packsaddle

SR540Beaver, that line wrapping thing only seems to happen when I'm doing the fishing. For real fish, that is. Which is why, a long time ago, I invested heavily in lure components so I make my own. They cost a small fraction of the commercial ones and sometimes work even better. Fun to make too! I bought a lot of stuff from Cabela's, Herter's and also from Netcraft. I'm not sure if Netcraft is still around like it was. Sadly, Herter's went away with mail-order WMDs. I mostly made spinners, variations on the Mepps line and Rooster Tails, things like that. Even silver-plated my own blades for a while...kinda dangerous though. But I caught a lot of fish. And I ate well.

C'mon guys. Can't you see he's playing you like hooked bass, hungry and after his idiotic blathering? You talk back and he enjoys the pull on the rod, carefully taking up line a bit at a time and prolonging the sensation. Then when you tire, he lets some of that line back out to play you again. You're wasting time with this.

Naughty, naughty! Well, I guess I learned basic math, during elementary school using, what else? An abacus. Then in 1995 when I was shopping in the largest, most modern department store in Shanghai, China the clerks would work out the amount owed using...you guessed it...an abacus. And they were FAST! Of course I'd basically hand them a credit card and they'd then take the amount they just calculated using an abacus and enter that into the machine and then slide the card. I wish I had a video. To buy a single small item required at least 4 clerks. How is it that they're kicking our butts economically? Again....the abacus.

Yeah, those guys were incredibly lucky. You should see the students' faces when I challenge them to solve some trig problems - they get to use their calculators and I use my slide rule. Of course, heh, heh, I get to choose the problem. Edited for dusting: I used to think that was true. So I took a computer that I was going to trash (it was still working) and I applied the spark from one of those spark igniters off a gas grill. I sparked everything I could find on the motherboard, the CPU, the controllers, the keyboard, just about everything. I never could kill that computer. Keep in mind it was an old XT that eventually had .45 holes put all through it (another story) but the sparks didn't do anything. Could be that I'm just lucky.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

I have pretty good luck with computers. I can only think of one time when I had a crashed hard drive. And (knock on my old XT cabinet) I still remember most of the old DOS commands (DOS 3.1 anyone?) But that's the PC side. I also still have a MacPlus, a MacSE and an SE30, not to mention the old MacII and a IIci that we bought a very long time ago. They are all still just as fast as they were when they were new. (remember the installer and multifinder?) I have a slightly used PowerMac that has a SCSI interface! In addition, because I take students out in canoes (with gear, including computers) I scrounge notebooks from the surplus flow (usually turned in because they're obsolete or broken) and I swap parts until I have working units. I can take three hulks and have a working unit in about two hours. Then I let the students use these working (but worthless) computers - and in case one goes overboard, no one will care. I also keep some classics around just for fun. I still have one old 386 running Windows 3.1 (remember the MFM and RLL hard drives and expanded memory beyond 640K?) and with a 5.25 real floppy drive and a tape backup...imagine. I show them what a floppy used to look like and tell them it held about 360K. They say, "K ????!!!!" Doncha love it? When I finally kick the bucket someone is going to have to haul such a pile of junk!

This unit requires boys to be registered troop members. Period. I don't know if this is due to some past incident or if the council requires it. Likewise, parents who want to accompany us must complete the adult application and join. We have a lot of ASMs. That also makes it easy to find a sufficient number of adult leaders for an outing almost any time. I like the policy - we don't have any problems with recruitment either.

Welcome to the forums. I've always liked Iowa. I met my wife at Lake Okoboji (Ioway Lakeside Lab) and have nothing but fond memories. Better yet, a couple of years ago when I returned for a visit, the area was loaded with windmills. Nice.

Hey guys, I'm feeling left out. IE7 and I'm still hoping for popups. But I'm still getting...sniff....nothing.

OK, Basementdweller, I'm wondering now if you are really writing about pit bulls, or just using that metaphor? But compared to what you described, NOPE, I've never lived in a place like that. I do have to ask, how do you have a deck when you are a 'basementdweller'?

Eamonn, I like the analogy to the pit bulls. It is sort of like the Reagan approach to Soviet diplomacy, "trust but verify". As for me, I tend to trust people until I detect evidence to the contrary. That helps explain my late, essentially gone, retirement investments. I trusted. I was wrong. And I've paid for it. I've only met a couple of forum members, but I would trust all of the active forum participants. There are a couple of 'former' members whom I would not trust. I would, however, likely be very careful if anyone gave me advice on investments.

