TAHAWK

In 2008 we had a choice between Mac, who had done little, and Obama, who had done nothing. Too bad it didn't stay that way. The official deficit in the last Shrub fiscal year year was, in fact, a disgusting $161 billion (Congressional Budget Office) Wanna' talk about Obama's deficits? USA Tday pronounced a plague on both parties: "The typical American household would have paid nearly all of its income in taxes last year [2011] to balance the budget if the government used standard accounting rules [GAAP] to compute the deficit, a USA TODAY analysis finds. Under those [GAAP] accounting practices, the government ran red ink last year equal to $42,054 per household nearly four times the official number reported under unique rules set by Congress. A U.S. household's median income is $49,445, the Census reports. The big difference between the official deficit and standard accounting: Congress exempts itself from including the cost of promised retirement benefits. Yet companies, states and local governments must include retirement commitments in financial statements, as required by federal law and private boards that set accounting rules. The deficit was $5 trillion last year under those rules. The official number was $1.3 trillion. Liabilities for Social Security, Medicare and other retirement programs rose by $3.7 trillion in 2011, according to government actuaries, but the amount was not registered on the government's books. Key findings: Social Security had the biggest financial slide. The government would need $22.2 trillion today, set aside and earning interest, to cover benefits promised to current workers and retirees beyond what taxes will cover. That's $9.5 trillion more than was needed in 2004. Deficits from 2004 to 2011 would be six times the official total of $5.6 trillion reported. Federal debt and retiree commitments equal $561,254 per household. By contrast, an average household owes a combined $116,057 for mortgages, car loans and other debts. "By law, the federal government can't tell the truth," says accountant Sheila Weinberg of the Chicago-based Institute for Truth in Accounting." Lies, damned lies, and politicians.

"It is a choice of who has done little, against who has done nothing." 2008

Pardon me, DNC spokesperson, but we have tried spending more than we have for most of my life. BOTH parties. As have the Soviet Union (woops!), Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain, and most of the "more civilized" world. As a result, the "safety net" -- all over the world -- is really file cabinets full of IOU's signed by bankrupt government. Talk about unfunded obligations! The social net is dying from a theory that can't keep up with reality. Further, I know that you would not be spending equal time on the propaganda of BOTH parties. (Tough, I know. Often makes me want to run screaming from the room.) So let me bring you up to date. BOTH parties are running - hard - on creating jobs. They appear to disagree about how to do it. The voters will decide. But while the majority is deciding who to keep and who to throw out, consider this: the persons creating jobs that generate revenue, rather than consuming it, need capital to do so. You know, filthy money. "Das Kapital" loathed by Uncle Karl and loved by Capitalists. Very few productive businesses will be created by working class folks like me. Efforts of working folks to save business run into the ground by incompetent businessmen have largely been failures. (See Weirton Steel) It will be those businessmen you appear to, what?, loath? distrust? discount? who will create jobs. Or not. As for ignoring "the serious problems our country is in," BOTH parties have been ignoring the bad problems for generations. Oh they talk, but they don't act. All my life the "leadership" in D.C. have left the hard calls for the future, and, as the saying goes, the future is now. The chickens are "coming home to roost." And for the future generations? I have little hope. When R's or D's say "reduce spending" or "reduce government" they mean reduce the rate of increase. When they say "raise taxes" they mean taxes of the "others." Pass laws about what light-bulbs you can use, how much water your toilet can use to flush, whether a rifle can have a telescoping stock vs. a folding stock, declaring National Stamp-Collecting Week, or deciding that taxpayers in some states don't have to pay the added cost of Obamacare (Wait! Why do that when it is going to "save" $$$ Do NOT look behind the curtain!) -- those sorts of topics they have time for. As they do for laws that SEEM good for their respective bases. (See cheap labor and Hispanic vote.) But retiring the debt and funding the safety net so our kids and grand-kids have some sort of life - well not so much - at all. No such laws have been proposed by EITHER party in years. Sorta like the federal government's proposed budgets we have not seen in over two years. Just not forthcoming. Throw out 50% of the incumbents - of BOTH parties - and something might change. Elect someone who tells the truth and something might change. For now, they wrestle for power. As it stands, I see a choice between someone who says what I don't want to hear and don't trust based on his record and someone I don't like who isn't the first guy. Hell of a choice. And us, U.S. Supreme Court opinions and orders are sorta "official."(This message has been edited by TAHAWK)

