The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Yes, things have been a blur lately -- but since your emotions are finally starting to slow down, your physical self should, too.
Relaxation and comfort are more important than speed.
Ease off the gas pedal and take the meandering road to your destination.
Shortcuts will only frustrate you.
Besides, following the scenic route is always more fun.
There is no rush, no matter what deadlines you may be facing.
You have much more time than you think.

Some of our readers today have been in:

 Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, France
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Zragoza, Aragon, Spain
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Berne, Bern, Switzreland
Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Leicester, England, United Kingdom
Birmingham, England, United kingdom
Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Moscow, Moskva, Russia

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 Reidsville, Mocksville, Huntersville, Taylorsville and more.

Today is:

Today is Monday, July 25, the 206th day of 2011.

There are 159 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

Carousel or Merry-Go-Round Day.
 

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Norway Prime Minister: "The Answer to Violence is even More Democracy"

Now that is leadership.

Unlike the US where so-called leaders continue to believe that it's possible to bomb and jail the the bad guys into submission, this is a refreshing change.

Sure, the US and Norway have different positions in the world but if the US wants to tell everyone about how great it's democracy is, maybe it would be possible to actually deliver rather than shut it down.

The shrub led the charge into ignorance but there weren't many who objected.

Even now, how many really are demanding that we stop bombing the world?

As a country, we could certainly learn a few lessons watching Norway's reaction to this awful act of terrorism.

Norway mourns as toll rises

Norway mourns as death toll rises

A nation tries to make sense of a shooting spree and car bombing that claimed 93. 

Suspect's anti-Islam decree 

Also: 

• New detainees released
• Rising far-right chatter
• Pope: Renounce hatred

Norwegian terrorist has links to EU wingnut groups

With the focus on islamic extremists, looks like the christian wingnuts received a free pass from authorities in Europe. It wouldn't be a surprise to hear the same in the US.

The Guardian:

Anders Behring Breivik, the man accused of the murder of at least 92 Norwegians in a bomb and gun massacre, boasted online about his discussions with the far-right English Defense League and other anti-Islamic European organizations.

The Norwegian prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, said Norwegian officials were working with foreign intelligence agencies to see if there was any international involvement in the slaughter. "We have running contact with other countries' intelligence services," he said.

Breivik was arrested on Utøya island where he shot and killed at least 85 people, mostly teenagers, at a youth summer camp for supporters of Norway's Labor party after bombing Oslo's government district just hours before. Dressed as a police officer, he ordered the teenagers to gather round him before opening fire. Survivors described how dozens of people were mown down. The massacre led to the largest death toll ever recorded by a single gunman on the rampage.

Afghan flees war, shot four times in Norway

Hussein Kazemi has faced danger many times before. Maybe that's why the teenager still can smile as he sits in his hospital bed, bullet wounds in both legs and an arm, and images of a crazed gunman in his head.

Full Story

Legendary Islamic school ousts reformist leader

One of the world's most revered schools of Islamic learning ousted its reformist leader on Sunday just months into his term, after he praised a Hindu nationalist politician loathed by many Muslims in India.

Full Story

London's Underground River

The Fleet

 

image credit

Below the sidewalks of London there is a remarkable network of tunnels and chambers, put in to place by Victorian engineers, the final step in a process which took centuries. For over a thousand years there had been a shipping dock at the mouth of the river - its name comes from the Anglo-Saxon fleot which means a tidal inlet. Yet it was not destined to persevere as a river in its own right.

East Coast to get heat relief; other states cook

The triple-digit scorcher that taxed the electrical grid and made life uncomfortable on the East Coast was expected to simmer down somewhat Sunday, but forecasters said states in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast will still be feeling the heat wave.

Full Story

Wingnuts are divorced from reality

Fool's Gold and Imperfect Diamonds

Fool’s gold gives scientists priceless insight into Earth’s evolution

Fool’s gold is providing scientists with valuable insights into a turning point in the Earth’s evolution, which took place billions of years ago. Scientists are recreating ancient forms of the [...]

Read full story

Diamond Impurities Bonanza for Geologists Studying Earth’s History

Jewelers abhor diamond impurities, but they are a bonanza for scientists. Safely encased in super-hard diamond, impurities are unaltered, ancient minerals that tell the story of Earth’s distant past. Researchers analyzed [...]

Read full story

 

Non Sequitur

Navy subs prep for women

Submarines prepare for female officers

Having women on vessels is one of several daunting challenges the Navy is tackling.  

A potential risk 

Also: 

• Paying more for defense
• Gay military ban ends
• Old sub wreckage found

Funny 'leisure dive' photos

Swimmers make hilarious 'leisure dives'

Timely photos capture playful posers in the split second before they hit the water.

The 'relaxing' images 

Also: 

• Leisure tech devices
• Pricey Beatles photos
• Jail 'toga party' uproar

Most unusual homes for sale

The most unusual homes you can buy

A shroom with a view in upstate New York is on the market for $1.1 million.  

