The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
The heavens have gifted us all right now with the ability to help us let our emotions show, without shame, embarrassment or shyness.
In your case, since you're also being helped along the road toward a great career by other equally potent allies, you've got a great team on your side.
Better plan on using it to its fullest.
That means no wasting time on anyone who won't be willing to hear about how you really feel.
Let whoever you're with know that they're special -- and how special.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
London, England, United Kingdom
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Prague, Hlavni Mesto Praha, Czech Republic

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 Puyallup, La Crosse, Honolulu, Tampa and more.

Today is:

Today is Monday, March 14, the 73rd day of 2011.

There are 292 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

Napping Day
Potato Chips Day
and
Pi Day.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

And I Quote

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALBERT EINSTEIN

While the world focuses on the horror in Japan, Gaddafi is slaughtering the people of Lybia

Time was running out for Libya's revolution last night as Muammar Gaddafi's forces routed rebels in the east of the country, driving them into retreat from the town of Brega under a rain of rockets and shells, and opening up the road to the principal opposition stronghold, Benghazi.

With western countries paralyzed by disagreements over military intervention, the exhausted and terrified rebel army piled into pickup trucks with machine-guns mounted on the back or towing anti-aircraft guns and raced away from a sustained assault by rocket launchers and artillery to which they were ill equipped to respond.

Full Story

Man Floating On Roof Rescued In Japan

Troops have rescued a 60-year-old man who floated out to sea on the roof of his home when a tsunami engulfed Japan's coast following the massive earthquake.

Full Story

Wall of water slams city

Chilling video shows wave overtaking town

Eyewitness footage captures a black tsunami wave crashing through the streets of Miyako, Japan.  

Watch 

Also: 

• Surreal scenes in Japan
• Nation's crippled coastline
• Tsunami movie pulled

Thousands dead in Japan - death toll may top 10,000

Tide of 1,000 bodies overwhelms Japan

A grim discovery along the coast fuels growing anxiety as millions struggle with quake's aftermath.

New tsunami scare 

Also: 

• Man saved 10 miles at sea
• How you can help Japan
• Images of the disaster

Japan's death toll estimated at over 10,000

The country faces its "worst crisis" since WWII, as millions go without food and water.  

Freezing temperatures 

Also: 

• Japan markets plunge
• How you can help Japan  
• Images of the disaster

 Officials in Japan warn of second tsunami

Quake's blow to Japan economy

Japan may face severe economic woes

Production slowdowns and possible tax hikes could pummel Japanese firms and households.  

Back to recession? 

Also: 

• Japanese stocks fall
• Quake may change Japan  
• Ways you can help

Explosion rocks nuclear plant

Nuclear plant rocked by second explosion

While Japanese officials downplay the radiation risk, U.S. Navy ships are pulled away from shore.  

3rd blast possible 

Also: 

• Expert: Not like Chernobyl
• Neighbors monitor winds
• Footage of the blast

Nuclear fuel rods exposed

New worries at troubled nuclear reactor

The threat of a meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant looms as fuel rods are fully exposed again.

Latest

Also:

• Expert: Not like Chernobyl
• Neighbors monitor winds
• Footage of the blast

Satellite photos show damage

From space, images of a devastated land

Satellite photos of Japan's shattered northeast coast capture the immense destruction.  

Cities washed away 

Also: 

• Japan markets plunge
• How you can help Japan 
• Images of the disaster

Awesome Pictures

Polish political party calls for removal of cross from public buildings

A new Polish political party has ruffled conservative feathers in the Catholic country with a campaign to have the cross ousted from public buildings.

Polish political party calls for removal of cross from public buildings

The World's Oldest Spaceport

The Baikonur Cosmodrome

 

image credit

There are, to be frank, not many spaceports on the planet as of 2011. Of the thirty or so only six of them have sent people in to space. Four of those are located in the US, another in China and the sixth and oldest is to be found in Kazakhstan.

It is known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome and as well as being the oldest it is also the largest spaceport in the world. It has quite a remarkable history. Still in operation, it has seen huge political change in its time and is set to function as a space port until at least 2050.

Non Sequitur

The TSA lied

 They are keeping some of those body scans

Are we surprised?

Department of Homeland Security sued for storing full body scanner images

* November 6th, 2010 2:10 am PT

We’ve all been told that the whole body scanners are being implemented for our own good. We’ve been assured that our misapprehensions were unfounded. Body scanners penetrate clothing to provide a highly detailed image so accurate that it has been likened it to a virtual strip search. Technologies vary, with millimeter wave systems capturing fuzzier images, and backscatter X-ray machines able to show precise anatomical detail.