"I didn't say union members, but everyone who the union represents.. That does mean something different then union members, but I am uncertain what as the union is suppose to represent it's members.. But, perhaps if it is a union that represent groups within different corporations then it is a vote from each corporate group.. As I said I am not sure how the approval is met..\" I can perhaps be clearer. The union need not get the approval of a single union member to give union money to politicians. The union must get the approval on non-union members to spend the money collected from them under "union shop" arrangements that require non-union members to pay the union the same amount as union members pay. "http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-rachel-maddow-show/48106643#48106643" Interesting link that. It's Ms. Maddow admitting that she was in error and that the Knox holding applies only to money from persons who are not union members. AS I had said. But thanks for the link. "TAHawk stated Specifically, she didn't suggest that "The president is a Muslim", that "Every Muslim is a terrorist," that "Everyone who is not "like me" is a spy," or that "Any one who disagrees with me is a mole." I suppose "she" is the crackpot in Congress (Michele Bachmann, for those of you who can't figure out a crackpot when you see one) who is making unwarrented accusations against Humin Abedin.. My comment was not toward that "she" .. But more directed toward Callooh! Callay! Comment. The current POTUS might not qualify for access were he not an elected official. OPM would scrutinize his foreign associations and his background and, without accusing him of any crime, could deny him a security clearance." No I meant forum member and Scouter Calloh! Callay. She did not say the things you attribute to her. I have no idea what Bachmann says. I would no more listen to her than Nancy the P. I try to avoid extremists and demagogs. "Romney himself : his Obamas policies are foreign, ..his course is extraordinarily foreign.. the course we are on right now if foreign to us.. Foreign.. No Democrats have been around for a long time, and they have even run the country before, and they have even created created policies before" Actually, the idea that government should get bigger and bigger and have more and more power vs. the idea that government governs best when it governs least was, historically, the debate between Jackson and Jefferson on the side of small government and Hamilton and Clay on the side of big government. As a Democrat, I of course side with Jefferson and Jackson, not with the federalist Hamilton and the Whig Clay. But someone stole my party some decades ago, and I'm not over that yet. I believe that Romney may have been referring to Obama's citation of the attitude of the rest of the world about the size of government as "foreign." He's wrong, statism is as American as apple pie and Alexander Hamilton. "But, seriously the message is to feed the crackpots among you.. It is code, that "hey, you crackpots are on the right track".. ?Hes a foreigner".. It is crackpot code talk for "psst I can't say it, or I will be labeled a crackpot with the rest of you.. But, I agree with all you crackpots"... So now all you true believers can put on your little tinfoil hats and look for the hidden meaning behind perfectly straight forward sentences.. Go out on your Obama hunts.. Post rewards for someone proving your conspiaricy theroies are more then "simple delusions inside your brains." American politics has always been rough. Obviously, being rough is now OK in a Scouting forum -- for some. In any event, the voters - alive and dead - will decide.

KNOX vs SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION, LOCAL 1000 dealt only with donations to political causes of the proceeds of the forced contributions of nonunion members of the bargaining unit. It has no impact on union leadership's handling of money from union members in the bargaining unit. Thus, your reliance on Knox as a guarantee of individual members' approval of political contributions is misplaced. http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/10-1121c4d6.pdf

If you are going to attack someone's position, please do not start by distorting it. Otherwise, one might suspect that you have talent on loan from God. Specifically, she didn't suggest that "The president is a Muslim", that "Every Muslim is a terrorist," that "Everyone who is not "like me" is a spy," or that "Any one who disagrees with me is a mole."

"Still I will take 1-million from Morgan Freeman, and 1 or 2 million from any other actor or director of Hollywood and the 10-thousand or 20-thousand from Labor Unions which need alot more of them accumulated together to pull in decent money.. I just can't take the 100 million plus from a handful of one percenters.. Who are not all Oil and Defense anymore." Washington is pay to play. According to PolitiFact.com (the truth meter folks), unions contributed a documented $206.7 million in 2008. But they don't have to report it all any more than other artificial entities have to. One Union, the Service Employees International Union, which has a legitimate stake in government employment to be sure, has already pledged $85 million for 2012. "one percenters" ? Speaking as a former Meat Cutter and Teamster. poor little unions. LOL.

General background and some "natural" solutions: http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html [but forget Chlorine] REI: "Removing Mildew Mildew can develop any time your tent is stored wet. It looks bad, smells bad and can damage your tent's waterproof coatings. DON'T LET IT START. Alas, if it already exists, here's how to approach it: Try some light scrubbing with a sponge during a regular cleaning session. If mildew is still apparent, mix 1 oz. of MiraZyme (or similar product) to 20 gallons of water in a bathtub and dip the whole tent.(Note: Lysol also works, but its scent is attractive to bugs and critters and is thus not recommended). For spot treatment, use 0.5 oz. of MiraZyme (or similar product) per 1 gallon of water and thoroughly scrub afflicted areas by sponge. Set up the tent in a shaded spot and allow it to air dry. Then, mix 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of concentrated lemon juice with 1 gallon of hot water. Rub the solution into the visible mildew and once again, allow the tent to dry. This procedure will stop mildew growth and eliminate the odor, but it will never remove the stain. This can also be used to control odors caused by spoiled food." Sierra Designs also suggests MiraZyma.

