JoeBob

John in KC You made me look it up! GENERAL ERIC SHINSEKI, ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: "Now, many different units have worn berets throughout our history, and in the case of the black beret, other formations, to include armor units, cavalry units, other infantry units, have worn it over time. And because of that shared history in our Army, the black beret remains the most relevant color for wear Army-wide today. And so at the time of our decision last fall to expand the wear of the black beret, the Ranger regiment was invited to consider, if appropriate, another distinctive color tha

Calico, Thank you very much for the rational discussion. I don't know why I would have expected anything less from a Scouter. 1- 'Where's Social Security in the constitution?' "How about "Provide for the General Welfare"." Article 1 Section 8 enumerates Congress' power to collect taxes to "provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States." I read that as the welfare of the country. When read in context with 'common Defence and general Welfare' it's easy to see that the framers meant for this to apply to nationwide projects such as the CDC, TVA, and

I hate the electronic intrusions into our lives. My kids have be pried off their learning games in the back of the car to look out the window and count cows. But I'm also a hypocrite. I felt much better when my family was tent camping over break, because I could watch the thunderstorms approaching Huntsville at 3am on radar, coutesy of my Blackberry. The really heavy stuff split around us, so the kids stayed snug and warm in our tent. Without the Blackberry, we'd have been hunkered down in the concrete block bath-house, enjoying the aroma.

Calico, How did you make the jump from 'Personal responsibility' to Abortion? As a pro-choice independent with conservative leanings, I think that any Govt interference in what is essentially a women's health care issue is wrong. I don't want to debate abortion on this forum. I'll probably get banned for life if I write what I really think on that issue. How about the effect that these programs have on personal responsibility: 1- Social Security - Where's that in the constitution? http://www.ncpa.org/pdfs/ba215.pdf 2- Welfare - Churches and private charity do it better locall

"Ed, name a taxpayer-supported program that excludes people based on their religious views. " Would taxpayer provided footbaths for Muslim cab drivers in public airports qualify? http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/04/indy-airport-begins-installation-of.html https://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?p=283535 How about Muslim only hours at the public pool to accomodate women in burkas? http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2009/jan/10/swimming-in-modesty-muslim-women-head-to-pool/

GRRRRR! Talk about a guy who killed a beret: http://www.army.mil/features/beret/beret.htm Gen. Eric Shinseki took the black beret away from the 75th Infantry Rangers, and gave it to the whole US Army; as if bestowing elite headgear made all the legs better soldiers. Now the Rangers have switched to wearing a light tan beret. Last I heard, the Army berets were being made in China. I second WVCubDad's instuctions on proper wear and care. The only thing I can add is that berets don't suffer too much from being rolled up and stuffed in a pants cargo pocket.

Gern, I've voted for Libertarians on the local level. But they lost my support when their presidential candidate wouldn't support defending the country. SA, a third party wouldn't have to be very large to have a major impact. If a 3rd party could get 10% to 15% in both houses, they could pick and choose the legislation that passsed by working with either of the existing parties. I've grown weary of conservative mouth pieces saying "You're either 100% with us, or you're with the Democrats." If the Republicans interpret their current dimished status as a call to move farther

You can't let your Scouts believe that this type of behaviour is acceptable.

Beavah, I admire you even keeled approach and reconciliatory tone. Humor puts a softer edge on sharp points, and enables the target of your arguments to at least consider your shot. I just can't do it, anymore. Was Arlen Specter a 'Real Republican'? I'm not. I'm not a Republican, period. I don't think that any political entity should try to legislate morality. And when you use your relegion as the basis for your laws, don't you exempt everyone not of your relegion from that justification, and thereby those laws? The only reason that I wind up voting with the Republicans is

Pot: "Kettle, you are black!"

If it gets bad enough for Texas to actually secede, I imagine a few other Red states will be ready to follow suit. If Texas remains the only state to secede, their population will probably be doubled by an influx of other disenchanted conservatives and overtaxed companies. New Zealand is just too far away for me to transport my trucks, and I'm not sure they'd let me bring my guns. Scouting will be fine. We are prepared, right? On the bright side, maybe this administration will give California back to Mexico. We need to apologize for taking CA from MX, and half the state alread

For me, Tap-Out was worse than Ordeal. My shoulder hurt for a few hours. Do they still break the arrow on you? The solitude part of Ordeal was refreshing and quiet. If you have enough scouting qualities in you to win election from your troop, Ordeal merely gives you an opportunity to practice those qualities and grow more comfortable with yourself. Anticipation is justified, worry is wasted. ;^)

The two-deep leadership rule is being used as a foil for the adults wanting to tag along. 1- What are they going to do if there is a second injury farther down the trail? Then you'd have the first 2 adults and 1 injured scout gone. Are they going to send the remaining two adults out with the second injury and leave the 4 healthy scouts solo, or are they going to leave 1 adult with 4 scouts and send a solo adult and the second injured scout out in violation of 2 deep? Using this twisted logic, you'd have to have two adults for every scout in case they all get injured. (On second thought

That's not hot-glue on the badges? I've been heating plastic to the melting point with my wife's iron? THAT stain isn't coming out. So far everything is still attached. We wash the shirts inside out to keep the badges from snagging. But now I'm paranoid to the point that I'll probably get out the needle and tack the corners down. All those arrow point corners... Thanks. Really!

