Cyril's Gleans

gleans at 6:55 PM MT, 4/5

 

Democratic battle hands McCain lead Republican presidential nominee surges ahead in polls as his Democratic rivals fight a bitter battle  <== UK Guardian take

 

 

Pipe dream at the National

Grand National: Fourteen years after his father trained Miiinnehoma to glory, David Pipe repeats the feat

 

 

 

 

How would you like your guinea pig?

James Doran on why Peru's imaginative cuisine is one of the best reasons to visit the country

 

 

 

Taking women off the shelf On the eve of the Virago's 30th anniversary, Rachel Cooke traces how the imprint changed the publishing landscape for ever

 

 

 

No-frills publishing on the rise
Apr 4: HarperCollins to launch no-advance, no-returns venture headed by the Hyperion founder, Robert S Miller

 

 

 

Kindle helps tiny ebook market
Apr 4: The ebook market remains small, but Amazon's electronic reader has renewed interest in book downloads

 

 

 

Before she was famous
Kathryn Hughes is charmed by Budge Wilson's Before Green Gables, a prequel to a classic novel
More children and teens

 

 

 

Key to unlocking the earth's secrets

Landmark science experiment recreates birth of universe.

 

 

 

British troops go back into Basra

Months after control of the southern city was placed in the hands of the Iraqis, British troops have been sent back into the southern city, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.

 

 

 

Afghanistan veterans to beat the tattoo

'Spectacle" and "display" sum up most military tattoos, but the first Windsor Castle Military Tattoo will have a more sombre aspect.

Give this man the Victoria Cross

Sir Jock supports Armed Forces Day

Nigel Farndale: Why I love to talk about war

Sign our Armed Forces Day petition

 

 

 

Money 'can buy you happiness'

Countless years of folk wisdom have been undermined as a new report claims that money can, in fact, buy you happiness.

 

 

 

Kits put girls off sport

Girls aren't doing exercise because gym kits are 'uncool'.

 

gleans at 6:30 PM MT, 4/5

 

 

Atlanta Sings of Poems Electric, Past and Present

By BRENDA GOODMAN

Poets mingled and an important collection of English-language poetry was unveiled at a three-day conference in Atlanta.

Slide Show: The Danowski Poetry Collection

 

Russia Has First Post-Soviet Baby Boom The Associated Press - 6 hours ago "We have checked the falling birthrate and rising death rate," Putin said in a Feb. 8 speech in the Kremlin. "Many doubted that the state investments this ...       'Demographic Winter' Exposes the Century's Overlooked Crisis Human Events, DC - Mar 27, 2008 The average birth rate for the European Union is 1.5, well below replacement (2.1). In Italy, it’s 1.2. • Russia has a birth rate of 1.17, down from 2.4 in ...       Ecuador Says CIA Controls Part Of Its Intelligence             Ban on I.B.M. Lifted By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS I.B.M. agreed to drop its protest of a government contract it lost last year in exchange for the government’s lifting of a week-old ban that prevented the company from getting new federal contracts.       In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop  <== send money By MATT RICHTEL Some professional bloggers complain of physical and emotional strain created by an Internet economy that demands a constant stream of news and comment.       More College Students Opt for the Life Examined By WINNIE HU Philosophy is being embraced by a new generation of college students as they try to make sense of a world full of moral dilemmas, such as the Iraq war or the latest political scandal.         A Newfangled Way to Count the Trees in the Park By LILY KOPPEL Central Park’s 24,132 mature trees have been inventoried with the help of a device that uses global positioning technology to pinpoint the exact location of each one.         The Past Catches Up With the Queen of Roads       Degrees of Matriculation By ANDY BOROWITZ With LegacyPlus™, you, the Harvard double legacy, will enjoy all of the perks of students who actually got into Harvard — except for the education part.     137 children removed from polygamist ranch CNN International - ELDORADO, Texas (CNN) -- Dozens more children and young women were removed Saturday from a Texas ranch that is home to members of a polygamist sect, as state workers investigated claims of physical and sexual abuse. Nearly 200 Taken From Texas Compound The Associated Press 52 Girls Removed From Texas Compound ABC News Fort Worth Star Telegram - Deseret News - United Press International - New York Times all 1,442 news articles »       eFluxMedia Apple, New York City In Legal Dispute Over Logo Slashdot - It’s Like Comparing Apples to Apples New York Times Apple to NYC's Green Logo: No No No The Mac Observer BloggingStocks - eFluxMedia - BusinessWeek - DailyTech all 111 news articles »       The Money Times Vista is Slower, But XP Is Still Dying Slashdot - An anonymous reader writes "Though the Redmond software giant may be extending the lifetime of XP on low-end laptops, the end is nigh for the aging OS. Windows XP Keeps Running, And Running, And Running eFluxMedia FAQ: Reprieve or RIP for Windows XP? Computerworld CRN - PC Magazine - InformationWeek - TechNewsWorld all 252 news articles »       Calgary Herald AT& T, Verizon Plan Wireless Future Washington Post - By Cecilia Kang Verizon Wireless and AT&T said they plan to create faster and more robust networks with a new chunk of radio spectrum they won at a recent federal auction of airwaves. AT&T Plans Fast 4G Wireless Rollout InformationWeek Verizon reveals plans for airwaves Los Angeles Times Reuters - DailyTech - PC Magazine - InternetNews.com all 427 news articles »

