The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Whether you help your elderly neighbor carry groceries or you volunteer to paint the local grade school, you always feel best if you're giving of yourself.
There are thousands of opportunities to volunteer, and by taking any one of them, you'll be making a big difference in your community.
And this will make a big difference in how you feel about yourself.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway

Johor Baharu, Johor, Malaysia

London, England, United Kingdom

Sevilla, Andalucia, Spain

Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Luray, Centre, France

Hamelin, Nierdersachsen, Germany

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Como, Lombardia, Italy

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

as well as Singapore and in cities across the United States such as Lindale, Kendall, Murphy, Manteo and more.

Today is:

Today is Monday, September 20, the 263rd day of 2010.

There are 102 days left in the year.

Today In History September 20

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

There isn't one.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Old Man Beats Armed Robber with Swiffer

Phillip Graham, 71, of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, drove off an armed home invader. His weapon of opportunity was a Swiffer dust mop:

The man, who was wearing a ski mask, appeared to have a pistol in his hand, Graham said.
Graham was armed too, but only with a Dustbuster in one hand and a Swiffer in the other.
“He told me to get down and I grabbed the Swiffer, started jabbing him with it and it broke off, so I still kept on jabbing,” Graham said. “I told him, ‘You get out of my house, you sorry son of a bitch, I’ll kill you.’ I kept jabbing him and he backed out and ran to the back of the house and then across behind the house.”

Full Story

Randy Quaid and Wife Arrested for Burglary

Full story

Randy Quaid and his wife Evi have been arrested and charged with allegely squatting in a California guest house without permission.

Killed for beer

Atlanta police officers are investigating a fatal shooting that happened Saturday morning on Defoors Ferry Road.

Officers responded to the 2700 block of Defoors Ferry Road shortly before 9 a.m.

Upon arrival they discovered a man with a fatal gunshot wound. The victim was shot in front of the Defoors Ferry Manor Apartments.

According to police the victim was walking along Defoors Ferry when he was approached by a man armed with a gun. Police say the man demanded the victim's beer.

The victim refused to hand over the beer and was shot by the suspect.

***

Dying for horse piss is stupid.

No News

Paper's startling move in Mexico drug crisis

The biggest newspaper in Mexico's most violent city suddenly cuts its drug war coverage.

Front-page note to cartels 

Also: 

• Mexican drug war
• Police officers found slain
• Gang wars kill 9-year-old

Wingnut Florida church receives $200,000 police security bill after Quran incident

Too funny.

Authorities say security for last weekend's canceled Quran burning at a central Florida church cost around $200,000. City officials say they expect the church to pay.

The truth be told

Freed U.S. hiker speaks

Freed U.S. hiker says she's not a spy

Sarah Shourd says she and the two men detained with her in Iran never committed any crime. 

'One-third free' 

Also: 

• Photos of Shourd
• More about the hiker
• Other families wait

Iranian court jails human rights activist for 'waging war against God'

Further proving just how fucked up they really are ...

An Iranian court has jailed a prominent human rights activist and journalist for six years after convicting her of "waging war against God" and other charges. In another indication of the regime's determination to punish those who took part in protests after last year's disputed presidential election, Shiva Nazar Ahari was convicted of the crime known as "moharebeh" - usually punishable by death. The 26-year-old, who founded the Committee of Human Rights Reporters in Tehran, was also convicted of plotting to commit crimes and agitating against the ruling system, Iran's semi-official ILNA news agency reported.

Ahari was fined about £250 as a substitute for receiving 76 lashes. The activist's family and supporters say the charges were politically motivated. She was arrested in December on her way to the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, the spiritual mentor of the Green movement, which opposed the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last June. Her supporters have voiced particular objection to the allegation behind the charge of moharebeh, which is that she was a member of the banned Mojahedin e-Khalq group, accused by the Iranian regime of terrorist activities. Her family say she deplores the organization.

Ahari's lawyer, Mohammad Sharif, was quoted as saying he was "shocked" to learn that his client had been convicted of moharebeh, saying there was "no legal basis for this charge against her". He said he planned to file an appeal. Following her arrest, Ahar was held at the Evin prison, in Tehran, with little access to her lawyer or family members. She reportedly spent long periods in solitary confinement. Since the disputed presidential election, journalists have become a prime target in the Iranian government's crackdown on the opposition. In a report published in March, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 52 journalists were being held in Iranian jails.

Several other female activists have been targeted since the election. Earlier this month, Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer who has represented several arrested political activists and protesters, was arrested and charged with "propaganda against the regime" and "acting against national security". Sotoudeh's husband, Reza Khandan, said she had been warned that she would be arrested if she continued to represent Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian Nobel peace prize laureate and human rights activist who left Iran a day before the election.

Plan for New US Embassy Includes Design Features from Medieval Castles

Considering how the repugicans tried to devolve the nation back to the stone age but were stopped along about the Medieval period it's appropriate don't you think?!

The US is building a new embassy in London with a heavy emphasis on physical security. Pictured above is an artist’s conception of the winning design, which will be built in 2017. Mike Olson of Wired talked with Clifford J. Rogers, an expert in medieval warfare, about how this design incorporates elements of medieval castle architecture:

The low wall at street level and the larger circular landscaped perimeter is reminiscent of a bailey, an enclosed courtyard that doubles as a first line of defense. “It’s not necessarily meant to stop the enemy dead,” Rogers says, “but to give you time to react and man the inner defense.” As in the Middle Ages, this wall can be patrolled by guards.