If needs must, of course, "fuel" may be wood.

"Call him Mr. Zero Tolerance. The upstate New York school superintendent who suspended an Eagle Scout for 20 days for keeping a 2-inch utility knife locked in his car is unwilling to speak to the teen's family or bend in his ruling. Lansingburgh Central School District Superintendent George J. Goodwin, 55, said in a written statement that his district "has an established policy of zero tolerance with respect to the possession of weapons of any kind on school property or in school buildings." But nowhere in the school district's rule book, which is published online, is there any mention of a "zero tolerance" policy, leading some to question whether Goodwin, in fact, was compelled to suspend the youth. Seventeen-year-old Matthew Whalen, a senior at Lansingburgh High School in Troy, N.Y., says he got in trouble over a survival kit he keeps in his car that includes a sleeping bag, water, a ready-to-eat meal and the small pocketknife, which was given to him by his grandfather, a police chief in a nearby town. When Whalen acknowledged he had the knife locked in his car, he was barred from school for a calendar month. Now that he is getting just 90 minutes a day with a tutor instead of 7 hours of instruction in class, he says he is worried that the suspension will mar his academic record and affect his application to attend the U.S. Military Academy. Whalen was initially suspended for five days by his assistant principal but then had another 15 tacked on by Goodwin following a hearing to decide his fate. Though Goodwin was not present at the hearing, he told Fox News he listened to a tape of the proceedings, and decided to extend the suspension. Since then, Whalen's family says, Goodwin has refused to speak to Matthew even during daily interactions at the district's head office, where he meets with his tutor. District policy appears to leave it to the discretion of school officials to decide whether any punishment will be meted out for an infraction, and it is not clear how or why Goodwin decided on a month of exile for a student with no prior record. The school's policies say: "Students may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension from school" for engaging in violent conduct, which includes merely "possessing a weapon." Though the school has branded possession of the knife to be violent conduct, that might be news to Whalen, who was taught as an Eagle Scout how to handle tools including the pocketknife, and actually instructs Boy Scouts how to handle knives as well. "Scouting instills safety in them from the earliest age," Matthew's father, Bryan Whalen, said in an interview. "And it's actually the older boys like Matthew who instruct the younger boys in knife safety." The Boy Scouts of America, which awarded Whalen a Life-Saving Heroism award for performing CPR on his aunt after she had a seizure, concurred. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,567700,00.html#ixzz20NWi9gSo" "Zero tolerance" = zero judgment Such laws having criminal penalties have been found unconstitutional under Ohio law. I think they slip by on the grounds that there is no criminal penalty, regardless of the possible draconian consequences. The voters need to hold these bureaucrats - or there keepers - accountable.

"I should also point out one key difference between Scouting and other programs - sports, dance, theatre - is that kids can pretty much join & start the others that very day. Grab a pair of sweats and dance barefoot, read some lines and help move scenery, grab a ball and start dribbling. If your parent pays and fills out the form, you're in. Not so with Scouting. A typical interested Boy Scout-age kid is going to attend a meeting, which is typically indoors and boring. His parents have to fill out a form, mail it in with the check, go to a store and buy a uniform and handbook ... And then the boy has to attend several other meetings before he actually goes camping and hiking and fishing and climbing, which is probably what he was interested in in the first place." I see some of your point, but I have to believe you never had kids in an typical team sport program. If you did, you would recall the meetings, the forms, the check(s), the uniform (and the ENTIRE uniform), the physical (and physical form), and the routine practices (these days, practices most of the year). I certainly recall those aspects of team sports for myself and my son. If troop meetings are boring, the leadership is to blame for not using the tons of available resources.

B> Will I be in conflict with the recommendations in the insignia guide? no

"Totin' Chip This certification grants a Scout the right to carry and use woods tools. The Scout must show his Scout leader, or someone designated by his leader, that he understands his responsibility to do the following: Read and understand woods tools use and safety rules from the Boy Scout Handbook. Demonstrate proper handling, care, and use of the pocket knife, ax, and saw. Use knife, ax, and saw as tools, not playthings. Respect all safety rules to protect others. Respect property. Cut living and dead trees only with permission and good reason. Subscribe to the Outdoor Code. The Scout's "Totin' Rights" can be taken from him if he fails in his responsibility." www.scouting.org

Has anyone tried the Sawyer filter that is rated to remove viruses?