 

gleans at 4:20 PM MT, 4/5

 

James Bond Finds 'Solace' a Bit Chile

ANTOFAGASTA, Chile - After getting the bad end of his own ax in a fight, a bloodied villain limps alone in a stark desert. Mathieu Amalric stumbles to the red, rocky ground.

 

 

 

 

Sen. Biden: Troop Buildup Is Failure

WASHINGTON - A leading Democrat on Saturday declared last year's troop buildup in Iraq a failure. Sen. Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the military push didn't succeed because U.S.

 

 

 

Candidates to Press Petraeus on Iraq War

WASHINGTON - When Army Gen. David Petraeus delivers his assessment of the Iraq war next week, the next commander in chief will weigh in as well.

 

 

 

Mukasey Adjusting Slowly to Atty Gen Job

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Michael Mukasey says he never has sought the spotlight, instead living by his parents' axiom of achieving success by keeping his head down and working hard.

 

 

 

Rogge: Beijing Smog May Affect Athletes <== today's less alert item

SINGAPORE - Beijing's heavy pollution may hurt the performances of athletes in this summer's Olympic Games, although it will not endanger their health, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said Saturday.

 

 

 

In pictures

All the thrills and spills at the Grand National

 

 

 

Divisive idea 'explains galaxies'

A controversial physics theory may better explain some aspects of galaxy behaviour, an astronomer argues.

 

gleans at 7:15 AM MT, 4/5

 

The Dems, Now Dancing to His Tune
Washington Post - By Perry Bacon Jr. As the Democratic presidential race turns into the political equivalent of the Battle of the Somme, lots of Democrats are glaring at the party's nominal leader, Howard Dean.

 

Topless charter boat service tossed from marina
'They were running fishing charters, but they were offering nude mates'
--Fort Pierce Tribune, Florida

 

Melton Mowbray pies
join Euro elite

A list of fine European foods that includes Champagne and Parma ham has a new member - the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie.

 

 

 

Was Ian Fleming the real James Bond?

Where do the worlds of Fleming and 007 collide? Ben Macintyre investigates war heroes, spymasters and beautiful women

 

 

 

007: behind the scenes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paperback: Atomic Bazaar by William Langewische

The Times review by Ross Leckie. A bok that tells you just where to buy an atomic bomb

 

 

 

gleans at 4:10 AM MT, 4/5

 

Talbot Mundy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

By age 29, he had begun using the name Talbot Mundy, and a year later arrived in the United States, starting his writing career in 1911. ...       Shaken And Stirred Let Rocky Balboa Drink the Yolks By JONATHAN MILES The Avgolemono is a bewitching lather of gin, applejack, lemon juice and egg whites that derives its rosy color from dashes of grenadine.   Spring Break | Barcelona Day Trip Catalonia’s ‘Champagne’ Country By SARAH WILDMAN One way to take a break from Barcelona’s frenetic pace is to venture out to the wineries outside the city. Slide Show: Spain's Wine Country   Dining State’s Brew Pubs Enjoying Golden Days By TAMMY LA GORCE New Jersey’s brew pubs — restaurants with breweries on the premises — are thriving after an industry shakeout that has been likened to the dot-com bust.   A Chateau of Ones Own By EDWARD LEWINE Want a vineyard, but lack the time and expertise? Joel Palous can help you.     Venice High grads work for landmark statue's return By Sandy Banks Actress Myrna Loy is little known by today's students, but others want to return history to the campus. <== one of my favorites       Are you a stalker too? By Meghan Daum How Facebook, MySpace and Google have changed and spread its practice.       Gunga Din may have had a “dirty” hide, though he was “white, clear white, inside.” But does this make Rudyard Kipling a racist, pure and simple? Not quite... more»       Right at the End: William F. Buckley’s last gift to conservatism may have been his opposition to the Iraq War. Jeffrey Hart puts the case... more»

 

gleans + 1xORA + 1xlagniappe + 1xaddenda at 4:10 PM MT, 4/4

 

Gates Sees Next Windows Version ‘Sometime’ in Next Year By REUTERS  The co-founder of Microsoft suggested that a successor to the Vista program might be released sooner than was generally expected.

