The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

Today you can expect to have to deal with a swarm of seemingly insignificant -- but greatly annoying -- problems.
If you swat them away as you'd swat at mosquitoes, they'll keep coming back (and driving you nuts!).
Find thorough solutions to these problems.
Half-measures won't work today.
Taking a few moments to apply some insect repellent and light a citronella candle will end up costing you a lot less time than a day full of swatting!

 Some of our readers today have been in:
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Munich, Bayern, Germany
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany
Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Doncaster, England, United Kingdom
Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Seragoon, Singapore, Singapore
Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Muara, Brunei Darussalam
Berne, Bern, Switzerland
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom
Chandigarh, Punjab, India
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Quezon, City, Manila, Philippines
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

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 Beverly Hills, Fairview Heights, Mountain View, Black Mountain and more!

Today is:

Today is Sunday, November 13, the 317th day of 2011.

There are 48 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

International Tongue Twister Day.

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

Subtle Sunday

And I Quote

In "Conservative Thought," an unjustly neglected essay from 1927, Karl Mannheim argued that conservatives have never been wild about the idea of freedom. It threatens the submission of subordinate to superior.

~ Corey Robin's, in an essay he did in 2008 for The Nation, Out of Place

Culinary DeLites

Quick and easy chocolate brownies

These brownies are a fun and simple way to get kids into baking - or can just be enjoyed yourself.  

How it's done 

Also: 

• 10 easy baking recipes
• Quick midweek meals
• Buy kitchenware online

Twelve jobs that are overrated

The 12 jobs that are most overrated

These occupations look better on paper than they are in reality, says a new ranking.

  High stress and red tape 

Also: 

• Six underrated jobs
• Happiest careers in U.S.
• Scary ways to earn living

Senator warns of layaway's cost

The return of layaway plans this holiday shopping season is raising concern that the break from credit cards might actually cost consumers far more.

 Full Story

Thousands 'face threat of homelessness'

Thousands 'face threat of homelessness'

About 35,000 people will battle to keep a roof over their head for Christmas, says charity research.  

Leads to stress 

Also: 

• Mortgage advice
• Home prices at 2002 levels
• To buy no frills brands?

Crabby Road

Brazil police invade Rio's biggest slum

Elite police units backed by armored military vehicles and helicopters invaded Rio's largest slum before dawn Sunday, the most ambitious operation yet in an offensive that seeks to bring security to a seaside city long known for violence.The action is part of a policing campaign to drive heavily armed drug gangs out of the city's slums, where the ...

 Full Story

Five Tiny Computer Glitches That Caused Huge Disasters

5 Tiny Computer Glitches That Caused Huge Disasters

There are certain jobs where making the same mistakes can cost companies billions of dollars, and sometimes costs people their lives.

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Sesame Street

image credit

Everyone's favorite childhood show debuted 42 years ago. To celebrate, here's a list of things you may not have known about that most awesome of streets. For example, did you know that Cookie Monster's real name is Sid? It's true!

Ziggy

Tips for living to a ripe old age

Tips for living to a ripe old age

A healthy lifestyle may be the same for all ages, but seniors can take extra steps to stay fit.  

Look after your feet 

Also: 

• Compare life insurance
• Winter skincare tips
• Shop for vitamins online

Air Fresheners: Not Uplifting for Allergies

Want fresh air? Better just open a window. Some air fresheners are shown to cause eye and throat irritation, headaches and dizziness.

Read more 

Kids in Polluted Areas Show Cognitive Problems

Traffic pollution's imprint may begin before birth as newborns with higher exposure show permanent genetic differences.  

Read more 

Why Spending Money on Others Promotes Your Happiness

We’ve always heard that it is better to give than to receive. And the research is there to prove the old adage is right. A post a PsyBlog has links to several studies about this phenomenon.

But why? Why is it that spending our money on others—prosocial spending—makes us happier?
It’s partly because giving to others makes us feel good about ourselves. It helps promote a view of ourselves as responsible and giving people, which in turn makes us feel happy. It’s also partly because spending money on others helps cement our social relationships. And people with stronger social ties are generally happier.

The consequences of this notion can work in a circle. Not only do you want to buy gifts that bring happiness to others, it will make them even more happy to know that they gifts they give you are treasured.

Full Story

Sleeping with Teddy

Nearly 10% of British adults still go to bed with their teddy bear and more than 70% believe they do not get enough sleep, according to a new survey.

 Almost 10% still sleep with teddy

Random Celebrity Photo

Toxic Russian Mars Probe Heads Back to Earth

Last-ditch attempts are being made to rescue the Russian Mars mission, but the reality is that uncontrolled reentry scenarios are now being discussed.  

