The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Someone is really counting on you -- and this could strike you as unfair today.
You're frustrated that this person is trying to hand so much power over to you.
Nevertheless, you will start to feel a growing sense of responsibility for making everything perfect.
This feeling is based either on love or on hope, and it won't go away anytime soon.
But today you may feel the need to explain that although you can help, each of us is ultimately responsible for his or her own happiness.

Some of our readers today have been in:

 Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Cork, Cork, Ireland
Sri Aman, Sarawak, Malaysia
Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

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 West Newton, West Chester, West Chicago, Westminister and more.

Today is:

Today is Wednesday, July 20, the 201st day of 2011.

There are 164 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

National Lollipop Day.
 

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Chef's guide to cooking fish

A chef's how-to guide for cooking fish

When it comes to freshness, definitely stay away from fishy-smelling filets.  

How they really should smell 

Also: 

• Debunking food myths
• Common grilling mistakes
• What's for dinner?

Ingredients of that hot dog

What's in the hot dog you're eating

Americans ate 150 million dogs on the Fourth of July but probably have little idea of their ingredients.

Other meats 

Also: 

• Ballpark's $80 hot dog
• Spicing up frankfurters
• America's best hot dogs

Non Sequitur

FDR Warning about Today's repugicans

FDR tells the truth about the leaders of the modern repugican party. In 1936, he foresaw what would be happening now.
Snarky. Andrea Mitchell would be all Miss-Manners over this. After all, can't do "big things" if you can't keep a civil tongue.

The Truth Hurts

Oh, Gawd! She committed the ultimate sin - she told the truth and about a repugican no less!

The debate over the nation's debt crisis turned ugly late Tuesday when repugican Allan West unleashed an email tirade on a Florida colleague after she trashed his support for a repugican budget bill on the House floor.
In an email promptly leaked to the press, West, a first-term tea party favorite from South Florida, trashed Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her "unprofessional and inappropriate sophomoric behavior" after she suggested he supported a plan the would raise costs for Medicare beneficiaries.

"Look, Debbie, I understand that after I departed the House floor you directed your floor speech comments directly towards me. Let me make myself perfectly clear, you want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige," West wrote, per ABC News. "You are the most vile, unprofessional and despicable member of the U.S. House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. Focus on your own congressional district!"

West sent the email to Wasserman Schultz and copied several House leaders, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy.

"From this time forward, understand that I shall defend myself forthright against your heinous characterless behavior," West wrote. "You have proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, (you) shall not be afforded due respect from me!"

West's office did not dispute the authenticity of the e-mail.  A spokesman for West said in a statement to reporters that Wasserman Schultz's behavior was "unprofessional and cowardly."

Wasserman Schultz, who is chair of the Democratic National Committee, had taken to the House floor Tuesday to criticize the "cut, cap and balance" legislation that was ultimately approved by the GOP-led House, which she claimed would "end Medicare as we know it." While she did not mention West by name, she alluded to his support of the bill.

"The gentleman from Florida, who represents thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, as do I, is supportive of this plan that would increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries," she said of West. "Unbelievable from a member from South Florida."

The Florida Democrat gave no indication she plans to backtrack on her comments. In a statement emailed to reporters, Wasserman Schultz spokesman Jonathan Benton said West is angry because his boss "highlighted that he and other repugicans are once again trying to balance the budget on the backs of seniors, children in the middle class."

"The truth hurts," Benton said.

***

Now let's see ... just who is acting "unprofessional and inappropriate sophomoric behavior" and is "vile" and "cowardly" with "heinous characterless behavior" here - shall we?

Sorry, West ol'boy but it isn't the lady.

Tom the Dancing Bug

Thirteen Ways a Debt-Ceiling Breach Would Destroy the Economy

Poisonous partisan politics will affect all Americans if the nation loses its AAA credit rating Until recently, the idea of a U.S. downgrade was inconceivable.

But with each day that passes without Congress striking a debt ceiling deal, this possibility becomes more real.

While Washington's poisonous politics doesn't always affect most Americans, a U.S. default would have catastrophic effects from Wall Street to Main Street. Either directly or indirectly, many corners of the U.S. economy rely on the nation's creditworthiness.

