Cyril's Gleans

gleans at 6:35 PM MT, 07/09

2009-07-09T20:39:17-04:00

A century after Swinburne

Jonathan Bate salutes the maverick metres of Algernon Swinburne - atheist, philhellene, prophet of sexual revolution, and, when he dried out, pioneering critic.

Ebola found in Philippine pigs for first time

Mysterious tremors detected on San Andreas Fault

Chinese group planning Neverland ranch replica <== today's inscrutable item

Pushy French are world's worst tourists: study <== today's less alert item

An Ideal Food Day in Montreal

by Terrence Henry

The author kicks off his food tour with 24 hours of eating and drinking in Canada's cultural capital
read more

'Turbulence' downed Fossett plane

Strong downdraughts were the likely cause of the plane crash which killed adventure Steve Fossett, say US officials.

Jellyfish are swarming in the warm weather, say marine experts

Russia 'shot down its own planes' BBC News

gleans at 8:40 AM MT, 07/09

2009-07-09T10:42:20-04:00

Swingeing Pom. Christopher Hitchens and the road to curmudgeonhood.
The Monthly (Subscription) - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia

http://www.avclub.com/articles/pg-wodehouse,30148/ <== comments are better than the article

On the front line in Helmand province

US security on film

Iraq blanketed by sandstorms

Tech Lab: Sydney Padua

Animator Sydney Padua explores the legacy of Victorian inventor Charles Babbage.

Jellyfish are swarming in the warm weather, say marine experts

Environmental opinion and debate

EARTH NEWS

Reporting life on Earth

Do tiger farms earn their stripes?

Striking salamander species found

Watching whalers and whales

Aquatic deer and ancient whales

Genetic peril
Why private gene testing companies must be controlled

Why are Southerners so fat? Time.com

gleans at 6:15 AM MT, 07/09

2009-07-09T08:15:38-04:00

China's ethnic tinderbox

BBC News - ‎The recent Urumqi and Lhasa riots have shattered the myth of a monolithic China, writes, China and Uighur expert Professor Dru Gladney.

Kindle 2 Price Plunge Signals E-Book Reader Market Competition

PC World - Melissa J. Perenson - ‎Today Amazon quietly lowered the price on its Kindle 2 e-book reader. That didn't take long: The Kindle 2 became available only about five months ago.

UK police investigate Murdoch paper hacking claims

Reuters - Peter Griffiths - ‎Coulson resigned as the paper's editor after royal reporter Clive Goodman was jailed a few months earlier for hacking into the phones of members of the ...

Commons launches News of the World investigation

Last updated two minutes ago

MPs likely to ask ex-News International chairman and Tory spin doctor for evidence

Met investigates phone hacking

Police to 'establish facts' of claims News of the World journalists used criminal methods to get stories

Harry Potter: the verdicts

The latest cinematic instalment has garnered lukewarm reviews and is dividing opinion among fans

gleans at 5:40 AM MT, 07/09

2009-07-09T07:42:10-04:00

Sober outlook

Britain set for long and costly Afghan conflict

Water woes

Coping with the cuts in drought-hit Mumbai

Sink migrants' boats - BNP leader

The Press Association - ‎Mr Griffin also conceded that the BNP had been unable to find enough extremist allies to create a "group" in the European Parliament, where he will take his ...

Bing, the Imitator, Often Goes Google One Better

Bing makes a concerted effort to organize search results in more helpful ways than Google, writes David Pogue.

In Chrome, Hints of a Real Rival to Windows

By MIGUEL HELFT and ASHLEE VANCE

Google promises that its Chrome operating system will put an emphasis on speed, simplicity and security.

Times Topics: Google Inc.
Google Operating System Raises Apple Antitrust Issues
Bits: Would You Miss Windows With a Google Operating System? | Does Being Free Cheapen Google's Brand?
Today's Business: Miguel Helft on Google's New Operating System

Consumers could pay for Google's power

By David Lazarus The Internet giant offers an abundance of popular free services and now plans to create its own computer operating system. What the company is capable of raises concern.

At this point, seasteading is still mostly talk and dreams – especially the dream of living free of government... more» <== odd

New wonder material, one-atom thick, has scientists abuzz

Scientists hope tiny insect can help save soybeans

UN: West African Progress Threated by Organized Crime

Voice of America - Margaret Besheer - ‎The United Nations' top anti-drug official warns that organized crime networks are exploiting West Africa as a major trafficking hub for ...

UN: West Africa awash in contraband United Press International

UN says financial crisis boosts organized crime The Associated Press

Drug trafficking, military coups key threats to West Africa: UN envoy Xinhua

gleans + 1xlagniappe at 10:55 PM MT, -7/08

2009-07-09T00:58:32-04:00

How global catastrophe could make us smarter LiveScience.com

NM cafe seeks record for green chile cheeseburger

The Associated Press - Melanie Dabovich - ‎Chile cheeseburgers have a following in New Mexico and are served at many hamburger joints in the Southwest. "It's a part of life here and if a burger place ...

