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♦ FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2007
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OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans Foy S. Evans
Vice President Editor Emeritus
Group Marketing
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Saudi arms deal bad idea
It’s bad enough that Mr. Bush has gotten us into our
disastrous war in Iraq. Now he wants to conclude a huge
arms deal to Saudi Arabia, which is the center of Islamic
fundamentalism in the Middle East. This arms deal
would upset the delicate balance of power in the region
and promote instability. He’s only doing this to please
our arms companies and the Pentagon. But if the Saudi
monarchy is overthrown then our enemies will have our
latest weapons to use against us.
Frank W. Gadbois, Warner Robins
Task force encourages
healthy living
Gaining and losing weight to become healthier depend,
at the most basic level, on what and how much we eat,
and how often we are physically active. Because those
factors reflect individual choices, health educators and
policy-makers have focused largely on individual behav
iors. Recent research, however, shows that where we live,
the jobs we hold, the money we make, and the friends
and family we have all play a part in the rising rates of
obesity.
Approximately 60 percent of adult Georgians are obese
and studies show that 66 percent of U.S. adults were
overweight or obese in 2003 and 2004. According to an
article published in Epidemiologic Reviews in June 2007,
a recent study conducted by Johns Hopkins University
indicated that changes in communities that take effect
because of changing social and economic values are
needed before real decreases in the obesity epidemic can
be made. According to the article, “there is no question
that we have made enormous progress in understand
ing obesity’’...including social and individual behaviors
and the role of living and working conditions ih which
we find ourselves. These findings are key to making a
difference in the obesity epidemic. For example, surveys
have shown that adult Georgians with a safe and conve
nient place to walk are more likely to engage in regular
activity (42 percent) than those with no place to walk (27
percent). Policy leaders need to take all these factors into
account.
That’s exactly what Georgia has done with its Nutrition
and Physical Activity Initiative. The plan was developed
by DHR with input from the Take Charge of Your Health
Georgia task force that included citizens representing
different communities, organizations and interest groups
from around the state.
The task force considered the importance of relation
ships that exist between individuals and their environ
ment when looking at various reasons for being active
and eating healthy. The factors, or five levels of influ
ence, are used to look at each level as appropriate. The
individual factors includes awareness and knowledge; the
interpersonal factor includes family, friends and peers;
organizational factors include policies, the environment,
and informal structures within organizations; commu
nity factors exist formally or informally among indi
viduals, groups, and organizations; and societal factors
include state, and federal government policies and laws
that regulate or support healthy actions and practices.
Naturally, looking at various levels is more effective than
a single-level approach.
According to the Johns Hopkins University study,
“political leaders still tend to regard obesity as a disorder
of individual behavior, rather than highly conditioned
by” the living and working conditions already in the
environment.” The environment includes whether or
not there are sidewalks, traffic, access to fresh fruits and
vegetables, and so forth. “This perception must change
in order to recognize that the threat of obesity and its
related problems is already affecting the future of young
generations.”
It is essential for state and local governments to devel
op city, county policies and ordinances that among other
things require safe, accessible sidewalks, bike paths and
recreation facilities.
All Georgians need to take responsibility for their
health. DHR and partners put the Live Healthy Georgia
campaign, an integral part of NUT&PA, into place to
help Georgians with information about simple ways to
live healthier.
For more information about the Nutrition and Physical
Activity Plan visit http://health.state.ga.us/nutandpa/.
Stuart Brown, M.D, director, Division of Public
Health
Worth Repeating
“A popular government, without popular information,
or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to a farce
or a tragedy; or perhaps both ... And a people who mean
to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the
power that knowledge gives.”
James Madison, 1751-1836
4th President of the United States
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Remembering those great eating places
I got the idea for this column from the
August edition of Georgia Electric
Membership Corporation's maga
zine, Georgia. It was Jane F. Garvey's
article, “Worth the drive, Georgia goes
uptown with down-home cooking”. It
started me to thinking about all the
great places I have eaten through the
years, many of which are no longer
available for my culinary adventures.