I slept in an Army surplus jungle hammock for 3-4 years on paddling trips. They aren't the lightest, but this was car camping with boats. I used two dowels to spread the intergrated rain fly, and just rolled the whole thing up. After I got the cords adjusted to length the first time, it was simple and fast to put up and strike. To keep my back comfortable, I'd put a rolled up lifejacket under my knees. From a security stand-point, I'm not sure I'd use one today. You're very exposed hanging in the air asleep. Un-zipping the mosquito net and ducking to roll out is neither swift no

For my EMT final exam the instructor, an ex-Navy Corpsman, went to the local butcher shop and got joints and waste bones. If you notify your butcher in advance, he can save you some longer pieces. Using old scrubs and plenty of dirt the instructor fashioned realistic compound fractures with lots of gore and tactile realism. The boys should love it! Other sensory highlights were seared meat in a high-voltage wire burn(Scouts will have to remove the wire safely before rushing in to dress the wound.), and cow blood smeared on the resuscitation dummy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think you'll appreciate the effectiveness of 'cutting corners' more if you look at it from a kid's perspective. The first corner taken is a visual stain on a prized award. A verbal reprimand is easily put out of a kid's mind. Many times kids are threatened with discipline that isn't delivered. But he can always picture that cornerless card in his pocket. Each additional corner lost whittles down his chances of keeping that priviledge. If you take off bigger pieces of the card with each successive corner re

Only slightly on topic: Way back in the Dark Ages, I was a member of Weapons Platoon, Alpha Co, 2nd BN, 75th Inf(Ranger). We were waiting to Ex-Fil an AO during Winter Warfare Training somewhere in Alaska, and were more bored than usual. One man, call him Goody, took out his K-Bar and began to throw it at a roll of snow-fencing situated in the middle of our squad. A K-Bar more closely resembles a hatchet than a throwing knife, and the springy roll of snow fence provided lots of recoil force as the knife rebounded in un-predictable directions making us all scramble to avoid injury. We we

I'm too new a returnee to know if this is BSA wide, but the hot-glue that is embedded in the patches for my son's Cub Scout uniform works better than I expected. You just have to be sure it gets melted. I iron the front first using a doubled kerchief to keep from singing the threads. That way I can monitor the placement. Once it's secure enough, I turn it over and heat the grits out of the backside. a) You don't care if the inside threads are a little shiny. b) The heat of the iron coming through the thin shirt fabric is closer to the glue than when you are ironning through the

The really smart parents (usually the SMs) get their kids a job WORKING at the scout camp. Then they get six weeks of vacation! (I don't know where they went or what they did...) Laundry? We don' need no stinking laundry!

The Sunday School teacher asked, 'Now, Johnny, tell me, do you say prayers before eating?' 'No Sir,' he replied, 'We don't have to. My Mom is a good cook!'

John in KC, Same here to the mess hall at camp: Leader: Rub-a-dub-dub, Thanks for the grub! Campers: Yay God!

GernBlansten You are correct in that no Chinese oil platforms are currently in place: "Cheney's office said in a statement to The Associated Press that the vice president had erred. "It is our understanding that, although Cuba has leased out exploration blocks 60 miles off the coast of southern Florida, which is closer than American firms are allowed to operate in that area, no Chinese firm is drilling there," according to the statement. [Associated Press State and Local Wire, 6/13/08]" http://dccc.org/blog/archives/house_republicans_false_claim_about_chinese_oil_drilling_off_cuba_ca

Cub Scouts was a babysitting collective for our moms. Our Boy Scout troop did yard maintenance for our church to earn money for camping gear, which we used a lot! Those single center pole teepee style tents sure went up fast. Just don't touch the sides in the rain... I taught various subjects (Indian Lore, Pioneering, Paul Bunyan) at summer camp for four years. I learned how to rub the creases out of aluminum canoes after the whitewater rocks ate 'em, and parlayed my paddling experience into summer guiding jobs in college. Partially due to scouting I was ahead of the class in the Army.

GernBlansten, Why will the price of oil go back up? Because the Dems won't allow us to drill in the US! Remember when oil prices were high before the election and the Dem controlled congress voted to allow more drilling? Then after the election they changed their minds? Alaska wants to to drill ANWAR. A chinese company is setting up to drill off of Florida out of Cuba. Who do you think would be more environmentally responsible? The Dems plan to keep the cost of gas high, even by adding capricious gas taxes, so that they can manipulate the demand for unpopular compact cars.