The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Spend the morning delving into those deep, dark, potentially treasure-filled waters of 'why are we here' and 'how can I fulfill my calling as a human being.'
In the late afternoon, you switch gears.
Something comes up that requires pragmatic action.
Since you switch gears as quickly and smoothly as a luxury sports car, you immediately get started taking said pragmatic action.
To your surprise, you might find a few of the answers to the questions you were posing in the morning.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Algiers, Alger, Algeria

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Balikapapn, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Munich, Bayern, Germany

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Delhi, Delhi, India

London, England, United Kingdom

Swindon, England, United Kingdom

Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia

Santander, Cantabria, Spain

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Alcala De Henares, Madrid, Spain

as well as Scotland, China and in cities across the United States such as Valdez, Foster City, Salem, Charlotte and more.

Today is:

Today is Wednesday, September 15, the 258th day of 2010.

There are 107 days left in the year.

Today In History September 15

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

Felt Hat Day

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Burning Man Ultramarathon

With outfits ranging from skimpy to salacious, some 30 bleary-eyed runners completed the first-ever Burning Man Ultramarathon, proving that arid weather and late-night parties weren’t enough to derail even the most dedicated Burner athletes from slogging 30 miles through sand, sun and dust.
After months of planning, organizer Cherie Yanek and 36 other competitors kicked off the race at 5 am on September 1. Temperatures hovered around 50 degrees and onlookers included party-goers who hadn’t yet called it a night. There were no dust storms — a frequent concern during the annual gathering at Black Rock City — though temperatures did climb roughly 40 degrees by the time the final runner crossed the finish line shortly after 12:30 pm.

The Fast and the Flashy at Burning Man Ultramarathon

Autumn Superfoods

Thanksgiving foods you should eat now

Nutrient-rich cranberries and pumpkins are available well before late November.  

Eight more superfoods for autumn 

Also: 

• Sweet-potato recipes
• Easy veggie side dishes
• How to love leftovers

Foodie Nirvana

Best U.S. towns for the food-obsessed

The top-ranked spot is a fraction of the size of New York or San Francisco.  

Why foodies should seek it out 

Also: 

• Top U.S. restaurants
• Mario Batali's rules and tips
• Best films about food

Sleep-stealing foods to watch out for

Sleep-stealing foods to watch out for

Caffeine isn't the only thing that will keep you from getting a full night's rest.  

Milk chocolate, some cheeses, too 

Also: 

• Keys to a restful bedroom
• Common sleep disorders
• Pro-napping workplaces

We yawn because we care

How contagious is yawning? Enough that I'm yawning right now just from writing about it. Admittedly, I'd never given it much thought, but I always kind of assumed that contagious yawning—that tendency to pick up a yawn from the people around you and pass it on like the evil videotape in The Ring—was something all humans were susceptible to.
But that seems to be over-generalizing a bit. Everybody spontaneously yawns. Even fetuses. And around 40-60% of us will yawn if someone else around us yawns. But that's neurotypical adults.
There's a growing collection of research showing that very young children, and people with autism spectrum disorders, don't succumb to contagious yawning. In fact, contagious yawning is currently thought to be related to the development of empathy and the ability to distinguish our own mental states from those of others. One study, done in 2007, even found that psychology students—who presumably spend a lot more time than average thinking about other people's mental states—were more susceptible to contagious yawning than engineering students.
Oh, and yawning, in general? Yeah, nobody really knows why we do that.

South Carolina erects monument to Hootie and the Blowfish

South Carolina erects monument to Hootie and the Blowfish

Hootie & The Blowfish is getting a monument in South Carolina's capital city. 

The State newspaper reported that a large steel and black granite art piece will be unveiled in October.

How to get a college degree debt-free

How to get a college degree debt-free

Zac Bissonnette graduated from a top school without loans, scholarships, or family money.  

'No excuses' mentality 

Also: 

• 8 ways to save in college
• Where recruiters hire most
• Best-value colleges

What happens to your car at 100,000 miles

What happens to your car at 100,000 miles

It used to be a huge red flag when your automobile's mileage hit six figures.  

