For the Goddess Too Well Known

I have robbed the garrulous streets,
Thieved a fair girl from their blight,
I have stolen her for a sacrifice
That I shall make to this night.

I have brought her, laughing,
To my quietly dreaming garden.
For what will be done there
I ask no man pardon.

I brush the rouge from her cheeks,
Clean the black kohl from the rims
Of her eyes; loose her hair;
Uncover the glimmering, shy limbs.

I break wild roses, scatter them over her.
The thorns between us sting like love’s pain.
Her flesh, bitter and salt to my tongue,
I taste with endless kisses and taste again.

At dawn I leave her
Asleep in my wakening garden.
(For what was done there
I ask no man pardon.)

For the Goddess Too Well Known

I have robbed the garrulous streets,
Thieved a fair girl from their blight,
I have stolen her for a sacrifice
That I shall make to this night.

I have brought her, laughing,
To my quietly dreaming garden.
For what will be done there
I ask no man pardon.

I brush the rouge from her cheeks,
Clean the black kohl from the rims
Of her eyes; loose her hair;
Uncover the glimmering, shy limbs.

I break wild roses, scatter them over her.
The thorns between us sting like love’s pain.
Her flesh, bitter and salt to my tongue,
I taste with endless kisses and taste again.

At dawn I leave her
Asleep in my wakening garden.
(For what was done there
I ask no man pardon.)

Wisdom comes with age.

But sometimes age comes alone.

Prancūzijos nutarimas neleisti homoseksualams įsivaikinti atmestas

Tony Blairas – būsimas Europos Sąjungos prezidentas?
Labai sunku anglui kalbėti prancūziškai prieš nemažą publiką.
 
Vis dėlto buvęs Didžiosios Britanijos ministras pirmininkas Tony Blairas, kuris tai jau įprato daryti, vėl prakalbo prancūziškai sausio 12-ąją, kai gyrė Prancūzijoje vykdomas reformas ir Europos Sąjungos vienybę prieš prancūzų centro dešinės valdančiosios partijos narius. Jo prancūzų kalba tikrai buvo nebloga. Komentatoriai sakė, kad tik vienas dalykas gali paaiškinti, kodėl šis centro kairės politikas pasiryžo tokiam iššūkiui.
 
Susitikime Prancūzijos prezidentas Nicolas Sarkozy parėmė T. Blairo kandidatūrą į būsimą pirmojo nuolatinio visos Europos Sąjungos prezidento postą, rašo „The Economist“.
 
Pagal naująją Lisabonos sutartį (Reformų sutartį) ES 27 valstybės narės bus atstovaujamos vieno asmens, kuris prezidento pareigas eis dvejus su puse metų. Tai pakeičia sistemą, kurioje šalys, rotuodamos šešis mėnesius, prezidentauja ES susitikimuose. Šlovindamas savo svečią kaip vieną „didingiausių vyrų“ Europoje N. Sarkozy paragino ES kelti aukštus tikslus ir neieškoti kompromisinės figūros. Tai tikrai nuskambėjo kaip paraginimas, nors N. Sarkozy taip pat panašiai yra kalbėjęs apie Liuksemburgo ministrą pirmininką ir ES tamsiųjų technologijų meistrą Jean-Claude‘ą Junckerį.
 
Prancūzijos prezidentas tikisi, kad naujasis vadovas bus išrinktas šių metų pabaigoje, kai Prancūzija prezidentaus Europos Sąjungai. Tačiau taip gali atsitikti tik tuomet, jei Lisabonos sutartį ratifikuos visos 27 ES valstybės narės per 2008 metus. Tikėtina, kad ES prezidentas bus išrinktas per panašų maratoną 2009 m. Naujasis ES vadovas galės pats parinkti Europos Komisijos vadovą ir naująjį užsienio politikos koordinatorių.
 
Ar Tony Blairas gali gauti šias pareigas? Karas Irake yra didelė kliūtis jam tai pasiekti. Kartu trukdo ir asketiškas Didžiosios Britanijos dalyvavimas Europos Sąjungoje. Britai nėra Eurozonoje ir turi įvairiausių išlygų. Ar T. Blairas norėtų šio darbo? Galbūt ne. Kol kas dar vyksta ginčai dėl to, kas užsienyje bus ES oficialusis veidas – prezidentas ar užsienio politikos vadovas. Jeigu šis ginčas pakryps netinkama linkme, naujasis prezidentas gali nuvysti Briuselio biurokratijos labirintuose. Juk smagiau po pasaulį keliauti sakant gražias kalbas. Bet kokia kalba.

ZEBRA/ Alfa.lt (Alfa.lt)

 

Tiny Kallur lighthouse rests high on the island of Kalsoy, one of the Faroe Islands

The world's most appealing destinations—islands—are the ones most prone to tourism overkill. Our 522 experts vote on which ones avoid the danger, which are succumbing to it, and which hang in the balance.

ourism is a phenomenon that can cook your food or burn your house down. In other words, we all risk destroying the very places that we love the most.