In what ways might a U.S. downgrade affect you?

Full Story

A War Between the States tax still collected

State collects tax for Confederate vets

While the last War Between the States vet is long dead, Alabama still nets $400,000 a year in taxes for them. Where money goes 

Also: 

• Union's first black hero
• Women re-enact battles
• 150th anniversary of war

Homeowners are in denial

U.S. homeowners are in serious denial

Sellers can't bear to face the truth about the amount their property values have dropped.

How much they're overpricing 

Also: 

• Big mortgages are back
• Credit score confusion
• Retirement sticker shock

Ideas that made $100 million

Clever ideas that made $100 million

The founders of Pillow Pets, Spanx, and 1-800-GOT-JUNK scored big by noticing the little things.

  More success stories 

Also: 

• $5 items that made a mint
• Home shopping goes luxe
• Reboot for PC industry

Heat 'dome' traps U.S.

Huge heat 'dome' traps much of America

A record-breaking heat wave bakes the U.S., with temperatures hitting 100 even at night.  

When relief will come 

Also: 

• Get your local forecast
• Seniors face greater risk
• Poor hit hardest by heat

Insiders reveal tabloid secrets

Tabloid insiders reveal news secrets

Faking facts and objectifying women were expected at News International, reporters say. 

Humiliating assignments 

Also: 

• Murdoch's murky victory
• Celeb wins hacking ruling
• U.K.'s dirty detectives

Wave of hacker arrests

Wave of arrests hits hacker group

The FBI arrests 16 people in a major crackdown on members of Anonymous.

Spinoff group claims News Corp. emails 

Also: 

• Group targets Murdoch
• Harvard hacking allegation
• McCain talks cyberthreats

Two men arrested for pretending to get arrested

Two drunken men from South Jersey were arrested after they climbed into the back of a police van to take pictures of themselves being 'arrested'.

Ryan Letchford and Jeffrey Olsen thought it would be funny to break into the van and take pictures of each other in custody. But the prank took a turn for the worse when the van locked with the jokers still inside.

According to police, a third man, who was also drunk, found his friends in the back of the van after leaving a nearby party to search for them, but he was unable to set them free and was forced to call 911.

Radnor constable Mike Connor said: 'I came down and unlocked the doors, and "Dumb and Dumber" pranced out of the van. They looked a little embarrassed.' The pranksters didn't regain their freedom for too long, as they were immediately arrested for attempted theft of a motor vehicle, criminal mischief and public drunkenness.

There's a news video here.

A Good One

A woman and her little girl were visiting the grave of the little girl’s grandmother.

On their way through the cemetery back to the car, the little girl asked, “Mommy, do they ever bury two people in the same grave?”

“Of course not, dear.” replied the mother, “Why would you think that?”

“The tombstone back there said ‘Here lies a lawyer and an honest man.’”

Rules of email etiquette

Eight rules of email etiquette

If you think Bcc'ing someone is a way to ensure privacy, you might be in for a surprise.  

Emoticon overkill 

Also: 

• Dealing with a bad boss
• Ways to be happy at work
• Networking in the summer

Getting on your boss's radar

How to get your boss to notice you

Speaking up at least three times in every meeting can help you get a promotion.

Other ways to stand out 

Also: 

• Beating job burnout
• Voices of the unemployed
• Ten doomed industries

New survey highlights physical and emotional toll of working night shifts and other non traditional hours

(ARA) - New survey results released by Men's Health Network and Cephalon, Inc. found that people working nontraditional hours, such as overnight shifts, report that such shifts can negatively impact their health, work and well-being. The survey of more than 1,500 shift workers revealed that the majority of people with nontraditional work hours (79 percent) believe that they are negatively impacted by their shift work and report issues from negative emotions to concern about sex life and decreased time spent with family to issues associated with work productivity. Nevertheless, of the 52 percent of shift workers who want a change in job or hours, most don't think it will be possible in the near future and 44 percent feel that they will have the same job until they retire.

