Who They Were

From Military.Wikia:

"Four Chaplains"

The Four Chaplains, also sometimes referred to as the "Immortal Chaplains," were four United States Army chaplains who gave their lives to save other civilian and military personnel during the sinking of the troop ship USAT Dorchester on February 3, 1943, during World War II. They helped other soldiers board lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out.The chaplains joined arms, said prayers, and sang hymns as they went down with the ship. 

The Men:

The four men were relatively new chaplains who all held the rank of first lieutenant. They included Methodist minister the Reverend George L. Fox, Reform-Rabbi Alexander D. Goode (Ph.D), Roman Catholic priest the Reverend John P. Washington, and Reformed Church in America minister the Reverend Clark V. Poling. Their backgrounds, personalities, and faiths were different, although Goode, Poling and Washington had all served as leaders in the Boy Scouts of America.They met at the Army Chaplains School at Harvard University, where they prepared for assignments in the European theater, sailing on board USAT Dorchester to report to their new assignments.

George L. Fox

George L. Fox was born March 15, 1900, in Lewistown, Pennsylvania, the eldest of eight children. When he was 17, he left school and lied about his age in order to join the Army to serve in World War I. He joined the ambulance corps in 1917, assigned to Camp Newton D. Baker in Texas. On December 3, 1917, George embarked from Camp Merritt, New Jersey, and boarded the USS Huron en route to France. As a medical corps assistant, he was highly decorated for bravery and was awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart and the French Croix de Guerre. Upon his discharge, he returned home to Altoona, where he completed high school. He entered Moody Bible Institute in Illinois in 1923. He and Isadore G. Hurlbut of Vermont were married in 1923, when he began his religious career as an itinerant preacher in the Methodist faith. He later graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, served as a student pupil in Rye, New Hampshire, and then studied at the Boston University School of Theology, where he was ordained a Methodist minister on June 10, 1934. He served parishes in Union Village and Gilman, Vermont, and was appointed state chaplain and historian for the American Legion in Vermont. In 1942, Fox volunteered to serve as an Army chaplain, accepting his appointment July 24, 1942. He began active duty on August 8, 1942, the same day his son Wyatt enlisted in the Marine Corps. After Army Chaplains school at Harvard, he reported to the 411th Coast Artillery Battalion at Camp Davis. He was then united with Chaplains Goode, Poling and Washington at Camp Myles Standish in Taunton, Massachusetts, where they prepared to depart for Europe on board the USAT Dorchester.

Alexander D. Goode

Reform-Rabbi Alexander D. Goode (Ph.D) was born in Brooklyn, New York on May 10, 1911, the son of Rabbi Hyman Goodekowitz. He was raised in Washington, D.C., attending Eastern High School, eventually deciding to follow his father's footsteps by studying for the rabbinate himself, at Hebrew Union College (HUC), where he graduated with a B.H. degree in 1937. He later received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1940. While studying for the rabbinate at HUC, he worked at the Washington Hebrew Congregation during summer breaks.He originally applied to become a Navy chaplain in January 1941, but was not accepted. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, he applied to the Army, receiving his appointment as a chaplain on July 21, 1942. Chaplain Goode went on active duty on August 9, 1942, and was selected for the Chaplains School at Harvard. Chaplain Goode was then assigned to the 333rd Airbase Squadron in Goldsboro, North Carolina. In October 1942, he was transferred to Camp Myles Standish in Taunton, Massachusetts and reunited with Chaplains Fox, Poling and Washington, who were classmates at Harvard.

Clark V. Poling

Clark V. Poling was born August 7, 1910, in Columbus, Ohio, the son of Evangelical Minister Dan Poling, who was rebaptized in 1936 as a Baptist minister. Clark Poling studied at Yale University's Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut and graduated with his B.D. degree in 1936. He was ordained in the Reformed Church in America, and served first in the First Church of Christ, New London, Connecticut, and then as Pastor of the First Reformed Church in Schenectady, New York. He married Betty Jung. With the outbreak of World War II, Poling decided to enter the Army, wanting to face the same danger as others. His father, who had served as a World War I chaplain, told him chaplains risk and give their lives, too—and with that knowledge, he applied to serve as an Army chaplain, accepting an appointment on June 10, 1942 as a chaplain with the 131st Quartermaster Truck Regiment, reporting to Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on June 25. Later he reported to Army Chaplains School at Harvard, where he would meet Chaplains Fox, Goode, and Washington.

John P. Washington

John P. Washington was born in Newark, New Jersey on July 18, 1908. He studied at Seton Hall in South Orange, New Jersey to complete his high school and college courses in preparation for the Catholic priesthood. He graduated in 1931 with an A.B. degree, entering Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey, where he received his minor orders on May 26, 1933. He served as a subdeacon at all the solemn masses, and later became a deacon on December 25, 1934. He was elected prefect of his class and was ordained a priest on June 15, 1935. Father Washington's first parish was at St. Genevieve's in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He later served at St. Venantius for a year. In 1938, he was assigned to St. Stephen's in Kearny, New Jersey. Shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941, he received his appointment as a chaplain in the United States Army, reporting for active duty on May 9, 1942. He was named Chief of the Chaplains Reserve Pool, in Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, and in June 1942, he was assigned to the 76th Infantry Division in Ft. George Meade, Maryland. In November 1942, he reported to Camp Myles Standish in Taunton, Massachusetts and met Chaplains Fox, Goode and Poling at Chaplains School at Harvard.

