CAROLINA NATURALLY: Sep 27, 2011

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

Friends are getting petty and showing sides of their personalities that you might not like.
But no one is perfect, and tough times create odd reactions.
Don't judge your friends too harshly, and there's no need to fear that they've changed for good.
If a fierce blame game erupts today, get away from the drama.
The people you care about need space to deal with their stuff.
Your presence, no matter how well-meaning, can only make things worse.
Keep your distance from confused people for a while.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Moscow, Moskva, Russia
London, England, United Kingdom
Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey

Newbury, England, United Kingdom

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

London, Ontario, Canada

Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Morini, Morini, Comoros

Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Guertersloh, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

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 Zelienople, Wiles Barre, Scranton, Huntingdon Valley and more.

Today is:

Today is Tuesday, September 27, the 270th day of 2011.

There are 95 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

Ancestor Appreciation Day.

It is also Peregean Spring Tides.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ucomics.com/nq110927.gif

Tuneful Tuesday

All You Need Is Love from the film Across The Universe

Disaster victims' budget anger

Disaster victims cry foul over budget battle

Americans struck by storms are outraged that desperately needed funds are threatened by politics. » 'Heartless'

Also:

http://content.cartoonbox.slate.com/?feature=66c87b5bfa08fe901c9aadcd1e066381&resize=no

White House Petitions

The White House Web site lets people post petitions that others can sign. It's Your Voice in Our Government.

The right to petition your government is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. We the People provides a new way to petition the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country. We created We the People because we want to hear from you. If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.

Sure they will.

The most popular, with 35,464 signatures: Legalize and Regulate Marijuana in a Manner Similar to Alcohol.

Second, with 20,903 signatures: Abolish the TSA, and use its monstrous budget to fund more sophisticated, less intrusive counter-terrorism intelligence.

The untold stories of #occupywallst

An #occupywallst protestor gets held down and maced.

The pepper-spray cop @ #occupywallst is accused of civil rights violations during 2004 repugican convention.

Here's one peaceful protestor's account of her arrest and detention.

Here are 32 pictures of police brutality @ #occupywallst.

And you know only Keith Olbermann calls out the media blackout on #occupywallst.

http://content.cartoonbox.slate.com/?feature=67b118bf9988f1fcdf4db5a142e7c574&resize=no

Man who stole beer using inhaler smashed police car window with his head

A California man is facing charges after police say he used an inhaler to steal beer from two men before using his head to break the window of a police cruiser. According to a Clover Police report, officers were called to the Kangaroo Express on the 400 block of Main Street early on Tuesday morning around 1:41 a.m. to the report of an armed robbery. Officers spoke to two men who said they were walking along the sidewalk after buying beer and were approached by a man who pointed what appeared to be a silver pistol at them and demanded their beer. The report indicates that the armed man threatened to kill them if they didn't hand over their beer.

The man, later identified as 23-year-old Ashton Graham of California, then ran away from the scene with a case of Keystone Ice and a case of Budweiser beer. Officers called the York County Sheriff's Office to ask for assistance from the department's K-9 unit to track Graham. Investigators followed a trail of beer cans and empty cartons as the K-9 unit tracked Graham. 911 dispatchers notified officers that employees from the Honeywell Safety Products on Jackson Heights had called and said that a male covered in blood was on their property and "acting very strange." Employees told officers that the man was "very intoxicated and told them that he had been assaulted by three black males," the Clover Police report states.

When employees told Graham they were calling police, he reportedly "got up off the sidewalk, fell down and dropped a Budweiser beer out of his pocket and got back up." That's when ran out into the field behind the company, employees told police. The York County Sheriff's Office K-9 units were able to track Graham to the woods behind the building and he was placed into custody. Police say when he was being lead to the patrol car he became extremely agitated and very combative with officers. According to the York County Sheriff's report, Graham stared at deputies and screamed "What the [expletive] are you looking at?" in an aggressive tone. Graham reportedly continued to swear and use profanity towards deputies as they patted him down to check for weapons.

