respublica

Newspapers around the world speak with one voice

In a casual way I noticed that a couple of the papers we receive both chose to editorialize on the importance of the Copenhagen Climate Summit which begins today. 

Then I saw another editorial promoting the urgency of Climate change.  Hmm.  Seems many editorial writers from around the country made a group decision to promote this and ignore or wave off new evidence that the science may have been tricked up to suit a preconceived opinion.

Well, I'm not as paranoid as I thought.  Seems there is an agreement by 56 newspapers in 46 countries to put out the same editorial today.  "14 days to seal history's judgement on this generation."  Other papers seem to have followed suit without signing an agreement.

From the Guardian:

"Today 56 newspapers in 45 countries take the unprecedented step of speaking with one voice through a common editorial.  We do so because humanity faces a profound emergency."

What good are newspapers if they merely carry water for one point of view, one set of numbers.  Where is a profound and bias neutral look at what lies beneath all this. 

Yes, some profound emergency which will be talked about by attendees at a conference in Copenhagen putting out more CO2 than many countries do in a year.  Riding around in limousines and jetting in on private planes.

Sure, we'll all believe whatever you have to say.

The carbon dioxide producing Climate Summit

The UK Telegraph figures the much discussed climate summit beginning today in Copenhagen will produce as much carbon dioxide as a town the size of Middlesbrough.

I have no idea what size town Middlesbrough is, but here are some numbers attached to the Climate Summit.

1200 and rising-number of limousines reserved by attendees.  There is such a demand for limos that providers are having to head to Germany and Sweden and drive the cars hundreds of miles back to Denmark for the week.

5-hybrids reserved

140-additional private planes so far above the airport's ability to handle that after dropping off passengers the planes must fly off to regional airports or Sweden to park.

41,000-tons of carbon dioxide equivalent the summit will put out, more than 60 of the world's smallest countries put out in a year combined.

4000-protesters, renamed, "detainees"

360-"cages" to house the "detainees" in an unused brewery

Public radio public money public bias

NPR, National Public Radio executives recently asked one of their reporters, Mara Liasson to reconsider her appearances on Fox News because of what NPR perceives as bias by Fox.

NPR spokesman, Dana Rehm said "There’s no relationship between the White House’s criticism of Fox and any discussions about Fox that we’re having."

Liasson reported that she will continue appearing on Fox.

NPR is funded by public money and as a general practice presents a decidedly liberal bent. 

Ferdie as a mother?

The funniest thing that happened on my walk down the new Highway 40 this afternoon took place during a conversation with a woman who also owns a Golden.

She asked me if my Golden happened to be a female because she owns a pure bred male Golden and is looking for a female to breed him to.

Ha.  No, I said, Ferdie is a male and a neutered one at that.  She seemed disappointed but I felt her question was a compliment.  Certainly she saw the same thing in Ferdie that I see.  Best of Breed.

Walking Highway 40

Lots of people were out walking or biking the new section of Highway 40 (I-64) this afternoon.  Lots of dogs too.  Here's a glimpse of what Ferdie and I saw.

At every entrance ramp, MoDOT workers were handing out a sheet with information on where to find porta-potties and first aid stations as well as stickers which said, "Fun on the Freeway!  The NEW I-64  December 6, 2009. 

Ferdie and I stood behind this gaggle of Wash U students at the Skinker red light and listened to them laugh and joke in that rather cynical persona college kids put on about how St. Louisans are so hard up for entertainment, they go and walk on the highway.  Well, this bunch seemed much less smarmy once they got down on the road.

The eastbound lanes were for bikes and skateboards while the westbound lanes were for walkers.  I looked across the barrier and there goes a skaterboarder.

Hey, here comes Ferdie's friend Nick.

 

Kiss Kiss

There were walkers

 
And bikers

 

And Roller derby fan, roller skating woman who just happens to work for the seminary.

Hey, Laura!

And here comes Marla.  She works at the seminary too.

Ha.