^ The last post told about what they did and this one tells who they were. ^

http://military.wikia.com/wiki/Four_Chaplains

Four Chaplains

From Army.mil:

The Four Chaplains

76 Years ago today (February 3, 1943) the U.S. Army Transport Dorchester was one of three ships in a convoy, moving across the Atlantic from Newfoundland to an American base in Greenland. A converted luxury liner, the Dorchester was crowded to capacity, carrying 902 servicemen, merchant seamen and civilian workers. 

It was only 150 miles from its destination when shortly after midnight, an officer aboard the German submarine U223 spotted it. After identifying and targeting the ship, he gave orders to fire. The hit was decisive, striking the ship, far below the water line. The initial blast killed scores of men and seriously wounded many more.  Others, stunned by the explosion were groping in the darkness. Panic and chaos quickly set in! Men were screaming, others crying or franticly trying to get lifeboats off the ship. 

Through the pandemonium, four men spread out among the Soldiers, calming the frightened, tending the wounded and guiding the disoriented toward safety. They were four Army chaplains, Lt. George Fox (42 years old), a Methodist; Lt. Alexander Goode (31 years old), a Jewish Rabbi; Lt. John Washington (34 years old), a Roman Catholic Priest; and Lt. Clark Poling (32 years old), a Dutch Reformed minister. 

Quickly and quietly the four chaplains worked to bring calm to the men. As soldiers began to find their way to the deck of the ship, many were still in their underwear, where they were confronted by the cold winds blowing down from the arctic. 

Petty Officer John J. Mahoney, reeling from the cold, headed back towards his cabin. "Where are you going'" a voice of calm in the sea of distressed asked' "To get my gloves," Mahoney replied. "Here, take these," said Rabbi Goode as he handed a pair of gloves to the young officer. "I can't take those gloves," Mahoney replied. "Never mind," the Rabbi responded. "I have two pairs." It was only long after that Mahoney realized that the chaplain never intended to leave the ship. 

Once topside, the chaplains opened a storage locker and began distributing life jackets. It was then that Engineer Grady Clark witnessed an astonishing sight. When there were no more lifejackets in the storage room, the chaplains simultaneously removed theirs and gave them to four frightened young men. When giving their life jackets, Rabbi Goode did not call out for a Jew; Father Washington did not call out for a Catholic; nor did Fox or Poling call out for a Protestant. They simply gave their life jackets to the next man in line. One survivor would later call it "It was the finest thing I have seen or hope to see this side of heaven." 

As the ship went down, survivors in nearby rafts could see the four chaplains -- arms linked and braced against the slanting deck. Their voices could also be heard offering prayers and singing hymns. 

Of the 902 men aboard the U.S.A.T. Dorchester, only 230 survived. Before boarding the Dorchester back in January, Chaplain Poling had asked his father to pray for him, "Not for my safe return, that wouldn't be fair. Just pray that I shall do my duty...never be a coward...and have the strength, courage and understanding of men. Just pray that I shall be adequate." 

Although the Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart were later awarded posthumously Congress wished to confer the Medal of Honor but was blocked by the stringent requirements which required heroism performed under fire. So a posthumous Special Medal for Heroism, The Four Chaplains' Medal, was authorized by Congress and awarded by the President on January 18, 1961. 

It was never given before and will never be given again.

https://www.army.mil/article/34090/chaplain_corps_history_the_four_chaplains

Dog Surprise

Phil's Spring

From the AP:

"Groundhog doesn't see his shadow, predicting early spring"

It may be hard to believe as a large swath of the U.S. thaws out from a bitter polar vortex, but spring is coming early, according to handlers for some of the country's most famous prognosticating groundhogs. Just before 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Punxsutawney (puhnk-suh-TAW'-nee) Phil emerged from his burrow in Pennsylvania at sunrise and didn't see his shadow. Nearly the same series of events unfolded about 300 miles (483 kilometers) to the east, where Staten Island Chuck's handlers also revealed the same prediction. The festivities have their origin in a German legend that says if a furry rodent casts a shadow on Feb. 2, winter continues. If not, spring comes early. In reality, Phil's prediction is decided ahead of time by the group on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill just outside Punxsutawney. That's about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stopped attending Staten Island's Groundhog Day ceremony in 2015, a year after he accidentally dropped the furry critter that died a week later. And he wasn't the only New York City mayor who struggled with the holiday. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg was bitten at a Groundhog Day ceremony in 2009.

^ I hope Phil is right this year. ^

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/groundhog-good-news-winter-sufferers-051021562.html

Russians Ban

From the DW:

"Russian athletes banned for doping"

A dozen world class Russian track and field athletes with Olympic gold medalists among them were handed doping bans and stripped of their medals. Russian officials have denied it was state sponsored.  Among the 12 Russian track and field athletes to be handed doping bans by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) - acting for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in the absence of the banned Russian Athletics Federation (RUSAF) - is London 2012 Olympic high-jump champion Ivan Ukhov.  Ukhov as well as Svetlana Shkolina, who won the bronze in the high jump in 2012 and gold at the 2013 world championships, were given four-year bans on Friday, starting immediately They were also retrospectively disqualified, meaning they will be stripped of their medals.  American Erik Kynard is expected to be promoted to gold in the 2012 Olympic men's event while Brigetta Barrett, who took silver in London, is next in line to be promoted to world champion after finishing second in Moscow. Double world champion and former world record hammer thrower Tatyana Lysenko, who had previously been stripped of her 2012 Olympic gold, was given an eight-year ban for a second offense. Two-time Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland could be upgraded to the 2013 world title if Lysenko is stripped of her title. Hammer thrower Gulfiya Agafonova was also stripped of her title. CAS said the 12 athletes had "participated in and/or benefited from anabolic steroid doping programs and benefited from specific protective methods". The decisions handed down were the first time disciplinary procedures were issued by CAS since it replaced RUSAF in hearing cases after its suspension by the IAAF, which remains in force. The cases are based mainly on evidence gathered in an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report which was carried out by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren and the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which was set up in 2017 to act independently from the IAAF.  "Today's CAS rulings confirm that the evidence underlying the McLaren Reports is reliable and is capable of establishing Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs)," AIU head Brett Clothier said in a statement that also said CAS's decision established that the violations were committed as part of a centralized doping scheme. "It needs to be noted that some of these cases were fought solely on the basis of the McLaren evidence, while others were combined with analytical evidence gathered through re-testing. It is very encouraging for us and gives us the possibility to pursue more cases in the future.” Friday's bans are the latest in a long line of bans handed down to Russians across a range of sports since widespread and organized doping was uncovered. Russian authorities have denied that it was "state-sponsored" but have accepted that many senior officials were involved either in providing the illegal products or interfering with anti-doping procedures and covering up positive tests.

