By Julie Reardon Things are really quiet here in Hunt Country during the month of January so I thought maybe some of this useless information might be entertaining for you to ponder during the upcoming winter days. Unless you’re younger, an influencer and on social media a lot, you might not know what are considered the current cool new words and phrases and the ones that are so yesterday. The beginning of a brand new year is a good time to learn what words and phrases someone cooler than you decided were winners and losers. Many of us find it entertaining to learn new words or enjoy the picks and if you find any you like, incorporate them into your vocabulary and writing. Some years the picks—usually done by dictionary staff—are better than others and sometimes they almost seem deja vu. Slop is the word of the year for 2025 by Merriam-Webster’s human editors. They define slop as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” All that stuff dumped on our screens, captured in just four letters: the English language came through again. The flood of slop in 2025 included absurd videos, off-kilter advertising images, cheesy propaganda, fake news that looks pretty real, junky AI-written books, “workslop” reports that waste coworkers’ time… and lots of talking cats. People found it annoying, and people ate it up. “AI Slop is Everywhere,” warned The Wall Street Journal, while admitting to enjoying some of those cats. “AI Slop Has Turned Social Media into an Antisocial Wasteland,” reported CNET. Like slime, sludge, and muck, slop has the wet sound of something you don’t want to touch. Slop oozes into everything. The original sense of the word, in the 1700s, was “soft mud.” In the 1800s it came to mean “food waste” (as in “pig slop”),…
By Lori Welch Brown Wow—hard to believe I’m breaking out another new calendar with y’all. Who would have known I’d still be here writing about whatever enters my (now graying) little head twenty-five odd years later. If you’ve been reading this column even for a minute, you know what an absolute freak I am about celebrating the New Year. And yes—I can still say ‘freak’ as long as I’m referring to myself. I love January and not because I’m a sadist and enjoy bleak, cold dreary days. Far from it. I love it because of the promise it brings—a blank slate. We get a do over. We get an opportunity to recharge, reset, and refresh. All those ways you disappointed yourself last year? Shrug it off because you get another shot! Look—no one is looking for perfection (except maybe us Virgos), but still. You get another chance at setting impossible-to-reach goals and disappointing yourself all over again! Jump on the shame train, kids and let’s get ready to head out on another trek to self-flagellation with our final destination—Mt. Regret. Kidding! Okay—well, maybe there is a little truth buried in there somewhere. But those are December feelings—not January ones. The trick is to leave all that behind. Pack it away and move forward into a season of hope and new beginnings. Like many people, I’ve grappled with questions of religion and faith, but of this I am 1000% certain. We all get second (and third and fourth…) chances. As long as we are breathing, we get do overs. Maybe not out on the field with the clock ticking, but in our own aspirations and sense of betterment. Trust me—I’ve tried and failed at a million things over the years. I’ve been successful at a handful. But I keep trying. I…
By Timothy Long Why didn’t I think of this before? It’s so obvious. These end of year lists are everywhere. They pop up on social media. They come in emails. They glare at us from magazine stands. It’s like being hit on the head with a mallet. I guess the most obvious things are often the hardest to see. The idea dawned on me while I was reading the most recent edition of Whiskey Advocate. I subscribe to both Whiskey Advocate and Cigar Afficionado. And I’m like a kid in a candy store when either magazine arrives. This year’s Whiskey Advocate winner was the Elijah Craig 12 Year 3-Month-Old Barrel Proof Rye. Heaven Hill does a great job with the Elijah Craig series, and I was happy to read that one of their newer brands had been named Whiskey of the Year. It’s the first rye whiskey ever to win the award. The writers claimed it earned the award for its complex and balanced profile, which includes notes of baking spices, stewed fruits, and a generous rye spice finish. Reviewers from Whisky Advocate specifically praised its maturity, depth, and surprising approachability. At 108 Proof and $75, I am definitely adding it to my wish list. So, while I’m reading about this wonderful whiskey, an idea popped into my head. Why don’t I do my year end favorites? If the writers of Whiskey Advocate and Cigar Afficionado can do it, so can I! It’s all about passion. And I have a passion for good beer, good whiskey, and good cigars. My passion also includes other things as well, like golf, family, etc. But one must have one’s priorities. My list works a little differently than most. Each category will have a winner and a runner up. It’s just like a beauty pageant. And…
by Charles Oppman Now that we’re in the cold weather months it is good time for a hearty country dish. Why not make a classic bean dish―cassoulet? Cassoulet is a rib-stickin’, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat (typically pork sausages, pork, goose, duck and sometimes mutton), pork skin (couennes) and white haricot beans. The dish is named after its traditional cooking vessel, the cassole, a deep, round, earthenware casserole dish. I made cassoulet the other day with northern beans. I made it in an ultra-heavy cast iron Dutch oven I found at a Salvation Army for like $5. I cooked it on the stove top, but could have baked it, which I considered doing because I was thinking about whipping up a batch of corn bread as well, the perfect quick bread for this dish. I vary the meat when I make cassoulet, but this time I used smoked sausage, bratwurst, pork spare ribs, thick-cut bacon and some pieces of pork butt and a ham bone I had in the freezer. I was also able to use the last of my home-grown thyme and rosemary. Serves: 6 Ingredients 1 pound bratwurst, cut into 3” pieces 1 pound pork butt or shoulder, cut into 1” cubs 1 pound of smoked sausage, cut into 3” pieces (ham hocks can replace smoked sausage) 4 slices bacon, cut into 1” pieces 1 pound duck breast halves (optional) 1 whole onion, diced 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 1 cup coarsely chopped curly parsley 1 pound dry navy or northern beans, soaked for 3 hours 3 bay leaves, large 1 cup celery, diced (optional) 1 (or more) quart chicken broth, canned is fine. (Please do not use bouillon cubes.) Directions…
