The Pope's funeral and the New York Times

Such an event, but what happened with the Times' lead article this morning? The piece reads like a paper by an undergraduate who slept through Christianity 101:

The coffin was placed on a large ornate rug and a liturgical text [which one?] was placed on it and opened. At the side of the coffin was a statue of Jesus on the cross bleeding from his thorns [that's known as a "crucifix", boys]. . .

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, dean of the college of cardinals, who delivered the sermon, spoke first after crossing himself [quelle surprise]. He sang in Latin from a holy book [now that's reporting] held up by an assistant and read the confession of sins that begins the Catholic Mass. . .

Some 35 minutes after the funeral began, a young priest in red vestments sang the gospel in Latin.

"The gospel"? -- the writers use the word liberally throughout to denote anything Christianish that they can't quite pin down.

One gun salute for with Hunter S. Thompson

The final wish of cult US writer Hunter S Thompson, to have his ashes fired from a giant cannon, will be granted in a ceremony later this year.

The author, who committed suicide in February at the age of 67, said on several occasions that he would like an artillery send-off for his remains.

"It's expensive, but worth every penny," said his wife Anita Thompson. "He loved explosions."

From the BBC.

London's Science Museum faces the crunch

The Science Museum has warned it may have to break up its world-famous library and close more galleries because of a £7 million shortfall in funds.

Former conservative minister Lord Waldegrave, the chairman of trustees, today said the museum was in financial crisis.

Works from the closed galleries will have to be split between the British Library and Imperial College if the Government cannot increase its grant.

From the Evening Standard. I have no idea if this is a real possibility, or just scare tactics and brinksmanship. By now the sight of museums and libraries facing budget crises has become all too familiar, along with the patterns along which the negotiations inevitably play out.

Bodies in the churchyard

MYSTERY surrounds the discovery of six bodies dating back to the 16th century in the grounds of a historic church in Leith. . .

Carbon dating by scientists has revealed the bodies date back to around the time of the Siege of Leith from 1559 to 1560, which involved French, English and Scots forces. But experts believe the bodies - one a teenager - could also be executed criminals or victims of the devastating plague. . .

The Siege of Leith, from 1559 to 1560, led to the Treaty of Edinburgh, the eventual fall of the Catholic Church in Scotland and the end of the Franco-Scottish Alliance.

From the Scotsman.

More Culloden excavation

PART of Culloden Battlefield is to undergo a final search by a specialist team of archaeologists before a new visitor centre is built.

Tony Pollard, who appeared in TV's "Two Men In A Trench" will visit the site this week and work with six members of the Highland Historical Search Society who will sweep the area with their metal detectors in the hope of salvaging any battle relics before construction of the new £7 million centre begins.

Full story here.

Silk Road to Providence

Now this was a coup for RISD, and for the city:

In a major cultural coup, Harvard University and the Rhode Island School of Design are joining forces to bring The Silk Road Project, a multidisciplinary arts and education organization founded by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, to New England.

Under the terms of a five-year agreement announced yesterday, The Silk Road Project will transfer its headquarters from New York City to Providence, beginning next month. The organization will also establish a residency program that will bring RISD students and faculty members together with an international array of musicians, including Ma himself.

I was at the ensemble's performance at the RISD auditorium Friday afternoon; it was packed, but undoubtedly it was Yo-Yo Ma's presence that drew such a crowd. The entire project deserves such a following, however, and before long here it may have it.

Ancient erections

Stone-age figurines depicting what could be the oldest pornographic scene in the world have been unearthed in Germany.

Archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the 7,200-year-old remnants of a man having intercourse with a woman.

The extraordinary find, at an archaeological dig in Saxony, shatters the belief that sex was a taboo subject in that era . . .

Read the rest in the Guardian.

Belated premiere

A symphony written by a British composer more than 100 years ago is to be premiered in Cornwall on Monday. The work by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, who was born in Croydon, was written in 1896 but has only recently been found. . .

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was the son of an English mother and African father. He studied at the Royal College of Music and was encouraged by Sir Edward Elgar and Gustav Holst.

He is said to have been proud of his African descent and his works were popular in America, where he became one of the founders of the civil rights movement.

The 37-year-old composer died of pneumonia in 1912.

From the BBC.