The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

Do you have some ambitious travel planned in your future? 

Today is a great day to narrow down your options and book some dates -- just make sure that everyone involved has been contacted and approves of your plans. 

Today you will be a powerful leader, and getting everyone to be on the same page will be easy. 

Your confident charm is at an all-time high, and you could just about convince anyone to do anything! 

Timely group consensus could enable a huge savings.

 Some of our readers today have been in:

Kuantan. Pahang, Malaysia
Barnet, England, United Kingdom
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Crawley, England, United Kingdom
Morini, Morini, Comoros
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Gengenbach, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Rennes, Bretagne, France
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Katowice, Slaskie, Poland

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 Raleigh, Salem, Reno, Boise and more.

Today is:

Today is Thursday, October 6, the 279th day of 2011.

There are 86 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

Mad Hatter Day.

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

Thorough Thursday

Rare quadruple rainbow

Rare look at a quadruple rainbow

A new photograph provides the first-ever evidence of the legendary optical phenomenon.

  How they form 

Also: 

• Earth theory questioned
• Are animals shrinking?
• U.S. satellite launched

'Correcting' The Myths In Your History Lessons

Little known fact, it was not actually an iceberg, but Godzilla that caused the Titanic to sink.

Full Story

The Top 10 Most Ridiculous Wannabe Rulers Of Nations

Leaders can be pretty entertaining when they lose their ever-loving minds and just start with the power abuse and quirky behavior. But the things people will do on their way to power can often be good too.

Here is a list of the Top 10 almost-leaders of nations.

Crabby Road

Vets question U.S. wars

Many vets question Iraq, Afghan wars

One in three members of the post-9/11 military believes the wars were not worth fighting, a poll finds.

Views of Obama 

Also: 

• Life still grim for Afghans
• U.S. retools exit strategy
• Rise in U.S. amputations

Immigration law backfiring?

Tough immigration law backfiring?

Alabama's crackdown on illegal workers is also driving away many who are in the U.S. legally.

  'They don't feel welcome' 

Also: 

• Judge won't stop new law
• Hispanic students vanish
• Napolitano defends policy

Buffet to Murdoch: I'll show my tax returns if you show yours

It's hard not to like Warren Buffet when he steps up for the fight against Murdoch. Not bad, for an anti-capitalist pinko commie, or whatever laughable label Faux News is trying to pin on Buffet.

CNNMoney:

The Journal's conservative editorial board doesn't think that's a great idea, saying that Buffett should instead "educate the public" by letting "everyone else in on his secrets of tax avoidance by releasing his tax returns."

Asked about the editorial on Tuesday at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit, Buffett said he was willing to release his tax returns, on one condition:

"I think it might be a terrific idea if they would just ask their boss, Rupert Murdoch, and he and I will meet at Fortune, and we'll both give you our tax returns and you can publish them," Buffett said.

"I'm ready tomorrow morning," he added.

Rupert may be a little busy speaking with the British police and US FBI for illegal activity but surely he can still find the time to step up to the challenge, no?

Lenders slash mortgage fees

Mortgage lenders slashing their fees

Banks are cutting closing costs to woo customers — but there may be a catch.

  Where the deals are 

Also: 

• Find local homes for sale
• Avoid higher bank fees
• Dialing for discounts

Anger and Anarchy on Wall Street

This post is not about the Wall Street protesters, well, yes it is, but not about the Occupy Wall Street protest of 2011. A century ago, people were not any happier about what went on in New York City’s financial district.

On September 16, 1920, an explosion at the corner of Wall and Broad Streets in downtown Manhattan killed 39 people and wounded hundreds more. It would be the deadliest terror attack on American soil until the Oklahoma City bombing 75 years later. Despite its proximity to the attacks on New York on September 11, 2001, the Wall Street bombing of 1920 has more in common with the public sentiment at the Occupy Wall Street protests in lower Manhattan today—with one notable exception. Today’s protesters are committed to nonviolence. The anarchists of yesteryear were not. They largely failed in their attacks on capitalism and Wall Street—and their tactics turned public sentiment against their cause.

That bombing was the culmination of decades of violence on Wall Street, which involved suicide bombs, union-busting mercenaries, and gunfire. After the 1920 bombing, cooler heads prevailed, and everything was hunky-dory on Wall Street …for about nine years. 

Full Story

Cops beating protestors at #occupywallst

October 5th, around 8:45 PM. Cops beating up and pepper spraying people at the occupy wall street protest. THIS IS WHAT A POLICE STATE LOOKS LIKE.

