Other Archives - Page 22 of 22

07Jul201406Jul2014

Hot Dogs- It Doesn’t Have to be as Bad as You Expect

Tom Knuppel Other

Three things that are certain in this world: death, taxes & Joey Chestnut winning the July 4th hot dog eating contest.

According to Wikipedia, a hot dog is a cooked sausage, traditionally grilled or steamed and served in a sliced bun as a sandwich.

I want to make this disclaimer right now, I like hot dogs and eat them particularly at cookouts and ballgames (9 percent of all hot dogs purchased are bought at baseball stadiums). The U.S. population consumes about 20 billion hot dogs a year, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. That works out to about 70 hot dogs per person, per year. And, an estimated 95 percent of U.S. homes serve hot dogs at one meal or another.

In case you missed my blogs last week and want to take a peek at them here they are.

June 30	Does Political Correctness Trump Freedom of Speech?
July 1	Knowing the Right Thing to Do But…
July 2	Allow Kids to Be Kids- Don’t Specialize in One Sport
July 3	The Internet May Be Coming to an End
July 4	O Beautiful for Spacious Skies- Land of the Free and Home of the Brave
July 5	Why Didn’t John Dickinson Sign the Declaration of Independence?

But….. What is in a Hot Dog?

According to that same council:

“All hot dogs are cured and cooked sausages that consist of mainly pork, beef, chicken and turkey or a combination of meat and poultry. Meats used in hot dogs come from the muscle of the animal and looks much like what you buy in the grocer’s case. Other ingredients include water, curing agents and spices, such as garlic, salt, sugar, ground mustard, nutmeg, coriander and white pepper.”

Did you catch that word combination? “Variety meats,” which include things like liver, kidneys and hearts, may be used in processed meats like hot dogs, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that they be disclosed on the ingredient label as “with variety meats” or “with meat by-products.

So look for hot dogs that are packaged “all beef” or “all turkey”. If it is “all” anything it has to be labeled that way on the package.

Are they unhealthy?

Processed meats are linked to increased risks of cancer. Mainly, because of the additive included in it. Another issues is the sodium nitrate (preservatives, coloring and flavoring) that they contain.

If you are a hot dog fan, then you have some alternatives that are considered to be healthier for you. Look for nitrate-free or organic varieties.

Here are some interesting facts from the Hot Dog and Sausage Council:

In 2013, Americans ate enough hot dogs at major league ballparks to stretch from RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. to AT&T Park in San Francisco.

New Yorkers eat more hot dogs than any other city population (even Chicago, also known for its hot dogs).

Travelers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport eat six times more hot dogs than travelers at Los Angeles International Airport and LaGuardia Airport combined.

Hot dog season — during which Americans eat 7 billion hot dogs — stretches from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Americans eat 150 million hot dogs on the fourth of July, alone

Tomorrow’s Blog- America: The Melting Pot- Is It Really?

The opinions in this blog are those of Tom Knuppel

04Jul201404Jul2014

Why Didn’t John Dickinson Sign the Declaration of Independence?

Tom Knuppel Other

Why Didn’t John Dickinson Sign the Declaration of Independence?

Several months ago I read an article in the American Conservative magazine that lay this out to me and now I think is a good time to re-visit this topic. Dickinson is, for the most part, a forgotten man. This is chiefly due to his refusal to sign the paper. This was a Declaration that he worked on with the other architects of this historic document.

Who is John Dickinson?

He has some background to our country that shines brightly. One of his first duties took place in 1767 when he spoke out in response to the Townshend Duties. In that eloquent speech, he took the King and Parliament to tasks and explained how they, not the colonists, were breaking faith and imposing rules over the colonists. He worked tirelessly in the colonies, worked on the Revolution, was elected twice to political office and was a member of the Continental Congress. He helped draft the Articles of Confederation and was a member of the Continental Army. He was a distinguished gentleman. But he didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence.

He worked on this cause and was a proponent of independence from tyrannical Britain. But his refusal has shown historian, for the most part, have vilified him for his actions. Dickinson reflected on the enormity of the deed and he began his oration about the colonies declaring independence was a large price to pay and treading careful at that moment in history was the way to handle this situation. But who can doubt that he was justified in contending that, absent the intervention of France on the side of the revolutionaries—which was unlikely to occur in the near future, and quite possibly would never happen at all— this revolution could not be won, and the consequences of a succession of bloody and losing battles would be debilitating and long-lasting? Dickinson understood the implications of his refusal to vote stating, “My conduct this day, I expect will give the finishing blow to my once too great and, my integrity considered, now too diminished popularity.

How did he handle this? In stride and with character. He had no intention of defecting or going over to the side of the Loyalists. He stayed away from the final vote which is registered as a abstained ballot. Immediately, he left his work in Congress and joined the Continental Army. He was obligated, in his mind, to make it work.