^ The Russians seem to be at it again. ^

https://www.dw.com/en/russian-athletes-banned-for-doping/a-47330519

Sausage Stopped

From the DW:

"Plans for sausage museum at former Nazi concentration camp now on ice"

Media reports have sparked public outrage, leading to a search for a new site. Critics said the initiative showed a lack of historical awareness.  What seemed liked a done deal has turned into an uncomfortable public relations situation for the German city of Mühlhausen, a private investor and an association known as "Friends of the Thuringian Sausage." On Thursday evening the Mühlhausen city council overwhelming approved rezoning of the site of an annex to the Buchenwald concentration camp, known as "Martha II," for use by the investor as the new home of the German Sausage Museum. The museum is currently located in nearby Holzhausen, but developers want to expand the business, adding a theater, hotel and other attractions. Some 700 Polish and Hungarian women were incarcerated at the Martha II site between September 1944 and February 1945, where they worked as forced laborers in a Nazi munitions factory. Although the city council has known of the plans since 2015, it was not until shortly before Thursday evening's rezoning vote that the project was made public. When media reports pointed to the history of the site, the project suddenly began to get a lot of attention. On Friday, the association released a press statement on its website reading: "Based on the facts that have come to light, we will investigate the historical background in the coming days, and, involving everyone responsible and taking into account public opinion, will carry out a completely new assessment." Later in the day, the association's chairman, Uwe Keith, told the German tabloid Bild: "After researching records at the city archive we realized that the original building plans are identical to the structure on the site. We will definitely not build there. The investor and the city of Mühlhausen are still in the race." On Friday, Thuringia's minister of culture and head of the State Chancellery, Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff, announced that he had met with the Mayor Johannes Bruns, and that the two wanted to work to raise awareness for the history of the Martha II site. Hoff also wrote, "There can be no doubt about the suffering of those interned at Nazi concentration camps, nor with the inhumanity of the forced-labor system." He also stated that he and the mayor were in agreement that the site was "inappropriate" for the project's purposes. Reinhard Schramm, president of the Jewish Community of Thuringia, said the atmosphere in Mühlhausen has been is good to date, pointing out that the city's synagogue is a place of shared experience, but he also noted that he was "shocked and irritated by the total lack of sensitivity" regarding the sausage museum project. Schramm said, "Together, we should try to find a different site." The entire episode has raised many questions about insensitivity and a lack of historical awareness. On Friday, Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told the German news agency dpa, "Although I understand the desire to create tourist attractions, such an insensitive and historically ignorant decision is simply incomprehensible."

^ While it is great that public out-cry over this project forced it to be scrapped it should never have gotten to this point. People (whether German or not) should have the common sense to not use a former concentration camp as a sausage museum or anything this degrading. It continues to show that people really are ignorant as to the Holocaust and need to be constantly reminded to do what is right. ^

https://www.dw.com/en/plans-for-sausage-museum-at-former-nazi-concentration-camp-now-on-ice/a-47331376

Teaching NJ

From USA Today:

"New Jersey to require schools to teach LGBT history"

New Jersey has become the second state in the nation after California to adopt a law that requires schools to teach about LGBT history in a move hailed by civil rights groups as a step toward inclusion and fairness. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who promised to promote equality for gay and transgender people during his campaign, signed the bill Thursday. Among those celebrating the news was Jaime Bruesehoff of Vernon, whose 12-year-old transgender child, Rebekah, spoke in support of the bill in Trenton in December. “This bill is so important for our young people,” Bruesehoff said. “They need to see examples of themselves in the history being taught and in classes they are going to each day. We know representation matters. “By learning about LGBTQ people who have made amazing contributions to their country, they are seeing possibilities for themselves and hope for the future,” she said. Under the measure, public schools must include lessons about the political, economic and social contributions of individuals who are gay and transgender, starting in the 2020-21 school year. The bill also requires teaching about contributions of people who are disabled.  The law does not apply to private schools. Leaders of civil rights and advocacy groups said the law will give students a fuller history of the United States, promote understanding and help children feel included in school. “Our youth deserve to see how diverse American history truly is – and how they can be a part of it one day, too,” said Christian Fuscarino, executive director of the advocacy group Garden State Equality. Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, said he opposed the bill because it infringed on parents’ rights. “We believe it further erodes the right of parents to discuss this sensitive issue with their children, if in fact schools are going to be promoting and making the claim that this particular person was an LGBTQ member,” he said. Deo said individuals should be included in lessons based on achievements without discussion of sexual orientation. He noted that New Jersey already has what many education experts consider the strongest anti-bullying law in the country. Despite the 2011 anti-bullying law, many students in New Jersey still say they feel harassed, targeted and unsupported at school because of their sexual orientation or the way they express their gender, according to findings of a survey released last month by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN. By teaching about lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual communities in schools, students will feel more connected, which will help their mental health and ability to learn, said Kathryn Dixon, Northern New Jersey policy coordinator for GLSEN. “It fosters respect and connectivity and develops a culture and climate where everyone feels safe,” she said. The lessons shouldn’t be confined to the history of the gay rights movement, Dixon added. Rather, schools should also include everyday examples of LGBT individuals and families across subjects.  The New Jersey law was modeled after one that took effect in California in 2012.  It’s one of a several measures that the Murphy administration has backed or approved for LGBT rights. In September, New Jersey issued guidance to schools that were designed to promote transgender-friendly policies on the use of names and pronouns, participation in activities, use of facilities and student records. One of 11 states with similar policies, New Jersey's is considered the most progressive because it tells schools that gender identity should rest with the student and that parents don't need to be notified. On Feb. 1, a law went into effect that lets transgender residents more easily change the gender on their birth certificates while also adding a third, gender-neutral option.