Terror and Consent: The Wars for the 21st Century

Science and technology builds up interleaved brick by brick with the occasional, accidental world-jarring major breakthrough ... [more]

Bizarre blast heralds a new class of supernova ... [more]

Protection sought for elusive giant spitting worm ... [more]

Poll: Would-be homebuyers cautious as layoffs rise

Prince: nature could go bust

Earth on the brink of environmental disaster, warns Prince of Wales.

Alcohol deaths rise by 40pc

India to reintroduce cheetah

'Elixir of life discovered'

Buzz Aldrin's dark times

As we near the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, Buzz Aldrin talks about the depression and alcoholism that followed.

Mayan 'apocalypse' crop circle appears at Silbury Hill

Google's global plans

Google has ambitions beyond answering its users' questions.

Great British heritage

How many of our 24 UNESCO World Heritage Sites do you know?

lagniappe

Come Into the Garde, Maud

Come into the garden, Maud,
For the black bat, Night, has flown,
Come into the garden, Maud,
I am here at the gate alone;
And the woodbine spices are wafted abroad,
And the musk of the roses blown.

For a breeze of morning moves,
And the planet of Love is on high,
Beginning to faint in the light that she loves
On a bed of daffodil sky,
To faint in the light of the sun she loves,
To faint in his light, and to die.

All night have the roses heard
The flute, violin, bassoon;
All night has the casement jessamine stirr'd
To the dancers dancing in tune:
Till a silence fell with the waking bird,
And a hush with the setting moon.

I said to the lily, "There is but one
With whom she has heart to be gay.
When will the dancers leave her alone?
She is weary of dance and play."
Now half to the setting moon are gone,
And half to the rising day;
Low on the sand and loud on the stone
The last wheel echoes away.

I said to the rose, "The brief night goes
In babble and revel and wine.
O young lordlover, what sighs are those
For one that will never be thine?
But mine, but mine," so I sware to the rose,
"For ever and ever, mine."

And the soul of the rose went into my blood,
As the music clash'd in the hall;
And long by the garden lake I stood,
For I heard your rivulet fall
From the lake to the meadow and on to the wood,
Our wood, that is dearer than all;

From the meadow your walks have left so sweet
That whenever a March-wind sighs
He sets the jewelprint of your feet
In violets blue as your eyes,
To the woody hollows in which we meet
And the valleys of Paradise.

The slender acacia would not shake
One long milk-bloom on the tree;
The white lake-blossom fell into the lake,
As the pimpernel dozed on the lea;
But the rose was awake all night for your sake,
Knowing your promise to me;
The lilies and roses were all awake,
They sigh'd for the dawn and thee.

Queen rose of the rosebud garden of girls,
Come hither, the dances are done,
In gloss of satin and glimmer of pearls,
Queen lily and rose in one;
Shine out, little head, sunning over with curls,
To the flowers, and be their sun.

There has fallen a splendid tear
From the passion-flower at the gate.
She is coming, my dove, my dear;
She is coming, my life, my fate;
The red rose cries, "She is near, she is near;"
And the white rose weeps, "She is late;"
The larkspur listens, "I hear, I hear;"
And the lily whispers, "I wait."

She is coming, my own, my sweet;
Were it ever so airy a tread,
My heart would hear her and beat,
Were it earth in an earthy bed;
My dust would hear her and beat,
Had I lain for a century dead;
Would start and tremble under her feet,
And blossom in purple and red.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

gleans at 8:05 AM MT, 07/08

2009-07-08T10:06:48-04:00

Let Amtrak Take You Across the USA
As you'll see in this photo gallery, Amtrak trains are a fine way to see the USA. If you've ever wondered what it's like to view a canyon from the comfort of an observation car or wanted to peek inside a family sleeper car, here's your chance.

All Aboard the Alaska Railroad
Wild animals and wilderness views. Cushy seats, fine china and gourmet food. If you're seeking a luxurious way to experience Alaska's breathtaking sights, book a scenic day trip or a multi-day excursion aboard the Alaska Railroad.

Monkeys 'able to spot bad grammar', scientists show

Harry Potter 6
Half-Blood Prince is mix of horror and raging hormones

Taliban return
Radicals gaining strength in Afghanistan's north

Columns of troops pour into China's restive west

gleans + 1xaddenda at 7:30 AM MT, 07/08

2009-07-08T09:31:48-04:00

At CONvergence, the weird gets weirder
Minneapolis City Pages - Minneapolis,MN,USA Walk to the balcony, and you'll be mixed a dirty gin martini without having to ask. In the hallways, convention-goers embrace one another deeply. ...

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince reviewed

Does it have what it takes to be family film of the summer?