The survey results suggested an impact of shift work on people's work productivity, with one in three shift workers reporting having missed work altogether at least once in the past year because they were too tired. And three in 10 surveyed (29 percent) said that they have dozed off at work in the past month, most of them multiple times, with another 37 percent saying they've come close. Still, more people surveyed are worried about job security than their own safety.

In terms of emotional impact, more than half surveyed reported feeling frustrated and drained in the last week, with many others reporting irritability (42 percent), anxiety (36 percent) and anger (32 percent). Survey respondents also report daily concern for their energy level (47 percent), weight (43 percent), ability to get enough sleep (39 percent) and their sex lives (30 percent). The average shift worker has not had a meal with their family in two weeks or exercised in 24 days.

"While the physical and emotional toll that shift workers are reporting is certainly of great concern, to me the most alarming finding of the survey is that a great majority of shift worker respondents (72 percent) seem to think that being tired is 'just a part of the job' and do not consider speaking with their physician about their symptoms," says Jean J.E. Bonhomme, MD, MPH, spokesperson for Men's Health Network and Cephalon. "What we know is that people who work nontraditional hours may be suffering from a real medical condition called shift work disorder that can be diagnosed and treated by a doctor, if only they mention their work schedule during physician visits."

Shift work disorder is a recognized medical condition that occurs when an individual's internal sleep-wake clock is not in sync with their work schedule. Because of this disruption to the body's natural rhythm, people with shift work disorder may struggle to stay awake during their working hours, known as excessive sleepiness, or have trouble sleeping during their sleeping hours, known as insomnia.

"It is easy to ignore the overall health impact of our work schedules, but it's so important that people experiencing excessive sleepiness and/or insomnia take the time to see a doctor and mention that they work nontraditional shifts," says Dr. Bonhomme. "Very often shift work disorder goes undiagnosed because either the physician or the patient is not making the connections between the symptoms, work schedule and condition."

For more information about shift work disorder, please visit www.TheWakeUpSquad.com.

Explosive NFL lawsuit filed

Explosive lawsuit filed against the NFL

Seventy-five former players say the league was involved in a major cover-up that jeopardized their health. 

Report 

Also: 

• No timeline for NFL deal
• Punter rips four players
• Play Fantasy Football

Swearing is good for your health

Study: Swearing is good for your health. Seriously.

America's best hospitals

The top-ranked hospitals in the U.S.

These 17 medical centers demonstrate unusually high expertise across multiple specialties. 

4,825 hospitals evaluated 

Also: 

• Preventing Alzheimer's
• Instant health boosters
• How doctors pick doctors

Giant, Toxic Weed Poses Health Risk

The giant hogweed can cause third degree burns and blindness -- and it's spreading fast.  

Read more 

Deadly Hawaii swimming hole

Hawaii swimming hole proves deadly

An alluring tourist spot has caused so many deaths and injuries, some call for its closure.  

Speculation about cause 

Also: 

• Blowhole kills tourist
• Vermont swimming holes
• More on Kipu Falls

Ziggy

Nation's smallest town

U.S. town where only one person lives

The population of Buford, Wyoming, consists solely of a man who serves as town cook and mayor.

Meet him 

Also: 

• ‘SNL’ alum has baby boy
• 'Hell's Kitchen' ratings win
• 'Bachelorette' drama

Random Celebrity Photo

Carole Lombard

Woman Buys Non-Existent Art for $10,000

The Museum of Non-Visible Art is an organization that hosts and sells art that exists only in the imagination of the artist. Or, as the people behind the museum prefer to call it, “non-visible”. One piece recently sold for $10,000. Paste Magazine described it as:

A unique piece, only this one is for sale. The air you are purchasing is like buying an endless tank of oxygen. No matter where you are, you always have the ability to take a breath of the most delicious, clean-smelling air that the earth can produce. Every breath you take gives you endless peace and health. This artwork is something to carry with you if you own it. Because wherever you are, you can imagine yourself getting the most beautiful taste of air that is from the mountain tops or fields or from the ocean side; it is an endless supply.

