Wednesday, January 14, 2026
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Long football season

By
Milo Yield
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0
Thayne Cozart
Milo Yield

The long-suffering wife of an elderly retired farmer wuz complaining to her neighbor about how her hubby got so wrapped up in how his favorite professional and college football teams were doing that he tended to ignore her for most of the football season.

She said hubby never missed watching on TV a single minute of every game, all the pre-game hoopla, and all the follow-up program after the games were over, too.

She went on to say that even though her husband’s health wuz rapidly declining, he still wuz addicted to watching football.

Then, she told her neighbor, “I know my husband is on his final downhill slide in life, so I’ve already got a plan in place for when he’s departed. I’ve decided not to bury him at all.”

“What are you going to do? Have him cremated?” her neighbor asked.

“Nope,” the wife replied. “I’m gonna hire a taxidermist and have him stuffed and mounted in his favorite reclining chair in the living room in front of the TV. Then, I’ll turn the TV on his team’s football games, talk to him, and he won’t answer. It’ll be just like he never left.”

***

I can’t verify that the following story is true, but I saw it and thought it wuz fitting to include it in this column — especially in light of the tight conditions in the beef supply these days, and the price of beef in the supermarket or at restaurants.

What’s in a steak name? The story depends upon the kind of steak — all steaks, or specific ones like sirloin or chateaubriand. There’s more to these names than “meats” the eye.

The story goes that, in fact, the word “steak” comes from an old Saxon word, steik (pronounced ‘stick’) which means “meat on a stick.”

The Saxons and Jutes lived in what is now Denmark, where they raised cattle, which they cooked on a pointed stick over a campfire. When they conquered Great Britain, they brought their cattle — and their steik — with them. The name has continued down through the centuries.

On the other hand, the English get credit for naming the sirloin. The story goes that a British monarch became so enthused when savoring this meat that he pulled out his sword and dubbed it “Sir Loin.”

A cut of filet mignon, called the chateaubriand, is supposedly named for the French viscount, writer and statesman of the same name, who lived during the Napoleonic era. It was his chef, Montmireil, who created the dish.

Knowing this story won’t make your steaks taste better, but at least you know the story.

***

A family living in town labeled all their outdoor toys — bikes, tricycles, wagons and so on — with their family name to avoid confusion with the neighbors’ stuff.

The family decided to move into a nearby rural area for the more relaxed lifestyle and a better environment for raising their kids.

After moving to the country, the kids went exploring. The family’s young daughter came home all excited from riding her bicycle past the farm up the gravel road from her new home.

“I know what the farmer’s name is.” she exclaimed to her parents. “It’s John Deere.”

***

An elderly rancher got summoned to serve jury duty. The case to be tried wuz for murder.

The rancher showed up for jury duty and was questioned closely by both the lawyers for defense and prosecution.

He was about to be accepted for jury duty when the prosecutor asked: “Do you believe in capital punishment?”

The rancher answered, ”Well, yes, provided it ain’t too severe.”

***

I get amused by attending auctions that have to sell a lot of what I call “junk.”

However, an auctioneer never sees a piece of junk. Here’s an example of how his chant goes: “All it needs is just a little work, boys, and she’ll be good as new. What am I bid? $250, $200, $150? Okay, I’ll let you all in. I heard $20! Boys, boys, you’re missing the boat here. We’re givin’ this thing away.”

The “thing” finally sells for $37.50. Guess the auctioneer saw something in it that nobody else saw. But then, as the new owner, he’ll just sell it at his next auction of “junk.”

***

Bird hunting season is just around the corner. My fishing buddy, ‘ol Castin Crankitt, swears this bird dog story is true. The German shorthair hunted long and hard all afternoon, to no avail, because birds were scarce.

When Castin and the dog’s owner got close to the pickup to end the hunt, the pointer went on a strong point in a clump of grass in the road ditch.

The owner urged his dog to “get it, boy,” and the dog jumped in, stuck its nose deep in the grass and pulled out a full, unopened can of Coors light beer, and retrieved it to its owner.

