The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Last-minute turnarounds have never been at the very top of your 'most favorite things' list, but that's kind of the point: We don't see it happening, so we have to reach deep inside ourselves to react -- which gives us a chance to get to know ourselves all over again, without anyone's expectations about how we 'should' be acting, based on what they think of us.
Treat the incident like a learning opportunity, and it can't help but turn out to be just that.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

London, England, United Kingdom

Dublin, Dublin Ireland

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Oldenburge, Neidersachsen, Germany

Prague, Hlavni Mesto Praha, Czech Republic

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany

Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

as well as Singapore, Malaysia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Vietnam, Thailand, Netherlands Antilles and in cities across the United States such as Hickory, El Segundo, Kennewick, Pittstown and more.

Today is:

Today is Monday, November 1, the 305th day of 2010.

There are 60 days left in the year.

Today In History November 1

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

There isn't any.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

November is ...

International Drum (Percussion) Month

Georgia Pecan Month

and

NoSHAVEmber

(aka: Bread Month in the U.S. and Movember - Moustache Month in Australia)

Where water is running out

Biggest U.S. cities running out of water

Shortages are likely in some metro areas, especially if weather patterns change.

Where restrictions could occur 

Also: 

• Safety of drinking water
• Most affordable cities
• Economy and elections

A $400K home's final cost: $6 mil

$400K dream home costs couple $6 million

Mark Feldberg and Emilyn Page had a vision for every detail of their new house.  

Four architects and seven years later ... 

Also: 

• Tree house in legal fight
• 10 stunning retro homes
• Home renovation ideas

North Carolina man pursues world record

A North Carolina man is celebrating successful cancer surgery in an unusual way: by seeking world record status for the tumor doctors removed from his abdomen.

NC man pursues world record for kidney tumor

China's massive population shift

World's biggest census tackles tricky issue

Six million workers race door-to-door to finally capture the true size of China's giant cities.  

Major flaw in past counts 

Also: 

• Countries by population
• Death stokes class anger
• $10K for record breakers

Ten Years of the International Space Station

This week will mark the tenth anniversary of continuous human habitation onboard the International Space Station:

More than 200 orbiting explorers have visited the space complex; 15 nations have contributed to the missions, providing modules and hardware; and more than 600 experiments have been carried out on board.

Full Story

IT worker sentenced after stealing employee information to earn $100 vouchers

We've wondered before just how much information and power IT staff have at businesses, and in this case, it looks like the answer is too much.

Full Story

Yemen arrests two related to bomb threat

NY Times:

The powerful bombs concealed inside cargo packages and destined for the United States were expertly constructed and unusually sophisticated, American officials said Saturday, further evidence that Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen is steadily improving its abilities to strike on American soil.

As investigators on three continents conducted forensic analysis of two bombs shipped from Yemen and intercepted Friday in Britain and Dubai, American officials said evidence was mounting that the top leadership of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, including the radical American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, was behind the attempted attacks.

Yemeni officials on Saturday announced the arrest of a young woman and her mother in connection with the plot, which also may have involved two language schools in Yemen. The two women were not identified, but a defense lawyer who has been in contact with the family, Abdul Rahman Barham, said the daughter was a 22 year-old engineering student at Sana University.

Look at it this way ...

Places where voting is mandatory

Places where voting is mandatory

In some countries, citizens face stiff penalties for not going to the polls.  

Who gets Tuesday's Election Day off 

Also: 

• Midterm elections news
• Researching candidates
• N.Y. ballot flaws

Clues to watch on Election Day

Clues to watch for in Tuesday's elections

A few early hints could signal whether the nation is in for a mild shakeup.

Telltale races 

We Remeber

Do you?

Rand Paul head-stomper charged with assault

Good.

Non Sequitur

On The Job

Jobs that aren't going away

These bedrock institutions will always need workers, no matter how much the economy changes. 

Could earn $100K 

Also: 

• Most secure jobs
• Escape a boring career
• Land a seasonal gig

Save money when applying for a loan

Save money when applying for a loan

Pay attention to the fine print so you don’t wind up overpaying for a car or house.  

$50,000 sleight of hand 

Also: 

• Mortgage shopping
• Most reliable autos
• Negotiate for a car

Not Just for Pie Anymore

10 Pumpkin Filled Recipes

Five So-Called 'Bad' Foods You Can Stop Avoiding

5 So-Called 'Bad' Foods You Can Stop Avoiding

Get back on track after Halloween

Boo!
So you blew your diet raiding your kid’s stash and you over-did it a bit on the "haunted" martinis.
No worries.
Here’s how to right those wrongs today and avoid post-holiday flub.

Read More

Avoid these health scams

Don't fall for these new health scams

Crooks are using health reform to peddle policies that aren't what they seem.  

How to protect yourself 

Also: 

• Open enrollment advice
• Buying health insurance
• What makes pain worse

Get great sleep in your 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond

Get great sleep in your 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond

Fast ways to end low-energy

Fast ways to beat a low-energy day

Placing a plant or flowers on your desk encourages creativity, one study found.  

