The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Today your inner MacGyver will be out in full force, and you'll be fixing all sorts of problems with your own special creativity.
From dealing with something as minor as a broken zipper to handling something as major as work fallout from a missed deadline, you will master every little (unpleasant) surprise that comes your way.
This is not to say that you should go out and seek controversy, however.
Be sure to keep your eyes on you own paper and mind your manners.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Muara, Brunei Darussalam
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Palma De Mallorca, Islas Beleares, Spain
London, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Berne, Bern, Switzerland
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
Gengenbach, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Paris, Ile-De- France, France
Stoke On Trent, England, United Kingdom

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 Raleigh, Kirkland, Utica, St. Louis, Oakland, Denver, Brownsville and more.

Today is:

Today is Monday, June 13, the 164th day of 2011.

There are 201 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

There are none today.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

The problem with repugican idiots

The problem with repugican idiots.

First off the statement above is redundant ...

FBI grants itself more powers

From the"Gross Abuse of Power" Department:

Operations manual gives FBI new powers

New guidelines trouble privacy activists even though they're perfectly legal.

Changes in search, surveillance rules 

Also: 

• Mortgage probe extended
• Plea in whistleblower case
• Insider trading convictions

Racial Profiling Happening at a U.S. Airport Targeting Hispanics

From the "And this is surprising, how?" Department:

An internal federal report has just concluded that TSA officers and their managers working security at the Newark International Airport were acting like "Mexican hunters" targeting Hispanic flyers for extra security screenings.

Full Story

Police cars get new sirens

From the "Gee, I feel so much safer now" Department:

Police cars outfitted with new type of siren

Drivers will know they are being told to pull over, even if they have their radios cranked up.

Origin of the 911 call 

Also: 

• $835 parking ticket
• Kid's seat-belt ticket
• Bike lane protest video

Remembering the Berlin Wall

Remembering the fall of the Berlin Wall

Rare early photos show life along the barrier that divided a city for 28 years.  

Where children played 

Also: 

• Pentagon Papers released
• 9/11 memorial reservations
• Hi-tech archeology

U.S. tech aid for uprisings

U.S. gives technological aid to uprisings

"Shadow" Internet and cell systems are helping Mideast dissidents undermine their governments.

Web in a suitcase 

Also: 

• U.S. arms sales to Bahrain
• Oil cartel losing power
• Part of Yemen city seized

No More Target Practice With Photos of North Korea’s Ruler

In an attempt to appease North-South Korean relations, the South Korean defense ministry has announced that it will order its army training units to cease using photographs of North Korea’s ruling family for target practice.

Full Story

Pity, but we can see why - it's too easy of a target to hit, even a blind bat couldn't miss it. One does need something to test one's skill in marksmanship when practicing, one does.

Non Sequitur

Rapture preacher suffers stroke at California home

They say Karma's a bitch and to prove it:

We present the ...

Epic Loser

The California radio preacher who predicted that the end of the world would take place last month has suffered a stroke.

The Oakland Tribune reports that 89-year-old Harold Camping was hospitalized after suffering the stroke Thursday night at his Alameda home.

Charles Menut, a regional manager for Harold Camping's radio company, Family Stations Inc., told supporters about Camping's stroke in an online message posted Saturday. Menut gave no other details.

Camping's radio company spent more than $100 million publicizing the evangelist's Rapture prediction over the past seven years. When it didn't happen on May 21, Camping was widely mocked and he called it "a very difficult time."

He has insisted that his prediction was correct and said the end would become apparent on October 21 instead. (Yeah, and the moon is made of green cheese, too)

Oh, by the way ...

 

NASA predicts: the world will not end in 2012.

Whew, that's a relief.

Insomnia Cap May Allay Sleeping Blues

Could treating insomnia be as simple as putting on a cap to slow down the brain's metabolism during sleep?  

Read more 

Scientists find migraine genes

Genes linked to migraine headaches found

The debilitating condition strikes up to 20 percent of the U.S. population.  

Possible role of inheritance 

Also: 

• Migraine's link to PTSD
• Nine metabolism factors
• Anxiety's physical effect

With The Death Toll At 35: Germany Still Seeking Reason For E. Coli Outbreak

E. coli Death Toll Rises To 35

Four more people have died in Germany, health officials said Sunday, bringing the total number of deaths from an E. coli outbreak to 35.

