Atlanta Braves right fielder Jason Heyward watches from the dugout in the ninth inning of Tuesday night's loss to the New York Mets. (AP Photo/Todd Kirkland)
What book(s) influenced you?
In a 2005 speech Ryan said:
"[T]he reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand. And the fight we are in here, make no mistake about it, is a fight of individualism versus collectivism.”
The stories on Rand's influence on Ryan are stacking up. See here, here, here, here, here and here.
The buzz will almost surely sell a few more copies of books by Rand, who died in 1982. Her most famous are Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.
Our question today, however, deals with books and their influence. What book(s) influenced your ideology/politics? Use the comments section below to cite a title, author and reason.
Oh, and to get the ball rolling, allow me to offer my nominee: George Orwell's 1984, a novel that forecasts life under a totalitarian state. It's probably best read alongside Orwell's novella Animal Farm, an interest examination of the corrupting influence of power.
Our Big Competition
A group of community leaders joined us at the offices of The Star yesterday afternoon to discuss next steps in the Our Big Problem series on obesity. We had a fast-paced hour discussing ways our community can wrestle with the frightening statistics that show Alabama is among the fattest states in the union. (And, yes, as our reporting has shown, the impact of this epidemic has huge implications for everyone, even the fittest among us.)
One big idea to address Our Big Problem is a competition pitting young people from various community centers, clubs, churches and so forth against each other. The aim is to make fitness fun by competition and encouragement. In broad strokes, the highlights include:
-- Competitors would compete against other teams in a series of athletic contests.
-- Prizes would go to the top finishers as well as those kids who showed the most improvement.
--- The event might be best compared to a big “field day” where multiple events would be happening at the same time.
-- Incentives – prizes, special events, special recognition – would be available for winning teams and individuals.
-- Our aim is to make this a fun event where boys and girls can encourage each other to get healthier.
So, that’s what’s on the drawing board. We talking about an annual or twice-a-year competition, perhaps hosted at McClellan, which has facilities for multiple athletic events.
Now it’s your turn to weigh in.
What do you think of this idea?
How can we make it better?
What athletic events would you suggest be a part of this competition? What about X-Games-styled events?
All ideas welcome.
Never too late for a correction
At first I was thrown. I could find no reference to the politician in the June 14 issue of The Star. A little searching helped me realize the error was from my column published on June 14 of 2009. My mistake. The online version of the column has been amended. It's never too late to set the record straight. You can read it here. I'm happy to issue a correction ... three years late.
Early morning mourning
Jensen, the director of external affairs at the Center for Domestic Preparedness at McClellan, died Thursday morning after being hit by a truck while cycling to work, according to the police report. He was 37.
Jensen occasionally joined the group of early morning riders who follow a route designed to stay mostly clear of motor vehicles. He was a strong rider, an extremely fit athlete who never seemed to tire. He was a friendly soul, someone who encouraged slower riders like me. He was a positive person who could always be counted on to put in a good word no matter the subject, something we should all aspire to.
A death in this region’s tight-knit cycling community has weighed many down with sadness. Friday’s ride was a more somber affair than usual. Eyes and ears were even more attuned to oncoming traffic. The strain of extreme physical exertion brought an odd sort of relief, an hour or so of suffering to briefly distract one’s mind from the death of a friend. It was to me a sort of mourning.
In Judaism, the Kaddish is a prayer said in mourning the death of a loved one. Religious scholars are quick to point out that the Kaddish is not a prayer for the dead; it’s a prayer for the living.
While Derek’s friends and family remember his life, it’s important to also reflect on those left behind. We all share the same roads. There should be more awareness that others are using them, whether these travelers are on a bicycle, running or walking on two legs or even driving in another automobile.
Most runners and cyclists assume drivers of automobiles don’t notice them. Many carry flashing backlights to signal vehicles approaching from behind. Those are necessary precautions, yet not always enough. Today’s small hope is that Derek’s tragic passing can serve to raise awareness that the roads are meant for sharing.
A clarification from Congressman Rogers’ office
The office of U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, takes issue with an Anniston Star editorial’s take on the congressman’s views regarding oil exploration in the Talladega National Forest.
The editorial – Our neck of the woods: Consider Talladega National Forest off-limits to drilling for oil, gas - contained this sentence: “Three Republicans — County Commissioner Tim Hodges, state Rep. Randy Wood and U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers — each have voiced strong opposition to drilling for fossil fuels in our national forest. Rogers was wise to request, in writing, that the BLM delay the auction.”
That’s not accurate, writes Shea Snider, spokeswoman for Rep. Rogers. Her email notes:
The above sentence “doesn’t accurately reflect Congressman Rogers’s statements on the issue. Rogers has never referenced drilling in the Talladega National Forest.
“What he has said is that he is vehemently opposed to allowing the leases to go forward, as he has said repeatedly and in public, because of the way BLM kept the public, local officials and his office in the dark. That’s why he has asked for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to delay the lease sales, reopen the public comment period and hold public meetings as they should have done from the beginning. Something this important needs thorough public discussion and debate; the people deserve to know what is going on.”
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Tuesday, 18, 2013
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Mets finish off sweep of Braves
Jun 18, 2013 | 17 views | 
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| 3 | | Mixing up cocktails for wine lovers
Jun 18, 2013 | 171 views |
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America is a wine-consuming nation. We drink more wine by volume than any other country. Statistics prove that Americans now get this whole wine culture thing.
