The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

You're finally ready to move on in your life, so take the bull by the horns and get going!
If you are in a growing romantic relationship, make a date so the two of you can confess your true feelings for each other.
Go beyond the old dinner and movie routine -- how about cooking a meal together?
If you are in a new job, the timing is perfect for you to deliver your latest new idea and show these folks what you really have to offer.
No one is going to lead you to the next level.
You gotta jump.

 Some of our readers today have been in:
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Miskolc, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Hungary
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Berne, Bern, Switzerland
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Bath, England, United Kingdom
Cork, Cork, Ireland
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand
Thisted, Vestsjalland, Denmark
Delhi, Delhi, India
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
Morini, Morini, Comoros
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Hanover, Niedersachsen, Germany

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 Milpitas, Glen Ellyn, Cherry Hill, Missoula and more!

Today is:

Today is Friday, November 4, the 308th day of 2011.

There are 57 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

 Use Your Common Sense Day

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

Far-Out Friday

Yeah, what he said ...

 

Don't tell that to the retailers!

Antibully law may backfire

Critics say antibully law protects bullies

A legislator makes a passionate plea against a counterintuitive change to a Mich. law.

  Original backer 'ashamed' 

Also: 

• College kids face bullies
• Teen 'sexting' common
• Fake Facebook case

The truth be told

Groupon stock soars in debut

Groupon stock soars in debut

The daily deal site's shares shoot up nearly 50% as the company goes public.  

 Cautions about business model 

Also: 

• Founders cash in
• Black Friday predictions
• Holiday gift ideas

Inflation Bites

Nanny's fight against bank fee

Nanny who led charge against $5 debit fee

Molly Katchpole, 22, is being credited with persuading Bank of America to back down.

  How she sparked change 

Also: 

• Other bank fees rising
• Time to replace debit card?
• Record student debt

Tammy Baldwin introducing resolution against weak foreclosure fraud settlement

Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Senate candidate and current member of the House of Representatives, is going to introduce a resolution on foreclosure fraud and the ongoing negotiations between the nation's five largest banks, forty-four state Attorneys General, and the Obama administration.

Amanda Terkel of Huffington Post reports:

Baldwin's resolution states that any settlement should follow three guidelines: 1) Banks that engaged in fraudulent behavior "should not be granted criminal or civil immunity for potential wrongdoing related to illegal mortgage and foreclosure practices," 2) the federal government and state AGs should "proceed with full investigations into claims of fraudulent behavior by mortgage servicers" and 3) any monetary sum paid by the banks should "appropriately compensate for, and accurately reflect, the extent of harm to all victims."

"We have to do the best we can to make innocent victims whole. But secondly, especially in light of the taxpayer bailout of the biggest banks, we owe taxpayers a solemn effort to do everything we can do to uncover what went wrong and whether laws were broken," Baldwin said in an interview with The Huffington Post. "Part of that is to make certain this won't happen again. That, to me, is one of the most basic responsibilities we have."

David Dayen at FireDogLake has a copy of Baldwin's proposed legislation. It's simple and powerful, while including a stinging indictment of the big banks who have systematically been stealing peoples' homes.

I don't know that this resolution has much hope of passing the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, but it's a strong statement that the anger we see around the country in the Occupy movement has made its way into the Capitol building. Good for Tammy Baldwin, a new member of the Justice Democrats.

Crabby Road

Telling new ratio of abject poor

Number of poorest poor hits new mark

Some once-booming U.S. areas are now seeing the biggest jumps in poverty.

  How inner cities are changing 

Also: 

• Growing poverty pockets
• Biggest threats to poor
• Gates to G20: Help them

Number of poor reaches record high

As we've been saying for quite a long time, yes, there has been class warfare in America but it's not the way repugicans like to spin it. The new numbers - 1 in 15 - are staggering, but not surprising. When the country was drunk on credit, people were more willing to overlook the hard reality of the class warfare that started during the Reagan years. Now that the credit allusion is gone, many of the 99% people are demanding a new model.

This has to change.

"There now really is no unaffected group, except maybe the very top income earners," said Robert Moffitt, a professor of economics at Johns Hopkins University. "Recessions are supposed to be temporary, and when it's over, everything returns to where it was before. But the worry now is that the downturn — which will end eventually — will have long-lasting effects on families who lose jobs, become worse off and can't recover."

Traditional inner-city black ghettos are thinning out and changing, drawing in impoverished Hispanics who have low-wage jobs or are unemployed. Neighborhoods with poverty rates of at least 40 percent are stretching over broader areas, increasing in suburbs at twice the rate of cities.

Once-booming Sun Belt metro areas are now seeing some of the biggest jumps in concentrated poverty.

Behind today's jobs numbers

Jobs situation is worse than it looks

Unemployment ticked down, but many have given up looking or are stuck in part-time jobs.  

 Will Washington help? 

