The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

Your patience with a flighty friend could be running thin. 

It may seem as though this pal is more interested in looking good to newcomers than in honoring old promises. 

Give your friend a wake-up call today, and remind her or him of your history -- and about some important obligations. 

This conversation will alert you to one or two new facts that could explain recent behavior -- but do these facts excuse that behavior? 

Don't fall for tall tales.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Vantaa, Southern Finland, Finland
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
London, England, United Kingdom
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Napoli, Campania, Italy
Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Edmonton, Alberta, 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 Baltimore, Scranton, Greenville, Denver and more.

Today is:

Today is Tuesday, August 23, the 235th day of 2011.

There are 130 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

There isn't one.

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

Holy Richter Scale, Batman!

Powerful earthquake hits eastern U.S.

A magnitude 5.9 temblor centered in Virginia is felt as far away as New England. 

Capitol evacuated 

Also: 

• Caught on tape in D.C.
• Cell networks clogged
• Images from Washington

Apparently we felt if here in North Carolina as well.

Videos show quake's shaking, damage

A 5.8 magnitude temblor is felt from Toronto all the way to North Carolina.

Secret Service scrambles on White House 

Also: 

• Nuclear plant shut down
• Cell networks clogged
• Images from Washington

Why quake shook most of East Coast

Faults that rupture east of the Rocky Mountains often create tremors felt over a widespread area.  

 Last Virginia 'big one' 

Also: 

• Nuclear plant shut down
• Shaky phone connections
• NYC streets didn't shake

Hurricane Irene threatens U.S.

Hurricane first threat to U.S. in years

Forecasters say the storm could grow to a monstrous Category 4 before making landfall.

  'Take this storm seriously' 

Also: 

• The view from space
• N.C. island evacuation
• Okla. City's record heat

State sued over 'Facebook law'

Teacher sues state over 'Facebook law'

A new Missouri law would make it illegal for Christina Thomas to chat with her own child on the site.

Free speech? 

Also: 

• Facebook use plateauing?
• Web boosts productivity
• Students' online rights

Bad Cops

Georgia deputies are charged with beating a handcuffed man

California police chief says photographers can be detained for taking pictures "with no apparent aesthetic value"

Police in Texas are allowed to destroy evidence

Fired North Carolina police officer charged in robbery

Florida cop is charged with aggravated domestic assault with a deadly weapon

Oklahoma police officer charged with taking nearly $1,700 at traffic stops

New Mexico cop, charged in road rage incident, is ordered to surrender all of his weapons

Arizona school cop is charged with sexual abuse of teenaged girl

Kentucky sheriff accused of fondling two former female employees and threatening them at gunpoint and then trying to hide evidence

Texas cop charged with sexual assault on 12-year-old relative

Baltimore Police Commissioner says 50 officers implicated in a kickback scandal with a towing company and another cop charged with running a large-scale heroin operation are just a few bad apples

North Carolina sheriff's captain charged with prostitution

Fired South Carolina jailer is charged with a sex crime involving a 7-year-old girl

Maryland deputy charged with assault

Massachusetts corrections officer arraigned on assault & battery, vandalism counts

Louisiana police officer charged with possessing child porn

Wisconsin cop is fired thirteen months after 90mph fatal red light-running wreck

Former Missouri police officer charged in murders, rapes

Ohio deputy arrested on drug charges

Texas deputy, wife convicted in extortion case

Kansas cop charged with hunting without a license

Kentucky jailer charged with soliciting cash or sexual favors to get an inmate illegally out of jail

Mississippi school cop pleads guilty to exploitation of a child

Congress Critters skip town hall meetings

House members skipping risky town halls

Fearing angry voters who record every misstep, representatives are avoiding the meetings.  

See senator's confrontation 

Also: 

• Obamas bike on Vineyard
• Redrawing political maps
• tea party power peaked?

Repugican candidates duck and cover on Libya

It's the 2012 repugican field's first real moment in the foreign policy spotlight - the dilemma over how to respond to the apparent success of President Barack Obama's intervention in Libya.

Full Story

Is Libya a victory for Obama?

The president's decision to let NATO take the lead in Libya appears vindicated — at least for now.

repugican views 

Also: 

• Post-Gadhafi risks for U.S.
• repugicans candidates weigh in
• Latest news from Libya

Repugican Math

And you wonder why there is a financial crisis?

Recession not the worst case?

Stagnation more likely than recession

Experts foresee a period of slow growth that could do serious damage to the economy.

Years of hardship 

Also: 

• New-home sales fall
• Gold hits new record
• Stocks up on Fed optimism

Wall Street's secret bailout

Wall Street's secret bailout revealed

The Fed lent banks $1.2 trillion during the housing crisis, far more than the public program.  