Potter fans brave rain for film premiere

Watch the trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Bible of the aristocracy abandons chauvinism

Traditionalists object as Burke’s decides to list children in order of birth and those who are technically illegitimate

A century after Swinburne

Atheist, philhellene, prophet of sexual revolution, Algernon Swinburne was also a master-metrician and a pioneering critic

Farmers gather for last Royal Show

Martin Wainwright laments the loss of 170 years of rural tradition due to falling visitor numbers

Digested Read: The Case for God by Karen Armstrong

Which words make you wince?

Review: The Case for God by Karen Armstrong

addenda - today's NYT Dining & Wine

Dining & Wine » <== recommended - below is a sample

gleans at 6:40 AM MT, 07/08

2009-07-08T08:41:33-04:00

Google's new operating system to take on Microsoft

SUN VALLEY, Idaho - Google Inc. is working on a new operating system for inexpensive computers in a daring attempt to wrest away Microsoft Corp.'s long-running control over people's computing experience.

Google to launch Chrome OS

'MPs breaking tax laws'

Internet stalker arrested

Laser attacks on planes increase

Man survives 200 wasp stings

Official: N. Korea believed behind cyber attacks

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean intelligence officials believe North Korea or pro-Pyongyang forces in South Korea committed cyber attacks that paralyzed major South Korean and U.S.

'Golden Dreams: California in an Age of Abundance, 1950-1963' by Kevin Starr

By Tim Rutten The author's multivolume chronicle of the Golden State closes with a wide-ranging, stimulating look at the pivotal years after World War II.

The Napa Valley restaurant scene

By S. Irene Virbila Restaurant Critic Reporting From Napa Valley >>> Restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila visits Napa establishments, including Bardessono, Brix Bottega, Hog Island Oyster, the Fatted Calf, Meadowood, Ad Hoc and Ubuntu.

Measurement cannot change human nature, and it is human nature and behavior that cause economic dislocations as well as economic advance... more»

Why is it that people who set themselves up as moral paragons seem to have the hardest time living up to their own standards? ... [more]

Be wary of PR teams presenting incorrect misrepresentations of touchy subjects ... [more]

Sex may have evolved primarily as a defense against parasites ... [more]

Toddlers know more about grammar than they can say ... [more]

Britain's top ten walks

Discovering the beauty of Britain on foot lifts both body and soul, says Nicholas Roe. Here we pick the ten of the best British walks.

Down the Mississippi: Christian car repairs

Medieval stews are back on the menu

Simmered pork belly and new season veg

10 vodkas put to the test

gleans at 9:00 PM MT, 07/07

2009-07-07T23:00:32-04:00

Video: Critics’ Picks

A. O. Scott reviews John Ford’s 1948 film “Fort Apache.”

Marines push militants out of Taliban region

Video: Marines pursue Taliban in Afghanistan AP

Interactive: Operation Khanjar AP

New monkey discovered in Brazilian Amazon

Satellite shows big thinning of old Arctic sea ice

Hawaii hotel occupancy drops to record low

Federal Web sites knocked out by cyber attack

Britain's hill figures

Ten of Britain's biggest and best hill figures and white horses.

gleans at 8:40 AM MT, 07/07

2009-07-07T10:40:46-04:00

Unbreakable as Glass?

With new technology, builders are imagining structures made entirely of glass.

Who serves the best airline meals?

Angry Uighurs defy Chinese police

Chinese police arrest 1,434 people over rioting in Xinjiang province, state media says, as new protests erupt in Urumqi.

Uighur resentment at Beijing's rule

Incomplete picture of Xinjiang unrest

Q&A: China and the Uighurs

Marines' beasts of burden are again leading the pack

By Tony Perry For centuries, donkeys and mules have been the preferred mode of military transport in Afghanistan. At a training center in the Sierra Nevada, Marines learn how to handle the sure-footed animals.

7 U.S. troops in Afghanistan are killed

By Laura King and Julian E. Barnes The daily death toll is the highest in months. Observers warn that Americans need to brace themselves for mounting casualties in the conflict as more U.S. troops enter it.

Cyril's Gleans

gleans at 6:35 PM MT, 07/09

A century after Swinburne

An Ideal Food Day in Montreal

gleans at 8:40 AM MT, 07/09

gleans at 6:15 AM MT, 07/09

gleans at 5:40 AM MT, 07/09

gleans + 1xlagniappe at 10:55 PM MT, -7/08

gleans at 8:05 AM MT, 07/08

gleans + 1xaddenda at 7:30 AM MT, 07/08

Dining & Wine » <== recommended - below is a sample

Critic’s Notebook: Crust Is a Canvas for Pizza’s New Wave

Young Idols With Cleavers Rule the Stage

The Question of Leftovers, Ever Fresh

gleans at 6:40 AM MT, 07/08

gleans at 9:00 PM MT, 07/07

gleans at 8:40 AM MT, 07/07