The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Gather input today from all sources and keep an open mind about what they may have to say.
Make an especially strong effort to connect with your family -- either in person, on the phone or online.
Even if there's no big issue to discuss, if you share the latest news with them you may get some inspiring feedback.
At work, remember that communication is a two-way street; put your energy into having real conversations with higher ups, not just one-sided reviews.
Good is coming.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Quebec, Quebec, Canada
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Lille, Nord-Pas-De-Calais, France
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Brest, Brestskaya Voblasts', Belarus
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
London, England, United Kingdom
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

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 Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, Kansas City and more.

Today is:

Today is Friday, March 11, the 70th day of 2011.

There are 295 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

Middle Name Pride day
and
Johnny Appleseed Day.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Quakes, tsunami slam Japan

 At least 1,000 feared dead after Japan quake

Deadly quake, tsunami leave Japan reeling

Hundreds are dead as a massive wall of water ravages cities and spawns apocalyptic scenes.  

2nd temblor hits 

Also: 

• Photos of the damage
• Nuclear reactor worries
• How you can help

Footage gives startling views of tsunami

TV cameras capture a massive surge of water sweeping away everything in its path after Japan's quake. 

Watch 

Also: 

• See photos of aftermath
• Waves rip across Pacific
• Big foreshocks pre-quake

Shoe

And I Quote

"Many liberal Americans continue to scream about raising taxes to bring down the debt. 

But that crushes economic expansion ..."

     ~ Bill O'Reilly, FAUX's lying Nazi whore   

 

More Here

  
Clinton raised taxes on the super-rich and America prospered like never before.
The shrub cut taxes for the super-rich, drastically, and America went bankrupt.

 

 It's that simple.

The truth be told

Meanwhile in Wisconsin

A former Wisconsin AG says last night's committee meeting which passed walker's agenda clearly violated the open meeting law.

Meanwhile, groups of real Americans have raised almost $2 million for the recall of the Wisconsin repugican legislators.

And did you know ....

The richest 400 Americans have more money than the bottom 50% combined.

Also -  remember to contribute to the Wisconsin recall fund @actblue

On The Job

Should resumés still be one page?

For years, job seekers have been told that employers will frown on anything over a page.

The new normal 

Also: 

• Worst resumé goof
• Job interview tips  
• Today's hottest field

Which degrees can lead to success

Employees who studied business typically earn more than $70K in midcareer. 

Four more with high pay 

Also: 

• Industries hiring most
• Happiest cities to work in  
• Jobs for the ambitious

Who'll pay bigger fees for your debit card use?

Bankers and merchants, pillars of the business world and frequent allies, are embroiled in a bitter lobbying battle over something Americans do 38 billion times a year - swipe their debit cards.

Full Story

Software Blamed for Ohioan's $200M Refund Promise

Ohio's tax department says a promise that it would send a woman a $200 million refund check was a mistake due to a software glitch.

Full Story

Ten overlooked deductions

10 hidden tax deductions exposed

You may be able to write off $1,500 for home improvements made in 2010. 

Tax breaks even if you don't itemize 

Also: 

• Wacky write-off attempts
• Disappearing deductions  
• Tax-filing money savers

Cutting it close

Japan quake causes day to get a wee bit shorter

You won't notice it, but the day just got a tiny bit shorter because of Friday's giant earthquake off the coast of Japan.

Full Story

Daylight saving time facts

Revealing facts about daylight saving time

The hope is to save energy, but studies show the electricity conserved is nominal. 

Don't lose sleep over it 

Also: 

• More on the time change
• Set the clocks ahead  
• Never-ending winter

World's Most Expensive Coffee's Key Ingredient?

Dung!

Single cups of this luxury brand have been known to sell for almost $100 in specialty outlets.  

Read more 

Couple Denied Adoption Because They're Vegetarian

 

Original photo: estoril / CC

Adopting a child that's in need of a home is one of the most selfless and loving decisions a person can make -- but in Greece, having a big heart means nothing if you don't eat meat. A vegetarian couple from the island of Crete recently had their adoption application rejected on the grounds that they might impose their diet on their adoptive child, because they say that a child's upbringing must include eating meat. There's just one problem though: that's not true at all.

Article continues: Couple Denied Adoption Because They're Vegetarian

Amazon village rejects tourists

Amazon village rejects all eco-tourists

Tourism is booming all around one town in Colombia — but they want none of it.  

What the residents are protecting 

Also: 

• Best tropical escapes
• Most underrated cities
• Green career ideas

'Zero waste' family

'Zero waste' family's extreme life makeover

The Johnson family's move to a much smaller home was the first of many drastic changes. 

Virtually no trash 

Also: 

• Reusing home supplies
• Tips from a 'freegan'  
• Rating states' well-being

The Ice is melting

Polar Ice Loss: Picking Up the Pace

 Greenland and Antarctica are losing ice more rapidly every year and out pacing melt from glaciers.  

Read more 

Earth's Core ID's Natural and Human-Induced Warming

NASA geophysicists find natural cycles to Earth's warming that correlate to movement of liquid iron in Earth's outer core -- up until 1930.  

Read more

Police may look into ugly NHL hit

Police asked to investigate ugly NHL hit

Boston's Zdeno Chara won't be suspended for his brutal hit, but he could face trouble with the law.

