ODDS AND ENDS

Today a hodgepodge, starting with an editorial of Edward Felsenthal, editor-in-chief and CEO of Time magazine from the latest 8-15November2021 issue on COP26:

• Educated at Princeton and Tufts, with a Harvard law degree.
• 55-year-old has been chief editor now for four years.

• 
  Today, as 20,000 delegates from 196 countries head to Glasgow for the most important global gathering on climate change in years, it’s easy to be cynical about the world’s commitment to addressing its existential crisis. President Xi Jinping of China, which recently announced plans for 43 new coal-fired power plants, as well as leaders of some nations that have shown the most hesitancy for change, including Brazil, Mexico and Russia, are skipping the conference. 
• 
  And yet there has been considerable progress over the past couple of years. Before COP21 in 2015, the world was on track to be more than 4°C hotter by the end of this century than at the dawn of the industrial era; that number has since come down to just under 3°C—still twice what is sustainable, but real progress.
• And there is, more than ever, a shared understanding of the reality we face. More than 99.9% of peer-reviewed scientific papers attribute climate change primarily to humans, according to a new Cornell University review of nearly 90,000 studies. After a year of unprecedented droughts, fires, floods and storms, climate change has emerged as the dominant issue of our time.

•  John Kerry, profiled by Justin Worland, is undertaking a late-career act as Joe Biden’s climate czar to return the U.S. to global leadership in these efforts. Vanessa Nakate, the 24-year-old Ugandan climate activist, calls for listening to the voices of others like her.  Linda Zhang, the Ford engineer who has electrified the most popular truck in America, shows the promise of technological innovation. 

Thomas Friedman:  The Climate Summit has Me Very Energized, and Very Afraid.  

• Having been to most of the climate summits since Bali in 2007, I can tell you this one had a very different feel. I was awed by the energy of all the youths on the streets demanding that we rise to the challenge of global warming and by some of the amazing new technological and market fixes being proposed by innovators and investors. This was not the old days — everyone waiting for the deals cut by the priesthood of climate diplomats huddled behind closed doors. This was the many talking to the many — and I am buoyed by that.
• 
  For the first time, it felt to me that the adult delegates inside the conference halls were more afraid of the kids outside than they were of one another or the press.

• 
  One day last week, Greta Thunberg, the 18-year-old Swedish climate activist, and hundreds of other youths gathered at a Glasgow park for a snap rally to call out global leaders with the chant, “You can shove your climate crisis up your. …” 
• 
  Two planets are talking to each other. One looks like a beautiful blue marble and the other a dirty brown ball.

• “What on earth happened to you?” the beautiful planet asks the brown one.

  “I had Homo sapiens,” answers the brown planet.

  “Don’t worry,” says the blue planet. “They don’t last long.”

US household debt hits a record-high $15 trillion

With home and auto prices on the rise, Americans have been turning to credit cards more often than they ever did before. The Federal Reserve reported that total household debt rose $286 billion in just one quarter - reaching an all time high of $15 trillion dollars. As the pandemic continued, many households were able to pay down debt and increase their savings thanks in part from government stimulus checks. The trend towards increased savings and debt reduction during the pandemic has now reversed as consumers rush to spend stockpiled wealth. A bit of good news, the delinquency rates for all debt products have declined and continue to do so. This is largely attributed to lender concessions, as well as legal relief granted on behalf of those who are struggling financially during this pandemic. (Source: CNN) 

According to the New York Times, consumer prices rose 6.2% last last, the highest inflation pace since 1990:

My worry is that a third problem with our economy could trigger a global meltdown.

Paul Rudd has been crowned 2021's Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine. You've seen him.  Sort of self-deprecating, affable and a family man...but sexy?  52 years old with green eyes.  The actor's wife was the only person he told ahead of time about his new title. "She was stupefied," he says. "But you know she was very sweet about it. After some giggling and shock, she said 'Oh, they got it right.' And that was very sweet. She was probably not telling the truth, but what's she going to say?"

Remember Malala Yousafzai, who at 17 became the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate?  She got married this week in Birmingham, England to Asser Malik, manager for the Pakistan Cricket Board.  Greta Thunberg sent a congratulatory message from Glasgow.  It was nine years ago that Malala survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban.  She graduated last year from Oxford University.

Rivian Automotive shares debuted yesterday at a stellar $100.73. The figure, translating to a market value of around $85.9 billion, is greater than that of Ford, though Rivian has only delivered around 150 trucks and most of those to employees. The rage for Rivian confirms the market’s hunger for new players in the electric vehicle industry. Tesla has dominated the field, but as EV tech becomes cheaper, new makers are emerging. Amazon holds a 20% stake in the company and Ford has also been a supporter, investing $500 million in the emerging car maker back in 2019. (Source: AP)

When browned on the bottom of a pot, rice becomes a treasure prized by food cultures in Iran, Vietnam, the Philippines and more.  I've asked this question many times in Japan, and the consensus is that a pot of rice cooked outside over fire, where the grain in contact with the metal turns brown, is the ultimate taste.   Here a meal of salmon, cucumber and toasted rice.

Dogs are better than medical tests at detecting COVID-19.  Watch this:

I'll end with toe-nail cutting.  I gave up a year ago and went to a podiatrist.  My medical plan apparently pays for this.  I should send this video to him:

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