Copy what your child has for lunch 

Also: 

• Why are you so tired?
• Truth about energy drinks
• 7 ways to get a boost

Monkey Time

Major Lance

How To Smile

Frown and you frown alone, but smile and the whole world smiles with you. Not just any smile will do, though. With 19 variations on the smile, including 16 produced by enjoyable emotions, smiling is an incredibly important part of our lives.

If you're looking to develop a genuine, infectious smile that can make a bad date turn good, seal a business deal, or help you make friends wherever you go, this article will help you on your way.

How Fear Works

Fear is a feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger. The most common physical reactions of fear include a rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, tightening of muscles, sharpened or redirected senses, dilation of the pupils, and increased sweating.

How Fear Works.

Superstitious Beliefs Getting More Common

Believers range from free-spirited types to high-powered businessmen.
Some are drifters; others are brain surgeons.  

Read more

Scientist Invents New Method for Possibly Reading Minds, Recording Dreams

Dr Cerf makes his bold claim based on an initial study which he says suggests that the activity of individual brain cells, or neurons, are associated with specific objects or concepts.
He found, for example, that when a volunteer was thinking of Marilyn Monroe, a particular neuron lit up.
By showing volunteers a series of images, Dr Cerf and his colleagues were able to identify neurons for a wide range of objects and concepts – which they used to build up a database for each patient. These included Bill and Hilary Clinton, the Eiffel Tower and celebrities.
So by observing which brain cell lit up and when, Dr Cerf says he was effectively able to “read the subjects’ minds”.
He admits that there is a very long way to go before this simple observation can be translated into a device to record dreams, or dream catcher. But he thinks it is a possibility – and he said he would like to try.

Dream recording device ‘possible’ researcher claims

Cerf also mentions the possibility of reading people’s thoughts when they are in comas. It seems like this could have other, more dubious applications as well.

Ziggy

Satellite View of a Nuclear Test Site

Yucca Flat in Nevada was the site of 827 nuclear detonations while the US enhanced its nuclear weapons. Pictured above is a Google Maps satellite view of the pock-marked surface.

Full Story

City of Skulls

Photo via Elena Chinarina

Forget haunted houses – in Russia, there are entire cities and towns that look haunted. Dark Roasted Blend explains:

We’d like to call them "ghost towns", but they are clearly not abandoned. Amazingly, people still live in them, go to work in harshest possible conditions (paradoxically making it the richest and mightiest industrial area in Russia) and then come "home" to relax in this inhuman weather, non-existing infrastructure, in dangerously dilapidated buildings…

Take, for example, Cherepovetz City ("City of Skulls") shown above. No need for skeletons, monsters, or for that matter, any special effects to make this town terrifying ... 

Full Story

Bronze Age hoard found intact

Archaeologists have unearthed a collection of Bronze Age axe heads, spear tips and other 3,000 year old metal objects buried in an Essex field.

Bronze Age hoard found intact

Digger finds Neolithic tomb complex

Archaeologists on Orkney are investigating what is thought to be a 5,000-year-old tomb complex.

Digger finds Neolithic tomb complex

Taikhar Chuluu

A large rock stands out in the middle of a plain in Mongolia. The Taikhar chuluu is covered with inscriptions dating back as far as Turkic rule in Mongolia. Those inscriptions were followed by more in the Mongol language, then Tibetan, and even more modern graffiti.

Of course, the rock itself did not come here by itself, the legend says. Long time ago there lived a hero here called Bökebilig (“Strong and wise”). Suddenly a large snake started to come out from under the earth. Bökebilig did not like this, and he pushed back the snake from where it came, and then he closed the mouth of its cave with this rock which has been standing here ever since. Not far from the rock there is a small mountain called Altan sandali (“Golden throne”), of which tradition says that Bökebilig took a rest on it, while washing his hands in the nearby Tamir river.

Full Story

B.C.

Horses

Amazing pictures of horses taken by Polish photographer Wojtek Kwiatkowski.

Like Humans, Chimps Tend to Be Right-Handed

The trait was once thought unique to humans due to asymmetries in our brains.  

Read more 

I've heard of pulling a Tiger's tail, but ...

Man pulls shark tail to save woman

Officials say a female diving guide was bitten on the thigh and buttocks by a shark but was saved when another swimmer pulled the shark's tail.

'Bizarre and frightening' fish finds

'Bizarre and frightening' fish finds 

BLACK LIZARDFISH: the mouthful of large teeth suggests it catches and eats other animals near the seafloor.

Mimic Octopus

The Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) is a fascinating animal that was discovered in 1998 off the coast of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The mimic octopus is the first known species to take on the characteristics of multiple species.
This octopus is able to copy the physical likeness and movement of more than fifteen different species, including sea snakes, lionfish, flatfish, brittle stars, giant crabs, sea shells, stingrays, jellyfish, sea anemones, and mantis shrimp.

The animal is so intelligent that it is able to discern which dangerous sea creature to impersonate that will present the greatest threat to its current possible predator.


Neat.