Continuing:  There were:
People laying down

People standing on the median wall

People being pushed

One person in a lawnchair

 

One guy on the Tamm overpass taking a picture.

Oh, and there were dogs.  Dogs of all kinds. 

This one was dressed up as a highway worker, hard hat and all, waiting for the ribbon cutting.

A pack of Goldens.  Ferdie had to go over and check them out.

Aw.

Nuzzle Nuzzle.

The crowd gathers for the ceremony

Heading home we chuckled, Ferdie and I did, only one person dressed up as a cartoon and it was the guy below.

Tomorrow the sound barrier wall will go to work.

Ferdie and Nick say good-bye to a fun day for dogs.

Today a walk on Highway 40

Update:  Photos from today's walk can be found here.

Tomorrow a ride.

I'm going to take Ferdie and walk Highway 40 this afternoon.  Because we can.

Tomorrow I'm going to drive straight to Collinsville and back without having to take surface streets.  Just because I can.

Anyone wanting to take part in the highway fun today, here are the logistics.

7:30-10  cycling time trials from Kingshighway to Hanley-eastbound lanes

8-10  5K run-Tamm to Big Bend-westbound lanes

Noon to 4  highway open to anyone who wants to walk or bike, dogs welcome.  Walkers use the westbound lanes, bikers the eastbound lanes

3  Ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication of the Jack Buck Memorial Highway sign between Tamm and Hampton-westbound lanes

Someone will be taking donations of canned goods at various interchanges.

Parking will be available at Forest Park Community College, but I don't think those spots will last long, this looks to be a day when thousands and thousands of people will turn out. 

Winning ugly

What was with the Texas Longhorns last night?  Playing for the chance to make it to the BCS title game in January, the team came out and somehow managed to look as though they don't belong there.

Let's see.  Quarterback Colt McCoy, talked about as a possible Heisman candidate, was sacked 9 times, saw his offense gain a mere 12 yards rushing, and threw three interceptions.  This was against Nebraska who came into the game 8-4

Texas needed the refs to add one second to the clock at the end of the game in order to get a field goal kick accomplished or they would have out of any title game chances.

As it is, does anyone else think Boise State or TCU or Cincinnati might just be sitting home thinking they are more deserving a team to meet Alabama come January 7?

I remember those days

I'd bet every parent has one of these pictures.  I know that for years, my dad carried a picture of the mother of these boys doing the exact same thing.

What the heck is Google Chrome

And why did it leave its icon on my desktop?

Cold Saturday night-hot roast beef sandwiches

This is a really good meal for anyone wanting something satisfyingly warm and tasty on a dark, cold night.

I found this recipe on Vodkapundit a year ago and it found its way to the dinner plate tonight.  It's so easy and so good.

But.  You do need a slow cooker.  I never had much desire to join the slow cooker buying parade, but after getting one two weeks ago I find that I love it.  Inexpensive, but huge in how it makes great meals.

1 Beef rump roast.
1 giant thing (20 oz) beef stock.
1 whole onion, sliced.
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced.
4 tablespoons butter.
Four demi baguettes.
Provolone cheese, thinly sliced.
Salt & pepper.

Put all the beef, stock, onion, garlic, butter and salt & pepper (to taste) in your slow cooker on low for seven hours. Slice the demi baguettes in half, 2/3 the way down. Toast the tops, very slightly, with the provolone — just enough toasting to get the cheese a little melty.  I've done this with baguettes and with a loaf of Marconi's Italian bread found at Viviano's Grocery on The Hill.  I prefer Marconi's, it has a crusty crust and soft inside.  Don't skimp on good bread no matter what kind you get.  If you like a bit of kick, add some pepperoncini's to the sandwich.

The demise of Home Health?

"Lawmakers have decided that most of the money to cover the uninsured should come from the health care system itself. This raises the question: Can health care providers reduce costs without slashing services? Under the legislation, home care would absorb a disproportionate share of the cuts.

