Grumpy Editor

Most media, climate change folks keep Antarctic 'on ice'

Representatives from 200 countries at a climate change conference in Doha, Qatar heard more about dwindling Arctic sea ice this week --- but nothing about growing ice at the other pole, notes Grumpy Editor.

Antarctic sea ice has been rising since satellites started measuring it 33 years ago.

But the focus at the meeting (which continues into next week) has been on what's happening in the Arctic.

 A U.N. report this week warned that the Arctic ice cap, following one of the warmest years ever, melted to its lowest level on record.

To illustrate the scope of the vanishing Arctic ice, the report said it is an area equal to nearly the size of India.

Few media outlets have compared the Arctic vs. Antarctic ice.

However, USA Today last month ran an Associated Press story that mentioned:

"While the North Pole has been losing sea ice over the years, the water nearest the South Pole has been gaining it.  Antarctic sea ice hit a record 7.51 million square miles in September."

 

 

Pew Research finds cell phone users are a snappy bunch

Forget the phone calls, taking pictures leads the modus operandi by cell phone users, according to a survey by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, notes Grumpy Editor.

A lofty 82 percent of folks with cell phones utilize the units to snap photos, finds Pew, which also tallies 85 percent of American adults own the wireless devices.

"Cell phones have become a portal for an ever-growing list of activities," researchers point out.

 

Cell phone use to access the Internet has more than doubled since 2009, they add.

Aside from phone calls, here are activities of cell phone users, as compiled in the Pew survey:

Percent       Used for

82         Picture taking

80         Sending or receiving text messages

56         Accessing the Internet

50         Sending or receiving email

44         Recording video

43         Downloading apps

31          Searching for health or medical information online

29         Checking bank account activity/online banking

Harry Reid's 'cliff' remarks trigger drop in stock market

Business writers and editors now have to keep a close ear on what Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) says, after his downbeat "fiscal cliff" remarks near the close of the stock market yesterday were credited with sending it to the lows of the day, observes Grumpy Editor.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, after being in and out of positive territory, tumbled 89.24 points to 12878.13 at the close.

In connection with negotiations between Democrats and Republicans, Reid said, "They talked some happy talk about doing revenues, but we only have a couple weeks to get something done. So we have to get away from the happy talk and start talking about specific things.

"I'm extremely hopeful and I do not believe that the Republicans are going to allow us to go over the cliff," continued Reid, adding he hoped Republicans can agree to tax-rate increases and that Democrats were happy to deal with entitlements.

The tax-rate dispute is the central obstacle to an agreement that would prevent the U.S. from plunging off the fiscal cliff, a convergence of an estimated $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts.

With key financial matters, media focus on comments by Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve chairman, at speeches and especially after Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meetings.

Bernanke's messages, after being digested, often send the stock market south.

But now, Reid will probably have more business writers at his press conferences.

Bush daughter adds Southern Living to media doings

Southern Living magazine’s staff box is adding a familiar name --- former presidential daughter Jenna Bush Hager, notes Grumpy Editor. 

While continuing as a correspondent for NBC’s “Today” show, the daughter of former President George W. Bush joins the magazine as an editor at large. 

In a monthly column, Paper Napkin Interview, she will cover influential Southerners and noteworthy places in the region. 

The addition of Bush Hager, 30, a Texan living in New York, is considered a move to attract some younger readers. 

With almost 3 million in circulation, median age of the magazine’s  readers is 51.2 years. 

She mentions that she grew up reading Southern Living and that her mother had a subscription. 

Grumpy Editor hastens to point out that one of the features in the monthly is the Grumpy Gardener (no relation) who, in his latest column, covers “Give a Grow Box This Christmas.”

 

'Everyone' still talking about weather (climate change)

It was more than a century ago that Mark Twain, in a lecture, used the line, “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it,” and today representatives from 200 countries start a two-week meeting in Doha, Qatar --- still talking about the weather (updated to climate change), notes Grumpy Editor.

Look for a number of stories from the conference over the next two weeks.

Seems many still remain fuzzy about meteorological conditions as well as the true source of that weather quote (originally in a Hartford Courant editorial written by Charles Dudley Warner, a friend of Twain).

Heat-trapping gases, fossil fuels such as coal and oil, plus other emissions are slated to be discussed.

Many feel the world is warming and see the change resulting in flooding of coastal communities and flat islands, disruptions in agriculture, spread of diseases and extinction of species.

But others maintain weather is always changing:  drought months followed by downpours, cold days followed by warm periods.

A recent World Bank projection cites temperatures are on track to increase by up to four degrees this century, compared with pre-industrial times.  Other observers feel that number is overblown.

