packsaddle

Beavah, all that is true. But Obama had the results of Bowles-Simpson as well as both houses and he DIDN'T implement it. Therefore, in spite of the lies and in spite of the fact that he hasn't released his long-form birth certificate, I'm going to support Romney.

Yes, welcome to the forums. Cub Scouts are my favorite. I say this having been den leader at nearly all of the age levels, and as cubmaster. I just love the cubs. They are so open and bright and fun. Plus they still haven't perfected the art of deception. Enjoy it while you can. It won't last for long...you'll blink your eyes a couple of times and they'll be teenagers.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

"Gazing at people, some hand in hand, Just what I'm going through they can't understand. Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend, Just what you want to be, you will be in the end." The other thread that deteriorated into discussion of the Moody Blues is to blame here. "...sometimes I feel like being a parent of a teen has been an up-close anthropological study of an alien culture." That blame (as any mother should know) goes to the dad. I sometimes think scouting is there to help keep them alive long enough until their female counterparts have developed the means and skills to take over and keep them alive as husbands.

Yep, crutches, false teeth, backup for sudden memory lapses, and all. You can see their tour schedule here: http://www.moodybluestoday.com/ But take my advice - just get out some of that old vinyl and drop a needle on it instead. When we get old, there's a time when we, each of us, need to recognize it's time to quit. Sadly, most of us continue to define ourselves through our self-deceptions. H'mmm...thinking....I might be wrong - that last part about self-deceptions might be a good thing for old people - at least it might help set harsh realities aside. It's kind of hard on the youngsters around us though. Picture grandma at the beach in a thong. Or even someone like Mazzucca, he's not even that old yet. Shivers up my spine for sure.

Is there just a chance that you were in a different 'frame of mind' back then? Some things you just don't want to examine too closely...or else just let them whimper into oblivion along with other selected memories. I attended a Moody Blues concert last year. It was a mistake. I blame myself.

skeptic, do you have a reference for that? Even on this continent we have evidence of human existence which dates back far before that time frame. Trevorum can probably expand on this, it's more in his field.

NJ, the survey mostly asks things they can't answer at all - if they already know the answers they don't need this course. I expect this and I tell them to respond with 'DNK' (do not know) if they don't know the answers, and there's no penalty for it. I even tell them that if they are doubtful about their answer, just write DNK. So when they actually attempt to give an answer they are more likely to have confidence in their answer. I only have about 100 of these students each semester and they come from every conceivable degree program - I don't keep track of that, only the answers. The two questions that I mentioned ask what they think is the age of the earth and what they think is the age of the universe. Nearly all of the answers that are not 'DNK' mention something at least various millions years up to various billions of years. There have been two students both of whom said "less than 10,000 years" and two others who answered "7,000 years". I'm still tabulating the most recent survey so there might be more. It could be that these are wild guesses but I am inclined to think such guesses would have been replaced by DNK, given the opportunity. Still, I understand your point and, like I said, I mostly want to know their minds coming in. But also interestingly, most them attempt to answer these two questions even if they've answered most of the others with 'DNK'. That's about all I can say because I carefully avoid any reference to religious beliefs. But I do address these two questions later in a different context. By the end of the semester they've answered all the rest...and more. It's a load of fun.

OK, this thread's only a couple of years old but something eamonn wrote on the first page of this thread stuck with me. With various states about to start different variations of voter ID, I decided to add a couple of questions to my beginning survey this year. I've run it for about 3 semesters now and the results are interesting. Eamonn noted that back when he was running a bar, it seemed fairly easy for young persons to acquire realistic id cards to get past the age limit. So I asked a few questions about alcohol use among the others. The surveys were anonymous and didn't count for a grade, I was just trying to get a sense of 'where' these new students 'are'. Without going into the numbers I was surprised to learn that quite a number of them DO engage in underage alcohol use and nearly all of those have fake ID cards. The cards are evidently cheap, $5-10, and easily available. So I asked them later in class how many of them support voter ID laws and most of them raised their hands. And then I asked them how many of them think they could fool a polling place volunteer with a fake ID? You could see some minds rethinking things. So here I want to thank eamonn for pointing me in this direction. BTW, out of all those students, so far only 4 have answered that they think the age of the earth and universe is less than 10,000 years. Interesting....and fun.

