Do a Good Deed - get a ticket

"The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers."
- Dave Barry

Today I was asked to help our local Boy Scout troop with their merit badge for emergency preparedness. One requirement on the list was about training and safety for traffic and crowd control. This made me shake my head.

As WEVR (Westchester Emergency Volunteer Responders) my wife & I had a training class on traffic control. The policeman who taught the class urged us NEVER to direct traffic. We were not authorized and if asked to direct traffic, would not be immune from lawsuits for any traffic accident we caused!

Police are serious about their authority when it comes to directing traffic. Last September a major traffic light went out in Pasadena, CA at Fair Oaks and Huntington avenues. Traffic was backed up for more than a mile and it took more than 30 minutes to get through the busy intersection. At this point Alan Ehrlich acted like a good Boy Scout, put on a bright orange shirt he had in the car, grabbed a couple of orange safety flags, and began directing traffic. [I wonder what his day job is?]

Ehrlich cleared up the mess in 10 minutes. Five minutes later the South Pasadena police showed up and gave Ehrlich a ticket ($193) for "pedestrian on roadway" and ordered him to stop. Did the police take over at that point? No. The police told him that they are not required under California law to regulate the traffic and they left the scene trusting instead upon temporary stop signs to control traffic.

Police and the city of South Pasadena say they currently have no plans to change their procedures. Ehrlich disagrees, “We have limited resources . . . we need to prioritize them. One of the major intersections out at rush hour in our city should be a priority.”

Bottom Line

Are stop signs enough at a major intersection when the lights go out? I'd say not, but California has other ideas.

A Very Knotty Post

"Aye, new yew wood knot"
- Answer to the question, is that a new wood carving? Also an example of the flexibility of the English language - the exact same spoken sentence but with totally different meaning called be spelled "I knew you would not".

Boy Scouts and knot lovers alike should check out Andy's Most Useful Knots at ASiteAboutNothing.net. Andy begins with

"For a long time, I wished I knew a set of knots that would be the knot equivalent of a Swiss army knife. I knew a few good knots, but every once in a while I'd try to do something like lashing two pieces of wood together and I'd grunt at the end because I didn't know a satisfying way to stop the rope."

I had the same experience recently while assisting our local Boy Scout Troop. They were lashing logs to make a tent and I realized I had no clue what to do. I know many knots but not lashing.

Since Andy's Knot page includes great knot tying pictures I won't every try to summarize it here. I will note something important that I learned.

When I teach Cub Scouts I point out that yes the Square Knot is wonderful. Easy to tie, a symbol of Webelos and Scouting friendship, etc. But I would not trust my life to it. People often tie it incorrectly and make a granny knot instead of a square knot with right over left, then left over right to get the classic intertwined loop look. The granny knot is not as secure and could come unbound under stress. Even when the square knot is properly made, it does NOT bind two ropes together well if the ropes are different widths or different materials. Instead I teach a sheet bend to connect two ropes.

A knot that I really like is the bowline which can be used for nearly everything. But Andy's page pointed that that the bowline suffers from the same flaw as the square knot. It is very easy to make a mistake. Hopefully you will recall the rabbit comes out of the hole, around the tree, and back down the hole for making the bowline. But what I and others have trouble remembering is the correct making of the hole itself. Does the loop for the hole cross on top or underneath the binding end of the rope? (Answer is on top) According to Andy, rock climbers now prefer the "threaded figure-eight" knot. 

Bottom Line

Every Knot has a purpose and limitations. Get to know the knot families and a good knot for each purpose:

1. Attaching a rope to boat, post, climber, etc.
2. A fixed loop in a rope
3. A sliding loop
4. A tension loop (grips under stress but can be adjusted)
5. Tie two ropes together (Bends)
6. Constricting knots (closing the mouth of a bag or tieing objects together)
7. Stopper knots  (making a kink to stop a rope from slipping out a hole)
8. Lashing

Trail Mix

"Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't."
- Almond Joy candy bar ad

As a Cub Scout Leader, an article with the title, "Create the Perfect Trail Mix", naturally caught my attention. It begins with an emphasis on nuts,

"Here’s the truth about the fat found in almonds, walnuts, pecans, and other nuts: It’s as healthy—or healthier—than anything else in your diet. It fills your belly better than any other snack on the planet while decreasing your risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, smoothing your skin, pumping you full of antioxidants, and helping you stay thin."