Moss Oaks Restaurant immedi
ately came to mind. I believe it was
owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs.
Druttenmiller. How long has it been
gone? I’d say at least 45 years - maybe
longer. It was located about three
or four miles south of Perry on U.S.
Highway 41 and was a popular eat
ing place until its demise, caused in
part by the opening of 1-75. What do I
remember about Moss Oaks? The food
was good. Everyone said so. That’s all
I can remember.
While on 41 south of Perry, let’s go on
down to what used to be Langston’s
Restaurant in Henderson. Langston’s
opened in 1954 and closed in 1963. The
Fred W. Langston, Sr., family owned
it, and Mrs. Bessie Langston ran it.
Excellent food! Before Janice and I
married, we used to go there with my
Gray Grandparents after church on
Sundays. Good food, good memories.
Langston’s is gone, and those who like
great food are the losers.
Let’s come back to Perry and the
New Perry Hotel Coffee Shop.
What about those cloth tablecloths,
soup, celery, radishes, carrots, and a
great southern meal of fried chicken,
candied yams, creamed corn and fresh
garden peas? I’m sad about the hotel,
aren’t you? Thank goodness, the hotel
is now owned by some of Perry’s best
and most civic-minded citizens, the
Mullins family. If anybody can bring
the hotel back, it’s this family. For our
sakes, pray that they get it done.
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Questioning candidates now on video
While joysurfing in cyberspace
Friday, I happened across this
bit of modern methodology.
CNN has teamed with You Tube, the
Web site built on the premise that each
of us is interesting and insightful, to
host and supply questions for a debate
among Democratic candidates for pres
ident. On Sept. 17 Republicans will get
the same chance.
Before you could say Barack Obama,
YouTubians had submitted more than
1,700 questions for the candidates.
More were arriving every hour.
Editors at CNN decided which of
the video questions will be used. Some
You Tube aficionados have complained
that editing user-generated questions
goes against the philosophical grain of
user-generated.
That alone tells us plenty.
But there is more to this story.
I watched a couple dozen entries,
a motley mix of softballs tossed
what we’ve come to believe are “real ’
people as opposed to unreal people in
the media who usually ask candidates
questions. Go figure.
My sample was small, and their deliv
ery decidedly “real,” but the subjects of
the questions were generally about
what you might expect if Anderson
Cooper or Tim Russert had You Tubed:
Iraq, immigration, ethics, leadership,
experience, health care, the economy,
taxes, terrorism, security. Nowhere did
1 see anything rise (lower?) to the level
of boxers vs. briefs.
The whole exercise appeared to be
interactive lite, done because it can
be.
OPINION
I’m glad we’ve got a Longhorn's
in Perry. I eat there, often. But, in all
due respects, it doesn’t measure up to
the original Longhorn’s on Peachtree
Street in Atlanta. The original place
was a little grungy, and you could
throw your peanut hulls on the floor.
There was a huge jukebox, featuring
country music, right at the front door.
Free plays. Lewis Grizzard hung out
there at the bar. I must have eaten
at this Longhorn’s at least 100 times
(yes, literally). The food was great,
the atmosphere was wonderful, and
the memories of meals with friends is
imbedded in my brain. It’s closed, now.
I miss the real Longhorn’s.
What about a burger at Flamingo
Joe’s in downtown Atlanta? Or, a
gourmet meal at the Coach and Six.
I’d take another grilled cheese with
tomato at Mr. C’s in Atlanta. Maybe
Bryant Culpepper, who introduced me
to Mr. C’s and their sandwich, would go
with me. Then Bryant and I would go
to Hamburger Hamlet, whose name
belied its type and quality of food. And
what about the Brookwood Grille
(replaced by an Argentina steakhouse),
and Baby Doe’s and The Big Red
Tomato? Then there was Harrison’s
on Peachtree Street and the Peachtree
Case on Peachtree.
I could go on and on about the loss of
so many great eating places in Atlanta,
but it makes me sad, so let’s shift to
some that have “stood the test of time”
and are still putting out excellent food.
It did get me thinking, however.
