A record 2.5 million children in the U.S. were homeless at some point in 2013, according to a new report from the National Center for Family and Homelessness.
This amounts to one in 30 children and an 8 percent increase in child homelessness between 2012 and 2013. Nearly half the children are under the age of six. While the problem is most prevalent in Alabama, Mississippi, and California, it exists in every city, county, and state in the country.
Why does this matter?
Chilly temperatures and cold on tap
– The arctic chill dominates the Midwest with highs in the 10s and 20s for most areas.
– Slightly less cold 30s are confined to eastern Kentucky and the upper Ohio Valley.
– Record low temperatures are likely Monday night from the eastern Plains through the Ohio Valley as the mercury drops into the single digits and lower teens.
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More …
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I bet you didn’t know that the House of Representatives actually passed a bill this year that could help people. Now it awaits Senate action …
“We know that 70 million pounds of food that is safe for consumption ends up in landfills every year, and we also know that our network of food banks is now providing food to 46 million people each annually – so this is food that is much-needed by those we serve.
“Because of the uncertainty surrounding the food donation tax deduction, potential donors will often send surplus food to landfills or to be used as animal feed, instead of donating to their local food bank. We are grateful for the food we now receive from our donors and the federal government, but we are not currently able to keep up with the need.” […]
This legislation was passed by the House in July 2014 as part of the America Gives More Act (H.R. 4719) by a bipartisan vote.
… while there may be agreement that the U.S. needs more primary care providers, it’s not clear to everyone considering the problem that all those people need to be doctors.
“There are a lot of primary care services that can be provided by a lot of people other than primary care doctors,” says health economist Gail Wilensky. […]
Nonphysician primary care providers can include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and social workers, for example – often working together in teams with a medical doctor. Teams are thought to provide more cost-effective care, according to some health policy analysts. And, says Wilensky, more nonphysician health practitioners, each providing a different set of services, might lessen the need for more primary care doctors.
The second open enrollment period for the health insurance law kicked off this past weekend to relatively little fanfare. After its highly publicized first round of enrollment, the law isn’t commanding quite as much attention this time around. That’s partly because fewer people are expected to sign up in 2015. And it also may reflect the fact that the general atmosphere surrounding enrollment is different now.
While the beginning of last year’s enrollment period was marked by catastrophic website glitches that prevented people from signing up, as well as general uncertainty about how the law was going to work, the outlook is a little brighter this year. Here are four pieces of good news going into the law’s second sign-up period:
1. There haven’t been major issues with HealthCare.gov so far.
2. Shoppers have significantly more plans to choose from.
3. Premiums haven’t skyrocketed.
4. Business owners are more optimistic now that they’ve seen how Obamacare works.
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Editor’s Note: Feel free to share other news stories in the comments.
I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in “Cheers & Jeers”.
OK, you’ve been warned – here is this week’s tomfoolery material that I posted.
MUSIC NOTES – Bob Geldof is planning to host a fourth incarnation of his musical project Band Aid – with the money raised going towards the fight against Ebola in West Africa – and the first European version of the music festival Lollapalooza will be held in Berlin, Germany next year.
HAIL and FAREWELL to the former mayor of Chicago, Jane Byrne – who let John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd film “Blues Brothers” in Chicago, even granting Belushi’s request to crash a car through a window at Daley Plaza – who has died at the age of 81…… and the TV series writer Glen Larson – whose works include Quincy M.E., Magnum P.I., Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, The Six Million Dollar Man and It Takes a Thief – who has died at the age of 77.
THURSDAY’s CHILD is Freya the Cat – the kitteh of Britain’s finance minister, who is being sent away from Downing Street to a country home of a staffer: partly due to her propensity to get involved in accidents … and reportedly because she was too aggressive towards George Osborne’s new dog.
IT’S A LENGTHY READ – but have a look at the story of the captain of the basketball team at West Point, Max Lenox – born to a crack-addicted mother, then adopted by two North Carolina gay men. In fact he turned out to be a healthy child, with the main problem being one of his two dads now having to tell his father that (a) his son was gay … and (b) his grandchild is black.
YUK for TODAY – with Fox all over the Kim Kardashian story, the American Prospect’sPaul Waldman notes the dichotomy of Fox simultaneously (a) declaring the president and immigrants are ruining this country, the kids are outta control and decency has flown-the-coop, yet (b) showing endless stories of spring break, reports on Hooters and matters sexual. He concludes:
On Fox, you can be like the stern father who discovers his teenage son’s stash of Penthouse … looking through each issue carefully to understand the depths to which the boy has sunk … lingering over each photo spread as you shake your head at how depraved the world has become. And should a voice in your head alert you that you’re finding this stuff dangerously titillating: you can remind yourself that the reason you’re there is to express your dismay. After all, it’s on Fox, the only network you can really trust.