Full Story

Awesome Pictures

The Labyrinth Society

The Labyrinth Society is an international organization whose mission is to support all those who create, maintain and use labyrinths, and to serve the global community by providing education, networking and opportunities to experience transformation.

Worlds first astronomers could have been Australia's Aborigines

The ancient world was home to many accomplished astronomers, included the Greeks, Mayans, Polynesians, and maybe Stonehenge's mysterious builders. But perhaps more than 10,000 years before these cultures looked to the sky, Australian Aborigines were the world's first stargazers.

In general, ancient astronomers used their knowledge of the stars for utilitarian purposes, such as timing the passage of seasons or navigating across great distance. Of course, even these strictly practical applications required extensive astronomical know-how, with some specially trained ancients keeping star maps in their heads so detailed that only modern computers can really rival them.

And now we may discovered the world's first known astronomers: the indigenous people of Australia. According to Ray Norris of Australia's Commonwealth Science and Research Organization, aboriginal culture was deeply intertwined with the stars, dating back several millennia before we see the first evidence of astronomical activity elsewhere.

Full Story

Shoe

Germs at the Gym

Full story

Gyms are a place to get fit but they can also make you sick if you're not careful.

Keep your eyes young

Noticing a change in your vision is a little like watching your neighbor get thin: It can happen so slowly that you don't notice it until his jeans fall off.

Keep your eyes young

Childhood viral infection may be a cause of obesity

The emerging idea that obesity may have an infectious origin gets new support in a cross-sectional study by University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers who found that children exposed to a particular strain of adenovirus …

Full story

On The Job

On The Job

Degrees that hiring managers want

Choosing the right course of study can lead to secure employment, these HR experts say.  

Salaries up to $99K a year 

Also: 

• Cubicle-busting careers
• Downsize education costs
• Popular college degrees

Instant Millionaire ... Just Add Money

True tales of overnight millionaires

It's everyone's dream, but people who've found instant wealth say there can be drawbacks, too.  

Smartest purchases 

Also: 

• How to save $1 million
• Fastest-rising salaries
• 15 things to get for free

Ziggy

A Pretty Peculiar Plant

image credit

Platycerium - even the name sounds odd. Mostly referred to as Staghorn or Elkhorn ferns, this genus of fern is, to say the very least, unusual looking.

Yet they are fascinating to look at because their fronds are something else, quite unique. To look at a platycerium is to look back in time millions of years.

Rino Drugs

Rhinoceros cage doubles as drug plantation at Austrian zoo

A rhinoceros enclosure at Hellbrunn zoo in western Austria turns out to have served a more lucrative purpose: as a cannabis plantation, the zoo revealed on Saturday.

A caretaker at the zoo was able to grow over 30 marijuana plants in the enclosure, unbeknownst to anyone else, the zoo's director said.

The small plantation was in an area of the rhinoceros's cage that was closed to the public and to which the caretaker had exclusive access.

The zoo found out about its employee's side business when narcotics officers turned up in early September, after having been tipped off by one of the planter's clients. The 59-year-old long-standing zoo employee has been sacked and the plants removed, the zoo said.

Save the Bats

Rescuers battle time, myths to save bats

The often-misunderstood creatures face a scary threat that keeps growing.  

Human clothing can spread disease 

Also: 

• Animal rescue
• Making Halloween bats
• Astrology signs for pets

Time After Time

Cyndi Lauper

Helpful Hints

Helpful Hints

Clean house with these pantry staples

Bread, lemons, and coffee can work magic around the house in unexpected ways. 

Disinfect, polish, shine 

Also: 

• Housecleaning tips
• Top tools to own
• Fabulous freebies

The best shopping deals for fall

The best shopping deals for fall

From fresh produce to discounted vacation spots, here's what to buy as the weather turns.  

Candy can wait 

Also: 

• Better kitchen storage
• Happy money habits
• Top home appliances

Lost Luggage Cheap

Where to buy lost-luggage bargains

At the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama, you could find a true treasure.  

Diamond ring worth $46K sold for $23K 

Also: 

• Best deals on flights
• Five tips for packing light
• Luggage ID tags

Perfume That Makes You Smell Like a Library

Perfumer Christopher Brosius has produced a perfume that’s supposed to make you smell like a library. It’s called “In the Library.”

Full Story

The origin of blue jeans

Clues to the origin of blue jeans

The newly discovered, 400-year-old works of an Italian painter might hold the key.  

What the paintings show 

Also: 

• London's fashion week
• More denim history
• N.Y. runway shows wrap

The Strange-face-in-the-mirror Illusion

The old parlor trick of staring at yourself in a mirror until your face starts to change has now been studied scientifically. Giovanni Caputo led a study in which 50 people tried the trick and reported their reactions.

At the end of a 10 min session of mirror gazing, the participant was asked to write what he or she saw in the mirror. The descriptions differed greatly across individuals and included: (a) huge deformations of one’s own face (reported by 66% of the fifty participants); (b) a parent’s face with traits changed (18%), of whom 8% were still alive and 10% were deceased; (c) an unknown person (28%); (d) an archetypal face, such as that of an old woman, a child, or a portrait of an ancestor (28%); (e) an animal face such as that of a cat, pig, or lion (18%); (f ) fantastical and monstrous beings (48%).

Have you ever tried this? The effect can be really creepy, like this video example from Lasse Gjertsen  (it's in Norwegian). The entire article is available as a pdf, or you can read a summary at Mind Hacks here.

Believe it or not