By Miriam R. Kramer January can be dreary—the beginning of a slog towards spring. I have always looked at it as a time for enthralling, escapist fare. When I heard about Sebastian Junger’s In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face With the Idea of an Afterlife, however, I sidestepped into a fascinating memoir about his near-death experience (NDE). Then I dove into From Here to Eternity by L.A. mortician and amateur anthropologist Caitlin Doughty, which looks at the way humans handle death around the world, particularly in a non-Western context. In The Year of Magical Thinking, the brilliant Joan Didion writes about coming to terms with her husband dying. These three remarkable works approach difficult terrain from strikingly different angles. They also are all, ironically, reassuring in their clear-eyed approach to the one event none of us can avoid. What unites them is their honesty, their curiosity, and their ability to illuminate the emotional, cultural, and existential dimensions of mortality. Read together, they form a kind of triptych: the near‑death experience, the cultural encounter with death, and the intimate aftermath of loss. Each book stands powerfully on its own, but in conversation with one another, they offer a surprisingly hopeful and deeply human exploration of what it means to live with the knowledge of death. Sebastian Junger’s In My Time of Dying is the most immediate of the three, a gripping account of his own brush with death after a ruptured aneurysm. Junger has long been known for his immersive, clear-eyed journalism, but here he turns his clinical eye inward. What makes this work so compelling is not just the emergency, though he describes it with vivid clarity, but the philosophical questions it forces him to confront. Having grown up with his father’s atheism, he begins…
By Ron Powers In 1979, Bob Seger unleashed one of the most enduring feel-good anthems in rock history with “Old Time Rock & Roll,” a track that would become a cultural fixture far beyond its initial release. Written by George Jackson and Thomas Jones and reshaped by Seger’s unmistakable vocal grit, the song found its way onto the album Stranger in Town and quickly became a fan favorite. Though Seger initially saw it as a simple, straight-ahead rocker, audiences connected instantly with its nostalgic message and unfiltered energy. Driven by its pounding piano riff, no-nonsense groove, and Seger’s soulful, sandpaper-rough delivery, “Old Time Rock & Roll” captured a timeless spirit that still electrifies crowds decades later, securing its status as one of the most iconic tracks in American rock music. Bob and the boys get things rolling with felt covered hammers pounding down on the strings of Randy McCormick’s grand piano. This is quickly followed by Seger’s slap-back-echo soaked voice belting out the line, “Just take those old records off the shelf”. Midway through this first line, the full band starts bopping along with a straight forward drum beat and (you guessed it) an old time rock and roll bass line and guitar lick. Seger’s raspy and powerful vocal performance mixes with the rock solid performance of his band to generate a groove that digs in like no other song I’ve heard. It’s a rare tune indeed that can hook the listener so deeply before the first chorus even starts. For the chorus, background singers accompanied Seger adding depth and width to the song’s central hook. This gives the song a touch of gospel church power without the fire and brimstone. Meanwhile, the piano dances around the mix with a boogie-woogie feel reminiscent of Fats Domino. Additionally, we hear touches…
By Matthew Fitzsimmons “Virginia is for (wine) lovers” may not be the official motto for the Virginia wine industry, but it easily could be. The Commonwealth has consistently outshined more famous wine regions, despite making a fraction of the wine they do. Wine writer Mike Dunne, who judged at the 2025 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC), said this of Virginia’s entries: “Each year, some wine region of North America seems to gain recognition for a disproportionate share of high awards… in 2025, it was Virginia.” One of the hallmarks of Virginia wine is its diversity of styles and grape varieties. Cabernet franc and chardonnay are the state’s most widely planted grapes, but Virginia offers everything from albariño to zweigelt. Two factors shape this diversity: the state’s varied terroir, and a willingness to experiment. Virginia grows wine everywhere from high-elevation sites in the Blue Ridge Mountains to sandy soils along the Eastern Shore. While the state is arguably a geographic and stylistic middle ground between California and France, winegrowers point out Virginia’s unique growing conditions makes copying either of these areas impractical. This has led the Virginia wine industry to combine tradition with experimentation. Many winemakers prefer more classic styles that emulate those of the “Old World,” such as Bordeaux or Chablis. Others endorse a more creative approach, sometimes blending grapes normally associated with very different regions of the world. My personal “Top 10” list reflect this veritable hodgepodge of styles. Several are classic expressions of their variety, while others are uniquely ‘Virginia’ in nature. I’m especially interested in wines with great backstories, or varieties not usually associated with Virginia. Ankida Ridge 2022 Pinot Noir ($65): Many vineyards have tried growing pinot noir in Virginia, but Ankida is the first to prove it can be done well. Key to Ankida’s success is its 1,800’ elevation site along the Blue Ridge Mountains, which guarantees moderate temperature swings and mitigates disease pressure. This wine had a floral nose, with notes of earth, specifically wet dirt. The wine itself had heft but was still well balanced, with just the right amount of oak, tannin, and structure. It also presented tart fruit notes on the palate. Cave Ridge Vineyard 2023 Pinot Noir ($45): Compared to the Ankida Ridge, this example of a Virginia pinot was somewhat softer…