A deputy located what appeared to be a cap to an asthma inhaler in Graham's pocket. When the deputy asked Graham if he had an inhaler and he replied "yes, I have [expletive] asthma," the report states. That's when deputies and police say Graham reared his head backwards, slamming it into back window, shattering the window. While Graham was being transported to Piedmont Medical Center to have his injuries treated, he told officers that he had used an inhaler to look like a weapon during the robbery, the Clover police report states. Graham has been charged with Armed Robbery and Damage to Town Property. He's being held at the Moss Justice Detention Center under a $7,470 bond.

'Dead' man pleads guilty

'Dead' Chicago man pleads guilty to fraud

Arthur Gerald Jones, missing since 1979 and presumed dead, resurfaced in Las Vegas.

Why he left wife, family

Also:

Alaska Natives First to Feel the Heat

Climate change may be a gradual thing, but the Yup'ik people of Alaska are already seeing the effects. Read more

The Star That Shouldn't Exist

Astronomers working on the Sload Digital Sky Survey noticed a star that - according to our understanding of how stars form - shouldn't exist at all.
Here's the story of the "Caffau's Star":

... according to conventional star-formation theory, the object people are now calling "Caffau's star" shouldn't exist at all. It's very deficient in two elements — carbon and iron — that many theorists believe are critical components for normal stars to form. It's also deficient in lithium, which is not essential for a star to take shape but ought to be present all the same. Wonders Caffau's co-author Hans-Gunter Ludwig, also at Heidelberg and Paris: "Where has [the lithium] gone?

Full Story

Iraq Gets Free Stuff!

Lovely parting gifts: U.S. To Hand Over Iraq Bases, Equipment Worth Billions.

With just over three months until the last U.S. troops are currently due to leave Iraq, the Department of Defense is engaged in a mad dash to give away things that cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars to buy and build.
The giveaways include enormous, elaborate military bases and vast amounts of military equipment that will be turned over to the Iraqis, mostly just to save the expense of bringing it home.
"It's all sunk costs," said retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, who oversaw the training of Iraqi soldiers from 2003 to 2004. "It's money that we spent and we're not going to recoup."
Over 2.4 million pieces of equipment worth a total of at least $250 million -- everything from tanks and trucks to office furniture and latrines -- have been given away to the Iraqi government in the past year, with the pace of transfers expected to increase dramatically in the coming months.

Bunker busters to Israel

U.S. bunker-buster transfer questioned

The shipment of 55 of the powerful bombs to Israel is seen as preparation for an Iran strike.

Secret since 2009

Also:

Trail and Flogging

Saudi Arabia to try woman for driving

A Saudi lawyer and rights advocates say authorities will bring a Saudi activist to trial for defying the kingdom's female driving ban.

http://content.cartoonbox.slate.com/?feature=252c2bf40d355dcf5cf8ac5766a6abc3&resize=no

Full Story

Update:

Saudi woman to get 10 lashes for driving a car

Saudi activists say a court has sentenced a Saudi woman with 10 lashes for defying the kingdom's ban on women driving.

Monks set selves on fire

Monks self-immolate amid Dalai Lama feud

A protest over China's tight control on Buddhist practices takes a drastic turn.

What two men allegedly said before act

Also:

Retro Photo

Stunning, huge tree houses

Tree houses that go above and beyond

These structures include an office, a restaurant, a church, and even a basketball court.

One is 10 stories tall

Also:

Energy-saving houses

Cool, innovative energy-saving homes

The Caterpillar House has unusual eco-friendly features, like rammed-earth walls.

More innovative designs

Also:

How to keep burglars away

Why your home is a target for thieves

Chances are you're making some of these 10 mistakes and don't even know it.

Best ways to avoid break-ins

Also:

The truth be told

Own your own island

When home is a private island

For $1.3 million, you can buy two adjacent Maine isles — lobster boat included.

U.S. retreats for sale

Also:

Mortgages may soon cost more

Some mortgages will soon cost more

Homebuyers in key cities could owe thousands in extra interest starting in October.

Affected metro areas

Also:

What makes a credit score

How your credit score is calculated

Your credit history is constantly evolving, but there's one thing you can always control.

