The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

Your finances are getting to be a bigger issue in your life right now ... and preservation of your bank account should be a high priority starting today.
There's no need to drastically change your lifestyle, but a few nips and tucks here and there might be a good idea.
Brown bag it for lunch for one week ... try taking public transportation or carpooling ... go for drip coffee instead of a cappuccino.
Tiny, painless changes will help your wallet get bigger and healthier.

 Some of our readers today have been in:
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Newbury, England, United kingdom
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Candiac, Quebec, Canada
Bucharest, Bucuresti, Romania
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Newcastle, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Lima, Lima, Peru
Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Makati, Manila, Philippines
Jakarta, Jakarta, Raya, Indonesia
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Ashod, Hamerkaz, Israel
Quezon City, Manila, Philippines
Delhi, Delhi, India
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
San Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
Georgetown, Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Cork, Cork, Ireland

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 Falmouth, Geneseo, Hilton Head, Moravian Falls and more!

Today is:

Today is Tuesday, November 29, the 333rd day of 2011.

There are 32 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

There isn't one.

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

Tuneful Tuesday

Have You Ever Seen The Rain? by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Today's Physics Lesson

The following  theorem can now be supported using some basic physics and two well known propositions, namely :

Knowledge is Power.
Time is Money.

As every physicist knows, Power = Work/Time.
Therefore,  Knowledge = Power = Work / Time = Work / Money, or
Money = Work / Knowledge

Thus for any given amount of work, as Knowledge approaches zero, Money goes to infinity (the executives). And conversely, as Knowledge gets larger, Money gets smaller (scientists and academics). QED

Night Owl or Morning People?

Who's Smarter

Early birds may catch the worm, but night owls have higher IQs. Hey, don't take my word for it - it's been proven, you know, by science:

Research examining various psychological correlates of circadian type (also known as diurnal preference) has been, over the years, quite expansive. A notable omission within this research program would appear a systematic exploration of the relation between intelligence and morningness–eveningness. The present study redressed this imbalance. 420 participants performed two self-report inventories assessing circadian type, as well as measures of intelligence from two psychometric batteries: CAM-IV and the ASVAB. The results indicate that, contrary to conventional folk wisdom, evening-types are more likely to have higher intelligence scores. This result is discussed in relation to current theories concerning the nature of human cognitive abilities.

The 1999 study: Morningness-eveningness and intelligence: early to bed, early to rise will likely make you anything but wise! by Roberts RD and Kyllonen PC, Dept. of Psychology, University of Sydney, Australia

Biggest brain myths busted

5 biggest brain myths busted

It’s often said that we use only 10% of our brain, but imaging studies show a different picture.  

 Left vs. right brain 

Also: 

• Melt away life stress
• Science of six-pack abs
• Medication vs. therapy

Stradivarius Redeux

Stradivarius violin 'replicated'

A US-based radiologist "recreates" a 307-year-old Stradivarius violin in a move that may benefit music students.

• What makes the Strad so special?
• The 3D printing revolution rolls on

World's best cities to live in

World's best and worst cities to live in

A European capital nabs the top spot in a global survey of 200 metropolitan areas. 

  Who's at bottom 

Also: 

• Great winter travel spots
• Swiss ski resorts' woes
• Effects of AA bankruptcy

The truth be told

Did you know ...

Spreading social capitalism is as American as apple pie.

Civil rights leaders support #occupywallstreet, and it's driving faux news off the deep end.

Has #occupywallstreet revealed America to be a full blown military state?

A primer: How not to create jobs!

Crabby Road

What your trash becomes

Surprising places your trash ends up

That plastic you tossed in the recycling bin could end up keeping you warm this winter. 

  Footballs made out of what? 

Also: 

• High fashion from trash
• Snowboard 'junkyard' fad
• Coffee a sewage red flag

Holiday safety must-dos

Holiday decorating safety checklist

Nearly 18,000 people end up in ERs after falling while preparing their homes for the season.

