Texsox

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 16, 2005 -> 07:52 AM) Grass? What grass? We won't see that until April They want to keep it all for themselves and their glaucoma

For the past 10 years or so, I've been taking kids into the woods and streams, giving them knives, guns, sharp hooks, fire tools, and all sorts of dangerous objects. Along the way, they have hiked up mountains, waded steams, cared for themselves and others, been pushed to their limits physically and mentally, and I have never needed to resort to corporal punishment to keep them behaving. Actually within the Boy Scout program that would make me an ex-leader in about 30 seconds. Resorting to hazing would make me an ex leader in about a minute and a half.

Roses are reddish Violets are blueish If it wasn't for Jesus We'd all be Jewish What we did when our kids were younger was traced the roots of Christianity and "celebrated", to use that word, the similarities in the faiths. I remember the first time I was at the service for a Jewish friend who had passed away. As the readings began, I realized they were Old Testament. That more than anything woke me up to the common beliefs we share. Remember the major difference is that Christians accept Jesus as the Messiah, Jews are still waiting. We share the Old Testament. Or to put another way, for most mainstream Christians, looking at Bibles, one would say, The Jewish is tooooooo short, and the Mormon is tooooooooo long, mine is juuuuust right. Old Testament, Jews, Christians, Mormons New Testament, Christians, Mormons Book of Mormon, Mormons So celebrate the roots, explore the differences, and expand the knowledge of the world. It can only help. Maybe a Jewish friend could come over and discuss not being Christian during the biggest marketing push the planet has ever seen for Christians.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 16, 2005 -> 12:13 PM) I was a child that his mouth taped shut, in a public school no less. I'm just stating that for the record. However, as a parent, I ran into a situation. When one of my boys was in grade school, I was told that if he acted up again he would receive corporal punishment. I proceeded to tell the principal that was not acceptable. All they had to do was call me and I would handle any situation. I was told that if they felt the situation called for immediate corporal punishment they would administer it. I then proceeded to inform the principle that if my child was given corporal punshment that I would administer corpaoral punishment to the person who took it upon theirself to assualt my child. In other words, I'd beat the hell out of whoever it was. I was told that if I took such action, that I would be thrown in jail and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I responded that may the case, but I'll still get my pound of flesh and whatever happens to me, happens. The issue never came up again. I had the same conversation with the school. When their response was about the same, I asked why it was ok for them to hit my kid, but it wasn't ok for me to hit them? No one is hitting my kids, taping their mouth shut, etc. As far as respectng authority, it teached the kids when you have the power, get physical, that the only way to maintain respect is by force. There are better ways.

As a Scout leader, that is one of my worse nightmares. I am so glad to read the kid was ok. I could have guessed at a hundred scenarios of how that could happen, that way would not have been one of them.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 16, 2005 -> 06:58 AM) Uppity Floridians too. Be nice or we will send back all the old people who wound up down here and there. They can clog your roads, make going out for breakfast impossible, and yell at you to stay off the grass

Mmmm, mmmm mm mmm mmmmmmm mm mmmm!! Mmm mm mmmmmmm mm m

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Dec 16, 2005 -> 01:00 AM) This is our first year in a new house with three orange trees and one grapefruit tree in the yard. The orange trees are young and only put out a couple of runty fruits, but the grapefruit tree's branches are sagging with good looking big-ass grapefruit. I tried one for the first time last week and it was just a little tart. I'm hoping we get a couple of good frosts over the next two weeks or so because ironically that really sweetens up the citrus. We also have a banana plant that failed to mast. Hopefully next year. This is year eight for this tree, so it is hitting it's prime. Last year was good, but not great. This year they look and taste great. Now, in about 6-8 weeks, I will be the insane neighbor with yet another basket of fruit trying to give it away. I swap oranges for grapefruits with a neighbor. He's got a couple awesome Ruby Red trees that he pampers all year, watching over each piece of fruit like it was silver. And just for Mercy!, All I remember about my first time was I was very scared, in the dark, all alone, clumsy, immature technique, about the same as today.

I love walking out and pulling the first perfect orange off the backyard tree. Yum. By far the best oranges since I planted that tree.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Dec 14, 2005 -> 06:04 PM) Do you have a fever, Tex? Here's Tex's view of government. You have lifers and you have politicians and their leeches. These mistakes were made by the lifers that have been there for months, years, and decades. They were brought on during Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush terms. In a few years they will have pictures of The Hammer on their walls. Or Hillary, maybe McCain. They don't care. It don't matter whose signing the checks, they go to work. Now I can't blame any of the before mentioned Heads of State for the information they received being wrong from these lifers. Now if Bush would like to say, I made a bad decision, based on bad information, we're getting closer to him actually taking responsibility for something he did. Now when Dubya or any head of state takes responsibility for one of the politicians he brings in and the patronage workers, now I don't mind a I screwed up, the buck stops here. These are his people or his people's people. They brought them, he owns them, and he can take responsibility. If the hat fits wear it, if not try another. It's my opinion.