FRIDAY’s CHILD is an Australian kitteh who was discovered in the engine block of this vehicle … but who survived with only a few scratches/some minor burns.
VISITORS TO ROME have the opportunity to visit the city-owned Villa Torlonia which now offer tours of Mussolini’s bunker – which was never used.
LAST YEAR Pope Francis had to force-out Germany’s Bishop of Bling – now, several Spanish priests have signed a letter critical of a possible Archbishop of Bling in western Spain.
SEPARATED at BIRTH – governor-elect Charlie Baker (R-MA) and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (the son of Charles Goodell, who was briefly a GOP senator from New York).
…… and finally, for a song of the week ………………………… in a busy week, there was no time for a full profile. Instead, I’ll reprise the song that appeared in my Top Comments diary last week. On an important political trend? A scandal at a major bank? Actually, it was a look at the …… Three Stooges? …. why, soitenly!
Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings diaries give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.
In lieu of daily check-ins, which have gone on hiatus, Welcomings diaries will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning) and then, if necessary due to a large number of comments, again on Wednesday or Thursday to close out the week. To find the diaries, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).
The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.
In this week’s address, the President reminded Americans that Affordable Care Act open enrollment begins this weekend. In the past year, more than 10 million people have gained health insurance, including more than 7 million who enrolled in Health Insurance Marketplace coverage. They are proof that the Affordable Care Act is working, making health care more affordable, accessible, and of higher quality for millions of people.
The President encouraged all Americans to take advantage of open enrollment, and remind their friends and families to do so as well.
Hi, everybody. Over the past year, more than 10 million Americans have gained the financial security and peace of mind that comes with health insurance.
More than seven million people enrolled in affordable coverage by visiting HealthCare.gov, or going to the marketplace in their state. On average, they’re paying just $82 a month for coverage. For a lot of people, that’s less than a cell phone bill or a cable bill. Insurance companies can no longer deny you coverage just because you have a preexisting condition, and they now have to cover free preventive care like checkups and mammograms.
If you missed your chance to get covered last year, here’s the good news. Starting November 15th, today, you can go online or call 1-800-318-2596 and get covered for 2015. And we’ve spent the last year improving and upgrading HealthCare.gov, to make it faster and easier to use.
If you already buy insurance through the online marketplace, now is the time to take a look at some new options for next year. You might be able to save more money, or find a plan that fits your family’s needs even better than the one you’ve got now. If you haven’t signed up for insurance yet, this is your chance. Odds are, you’ll qualify for tax credits to help you afford it.
But this window won’t stay open forever. You only have three months to shop for plans, so it’s worth starting right away. And it might make a big difference for your family’s bottom line.
Last year, I got an email from a woman named Amy Williams, in Augusta, Georgia. She and her husband are self-employed in the trucking business. For years, they paid about $1,200 a month for their health insurance. Then they checked out HealthCare.gov. They found a plan with coverage they liked, and it was way less expensive. She says that they’ve saved around $13,000 on their premiums this year alone.
Stories like Amy’s are why we fought so hard to pass the Affordable Care Act. To help more families breathe a little easier. In part because this law is working, health care prices have grown at their slowest rate in nearly 50 years. And this year, insurance premiums for families who are covered through an employer grew at a rate tied for the lowest on record.
So spread the word. Tell your friends and family members to get covered. Talk to folks in your church or your classroom. Tell them to take a few minutes to check out Healthcare.gov, CuidadoDeSalud.gov, or call 1-800-318-2596 – it can make a big difference in their lives. Let them know that it’s easy, it’s affordable, and that they have just three months, starting today, November 15th, to sign up. Together, we can make sure that even more of America gets covered in the year ahead.
OK, you knuckleheads …. a look at the zany trio (with the personnel changes noted) after the jump ….
I doubt that I would have attempted this diary had I not received a copy of the autobiography of Moe Howard some years back. Just as with reading the Richard Bann/Leonard Maltin book on the Little Rascals – this book put a timeline on a TV series from my mis-spent youth, explaining the personnel changes, how their career unfolded and the like. And yes, you can add all of the catch-phrases in your comments 🙂
The story begins with the five Horwitz brothers of Brooklyn, New York just before the turn of the 20th Century. In addition to brothers Irving and Jack (who did not enter show business) there were Samuel (known as “Shemp”, born 1895), Moses (known as “Moe”, born 1897) and the youngest brother Jerome (known as “Curly”, born 1903). Those three all adopted the stage name of Howard.
