text:
So long, Catholic Boy Scouts?
Surprising news:
Boy Scouts of America Says Discussing End to Ban on Gay MembersBy REUTERSDALLAS (Reuters) - Boy Scouts of America is discussing ending a longstanding ban on gay members and whether to allow local organizations to decide their own policy, a spokesman said on Monday.Lifting the ban would mark a dramatic reversal for the 103-year-old organization, which only last summer reaffirmed its policy amid heavy criticism from gay rights groups and some parents of scouts."The BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation," spokesman Deron Smith said in an email to Reuters."The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue," the spokesman said.The organization, which had more than 2.6 million youth members and more than 1 million adult members at the end of 2012, "would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents," Smith said.
That would effectively put an end to Catholic-sponsored scout troops, which account for 10 percent of all troops. Mormon-sponsored groups account for more than a third of all troops, and religious organizations sponsor two-thirds of all troops, according to this article.The Girl Scouts are already in the Catholic dock over charges (or an "urban legend," some say) that their cookies support contraception and abortion programs. (Catholics make up a quarter of the nations 3million Girl Scouts.)Is this the end of Catholic scouting? Or are there alternatives?
About the Author
David Gibson is a national reporter for Religion News Service and author of The Coming Catholic Church (HarperOne) and The Rule of Benedict (HarperOne). He blogs at dotCommonweal.
82 comments
- All
- Editor Featured
David, I don't understand this sentence: "That would effectively put an end to Catholic-sponsored scout troops". Perhaps I am missing something, but why would permitting a gay teen to be a Boy Scout be something that a Catholic-sponsored troop couldn't do?
Oh gosh, just allow the gay scout troop leader to take the boys on weekend camping trips. As Hillary would say 'What difference does it make?' . . . do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Yeah whatever - what difference does it make?" Why is it so easy to get the great unwashed masses all worked up?;-)
As I commented on your RNS posting, why would this be the end of RC troops if the sponsoring organization could keep a no-gays policy, unjust though it may be?
Perhaps I am missing something, but why would permitting a gay teen to be a Boy Scout be something that a Catholic-sponsored troop couldnt do?Jim,One might also ask why permitting Catholic adoption agencies merely to consider same-sex couples as parents would be out of the question.
RC troops are small peanuts. The LDS stranglehold on BSA will be the determining factor.If religious sponsors can't enter the 21st century when it comes to not discriminating based on sexual orientation, then they should NOT be allowed to sponsor BSA troops, Girl Scouts or Cub Scout Packs.
I was just wondering the other day what the bishops learned from their investigation of the Girl Scouts. I don't see why parents want their children to be in "troops" and wear uniforms. But it's nice to see that the Boy Scouts may reverse its discrimination policy. I wonder if they will now celebrate the gift of homosexuality which their founder, many believe, had received.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/opinion/scoutings-gay-founder.html?_r=0
Eugene Pagano (and Jim P), pardon the cut-and-paste (!) but as I just responded over at RNS, in the case of the RC Church, the bishops have opposed cooperating with groups that promote positions they consider morally wrong, so affiliating with the BSA -- if the gay ban is dropped -- would be problematic. Moreover, Catholic leaders have supported the BSA's gay ban. So it's hard to see how they could keep their ties in the event of a change. I can provide some links later, but in recent years there has been a long-running battle to ensure that the church severs any ties with agencies or organizations that have any ties whatsoever to other agencies that endorse or allow contraception, abortion, or gay rights. The CCHD has been a big target, as well as separate Catholic ministries for immigrants, the homeless, etc, where the church might partner with an offending group.
David G - right; but simply allowing a gay teen to be a boy scout doesn't seem to be the same sort of thing as paying for abortions in the developing world.Gay teens attend Catholic high schools. Gay parishioners belong to Catholic parishes. A gay teen joining the Boy Scouts doesn't seem any different to me.
Thank you, Mr. Gibson.
Jim P, I agree. But those distinctions are not often made these days. Of course there is also the chance that this could lead to lifting the ban on gays as scout leaders (that doesn't seem to be part of the deliberations here) which would be a definite deal breaker, I think.
Oh Jim, we are toying with more than just the idea of pushing Catholic Boy Scout troops aside. As a society we are via the HHS mandate looking at closing Catholic schools, hospitals, charities and social services. Some states have already forced Catholic Church out of the adoption services. Catholic-owned businesses will have to work out some other arrangements; maybe shadow owners or something like that. Maybe the Vatican will help them by calling the Familglia de Medici for advice on how to be shrewd.While the abortion/contraception HHS thing is the biggest factor, as the normalization of homosexuality efforts proceed, if Leftists succeed in that, as a secondary factor, it will also hasten the exit of Catholic and other religious groups from social services like charities, schools and hospitals.After the court battles are fought and the government wins, I see it going more or less like this.1-The bishops will close the Catholic schools, hospitals, charities, etc..2-The communities will see they really needs the school desks, the hospital beds, etc..3-The government will urgently want/need to buy the buildings/facilities from the diocese and will pay whatever is necessary.4-The bishops will smile, try to be helpful, and will rake in the money on the many sales.5-The nuns will go back into the convents, and the bishops and priests will retreat behind the doors of churches and cathedrals and study Latin. On the bright side, this might facilitate more Latin in the Novus Ordo or maybe even more use of the Tridentine mass.In any case though, while the Leftists/Statists will naturally be overjoyed, and while some businessmen will make a bit of extra dinero on the situation and will be happy, in general the public will not be well served, and the price of all this will be very high.
Jim: You mean the local Brownie Troop is actually a front for international abortionists?
jbruns, I have heard the allegation that Girl Scouts and Brownies are fronting for the abortion agenda made seriously by the kind of every-week Mass-going Catholics upon whom the bishops are staking the future of the church. So don't laugh.I have also heard from a pastor that we can't support the Race for the Cure because it supports Planned Parenthood. I think I stood off that threat by pointing out that we would also have to boycott the electric company, the Ford Motor Company, the local newspaper, a TV station and other sponsors of the Race for the Cure -- to say nothing of the NFL teams with their pink shoes and pink towels.The Scouts seem to be moving toward a don't-ask-about-neighboring-troops set up for the Scouts. Catholic-sponsored Scouts could discriminate against gay kids or make them feel uncomfortable without losing their charters. My problem with that is that kids of Boy Scout age often don't know WHAT they are, sexually, and I don't think it is particularly brilliant to force them to choose one just to get into Scouting.
MEDIA STATEMENT Boy Scouts of America Monday, Jan. 28, 2013Attributable to: Deron Smith, Director of Public Relations For more than 100 years, Scoutings focus has been on working together to deliver the nations foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve. Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organizations mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families. The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organizations mission, principles, or religious beliefs. ###http://www.scouting.org/MembershipPolicy.aspx
There are strong feelings on both sides of this issue within the scouting community (I have been an active volunteer Scouter for over 20 years).The "between the lines" here is that a vote is going to be taken by the national board. With this "leak" I am sure all the voting members are going to get an ear-full from various constituencies. It is not a foregone conclusion that anything will actually change.
If normalization of homosexuals means allowing them to go to school, go to church, play football, join the Boy Scouts, and maybe after graduating, get a job or join the Navy, I guess I support that agenda.
After the court battles are fought and the government wins, I see it going more or less like thisKen,Could you give us a time frame? If none of this happens in, say, five or ten years, are you going to say, "Just wait. It's coming eventually."
So as not to put Ken on the spot, I will also give what I think is a reasonable timeframe for what is currently unfolding. I expect the liberals and the homosexuals to have destroyed the Catholic Church in America by 2018 or 2019that is, by the middle of Obama's third term.
...and the bishops and priests will retreat behind the doors of churches and cathedrals and study Latin.Well, Ken, if more folks are reading Plautus, Petronius, and Apuleius, then I'm all for it.
Ken --Once more, because you associate certain groups in your thinking about them, you infer that there is some causal relationship between them. That's illogical, Ken. Association is not causality.
Jim Pauwels wrote: "David, I dont understand this sentence: That would effectively put an end to Catholic-sponsored scout troops. Perhaps I am missing something, but why would permitting a gay teen to be a Boy Scout be something that a Catholic-sponsored troop couldnt do?"I agree. The "Media Statement" posted above says that individual troops that want to continue to exclude gay scouts and scout leaders can continue to do that. The difference is that they will have to accept individual responsibility for those decisions - they won't be able to claim that the national BSA is forcing them to do it. It will be interesting to see how individual Catholic Parishes and their scout troops will deal with this - and whether the USCCB will publish a statement on what they should do. Hopefully, not DADT.
As I see it, the American bishops are worse than the Vatican on the matter of gay rights. At least the Vatican continues to affirm the rights of gays (as the Vatican sees them, e.g., to jobs and housing). To affirm the right of gays to be part of a community is not the same thing as approving of gay sexual relationships. Further, straight people are not thrown out of the community for their sexual sins, why should the homosexual ones be ostracized? Sadly, too many Catholics would simply ostracize ALL gays out of unfounded fear. As far as the Boy Scouts are concerned, it is grossly unfair to assume that all gay men will be abusers of kids in their charge. My gay men friends are horrified by the abuse of kids, just as the decent straight ones are. Further, if the Scouts explicitly outlawed gay scoutmasters, that would be counter-productive. If they did, the predatory gay men will only pretend to be straight. I'll grant you, there are some. (Just look among the Catholic clergy.) But most aren't anymore than straight men.Grow up, Scouts and bishops!
Ken: do you live in Washington State? I suspect so because your post @ 4:49 reflects the effects of ample use of the newly-legalized weed."As I see it, the American bishops are worse than the Vatican on the matter of gay rights."Ann: the Vaticanes already have their place assured in clericalist heaven. The US wannabes still need to prove that they can be More Catholic than the Curialists ... in the worst possible way, of course.