Then a simple recipe:

 Choose a Nut (1 cup)
 Choose a Seed (1/2 cup)
 Choose an Extra Crunch (1 cup)
 Choose a Sweetener (1-2 cups)
 Mix It Up

Nuts to consider: Almonds, Brazil nuts, Macadamias, Peanuts, Pecans, Pistachios, or Walnuts.

Seeds: Sunflower, Pumpkin, Hemp(?!), Sesame, and Chia. (What's a Chia?). Sesame and Hemp seeds are both small and will slip through fingers. Use them only in mixes intended as a sprinkle atop yogurt or cereal.

Crunch: Hard cereals like Fiber One, Grape-Nuts, Cheerios, or Kix; Soy nuts, Wasabi peas, Pretzel bits, Sesame sticks

Sweetener: Dark chocolate chips or dried fruit like raisins, apricots, blueberries, cranberries, goji berries, cherries, banana chips.  (We use Peanut M&Ms)

Bottom Line

Experiment with the ratios in the recipe. Personally I'd use less sweet and more crunch. Also watch out for the moisture in your dried fruit. Combine dried apricots with a cereal like Chex and the cereal will go stale in a few days.
And remember that trail mix is not just for hiking. We always make a trail mix for long driving trips.

DIY Dunces

“It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.” - Napoleon Hill

The Daily Mail of London had discovered that our latest generation is unskilled. "Do it yourself? Not likely if you're under 35. More than half are DIY dunces who can't even rewire a plug and have to rely on parents"

"More than half of young people lack the skills they need to maintain their homes, with many relying on their parents to carry out basic tasks, a survey suggested today.


Around 50 per cent of people aged under 35 admitted they did not know how to rewire a plug, while 54 per cent did not know how to bleed a radiator and 63 per cent said they would not attempt to put up wallpaper, according to Halifax Home Insurance.

Other basic jobs, such as putting up shelves, were beyond 45 per cent of those questioned, while 36 per cent said they would not even attempt to do gardening themselves."

Bottom Line

It's important to teach basic life skills and involve youth in house project. Boy Scouts can also help with teaching skills. My wife is more handy than I. She was quite unimpressed when I managed to break a copper pipe joint in our plumbing by trying to remove an outdoor faucet incorrectly. We are both dreading calling a plumber to fix it.

 "The study also found that when the under-35s do attempt to do a job themselves and it goes wrong, it costs nearly three times as much to fix as problems caused by other age groups."

Fire Starters

"Fire, I'll take you to learn
You're gonna burn, you're gonna burn"
-Fire, by Arthur Brown, #1 for one week in 1968

With warmer days and thoughts of camping, here's an idea for creating your own fire starter. See Instructables.com for more details, photos, and alternative ideas for fire starters.

1. Gather dryer lint, an empty paper egg carton, old candles or wax, dental floss, and scissors.

2. Cut or break the wax into small pieces for faster melting.

3. Melt the wax in a double boiler set-up using a disposable glass jar or can with an opening several inches across. The can or jar will get quite messy. Place the can or jar in boiling water (keep on eye on the water level - too much and the jar will float and perhaps tip over, too little and the pot goes dry) Once the wax is melted, turn down the heat to a simmer (or off) to avoid buring the wax.

4. Stuff the lint into the egg carton compartments. Pack as much as possible for longer burning.

5. Cut apart the egg carton compartments and fold the edges over to cover the top.

6. Tie the lint up inside the closed compartments with dental floss. Leave six or more inches at the end of the knot for you to hold in the next step.

7. Did each package into the wax. Cover completely and let the wax soak inside. Wait for no bubbles rise from the package. Set packages on paper towel to drain.

8. When done pour extra wax over the starters (for extra water proofing). Let the starters dry for an hour or two.

9. To use, light a corner with a match and enjoy for 15 minutes or so.

Bottom Line

The comments on the Instructables website include some variations like pouring the wax directly into the egg carton before cutting the compartments apart, using twine instead of dental floss so it acts as a wick, wrapping the lint in strips of newspaper instead, using a crock pot to melt wax, etc. This is a simple idea with many ways to be creative. Just don't melt the wax over direct heat - you could get a flash fire.

Staying Calm During an Emergency

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls 9-1-1. He gasps, "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says "Calm down. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, and then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says, "OK, he’s dead. Now what?"