^ Every state in the country should learn about gay and lesbian civil rights history as well as disabled civil rights history the same way we learn about Black civil rights history and women's civil rights history. It's important to know where the country came from (including our darker past) so that we can move forward. I still don't think there should be a third gender option though since biologically you can only be either male or female. A person born a man can have surgery to become a female and vice versa, but then they become the other gender - there's is no third gender. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2019/02/01/nj-schools-teach-lgbt-history-new-law/2749212002/

Firefighter Signs

From Boston 25 News:

"Heartwarming video shows firefighter, little boy bonding through sign language"

An unexpected friendship has blossomed between a little boy and a Manchester firefighter, as a heartwarming video showcases the two bonding through sign language. Lietuenant Mike Rheault learned sign language as a kid because his mother and father were deaf, but as he got older, he stopped using it as much.  Over the year, however, he's found himself out on calls a dozen or so times, communicating with sign language. The latest call featuring his sign language is making the rounds on social media, as he and a 9-year-old boy named Tegan shared a special moment. Amy McCall, Tegan's mother, recorded the video after she and Tegan had returned home Thursday night to the fire alarms in their apartment building going off as food was burning in another unit. After investigating, Rheault was greeting kids returning to the building before his crew left. "I happened to see a kid come by and I said, ‘High five,’" Rheault said. "He gave me a high five, and I said, ‘You cold?’ And he just kind of looked at me, and he looked like he wanted to communicate, but he was reading my lips a lot." Tegan, who was born with cerebral palsy, is non-verbal, and sometimes uses modified sign language to communicate. Within moments, the two were signing, as Rheault taught him a new word: fireman. "It was so sweet," McCall said. "Oh my god, he was just so happy, and he wasn’t left out. He got included, and he had a conversation with a fireman. Rheault and Tegan chatted a little more before parting ways, with the exchange boosting the confidence of a little boy who now doesn't feel so different. But, Tegan isn't the only one feeling uplifted. "He made my day, and I made his day, I guess," Rheault said. "So, we both walked away very happy." Tegan keeps watching the video on his mother's phone, excited each time it plays. To top it all off, Tegan and his mother plan to bring cookies to the firemen on Monday.

^ This is such a cool story and shows that people knowing another language (whether it's ASL or something spoken) can make someone's day a little easier and better. ^

https://www.boston25news.com/news/heartwarming-video-shows-firefighter-little-boy-bonding-through-sign-language/913363014

USAID Ends

From the BBC:

"US stops all aid to Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza"

The US has confirmed it stopped all aid to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, in a step linked to new anti-terrorism legislation. More than $60m (£46m) in annual funds for the Palestinian security services has now ended, and - while Israel has backed some previous cuts in US aid for Palestinians - officials have expressed concern about this move. It is thought that co-operation with Israeli forces, which helps keep relative calm in the West Bank, could be affected. The Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA), passed by Congress and then signed into law by President Donald Trump last year, has just come into force.  This allows Americans to sue those receiving foreign aid from their country in US courts over alleged complicity in "acts of war".  At a news conference on Thursday, senior official Saeb Erekat said the Palestinian Authority (PA) had sent a letter to the US state department asking them to end funding because of a fear of lawsuits. "We do not want to receive any money if it will cause us to appear before the courts," he said.  The PA denies Israeli accusations that it incites militant attacks. "We are not seeking anything, the Americans have made their decision, but we will continue to participate in the fight against terrorism in the region," Mr Erekat went on.  He pointed out that there were currently cases against three banks operating in the Palestinian territories before US courts, and that in the past, several attempts to allow US victims of Palestinian attacks to sue the PA and Palestine Liberation Organisation had failed because of a lack of jurisdiction.  Despite a large hole in its budget, the PA maintains that the halt in US aid will not affect the work of its security forces. "At the request of the Palestinian Authority, we have wound down certain projects and programmes funded with assistance under the authorities specified in ATCA in the West Bank and Gaza," a US official told the BBC on Friday. "All USAID assistance in the West Bank and Gaza has ceased."  It is not clear how long the halt will remain in effect. But the Palestinian official said no steps were currently being taken to close the USAID mission in the Palestinian territories and no decision had been made about future staffing at the US embassy in Jerusalem. Last year, Washington cut hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to the Palestinians, which included funding of humanitarian projects - such as health, education and infrastructure - supported by USAID. This was widely viewed as a way of pressing Palestinian officials to restart peace talks with Israel and re-engage with the White House ahead of the announcement of its promised Middle East peace plan. The Trump administration also ended all US funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. It had previously been the largest donor to UNRWA, giving more than $360m in 2017. Recently US government scholarships awarded to Palestinian students have been suspended and hundreds of Palestinian and foreign workers working on US-funded programmes have lost their jobs.  "Our work was really important. We'd made a big impact but now we're stopping a lot of our projects in the middle," said one Palestinian whose position in law and order supported by USAID was terminated this week. "We were really helping to build the capacity of the Palestinian police and prosecutors, helping them to carry out their investigations and daily work," the man said. "It's a huge setback."  US support for creating professional Palestinian security services dates back to the creation of the PA after the breakthrough 1993 Oslo Peace Accords.  While an EU-funded programme has offered training to civil police, the US focused on the national security forces, intelligence and presidential guard. Reports suggest that Palestinian, US and Israeli officials have been seeking means to keep sending money to these security forces in the West Bank. Speaking on Israeli radio on Thursday, security cabinet minister Yuval Steinitz said "we will find a solution", adding that he could not go into details.

