Lines of the Times

Apr 30

The engineers also acknowledge that they may never know what caused the batteries to overheat on the Japan Airlines and All Nippon aircraft because the cells were so damaged.

Still, Boeing swore by its fixes Sunday.

” — from Boeing Jet Returns to the Air, but It’s Only a Start

Apr 29

“The undercurrent was the contest between young and old, between churchgoer and heathen, between the preservationist and the futurist, the realist and the skeptic.” — from The Bikes and the Fury

Apr 11

“Despite warnings from North Korean leaders of impending nuclear war, residents of Pyongyang, the North’s capital, gave no sense of panic, with people planting trees and dancing in the plazas ahead of the holiday, The Associated Press, which has a bureau in Pyongyang, reported Wednesday.” — from U.S. and South Korea Put Forces on Alert for Missile Test by North

Apr 02

“She asked that her name not be used because, she said, she was scared of the Russians on the corner.” — from A Slice of London So Exclusive Even the Owners Are Visitors

Apr 01

“But the court’s ruling confirmed that India’s criteria for the granting of such patents remain far higher than those in the United States, where patents are so easy to win that one was given in 1999 for a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich.” — from Top Court in India Rejects Novartis Drug Patent

Mar 16

“The researchers suggested that the four-winged creatures were already getting ready to use their hind limbs for terrestrial locomotion, like the robin pursuing worms on a lawn or the disputatious crow strutting around an overturned trash can.” — from Some Primitive Birds Flew With 4 Wings, Study Says

Mar 15

“Syrian rebels seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad in a civil war that has claimed an estimated 70,000 lives urged the new pope to make a special gesture toward them.” — from Day 1 Agenda for Pope: Pray, Pack Bags and Pay Bill

Mar 11

“Pope John XXIII, who died in 1963, was the last pontiff to wear an XL.” — from When the Pope Is Chosen, His Tailors Will Be Ready

Mar 10

“Shock and dismay are not uncommon reactions, said Jared Feldman, a Bedford-Stuyvesant resident who has witnessed many similar exchanges over the past week at his local Dunkin’. “They go through all the stages of grief,” Mr. Feldman said.” — from City’s New Drink Rules Add Wrinkle to Coffee Orders

Mar 09

“His trial on charges of paying for sex with a juvenile prostitute is expected to wind up on March 18 while a separate trial over broadcast rights is expected to conclude on March 23.” — from Berlusconi Sentenced to 1 Year in Jail in Wiretap Trial

Mar 08

“Mr. Paul could not leave the floor to use the bathroom, making his filibuster at a certain point seem less a standoff between the senator from Kentucky and the administration than a battle between Mr. Paul and his own bladder.” — from Republicans, Led by Rand Paul, Finally End Filibuster

Mar 07

“This has all the makings of a tempest in a Nutella jar, which may not be as appealing as a Nutella milkshake, Nutella fudge or Nutella-stuffed French toast. Or stolen Nutella, which, apparently, has mouthwatering appeal at Columbia University.” — from On Campus, Costly Target of Brazen Thefts: Nutella

Mar 05

“Millions of Kenyans poured into polling places on Monday to cast their votes in a crucial, anxiously awaited presidential election, and while the voting proceeded relatively smoothly, at least six police officers were killed in attacks.” — from Millions Vote in Crucial Kenyan Elections

Mar 04

“And so it came to pass that on a rainy morning not long ago, a black Volkswagen Beetle with the license plate NANNY DR drove up to the Van Der Beeks’ Hollywood Hills home.” — from Smoothing the Frictions Between Parent and Nanny

Mar 03

“They’re building what I call a Viagra building: a tall slender tower with great views at a great location,” said Robert I. Shapiro, a real estate broker who specializes in these kind of deals.” — from $40 Million in Air Rights Will Let East Side Tower Soar