DailyTech

FAQ: Reprieve or RIP for Windows XP?
Computerworld - By Gregg Keizer April 4, 2008 (Computerworld) As anticipated, Microsoft Corp. yesterday granted a partial pardon to its long-running Windows XP operating system, which had been slated for a forced retirement from new sales starting this year.
Windows 7, Successor To Vista, May Ship Next Year InformationWeek
Analyst Warned Microsoft About Vista, Low-Cost PCs CRN
PC Magazine - ADT Magazine - ZDNet - InternetNews.com
all 288 news articles »

 

today's Ordinary Reading Assignment

Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America by Jonathan Gould (Hardcover - Oct 2, 2007)

The Eighteenth-Century British Verse Epistle by Bill Overton (Hardcover - Dec 10, 2007)

The Making of a Sonnet: A Norton Anthology - Edward Hirsch; Hardcover

 

lagniappe

Off Course

~ALISON BRACKENBURY

 

What had I heard

In the tall pine’s top, that cold Bank Holiday?

Was it a bird?

 

But what could fill the air

With a rattle, whirling like an army?

I should not have been there

 

On the green switchback paths the shooters trod.

White butterflies blew soundlessly.

Black deer sprang through the bog

 

Where I could not follow.

Woodpecker, buzzard, crake,

Rang in my skull’s round hollow

That sound no bird can make.

 

 

Alison Brackenbury: poet

Alison Brackenbury is a widely-published and award-winning poet, whose site includes new poems, book information, background information, poetry links and a contact form.

 

addenda <== thanks to BB-Bob

Subject: Different Views for the Same Virtual World

Date: Apr 4, 2008 2:18 PM

mendicot (mendicot@yahoo.com*) has sent you an article from TechnologyReview.com! Click below to read the article: Different Views for the Same Virtual World Flash technology developed by Multiverse brings new flexibility to 3-D virtual worlds. By Erica Naone

 

gleans at 12:40 PM MT, 4/4

 

At 75, wine giant Gallo is refining its palate

By Jerry Hirsch

With its inexpensive brands pouring around the globe, the still family-run enterprise is intent on drinking up premium labels.

 

 

 

McCain laughs last

By Joel Stein

Judging by this year's election humor, we're OK with jokes about the elderly.

 

 

 

The end of the line? A row has erupted in France over suggestions that the semicolon's days are numbered; worse, the growing influence of English is apparently to blame. Jon Henley reports on this most subtle of punctuation marks. Blog: where would you stick your semicolon?

No-frills publishing on the rise HarperCollins to launch no-advance, no-returns venture headed by the Hyperion founder, Robert S Miller

You can make it up Just because her new novel is also about politics doesn't mean it's autobiographical, says Melissa Benn

Latest news

---

Kindle helps tiny ebook market
Apr 4:The ebook market remains small, but Amazon's electronic reader has renewed interest in book downloads

 

 

 

gleans at 2:25 AM MT, 4/4

 

There's progress on the road to regenerating major body parts, salamander-style ... [more]

New cameras don't just capture photons; they compute pictures ... [more]

 

Chevron could lose billions over Ecuador suit
Company could be on hook for oil-field contamination in Amazon rain forest
--San Francisco Chronicle

 

Boeing flies hydrogen-powered plane
'A historical technological success ... full of promises for a greener future'
--Agence France-Presse

 

Latin American street thugs 'significant threat' in U.S.
'There's evidence that the model of the gang is rape, kill, control'
--BBC News

 

Louisiana’s Creole Country, Colorfully Preserved

A wilderness area in the center of the state has miles of waterways and trails.

 

Arizona Backroads

The southern part of the state has quirky characters, scenery and some roads less traveled.

 

Surf and Quiet Amid the Pines of the Central Coast

 

81% in Poll Say Nation Is Headed on the Wrong Track

By DAVID LEONHARDT and MARJORIE CONNELLY

Americans are more dissatisfied with the country’s direction than at any time since the New York Times/CBS News poll began asking about the subject in the early 1990s.