Means something very different now 

Also: 

• Outdated oil change rule
• 10 cars mechanics hate
• 1 million mile cars

Where to buy a home for $800 a month

Where to buy a home for $800 a month

Housing hasn't been this cheap since the 1970s, especially in these bargain cities. 

Stretch your real-estate dollars 

Also: 

• Best retirement havens
• 10 non-traditional homes
• Affordable U.S. cities

Unlikely spot to get fastest Internet

Full story

Chattanooga's city-owned electrical utility has started offering an Internet service that is among the fastest in the world, and it is hoping the move will attract businesses looking to relocate.

It has finally happened ...

Ignoring Unemployment

The truth be told

And this is a bad thing, how?

The destruction of the repugican party can only be a good thing for the entire world much less the United States.

Burial at Sea

Sea Burial Botched As Man's Body Resurfaces

Authorities suspected foul play when the body of a North Carolina man surfaced near a South Florida beach.

Bad Cops

Bad Cops

Pennsylvania police officer arrested for stealing more than $22,000

No jail time for Minnesota cop who fled the scene of an accident and falsely reported a crime

Idaho deputy is arrested on domestic violence charges

Veteran Ohio cop is charged with hit-and-run

North Carolina cops want quick easy warrant-free access to computerized pharmacy records

Washington jailer charged with on-duty voyeurism

Georgia deputy is charged with battery

Almighty Supremeborn Allah Busted for Cocaine

Full story

"Almighty Supremeborn Allah," was busted with $2,000 worth of coke on the aptly named "High Street," police said.

Man accused of using BB gun to force teenager to exercise apologizes

A Leesburg man, who apparently usually wears a hat, accused of using a BB gun to motivate a teenager during football drills in blistering heat said on Monday he's sorry and that the incident was a misunderstanding. Robert Lynn Barker, 41, left his family home and was forced to cut off all contact with his stepson after he was arrested on Saturday on a child-abuse charge. He said that he would never hurt the boy he raised from infancy. "I didn't mean for this to get out of hand," a tearful Barker said. "I'm sorry if I did something wrong. Maybe I was a little over-zealous. I'm sorry."

On Saturday, the teen began to feel numb and dizzy during a Tavares youth football game and was benched to rest, a Lake County sheriff's report said. Barker said he decided to take his stepson home after he complained of side pain and that the boy soon felt better. When they got home, Barker told the teen he needed more conditioning so he set up cones about 20 yards apart in the front yard of their home. He made the boy run sprints in his football gear using the BB gun to signal the beginning of the drill, he said. It was 91 degrees with a heat index of 107 on Saturday, a deputy said in a report.

Barker, a former football player, said the sprints would help alleviate the athlete's pain, which he said was likely caused by a lack of conditioning. An anonymous caller heard the gun and called deputies, who appeared on the scene after the boy already had taken a cold shower. Barker was charged with one count of child abuse and one count of aggravated assault with a weapon. He bonded out of the Lake County jail on Sunday.

As a condition of his release, he cannot have any contact with the youth. "I'm not a perfect father and I don't know anybody who is," Barker said. "I didn't mean to do anything wrong. It all got blown out of proportion." The teenager told deputies he feared Barker would use the weapon on him. His stepfather denied that, saying he never pointed the weapon at the boy. Barker has an upcoming court date in October.

Ziggy

Who was the man behind this amazing Roman mask?

Who was the man behind this amazing Roman mask? Helmet unearthed by metal detector expected to fetch £300,000

A Roman bronze helmet complete with face-mask - thought to be one of only three of its kind to be found in Britain - has been discovered by a metal detector enthusiast in Cumbria.
The helmet, with its enigmatic and virtually intact features, would have been worn, possibly with colorful streamers attached to the object, as a mark of excellence by Roman soldiers at cavalry sport parades.
Described as a 'hugely important discovery', it is now expected to fetch £300,000 at Christie's Antiquities auction in London.

A 'hugely important discovery': The Roman bronze helmet complete with face-mask was found at Crosby Garrett in Cumbria by a metal-detector enthusiast.

Full Story