Details 

Also: 

• More on Zdeno Chara
• What NHL should do
• Debate rages over hit

Bad Cops

Oregon police officers use Tasers on 2 men who had surrendered, costing city almost $140,000 to settle lawsuits

Tennessee cops posed as a defense attorney to get suspect to incriminate himself

Peace activist sues Minneapolis for police violence, withholding evidence

Michigan cop who quit when caught pleads no contest in steroids case

New Jersey sheriff charged with corruption

Indiana deputy convicted of domestic violence, weapons charges gets 19 days in jail

NYPD detective faces charges of conspiracy for using drugs to pay off snitches

The repugican's Anti-Clean Air Act Bill is an Assault on Science Itself

Photo: Let Ideas Compete, Flickr, CC

The GOP leadership has spent the last few weeks trying to pass a bill that prevents the EPA from ever regulating greenhouse gases as part of the Clean Air Act. The bill would also prevent the EPA from setting tailpipe emissions standards for cars and trucks, but the former is drawing more widespread controversy. And for good reason. Since the bill attempts to tear down a ruling based on the findings of our nation's top public health experts and scientists -- a ruling that a Supreme Court decision turned into a legal obligation to uphold -- we're witnessing a case wherein Congressional politicians are actually arguing that they know better than the conclusions of an entire body of science.

Article continues: The GOP's Anti-Clean Air Act Bill is an Assault on Science Itself

The Ten Most Notorious Mafia Bosses On Earth

The Mafia. The name alone conjures shadowy images of underworld activity - debts and allegiances, honor and respect, family, power, and death. The 'don' or 'boss' is usually the mastermind; pulling the strings, making sure the deals get done, and above all else protecting his family, and himself, by whatever means necessary.

The following ten bosses are all still alive and have in their own ways displayed the ruthless conviction and fierce brutality necessary to rise to the top of their ranks. Here are the ten most notorious Mafia bosses on Earth.

Ziggy

King Henry VIII's Madness Explained

Could a genetic disorder and a rare blood type explain Henry VIII's health problems, his wives' miscarriages, and even his madness?  

Read more 

Taking Naps Could Boost Your Brainpower

To every nap lover's delight, it turns out that sleeping may play a larger role in learning than previously thought. 

Read more 

Amplify your intelligence

Plot of one second of human brain (EEG) activity, from the Sounds Of Complexity by Enzo Varriale via Flickr
Andrea Kuszewski writes about five ways to amplify your intelligence for Scientific American. I’ve added two additional techniques.
Kuszewski’s list:
1. Seek Novelty – “People who rate high on Openness are constantly seeking new information, new activities to engage in, new things to learn—new experiences in general.”
2. Challenge Yourself – “Individual brain training games don’t make you smarter—they make you more proficient at the brain training games,” Kuszewski writes. “Once you master one of those cognitive activities in the brain-training game, you need to move on to the next challenging activity. Figure out how to play Sudoku? Great! Now move along to the next type of challenging game.”
3. Think Creatively – “Contrary to popular belief, creative thinking does not equal ‘thinking with the right side of your brain.’ It involves recruitment from both halves of your brain, not just the right.”
4. Do Things the Hard Way “There are times when using technology is warranted and necessary. But there are times when it’s better to say no to shortcuts and use your brain, as long as you can afford the luxury of time and energy.”
5. Network “By networking with other people—either through social media such as Facebook or Twitter, or in face-to-face interactions—you are exposing yourself to the kinds of situations that are going to make objectives 1-4 much easier to achieve.”

You can increase your intelligence: 5 ways to maximize your cognitive potential

Rockies May Have Been Formed by Giant Sucking

A surprising mechanism may have thrust the famous mountain range skywards.  

Read more 

You Are Here

Jaw-Dropping Picture Of The Sun

This picture of the Sun was taken by Alan Friedman who used a filter that lets through only a very narrow wavelength of light emitted by hydrogen, so this tracks the activity of gas on the solar surface.

He also inverts the image of the solar disk to increase contrast. Somehow this adds a three-dimensional quality to the picture, and reveals an amazing amount of texture.

High In The Mountains

You have already seen a piece of absolutely beautiful mountainous Georgia here.

And here you can see some more.

B.C.

Pianomaker Fined $35,000 for Smuggling Endangered Elephant Ivory

Image: FWS

The CEO of an Atlanta piano company has been fined $35,000 after pleading guilty to importing piano keys made from real ivory. The shipment of pianos imported from Africa was intercepted by US Fish & Wildlife agents two years ago, after being notified by a fishy documentation request made to an international endangered species protection group in Switzerland. The story reveals two things -- that the clumsy bureaucratic process we rely upon to catch importers of such stuff seems pretty easy to circumnavigate, and that, yes, evidently there are still rich folks prowling the black market for pianos made with real ivory.

Article continues: Pianomaker Fined $35,000 for Smuggling Endangered Elephant Ivory

The Common Chicken Is Tyrannosaurus Rex's Closest Living Relative

Chickens deserve to be treated with a little more respect in light of new evidence about their terrifying ancestry.

Analysis by scientists from Harvard University and the Museum of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, of a shred of 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex protein - along with that of 21 modern species and an extinct mastodon - confirms that dinosaurs share common ancestry with birds, particularly chickens and ostriches, and to a lesser extent, alligators.

Tyrannosaurus rex, the 'tyrant lizard,' has confirmed its place on the vertebrate family tree, thanks to the new study, which was made possible thanks to an extremely unusual Tyrannosaurus rex fossil found in 2003.

Seeing Eye Dog for Blind Man Goes Blind, Gets Own Seeing Eye Dog

Graham Waspe had been aided by his guide dog Edward for six years. When Edward himself began to lose his sight, Mr. Waspe acquired a new guide dog, Opal, who helps not only him, but Edward as well:

Mr Waspe’s new dog is not just aiding his owner to carry out everyday tasks, but also helping Edward to get around.
Mr Waspe, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, received his new dog last November after Edward developed the inoperable problem which resulted in him needing both eyes removed.
And the two-year-old bitch has stepped in where Edward left off as they tour their old haunts together.

Full Story

Animal Pictures