The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
You've been heading down the home stretch for weeks, now look for a big sign welcoming you to your destination -- it could be a social invitation, a pay raise or merely a smile that indicates that you've broken through someone's tough shell.
You're absolutely on the right path, and the crowds are cheering you on -- listen a bit harder, and you can hear them.
Support is all around you -- it's payback for all the times you've been there for the people you love.
Karma is on your side today.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
London, Ontario, Canada
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
London, England, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Moscow, Moskva, Russia
Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Ho Chi Minh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden
Amsterdam Noord-Holland, Netherlands

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 Midlothain, Pennsville, Scaramento, Providence and more.

Today is:

Today is Monday, April 11, the 102nd day of 2011.

There are 263 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

Barber Shop Quartet Day
International "Louie Louie" Day
and
National Pet Day.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Experts: Wisconsin only 'repugican broke'

From the "Tell us something we didn't know" Department:

According to The Wisconsin State Journal some economists allege that Governor Scott Walker's budget crisis is a fabrication invented out of whole cloth and predicated on a series of tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy.

Full Story

Violent storms rip through South and Midwest

Violent storms tear through Midwest, South

Tornadoes cut a path of destruction across multiple states, wrecking homes and power lines.  

‘Trees are flying’ 

Also: 

• See raw video
• One town’s destruction  
• N.D. preps for river crest

Pardon the Pun

A rubber band pistol was confiscated in an algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.

Ivory Coast ruler captured

Ivory Coast ruler captured in showdown

Conflicting reports surface after forces storm the bunker of defiant leader Laurent Gbagbo.

Arrested by rival 

Also: 

• Ivory Coast unrest
• Country's new leader
• Despair as food runs out

South African leader: Libya accepts cease-fire plan

A delegation of African leaders said Sunday that their Libyan counterpart, Moammar Gadhafi, accepted their "road map" for a cease-fire with rebels, whom they will meet Monday.

Full Story

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

Odds and Sods

Diamond ring for sale at Costco

A million bucks at Costco will get you about 33,000 extra-large tubs of mayonnaise, 16,000 jumbo packs of diapers, 2,200 office chairs or one 6.77-carat diamond solitaire ring.

Minnesota Woman Finds Business In Handcrafted Coffins

Jude Collins says she couldn't have prayed for a better location for her shop. It's on a busy street with a four-way stop and bus stop right in front and a cemetery just two blocks away.

Fish recipe sampler's taste buds to be insured for 4million

A fish recipe sampler is getting her taste buds insured for 4million. The 32,000-a-year policy for top taster Jenny Douglas, of Grimsby, Lincs, dubbed The Codmother for her expertise, will be paid for by her employer.


Woman devalues price of rare Chinese vase by trying fix it with a hammer

The owner of a rare Chinese vase knocked 200,000 off its value after trying to fix it - with a hammer.

New source of oil stirs debate

New oil source under Utah ignites debate

A push to tap into 12 to 19 billion barrels of "unconventional" U.S. petroleum has critics alarmed.  

First-of-its-kind project 

Also: 

• Backlash against ethanol
• Hopes for 'blue petroleum'
• Ancient find in Ky. mine

New Car Engine Sends Shock Waves Through Auto Industry

Despite shifting into higher gear within the consumer's green conscience, hybrid vehicles are still tethered to the gas pump via a fuel-thirsty 100-year-old invention: the internal combustion engine.

However, researchers at Michigan State University have built a prototype gasoline engine that requires no transmission, crankshaft, pistons, valves, fuel compression, cooling systems or fluids. Their so-called Wave Disk Generator could greatly improve the efficiency of gas-electric hybrid automobiles and potentially decrease auto emissions up to 90 percent when compared with conventional combustion engines.

Full Story

Non Sequitur

If You Shop Daily, You Live Longer

Grocery in Nanjing; 

CC Image credit Ginnerobot

We have made the case that small fridges make good cities; now a new study indicates that small fridges make healthier people.
A study in Taiwan found that old people who get out and shop every day are 27% less likely to die over a ten year period than those who shop once a week.

