gleans at 7:55 AM MT, 01/04/09

 

Topping out

World's newest tall building set to reveal secrets

 

 

'Earthquake swarm' continues to rock Yellowstone
'It's not business as usual. ... We are paying careful attention'
--Denver Post

 

 

Legendary '1st SEAL' passes away
'He definitely stood behind you, and he was always there when you needed him'
--Charlotte Sun

 

 

Seeking Herman Melville, at land and sea

By Sara Lippincott  While roaming the South Pacific via (luxury) sailing ship, a fan searches for signs of the whaler-hopping author.

 

 

Series spreads the blame on economy

By James Rainey  Despite criticism that it's anti-Bush, a New York Times series looks at what and who contributed to the country's financial woes. Its detractors are missing the point.

 

 

Wall Street follies

Government and the financial industry must make changes to guard against another debacle.

 

 

Op-Ed: End of Financial World as We Know It

We have a brief chance to cure ourselves. But of what?

• Repairing the Financial World

 

 

Risk Management

 

 

New bird flu cases revive fears of human pandemic

By Mary Engel  Hong Kong, believed to have been free of H5N1, is forced to cull thousands of poultry after an outbreak. Two avian flu deaths are reported in Egypt and Indonesia.

 

 

Hollywood starts '09 with little to celebrate

By Claudia Eller and Richard Verrier  The economic downturn hit while audiences were already turning to the Web. Experts expect more layoffs for the local industry.

 

 

Tall ships sail into Southern California

 

 

Samuel Huntington and the Positivity of Power Thinking

By LEE SIEGEL  Samuel Huntington, the political theorist who died on Dec. 24, demonstrated the potency and peril of the big idea.

• Samuel P. Huntington's Obituary

 

The Toughest Q’s Answered in the Briefest Tweets By NOAM COHEN  Israel has enlisted an arsenal of Internet tools to take its message directly to a global audience — including “the first governmental press conference ever held on Twitter.”

 

 

The Plot Curdles

By JULIAN GOUGH  A modest proposal for bailing out the publishing industry.

 

 

Somersaulting truck, leaping bike
Daredevils claim they have broken new world records in Las Vegas
--BBC News

 

 

Babies are born primed to count
Researchers find humans come into the world hardwired for math
--The Economist

 

 

As recession deepens, so does milk surplus
Dairy farmers' dilemma: What to do with cows, growing glut as prices plunge
--Reuters

 

 

Americans shift to cheaper wines, more of them
'People are loading up on a lot more of the things that cost less'
--Reuters

 

 

Fashion designer defends fur industry 'Those beasts ... would kill us if they could' --London Telegraph

Zippy Zippo produces 450 million lighters Employees still test each unit coming off line to make sure it makes distinctive click --Pittsburgh Business Times

 

 

Jimmy Buffett: World's richest beach bum
Offers fans 'accessible fantasy': 'Something extra-musical about the whole thing'
--Associated Press