Full Story

Germany Still Seeking Reason For E. Coli Outbreak

German authorities say they haven't yet been able to resolve how sprouts at a farm became contaminated with an aggressive strain of E. coli that has been blamed for 35 deaths.

Full Story

Olive oil Health Benefits?

Olive oil contains a healthy form of fat known as monounsaturated fatty acids, this particular fat helps to lower cholesterol, maintain normal levels of blood clotting, and regulate levels of insulin and blood sugar.

Olive oil has the ability to break down essential nutrients from the food we consume that our body is not able to naturally absorb.

Full Story

Culinary DeLites

Quick, healthy recipes to enliven your week

Fresh fruit and simple sauces punch up salmon, chicken, and pork tenderloin.

Good-looking tricolor pasta 

Also: 

• Quick tips for better salsa
• Surprising best ketchup
• New tricks for pound cake

How to make a perfect steak sandwich

You get all the zing you need by glazing sauteed vegetables with a little steak sauce.  

The best cut of beef to use 

Also: 

• Foolproof grilling tips
• Easy steak recipes 
• Barbecue sauce taste test

Are you tossing the healthiest parts of your food?

'Dirty dozen' fruits, veggies

New 'dirty dozen' for fruits and vegetables

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it comes with high levels of pesticides.  

 What to eat instead

Also:

• Healthiest parts of food
• Best spring produce
• Spend less on groceries

Daily Comic Relief

Perdue becomes 1st NC governor to veto budget plan

Beverly Perdue on Sunday became the first North Carolina governor to veto a budget bill since the chief executive was given the power in 1997.

Full Story

'Perfect storm' ahead?

'Perfect storm' ahead for global economy?

A noted economist warns that four financial conditions could combine into a full-blown crisis.  

What's worrying him 

Also: 

• Is U.S. another Greece?
• Summers: More stimulus
• Debt ceiling explained

Four money warning signs

Are you headed for financial ruin?

If any of these money habits sounds familiar, you'll want to change your ways pronto.

The pizza delivery problem 

Also: 

• 'Splash crash' fears
• Money lessons for kids
• Maximizing rewards points

Manage your life

Save on gas by changing the way you drive

An expert's test reveals which move gets more mileage: lowering the windows or turning on the AC.

Your speed is key 

Also: 

• Good time for trade-ins
• Toyota's 31% profit drop
• 47,000 Cadillacs recalled

And:

• Unexpected uses for ordinary shampoo
• The $645 kitchen remodel

Make your own detergent

How to make simple and cheap detergents

Americans spend an average of $659 a year on housekeeping supplies.  

Cheap ways to make dish, laundry soap 

Also: 

• Bachelor pad germ spots
• Quicker way to clean
• Stretch your groceries

Universal Laws

1.   Law of Mechanical Repair  -  After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you’ll have to pee.  2.   Law of Gravity  -  Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
3.   Law of Probability   – The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act
 4.   Law of Random Numbers  – If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.
 5.   Law of the Alibi   -  If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire..
 6.   Variation Law   -  If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).
 7.  Law of the Bath  -  When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
 8.  Law of Close Encounters   – The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don’t want to be seen with.
 9.  Law of the Result   -  When you try to prove to someone that a machine won’t work, it will.
 10.  Law of Biomechanics  -  The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
 11..  Law of the Theater and Hockey Arena  – At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last. They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies, and stay to the bitter end of the performance. . The aisle people also are very surly folk.
 12.  The Coffee Law  – A s soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
 13.   Murphy’s Law  of Lockers  – If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.
 14.  Law of Physical Surfaces   -  The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor, are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet or rug.
 15    Law of Logical Argument   -  Anything is possible if you don’t know what you are talking about.
 16.   Brown’s Law of Physical Appearance   -  If the clothes fit, they’re ugly.
 17.   Oliver’s Law of Public Speaking   -  A closed mouth gathers no feet.
 18.   Wilson ‘s Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy   -   As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
 19.   Doctors’ Law   -  If you don’t feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you’ll feel better. But don’t make an appointment, and you’ll stay sick.

Superman gets new costume

Superman gets a new look in latest comic

Aspects of the outfit that have been with the superhero for over 70 years are being changed.