At age 12, Moe met a slightly older boy: the Texas-born Charles Nash, who later adopted the stage name Ted Healy – who later became a noted vaudeville performer, comedian, and film actor. Moe and he developed a friendship that later helped launch the careers of the Three Stooges – for now, they found work as extras in stage productions while still in school. At age 17, Moe saw an ad in Billboard for work as an actor for the showboat theater run by Captain Billy Bryant in Mississippi and got the job by using a false photograph … but with his regular theater experience, he proved himself as an actor.
Moe later returned to New York and was able to land roles in vaudeville shows with Shemp, when in 1922 they ran into Ted Healy, who had now become a vaudeville star. Moe and Shemp joined as his stooges – normally the butt of the star’s jokes and antics – but Moe and Shemp often were seen pulling down Healy’s pants, so the act had some novelty.
In 1925, they watched a stage show in Chicago, where they saw a curly-haired man playing the violin while doing a Russian dance. Moe and Ted Healy agreed they needed to speak to this man (Larry Fineberg from Philadelphia) whose stage name became Larry Fine. Their actual offer was $90/week to join the act (with an additional $10/week if he would get rid of the violin). They worked on-and-off for five years before Moe’s marriage and new daughter caused him to leave theater in 1927. After having no luck as a businessman, he rejoined the act a year later.
In 1930, Healy and the Stooges were offered film work in Hollywood (at the dawn of the talking picture era) and had some success, both working together and apart (Healy as a leading man and the Stooges as part of other ensemble films). Then in 1932, Shemp grew tired of Healy – who had a severe drinking problem and had not raised the Stooges’ sideman pay in some time – and he went off on his own as an actor, later appearing as Knobby Walsh in the Joe Palooka short-film series.
As a replacement for Shemp, Moe suggested his young brother Jerome, who visually did not fit-in at first … until he cut his hair and suggested Curly as his stage name. They clicked well, and continued with Healy in this on-again, off-again manner until 1934, when the Stooges decided to strike out on their own.
Ted Healy was cited as an influence by many entertainers (including Milton Berle, Bob Hope, and Red Skelton) but his drinking and temper caught up with him, as he was found dead in 1937 after a fight at a Hollywood nightclub, at the age of 41.
The Stooges received an offer from Columbia for pilot films, with Punch Drunks being the one which eventually led to a contract to do short films (which are the TV episodes later generations came to know). They produced these shorts for Columbia for twenty-four years until 1958, which were shown in many places around the world.
Moe did relate that Columbia studio head Harry Cohn always low-balled them during renewal negotiations, saying it was “getting really tough to sell two-reel comedies”. This was true by the mid-50’s, but Moe found out later that during the 30’s and 40’s it was actually the Stooges shorts theater owners wanted: forced to take a “B” picture from Columbia if they wanted a Stooges short. While upset, Moe allowed that the Stooges did receive a decent wage (especially during the Depression years) and along with off-season vaudeville work: he could not truly complain, in the end.
While Moe and Larry appeared continuously in the act during its headlining history (1934-1970), first here are the dates during which the act’s 3rd member participated in (which leads to much confusion).
Curly Howard (1934-1946)
Shemp Howard (1946 -1955)
Joe Besser (1955-1958) – ending the “shorts” era (that one saw on TV)
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Curly Joe DeRita (1958-1970) – appearing only in feature films (not the TV shorts)
Two films of note during the first era of the Stooges: one from their debut year of 1934 was Men in Black (obviously not with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones) where they are doctors in a hospital being paged continuously: “Calling Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, Doctor Howard!” – which was sampled in the 1982 film Young Doctors in Love (according to my brother). It was the only Stooges work ever to be nominated for an Academy Award (for Best Short Subject: Comedy).
The other was the 1940 short You Nazty Spy – the first Hollywood film to parody Adolf Hitler (following the outbreak of WW-II in Europe), released nine months before the Charlie Chaplin film The Great Dictator – a definite risk, at a time when isolationism in the USA was strong. It was followed-up by I’ll Never Heil Again in 1941.
Two of the characters who often appeared in Stooges shorts ought to be mentioned. One was Vernon Dent – who appeared in more Stooges shorts than any other actor (most often portraying the villain) – and also appeared (as a character actor) in films with nearly every other star Columbia Pictures had on its roster. Vernon Dent developed a severe case of diabetes later in life (going blind by the time of Shemp’s 1955 funeral) and he died in 1963 at the age of 68.
The other actor was a sympathetic figure named Emil Sitka – who often played the zany professor or other oddball foils for the Stooges – and was the only character to appear with all six men who were at one time or another in the Stooges (having been born in 1914, he outlived nearly everyone associated with the Stooges).
