The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

Perfection is simply not possible -- not for anyone.
Keep chanting this to yourself when you feel like you're not doing a perfect job, and remind yourself that all is required of you is that you do your best.
No more.
You cannot hit a home run every time at bat, so why are you holding yourself to impossible standards?
If you are down right now, that doesn't mean you have to stay down.
Your successes are not based on luck -- they are based on your abilities.
You are able.

 Some of our readers today have been in:
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Candiac, Quebec, Canada
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Red Deer Alberta, Canada
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
Paris, Ile-De-France France
Sofia, Sofiya, Bulgaria
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands
Hemel Hempstead, England, United Kingdom
Cairo, Al Qaihra, Egypt
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and Muara, Brunei Darussalam
Ashdod, Hamerkaz, Israel
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Delhi, Delhi, India
Vienna, Wien, Austria
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia
San Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Crawley, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Rio De Janiero, Rio De Janiero, Brazil

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 Bellingham, Boyne City, Harlingen, Sylva and more!

Today is:

Today is Wednesday, November 30, the 334th day of 2011.

There are 31 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

National Meth Awareness Day.

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

Wondrous Wednesday

And I Quote

Pew: tea party seriously not liked, even in tea party run congressional districts

This is interesting news, and could be a bell-whether for the next election.

From Pew:

Since the 2010 midterm elections, the tea party has not only lost support nationwide, but also in the congressional districts represented by members of the house tea party caucus. And this year, the image of the repugican party has declined even more sharply in these repugican-controlled districts than across the country at large.

In the latest Pew Research Center survey, conducted Nov. 9-14, more Americans say they disagree (27%) than agree (20%) with the tea party movement. A year ago, in the wake of the sweeping repugican gains in the midterm elections, the balance of opinion was just the opposite: 27% agreed and 22% disagreed with the tea party. At both points, more than half offered no opinion.

Throughout the 2010 election cycle, agreement with the tea party far outweighed disagreement in the 60 House districts represented by members of the congressional tea party caucus. But as is the case nationwide, support has decreased significantly over the past year; now about as many people living in tea party districts disagree (23%) as agree (25%) with the tea party.

Check out the rest of the polling. The repugicans are plummeting nationally, while Democats are holding their own. Even in tea party districts, voters now rate Ds and rs equally in terms of favorability. No wonder Boehner and Cantor pretty much shut up two months ago, you never hear from them anymore. They must have seen similar numbers privately, and realized that if they kept doing what they were doing, the end was nigh.

Two hundred arrested at Occupy L.A.

1,400 police officers storm Occupy L.A.

In a massive show of force, the LAPD drives protesters from the park and arrests more than 200.  

 Little violence 

Also: 

• Philly protesters evicted
• SF mayor offers new site
• Can movement survive?

Frank and Ernest

The Man Who Busted the ‘Banksters’

The economy was tanking. Millions lost their jobs. Stocks were down. And since bankers seemed to be riding out the bad times better than anyone, the government appointed a commission to look into who was to blame for the crash. But this was 1933, and Ferdinand Pecora was chief counsel to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Banking and Currency.

Assigned to probe the causes of the 1929 crash, he led what became known as the “Pecora commission,” making front-page news when he called Charles Mitchell, the head of the largest bank in America, National City Bank (now Citibank), as his first witness. “Sunshine Charley” strode into the hearings with a good deal of contempt for both Pecora and his commission. Though shareholders had taken staggering losses on bank stocks, Mitchell admitted that he and his top officers had set aside millions of dollars from the bank in interest-free loans to themselves. Mitchell also revealed that despite making more than $1 million in bonuses in 1929, he had paid no taxes due to losses incurred from the sale of diminished National City stock—to his wife. Pecora revealed that National City had hidden bad loans by packaging them into securities and pawning them off to unwitting investors. By the time Mitchell’s testimony made the newspapers, he had been disgraced, his career had been ruined, and he would soon be forced into a million-dollar settlement of civil charges of tax evasion. “Mitchell,” said Senator Carter Glass of Virginia, “more than any 50 men is responsible for this stock crash.”

That was just the beginning. The proceedings became a “circus” and a media sensation. Read about how Pecora unearthed the dirty secrets of the banking industry that led to the Great Depression at Past Imperfect.

Central banks take action

Central banks move to aid global markets

The Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and others act to ease Europe's debt crisis.

  'Liquidity support' 

Also: 

• Ratings agencies criticized
• China cuts bank reserves
• U.S. adds 206,000 jobs

Stocks leap after banks act

Stocks leap after central banks act

Stocks soar in early trading after central banks move to avert a global credit crunch.  