Gwd, when I saw the title of the thread I thought it was you. So, I guess 'congratulations' is in order, at least for the start of the project. I hope everything goes smoothly and successfuly.

Sheldonsmom, Please take what I am about to advise as friendly advice. I saw what you saw and read what you read. I agree. But The Scout is baiting you. He is blathering about ideals from a position of ignorance of the actual event. His mind is a stone wall and nothing you write will penetrate it. Let it go. It isn't worth it. Just move on to a more profitable activity...as I am going to do now.

I noticed a new thread. When I looked at the initial post, the content was the kind of thing that I'm certain I would be fired if I had posted it anywhere and it's a distinct possibility that the poster could be prosecuted in this state. Anyway, I noticed that he already had a number of posts so I clicked on the number to see what the others were. They ALL contained the same kind of content. Lisabob is correct that if Terry allowed this to continue, it would have been a terrible reflection on scouters in general and I am also certain that almost everyone who does visit these forums would have stopped. I sent a message to Terry via the 'contact us' button and in the morning there was no evidence of that person, except some very unsettling memories in my mind. I anticipated this objection by someone and I also agree with Lisabob that this one is not the one to fight over. Of course if anyone does want to advocate for pedophilia, child rape, and that sort of thing, knock youself out. Just try to express yourself in clinically accurate terms rather than the kind of thing that you might hear, you know....from Dick Cheney. Gwd, I can PM you with the sordid details if you REALLY want to know them. Actually, I won't do that. I can't risk having that kind of thing resident somewhere on my computer. I'll write it by hand on paper and give it to you next time I'm in your area. No, I'll just tell you if you promise not to get angry at me.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

I guess I'm out of the loop on this - unaware of changes, rumor or not. I didn't even know there was a reorganization in Irving. But, come to think of it, when all the real work is done by volunteers what is left for top-heavy, bloated organizations to do BUT reorganize? Anyway, when someone figures it out, let me know. I'll be, you know, like camping and stuff. FWIW, the guys in this unit only mention laser tag about once a year and paintball almost never. Mountain biking, yes. Caving, yes. Backpacking, yes. I guess we're deprived.

I am using the same stuff and I'm not getting them. Check to see if scouter.com is listed as one of your allowed sites.

Yes, I kept track of it on television and in the online news. From what I saw many of those towns were completely destroyed, very tragic. This, on top of the devastating drought you've been having...those of us on the other side of the world should be thankful for our good fortune. I shudder to think the fires might have been intentional...we've had that experience over here. But I have a question, is there anything we can do to help you folks out over there? Let us know.

As soon a I saw those posts I sent a PM using the 'Contact Us' button. I think that goes straight to Terry and the web gurus. But I agree, if that sort of thing happens often, it would be nice to have a panic button. The risk is that we'd be using that button inappropriately. However, from what I was reading last night, that guy needed to get dumped with great prejudice. And I'm a guy who is all for no censorship. I'd like to know who that guy is and where he's from. I hope that was just a really stupid prank by someone and nothing with any serious intent behind it.

I carry cash. I think of it as my emergency stash. It's more than $100 and it corresponds to whatever amount I think it would take to pay for some emergency if I was stuck somewhere that wouldn't take a card. My wife (who gives me MY allowance, scoutldr) has come to depend on my 'stash' and it has saved a vacation or two over the years (and at least one really tense class field trip overseas). The risk is that it might become a portion of the normal day-to-day flow and resisting that temptation takes discipline. I'm comfortable with it. Years ago I carried over $20,000 cash into China when I was assisting with an adoption. Toured all over Shanghai with all of it in my pocket. No problem. I routinely transfer money between banks in $manyK in cash. The reason? Bank A and Bank B both insist on their own internal delays of my access to my money if I use their counter or cashier checks. When I withdraw cash and then deposit cash, they have no choice but to give me immediate access. They can shove their delays. That said, I pay the routine bills and I do the taxes. I pay almostly exclusively by credit (not debit) card and occasionally online. Then I write the checks to pay the credit cards in full every month. No debt. Ever again. The only time I run into panhandlers is when I venture into Atlanta (what a wretched example of gratuitous sprawl!) or perhaps Houston or Chattanooga or Knoxville. I keep a bag of canned goods in my car to hand guys standing on the street corners. The guys who get aggressive around downtown get nothing. I do give money to the ones in the Caribbean. I consider it kind of like the toll that must be paid to walk freely through the towns.

