The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
There's nothing quite like a healthy dose of attention to boost your mood!
Look carefully and you'll catch some admiring glances being tossed your way.
There's a strong current of flirtatiousness around you, so don't be surprised if you get approached by a smiling stranger.
Be careful not to get too friendly though -- or you might send out the wrong (overly encouraging) message!
Crowded areas will also charge up your energy, so spend time in a city or other urban area.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey

London, England, United Kingdom

Ankara, Ankara, Turkey

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Milan, Lombardia, Italy

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 Altamonte Springs, Fairfax, Mt. Pleasant, Warner Robins and more.

Today is:

Today is Saturday, May 14, the 134th day of 2011.

There are 231 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

World Belly Dance Day
World Naked Gardening Day
and
Masturbation Day

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

President Obama's Weekly Address

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Washington D.C.

Recently, there have been signs that the economy is picking up steam.  Last month, we saw the strongest job growth in five years, and have added more than three-quarters of a million private sector jobs in just three months.  But there are still too many Americans who are either looking for work, or struggling to pay the bills and make the mortgage.  Paychecks aren’t getting any bigger, but the cost of everything from groceries to college tuition keeps on rising.
Without a doubt, one of the biggest burdens over the last few months has been the price of gasoline.  In many places, gas is now more than $4 a gallon, meaning that you could be paying more than $60 to fill up your tank.
These spikes in gas prices are often temporary, and while there are no quick fixes to the problem, there are a few steps we should take that make good sense.
First, we should make sure that no one is taking advantage of consumers at the pump.  That’s why we’ve launched a task force led by the Attorney General that has one job: rooting out cases of fraud or manipulation in the markets that might affect gas prices, including any illegal activity by traders and speculators.
Second, we should increase safe and responsible oil production here at home.  Last year, America’s oil production reached its highest level since 2003.  But I believe that we should expand oil production in America – even as we increase safety and environmental standards.
To do this, I am directing the Department of Interior to conduct annual lease sales in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, while respecting sensitive areas, and to speed up the evaluation of oil and gas resources in the mid and south Atlantic.  We plan to lease new areas in the Gulf of Mexico as well, and work to create new incentives for industry to develop their unused leases both on and offshore.
We’re also taking steps to give companies time to meet higher safety standards when it comes to exploration and drilling.  That’s why my Administration is extending drilling leases in areas of the Gulf that were impacted by the temporary moratorium, as well as certain areas off the coast of Alaska.  And to streamline that permitting process, I am establishing a new team to coordinate work on Alaska drilling permits.
Finally, the third step we should take is to eliminate the taxpayer subsidies we give to oil and gas companies.  In the last few months, the biggest oil companies made about $4 billion in profits each week.  And yet, they get $4 billion in taxpayer subsidies each year.  Four billion dollars at a time when Americans can barely fill up their tanks.  Four billion dollars at a time when we’re trying to reduce our deficit.
This isn’t fair, it makes no sense.  Before I was President, the CEOs of these companies even admitted that the tax subsidies made no sense.  Well, next week, there is a vote in Congress to end these oil company giveaways once and for all.  And I hope Democrats and Republicans come together and get this done.
The American people shouldn’t be subsidizing oil companies at a time when they’re making near-record profits.  As a nation, we should be investing in the clean, renewable sources of energy that are the ultimate solution to high-gas prices.  That’s why we’re investing in clean energy technology, helping businesses that manufacture solar panels and wind turbines, and making sure that our cars and trucks can go further on a tank of gas – a step that could save families as much as $3,000 at the pump.
These are investments worth making – investments that will save us money, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and protect the health and safety of our planet.  That’s an energy policy for the future, and it’s what I’ll be fighting for in the weeks and months to come.
Thanks.

World Belly Dance Day

Today is World Belly Dance Day!

The Top 5 American Enemies

One Down ...

Insurance companies whine ...

... about $49 billion unpaid by uninsured

Full Story

This is why they fought so hard to keep everyone from getting insurance.
If everyone had insurance, they couldn't charge you $80 for an aspirin.

Since 40M people have no insurance, they charge you $80 for the aspirin
and say, "We have to make up for the uninsured losses," which they caused.

Have you ever ...

... just wanted to say ...

... to obnoxious asshole?

What Now?!!

The truth be told

The Contractor

Morris, a building contractor was being paid by the week for a job that was likely to stretch over several months.

He approached the owner of the property and held up the check he’d been given. “This is two hundred dollars less than we agreed on,” he said.

“I know,” the owner said, “But last week I overpaid you two hundred dollars, and you never complained.”

