skeptic

Certainly, from the photo, they might not meet the recently posted standards. On the other hand, we do not know for sure. The actual standard is pretty broad, and appearances can deceive. If it is all in their midsection, they may very well fit somewhere in the acceptable parameter. Still, as noted, appearances too are important. Reality is that a huge percentage of our country is in the same boat. Push comes to shove, it is each of our responsibilities to do what we can to help correct it. Some will, but others won't. And the limits only appear to apply to high adventure and ove

Theses they were; 95 of them. Martin Luther: An Augustinian priest, biblical scholar, and linguist, was born and died in Eisleben, Saxony, a duchy in northwestern Germany. His attack on ecclesiastical abuses, the Ninety-five Theses, signaled the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Luther's father wanted him to be a lawyer and sent him to the University of Erfut, where he received a B.A. degree in 1502 and an M.A. in 1505. Like other German Augustinians of this era, Luther sought a stricter observance of the rules of the order and this was reflected in his teaching and writing.

So, are we going to see some new edicts nailed to the door(s) of some of the Lutheran churches?

In the case I shared, it was circa 1961, and we also had fewer members elected, as there were limits to how many. Also, they still had the possibility of less interested or focused candidates not passing through the Ordeal (later eliminated due to occasional "blackballing"). Still, as noted, our Lodge level things were well attended.

Certainly xlpanel has some validity to his comment, though his scale is probably too high. When I was in OA as a youth, I was elected our chapter chief. But, we had fewer than 20 total members, including any adults, and we were spread out over an area spanning 29 Palms Highway from Morongo Valley to 29 Palms, as well as the base and the area towards Amboy. The distance seemed to be the killer. We never were able to get enough attendees to have a viable meeting; but at the larger lodge functions, especially at camp, most came. Today, I believe they likely do not have that problem, as there

Am I the only one here that finds the back and forth between FOX and MSNBC to be like a comedy show? If one says it is black, the other immediately says white. It is good to be able to see Tavis, and a few like him to help sort things out. Of course, on occasion there appears to be a tiny bit of "rational" discussion here and there in local papers. Just another observation.

Hal; If you go to one of the other threads, we seem to have at least three now, that discusses health care, I gave a detailed description of my own personal experience with COBRA, as well as scary examples of private coverages from major carriers. I also touched on VA and Medicare. I do not know what the cut off is for no pay Medicare, but I do know that I have to pay just under $100 a month, and I had to sign up or have it increase each year when the sign-up period came up. While I have not had to pay directly for VA, it is not always very easy to get in, or very efficient; and "real"

If I have to blow it up, it is not for me. For that price, I can get a full size TR. Still, looks like a nice pad.

Perhaps this same question should be transferred to the most current threads relating to our government.

After reading the whole article, I would agree that it may be a bit over the top, but it is a gateway to the outdoors. One of the things about drive-in camping, or "front" camping, is the ability to introduce younger, less experienced scouts to the outdoor experience without scaring them away with too rough a first experience. It also allows teaching of some basic skills that would be harder, or almost impossible in a backpack situation. From the base, you can do day hikes to fish, swim, do nature identifications, rock climb on real rocks, and just peak bag. Those that like the hiking will

Whichever thread this should be in is questionable, but anyway. Without choosing people of whom you know a great deal, and likely share your views already, speak to 10 unconnected individual adults. Ask them in general terms about their health care; do they have insurance; is it affordable and fair. I would wager that likely half will not be really positive about what they have, and not surprised if close to that were uncovered period, due to cost, and so on. Then come back and review some of the trite and foolish statements being thrown about here, on cable TV, and on the net in gen

Yes, if you have it, wear it when you are able. Kids love it; I forgot to take mine this year to camp, and they kept asking me where it was. As far as WB goes, the reason given in our courses is simply the cost, as pointed out, expensive. I found mine by a fortunate chance in an antique mall; was in its original shipping box from the early 70's, barely or never worn, and paid $25. I ran out of the store, afraid they somehow made an error. At the time, they were running about $80 from supply. Since then, I have found early boy versions at flea markets for under $20 a couple of times, as w

A repost of my post from the "astroturf" thread. Okay; personal experience. When still insured through the company, large, well funded, (insurance run by the company itself through hired advisors). Refused period to pay for annual physicals, even though all the factors point to them if you are over 40 as major factors in catching possibly high cost procedures later; I also have heart and diabetes histories in the family, as well as prostate cancer. Also refused the blood test for prostate as unnecessary, even with the family history. Regularly refused to pay doctor billed fees as not with

When the time comes, make a logical decision for your specific situation. Then move forward. No one should fault you should you be a bit too lenient in evaluating past criteria in relation to the newer requirements, as long as it is fair and logical.