What do we need to know about and
from the men and women running
for president, one of whom we will be
handing the keys to the world’s biggest
office?
Blowing wind
Perhaps it’s because we are depend
ing more on You Tube and other democ
ratizing effects of the Internet for
information and entertainment (We do
know the difference, don’t we?), but we
seem to be purchasing an inordinate
amount of stock in ordinary.
We tend to want extraordinary lead
ers who are regular folks, the kind who
would fit nicely on a barstool at Dad’s
Corner Saloon on a Thursday night
and at the head table of the fancy state
dinner the next.
I have never subscribed to the theory
that to understand poor Americans
you have to be one or have been one;
to show compassion for the elderly, you
have to be old; to recognize or combat
racism, you have to be a person of
color; to know our true enemies, you
have to have been a decorated warrior.
Obviously, those qualities and experi
ences help, but our leaders should be
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Larry
Walker
Columnist
lwalker@whgb-law.com
George
Ayoub
Columnist
Morris News Service
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Of course, I’d have to start with Hal’s
on Old Ivey. Great food, wonderful
atmosphere, and a friend owner in Hal
Nowak. Like Longhorn’s, I must’ve
eaten 100 meals at Hal’s - often with
Clark Fain or Connell Stafford or Billy
Corey, or all of them. And for years,
the best piano man in Atlanta, Charly
Marshall, played at Hal’s. And, now
we have New York Prime (a rich
man’s steak, which isn’t a bit better,
if as good as, the original Longhorn’s),
the Capital Grille (fairly good food,
great view) and old staples such as
Dailey’s in downtown Atlanta. Talking
about “standing the test of time,” what
about the Collonades, Mary Mac’s
and The White House Restaurant
in Atlanta?
Fincher’s in Macon - the original
on Houston Avenue. Locke’s Drive-
In in Perry (not for the food, but for
the socializing). Eating fish on the
Ocmulgee River with Daddy, Mr. Glea,
and ‘Fessor at Keiland’s fish camp.
Granny Gray’s slaw and chocolate
pie. Mama’s creamed ham on toast and
Sunday,s roast beef with gravy. Janice’s
Aunt Raynelle’s coconut pie. Aunt
Ila’s caramel cake. Mike Houston’s
steaks. Aunt Betty’s chocolate fudge.
Papa’s July 4 barbeque and water
melon. Janice’s egg custard pie. And
what about some great Italian food at
Angelina’s in Perry? I’ve had folks
who have eaten all over the world,
including Italy, who say they’ve never
had better. And for good, clean, solid
fast food, there’s Chick-Fil-A. I guess
it’s all these things because it’s owned
by good, clean, solid folks.
I could go on, but I’m starv
ing to death. I think I’ll go out to
Grillmaster’s here in Perry and get
me a “Larry Walker Special”. With
a name like that, it’s got to be fairly
good. Hope to see you there or some
other great eating place.
better than that, bright and informed
enough to know which way the wind’s
blowing.
I put a premium on leaders with
brains, so frankly, if my candidate
wants to spend Thursdays downing
draughts at Dad’s, fine, just as long as
he or she is the smartest person in the
room. That goes for the fancy dinner,
too. And for good measure, cabinet
meetings, summits and political con
ventions.
But that’s just me. ,
Some of the inquisitive YouTubians
asked about leadership qualities. The
best question I heard was a young man
who wanted candidates to name some
of the people they would appoint to
positions in their administration and
why.
Good call. We don’t necessarily need
names, but what about qualities?
Characteristics? Rap sheets? If we are
to have unelected staff members steer
ing the ship of state and we do then
how high should the bar be? And
should someone chosen simply because
of politics be able to get over it?
Political campaigns consider spon
taneity toxic, so thinking on one’s
feet, while a consideration, is hardly
seen unless somebody goes off script.
Occasionally, a debate will foster an
exchange outside the handlers’ leash,
but it’s rare.
The upshot is that unless Clinton,
Obama, Richardson, Romney, Giuliani
and McCain have plans to spend a little
time at my kitchen table, I’ll have to
do my own research. None of which
includes You Tube.