The Exquisite Adonis Blue
The Adonis Blue, loveliest of all the blue butterflies and rivalled only, perhaps, by the White Admiral as a thing of delicate wonder in flight, lending its grace to the beauty of the chalk uplands of southern England. This is the butterfly of our joyous childhood excursions to Hod Hill, where, I hope, it will continue to flourish long after the footprints of rapacious men fade from view. LJ
Lyndon’s Flipboard Magazines
Lyndon’s Flipboard Link
How true those words are, even to-day! (Horatio Hornflaunter III)
First puzzle for a while
I haven’t had time for the Times Crossword recently. This is my first attempt since the move. I’m glad it was an unproblematic experience. LJ
Rail Replacement Bus Service – TheTLS
Rail Replacement Bus Service – TheTLS
— Read on www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/public/rail-replacement-bus-service/
Why We Think Cats Are Psychopaths – The Atlantic
It’s just “resting cat face.”
— Read on www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/02/cat-psychopaths/583192/
Six Nations 2019: Is this the ‘greatest Wales side’ as Eddie Jones claims? – BBC Sport
Gareth Edwards gives his views on the record of the current Welsh XV.
England coach Eddie Jones claims his side will face the ‘greatest Wales side ever’ in the Six Nations – but how does Warren Gatland’s team rank?
Source: Six Nations 2019: Is this the ‘greatest Wales side’ as Eddie Jones claims? – BBC Sport
Little Chlo’ with snowdrops and a Red Admiral freshly emerged from hibernation this sunny February morning.
Plummeting insect numbers ‘threaten collapse of nature’ | Environment | The Guardian
A troubling prognosis.LJ
Exclusive: Insects could vanish within a century at current rate of decline, says global review
— Read on www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature
NASA used Curiosity’s Sensors to Measure the Gravity of a Mountain on Mars – Universe Today
NASA recalibrated Curiosity’s navigation instruments to measure Aeolis Mons’ gravity and answer questions about Gale Crater and how Aeolis Mons was formed.
— Read on www.universetoday.com/141399/nasa-used-curiositys-sensors-to-measure-the-gravity-of-a-mountain-on-mars/
Ideal gas law – Wikipedia
Ideal gas law – Wikipedia
— Read on en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideal_gas_law
Everything but 13 across, “toroidal”,…
which, incidentally, I still don’t fully understand. 12 across is also obscure, but was at least guessable (I now get it!). It’s always a little peeving when there is one clue left, but I wouldn’t have got it without combing through the dictionary.
Maxwell…
Here it is, the high resolution photo of MU69 We’ve all been waiting for. – Universe Today
Here it is, the high resolution photo of MU69 We’ve all been waiting for. – Universe Today
— Read on www.universetoday.com/141349/here-it-is-the-high-resolution-photo-of-mu69-weve-all-been-waiting-for/
A pleasant, albeit relatively straightforward puzzle
The cat
A study suggests itself, which might be entitled “Towards a finer calibration of the noxious impact of feline halitosis on the plant kingdom, with particular reference to cut flowers and the art of ikebana.”
Elgar, Thomas Mann, coffee, cat & some slow Sunday time…
BWV 299 – Dir, dir Jehova, will ich singen – All of Bach
This is a wonderful site. What a gift to mankind, on behalf of mankind! LJ
BWV 299 – Dir, dir Jehova, will ich singen – All of Bach
— Read on allofbach.com/en/bwv/bwv-299/
JOHN CLARE, ICH BIN
A very fine German translation of John Clare’s lines written in Northampton County Asylum:
Deutsche Gedichte – kostenlose Gedichte und Sprüche: Freundschaft, Liebe, Hochzeit, Geburt uvam.
— Read on gedichte.xbib.de/Clare,+John_gedicht_Ich+bin.htm
Winchester at dawn
The numinous. Winchester Cathedral after Evensong.
