CAROLINA NATURALLY

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Pause and remember some words you uttered not too long ago.
Fast forward a little bit and review the effects of those hastily spoken sentences.
Your impatience isn't benefiting a complicated relationship, one that needs a little more time and TLC in order to truly blossom into its full potential.
Beating yourself up won't help -- forgive yourself and move on.
Resolve to communicate, and you've got a chance to start over.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Sidney, British Columbia, Canada

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Santander, Cantabria, Spain

London, England, United Kingdom

Oldenburg, Neidersachsen, Germany

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia

Munich, Bayern, Germany

as well as France and in cities across the United States such as Coalinga, Gowrie, Hixson, Indianapolis and more.

Today is:

Today is Thursday, September 9, the 252nd day of 2010.

There are 113 days left in the year.

Today In History September 9

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

Wonderful Weirdos Day

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Odd News

Earl helps uncover historic records

Earl may have not packed a very powerful punch, but he can get the credit for an unexpected and valuable discovery in Providence that dates back to the 18th century.

Archive finds stock share from 1606

An archive in the Netherlands has uncovered what it says is the oldest known share of stock in a company.

Lost in Translation

Many Army translators' skills said to be fake

A U.S. company is accused of sending unqualified interpreters to Afghanistan.

Lawsuit sparks fraud investigation

Also:

Pirates vs Marines ... You know how this one turned out.

Marines foil pirates in dramatic encounter

U.S. commandos seize control of a pirate-held ship and nine prisoners — without firing a shot.

'Air and sea' raid

Also:

Bad Cops

Bad Cops

Pennsylvania police Taser man trying to save pets from house fire

Analysis: Taser-related deaths in US accelerating

Off-duty Virginia police officer charged with assault

Florida police officer is arrested on battery charges

South Carolina cop is arrested for criminal domestic violence

ACLU demands investigation of excessive force, false arrests and other abuses by Newark police

World's Top Dealer in Endangered Animals Snagged

Anson Wong spent years running a global network of illegal wildlife trafficking. He smuggled contraband such as Sumatran rhino horns, panda and snow leopard fur, and live endangered species across borders for those who paid premium prices.

Wong previously served five years in U.S. prison, after being nabbed by an extraordinary international undercover investigation by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service called Operation Chameleon, considered one of the most successful in history. [You can read about this extraordinary sting operation in last January's National Geographic, in writer Bryan Christy's story, 'The Kingpin".] But Wong’s wife continued to operate the smuggling network while her husband was in prison, and Wong returned to Penang in 2003 to resume his criminal activities. “Nothing can be done to me,” Wong boasted then to an undercover agent. “I could sell a panda — and, nothing. As long as I’m here, I’m safe.”
He was caught this time by an alert airline security officer [Hear! Hear!] who noticed the broken lock on his luggage, and found it to be full of 95 boa constrictors.

The good news is that traffickers are no longer safe from prosecution in Malaysia. Wong was convicted by Malaysian court this week under a new law designed to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade.

Full Story

I Wanna Be Like You

Cool Jazz

'All-natural' syrup it ain't

Vermonters say 'all-natural' syrup is fake

State officials cry foul over a concoction that's being marketed as maple syrup.

Contains caramel color, xanthan gum

Also:

What to eat to be beautiful

7 foods that help you look beautiful

Superfoods like avocados and sweet potatoes can help fight wrinkles.

Veggie with more vitamin C than citrus

Also;

Things They Won't Tell You

Things They Won't Tell You

What chefs won't order when they eat out

A survey reveals which dishes they skip, their favorite fast-food chain, and more.

Secrets from restaurant kitchens

Also:

Restaurant says "no" to screaming children

A restaurant in Carolina Beach is stirring up controversy over a couple of signs reading, "Screaming children will not be tolerated." The owner of the Olde Salty restaurant, Brenda Armes, is tired of having her customers complain to her about children misbehaving and screaming when others are trying to enjoy a quiet meal.

Armes says the signs have worked. "It has been a good thing for us," Armes said. "It has brought us in more customers than it has ever kept away."

Gary Gibson was dining at the restaurant for the first time and agrees with Armes. "It's not very enjoyable when you hear a bunch of kids screaming. It's nice to see a sign like that up," Gibson said. While many are for the rule, some families are against it.

"I've never seen a restaurant say, don't bring your screaming kids in here," said Ashley Heflin, who is a mom of two. "You can't help it if your kids scream." Armes says that if a child is screaming, a restaurant employee will ask the parent to take them outside to calm down. They will not be asked to leave the restaurant for good. "We want to attract the type of people that come in knowing they aren't going to have to sit behind a table with a bunch of screaming children," Armes said.

Ziggy

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20100909/largeimagezi100909.gif

Accusations of child witchcraft on the rise in Africa

This is so wrong:

Child witchcraft allegations are increasing in parts of Africa, as thousands of children have been attacked, beaten or killed, according to a new report.
The accused children are mostly boys, ages 8 to 14 — with orphans, street children, albinos, and disabled as the most at risk, said the United Nations Children’s Fund in its report.
The accused children often suffer from extreme physical or psychological violence as a result of being branded a “child witch,” the report said.

Accusations of child witchcraft on the rise in Africa

Five Worries Parents Should Drop, And Five They Shouldn’t

According to a survey conducted by Christie Barnes, author of the top 5 things parents are worried about:

1. Kidnapping
2. School snipers
3. Terrorists
4. Dangerous strangers
5. Drugs

And the top 5 ways kids actually get hurt:

1. Car accidents
2. Homicide (usually committed by a person who knows the child, not a stranger)
3. Abuse
4. Suicide
5. Drowning

5 Worries Parents Should Drop, And 5 They Shouldn’t

In Matters Of Health

In Matters Of Health

Health insurers plan rate hikes

Companies blame Congress' landmark health care legislation for the expected rise in premiums.

Who's affected

Also:

And pure unadulterated greed has absolutely nothing to do with it, huh?

Gulf Doctors Advised to Learn to Treat Oil-Related Illnesses

Photo via News One

Less dramatic than the fiery explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and the multiple month-spanning underwater oil geyser that followed it are many of the BP Gulf spill's side effects. And oil-related sicknesses are undoubtedly among the thorniest -- many fishermen-turned cleanup workers have already been afflicted by close contact with oil and the chemical dispersents used to combat it. But there will probably be many more. As such, "Health Effects of the Gulf Oil Spill", a paper recently published in the Journal of the American Medicine Association (JAMA), is advising physicians around the Gulf and beyond to learn to treat oil and dispersent-related sicknesses.

Article continues: Gulf Doctors Advised to Learn to Treat Oil-Related Illnesses