All Global News on One Page

T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” one of the truly revolutionary poems in the English language, is now breaking new ground for poetry on the iPad. Faber and Touch Press have teamed up to create a new “The Waste Land” app, an ambitious effort to, as they put it, “vividly [showcase] the iPad’s capabilities as a platform for literature.” The app is just the beginning of an effort “to re-imagine poetry for the digital age,” bringing it off the page and into life in various media, and offering — at the reader’s request — interactive annotation and targeted guidance from dozens of experts with the tap of a finger.
Most readers would agree that they could use some technological help to fully understand “The Waste Land.” The poem is brimming over with literary and religious allusions, many of which are quite obscure. Eliot once explained,
To grasp just how difficult “The Waste Land” is, one needs look no further than the poem’s epigraphs: they’re presented in the original Latin, Greek and Italian and are not

My recent trip to Europe ended up in Barcelona, sneaking from one dark room to another in the hotel where I was staying. But let me assure you, I was doing this for all the right reasons. About fifty art dealers from around the world gathered there for Loop, an annual video art fair. Each dealer, in his or her room, was allowed to show only one video work by one

Is there a more consistently hilarious sight in Britain than the endless parade of slavering monarchists trying to convince us the Windsor family is the embodiment of virtue and hard work? Today is the 90th birthday of Philip Mountbatten. Ordinarily, I would wish him a happy day, as I would any other 90-year-old, and then let the event pass in silence — if only the monarchists were not so relentlessly using the event as yet another propaganda tool for their snobbery-soaked institution. But we can’t let yet another bout of their myth-making pass without answer.
Today, you are being encouraged to celebrate a man who merrily visited a genocidal dictator and used the occasion to sneer at British democracy. A man whose political interventions even prompted complaints from the far-right Enoch

Carl Bart (The Libertines)
Song: The Man Who Would Be King
Album: The Libertines
Genre: Alternative
Buy: iTunes.com
Suzi Quatro
Song: Can the Can
Album: Essential
Genre: Pop
Buy: iTunes.com
Ron Wood
Song: Delia
Album: Gimme Some Neck
Genre: Rock
Buy: iTunes.com
Charlie Watts (& The Tentet)
Song: Tin Tin Deo
Album: Watts at Scott’s (Live in London 2001)
Genre: Jazz
Buy: iTunes.com
Chris Isaak
Song: Dancin’
Album: Silvertone
Genre: Rock
Buy: iTunes.com
Gin Wigmore
Song: Don’t Stop
Album: Holy Smoke
Genre: Pop
Buy: iTunes.com
Richard Strauss (Performed by Glenn Gould)
Song: Sonata for Piano in B Minor, Op. 5: II. Adagio Cantabile
Album: The Essential Glenn Gould
Genre: Classical
Buy: iTunes.com
Dwight Twilley
Song: I’m On Fire
Album: Monster Hits of the ’70s
Genre: Pop
Buy: iTunes.com
Bubbi Morthens
Song: Mr. Dylan
Album: Ein Str Fjlskylda (Soundtrack From the Motion Picture)
Genre: Soundtrack
Buy: iTunes.com
Barry Manilow
Song: Sing It
Album: Barry Manilow I
Genre: Vocal
Buy: iTunes.com
Bonnie Tyler
Song: It’s a Heartache
Album: It’s a Heartache
Genre: Pop
Buy: iTunes.com
Doc Pomus
Song: Hollywood Bed
Album: Savoy Blues 1944-1994
Genre: Blues
Buy: iTunes.com
Vic Damone
Song: Vagabond Shoes
Album: The Best of Vic Damone: The Mercury Years
Genre: Vocal
Buy: iTunes.com
Alison Moyet
Song: Steal Me Blind
Album: Alf
Genre: Pop
Buy: iTunes.com
Basil Rathbone (& Nigel Bruce)
Song: The Indiscretion of

After the last meetings in Greece and in Brussels, there is no illusion left. Greece is not even close to the implementation of its reforms. Contrary to Spain and Ireland, there is no consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. Prime Minister Papandreou no longer has the confidence of his people, neither does he have the confidence of his European partners.
In those conditions, the absence of consensus in Greece and among the partners of the Eurozone, the situation is deteriorating rapidly, with 2-year bonds by the Hellenic Republic trading at an interest rate level above

There have been plenty of attempts to “explain” Andrew Bird. Vague descriptors like “indie folk” and “baroque pop” are often applied, but they only go so far in quantifying what happens when violin, guitar, glockenspiel, and of course, that lingering whistle of his, come together.
When these elements are looped on stage, Bird is a force — one that’s been more absent from the touring scene since his latest record, 2009′s Noble Beast. He’s spent the last couple years recording off his farm in Illinois, and fitting in time for a sonic installation, “Sonic Arboretum,” at the Guggenheim