Now that sounds perfect for that big blank wall in your office, right? In case you’re worried that you’re getting ripped off, the museum assures you that its works are completely real. In a sense:

Although the artworks themselves are not visible, the descriptions open our eyes to a parallel world built of images and words. This world is not visible, but it is real, perhaps more real than the world of matter, and it is also for sale.

Full Story and Official Website

Completely Useless Signs

When it comes to signs, these examples are just about as useless as your boss trying to tell you how to do your job. It seems anywhere you go, there's a sign telling you what to do. Well, with these completely useless signs, it wouldn't make much of a difference whether you obeyed them or not. They will really make you wonder what the people who put them up were smoking.

Optical illusion defies reality

Optical illusion fools the eye

What seems like a grassy globe turns out to be a mind-bending distortion of space.  

4 views reveal the truth 

Also: 

• Word puzzle challenges
• Computer teaches itself
• Worst movie games ever

Heavy plate made medieval battle a lot tougher

Agincourt Revisited

 
The French may have had a better chance at the Battle of Agincourt had they not been weighed down by heavy body armor, say researchers.

Full Story

Awesome Pictures

Milky Way's Core Hides Big Twisted Ribbon

A space telescope peering into the Milky Way galaxy's dusty core has spied a colossal twisted ribbon of super-cooled material. Until now astronomers had only seen bits and pieces of the ribbon's 600-light-year-wide superstructure, which resembles the Latin symbol for infinity.

The telescope's images suggest the ring is a chilly 15 degrees Kelvin and has two segments that poke out of the galaxy's pancake-like plain. Ground-based radio telescope data also hint that the ring is spinning around the core as one cohesive unit.

Astronomical News

Mini-moon found circling distant Pluto

Distant and tiny Pluto has been hiding something from Earth: another moon. NASA announced Wednesday that the Hubble Space Telescope has found a fourth moon circling Pluto, which had been demoted from full planet to dwarf planet.

Iceman's 'Girlfriend' Found

A female skeleton, also known as "Ötzi’s girlfriend," has been laying on her side for 5,000 years in the Italian Alps.  

Read more 

Footprints Show How Our Ancestors Walked

The ancestor who made the 3.7 million-year-old prints walked in a "less ape-ish way" than some humans do today, say scientists.  

Read more 

B.C.

Ten Weird And Wonderful Oddities Of Nature

Did you know that a mouse can fit through a hole the size of a ballpoint pen? And that nutmeg is poisonous? And that horses can't see directly in front of themselves?
Nature is full of wonder and mystery - and, fortunately for us, bizarre facts.

Six Mysterious and Famous Cryptids

Meet the mysterious, never-confirmed creatures known to science as cryptids.  

Read more 

Chemical Arms Race: Opossum vs. Viper

What's driven vipers to evolve a deadly venom? A need to defend themselves against opossums.  

Read more

'Four-Eyed' Fish Sees Above and Below Water

The fish swims along the surface using one set of eyes, each with two sections.

Read more 

Wounded horse offers hope

Horse's recovery offers hope

After being badly injured in a barn fire, a chestnut mare named Suki now helps human burn victims.  

A will to survive 

Also: 

• Suki's story
• Horse virus spreads
• Pet 'retirement homes'

Harlequin Poison Dart Frogs

The harlequin poison dart frog is a species of frog with a native range from Western Ecuador to the El Chocó region of Colombia. The frog is normally found on the ground of tropical rain forests, among fallen limbs or leaf litter. The harlequin poison dart frog has a variety of beautiful color morphs, which differ from one valley to the next in its native range.

Marauding Gangs of Monkeys Invade Rio de Janeiro

 

Photo: sameffron / cc

In Rio de Janeiro, bold bands of marauding monkeys are turning to a life of looting and mischief. By the dozens, young capuchin monkeys have been descending the nearby hills to sneak into homes and steal fruit and other food from unsuspecting residents -- wreaking havoc in the process. "They come in, make a mess, break and throw everything onto the floor," says one distraught resident of Rio's primate-sacked South Zone. But local experts say that kind-hearted humans may be to blame for unleashing this proverbial barrel of monkeys.

Article continues: Marauding Gangs of Monkeys Invade Rio de Janeiro

Animal Pictures