Surely the invidious discrimination against gay teens was in contradiction with Catholic teaching?the contraception issue has created financial problems for bishops, but don't worry, money trumps morals every time: http://www.pressherald.com/news/uh-oh-bishop-what-have-you-gotten-yourse...
From the USCCB"Said Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, "The bishops hope the Boy Scouts will continue to work under the Judeo-Christian principles upon which they were founded and under which they have served youth well."http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOY_SCOUTS_GAYS?SITE=RIPRJ&SEC... as if she was answering a question from the AP reporter - not as if the USCCB is mounting a big campaign - so far, at least.It raises the question as to whether excluding gay kids from scout troops is a Judeo-Christian principle.
Apparently, Southern Baptists are up there with Catholics, Mormons And United Methodists as sponsors of Scout troops:"Southern Baptist leaders who consider homosexuality a sin were furious about the possible change and said its approval might encourage Southern Baptist churches to support other boys' organizations instead of the BSA. The Southern Baptists are among the largest sponsors of Scout units, along with the Roman Catholic, Mormon and United Methodist churches."http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Under-pressure-Boy-Scouts-may-ea... believe I heard a Southern Baptist Minister on NPR this morning saying that the problem would be Scout gatherings, where different troops come together.
Southern Baptist leaders who consider homosexuality a sin were furious about the possible change and said its approval might encourage Southern Baptist churches to support other boys organizations instead of the BSA."Let's suppose, for the sake of discussion, that the Catholic bishops are not furious about the possible change and won't look for other boys' organizations to support.That means that there will not be perfect unity on this issue among the constellation of Christian denominations that frequently make common cause on social/sexual issues.In my view, it would be important for the Catholic Church to differentiate itself on this: to make it clear to the public that our views on homosexuality are not the same as that of Southern Baptists. We shouldn't allow ourselves to be perceived as being the same as 'all the other social conservative Christians' on this issue.
Jim,You said something above that I think would be helpful to seize on. You said, "If normalization of homosexuals means allowing them to go to school, go to church, play football, join the Boy Scouts, and maybe after graduating, get a job or join the Navy, I guess I support that agenda."What so many people are fearful of is the "normalization of homosexuality." That is different, or should be, than the "normalization of homosexuals." It seems to me the Catholic Church and many other groups who do not approve of homosexual behaviors have got to make a greater distinction between homosexuality and homosexuals. We disagree, I think, on the interpretation of the "no unjust discrimination" passage in the Catechism. I think you tend to interpret it to mean what I think it should mean but doesn't.
David Nickol, I don't think the church is opposed to either "homosexuals" (people) or "homosexuality" (the condition). It teaches that sex outside of sacramental marriage is wrong for all Catholics.Since heterosexual couples can receive sacramental marriage and homosexual couples cannot, that is obviously a much greater burden on some persons than others, but the basic principle is the same. Hopefully, most members of a Catholic Scout troop are not having sex with anyone, male or female. If some are encouraging others to become active sexually and persist after repeated warnings, I could see throwing them out, but I don't think it would depend on whether they were promoting sex with men or women. Obviously, anyone who forces himself on another person should be out quickly.
"What so many people are fearful of is the normalization of homosexuality. That is different, or should be, than the normalization of homosexuals. It seems to me the Catholic Church and many other groups who do not approve of homosexual behaviors have got to make a greater distinction between homosexuality and homosexuals."David - I'd like to hear your thoughts on the distinction you're calling out here. It seems to me that we have three different things to distinguish between: homosexuality (the inclination); homosexuals (the persons who have that inclination); and homosexual behavior (the behavior pursuant to the inclination by the people with that inclination).If my understanding of what the church teaches is accurate, it's only the last of these that the church considers sinful. And the church needs to stand, publicly, against discrimination and hatred directed against persons with the inclination. (I know I've said this before in these conversations, but in my view it's worth repeating).
"We disagree, I think, on the interpretation of the no unjust discrimination passage in the Catechism. I think you tend to interpret it to mean what I think it should mean but doesnt."As I have probably said before - I'd like to think that the church's specific views on this are evolving. (If I am wrong, then it's quite likely that we'll find out very quickly.)
And here's a disgusting little twist in case you didn't know it:http://www.tidewaterbsa.com/Tax%20Exemp%20FAQs.htm"TAX-EXEMPT STATUS OF BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA UNITS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNITSFrequently Asked QuestionsIs our pack or troop considered tax-exempt by the IRS?That depends on who sponsors your pack, troop, or unit. The only time a unit can be considered tax-exempt is if its sponsoring organization is also tax-exempt.The BSA National Council grants a charter to religious organizations, service clubs, businesses, and others who want to sponsor a Scout unit. A unit is actually owned by its chartered organization. Chartered organizations vary widely in tax status, but the tax status of your unit is the same as that of your chartering partner. "So all of those nice little church sponsored discriminating BSA units will have donations to them being tax deductib.eNon-tax favored BSA troops that choose NOT to discriminate against gay boys and men do NOT have their donations considered as tax deductible.
If Catholics want "Catholic" Boy Scouts, form a parallel organization. Ditto for the LDS. The BSA is and should remain a secular organization that does not push a particular religious creed, doctrine or practice.
Jim McCrea: I've learned this from having my sons (formerly) in Scouts: the core Scout material isn't religion-specific, although they do have a sort of non-denominational honor-a-higher-being thing. But there is supplementary material for various faiths, e.g. there are Catholic badges that Catholic scouts can earn, Lutheran badges for Lutheran scouts, etc.
I feel I have special standing to speak about this issue, since I myself was a Cub Scout in the early 1950s. We drank lots of Coke, and none of us were obese. And we ate potato chips, too. I still love Coke (no matter what Mark Bittman and Mayor Bloomberg say) and potato chips. My Den Mother was one of the prettiest women in the world, or at least that's how I remember her. Our pack (or was it a troop) met in a condemned church. That is, the building was condemned for use as a church, but it was apparently stable enough for a troop of Cub Scouts. We were rather small and, as I said, not obese, so we didn't weigh very much. I distinctly remember once they were going to call us all up to the front. I was not sure for what, but there were cardboard boxes that said "Candles" on the sides, so I assumed they were going to burn our hair off the sides and give us Mohawk haircuts. I always look back on that and wonder why I wasn't frightened. There were no rules against gay people back then, because nobody had ever heard of them, as they had not yet begun appearing on the David Susskind show.
I do not understand this blog at all. We Catholics do not consider gays as un-persons, and there is nothing in the sponsor-troop relationship that requires or even empowers the sponsor to police the sexual orientation of troop membership.
David A. --On this blog you will find many different sorts of opinions, including many shades of an opinion. Read the ones above carefully and I think you'll find that is the case.
Jesus did not say "Let only the straight children come to me."
"So as not to put Ken on the spot, I will also give what I think is a reasonable timeframe for what is currently unfolding. I expect the liberals and the homosexuals to have destroyed the Catholic Church in America by 2018 or 2019that is, by the middle of Obamas third term."David Nickol, I can't figure out if you're being facetious or not. In case you're playing it (dare I say) straight, may I remind you that some decidedly un-liberal cardinals named Law, Mahony and Finn, among others, have done a pretty good job of damaging the Church without help.
A commenter over on First Things has suggested that gay people form their own scouting organization.
"A commenter over on First Things has suggested that gay people form their own scouting organization"Separate but Equal?If the BSA makes this official next week, the USCCB should have a press release ready to release the same day announcing that gay kids are welcome in Catholic Scout troops - just as they are welcome in all of our parish activities. If they don't, Mary Ann Walsh is going to have to wing it when she gets the calls from reporters.
Anyone who would sever ties with an organization for not expelling a gay kid doesn't know Jesus. That people think that the bishops would do this means they need to consider why they have such a wicked reputation.
The NYTimes does some catch-up on this story talking to local leaders and parents.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/us/proposed-policy-shift-on-gays-divid..."The real world, Ms. Kreider said, just isnt that simple.It will be the small troops that decide they dont want to have a homosexual leader, and then where do they go for help? she asked. If they get sued by the A.C.L.U. or whatever organization decides to come after them, they wont have the resources or the backing of the Boy Scouts of America because of this policy. It will be the destruction of the Boy Scouts."Some people who support a new policy are worried, too.We are here for the kids, said Val Carolin, the scoutmaster of Troop 467 in Atlanta, which meets in the scout hut behind Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. Mr. Carolin said that he thought inclusion was the right value for the Scouts to pursue, and that fighting over whether to welcome gay scouts or leaders would be a distraction, or worse. If this thing comes down and causes a split, that would be very bad for scouting, he said."Other scout leaders said that because so many troops are affiliated with churches, a fractious local debate over gay membership could propel issues of faith and religion even more to the fore of scouting than they already are."
Inscrutable:"What role the churches might play in the end is uncertain. The chairman of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, John J. Halloran Jr., said his group would make a statement only if the Boy Scouts board approved the change. Our Catholic faith remains our conscience and our guide, he said in an e-mail."http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/us/proposed-policy-shift-on-gays-divid...
Other than using a church facility as a meeting place, I have never seen religious influence in scouting activities. Most troops will do absolutely nothing because they don't need to. If your church lets a troop use its basement or hall as a meeting place do you know if it actually tracks issues like this as a condition for allowing such use? I am really scratching my head here. Literally, my child's troop has zero interaction with the church that "sponsors" it. There is no religiously themed program or activities. And if you stop and think about it, you understand why: the troop includes Sikhs, Jews and Hindus among the adherents to different Christian denominations, as well as the non-aligned. Maybe it's different in smaller communities, but my husband was also a scout in a small town and they also had no religiously oriented activities because the differences there between Baptist and Methodist were seen to be as big as the differences between Hindus and Catholics are around here. It almost seems like the BSA is hiding behind the involvement of churches, while the parents are hiding behind the BSA guidelines.