I've seen that attributed to HT before as well but I've seen all sorts of sayings attributed incorrectly so who knows? I've never understood what it means anyway. Where is the other half of life? Is it here already or is it still on the way?

Snicker....I definitely grok that.

Peregrinator, would you also make that recommendation to the Tea Party and the neocons?(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

"So since you're such a big believer in civil disobedience who gets to decide which rules are immoral, impractical, or just ridiculous, a 12 year old boy?" and then Eagle732 accuses rismith of being snide in his response. It's irony but not delicious enough to go into the collection. Pot, meet Kettle.

I once watched a Colonel (mine) drop and give 10 for a General when the Colonel failed to answer a question correctly. It was awesome.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

I was in another country when Weinergate happened so I don't know much about that. But I know quite a few people around these parts who agree with Todd Akin. I submit that across the country, if you consider every person who agrees with Todd Akin and believes as he does with regard to rape and pregnancy, you'll be hard-pressed to find a Democrat among them. On the other hand, I actually give Todd Akin credit for being honest about his beliefs. It might have been a political gaffe, but isn't that the definition of a political gaffe? It's when a politician accidentally is honest about something?

I'm still with you on the popcorn. The cat doesn't even like it for litter. The conventions ARE a waste of time. I'd rather stare at the test pattern (for those of you who are old enough to remember) "Just watching and following American politics is the best reality entertainment on the TV and the media." For me it's depressing...because this IS a representative democracy. But at least Ron Paul is there with his loyal followers demonstrating: 'We can do better'. And they're not talking about Obama either. They're probably right. Oh yeah, I hate to admit it but I'm beginning to catch on to cricket. I need a few dozen more trips to the island....

Welcome to the forums, rclocker. You've taken the plunge in the forum that has the most acrimonious discussions at times so I hope you have a well-developed sense of humor. Thick skin helps too. Nice to have you here.

Haven't heard anything from TampaTurtle and I'm hoping all is well.

BSA is a club...actually a religious organization. It's not a democracy.

Hi SeattlePioneer, They're both dead. Bummer, huh? Remember, YOU were the one who erected the concept in the first place. And I must say that compared to the turgid responses you sometimes give, that one was rather flaccid. There's nothing wrong with discussing the topic, though. I have several books devoted to nothing but genitalia. They range from a glossary of insect genitalia (no lie, and I mean it is THICK and fairly engorged with terms and descriptions), to an interesting history book of similar phallic proportions - in fact that is its very topic. But since you responded and since it was your post to which I referred, I'm particularly interested in that 'cornerstone' reference: what does that mean?

Could you guys enlarge a little more about the "right and natural use of human genitalia for procreation" as "the cornerstone of human sexuality"?

Yes, I just heard it. Sad. He and his fellows were inspirations for so many.

Is that a question for me or for Shirley? Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm just noting that it seems to have worked for them. The great thing about freedom is that each of us gets to choose what we think are good examples...and then we are also free to follow them, or not. Me, I personally can't identify with the context of that period of Greek and Egyptian history. SeattlePioneer is obsessed with sexuality. He seems to have a well-defined set of personal standards which he would, if possible, apply to everyone. I'm just asking the question to try to understand the breadth of his understanding of the historical and cultural context of human sexuality.

SeattlePioneer, you do know, just for example, about the Ptolemy family?

Horizon, around these parts we'd also make a feast of those tasty testicles. Mmmmmmm. Since this rather humorous thread is taking the turn that it seems to be taking, I'll submit this delicious article that just appeared in the NYTimes. The author is from Idaho so don't worry about cooties. It is entitled: Men, Who Needs Them? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/opinion/men-who-needs-them.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120825 From the article: "Think about your own history. Your life as an egg actually started in your mothers developing ovary, before she was born; you were wrapped in your mothers fetal body as it developed within your grandmother." and later, "By the time you were born your mother had contributed six to eight pounds of your weight. Then as a parting gift, she swathed you in billions of bacteria from her birth canal and groin that continue to protect your skin, digestive system and general health. In contrast, your fathers 3.3 picograms of DNA comes out to less than one pound of male contribution since the beginning of Homo sapiens 107 billion babies ago." I like this guy!

In case anyone is wondering why this one started up again, a forum member by the name 'kros17' added an advertisement to this existing thread. kros17 only has 2 posts so far and both are ads. I have deleted both of them. If anyone notices this individual posting more ads, PM me and I'll delete those as well.