The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:

A recent trip or cultural experience has opened your eyes to a new way of thinking ... and it may offer some philosophies you wish to adopt. 

Before deciding how to move forward, let these new ideas sink in for a while. 

Step back from the autopilot aspects of your life and think consciously about why you do what you do. 

Is every habit necessary? 

Is there a better way? 

The answer may surprise you. 

Right now your mind is hungry to process unfamiliar ideas, so let it.

 Some of our readers today have been in:
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Milan, Lombardia, Italy
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany
Versailles, Ile-De-France, France
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
As, Askersus, Norway
Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
Karachi, Sindhi, Pakistan
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Tel Aviv, Teal Aviv, Israel
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
Bath, England, United Kingdom
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Paris, Ile-de-France, France
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

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 Kailua, Minong, Nampa, Omaha and more!

Today is:

Today is Sunday, October 23, the 296th day of 2011.

There are 69 days left in the year.

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

National Mole Day.

  

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

Non Sequitur

Subtle Sunday

'Occupy' eviction showdown

Protesters defy city's eviction orders

Occupy Oakland demonstrators are locked in a standoff over their illegal camp.

  Other looming showdowns 

Also: 

• Londoners move camp
• 19 arrested in Orlando
• Recent protest photos

Occupy Wall Street protesters nearly stabbed in Albuquerque

From the"OK, so tell me again that wingnuts aren't prone to violence" Department:

A man pulled out a knife and attempted to stab several Occupy Wall Street protesters at the University of New Mexico on Friday.

Full Story 

Voter Suppression

Ah, the proverbial repugican favorite: Voter Suppression

OWS to Supercommittee: Accountability, Not Austerity

The fiscal fantasists who would have us believe America is broke tell us that the Congressional Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction is going to have to make "tough choices" between slashing social programs and raising taxes on working Americans.

Full Story

Citibank branch closed down in DC by OccupyWallStreet

This may have happened last Thursday morning, the video and the release don't really say.

A Good One

Fewer jobs for less pay, except for the $1mill. + earners

It's good to be da' king.
You really want to click through for the video and full breakdown showing just how bad things are for most working Americans. All of these ugly bits have been out there for a while but we really owe the OWS friends a lot for helping to crystallize the issue and bring it to the forefront. The repugicans can smear and sneer all they like but it won't help sweep this problem under the carpet.

There were fewer jobs and they paid less last year, except at the very top where, the number of people making more than $1 million increased by 20 percent over 2009.

The median paycheck — half made more, half less — fell again in 2010, down 1.2 percent to $26,364. That works out to $507 a week, the lowest level, after adjusting for inflation, since 1999.

The number of Americans with any work fell again last year, down by more than a half million from 2009 to less than 150.4 million.

Incomes down for 99% of Americans

The 1% profiting, again.

Fifty percent of U.S. workers earned less than $26,364 last year, and those earning less than $200,000 per year - roughly 99 percent of Americans - saw their earnings fall a collective $4.5 billion.

There were fewer jobs, and overall pay was trending down -- except for the nation's wealthiest, who saw a boost.

While the incomes of the top 1percent of the country rose slightly in 2010 (from $1,909,874 in 2009 to $2,196,124 last year), their collective wage earnings rose dramatically, by about $120 billion.

President Obama's pen pal donations

Obama's personal checks to the needy

The president says he'd occasionally include a check with his letters to ordinary Americans. 

  'It has happened' 

Also: 

• Michelle Obama on Twitter
• N.H. official's key role

What debt collectors won't tell you

What debt collectors won't tell you

Some of their most powerful tactics can cross the line into inappropriate — or illegal — territory.  

 Secrets of the trade 

Also: 

• Steps to get out of debt
• Credit vs. debit battle
• How to switch banks

Degrees for a fresh start

Best college degrees for a fresh start

These programs can help you break into the legal, health, tech, or graphic design fields.  

 Moves for the tough economy 

Also: 

• Top online degrees
• Job-seeking goofs
• A winning elevator speech

What's a Better Predictor of Achievement than Intelligence, Grades, or Personality?

The answer is hope.
That's right: a study led by Psychologist Alex Wood of University of Manchester has revealed that hope trumps general intelligence, personality and even previous academic achievement in predicting success:

A 3-year longitudinal study explored whether the two-dimensional model of trait hope predicted degree scores after considering intelligence, personality, and previous academic achievement.
A sample of 129 respondents (52 males, 77 females) completed measures of trait hope, general intelligence, the five factor model of personality, divergent thinking, as well as objective measures of their academic performance before university (‘A’ level grades) and final degree scores.
The findings suggest that hope uniquely predicts objective academic achievement above intelligence, personality, and previous academic achievement.

Link to study

Ziggy

Karzai sides against U.S.

Afghan leader's stunning admission

In the unlikely event of a U.S.-Pakistan war, Hamid Karzai says he wouldn't support the Americans. 

  Details 

Also: 

• Haqqani talks urged
• Afghan embezzlement
• U.S. pressures Pakistan

Indian girls shed 'unwanted' names

More than 200 Indian girls whose names mean "unwanted" in Hindi have chosen new names for a fresh start in life.

Full Story

Cheese: The Most Stolen Food in the World

One would've guessed candy or liquor, but no. The most frequently stolen food on Earth is actually cheese:

Almost four percent of the world's cheese supply ends up stolen, putting cheese ahead of other frequent grocery targets like candy and alcohol. Shoplifting rates as a whole are going up, because, hey, times are tough. "For the past six months, [retailers] have been affected by bad news—economic slow down, government cuts and now an increase in shoplifting," one retail analyst told Sky News.

Full Story

Eight scary food myths

Eight scary food myths debunked

Thinking about snacks and meals can actually help keep you lean, one study suggests. 

  The truth about eggs 

Also: 

• 7 ways to cut 700 calories
• 'Healthy' foods to avoid
• Four fast, low-cal meals