" The chairman of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, John J. Halloran Jr., said his group would make a statement only if the Boy Scouts board approved the change. Our Catholic faith remains our conscience and our guide, he said in an e-mail."This group has a website, on which I've spent a little time looking around. I've been unable to find any indication of a formal link to the USCCB. I assume it is an independent lay apostolate.
In days of yore, when I was a Girl Scout, there was a huge ceremony at which troops from all over the city received the Marian Badge from the bishop. And the Boy Scouts had a similar event at which they received the Ad Altare Dei medal. Catholic stuff is still sold in the Boy Scout shop. Page 2 is particularly interesting, imho.http://www.scoutstuff.org/bsa/literature-media/religion.html
Gerelyn - right. As it happens, this weekend is designated Scout Sunday at our parish, and because my boys were involved at one time, I seem to be the designated guy-to-do-the-scout-recognition. There are Catholic badges that scouts can earn, and there are boys in our parish who earn them every year. Our parish doesn't sponsor a pack - nor do we have a school - so the boys and their parents pursue them independently while affililating with the local packs, which in almost all cases are sponsored by public schools.
One more thought on this: istm that one possible outcome of all this will be a lack of uniformity from one diocese to another, i.e. Bishop A will have a firm policy of inclusion; Bishop B will have a policy of exclusion; Bishop C won't have a hard-and-fast policy and will let the local packs figure it out; Bishop D will permit gay scouts but not gay scout leaders; etc.
Jim Pauwels, took a lot of looking, but it appears that that the USCCB appoints a bishop to liase with the NCCS. in each diocese, the bishop appoints members of the diocesan branch of the NCCS. "USCCB Bishop Liaison. [currently Bishop Guglielmone of Charlston]He interprets the mind of the USCCB for NCCS and represents NCCS at USCCB meetings. He is appointed by and serves at the will of the President of the USCCB. The USCCB Bishop Liaison attends all Executive Committee and Executive Board meetings but does not vote.""Diocesan Scout Chairs and Diocesan Scout Chaplains. These leaders are appointed by the bishops, or administrators, of their respective dioceses with the cooperation and recommendations of the Diocesan and/or Council Catholic Committee on Scouting. The usual term is for two (2) years with the option of reappointment. The Diocesan Scout Chair presides at all meetings of the Diocesan Committee on Scouting that is organized similarly to the national committee.http://www.nccs-bsa.org/national/Bylaws.php
John Hayes - nice work. Now we need to send David G to talk to Bishop Guglielmone. David G, go get the story :-)
Bishop D will permit gay scouts but not gay scout leaders; etc.How will Bishop D determine which little boys are gay and which are not? What questions and tests will he find useful for probing into the sexual preferences of children?
"One more thought on this: istm that one possible outcome of all this will be a lack of uniformity from one diocese to another,"I guess it's true that, absent a delegation from Rome, the USCCB can't control what individual bishops do in their dioceses. It will be interesting to see how it responds to reporters if the BSA does goes ahead with this. It may be even more complicated than that. When a parish in Virginia threw out the Girl Scouts because the pastor thought they supported Planned Parenthood, the diocese said it was up to each pastor to decide:http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Girl-Scout-Troops-Banned-from-Ch...
Jim, yes, I remember the Marian medal from the Girl Scouts but this was not a troop activity, it was something undertaken by individual girls in the troop in coordination with an adult who was able to provide guidance. In a troop of 30 girls, maybe 3 even tried to earn this medal. Even at that time, most of the girls in the troop were not Catholic. My family never went to church and it wasn't even that it wasn't an issue, it was that it wasn't even something that ever came up for anybody, ever, under any condition that I can recall at all.
"How will Bishop D determine which little boys are gay and which are not? What questions and tests will he find useful for probing into the sexual preferences of children?"Bishop D isn't trying to determine that; he's permitting gay scouts, remember? And not all scouts are "little boys"; Eagle Scouts are well into their teen years before earning that accomplishment - according to the BSA, the average age is 17.I'd imagine he'd learn which scout masters are gay the same way he learns which Catholic school teachers are gay: some parent checks Facebook and writes the bishop a letter.
"I guess its true that, absent a delegation from Rome, the USCCB cant control what individual bishops do in their dioceses."Based on what you reported in an earlier comment, it does seem that the USCCB tries to coordinate with scouting organizations on a national basis, so maybe there would be some sort of coordinated policy - although on that, too, an individual bishop probably would be free to do his own thing if he wishes.
Bishop D isnt trying to determine that; hes permitting gay scouts, remember? And not all scouts are little boys; Eagle Scouts are well into their teen years before earning that accomplishment according to the BSA, the average age is 17. Many Mormons become Eagle Scouts at age 13. Given the influence of Mormons on the BSA, I wonder if the figure you cite is credible. There have been cases of fudging the rules, etc. As to permitting vs. determining? I don't see the point of one without the other, but maybe the little boys and their parents will understand the fine distinction and be grateful to Bishop D for permitting gay children to join his packs/troops.
Question: are non-Catholics allowed in "Catholic" Scout troops? Are non-Mormons allowed in "Mormon" Scout troops?If so, are they subjected to denominational influencing that their parents might not find acceptable if it was known?I don't think that gays should form their own troops/packs. As I stated above, if you want a Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, LDS, Jewish, Hindu, Wiccan or other scout troop, start one.Stop turning the BSA into an arm of religion. Either that or stop giving contributions thereto under the guise of contributions to a religious organization tax deductibility.
"Bishop A will have a firm policy of inclusion; Bishop B will have a policy of exclusion; Bishop C wont have a hard-and-fast policy and will let the local packs figure it out; Bishop D will permit gay scouts but not gay scout leaders; etc."That's what the BSA needs ... Catholic bishops determining who is eligible for membership in or who can volunteer in any given scout troop/pack.
You a half-assed troll. Try whole-assing it.
Abe - A little humor is better than name calling.
But best of all is when the two are combined. But I look forward to when you manage to be funny.
It appears the current official policy is "Don't ask, don't tell" "Under the current policy, the Scouts do not inquire about a persons sexual orientation, but will not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/01/29/boy-scouts-consider-lifting-... of the objections people have put forward seem to be the same ones put forth when the military did away with DADT.
I have been very involved in the Scouting movement generally for the past 40 years and Catholic Scouting specifically for the past 30 years. I have some specific thoughts on this issue which I'll spell out when I can compose them in a way that's less likely to be misinterpreted. In the meanwhile, the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) acts, among other things, between USCCB and BSA. The following message was posted on the NCCS Facebook page. Im supposing that this is the closest thing were going to see as an official response from the Church:Re Potential BSA Policy Change:This is a very sensitive issue and I know emotions will run high over it. Some of you may get requests on what the NCCS response is. This is the statement that has been worked on by Bishop Guglielmone, our Bishop Liaison, and the USCCB It is premature to discuss the ramifications of the proposed change in the policy of the Boy Scouts of America concerning homosexuals in the organization. The decision has not yet been made by BSA. As Catholics, we expect that any changes in policy will continue to respect the values and traditions that the Catholic Church holds with regards to membership and leadership in scout units. Col (Ret) John Halloran, Chair NCCS
Boy you are are a sour one Abe - cranky and sour.
Bill Fox, one of he commentors on the Facebook page says that here is more to that statement. She seems to indicate that NCCS is opposing the change. "Ann Roth Can you please post the entire statement from Col. Halloran? My son received the longer statement via mobile and we all need to see it. The above statement is inadequate at best and is causing scandal. We need to know that the NCCS is opposed to this change and is doing what it can to influence BSA to keep the policy unchanged. In other words, we need to know that NCCS is providing proper leadership for Catholic scouts. Thank you.
Every Charter Organization (the local sponsor, e.g. a parish) right now has the ability to approve or disapprove any adult leader for any reason or no reason. So this proposal doesn't change that. In addition, National may tell you that certain people are disallowed.From what I have seen, up to now, some one who is living a chaste life, but publicly admits to (to use the words of the Catechism) homosexual inclinations - is restricted from registering. This proposed new policy would allow a local parish community, in charity and justice, to apply the teachings of the catechism.CCC 2358http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/cat...
Thanks - I assume to David G - for moderating/removing that really offensive comment.
John Hayes, the way I'm reading that is that Col. Halloran, Bishop Guglielmone, Fr. Salvatore (the National Chaplain) and other members of the NCCS Executive Board (along with Bishop Gettlefinger, the episcopal liaison emeritus) are speaking with each other and with whatever replaced the Relationships Division at National Council BSA.
As a veteran I am always highly suspicious of retired military officers who continue to parade their FORMER ranks:Col (Ret) John Halloran, Chair NCCSMy experience has taught me that there is a high preponderence of these men in two professions: car sales and insurance sales. To my knowledge their former ranks have nothing to do with their degree of (in)capability in any successor occupation/position they choose.
When the Supreme Court decided 5-4 that the Boy Scouts could exclude homosexuals, it was based on the BSAs contention that the exclusion was part of its core mission.If the national office announces that the exclusion of homosexuals is not part of its core mission, that defense is rendered invalid, not only for the national office but for all subdivisions and troops.The national office of the Boy Scouts would never require troops to accept homosexual leaders it wouldnt have to. Lawyers will go after any division of the scouts that still excludes gays, and the division will have not have the defense that the exclusion is part of the BSA central mission, not will the local units have the financial and legal resources of the national office.I disagree with the national office, but I am even more disappointed in their dishonesty in pretending that they are not in effect requiring all troops to accept homosexual leaders, no matter what moral, religious, or practical objections the troop may have.And all this for the sake of corporate donations.
