Easy

Here's a game the whole family can play: Step 1: Place a pad and pen next to your phone. Step 2: When you receive a robo-call from a politician, place a tick mark next to his or her name. Step 3: On Election Day, vote against the politician with the greatest number of tick marks next to their name. Larry Schiavi, Glyndon

The simple act of going for a walk becomes an adventure when the weather turns crisp and Mid-Atlantic trees change color. Check out these area hiking trails to get a breath of fresh air, to commune with nature and to get a glimpse of our region's rich history. Between the Atlantic marshes and the peaks of the Appalachian Trail, there are hikes suited to everyone from beginners to experienced campers. You can flee city life for the untamed wilds of West Virginia. You can take a walk into the past to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam.

Florence Martin , originally from Paris and now residing in Baltimore, was looking for a recipe for making a traditional American Jewish-style beef brisket. Dolores Keene from Baltimore sent in her favorite brisket recipe, which comes from "Mama Cooks California Style, New Twists on Jewish Classics," a 1997 cookbook put out by the Jewish Home for the Aging of Los Angeles. I decided to test this recipe out on my family for Rosh Hashanah dinner this year. It received rave reviews.

Would putting more polluters behind bars help restore the Chesapeake Bay? The Center for Progressive Reform believes it would. In a new report, the  a pro-regulatory think tank argues that both state and federal authorities prosecute water polluters too rarely in Maryland and that the state penalties for conviction aren't stiff enough to deter violators. Criminal prosecutions are an effective way to improve enforcement of environmental laws, especially when government regulators lack the funds to adequately inspect all potential polluters, says Rena Steinzor, the center's president and a professor at the University of Maryland's law school.

Your editorial "We built that" (Sept. 3), while recognizing the important role of the federal government in large infrastructure projects such as New Orleans' levee system, left readers with the mistaken impression that Hurricane Katrina scored a direct hit on New Orleans and its surrounding metropolitan area in 2005. Hurricane Katrina's landfall was on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, about 90 miles east of New Orleans. Our city and its area got the greatest impact from Hurricane Katrina's winds and storm surge, which overpowered the poorly-designed and built (with federal funding)

It's back to school time, meaning that many parents wonder if their child's school is a good school. After 15 years doing research in more than 100 public schools, I can usually tell in an hour if a school is good enough for my kids. And contrary to what policymakers think, school quality doesn't have much to do with fancy buildings, big budgets, how many reports get filed or how many personnel are certified. (President Barack Obama's kids study under uncertified teachers.) Even high test scores do not necessarily measure school quality - though good schools legitimately improve their students' scores, while bad schools fake or flounder.

After weeks of hype and recrimination, the public gets a look today at a Navy Seal's account of the mission that killed Osama bin Laden -- a book that already is selling better than "Fifty Shades of Grey. " The author of " No Easy Day," is identified on the cover as Mark Owen (with a ghosting assist from  Kevin Maurer) but he has been widely reported to be ex-Seal Matt Bissonnette, and even as the book is published, the controversy over it continues. The Pentagon recently said that Bissonette breached nondisclosure agreements, and it is considering legal action against him. I'm sure this will take months to resolve, and while the lawyers hash it out, the book will be perched atop the best-seller lists.

- Not long after day broke at home thousands of miles away, the Notre Dame quarterback who can't fail sprinted onto the pitch to begin the season that can't go wrong. Everett Golson paraded past adoring throngs at Aviva Stadium. Steps later, he met Irish tackle Zack Martin, facemasks touching. Martin walloped Golson on the helmet with both waffle-iron hands. One play at a time, the senior told the sophomore. Stay calm. We believe in you. In a first step toward preempting a 2012 backslide, Irish supporters later had reason to believe in Golson.

Fall is near and our incentive to have bikini-fit bodies may be coming to an end. Or is it? Most experts would agree that the importance of year-round fitness is essential. So with big holiday meals looming in the distance, you might want to get motivated to find a workout that compliments your lifestyle and keeps you in shape.  Fortunately, Harford County is full of fun places to get fit. Whether it's boot camp or mixed martial arts, there's something for every fitness level. [This rating system is intended to be used as a guide only.

At a time when nearly a third of Maryland children between ages 10 and 17 are either overweight or obese, you'd think there'd be a law against selling junk food and sugary drinks on school grounds. Wrong. While many in-school cafeterias in Maryland, including those in Baltimore City, are making a good-faith effort to put more nutritious foods on their menus - more fresh fruits and vegetables, fewer fatty burgers and fries - as long as kids can scarf down the less-healthful alternatives available in vending machines on the premises, the fight against childhood obesity will remain an uphill battle.