Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Hartlepool, England, United Kingdom
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
New Delhi, Delhi, India
London, England, United Kingdom
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sodertalja, Stockholms Lan, Sweden
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

Just this once, you'll need to step out of your own way and stop arguing with the universe when it insists on putting you in the spotlight -- and only because you've earned it.
A recent deed has garnered you some extremely flattering attention, and if you don't accept it, you'll be insulting the very same person or group you went out of your way to help -- which wouldn't make much sense, now would it?

OK, I'll play along.

Better World

Better world: Eat more plants

It's better for you and it's better for the environment – but if you can't go without meat, then deer, grey squirrel and Louisiana crayfish need eating.

Better world: Pimp your house

Our homes account for around a third of our carbon emissions, so every eco-warrior should try to make their pad a low-emission one

Cosmic Dawn

The recently launched Planck spacecraft has imaged its first strip of sky, revealing the afterglow of the big bang in unprecedented detail.

Probe gets clearest glimpse yet of cosmic dawn

Ways you can save money

100 ways you can save money

If there's a way to keep more cash in your pocket, it's probably on this list.

Most useful tips to know

Also:

• Save at supermarket
• How to make cash online
• Find money wasters

Clamoring to be the biggest douchebag

Dimbulb vs. Brick

Rush Limbaugh may reach a bigger base, but it's Glenn Beck who's grabbing the headlines.

Key difference in tastelessness

Also:

• Glenn Beck 'czar wars'
• Using Dems' playbook
• Nader's 700-page novel

Tree Dining

Wild and unique tree house restaurants

These treetop eateries offer tasty cuisine in unforgettable locations.

Six you have to see

Also:

• Cool floating homes
• Extreme restaurants

WW2's Monopoly

Monopoly's secret role in World War II

Games that were sent to prisoners in care packages served a covert purpose.

» Free Parking's signal

Also:

• Who invented Monopoly
• Historic WWII service
  

Unemployment quadruples

Unlucky town's unemployment quadruples

A spot that once "had the world by the horns" is rocked by layoffs — and things are about to get worse.

Their hope

Also:

• 42 states lose jobs
• U.S. net worth grows
• Unemployment benefits

Under Attack

Why the soda industry is under attack

One state is examining the connection between drinking sugar-sweetened beverages and health problems.

More

Also:

• Headed for a soda tax?
• Definition of obese

Copw News

In Cop News

Texas cop gets 15-day suspension for lies that put innocent man in jail for 10 months

Three months in jail for Missouri cop who stole drug money in conspiracy with other cops

Probation for Illinois cop who pled guilty to theft and official misconduct

Texas sheriff's deputy arrested on federal weapons charges

Massachusetts police chief gets two years in jail for larceny

Tennessee sheriff's office reviewing misconduct allegations in deputy's suicide note

California prison officer accused of soliciting murder

Ex-D.C. officer among 12 charged in drug case

Indiana town pays $750,000 settlement after woman's car is rammed by police cruiser travelling 60 mph without lights or siren

Texas sheriff gets 5 years for helping drug cartel

Virginia county loses $4-million lawsuit over traffic fatality caused by speeding cop

Michigan cop admits guilt in corruption case

Maryland police officer arrested in drug sting

Texas police chief charged with felony aggravated perjury and evidence tampering

Pennsylvania police officer charged with drugs, threats

Florida prison official arrested on drug charge

And you wonder sometimes ...

Only one in four Oklahoma public high school students can name the first president of the united states, according to a survey released today.

...about 92 percent of the people who take the citizenship test pass on their first try, according to immigration service data. However, Oklahoma students did not fare as well. Only about 3 percent of the students surveyed would have passed the citizenship test.

Full Story

Just think, these people are some of the loudest wing-nuts out there about 'foreigners'. Is it any wonder they are laughed at everywhere in the world (not to mention the rest of the country)

Unidentifiable creature found in Panama

A strange find in the northern part of Panama city has startled the small community of Cerro Azul.

Unidentifiable creature found in Panama

SUNY students discover rare seal bones

The bones are no bigger than the size of a person's hand, but scientists say they are a big and significant discovery.

Full Story

How you write 'shows if you're a liar' scientists discover

How you write can indicate whether you're a liar, scientists in Haifa, Israel, have discovered.

Full Story

More on Raptorex

A tiny version of Tyrannosaurus rex

Fossil hunters discover bones belonging to the Raptorex, the "blueprint" for the king of dinosaurs.

How tall was it?

Also:

• Photos of Raptorex
• Smallest dinosaurs

The world's most valuable brands

The world's most valuable brands

Many brands took a beating this year as the recession deepened, but two came out on top.

Strategies for success

Also:

• Most trusted for privacy
• Blockbuster's woes
• 50 years at 1 McDonald's

Doctors say a North Carolina man who was plagued with coughing fits should be OK now.

Doctors say a North Carolina man who was plagued with coughing fits should be OK now that they have removed a 1-inch piece of plastic from his lung, where it had rested since he apparently inhaled it nearly two years ago while sucking down a soft drink at a Wendy's restaurant.

Doctors at Duke University Medical Center say the plastic fragment of an eating utensil -- with the Wendy's logo still legible on the side -- was likely to blame for the coughing, fatigue and pneumonia spells that plagued John Manley for almost two years.

They pulled the fast-food foreign object from Manley's left lung during a Sept. 10 surgery. The 50-year-old Wilmington resident said he probably inhaled it while gulping a drink from Wendy's.

"I like to take big gulps of drink," the former home remodeler said. "I don't know of any other ways of it getting in there."

Doctors say a North Carolina man who was plagued with coughing fits should be OK now.

Damn, that's cold

Coldest place in the solar system

Astronomers measure temperatures of 397 degrees below zero in a spot that never sees the sun.

Colder than Pluto

Also:

• Signs of water on moon
• 'Super-Earth' found
• Find Hubble photos

Bargain Hunting

Bargaining easier in a bad economy

From the cable company to the doctor, try these negotiating strategies for saving money.

What if they say no?

Also:

• Consumer spending to rise
• Buffett on the economy
• Bargaining strategies

Security Worries

The year to worry about Social Security

Many people falsely believe that Social Security will run out before they reach retirement.

Key dates

Also:

• Social Security myths
• Where to retire healthy
• A worry-free retirement

Unusual Holidays and Celebrations

Today is National Respect Day.

Daily Almanac

Today is Friday, Sept. 18, the 261st day of 2009.

There are 104 days left in the year.

Today in History, September 18.

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, begins at sunset.

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
London, England, United Kingdom
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Basildon, England, United Kingdom
Vitoria, Pais Vasco, Spain
Ivera, Piemonte, Italy
Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Cancun, Quitana Roo, Mexico

as well as Greece, and the United States