"When the Supreme Court decided 5-4 that the Boy Scouts could exclude homosexuals, it was based on the BSAs contention that the exclusion was part of its core mission."Fortunately, the Catholic Church doesn't see "the exclusion" of homosexuals as "part of its core mission". Nevertheless, I think a Catholic parish that sponsors a Scout troop would be on sound legal ground in applying the same standards to Scout leaders as they do to people who volumteer for positions in other parish programs. Presumably, they would not appoint or retain people (heterosexual or homosexual) who wanted to teach the acceptability of behavior the Church considers sinful or whose background check indicated that they might abuse children.
"What so many people are fearful of is the normalization of homosexuality. That is different, or should be, than the normalization of homosexuals. It seems to me the Catholic Church and many other groups who do not approve of homosexual behaviors have got to make a greater distinction between homosexuality and homosexuals."The Church distinguishes between "homosexual persons", the "homosexual inclination" (orientation) and "homosexual acts". Neither acts nor the orientation are to be normalized. The orientation is called an "anomaly" in two highly authoritative Vatican documents and "intrinsically disordered" in a third.As James Alison wrote: "My disagreement with the current teaching of the Roman Congregations is about what I consider to be their fundamentally flawed premise of the objectively disordered nature of the inclination. I dont think its even worth beginning to talk about what acts might be appropriate before there is a recognition that we are talking about people whose way of being cannot properly be deduced from other peoples way of being. To do so would be like discussing different moves within a game of rugby while agreeing to hold the discussion under an enforced misapprehension that those moves are somehow defective forms of soccer playing."
oops, "objectively disordered" I mean.The Vatican have got a great job of getting millions of Catholics to mull over its archaic sex ethic.
JO'L:From which of James Alison's writings is that quotation?
I am thankful for the above wide ranged discussion on both gay, and adoption problems; not to mention the wider problem of how does our Church work in the world. The Catechism does not condemn homosexuals but, as in the case of all unmarried people, does not support sexual activity outside of the sacrament. In the scouts it is obvious who are the girls/boys simply by their membership. No where are sexual roles discussed [to y knowledge] but civic roles are. Sex is so deeply a part of our identity , after all Mary is still female AND Queen of Heaven, Jesus is still male and God, so we have to look at our roles, which means our vocation. Mozart was born to be a musician, Pasteur a scientist, etc.. As far as adoption, the one thing to start with is no one DEserves a child, they are a privilege and gift, but a child has a RIGHT to a mom and dad. On another, larger topic, the Church's role includes charity, and Government has no right to define that role, Truth is that half the money for charity comes from govt. and in Germany the govt. collects a church tax which it gives to the church, so there is no clear and pure church-in-the -world even if the USA seems best. Mary has said God gives grace and favor to those governments who allow the church to be free. In Boston Catholic Charities no longer adopts , no priest will marry same sex couples, etc..In confession sexual sins must be recognized for what they are: weakness for the sinner who confesses, but pride for those who say their is no sin. I am hopeful the present strife will ease, but we are not to think the world is not still, NOT , Jesus's Kingdom, after all world wide there aretwenty million abortions [or more] and I for one freak out at God's anger over that [read Faustina's diary for an example]. So, fellow Catholics and friends, let us pray.
Michael: every child is entitled to loving parents. Having a mom and dad is no more a guarantee of a loving, supportive household than is having a priest and a nun living there.
[Thanks, Commonweal. Here's a snippet I ran into on the never boring web.]Jesus stated in Luke 17 that just before His return to earth as Judge, two big "crazes" will happen worldwide at the same time: (1) insane violence ("days of Noah"), and (2) outrageous sexual perversion ("days of Lot" - see Gen. 19). Aren't beheadings, cannibalism, and school shootings violent? And what's more perverted than a mob trying to rape LITERAL angels (see Gen. 19 again)?! So, America, keep spitting on God but you'd better duck when He spits back!! (PS - For a bigger enchilada, Google "when DIVERSITY becomes PERVERSITY.")
I am fully prepared for negative reactions. Follows is an (edited) letter I sent to BSA as both an Eagle Scout and as an active Scouter:I think that BSA changing their policy is a bad idea.I am writing based of my understanding of the policy based on BSAs representation to the Supreme Court in Boy Scouts of America vs. Dale and subsequently cited in the SCOTUS decision on the matter. BSAs recent announcement that a change in this policy was being reviewed and was subject to revision suggested application of the policy in a way that was not described to and by SCOTUS in Dale, but since Dale is the only thing I can actually reference, it will be my primary source for understanding, and therefore defending, the policy. I do, however, think it has been unwise for BSA to keep the details of this policy hidden from the larger body of volunteer Scouters (Scouters are what adult leaders in Scouting are called) and the public at large.The beauty, I think, of the Scout Oath, paired with the Scout Law, is the implicit notion that in order to change the world we must first change ourselves. Many (like me) may have a struggle controlling their weight and health; yet we oblige ourselves to do our best to be Physically Strong. There are many (and we all have known some) who struggle with chemical addictions, to alcohol, for example, to prescription or to illicit drugs; yet we oblige ourselves to do our best to be Mentally Awake. What shall we say of Morally Straight? I cannot, as someone who struggles with weight, simply declare obesity as being as Physically Strong as physical fitness. Someone who struggles with addiction issues cannot simply declare the haze of intoxication as being Mentally Awake. These would clearly be absurd arguments. Since the Physically Strong, Mentally Awake, and Morally Straight commitments in the Scout Oath are predicated on the commitment to Do my best, we implicitly understand that the way of living we strive for is not easy. We affirm in assuming the Scout Oath is that it is not our struggles and limitations that define Scouts and Scouters, our commitment can. Let us consider the predicate assumption that we need to make in order to adjust the current policy: We have to assume that it is a reasonable argument that the desire to engage in a behavior itself provides the moral authority for that behavior. If this is the case, does morality really exist? Certainly, in and of itself, this is an authentic question and worthy of consideration and debate, but since Scouts and Scouters oblige ourselves to do our best to be Morally Straight, we need to not only assume that morality exists, but that it is important.Since the policy as described in Dale address those who avow homosexuality, it avoids the bewildering ontological language that is frequently used in reference to sexual orientation. We assume that people who commit to the Scout Oath and Scout Law are living the Scout Oath and Scout Law until, of course, they tell us differently. The avowal referenced in the policy is just that. To adjust the policy would be to render a central portion of the Scout Oath meaningless. Scouts and Scouters lose the wonderful challenges that the Scout Oath and the Scout Law offer. Any of us who have been Scouts and high school students at the same time know full well how much disapproval our lifestyle engenders. That that disapproval is becoming more and more official ought not to surprise us. On the contrary, we Scouters have an opportunity to live and to model what we tell Scouts when we exhort them that A Scout is Brave, that is to have ... the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at him or threaten him (cf the Boy Scout Handbook). So while I think its important to leave the policy as it is, I think its important to have the text of the policy available for volunteer Scouters to read. For one, since I believe that the policy is far more nuanced than it is frequently portrayed. To have the policy spelled out enables Scouters who understand why it is important more easily advocate for it. Further, assuming that the policy is being misapplied, having it available for reference will help preclude that misapplication. While leaving the policy more-or-less unchanged is difficult, it should be noted that living the Scout Oath and Scout Law frequently is difficult. Leaving the policy unchanged is likely bad for business, but then living the Scout Oath and Scout Law probably should be bad for business, especially how business is often practiced any more. Being honest about who we are and what we stand for is essential not only for the Scouting Movement alone, but as a model to the rest of the world of truly authentic living.
Postponed:"IRVING, Tex. The Boy Scouts of America, which reconfirmed last summer its policy banning openly gay people from participation, then said last week it was reconsidering the ban, said on Wednesday that it would postpone until May their decision, as talk of gays in the ranks has roiled a storied organization that carries deep emotional connection and nostalgia for millions of Americans."http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/us/boy-scouts-postpone-decision-on-gay...


text:
re: the machine you are using to create the USB -- Is it also running Ubuntu, or is it running something else? Please be specific; it will help us give you more precise instructions.
Okay, on the hard drive of the Windows machine you need two things:
1. The Ubuntu ISO file you downloaded, and
2. A copy of the UNetbootin program: Go to...
...and click the "Download (for Windows)" link.
Reply back here when you are ready to proceed with the next step.
Now, plug the USB stick into the Windows machine. If Windows pops up an AutoPlay dialog asking what to do with the contents of the stick (e.g., "Import pictures and videos", "Open folder to view files", etc.) just close the dialog.
Click the Windows "Start" button, then click "Computer". Verify that the USB stick appears under the section "Devices with Removable Storage".
Okay so far?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
9 Foreign Words the English Language Desperately Needs
As we have demonstrated before, the English language has some grievous holes in it. We're talking about everyday phenomena that we have all noticed, yet don't have terms for.
Fortunately, while we were busy fumbling with hand gestures and illustrations like cavemen, other cultures just made up the perfect words and phrases to encapsulate those little everyday moments filled with ... uh ... je ne sais quoi.
#9. Shemomedjamo (Georgian)
To eat past the point of being full just because the food tastes good.
Here is a word that describes such a quintessentially American phenomenon it's shocking that another culture came up with it first. After all, there are entire civilizations that have never heard of "never-ending pasta bowls" or "dessert pizzas." Fortunately, the Georgians (the European Georgians, that is) devised a word to describe it exactly. "Shemomedjamo" is the act of eating to the point where your body says, "OK, we did it! We're all done now," and then muscling through another three steaks.
As absurd as that may sound, keep in mind that America has a holiday devoted entirely to shemomedjamo in November. The only way to know if you're done eating on Thanksgiving is when physical pain gets involved. If you don't eat on Thanksgiving until it hurts to breathe, you're either a liar or a terrorist (you're welcome, FBI). In fact, many Americans celebrate Thanksgiving shemomedjamo every day, because they're so patriotic.
