The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Every once in a while you get a sudden warm feeling about your life.
It's like the universe is giving you a reassuring hug right now, reminding you that you are special.
Take this feeling for the gift it is and don't shrug it off -- a family member needs you to be at your best, and unless you truly understand that you are in the right place in your life, you won't be able to give them the attention they need.
Helping them will create great happiness.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
London, England, United Kingdom
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia
Valencia, Comunidad Valencia, Spain
Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
Berlin, Berlin, Germany

as well as Slovakia, 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, Maldives, 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 Toledo, Cleveland, Mason, Dayton and more.

Today is:

Today is Sunday, February 13, the 44th day of 2011.

There are 321 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are: 

Get a Different Name Day
and
Man Day.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

President Obama's Weekly Address

Remarks of President Barack Obama

As Prepared for Delivery

February 12, 2011

Washington, DC

A few months ago, I received a letter from a woman named Brenda Breece.  I wanted to share her story because it speaks to what a lot of families are going through – and it offers a good example of the kind of responsibility that’s needed in Washington right now.

Brenda is a mom and a special-ed teacher from Missouri.  Her husband, David, was employed at the local Chrysler plant for nearly four decades.  They’ve worked hard their whole lives.  But like a lot of folks, they’ve taken some hits over the past few years.  When the Chrysler plant closed, David had to take early retirement.  His pension helps, but it’s half of what he earned before.  Meanwhile, because of budget cuts, Brenda has had to buy school supplies for her students out of her own pocket – because it’s her job and she cares about those kids.

Money has been tight, but they are doing the best they can.  And like so many families, they are sacrificing what they don’t need so they can afford what really matters.  This is what Brenda told me.  “I feel my family is frugal,” she said.  “We go to the movies…once a month, but usually we just wait for them to come out on TV… I watch the food budget… We combine trips into town [and] use coupons … and we trim each other’s hair when we need a haircut.”

So Brenda and her husband know what they can do without.  But they also know what investments are too important to sacrifice.  Their daughter, Rachel, is a sophomore in college with a 4.0 grade point average.  The tuition is a big expense.  But it’s worth it, because it will give her the chance to achieve her dreams.  In fact, Brenda is looking for a second job to ensure, as she told me, “the money is there to help Rachel with her future.”

Families across this country understand what it takes to manage a budget.  They understand what it takes to make ends meet without forgoing important investments like education.  Well, it’s time Washington acted as responsibly as our families do.  And on Monday, I’m proposing a new budget that will help us live within our means while investing in our future.

My budget freezes annual domestic spending for the next five years – even on programs I care deeply about – which will reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next decade.  This freeze will bring this type of spending to its lowest level as a share of the economy since Dwight Eisenhower was president.  We’ve stripped down the budget by getting rid of waste.  For example, we’re getting rid of thousands of government-owned buildings that sit empty because they aren’t needed.  I’ve also proposed freezing salaries for hardworking government employees, because everyone has to do their part.  And I’m going to make sure politics doesn’t add to our deficit, by vetoing any bill that contains earmarks.

And yet, just as the Breece family is making difficult sacrifices while still investing in the future – by helping their daughter pay her tuition – my budget does the same.  I’m proposing that we invest in what will do the most to grow the economy in the years to come.  This means job-creating investments in roads, high-speed speed trains, and broadband. This means cutting-edge research that holds the promise of creating countless jobs and whole new industries, like clean energy and biotechnology.  And it means improving our schools and making college more affordable – to give every young person the chance to fulfill his or her potential, and receive the job training they need to succeed.  Because it would be a mistake to balance the budget by sacrificing our children’s education.

So, after a decade of rising deficits, this budget asks Washington to live within its means, while at the same time investing in our future.  It cuts what we can’t afford to pay for what we cannot do without.  That’s what families do in hard times. And that’s what our country has to do too.

Thank you.

And I Quote

During his interview with President Obama, Bill O'Reilly asked him how he deals with so many people hating him.

In response, Obama said, "You first".

~ Jimmy Fallon

Comes A Time

Neil Young

Reformation

As the world has focused on Egypt reform movements have been happening in other countries as well.

Take Yemen and Algeria for example:

Yemen protesters clash with police

A Yemeni police officer pushes back a government supporter carrying a dagger during clashes in Sanaa Sunday February 13 2011 Yemeni police have clashed with anti-government protesters demanding political reform and the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Full Story

***

Algerians plan new pro-reform protest

Algerian youth protesters clash with riot police on Sunday in Annaba, 600 kilometers east of Algiers.