• Video | Graphic
• Complete Poll Results (pdf)
• How the Poll Was Conducted
• Obama’s Support Softens, Suggesting a Peak Has Passed
• Post a Comment

 

More Than 1,000 in Iraq’s Forces Quit Basra Fight

By STEPHEN FARRELL and JAMES GLANZ

The desertions in the heat of a major battle cast fresh doubt on the effectiveness of the American-trained Iraqi security forces.

• U.S. Study Finds Progress in Iraq, but Fragile Security

 

 

gleans + 1xaddenda at 7:15 PM MT, 4/3

 

A good grade for Teach for America

High-schoolers taught by the program's novice instructors scored better on year-end exams, study says.

 

 

 

Reclaim your life: 'Offchore' your work to a Bangalore butler

Want more time for what matters most? Here's how.

 

 

 

REAL ID, real resistance

States have legitimate concerns about lack of funding for more secure driver's licenses.

 

 

 

Mind your civility footprint

Ever measured your impact on the "ethosphere"?

 

 

 

U.S. student writing gets a bit better

Assessment test shows gains for eighth- and 12th graders overall. But race and gender gaps persist.

 

 

 

Dell C.E.O. Says to Expect More Job Cuts

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dell is committed to reducing costs and will cut more jobs than the 8,800 previously announced in a bid to make the computer maker more competitive, Michael Dell said.

 

 

 

addenda <== thanks to the Christian Science Monitor

 

What's in a name? Sometimes newspapers make you wonder

Faced with stiff competition from the Internet and other communications media, many daily newspapers have gone out of business in recent years. From those markets have disappeared some of the most classic names in the industry: Daily News, Journal, Bulletin, Press, Herald, Record, and Times. Across the US, however, others that have survived perpetuate more unconventional names, such as those of two Ohio dailies: The Vindicator in Youngstown and The Repository in Canton. Still others remind readers of old newspapering technologies. Examples: the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph or the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette. A geographical sampling of some of the intriguingly named newspapers still in existence, and where each is published:

• New Orleans Times-Picayune
• Memphis (Tenn.) Commercial Appeal
• Sacramento (Calif.) Bee
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer
• Hartford (Conn.) Courant
• Toledo (Ohio) Blade
• The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk Va.)
• Torrance (Calif.) Daily Breeze
• Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Staten Island (N.Y.) Advance
• Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times
• Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus Leader

 

gleans at 1:55 PM MT, 4/3

 

Why The Demise Of Civilisation May Be Inevitable

Most people think that our civilisation is of such a scale and complex level of innovation that we are immune to collapse. However, a growing number of researchers are coming to the conclusion that our society is becoming ever more vulnerable. In this special report, New Scientist looks at two possibilities. Could a pandemic be devastating enough to wipe out our entire civilisation - and does the very nature of our civilisation means that ours, like every other civilisation in history, is destined to collapse....MORE

 

Springs area gets its first poet laureate, Aaron Anstett

Comments 1| Recommend 5

3 hours 37 minutes ago

 

 

 

GAIL COLLINS

A Black Hole Rating System

The woes of the world have been so multitudinous lately that new opportunities for worrying pop up everywhere.

 

 

 

Sherry Britton, 89, a Star of the Burlesque Stage, Dies

By DENNIS HEVESI

Ms. Britton’s hour-glass figure, jet-black hair and rambunctious presence made her one of the queens of the burlesque stage in the 1930s and ’40s.

 

 

 

PIKIN SARON JOURNAL; A Proving Ground for Marines and Dutch Intentions ...Such activities may sound nice to Dutch marines, but in Suriname they still arouse...effort to dispel such talk, the Dutch marines organized what they called a V...the 31st Infantry Company of the Dutch Marines here from its base in the Netherlands... April 3, 2008 - By SIMON ROMERO - World

 

 

 

In Test, Few Proficient Student Writers
New York Times - By SAM DILLON About one-third of America’s eighth-grade students, and about one in four high school seniors, are proficient writers, according to results of a nationwide test released on Thursday.

 

 

 

Scientists Find Oldest Human Remains Uncovered in the Americas
Washington Post - This animation illustrates the flooding of the vast tundra plain connecting Asia and North America in a timeframe from 21000 years ago to present day.
New Evidence of Earliest North Americans The Associated Press
Evidence Supports Earlier Date for People in North America New York Times
Scientific American - U.S. News & World Report - Times Online - Science Daily (press release)
all 60 news articles »