The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Today, just putting your new ideas to work is almost more important than the quality of the ideas themselves.
It's all about newness and innovation right now; do not be afraid to take a few chances.
No one is watching you, and there will be no evaluations given, so you have nothing to lose.
You have free reign to feel your way around today and explore new places.
Step out of your comfort zone -- it is much too small and shrinking.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Moscow, Moskva, Russia
London, England, United Kingdom
Lille, Nord-Pas-De-Calais, France
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Quebec, Quebec, Canada
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
Sheffield, England, United Kingdom

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 Woodstock, Benton, Stockton, Hilo and more.

Today is:

Today is Sunday, February 27, the 58th day of 2011.

There are 307 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is: 

There isn't one.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Norwegian Wood

The Beatles

Obama says Gadhafi's time is up as Libya's leader

President Barack Obama dropped the careful condemnation, threats of consequences and the reminders to Moammar Gadhafi's regime about its responsibility to avoid violence.

Full Story

More:

Obama: It's time for Gadhafi to go

For the first time, the president drops his careful condemnation of the Libyan leader.

He 'needs to do what is right' 

Also: 

• U.N. imposes sanctions
• Tunisian PM resigns
• Rebels prepare for fight

U.N. imposes Libya sanctions

U.N. imposes sanctions on Libya

The Security Council orders an arms embargo and asset freeze on Gadhafi and his regime.  

Investigation ahead 

Also: 

• Caretaker government?
• Pro-Gadhafi gangs
• Italy sold arms to Libya

It's All Over for Maummar

Qaddafi’s Ukrainian Nurse Planning to Leave Libya

One of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s personal nurses is planning to leave Tripoli and return to her hometown in Ukraine, Kiev-based newspaper Segodyna reported, citing the woman’s daughter.

Galina Kolotnitskaya left home nine years ago to work in Libya, first at a hospital and then as part of Qaddafi’s personal staff, the newspaper reported.

“Mom got in touch with me yesterday,” Tatyana Kolotnitskaya, her daughter, was cited as saying. “She said she’s in Tripoli now. There’s shooting, fighting, basically everything they’re showing on the news. She was speaking in a calm voice and asked me not to worry, and said that soon she’ll be home.”

Tatyana Kolotnitskaya said she didn’t know whether her mother was still with Qaddafi, whose rule over the North African country is in doubt as units of his army defect to join protests.

Qaddafi “has other Ukrainian nurses. My mom is one of them. For some reason, he doesn’t trust Libyan women,” Kolotnitskaya was cited as saying.

Tunisian prime minister announces resignation

Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announces a national unity government in Tunis.

Full Story

One killed in Oman protests as police fire tear gas, rubber bullets in clashes with protesters

Omani security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters demanding political reforms on Sunday, killing at least one person in the strategic Gulf country, police officials said.

Full Story

China's internet censors don't like the smell of "Jasmine"

China's state Internet censors have ratcheted up web filters, and security officers are harassing and detaining bloggers and activists as an online appeal for a "Jasmine Revolution" spreads in China.

The apparent crackdown came in advance of two top legislative meetings, the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, scheduled for March. Censors blocked the word "jasmine" after overseas dissident-run news website Boxun and Chinese Twitter users broadcast calls on February 19 to mobilize street protests modeled on recent unrest in the Middle East, according to international news reports. (Twitter is generally blocked in China but accessible to users of proxy networks based overseas.) Only a handful of protesters appeared, although calls continued for government protests characterized as "strolls" to continue every Sunday around China, according to The Associated Press.

China detains, censors bloggers on 'Jasmine Revolution'

North Korea threatens to fire at South Korea

North Korea's military threatened Sunday to fire at South Korea, as Seoul prepared to start annual joint drills with U.S. troops, maneuvers Pyongyang says are a rehearsal for an invasion.

Full Story

Due to budget cutbacks

Odds and Sods

Talk about a sucker punch ...

They soon found out that their would-be victim, age 62, used to be a professional boxer.

Officers stop DUI car by hand

A Little Village motorist was so drunk from celebrating his divorce that police were able to stop the car he was slowly driving by hand early Wednesday on the Southwest Side, police said

Man Arrested After Hacking Website Of Company Where Ex-Girlfriend Works

Sarasota police say they have arrested a man for hacking a community theater's website

We Need a New John Steinbeck

We need a new John Steinbeck in America.

Read more here.

Wisconsin Police join Protesters occupying statehouse

More here

Scott might want to consider getting out while he's behind.

Also:

Protesters Across US Decry Wisconsin Anti-Union Efforts

Rallies were held across the country Saturday to support thousands of protesters holding steady at the Wisconsin Capitol in their fight against Republican-backed legislation aimed at weakening unions.

And more ...

Protesters out in force nationwide to oppose Wisconsin's anti-union bill

Nearly two weeks into a political standoff, tens of thousands rallied in Madison and in dozens of cities around the nation to oppose a bill that would severely limit collective bargaining rights for most Wisconsin public employees.

Full Story

Distribution of Wealth

 

We posted this graph a few days ago with the accompanying story. But the graph bears reposting to remind everyone just how fucked up it is for nearly every American except the 1%ers.

Where does the federal government get its money ?

 

Found at Mother Jones

Just so you know how the government gets your money.

Shared Sacrifices

Nearly 49% of new jobs are low wage positions

Good luck rebounding if there's no middle class. This isn't a new problem but Washington keeps pretending as though it isn't even a problem. The decades long decline is ignored by both parties in favor of making life easier and more comfortable for the financial elite.

NY Times:

America’s private payrolls shrank from January 2008 through February 2010, losing 8.84 million jobs on net. They have been growing every month since that nadir, adding 1.26 million jobs on net. (Public payrolls are another story — they’ve been falling over the last year.)

All this means, of course, that the private sector job market still has a long way to go before it returns to its previous peak. Worse, those jobs that have been created in the last year typically pay less than the jobs they’re replaced.

According to NELP:

* Lower-wage industries (those paying $9.03 -$12.91 per hour) accounted for just 23 percent of job losses, but fully 49 percent of recent growth.
* Midwage industries ($12.92 -$19.04 per hour) accounted for 36 percent of job losses, and 37 percent of recent growth.
* Higher-wage industries ($19.05 -$31.40 per hour) accounted for 40 percent of job loss, but only 14 percent of recent growth.

Just in case you didn't know ...

Corporate profits soar thanks to record unemployment.

You Have More Money in Your Wallet Than Bank of America Pays in Federal Taxes

Today, hundreds of thousands of people comprising a Main Street Movement - a coalition of students, the retired, union workers, public employees, and other middle class Americans - are in the streets, demonstrating against brutal cuts to public services and crackdowns on organized labor being pushed by wingnut teabagging politicians.

Full Story

What your tax preparer needs

Paperwork that your tax preparer needs

You're liable for the info on your form, so track down all the right documents and receipts.  

What you can and can't claim 

Also: 

• Handy tax checklist
• Disappearing tax breaks  
• Avoiding common mistakes