Also: 

• Jobless rate dips to 9%
• Fields that are hiring now
• Eyes on debt committee

Who's getting hired now

Five fields that are hiring now

Despite a rough economy, the number of job openings for these careers is enormous.

  132,283 postings for nurses 

Also: 

• World's coolest jobs
• Unemployed after 55
• Big firms pay little tax

Daily Comic Relief

Murdoch’s paper may have hacked nearly 5,800 celebrities, politicians, athletes, more

This is very interesting with an election year coming up here in the states. So far we've not heard any connection to Murdoch's properties here in the US, FAUX and the Wall Street Journal. But it's hard to imagine that the growing scandal won't impact those operations at some point, if just to throw them somewhat into turmoil in terms of their leadership.

From the Daily Mail:

Nearly 5,800 celebrities, politicians, sports stars and others may have been targeted in the News of the World hacking scandal, it was claimed last night.

The latest figures suggest the practice was far more widespread than has previously been admitted.

One of the problems that both Faux and the WSJ are going to have is with their respective reputations. At some point, this scandal may so weaken the Murdoch brand that a news operation (even a fake one like Faux) can longer afford to be part of a media family that includes a burgeoning criminal conspiracy. Democrats should be doing more in this country to use this scandal to tar the overall Murdoch brand.

"Anonymous" to Mexican drug lords: Release kidnapped hacker or we'll publish your secret operatives

At one point, Anonymous had called off the operation. But apparently it's back on, and Anonymous has already found some interesting information.

From CNET:

Earlier today, Brown tweeted: "Just hours into gathering secondary intel, we have the name of a U.S. DA and evidence of his involvement." That was followed by "Requesting the assistance of any journalist who is willing to look into a DA with potential ties to organized crime."

Law enforcement officials are likely bracing for the worst. Mike Vigil, the retired head of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration, told the Houston Chronicle that the Anonymous threat was a "gutsy move." "By publishing the names, they identify them to rivals, and trust me, they will go after them."

And others have echoed that warning. "If Anonymous carries out its threat, it will almost certainly lead to the deaths of individuals named as cartel associates, whether or not the information released is accurate," Stratfor, a global intelligence firm, wrote in a report late last month. "Furthermore, as Mexican cartels have targeted online journalists and bloggers in the past, hackers could well be targeted for reprisal attacks."

_____________
It's not every day that you hear of anyone making threats against one of the deadly Mexican drug cartels. Geeks fight back:

"You made a huge mistake by taking one of us. Release him," says a masked man in a video posted online on behalf of the group, Anonymous.

"We cannot defend ourselves with a weapon … but we can do this with their cars, homes, bars, brothels and everything else in their possession," says the man, who is wearing a suit and tie.

"It won't be difficult; we all know who they are and where they are located," says the man, who underlines the group's international ties by speaking Spanish with the accent of a Spaniard while using Mexican slang.

Watch the video here.  According to CNet, "The video demands the return of the alleged kidnapping victim by November 5 and threatens to release information on the organization, as well as police, journalists, and cab drivers whom the video claims have collaborated with the cartel." Wow.

Terror network threatens U.S.

Family-run terror network threatens U.S.

As al-Qaida's influence wanes, the Haqqanis have become a violent force in Afghanistan.  

 Operates like mafia 

Also: 

• NATO sees progress
• Army murder case in court
• U.S. veterans join Occupy

Wacky buildings on rise in China

Wacky buildings on the rise in China

The nation looks to attract attention with a new wave of architectural wonders. 

  Comic bubble building, piano house 

Also: 

• Frank Gehry looks to Asia
• World's tallest building
• Longxi skyscraper hotel

Trash 'miners' risk their lives

Trash 'miners' risk lives to find gold

Guatemalans brave danger in a toxic landfill in the hopes of making one lucky discovery.

  What the scraps are worth 

Also: 

• Landfill powers Pa. town
• New study on poverty rate
• Impact of polluted water

America's oddest hotels

The five oddest hotels in America

Take a peek at the only B&B in the U.S. that's buried 70 feet underground.  

 Also a prison turned luxury hotel 

Also: 

• Travel 'back in time' here
• Where you can't find cars  
• Best non-ocean beaches

Redneckus Americani

Exercise ball mishap on TV

Funny exercise ball mishap on live TV

A cameraman probably didn't think this would happen when he decided to help out a newscast.  

 Watch 

Also: 

• Newscaster wins lottery
• Insane pushup challenge
• Three good ab exercises

What's damaging your skin

Where you live may damage your skin

Without these fixes, the changing weather in your area can ruin a healthy glow.  

What Midwesterners must do 

Also: 

• Skin superfoods
• Best body lotions
• Anti-aging products

Culinary DeLites

What chefs cook at home

• The most-searched sandwiches (and how to make them)
• Weird flavor combinations that taste amazing
• The secret to perfect gravy––every time

Popular diet programs ranked

Popular diet programs ranked for health

One option ranks first in a comparison of plans like Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, and others.