The opinions in this blog are those of Tom Knuppel

04Jul201402Jul2014

O Beautiful for Spacious Skies- Land of the Free and Home of the Brave

Tom Knuppel Other

This wonderful song was written by Katherine L. Bates and was first published in 1910. The words and sentiment continue to ring true today. July 4^th has become a celebration of freedom for the United States with many concerts, picnics and other gatherings.

Today is the birthday of the United States. It became a national holiday in 1941 and is also known as Independence Day. Why?

According to History.com :

The tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.
John Adams believed that July 2nd was the correct date on which to celebrate the birth of American independence, and would reportedly turn down invitations to appear at July 4th events in protest. Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826–the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Is America Land of the Free and Home of the Brave?

Things have changed since the days of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Of course, we need for things to change as they can’t stay the same forever. Every generation states their case as to how the freedoms in America are eroding. I am no different. I love this country and the freedom it allows but sometimes it appears to be shrinking.

One example of many would be the use of drones. What value does that have to the common citizen? Very little it appears but to the government and to its enemies it has far-reaching implications of the information it can acquire.

Being a sports enthusiast, I can envision that college football programs will send a drone to the practice facilities of their opponents to get a first-hand view of their playbook. Drones have one purpose and only purpose only and that is to gather information.

I can assuredly say in my life that I have nothing to hide as far as my behavior. What I have to hide are all my credit card numbers, passwords and banking information. Other than those types of things they can watch me in the bathroom all they want.

Now I can see how some drones can be useful. I am told there are a few drones that are being used by farmers to keep track of their fields and irrigation. That sounds good but they could also fly to another place for another purpose if the farmer felt mischivious.

So what am I saying?

I am extremely pleased we are free. We have freedom. We have democracy. But the lines are constantly and continually moving away from those ideals. It is very difficult to get back what we have lost. This is not a political writing as I blame both sides equally. It has been a long process of take and very little return.

Happy Birthday, America!

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain;

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood,

From sea to shining sea.

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved,

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam,

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self control,

Thy liberty in law.

The opinions in this blog are those of Tom Knuppel

02Jul201401Jul2014

Allow Kids to Be Kids- Don’t Specialize in One Sport

Tom Knuppel Other

Kids need time to be kids. I could probably stop writing there and you would get the point but this is my blog and I am going to expound on that issue. It is summer time and most kids are involved in baseball, soccer or softball. They join a team or two and are hoping to have fun playing a game.

Long ago, the days of a sport having a season where the athletes were encouraged to play one sport per season. Not only are the parents pushing against that idea but so are the youth coaches that hold the kids ransom for not attending their practices at times in the off-season. It has gotten into a ridiculous thing.

But many parents are specializing their kids into one sport and hoping to make them a star to garner the large money contracts that are floating around. What is wrong with specializing?

According to this article:

Nearly a third of youth athletes in a three-year longitudinal study led by Neeru Jayanthi, director of primary care sports medicine at Loyola University in Chicago, were highly specialized—they had quit multiple sports in order to focus on one for more than eight months a year—and another third weren’t far behind. Even controlling for age and the total number of weekly hours in sports, kids in the study who were highly specialized had a 36 percent increased risk of suffering a serious overuse injury. Dr. Jayanthi saw kids with stress fractures in their backs, arms or legs; damage to elbow ligaments; and cracks in the cartilage in their joints.

We now have “select” teams that play of practice year round and now the athlete doesn’t have the time to play a second sport. Why play more than one sport?

First, the athlete will become more well-rounded. According to a study by the Pittsburgh Medical Center, specializing before the age of 14 can have detrimental effects on the child. One sport athletes miss out on activities that work other muscle groups and are more likely to get injured.

Kids in the 5-13 age group do not have fully developed muscles and the chances of injury are higher. Burnout is a possibility. Athletes are emotional and physically exhausted with one sport and begin to lose interest. Be sure to give down time and allow them all the fun a kid their age deserves.

I love bottomlines…..

The bottomline is there is no benefit to specializing in one sport and by making them stick with one sport you are likely to find they will have greater chances for injury and burnout.

Encourage your kids to try different things and activities. It is good for them.

Tomorrow’s Blog- The Internet May Be Coming to an End

The opinions stated in this blog are those entirely of Tom Knuppel.

01Jul201430Jun2014

Knowing the Right Thing to Do But…..

Tom Knuppel Other Bible, lifestyle, right, Schwartzkopf, wrong

I know the right thing for the most part. But doing it is sometime difficult to do.

Oh boy, I am in trouble.

We have to make many tough choices in our lifetime. We do them as we deem necessary. Sometimes, though, they are decisions that fit our current station in life or lifestyle. Many people end up choosing the wrong choice and they know better. But it was the easy way out. It was the easy path.