 European markets climb, too 

Also: 

• Ratings agencies criticized
• China cuts bank reserves
• U.S. adds 206,000 jobs

Random Photos

Pet peeves of job interviewers

Top pet peeves of job interviewers

Acting like you’re enduring an interrogation can shut down an interview.

  One move that sparks distrust 

Also: 

• Job interview myths
• Find a low-stress job
• Words that ruin resumés

Creating jobs for middle class

A recipe for creating middle-class jobs

One state in the nation shows how you create good jobs for people who didn't go to college. 

Median pay of $17.30 an hour 

Also: 

• Meaning of middle class
• Americans more confident
• Tough time for boomers

The road to Happy

Should you quit your job in 2012?

Should you quit your job in 2012?

********************

 Here are ten questions to ask yourself as you consider making a job change in 2012:

1. Am I excited to go to work, most of the time?
2. Do I see a path to learn more and do more on this job over time, unfolding naturally from the work I'm doing now?
3. Do the people at my workplace, especially the managers, see what I'm capable of and tell me so?
4. Does the work I'm doing challenge me intellectually?
5. Am I earning what I should be, based on the work experience and training I've had?
6. Have I snagged two or three significant new resume bullets in 2011 (or was it another year of running in place)?
7. Am I ethically and philosophically aligned with the company and the people I work for?
8. Do my bosses recognize that I have a life outside of work - or am I constantly adjusting my personal life to suit their needs?
9. Am I solving interesting and important problems at work most of the time, or working below my ability because that's what the job requires?
10. When I think about what's working and what's not working in my life, do I put "my job" in the list of things (like friends and family) that build me up, versus the list of things that tear me down?

Dilbert

Medal of Honor soldier sues

Decorated soldier fights allegations

Sgt. Dakota Meyer sues a former employer shortly after receiving the Medal of Honor.  

 Retaliation? 

Also: 

• U.S. to vacate base
• War veteran arrested
• Protester struggles to talk

Denied a Job Because of Criminal Record

Is It Discrimination?

Got a criminal history and can't get a job? That's discrimination, according to Washington D.C. council member and ex-Mayor Marion Barry (he would say that now, wouldn't he?):

“The idea of the criminal justice system is, they send you to jail for rehabilitation and punishment, and once you have served your time, it seems to me, your debt has been paid to society,” said Barry, who has had several run-ins with the law, including a 1990 conviction for misdemeanor drug possession.
In recent years, as officials have grappled with the city’s unemployment rate of nearly 12 percent, Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) and the council have pledged to reexamine the treatment of ex-offenders trying to reenter the workforce.
As Barry noted, about 10 percent of D.C. residents have a criminal record. People with such records, advocates and city leaders say, are far less likely to be hired — which is one reason the jobless rate exceeds 20 percent in Ward 8.
If Barry’s legislation is adopted, an employer would be allowed to inquire about a criminal record only after a “conditional (job) offer” has been made. If an employer rescinds the offer based on a past arrest, he would have to submit documentation explaining why the applicant could not work in that job.

Full Story

Crabby Road

The Death of the Fringe Suburb

Drive through any number of outer-ring suburbs in America, and you’ll see boarded-up and vacant strip malls, surrounded by vast seas of empty parking spaces.

These forlorn monuments to the real estate crash are not going to come back to life, even when the economy recovers.

 Full Story

Ziggy

Free shipping now costs more

The rising cost of free shipping

Retailers are raising their minimums, a move that often encourages more spending.

  Shoppers' best defense 

Also: 

• Price adjustments primer
• Avoid online scams
• Steps after identity theft

Awesome Pictures

Myths about colds and flus

Myths about colds and flus

Many of the things people do to purge their homes of germs won't help.  

 Use this instead of antibacterial soap 

Also: 

• When to take vitamin D
• Tips to digest better
• Reduce holiday stress

Kidnapper sues former hostages

A man who held a Kansas couple hostage in their home while fleeing from authorities is suing them, claiming that they broke an oral contract made when he promised them money in exchange for hiding him from police.

 Full Story

Public Transportation

Andrew Harding had to take a picture during a 5AM train ride in Chicago, or no one would believe what he saw. 

It makes sense when you realize the photo was taken on October 30th.  

Full Story

Daily Comic Relief

Burger King revamps fries

Burger King unveils new french fries

Competition from rivals drives the chain to reinvent a key menu item for the first time in years. 

Added special coating 

Also: 

• Fad on fast-food menus
• Chick-fil-A battles farmer
• Prices rise, customers bite

Mashed potato decadence

What's missing in your mashed potatoes?

It's hard to imagine your go-to recipe tastes better than Chef Fabio's comfort food creation.  

 Decadent ingredients 

Also: 

• Get the potato recipe
• Top pasta tricks
• Easy roasted chicken

Bacteria in bagged salads

How clean are bagged salads really?