During Department of Homeland Security hearings, Janet Napolitano assured the Congress (and this writer who was present at the hearing) that all images collected by the full body scanners are not stored, cannot be stored and are discarded as soon as they're viewed. Just last summer the Transportation Security Administration claimed that "scanned images cannot be stored or recorded." Privacy advocates (including yours truly) cried foul. Turns out, they were right. Yet again we’ve been lied to by the government. Of course, as usual, the official take is that we were bamboozled for our own good.

Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the United States Marshals Service to obtain information about the agency's use of full body scanners for courthouse security. EPIC pursued the case in federal court, EPIC v. Department of Justice, Case No. 10-1157.

EPIC lawsuit against the Department of Justice

In the course of that litigation, EPIC has obtained an admission by the agency that a single machine has stored "approximately 35,314 images" of the full body scans of courthouse visitors over a six month period. It turns out that the U.S. Marshals Service had surreptitiously saved tens of thousands of images recorded with a millimeter wave system at the security checkpoint of a single Florida courthouse. EPIC also obtained a representative sample of the images stored by the devices.

More Here

Bank of America mortgage fraud in first wave of Anonymous data dump on banks Continue reading on Examiner.com: Bank of America mortgage fraud in first wave of Anonymous data dump on banks

Kenneth Schortgen Jr writing over at examiner.com has this piece:

A data dump of information and fraud regarding Bank of America, and many of the companies and subsidiaries that BAC purchased and collaborated with to deal with mortgage agreements, has been posted by the hacker group Anonymous this evening.  This news comes from an internal letter from Balboa Insurance, regarding themselves and Countrywide in their efforts to hide foreclosure information from Federal auditors.
The following is a raw data disclosure, courtesy of Shenandoah on March 13th from the hacker group, Anonymous.

Balboa Insurance Group, and it’s largest competitor, the market leader Assurant, is in the business of insurance tracking and Force Placed Insurance (aka Lender Placed Insurance, FOH, LPI, etc). What this means is that when you sign your name on the dotted line for your loan, the lienholder has certain insurance requirements that must be met for the life of the lien. Your lender (including, amongst others, GMAC, Aurora Loan Services [a subsidiary of Lehman Bros Holdings], IndyMac Federal Bank [a subsidiary of OneWest Bank], Saxon, HSBC, PennyMac [a collection agency started by former Countrywide Home Loans executive Stan Kurland after CHL and Balboa were sold to BAC], Downey Savings and Loans, Financial Freedom, Select Portfolio Services, Wells Fargo/Wachovia, and the now former owners of Balboa Insurance themselves…Bank of America) then outsources the tracking of your loan with them to a company like Balboa Insurance.
Balboa makes some money by charging these companies to track your insurance (the payment of which is factored into your loan). If you do not meet the minimum insurance requirements set by your lienholder, Balboa Insurance places a force placed insurance policy on your loan. You are sent a letter telling you that you do not have insurance, and your escrow account is then adjusted for the inflated premium of a full coverage policy placed by Balboa’s insurance tracking group, run by Steven Ramsthel, Sr Vice President of Loan Tracking Operations & Customer Care at Balboa Insurance Group.

As you can see by the detailed information, the banks, mortgage brokers, and insurance providers all had knowledge of a scheme to cancel your insurance agreements, and force homeowners to buy contracts that were well above normal insurance requirements.
In doing so, the fraud was perpetuated when homeowners were unable to pay the new monthly payments, or were ignorant to the changes in their original agreements.  Failing in payments set off actions such as higher interest rates, and in many cases, foreclosure proceedings.
This disclosure by the hacker group Anonymous appears to be just the first of many that are set to begin now in operation Empire State Rebellion.  Bank of America's knowledge of fraud, and their subsequent purchase of companies that perpetuated fraud against homeowners, should set in motion a new investigation into the banks dealings over the past three years, and bring more turmoil to the foreclosure debate

New Hampshire repugican agrees with Hitler

Says 'defective people' should be sent to Siberia to die

And yet another step backwards for humanity thanks to the modern repugican party.

In an interview and in an e-mail Omand sent to her friends, Omand said she called Harty, who represents her district, to tell him her concerns about the House Finance Committee's proposed cuts to mental health services. Omand said Harty said he disagreed with her and made the comments about eugenics.