By Steve Chaconas More bad news for tournament bass anglers dependent on FORWARD FACING SONAR (FFS) technology. Two of three major tournament circuits, Bassmasters (B.A.S.S.) and Major League Fishing (MLF), are adding further restrictions to its use. The other trail, NPFL, has banned FFS since the trail’s inception. As more anglers enter the tournament business, dependence on using FFS is noticed by fans, fishermen, and sponsors alike. Heads down, wandering around, and casting to fish revealed on the screen in real time, today’s anglers don’t make casts without seeing fish. Not only that, but they target the bigger fish with this technology. Fishing is becoming more catching and less casting. Slowly disappearing are “old school” techniques. Spinnerbaits, jigs, and crankbaits are among many lures losing ground to small jigs and soft plastic minnows. At the end of the 2025 season, B.A.S.S. announced a major rule change regarding FFS. For the 2026 Elite Series only 5 of 9 events will allow FFS use. Technology dependent anglers will have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills without it and older, less technical anglers, will have to excel in non-FFS events and shorten the learning curve for events with FFS. Meanwhile MLF, already restricting FFS use to only one 3-hour segment during each tournament day, has now extended this rule through 2026 professional and boater/co-angler levels of competition, from the Phoenix Bass Fishing League to the Bass Pro Tour. Feedback from fans and anglers who were satisfied with the MLF rules precipitated this extension of the rules to the other levels. MLF contends this format allows multi-dimensional angling where anglers can utilize the latest technology while also creating an environment for the use of traditional techniques. This combination would make every venue a showcase for all skill sets. Interesting to note, the MLF College Fishing series…
By Ryan Unverzagt 2025 has come and gone. Take a moment to reflect back on this past year. Did you accomplish the things that you said you wanted to do? Did you actually stick to those New Year’s resolutions you had made for yourself? More than likely, the answer is probably not. Why? It might be because you set unrealistic goals, especially when the focus is on exercise. It’s time to start putting those New Year’s fitness resolutions to work again. If you were lucky enough to receive a “fitness gift” as I recommended in my last article, now is the perfect time to put it to good use. Did you know fifty percent of people who decide to start exercising will drop out within the first six months? Why does this happen? Because it does take a little effort and worth-while time to develop a habit. I have a few ideas that can set you up for success this year. Losing weight and getting in shape is at the top of the New Year’s resolution list. The first step in successful goal setting is to write it down. This seems too obvious, but post your goals where you can see them every day: on the fridge, front door, bathroom mirror, framed on your work desk, or even set them as a screen-saver on the computer. The more often you see your goals, the better your chances of taking action. The second step of goal-setting is to be specific. “Lose weight” is a good goal, but how much? A conservative approach is to figure losing one pound a week. Too many times, we get caught up on the end result and forget that we can control what we do to get there. The little things we do along the way…
By Molly Winans “What Do Cool People Do! Why Frostbite Racing Is Cool. It’s 34 degrees outside. The water temperature measures in the upper 30s. It might get gusty out. It might snow. What would you rather do: lounge on the couch or go sailing? Hundreds of sailors on the Chesapeake Bay choose the latter. Every winter, we like to reach out to a few of them to learn their reasoning, their expert winter gear tips, and suggestions for curious would-be winter sailors. What’s the appeal? Warren Richter races his J/22 Committed with his partner in racing and wife, Tracey. Richter says, “I enjoy frostbite to keep our skills sharp during the so called ‘off-season.’ It’s great to get out, get some sunshine, and have fun racing. Makes dusting off the rust in the springtime much easier and also allows for racing that is less boat-handling-intensive. It is a great time to train new crew and practice.” Tracy adds, “We’re not sure what we’d do with our time if we didn’t have a reason to be on the water. Also racing with just a main and jib as required by frostbites gives us an opportunity to work on our fleet management without having to worry so much about boat handling. Also, there is usually significantly more wind than during the rest of the year, so we get to practice in different conditions.’ The Committed frostbite team includes Mary Howser, Koralina and James McKenna, Amanda Gates, and Bryan Stout. Richter notes, “They are all fantastic sailors. We appreciate everything they do to come racing with us.” Gavin O’Hare, who races ILCA class dinghies (formerly Laser) out of Severn Sailing Association on Sundays, says, “Because the winter is cold, it puts a damper on doing most things outside. Dinghy frostbiting is different….
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