  Avoid this 

Also: 

• Most bizarre ornaments
• Fresh menorah designs
• Party etiquette primer

Clean your house in an hour

Clean your house in less than an hour

The key is to devise a system that allows you to move fast and never backtrack.

  Scrub your bathroom in 9 minutes 

Also: 

• Make your pots sparkle
• Organize holiday decor
• New uses for old things

Twenty unusual uses for coffee

20 unusual uses for coffee

Put a bowl of fresh, unused grounds inside your refrigerator to absorb any foul odors. 

  Fix wood furniture scratches 

Also: 

• Tips to waste less food
• Save on heating bills
• Greener holiday travel

Eateries worth traveling to

Restaurants to try before you die

These culinary destinations around the world include Michelin-star splurges and street food.  

 Tokyo vs. Paris 

Also: 

• Best cookbooks of 2011
• How chefs lose weight
• A week of dinner ideas

Culinary DeLites

What to cook every night this week

It takes 20 minutes to make this fresh chicken dish with cherry-ginger chutney. 

  Easy vegetable frittata 

Also: 

• 30-minutes-or-less meals
• Improve frozen veggies
• No-fail roasted chicken

The Truth Hurts

Coping with losing a job

Strategies for surviving a job loss

Paying off your debt may not be the smartest move when you've become unemployed.

  Best places to network 

Also: 

• Economic insecurity soars
• Few jobs at new data site
• Recession prediction

How to earn $100 an hour

Secrets to boosting pay to $100 an hour

Specialization is the key to commanding top dollar for your work, experts say.

  Why charging per-project can pay off 

Also: 

• Make more at your job
• Unique gigs on the side
• Best retailers to work for

Capitalism Explained

Man wages war with Chick-fil-A

Man digs in for battle against Chick-fil-A

An artist refuses to back down after his home business spurs a warning from the fast-food chain.

  'David versus Goliath' 

Also: 

• Politician's $177 bagel
• Colonel Sanders's secrets
• Christmas billboard yanked

American files for bankruptcy

American Airlines files for bankruptcy

The only big airline to avoid bankruptcy after the 2001 terror attacks seeks to unload massive debt.

  Likely impact 

Also: 

• iPhone explodes midflight
• Cop stops plane scuffle
• Govt. planes lack oversight

What hurts your credit score

Unexpected things that lower your credit

Unpaid gym dues and library late fees can be a rude surprise on your credit report.  

 Which cards to cancel 

Also: 

• What credit can’t buy
• Debit card secrets
• Steps after identity theft

Ziggy

Where exiled royals wind up

Exiled royals who lead normal lives in U.S.

Members of former ruling families often settle for regular jobs that don't require a crown.

  Ex-princess is a loan officer 

Also: 

• William's copter rescue
• Man insults Thai queen
• Prince blasts wind farms

Josef Stalin's daughter dies

Only daughter of Josef Stalin dies

Lana Peters became a best-selling author for her 1963 memoir about life in Russia.

  Choice that sparked furor 

Also: 

• Putin's warning to West
• Relic draws huge crowd
• Praise for Prince William

RFK gunman's new claims

RFK shooter's provocative new claims

Lawyers for Sirhan Sirhan say the bullet that killed Robert Kennedy didn't come from his gun.  

 Victim of 'mind-control' 

Also: 

• Former JFK worker sues
• 'Lost' assassination tapes
• See first ladies' gowns

Van der Sloot sues for $10 mil

From the "You've got to be kidding" Department:

Van der Sloot sues victim's dad, authorities

The man suspected of killing Natalee Holloway and Stephany Flores seeks a $10 million payday.  