For the Readyman Webelos Activity, young boys are taught four ways to demonstrate “Courage” during an emergency. Be Strong, Be Calm, Be Clear, Be Careful. I’d like to focus on the importance of being Calm and Clear.

In June of 2009, a natural gas explosion blew the roof off of a ConAgra Food Plant during working hours. Here is one call made to 9-1-1.

"ConAgra just blew up," a caller said.
"ConAgra?" the responder asked.
"ConAgra. In Garner."
"What did it do ma'am?" the responder said. "What do you mean it blew up?"
"It blew up! Please send some help."

Notice how little “real” communication is going on here. When asked a question by the responder, the caller just repeats the same words back, “ConAgra”, “It blew up”. The event is vivid and clear in the mind of the caller to whom ConAgra is obvious and “it blew up” is self-evident. “Please send some help” gives no clue to the scope of the problem, is one EMT needed or a fleet of ambulances?

Callers forget that what is obvious to them may not be obvious to someone at a phone bank in another city. Being Calm and Clear means carefully providing details like “the ConAgra Food Plant #3 in Garner has suffered a huge explosion with dozens injured. We need dozens of ambulances and fire control for an industrial plant.”

Consider this call to 9-1-1 in Arizona in 2008,

"There's three dogs, but one is very aggressive, and the man is holding one, and there's kids over here, too."

How would you interpret this? The responder said she would contact Animal Control. 12 minutes later there is a second call, "We're still waiting for an officer. We've got injuries." Is the picture clear yet? The responder sent a reminder to Animal Control. Then a minute later, "Uh, there's a dogfight over here, and there's been a man bit. And I called about 15 minutes ago, and nobody's here yet." With this call, a different operator, and the magic words, a man’s been bit, medical personal (Fire Dept EMT) were finally mobilized. It turns out a pit bull wriggled out of its leash, lunged at a man with two small kids walking his beagle, bit his right forearm, and dragged him about 7 feet after his beagle barked at the pit bull. Could you have guessed any of this from the original call to 9-1-1?

Watch out for "buzz words" and technical jargon. In another emergency call there was confusion between an armed “robbery” and a “burglary”. Do you know the difference? A robbery is a crime happening now – immediate response is needed to rescue the victim and catch the robber. A burglary is after the fact, the robber is gone, and there is no need for police to hurry. The victim in a Dry Cleaning store armed robbery activated the silent alarm but the emergency dispatcher reported it as a 10-15, burglary just occurred. So the police did not use sirens, arrived slowly at the scene, to find a distressed victim asking, “What took you so long?”

Bottom Line

Be very clear on 9-1-1 to say what you need – police, fire, ambulance. Be clear on what is damaged and injuries and the number of people needing medical attention. Call back if you think 9-1-1 misunderstood or ask to speak with a supervisor.

Asthma

"Asthma doesn't seem to bother me any more unless I'm around cigars or dogs. The thing that would bother me most would be a dog smoking a cigar."-Steve Allen

While researching first aid stations for a Cub Scout activity, I realized that I know very little about Asthma and how to respond. After looking at a dozen medical websites I still know very little about what to do. The sites describe Asthma, its symptoms, its triggers, its medical treatment, but very little about instructions for Asthma attacks. The usual language is “See your doctor for an Asthma Action Plan.” Very little advice for Scout Leaders with an Asthmatic hiker.

So what have I learned? During the asthma attack, the lining of the airways and lungs become swollen or inflamed and thicker mucus -- more than normal -- is produced. This causes coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness as breathing becomes more difficult and less effective. Symptoms include:

· Severe wheezing when breathing both in and out
· Coughing that won't stop
· Chest pain or pressure
· Tightened neck and chest muscles, called retractions
· Difficulty talking
· Very rapid breathing

[DANGER signs, call 911]

· Extreme difficulty breathing
· Rapid pulse
· Pale, sweaty face
· Blue lips or fingernails
· Anxiety or panic over inability to breathe
· Severe drowsiness or confusion

With mild asthma attacks the airways open up within a few minutes to a few hours after treatment. Severe asthma attacks are less common but last longer and require immediate medical help. If a mild attack is not treated and becomes severe, the lungs may tighten so much that there is not enough air movement to produce wheezing. This is called a "silent chest,"; it is a dangerous sign and requires immediate medical attention before the victim dies from lack of air. Unfortunately, some people interpret the disappearance of wheezing as a sign of improvement and fail to get prompt emergency care.