He was best-known for his role in the 1947 short Brideless Groom for two reasons. One was the fact that under the old copyright laws, works could be copyrighted for twenty-eight years, then renewed for an additional twenty-eight. But Brideless Groom was one of four Stooges shorts that (inexplicably) were not renewed – and thus could be shown free on TV (without any royalties) after 1975 (and also released on compilation videos) as part of the public domain. It may be the most-watched Stooges short of all time.
The other reason was Emil Sitka’s character: in a farce where Shemp has a deadline to marry (in order to win an inheritance) … Sitka is the harried Justice of the Peace, trying to marry Shemp with the oft-repeated phrase, “Hold hands, you lovebirds!” – while a riot has broken out between several suitors looking to get in on the action – until in the last scene, Shemp is married to his bride of choice (well, so to speak) just before the deadline.
Sitka participated in many Three Stooges conventions over the course of his life, and many Stooges fans paid him to help officiate at their own marriages … just to hear him utter “Hold hands, you lovebirds!” if you can believe that. Emil Sitka died in January, 1998 at the age of 83.
The first major personnel change occurred in 1946, when Curly suffered a debilitating stroke – and he died in 1952 at the age of only 49. (As the photos that follow indicate, the Stooges often looked different off-camera than what you recall them looking like).
After Curly’s stroke, Shemp assumed his supporting role for the first time since vaudeville. There is one short – 1947’s Hold That Lion – in which Curly was able to make a cameo: the only such film in which all three Howard brothers appeared in. Shemp continued as the third partner until November, 1955 when he died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 60.
At this point, Moe wanted to enlist the help of comic Joe DeRita – but who was under contract to impresario Harold Minsky, who would not let DeRita out of it. Thus, Moe turned to one of the sidemen on the Milton Berle Show named Joe Besser – who became the third Stooge for the remaining three years on their Columbia shorts contract (1955-1958).
Besser, though, declined to continue with the troupe afterwards (as his wife was ailing). He also made a name for himself as Stinky Davis – the spoiled, impish, bratty overgrown man-child in The Abbott and Costello Show – and Joe Besser died in 1980 at the age of 88.
Meanwhile, the contract that Joe DeRita had with Harold Minsky ended at the same time as the Stooges’ short-film career and after joining: the Stooges tried to continue as a nightclub act.
Moe Howard wrote in his autobiography that the Stooges were an abject failure as a nightclub act, with many upset club owners. They even trying to add some off-color jokes …. that flopped even worse. The Stooges were meant for the vaudeville stage, he wrote …. but vaudeville had died long, long ago ….. and their future was quite uncertain.
And then fate intervened: as Columbia re-packaged many of their shorts and sold them to television stations …. yet now intended for children’s programming (not as double features for mainstream film-goers, as they were in the past).
And yes, the issue of the Stooges’ violent acts on-screen became an issue – I can’t fault anyone who cites that as a problem. Ultimately, though, many people saw the finger-poking as only part of the act (along with pie throwing and other slapstick humorous acts) and like the Warner Brothers cartoons: Wile E Coyote was back in the next scene, and Curly never wore any bandages. (Plus, my folks never complained about us kids watching them).
The release on TV reinvigorated the Stooges careers, and they were suddenly in high demand for theater performances aimed at kids (of all ages) … which also led to the troupe appearing in several feature films – which they were unable to do during their Columbia shorts contract.
In 1971, Moe Howard’s son-in-law director began filming the Stooges in a TV pilot project called Kook’s Tour – which was never completed, as Larry Fine suffered a severe stroke. He never recovered, and Larry Fine died in early 1975 at the age of 72.
The act came to an end at the time of Larry’s stroke, and Moe Howard began to make personal appearances (often asked by audience members to throw a pie at them) and made several appearances on the Mike Douglas Show – some of which at this link you can see (with Moe now white-haired).
He began writing this book, which had to be completed by his daughter after Moe Howard died in May 1975, one month shy of his seventy-eighth birthday.
Curly Joe DeRita died in 1993 at age 83: the last of the six men who were official Stooges.
Although it has been nearly 45 years since the last work from the Stooges – there is no shortage of events such as film festivals, TV marathons, licensing agreements, conventions (with one that took place in St. Louis this year, and – hold on to your hats – a Stooges museum in Philadelphia (Larry’s hometown).
There is only one proper way to end this diary: with the 1980’s video Curly Shuffle, soitenly! The Chicagoland Jump ‘N the Saddle Band never had another hit … but this tune was a standard offering at Shea Stadium during 1980’s NY Mets games and – for those of a certain (ahem) age – it still resonates.