That's nice, but I never blamed Bush for the bad intel. How about the guys that fed him the wrong info taking a hike? How about we learn from this and figure out how not to make this mistake again? Not just this administration, but future ones as well. I have a lot of respect for Dubya in several areas. But when guys start taking blame for s*** that happened several layers beneath them, they seem to be placating some element of society. I am not criticizing him for the statement, I don't think it needed to be made by him. I think it needed to be made by the people who actually delivered the wrong information.

When researching and selecting one of America's Long Trails to add I looked at ease of getting there, months of good weather, etc. The Appalachian has name recognition and you are correct some killer views. It also has some of the most difficult climbs. Not enough room for knee relieving switchbacks. Pacific Crest Trail was too difficult to get to from a trailhead perspective.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Dec 14, 2005 -> 01:26 PM) Or, more likely, he was stoned off his ass. I have no illusions about my students. LMAO, Dude, let's get really high and think about soxy, that would be soooo cooool. Maybe I'll send her an email No way! Way! Our future is safe in their hands.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Dec 14, 2005 -> 01:16 PM) haha I wish there was a check. . . But it was seriously the funniest thing ever, this kid has come to my office hours a couple of time--and I try really hard to learn all my students' names, but no clue who this one was. Funniest thing is, he wasn't even asking for anything in the e-mail. Undergrads are so weird. You must have mesmerized him.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 13, 2005 -> 06:05 PM) I would also guess that a majority of murderers in states like Texas would rather not be executed either... But not all. One this year requested and had granted a speedy execution. He spent less than 3 years on death row. And in the fine Huntsville tradition, he emptied his prison account by buying pints of blue bell ice cream for all his friends on death row. http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/13398396.htm

QUOTE(Evil Misquoter @ Dec 13, 2005 -> 03:41 PM) Got this from a STUDENT today: Thank you for the clarificatio Soxy, you have been a lot of help. You have proven not only to be beautiful but kind and friendly as well, a rare combination.. Thanks again, and have a nice vacation, check enclosed... He called you Soxy? and how much was the check for?

A couple of the things that has slowed down my checking off from the life list is the remoteness of the Rio Grande Valley. Everything is a two hop plane ride. An hour or two to Dallas or Houston, than wherever. AL though I've gotten over my headache of the new restrictions the airlines have on stoves, fuels, etc. The second factor is I'm out with my Boy Scout Troop once a month and my Venturing Crew once a month, so I have to plan trips that are possible for either 11-17 year old boys or 14-20 year old coed crew. The Venturing Crew has a couple girls that are really excited about backpacking. The boys in the Troop love the 15 pound Dutch ovens and giant tents. My next spot is the Guadalupe Mountains and the highest spot in Texas. There is also a new wilderness area near the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico called Double H Ranch. No established campsites or routes. All very strict LNT backpacking. I am fairly certain to be spending two weeks there in 2007. I also added the Continental Divide Trail to my list, and I'm hoping to start hiking sections of it next year.

I would love to be able to read our posts here and see how closely they follow Jay's ups and downs. Of course everyone here knew from the start this was a WS team and wasn't choking down the stretch. LOL This team proved a lot of people wrong.

I knew it, rock stars would never be so screwed up as to kill themselves

Wow, that is wonderful news. That little guy is destined for greatness. Anyone with that much grit and determination will be a great person. and joy at the news.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 13, 2005 -> 10:05 AM) Oh, see, now you've got me distracted the rest of the day. So much for concentrating on work. Favorite place on earth... In a canoe, on Lake MacKenzie, Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. or maybe... sitting on my pack on Hummingbird Saddle, Gila Wilderness Area, New Mexico or even... wandering aimlessly around Salisbury, U.K. But more than likely, I'll have to go with the answer given by kapkomet... I haven't been there yet. I have both Quetico and Gila on my life list. I will probably do boundary waters from the Northern Tier Boy Scout Camp in the next couple years. Gila may be more of a stretch. How many days were you out at Gila? Is water an issue, or do you have to carry it all? How was the elevation? I live at about 22 feet above sea level, 10,000 feet will be thin air for me. When my son was at Philmont this summer in New Mexico, the 8,000 peaks kicked their butts a bit.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 13, 2005 -> 08:44 AM) I listed the results of a simple poll .. with no comment one way or another. You took it from there. I'm sorry, YAS, someone has been using your computer. There were several replies from your account. They should be easy enough to track down. They couldn't understand the difference between a scientifically valid poll and a entertainment poll.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 13, 2005 -> 08:43 AM) Ha. A pedophile priest can't be reformed, but Tookie Williams can (and had been per some). Ha Ha, YAS doesn't know the difference between murder and pedophilia. It has been shown over and over again that sex related criminals are much more difficult to rehabilitate than murders. Many researchers point to the sex drive as being "hard wired" into humans. People who engage in pedophilia are especially difficult to rehabilitate. nice try Yas. Keep pushing those buttons.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 13, 2005 -> 08:42 AM) Button pushing can be so much fun. Then complaining how something has turned to hell . . . :rolly