When compounds in the brine combine in the taste buds with some of those left by the whiskey, they create a pleasant umami flavor that isn't present in either liquid alone.

WSJ: Half Full: The Power of the Pickleback

Earlier Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that he and Boehner had a "pleasant conversation" by phone and that he didn't expect either man to "draw any lines in the sand" ahead of negotiations.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

That probably made a Yes vote more likely, since the debate could be kept to pleasant generalities, without needing to deal with too many troublesome practicalities, either in Parliament or during the referendum campaign itself.

ECONOMIST: Referendums: Umpire required | The

The weather is pleasant now in Sydney -- but that won't last forever, either.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Asia Buzz: Rough Weather Ahead?

Rothschild Boulevard, a pleasant, leafy thoroughfare that meanders through Tel Aviv, with offices and commodious flats on either side, has oddly become a colourful encampment, seething with talk of people-power and social revolution.

ECONOMIST: Israel