The Daily Drift

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Today in History

1484		Pope Innocent VIII issues a bill deploring the spread of witchcraft and heresy in Germany.
1776		Phi Beta Kappa is organized as the first American college Greek letter-fraternity, at William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Va.
1791		Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dies in Vienna.
1861		In the U.S. Congress, petitions and bills calling for the abolition of slavery are introduced.
1862		Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s cavalry receives a setback in an engagement on the Mississippi Central Railroad at Coffeeville, Mississippi.
1864		Confederate General John Bell Hood sends Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry and a division of infantry toward Murfreesboro, Tenn.
1904		The Japanese destroy a Russian fleet at Port Arthur in Korea.
1909		George Taylor makes the first manned glider flight in Australia in a glider that he designed himself.
1912		Italy, Austria and Germany renew the Triple Alliance for six years.
1916		David Lloyd George replaces Herbert Asquith as the British prime minister.
1921		The British empire reaches an accord with the Irish revolutionary group the Sinn Fein; Ireland is to become a free state.
1933		The 21st Amendment ends Prohibition in the United States, which had begun 13 years earlier.
1934		Italian and Ethiopian troops clash at the Ualual on disputed the Somali-Ethiopian border.
1936		The New Constitution in the Soviet Union promises universal suffrage, but the Communist Party remains the only legal political party.
1937		The Lindberghs arrive in New York on a holiday visit after a two-year voluntary exile.
1945		Four TBM Avenger bombers disappear approximately 100 miles off the coast of Florida.
1950		Pyongyang in Korea falls to the invading Chinese army.
1953		Italy and Yugoslavia agree to pull troops out of the disputed Trieste border.
1955		A bus boycott begins under the leadership of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Montgomery, Alabama.
1966		Comedian and political activist Dick Gregory heads for Hanoi, North Vietnam, despite federal warnings against it.
1978		The Soviet Union signs a 20-year friendship pact with Afghanistan.
1983		Military Junta dissolves in Argentina.
2006		Commodore Frank Bainimarama overthrows the government in Fiji.
2007		A gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle kills 8 people at Westroads Mall, Omaha, Neb., before taking his own life.

Falling In Love Is JUST Like Being High On Cocaine

by Denise Ngo

"Love is a drug" isn't just a saying.

If you're convinced that science only confirms the obvious, we've got some mind-boggling news for you. According to research conducted by Dr. Stephanie Ortigue, a professor at Syracuse University, love can actually occur at first sight — and it happens within a fifth of a second.
Ortigue explains that romantic feelings originate not in the heart, but in the brain, which reacts to romance as if it were influenced by cocaine. When you fall in love, twelve areas of the brain sync up to release "happy" chemicals like oxytocin, dopamine and adrenaline.
Like a love potion concocted by the brain itself, these chemicals induce feelings of euphoria in the brain's cognitive centers that manage metaphors, language comprehension, visual processing and body image. The whole process occurs faster than you can even blink.
To study what happens to people when they fall in love, Ortigue measured electrical activity among the brain cells of people who were shown the names and photographs of those they claimed to love passionately.
After seeing the pictures, the men and women's brains exhibited rapid activity in the areas associated with rewards, euphoria and drug use.
Although we aren't surprised at how the brain reacts to romance, the notion of instantaneous love is perplexing. For every guy we've crushed on instantly, there's been another who had to work pretty darn hard and for a pretty long time to win us over.
What about boyfriends who started out as platonic guy buddies? What about people we meet online? The process of falling in love with someone you meet on a dating site often unfolds over long periods of time, as it's difficult to gauge physical attraction before you meet in person.
Maybe the line between love at first sight and the love that grows over time lies at the point of realization. Sure, there are some guys we learned to love, but realizing we were attracted to them felt like an epiphany. The passion might have arrived long after the second we met, but the euphoria was just as striking.
Whatever the case, Ortigue's findings present major implications for heartbreak and mental health. Love may occur at first sight, but it takes ages to get over.
By knowing how the brain handles love, counselors and psychologists are better equipped to help clients understand their reactions to heartbreak. Her research may also contribute to new therapies for dealing with lost love.
Let's just hope those techniques don't veer into Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind territory.

This Museum Asks Visitors to Trade Their Selfie Sticks for Pencils and Paper

You’re at the Rijksmuseum, a world-renowned art and history museum in Amsterdam. Is it time to extend your selfie stick and take a picture of yourself?
The museum staff gently suggests that the answer is “no.” They want visitors to experience what they see in the museum instead of documenting their visits online. So the staff asks visitors to put away their cameras. Instead of taking pictures, visitors, who are given pencils and paper, should draw what they see. Like previous generations of artists, they should try to copy the famous works of art or even create their original pieces. You can see pictures from the museum’s efforts here.

Banshee's Wail

A spooky howl can be heard bellowing out across Manchester city center when it's windy. 

The mysterious sound is caused by the 169-metre high, 47-storey, Beetham Tower.
In 2012, architect Ian Simpson, who lives in an apartment at the top of the tower, publicly apologized.

YouTube link.

On several occasions, engineers have scaled the tower on Deansgate, which cost £150 million to build, to try and carry out repairs and modifications to reduce the din generated by its glass blade.

Saudi Arabia Is Obliterating Yemen

More than 5,700 people, including at least 2,577 civilians — 637 of them children — have been killed in the eight months Saudi Arabia has been bombing Yemen.

8 Ways the Super Wealthy Show Their Cruel Values and Desire to Destroy the Public's Safety Net

8 Ways the Super Wealthy Show Their Cruel Values and Desire to Destroy the Public's Safety Net

Our Ayn Randian Dystopia

Our Ayn Randian dystopia: Here’s the secret five-step plan to privatize everything

At the heart of privatization is a disdain for government and a love of mindless individualism.