^ I've said it before: there should be a very clear distinction made between the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Palestinians in Gaza. The Palestinians in Gaza are the ones who elected the internationally-recognized terrorist group - Hamas - into power - not the Palestinians in the West Bank. I believe that no US money should be given to the Palestinians in Gaza until they officially reject terrorism. I do believe that US money should still be given to the Palestinians in the West Bank. If the West Bank doesn't improve its standard of living then it could follow Gaza's path towards terrorism. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47095082

Canine Commandments

Girls In Boy Scouts

From WMUR:

"Girls ages 11 to 17 can now join Boy Scout troops in New Hampshire"

For the first time, girls 11 and older can be part of a Boy Scout troop in New Hampshire.  “I've always loved scouting and when there was the opportunity to start a girl's troop, I thought that would be a lot of fun,” said Emma Sainsbury of Amherst. Beyond having fun, Emma and her sister Annabelle are breaking new ground in Amherst Troop 7. It's one of 16 new Boy Scout troops in the state created just for girls ages 11 to 17. “Now we get to watch these girls trail-blaze and do awesome things, and I'm really excited to be a part of it. They're really inspirational to me,” said Amy Harrison, the scoutmaster of Amherst Troop 7. Harrison said nearly a dozen girls signed up on the first day of registration in her troop. Many say it offers survival skills and outdoor experiences that they can't get anywhere else.  It expands on the Boy Scouts’ move last year to welcome younger girls into Cub Scouts. And it means girls like 10-year-old Bernadette Steele can stay in the program as they get older.  But not everyone understands the change. Harrison said there are a lot of misconceptions. The Boy Scouts want everyone to know that the new troops are not co-ed, but they will follow the Boy Scouts program and values.  “We recognized that boys and girls don't develop along the same time paths, and just to make sure that doesn't go away, we have only boy units and only girl units for the 11 to 17 age frames,” said Steve Curry, president of the Boy Scouts’ Daniel Webster Council. Harrison said that above all, it gives girls a choice.  Just being good human beings in their communities and giving good opportunities to their futures, who wouldn't want to give that to their daughters along with their sons,” she said.

^ My Mom was the den leader for my Cub Scout pack and she was the den leader for my sister's Girl Scouts pack and so I saw what the boys and the girls got to do. My Mom hated that the main leaders of the Girl Scouts only wanted girls to sell (and not even bake) cookies and really nothing else so she left. Now girls can leave the cookies behind (you can buy them on Amazon) and start having fun learning survival skills, etc. like the boys always did. The packs aren't co-ed and I'm not sure if the boys and girls will go to the same camping trips, jamborees, summer camps, etc. but at least now the girls have more of an option ^

https://www.wmur.com/article/girls-ages-11-to-17-can-now-join-boy-scout-troops-in-new-hampshire/26117889

Groundhog History

From Encyclopaedia Britannica:

"Groundhog Day"

Groundhog Day, in the United States and Canada, day (February 2) on which the emergence of the groundhog (woodchuck) from its burrow is said to foretell the weather for the following six weeks. The beginning of February, which falls roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, has long been a significant time of the year in many cultures. Among the Celts, for example, it was the time of Imbolc, observed in anticipation of the birth of farm animals and the planting of crops, and February 2 is also the date of the Christian festival of Candlemas, also called the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin. During the Middle Ages there arose the belief that animals such as the badger and the bear interrupted their hibernation to appear on this day. If the day was sunny and the animal saw its shadow, six more weeks of winter weather remained. If, however, the day was cloudy, it was a sign that the weather during the following weeks would be mild, leading to an early spring. German immigrants to the United States carried the legend with them, and in Pennsylvania the groundhog came to be substituted for the badger. Since 1887 an animal in Punxsutawney, in the west-central part of the state, has been the centre of a staged appearance each February 2. In what has become a media event, a groundhog designated Punxsutawney Phil is the centre of attention of television weathermen and newspaper photographers. Although promoters of the local festival surrounding Punxsutawney Phil claim that the animals have never been wrong, an examination of the records indicates a correlation of less than 40 percent. (Whether a groundhog does or does not emerge is thought to be related to the amount of fat it was able to store before going into hibernation.) Canada has a number of groundhogs that serve as weather prognosticators, perhaps the best known being those portraying Wiarton Willie, a white-furred, pink-eyed creature that has appeared on the Bruce Peninsula, northwest of Toronto, since 1956.

