The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

From time to time, you go through what could be called a 'Velcro phase' -- when you feel a strong need to stay close (physically and emotionally) to the people you love the most.
But right now, you may feel yourself detaching from folks.
Do not fear this change of attitude, because going off on your own for a while is perfectly healthy and normal.
A little bit of solitude can be good for the soul -- and it won't harm the strong attachments you've made. 

 Some of our readers today have been in:
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Bogota, Bogota, Colombia
Liege, Liege, Belgium
London, England, United Kingdom
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Tromso, Troms, Norway
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Medemblik, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia
Pontianak, Kalimatntan Barat, Indonesia
As, Askershus, Norrway
Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland
Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
Woking, 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 Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Dallas and more!

Today is:

Today is Thursday, October 27, the 300th day of 2011.

There are 65 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

Cranky Co-Worker's Day

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

Thorough Thursday

Here are ten ways to support #occupywallst.

The truth be told

Ranger dies on 14th deployment

Army Ranger dies on 14th deployment

Kristoffer B. Domeij enlisted in July 2001 and served in Iraq and Afghanistan over and over.  

 Not uncommon 

Also: 

• Taliban implicates Pakistan
• Afghans take lead
• Only 15 Iraq bases left

The Hate Jar

 

Well, that explains the repugicans - always opening up and looking into their own 'hate jars'.

Next time ...

From Daily Kos' David Waldman via Twitter:

Next time I hear about how vets fight to protect our rights, I'll remember the one they shot in the head for actually exercising them.

The Oakland Police are reportedly doing a preliminary review of whether it was appropriate to shoot an Iraq war vet in the head with "non lethal" ammunition that has him in critical condition. I hope they also explain why it was necessary for one particular officer to throw an explosive device at a small crowd of protesters trying to administer first aid to the wounded vet.  Absolutely sickening what the city of Oakland has done.

Coming Soon!

Politician admits that only wingnuts are permitted to protest with guns

At least they finally admitted it.  When wingnuts bring guns to political protests, the cops don't bat an eye. When liberals do it, it's time to smash their brains in, literally.

In Atlanta, [Mayor] Reed said the last straw came Tuesday, when he said a man with an AK-47 assault rifle joined the protesters in Woodruff Park. On Wednesday, after all protesters who had been arrested were released on bond, some said the man with the assault rifle — who was carrying it legally under Georgia law — was not part of their group and should not have been a factor in shutting them down. “We don’t even know that guy,” said Candi Cunard, 26.

I don't think anyone should be permitted to bring a gun to a political protest - or walk around in public brandishing one, period - but it is interesting that wingnuts were permitted to bring guns to Obama rallies, with impunity, but now when a gun is supposedly reported at a liberal protest, that's the final straw for the authorities.

Halloween Masks

Growing Old Goth

Most people grow out of their teenage lifestyles, but for some, growing up goth means growing old goth.
Louise Tickle wrote a fascinating article over at The Guardian about how goths teens are more likely to grow up as goth adults, and still be productive members of society:

Continuing with education and getting a decent job while staying involved isn't as hard for goths as it may be for those involved in other youth subcultures, some of which promote disengagement with school to the point that academic failure is all but inevitable.
"It's a relatively middle-class subculture, so despite … all the going out and being into the music, goths have always had a fairly positive view of people who are also achieving academically."
It means goths may have better career options than an outsider might expect. Succeeding in their chosen career had, Hodkinson observes, become increasingly important to those he interviewed as they moved into their late 20s and 30s, and he was surprised by how much participants in his study were willing to adapt their look to fit in at work.

Full Story

American Dream at risk?

Is the American Dream ending?

Unemployment and inequality are making many Americans lose faith in the future. 

  'I am scared to death' 

Also: 

• Tell us: Are you worried?
• Americans' frustration
• Woes of 20-somethings

The Rich Gets Richer

The Poor not so much

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer seems to be the proverb of the times, but just exactly how much richer did the rich get in the past 30 years?
According to a newly released report on real (inflation-adjusted) average household income in the United States by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the answer is almost three times as rich:

For the 1 percent of the population with the highest income, average real after-tax household income grew by 275 percent between 1979 and 2007 (see Summary Figure 1).

The Top One-percenters also have the lionshare of the growth of total market income:

As a result of that uneven growth, the share of total market income received by the top 1 percent of the population more than doubled between 1979 and 2007, growing from about 10 percent to more than 20 percent. Without that growth at the top of the distribution, income inequality still would have increased, but not by nearly as much. The precise reasons for the rapid growth in income at the top are not well understood, though researchers have offered several potential rationales, including technical innovations that have changed the labor market for superstars (such as actors, athletes, and musicians), changes in the governance and structure of executive compensation, increases in firms’ size and complexity, and the increasing scale of financial-sector activities.

But is bemoaning the good fortunes of the super-rich the right thing to do? After all, the second part of the proverb "the poor get poorer" is actually incorrect: for the bottom 20% of the population, the average real after-tax household income increased by 18% over the past three decades. It seems like the poor also got a little bit richer.
Perhaps we should change the proverb to "the rich get richer and the poor get a little bit richer"?
Source: Trends in the Distribution of Household Income Between 1979 and 2007 [PDF] by the Congressional Budget Office

Who will get a 2011 pay raise

Who's in line for a pay raise in 2011

Workers in these fields are the most likely to see above-average salary increases. 

  Up to 7% in one profession 

Also: 

• Coming payroll tax hike
• Work and your health
• Making an elevator pitch

A Brief History of 'Corporate Whinning'*

*AKA: the repugican party

US economy grew 2.5% last quarter

We're not out of the bad economy but it's still reasonably good growth all things considered.