In Winchester
Completed whilst sitting on a beanbag in the cloakroom of our new house, awaiting the arrival of a flaky technician, who does not show up. So, it’s one more lunch at the Wykeham Arms for me, then, later, Evensong in the Cathedral, the greatest free show on Earth.
In the Wykeham Arms
A satisfying puzzle, requiring patience before the eventual breakthrough, whereafter things went smoothly.
Wareham Station
I shall miss this place of unpretentious charm, lost in time and easy on the spirit. LJ
The Cat. Episode IV
A satisfying puzzle
Completed this morning whilst listening to the sacred music of Arvo Pärt, the perfect refuge from the climate of political ugliness currently prevailing.
Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten – Wikipedia
— Read on en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantus_in_Memoriam_Benjamin_Britten
“You don’t raise school standards by skewing them”
Tim Hands, Master of Magdalen College School in Oxford, slams Michael Gove’s plans for education reform.
— Read on www.newstatesman.com/politics/politics/2012/06/you-dont-raise-school-standards-skewing-them
Egg No.1
The Warden, by Anthony Trollope
The Warden, by Anthony Trollope : contents
Read on ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/t/trollope/anthony/warden/contents.html
“Having settled this point to his satisfaction, the doctor stepped down to the hospital, to learn how matters were going on there; and as he walked across the hallowed close, and looked up at the ravens who cawed with a peculiar reverence as he wended his way, he thought with increased acerbity of those whose impiety would venture to disturb the goodly grace of cathedral institutions.
And who has not felt the same? We believe that Mr Horseman himself would relent, and the spirit of Sir Benjamin Hall give way, were those great reformers to allow themselves to stroll by moonlight round the towers of some of our ancient churches. Who would not feel charity for a prebendary when walking the quiet length of that long aisle at Winchester, looking at those decent houses, that trim grass-plat, and feeling, as one must, the solemn, orderly comfort of the spot! Who could be hard upon a dean while wandering round the sweet close of Hereford, and owning that in that precinct, tone and colour, design and form, solemn tower and storied window, are all in unison, and all perfect! Who could lie basking in the cloisters of Salisbury, and gaze on Jewel’s library and that unequalled spire, without feeling that bishops should sometimes be rich!”
En tant que francophile, j’ai fait une contribution à cette cagnotte, tout en regrettant qu’un tel geste soit nécessaire. Il l’est pourtant. LJ
“«Gilets jaunes» : des cagnottes créées pour soutenir les forces de l’ordre” : http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2019/01/08/01016-20190108ARTFIG00280-gilets-jaunes-des-cagnottes-creees-pour-soutenir-les-forces-de-l-ordre.php
I got there in the end, after some frustration
Mer snö och blåst över mellersta Sverige – Radio Sweden på lätt svenska | Sveriges Radio
Nyheter på lätt svenska för dig som är ny i Sverige.
— Read on sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx
Hoe vrachtwagenchauffeur Éric Drouet het vuur van de gele hesjes steeds weer aanwakkert | De Volkskrant
“De vrees der Franse natie…”
Als vrachtwagenchauffeur Éric Drouet van zich laat horen – en dat doet hij soms tientallen keren per dag – luisteren de gele hesjes. Zijn met uitro…
— Read on www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/hoe-vrachtwagenchauffeur-eric-drouet-het-vuur-van-de-gele-hesjes-steeds-weer-aanwakkert~be3120c3/
Enfin
“Soucieux de tordre le cou au sentiment d’impunité qui prévaut parmi les plus radicaux, le chef du gouvernement annonce ainsi sa volonté d’appliquer le principe du « casseur payeur».