 His claims 

Also: 

• Murder trial date set
• Aruba suspect gets break
• $2.5 mil for anthrax death

Police Arrest Man Despite His Excellent "Fighting Is What Redneck People Do" Excuse

Although one might think that it would be an ironclad legal defense, police in Martin County, Florida nonetheless arrested a man for getting drunk, shooting his lawnmower in his front yard, and then fighting with his son:

After being cuffed and placed in a cruiser, Wach asked why he was being arrested, according to a Martin County Sheriff’s Office report. After being provided with an explanation by a deputy, Wach claimed that he “shoots in the yard all the time.”
And, as for fighting with his 18-year-old son, Wach remarked that, “fighting is what redneck people do.”

Full Story

OK, if you say so

Emails banned at company

Company implements 'zero email' policy

A technology firm believes 90 percent of the messages that employees receive aren't useful.  

 How they'll communicate 

Also: 

• Facebook settles with FTC
• How to email large files
• 'Cyber Monday' sales rise

Facebook settles charges

Facebook settles deception charges

The FTC claimed the site didn't keep users' information private as promised.  

 Zuckerberg admits 'bunch of mistakes' 

Also: 

• Huge IPO coming soon?
• Web aids Egypt elections
• Twitter's Android plans

European Commission going after Facebook for selling users information

The European Commission plans to put a stop to the way Facebook gathers information about its users, including their political opinions, religious beliefs, whereabouts and sexual preferences, and how the social network sells that information for commercial purposes. A new EC Directive aims to ban targeted advertising unless users specifically allow it, and to amend the current European data protection laws to ensure consistency in how offending sites are dealt with across the EU. If the European Commission has its way, Facebook would suffer big losses in advertising dollars that fund its site, which would further damage the company's plans to go public next year. Facebook has defended itself, claiming its advertisers target wide demographics like age and location, rather than specific individuals. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company denies outright that it misuses or mishandles user information.

Full Story

B.C.

Name This Octopus

Smithsonian's National Zoo has a feisty new grapefruit-sized octopus that is lacking a name. And the zoo wants your help.  

Read more 

Wandering wolf rattles nerves

Wandering wolf triggers media sensation

Sightings of a creature named "OR-7" rattle nerves and inspire an unusual campaign.  

 'It was such a huge animal' 

Also: 

• Tracking pets by GPS
• Cattle rustling comeback
• Missing parrot sings opera

Dog-Breeding Gone Wrong

The Bulldog

Bulldogs sure are endearing, and bulldog lovers may love their pets to death, literaly. You see, bulldogs are bred to look that way, and the lengths that people are willing to go to get that cute look is killing the breed:

“It is the most extreme example of genetic manipulation in the dog-breeding world that results in congenital and hereditary problems,” Pacelle said.
Brenda Bonnett, a consulting veterinary epidemiologist and a speaker at the conference, outlined the results of her study of Swedish dog-insurance data from 1995 to 2006. She told conference attendees that bulldogs are significantly more likely than other dogs to suffer from a wide range of health issues, including ear and eye problems, skin infections, respiratory issues, immunological and neurological problems and locomotor challenges.

Can the bulldog be saved? Benoit Denizet-Lewis wrote an interesting article for The New York Times Magazine about how the bulldog breed can redesigned ... and whether we should do so: here.

Man forced to choose prison or death of pet dog

For residents of Ashgabat, capital of one of the world's most bizarre dictatorships, taking the dog for a walk has become a dangerous pastime. Earlier this month, a pet-lover was walking his dog through the streets of Turkmenistan's capital late one evening, when he was suddenly surrounded by police, pushed to the ground, and dragged off to the local police station.

According to police, the cortège of the country's leader, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, had been speeding along a nearby boulevard, which in Turkmenistan means that the streets are cleared of cars and people for several blocks around.

The unfortunate dog-walker had strayed into a restricted area, and the police soon told him that an order had come from the top – either they could shoot the dog, or the man would have to go to prison for two weeks. Unable to pronounce the death sentence on his pet, the man agreed to prison.

The story, which was recounted on an independent website run by Turkmen émigrés, is hard to verify, as there are no free media in the country. But the incident would fit with an apparent pathological hatred of household pets on the part of Mr Berdymukhamedov.

Animal Pictures