The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

Life is like a card game -- and unfortunately, sometimes you're dealt a lousy hand. 

And today it's important to know when to fold 'em. 

Your luck isn't totally absent, though. 

So focus on the good cards you receive, and discard the bad cards as soon as possible -- you will definitely have some winning hands! 

Be active early in the day. 

The morning is a good time to resolve a recent misunderstanding.

Some of our readers today have been in: 

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
London, England, United Kingdom
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Selayang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Espoo, Southern Finland, Finland
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Bitburg, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

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 Anchorage, Key West, Montpelier, Hana  and more.

Today is:

Today is Sunday, September 18, the 261st day of 2011.

There are 104 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

Hug A Greeting Card Writer Day.

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

Subtle Sunday

R.I.P. Electron Boy

 

Erik Martin, better known as Electron Boy, the super hero who saved Seattle, succumbed to liver cancer on Friday.
In addition to his Seattle exploits, Electron Boy will also be remembered for the boost he gave to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The story of his big wish went viral on the Internet. The foundation was swamped by people pledging money and offering to help other children with life-threatening illnesses see their dreams come true.
“Erik’s wish just cast this net and brought them into the mission” of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, said spokeswoman Jeannette Tarcha. “People just wanted to be part of it.”
A group of independent comic-book creators inked and published a real comic book of his exploits. And the “Fans of Electron Boy” page, still active on Facebook, drew thousands of members — today, its fans number nearly 12,000.
Erik’s superhero deeds were recognized on the floor of the U.S. House by Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn. The boy, who is a foster child, became a hero to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and to cancer patients and foster families alike.

Martin was 14 years old.

Full Story

AIr Show Crash

Air show turns deadly in Reno

Dozens are injured and the 74-year-old pilot is among the dead after a vintage P-51 fighter plane crashes.

Details 

Also: 

• Pilot a well-known racer
• Photos from the scene
• Prominent show accidents

Chaotic scene after deadly air show crash

Witnesses describe the horror of seeing a vintage plane plunge near the grandstand in Reno.  

 ‘Like a war zone’ 

Also: 

• Smoking debris strewn
• Eyewitness accounts
• Pilot a skilled airman

Investigators probe cause of Reno crash

Experts scour pictures and amateur video clips to determine why the aircraft spiraled out of control.  

Death toll rises 

Also: 

• Race raised alarm in past
• Pilot was skilled airman
• Another air show crash

How to buy a mattress

How to buy the right mattress for you

Walk into a mattress store and you'll be bombarded with options like plush vs. firm and foam vs. latex.

  6 guidelines 

Also: 

• What is sleep apnea?
• High cost of insomnia
• Teens' sleep troubles

Ten Ways to Self Improvement

Ways to become happier and more fulfilled

Instead of worrying about what you look like, start making improvements from within for results. 

Be a better friend 

Also: 

• Present ideas
• How to build self-esteem
• Happiness gene identified

Best places to retire in America

Best places to retire in America

Low taxes, great health care, and affordable homes make these spots winners.  

Unexpected picks 

Also: 

• Retirees living cheaply
• Timing Social Security
• World's most livable city

Take-charge careers

Best careers for take-charge types

If you enjoy managing people and projects, one of these positions could be a great fit.  

 Business, health, education 

Also: 

• Quick career switches
• Popular online degrees
• Worst resumé bloopers

1. Take-charge careers
2. Celeb moms on parenting
3. Best restaurants for health
4. Most hated jobs in America

Nine tips for freelancers

How to master the freelance economy

A faltering job market has many people opting to work for themselves.

  More security as a contractor? 

Also: 

• Well-paid contract jobs
• Limiting work distractions
• Ways to earn extra cash

Preparing for next recession

How people are bracing for recession

Some are tightening their belts, but one woman says her family is still spending.  

 'I have a plan, and I'm sticking to it' 

Also: 

• Buying secondhand
• Saving through exercise
• Empty nester splurges

Something's amiss here ...

... we spend more on the military then the next 14 big spenders combined, what gives?

The Sage speaks ...

Yoda explains the repugicans, ahem, the Sith.

Are you aware ...

... there is a media blackout on thousands occupying wall street.

Kalle Lasn, co-founder of the venerable counterculture magazine Adbusters, has taken to twitter and other websites to help organize a campaign encouraging tens of thousands of Americans to hold a nonviolent sit-in on Saturday in lower Manhattan, the heart of the u.s. financial district -- a protest monikered, hashtag and all, as #occupywallstreet. - cnn

And they're doing just that.