Eagle1977, As Rush Limbaugh says, "it's all about money." While the 'avowed' reasons for the Crusades was God and such, the crusaders were often really all about looting and the stuff that comes with such actions. Nevertheless, there's something to be said for calling them out on those 'avowed' reasons. As for conversions. My personal experience has been that compared to the number of condemnations, the number of attempts to 'convert' me to some other faith comprises a very small fraction. Perhaps 'convert' really means something else...like from living to non-living (as in the Crusades) or maybe to 'maximize entropy' or something, and I just didn't understand. To that I admit...I don't understand. At all.

I guess that since Beavah used my quip to start this, I need to add to it. OK, I know he's not REALLY turning into a hippie radical. But I used to do this kind of thing whan I was cubmaster. I would create all kinds of awards and ways to recognize things the guys did that were unusual or outstanding. Especially if they had some medical thing, like a tooth knocked out (not duing a scout activity, thank goodness) or a surgery. They enjoyed the limelight any time they got it. We all had a lot of fun. Like I've said so many times, I really miss the cubs. But like I mentioned after that original remark, any unit that has its own awards probably needs to, you know, keep it in the family so-to-speak. It might raise questions if a merit badge that doesn't really exist, for example, shows up on an Eagle application.

Wow, Beavah. Making your own merit badge, nice. You turnin' into a hippy radical on us in your later years? The Raccoon Mountain experience is a guided semi-wild experience so it is allowed for all the boys. If you have something like that available, it will offer the excitement of a truly wild cave experience with the safety of a guide and plan. I'd say take Beavah's advice and go for it! (might want to leave that one off the Eagle application though)

Reminds me of one of my finest moments: Trip to the Keys, stopped for fast-food breakfast, boys being boys - using straws as shooters, stuffing hash-browns up their noses, spilling milk - and I saw two little girls sitting nearby, quietly with their moms and watching in horrified fascination. I walked over and said hello. Then I turned to the little girls and said, "I want you to remember this moment well. Some day...you're probably going to marry one of those." The moms nearly snorted coffee out their noses. Nice.

Keep in mind that while Maryland does have the three mentioned, poison sumac doesn't really occur in the Western states. Alaska and Hawaii don't have any of them. I would not therefore conclude that those boys are out of luck for the identifications, nor are they free of concerns over poisonous plants. I would not therefore exclude plants that are really, really poisonous just because they weren't mentioned in the very brief paragraphs of the handbook. As to the intent, I agree that some field identifications are very desireable. When we take hikes and go on outings I constantly drill them on IDs to reinforce their ability to identify these things even when the plants don't look exactly like the pictures...AND to identify the plants that ARE NOT poisonous but DO look like the pictures. Of course none of that is mentioned in the handbook. It just makes good sense. I hope BSA isn't completely immune to that, although I wonder at times.

There are also many, many other plants that are poisonous that can be identified during the winter. For example, Poinsettias, mistletoe, yellow jessamine, oleander, etc. Here's a link to a decent list of things you might encounter in Maryland:http://gardening.yardener.com/YardenersPlantProblemSolver/AvoidingPoisonousPlants/PoisonTreesShrubsandVines The obvious things like poison ivy are irritants but yellow jessamine, for example, is extremely toxic. Not only can ingestion of a small portion of any part of the plant produce death, but merely pulling the vines with bare hands (while clearing brush, for example) can absorb enough through the skin to produce serious illness. A lot of these can be identified during winter. Edited part: It just occurred to me that you could also include many foods as well. Every green part of the plant for potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, anything Solanaceous, is poisonous - except for the fruit (which is the part we eat for peppers and tomatoes, potatoes are underground stems). The leaves of rhubarb are poisonous (but the petioles are really tasty). There are lots of really interesting things out there and it's especially fun, for some reason, if it can kill a person. Go figure.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

Ooooooh, THAT's a great idea. BTW, there are a few students who are fairly certain of my identity, LOL. But Old Nick has a taste for good cookies just like all the lesser demons and men in general. Preferably raisins, shriveled in the baking heat...muhahahahahaha! But solid black with a red pitchfork would be nice. I guess that's technically not a knot. Let's see, how to make a pitchfork look like a knot....hmmmm.