See four more stunners 

Also: 

• Homes that have domes
• Ugliest houses in U.S.
• High-cost housing cities

Dishwashing may take longer

New dishwashers may take longer

Energy-efficiency standards often drive up the time it takes to do your dishes.  

Consumer Reports buying advice 

Also: 

• Get extended warranty?
• Tips for dishes by hand
• Organizing small spaces

The Truth about the 'caveman diet'

The truth about the 'caveman diet'

The paleo diet goes back to the age of hunters and gatherers — heavy on meat, light on grains.  

What the experts say 

Also: 

• How to slip in veggies
• Totally bogus diet tips
• Grill away your gut

Ten Exotic Fruits You've Probably Never Tried

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what about a cherimoya? Never heard of it? Cherimoya is a fruit native to the highlands of South America that Mark Twain once called 'deliciousness itself.'

While you may be a pro when it comes to pears, avocados and mangos, there are plenty of fruits considered delicacies in other countries. From durian to salak, discover 10 exotic fruits that are cherished around the world.

What's inside a $1,000 bagel

Outrageously expensive fast-food meals

One restaurant's $1,000 bagel isn't quite the same as what you get at the corner deli. 

A sundae that costs $25,000 

Also: 

• Toy house costs $23K
• 1,500-calorie dessert
• Six edible flowers

1. Troubled life of Amy Winehouse
2. Norway mourns as toll rises
3. Funny 'leisure dive' photos
4. What's inside a $1,000 bagel

A cancer you can treat & beat

The cancer you can treat — and beat

The second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. can be prevented, if found early enough. 

How milk can help 

Also: 

• Cancer's link to height
• What your hands reveal
• Best foods for your brain

Doctors to companies: Stop wasting our time.

Frustrated doctors are pushing to scrap sick certificates for patients who have only one day off.

They say the practice is a waste of their time and have slammed "demanding bosses" and unreasonable workplace policies.

Requests for certificates have exploded in recent years as bosses increasingly force staff to visit a doctor to prove they should stay at home for a day.

New Australian Medical Association president Steve Hambleton questioned why staff should need a doctor's certificate for one day off and called on the Federal Government to address the drain on the healthcare system under industrial relation laws.

My work is one of these retarded companies that force us to get a certificate for every sick day we take. It's fucking insane and the doctors I have seen are obviously fucking pissed off about having to do them. One doctor even had a rant to me about stupid out of touch executives with their heads shoved so far up their asses. That they would need a doctors help to remove it. But that doctor would be too busy writing certificates for people with sore tummies.

Full Story

The chickens are coming home to roost

Congress Must Eliminate Its Own Pensions, Reduce Its Salaries ...

 ... Before Cutting a Dime From Middle Class Entitlements

But like those in congress say ...budget cuts are only for the little people.

Paul Abrams writes over at Huffington Post:

Nor, I am afraid, can we afford to pay you $174,000 per year. You take a lot of time off already, probably more than teachers, and so we are really overpaying you, and you do not need to invest in continuing education to keep your credentials up-to-date. Moreover, middle-class workers actually suffered a decline in salaries over the last decade, even prior to the Bush Recession, so you need to be cut back to what you were earning in 1999.

We would like to pay you more, but we just cannot afford it.

Oh, yes, on healthcare and your gym memberships -- you can start paying for those like all other Americans do, out of your salaries. Instead of the program for federal employees, you can only get covered by whatever insurance is available in the states from which you come. That will be good for you, it would enable you to be "men and women 'of the people.'" We are doing that for your own benefit.

The truth be told

Clever Boy

A small boy was playing with a basketball in the street, when suddenly it bounced through the railings and broke the kitchen window of one of the houses by the street. The lady of the house waited with anger in her eyes for the appearance of the ball’s owner. He arrived.

“Please, I’ve broken your window,” he said, “and father’s come to mend it.”

Sure enough the boy was followed by a man, who at once set to work, while the boy, taking his ball, ran off.

The window finished, the man said:

“That’ll be three pounds, mum.”

“Three pounds!” gasped the woman. “But your son broke it. The little fellow with the ball. You’re his father, aren’t you?”

The man shook his head.

“Never seen him before,” he said. “He came round to my place and said his mother wanted her window mended.

You’re his mother, aren’t you?”

Vacationing Cop Shot Foiling Robbery

A veteran New York Police Department detective vacationing in Miami Beach was shot in the leg while foiling an early-morning robbery attempt outside his hotel.

Vacationing Cop Shot Foiling Robbery

Female robbers use skirts to steal wine

Skirts are not the typical accessory for a crime, but two female suspects in Pembroke Park, Fla. used their flowing garbs to make off with hundreds of dollars worth of fine wine.

The Broward Sheriff's Office released video of the suspects in action. One of the women acts as a lookout while the other one goes into action.

"One of them took it out, put it on the shelf, looked back to the clerk, saw he wasn't looking. She grabbed it, put it up her skirt. She must have had something stuck in her skirt, because it went real easy," described store owner Paul Mouts.

YouTube link.

The ladies got away with about $400 worth of wine. This isn't the first time this store has been targeted. Last October, a group of women came in and robbed the place using a similar method.