Read more 

Fastest Stellar Spinner Will Die a Violent Death

A star has been discovered with a record-breaking spin, but it will suffer one of the most violent explosions in the known universe.  

Read more 

Pristine Big Bang gas found

US scientists have found two interstellar clouds of original gas, which contain only original elements created moments after the universe's birth.

Unlike everything else in the universe — the gas clouds have never mingled with elements forged later in stars.

The existence of pristine gas that formed minutes after the Big Bang explosion some 13.7 billion years ago, had been predicted, but never before observed.

Full Story

Super Cool New H2O Discovered

Besides vapor, ice and liquid, a fourth form of water may exist at minus 54 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Read more 

New Wonders of the Natural World

The Amazon rainforest, Vietnam's Halong Bay and Argentina's Iguazu Falls were named among the world's new seven wonders of nature.

Read more 

Iguazu Falls, Halong Bay On Natural Wonders List

Among other new seven wonders of nature are the Amazon rainforest, South Africa's Table Mountain and Indonesia's Komodo.

Read more 

Animal News

Bear necessity

Should we give up on the giant panda?

The View From The Seven Highest Volcanic Peaks On Earth

One of the mountaineering challenges for adventurous types worldwide is to climb the highest volcanic peaks on each of the Earth's seven continents, known as the Volcanic Seven Summits.

Fire and Water

Ocean currents link to wildfires

Data on changes to oceans' sea surface temperature can help predict the severity of Amazon fire seasons, a study suggests.

• Explaining El Nino and La Nina Watch
• Amazon forest fires 'on the rise'

Seafloor Erupts New Baby Canary

After 40 years, the Canary Islands are once again witnessing an eruption - this time from a new underwater volcano on the seafloor.  

Read more

The New Sailor

A young man who wants to see the world signs on to a tramp steamer to be trained as a helmsman.
He masters the classroom instruction, then starts his practical training on the wheel of the vessel. In his first lesson, the mate gives him a heading, and the young fellow holds to it.

Then the mate orders, "Come starboard."

Pleased at knowing immediately which way starboard is, the young man leaves the helm and walks over to his instructor.

The mate has an incredulous look on his face as the helm swings freely. Then, rather gently considering the circumstance, he asks politely, "Could you bring the ship with you?"

More Findings, Uncertainty About Emperor's Birthplace

Archaeologists digging in Rome's Palatine Hill have found the remains of a house they believe is the birthplace of Rome's first emperor.  

Read more 

A "plastered skull"

[In] 7000 BCE Jericho, the dead were often buried beneath the floors of houses. In some instances the bodies were complete, but in others the skull was removed and treated separately, with the facial features reconstructed in plaster. The removal of the skull from the body and its separate burial was widely practiced in the Levant during the seventh millennium BCE. As in this example, the lower jaw was often removed and then, carefully and sensitively, the skull was remodeled with plaster to build up the facial features. Shells, either cowries or, as here, bivalves, were set into the empty sockets to represent the eyes. The skull was decorated with red and black paint to depict individual characteristics such as hair and even mustaches. It is possible that this practice was part of an ancestor cult. Similarly plastered skulls have been found at sites in Palestine, Syria and Jordan.

Read more about this and other skulls at the British Museum.

B.C.

An Observation of Dogs Chasing Their Tails

A scientific research paper took a reviewed 400 YouTube videos of dogs chasing their tails. A close look showed that about a third of the dogs observed showed signs of clinical pathology (“neurological, compulsive or other pathological conditions”).

Habitual tail-chasers had 6.5+/?2.3 times the odds of being described as ‘Stupid’ than other dogs, and perseverative dogs were 6.8+/?2.1 times more frequently described as ‘Funny’ than distractible ones were. Compared with breed- and age-matched control videos, tail-chasing videos were significantly more often indoors and with a computer/television screen switched on. These findings highlight that tail-chasing is sometimes pathological, but can remain untreated, or even be encouraged, because of an assumption that it is ‘normal’ dog behaviour.

Another takeaway from this study is how YouTube can provide a vast and unsifted resource of behavioral observations to researchers of all kinds. Someday a scientist may be watching your behavior, either on video, in the description, or in the comments!

Full Story

Deep-Sea Camouflage Switcheroo

Squid and octopus can dramatically change color to hide from predators, offering insights into the secrets of invisibility.

Read more 

Two Rhinos Reach the Point of No Return

Several species of rhino have been poached into extinction or to the point of no return, according to an update of the Red List of Threatened Species, the gold standard for animal and plant conservation.  

Read more 

Animal Pictures