Patriotism comes breaded and deep fried.
The literal translation for shemomedjamo is "I accidentally ate the whole thing," which is a charming way of saying "Oh my God, why isn't somebody stopping me?!"
Which neatly brings us to ...
#8. Kummerspeck (German)
Excess weight gained from emotional overeating.
"Kummerspeck" translates to "grief bacon," a word that finally acknowledges that when we are under a crushing weight of sadness or stress, many of us skip alcohol and narcotics in favor of delicious fried meats.
"Oh God, it reminds me of heeeerrrrr!"
College students do have their own version of this term -- they refer to the pounds gained by a new student on his own for the first time as the "Freshman 15" (or the "Freshman 50," depending on how homesick the kid is and how bad his grades are).
"No, you stud ... it's the number of girls you've slept with. Now let's leave the '80s and go the gym."
Sitcoms have always treated this as a predominantly female act (the scene usually features a woman frumped up in pajamas eating fistfuls ice cream after a breakup), but the comforting effects of fatty and salty food is both a physical and a psychological reaction that isn't exclusive to one gender. Everyone knows how comforting it can be to fill the metaphorical holes in our hearts with real doughnut holes.
Please note that icing makes a godawful lubricant.
What we're saying is that if there were a product for sale in the United States called Grief Bacon, we can almost guarantee that it would sell off the shelves right around Valentine's Day, Christmas and all 363 of the other saddest days of the year. Plus, with the recent trend of combining bacon with everything from chocolate to ice cream, it was only a matter of time before we combined it with grief just to see how that would taste.
"Tastes like the cold embrace of a razor. Until you pair it with Easy Cheese. Then it tastes awesome."
#7. Hikikomori (Japanese)
A teenager or 20-something who has withdrawn from social life, often obsessed with TV and video games.
We need this word because we badly need to draw a distinction here. After all, we're long past the "If you play video games, you're a virgin who lives in your parents' basement" stereotype. Pretty much everyone under the age of 40 owns at least one game machine. And these days, "geek" basically refers to the 80 percent of people who like video games, sci-fi or comics. "Nerd" just means somebody who's really smart. So what's the term for, say, MMORPG players who get so sucked into their game that they just withdraw from life?
No idea. All we do is call 911 when the hallway starts to smell.
Because these people do exist -- World of Warcraft even has its own syndrome named after it to account for the people who play the game so much that all of their friends think they moved away. We're guessing there isn't one person reading this who didn't have at least one friend disappear from the social scene when WoW was in its heyday. Or maybe they survived only to have Skyrim claim them.
"Fus Ro Dah" is just Dovahkiin for "LOL stfu n00b."
Well, Japan has named these unfortunate souls: the "hikikomori." It had to be the Japanese who came up with a word for it, because the phenomenon is at its worst in Japan, where some people will go entire years without leaving their bedroom (this is also a country where, coincidentally, a record number of young people have no interest in sex). Psychologists in Japan think the epidemic is linked to societal pressures and constant bullying.
Japan makes people want to curl up and hide? No, really.
Nevertheless, we all know at least one person who's right on the cusp of becoming one of the hikikomori, and if you don't, ask yourself when you last saw sunlight.
#6. Gadrii Nombor Shulen Jongu (Tibetan)
Giving an answer that is unrelated to the question.
"Gadrii nombor shulen jongu" translates literally to "giving a green answer to a blue question," and you won't find a gushier spring of it than in political debates. It sounds like this:
Moderator: How do you respond to allegations that you funneled federal grant money into your string of underground toddler fighting arenas?
Candidate: You know, I really can't believe we're focusing on this silly "scandal" when what Americans are really worried about is jobs.
"I will create jobs for boxing managers and trainers. And maybe ninja knife fighters."
It's an old rule of politics -- if you don't like the question you were asked, just answer the one you wish they had asked instead. Here's Sarah Palin doing a clumsily transparent job of it.
If you turn the sound off, it looks like a perfectly normal conversation between two batshit insane people.
But those of us not seeking political office can be just as guilty of this not-at-all-clever bit of skullduggery. Every once in awhile, when someone asks you a mundane question for which you have no answer, pride will intervene and refuse to let you cave to honesty. Before you know it, a question about whether you like a band you've never heard of devolves into a story about the time a bird shit in your friend's eye while the two of you stopped to watch a couple of horses humping. In situations like this, gadrii nombor shulen jongu can, at the very least, convince people to never ask you another question ever again.
And now your favorite musical genre is horse sex.
#5. Iktsuarpok (Inuit)
To go outside to check if an expected visitor has arrived, over and over again.
For lonely people eager to find new ways to express their loneliness, there is a new word that perfectly sums up the feeling of waiting for someone who, as time goes on, you realize probably isn't coming. We've all been guilty of "iktsuarpok" at one point or another, whether it's waiting for a prom date or waiting for a concealed-weapons permit in the mail after that prom fiasco. Time can seem to stretch on for eternity in moments that require you to wait on someone else, glancing out the window again and again, waiting for their car to pull into the driveway. The Inuit know the feeling so well they developed a word for it.
They have 40 words for "sudden onset cannibalism," too, if you're thinking of visiting.
The fact that iktsuarpok even exists as a word offers us all a sense of exactly what kind of isolation the Inuit people are subjected to every day. They will get all iktsuarpok-ed for the prospect of a guest like a kid for Santa Claus. So the next time you're feeling sick to death of all the people around you, remember that somewhere there's a group of people disconnected from civilization in subzero temperatures, just waiting for some hypothermic company to stumble past.
"Just chopping up some nice ice logs for the ice fire."


text:
Hey guys,
I know it's been a long time since my last report and for that I apologize. There's just been a whole lot going on and the extra time required to write these updates has been hard to come by. I promise you I will try to do a better job in the months to come.
Let's get right to the stuff you folks care about. You're going to be seeing a lot of new faces in new positions for the next little bit. If you don't already know, we've lost a couple of people who have been major contributors to your news for quite a while: Carrie Apple and Jon Hardison.
Carrie is on her way back home to Versailles to become a stay-at-home mom. Her husband has taken a job with Whitaker Bank in Lexington. She's been waiting for an opportunity like this for quite a while. Carrie has been a part of the WBKO team for quite a while. If you'll remember, she left for a while to work at a radio station in Nashville and then returned in May of 2000 to Chris Allen's side on AM-Kentucky. The chemistry between her and Chris has really worked to make AM-Kentucky one of the most popular local shows in the country. I know many of you will miss waking up with the Chris and Carrie every morning.
Hopefully, you'll be able to adjust quickly to the Chris and Courtney show. That's right Courtney Lassiter has taken over the morning show from Carrie. If you've seen Courtney on the couple of occasions when she has filled in for Carrie, you know that she and Chris share a similar chemistry. Courtney's been anchoring the weekend shows for about a year now and really seems to have a great connection with the viewers. Her energy and ability to not take herself too seriously should serve her well in her new position. She probably won't make any of you forget Carrie, but I think she will be able to insure a smooth transition for the show.
Courtney's move to mornings means there's a new face on the weekends. Kelly Sparks will be taking over as the anchor and producer of the weekend shows. Kelly started a part time employee for the station almost three years ago and has worked her way up through the ranks. She's filled in a couple of times for those shows and has really shined.
That's brings us to her next departure, Jon Hardison. You probably know Jon best as our 10:00 anchor, but he has also been our go-to reporter on some of the biggest stories of the last few years. The stories he's covered include the Mike Caudill crimes, the Davis Cooper thefts, the Convention Center debacle, and the Lucas Goodrum trial. He's now taken a job with WFIE in Evansville as a reporter. Jon has aspirations of working in some big cities in years to come and this is an excellent career move for him. I'm not sure yet, who will be taking over the 10:00. Last week, I held auditions within my staff to see who will be fill the position.
All of this is part of life at a small market station; there are always comings and goings as people move along in their careers and their lives. Every time someone leaves us, it opens the door for new faces in our lives. I've got a couple to tell you about now.
One of the new additions to our staff is Fida Georges. Fida comes to us from Miami where she worked as an administrative assistant at the NBC station there. She's been hired to be our new weekend reporter. Fida brings an international flair to our staff. She was born in Haiti of Syrian decent and speaks five languages fluently. She came to Bowling Green when her husband was transferred here. I hope that she will be a regular part of the WBKO staff for years to come.
The other new hire is Christopher MacDonald. He's a Broadcast Meteorologist from Michigan who will be joining Shane and Chris on the WBKO weather team. He'll be doing the forecasting primarily on the weekends for a while. I had quite an interesting dinner the other night with he and Shane. The two of them started discussing hurricanes. They were throwing out low pressure points, storm surges, etc. and comparing all the storms from the past several years as if those storms were old friends from high school. I knew at that point that he was the guy for the job. We wanted to make sure that we found someone who was as passionate about weather as Chris and Shane. I know that iron shackles won't keep Chris or Shane from the studio when severe weather threatens this area. I think Christopher has that same desire to keep you informed when things get bad.
Now I want to move on to something else designed to keep you informed when severe weather threatens. I don't know if you've seen the ads for our new StormCall service or not. We've offered the service for about a month and not many of you have signed up for it. I can only assume it's because you're not really clear about just what it is.