Asthma attacks can be triggered by cold-air, too much exercise, stress, pet dander, dust, mold, pollen, and tobacco & wood smoke. Asthma cannot be cured but you can keep the body health and strong, avoid the asthma triggers, and follow a two pronged medical regimen.

1. Long Term Medications to reduce the likelihood of attacks. These include corticosteroids, bronchodilators, Leukotriene inhibitors, and others.

2. Emergency Medications used during an attack.
a. Short-acting bronchodilators (inhalers)
b. Corticosteroids injected directly into a vein during a severe attacks

Asthma suffers can monitor their state of health with a breathing apparatus that measures “Peak Flow” of how much air they can take in. There is a Green Zone of 80-100% flow, a Yellow caution zone of 50-80% and a Red danger zone of 50% Peak Flow capacity.

Bottom Line

What can I do to help during an Asthma attack?

- If feasible, move them out of a trigger area (away from smoke, cold air, pet dander)
- Sit the person comfortably upright – do NOT have them lie down.
- Stay calm and soothe the victim. This may help him or her relax and breathe more easily.
- Have the victim use their inhaler as instructed by their doctor
- Coach the person to breathe steadily with pursed lips (puckered or "fish" lips), especially on the exhale. Breathe with the person, helping them focus on you.
- If the victim has no inhaler or no history of Asthma before, call 911.
- If the inhaler is not helping, call 911
- If the victim passes out, begin rescue breaths and, if necessary, CPR.

- Asthma attacks are NOT “cured” by drinking large amounts of liquids
- Non-prescription medicines such as antihistamines or cold remedies apparently have no effect in controlling asthma.

Asthma Resources

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/asthma/asthma_actplan.pdf

http://www.webmd.com/asthma/

https://health.google.com/health/ref/Asthma

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_Treatments.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma/DS00021/DSECTION=when-to-seek-medical-advice

http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm

First Aid

http://www.nationalasthma.org.au/content/view/281/572/

http://www.firstaidtopics.com/asthma-attack/

http://www.ehow.com/how_7912_treat-asthma-attacks.html

Roughing It

“If you're not in New York, you're camping out.”- Thomas E. Dewey

Today I recommend an article by a former Scout, who is now the father of a Scout, and offers many suggestions for hiking gear. He also has a long section on sleeping in your car without getting caught. Perspectives on Roughing It and Covert Car Camping, by Jolly

Hiking:
* Buy a backpack one size smaller than what you think you need. You can pack more in than you imagine and most people pack too much.
* His #1 recommended hiking gear: a hooded rain poncho. This is followed by good hiking boots (be sure to break them in first) and a waterproof, warm hat.
* Jolly recommends Craigslist for camp gear bargains and has some suggestions for getting a great deal
* Buy a metal mess kit so you can eat and cook with it, saving pack weight

Car Sleeping:
I’ve slept in the car during a few cross county trips. I also once took a nap in the car after midnight when I was just too tired to reach the motel I had reservations with.

Many Wal-Marts allow RV’s to park overnight but not cars. Also it is illegal to spend the night at most rest stops along the interstate.

Jolly recommends parking at an apartment complex and blending in with the other cars. Be sure to park in a visitor’s spot and not a resident’s spot.

Bottom Line

Hotels are expensive. Consider camping outdoors or in your car to save money.

My wife and I have enjoyed several trips while sleeping in a tent. For us the most important thing was a comfortable bed for a good night’s sleep (followed by showers and flush toilets). While air mattresses are nice, I recall from childhood the enormous time my family spent inflating and deflating them. We found a quicker solution – a “bed” with a foundation of egg foam, real sheets, and a quilt for warmth. We would roll up the entire bed, sheets and all, and place it on the back seat of the car. To camp we move the bundle to the tent and just unroll it again. Worked great!

Knives - friend or foe?

“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” - 2 Corinthians 3:6 KJV

It’s funny how topics of interest sometimes merge. I’ve been following two stories of upright students (both scouts) suspended for having a knife at school. The first is a six-year-old who likes to eat with a folding knife-fork-spoon he got from cub scouts. The other is an Eagle Scout who kept a 2-inch knife in his locked car’s emergency kit. Both were given maximum suspension sentences under “zero-tolerance” before the media made the school boards look foolish.