Also: 

• Improve vision naturally
• 8 saltiest dishes in U.S.
• What chefs eat at home

Tips to boost happiness

Easy ways to boost your happiness

Watching a comedy film or having a quick workout can help to boost your mood and keep you happy.

  Top tips 

Also: 

• Buy comedy DVDs online
• Foods that beat blues
• Tips to keep you slim

Manage your life

Would you help a stranger?

• The reality of movie fantasy jobs
• Tackle top energy (and money) hogs in your house
• 6 tricks to avoiding speeding tickets

Car advice for winter

How to keep your car running in winter

Your windshield wipers won’t freeze up if you buy a pair with the “beam blade” style. 

What to ask the repair shop to do 

Also: 

• Automobile repair tips
• Cars headed for extinction
• Strong truck, SUV sales

Ziggy

A world without screens

A world without computer screens

A breakthrough invention threatens to make monitors and keyboards obsolete by 2016.

  How the OmniTouch works 

Also: 

• Cutting printer costs
• Kindle lending library
• Hackers' wrong target

Why sounds annoy us

Why we hate sound of nails on chalkboard

Blame our eardrums for how that distinctive spine-shivering squeal makes us cringe.

  But partly psychological, too 

Also: 

• Study: What we gawk at
• Skin cells 'see' UV rays
• Sitting raises cancer odds

Stopping the Signs of Aging with Science

Wrinkles have found their match. Science has found a way to eliminate the onset of wrinkles, muscle wasting and even cataracts (at least in mice):

It was done by "flushing out" retired cells that had stopped dividing. They accumulate naturally with age.
The scientists believe their findings could eventually "really have an impact" in the care of the elderly.
Experts said the results were "fascinating", but should be taken with a bit of caution.
The study, published in Nature, focused on what are known as "senescent cells". They stop dividing into new cells and have an important role in preventing tumours from progressing.
These cells are cleared out by the immune system, but their numbers build up with time. The researchers estimated that around 10% of cells are senescent in very old people.
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic, in the US, devised a way to kill all senescent cells in genetically engineered mice.

Full Story

Awesome Pictures

Record rise in global warming

Alarming, record rise in global warming

Experts are stunned as tests show elevated levels of greenhouse gases that exceed worst-case scenarios.

  Culprits 

Also: 

• Island countries upset
• Huge crack in glacier
• Extreme weather effects

Nature Wants To Eat You

So, you know how nature is absolutely terrifying? Finally there’s a blog that details all the terrible ways that mother earth wants to destroy you. Filled with terrifying animal pictures and short details of how terrifying any given animal actually is, Nature Wants To Eat You might not have much content yet (it’s still new), but what it does have is a whole lot of promise.

Full Story

Zombie Volcano or New Supervolcano?

The given-up-for-dead Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia is slurping magma like a kid that just discovered milkshakes. What's next? Brain freeze or eruption?  

Read more 

The Denisovans

Adding Another Missing Piece to Human History

In case you haven't been following the news in human evolutionary history, this past September scientists added an all-new member to the human ancestry tree, a homonid group labeled "Denisovans." Now a new study backs up that finding by showing a definite genetic link between homo sapiens (us) and Denisovans, who appear to have primarily migrated to and mated in Asia.

Humans frequently mated with a mysterious 'third species' of early man whose descendants can be found in present-day East Asian populations, a study has confirmed.
....The Denisovans likely split off from the Neanderthal branch of the hominin family tree about 300,000 years ago, but little else is known about their appearance, behavior or dress.

Mysterious 'third species' of caveman had sex with our Asian ancestors

B.C.

Dino-Era Disaster

Multiple Drowned Toothy Birds

Bones, eggs and eggshells are all that's left of a Transylvania Dinosaur-Era bird colony.

Read more 

Rin Tin Tin's Life And Legend

 

image credit

Rin Tin Tin was the name given to a dog adopted from a WWI battlefield that went on to star in twenty-three Hollywood films. The pup found by American serviceman Lee Duncan in a bombed-out dog kennel in Lorraine, France, less than two months before the end of World War I. The dog returned at war's end with Duncan to his home in Los Angeles, California.

Rin Tin Tin learned tricks and could leap great heights. He was filmed making a 12-foot leap at a dog show by Duncan's acquaintance Charles Jones, who had just developed a slow-motion camera. From those humble beginnings, the dark-haired German shepherd rose to become an internationally-recognized Hollywood star.

Horses found in odd spot

Horses seek refuge in strange, pretty spot

Unexpected accommodations in the middle of a meadow offer shade to a group of horses.

  Photos of the week 

Also: 

• Sculptures by the sea
• Rabbit hopping games
• Mock Mars mission

Eerie swarm of birds on video

Eerie swarm of birds caught on video

A flock of starlings puts on a dazzling display that looks choreographed. 

  Watch the mystifying phenomenon 

Also: 

• Released shark's sad fate
• A $25,000 ski pass
• Shark scares surfer

Animal Pictures