The truth be told

'Buffett' tax for millionaires

From the "About Bloody Time!" Department:

Obama to propose 'Buffett' tax for rich

The president will seek a minimum rate for people making more than $1 million per year.  

Story behind the tax name 

Also: 

• Hard push for jobs plan
• Debt panel's hands tied?
• Boehner's new challenger

Texas unemployment highest in 24 yrs

... twice the rate it was when Perry took office

Well isn't that a bit inconvenient:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry's efforts to tout his record on jobs and the economy as a centerpiece of his presidential campaign took a hit today with new figures from one of his own state agencies: They show the Texas unemployment rate increased to 8.5% in August -- the highest level in more than 24 years and more than twice the rate when Perry took office in December 2000.

So how exactly is Perry going to fix the national economy if he can't fix his own?

Memos and Clues

Wisconsin governor Scott Walker doesn't know if he should be worried about the FBI raid on his top staffer's office.
(Here's a clue for you  ... Worry!)

Memo to wingnut anti-EPA job-killers: sick and dead people aren’t very productive.

Duh

Armed robber caught after returning to shop he tried to rob asking for his favorite coat back

A fashion-conscious armed robber bungled a shop raid – then returned to the scene of the crime to ask for his coat back. Gunman Anthony Gorman, 21, fled empty-handed after shopkeeper Michael Singh bravely fought off his robbery attempt.

But a few minutes later he went back to politely ask for his favourite £200 grey jacket, only for Mr Singh, 29, still shaken from having a gun pointed at his neck, to say: “Are you stupid? No, you can’t have it – get out.” Gorman was later arrested and has now been jailed for five and a half years for aggravated burglary and possessing an imitation firearm.

Photo from here.

A court heard he was arrested after the raid on Mr Singh’s shop in Longsight, Manchester, last month. With his hooded coat pulled down over his face he ordered: “Put the f****** money in the bag or I’ll shoot you.”

But Mr Singh grabbed the gun and, during their struggle, tore off Gorman’s coat, Manchester crown court heard. Mr Singh, who was awarded £250 for his bravery, said: “I can’t believe anyone could be so stupid. He should have cut his losses and run. He came back a few minutes later and even said ‘please’ but I said ‘are you stupid?’.”

Woman arrested after pouring cucumber salad over head of one-legged man

A 48-year-old Oak Hill woman was arrested on felony charges, accused of dumping a cucumber salad on the head of her boyfriend's father. Alicia Ducharme faces charges of abuse of an elderly person or disabled adult and resisting arrest without violence.

According to an arrest affidavit: Volusia County deputy sheriffs were called to a residence in the 100 block of Indian Creek Road at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday for a domestic disturbance. Daron Dyer, identified as Ducharme's boyfriend, called deputies after his father, Michael Dyer, threatened to kick the two out of his residence.

Michael Dyer, whose left leg is amputated at the knee, accused Ducharme of stealing food and money from him. When he called the woman a name, she poured a cucumber salad on his head. Michael Dyer told deputies the woman had been drinking and yelling at him. Ducharme admitted to pouring the salad on Dyer and his electric scooter.

"I'm guilty. Arrest me," she told a deputy. But when the deputy tried to put handcuffs on the woman, she resisted him. She later said she dumped the salad on Dyer after he punched her in the face, but she showed no signs of injuries. Dyer, who was not hurt, told deputies he did not want to press charges, but she was arrested anyway.

Full Moon

Five Idiotically Pricey Snack Foods

I don’t know about you guys, but I certainly appreciate a good hot dog. That being said, I have a serious aversion to getting price gouged, which is why I find the idea of a $69 hot dog to be simply sickening. If you’re into that sort of thing though, or if you love laughing at the stupid things some rich people will pay for, don’t miss out on this Cracked article featuring 5 absurdly priced snack foods.

Top picks in bacon taste test

Top picks in bacon taste test

A blind tasting compares both cured and uncured brands to find the most flavorful slice.

  Oscar Mayer ranks high 

Also: 

• Silliest new food trends
• 6 great fall salads
• Pasta sauce recipes

Seven must-know kitchen tricks

Seven kitchen tricks you should know

A few drops of water make it easy to remove bits of shell that can get mixed in with a raw egg.  

Sugar tip, too

Also:

• Time-saving cooking tips
• Seasonal fall foods guide
• Very unusual chili recipe

Six Hot & Spicy Recipes

6 fiery food recipes to savour

The Fiery Foods Chilli Festival is on this weekend so why not enter the spirit of things with these recipes. Vindaloo 

Also: 

• World's hottest dishes
• Cannellini and couscous
• Spicy burgers

Memphis Teacher Ordered to Dismantle Urban Garden

 

Photo Credit: glabber, Stock.xchng.

