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Two paths converge at the Paris climate conference
The political path had its origins in 1992 at the Rio Conference where the UN delegates decided that greenhouse (fossil fuel) emissions must be sharply reduced so that the average earth temperature does not rise more than 2 degrees C (3.5 F) above the 1750 level.

Our gift from St. Nicholas
I often reflect on the past while washing the dishes – usually, trying to remember where I’d laid the scrub pad that I’d had in my hand a minute ago. But yesterday as I stood at the sink, I noticed for the first time how stained and scarred the dinner plate in my hand had become after another 42 years of almost daily use.

Building monopolies, merger by merger
Control of market after market – from cable TV to chickens, banking to washing machines – has been seized by less than a handful of enormous corporations. Rather than compete, they collude to set prices, cut quality, shrink service and squeeze out any would-be competitors.

LETTERS
While statistics are important, even more important is to know that the homeless in our city are not just a glob of those most unfortunate among us. As Yeagle wrote, they include folks who are athletic, handsome, protectors, artists and philosophers. They socialize, smoke, smile and have ambitions, as well as drug and alcohol abuse problems.

The state must step up
Seven months after that, the city finally released the dashboard video from a Chicago police car which clearly showed McDonald walking away from the police when he was shot 16 times – and almost all of those shots were fired as he lay bleeding to death on the pavement.

Sierra Club questions CWLP pollution
The Sierra Club and CWLP have a history together. When CWLP began planning the Dallman 4 power plant, the Sierra Club threatened to sue because the Sierra Club believed the permit for Dallman 4 would allow too much pollution.

AT THE LOCAL MALL
Nearly 40 years ago, the cover story on the Feb. 19, 1976, issue of Illinois Times pondered how White Oaks Mall would affect Springfi eld’s downtown and the much less developed (at the time) west side.

CHAIRS, CHAPTER TWO
Remember Adam Stock and Stephen Castleman? They’re the Central Management Services employees who helped themselves to a truckload of state-owned chairs from the state fairgrounds shortly before Christmas last year and got busted (“Take a seat,” April 2, 2015).

Unanswered questions
The U.S. attorney’s office in Houston last month asked a federal judge to enforce a summons issued to Parsons by the IRS last summer in Texas, where Parsons moved in 2013, leaving a trail of lawsuits and unpaid creditors behind in Springfield.

Money to burn
The housing bubble had burst and the stock market had crashed. Springfield and other governments were laying off employees and instituting furloughs while the federal government propped up banks.

Recipe rehab for the holidays
Food is as much a part of holiday celebrations and festivities as being with family and friends. For many, the holiday season comes with the challenge of trying to make healthier choices when many foods on the table don’t fit in that category, said a University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator.

Tree hacks
Part of the allure of holiday decorating is being able to bring the outdoors inside. But when transforming your house into a winter wonderland, you may notice that a real tree may not live up to the perfect-looking specimen in your imagination. Never fear though – these tricks can make your tree look like perfection.

All about the watch
With the time of day listed everywhere from smartphone displays to laptops to our car dashboards, the need for a watch to tell time isn’t as pressing as it was even just a few years ago.

Festive in a flash
Decorating for the holidays is meant to help usher in the excitement and joy of the coming season. After years of the same routine, however, it can feel like you’re just going through the motions – put up the tree, string the lights, hang the stockings – over and over again.

Holiday calendar
Free, donations to Salvation Army. lincolnschurch.org. First Presbyterian Church, 321 S. Seventh St., 528-4311..

CuisineScene
LEGEND: B - Breakfast • L - Lunch • D - Dinner • LN - Late Night • OD - Outdoor Dining $ - under $8 • $$ - $8-$15 • $$$ - over $15.

Festive fondue
For my money, there’s no better way to entertain during the holidays than fondue – even if you’re just entertaining your spouse and/or children. Fondue is not only delicious; it’s also a group activity, one that is low-key and relaxing.

Victor Frankenstein a misguided monster mash
Before you know it, Vic has drained Igor’s hump, given him a brace to help straighten his spine, and the pair are growing body parts when they can’t steal them in order to construct a creature made of dead body parts to bring to life.

Music for the holidays
Before anyone begins to moan and groan about using the word “holiday” instead of “Christmas,” please consider Christmas is only one of the several holidays celebrated this time of year. I include Thanksgiving as the beginning and New Year’s Day as the end.

PUB CRAWL
Howl Back, The Good Companions, Patrick Russel and Mary Kate Smith.

BAND SPOTLIGHT | Kilborn Alley Blues Band
Continuing the terrific run of early Thursday shows at The Alamo, sponsored by the Illinois Central Blues Club and presented by James Armstrong, Kilborn Alley drops in from our neighboring city of Urbana. These guys make the rounds, celebrating 15 years of being a traveling blues band in 2015.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS | Festive historic homes
Feel the holiday spirit during the 24 th Annual Taylorville Christmas Home Tour, where six private homes will open their doors to the public.

THE CALENDAR
lincolnschurch.org. First Presbyterian Church, 321 S. Seventh St., 528-4311..

MUSIC | A sparkling musical revue
MUSIC | A sparkling musical revue.

THEATER | An updated holiday favorite
Enjoy a fresh adaptation of a classic holiday favorite on Tuesday, Dec. 8, by The Immediate Theatre Project of Asheville, North Carolina. In this innovative film-to-radioto-stage adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life,.