Article continues: Study Shows That If You Shop Daily, You Live Longer

Blueberries Can Banish Your Big Belly

Previous research has shown that blueberries are a true superfood: Supercharging your immune system, Neutralizing free radicals, Improving your vision, Promoting the health of your brain, Maximizing heart health, Preventing metabolic syndrome, and Keeping your GI & urinary tracts running smooth.

And if that wasn't enough, there have even been a ...

Full Story

Culinary DeLites

What to make for dinner tonight

Red and yellow peppers stuffed with barley and mushrooms make a colorful, hearty supper.  

Six more options 

Also: 

• More stuffed peppers
• How to use whole grains 
• Best Passover cookbooks

• 

  What's the best dish to bring to new parents?

• 

  The 8 genetically modified foods you’re probably eating

• 

  How many slices of bacon are equal to these favorite dishes?

• 

  Crumbs Bake Shop: A love story

There's an App for that ...

New app calculates calories through photos of food

Worried about how many calories you are going to consume in that slice of pizza, chocolate cake or bag of fries?
A new iPhone application may help.

Full Story

Toddler mistakenly served tequila instead of apple juice in restaurant

Police are investigating after a toddler was mistakenly given an alcoholic beverage at an Applebee’s. It happened on Friday at around 4:30p.m. at the restaurant on 14 Mile Road in Madison Heights. Fifteen-month-old Dominic Dill-Reese’s mother ordered him a kid’s meal and asked for apple juice as the beverage.

His mother began to get suspicious moments after he started drinking it. “We took it from him and he kind of laid his head on the table,” said Taylor Dill-Reese. “He dozed off a little bit and woke up and got real happy.” Dill-Reese also said Dominic refused to eat when his food arrived. Before leaving, Dill-Reese tasted the toddler’s drink and got a big surprise. Instead of apple juice, alcoholic margarita mix was in his cup.

“The manager came up to me and he smelled it and he was like, ‘I am so sorry ma’am, I just don’t know what to do,’” said Dill-Reese. She demanded the manager do something. Madison Heights police were called to investigate the incident and the boy was taken to the hospital. Doctors told Dominic’s mother he could have died if he drank the entire cup. They believe he should be okay, but needs to be watched carefully.

“He’s so innocent, so sweet,” said Dill-Reese. “I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to him.” Applebee’s corporate office said: “Obviously any situation like this is unacceptable and we take it very seriously. We are working with local authorities and conducting our own investigation so we can assess exactly what happened.”

Free beer off the menu

Free beer will reportedly be verboten soon in Switzerland, if the government has its way.

Full Story

Remedies for headaches

Remedies to ease a pounding headache

Caffeine constricts blood vessels, helping to relieve the pain of a tension headache.

Stop one before it starts 

Also: 

• More about migraines
• 6 pain treatments to try  
• Coffee's health benefits

Give Your Bedroom a Healthy Makeover

It's not just somewhere you snooze.
The 8-plus hours you spend there each night could affect your stress level, your sex life, even your health.

Give Your Bedroom a Healthy Makeover

How to protect your reputation online

How to protect your reputation online

Ziggy

On The Job

Seven careers that are built to last

The right education and training can help you get hired in one of these stable fields.

 Why opportunities will increase 

Also: 

• Fast-growing careers
• Degrees for success  
• Job-hunting advice

Does your resumé make you look old?

You might be wise not to broadcast when you got your college degrees.

Other ways to avoid dating yourself 

Also: 

• How to ace an interview
• Best firms for job offers  
• Getting a salary you want

Offbeat job titles can be advantageous

 Job titles can spell success or failure, and the new century is generating a host of new and unusual job titles.

Full Story

Improve your retirement odds

Make a key money wish come true

You only need to take two steps to increase your chances of retiring well by 50 percent.

A useful rule of thumb 

Also: 

• Savings moves that flop
• Social Security statements  
• Picking a retirement spot

New U.S. 'ghost towns' rise

New 'ghost towns' rise across the U.S.

The economic downturn is pushing the vacancy rate above 50 percent in some communities.  

Grim future predicted 

Also: 

• Ray of hope for housing
• Time to buy a foreclosure? 
• Fewer seek jobless aid

Awesome Pictures

Jail: India's Next Call Center?

The next time you get an Indian talking from a call center on your customer service call, don’t get too upset. Instead, have pity as your counterpart may soon be talking from jail!