 'Whopping numbers' 

Also: 

• Split on economic outlook
• Super-rich making money
• Investors feel helpless

What's Your Favorite Number?

British author Alex Bellos is known for his book 'Alex's Adventures in Numberland,' which is published in the US with the title 'Here's Looking At Euclid.'
Alex wants to know your favorite number and why. His survey is part of a project he is researching concerning how humans relate to numbers.

Seven is still the global favorite, dominating every class, nationality, gender, religion and age category. Seven is being chased by a small pack of prime numbers, especially 11 and 13.

Kate Winslet helps save woman from fire

Winslet helps save woman from fire

Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet helps carry a 90-year-old woman from a burning house. 

  Son's 'thank you' 

Also: 

• Photos of the blaze
• Gosling breaks up fight
• Naturally blond stars

NYC Cabbie also Works as a King in Africa

Isaac Osei started out driving a taxi in New York City when he immigrated to the US about thirty years ago. He has built up that business into a fleet of fifty cars operating day and night. But that’s not his only occupation. When his older brother in Ghana died, Osei took his place as king over a region of Ghana. Now Osei divides his time between US and his royal realm:

As chief, his days are 20 hours long, and his duties are anything but ceremonial. Osei, during his “vacation,” becomes the one-man judicial system, arbitrating familial disputes and other legal questions, resolving as many as possible before returning to New York. Meanwhile, Elizabeth has duties as the chief’s wife, including throwing a feast for 1,000 guests commemorating the annual yam festival — a party at which guests sit, waiting to eat until Isaac does his priest-like duty of blessing the yam harvest.
But unlike Akeem in Coming to America, the Osei’s trips to Ghana are not permanent relocations. They return to the U.S. after fulfilling their official Ghanian duties, where it is back to the taxi business.

Full Story

Ex-IMF chief case falls apart

Strauss-Kahn charges may be dropped

Prosecutors file papers to dismiss sexual assault charges against the ex-IMF chief.  

 Concerns about accuser 

Also: 

• Return to public office?
• More on Strauss-Kahn
• Diallo feels 'abandoned'

Utah researcher helps artist make bulletproof skin

A bio-art project to create bulletproof skin has given a Utah State researcher even more hope his genetically engineered spider silk can be used to help surgeons heal large wounds and create artificial tendons and ligaments.

Full Story

Stylish Mummies Use Hair Gel

Love your hair gel? How very ancient Egyptian of you! That's right: researchers have discovered that ancient Egyptians use hair products in life and in death.

Microscopy using light and electrons revealed that nine of the mummies had hair coated in a mysterious fat-like substance. The researchers used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to separate out the different molecules in the samples, and found that the coating contained biological long-chain fatty acids including palmitic acid and stearic acid. The results are published in the Journal of Archaeological Science1.
McCreesh thinks that the fatty coating is a styling product that was used to set hair in place. It was found on both natural and artificial mummies, so she believes that it was a beauty product during life as well as a key part of the mummification process.

Full Story

Invasive 'burning bush' getting genetic makeover

The burning bush shrub, whose blazing autumn hues illuminate many eastern U.S. landscapes, may soon be getting a makeover to curb its voracious appetite for other plants' land, sunlight and soil nutrients.

Full Story

Awesome Pictures

The biggest art heist ever

The biggest art heist in history

The brazen lifting of the "Mona Lisa" 100 years ago was petty theft compared to this unsolved crime. 

$500 million haul 

Also: 

• Stolen painting recovered
• Famous 'Mona Lisa' theft
• Dealers vs. black market

Sunken treasure sparks fight

Court battle over sunken treasure

A trove of emeralds worth up to $500 million leads to accusations of double-dealing and deceit.

  'Like a movie' 

Also: 

• Temple's hidden riches
• Diamond heist in L.A.
• Gold mine divides town

Roman wreck full of wine jars found

Roman wreck full of wine jars found 

A US-Albanian archaeological mission says it has found the well-preserved wreck of a Roman cargo ship complete with some 300 - empty, alas - wine jars off Albania's coast.

Newly discovered Icelandic current could change North Atlantic climate picture

An international team of researchers, including physical oceanographers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution , has confirmed the presence of a deep-reaching ocean circulation system off Iceland that could significantly influence the ocean's response to climate change in previously unforeseen ways.

Full Story

Top 10 Ghost Ships

A ghost ship is a supposedly haunted or ghostly vessel, such as the Flying Dutchman. The same term is also used to describe derelict ships found adrift with their entire crew either missing or dead, such as the Mary Celeste or the Baychimo. It may sometimes also be used to refer to ships which have been decommissioned but not yet scrapped, such as the Clemenceau.

