‘Which Fitness Path Should I Choose?’

Tennessee Star

  Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –  I took the one less traveled by And that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost The Road Not Taken   There are many ways to get fit. Many of these ways are not attractive – at least not to me. Long, boring cardio, burpees till you puke… You get the idea. There are new, trendy, fitness routines coming out all the time. Some are good, and some are outright ridiculous. One can be led to believe that if they’re not doing the latest craze, they’ll be left in the dust. This turns off many who would otherwise find their road to fitness: “If I need to go through all of this $%#! to attain health, count me out!” Fitness choices include: weightlifting (bodybuilding, Olympic lifting, powerlifting), bodyweight training (progressive calisthenics), kettlebells, bands, awkward object lifting, long “steady-state” cardio, high-intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.), yoga, Pilates, barre, Zumba, and so many more. Though I enjoy some of these disciplines, many people do not. And fortunately, that’s okay. There are many roads to fitness, including less regimented ones than those listed above. Activity of almost any kind – particularly in the great outdoors – is beneficial, as…

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President Trump Blasts Tennessee U.S. Sen. Bob Corker in Tweet

Tennessee Star

President Trump took to Twitter Friday morning to lash back at U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) for Corker’s recent sharp criticisms of the president. Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in '18. Tennessee not happy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2017 Last week in Chattanooga, Corker told reporters that “radical changes” are needed at the White House and that “the president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.” Corker said Trump “has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that.” Corker’s comments came as Trump was getting criticized by the mainstream media, the left and some Republicans for blaming both sides for the recent violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and radical leftists. Critics said Trump’s comments indirectly showed support for white supremacists. In Chattanooga, Corker said, “I think that sometimes he gets in a situation where he doubles-down to try and make a wrong a right.…

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Alabama Manufacturer Meeting Demand for Confederate Flags

  A company near downtown Huntsville, Alabama, that makes flags is getting flooded with orders for the Confederate flag. Alabama Flag & Banner may be the the only flag manufacturer in the U.S. still making the rebel flag, reports AL.com. The company began manufacturing the Confederate flag after many retailers pulled it from their shelves in 2015 because of a shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people were killed by a white supremacist who was featured in personal photos holding a Confederate flag. America’s major flag manufacturers have stopped producing the rebel flag, leaving Alabama Flag & Banner to fill the void for retailers and people still interested in obtaining American-made Confederate flags. Demand is up after the recent racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the renewed debate over the place for statues and memorials commemorating the role of Southern leaders during the Civil War. “We are shipping them as fast as we can make them and in the order in which they are received,” says a message on the company’s website. Belinda Kennedy is the longtime owner of Alabama Flag & Banner. She told AL.com that people have different reasons for buying the Confederate flag but…

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Polish Interior Minister: Uncontrolled Migration a ‘Noose Around Europe’s Neck’

Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak blasted the E.U.’s migration policies on Wednesday in the wake of a string of radical Islamic terror attacks across the Europe. “Paris, Stockholm, Brussels, Berlin, Manchester, Barcelona,” Blaszczak’s statement read. “How many more European cities have to be hit by terrorists so the European Union wakes up? So the European Commission…

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Victor Ashe Commentary: Free Speech Showdown Coming to Knoxville When Douglas Henry State Museum Commission Committee Meets in September

Tennessee Star

  The recent August 15 meeting of the Joint Committee on Rules and Regs chaired by State Rep Jerry Faison and State Senator Mike Bell is already having an impact on the previously little known Douglas Henry State Museum Commission which is next scheduled to meet on Monday morning at 10 October 9 at the Knoxville Zoo in East Tennessee. The meeting is open to the public. There is also a bylaws committee meeting on September 14 in Knoxville which will attempt to revise the current bylaws which created so much controversy about free speech. They will submit new bylaws for the Commission to vote on in October. Before you start commenting on this meeting being held at the Zoo after all the issues the Commission has faced, you should recognize the Zoo in Knoxville is well worth viewing. It is a real tourist attraction in Knoxville. Almost 500,000 people a year visit. When I served as Mayor of Knoxville we were and are very proud of what has been accomplished there. The actual meeting will be near the entrance and the gift shop. While the Zoo is not art or history, it is a well maintained and operated facility…

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Rep. Louie Gohmert: Some GOP Leaders ‘Right There with the Obstructionist Democrats’

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) blasted “some of the Republican leaders” for being “right there with the obstructionist Democrats” in holding up funding for President Donald Trump’s signature border along the southern border during an interview Wednesday on “The Laura Ingraham Show.” Although the House approved a budget bill with a $1.6 billion downpayment on border wall…

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Paul Ryan: Congress Will Miss September Deadline to Pass FY 2018 Budget, Will Rely on Stop-Gap Funding

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Thursday that Congress will blow past the Sept. 30 deadline for approving new funding for 2018, saying the government will need to operate off stop-gap spending for several months. Mr. Ryan also insisted Congress will meet its deadline to raise the federal government’s borrowing limit, saying he was “really not…

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Knoxville Preparing for Protests Saturday, Bans Firearms

Tennessee Star

  The city of Knoxville is bracing for demonstrations Saturday afternoon featuring a rally in support of a Confederate monument and counterprotesters, but a prohibition on firearms is raising concerns among some gun rights advocates. Because of the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, two weeks ago, Knoxville city officials are taking precautions to try to prevent protests from turning violent. “Our officers will be there to maintain order and ensure that everybody is free to speak their piece,” said Mayor Madeline Rogero in a news release Wednesday. “These are volatile times, and I strongly urge everyone to refrain from antagonism. We can have these discussions as a community without resorting to angry rhetoric or violence.” No guns, other weapons or masks will be allowed for people entering designated demonstration areas. People planning to enter those areas will be screened with a metal detector. Signs and flags will not be allowed into the demonstration zones if they are attached to a pole or stick or any object that could be used as a weapon. Water bottles, drink containers, coolers, beverages and food are also banned. Water will be provided on site. The city is citing TCA 39-17-1359 in state law to support…

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