Romney: #OccupyWallSt is class warfare

Oh, there's been class warfare alright and the numbers are clear. It's been Romney's class who have kicked the stuffing out of the middle class and poor. While the Romney's of the world can't see the decline of the middle class, the middle class certainly can see it. That's why the majority of Americans support taxing the rich elitists like Romney.

As anti-Wall Street protests have begun to move from Wall Street to main streets in other cities, the issue has also started to bubble up in the presidential campaign.

Greeting an overflow room of voters Tuesday at a community center in The Villages, a retirement community in Florida, Mitt Romney was asked about the protests, and said that he had spoken to the people involved.

“I think it’s dangerous — this class warfare,” Mr. Romney said.

Did you know ...

That the bottom 50% of Americans pay more of their income than the top 1%.

And that #occupywallst blows capitalism's alibi.

Careers with strong growth

Careers with strong growth potential

Whether you're just starting out or switching professions, check out these promising fields.

  Business, health, tech 

Also: 

• Small businesses hiring
• Layoff warning signs
• How U.S. can rebound

Manage your life

5 signs you're too stressed

• Should you go gluten-free?
• Michael Jackson, plastic surgery, and Propofol: What you need to know
• Eat your way to better health!

Culinary DeLites

• 7 ways to cook a bag of potatoes
• User post: Pumpkin whoopie pies
• Healthier versions of your favorite junk food
• Restaurant food styling tricks

Foods for flawless skin

Foods that keep your skin flawless

Load up on leafy greens, which contain vitamin A, to guard against breakouts.  

Edible cures for other common woes 

Also: 

• How to exfoliate skin
• Anti-aging makeup tips
• Best, worst sweeteners

Holy Bat Nuts, Batman!

Yes, these are Bat Nuts, but they are also called Water Caltrops, Buffalo Nuts, and Devil Pods. The starchy inner nut is eaten raw, boiled, or powdered and added to other foods. It’s just one of a list of The World’s 10 Most Unusual Nuts. Would you rather try some candle nuts or tiger nuts? Read about these and more at WebEcoist.

Couple's 'pretty looking plant' turns out to be psychedelic killer weed

A killer weed outlawed in America after being blamed for the death of several teenagers has popped up in a Chessington couple’s garden. The plant first appeared in Marilyn and Tony Bagshaw’s plot in Green Lane about four weeks ago and has already grown to a height of about 3ft (0.9m).

At first the couple ignored the plant, but after becoming curious about its origins, Mrs Bagshaw decided to search the internet and was shocked with what she discovered. She found the “pretty looking plant” was in fact Datura stramonium, a thorn apple also known as devil’s trumpet, devil’s weed or stink weed. It bears spiky fruit, poisonous flowers and seeds that can cause hallucinations, hypothermia and painful photophobia that can last several days.

Mrs Bagshaw said: "I was shocked when I found out this pretty plant growing in the back garden was in fact a drug killing teenagers in America. It seems to be a very international drug because they use it in China and also in Mexico to relive labour pains but apparently it is very rare to found it in England. I want to throw it away but apparently if the seeds spill I could have a whole drug farm on my hands and so I want to make sure I know how to do it properly.”

Jill Turner, a plant expert at Kew Gardens said she thought the plant was spread because bird-feed manufacturers were adding its seeds to their mix and said the rising number of photographs sent in for identification suggested it was becoming widespread. She said it should be removed carefully using gloves and burned thoroughly. To stop it spreading, the seed heads should be removed before they dry out and burst.

Ways to fight osteoporosis

17 simple ways to fight osteoporosis

These lifestyle changes will help protect your bones against fractures as you age.  

 Hidden dangers of soda, salt 

Also: 

• How to ward off cancer
• Must-have supplements
• Brain-boosting foods

Ziggy

Six Secret Operations Hidden All Around You

Los Angeles is a gorgeous city filled with movie stars and sunny beaches, right? As it turns out, the city is also loaded with oil rigs. You’d never know it though because the city carefully and cleverly conceals the rigs so you’d never notice them unless you were specifically looking for them. For more cool secret operations that are hidden in plain sight, be sure to check out this cool Cracked article.

Speedboat from a Corvette

Chevy Corvette turned into speedboat

The ZR48 features sleek styling, a luxurious interior, and neck-snapping speeds worthy of its lineage.  