Next February, I’m walking the half of the Austin Marathon, with a group I’ve been training with since August. My team raises money for Austin Children’s Services, formerly known as the Austin Children’s Shelter. They changed the name because they now embrace a broader continuum of services to address the needs of children and their families. Their programs include Austin Children’s Shelter residential care (Emergency Shelter, Transitional Living Program, Teen Parent Program and Respite Care), Foster in Austin, Care Academy child development and family support center and a child abuse prevention program through Strong Start.
Our team slogan is “Creating a world without child abuse & neglect, one step at a time.” If you want to skip the pleading, you can donate to my ACS campaign page
I’m pathetically short of my fundraising goal, so I’m here asking for your help. I wish we lived in a world where the phrase “children’s shelter” was unnecessary, or at least where places like it had all the funds they need. But we don’t live in such a place. We live in a world where kids are abused & neglected every day, all the time. So we need places like ACS, where they can heal and start to learn all the stuff your family is supposed to teach. Here is one of the success stories from their page (have a tissue ready):
As a teenager, Jennifer found the support she needed at the Austin Children’s Shelter and she told her story at the annual gala in November of 2008. Here is her story of triumph.
In Her Own Words: Jennifer Eva Emelogu
I am honored and take great pride in sharing my past experiences with you about the Austin Children’s Shelter.
My mother had seven children by five different fathers — a small army of our own. Out of the seven, only five of us experienced foster care. The oldest two were already grown and out of the house by the time CPS stepped in. We experienced neglect and abuse on many different levels. We didn’t understand why our mother did most of the things that she did, it didn’t make sense. After we were placed into care, a psychological evaluation was done on each family member involved, including our mother. It was then that my mother was diagnosed as Manic Depressant, with symptoms of Paranoid Schizophrenia. At that point the abuse and neglect almost made sense, there was a source from which all this had come from.
Immediately upon removal from our home, we were taken to an emergency shelter outside of Austin. This would be our first shelter of five. We started to get used to the rules of foster care, the rules of shelters. Every shelter is different — the environment can range from extreme structure to a dangerous setting, with very little structure. Structure was not something that we were used to, but it was good for us in a lot of ways. A lot of people think that foster care should be a lot easier than living at home, but I beg to differ.
As time passed we were placed in another shelter and then to our first foster home. After two years, we were removed from that home and consequently Austin Children’s Shelter was our place of refuge. Unlike my other siblings, I had the opportunity to stay at Austin Children’s Shelter on two different occasions. This shelter was unlike any other shelter I had been to. The staff really cared about my interests and helped me achieve my short-term goals. I was involved in basketball for my high school, as well as a club volleyball team. The seasons for these sports were going on at the same time… how was I going to get to my practices? Every day, a staff member would pick me up from basketball practice and take me straight to volleyball practice. Not to mention, there was always a staff member waiting for me when practice was over, as well as food prepared for me when we returned to the shelter. That was more than I could ever ask for.
I always played sports — that was my interest and therapy. Over the years, I dealt with five different foster parents. Unfortunately, not one foster parent could help me help myself the way that Austin Children’s Shelter did, not one.
As far as everyday life at the Austin Children’s Shelter, it was like a short lived dream come true. his was the first shelter that I didn’t want to leave when my time was up. We went on outings to local parks, museums or something else special that they had planned for us. There were a lot of things to do around the house as well. I was able to help with small tasks in the kitchen, something I really enjoy. The arts and crafts options seemed endless. There was so much to do at the shelter, I rarely wanted to leave if I didn’t have to. I am a homebody and the shelter was my home.
Austin Children’s Shelter was there for me at a crucial time in my life. They helped me get to practice and tournaments for my volleyball club team. Through club volleyball, I received a scholarship to play volleyball at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. I ended up at UT San Antonio to finish out my college volleyball career. I am now a teacher and a coach at Hawkins High School. I plan on playing professional volleyball overseas in the near future.
I am not the only sibling out of foster care that has been doing exceptionally well. My older and favorite sister, Caroline, has also graduated from college with a degree in Finance. She is now the Project Manager for the ETV Program. ETV stands for the Education and Training Voucher program, a program that helps former foster youth financially through college and vocational schools. Caroline is so strong and resilient to me, she is one of my inspirations to keep going, to keep pushing in life. We are all successful in our own right.
I don’t believe in coincidences, Austin Children’s Shelter was in my life for a reason. I was more than just a name or a number. The staff cared about my emotional, physical and psychological well-being. That’s more than what a lot of people have done. I am glad to share with you my experiences because they made me who I am today. I look forward to your continued and generous support so other children can have a great experience with the Austin Children’s Shelter as well.