***

Words of wisdom for the week: “The best learning retention rate comes from the School of Hard Knocks.” Have a good ‘un.

 

KU News: Author, columnist Margaret Renkl to give talk; new book explores history of sake

By
Joyce Gilliland
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1

From the Office of Public Affairs | https://www.news.ku.edu

Headlines

Author, columnist Margaret Renkl to give Fall 2025 Spencer Lecture

LAWRENCE — Bestselling author and New York Times contributing columnist Margaret Renkl will present the fall 2025 Kenneth A. Spencer Lecture for the University of Kansas in conversation with Megan Kaminski, poet and KU professor of environmental studies, at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at Liberty Hall. Free tickets are now available for the event. A second event earlier Nov. 3 will offer attendees an opportunity to visit a Douglas County native prairie with Renkl and area land stewards.

History of Japan’s signature beverage sake shared in new book

LAWRENCE — A new book from a University of Kansas professor of history explores sake’s evolution from homebrew to flavored varieties while tracing its cultural significance and global rise in Japan. “Kanpai: The History of Sake,” which is the first such history in English, is published by Reaktion Books.

Full stories below.

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Contact: Emily Ryan, The Commons, 785-864-6293, [email protected]
Author, columnist Margaret Renkl to give fall 2025 Spencer Lecture

LAWRENCE — Bestselling author and New York Times contributing columnist Margaret Renkl will present the fall 2025 Kenneth A. Spencer Lecture for the University of Kansas in conversation with Megan Kaminski, poet and KU professor of environmental studies.

The event, sponsored by The Commons, will take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at Liberty Hall. Free tickets are now available for the event, which will be followed by a book-signing, with books for sale from Raven Book Store.

A second event earlier Nov. 3 will offer attendees an opportunity to visit a native prairie with Renkl and area land stewards.

Based in Nashville, Renkl centers themes of grief, love, loss and the American South in her work within the context of the natural world. In her biweekly New York Times column, she keeps readers connected to the shifts of seasons.

She is the author of “Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss” (2019), “Graceland, at Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache From the American South” (2021) and “The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year” (2023), which won the 2024 Southern Book Prize and is a New York Times bestseller. Her latest book, “Leaf, Cloud, Crow: A Weekly Backyard Journal” (October 2024), is a companion to “The Comfort of Crows” that offers 52 writing prompts and advice for studying the natural world.

“Margaret Renkl’s work demonstrates how intimate observation of the natural world becomes a practice of fierce love — love that doesn’t shy away from grief or difficulty but instead transforms witnessing into action,” Kaminski said. “Her ability to hold both wonder and heartbreak, to find hope within loss, speaks to the kind of reciprocal relationship with place that I believe is essential for our time. I’m thrilled to explore with her how paying attention to our backyards can grow into a form of environmental advocacy.”

Event at Akin Prairie

A related event to Renkl’s talk will take place from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Nov. 3 at Akin Prairie, a 16-acre native prairie in southeastern Douglas County. Joining Renkl and Kaminski are Patti Beedles, Kansas Land Trust conservation coordinator, and Andie Perdue, board member of the Outdoors Unscripted Festival. The event is an opportunity to learn about the tract of land and its role in prairie ecosystems, and, inspired by Renkl’s work, attendees can participate in their own writing/response practice to the prairie. The event will close with a poetry reading by Kaminski, who is completing work around the site through a SOSAA (Showcasing Open Space through Accessible Adventure) grant from the Outdoors Unscripted Festival.

Those interested in riding a bus from the Lawrence campus to the event can meet at 2 p.m. Nov. 3 at the bus stop in front of Haworth Hall. Register to attend.

About the Spencer Lecture

The Kenneth A. Spencer Lecture, hosted by The Commons, is an endowed lecture dedicated to bringing leading thinkers to address the KU and regional communities. Featured speakers have included Rebecca Solnit, Eve Ewing, Jose Antonio Vargas, Jonny Sun and Robin Wall Kimmerer.