From the "Are You Freaking Kidding Me??" Department:

A Memphis, Tennessee math teacher, along with three students from his neighborhood, tend an urban garden, keep bees, make vermicompost, produce biofuel, and make soap with the byproducts of biofuel production. The teacher does this on his own time, on his own property, after spending all day teaching. This is the kind of teacher that wins awards, that students look back on years later as the one that made a difference.

But in Memphis, Tennessee, this teacher is a "public nuisance." And he's been ordered to dismantle his garden.

Article continues: Memphis Teacher Ordered to Dismantle Urban Garden

Ziggy

Mystery English-speaking boy emerges from German forest

An English-speaking teenager who walked out of the forest near Berlin told police he had been living in the woods for five years with his father, but had no idea who he was or where he came from. Authorities have launched a Europe-wide appeal for information about the boy, who is somewhere between 16 and 18 years old, and says his name is Ray. “We have sent appeals for help to all European countries via Interpol. The boy speaks English and a little German but we really have no idea where he comes from,” Michael Maaß, spokesman for the Berlin police said on Friday.

The boy emerged from the woods on September 5, and said he had been living wild with his father for about five years. The pair had left civilization when his mother, who the boy said was called Doreen, died. The boy said he and his father, who he said was called Ryan, had not set up a home but had kept moving. They had slept in a tent and huts they found in the woods, he told them. Maaß said the boy had told youth workers he could remember nothing about where he came from, nor anything much more than his own first name.

Two weeks ago he found his father had died, and buried him in a shallow grave which he covered with stones, he told them. “His father had told him to look at his compass and go north, if anything should happen. And this is apparently what he did, walking for two weeks before reaching Berlin,” said Maaß. “There he found a youth emergency center and walked in. We have never seen anything like it.

“We have no evidence to contradict what he has told our colleagues at the youth services, although we are still investigating, and very much want to find out who he is.” He said the boy had been medically examined and was physically healthy, while there was nothing to suggest he was the victim of any kind of abuse or violence. “We have no evidence of a crime having been committed,” said Maaß. “The boy is being cared for by the youth services, while we in the police force are responsible for trying to find out who he is,” he said.

Exploring the Secret River Flowing Beneath London

 

image credit

Miners' lamps flash against the cold, damp subterranean walls and the tunnel ahead looks interminable. And if claustrophobia and darkness were not enough to deter the faint of heart, there are rats and the rising tide to think about while splashing through a foot of dirty water.

The Thames is not the only great river to have graced London in the city's long history. The Fleet was a clear sparkling river that for centuries ran from its source at Hampstead Heath to the Thames. Now its banks are found in a series of labyrinthine sewer tunnels, deep underground, for the brave and hardy to explore.

Britain's Top Ten Natural Wonders

Britain's most wondrous natural wonders

From fossil-strewn mountains to murky caves, this tiny island is bristling with extraordinary geology.  

Not to miss 

Also: 

• Search for cheap flights
• Last-minute sunny breaks
• Gestures to avoid abroad

Awesome Pictures

Higgs Boson May Not Exist

 

The Higgs boson is a hypothetical massive elementary particle predicted to exist by the Standard Model of particle physics. Its existence is postulated to resolve inconsistencies in theoretical physics, and experiments attempting to find the particle are being performed using the Large Hadron Collider at CERN and the Tevatron at Fermilab.

Signals reported in July seemed to indicate that the Higgs boson might have been detected. But since then, those signals - hinting that the theoretical 'God' particle might have a mass between 120 and 140GeV - looked much less conclusive among new statistics received from the experiment.

B.C.

Anthropological News

Human skull raises history query

Ancient humans interbred with their ancestors in Africa until relatively recently, suggests a new analysis.

• Oldest human skulls found
• Human line 'nearly split in two'

Amazing Creatures Preserved In Amber

 

image credit

Amber, or fossil tree sap, can contain perfectly preserved plants, insects and animals many millions of years old. These tiny tinted windows to an ancient past have shown us some surprising things, including finely detailed prehistoric animals as large and complex as crustaceans, frogs and lizards.

Upping the cute factor

Miami Invaded By Giant, House-Eating Snails

A worker displays two giant African land snails. For the third time since 1966, the snails are invading the US.

Full Story

Puppy rescued from crevice

Puppy saved from drought-caused crevice

Rescuers hit an unexpected snag when they reach down to free a family's new pet.  

Solution caught on tape 

Also: 

• Found cat becomes star
• Dog with longest ears
• Puppy befriends duck

Animal Pictures