Tennessee cult hid bathroom rape of 3-year-old, lied to parents and urged against prosecution

Family: Tennessee cult hid bathroom rape of 3-year-old, lied to parents and urged against prosecution

This Is Why Racist Wingnuts Really Hate The New Star Wars, And Why We Love It Even More

It’s a fantastic observation that will likely make racist wingnuts fly into a massive hissy fit.

Read more 

People’s Racist Internet Comments Are Being Put On Billboards Near Their Homes

This group is trolling online racists in the real world.
Read more 

Seattle-area rally to celebrate racist terrorism proves ‘white supremacists are feeling emboldened’

Seattle-area rally to celebrate racist terrorism proves ‘white supremacists are feeling emboldened’

The rally is an event known as “Martyr’s Day,” and the News-Tribune said that plans for the event include “a traditional cross burning and performances by white power bands.”

Colorado wingnut: Planned Parenthood is the ‘real culprit’ in the shooting

Colorado wingnut: Planned Parenthood is the ‘real culprit’ in the shooting

"The true instigator of this violence and all violence at any Planned Parenthood facility is Planned Parenthood themselves. Violence begets violence. So Planned Parenthood: YOU STOP THE VIOLENCE INSIDE YOUR WALLS."

Lunatic Fringe Religio-Wingnut 'Christian' Extremist Instructs Sycophants To Make Planned Parenthood Doctors ‘Afraid For Their Lives’

The American Taliban, fully supported by the Republican cabal.
Read more 

Here’s how lunatic fringe religio-wingnut 'christians' incited stochastic terrorism at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood

Here’s how lunatic fringe religio-wingnut 'christians' incited stochastic terrorism at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood

After months of verbal assault against Planned Parenthood and against women more broadly, Republican 'christianists' have gotten what they were asking for—bloodshed.

Watch O’Reilly Accidentally Admit His Violent Rhetoric Got An Abortion Doctor Killed

Oops.
Read more 

Planned Parenthood killer believed 'christ’s' forgiveness meant he could get away with anything

REVEALED: Planned Parenthood killer believed 'christ’s' forgiveness meant he could get away with anything

An ex-wife said in court documents that the 57-year-old believes that “as long as he’s saved” by jesus christ, “he can do whatever he pleases.”

The anti-choice delusion continues to justify murder

The anti-choice delusion continues to justify murder — even after Planned Parenthood killings

The mass shooting last week at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs has overturned the rock that anti-choice extremists hide underneath — sending them scurrying out into the light.

San Antonio man shoots neighbor in the head for parking in front of his house

San Antonio man shoots neighbor in the head for parking in front of his house

Driver charged in fatal hit-and-run incident said he doesn't have a license because he's blind

A man who police say fatally struck a 13-year-old girl with his vehicle in Michigan last month told police he didn't have a license because he is legally blind.
Hector Arroyo, 68, called police to report that he thought he struck a deer at around 7:25am on Oct. 28, while he was driving. Arroyo told Det. James Maltby, of the Eaton County Sheriff's Office he didn't stop because he didn't have a license.
He says that the Secretary of State had suspended it because he's "basically legally blind." Maltby added that the time frame and location matched up with the crash that killed Waverly High School ninth-grader Helina Dirba, 13, who was crossing near Meryl S. Colt Elementary School.

She died at a local hospital several days later. Arroyo is charged with involuntary homicide-manslaughter with a vehicle, driving while license suspended causing death and failure to stop at the scene of a crash causing injury or death. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 10 in Eaton County District Court. Arroyo faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Police Ripped Off More Stuff Than Burglars Did Last Year

Police Ripped Off More Stuff Than Burglars Did Last Year

Cops didn’t know this camera caught them deleting video of the murder of Laquan McDonald

Cops didn’t know this camera caught them deleting video of the murder of Laquan McDonald

Accused of deleting the surveillance video of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald’s death, several officers appeared in recently released screenshots tampering with Burger King’s computers before the footage mysteriously disappeared.

Quick Hits

Police chief's resignation spurs demands that Chicago cops' secret facility be closed

Chicago police chief ousted amid tensions over killing of Laquan McDonald

Georgia man suffering mental health crisis dies after getting repeatedly tasered by police

Texas Attorney General Paxton seeks dismissal of felony charges against him

Police union boss wants NFL to let off-duty cops carry guns at games to fight terrorists

Oldest Peach Pits Found in China

Oldest Peach Pits Found in China

The eight fossilized peach pits date back more than two and a half million years.

Amazing dinosaur discoveries that changed the world

Six amazing dinosaur discoveries that changed the world

Plant-Eating Dinos Hung Out at the Beach

Plant-Eating Dinos Hung Out at the Beach

The biggest dinosaur site ever found in Scotland reveals dinos spent a lot of their time hanging out at lagoons and beaches.

Do Crabs Feel Pain?

Do Crabs Feel Pain?

For hundreds of years, scientists thought animals couldn't feel pain, as we understand the word, and instead just reacted mechanically. Maybe they should have consulted a crab before reaching that conclusion.

Wild Dog?

Wild Dog? Could Be Part Wolf, Coyote or Jackal

Dog-jackal hybrids add to the growing body of evidence that dogs can breed with just about any type of wild canine and produce fertile offspring.

Tortoise Rescues Tortoise

The poor tortoise got himself high-centered on a rock. What can he do? He can’t get enough leverage on any side to walk himself off.

(YouTube link)

But a larger, and probably older and wiser, tortoise comes to save the day. Tortoises look out for their friends, after all. And a wise tortoise knows he might need to call in that favor someday.

Animal Pictures