 

Turkey-minded Grumpy Editor is taking time off

Observing Thanksgiving, Grumpy Editor is getting away from his cluttered desk today to feast on turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

Turkey sandwiches will follow tomorrow.

Then, perhaps more leftover turkey dishes over the weekend.

He will return, a few pounds heavier, on Monday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Frosty Florida forecasts send orange juice futures higher

Long-range weather forecasts pointing to a possible damaging freeze in Florida’s citrus-growing areas triggered a jump in orange juice futures, notes Grumpy Editor. 

This, naturally, makes headlines in some publications.

While some folks cope with fuzzy weather forecasts two or three days ahead, speculators are betting that frost damage will affect orange juice output during the winter --- one to three months ahead. 

Orange juice futures for January, after surging 8.6 percent last week, yesterday moved up another 4.2 percent.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts below normal temperatures for south Florida from next month to February. 

A private forecaster also indicates “a higher than average probability of a damaging freeze” in Florida citrus areas this winter. 

Predictions of freezing weather in January this year sent orange juice futures higher. 

But, in the end, no crop damage was reported. 

Oranges usually require temperatures dropping to the mid-20s before incurring major damage to large branches and fruit. 

Major Garrett returns to White House beat --- for CBS

Grumpy Editor learned that Major Garrett --- who did a great job while at Fox News before going back to print --- next week is returning to full-time television as CBS News’ chief White House correspondent. 

He left Fox News two years ago for National Journal where he will continue the print relationship as correspondent at large. 

At CBS’ Washington bureau he joins Bill Plante, Mark Knoller and Peter Maer on the White House beat starting Sunday. 

For campaign 2012 coverage, National Journal  forged a partnership with CBS News.  That led to Garrett becoming a substitute anchor on "Face the Nation." He also appeared on "CBS This Morning." 

Garrett was Fox News’ chief White House correspondent for eight years.  Prior to that, he was a White House correspondent for CNN. 

Earlier, in the print field, he was a staffer at U.S. News and World Report, Washington Times, Houston Post, Las Vegas Review-Journal and Amarillo Globe-News.

 

Who’s ‘minding the store’ this week in Washington?

Despite growing hostilities in the Middle East, aggressive actions elsewhere, continued post-superstorm Sandy struggles plus the looming fiscal cliff at home, Washington is at a standstill this week as key government leaders and Congress are away from their desks, observes Grumpy Editor. 

President Barack Obama is in Myanmar (also known as Burma) today, the second day into a four-day tour that started in Thailand yesterday, with Cambodia slated for tomorrow. 

Not widely broadcast in the first leg of his around-the-world flight, is that Air Force One headed east from Washington with a stop in Germany on Saturday.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, also in the Southeast Asia-Australia region, joined Obama in Thailand. 

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was traveling from Southeast Asia over the weekend, after a week-long trip that took him to Australia, Thailand and Cambodia. 

The House and Senate are on a Thanksgiving break this week. 

The Senate, by the way, met in a pro forma session Friday for a whopping 28 seconds and reconvenes at 2 p.m. Nov. 26. 

So who is "minding the store."? 

After being on the road yesterday touring superstorm Sandy-wrecked parts of New Jersey, Vice President Joe Biden remains, quietly, in D.C. today. 

His official Website notes “no public schedule” this week.

But there may be some stirring at the vice president's residence tomorrow.

It’s his 70th birthday.

Inquisitive minds muzzled at Obama press conference

In reporting on President Barack Obama’s first news conference in eight months, newspaper stories yesterday were missing some items of interest to ever-squeezed taxpayers, notes Grumpy Editor. 

With the economy, Benghazi and taxes of most concern to Americans, among questions fielded by the president at the White House news conference pertained to immigration and climate change --- overcovered topics that brought lengthy responses parallel to what was heard for months on the campaign trail leading to Obama's Nov. 6 re-election. 

During his 50-minute appearance (clocked at one hour by the Washington Post) in which he called on reporters from a pre-selected list of names, the president repeated some other campaign stump material. 

Among his comments: 

(Under a law awaiting passage in Congress), “98 percent of all Americans and 97 percent of all small businesses won’t see their taxes go up a single dime.” 

“Five and a half million jobs have been created.” 

“I know the math well.  There will be a modest tax increase on the wealthy.” 

“I’m open to new ideas on tax rates.” 

No member of the note-taking press was allowed to raise a hand in seeking amplification on any of the above statements. 

Also, no questions were asked about Obama’s Southeast Asia trip, departing tomorrow, to Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia and Thailand.

Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal story yesterday that focused on the president pressing for higher taxes mentioned: 

“About $400 billion in tax increases on virtually all working Americans will begin Jan. 2 unless an alternative plan is hatched.”