 

Investors cope with stock drops

Despite five weeks of market declines, small investors aren’t pushing the panic button yet. 
Also: 

Adjustable vs. fixed loans

With their 3.4% interest rates, ARMs sometimes make more sense than fixed loans. 
Also: 

Man cited after paying bill with 2,500 pennies

A Utah man has been cited on a charge of disorderly conduct after paying for a disputed medical bill with 2,500 pennies.

Epic Fail

http://4gifs.com/gallery/d/185854-1/Rope_climbing69.gif

Omega-3 fats linked to lower diabetes risk

People who get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids in their diets may have lowered odds of developing type 2 diabetes, two new reports suggest.

Hormone-blocking drug reduces breast cancer risk

Millions of women at higher-than-usual risk of breast cancer have a new option for preventing the disease.

Ziggy

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20110605/largeimagezi110605.jpg

Ex-Army player sues R&B diva

Richard King's football career comes to an end after an ugly incident with Patti LaBelle's bodyguards.  
Also: 

Billy Bob Thornton's daughter found guilty of manslaughter in toddler's death

Amanda Brumfield, the 32-year-old daughter of Billy Bob Thornton, was found guilty of aggravated manslaughter in the death of her best friend's 1-year-old child, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Olivia Madison Garcia died in Oct. 2008 from a skull fracture that Brumfield claimed was a result of an accidental fall from a playpen. In a trial that lasted less than a week, the prosecution convinced a jury that the child's skull injury was not compatible with Brumfield's explanation, though the accused was found not guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated child-abuse. She will be sentenced for manslaughter in July.

Flashback to July 2009:
 The oldest daughter of Billy Bob Thornton has been arrested and charged with child neglect in the death of a 1-year-old she was babysitting, according to celebrity website TMZ.com.

Amanda Brumfield was taken into custody on Friday.

On the morning of October 3, 2008, a one-year-old child was declared dead at a Florida hospital -- the little girl had been left in the care of Brumfield.

Brumfield told police the child fell and hit her head, But police say Brumfield didn't call for emergency medical assistance until two-and-a-half hours later.

When paramedics arrived, they attempted to do CPR on the child, but were unable to revive her.

An autopsy determined the child suffered a fractured skull and a subdural hematoma due to blunt trauma. The Medical Examiner's Office ruled the manner of death a homicide. The explanation given by Brumfield was inconsistent with the injuries found.

Brumfield faces charges of neglect of a child causing harm or disability.

According to TMZ.com, Brumfield is Thornton's child with his first wife, Melissa Gatlin.

Former Minnesota Power Director Charged With Theft

A former Minnesota Power executive has been charged with theft of corporate property.

Man arrested after shouting about open arrest warrant while on phone

If you've ever complained about cell phone users speaking loudly on their handsets, here's a cautionary tale you might use on them.
A man in Delmar, MD was arrested after speaking loudly enough on his phone for other motel guests to hear that authorities had an open arrest warrant on him.

Hasty But Tasty


The Ant and the Aardvark

Facebook birthday party spins out of control

A teenage girl in Germany who forgot to mark her birthday invitation as private on Facebook fled her own party when more than 1,500 guests showed up and around 100 police officers, some on horses, were needed to keep the crowd under control.

Row over feeding children live fish as asthma cure

Campaigners in India have demanded that children under 14 be banned from swallowing live fish in a traditional treatment for asthma administered at a festival every year in June. Hundreds of thousands of sufferers gather annually in Hyderabad in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh to gulp down small live fish and a special herb paste.


The Goud family, which says it received the medicine recipe from a Hindu saint in 1845, treats people from across India for free during a two-day period determined by astrologers and the onset of the monsoon. The wriggling five-centimetre (two-inch) fish, which the family says clear the throat on their way down, will be dispensed this year on June 8 and 9. Child rights group Balala Hakkula Sangham has lobbied the state's Human Rights Commission to stop children under 14 from taking the medicine as it is "unscientific" and a violation of human rights.


"The process of giving the medicine is unhygienic as the person gives it to lakhs (hundreds of thousands) of people without washing their hands," added the petition seeking a ban. The Goud family claims "fish medicine" has been proven to cure asthma and other respiratory problems, but it declines to reveal the secret herb formula. "It has been the practice of the Goud Family for the past 166 years to offer this medicine free of cost to those who need it," Bathini Harinath Goud, head of the family, said ahead of the event.



