CAROLINA NATURALLY: Jan 16, 2011

Sunday, January 16, 2011

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Have you always wanted to learn French?
Mandarin?
Swahili?
Or any of the world's many other languages?
Learning a new language is, they say, like living another life -- you never know where it could take you.
Today is a great day to do some research and see where you could join a language class.
Even if it's just once a week, chances are it will change your life.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Perth, Western Australia, Australa

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France

Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway

Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark

Marseille, Provence-Alpes, Cote D'Azur, France

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands

Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea

Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

London, England, United Kingdom

Sydney, new South Wales, Australia

Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

as well as 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, 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 Downers Grove, Marcus Hook, Egg Harbor Township, Jacksons Hole and more.

Today is:

Today is Sunday, January 16, the 16th day of 2011.

There are 349 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

Appreciate a Dragon Day
and
Nothing Day.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Loyalty

A dog, “Leao”, sits for a second consecutive day, next to the grave of her owner, Cristina Maria Cesario Santana, who died in the week’s catastrophic landslides in Brazil, at the cemetery in Teresopolis, near Rio de Janiero, on Jan. 15.

The Origins Of 10 Common Words And Phrases

The words that we use every day come from many sources. They have developed from household words, parts of the body, animals, natural elements, from nothing, from errors, they can be borrowed or adopted from other languages than the one we speak.

The Origins of 10 Common Words and Phrases.

No Joke: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Blonds

A recent British study found that blond women earn more than their brunette or redhead counterparts. Of course, the study was sponsored by Superdrug, a store chain that sells hair products and makes money from hair insecurity. Which shows that when it comes to blond mythology, don't believe the hype. But you can trust these 10 things:

1 People have gone to great lengths to achieve blondness. In ancient Rome, people used pigeon poop; in Renaissance Venice, horse urine. Throughout history, non-blonds have also tried white wine, olive oil, ivy bark, soap and saffron.

2 Alfred Hitchcock cast so many blonds in his movies that film critics now write of "Hitchcock blonds:" beautiful, aloof, smart leading ladies. Think Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren and Kim Novak. Hitchcock offered myriad reasons for his preference for light-haired actresses, including that they film better in black and white, but one quote seems to sum it up: "Blonds make the best victims," Hitchcock said. "They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints."

3 According to Victoria Sherrow's "Encyclopedia of Hair," there was an original "dumb blond." An 18th century French actress and prostitute named Rosalie Duthe was known for being very beautiful but incapable of intelligent conversation. She was satirized in a play called "Les Curiosites de la Foire" in 1775. But dumb is relative: Duthe was extremely wealthy as a mistress of royalty.

4 If the director yells "Kill the blond!" on a movie set, he's probably ordering the crew to shut off an open-face, 2,000-watt spotlight.

5 Actress Marilyn Monroe colored her hair using a shade of blond called dirty pillow slip.

6 In junior high, Kurt Cobain was profiled in his school newspaper, the Puppy Press: "Kurt is a seventh-grader at our school. He has blond hair and blue eyes. He thinks school is alright. … His favorite saying is 'Excuse you.' "

7 Actress Veronica Lake's peekaboo hairdo, with long blond hair over one eye, was a 1940s sensation. According to Life magazine, she had about 150,000 hairs on her head, with her tresses 17 inches long in front and 24 inches long in back. The downsides: "Her hair catches fire fairly often when she is smoking" and "it has a bad habit of snagging on men's buttons." About the buttons, Life wrote: "If Miss Lake were in fact the kind of girl she portrays on the screen, this might lead to all kinds of fascinating complications. …"

8 Only one in 20 white American adults is naturally blond.

9 In the early '80s, Brad Pitt dropped out of the University of Missouri two credits short of graduating and went to Hollywood. But before his light-haired good looks became famous, Pitt worked a variety of odd jobs in California — delivering refrigerators, serving as a chauffeur for strippers and dressing as a chicken to promote El Pollo Loco "flame-grilled" chicken.

10 Former members of the '70s rock group Stilettos were searching for a name for their new group and settled on Blondie. Lead singer Debbie Harry said the name came from truck drivers who would pass her and shout, "Hey, Blondie!" In 1997, the band performed on an Iggy Pop tribute album using the pseudonym Adolph's Dog. It's probably not a coincidence that Adolf Hitler had a pet dog named Blondi.