Most of us know our merlots from our chardonnays, feel relatively comfortable ordering from a wine list and make selections with ease from our favorite wine shops.
We also know not to pour our wine over ice or order wine and coke. At least we held these truths to be self evident until the appearance of the mixologist on the bar scene.
Sometimes the words “mixologist” and “bartender” are used synonymously. However, it is generally accepted that a bartender tends bar — pulling drafts of beer and mixing traditional drinks. A mixologist, on the other hand, is more creative, inventing drinks like apple pie and strawberry shortcake martinis.
Mixologists have also been known to revamp old classic recipes by adding nontraditional ingredients. They would likely never be caught putting something as mundane as a olive in one of their martinis.
Mixologists are now turning their attention to wine cocktails. Aided especially by the popularity of ubiquitous sweet moscato wines, they are using unusual ingredients to concoct an array of wine-laced drinks.
As summer evenings turn warmer, try shaking up one of the following concoctions to cool down:
Note: Sutterhome, Barefoot and Ecco Domani wines can be found in most grocery outlets but when making these cocktails, if the varietal is correct almost any brand will do.
Kalimotxo (cal-ee-MO-cho)
This easy-to-make, sangria-esque drink originated in the Basque region where the borders of Spain and France meet in the western Pyrenees. Don’t say yuck before trying this. Directions: Mix equal parts cola and cheap red wine. Mix in a pitcher or glass, pour over ice and garnish with a slice of lime or lemon.
You’re a Peach
From Sutter Home Winery, this recipe calls for Sutter Home Moscato, but any moscato will do. Directions: Place a scoop of peach sorbet in a martini glass. Add 3 slices of canned peaches (I used three slices of fresh Chilton County peaches.) Slowly pour 5 ounces of moscato over sorbet. Serve immediately as a dessert, but if serving as a cocktail, allow peach sorbet to slightly melt before adding moscato to make a slushy cocktail.
Lemon-Chill-O
Also from Sutter Home. Directions: Place a scoop of lemon sorbet into a glass tumbler. Slowly pour 5 ounces of sparkling moscato over sorbet. Garnish with a sprig of mint. This is reminiscent of the lime sherbet and ginger ale punch once the staple of southern wedding libations long before we became a wine-consuming culture.
Dolce Domani
Dolce (dole-chay) is Italian for sweet. This recipe from Ecco Domani is from its Winetail drink collection. Directions: Muddle/mash 1⁄2 lime with 2 1⁄2 teaspoons of sugar. Add 3 ounces of merlot and shake all ingredients vigorously in a cocktail shaker. Pour over ice and garnish with a wedge of lime.
Barefoot Walk on the Beach
From Barefoot Wines. Directions: Combine 1⁄2 ounce of peach schnapps, 1 ounce pineapple juice and 1 ounce cranberry juice in a tall glass. Top with 3 ounces of Barefoot Bubbly Red Moscato. Add ice. Garnish with peach slices and pineapple chunks.
Charonge Paradise
From Charonge Wine, producer of California white wine with natural orange flavor, available at Tyson Fine Wines and Things in Golden Springs for $9.75. Directions: For this classic drink combine 1 1⁄2 ounces of Charonge, 2 ounces of pear nectar, 1 1⁄2 ounces vodka, a sprig of fresh rosemary and shake with ice in a martini shaker. Serve in a martini glass with a sprig of rosemary.
Email Pat Kettles at pkettles@annistonstar.comVisions of cranberries danced in my head
Jun 18, 2013 | 77 views |
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When asked what part of cooking I enjoy the most, I immediately reply “baking.”
I have enjoyed baking since the first time I entered the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1963. My Tropical Coffee Cake (later named Tropical Cake) won me a trip the the Bake-Off that year in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Baking is a good avenue for creativity. I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen with new recipe ideas, some of which come to me in unusual ways. My latest idea came to me just as I was about to drop off to sleep one night.
I was thinking about how much I like fresh apple cake and wondering how I could make it even better when cranberries came to mind. Of course, fresh cranberries were out of the question because they are only available during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I opted to use dried cranberries but didn’t want to just stir in a few. Then I thought about the flavored flour I developed about 30 years ago and decided to see if I could make cranberry flour.
The first time I used flavored flour I was trying to improve my fruitcake. It worked so well that I started making other blends. Since that first experiment, I have made chocolate flour, peanut butter and chocolate flour, almond flour, butterscotch flour and a few others that were not as popular.
I combined some flour with the cranberries in the food processor and processed the mixture until the cranberries were almost as fine as the flour. What I like about using flavored flour in this cake is that rather than getting a bite of cranberries every now and then, you get a hint of cranberry flavor throughout the cake.
As the cake baked, a wonderful aroma permeated the house. I could hardly wait to cut into it and check the texture and flavor blend of the cranberries and apples. I was not disappointed. It was moist and delicious.
CRANBERRY APPLE CAKE
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup oil ⅓ cup softened butter
1 ¾ cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and cubed Winesap or Rome apples Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and lightly flour a Bundt or tube pan. Combine 1 cup of the flour with the cranberries in the food processor, fitted with the steel blade. Process until the cranberries are almost as fine as the flour. It’s OK if some small pieces of cranberries remain. Combine this mixture with the remaining flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir to mix and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until blended. Stir in apples. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of cake. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cake plate. Note: I have found that wrapping the cake in aluminum foil while it is still warm will make it even more moist. Email Prudence Hilburn at prudencehilburn463@att.net
Alabama offering food safety training
Jun 18, 2013 | 66 views |
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