Okay; personal experience. When still insured through the company, large, well funded, (insurance run by the company itself through hired advisors). Refused period to pay for annual physicals, even though all the factors point to them if you are over 40 as major factors in catching possibly high cost procedures later; I also have heart and diabetes histories in the family, as well as prostate cancer. Also refused the blood test for prostate as unnecessary, even with the family history. Regularly refused to pay doctor billed fees as not within their averages. Live in SC, L.A. metro; averag

Have to declare that for me, the glut of NOAC 2009 patches that have shown up on eBay already is disappointing. It seems to simply reinforce the idea that OA is a giant patch club. And the fact that some of them are selling for substantial amounts is additional proof. Hopefully this is simply an aberration, not reflecting why most go and are involved. Any other thoughts?

Not sure what the problem might be. The two in the background are wearing non BSA shirts, probably British from the look. And, as pointed out, the main singer is wearing a very dated shirt. Are these singers even from the U.S.? Lots of noise for nothing, IMO.

John in KC; While it may be out of our control, it still effects us indirectly from the point of view of image. In that regard, it seems very possible that this is another inaccurate portrayal of info based on incomplete or skewed data. That would be something to make known to the public it would seem. I would not hold my breath to see any corrections, if they are needed.

They say their figures do not include pensions and so on, but they also indicate the material is up to two years old, depending on various info available. So, is this reflective of Mr. Mazucca, or his predecessor? And, if the latter, does it include, like in the case of a council exec somewhere, severance and upfront retirement? Still, seems high, no matter what.

No Horizon, they do not; but you may interpret it as you choose. That is the real problem with this whole issue. There are "idiots" on both sides that say things, and do things that twist everything out of context. Just because someone, who says they represent a particular group or view says something that contradicts the actual statements does not change the actual statement. Make your own choices and live with them. But please quit trying to force these choices on others with whom you disagree. In regard to your comment about the Episcopalians. They have had a huge split i

My card from 1959 is the same as all the other rank cards of the time, except it has the dangle Eagle in a circular background at the top. Same for the palm card. To make things worse, for some reason I carried them for a while and managed to fall in the water with them in my wallet. Now they are soiled, ragged, and the ink ran in places. Still, they have a special place in the memory book. As pointed out already, it is not the card, or the certificate that makes one an Eagle.

But you can love your neighbor, yet not love his choice in lifestyle. As usual, no one on either side of this, here on the boards, or elsewhere, is likely to change their minds. On the other hand, it does get tiresome to have a few individuals who feel the right to insult others because of interpretations of things. BSA, almost all agree and understand, has the right to make these rules. They see them as reflective of the central ideas of the program. No where do they say these individuals are "bad" people, or should be ostracized from society; only that they are not examples of a sty

Looks as if they have the whole new book up on line. Take a look at this address. http://www.pilandonline.com/BSHB_web/ Interesting material, and links to related sites outside of scouts. Seems to be a huge advancement in this area.

I find it somewhat interesting to see Nick's comments. A few years back I breached the subject to a small group of my older scouts, over 16, who asked about an incident where a guy verbally attacked us at a public event. Their response was just about the same as Nick's. Whether or not a few individuals will continue to insist that this is not representative, everything I see in schools and actual interaction shows a discomfort and choice NOT to interact by a large majority. On the other hand, most of the same individuals will state that those who do make that choice have that r

Nick; Unless a scout has a physical problem, there is no reason he should not be able to do the swim requirements. If this means learning to overcome a fear of water, then it is a growing experience as well. But, because being able to at least swim at a minimal level is really a safety issue, it should stay. It is like suggesting that because a boy has trouble with math, he should not have to do personal management. Unless he is challenged, then he just needs to overcome the obstacle. Part of growing up is facing challenges; and this is one that basically all scouts need to face.