^ An interesting look into the Groundhog and how he came to forecast the weather. ^

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Groundhog-Day

Groundhog Day

Raising Help

From the BBC:

"Girl raises $62,000 for Arkansas care home residents"

Ruby Kate Chitsey, 11, spends a lot of time at the care home in Arkansas where her mother works as a nurse. She enjoys talking to the residents.  When the 11-year-old found out that one of them could not afford the $12 (£9) for their pet dog to visit, Ruby Kate knew she had to take action.  She found a notepad left over from school and asked the residents one question: "If I could bring you three things in the whole world, what would those be?" Amanda, Ruby Kate's mum, told the BBC that residents "didn't want anything big". Rather they requested "fresh fruit", "haircuts" and "snacks".  After setting up a GoFundMe page, Ruby Kate's "three wishes" project has raised more than $62,000 (£47,000) to provide the things that "make life sweeter" for elderly people.  Ruby Kate told the BBC that she knows some people "have very little" and she "just wanted to help them".  The project received a boost when Ruby Kate was nominated as "Kid Hero" by GoFundMe. Amanda says it "humbled" her to hear what the people she cared for wanted.  "I have been working in this field for 25 years, and you get used to caring for people's medical needs, but you can forget about the need for joy," she said.  "I have known one resident for 18 years. He asked for some pants that fit him properly. It broke me that I hadn't realised." Amanda thinks that people are too willing to accept the inevitability that poorer old people will not be able to access these things, "but it took a child to see that it's not OK".  She hopes that the attention that Ruby Kate's kindness has attracted will "shine a spotlight" on the funding gap faced by some elderly people.  "Medicaid [the US health programme} looks after room and board, and that is great. But they only get $40 a month for everything else. The assumption is that family members will step in to provide money to help them. That just isn't happening."  When her daughter told her about the project, Amanda said she "wasn't at all surprised".  "She is a normal kid in most ways, but her ability to care for others is so mature. I have always been proud of her." Ruby Kate said that she has been "amazed" by the reaction, and "overjoyed" the project has been so successful.  Marilyn Spurlock, 74, has lived in a nursing home for eight years, and is described as the "eyes and ears" of the project by Amanda.  "Every day that goes by, I get a little more excited," Spurlock told CNN. "I go out into the hub - the areas where people sit. I look and talk to them and ask if there's anything they need." Amanda says that she became emotional when Marilyn told her that being busy and "treated like a normal person" had restored her "self-worth". And what is Ruby Kate's message to other 11-year-olds? "Don't let anything hold you back. If helping out helps you or someone else - just do it." 

^ This is one of those stories that makes you stop and think. We all need to be a little more like Ruby. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47064803

Soviet No More

From the MT:

"Soviet Citizen Finally Gets Russian Passport After 28 Years"

The Soviet dream has finally died, at least for one Siberian retiree who swapped her red ID from the communist era for a maroon Russian passport. The unnamed Omsk woman lived with outdated documents for 28 years since the Soviet collapse, the regional Interior Ministry branch spokesman told state media on Friday. The 63-year-old was unable to receive a pension or get official employment with her old documents, the state-run TASS news agency reported. She did not attempt to exchange her papers due to the risk of fine of up to 3,000 rubles ($46) that reportedly equals her monthly earnings. “She received a new passport this morning,” Omsk region’s Interior Ministry branch spokesman Alexei Komandykov told TASS. “She didn’t have to pay the fine, only a tax.” The woman received the passport as part of a regional amnesty program aimed at providing services to low-income citizens and homeless people, Komandykov said. Although no reliable statistics exist, the Civic Assistance Committee estimates that up to 350,000 Soviet passport holders may live in Russia. 

^ This is pretty surprising considering you really can't do a thing in Russia without an internal passport. Any official can stop you anywhere at anytime and ask for your internal passport with official residence registration stamp inside it (or your International Passport, Migration Card and official Residence Stamp if your a foreigner.) FYI: Every Russian has to register themselves if they stay in any town throughout the country for 30 days or longer. Every foreigner has to register themselves if they stay in any town throughout the country for 7 days or longer.

Russia continued to issue Soviet International Passports until 2000 - - because they had a large supply leftover from before 1991 when the majority of the Soviet population were not legally allowed to own an International Passport. The Soviet internal passport was issued within Russia until 1997 though and 100% of Russian citizens had to, by law, have one and carry with them at all times. ^

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/soviet-citizen-finally-gets-russian-passport-after-28-years-64371

Almost The Weekend

Paying Davis

From USA Today:

"Governor who praised Kim Davis in gay marriage protest wants her to pay state's legal fees"

Gov. Matt Bevin hailed former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis for standing up for religious liberty when she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But now his lawyers say she should foot the bill for nearly $225,000 in legal fees incurred by couples who successfully sued her in 2015 for refusing to follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling establishing a right to gay marriage. In a dispute over fees to be argued Thursday at the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Bevin’s outside counsel, Palmer G. Vance II, says Davis’ local policy "defied the unequivocal mandate issued by the Supreme Court." "The local policy also undermined the commonwealth of Kentucky’s interest in upholding the rule of law," Vance wrote in a brief. "As a result, the Commonwealth cannot bear liability for any attorneys’ fees related to challenges to the legality of this local policy." A federal district judge in 2017 held that the couples suing Davis for marriage licenses clearly prevailed and that the state of Kentucky must pay their fees and costs. Bevin appealed that ruling, seeking to shift the bill to the Rowan County Clerk’s Office. Davis acted alone, without any state support, the governor’s lawyers said. Bevin once called Davis "an inspiration ... to the children of America." In a statement, his general counsel, Steve Pitt, said Bevin doesn’t believe Davis acted unconstitutionally and continues to support her actions. Pitt said outside counsel, hired by former Democrat Gov. Steve Beshear's administration, have taken no position on whether she acted unconstitutionally. Still, Pitt said: "The federal court has held that she violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights and that the state must pay the ACLU legal fees incurred as a result. Our outside counsel have only argued, given the court’s ruling, that if constitutional rights were violated, the taxpayers of Kentucky are not responsible to pay the ACLU’s attorney fees." Davis’ lawyer, Roger Gannam, said in a brief that the state should bear the fees because "marriage licensing is a quintessentially and exclusively state-level function in Kentucky." In an email, Gannam said that the governor's office, as well as Davis and Rowan County, agree that the ACLU shouldn't be awarded any attorney fees; he said the disagreement is about who should have to pay them if the appeals court upholds the award. Davis individually is not on the hook for fees, he said. In the governor’s brief, filed in May, Vance said Davis had an "independent and sworn duty to uphold the law as an elected county officer. If fees are awarded, they must be the responsibility of the Rowan County Clerk’s Office, which should be deterred from engaging in conduct that violates civil rights – and leads to costly litigation." After the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision, Davis said she held religious objections to gay marriage and no longer would grant the marriage licenses in Rowan County. Her protest became international news when U.S. District Judge David Bunning jailed her for several days for contempt of court. Ultimately, she agreed to a compromise allowing one of her deputies who had no objections to issuing a modified marriage license to anyone who wanted it. Later, the state legislature removed county clerks’ names from Kentucky marriage licenses. Davis was defeated in November, losing to challenger Elwood Caudill.