I've long thought that one of the biggest weaknesses in severe weather coverage is the fact that in most cases you have to be awake and watching TV or listening to the radio to know when a severe storm or tornado is coming. I'm sure many of you have stayed up all night before because you were afraid a storm would hit while you were sleeping and you would have no warning. Some of you have NOAA radios for this, but the problem with them is that they often go off too often. Most of the time, these are programmed to go off if a tornado or severe storm warning is issued for anywhere in your county. If you live in northern Warren County (Anna), for example, and there's a severe storm in the southern part of the county (Alvaton), you would get the exact same notification as the folks in Alvaton. This is okay at 7:00 in the evening, but at 3:00AM it might be a little annoying. Some people only want to be notified if they are personally in immediate danger. For this reason, a lot of NOAA radios are turned off and never used.
We helped design StormCall to address this. When the National Weather Service issues a warning, it actually assigns the warning to a very localized area they call a Warning Polygon. Currently most warning systems fire off if any part of that Polygon falls into a particular county. For example… if there is a tornado along the Green River in northern Warren County, warnings will be issued for Butler, Edmonson, and Warren Counties. That means that everyone in nearly 1,300 square miles will be placed under a Tornado Warning. However, the tornado may only be a real threat to the folks in the thirty or so square miles near the river. StormCall is set up to only warn those folks in the Warning Polygon or, in other words, those in the immediate path of the tornado.
Basically, you go to our website and click on the StormCall link. You'll give the StormCall folks your address and phone number. They assign longitude and latitude coordinates to your home and you will be phoned whenever you are in immediate danger. The system is set up for tornadoes, flash floods, ice storms, and terrorist attacks. There is a cost for the service; it's three dollars a month ($36 a year). To me, that is very cheap insurance to guarantee you and your family get warned if a tornado is heading your way. Once again, you will only get called if the threat is in your immediate vicinity.
We are the only television station in the country currently offering this service and you don't have to live in the South-Central Kentucky area to sign up. I'm actually planning to give a StormCall subscription to some of my family for Christmas gifts. I hope they never need it, but it will certainly pay for itself if they do.
Now that we're talking potential gifts, let's talk big. We're now less than two weeks away from our big St. Jude's Home Give-Away. We've sold over five thousand tickets for the home; that means less than one thousand remain. The house is now open to the public for viewing. If you haven't heard about this, we're giving away a brand-new $250,000 home. Tickets are $100 each and we're only going to sell 6,000 of them. All the money raised from this event will go to the St. Jude's children's hospital. I will say, I think we overdid it on this house. I'll bet if actually had it appraised, the value would be well over $300,000. Whoever wins will be responsible paying the taxes on it, but it's still going to be a very cheap expensive home. I guess in the worse case scenario, whoever wins would have to sell the home to pay the taxes. They'd still come out a couple hundred thousand ahead.
And finally, I want to take a moment to put in my two cents worth on a national issue that has not gotten nearly the public attention that I think it deserves. Last week, New York Times journalist Judith Miller was released from jail after spending 12 weeks there for refusing to reveal her source in a story she was working on concerning the C.I.A. She was released because her source told her she could reveal his identity. This whole ordeal has really been troubling to me. It was troubling that she was sent to jail for doing her job, but it's been real troubling to see how apathetic the American public has been to the whole ordeal.
I apologize if I'm about to jump up on a soapbox, but I think this is very important stuff. I don't know if you guys realize this or not, but journalism is the only profession protected by the U.S. Constitution. The folks who founded this country believed that the only way you can have a true democracy is if there is a free flow of information to the public. It was not a coincidence that the amendment protecting the press is the very First Amendment that was made. Many of the founding fathers almost refused to sign the U.S. Constitution because the free flow of information wasn't a part of the original draft. Americans can't be self-governing if they don't have complete access to the workings of our government and to information relating to the important issues of their lives. I certainly recognize that there are bad journalists out there; there are also people calling themselves journalists who are certainly sticking their noses where it doesn't belong. However, information concerning how American tax dollars are spent or how our elected leaders are leading (regardless of party affiliation) must be available to the public. If it isn't, how can we as citizens ever be expected to make good decisions.
I don't know all the details of the Miller case; I don't know if anyone in government was actually doing anything wrong or not. That's not my concern. What worries me is that a federal judge decided to throw the Constitution out the window and ask the question, "Who told you that?" When Miller refused to answer, she was jailed. It's like the playground bully who demands to know who tattled on him to the teacher. The bully is not asking that question so he can pat the guy on the back for being responsible.
We as journalists recognize the enormous legal risks to ourselves if we choose to report information we receive from an un-named source. If that information turns out to be false, we open ourselves (and our employers) up to a whole plethora of libel and fraud charges. Even if the information is true, we often can't report it because the only proof we have comes from a source we can't name. It's all part of the business. However, protecting the public from corruption or incompetence in government (or anywhere else) requires that sources feel free to be honest and open with journalists without the fear of retribution. Without that protection it is impossible for us to provide the checks and balances that our forefathers built into the system to insure a true democratic government.
Several states around the country have Shield Laws to protect journalists in these situations. Most of those laws are based indirectly on the federal constitution, but there is no Federal Shield Law. There are laws to protect lawyers and doctors from releasing information. While those professions are certainly important, neither is protected specifically by the constitution. The laws relating to those positions are designed to protect the rights of individuals (clients and patients); journalism protects the rights of all citizens.
The country should be outraged, but for the most part no one's noticed. I'm afraid that we are getting more and more comfortable with the idea of forfeiting some of our rights as Americans. I hope you don't think I'm implying that the current administration is corrupt; I am certainly am not doing that. I just think we have to be constantly vigilant to protect the system that protects our rights. Every time that system is weakened, we make ourselves more vulnerable to public corruption in the future. Every time we give up a right, we make it virtually impossible to regain that right back in the future.
Once again, I apologize for the quite lengthy tangent. I got into this business because of important role I think it plays in the continuing greatness of our country. I take it very personally when I see that role eroded.
Thanks for indulging me…. I promise not to be so lecturing next time.
John Preston
News Director


text:
ISLEMAN, Stanley Lee, 64, of Toronto, OH, passed away Wednesday, November 7, 2012.
He was retired from the Ohio Edison Co. (FirstEnergy) Stratton, OH, Sammis Plant.
He is survived by his wife, Charlene Fay Isleman of the family home whom he married August 18, 1977; sons, Jay Thomas and Rich (Marilyn) Thomas both of Toronto, OH; grandchildren, Tristan, Taylie and Teryn Thomas; sister, Sandra (Kenny) Scott of Dayton, OH; brothers, Dayrl Isleman and Raymond (Frankie) Isleman both of Minnesota.
Visitation for Stanley will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, November 10th at the Clarke Funeral Home, Toronto.
A celebration service of Stanley's life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions in memory of Stanley may be made to the American Cancer Society OR the Jefferson County Huamane Society.
To view the obituary, sign the guest register or send condolences to the family go to www.clarkefuneralhome.com


text:
OKLAHOMA! (Autism-Friendly Performance)
You are hereHome/ OKLAHOMA! (Autism-Friendly Performance)
This is a special performance for an audience of families and friends with children or adults who are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other sensitivity issues. At this performance the theater environment and production will be altered, providing sensory-friendly, comfortable and a judgement-free space that is welcoming for these families. This performance is recommended for those families bringing a loved one on the autism spectrum, and their teachers and advocates who are familiar with and accepting of behaviors exhibited by some children with autism.
To purchase tickets for this autism-friendly performance, please contact the Audience Services Manager at (617) 912-9142.
Special Pricing
Adult - $20.00
Children/Student - $10.00


text:
What is the current status or acceptance of block time as it relates to Einstein's theory of relativity? Has quantum mechanics ruled it out or is it still the favored view of the world? Perhaps there can't be any consensus as we cannot link quantum mechanics with relativity?
Block time is not a physical theory. It's a philosophical interpretation. It can't be tested empirically. For these reasons it doesn't really make sense to ask for its status or whether it's accepted. You can poll physicists on whether they like it (there have been polls like this, for example, on the Copenhagen interpretation versus many-worlds), but the results are pretty meaningless. I could vote one way in the poll one day and then vote the opposite way the next day. There would be no contradiction, because the choice of interpretation has no effect on any prediction that can be compared with the results of actual experiments.


text:
Get more cash for your jewelry at Gold Buyers of New Mexico
Posted at: 11/13/2012 11:57 AM | Updated at: 11/13/2012 12:07 PM
Marin Carrillo of Gold Buyers of New Mexico talks about how you can get more for your gold or silver jewelry.
Gold Buyers of New Mexico
3570-A Cerrillos Rd
Santa Fe, NM
(505) 228-1537
2130 San Mateo Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM
(505) 239-0000
This Good Day New Mexico segment may include paid advertising content. It is not affiliated with KOB-TV's News Department.


text:
Morphologically there are two types of squamocolumnar junctions (SCJ). The original SCJ is the border where the original squamous epithelium meets the outermost limit of the developing transformation zone. The present SCJ is the innermost border where the maturing squamous metaplasia meets the mucous secreting columnar epithelium.
Transformation Zone
SCJ Diagram
The transformation zone is the area of actively maturing epithelium between the present squamocolumnar junction (SCJ) and the original squamous epithelium. This zone is composed of the intermingling of squamous and columnar epithelium. Squamous metaplasia, islands of columnar epithelium, gland openings and Nabothian cysts may be identified. This is shown schematically in the card SCJ Diagram.
Over 90% of neoplasia arises from within the transformation zone. Therefore, a colposcopic evaluation of the cervix is not considered adequate unless the transformation is seen in its entirety.
The precise location of the transformation zone varies in relation to the exo and endocervix. This is related to the age of the patient and the degree of squamous metaplasia.
Atypical Transformation Zone
Over 90% of cervical neoplasia (CIN and invasive cancer) arises from within the
transformation zone. Colposcopy evaluates this zone for evidence of neoplasia
which is a result of changes in epithelial thickness, nuclear density and vascular proliferation. These changes can be manifested in a variety of patterns including:
leukoplakia, acetowhite
epithelium and abnormal vascular patterns.