It currently accounts for 3.7 percent of the Medicare budget, but would absorb 10.2 percent of the savings squeezed from Medicare by the House bill and 9.4 percent of savings in the Senate bill."

Little by little we get glimpses of the change that is coming.

Home health is a lifeline to so many, it's what keeps them out of nursing homes.

One day's climate snapshot

Brrrrr  December 5

Candidate for Illinois governor to be in Collinsville today

Republican candidate for governor, Adam Andrzejewski, will be at a luncheon at Porter's in Collinsville today from 11:15 to 12:45 noon for a meet and greet.

lunch reservations:  RSVP Sjoydaniel@gmail.com

The big issues here today gone tomorrow

The huge issues of our time come and go so quickly.  In blazing speed we  obsess over Cap and Trade until one day Cap and Trade is replaced by Health Care which in turn disappears into the ether by a fixation on jobs.

This is so weird.  Can't congress or the administration focus on more than one thing at a time?

Wait.  Yes, we can focus on two things at one time.

Tiger Woods and the White House party crashers.

Heard on the morning news

MSNBC's Morning Joe today

Administration officials asked at a news conference on yesterday's White House Jobs Summit how many senior officials have a background in business answered...

...zero...none.

No one dealing with the serious jobs issue has owned, run or managed the one part of the economy which provides jobs.

A quick look at the 2009 Festival of Trees

What was for dinner?

One group got small plates of all the food choices and spread them out so that everyone could taste each thing. 

The mayor was there.

Two Collinsville Progress committee chairman visit with Mayor John Miller and his wife Diane.  From left, Patti Totleben of Progress, Diane Miller, Joe Hutton president of Progress and the mayor.

Here's Dale with Mark Badasch executive director of the Collinsville Area Recreation District.

City Councilman, Nancy Moss.

A look a couple of the winning trees.

Apologies for the dim shot of the Grand Prize Tree created by Anderson Hospital.  Maybe someone who has a better one can send it to me.

Lots of hot air

I don't understand the enthusiasm so many people seem to have over those huge blow up Christmas lawn figures.

Cadets and the president

Rigid, sometimes stony, West Point cadet faces in the audience at West Point last night, watching the president give his Afghan speech. 

Chris Matthews has to go and be an idiot at the end, claiming Obama went into the enemy camp to give his speech.

All kinds of reaction, nothing really glowing that I've been able to find.

Local congressman John Shimkus who was at West Point last night seemed most supportive saying, "I'm cutting him some slack; I'm behind him."

Senator Durbin wasn't as nice.  "I am going to take some time to think through the proposal he presented tonight."

Funny how the cadet faces changed when the speech was over.  Smiling and relaxed.  At least some of them.

Festival of Trees decorating day 2009

Here's a quick look at how the trees came together for tonight's Festival of Trees at the Gateway Center in Collinsville.  From 2 until 9 yesterday, civic groups of all types decorated individual trees according to whatever theme they previously decided on.  At 9 three judges came in and looked at all the trees and decided chose the top three trees.

New this year was an Irish tree.

Then there was a tree devoted to cooking.

Another with a gardening theme

Golf too

A silver tree

A santa tree

 

Penguins

There are 40 decorated trees, all of different and all done well.  An interesting tree has a Collinsville history them, done in sepia colors.  I didn' get a photo of that, but will tonight.

One more

Glitterati and Luminaries

The current St. Louis Magazine (December) includes two women of local interest. 

Janice Mudd, artist and wife of Concordia Seminary's facilities director, is featured in the magazine's Glitterati section.  She attended the St. Luke's Hosptital Spirit Girls Night Out and is seen painting in her photo.

Clayton Mayor, Linda Goldstein is highlighted as one of St. Louis' Luminaries, "people whose ideas glow so brightly, they illuminate a path for the rest of us."  Her efforts in sustainable environmental work in Clayton has made Clayton the area leader in this area.  She is also one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

The Luminary story is not yet linked on the website.