The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

You love spontaneous fun as much as the next person -- but you also know when it's time to buckle down and get serious.
Unfortunately, not everyone else does, and this could negatively affect the harmony of your day.
A flighty person who doesn't know the definition of the word 'preparation' will throw a wrench into your carefully laid plans.
But don't worry -- if you summon up every ounce of your flexibility, you will be able to handle it with grace!

 Some of our readers today have been in:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Florence, Toscana, Italy
Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
Gengenbach, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand
Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Doncaster, England, United Kingdom
Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Seragoon, Singapore, Singapore
Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands
Bath, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Cork, Cork, Ireland
London, England, United Kingdom
Lahore, Punjab, India
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Fuerth, Bayern, germany
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Nagasaki, Nagasaki, Japan

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 Bozeman, Niles, Woonsocket, Hana and more!

Today is:

Today is Saturday, November 12, the 316th day of 2011.

There are 49 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

Domino Day.

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

President Obama's Weekly Address

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
San Diego, California
Saturday, November 12, 2011

I’m speaking to you from the bridge of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in San Diego.  This is one of the biggest ships in the Navy, and on Friday it was home to one of the most unique college basketball games I’ve ever seen.  It also gave members of our military and our veterans a chance to unwind a little bit, and on this Veterans Day, I want to take this opportunity to thank all our men and women in uniform for their service and their sacrifice.
But this day isn’t just about thanking our veterans.  It’s about rededicating ourselves to serving our veterans as well as they’ve served us.  And right now, that’s more important than ever.
Last month, I announced that, as promised, we will end the war in Iraq by the end of the year.  Many of our military families will be welcoming loved ones home for the holidays.  At the same time, we’ve begun to wind down the war in Afghanistan.  And in the next five years, over a million servicemembers will transition back into civilian life – joining the 3 million who have already done so over the last decade.
These are men and women who have served with distinction in some of the most dangerous places on the planet.  But for many of them, the challenges don’t end when they take off the uniform.  Today, more than 850,000 veterans remain unemployed.  And too many are struggling to find a job worthy of their talents and experience.
That’s not right.  We ask these men and women to leave their families and their jobs and risk their lives to fight for our country.  The last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when they get home.
To give our veterans the opportunities they’ve earned, I’ve directed the federal government to lead by example – and already, we’ve hired 120,000 veterans.  We’ve also challenged private companies to hire or train 100,000 post-9/11 veterans or their spouses by the end of 2013.  So far, many patriotic companies have answered the call, hiring more than 16,000 Americans.  And yesterday, thanks to the hard work of Michelle and Dr. Jill Biden, companies announced their commitment to train or hire 125,000 more over the next two years.
But we need to do more.  That’s why, as part of the American Jobs Act, I called on Congress to pass a Returning Heroes Tax Credit, which would give businesses a tax break for each unemployed veteran they hire; and a Wounded Warriors Tax Credit, which would give businesses a tax break for hiring an unemployed veteran with a disability related to their service in uniform.
These proposals will go a long way towards putting our veterans back to work.  And on Thursday, I was pleased to see the Senate put partisanship aside and come together to pass these tax credits.  After all, standing up for our veterans isn’t a Democratic responsibility or a Republican responsibility – it’s an American responsibility.  It’s one that all of us have an obligation to meet.  And the House should pass this bill as soon as possible so I can sign it into law.
As Commander-in-Chief, I want every veteran to know that America will always honor your service and your sacrifice – not just today, but every day.  And just as you fought for us, we’re going to keep fighting for you – for more jobs, for more security, for the opportunity to keep your families strong and America competitive in the 21st century.
So to all our veterans – thank you for your service.  God bless you.  And may God bless the United States of America.

Super Saturday

Awesome Pictures

In the News

The real class warfare.

New Jersey judge says police must return confiscated items to #occupywallst.

You know who's doing pretty good in this recession, don't you? Wall Street.