Completely unrelated is my current commuting lecture CD of Eastern Religions. Did you know that Sikhism is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world with 23 million adherents? Since they don’t proselytize for converts, little is know of them outside of Punjab in India. Sikhs are often confused with Hindus (because they come from India) and Muslims (because they wear turbans). The religion began in the early 1500’s when Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539) could not decide whether to be Hindu or Muslim. The religion professor compared Nanak to Joseph Smith (1805–1844), the founder of the Mormon faith. Both men prayed for insight to know which of the competing faiths was “the true church”. Both received revelation that it did not yet exist, and were inspired to create a new religion. For Guru Nanak it was the revelation that "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim" but just one God and one faith.

The religion of Sikhism evolved under ten gurus from 1538 to 1708. It was the 10th and final guru, Guru Gobind Singh, who established the rule of the “Five K’s”, five items that all baptized Sihks must wear at all times:

kēs (uncut hair which is kept covered by a turban)
kanghā (a small hair comb)
karā (an iron bracelet)
kacchā (a special undergarment)
kirpān (a small dagger)

Now at last you see how the two topics in this post cross paths. In today’s paranoid world, dagger wielding Sikhs are not tolerated. Children are banned from schools. In New York City, a compromise was reached with the Board of Education; the kirpan is allowed IF the knife is impossible to draw by being glued to the sheath. Naturally, the kirpan causes alarm at airport security checkpoints. In 2008, Sikh leaders opted out of interfaith meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in DC because security insisted they remove their kirpans before entering.

Ironically, to Sikhs the kirpan is a symbol of "Ahimsa" or non-violence. The kirpan is a tool used to prevent violence against a defenseless person when all other means to do so have failed. The kirpan also represents the power of truth to cut through untruth. It is the cutting edge of the enlightened mind.

Bottom Line

As the apostle Paul notes in 2 Corinthians 3:6, the letter of the law can be a very bad thing. Laws without common sense “killeth” freedom and personal initiative. The NY Eagle Scout mentioned above said he was amazed that school officials freaked out over a tiny knife in his car emergency kit. He pointed out that baseball bats were easily available at school and far more lethal than his small knife.

On a flight (after 9/11), my wife & I were amazed to see metal knives given to first class passengers for their meal. A pair of knitting scissors and nail clips had to be surrendered but knives were handed out. What’s the common sense in that?

Common sense says that knife paranoia is bad for preparedness. One of the best survival tools is a good knife. Use it to make kindling and strike it with flint to start a fire. It can help build a shelter, prepare food, and so on. What a shame that all persons with knives must be treated as criminals.

Four Stories of Survival

“One of the true tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.” Arnold H. Glasgow

Over the past year Popular Mechanics has been a great source for disaster preparedness stories. For example, 4 People Who Faced Disaster—And How They Made it Out Alive. The article is worth reading in depth – I’ll summerize it here.

Prepare for the Worst:

a former Hewlett-Packard engineer saves his house from a California fire. “The last thing I want from my story is for people to risk their lives,” Vaplon says. “But I’d thought about protecting my home, and I felt comfortable with my decision to stay.” He was well prepared.

Keep Cool in a Crisis:

In a disaster, 10% of the people panic and 80% do nothing. But when a tornado in Iowa hit a shelter with 65 Boy Scouts, the Scout Leader went into autopilot rescue mode. “I don’t know how to describe it,” he says. “It was like my brain went away, and I went to a very businesslike place.” Though injured himself, he directed the able-bodied Scouts to take care of the injured, applying pressure to wounds, turning T-shirts into bandages and elevating the legs of those who were in shock. His leadership saved many lives.

Hang in There:

An overnight sky-watching trip in Washington state, becomes a nightmare when an unexpected autumn snowstorm leaves Daryl Jané stuck for 14 days until he was found by a local snowmobile club. John Leach, a survival psychologist says, “people in his situation die all the time, but they don’t have to ... He didn’t have food, but that’s not a problem for two weeks—you can live without it. (Jané lost 10 pounds.) Fluid is the issue, but he found water.” Don’t give up.