Original Squamous Epithelium
Squamous epithelium derived from the evolution of columnar cells to squamous
during the first 18-20 weeks of fetal age.
A variety of instruments are available which are specifically designed for directed biopsy of abnormal areas seen grossly or through the colposcope. Another commonly used intstrument during colposcopy, albeit not for biopsy, is the endocervical speculum.
(due to Trichomonas)
Cervicitis is a non-specific, inflammatory response to a variety of both infectious and non-infectious agents. It is characterized by hyperemia and a vascular pattern sometimes confused with punctation under the colposcope. In contrast to punctation, changes of cervicitis extend well beyond the transformation zone.
Red-free filters (green or blue) create a contrast between blood vessels and their background. This allows for enhanced evaluation of blood vessel architecture as demonstrated below.
Acetic Acid Solution
Acetic acid dissolves mucous and accentuates atypical areas (white epithelium,
punctation, mosaic and atypical vessels) by inducing intracelluar dehydration and coagulation
of protein.
This effect peaks approximately 2 minutes after application and fades within 5 minutes. Therefore, acetic acid may need to be reapplied several times during the exam.
Lugol's Solution
Lugol's stain of a
CIN III: Severe Dysplasia
Lugol's solution is composed of iodine and potassium iodide in water. It stains the glycogen in mature squamous epithelium a dark brown color. Consequently, areas devoid of glycogen such as immature squamous eptithelium, columnar epithelium, cervicitis, erosion and neoplasia will be non-staining.
The application of Lugol's solution to the cervix is known as the Schiller Test.
The Colposcope
From the examiner's perspective
From the patient's perspective.
The Colposcope is a binocular, low-magnification (7x to 30x) microscope with a light source which is used to visualize the cervix, vagina and vulva. It often contains an integrated camera for photographic documentation of colposcopic findings.
Malignant epithelium with increased metabolic need is accompanied by proliferation of blood vessels. This vascular growth is not symmetric and is often associated with progressively smaller blood vessels. With invasive cancer these vessels can make sharp angulations with either cork-screw, hockey-stick or spaghetti-like patterns. The distance between vessels is often increased resulting in bizarre patterns.
Endocervical Speculum
Speculum in use
Visualization of the entire transformation zone is mandatory for colposcopic evaluation of the cervix to be considered adequate. At times, the zone is within the endocervical canal. The endocervical speculum is specifically designed to allow for better evaluation in such cases.
Atrophic changes result from low estrogen levels characteristic of the menopausal
patient. The appearance is that of a typically smooth and thin epithelium. This results in
blood vessels being more readily visible and trauma easily incurred. These changes are
reversible with the use of exogenous hormonal therapy.
It is important to remember that atrophy can result in cytologic changes that mimic high-grade abnormalities (CIN or invasive cancer). It is therefore, important to inform the cytologist of the patient's age and hormonal status.
This term refers to a white plaque visible without magnification and without the application of acetic acid. It is usually elevated from surrounding surfaces with a sharp border and Lugol's non-staining. Histologically, this lesion would reveal hyperkeratosis.
Though leukoplakia in and of itself is not pathologic, an underlying more significant lesion may be present.
Through the colposcope, columnar epithelium appears as a grape-like, mucous secreting three-dimensional structure. Its reddened appearance is secondary to the proximity of blood vessels to the surface. This pattern is best visualized after the application of acetic acid and is Lugol's non-staining.
Histologically, these single-layered columnar cells have a connective tissue core through which runs an afferent and efferent loop of terminal capillaries.
Squamous Metaplasia
The normal physiologic process by which columnar epithelium evolves into
squamous epithelium. The outermost border is the original squamocolumnar junction (SCJ)
while the innermost border is the present SCJ. This occurs under the effect of several factors including, hormonal stimulation, low pH and trauma.
The transformation zone is the area in which squamous metaplasia is actively ocurring and is the most common site for the development of CIN or invasive cancer.
Through the colposcope there is a pattern of a combination of squamous and columnar epithelium. Gland openings and Nabothian cysts may be evident.
Histologically, in the early stages of this process, immature squamous cells push up columnar cells. Eventually, the columnar cells degenerate and there is differentiation into immature and eventually mature squamous epithelum.
Gland Openings
Gland openings are the persistent appearance of the opening of the endocervical
gland ducts on the squamous epithelial surface of the transformation zone.
Nabothian cysts are inclusions or entrapments of mucous from secreting columnar villae under the developing squamous epithelial surface. The capillaries in such areas are often dilated, but have a normal branching architecture.
Pap Smear
Pap test was introduced as a cervical screening test in 1943 by
Dr. George Papanicolaou for whom it is named. It is the evaluation of exfoliated
cells which when stained and examined microscopically, exhibit changes consistent
with a variety of abnormalities including CIN and invasive cancer.
Condyloma (acuminatum) are exophytic, warty lesions caused by human papilloma virus infection (HPV). These lesions are often multi-focal and can be located both within and outside of the transformation zone.
It is currently believed that certain subtypes of HPV cause condyloma as described above. Other subtypes, however, are associated with flat condyloma which appear to be part of the etiology of high grade intraepithelial neoplasia and perhaps invasive cancer.
Some infections with HPV are subclinical and are manifested by subtle abnormalities under the colposcope, such as minimally raised, whitened epithelium.
Endometriosis in relation to colposcopy
Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue in locations outside of the
uterus. Though rarely seen under the colposcope, when identified, it appears as a focal
area of hemorrhage or a blue-domed cyst.
Diethylstilbestrol (DES)
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a non-steroidal, synthetic estrogen used extensively
from 1940-1971 for complications of pregnancy. When taken antenatally (during the first 20
weeks of pregnancy), the female offspring may exhibit a variety of changes that include
anatomic deformities, histologic abnormalities and colposcopic changes which can affect the
vagina, cervix and uterus.
The anatomic abnormalities include cockscomb cervix, cervical collar, pseudopolyp, loss of pars, cervical hypoplasia, vaginal constriction ring and transverse septum. In addition, there are a variety of benign changes of the uterus including T-shaped, (with or without a small cavity) which may result in obstetrical complications.
Histologically, DES exposure in utero has been shown to result in vaginal adenosis. One in a thousand cases of DES exposure result in clear-cell adenocarcinoma.
Colposcopically,there is often a widened transformation zone which with advancing age becomes covered with metaplastic epithelium. During the process of progessive squamous metaplasia, a mosaic pattern or punctation may be seen. However, these changes are rarely associated with CIN, in contrast to the significance to these findings in the non- DES patient.
White (or acetowhite) epithelium refers to the whitened appearance of an area under the colposcope after the application of acetic acid. In contrast to leukoplakia, white epithelium is visible only after the application of acetic acid because it represents epithelium with increased nuclear density. White epithelium is sometimes associated with intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and therefore, should be biopsied.
The presence of columnar epithelium in the vaginal fornices or vagina. When
identified, antenatal exposure to DES should be considered.
There are three characteristic abnormal vascular patterns found on colposcopic examination. They are mosaic, punctation and atypical vessels.
A vascular change of interconnecting vessels resulting in a cobble-stone or honey- comb surface appearance through the colposcope. This pattern is often associated with CIN and mandates biopsy.
This is an example of punctation
It is a zone of red dots representing stromal papillae and blood vessel loops reaching to the surface epithelium. When this pattern is identified through the colposcope, biopsy is indicated since this pattern may reflect blood vessel changes of neoplasia.
CIN - Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) refers to a spectrum of abnormalities of
the surface epithelium. The spectrum includes epithelial changes in the transformation zone
ranging from CIN I (mild dysplasia) to CIS (carcinoma in-situ).
There are characteristic colposcopic, cytologic and histologic findings associated with each grade of CIN.
These findings will be illustrated for each grade of CIN.
Cytologic aberrations seen in CIN include: hyperchromaticity, abnormal chromatin distribution, increased nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio and nuclear pleomorphism. These abnormalities may be seen in exfoliated cells in a Pap smear or in a histologic slide from a biopsy specimen.
Histologically, CIN grading is based upon the proportion of the surface epithelium composed of undifferentiated cells characteristic of the basal layer. Increasing grade is associated with a progressive loss of epithelial maturation.
CIN I: Mild Dysplasia
Colposcopy View
CIN I or mild dysplasia represents atypical cells with increased nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio and hyperchromatic nuclei present in the lower /3 of the epithelial layer from the basement membrane.
CIN II: Moderate Dysplasia
Colposcopy View
CIN II or moderate dysplasia shows further progression of the nuclear abnormalities with greater involvement of the epithelial thickness. In CIN II, immature basaloid cells occupy the lower /3 to 2/3 of the epithelium.
CIN III: Severe Dysplasia
Colposcopy View
CIN III or severe dysplasia represents almost total involvement of the epithelium with only one or two layers of mature cells remaining at the surface. When the entire epithelium is involved, the term CIS is applicable.
Histology With all levels of CIN the basement membrane of the epithelium remains intact. Once the membrane is violated, invasive cancer is diagnosed. With very early invasion the term microinvasion applies.
OncoLink is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through OncoLink should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem or have questions or concerns about the medication that you have been prescribed, you should consult your health care provider.
Information Provided By: www.oncolink.org | © 2016 Trustees of The University of Pennsylvania


text:
As a Youth Advocate Mentor, you will lead legal rights and advocacy workshops for low-income teens. As part of the workshops, teens learn: to educate other teens about critical issues like reproductive rights,education, employment, stop & frisk, and more; to build youth advocacy clinics in their communities; and to testify at City Council hearings.Please RSVP to email@example.com by Monday, February 11th, 5PM if you would like to attend the training and info session.Pizza will be served. Hosted by Social Justice Initiatives.
© Copyright 2016, The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.
