CAROLINA NATURALLY

Friday, December 17, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
After all the good work you've done lately, asking for that raise, bonus or promotion should be a piece of cake.
You're confident that you're earned it, but as usual, you're feeling a bit on the humble side and wondering why they haven't yet offered it to you.
Well, remember that old adage about the squeaky wheel getting the grease?
It's true.
Step right up, tell your superiors that you deserve this, and do it in a startling, sudden fashion.
They'll admire your tenacity.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Espoo, Southern Finland, Finland

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Toulouse, Midi-Pyrenees, France

Sittard, Limburg, Netherlands

Ekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk, Russia

Delhi, Dlehi, India

London, England, United Kingdom

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Bergen, Hordaland, Norway

Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam

Edithvale, Victoria, Australia

Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia

Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Santander, Cantabria, Spain

Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia

as well as Bulgaria, Israel, Austria, 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, Italy, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, Italy, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Morocco, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova and in cities across the United States such as Yerington, Brockway, Gallatin, Gretna and more.

Today is:

Today is Friday, December 17, the 351st day of 2010.

There are 14 days left in the year.

Today In History December 17

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

Wright Brother's Day

and

Underdog Day.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

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National Security Archive director on "Wikimania," and the dangers of demonizing WikiLeaks

Thomas Blanton, executive director of the National Security Archive, was among those who testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the aftermath of "Cablegate" and WikiLeaks. Blanton believes efforts to tighten secrecy and crack down on leakers and press will be "fundamentally self-defeating."

"There is more heat than light," Blanton stated, citing calls for broadening the Espionage Act and assassinating Wikileaks leader, Julian Assange. Hasty punitive reactions, he predicted, "will actually produce more leaks, more crackdowns, less accountable government, and diminished security." "History shows we end up doing more damage from the overreaction than from the original leak."

Chevron negotiated oil drilling contract with Iran

From the WikiLeaks File:

When you are confident that you're above the law, you don't care much about the law. If true, would this really surprise anyone?

The Guardian:

The US energy firm Chevron negotiated with Tehran about developing an Iraq-Iran cross-border oilfield in spite of tight US sanctions, according to the Iraqi prime minister in leaked diplomatic cables.

Nouri al-Maliki's claim, reported in the cables, that Chevron was in discussions with the Iranian government will raise eyebrows in Europe and other parts of the world where international companies have come under significant pressure from Washington to end investments and other financial dealings with Tehran.

Chevron declined to either confirm or deny that it had been in contact with Iran, and confined its reaction to a statement saying it had not done, and would not do, anything in violation of US law.

Cables show India accused of widespread, systematic torture in Kashmir

From the WikiLeaks File:

A new set of diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks tonight is parsed by The Guardian, and includes revelations that:

US diplomats in Delhi were briefed in 2005 by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) about the use of electrocution, beatings and sexual humiliation against hundreds of detainees. Other cables show that as recently as 2007 American diplomats were concerned about widespread human rights abuses by Indian security forces, who they said relied on torture for confessions. Other cables released tonight reveal that:
• The Dalai Lama has told US officials that combating climate change is more urgent than finding a political solution in Tibet, which "can wait five to 10 years".
• Rahul Gandhi, the crown prince of Indian politics, believes Hindu extremists pose a greater threat to his country than Muslim militants, according to the American ambassador to India.
• Five doctors were coerced by the Sri Lankan government to recant on casualty figures they gave to journalists in the last months of island's brutal civil war.

WikiLeaks cables: India accused of systematic use of torture in Kashmir

Winter Wonderland

Top remodeling trends for 2011

Instead of huge projects, owners will tackle smaller ones, such as zen-like bathrooms.

Opening up rooms, too

Also:

Roadside ploy distracts drivers

Ploy to slow Czech drivers turns heads

Roadside cutouts meant to curtail speeders wind up distracting them.

See the cardboard displays

Also:

The truth be told

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Economy's toll on Santa letters

Letters to Santa reflect tough economy

Many children sending wish lists to the North Pole this year aren't even asking for toys.

Grownups writing, too

Also:

Gold-dispensing ATM debuts

Gold-dispensing ATM debuts in the U.S.

An upscale Florida mall gets the country's first touchscreen kiosk selling coins and bars.

See how it works

Also:

Jindal's sand berms to block oil were a $200 million waste of money

A fiscal conservative, is he now?

The big set of sand barriers erected by Louisiana's governor to protect the coastline at the height of the Gulf oil spill was criticized by staff with the presidential spill commission Thursday as a colossal, $200 million waste of BP's money so far.

Hardly any oil ever reached the berms, government documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

Gov. Bobby Jindal, who pushed the venture over the objections of scientists and federal agencies, has strongly defended it. And despite the commission's scathing report, he plans to move ahead with the project, though with some changes to make it more beneficial.

Senators vote to ban earmarks - then grab them

More than two dozen senators, most repugicans, who recently voted to ban homestate projects are claiming hundreds of earmarks in an almost $1.3 trillion bill to fund most federal programs and agencies into next fall.

Full Story

Artist Got Grant Money for "Invisible" Art

What’s better than getting taxpayer-funded grant money for an art show? Getting that money for an invisible painting!

Polish artist Agnieszka Kurant got the Arts Council England grant for a show that included "a painting that hasn’t been painted yet".
Warsaw-based Kurant’s Snow Black exhibition also had "an invisible sculpture" and "a movie shot with no film in the camera".

Full Story