Please, if you can, donate to this organization so they can keep helping make success stories like this. Here’s my ACS campaign page. Every donation helps.
and just so no one thinks this is an imposter, here’s my boys, singing about when they were young & looking to be inspired – the Miracle Of Joey Ramone:
The United States and China pledged Wednesday to take ambitious action to limit greenhouse gases, aiming to inject fresh momentum into the global fight against climate change ahead of make-or-break climate talks next year.
President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. would move much faster in cutting its levels of pollution. Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to cap China’s emissions in the future – a striking, unprecedented move by a nation that has been reluctant to box itself in on global warming. […]
Developing nations like India and China have long balked at being on the hook for climate change as much as wealthy nations like the U.S. that have been polluting for much longer. But China analysts said Beijing’s willingness to cap its future emissions and to put Xi front and center signaled a significant turnaround.
For Obama, the fight against climate change has become a central facet of the legacy he hopes to leave. Facing opposition in Congress, Obama has sought to bypass lawmakers through emissions regulations on power plants and vehicles.
This is not just about “cementing a legacy”, this is caring about the future of the human species.
But Obama’s opponents in Congress balked, dismissing the new U.S. target as “job-destroying red tape” that would squeeze the middle class.
“This unrealistic plan that the president would dump on his successor would ensure higher utility rates and far fewer jobs,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who is set to become the majority leader early next year.
Yes, those pesky regulations … killin’ jobs again!! Who needs clean air or safe work environments??!? Why, wanting people to have better lives and a brighter future is downright un-American!!
For the climate scientists ThinkProgress asked on Wednesday, the answer was a resounding yes, with a side of caution. Scientists confirmed that the announcement, which has China agreeing to cap its emissions by 2030 and the U.S. committing to a 26 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2025, represented a huge first step toward building the kind of political cooperation needed to effectively combat a global problem. […]
“Efforts to reduce U.S. emissions have been blocked, in part, by people who argue that the U.S .should wait for China to act,” [climatologist and Director of the American Meteorological Society’s Policy Program Paul] Higgins said. “[The deal] has potential to get us all beyond what has been a major – maybe the major – political challenge for emissions reductions in the U.S.”
President Obama believes we have a moral obligation to take action on climate change, and that we cannot leave our children a planet beyond their capacity to repair. Over the last year, a spate of scientific studies have laid out the scope and scale of the challenge we face in the starkest of terms. “Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present,” says the U.S. National Climate Assessment. “Without additional mitigation efforts…warming by the end of the 21st century will lead to high to very high risk of severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts globally,” the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes. […]
“There’s one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other,” President Obama said in September. “And that is the urgent and growing threat of a changing climate.”
Today in Beijing, the leaders of the world’s two largest economies — and the world’s two biggest emitters — stood together and committed to tackling that threat head-on. If other leaders follow suit, if more businesses step up, if we keep our level of ambition high, we can build the safer, cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous world future generations deserve.
I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in “Cheers & Jeers”.
OK, you’ve been warned – here is this week’s tomfoolery material that I posted.
CHEERS to …… well, each of you. This a tough week for us … and you have my blessing to decompress, take some time off, skip reading the news for awhile ….then come back strong. Have a fabulous week.
FASHION NOTES – organizers of a Scottish fashion event have announced plans to reinvigorate interest in the Inverness Cape – a sleeveless tweed overcoat made famous by Sherlock Holmes – of which 60-70% of those produced today are exported (mainly to the USA).
SCIENCE NOTES – in France climate change is no longer just an abstract problem: as the culinary country’s grand wine culture is threatened by rising global temperatures.
THURSDAY’s CHILD lives near a school in Spokane, Washington – who greets students each day and has become a favorite.
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a more in-depth look at the life of my favorite musician of all time, the bassist Jack Bruce – who was laid to rest this week, with many noted musicians attending his funeral (and singing various tunes).
HAIL and FAREWELL to two other bassists: Gary McMillan – from The Standells (of Dirty Water fame) – who has died at the age of 76 …… and Rick Rosas – a long-time band mate of Neil Young – who has died at the age of 65.
FRIDAY’s CHILD is Studley the Cat – also a Washington state kitteh, who has been named the ASPCA Cat of the Year for being a hospital therapy cat …. alone in a program that includes nearly 30 therapy dogs.
FOOD NOTES – while named after the northern German city, only recently has it become easier to find a good hamburger in Germany: although one of these new upscale purveyors stopped emphasizing locally-sourced ingredients after some patrons “wanted to know everything, right down to the name of the cow.”
SEPARATED at BIRTH – two British musicians back in the 60’s: Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones and Donovan Leitch (of “Hurdy Gurdy Man” fame).