Are we willing and able to be strong? To do what is necessary? To bear the burdens of a right decision?

According to the Bible in James 4:17 NIV it states:

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Here are some Bible Verses about doing the right thing.

We live in a time where people are falling by the wayside daily. We could just sit by and talk about how evil they must have been or we could realize that we are just as capable of doing the same. Paul gives Timothy three keys that will help him to stay the course. I dare say that if we could grasp these things we too would be safe in the midst of dangerous days.

Almost every day the news has a story or two about prominent people that get into trouble by doing some harmful or bad. Why do these people that have so much, do terrible things? Do they feel invincible? Do they feel they are either above the law or can buy their way out?

They appear to be thrill seekers and lack morality. All people are not good people that is a fact. You don’t have to be a star to find trouble. Good people, or what appears to be a good person, find ways to do bad things.

We expect people to be good and some would say we expect them to be perfect. That isn’t going to happen. People are flawed and need help. The can find it if they would allow themselves to attend church. Remember, church goers are like hospital patients, they are there because they need help.

What do you think?

“The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.”

-Norman Schwarzkopf

Tomorrow’s Blog- Allow Kids to Be Kids- Don’t Specialize in One Sport

The opinions in this blog are those entirely of Tom Knuppel

30Jun201429Jul2019

Does Political Correctness Trump Freedom of Speech?

Tom Knuppel Other freedom of speech, politically correct, Roman Empire, Tom Knuppel

My Return to Personal Blogging

I decide to return to blogging for myself. I used to blog under my own name but for some reason gave it up. Now after several years I feel the urge again.

Oh I didn’t completely quit blogging for that time period as I was very busy with my baseball blog at CardinalsGM. I will continue with that and from time to time chime in at my son’s blog at SaintLouisSports with some stuff.

But simply I am getting bored just writing about sports. I love sports, don’t get me wrong. I just wanted a place to express my thoughts on others issues like politics, religion, and general news items that appear in the news. In fact, if you have an idea of a topic that is worthy of discussion, send it my way.

So here we go……

Does Political Correctness Trump Freedom of Speech?

Today, we are concerned about everyone’s feeling. Freedom of speech has been silenced for political correctness. Let’s look at some examples of PC.

Back in May of 2010, according to news accounts, five students wore American flag shorts to school and were told to remove them or turn them inside out. The students said no and were sent home. The school admitted that they didn’t violate any dress code rules but they were concerned that “others” could be offended. The shirts were not obscene and not no vulgar words or graphics. They didn’t have any depiction of violence or death. They were shirts in the image of the American flag.

In other words, the school was concerned that students from other countries would be offended in viewing those shirts. It was simply political correctness.

A similar case happened back in my day when some students wore black armbands in opposition to the Vietnam War. The Tinker Standard was born which created a standard of measuring if and when schools may restrict free speech.

According to the standard:

“They must reasonably forecast, based on evidence and not on an ‘undifferentiated fear or apprehension of disturbance,’ that the student expression would lead to either a substantial disruption of the school environment, or an invasion of the rights of others,”

One of my biggest gripes for PC has to do with individuals and stores that won’t utter the words Merry Christmas. People used to smile and give you a handshake along with Merry Christmas during the season. Now it is stated that people are offended if they are not of the Christian persuasion. They want Hannukah or they are an atheist. You are deemed rude, offensive and uncaring to be so cavalier to say “Merry Christmas” to people.

Look at the ads during the holiday season and many have no mention of Christmas. Places have barred the Nativity scenes from being put up where others who don’t believe may come into contact. Now companies and businesses are having “holiday” parties and not “Christmas parties for their employees.

Some points of importance must be addressed:

Look at youth sports, everyone must get a trophy to help with esteem issues. Let’s not keep score because we don’t want to call someone a loser. All things must be homogenous (culturally, ethnically and racially).

So what is wrong with that?

The American way has always, before the PC movement, been that if you work hard and fight for the things you want you can be successful and have a good frame of mind. But now, when things are just given to us (yes, this includes gov’t programs), they gain things they did not merit.

Most important, Americans need to remember that actions have consequences. And until we connect the dots and see the error of being so PC, those consequences can, and will, have devastating results.

At one point in the world, Rome was considered the greatest country/empire in the world. Every single Roman citizen was afforded their personal rights. The Roman Army would hunt down and person or group that violated the rights of any single Roman. They believed the well-being of Roman citizens was absolutely important. Then they abandoned those principles and the Roman Empire came crashing down.

Many will tell you that America is great. It is. But remember one item, they said Rome would never fall and it did.

Tomorrow’s Blog- Knowing the Right Thing to Do

Be sure to follow me on Twitter at tknup.

The opinions and statements made in this blog are those of Tom Knuppel.