Five critical factors

Also:

Good Question

Should food stamps be accepted for soda?

Candy?

How about fast food?

Hard times are compelling 46 million Americans to use food stamps, a number up an astonishing 70 percent from four years ago.

Full Story

Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: It gets complicated ... Soda, candy are not necessary to survive, however fast food may be the most viable option for someone working part time and/or odd hours for minimum or close to minimum wage.

The most underrated jobs

Most underrated jobs in today's market

A new list ranks different fields using key factors such as pay, hiring outlook, and stress.

Careers to consider

Also:

How to live well on $40,000

Secrets to living well on $40,000 a year

Teacher Danny Kofke follows a simple rule when he's tempted to live beyond his means.

His most unusual advice

Also:

Upside of bad economy

Unexpected benefit of economic worry

Gas prices drop to the lowest levels in months, and the trend is expected to continue.

A surprise 'stimulus'

Also:

Manage your life

Healthy Living

Random Photos

http://www.bartcop.com/zorro_vega1_moz.jpg

Zorro aka Don Diego de la Vega

Now, who can name the actor who portrayed this hero in the original classic TV series?

Say Hello to Saturn's Moons

Image: NASA/JPL-CalTech/Space Science Institute

Look closely at the photo above and you can pick out 5 of Saturn's 60 natural satellites (Janus, Pandora, Enceladus, Mimas, and Rhea) as well as the planet's iconic rings:

A quintet of Saturn's moons come together in the Cassini spacecraft's field of view for this portrait.
Janus (179 kilometers, or 111 miles across) is on the far left. Pandora (81 kilometers, or 50 miles across) orbits between the A ring and the thin F ring near the middle of the image. Brightly reflective Enceladus (504 kilometers, or 313 miles across) appears above the center of the image. Saturn's second largest moon, Rhea (1,528 kilometers, or 949 miles across), is bisected by the right edge of the image. The smaller moon Mimas (396 kilometers, or 246 miles across) can be seen beyond Rhea also on the right side of the image.
This view looks toward the northern, sunlit side of the rings from just above the ringplane. Rhea is closest to Cassini here. The rings are beyond Rhea and Mimas. Enceladus is beyond the rings.
The image was taken in visible green light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on July 29, 2011. The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 1.1 million kilometers (684,000 miles) from Rhea and 1.8 million kilometers (1.1 million miles) from Enceladus. Image scale is 7 kilometers (4 miles) per pixel on Rhea and 11 kilometers (7 miles) per pixel on Enceladus.

Full Story

Most amazing bridges

The world's most incredible bridges

Singapore showcases the first span in the form of an interlocking double helix.

Another rises above the clouds

Also:

Ten undiscovered places

Great destinations you've never heard of

This tiny island has just one main street, white beaches, and tide pools full of starfish.

'Fantasy' village in France, too

Also:

Top 10 Books Lost to Time

A Latin professor once told me that the number of texts that have survived from antiquity to modern times may be likened to a single cup of sand from a beach. But it’s not just major works from classical Greece and Rome that are lost. Some books by modern authors, too, have not survived the ravages of time. Megan Gambino of Smithsonian magazine has a roundup of ten books that are mentioned in various places, but have never been located. Among them is Cardenio, a play that William Shakespeare may have written:

There is evidence that Shakespeare’s company, the King’s Men, performed the play for King James I in May 1613—and that Shakespeare and John Fletcher, his collaborator for Henry VIII and Two Noble Kinsmen, wrote it. But the play itself is nowhere to be found.
And what a shame! From the title, scholars infer that the plot had something to do with a scene in Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote involving a character named Cardenio. (A translation of Don Quixote was published in 1612 and would have been available to Shakespeare.)

A lost book that I would love to read is an account by Pytheas of Marseilles, a Fourth Century BCE Greek explorer. He is thought to have explored Britain and the Baltic Sea long before other Greek explorers reached these areas. Alas, his manuscript survives only in quotation by other ancient authors.