……and finally, for a song of the week …………… at first I thought he might be limited to humorous, whimsical songs but upon further listening: I found the jazz pianist Dave Frishberg to have a full palette of musical offerings. While I think that the All-Music Guide’s Scott Yanow may overstate by referring to him as “arguably the best living lyricist” – he does have a way with words, and a more complete background than I imagined.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1933, he developed an appreciation for boogie-woogie piano and joined the house band at St. Paul’s Flame Club, where big-name stars performed. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a journalism degree, Frishberg spent two years in the Air Force (via ROTC) before moving to New York in 1957.
In order to gain a union card, he worked briefly for a radio station. One of his early solo piano gigs was working at a gay club (where a then-unknown Tiny Tim was among the performers). But he spent much of the next ten years as an sideman to major stars: Carmen McRae, Gene Krupa, Ben Webster, plus a stint in the Al Cohn-Zoot Sims band (with Jimmy Rushing on vocals each weekend).
It was a chance solo album he recorded in 1970 called Oklahoma Toad that helped him find his own (singing) voice. With the first of his quirky tunes Van Lingle Mungo – simply reciting that and other old-time baseball players’ names – he found some success and (after going through a painful divorce) decided to leave New York for Los Angeles two years later.
He had various success: Among his first offers was to write “Dodger Blue” for the hometown baseball team. He placed his talents for awhile writing for television; scoring a Mary Tyler Moore TV special. Another show he wrote for was the ABC Schoolhouse Rock! program, with I’m Just a Bill explaining the legislative process to kids.
Dave Frishberg cites Frank Loesser (of “Guys and Dolls” fame) as an important influence as a composer: with Loesser’s “Baby, it’s Cold Outside” along with Willie Nelson’s “Crazy” as songs he wishes he had wrote.
But he slowly began to build-up a solo career and – after signing with Concord Records – began with a 1975 instrumental album and each subsequent album saw him performing fewer standards and more of his own compositions throughout the 1970’s through the 1990’s.
And those songs …. My Attorney Bernie tells how Bernie helps him navigate the business world’s waters, “I’m Hip” speaks for itself, plus “Let’s Eat Home“, Another Song about Paris as well as “Can’t Take You Nowhere“, I Want To Be A Sideman – and my favorite, Blizzard of Lies – in which he asked his friends to recite all of the standard lies they heard. Just a small sample of what they (and he) found were:
It’s just a standard form.
Strictly by the book.
I’ll love you darling
until I die
I am not a crook.
Perhaps the song of his that has been most covered by other performers is his 1962 tune Peel Me a Grape – which was uttered by Mae West in the film “I’m No Angel” from 1933. It has been covered by performers diverse as Dusty Springfield, Nancy Wilson, Rosemary Clooney, Vanessa Williams and very prominently by Diana Krall.
Since 1986 Dave Frishberg has lived in Portland, Oregon and at age 81 still performs. For a compilation album of his best hits, try Classics – with his most recent album backing the singer Connie Evingson in 2008. As the critic Stephen Holden wrote, “Few contemporary writers have produced as many songs that have been embraced by nightclub cognoscenti“.
In 1994, Dave Frishberg wrote My Country Used to Be – whose lyrics (at the time) lamented how the USA no longer manufactured anything: “now we buy overseas“. But following 9-11, he re-wrote the lyrics to reflect his feelings (that many of us shared) at its exploitation. And below you can hear the revised version.
President Obama is asking the FCC to keep the Internet open and free. Help spread the word – share his plan with your friends.
President Obama:
An open Internet is essential to the American economy, and increasingly to our very way of life. By lowering the cost of launching a new idea, igniting new political movements, and bringing communities closer together, it has been one of the most significant democratizing influences the world has ever known.
“Net neutrality” has been built into the fabric of the Internet since its creation – but it is also a principle that we cannot take for granted. We cannot allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas. That is why today, I am asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to answer the call of almost 4 million public comments, and implement the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality.
For almost a century, our law has recognized that companies who connect you to the world have special obligations not to exploit the monopoly they enjoy over access in and out of your home or business. That is why a phone call from a customer of one phone company can reliably reach a customer of a different one, and why you will not be penalized solely for calling someone who is using another provider. It is common sense that the same philosophy should guide any service that is based on the transmission of information – whether a phone call, or a packet of data. […]
So the time has come for the FCC to recognize that broadband service is of the same importance and must carry the same obligations as so many of the other vital services do. To do that, I believe the FCC should reclassify consumer broadband service under Title II of the Telecommunications Act …
An open Internet is essential to the American economy, and increasingly to our very way of life. By lowering the cost of launching a new idea, igniting new political movements, and bringing communities closer together, it has been one of the most significant democratizing influences the world has ever known.
