GernBlansten

Is this like the War on Christmas? Do I need to redeploy my defensive Christmas lights on the perimeter again? Dang, I just put them away for the season.

"The point is that Scouting is not the place for sex education. When a gay or lesbian leader makes an issue of his or her sexual preference, it makes it impossible to remove sexual conduct from the Scouting realm." Couldn't that have also been written: "The point is that Scouting is not the place for sex education. When a leader makes an issue of another's sexual preference, it makes it impossible to remove sexual conduct from the Scouting realm." So who is really making the issue sexual preference an issue?

In practice, perhaps. But at least give me my fantasy that everyone in America deserves their day in court without the threat that that day might cost them dearly if the court disagrees with them.

I'm not sure that loser pays all costs is a good solution either. Net result of that would be no average Joe would ever sue a well funded, deep pockets corporation or person. They would just lawyer up and drive the complainant into bankruptcy. Risk would be too high. The rich guys would get away with anything they wanted.

John, Are you insinuating that Uncle George isn't giving me money taken out against a note my children must pay back in 20 years; he's giving me money taken out against a note I have to pay back next year?

Learning what to take and what to leave takes a bit of experience. The first backpacking trips I took, I packed way, WAY too much stuff. Nothing loads a pack up more than a well meaning parent wandering through an REI looking at all the cool camp stuff. Moms in particular (sorry moms, but its true) want their scouts to carry way too many extra clothes. How many pair of underwear do you need to take? Hint, one. And you are already wearing it. But what if I have an accident? Rinse them, put them back on. 11 days at Philmont and I had one pair. How many socks? Two pair, and you are already wearing one set. Swap them daily, rinse out the old pair and hang to dry overnight. Base layers? One. Thermal layer, one. Shell, one. Hat, one. Gloves, One pair. And you will probably be wearing all this when you start. Sleeping clothes? A t-shirt and boxers or go commando in the bag. So the only extra clothes in your pack is a pair of socks and your sleep clothes. No matter the length of the trek. Toiletries? A toothbrush and share a tiny tube of paste with your crew. No deodorant, shampoo, razors. One roll of TP and a garden spade to share with the crew. A small towel can also be shared. Mess kit is a cup, bowl and spork. Now this may all sound pretty gross, and it is. Everybody pretty much smells the same after 3 days. You get used to it. But another trick is to keep a bag of clean clothes and toiletries in the car to swap into after you get back. Helps on the drive back, especially if you need to keep the windows rolled up.

I personally like my civil liberties and am very glad there is a watchdog group out there defending them.

In the software business, we call that a feature.

I make big rocks into little rocks. And the computer in the day room is only available during evenings.

Philmont would be a great stop. About half way. Don't know if they can put you up for the night, but just hanging around the base would be cool for the scouts.

Nessmuk, 2nd Amendment? That's what you're worried about? Have you noticed whats happened to the 4th and 5th Amendment in the past 6 years? Does the PATRIOT act bring any images of constitutional transgressions?

Well, one solution is for all of us to back Huckabee. One of his campaign promises is to "to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards"

25% is a good rule of thumb, but some scouts will need to carry less, some can carry more. My son weighed in at 110lbs for Philmont and on re-provision days, his pack topped out at over 45lbs with water (40%). But he trained for it and could handle it fine. Some of the bigger/older scouts on the trek couldn't handle 40lbs without complaining. I tipped the scales at 195 and my pack tipped 65lbs on heavy days fully watered up (33%). Again, training for it made it possible. At canoe base, we routinely carried 60lbs on our back and 45lbs on our head during portages. But only short distances. On a three day non-winter trip, you should be able to get pack weight down below 30lbs with water. Any more than that and you really aren't being a minimalist, which is what backpacking is all about isn't it?

Yeah, I burn the candle at both ends. Through my teens and twenties, I couldn't keep weight on. Eat whatever I wanted and as much as I could, still couldn't gain weight. I'd just burn it off. But late in my thirties, Something changed. I become more sedentary, and I started gaining weight. Not a lot, but my pants wouldn't fit anymore. Then my son became a scout, and dad got off his duff. Started hiking, cycling and backpacking again. Canoe Base. Philmont. Back in the black baby. Got back into those pants. Feel good. Look better. It's all physics. Burn more than you take in, and you will lose weight.

If national really wanted to deal with this issue, they would just eliminate the plus sized uniforms. Imagine the incentive to slim down to wear a complete and correct uniform at a roundtable. Of course that would eliminate their ability to buy vast amounts of tan materials at bulk rates, hence all our uniform prices would rise.

So from that position, it matters not who is president. Rise on Obama, rise on!

Just as exercise doesn't seem to enter the daily routine of many scouters, diet doesn't either. We focus way to much on meats, dutch oven desserts and cracker barrels and not so much focus on vegetables. At Philmont there was much displeasure when one of the meals distributed was the vegetarian chili. Adult advisers complained the most, thinking they must have some kind of animal protein at every meal. This meal was saved/delayed for the final day when all other meals where exhausted. With a heavy sigh and skeptical glance, the final meal was placed in the crucible and re-hydrated. Sunken eyes and grim faces stared at the steaming gruel as it was placed in each scouts empty bowl. A taste, then another, then soon after, "May I have some more?". They were floored that a meal without meat could be good. It was the best meal of the trek.

I'm sure that Hillary lays in bed wondering where Bill is. Rimshot! Thank you, I'm here all weekend. Enjoy the veal.

That's the problem with todays conservative movement -- You are either with us, or you are a liberal. 100% compliance to the party line or you are a liberal. Step out of rank, get hit by a tank. You ain't conservative no more. Good luck with that fellas.

OGE, Real men link. Girliemen Cut and Paste.

Yeah, the big tent Republican party sure does seem to move it around now and then. They moved it from over me back in the 90s, leaving me out in the cold. Now it seems to be coming back, leaving the Coulters and Limbaughs outside. Seems like a healthy move. Might even keep the Republicans from going down the same drain as the Whigs.

I guess it comes down to whether you had to become a member to participate in the clinic. Unclear, but if when the question was raised and the contract was retracted, one could assume that membership was indeed required.

I would never call a female who rides a motorcycle a girl. That is a WOMAN!

Huckabee's son is an Eagle Scout. Killed a dog for fun at scout camp. I suppose he qualifies as a Manly Man.

I subscribe to Backpacker. Yes, they only review and recommend top end gear. Is this valuable for economy minded scouts? I think so. It will tell scouts what matters to serious enthusists and what to look for in the lower end stuff. There's some good ecomony gear out there and if you know the key points, you can weed out the really lousy stuff. However, most of us addicted to the latest high end gear routinely sell our old stuff on Ebay or Craigslist. Great bargains to be had. Picked up a Gregory pack for my son for $35. Three years ago, it retailed at $200.