Full Story

Record WWII treasure found

Sunken WWII treasure might set record

Torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1941 when it went astray, a British cargo ship carried 219 tons of silver. Who gets it

Also:

New Mexico national monument reopens archaeological sites

The prehistoric Native American archaeological sites that fill the heart of northern New Mexico's Bandelier National Monument have reopened to visitors, three months after the largest wildfire in the state's recorded history sent employees scrambling to save rare artifacts and irreplaceable artwork.The monument's visitor center and biggest ...

Full Story

Ziggy

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ucomics.com/zi110927.gif

Miracle Fruit's Trippy Effects Explained

A West African berry known as the miracle fruit causes sour foods to taste incredibly sweet and now scientists know why.

Read more

Imaginary 'foodscapes'

Vivid landscapes fashioned with food

Take a close look at these photos: Absolutely everything is made of food.

The London skyline and Tuscany

Also:

Culinary DeLites

Delicious, easy dinners all week long

Go international with Hungarian goulash or piping-hot French onion soup.

Classic American recipes, too

Also:

Wendy's revives 'Where's the beef?'

Secrets to healthier spaghetti and meatballs

Grocery store rip-offs you need to know about

A traditional Rosh Hashanah menu

Healthy burger ideas

Six guilt-free burger recipes

These delicious takes on an old favorite are as good for you as they are tasty.

Beef, tuna, and veggie versions

Also:

B.C.

http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ucomics.com/crbc110927.gif

No Bull

A big-city lawyer was representing the railroad in a lawsuit filed by an old rancher. The rancher's prize bull was missing from the section through which the railroad passed. The rancher only wanted to be paid the fair value of the bull.

The case was scheduled to be tried before the justice of the peace in the back room of the general store.

The attorney for the railroad immediately cornered the rancher and tried to get him to settle out of court. The lawyer did his best selling job, and finally the rancher agreed to take half of what he was asking.

After the rancher had signed the release and took the check, the young lawyer couldn't resist gloating a little over his success, telling the rancher, "You know, I hate to tell you this, old man, but I put one over on you in there. I couldn't have won the case. The engineer was asleep and the fireman was in the caboose when the train went through your ranch that morning. I didn't have one witness to put on the stand. I bluffed you!"

The old rancher replied, "Well, I'll tell you, young feller, I was a little worried about winning that case myself, because that durned bull came home this morning."

Winning British Wildlife Photos

Wildlife photographer of the year photos

Winning British wildlife photographers

From underwater to high in the sky, Britain's diverse wildlife is beautifully captured in these photos.

Gallery

Also:

Mother Rescues Lion Cub

Wildlife photographer Jean-Francois Largot took a fascinating sequence of photographs of a lion cub rescue in Kenya’s Masai Mara game reserve. The cub apparently slid part of the way down a cliff face.

Clinging on for dear life to the side of a vertical cliff, the tiny lion cub cries out pitifully for help.
His mother arrives at the edge of the precipice with three other lionesses and a male. The females start to clamber down together but turn back daunted by the sheer drop.
Eventually one single factor determines which of them will risk her life to save the youngster – motherly love.

See the whole thing at the Mail Online: here.

Around 3,000 Dead Sharks Found in Illegal Net

As many as 3,000 dead sharks were found tangled in a three-mile long illegal net off the coast of Texas, officials said.

Full Story

Piranhas attack around 100 beachgoers in Brazil

Authorities in a state in Brazil's northeast are scrambling to take the fright and the bite off the beach after piranhas sunk their teeth into about 100 beachgoers.

The problem - rather fearsome given piranhas' horror-movie teeth and ability to sink them into human flesh - has been the biggest at the main beach area in Piaui state; authorities said they need to act fast to reduce a piranha overpopulation situation.

Last weekend, at least 100 bathers were treated at the hospital in Jose de Freitas not far from Terezina, Piaui's capital, after being bitten on the heels or toes at the local beach.

"Since they have no predators, piranhas have started attacking people on the beach," said Romildo Mafra, a local environment official. Environmental officials so far have added tilapia to the piranhas' local food chain hoping to quell some of the predators' hunger.

Animal Pictures

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/311850_10150835619535227_695995226_20949377_527812701_n.jpg

Welcome to ...

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Naturally Friends

Playlist