Crabby Road

Skinny houses for sale

The world's skinniest houses for sale

In some of these tiny homes, you can stand in the center and touch both walls with your hands.

  See more photos 

Also: 

• New trend: housesharing
• 'Why we're walking away'
• Six worst home fixes

How a finance pro lost his home

How a financial pro lost his home

Carl Richards, a financial adviser, gives a brutally honest account of losing his family's house.

  'How did I get here?' 

Also: 

• Hanging on to a home
• 'Why my business failed'
• Life after bankruptcy

When to ignore money truisms

When you should ignore money truisms

Conventional wisdom about retirement saving is wrong for many people, an expert says. 

  Paying for homes, college 

Also: 

• Doubling your income
• Credit card fine print
• Home price pressure

Ziggy

Camp help for 'lost boys'

Retreat targets real-life 'failure to launch'

Modern-day "lost boys" find the know-how and will to transform their lives at a unique camp.

How they do it 

Also: 

• Lessons from Marine dad
• Raising boomerang kids
• Why the kids are broke

Festive Spirit

Man Breaks In, Puts Up Christmas Lights

An Ohio man was in custody Saturday after allegedly breaking into a family's house and putting up Christmas decorations.

Dutch Prison Food: Torture?

Scheveningen prison near the Hague in the Netherlands holds prisoners for the the UN International Criminal Court. Some of those inmates think that Dutch food served in the prison is a form of torture.

“My rights are not being violated, but the food is an abomination,” declared former Liberian president Charles Taylor when he was brought to trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in Scheveningen in 2006.
Taylor, who was accused of crimes against humanity and orchestrating war crimes carried out by militias, was used to his own personal cook who made spicy African meals.
Unable to adjust to Dutch culinary blandness, he set up a cookery club using the facilities at the Scheveningen remand centre.

Yes, inmates are allowed to cook for themselves, but they have to buy their own ingredients from the prison shop.

Extreme Serbian nationalist and former paramilitary leader Vojislav Seselj is another notorious prisoner who slams the Dutch diet. Seselj, who was charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) with crimes against humanity, arrived in Scheveningen in 2003.
During one of the hearings in his trial, he publicly castigated the remand centre’s menu. The food was “a daily torture. Even pigs wouldn’t go near it.”

Prison officials defend their menu as “healthy and balanced.” Just one more reason you shouldn’t commit crimes against humanity.

Full Story

Daily Comic Relief

Deep-Frying Portable Grill

One of the few drawbacks to an outdoor grill is the difficulty of making french fries to go with your hamburgers. No more! The Blacktop 360 grill has a deep-fryer right in the middle. Plus a griddle, a warming plate, and an infrared grill. Plus an optional cutting board. And the legs fold up, so it’s completely portable. 

Full Story

Three secrets to pecan pie

3 secrets to perfect pecan pie every time

Ditch the traditional corn syrup for this buttery substitute and get a much richer flavor.  

What to put in the crust 

Also: 

• How pros do Thanksgiving
• Irresistible pumpkin dishes
• Makeovers of classics

Eat Fruit

Healthy vending machine picks

Healthy and terrible vending machine picks

You may think this snack has a healthy dose of fruit, but it's also a 440-calorie nutritional nightmare.

Trans fat, too 

Also: 

• Pollution and obesity
• Things not to do at the gym
• Healthy at any size?

Random Photos

Health signs your teeth reveal

What your teeth reveal about your health

Some dental problems can be signs of serious health complications, including heart disease.  

 Your dentist can tell 

Also: 

• Redheads hate dentists?
• What skin says about you
• How to stay sniffle-free

Signs you might have pneumonia

Signs and symptoms of pneumonia

Pneumonia can start suddenly or build up over days, so it's important you know what to look for. 

Adults at higher risk 

Also: 

• Boost immunity
• Help track the spread of flu
• Myths about common cold

Remember To Wipe Your Keyboard

Do you know what the dirtiest device in your house is? The TV remote. Are you aware that the average keyboard is five times dirtier and has 60 times more germs on it than a toilet seat? That's 150 times over the acceptable limit for bacteria. And that a light switch has 217 bacteria per square inch? And that 16% of cell phones were found to have poop on them?