Spectacular midfield goal

Spectacular score from the halfway line

Spain's Cani makes this goal look easy as he catches a goalkeeper completely off guard.

Announcer spots it early

Also:

Dubai Fountain

The Dubai Fountain cost $218 million.

Water jets can reach up to 50 stories in height.

Bill Maher To “Teabaggers”

“The Founding Fathers Would Have Hated Your Guts”
Bill nails it, so of course the teabagging douchebags don't like it.
You know what ... Tough.

Tucson trying to heal

A week after shootings, Tucson tries to heal

Paramedics recall the scene last Saturday, while the supermarket where it took place reopens.

Paying respect

Also:

Wisconsin Woman Finds $280K Of Drugs In Vacuum

A Green Bay woman found more than just dirt with her refurbished vacuum cleaner she received for Christmas.

Full Story

NY gangster, 93, gets 8 years in prison

Convicted mob boss John "Sonny" Franzese is so old, he knew Frank Sinatra in his heyday.

Full Story

Money manager arrested over threats to US regulatory officials

What is the matter with some people?

The FBI has arrested the head of an asset management firm for allegedly threatening 47 government officials with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.

Officials said Vincent McCrudden posted a $100,000 reward on a website for information that proved these officials had been "punished." Federal prosecutors also said he sent numerous emails threatening individual workers.

The $1 billion 'fence' canceled

U.S. pulls plug on $1 billion border 'fence'

The Obama administration cancels the high-tech project, which cost about $15 million per mile.

What replaces it

Also:

Non Sequitur

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Worst credit cards of 2010

The worst credit cards of 2010

One stinker had a 79.99% APR, and another charged interest as soon as you swiped it.

Plus: Which cards were best

Also:

Financial advice that can hurt

Money advice that can do serious damage

Used in the wrong situation, these four savvy financial strategies may lead to disaster.

401(k) vs. emergency funds

Also:

Save money on fuel bills

Five ways to save at the pump

Maintaining the correct tire pressure can make a big difference in how much gas your car consumes.

Warm up first?

Also:

Shoe

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Could You, Would You Go Soap-Free for Two Weeks?

Pee-yew! Is that you? Photo: iStockphoto

Inspired by writer Sean Bonner's belief that the human body "is designed to regulate itself" and GOOD's challenge to give up soap and shampoo for a month, No More Dirty Looks is kicking off 2011 with "The No Soap Challenge." Give up the suds for two weeks and document it (in 100 words, or less), and there's a prize in it for you, too.

Article continues: Could You, Would You Go Soap-Free for Two Weeks?

Easy updates to an old kitchen

8 easy ways to update an old kitchen

Mirrors make a kitchen feel more open, and paint on the insides of cabinets adds color.

How to give tile a new look

Also:

DIY gastric bypass kit, only $280 at Amazon.com

Obesity is a problem in the United States, and it's not a secret.

Gastric bypass surgery is a radical, often last-ditch effort to "cure" the problem, and apparently some have decided that it's not something that requires a doctor: there appears to be a DIY kit available on Amazon.com.

Full Story

Calcium Supplements Linked to Heart Attacks: Feed Your Bones Instead

Photo: Hopkinsii

A study published in the British Medical Journal via Natural Awakenings found that calcium supplements can increase your risk of a heart attack by as much as 31 percent. The new research looked at 11 studies on 11,921 individuals. It's scary stuff for those at risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, both of which plague the U.S. But it's also more proof that the best way to feed your body the nutrients it needs isn't through supplementation, but through your diet. How can you feed your bones? Well you may be surprised at the foods with the highest percentages of calcium.

Article continues: Calcium Supplements Linked to Heart Attacks: Feed Your Bones Instead

Quinoa's Popularity Boon (& Bust) for Bolivia

Photo: Flickr/nerissa's ring

I'm happy to have read beyond Yahoo News' deceptively positive headline, "Quinoa's popularity boon to Bolivians." I've had an interest in the ancient Andean super grain since its hit the health scene for its amino-acid- and mineral-richness. Simply put, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says it is so nutrient dense it can be substituted for mother's milk. (Whoa is right.)
After reading the article, I learned of the grains strong likeness to the acai situation-- and that of any other exotic product from a developing country to hit the market in developed countries. Popularity could mean an immediate boon the producing locale (in this case Bolivia), but it could also mean long-term social and environmental consequence.