For questions or comments, please contact the web administrators.
435 West 116 Street, New York, NY 10027 — 212-854-2640


text:
MOSSOR, Donna Lee Kelly, 70 of Toronto, OH, passed away Sunday, January 13, 2013, at the Valley Hospice Care Center, North, Steubenville, OH
She was born February 7, 1942 in Steubenville, OH the daughter of the late Priscillan (Rickus) McCain Donna was a member of the First Christian Church of Wellsville, Ohio; Donna served as a volunteer for the Toronto Emergency Medical Service for many years; served as chairwoman at the Urban Mission Hunger Ministry and food pantry for 15 years; was a Bible Bowl teacher and competition leader for many years and server on mission to the various church committees her entire adult life. She was also involved in the Jefferson County Council for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities for many years. Donna loved people and was very outgoing and loved everybody's baby. She will be missed for her beautiful smile and her loving personality. She was a 1960 graduate of Cadiz High School.
Her survivors are her husband, Patrick "Kenny" Mossor of the home whom she married February 25, 1962; her children, Kenny Lee (Cindy) Mossor of Toronto, OH, Gary Lee (Julie) Mossor of Tooele, UT, Tina Marie (Mike) Juhma of Palm Coast, FL and Peggy Lee Mossor of the home in Toronto, OH; grandchildren, Christ, Tiffiny, Britany and Dustin Mossor, Shawn and Megan Core; great-grandchildren, Chloe and Aiden Mossor; brothers, Terry (Anna) Kelly of West Richfield, OH, Randy (Anita) McCain of WV and Bruce (Diane) McCain of Louisville, OH; sisters, Sandy Lachette of Dover, OH, Shirley (Jewell) Dayton of Smithfield, OH and Brenda Wease of Adena, OH.
Article Photos
There will be visitation hours for Donna 4-8 p.m. Wednesday January 16th at the Clarke Funeral Home, 302 Main St., Toronto. Additional visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m. Thursday, January 17th at the First Christian Church, 831 North Main Street, Wellsville, OH.
A celebration service of Donna's life will be held 11 a.m. Thursday at the First Christian Church, Wellsville, OH with Pastor Mark Blakeley officiating.
The family suggests memorial donations in lieu of flowers be made to the First Christian Church, 831 North Main Street, Wellsville, OH 43968.
To view the obituary, sign the guest register or send condolences to the family go to www.clarkefuneralhome.com


text:
Top Definition
When a person winks with their mouth in an O shape. Thus creating the cute face ;o Girl usually do it to one another to show how cute they are. Girls enjoy it even more when a guy does it.
She just did the cute face ;o
von cutefacer 24. Oktober 2011
Trending Now


text:
Event date
Full Address
601 Brentwood, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Fellowship Hall Oak Park Unitted Methodist Church
Contact Email
Contact Phone Number
918 440 2030
Oak Park Commuity Assoiciation guest speaker is Ward 4 City Council person Doann Nguyen. All residents of Ward 4 are invited to attend and meet our new City Council person. Meeting to start at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, August 26 in the Fellowship Hall of Oak Park United Methodist Church.


text:
6 Ridiculous Myths About the Middle Ages Everyone Believes
#3. Everyone Was a Prude
The Myth:
Casual sex, and even knowledge of how sex works, is a modern invention. During the heavily religious Dark Ages, sex was strictly forbidden outside of marriage, and every single person of consenting age (a term that was very loosely defined back then) led a life that was a never-ending squelch through a pool of their own sexual repression.
The Reality:
You know those really goofy-looking shoes that men wore back then? The extra pointy ones, like something an elf would wear?
We'd still wear those over Heelys.
Well, those points are called poulaines, and apparently they were meant to directly represent the wearer's dong. And in a revelation that will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone even remotely familiar with the intricate relationship between a man and his wang, these points were sometimes so big that dudes couldn't walk up stairs. Good thing they were all wearing those elaborate codpieces to protect their actual dongs when their shoe-dongs tripped them up.
And the sexy didn't stop with their fashion. Prostitution was a big friggin' deal back then. Although technically against the teachings of the church, everyone collectively agreed that if there were no hookers around, men would be out raping, just, everyone, because some of what you've heard about the Middle Ages wasn't a myth. In most medieval cities, prostitution was completely legal yet confined to certain districts and licensed by a town's mayor. The church even got in on this deal and licensed some holy brothels of its very own.
"She'll tickle your schmeckel for only a shekel!"
But let's not leave out the married folk. Since most upper-class marriages were political arrangements and the people getting married didn't necessarily like each other all that much, extramarital affairs were where it was at. And man, did these people get down -- if you've ever watched a show like The Tudors and thought it was all sexed up for a modern audience, you were wrong.
One of the reasons that Eleanor of Aquitaine usurped her husband Henry II was because Henry II apparently had more mistresses than Tiger Woods. Seeing that getting in bed with the king was a good way to get ahead in life, daughters of lower nobility basically became escorts and tried to become the king's favorite mistress, which worked out pretty well for Anne Boleyn when she married Henry VIII and became Queen of England. Worked out pretty well, that is, until she was beheaded for allegedly banging too many people who weren't Henry VIII.
The Bible is very clear that you're only allowed three affairs at a time.
But the whole situation was still bad news for women, right? Because women were basically property back then? Well ...
#2. Women Were Treated as Cattle
Nino Mascardi/Getty Images
The Myth:
Europe during the Middle Ages is right up there with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan in the Top 5 Places It Would Suck to Have a Vagina. Women were horribly oppressed and were treated as second-class citizens -- their only responsibilities were to cook, clean, and squeeze out (male) babies on demand.
"Sweetie? You get that new male heir I asked for? It's been like an hour ..."
The Reality:
Up until about 200 years ago, Europe was a largely agricultural society. And the funny thing about back-breaking and often dehumanizing labor is that it has a weird way of equalizing people -- when literally every member of the family is out busting his or her ass every morning just to fend off the very real threat of starvation, gender roles and sexism suddenly don't seem all that important. Thus, when it came to household responsibilities, women and men were equals by default, since the women had to do all the same bullshit their husbands had to do. So should time travel ever become a thing, never tell a medieval peasant woman to go make her husband a sandwich, because she'll probably cackle her plague-breath all up in your face before snapping you in half like a twig.
And the story wasn't much different in the cities. If dad owned a shop or a tavern, his daughters were the ones helping out. Sometimes a daughter would actually take over the family business and run it herself if her father became unable to, something that wouldn't really happen until much later in modern society. Women also generally ran the taverns in the Middle Ages -- in fact, women once ran England's entire beer industry. It's not quite clear when that changed, but we have to assume that at some point men realized they had allowed women to become all powerful by letting them be in charge of both beer and vaginas.
"Well, at least we still have sports ... Oh Christ!"
Women who weren't busy running taverns or growing crops to survive could join a convent, which may not sound all that impressive until you realize that this gave them access to education in a time when that was extremely rare -- nuns could read and write in an age when the most powerful kings couldn't. And if they stuck with it long enough to become the abbess of a convent, they were in a position of power very similar to a male lord -- only, you know, maybe even a little higher, seeing as how they technically reported directly to the King of Kings and all.
#1. Life Was Horrible and Everyone Died Young
The Myth:
Life in the Middle Ages has famously been described as "nasty, brutish, and short." The food sucked, the housing sucked, the work sucked, everything sucked. Luckily, people didn't have to endure all the perpetual suck for long, since they only lived to see 35, tops. Today, if you see a character older than 60 in a movie set in the Middle Ages, he's also a wizard.
"A wizard dies precisely when he means to. Or when the giant eagles show up late."
The Reality:
As for lives being short, while it may be true that the average life expectancy was 35 years, we tend to overlook one very important word there: average. Infant mortality was brutal, since vaccinations against childhood diseases didn't exist yet and medicine was still in its "Here, chew on this root and stick some leeches on your junk" stage. So that skews the average way down. But if a male living in 1500 managed to see his 21st birthday, he was expected to live around 50 more years from that point.
The typical perception of the medieval peasant is someone breaking his back doing nonstop labor for lords who gaveth not a single fuck as to his well-being, but your typical peasant actually worked around eight hours a day, with long breaks for meals and naps. And did you know that peasants got more time off than you do? Sunday was an automatic day off, and when you factor in long vacations at Christmas, Easter, and midsummer, plus all the saints' days (considering the fact that the Catholic church has even more saints than it does scandals), and medieval peasants were on holiday for a good one-third of the year. And since much of that time was accompanied by epic festivals, they spent it getting shitfaced on various varieties of medieval ale. So not only did they work less than you, they also partied harder.
"Hey, you guys coming to the after-orgy?"
And it turns out they weren't exactly living lives of "bare bones subsistence," either. By the late Middle Ages, your average English worker was making around $1,000 a year -- significantly better than people in some of today's poorer nations. And while no one will argue that that level of income would provide lifestyles that would inspire rap song lyrics, it did allow them to afford varied diets, the occasional luxury item, and plenty of ale to cover all the partying they were virtually required to do. Hell, you could get a rap song out of that, right? Quick, what rhymes with "dick shoes"?
For more things you're totally wrong about, check out 6 Things from History Everyone Pictures Incorrectly and The 5 Most Overrated Jobs of All Time.
We have some bad news: Ancient Greece was the cover of pastel vomit, everything you know about Ancient Egypt is a lie and your favorite book sellers are now taking pre-orders for a text book written and illustrated entirely by the Cracked team! Hitting shelves in October, Cracked's De-Textbook is a fully-illustrated, systematic deconstruction of all of the bullshit you learned in school.
It's loaded with facts about history, your body, and the world around you that your teachers didn't want you to know. And as a bonus? We've also included the kinkiest sex acts ever described in the Bible.