Omand says Harty then stated, "I wish we had a Siberia so we could ship them all off to freeze to death and die and clean up the population."

Omand said Harty appeared to be serious. After Omand responded that his idea sounded like what Adolf Hitler did in World War II, Omand said Harty responded, "Hitler did something right, and I agree with (it)."

Harty told the Monitor he was "just kidding" about Siberia. He denied making the comment about Hitler and said it was Omand who brought up Hitler.

The Abusive Cult Of Fred Phelps

The sociopathy extends outward and inward, as one son who escaped the nightmare, explains.

Nate Phelps, the son of Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Cult (WBC), is offering a different and horrifying perspective of the controversial cult and it's anti-gay leader.

Tell the truth ... get sued

From the "Un-fucking-believable" Department:

Further proof that dishonesty is the new norm.

$60k damages awarded against blogger who reported truth

A blogger must pay $60,000 after reporting a link between a local community leader and mortgage fraud. From the Star Tribune:

The jury awarded [Jerry] Moore $35,000 for lost wages and $25,000 for emotional distress. The civil verdict culminated a nearly two-year legal scuffle between John Hoff, whose blog, The Adventures of Johnny Northside, has 300 to 500 readers daily, and Moore, former director of the Jordan Area Community Council.

Because the story was true, according to the Star Tribune, Moore (who was fired after the report) sued not for libel but for 'meddling' in his employment.

***

Here's to hoping his employment is never 'meddled' with again being that he remains unemployed as the ass should be.

Shoe

On The Job

Seven best jobs for work-life balance

Many flexible careers let you work from home, set your own hours, and spend more time with family.

Salaries 

Also: 

• Entry-level jobs that pay
• Most satisfying careers 
• Jobs that get respect

Top-paid U.S. government jobs

The 10 highest-paid government jobs

The person who oversees the U.S. mail draws a bigger salary than Hillary Clinton's $186,600.  

Obama's pay 

Also: 

• $100-per-hour jobs
• Best places to work
• What bosses won't say

When to take Social Security?

When should you take Social Security?

Some boomers are bucking conventional wisdom and claiming their retirement benefits early.

Drawbacks

Also:

• Bargain retirement spots
• 9 ways to build wealth 
• How to fix your 401(k)

Figuring out your tax bracket

Figuring out which tax bracket you're in

Knowing what percentage of earnings you're liable to pay will help with crucial financial decisions.

The IRS tables 

Also: 

• Ultimate tax checklist
• Some hidden deductions  
• Mistakes couples make

Why Your Skin Turns Pruny But Doesn't Dissolve After Soaking in Water

Everyone knows that if you swim or soak in a tub for a long time, your skin turn all pruny but have you ever considered how the skin doesn’t simply dissolve? It’s all in the keratin:

After a period in water the outer layer of the skin (the stratum corneum) expands, producing prune-like wrinkles. Earlier researchers suggested the stratum corneum expands as it absorbs water, but no one had yet explained why skin doesn’t fall apart when it has expanded.
Keratin is known to prevent evaporation from the skin and to absorb water to help keep the skin hydrated. The stratum corneum layer also gives the skin its stretchy properties and the ability to spring back.
Using computer modeling Evans approached the question from a geometric point of view to try to explain why skin maintains its structural rigidity after long exposure to water. She said the outer layer of skin contains a three-dimensional pattern of keratin fibers woven together to form a structure capable of acting like a sponge.

The fibers are helical when dry but straighten out as water is absorbed, which allows the network to hold a greater volume of water. All the contacts between the keratin fibers remain intact throughout the expansion, and this makes the material structurally stable, Evans said.

Full Story

Helpful Hints

Three ways to stop annoying static cling

Removing the plastic on dry cleaning right away helps cut back on static. 

An odd alternative to dryer sheets 

Also: 

• Fixes for laundry problems
• How often to wash linens?  
• Stain busters that work

Culinary DeLites

Make dinner easy on yourself this week

Pasta tossed with sauteed asparagus and summer squash is flavorful and healthy. 

Chicken, salmon, and pizza 

Also: 

• Plenty of pasta recipes
• Corned beef and cabbage  
• 10 versatile ingredients

Five chef's knives a cook can depend on

Good cooks know that a bigger knife doesn't necessarily mean a better one.