He said that children were not at risk and that people who complained were in the pay of pharmaceutical firms that produce mainstream asthma drugs. "These companies are paying money to rake up the issue as they are worried about the fish medicine affecting their business interests since what we administer is a permanent cure for asthma," he said. Goud said that last year 400,000 people swallowed live fishes handed out by 200 family members.

People left hypnotized on stage after hypnotist knocks himself out

Three people were left hypnotized on stage when a hypnotist knocked himself out during a show in Dorset. David Days was performing at Portland's Royal Manor Theater on Friday when he tripped over a participant's leg.

His team could not rouse him and the audience was asked to leave while the people were still "asleep" on stage. They were "woken up" soon after when Mr Days recovered. His manager said the performer has a voice recording which can be used to bring people round.


Mr Days, who has hypnotized members of the pop band Blue on television, did not require hospital treatment, his manager Tara Nix said. She added: "He was out for a little while and that is why we asked the audience to leave.

"Three people were left on stage but we always have a back-up tape and a back-up hypnotist to step in if needed. Luckily, it wasn't too long until he recovered and he and the guests are fine. To be honest I think this is the first time it has ever happened to a hypnotist."

Injured mountain walker found after texting photo

An injured man was rescued in the Lake District after sending a photo of where he was to a mountain rescue team. Wasdale Mountain Rescue team was alerted on Thursday night by two men. The men described the surroundings but the rescuers were struggling to identify where they were until team leader Mike Gullen suggested they sent a photo.

As a result they were found on Broad Crag, near Scafell Pike, and the injured man was airlifted to hospital. Wasdale team leader Richard Warren said trying to locate the men was like trying to find a "needle in a haystack".


Mr Warren said: "They didn't really know where they were. It was getting to be a little bit hopeless but then the team leader suggested they sent a photo. That basically told us roughly where they were and the team set off." When the team got near the pair waved their jackets to bring them to their exact location, which was high up, and one of the team reached them.

They were airlifted from the crag by the crew of a rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer and the injured man was taken to hospital with a suspected broken arm. Mr Warren said: "Having a photo really clinched it for us. It really did help." About 27 members of the Wasdale team were involved in the rescue.

B.C.

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20110605/largeimagecrbc110605.gif

The Weird, Wonderful World of Bioluminescence


In the deep, dark ocean, many sea creatures make their own light for hunting, mating and self-defense. Bioluminescence expert Edith Widder was one of the first to film this glimmering world. At TED2011, she brings some of her glowing friends onstage, and shows more astonishing footage of glowing undersea life.

Transparent Specimens


Artist Iori Tomita produces theses colorful transparent specimens not by photo editing, but by transforming the animals themselves.
…Tomita first removes the scales and skin of fish that have been preserved in formaldehyde. Next he soaks the creatures in a stain that dyes the cartilage blue. Tomita uses a digestive enzyme called trypsin, along with a host of other chemicals, to break down the proteins and muscles, halting the process just at the moment they become transparent but before they lose their form. The bones are then stained with red dye, and the brilliant beast is preserved in a jar of glycerin. The extensive production takes five months to a year, but the result is an arresting look at the inner workings of underwater life.
See more of Tomita’s work at  Wired magazine.

Ghost Ants Change Color According To The Food They Eat

 
Ghost ants, scientifically known as tapinoma melanocephalum, feed on sweets. Their abdomens are transparent, therefore you can see the the food they eat in full color. The ghost ant is a widespread tropical species, found throughout the world.

Nine Peregrine Falcon Chicks Are NYC's Latest Immigrants

peregrine-falcon-chick.jpg
Usually, when you hear the Verrazano-Narrows, Marine Parkway and Throgs Neck Bridges mentioned in the same sentence, they're followed by a horrible traffic report. But this week, some much better news came from New York's Metro Transit Authority: the birth of three sets of peregrine falcon chicks, a total of nine baby birds.

Upping the cute factor

http://www.st-julie.st-helens.sch.uk/New%20Site/Y6X/B.S.webby/animals%20webby.jpg

Kitty wants last drop of milk

This thirsty cat is determined to finish her drink, even if she can't reach the bottom of the glass.  
Also: 

Animal Pictures

http://www.socuteanimals.com/images/photos/4001770_mid.jpg