Gilets jaunes»: le plan de l’exécutif pour rétablir l’ordre” : http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2019/01/07/01002-20190107ARTFIG00332-gilets-jaunes-le-plan-de-l-executif-pour-retablir-l-ordre.php
De bons raisonnements, mais il faut d’abord calmer la foule
“«Gilets jaunes : c’est l’État-providence, non le libéralisme, qui est en cause»” : http://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/societe/2018/12/30/31003-20181230ARTFIG00083-8220gilets-jaunes8221-c-est-l-etat-providence-non-le-liberalisme-qui-est-en-cause.php
Statice
I solved everything but the two missing letters required to form “statice”, a genus of sea-lavender and a pretty “maritime plant”, so I wouldn’t have won this week, not that it ever seems possible!
Companions
Cat
Metamorphosis. The eclosion of the Monarch butterfly from its chrysalis & a lady in a beautiful dress clearly designed in awed acknowledgement of this wonder.
It’s a love thing…
Hmm…
This one took me rather more time than I can afford to waste, largely owing to the somewhat tedious sense of humour of its compiler, but also owing to a certain sluggishness on my part. I still nailed it, making the score two out of three from this book, which I intend to complete before the crack of doom.
Comment la fistule anale de Louis XIV a permis la création de l’hymne britannique “God Save the Queen” ?
Voit-on un brin de chauvinisme provocateur là-dedans, histoire de vouloir unir le peuple en éveillant le mépris commun à l’endroit de l’ancien ennemi? Pourtant nous vous aimons! 😉LJ
Quel rapport peut-il bien exister entre l’affection dont souffrait le roi soleil et l’hymne de la perfide Albion ? Le professeur Jean-Noël Fabiani raconte cette histoire étonnante à Daniel Fievet dans la “Tête au carré”.
— Read on www.franceinter.fr/histoire/comment-la-fistule-anale-de-louis-xiv-a-permis-la-creation-de-l-hymne-britannique-god-save-the-queen
I’ve a whole book of these…
A change from reading Der Zauberberg & Purgatorio in bizarre parallel. Down to the flatlands from two extraordinary mountains.
I’m still not sure how “peacekeeper” works, but it couldn’t be anything else. I was glad to complete this after failing on number one. LJ
Faith in resourcefulness
Immune system transplants from strangers on horizon to fight cancer
— Read on www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/12/26/immune-system-transplants-strangers-horizon-fight-cancer/
Cela m’étonnerait …
Cela m’étonnerait que nous soyons seuls, pourtant j’hésiterais à me présenter à tout être vivant dôté de suffisamment d’intelligence pour me considérer comme un ennemi éventuel…LJ
“Sommes-nous vraiment seuls dans l’univers?” : http://www.lefigaro.fr/sciences/2018/12/26/01008-20181226ARTFIG00047-sommes-nous-vraiment-seuls-dans-l-univers.php
Pénélope et les arraignées
Karl Valentin-Biographie
A link to the authorised website of the metaphysical clown Karl Valentin may be found below.
Die einzige von der Familie Karl Valentins autorisierte Website. Mit vielen Informationen über den berühmten Münchner Komiker, Schriftsteller und Schauspieler Karl Valentin: Biographie, Werksübersicht, Filmographie, aktuellem Veranstaltungskalender, Filmclips, Gästebuch und Zitatedatenbank
— Read on www.karl-valentin.de/leben/biographie.htm
Les anti-inflammatoires: comment bien les utiliser
“Anti-inflammatoires : comment bien les utiliser” : http://www.lefigaro.fr/sciences/2018/12/20/01008-20181220ARTFIG00211-anti-inflamatoires-comment-bien-les-utiliser.php
Ça s’est passé à Noël
“Démission de Gorbatchev, sacre de Charlemagne, mort de Charlie Chaplin… Ça s’est passé à Noël” : http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2018/12/25/01016-20181225ARTFIG00009-demission-de-gorbatchev-sacre-de-charlemagne-a-s-est-passe-a-noel.php
Cracked it! Very satisfying!
13 Down took a while. I subsequently discovered that the definition “EVA” refers to “extra-vehicular activity” in the esoteric language of NASA.
“Articling”
15 Across eluded me, perhaps unsurprisingly.