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A study by global analytics firm Lightcast quantifies

KU’s annual statewide impact at $7.8 billion.

https://economicdevelopment.ku.edu/impact

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Contact: Jon Niccum, KU News Service, 785-864-7633, [email protected]
History of Japan’s signature beverage sake shared in new book

 

LAWRENCE — In 2024, the Japanese government successfully petitioned UNESCO to declare the venerable process of sake brewing an “intangible cultural heritage.”

But the history of sake itself is largely unknown to most people outside of Japan.

“Like sushi, it’s one of the touchstones of Japanese cuisine,” said Eric Rath, professor of history at the University of Kansas.

“You can’t not run into sake if you look at Japanese food culture, if you look at ritual, if you look at daily life. It’s there in many different forms.”

Rath’s new book, titled “Kanpai: The History of Sake,” which is the first such history in English, explores sake’s evolution from homebrew to flavored varieties while tracing its cultural significance and global rise. The work is published by Reaktion Books.

“Sake is made with water, rice and a mold called koji. There’s this notion that because these are very simple ingredients, this process is something timeless that’s been unchanged for millennia. But when you look at the history, you see how the recipe has changed, and it continues to evolve,” Rath said.

The beverage’s place in Japanese society has also changed. Rath notes sake only occupies 5% of the country’s alcohol market today. That’s somewhat unexpected, given that the word “sake” can mean alcoholic beverage, synonymous with booze. Statistically, however, four times more beer is consumed in Japan.

Having researched Japanese food culture for the last 25 years, Rath was surprised to learn no one had written an academic history of sake in English.

“That’s a huge gap,” he said.

“You get a lot of individuals who write about sake appreciation, what brand to buy and how sake is made. There are some great sake educators out there, but there’s no sake history, and so that results in misconceptions. A lot of people get left out of the story. There’s a whole side of home brewing I talk about in my book. Also, women played a great role in sake brewing in the medieval period, and sometimes they get omitted or their contributions get downplayed.”

A misconception also lingers regarding what sake fundamentally is.

“It’s not a rice wine. It’s made completely differently and brewed more like a beer,” Rath said.

“I want people to know its place in Japanese culture. I want them to know that the recipe for it has changed, and my book includes recipes for sake. I did a little home brewing, too, along the way, and that was fun. I want to show what the government’s done in the last century to change sake, both for the good and for the bad.”

For instance, the Japanese government banned sake home brewing in 1899. It later reinforced the ban to increase tax revenue from commercial sales. But in the 1970s, home brewing became a touchstone for peace activists who were opposed to the building of an airport at Narita (in the Greater Tokyo area).

“Home brewing turned into a rallying point for them, arguing it was protected by the Japanese constitution. They had the ‘freedom to brew.’ But ultimately the government said, ‘No, you can’t brew at home.’ Yet people still do,” Rath said.

The book’s title, “Kanpai,” refers to the traditional toast uttered when drinking in a group setting. This literally translates to “dry cup.”

“It’s an adaptation of the British word ‘cheers.’ The story is that Japanese naval officers wanted some kind of phrase to toast the emperor, counterpart to what the British were doing. So they came up with kanpai,” he said.

He said Americans have increasingly embraced sake.

“It’s really growing in the United States,” he said. “We have around 20 craft breweries in North America. A lot of these places have opened in the last five years, and they’re doing some incredible things. There are breweries in Tennessee, Arkansas, California. Brooklyn alone has three sake breweries.”

A 26-year veteran of KU, Rath teaches a course on the history of sushi. His previous book, “Oishii: The History of Sushi,” (Reaktion Books/University of Chicago Press, 2021) offers the first comprehensive chronicle of sushi written in English. He is also a member of the editorial team for Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies.

Personally, Rath enjoys many variations of sake flavors and types. But when in Japan, “I like to drink something local,” he said.

“The amazing thing about sake is you can try it at different temperatures. With the same bottle, you can have it chilled or room temperature or heated up a little bit. The flavor profile will change so much. It’s the only alcoholic beverage I know of that you can do that with.”