By Angela Montefinise, The New York Public Library
It’s not every day that a former national security advisor recognizes you, taps you on the shoulder and apologizes for not returning your calls.
But that’s exactly what happened to journalist Shane Harris in March 2004 at a small, invitation-only discussion on homeland security at Syracuse University. Harris was scheduled to discuss the media’s role in homeland security. Former National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan John Poindexter was also scheduled to attend.
Reporter Shane Harris (second from the right) receives the 2011 Helen Bernstein Book Award For Excellence In Journalism. Pictured (l-r) are NYPL President Paul LeClerc, Helen Bernstein, Harris and Committee Chairman Jim

Firefighters in the US state of Arizona have begun slowly to wrest control of a huge wildfire that has scorched an area bigger than Los Angeles.

The Wallow fire in eastern Arizona has now raged for 13 days, and is the second-largest in the state's history.

Firefighters have lit controlled burns to diminish the fuel available to the wildfire, and a tanker aircraft has dropped retardant on the flames.

But the 603-sq-mile (1,562-sq-km) blaze was only 5% contained late on Thursday.
‘No serious injuries’
Twenty-two houses in the eastern Arizona town of Greer were confirmed destroyed and five damaged.
The fire has forced thousands of people to evacuate towns in eastern Arizona
Over the border in the state of New Mexico residents of the town of Luna were on

A New York City filmmaker and cyclist has launched a painful online crusade to push authorities to ticket motorists who park in bike lanes.

In May, a policeman gave Casey Neistat a $50 (£31) fine for riding in a traffic lane, dismissing his plea that the bike lane was dangerously blocked.

To prove his point, Mr Neistat created a video in which he is shown crashing into a series of bike lane

As a card-carrying Conservative who voted Liberal (in vain) this past election, I have no intention of renewing my Conservative membership. My justification can be brought down to its common denominator: no matter how fiscally conservative I may be, there are certain values I am not willing to compromise. Thus, when the Conservatives were (democratically) elected to a majority government with the NDP as the official Opposition, I was indeed disappointed by the results.
Nevertheless, I am quite aware of the concept of a parliamentary democracy and how it works in

Sometimes when I travel, everything goes so smoothly that it feels like a miracle of modern transportation. Other times, everything goes so horribly wrong that I have to cry and comfort myself with an airport cheesesteak, which makes me cry even more because mine at home are so much better. Such was the case recently. So I decided to share my finely honed and utterly simple cheesesteak recipe with all of you.
The original cheesesteak, as served in the city of brotherly love, does NOT have sauce on

Substance abuse within a family is a devastating, gut-wrenching problem. It can tear at the very fiber of even the strongest family 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can percolate for years, and the behavior that accompanies it might have been dismissed because of scholastic demands, peer pressure or even a rite of passage that so many adolescents go through. But when their demeanor and conduct start to become out of control and irresponsible actions begin to occur, then parents have to face the harsh reality that their child may be on a destructive, possibly one-way path toward an addiction issue.
How do responsible parents communicate with their other, healthy children about the disease that may be infecting their sibling? Confusion, uncertainty and insecurity abounds for the child or children that doesn’t understand why their brother or sister is sleeping all day, acting crazy, sounding and looking like a different person and not participating with the family anymore.
Though I am not a child psychologist, I believe that being honest and open with your child/children about their sibling’s substance abuse issues is respectful and

Last week, over a late night dinner of take out food and inspiring personal stories, I had a strategy session in my crowded kitchen with two truly remarkable women; Eleanor Smeal of the Feminist Majority and Lilly Ledbetter of Alabama. We were talking about how to achieve what some think is impossible, but what most say is a necessity if we want to achieve true equality in this country: Passing the Equal Rights Amendment and putting real equality for women into the Constitution for the first time.
The proposal that men and women should be treated equally under the law is hardly a controversial concept. A few years back, a survey found that nine out of every ten Americans, both men and women believe the Constitution should state that male and female citizens are entitled to equal

On June 12 -13, Italians have the opportunity to say “no!” to nuclear power in their country. Berlusconi’s government has plans for four new reactors — but the people have demanded a referendum on the issue of nuclear energy. Surveys show that a majority of Italians are against it; however, if less than 50% of the population participates, the referendum will be invalid regardless the outcome.
I am currently in Japan and have just visited the area around Fukushima where radiation levels are dangerously high. Please watch this short video to learn more about what life is like for Japanese people in the region

There was a time when public health messages surrounding tobacco and the dangers of smoking went largely unheeded, despite decades of scientific and medical data clearly linking cigarettes to fatal diseases such as lung cancer. In that climate, tobacco executives could stand in front of Congress and claim that they didn’t believe nicotine was addictive, magazines ran ads targeting youth (featuring Joe Camel) and movie stars (such as James Dean) made smoking seem cool.
Today, things are different — very different. You no longer see or hear advertisements for cigarettes, unless you’re buying them at a convenience store or gas station. Characters smoking cigarettes have all but disappeared from the airwaves — and there’s even a non-profit group, Smoke-Free Movies, pushing to remove smoking scenes from

