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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.


Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Daily Drift

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That's about it ...

Some of our readers today have been in:
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Cape Town, South Africa
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Lima, Peru
Chiriqui, Panama
Kabul, Afghanistan
Johannesburg, South Africa
Makati, Philippines
Islamabad, Pakistan
Ankara, Turkey
Manila, Philippines
Amman, Jordan
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Sidoarjo, Indonesia

And the city of Wayzata here in the United States 

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Today in History

1014   The Byzantine Emperor Basil earns the title "Slayer of Bulgers" after he orders the blinding of 15,000 Bulgerian troops.
1536   William Tyndale, the English translator of the New Testament, is strangled and burned at the stake for heresy at Vilvorde, France.
1696   Savoy Germany withdraws from the Grand Alliance.
1788   The Polish Diet decides to hold a four year session.
1801   Napoleon Bonaparte imposes a new constitution on Holland.
1847   Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre is published in London.
1866   The Reno brothers–Frank, John, Simeon and William–commit the country's first train robbery near Seymore, Indiana netting $10,000.
1927   The first "talkie," The Jazz Singer, opens with popular entertainer Al Jolson singing and dancing in black-face. By 1930, silent movies were a thing of the past.
1941   German troops renew their offensive against Moscow.
1965   Patricia Harris takes post as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, becoming the first African American U.S. ambassador.
1966   Hanoi insists the United States must end its bombings before peace talks can begin.
1969   Special Forces Captain John McCarthy is released from Fort Leavenworth Penitentiary, pending consideration of his appeal to murder charges.
1973   Israel is taken by surprise when Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan attack on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, beginning the Yom Kippur War.
1981   Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat is assassinated in Cairo by Islamic fundamentalists. He is succeeded by Vice President Hosni Mubarak.

BBC Science News

Why We Need Insects–Even Pesky Ones


At first blush, many people would probably love to get rid of insects, such as pesky mosquitoes, ants and roaches.
Continue Reading

Upset dog broke out to visit owner in hospital

Zander the husky was so upset when his owner was hospitalized that the dog tracked him down and paid him a visit. John Dolan was taken to hospital last week. His wife says Zander took it hard. She says the dog sulked and even cried.

Then Zander, seemingly decided he had to be by his owner's bedside. Zander broke out of his Bay Shore, New York, home and made his way to the Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center more than 2 miles away. He had to cross a busy four-lane road to get there.

A hospital employee found the dog on the street outside of building where Dolan was being treated. The Dolans got the 7-year-old husky from a shelter and nursed him back from starvation five years ago. Dolan says the dog has been like a son ever since.



The couple believe Zander traced John's scent to the hospital. A few days later Zander tried a second visit. He was found on his walk there. The Dolans say this proves shelter dogs can be fantastic dogs and care for their owners as well as the owners care for the dogs.

There's an additional news video here.

Can Fido Catch Your Flu?

With the flu season ready to hit its usual peak in November, health experts are growing increasingly concerned about people passing illnesses on to their pets. Read more
Can Fido Catch Your Flu?

M&M-eating bees produce multicolored honey

Beekeepers in north eastern France have been alarmed to find their bees producing honey in unnatural shades of green and blue. The beekeepers believe the source of the problem is a biogas plant close to Ribeauville in Alsace.

It is thought the bees have been eating the sugary waste from M&Ms, small chocolates in brightly-colored shells. The plant operator said it regretted the situation and had put in place a procedure to stop it happening again.

"We discovered the problem at the same time [the beekeepers] did. We quickly put in place a procedure to stop it," Philippe Meinrad, a spokesman from Agrivalor, the company operating the biogas plant said.



The company, which deals with waste from a Mars chocolate factory , said it would clean out the containers, store all incoming waste in airtight containers and process it promptly. As for the honey, the beekeepers say it is unsellable.

Watch Out Urbanites, Here Come the Carnivores

Predators like coyotes, mountain lions and bears are adapting to urban living.  
Read more
coyote

Birds-of-Paradise Evolved in Lost Worlds

All 39 known birds of paradise from Papua New Guinea have been documented in a new book. Explore their brilliance. Read more
birds of paradise

Animal Pictures

beasts-of-prey:

Lynx by Kim Kurtz on Flickr.