Price 

Also: 

• Prize for electric plane
• Tesla outpaces Porsche
• NFL owner's big yacht

The 47 Society

The 47 Society is about the number 47, the quintessential random number. Many have noticed. Many have wondered: why? Many more have wondered: so what?

In short, 47 appears to be the quintessential random number of the universe. In other words, when a number appears randomly, more often than not, that number is 47. In other other words, if you asked people to pick a number at random, more often than not, that number would be 47.

Of course, if 47 shows up more than any other number then it isn't truly random, but using the word random makes the whole phenomenon easier to describe.

Why Do Some People Learn Faster?

An article at Wired covers several experiments in brain function and learning. First, we find that there are two distinct reactions in the brain when we make a mistake, and their relative performance determines how well we learn from a mistake. Then we find that people with open minds are more likely to change their behavior after a mistake. And then there’s a real world application, tested by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck.

Her most famous study, conducted in twelve different New York City schools along with Claudia Mueller, involved giving more than 400 fifth graders a relatively easy test consisting of nonverbal puzzles. After the children finished the test, the researchers told the students their score, and provided them with a single line of praise. Half of the kids were praised for their intelligence. “You must be smart at this,” the researcher said. The other students were praised for their effort: “You must have worked really hard.”
The students were then allowed to choose between two different subsequent tests. The first choice was described as a more difficult set of puzzles, but the kids were told that they’d learn a lot from attempting it. The other option was an easy test, similar to the test they’d just taken.
When Dweck was designing the experiment, she expected the different forms of praise to have a rather modest effect. After all, it was just one sentence. But it soon became clear that the type of compliment given to the fifth graders dramatically affected their choice of tests. When kids were praised for their effort, nearly 90 percent chose the harder set of puzzles. However, when kids were praised for their intelligence, most of them went for the easier test. What explains this difference? According to Dweck, praising kids for intelligence encourages them to “look” smart, which means that they shouldn’t risk making a mistake.

A further experiment showed how fear of failure can inhibit learning. Read about all of them at The Frontal Cortex.

Awesome Pictures

Were ancient Aborigines expert astronomers?

Sun science

Were ancient Aborigines expert astronomers?

Prehistoric Child Art Found in Caves

Children as young as two years used their fingers to create designs on a cave's walls and ceilings. Read more 

Are Humans Still Evolving?

Despite our technology and culture, humans, like all other life on Earth, undergo genetic changes in response to conditions around them.  

Read more 

Meet LUCA: Our Complex Ancestor

Many believed that the great grandparent of all living things was a crude chemical soup, but that might not be the case.  

Read more 

Lava Rocks: Cradle for Life on Earth?

Early life may have formed between a rock and a wet place.

Read more 

Scientists Find Ocean-Like Water On Comet

Full Story

The new evidence strongly suggests that a significant portion of the Earth's seawater arrived as a result of collisions with ice-packed comets.

New dinosaur tracks found in southwestern Arkansas

This July 12, 2011, photo provided by the University of Arkansas shows plaster casts of tracks from the three-toed dinosaur that researchers are studying in Southwest Arkansas.

Full Story

B.C.

Leaping Fish

Leaping fish give evolution clue

Impressive leaps performed by some species of fish give an insight into how aquatic animals "invaded" the land, say scientists. BBC Nature

• Bony fish videos, news and facts
• Fossil shows huge mouth evolution BBC Nature

Monkey's Thoughts

Monkeys' thoughts run virtual arm

The future of thought-controlled prosthetics receives a boost as monkeys both control and receive tactile feedback from a virtual arm.

• 'Robot legs' for stroke patients Watch
• Bionic revolution gathers pace

Those Sneaky Slime Molds

How much do you know about slime molds? These one-celled creatures live in our forests, but are so different from species we normally encounter that they seem almost extraterrestrial.

Slime molds are a remarkable lineage of amoebas that live in soil. While they spend part of their life as ordinary single-celled creatures, they sometimes grow into truly alien forms. Some species gather by the thousands to form multicellular bodies that can crawl. Others develop into gigantic, pulsating networks of protoplasm.
While naturalists have known of slime molds for centuries, only now are scientists really starting to understand them. Lab experiments are revealing the complex choreography of signals in some species that allows 20,000 individuals to form a single sluglike body.

Not only do they clump together, but they exhibit what might pass for a single-cell-type of intelligence. In order to act as one body, the individuals will connect, move, and even sacrifice their lives for the benefit of the colony. Carl Zimmer gives us some fascinating insight into what slime molds can do at the New York Times.  

Full Story

Animal Pictures