Emirates' exiles in spotlight after Mubarak fall

For political figures in exile, the United Arab Emirates has been a luxury refuge, a base for plotting attempted comebacks and - for at least one unable to escape assassins - a final stage.

Full Story

Wizard of Id

Egypt's possible new leader

Who the next leader of Egypt might be

Internationally prominent figures like Amr Moussa and Mohamed ElBaradei may run for president. 

Protesters' heroes 

Also: 

• Egypt's most powerful man
• Obama's gesture to allies
• Protests in Algeria

Protesters press for voice in Egyptian democracy

On Egypt's first day in nearly 30 years without Hosni Mubarak as president, its new military rulers promised Saturday to abide by the peace treaty with Israel and eventually hand power to an elected government.

Full Story

Obama welcomes commitments from Egypt's army

President Barack Obama welcomed Saturday's commitments from Egypt's new military rulers to hand power eventually to an elected civilian government and abide by a peace treaty with Israel.

Full Story

Egypt dissolves parliament

Egypt's parliament dissolved by military

The country's military leaders also suspend the constitution in response to protesters. 

A 'twilight zone' of rules 

Also: 

• Antiquities stolen
• Celebration in streets
• Possible next leaders

In The News

South African police arrest man on terror charges

A South African man accused of threatening to unleash biological weapons on Britain and the United States unless he was paid millions of dollars was arrested Saturday, police said.

Statues of King Tutankhamun missing after Egyptian unrest

A full inventory of the Egyptian Museum has found that looters escaped with 18 items during the anti-government unrest, including two gilded wooden statues of famed boy king Tutankhamun, the antiquities chief said Sunday.

Spear Hunting In Montana

Surprisingly, it's not legal to use a spear for hunting in Montana.
But that might change: Stone age hunting bill sails through committee.

Cavemen of Montana, be grateful. Repugican State Senator Greg Hinkle of Thompson Falls failed to establish a hereditary hunting aristocracy in Montana, but he’s having better luck legalizing your right to practice one of the most primitive means of killing animals: spearing them.
That’s right: on 14 January, the State Senate’s fish and game committee voted 10-zip to send SB-112 — “An Act Providing that a Hand-Thrown Spear Must be Considered a Lawful Means of Hunting” — to the Senate’s floor. I expect it will pass handily.
Hinkle’s Stone Age Hunting Act of 2011 will apply during the general rifle season, allowing hunters for whom killing a deer with a high-powered rifle no longer provides enough of a thrill to tie on their loincloths, grab their flint-tipped poles, and run through the forests and meadows, spear arm held high and back, trying to close to within skewering distance of Bambi.

The truth be told

South Carolina should coin its own money

At least the idiot repugican state senator from Roebuck, Lee Bright thinks so.
(with a name like 'Bright', you'd think intelligent - but you'd be wrong.)

Editor's Note: Just remember folks - this is in the Other Carolina not the real one.

Borders Prepares To File For Chapter 11

After failing to keep pace with the boom of e-readers and develop a strong digital presence elsewhere on the interwebs Borders Group Inc. could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy-protection as early as Monday or Tuesday. 

Full Story

Awesome Pictures

Chartreuse Arch, French Alps

A 3.7 Magnitude Quake Hits Near Idyllwild

A moderate earthquake in the mountains of Riverside County was also felt in northern San Diego County, but there are no reports of damage or injuries.

Full Story

USDA approves corn engineered for biofuel use

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has cleared farmers to plant a variety of corn engineered solely for making fuel ethanol, despite objections from the food industry.

Full Story

Contrary to Reuters and BBC reports, farting is still legal in Malawi

Whew, that's a relief!

The international media uproar amazed Chikosa Silungwe, a lawyer with the Malawi Law Commission, the country’s independent law reform organization. “There’s nothing like that happening in Malawi. There’s no farting law being introduced in our Parliament and there has never been a farting law in Malawi,” Silungwe says.

The alleged ‘farting ban’ is in fact a clean air provision, much like you would see anywhere else in the world. The provision against ‘fouling the air’ is nothing new: it has been in place since Malawi adopted a penal code 70 years ago. The provision has never been used to prosecute public farting. Rather, it has been used to prosecute people who have left large amounts of rubbish in public spaces, for example.

More confusing about the media’s recent interest in clean air provision is that it is not even up for debate in Parliament. What is currently being tabled is a bill to re-introduce a localized court system in the country, in which the clean air provision is included only in passing.