For a man serving a life sentence for murder, Pradeep Deburma has a slightly unlikely dream: to work in a call center like hundreds of thousands of other young ambitious Indians. Even more improbably, he has every chance of realizing it while still behind bars.
Deburma, 24, is detained in a high-security prison near Hyderabad which is launching an innovative scheme to turn convicts into "outsourcing providers" for local firms and eventually, it is hoped, international clients.
The scheme is in its early stages, with prisoners being trained in basic data entry skills. Jail authorities hope that inmates will soon be just as likely to tap at a keyboard as dig vegetables, make carpets or stitch uniforms.
"We have got so many computer literates and professionals in our prison," said Gopinath Reddy, director general of prisons in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Talk about being chained to the desk! 

Full Story

That's not how you do it ...

The 10 Most Amazing Discoveries Of Modern Astronomy

Astronomy has come a long way in the past 100 years, with revelations from Einstein, Bohr, Hubble and other great astronomers, physicists, and scientists. Some of the greatest discoveries in astronomy of all time include the discovery of the other planets of the solar system, the true relation of the Earth to the Sun, and the mathematical calculations for planetary orbits by Kepler and universal gravitation by Newton.

More shocking discoveries have been made in modern astronomy than in times past, and shows us just how cool our universe actually is. Keep in mind however that most of the 'discoveries' mentioned in this article are just theories and not facts.

Space pioneer's secret words

Secret last words of the first man in space

Moments before uttering his legendary catchphrase, Yuri Gagarin had his mind on something else.

Tapes revealed 

Also: 

• New clues to his death
• Dramatic 108-minute flight
• Why Soviets beat the U.S.

Surf's Up Dude

Dreamlike wave found in unlikely spot

Surfers make a stunning discovery during an expedition in the jungles of Indonesia.

The first of its kind? 

Also: 

• Waves in Minnesota?
• Inspiring surfer's movie
• Best big-wave rides

Doctor Arrested For Diving While Drunk And Asleep

GP Donald Stuart Clegg is appearing at Bury magistrates' court, having been arrested by police in Prestwich for, apparently, driving while intoxicated and asleep.

Full Story

'Aliens exist' say real-life X-Files

The top secret memos appear to back up conspiracy theories that extra-terrestrials landed in the US town of Roswell - before they were sent to the infamous Area 51 US airbase.

Full Story

The Gloaming

Saudi Arabia Plans to Build Mile-High Building

Saudi Arabia’s proposed Kingdom Tower will rise to 5,280 feet. That’s a full mile. If completed, this building in Jeddah will cost $30 billion to build and will contain apartments, hotel rooms, and offices in its 12 million cubic feet of space. The above graphic compares the structure to the Petronis Tower (center) in Malaysia and the Empire State Building (left) in the US. Currently, the tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa, which is 2,700 feet tall.

Full Story

Remote man-made sights

World's little-known man-made wonders

It's worth the trek to see dozens of elaborate wooden churches in remote Russia.

A gravity-defying palace in India 

Also: 

• World's beautiful buildings
• Photos: Tallest statues 
• Hotels away from it all

B.C.

Argentinian man caught with over 600 reptiles on bus

Passengers on a bus in Argentina got an unwelcome surprise when police found more than 600 snakes and other reptiles packed in the luggage compartment, a ranger said on Saturday.

Photo source

Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted the bus in a northern province bound for Buenos Aires, asked to see passengers' documents, then began poking into their bags. "A passenger came onboard with 40 snakes, plus what he had in the boxes" in the bus luggage hold, said ranger Daniel Chersich, warden of Santa Fe province.

Police "were terrified of opening the bags," Chersich, who was investigating a wildlife trafficking network and joined in the operation, told said. With good reason.

Photo source

The trafficker had loaded them with 444 boas, vipers and other snakes; 186 endangered tortoises; 40 lizards, and an armadillo. The smuggler, who was arrested, boarded the bus in Santiago del Estero, where he had spent three months trapping various species in the bush with the intent of selling them, Chersich said.

Porcupines Poised to Be a Public Enemy in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania hunting regulators say it's time to stick it to porcupines. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is poised to declare open season on the slow-moving, razor-sharp rodents on Tuesday, citing complaints of property damage from residents.

Full Story

Animal Pictures