GernBlansten

Hoping you live in interesting times.

It will be interesting to watch how FoxNews transitions from the equivalent of Pravda (a propaganda tool of the administration) to the equivalent of AlJazeera (the opposition voice).

Well that's what we teach in scouting. If you make a mess, you need to clean it up. Good on Roberts for cleaning up his mess.

Mine was lost in a house fire in the 1970's. (I do have a copy and a current passport) I guess the Republicans would never consider me eligible either. Not that that would be the only criteria they would disqualify me.

Pack, the scenario you described happened to me and my wife while we were racing. One of our club members on an other boat was grossly obese. Good guy, good sailor. On the course, a squall came through and knocked down several boats including ours. He got tossed into the drink. Thankfully, everyone was wearing a PFD. He clung to the transom of his boat, unable to get back in. But in his condition, we feared cardiac arrest due to the cold water and stress. We came along side and my wife boarded their ship. I stayed on my boat since my responsibility was the safety of my remaining crew. His three crew plus my wife couldn't get him back onboard. We ended up beaching his boat with the guy in tow to save him. End of story, he survived to race another day, and a power boat was able to pull his yacht off the beach. A man's, gots to know his limitations.(This message has been edited by gernblansten)

I thought being PC meant that you shouldn't say things that might offend someone.

Sorry, TheScout. I should have been more PC.

I've heard from a very reliable Internet source that Obama had secretly funneled money from pork barrel projects for years to North Korea where scientists have grown a clone army using the latest in accelerated growth hormone technology. He plans to use these blue helmeted troops to sweep through red state strongholds, going house to house, confiscating guns, aborting the unborn, handing out welfare checks and sending Republican party members to re-education camps.

Sorry, just can't shake the stereotypes.

Yes, my last comment was in jest. However, there is a ring of truth to it. The right wing scream machine is going to use every little misstep and misspeak to try to build a case for impeachment. Its all they got, so can you really blame them?

Pack, You are insinuating that it is ok for BSA to exclude fat people from some activities but grant them access to other functions. Could the same be applied to the avowed gay? Can't go camping, but maybe serve in some other function where their pedophilic ways wouldn't threaten the youth?

Many CC companies allow you to design your own card.

Just think what would happen if we imposed the same "mandatory" attendence like the others do. Well, we would have a small set of dedicated scouts (the same we already have, the ones who only do scouting) but no others. I guess we just need to get used to it and accept our second class status to our youth's priorities.

What bugs me is when the scout leaves early, putting extra burden on the other scouts to clean up camp and pack. I put the entire burden on the parent to come up to camp to get the scout early. I also make sure they police their area and do as much as they can before they leave. My philosophy is even if I only get them for part of the trip, its still better than not at all. Most of these kids are great and deserve the chance to be scouts.

For critical PORs like SPL, we demand they dedicate to participate every meeting night. So, like my son, when he was SPL, it was in the spring when band was less active. They don't play for the varsity track team, but do for football and basketball. But you won't see him in his patrol from August to November because Tuesday night is marching band practice. Its a balance. I drop him off at practice, then head to the scout meeting myself. We try to do as many campouts as we can, but after he started high school, that dropped off dramatically. We are lucky to attend half of the troop campouts now. Eagle son now wants to join the swim team which is a spring sport. I guess that will lead to more juggling.

Well, smokers may have a filthy habit, but athiests and gays have filthy minds.

After careful review of the endless replays of the oath flub, I have come to the conclusion that Obama had flustered Roberts by rushing the first phrase. Then Roberts screwed up the second phrase and Obama caught it, knew it was wrong, waited a pregnant pause while trying to figure out what to do, then decided to follow Roberts who also realized his faux paux and tried to salvage any dignity he had left. This left the impression that both had memorized the oath so well, that when Obama rushed Roberts, it tripped him up. I blame Obama. IMPEACH!!!!!!

As the parent of a band geek who is also the JASM of the troop, I understand what you are saying. However, band does trump scouting. Especially during the fall. His grade in band is directly related to him participating in pep band at every home game, his participation at marching band, his practice after school for special band events. If he doesn't show up, it will show on his GPA and effect his ability to letter. He would move down in his chair which will effect his ability to compete for a music scholarship. No excuses. I'm sure sports put the same expectations on their members. We try to attend every scout meeting not in conflict and attend every campout possible. But once in high school, that is about 50% of the time.

Ed, in an earlier post, you stated, "As A devout Christian, I don't think it should be removed." Fair enough. But if you agree that it serves no purpose, why do you support retaining it on our money? If it serves no purpose, why oppose removing it?

Ed, if its not promoting a religion, what purpose does the motto serve?

Unchecked by another point of view, Hannity risks becoming a marginalized loudmouth with an ever diminishing rating. The American people don't want his ridiculous criticism, like him labeling the current economic disaster "The Obama Recession". It just isn't helpful. Most conservatives I've talked to want to give Obama a chance, and hope for his success in getting our country on the right track. Even my most neo-con-ish relatives are tuning out Hannity. Within 6 months, I predict he will lose his coveted time slot and perhaps even be cancelled by FoxNews. Murdock is no idiot. FoxNews is a business first and a right wing propaganda machine second.

Great idea on the instant potatoes. Always the forgotten backpacking staple. I love to just add "stuff" to my spuds. Potatoes will give you the carbs, the cheese and butter the fat, and meat products like crumbled bacon, the protein. YUMMY! Plus, all that should be easy to pack and cook in sub-zero temps on a whisper lite stove.

I ain't sure about a lot of things. Should we include those things on our money just to hedge our bets?

At OKPIK, we teach at least a 5000 calorie meal plan. Lots of fat, protein and carbs. Dry Jello, mixed with water gives you carbs and protein. Its the breakfast, lunch and dinner of champions. Nothing stops the shivers better than a warm cup of liquid Jello. VERY YUMMY! Typical menu will be a instant oatmeal breakfast with bagels and peanut butter or cream cheese. Toasted over a Whisper Lite stove. Lunch is lasagna, pre-cooked and vacuumed bagged. Dinner is stew, pre-cooked with rice or pre-cooked noodles. All vacuumed bagged. The scouts just drop the bags in hot water, mix and eat right out of the bags. Of course, this isn't car camping, its backcountry. So you can't bring in the iron dutch ovens.

Son and I just returned from staffing OKPIK. Great weekend. We took 19 souls into the Colorado high country, had them build their own shelters out of snow and sleep in them. Everyone had a great time. Had some great fun playing with the avalanche beacons while our quinzies settled. OK, I'll admit, it was pretty easy. High was 29, low was 26 so we really didn't suffer much.