Article continues: Quinoa's Popularity Boon (& Bust) for Bolivia

Fruits and Vegetables

Late Summer Harvest @ The Living Kitchen Farm & Dairy, Depew, Oklahoma

Fight rising food prices

22 antidotes to rising food prices

You can keep your expenses in check simply by changing where your eyes go in the grocery store.

Look down

Also:

Astronaut's Beef Pot Roast For Sale

This pouch of Beef Pot Roast - a leftover from NASA's Apollo lunar program - is on sale to the highest bidder in an online auction.

Amazingly unappetizing but wholly unique freeze-dried 'moon food.' This particular example measures 2 x 3.5 x 0.75 inches and rests within a 5 x 6.5 inch sealed pouch to which a nozzle is attached. All of the food was prepared by adding hot or cold water through the nozzle.

The food was then squeezed into the mouth through a flat tube stored in the package. Food created for the Apollo missions was preserved through freeze-drying and vacuum-sealing, resulting in a product that kept their nutritional and 'taste' qualities.

Ziggy

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Death Wears Bunny Slippers

Life Inside a Nuclear Missile Silo

Various sources around the Internet indicate that this awesome unit patch worn by some USAF ballistic missile crews is completely real. Comfort, as well as anything that relieves boredom, is highly prized. That’s why many airmen wear Snuggies while manning the missile platforms. John Noonan, as former captain in the Air Force, writes:

In a favorite missileer uniform patch (right), the Grim Reaper sits at an ICBM console, dressed in bunny slippers. In the real world, death wears a campus T-shirt, JCrew bottoms and the ubiquitous Snuggie. The silly blanket-robe hybrid is suited to the missile force, keeping an officer toasty while allowing him to interact with the weapons console unobstructed.
Missileers learn that on alert, comfort is as important as humor. One enterprising fellow liked to string a hammock between the two command chairs and stretch out for his long shifts at the console. Videogame systems are forbidden, a rule that was mocked until it got out that wireless Nintendo Wii controllers could cause the system to detect a false electromagnetic pulse attack and shut down.

Full Story

C-3PO Sculpture in Front of Recycling Center

The Alliance Recycling Center in West Oakland, California is a business that recycles various kinds of materials, including glass, metal, plastic, and paper. The front of the shop features many sculptures made from scrap metal, such as the above C-3PO model.

Full Story

Cold Bus Commuters Warm Up in Hot Breakfast Ad

photo caribou coffee hot bus shelter minneapolis

Photo via psfk.com

Ads are everywhere in the big city. How many of them give you a warm feeling inside and out? This inventive ad at a bus shelter in Minneapolis is selling hot breakfast sandwiches from Caribou Coffee. The ad makes the bus shelter look like an toasty oven. And it includes a real heater to warm commuters in the cold of a Minnesota winter (average temp of 10 degrees Fahrenheit).

Article continues: Cold Bus Commuters Warm Up in Hot Breakfast Ad

'Pop-up park' in wintry N.Y.C.

'Pop-up park' brings summer to New York

A Manhattan gallery is offering a unique way to escape the frigid winter weather.

Have a picnic or play croquet

Also:

Wonderland

At the Mad Hatter's Tea Party

A Night At The Opera

Blackbeard's sword found?

Shipwreck find may be Blackbeard's sword

Researchers excavating the pirate's ship believe they may have found part of his weapon.

Clues to its ownership

Also:

Quite a predicament

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Quite a predicament don't you think?!

How the Continents Were Formed

Of course, it was all Scrat's "fault"!

This is a teaser trailer for Ice Age 4.

Daily Comic Relief

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Two bull sharks spotted 30 km inland following Aussie floods

When I was diving in Africa, great white sharks made people nervous, but bull sharks terrified people. In southern Africa they are known as Zambezi sharks because they are often reported miles inland on the Zambezi River along with crocodiles, hippos and other dangerous animals.

Yikes.

Butcher Steven Bateman spotted two bull sharks swimming near his Goodna shop yesterday - one of several reports of a sharks in Goodna's main street.

Ipswich local councilor Paul Tully confirmed it was a bizarre but true story out of Queensland's flood disaster.

"It would have swum several kilometers in from the river, across Evan Marginson Park and the motorway,'' Cr Tully told The Queensland Times.