Outlast the Aftermath:

When Hurricane Ike hit Texas last year, 48 people died. But, according to the National Hurricane Center, as many as 64 post-storm deaths occurred in Texas because of factors like carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution. The first weekend after Ike, some 37,000 Texans were holed up in shelters that ran short of food and water within 24 hours. The next few weeks brought countless scores of injuries from clearing debris. Lesson learned? Work with your neighbors and know how to safely live in a disaster area.

Bottom Line

Popular Mechanics correctly identifies four key principals to survival:

1. Be prepared in advance with supplies, equipment and skills
2. Keep calm. This comes from practice and a knowledge that you are prepared.
3. Make a plan to survive and don’t give up.
4. Be prepared for a long haul. The aftermath can be worse than the disaster event.

Citizenship

“The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight.” – President Theodore Roosevelt

I thought my notes for a Webelos Den Meeting would make a great blog post...

Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities. Social contract implies that people give up some freedoms to a government in order to maintain social order through the rule of law. We usually associate Thomas Hobbes (1651), John Locke (1689) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762) with the modern theory of Social Contract. But the idea was documented in the East (India) in the Mahabharata around 800 BC:

It hath been heard by us that men, in days of old, in consequence of anarchy, met with destruction, devouring one another like stronger fishes devouring the weaker ones in the water. It hath been heard by us that a few amongst them then, assembling together, made certain compacts, saying, "He who becomes harsh in speech, or violent in temper, he who seduces or abducts other people’s wives or robs the wealth that belongs to others, should be cast off by us."

To be a member of society is to accept responsibility for following its rules, along with the threat of punishment for violating them.

In the US, people love to focus upon their Rights and often forget about the rules and responsibilities and duties of citizenship.
Ø paying taxes
Ø serving on a jury
Ø voting
Ø serving in the country's armed forces when called upon
Ø obeying the criminal laws

In ancient Greece, to be truly human, one had to be an active citizen to the community. Aristotle famously expressed: “To take no part in the running of the community's affairs is to be either a beast or a god!” Today Americans want to “take” from the government and forget to "give". As “Active Citizens” we should work towards the betterment of the community through:

Ø economic participation
Ø public service
Ø volunteer work
Ø attending school and becoming educated
Ø recycling
Ø other efforts to improve life for all citizens

Social contracts are formed for the betterment of the governed (not for the benefit of the government or King.) The US Declaration of Independence cites social contract theory:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Despite the high-minded philosophy and theory behind US Independence, eleven years later (1787) when the US Constitution was approved, it listed no Rights for the people. Many States disapproved and the Constitution was ratified only after the addition of the Ten Amendments, our Bill of Rights. These rights include:

Ø (1) freedom to exercise our religion
Ø (1) freedom of speech or of the press
Ø (1) the right of peaceable assembly
Ø (1) the right to petition the Government
Ø (2) right of the People to keep and bear Arms
Ø (3) the right not to be forced to house soldiers
Ø (4) freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. Legal Warrants are required.
Ø (5) Rights before the Law like due process, double jeopardy, self-incrimination
Ø (5) eminent domain: private property shall not be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Ø (6) Our rights in Court: Trial by jury, rights of the accused, Confrontation Clause, speedy trial, public trial, right to counsel
Ø (7) A right to a trial by jury of our peers
Ø (8) Protection against excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment.

Bottom Line

There are three ways to become a US Citizen.

1. Be born in the US (even if your parents are not citizens)
2. Apply for Citizenship and pass the INS Citizenship Test
3. Be awarded Honorary Citizenship by the US Congress. Do you know the six people so honored?
   1 General Lafayette
   2 Winston Churchill,
   3 Raoul Wallenberg
   4 & 5 William Penn & his wife Hannah Callowhill Penn
   6 Mother Teresa

Scouting - fun or survival?

“Her recommendations for a campsite were totally unsuitable. There were no outlets. And there was dirt, and bugs, and ... it rains there. So anyway, we've found a place that's much more us: the Beverly Hills Hotel.” – movie Troop Beverly Hills, 1989

We are a spoiled and pampered generation. My grandparents were used to slaughtering a pig and using all the parts. The bristles become brushes. The blood became “head cheese”. They knew how to “rough it”.

For a while my wife and I enjoyed tent camping. But not backpacking into the rugged wilderness; we traveled by car and stayed at sites with running water & showers. Usually we had a great time. But the thrill of “roughing it” failed in one park when our tent was pitched next to a camper RV with A/C, TV, a kitchen and all the comforts of home.

