Trevorum

At first glance, this situation seems to be no win: severe economic impacts on both sides of the decision. But in the long run, invasive species have proved time and again to be one of the most expensive environmental disasters caused by man. It will be interesting seeing how the politics plays out.

careful there, NJ... Some other poster may not appreciate the humor and might decide to internet stalk you and then "out" you as a gay-supporting, sheath knife wearing, laser tag playing non-scouter. Now that would be creepy.

I also support OGE's decision to close the threads. Both threads had pages of good exchanges of substance, but then both deteriorated into nastiness and became rather uninteresting to read. While I am keenly interested in both topics, I was not motivated to try to frame any worthwhile responses because I knew the threads were already derailed. In general I agree with Beavah in that a light handed Moderator is best, but perhaps Blanstens Law might be a good rule of thumb after all (the gay thread, especially, seemed on the verge of invoking Godwins Law, anyways). trevorum

I'm not an expert in this arena, but my beautiful bride is. From what I've observed over the years, there is a w-i-d-e range in young people of skill levels, body awareness, and, most importantly, self confidence around large animals. I would advise that *either* condition A or B would meet the intent of the requirements for Cub Scouts, depending on the cub himself, the animal, and the venue. The intent is to have the boy astride the horse and under motion for a period of time. At that age, some boys will be able to control the animal, other won't. But they'll both learn and grow.

OGE, yeah, I gotta admit there are times when I actually do miss ol' Rooster.

Lisa, I don't find him creepy. Obnoxious, yes. Bombastic, pretentious, pompous, myopic, rabid, and shrill. OTOH, at least we're not being bombarded with scripture.

On this shortest day of the year, I hope everyone has a wonderful new season. Happy Winter Solstice!

I think it would be unlikely that the entire human species would become extinct, should of a global nuclear holocaust. More likely, our civilization could merely collapse, resulting in the deaths by starvation of billions within just a few years. A much lower density of humans (perhaps merely a few millions globally) would survive using an economy of locally sustainable, non-mechanized horticulture. Those new cultures would adapt to some new climate stability. Perhaps science and technology might arise again after hundreds of years of the second dark age. Maybe we could learn from the past an

That's on the 23rd.

Religions, by definition, are characterized by (1) beliefs in supernatural forces/beings, (2) ritualized behaviors designed to influence the supernatural, and (3) a system of behavioral rules/ethics designed to enhance group success. Which of the following meet all 3 criteria? Scientology, Buddhism, Wicca, Consumerism, Capitalism, environmentalism.

Hanny Hanukkah to all!

"...we've got thousands of Mexicans who will gladly take your place and proudly pledge their allegiance in exchange for the privilege of living here." Yes, and some people think that would be a bad thing. Go figure.

Oh Ed! I'm still working off all the pumpkin pie from LAST week!

... solved all the problems? hmmm... I just may have to stir up some trouble.

Wood Badge is fun. You'll make new friends and learn new skills. It's never too soon to experience Wood Badge. You'll be glad you did!

I just re-chartered tonight for 2010 and realized I'm getting old and feeble (for real). This is the first time in 15 years I haven't had a son in the program. Home from the meeting, I mentioned that to my beautiful bride and she did a double take: "Oh, no. Don't you even think about it!" Ah. well. There are lots of other young fellows still in the program who I can help.

Welcome, fish! Glad you've joined us, here on the forums and also as a registered leader. Everyone progresses at their own pace. Some Den Leaders never really "get it" and others are delivering quality program to their cubs within a few weeks. A lot depends on how much preparation time you are willing to put in. It sounds like you have the enthusiasm to be a great DL! In general, the more training your get, the better leader you will be. Start with Cub Leader Basic, but set your sights on the Philmont Training Center and/or Wood Badge. You'll have a terrific experience!

Any friend of Trey Walls is OK by me.

I'm just back from staffing Wood Badge, and this quote - still fresh on my mind - is especially appropriate here. "Leading change to become more diverse is critical for Scouting to remain relevant." This quote is not mine, nor is it from Merlyn's people. It is straight from BSA National. Think about that.

In any event, I suspect that Zeus is feeling terribly excluded these days.

BP, I understand why you would think that. Many adherents of each of those three religions (we should alo include Baha'i as a more recent fourth) want to distinguish their view of God as distinct from the one worshipped by the others. However, historical continuity as well as overwhelming theological scholarship confirms that each of these three Abrahamic faiths worship the same deity, albeit with different rituals and by different names (Elohim, Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah). The existence of sacred texts unique to the individual religions can not obscure the more ancient sacred texts (the "book"

BadenP asks, "Is the true God the Christian one, the Jewish or Muslim one?" In fact, adherents of these three religions worship the same deity, just with different names.

scoutldr - all the dead bodies I deal with are at least several hundred years old!

Being in a field that prides itself on being "shovel ready" (heh heh), we're booming. Can't hire fast enough to keep up with new work. I suppose that indicates the recovery is patchy, but all those new wages are flowing into the community, rippling, rippling.

OK, I understand. The message I see is that we should be cautious about referring to a Scout's Own service or other interfaith gatherig as a "worship" service. If it is a gathering to mutually reflect on the meaning of the 12th point from several perspectives, that is one thing, but actual communion with the numinous is to be avoided in an interfaith context. Thanks for the viewpoint.