^ Both Bevin and Davis should pay the legal fees since they both lost (luckily.) Bevin publicly supported Davis for her actions. Davis tried to act as though she was doing it to preserve the sanctity of marriage (despite her being married 4 times to 3 different men.) Bevin should have forced Davis to follow Federal Law (which supersedes any State Law) and by not doing so he was allowing Davis to break that Federal Law and innocent Americans wanting a marriage license were illegally denied one. It is through actions like these bigoted people that basic civil rights have been and are being denied. They can have their own moral convictions in private, but if they hold a public office then they need to follow the law. I'm just glad that Davis is no longer in office. She did more harm than good. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/31/kim-davis-legal-fees/2730955002/

Withdrawal Bill

From USA Today:

"Senate advances bill warning against 'precipitous withdrawal' from Syria and Afghanistan"

The Senate delivered a rare rebuke to President Donald Trump's foreign policy on Thursday, opposing his plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and shrink American forces in Afghanistan.  In a bipartisan vote, lawmakers advanced a measure sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warning against a "precipitous withdrawal" of American forces from Syria and Afghanistan. It was a particularly notable move coming from McConnell, who has been reluctant to criticize or cross Trump.  "The United States is engaged in Syria and Afghanistan for one simple reason: because our enemies are engaged there," McConnell said from the Senate on Wednesday. "Dangers to us and to our allies still remain in both these nations, so we must continue to confront them there."  McConnell's resolution is nonbinding, but it showcased a public rift between hawkish congressional Republicans and Trump, who campaigned on a promise to bring American troops home from far-flung conflicts. GOP critics say Trump has minimized the threat from the Islamic State in Syria and is plotting a hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan that could allow extremist elements to re-emerge in a country that once served as a base for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. In his speech Wednesday, McConnell invoked the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and suggested a premature withdrawal from Afghanistan could lead to more attacks on U.S. soil. "It's understandable that as we get farther from Sept. 11, many would grow tired of our military efforts a long way from home," he said, but leaving "too abruptly carries its own grave risk."   McConnell may have gotten fresh fuel for his proposal from a watchdog report on Afghanistan released Thursday. The U.S. inspector general overseeing Afghanistan reconstruction found insurgent forces increased their control over swaths of Afghanistan and the ranks of U.S.-backed government security forces have thinned to a new low. Thursday's Senate vote would cut off debate on McConnell's provision, which is an amendment to a broader Middle East foreign policy bill. The legislation would authorize new sanctions against the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and extend a security cooperation agreement between the United States and Jordan, among other things.

^ I completely agree with the Senate on this. Obama removed all American troops from Iraq too early and that allowed ISIS to come in and take over. The same (or worse) can happen if the US leaves Syria or Afghanistan too soon. No one likes war, but until ISIS, Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups are defeated then we shouldn't stop fighting them. Hopefully, Trump will stop and re-think his decision to remove the troops. ^

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/01/31/mcconnell-warns-against-withdrawal-forces-syria-afghanistan-senate/2730462002/

Russia Expelling

From the MT:

"Russia Must Pay $11.5M for Expelling Georgians, European Court Rules"

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled Thursday that Russia must compensate Georgian nationals who were rounded up and deported more than a decade ago. Russia ordered the expulsion of 4,634 Georgians between September 2006 and January 2007. Georgia said the expulsions were a deliberate policy to exact revenge for the arrests of four Russian officers in Tbilisi on espionage charges, while Russia denied that there was any anti-Georgian policy and said the expulsions were part of Russia's ongoing efforts to combat illegal immigration. The ECHR ruled in 2014 that Moscow’s policy had violated the Georgian nationals’ rights. Russia must now pay Georgia 10 million euros ($11.5 million) for deporting at least 1,500 Georgian nationals, the ECHR held on Thursday. The court ruled to distribute the damages at 2,000 euros per deportee, and between 10,000 euros and 15,000 euros to those who were also detained before being deported. In 2015, Georgia sought 70.3 million euros from Russia. Deputy Justice Minister Mikhail Galperin called the sevenfold decrease of the final reward a “key moment” in comments to the Kommersant business daily on Thursday. Judge Dmitry Dedov, Russia’s representative in the 17-judge panel, expressed “regret” in the dissenting opinion that the ECHR did not allow Russia to distribute the 10 million euros directly. Russian-Georgian relations collapsed in 2008 when the two neighbors fought a brief war over Georgia's breakaway territory of South Ossetia. Russia later recognized South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian territory, Abkhazia, as independent countries and continues to support them economically.