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KU News Service

1450 Jayhawk Blvd.

Lawrence KS 66045

[email protected]

https://www.news.ku.edu

 

Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]

 

Today’s News is a free service from the Office of Public Affairs

 

Pumpkins and Winter Squash Pumpkins

By
Guest Columnist
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0

Listening to talk radio this morning I heard someone grew a pumpkin this year that weighed 2,346 pounds! This is not the largest pumpkin ever but the guy also won $20,000 bucks in the process! Yes, there is a world of competitive giant pumpkin growing and they keep getting bigger and bigger. Pumpkins and Winter Squash Pumpkins and winter squashes are warm season crops that are grown using similar methods. The term “pumpkin” is often used for anything that is round and orange, while the term “squash” is used for an edible fruit of some other shape or color. The term “gourd” is used for various shapes and sizes of fruit used for decoration. Most pumpkins are either Cucurbita pepo or Cucurbita maxima species, while most squashes are Cucurbita pepo. Some winter squashes are Cucurbita moschata or Cucurbita argyrosperma. Most pumpkins have been developed for their ornamental qualities, although some varieties have been developed for pies or for hull-less seeds. Winter squashes are primarily for culinary purposes, although many have attractive ornamental characteristics as well.

 

Species of Squash and Pumpkins. Pumpkins, squash, and gourds are closely related crops that are members of the Cucurbit or vine crop family. There are four species of the genus Cucurbita used as vegetables, and crossing can occur within species only. Cross pollination, however, will only influence the crop if you save your own seed for next year’s crop.

 

The four species are listed below with some common varieties for each species. Only varieties within species will cross with each other

• Cucurbita pepo. Most jack-o-lantern pumpkins, zucchini, yellow summer squash, scallop or patty pan squash, acorn squash, most small, yellow-flowered gourds.

• Cucurbita maxima. Large pumpkins (Big Max, Atlantic Giant), hubbard squash, buttercup squash, delicata squash, Turk’s Turban squash.

• Cucurbita moschata. Dickinson field pumpkin, Kentucky field, butternut squash.

• Cucurbita argyrosperma. (formerly Cucurbita mixta) Green-striped cushaw, sweet potato squash, Japanese pie pumpkins

 

Pumpkins produce large, sprawling vines that take up a lot of space in the garden. Some pumpkin varieties are bush or semi-vining types that take less space but still spread. Numerous varieties exist that range widely in size, color, shape, eating quality, and other characteristics. Most decorative types are not flavorful for eating purposes.

 

For winter squashes, Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita argyrosperma types are often more resistant to squash bugs and squash vine borers than other types and can be a good choice if insect pressure is a concern. Many types of winter squashes have newer varieties with smaller fruit size that make a meal for one or two people. Newer varieties include a few bush-types of winter squash that are good for small gardens.

Wild Rice Soup

By
Debbie Dance Uhrig
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0

There are many soups I consider rather ‘elegant’, ‘lighter’ in presentation, and wild rice soup is one of them. It can hold it’s own as the main entree or as an opener to a meal. Mine includes the use of sherry, giving it a bit of uniqueness. You will notice it does not include any bacon, chicken or turkey. However; it is certainly a good option to apply. I’ve prepared the dish as presented, and with finely chopped/grilled chicken too.

Remember the wild rice is going to take a while to cook for this dish. You have heard me say, I often cook several cups of wild rice, set it out to dry and then freeze it for dishes.

Pop of color; perhaps a sweet red pepper will fill the bill for an additional amount of flavor and color. You may also like the addition of sauteed mushrooms. I’m sitting here thinking I don’t think it would be too odd to implement very small pieces of steak in this dish. Could be quite nice.

What to serve with the soup? A fall salad, pinwheels, mini sliders perhaps a club sandwich cut into small triangles. The mock white castle burgers might be fun too.

Like many of you I enjoy eating out, especially breakfast. This weekend Ervin and I tried a Pub in Hollister, Mo., for an evening meal. The prices were high, but we were eating light, so we didn’t cringe too much! The reason I brought this situation up is the fact it was expensive and just sub-par.