Understanding that the OP was not about water treatment per se: Steripens may kill all living things - or not. Depends on water temp, water clarity, treatment time, and whether the Steripen is working at all. Military initially thought they were THE answer for our young soldiers and Marines , but oh well. Chlorine Dioxide (e.g. Aquamira) may kill all living things in water - or not. Depends on water temp, treatment time, and clarity. The Handbook notwithstanding, regular chlorine (as sodium hypochlorite) and iodine are not reliable according to current thinking of public and private authorities for the last 20+ years because not reliable against parasites (Giardia and Chryptosporidium) These parasites are common (present in all counties in Maine, for example). These products are effective against bacteria and viruses when used according to directions, so they make water safer. Commercial filters kill parasites and most bacteria. A few models are EPA-rated to get even viruses. Expedient filters (e.g. bandanna) make water safer and make other forms of treatment more effective. The SODIS method (http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN) sterilizes not the water but the living organisms so they cannot reporduce inside you. Soit renders water safe. But it takes proper containers (clear 2-leter pop bottle are the standard) a sunny day and hours of treatment. OK for fixed site. Bringing water to a boil kills all harmful life. A filter plus commercial water-treatment chemicals is pretty much safe. Viruses are rarely a threat in the continental U.S.

Expanded topic. No "he." Scouts generally. Did you read the linked articles?

So I read "Guardian at the Gate." It seems intellectually flaccid. If there has been no actual accomplishment, what are we "recognizing"? Can we not, at a bare minimum, look at effort? Not even that? "Recognition" of what exactly?

Moose, You bring two of Donald's three nephews as "muscle"? Wouldn't Goofy be more imposing? At least he's a lot taller. If you can just get him to knock off the silly laugh.

OP gave us these facts, and I have not heard him change them: "A Life Scout joins a troop 4 years ago. As a Life scout with his previous troop he completed all of the necessary Eagle rank requirements except for 4 merit badges and his service project. Over the 4 years since joining the troop, he earned the merit badges and completed the service project." Change the facts and you change the result. If BSA changed the requirements to require actual leadership and actual active participation (No, not adding up a day here and there over four years.), you should get Eagles that are more likely to be better examples of what we are supposedly trying to turn out. Perhaps not 400% of the percentage we used to get, as we do today.

"The Boy Scouts of America is trying to recruit a new generation of kids to join its troops with high-energy, high-tech activities that include thrill-inducing zip lines at a new adventure camp, apps and a television show." How does a "high-tech" zip line compare to a non "high-tech" zip line? (Didn't realize we had "high-tech" in 1954, but I guess we did.) How is a "television show" "high energy"? Battery-operated and watched while running laps? Communications skills would help, as would clear thinking. 0___0

"The boy doesn't want a medal mailed in a box from a warehouse at Supply. Not really. He wants the recognition of the adults and peers of his unit." Sadly, a good many don't want a medal mailed in a box. They want "Eagle" on their resume. I think they are a minority, but I know they exist because they have told me so. In contrast, a newly-minted Eagle told me a few weeks ago that he regretted not having had an opportunity to experience being a leader in his adult-run club for boys.

"Scouting is to be experienced, not completed." +10

http://www.facebook.com/campokihi http://www.campokihi.org/ Google is your friend.

"A Life Scout joins a troop 4 years ago. As a Life scout with his previous troop he completed all of the necessary Eagle rank requirements except for 4 merit badges and his service project. Over the 4 years since joining the troop, he earned the merit badges and completed the service project." This statement says, in so many words, that the subject fulfilled all of the current requirements. I do not understand why there is a question. However, the OP may have missed a requirement. Was the subject living according to the Scout Oath and Law? Was he trustworthy? Was he loyal? Was he helpful? If so, to whom? The only information to allow any conclusions about why the subject was so minimally active for four years is "work, Prom, school play and chorus." Is he a performing arts type, and is he going that direction post high school? Is he leading the prom committee or is one dance supposedly keeping him inactive? As for "work," some kids have to work to help stay clothed and to help put food on the table. I did. (A Scout is thrifty. He pays his own way.) Not a whole lot to go on. I do believe that it is unfortunate that BSA does not require that Eagles show leadership and good citizenship within the Scouting community given the objectives of Scouting. That requirement might reduce the number of Eagles, now 400% of the percentage when I Eagled - and climbing.

I take your point about advocacy. That hardly violates the Law. The contrary is true. However, what Rick means by the "Baden Powell" "Patrol Method" has been built, post by post, over the years, and I would sooner he answer a question put to him about his understandings, beliefs, and opinions.