In the news

[Zedability]

Part of me thinks you are all wimps. Another part of me recognizes that having the right experience and winter gear makes a huge difference in dealing with this, so it's probably more difficult for you guys.

But really. This happens pretty much every winter where I live for a few weeks. And I know someone from Saskatchewan who says it's regularly even COLDER than that for weeks on end where she's from.

My missionary's in the middle of the cold snap right now, and he said something to the effect of, "I guess it's one of those Canadian winters you always hear about but never actually believe." It made me laugh.

[mic0]

I love talking to people about how much I love hot, humid weather in east Texas. I miss it! And they would all be wimps there because they are acclimated to the cold and I would finally be the strong one.

[Zedability]

I hate heat. And humidity. Utah is actually more humid than Calgary. I don't have any cute warm-weather clothes. So I look and feel unattractive until, like, the end of November.

Okay, I looked up some data, and Provo looks slightly dryer, on average. But it doesn't FEEL that way. Grumble grumble statistics ruin everything grumble...

[Laser Jock]

One thing I saw when reading news but hadn't considered before: water mains breaking because of the cold. I guess they hadn't planned for long cold spells like this, or something.

[Portia]

Part of me thinks you are all wimps. Another part of me recognizes that having the right experience and winter gear makes a huge difference in dealing with this, so it's probably more difficult for you guys.

But really. This happens pretty much every winter where I live for a few weeks. And I know someone from Saskatchewan who says it's regularly even COLDER than that for weeks on end where she's from.

My missionary's in the middle of the cold snap right now, and he said something to the effect of, "I guess it's one of those Canadian winters you always hear about but never actually believe." It made me laugh.

It's not the temperature, Zed, it's the TOXIC SLUDGE.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/23/world/asi ... index.html

good thing no one cares about Provo, so you are all safe.

[Digit]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/23/world/asi ... index.html

good thing no one cares about Provo, so you are all safe.

And I thought it was hard to find myself in a large class photo...

[Digit]

World record for largest hips.
Name: Mikel Ruffinelli
Age: 39
Height: 5'2"
Circumfrence: 100" (over 8')
Weight: 420 lb.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

I SAW THAT. My mom said that would go in her "butt book." She used to take pictures of strangely shaped derrieres (hey I spelled that right on the first try!) and collect them to put in a book some day, but then karma bit her in the butt and she lost her camera right after she took a picture of her best butt ever.

[Dead Cat]

That just reminds me of Victor Borge's description of the leading soprano in "A Mozart Opera."

[Portia]

As an hourglass-shaped woman, I feel that that is stretching the term. Hourglass = roughly equal bust and hips, significantly smaller waist. Her body is clearly-pear shaped, as her hips are much, much wider than her bust. Is "hourglass" the next "curvy," becoming euphemized and therefore near-meaningless?

[yayfulness]

Tractor beams are real. But they only work on objects about the size of a cell; apparently if they were used on a macroscopic object, the transfer of energy would heat it up... enough to defeat the purpose.

[thatonemom]

You guys, the Boy Scouts may end their ban on gay scouts I wonder if the Church would cut ties with them if that happens. Probably, right as my husband is most likely being released from four years of being in the Young Men's/Scouts. Let me tell you, it would not break my heart. Having (your spouse have) a calling in the scouts is ridiculously time consuming.

[Tally M.]

I don't think the Church will necessarily cut ties with them, unless the BSA means to imply that the behavior is acceptable.

[thatonemom]

I'm trying to find a link, but back when the Scouts originally were sued over their ban of gay members, the Church said it wouldn't be a part of the BSA anymore (if gay scouts/leaders were allowed). To the googles...

[Yarjka]

I'm trying to find a link, but back when the Scouts originally were sued over their ban of gay members, the Church said it wouldn't be a part of the BSA anymore (if gay scouts/leaders were allowed). To the googles...

Curious, I took to the googles myself:

In 2000, when a challenge to the exclusionary policy was argued, unsuccessfully, before the Supreme Court, lawyers for the Mormons said that if the Boy Scouts were forced to accept openly gay members, the church would leave. (source)

In a brief filed in the landmark case of Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, a lawyer for the LDS Church warned that the church would leave the scouts if gays were allowed to be scout leaders.
"If the appointment of scout leaders cannot be limited to those who live and affirm the sexual standards of BSA and its religious sponsors, the Scouting Movement as now constituted will cease to exist, “ wrote Von G. Keetch on behalf of the LDS Church and several other religious organizations in 2000 (PDF). “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- the largest single sponsor of Scouting units in the United States -- would withdraw from Scouting if it were compelled to accept openly homosexual Scout leaders.” (source)

[Marduk]

Which strikes me as just ridiculous, since all of the LDS troops are self contained and they still decide their own leadership, so it wouldn't affect any church units directly.

[Zedability]

This was also over a decade ago. The Church has shifted on this a bit. Like, not necessarily this specifically, but in general, they seem to take less of a hardline stance on these things now.

[Laser Jock]

Also, as I understand it, the BSA is considering the possibility of allowing troops to decide for themselves. (The article thatonemom linked to doesn't seem to be available anymore, but this is what I heard on NPR, I think.) Thus, the Church would still be able to sponsor troops without contradicting their earlier statement at all ("If the appointment of scout leaders cannot be limited to those who live and affirm the sexual standards of BSA and its religious sponsors, the Scouting Movement as now constituted will cease to exist"), since they'd still be able to limit them if they so chose. Or so I understand it.

[Yarjka]

Also, as I understand it, the BSA is considering the possibility of allowing troops to decide for themselves. (The article thatonemom linked to doesn't seem to be available anymore, but this is what I heard on NPR, I think.) Thus, the Church would still be able to sponsor troops without contradicting their earlier statement at all ("If the appointment of scout leaders cannot be limited to those who live and affirm the sexual standards of BSA and its religious sponsors, the Scouting Movement as now constituted will cease to exist"), since they'd still be able to limit them if they so chose. Or so I understand it.

This is what I understand as well. This seems to be different than what was proposed earlier, in that the individual units will decide for themselves whether to accept gays or not.