“Net neutrality” has been built into the fabric of the Internet since its creation – but it is also a principle that we cannot take for granted. We cannot allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas. That is why today, I am asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to answer the call of almost 4 million public comments, and implement the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality.
When I was a candidate for this office, I made clear my commitment to a free and open Internet, and my commitment remains as strong as ever. Four years ago, the FCC tried to implement rules that would protect net neutrality with little to no impact on the telecommunications companies that make important investments in our economy. After the rules were challenged, the court reviewing the rules agreed with the FCC that net neutrality was essential for preserving an environment that encourages new investment in the network, new online services and content, and everything else that makes up the Internet as we now know it. Unfortunately, the court ultimately struck down the rules – not because it disagreed with the need to protect net neutrality, but because it believed the FCC had taken the wrong legal approach.
The FCC is an independent agency, and ultimately this decision is theirs alone. I believe the FCC should create a new set of rules protecting net neutrality and ensuring that neither the cable company nor the phone company will be able to act as a gatekeeper, restricting what you can do or see online. The rules I am asking for are simple, common-sense steps that reflect the Internet you and I use every day, and that some ISPs already observe. These bright-line rules include:
– No blocking. If a consumer requests access to a website or service, and the content is legal, your ISP should not be permitted to block it. That way, every player – not just those commercially affiliated with an ISP – gets a fair shot at your business.
– No throttling. Nor should ISPs be able to intentionally slow down some content or speed up others – through a process often called “throttling” – based on the type of service or your ISP’s preferences.
– Increased transparency. The connection between consumers and ISPs – the so-called “last mile” – is not the only place some sites might get special treatment. So, I am also asking the FCC to make full use of the transparency authorities the court recently upheld, and if necessary to apply net neutrality rules to points of interconnection between the ISP and the rest of the Internet.
– No paid prioritization. Simply put: No service should be stuck in a “slow lane” because it does not pay a fee. That kind of gatekeeping would undermine the level playing field essential to the Internet’s growth. So, as I have before, I am asking for an explicit ban on paid prioritization and any other restriction that has a similar effect.
If carefully designed, these rules should not create any undue burden for ISPs, and can have clear, monitored exceptions for reasonable network management and for specialized services such as dedicated, mission-critical networks serving a hospital. But combined, these rules mean everything for preserving the Internet’s openness.
The rules also have to reflect the way people use the Internet today, which increasingly means on a mobile device. I believe the FCC should make these rules fully applicable to mobile broadband as well, while recognizing the special challenges that come with managing wireless networks.
To be current, these rules must also build on the lessons of the past. For almost a century, our law has recognized that companies who connect you to the world have special obligations not to exploit the monopoly they enjoy over access in and out of your home or business. That is why a phone call from a customer of one phone company can reliably reach a customer of a different one, and why you will not be penalized solely for calling someone who is using another provider. It is common sense that the same philosophy should guide any service that is based on the transmission of information – whether a phone call, or a packet of data.
So the time has come for the FCC to recognize that broadband service is of the same importance and must carry the same obligations as so many of the other vital services do. To do that, I believe the FCC should reclassify consumer broadband service under Title II of the Telecommunications Act – while at the same time forbearing from rate regulation and other provisions less relevant to broadband services. This is a basic acknowledgment of the services ISPs provide to American homes and businesses, and the straightforward obligations necessary to ensure the network works for everyone – not just one or two companies.
Investment in wired and wireless networks has supported jobs and made America the center of a vibrant ecosystem of digital devices, apps, and platforms that fuel growth and expand opportunity. Importantly, network investment remained strong under the previous net neutrality regime, before it was struck down by the court; in fact, the court agreed that protecting net neutrality helps foster more investment and innovation. If the FCC appropriately forbears from the Title II regulations that are not needed to implement the principles above – principles that most ISPs have followed for years – it will help ensure new rules are consistent with incentives for further investment in the infrastructure of the Internet.
The Internet has been one of the greatest gifts our economy – and our society – has ever known. The FCC was chartered to promote competition, innovation, and investment in our networks. In service of that mission, there is no higher calling than protecting an open, accessible, and free Internet. I thank the Commissioners for having served this cause with distinction and integrity, and I respectfully ask them to adopt the policies I have outlined here, to preserve this technology’s promise for today, and future generations to come.
Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings diaries give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.
In lieu of daily check-ins, which have gone on hiatus, Welcomings diaries will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning) and then, if necessary due to a large number of comments, again on Wednesday or Thursday to close out the week. To find the diaries, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).
The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.