Boston planetarium reopens after $9M renovation

The skyline of Boston shrinks away and before long is replaced by the blue-green orb that is planet Earth.

Full Story

Ziggy

Cars

You can get one of these ...

Inexpensive cars that get 40 mpg

With gas prices rising, these four top-rated sippers are worth a closer look.

Starting as low as $13,320 

Also: 

• 5 great green autos
• Priciest cars to insure  
• Most-stolen vehicles

Or you could get one of THESE

Muscle cars come back with a fury

New Camaros, Chargers, and Mustangs hit the scene, all boasting powerful horsepower numbers.  

Nine hot autos 

Also: 

• February auto deals
• Lowest car loan rates  
• Decade's best cars

Now, that's something you don't see everyday

Riker's Island, New York City 1903

Photographed May 9, 1903.

Thomas A. Edison, Inc.

Camera: Edwin S. Porter

The island is named after Abraham Rycken, a Dutch settler who moved to Long Island in 1638 and whose descendants owned Riker's Island until 1884, when it was sold to the city for $180,000.
The film was photographed from a boat going around Riker's Island. Located on the East River north of Hell Gate between The Bronx and Queens, Riker's Island was the site of a massive New York City landfill operation at the time of the filming (originally eighty-seven acres, by 1939 the size of the island had increased to four hundred acres). The film includes scenes of heavy equipment at work, including pile drivers constructing the seawall and steam shovels unloading rubbish from barges. On one of the steam shovels, a sign reading ''Water Front Improvement Co., 220 Broadway, New York'' can be distinguished at 1:54. Near the end of the film, a narrow-gauge steam engine with five open cars loaded with landfill comes into view [2:00]. The island is currently the site of a New York City penitentiary.

The World's Largest Toy Collection Is For Sale

 

The world’s most comprehensive  collection of American and European toys and trains is currently for sale through Sotheby’s and this is the first time it has been shown to the public. The owner, Jerry Greene, the son of a toy train dealer, has been compiling the rare toys for fifty years. This is the largest collection of its kind with pieces from every European and American manufacturer in  operation between 1850-1940. The Jerni collection consists of thirty five thousand top quality miniature works of art, 20% of which are on exhibit at the company’s New York headquarters until the end of this month.

Full Story

Why be serious

Make over your body with yoga

Five ways yoga can make over your body

Yoga is a total-body workout that will tone and slim more than you might think. 

Jillian Michaels's top poses 

Also: 

• Learn to love yoga
• 5 low-intensity workouts
• What is yoga, exactly?

What eyes tell about health

What your eyes reveal about your health

Bumpy yellowish patches on the eyelid could indicate you have high cholesterol. 

Other symptoms decoded 

Also: 

• Solve stomach mysteries
• Newborn health-ADHD link
• Healthy winter food picks

Common cold questions answered

6 common cold questions answered

Fruits and veggies may not lower kids' allergy risk

Eating more fruits and vegetables may not protect children from developing allergies, according to a large Swedish study that questions earlier hints of benefit.

Full Story

Culinary DeLites

The three best-tasting potato chips

Testers sample 11 salty snacks, and one emerges as a "perfect little chip."

No. 1 gets an OK rating for nutrition, too 

Also; 

• Healthy snack foods
• Eight salsas you'll love
• Crazy chip flavors

Nearly 12% of disposable income goes to food

As Canadians reach the point where their earnings so far this year would pay for 365 days of groceries, economists say we can expect moderate increases in food prices over the next 12 months.

Full Story

Seven popular diet plans and what they cost

Americans like big things, especially food.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration , the average annual food bill for 2009 was $3,929 per capita.

Full Story

How being cheap can cost

How being cheap can leave you broke

Some things people do to save money can end up costing more in the long run.  

Seven decisions to be wary of

Also:

• Costs to always negotiate
• Get out of debt in 2011
• Best ways to save cash

Real-life tips for staying organized

Real-life tips for staying organized

House that seems to float

'Floating' house gives visitors the jitters

A Boston architect designs a glass home that looks like it's defying gravity. 

'What's holding it up?' 

Also: 

• Real estate red flags
• Mansion on skid row  
• Home-value rebounds

DIY home projects that pay off

Do-it-yourself home projects that pay off

Cut energy costs, avoid expensive repairs, and protect your home against disaster.  

Important outlet check 

Also: 

• Don't skip these repairs
• Renovations to avoid  
• Always negotiate 6 costs

It's just a fence …

... or is it?