What to consider when buying 

Also: 

• The right way to sharpen
• Guide to chopping herbs  
• Best cookware materials

Hotter Weather has Peach Crop Ahead of Schedule

Farmers say the recent balmy weather across northern South Carolina has peach trees blooming much earlier than normal.

Full Story

Amateur Weatherman's Stunning Pictures

For many, it is a hobby that would require far too much patience. But Kris Dutson from Compton Valence waits for hours just to capture the perfect images of storm clouds breaking. He has spent ten years scouting out the ideal locations across Britain to capture the most astonishing atmospheric shots on his camera as rain falls.

He carries meteorological charts and a sun compass with him and will patiently wait for clouds to break before capturing the perfect shot. He sometimes waits for months on end before returning to a particular spot at the right time of year to catch astonishing images.

Cloning giant, ancient trees

Cleansing Earth with giant cloned trees

An organization is planting copies of ancient trees all around the world.

Buying time for humanity? 

Also: 

• The oldest trees
• Eco-friendly timberlands
• Zanzibar's animal draw

Ten Amazing 'Above-Water' Shipwrecks

 

image credit

The world's oceans are abound with shipwrecks and a multitude of other nautical artifacts. Lurking deep beneath the waves of the planet's most inhospitable waters are some of history's most grand and feared ships, presenting divers with a fascinating incarnation of a bygone age.

But what about those among us who don't scuba dive? Here are 10 corroding old vessels that can be seen clearly from the relative safety of terra firma.

Lost City of Atlantis Found At Last?

Swamped by Age-Old Tsunami

"This is the power of tsunamis," head researcher Richard Freund told Reuters. "It is just so hard to understand that it can wipe out 60 miles inland, and that's pretty much what we're talking about," said Freund, a University of Hartford, Connecticut, professor who lead an international team searching for the true site of Atlantis.

Full Story

B.C.

The Ant and the Aardvark

They don't make like this anymore.

Endangered Hawaiian Sea Turtles Surfing

Photo: Clark Little

Clark Little, the surfer-turned-photographer behind The Most Beautiful Waves...Ever is back -- this time he captures the secret lives of Hawaiian green sea turtles in stunning, underwater photos that earned him an Windland Smith Rice International Award for nature photography.

Article continues: Endangered Hawaiian Sea Turtles Surfing, in Stunning Underwater Photos 

Great White Sharks Disappearing Into Soup Bowls?

Image via QUEST video

Great white sharks are still a complete mystery, and yet we know that they are also falling victim to shark finning. A recent census -- the first for white sharks -- found far fewer individuals than the scientists expected to count. Could these apex predators of the sea be disappearing before we've even been able to understand them. The incredible short documentary by QUEST (click through to watch) lays out how much we know, and how much we have yet to learn about white sharks. And the more we know, the more we will be able to protect them from an industry that is collapsing shark populations worldwide at a rate biologists are stunned could ever be possible.

Article continues: Ocean Film Fest 2011: Great White Sharks Disappearing Into Soup Bowls? (Video)

Life size model of a Blue Whale's heart

A blue whale's tongue weighs around 2.7 metric tons (3.0 short tons) and, when fully expanded, its mouth is large enough to hold up to 90 metric tons (99 short tons) of food and water. Despite the size of its mouth, the dimensions of its throat are such that a blue whale cannot swallow an object wider than a beach ball.

Its heart weighs 600 kilograms (1,300 lb) and is the largest known in any animal. A blue whale's aorta is about 23 centimeters (9.1 in) in diameter. During the first seven months of its life, a blue whale calf drinks approximately 400 litres (100 U.S. gallons) of milk every day. Blue whale calves gain weight quickly, as much as 90 kilograms (200 lb) every 24 hours. Even at birth, they weigh up to 2,700 kilograms (6,000 lb)—the same as a fully grown hippopotamus.

You ever get the feeling your not in Kansas anymore?

Can you say Sushi?

Well-Endowed Frog Bounces Back in California Forest

Photo Credit: Larry Serpa/The Nature Conservancy

This is the coastal tailed frog, but that's not Mr. Frog's tail dragging on the ground. It's his cloaca --- essentially a big ol' amphibian penis. The point? A number of the frogs have been found in the last couple of years in the Garcia River Forest --- 21 miles south of their known range on the California Pacific Coast. An aquatic biologist says the find is a testament to the improving health of the watershed, which has suffered from intensive logging in past decades. In this case, (population) size does matter.

Article continues: Well-Endowed Frog Bounces Back in California Forest

Animal Pictures