US economic growth increased at its fastest in a year in the third quarter as consumers and businesses set aside fears about the recovery and stepped up spending, creating momentum that could carry into the final three months of the year.

At the same time, slightly fewer people sought unemployment benefits last week, though level remains elevated above 400,000.

Though part of the increase came from the reversal of temporary factors that had restrained growth, the expansion was a welcome relief for an economy that looked on the brink of recession just weeks ago.

Starting up

• Ready to start a business? Here's what you need to know

Year-end moves to cut taxes

Best year-end moves to save on taxes

Paying some key 2012 expenses by December 31 could slash your 2011 tax bill.  

 Guide to brackets, deductions 

Also: 

• Tax bracket limits rise
• Rating Perry's tax plan
• World's highest taxes

Money mistakes to avoid

4 money mistakes you must avoid

Get control of your spending by giving yourself an allowance for the little stuff.  

 Earn up to 4% on your savings 

Also: 

• Financial rules to live by
• 5 underestimated costs
• What's killing economy

Avoiding car repairs

Avoid the most common car repairs

Buy an inexpensive air filter so you won't owe a mechanic $400 to replace a sensor.  

Costly mistakes owners make 

Also: 

• Car repair Q&A
• Most reliable vehicles
• Auto warranty advice

Daily Comic Relief

Culinary DeLites

• How to roast pumpkin seeds
• Try this tonight: Spaghetti squash
• Michelle Obama: celebrity chef?
• Easy, delicious pasta

Healthy Living

12 ways to eat healthy for under $1

Why you might feel tired

Reason you might feel tired all the time

Lethargy, weight gain, and irritability can mask a dangerous — and treatable — condition.  

 Problem with testing 

Also: 

• Home hair loss remedies
• When to go gluten-free
• Heartburn-like conditions

Ziggy

Yoga's mental benefits doubted

Yoga's mental health benefits doubted

A controversial new study compared the practice with stretching and how each affected back pain.  

 What it found 

Also: 

• Great junk food debate
• Stop boredom eating
• Sneaky back hurters

Man Upset With Lack of Meat in Chalupa, Throws Bomb at Taco Bell

A Taco Bell customer in Georgia was so angry about the quality of his purchase that he tossed a fire bomb at the building.

Full Story

***

Well, we know one thing for certain ... he has mental problems - he was at Taco Bell to eat in the first place

Serial killer 'victim' alive

Serial killer's assumed victim found alive

Family members find a sibling thought to have been murdered decades ago by John Wayne Gacy.

  Surprising reunion 

Also: 

• Other victims exhumed
• Invasion case revelation
• Cartel killer's confession

Best winter beach towns

Best winter beach towns in the U.S.

These warm-weather shoreline retreats may be small, but they're packed with charm.  

 154-foot-tall lighthouse 

Also: 

• World's loveliest islands
• Affordable new hotels
• Find: How far is it?

Ominous storm cloud photos

Photographers capture storm clouds

Shutterbugs from around the world document ominous tempests as they form overhead. 

The stunning images 

Also: 

• Hurricane Rina weakens
• Denver slammed by snow
• Climate risk to nations

True color of Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty's original color

The 125-year-old landmark is getting a $27 million makeover, but she won't get a new coat of paint.

  Why green is good 

Also: 

• Statue's new webcams
• $1 million replica
• NY's tie to tuxedos

Prince Charles claims Vlad the Impaler as ancestor

The heir to the British throne says he is related to Vlad the Impaler, the cruel 15th-Century Romanian warlord who helped inspire Bram Stoker's 1897 vampire novel "Dracula." He makes the comments on an upcoming TV show to promote his interest in protecting the forests of Romania's Transylvania region.

Full Story

Cornell University releases rare images of extinct woodpecker

A snippet of film shot by an amateur ornithologist in 1956 is providing researchers and bird enthusiasts with a rare opportunity to observe the behavior of the imperial woodpecker, a giant resident of Mexico's Sierra Madre now presumed extinct.

Full Story

Pirate's cannon recovered

300-year-old cannon lifted from ocean

It could take archaeologists up to eight years to crack through a shell covering the pirate's relic.

  Famous owner 

Also: 

• Onlookers cheer effort
• More on the pirate
• 13th-century 'lost fleet'

Legendary 'lost fleet' found?

Shipwreck points to legendary 'lost fleet'

A historic find off the coast of Japan leads experts back to 13th-century ruler Kublai Khan.  

Massive failed invasion 

Also: 

• Fight over sunken treasure
• Blackbeard cannon quest
• 'Aquanauts' hit a snag

B.C.

Upping the cute factor

 

Humans aren't the only animals that dance!

Six Bizarre Alien-Looking Life Forms

 

Life, in all its varied forms, can be described in many ways. 'Astounding', 'beautiful' and 'majestic' are just a few of the words that spring to mind while looking at some of our planet's living things. Yet watch a spider scuttle across a desk and words like 'horrific' and 'terrifying' suddenly feel far more apt. But what about those times when you come across a life form so strange-looking it seems to have come from a different planet altogether?

Here are some of Mother Nature's more bizarre creations.

Rare white wombat nursed back to health in Australia

He was found thirsty, tired and close to death by sheep shearers working on nearby property.

But the rare white wombat was taken in by a wildlife volunteer in south Australia, and nursed back to health. Now the Southern hairy-nosed wombat, who's called Polar, is on the mend.

YouTube link.

Wildlife experts say they will now use Polar to help educate people about wombats, and in a couple of years he will be placed him in a breeding programme to produce more animals like him.

Southern hairy-nosed wombats can grow up to 100 cm (40 inches) and when fully developed they can weigh between 18 to 32 kg (40 to 68 pounds).

Animal Pictures