The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

It takes a lot of energy to be a conscientious person, but you show a knack for it today. 

You know how to make everyone else feel comfortable and at ease, which will be invaluable today. 

If you're meeting someone for the first time, you'll be the one to create a calm scene for a great conversation. 

In a professional context, you will be able to feed someone's ego just enough to create a comfortable environment, without coming off as a sycophant.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Bath, England, United Kingdom
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Selayang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

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 Wake Forest, Mountain View, Riverside, Skyland and more.

Today is:

Today is Sunday, August 21, the 233rd day of 2011.

There are 132 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:

Poet's Day
and
National Go Topless Day.

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

August 21 is 'National Go Topless Day!'

For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S.-based organization will stage a national Go Topless Day protest to proclaim a woman's constitutional right to go bare-chested in public.

Full Story

And I Quote

Yes, There’s Real Money at the Top

When billionaire investor Warren Buffet recently called on policymakers to "get serious about shared sacrifice" by raising taxes on the nation's wealthiest people, some critics claimed that this wouldn't make a serious dent in our budget problems.

That 'claim' is utter bullshit (and what's more they know it).

Full Story

Fact Check

Fact Check: Recession is Culprit in High US Debt

It's the loud and clear consensus of repugicans in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail: Runaway government spending is the problem, not taxes.

And as usual the repugicans are wrong!

Full Story

The truth be told

Bank of America promises to "help Rick Perry out," didn’t realize mic was still hot

Great moments in unscripted television, note what the top Bank of America official tells repugican presidential candidate Rick Perry:

And, does this surprise anyone? The corruption and utter contempt for decency at BofA is very well known.

Corrupt Moody’s

Reuters:

An ex-Moody's Corp derivatives analyst said the credit-rating agency intimidated and pressured analysts to issue glowing ratings of toxic complex, structured mortgage securities.

In a 78-page letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission, William Harrington outlined how the committees that make the ratings decisions are not independent and how managers often intimidated analysts.

And this is surprising ... how?

Stores hiding higher prices

How stores are disguising higher prices

Watch out for these marketing ploys to get you to pay more for fall clothes.  

 'New look' may mean less fabric 

Also: 

• Seven thrift store rules
• Buying running shoes
• Woman's drastic budget

How does your money stack up?

How do your finances measure up?

If you aren't a fan of budgeting, dividing expenses into these seven categories can help. 

Biggest expense for most 

Also: 

• Bad retirement advice
• Big-ticket bargains
• Refinancing your mortgage

On The Job

Industries that are hiring grads now

Accounting is just one profession that has managed to survive the economic storm. 

  Good news in engineering, too 

Also: 

• Popular online degrees
• Preparing for tough times
• Flexible career choices

At the crossroads

US judges rule for teacher who called creationism 'superstitious nonsense'

Well, what do you know, a correct court decision for a change!

A public high school teacher in California may not be sued for making hostile remarks about religion in his classroom, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.

The decision stems from a lawsuit filed by a student charging that the teacher’s hostile remarks about creationism and religious faith violated a First Amendment mandate that the government remain neutral in matters of religion.

Full Story

Two women from Northern Ireland have been killed in Turkey

Sources have said the killings happened after Ms Graham refused a waiter's proposal to marry her 15-year-old daughter Shannon.

Full Story

Iran Sentences 2 American Men To 8 Years In Jail

Iran Sentences 2 American Men To 8 Years In Jail

Iran's state TV is reporting that two American men already held for two years in Tehran have been sentenced to 8 years in jail each on charges of espionage and illegal entry.

Iran sentences two U.S. hikers to prison

Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal receive eight years on charges of espionage and illegal entry.  

 Added tensions? 

Also: 

• Soldiers charged in N.C.
• Prescription drug bust
• 'West Memphis 3' freed

Nine Strange Facebook-Related Crimes

One of my high school teachers once told our class, “if you’re going to be stupid enough to do something illegal, at least don’t be stupid enough to put it on camera.” That was before the days of Facebook and YouTube, but it seems like the best advice you can give people these days is what my teacher said, followed by “and if you’re stupid enough to put it on camera, for the love of God, don’t be stupid enough to upload it on to the internet.”
Vanessa Starr Palm and Alexander Daniel Rust certainly wish they got this advice and heeded it before they visited the Bahamas, killed an endangered lizard, ate it, documented the whole thing with photos and then uploaded the images onto Facebook.
The couple has been charged with violating an animal protection act and may also face additional charges for breaking a U.S. law that bans committing a crime in a country with a relationship to the U.S.

Read more funny Facebook crime stories over at Oddee.

Looking East

The Bacon Candle: Your Life May Depend On It

Photo by Syriloth/Creative Commons

It's The End Of The World As We Know It. What are you going to do? Your flashlight batteries are dead. Hell, your candle wax is even running low. All you have left to eat is bacon. Well, at least there are worse ways to die. But wait ... A burned-out candle. Bacon leftovers. What? Behold the bacon candle.

Article continues: The Bacon Candle: Your Life May Depend On It

The 'Heart Attack Proof' Diet?

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. didn't become a doctor to change the way America eats.

Full Story