Many survivalists have noted that Boy Scouts is suffering from the same decline into a suburban lifestyle. There is a belt loop for Computers and one option on the Art Webelos badge is computer-generated graphics. As Den leaders we are afraid to let the 8-10 year-olds handle a knife and our meeting location, a church, has a policy against fires. Hopefully they will learn survival skills as Boy Scouts.

Or maybe not. Survival experts often recommend the Boy Scout handbook as a guide, but only ones published before 1970. Modern Scouts lack the rough mountain man skills of making your own tent and foraging for your food. The edition favored by “preppers” is the 1911 edition that can be download for free at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/29558.

Popular books for teaching survival skills include:
The Dangerous Book for Boys
The American Boy's Handybook Of Camp Lore And Woodcraft
Boy Scouts Handbook: The First Edition, 1911

Bottom Line

I recommend the movie “Troop Beverly Hills” for a fun look at scouting and what really matters (people). A Den Mother from Beverly Hills is a failure at teaching fire skills, knots, first aid, etc. But she and the girls have a great time when she invents new badges for jewelry appraisal, hair styling, fashion, shopping, and other skills suitable for Beverly Hills. But things get ugly at a Jamboree when her girls have to complete against girls who were taught to win at any cost.

Den Mother – “I may be a beginner at some things, but I've got a black belt in shopping!”

Likewise the Boy Scouts of America has adapted to the times and teaches young boys to live in the modern world, not the wilderness. Whether this is good or bad depends on your point of view – do you focus on the existing world or focus and worry about what might happen? I suggest an 80/20 spilt. Make the best of this world but spend some time and resources preparing yourself for emergencies and the future.

Insect Bites

Itchy itchy scratchy scratchy, ooh I got one down my backy! – camp song

When our Cub Pack needed to enter a woody area to search for insects, the boys objected, “We can’t go in the woods. We might get ticks.” Scouting was founded over a hundred years ago to teach wilderness survival skills to clueless young boys from the cities. Now it seems the youth have gone from clueless to terrified of the great outdoors.

With picnic season resuming, families will venture (timidly?) outdoors once more and may, quite likely, encounter insects bites and stings. The advice used to be that you had nothing to worry about if you weren’t allergic to bee stings, etc. Today with West Nile Virus and Lyme disease the story is more complicated.

• West Nile Virus killed 44 people in 2008 (mostly adults over 50, rarely children) with some 2000 reported infections. A person is 1000 times more likely to die from the flu (36,000 deaths). So while “safe”, it’s no fun being bitten by a mosquito. Simple precautions include long pants and shirt sleeves and the use of insect repellant like DEET. The FDA recommends keeping kids' nails short so they don’t break the skin when scratching bug bites. A scratch with dirty nails could lead to a bacterial infection that will require treatment with antibiotics.
  
• Lyme disease is more common with 27,000 cases reported in 2007. Death is “rare” and I could find no numbers online for anyone killed. Lyme disease is easily treated with antibiotics if caught in the early stages but untreated can lead to extreme fatigue, joint or muscle pain, facial paralysis, heart damage, psychological disturbances, stomach problems, neurological disorders, blindness, and deafness. My wife and I and our dogs have all had Lyme. We spotted the bulls-eye shaped rash around the bite and took the antibiotics. We also ask for Lyme testing along with the traditional blood tests when we get a physical.

Lyme can also be prevented by daily full body tick checks. Early removal of a tick is important because a tick generally has to be on the skin for 36 hours to transmit Lyme disease. The ticks are very small and tricky to spot when not filled with blood. See How to Remove a Tick for more information.

Bottom Line
The most likely insect problem at a picnic will be a bee sting. Don’t use tweezers!. A bee will leave behind a stinger attached to a venom sac. Try to remove it as quickly as possible by scraping the skin with a credit card. If you pull with tweezers you might squeeze all the venom into the person you are trying to help. Wash the sting and apply an ice pack. Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain (never aspirin with children.) No medical attention is needed UNLESS one of the following occurs:

• The person has a known bee allergy or has these symptoms:
• wheezing or difficulty breathing
• tightness in throat or chest
• swelling of the lips, tongue, or face
• dizziness or faintingnausea or vomiting
  
• The mouth region was stung. Oral swelling may block airways


• A large skin rash or swelling or pain persists from more than three days around the sting site. This could indicate an infection.