What's missing 

Also:

• Top movie superheroes
• 'Green Lantern' preview
• Summer movie guide

Blackbeard's Arsenal and Tactics

The Arsenal of the Dread Pirate Blackbeard

Explore the weaponry that made Blackbeard the most feared pirate on the seven seas during his time. Read more 

Blackbeard's Terror Tactics Revealed in Recovered Ammo 

The notorious pirate had a few gruesome tricks up his sleeve, excavations show.

Read more

Ziggy

All Newspapers Of The World On A Single Page

When news breaks in some part of the world, you are often curious to know what the local newspapers of that country have to say on that event. The question is how do you find all the good news outlets of that region?

Enter Newspaper Map, a comprehensive catalogue of all the prominent newspapers of the world arranged on a Google Map. You can zoom-in to any region of the map, or use the search feature, to see the names all of the major newspapers that are published from a particular region.

More info on Newspaper Map.

Ten Commonly Misunderstood English Words

It's ironic that I'm bemused and literally nonplussed by the enormity of the plethora of the words on this list. Wait - was that redundant or just noisome?

10 Commonly Misunderstood English Words.

California School District Bans Dictionaries

From the "You've got to be kidding" Department

Jeanne Sager blogs on Babble that a parent got wiggo because her kid's school's Merriam-Webster dictionary contained the definition for "oral sex": So now they're out of the classrooms, according to the Press Enterprise, local newspaper for the Menifee Union School District.

California School District Bans Dictionaries

Rise of fracking boomtowns

Controversial drilling sparks new oil boom

Fracking has many critics, but it is rejuvenating decayed towns from Texas to Pennsylvania.

New warnings 

Also: 

• How the process works
• Offer to landowners
• State's new bill proposal

Sanzhi Pod City

Sanzhi Pod City in Sanzhi District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, looks like something straight out of the Jetsons. The complex of pod apartments was built in 1978… or, almost built. The funding went awry and now all that’s left are these futuristic-looking ruins. Retronaut has a great gallery of the place if you’d like to see more.

Full Story

Telling it like it is

All Things Astronomical

Voyager: Solar System Edge is Bubbly and 'Frothy'

The twin Voyager probes are entering interstellar space, but they're experiencing some surprises along the way.  

Read more 

Super-Duper Supernovas in a Class All By Themselves

Astronomers have uncovered a new class of objects they are calling "ultra-luminous supernovas."  

Read more

Cities by the Missouri hope levees hold back flood

The scramble is nearly over to fill thousands of sandbags and construct last-minute levees to heights that haven't been needed in decades, but those preparations were only the first round of what's likely to be a summer-long battle against the bloated Missouri River.

Full Story

Earthquake hits near Christchurch. New Zealand

A pair of earthquakes struck within 90 minutes of each near Christchurch, New Zealand, on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, reviving vivid memories of a deadly quake that killed more than 150 people in February.

Full Story

The Mystery and Beauty of Noctilucent Clouds

This is the time of year to look out for "night-shining clouds," but their origins still baffle scientists.  

 Read more 

Awesome Pictures

Spotting seadragons

Spotting seadragons 

First photographic investigation of weedy seadragons, elusive cousins of the seahorse

BBC Nature

Dinosaur auction features fighting pair of skeletons

Natural history buffs with Tyrannosaurus-sized bank accounts got a chance to ante up on Sunday when an unusually large collection of fully assembled, museum-quality dinosaur skeletons was put up for auction.

Full Story

New Dino May Be World's Smallest

This dinosaur may be pint-sized, but it was still a predator.  

Read more 

B.C.

Colorful

A Group of Little-Known Lemurs

Thanks to the animated film, Madagascar, most children and their parents are familiar with the Ring-Tailed lemur. But there are many species–most endangered–that deserve a little attention, too. BTW, “group” is the official collective noun for lemurs.

Lemurs are a varied bunch; some are loud (the Black and White Ruffed) and some take diet tips from the giant panda (the Golden Bamboo). From the Red-Ruffed (above) to the papyrus-munching  Lac Alaotra Gentle lemur, the Ark in Space has a great round-up of pictures and info about King Julien’s closest relatives.   

Full Story

Animal Pictures