Man Says He's Mishandled By Airport Screener Again

A Michigan man with bladder cancer who suffered a rough airport pat-down that caused his urostomy bag to spill its contents on his clothing last fall said he was mishandled by a screener at the same airport earlier this month.

Full Story

Glen Care of Mount Olive, NC, Fined $16K After Six Hepatitis-Related Deaths

The owners of a Mount Olive assisted living center have been fined $16,000 after six hepatitis-related deaths.

Full Story

‘Spider-Man’ actor arrested

'Spider-Man' villain arrested at Comic-Con

Rhys Ifans is cited for misdemeanor battery for what police called "belligerent" behavior.

What happened 

Also: 

• First Bond girl dies
• 'Buffy' star returns
• 'Wolverine' update

You want to block all Rupert Murdoch websites?

 There's an app for that

Possible class action lawsuit against News Corp for misleading investors

It's pile on time and News Corp is going to be on the receiving end for a while.

Hagens Berman's investigation centers on claims that by failing to disclose the hacking, News Corporation made misleading statements to investors, causing the company's stock to be traded at an artificially high price.

Earlier this week, two former executives, one at News of the World and another at the paper's parent company News International, reportedly claimed that James Murdoch, the company's Deputy Chief Operating Officer and heir apparent, was fully informed in 2008 of the scope of the scandal.

"James and Rupert Murdoch either knew or should have known the despicable prevalence of hacking as a reporting tactic at News of the World," said Mr. Kathrein. "We are investigating what they knew and when, as well as the impact the company's failure to disclose the scandal earlier may have had on investors."

FBI inquiry of Murdoch's empire: reliance on Brits

The FBI is just cranking up a preliminary review of whether alleged phone hacking and bribery by Rupert Murdoch's media empire violated U.S. laws, but any resolution may well have to await the outcome of British investigations.

Full Story

News Corp UK execs threatened British Members of Parliament

Anyone want to bet against the same thing happening in the US? How long do you really need to think about it before you come up with a story about ridiculous attacks on Democrats?

This bullying behavior has to stop.

Lib Dem insiders say NI officials took their lobbying campaign well beyond acceptable limits and even threatened, last autumn, to persecute the party if Vince Cable, the business secretary, did not advance its case.

According to one account from a senior party figure, a cabinet minister was told that, if the government did not do as NI wanted, the Lib Dems would be "done over" by the Murdoch papers, which included the now defunct News of the World as well as the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times.

The accounts are only now coming to light, say sources, because the minister involved feared the potential for damage to the party, which was already suffering a dramatic slide in popularity after going into coalition with the Tories. They chime with reports from senior figures in the Labour party who say that Murdoch executives issued threats to Ed Miliband's office after the Labour leader turned on NI when the news broke that murdered 13-year-old Milly Dowler's phone had been hacked into by the News of the World.

Ziggy

Why Can't Astronauts Whistle in Space?

Now I’m not talking about whistling in a vacuum. It’s obvious that attempting to do so would fail. But even astronauts on spacewalks in protective suits can’t whistle. Why not? Former astronaut Dan Barry explained:

“You can’t whistle because the air pressure in the suit is only 4.3 [pounds per square inch], and normal atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi, so there are not enough air molecules blowing by your lips to make a sound,” he said.[...]
Jeff Hoffman, a retired astronaut with three spacewalks (including a mission to repair the Hubble telescope) has traveled 21.5 million miles in space. He said the technicians who trained him on spacewalks had told him that he wouldn’t be able to whistle, but he says he tried anyway.
“I couldn’t get one note out,” he said.

Full Story

Time Travel Impossible, Say Scientists

By showing a single photon cannot travel faster than the speed of light, scientists prove time travel is impossible.  

Read more 

B.C.

Towser The Distillery Cat

Mice love to feast on barley and can quickly overrun a distillery where the grain is plentiful unless steps are taken to control them.  From 1963 til 1987 a longhaired tortoiseshell cat named Towser was charged with keeping the rodent population in check at the Glenturret Distillery in Crieff, Scotland where Famous Grouse whiskey is made. Towser had a natural talent for her work and caught an estimated 28,899 mice during her tenure at the distillery. That’s an average of three mice a day! She has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s best mouser and once upon a time her pawprints appeared on the label of Fairlie’s Light Highland Liqueur.  Today a statue stands in her honor at the distillery site with an inscription that reads:

Towser
21 April 1963-30 March 1987
Towser, the famous cat who lived in the still house,
Glenturret Distillery, for almost 24 years.
She caught 28,899 mice in her lifetime.
World mousing champion, Guinness Book of Records.

Her successor, Amber, did not match Towser’s skill and in fact was never known to catch a single mouse during her tenure as distillery mouser.

Full Story

Bambi and Thumper in real life

A baby fallow deer was taken into Holbrook Animal Rescue, with head and leg injuries, after being hit by a car. One of their rescue rabbits seemed to know that something was wrong and immediately snuggled up to the deer. The rabbit started to wash and comfort the fawn, and the fawn responded.

YouTube link.

Animal Pictures