Gold Winger

I think that cookie tin banjo is a bit beyond the capabilities of most Cub Scouts as well as beyond their musical capabilities. That's a pretty amazing instrument.

So? They many be citizens but they don't live in the United States of America and Puerto Rico sends their own team to the Olympics, that doesn't sound like they're United Statesians (to be PC) to me.

If you're OA, I'd put the historic flap on. I hadn't noticed that the unit numbers had changed. I'll have to look at my old Cub Scout uniform. Don't raid your scrapbook. Unless the current generation of red and white numbers looks just plain wrong, I'd use them. If you want some used digits, post all of the numbers and maybe some of us have them.

Nice thing about Coleman is that they have a lifetime guarantee and the Coleman Camping stores give a 20% discount to Scouts. There's someplace on the Coleman web site to order with a Scout discount. Alps Mountaineerng also gives a hefty discount to Scouts and their stuff is also guaranteed for life.

" we should have developed advanced manufacturing in the U.S. to a much greater extent, rather than let it all slip offshore. So much for concern about the middle class!" We did develop the advanced manufacturing methods then we sent the the machinery to China. MOst of the wealthy don't care about the middle class unless it profits them. In fact many of the middle class don't care about the middle class as long as the prices stay low. Not long ago, I was having a conversation with someone about exporting jobs. He didn't care as long as prices were low. Where'd he work? He was a firem

""Advancement Mill" = what we call a Troop that holds more merit badge days than ours." A troop that any "merit badge days" is an advancement mill.

Well, they don't vote and they don't pay taxes.

"Don't forget Puerto Rico and American Samoa." Why? Neither is one of the several states.

The older boys in my son's troop formed a venture patrol but couldn't come up with any ideas for things to do. Even with prompting there was nothing that caught their interest. I sat in on a meeting with them and their ASM was trying to draw them out. Basically he said, if you have an idea, tell us and we'll see if we can make it happen. Sailing the Carribean. Caving. Rafting. Hiking the AT. Nah, that was all lame, they just wanted to text each other and play video games. Sometimes you just gotta let them drop off the vine.

"She did later say that she basically meant the entire country, but it's pretty clear that's NOT what meant when she first said it." Of course and when Obama backpedalled on saying that most whites are racist, we all accepted that too. "I think most people would probably define the "real America" as the kind of place THEY live." Not for me. I live in a suburb of a big city where neighbors don't want to talk and strangers think you're crazy if you say "hello."

If memory serves, this needs to go to the council advancement committee who will look at the requirements for "Scouts Canada, eh?" and see how things line up with BSA requirements for rank and then award rank based on that.

"Am I to understand that you don't know what a winky face means? Really? Google emoticons" Oh, I know what it is supposed to mean, I just don't always buy it.

I like aluminum, collapsable, with a spring loaded tip. None of this old fashioned wood for me.

Real America is found in those places where neighbors know each other and help each other instead of just scooting inside as soon as they get home from work so they never know who lives next door. Real America is found in those places where Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day are not just an extra day in a long weekend. Real American is found in those places where strangers say "Hello" as you walk down the street. I find it interesting that you'd describe people who are believe in the bible and the 2nd Ammendment as "bitter."

Perhaps, "ein Jude" or "die Juden" but not "der Juden."

"Personal attacks always say more about person who makes them than the person being "bashed."" That goes along with the idea that men who don't care for homosexuals are repressed homosexuals. Similarly, since I don't like soccer, I am really a soccer player but just don't realize it.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, said Packsaddle. Race is determined by physical characteristics, physical characteristics are determined by genes. Pretty simple. Let's try this one on for size, the genetic differences between myself at 6'2" and my 5'2" co-worker are incredibly minute as well. So by your standards, considering him short and me tall, is wrong because height is mostly a social construct. All of you blathering about minute differences is meaningless because we aren't that different genetically from chimpanzees but you wouldn't say that there's no difference in spe

"Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind. . . " It may be like robbery to ask for $25 but the law says that you are entitled to it. I'm really suprised that the CO got involved, most don't have a clue what the unit is doing about money.

I wasn't a popcorn kernel but I dealt with mucho popcorno and I got two bad checks. The kernel gave them back to me since I had collected them. I went to both people and told them what had happened, both just gave me the cash plus the fee. No matter what the COR says, I'd start soft. Ask for the service charges that the COR wants but start off with a friendly phone call. At this point, you don't know why the person wrote a bad check. It could have been they forgot to register it. Or in one case, our kernel took so long to deposit the check that they customer closed the account.

"What other recognitions could I have tried for?" I think that John was trying to say that by 18, a Scout should be looking for stuff outside of Scouting. His examples were Varsity Letter (school, not Scouting), student government, etc.. I wonder why? We're always bemonaning that boys don't stay with Scouting but here's one who did.

"Speaking for myself, I'd be asking why a young man is so hard over for recognition at 18 to get one more palm on his Eagle. At that point, other forms of recognition should be kicking in... " The simple reason is "because it is there."

"race (n) a human population considered distinct based on physical characteristics." Just wondering how you define it?

"I think that farting can be funny." What if you were sitting around the fire and the men starting a farting contest? "If I refered to YOUR son as "unusual", you would take no offense to that statement?" Why would I? He is unusual.

" We know that there is no genetic basis for race," If there's no genetic basis, how can it be inherited?

I'd respond but then everyone would call me a horrible person.