Here's a top ten list of ghost ships.

Council ban gnomes from balconies in elf and safety crackdown

Potted plants, gnomes and ceramic ducks are to be banned from high rise balconies – for fear they may fall on pedestrians.

High winds and unsecured fixings have been blamed for a number of near misses with falling flower pots on a Hove estate. Brighton and Hove City Council has now written to neighbors in the high rise blocks in Clarendon Road, Hove, telling them to remove objects from the ledges on their outside areas.

Bosses advised that any remaining ornaments should be securely tied to ensure they do not budge in windy conditions.

The ruling means pot plants, lights, gnomes and even ceramic ducks spotted basking in the sun could be starved of fresh air in the future. The local authority said the decision was taken after two instances of plants falling and one where a pedestrian was nearly hit.

Ziggy

The 'real' death panels are still hard at it ...

... and of course they'll blame President Obama

and not the corporations.

Record shortages of prescription drugs in the United States are forcing pharmacists and doctors to scramble to find medications for their patients, suitable alternatives or to delay potentially lifesaving treatments.

Medical professionals, including those at Bay Area hospitals and infusion centers, say they've been able to blunt some of the impact by turning to alternative drugs or reserving supplies of vital medications for patients who need them most. they caution, though, that the problem is reaching a crisis point and it's only a matter of time before those strategies will no longer work.

Federal recalls, production problems and corporate decisions to discontinue certain medications for financial reasons are cited as the chief causes of the dwindling drug supplies.- More

Over-prescribed medical tests

Over-prescribed treatments and tests

A rushed test for lower back pain could lead to unnecessary surgery.

When to skip the antibiotics 

Also: 

• Seven caffeine myths
• Scary food additives
• What your smile says

High cost of losing sleep

How lack of sleep costs you a fortune

Not getting enough z's can drain your bank account in unexpected ways.

  Grogginess leads to risky gambles 

Also: 

• Mistakes of money gurus
• Benefits of napping
• Foods to help you sleep

Your body's warning signs

Your body's natural warning signs

Red skin means you've had too much sun, but other signals are less well known.

What short brows could mean 

Also: 

• Spotting skin cancer
• Habits that make you fat
• 5 ways to drop 5 pounds

Ten heartburn facts

Ten things to know about heartburn

Left untreated, acid reflux can increase your risk of developing an infection.

  Being overweight doesn't help 

Also: 

• Going gluten-free
• Foods that fight asthma
• Back-to-school infections

Daily Comic Relief

America's best pizza pies

The tastiest pizza pies in America

Inventive toppings like pork shoulder and caramelized cheese update the classic slice.

House-made mozzarella 

Also: 

• Best new restaurants
• Coolest ice-cream shops
• Hottest barbecue joints

A Day in the Life ...

Well, that's one way to get some of daddy's cereal.

Ostrich Eggs and Other Exotica Hit the Supermarkets

Photo: B. Alter

Ostrich eggs, giant satsumos, yellow raspberries and $300 potatoes: are we bored yet? All kinds of exotic foods are hitting the supermarkets this summer.
Let's start with the ostrich eggs: they are big and expensive and it takes an hour to boil them. Make them for egg salad sandwiches--be the envy of your co-workers.

Article continues: Ostrich Eggs and Other Exotica Hit the Supermarkets

B.C.

Fifteen Animals That Look Photoshopped

I don’t know about you guys, but I didn’t know this cute little rhino mouse even existed. The poor little guy and the other rhino mice of the world are all suffering from glandular problems, and skin and nail disorders -even so, they’re simply precious. He’s one of Cracked's list of 15 Animals You Won’t Believe Aren’t Photoshopped.

Escaped kangaroo goes on lingerie theft rampage in Czech Republic

Benji the kinky kangaroo is for the high jump after escaping from his owner and going on an underwear stealing spree.
The mixed-up marsupial bounced from garden to garden in Prague, Czech Republic, collecting ladies lingerie as he went. He was only caught when one victim looked out of her kitchen window and saw two-year-old Benji hopping it with her undies.

A police spokesman explained: "We had a call from Benji's owner saying his pet kangaroo had escaped. At the same time we started getting reports of a number of thefts from washing lines," said a police spokesman.

"We didn't think they could possibly be related until he was caught red-handed," he added. Benji's relieved owner Petr Hlabovic, 35, said: "I'm very relieved to have him back. I've got no idea what he thought he was up to - he certainly didn't pick up the habit from me."

Ancient spiders revealed in 3-D

Two ancient types of harvestmen which skittered around forests more than 300 million years ago, are revealed in new three-dimensional virtual fossil models published today.

Full Story

Animal Pictures