This infographic reveals the specs of our tech gadgets we don't really want to know.

The 13 Worst Doctors of All Time

Doctors save lives every day, but as in any profession, there are a few bad apples. The manslaughter conviction of Michael Jackson’s personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray inspired this list of horrible doctors. For example, there’s Dr. Prabir Kumar Ghosh, who had a perfectly logical explanation for working while drunk:

A doctor in India was arrested recently when he showed up drunk for his emergency room shift. It may not have been the first time he knocked back a few before turning up for work: local complaints said that he’s been drunk on the job for years. Dr. Prabir Kumar Ghosh admitted he was intoxicated but said he had his reasons, one of which was that he was simply trying to relieve his joint pain. If only he could’ve gotten to a hospital for proper treatment, then this whole problem could’ve been avoided and… oh, wait. Never mind.

There’s more medical misery and malpractice at Ranker.

Calvin and Hobbes

UK cops want to talk to Murdoch’s son again, discussed possible arrest

This story still doesn't seem to be getting much play here in the states.  Odd, considering who's involved.  Imagine if George Soros were the entrepreneur involved in all of this, instead of Rupert Murdoch.  Bet Faux News would find the story newsworthy then.

Arab League Suspends Syria

Syria to be sanctioned as deaths mount

The Arab League will suspend Syria from meetings until violence against protesters ends. 

Sanctions imposed 

Also: 

• Arab Spring
• Blast rocks Iran army base
• Protests erupt in Yemen

Ugandan arrested for pigsty made of campaign posters

Ugandan police say they have arrested a man for "abusing the presidency" after he built a pigsty out of old election posters featuring the president's face.

  Full Story 

Italy applauds leader's exit

Silvio Berlusconi resigns as Italy's leader

Cheers erupt in front of the presidential palace as a tainted 17-year political era comes to an end.  

Country's next move 

Also: 

• Berlusconi's legal woes
• Famous quips, gaffes
• Scenes from Italy

A look inside Fukushima

Outsiders allowed into Fukushima plant

Journalists allowed in for the first time see plenty of carnage at the tsunami-damaged plant.  

 See what they saw 

Also: 

• Radioactivity in Europe
• U.S. plant to restart
• Clinton presses Iran

Mythbusters Jamie Hyneman And Adam Savage Receive Honorary Doctorates

On November 24, Adam Savage of MythBusters is giving a lecture at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. He is coming to discuss his work and to talk about how to be a MythBuster.

As part of its 50th anniversary Dies Natalis celebrations, the University of Twente will be awarding honorary doctorates to Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage for their role in popularizing science and technology. The ceremony will be attended by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

What Drives Death Valley's Roving Rocks?

Moving rocks refer to a geological phenomenon where rocks move in long tracks along a smooth valley floor without human or animal intervention. They have been recorded and studied in a number of places around Racetrack Playa, Death Valley. The force behind their movement is not confirmed and is the subject of research. The moving rocks have stumped scientists since the 1940s.

Now a student-research project led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has lent support to the idea that, during wintertime, the rocks float down the playa on small 'collars' of ice, which form around the stones when lake water flows down the surrounding hills and freezes on the lakebed.

Bones found in New Orleans' French Quarter

Construction crews found the grave site when digging a new pool. The straight sides of this hole are the sides of wooden coffins.

 Full Story

B.C.

 

Dog wants to see the baby

Dog really wants to see the baby

This tiny pup tries to jump on the bed to see his new friend, but gravity keeps getting in the way.  

 Won't give up 

Also: 

• Cat on top of a cactus
• Dog balances basketball
• Skateboarding bulldog

Forty-One Awesome Birds

 

image credit

The internet is full of cute cats and dogs. Why not check out some different creatures, like birds.

Animal Pictures