^ It's a good sign that the European Court called Russia on their actions, but I highly doubt Russia will actually pay the money. The article states that Russia recognizes South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent countries. How can they be considered independent when Russian troops are in the country, the people there use Russian passports to travel, they use the Russian Ruble, they use the Russian language and they receive pensions from Russia. Doesn't sound very independent to me. ^

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russia-must-pay-11-million-for-expelling-georgians-european-court-rules-64360

Checking-In

Got a call  from a family member. I usually call her every week just to check in on her and on another family member (who no longer has a phone) but she beat me to it this week. She thanked me for the card I sent to her and the one to my other family member last week.

No matter where I lived in the world (one of several US States, in Germany or in Russia twice) I have always kept in touch and checked on people (family and friends) - ever since I was a teenager and long before the Internet made it so easy. 

Many people don't make it so easy to do (ie. they hardly or never answer me back) so I have to find out things in different ways, but I was always taught to check in and help where I could so I guess that has stuck with me all these years.

Sausage Camp

From  the AFP:

"Sausage museum plan at ex-Nazi camp sparks outcry in Germany"

Plans to build a sausage museum at an annex of the former Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald Thursday sparked protests over a "lack of historical awareness" in Germany. An association called Friends of the Thuringer Bratwurst had announced plans to move the Bratwurst Museum from its current location in Holzhausen to Muehlhausen, where a theatre and a hotel will also be built. But the Muehlhausen site was once part of the Buchenwald camp, where the Nazis imprisoned almost a quarter of a million people between 1937 and 1945. Around 700 Jewish women were held in the outlying location that is to be redeveloped into a tourist attraction. The prisoners had been sent from the Auschwitz death camp to work in a weapons factory nearby, and warned that they would be returned to the death camp when they could no longer work. Rikola-Gunnar Luettgenau of the Buchenwald memorial foundation said the redevelopment plan showed a "lack of sensitivity" and a "lack of historical awareness". He said the foundation does not automatically rule out any plans to re-use the site. "It depends on what is to be done there," he added. Amid the uproar, the local mayor is holding talks with the region's Jewish community as well as the memorial foundation. An estimated 56,000 people died at Buchenwald. They were either killed by the Nazis or perished through illness, cold or starvation. Thousands of Jews were among the dead, but also Roma and political opponents of the Nazis, gays and Soviet prisoners of war.

^ This shows how ignorant and un-sensitive people are today. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/sausage-museum-plan-ex-nazi-camp-sparks-outcry-161653384.html

February Events

From Holiday Insights:
"Daily Bizarre and Unique Calendar Holidays - February, 2019"

Month:

• American Heart Month
• An Affair to Remember Month
• Black History Month
• Canned Food Month
• Creative Romance Month
• Great American Pie Month
• National Bird Feeding Month
• National Cherry Month
• National Children’s Dental Health Month
• National Grapefruit Month
• National Weddings Month

Weekly Celebrations:

3rd Week International Flirting Week 

February 2019 Daily Holidays, Special and Wacky Days:

1 Bubble Gum Day - first Friday of the month

1 National Freedom Day

1. No Politics Day

2 Candlemas

2 Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day - first Saturday of month

2 Ground Hog Day

3 Feed the Birds Day

3 Superbowl Sunday - Superbowl 53, date varies

3 The Day the Music Died - Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash in 1959.

4 Create a Vacuum Day

4 Stuffed Mushroom Day

4 Thank a Mailman Day

5 Chinese New Years - date varies

5 National Weatherman's Day

6 Lame Duck Day

6 National Chopsticks Day

7 Wave All you Fingers at Your Neighbor Day

7 Send a Card to a Friend Day - obviously created by a card company

8 Boy Scout Day - celebrates the birthday of scouting

8 Kite Flying Day - in the middle of winter!?!

9 National Pizza Day

9 Toothache Day

10 Umbrella Day

11 Clean out Your Computer Day - second Monday of Month

11 Don't Cry over Spilled Milk Day

11 Make a Friend Day

11 National Inventors Day

11 White T-Shirt Day

12 Abraham Lincoln's Birthday

12 National Lost Penny Day

12 Plum Pudding Day

13 Get a Different Name Day

14 Ferris Wheel Day

14 National Organ Donor Day

14 Valentine's Day

15 Candlemas - on the Julian Calendar

15 National Gum Drop Day

15 Singles Awareness Day

15 Susan B Anthony Day

16 Do a Grouch a Favor Day

17 Random Acts of Kindness Day

18 National Battery Day

18 National Drink Wine Day

18 President's Day - third Monday of month

19 National Chocolate Mint Day

20 Cherry Pie Day

20 Hoodie Hoo Day

20 Love Your Pet Day

21 Card Reading Day

22 George Washington's Birthday

22 Be Humble Day

22 International World Thinking Day

22 National Margarita Day

22 Walking the Dog Day

23 International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

23 Open That Bottle Night - last Saturday of month

23 Tennis Day

24 National Tortilla Chip Day

24 Oscar Night - date varies

25 Pistol Patent Day

25 Winter Olympics end, Closing Ceremony

26 Carnival Day

26 National Pistachio Day - it's a nutty day!

26 Tell a Fairy Tale Day

27 Polar Bear Day

27 No Brainer Day 

28 Floral Design Day

28 Public Sleeping Day

28 National Tooth Fairy Day - and/or August 22

    Leap Day - not this year, not until 2020, once every four years 

^ It's always nice to know the different meanings an and events for each day of the month. ^

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/february.htm

February