Retirement is a hot topic these days in just about every country! It is interesting to note that the idea of retirement as we now know it is of recent origin; it was only introduced during the 19th century. Maybe it’s now time to reconsider our thoughts about retirement given the recent economic crisis, as well as the existential crisis behind the economic crisis — what we call the “meaning” crisis.
Not too long ago an advertising campaign by a financial institution in Canada aired across the country. The campaign was called “Freedom 55,” which profiled and promised not only financial independence beginning at the age of 55 but also the lure of freedom to do whatever you wanted for the rest of your

There are some combinations that just go great together: Peanut butter and jelly, wine and cheese, baseball and hot dogs, Abbot and Costello …
But toothaches and airplanes will not be joining this list because they are a terrible combination. (One could say there is little a toothache actually goes well with, but that makes for a boring post.)
Truthfully, if you’ve ever flown with a toothache, you know how painful it can be. In my time as an NYC-based Cosmetic Dentist, I’ve been asked about this topic a

There’s bad news for dads this Father’s Day. A new survey of youth opinion shows that less than half of U.S. teens say they are frequently proud of their fathers (source: Attitudes and Behaviors of
Youth, OneHope, 2010). While this certainly is troubling, I can’t say I’m surprised.
For the last decade, American pop culture has idolized the slacker guy, the video gamer, the non-conformist and the goofball dad over the accountable, responsible, involved family

Ordinarily when we can’t handle powerful feelings such as pain or fear we avoid them because they overwhelm us or make us feel bad. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle of anxiety and avoidance, guilt and shame. What I call Behavioral Buddhism is my own way of using certain core principles of classical Buddhist meditation to constructively challenge this destructive pattern because it teaches us how to consciously develop the capacity to sit with, just be with, what we once avoided.
Human experience, according to one version of the classical Buddhist model of the mind, occurs in one of six areas — the five senses plus

When I grew up, the primary sources of health information for most of us were our physicians or our friends and family. But over the past decade the resources we use and rely on for health information, and how we use it, have radically changed. With the ubiquitous availability of the Internet, we’re now taking on the role of gathering and assessing this information ourselves, often before we visit or return to our doctors. To find health information, most of us turn to search engines or health sites — whether to answer questions about a new physical discomfort, a known ailment or about a health matter facing a child or other person we

The original director of Broadway's Spider-Man musical has not been paid royalties for working on the project, her union has said.

In an arbitration claim filed this week, the union representing directors said Julie Taymor had "given nine years of her life to this project".

The show's producers have yet to comment on the claim.

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which has been beset by technical problems, is opening officially next

When did the notion of quiet become such an alien concept to American society?
Or the idea of being bored – was that illegalized when I wasn’t looking?
A quiet moment, a modicum of boredom – these are the building blocks of creativity and deeper thought. At least they used to be. These days, however, they are treated as the enemy.
I’ve thought this for a while, based on my rare visits to professional sporting events. And it struck me again recently when I paid to see a movie in a multiplex.
I arrived about 20 minutes early for the showing, because I’m compulsively punctual and because I actually hoped to have a few minutes before the movie to read that day’s

In brief: The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is one of the best (and largest) festivals in the world. It began in the 1970s and takes place in Pilton, Somerset, a small village in southwestern England. Keeping true to its hippie roots, the festival takes place on Worthy Farm, a large piece of land owned by farmer Michael Eavis. Inspired to throw his own festival after seeing Led Zeppelin live–Eavis’ festival now brings tens of millions of dollars into the UK economy every

It’s funny how one phrase or picture can forever alter your perception of someone.
For instance, Michael Dukakis lost the 1988 presidential election in part because he looked silly in an army helmet and the 80s hair band Winger had its hipness hurt when Stuart, the wimpiest character on “Beavis and Butthead,” wore the band’s logo on his never-changing T-shirt.
More recently, Anthony Weiner turned the phrase, “I can’t say with certitude,” into a verbal millstone forever around his neck.
Well, thanks to the Internet, I can no longer think about Megan Fox without visualizing her licking off the lipstick off her teeth.
She apparently does it a lot, if a new photo gallery by Oddee.com is accurate.
It shows celebrities with signature poses and, sure enough, there are four shots of Ms. Fox licking her lips lasciviously as if she wanted to show the paparazzi that she can, with effort, touch her nose with her tongue.
To be fair, Fox is not the only celebrity with a go-to photo move. Lindsay Lohan likes to use her index finger as a toothpick and Miley Cyrus likes to flash the peace sign. Kim Kardashian always sticks out a bent right knee.
Hey, when you pose for so many photos, it’s good to have a go-to move, I