The contractor said, “Well, I don’t mind an occasional mistake. But when it gets to be a habit, I feel I have to call it to your attention.”

Louisiana readies to open spillway, flood Cajun country

Army engineers prepared Saturday to slowly open the gates of an emergency spillway along the rising Mississippi River, diverting floodwaters from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, yet inundating homes and farms in parts of Louisiana's populated Cajun country.

Full Story 

Ziggy

International court to seek Libya arrest warrants

An international prosecutor said Friday he will seek arrest warrants next week for three top Libyan leaders on charges of murder and persecution during their attempts to crush the uprising against Moammar Gadhafi's regime.

Full Story

Former Juarez Police Chief Seeks Political Asylum in the US

Marisol Valles Garcia was forced to flee her country due to continuous threats, she says from the safety of the United States "My country is so close, but so far away"

Full Story

Three supporters of terrorism charged in Florida

Three South Florida men have been charged with providing about $45,000 in financial support to the Pakistani Taliban, which the State Department has designated as a terrorist organization.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Miami announced Saturday the arrests of Hafiz Muhammed Sher Ali Khan and sons Irfan Khan and Izhar Khan.

Hafiz Khan is the imam at Miami Mosque, also known as Flagler Mosque, and Izhar Khan is the imam at Jamaat Al-Mumineen Mosque in nearby Margate.

Officials say the mosques are not suspected of wrongdoing.

Authorities say they have recorded conversations in which Hafiz Khan supported violence perpetrated by the Pakistani Taliban.

If convicted, the men face 15 years in prison for each of the four counts.

Burglars caught due to wet underpants

A couple of burglars who took a dip in a family's garden hot tub before breaking into their home were caught by discarded underwear. Ashley and Cherie Deakin were asleep at their home in Orchard Drive, Oswaldtwistle, when Thomas Pendlebury, 19, and Glynn Threlfall, 18, had a cheeky soak and then stole £3,500 of possessions.

The incident happened around 1.30am on December 13 and police discovered a trail of wet footprints leading away from the outdoor spa. Det Sgt Geoff Warbuton of Accrington’s burglary team said there was no forensic evidence, but inquiries around a pair of discarded boxer shorts led them to Pendlebury.

He said: “That was the catalyst to the investigation. They had dipped into a neighbour’s hot tub one night and then gone in next door’s the next night. His boxers were wet so he left them at the scene of a crime. It started off as a wheeze, but burglary is an intrusive crime which left this family distraught. None of the stolen property has been returned. We are delighted with the sentence.”

Threlfall was jailed for two-and-a-half years and Pendlebury was given a 12-month suspended sentence. Mrs Deakin, 40, who works for Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Blackburn, said: "We were shocked at how cheeky it was. It is so unusual having people trying to sneak on to your property to use the hot tub. It is bizarre."

Raccoon meat, drugs and liquor seized at car wash

Four people were arrested at a North Houston car wash where, in addition to washes and waxes, illegal drugs and raccoon meat were sold, Houston police said. Undercover officers said they went inside the full-service car wash located in the 4300 block of Yale and were able to purchase marijuana, prescription drugs and liquor.

HPD's deferential response team raided the business after receiving complaints from neighbours. Police said they found two weapons and more than 1,000 prescription pills. Police checked the serial numbers of the two guns, and a 12-gauge came back reported stolen.

In addition to that, investigators said illegal gambling was taking place. There were two dominoes tables set up. Undercover officers who went into the business earlier in the day said there was high-stakes gambling going on inside a shed in the back.

The owner Michael Maxwell said it’s all lies. “I don't know why they are here. They don't have a warrant. They come storming into my place,” Maxwell said. “I got all my permits that go with this place. I am licensed with the city. I pay my taxes. This is my property and it is private.”

How Adversity Dulls Our Perceptions

Adversity, we are told, heightens our senses, imprinting sights and sounds precisely in our memories.

But new Weizmann Institute research, which appeared in Nature Neuroscience this week, suggests the exact opposite [...]

How Adversity Dulls Our Perceptions

MRSA in bedbugs and meat

Expert weighs in

MRSA, the potentially deadly bacteria more formally known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, has grabbed quite a few headlines this week.

Full Story

Cameras in Texas schools to keep eyes on fries

From the "It's getting a bit ridiculous now" Department:

The next time children in some elementary schools in Texas try to sneak extra french fries onto their tray in the cafeteria line, the eye in the sky will be watching them.

Full Story

Retail Math

Yes, there's 2 cent surcharge for stocking up.