Nowhere more so than on islands. Islands symbolize vacation. Escape! Their very insularity makes them more attractive than a comparable piece of real estate on the mainland. They are worlds unto themselves—their own traditions, ecosystems, cultures, landscapes. That's what attracts us. But as micro-worlds, islands are also more vulnerable to population pressure, climate change, storm damage, invasive species, and now, tourism overkill.

To see how the integrity of islands around the world is holding up, Traveler and our National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations conducted this fourth annual Destination Scorecard survey, aided by George Washington University. A panel of 522 experts in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship donated time to review conditions in these 111 selected islands and archipelagos. The scores that follow reflect the experts' opinions. Quoted phrases from their remarks suggest the thinking behind the scores.

The results show that beach-blessed islands draw sun-and-sand resort tourism development that can get out of hand quickly, although there are exceptions. Multiple cruise-ship crowds can also overwhelm an island, transforming it.

No surprise, then, that cloudy, beach-poor islands score well. Yet even these cooler islands are sometimes losing traditional families to soaring real estate prices.

All the islands that follow, even the lowest scoring, have great experiences to discover. To protect them, to restore them, we must value them as much as resort developers and cruise companies do. Even more.

Guide to the Scores:
0-25: Catastrophic: all criteria very negative, outlook grim.
26-49: In serious trouble.
50-65: In moderate trouble: all criteria medium-negative or a mix of negatives and positives.
66-85: Minor difficulties.
86-95: Authentic, unspoiled, and likely to remain so.
96-100: Enhanced. 
 
Meet our Panelists
 
About the Survey
 
Click on a part of the world below to read a sample of our panelists' comments.

Africa
Caribbean Region
East & Southeast Asia
Indian Ocean Region
Mediterranean
North & West Europe
North America
Pacific/Australia/NZ
South America

The list, by score

87     Faroe Islands, Denmark
84     Azores, Portugal
82     Lofoten, Norway
82     Shetland Islands, Scotland
82     Chiloé, Chile
81     Isle of Skye, Scotland
80     Kangaroo Island, South Australia
80     Mackinac Island, Michigan
80     Iceland
79     Molokai, Hawaii
78     Aran Islands, Ireland
78     Texel, Netherlands
77     Dominica
77     Grenadines
76     Tasmania
76     Bora Bora, French Polynesia
76     Fraser Island, Australia
76     Bornholm, Denmark
76     Hydra (Ídra), Greece
76     Falkland Islands (U.K.)
75     Corsica, France
75     Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
74     Vanuatu, Melanesia
74     Santa Catalina Island, California
73     Upolu and Savai'i, Samoa
73     Isle of Man (U.K.)
72     Palawan, Philippines
72     Moorea, French Polynesia
72     Block Island, Rhode Island
71     Ilha Grande, Brazil
71     Sardinia, Italy
71     Hvar, Croatia
71     Jersey and Guernsey (U.K.)
70     San Juan Islands, Washington State
70     St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
70     Seychelles
70     Anguilla  (U.K.)
70     Nevis
69     Palau, Micronesia
69     Cook Islands
69     Prince Edward Island, Canada
69     Salt Spring Island, Gulf Islands, British Columbia
69     Mount Desert Island, Maine
69     Réunion (France)
68     Bonaire
68     Sicily, Italy
68     St. Vincent
68     Yasawa group, Fiji
67     Pemba, Tanzania
67     Hawaii (Big Island)
66     Out Islands, Bahamas
66     Bermuda, North Atlantic
66     Tobago
66     São Tomé and Príncipe
65     Cyprus, Turkish side
65     Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique
65     Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
64     Solomon Islands
64     Jeju/Cheju, South Korea
64     Ocracoke, Outer Banks, North Carolina
64     Kauai, Hawaii
64     St. Lucia
63     Nantucket, Massachusetts
62     Martinique (France)
62     Corfu, Greece
62     Crete, Greece
62     Lombok, Indonesia
62     Barbados
61     Tonga, Polynesia
61     Madeira Islands, Portugal
61     Tortola, British Virgin Islands
61     Islands of Lake Titicaca, Peru/Bolivia
61     Sanibel, Florida
61     Santorini, Greece
61     Maldives (except Malé)
59     Grenada
59     Capri, Italy
59     Tahiti, French Polynesia
59     St. Kitts
58     Viti Levu, Fiji
57     Maui, Hawaii
57     Bali, Indonesia
57     Cape Verde Islands
57     Curaçao
55     Isla Mujeres, Mexico
55     Malta (all islands)
55     Guadeloupe
55     Mauritius
54     Mykonos, Greece
54     Federated States of Micronesia
54     Mallorca, Spain
53     St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
53     Zanzibar, Tanzania
52     Canary Islands, Spain
51     Puerto Rico
51     Cyprus, Greek side
50     Antigua
49     Hatteras Island, Outer Banks, North Carolina
48     Aruba (Netherlands)
47     Grand Cayman
47     Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras
47     St. Martin (Netherlands/France)
47     Cozumel, Mexico
46     Oahu, Hawaii
46     Key West, Florida
46     Phuket, Thailand
45     Hilton Head, South Carolina
44     Jamaica
44     Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
37     Ibiza, Spain
37     St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/islandsrated0711/islands.html

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