*****

Human Spirit

Strange Tales: Gastonia man a 'little lost' after walking 2,800 miles

After completing a 2,800-mile, coast-to-coast walk, Gastonia native Jeff Rudisill admitted to feeling a little lost knowing that for the first time in almost five months his day would not be spent moving from Point A to Point B at 3 mph.

Odds and Sods

Where the weird things are

If Madagascar is the kingdom of the weird, then the aye-aye surely wears its crown.

Maine biologists nab owl taking heads off chickens

A Maine barred owl was caught inside a barn where it had been decapitating one chicken a day and flying off with the heads.

Malaysia's Valentine 'trap' warning

Malaysia has stepped up a campaign to stop Muslims celebrating Valentine's Day - labeling it a "trap" that could encourage immoral behavior.

Full Story

Heart-warming Valentine's Day breakfasts in bed

Heart-warming Valentine's Day breakfasts in bed

Spend more time in bed this Valentine's Day, starting with breakfast.
These 9 recipes are delicious, indulgent, and the perfect romantic treats to share between the sheets.

This Valentine's gift might bug your sweetheart

If lingerie is too intimate and dinner out is too expensive, the Bronx Zoo suggests another Valentine's Day gift: a Madagascar hissing cockroach.

Full Story

B.C.

Jack Russell in the dog house for his drinking

Squiffy the naughty Jack Russell had to be put in the dog house - after the cheeky hound kept stealing beer from the punters in his local pub. The seven-year-old terrier is a well-loved regular at the watering hole but owner Robert Hodgson had to impose a week-long ban on the pesky pooch after discovering he has a penchant for Guinness and Irish stout. The loveable rogue is so fond of his ales that he escaped from the garden during his booze embargo and meandered through the village to get to his favorite haunt - with Robert finding him outside waiting to get in. Now regulars have bought him a doggy-sized tankard so he can have a drop of his favorite tipple without ruining other peoples' pints.

Robert, 56, said: We always go to the pub after a walk and he gets excited as we get nearer to the pub because he knows he is going to see his friends. He is such a loveable character and all the regulars love him, he jumps on the stool and sits next to me at the bar. But we were in the pub recently and he was sat on his stool beside me as usual, I was talking to someone and when I turned round my glass was half-empty. Squiffy was sat there with a sheepish look on his face, the little blighter had helped himself. He had been stealing little slurps from others as well. After that I stopped taking him in the pub for a week or so to teach him a lesson, which I don't think he was too pleased about.

"I let him out in the garden a few days later and after about 10 minutes or so I realized he had gone. I walked down the street looking for him and calling his name and got to the pub.Squiffy was sat in the beer garden looking up at the front door. He looked like he was waiting for it to open. I gave him a good telling off and I think he knew he was in the dog house as he has behaved himself ever since". Squiffy's local is The Craven Arms in Appletreewick, where he is warmly welcomed by staff and customers when he comes in.

Robert and his friends have seen the funny side of Squiffy's antics and now his booze ban is up they bought him a pewter tankard. Robert said: "After his cheeky slurp of my pint I keep a more watchful eye on him and just put a couple of drops of beer in his water which keeps him happy. I always water down the drinks for Squiffy and the tankard is very small so he can't drink too much and I wouldn't want to cause him any harm because he's my best friend. A drop of Guinness is his favorite, he likes any kind of stout but he won't touch cider or lager, he turns his nose up at that."

Cheetah Cam

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park has installed a streaming webcam in a cheetah’s den, so that we can keep an eye on a mother cheetah and two cubs.

Female cheetah Zazi is raising a cub she gave birth to and another mother’s cub, both born in December 2010. Cheetahs that give birth to only one cub, called a singleton, cannot produce enough milk to keep the cub alive. The cub born to Amani, a first-time mother, was hand-raised for 13 days before being placed with Zazi, creating a litter of two that will likely help stimulate milk production from Zazi. These cheetahs are at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia.

Here is the link to webcam.
If you don’t see any action on the webcam, there is a gallery of baby cheetah pictures here.

Sick whale 'may have scoliosis'

This humpback whale is seen in the waters off the Hawaiian Island of Kauai may be suffering from scoliosis or curvature of the spine.

Full Story

Puppy chases his tail

Bailey goes in circles.

Cat finds new home in school

Cat moves into elementary school after fire

This new classmate roams the halls, greets friends when they arrive, and catches lizards.   

'He's one of us now' 

Also: 

• Kitten plays foosball
• The peekaboo cat  
• Kitty goes undercover

Animal Pictures