The food was OK, but not someplace I would send someone to, for a good meal. Everything was missing very small elements that could have turned the dining experience into a more positive outcome. So ,when you’re cooking in the home kitchen, push yourself to add elements of surprise that lift the average dish into something spectacular. Need a few ideas? OK, here we go:

1. I use a little cocoa powder or chocolate in any form in my chili soup.

2. In my chocolate chip cookies I add a tad of cinnamon. It lifts the flavor of the chocolate to a new level.

3. Cherries, blueberries and other fruit can easily be enhanced with a little

almond flavoring.

4. Don’t be a tight-wad with the meat in chili. At the restaurant the chili flavor was nice, but the meat was very scarce.

5. Don’t leave dinner guests wondering how to eat your meal with grace.

Walk yourself through the meal, and make sure it doesn’t create uncomfortable moments at the table.

I have a 7 dozen batch of chocolate chip cookies to get made, so I’d best wrap up the column, and get to work in the kitchen. Enjoy the week with the goal of making someone’s day! Simply yours, The Covered Dish.

Wild Rice Soup

2 tablespoons butter

1-3 tablespoons of very finely chopped onion

¼ cup flour

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups cooked wild rice

½ salt

White pepper to taste

1 cup half and half

2 tabs dry sherry

Minced Parsley or chives for embellishment

Using at least a 6 quart stockpot, sauté the onion in the butter until translucent. Stir in the flour and gradually add the chicken stock while whisking. The mixture should lightly thicken. Blend in the half and half and sherry. Simmer for at least 6 minutes, gradually increasing the heat. Be very careful, you don’t want this to come to a boil. At serving time garnish with parsley or chives. This will freeze. Serves 6-8 in small servings, not ‘large’ bowls. I usually double this recipe.

Consider additional butter and adding red pepper. I also enjoy this with chicken, turkey and/or mushrooms added.

“The What If’s”

By
Guest Columnist
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0

Let’s call her Sarah, although that wasn’t her name. I’d had the privilege of delivering her, and the fun of watching her grow into a precocious toddler, with an impish smile and a joyous laugh. Then I had the responsibility of explaining her autopsy report to her devastated parents.

She’d died from an infection that her young, previously healthy body just couldn’t fight. It hadn’t taken long; she’d started running a fever the night before, and her parents brought her to the clinic the next afternoon. The flight crew hadn’t even gotten to our ER before she lost the battle.

Of course we all had “what ifs” to torment ourselves with. What if mom had breast fed for longer? What if dad hadn’t taken her to that play date, with the little friend who had a runny nose? What if the doctor (me) been more detailed in the “how to tell when she’s really sick” discussion? What if her parents had brought her to the ER that morning, instead of to the clinic that afternoon?

The “what if” that has tormented me the most, though, is what if she’d been born just a year or two later?

The infection that killed my little patient was caused by streptococcus pneumoniae. The original version of the Prevnar vaccine, which taught a child’s immune system to fight 7 strains of that bacteria, was introduced in 2000. Shortly after, the rates of serious infections from these bacteria dropped precipitously, and not just in the children who got the shots. Adults also benefited, to varying degrees.

One modernized version of the Hippocratic oath contains the phrase “I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.” I don’t remember if my classmates and I said those particular words on graduation day, but it’s a philosophy I wholeheartedly endorse, and one I try to live by. I nag my patients to eat more fruits and vegetables, and to get their calcium. I nag them to exercise more. I nag them to quit smoking. I urge them to get to the eye doctor, and to the dentist. I remind them that seatbelts save lives, that helmets save lives, that smoke detectors save lives. That vaccines save lives.

I don’t know that the Prevnar vaccine would have saved little Sarah. No vaccine is perfectly protective. She might still have gotten seriously ill. She might still have died.

But I do know it would have shifted the odds in her favor.

Dr. Debra Johnston is a Family Medicine Physician at Avera Medical Group Brookings in Brookings, SD. She serves as one of the Prairie Doc Volunteer Hosts during its 24th Season providing Health Education Based on Science, Built on Trust. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Prairie Doc Programming includes On Call with the Prairie Doc®, a medical Q&A show (most Thursdays at 7pm, YouTube and streaming on Facebook), 2 podcasts, and a Radio program (on SDPB, Sundays at 6am and 1pm).

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