The greens may not be nearly as clean as the "triple-washed" and "pre-washed" labels suggest.  

 How to treat them 

Also: 

• Lower your food waste
• Seven dirtiest surfaces
• Gourmet grilled cheese

Weekly fish lowers Alzheimer's risk

People who eat baked or grilled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

 Full Story

Only one brother survives after three suffer heart attacks on same day

Two Italian brothers suffered fatal heart attacks on the same day, while a third was left fighting for his life. The bizarre incident happened as Guido Garofalo, 45 and his older brother Alberto, 53, were on a picnic with their wives and children. First to have a heart attack was Guido who collapsed to the ground in front of the horrified group and as his brother tried to save him, he too grabbed at his chest.

Paramedics were immediately called to the scene at Pianeta di Nicolosi on the slopes of Mt Etna near Catania on the island of Sicily but both were declared dead by the helicopter crew that had arrived to help. The terrible coincidence then continued as it emerged at the same time a third brother, Salvatore, whose age is not known, suffered a heart attack as he visited their mother in hospital. Doctors and nurses rushed to help him and he is now recovering in the intensive care unit with staff saying the fact he was in hospital when he had the attack had "probably saved his life." He has not been informed of his brothers' death and a sister who lives in Rome and who is known to suffer from a heart condition has also not been told.

Dr Thekia Maurhoff, of the Garibaldi hospital in Catania, said: "All three cases are being investigated – it is quite unique and I have never heard of anything similar like this happening three heart attacks in three brothers all at the same time. From initial checks it would appear that all three brothers suffered from a heart condition and this lead to them all suffering attacks, virtually at the same time and in two cases they proved to be fatal.

"Salvatore is currently in a stable condition in the intensive care unit of the hospital and his condition is being closely monitored but the fact he was in hospital at the time certainly helped save his life." Professor Filippo Crea, an expert at the cardiology unit of Rome's Cattolica University, said: "Genetic factors almost certainly played a part in this tragic event as heart attacks in those aged under 60 are usually caused for those reasons."

A Bar Joke

A "C," an "E-flat," and a "G" go into a bar. The bartender says: "Sorry, but we don't serve minors."

So the E-flat leaves, and the C and the G have an open fifth between them. After a few drinks, the fifth is diminished and the G is out flat. An F comes in and tries to augment the situation, but is not sharp enough.

A D comes into the bar and heads straight for the bathroom saying, "Excuse me. I'll just be a second."

Then an A comes into the bar, but the bartender is not convinced that this relative of C is not a minor.

Then the bartender notices a B-flat hiding at the end of the bar and exclaims, "Get out now. You're the seventh minor I've found in this bar tonight."

The E-flat, not easily deflated, comes back to the bar the next night in a 3-piece suit with nicely shined shoes. The bartender (who used to have a nice corporate job until his company downsized) says, "You're looking sharp tonight, come on in! This could be a major development." This proves to be the case, as the E-flat takes off the suit, and everything else, and stands there au natural.

Eventually, the C sobers up, and realizes in horror that he's under a rest. The C is brought to trial, is found guilty of contributing to the diminution of a minor, and is sentenced to 10 years of DS without Coda at an upscale correctional facility.

On appeal, however, the C is found innocent of any wrongdoing, even accidental, and that all accusations to the contrary are bassless. The bartender decides, however, that since he's only had tenor so patrons, with the sopranout in the bathroom, and everything has become alto much treble, he needs a rest, and closes the bar.

Secret to a smoother robot

The secret to a smarter, smoother robot

Researchers have figured out a way to turn "moving like a robot" into a compliment. 

 Watch PR2 in action 

Also: 

• Flexible robot tested
• Pillow wakes snorers
• Ocean robots on journey

NY historic site's skeletons still hold mystery

They ranged in age from 20 to 45, stood between just over 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, and most of them were male and intact, except for the one missing its skull.

 Full Story

B.C.

Bloodsuckers

The mere mention of the Internal Revenue Service is enough to make most people squirm, but now some of the agency's own employees are feeling queasy after discovering bedbugs in their office.

 Bedbugs found in Seattle IRS offices

Tax Office Snakes

No, not the self-important bureaucrat kind, the other kind, you know the ones that actually slither ...

Two farmers fed up with corruption emptied three bags of snakes in a busy tax office in northern India. Officials in Uttar Pradesh State had allegedly been withholding tax records to extract bribes.

An official says two farmers fed up with bribery demands emptied three bags filled with slithering snakes in a busy tax office in northern India.

Bags of snakes dumped in tax office

Ringling Bros. Circus Fined Record Amount By USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has slapped the parent company of the "Greatest Show on Earth" with a record penalty for animal rights violations.

 Full Story

Animal Pictures