Don’t believe the population figures for sub-Sahara Africa. They’re likely as accurate as old population figures and economic statistics from the old Soviet Union.

Go to Google Earth. Pick any city n Africa and view it. Look at it’s population figures. Then look for the traffic and infrastructure needed to support and feed that population. It isn’t there. And- look for evidence of farms.

Pick any city in Europe or the U.S. with a similar size published population and do the same. You’ll see what I mean.

Wasn’t a Southern Methodist. Drinking, dancing, and having a good time are all allowed in the United Methodist Church.

As I mentioned in another set of blog comments on this same issue, my children are the product of a mixed marriage. I’m Methodist, she’s Roman Catholic, a pairing you still don’t often see in Europe.

Remember that movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? I went on a few dates with a girl who was Greek Orthodox. When she realized I was somewhat serious about pursuing her, she broke it right off. Her family would never accept her marrying a non-Greek. Or a Greek that wasn’t Orthodox. The movie was accurate in it’s portrayal of Greek communities in America.

Order of the Arrow is referred to as the Boy Scout’s Honor Society. And it’s still around.

Selection is different then for most groups. Prospective members of the Order of the Arrow are selected not by existing members, but by the troop at large from those that are eligible. In my troop it seems the Scouts do a pretty good job of not electing fellow Scouts who IMHO shouldn’t be selected.

My ancestors lived in Powhatan VA in the 1600’s. And I have distant relatives with the same surname still living there. Some in ancestral houses from the early 1700’s. It’s really amazing the stories you can find using google…

I doubt there’s a county in the United States that doesn’t have at least one town or major geographical feature that isn’t named after an Indian chief or tribe. Alas, no Indian blood as I said in another comment. Though I have traced other branches of the family that have Indian blood. And African blood.

My family had rumors. DNA confirmed they were rumors. Also rumors we were descended from a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Turns out that particular signer has no known living descendants. We are descended from his grandfather…. and it took me a long time to find that.

“That’s rather misleading: the forces against democracy in Turkey were the anti-Muslim pro-Western secularist generals who four times overthrew elected politicians, including as recently as 1997. Of course, perhaps my definition of “democracy” is outdated and during the Obama Administration, democracy is whatever the American secretary of state is for.”

That was the job of the generals- to overthrow the elected government whenever it became religious instead of secular. Erdogan managed to subvert the generals, so the military now cannot/will not do that. The military was, and now isn’t, officially atheist. Couldn’t be a practicing Muslim and rise in the ranks. And as you mention, they overthrew elected governments 4 times. What you failed to mention is, the army understood Turkey was not theirs to rule, that generals are good leaders for armies, and ultimately bad leaders for governments. And 4 times, after taking power- they handed power back to an elected government after Muslim extremist politicians had been eliminated. Turkey is now on the path to becoming just another Muslim theocracy. It’s taking a little longer then Iran did after the shah was overthrown- with Jimmy Carter’s blessing.

There are few cases where a military has overthrown a government, taken charge, and subsequently voluntarily relinquished power. Only in Turkey has it happened 4 times. Same way there are few cases where a dictator has managed to hand over power peacefully to a successor, and establish a non-dictatorszship. Off the top of my head, the ever hated Franco is the only one who comes to mind.

I took the NTE coming out of the Navy in 1994. The test didn’t give you a percentile ranking. It gave you your raw score, and the middle 50 percentile. There were 36 math questions, my raw score was 36. The middle 50% were 9-17 raw score. In every section my raw score was the top number of that middle 50, or above. Most people who take the NTE have 4 year teaching degrees. The Navy trained me to be an instructor in 2 weeks.

Did I become a teacher? No. In several states my scores on the NTE would have been enough to get me a job, after which I would have time to get my “teaching credentials”. In the state I moved to, a teaching degree is required. Looking at the pros/cons of going into teaching, the one big con that keeps most male military retirees out is simple. Teaching is a dangerous profession for middle aged white males to enter in to, especially one used to holding people to account for their performance. One accusation of sexual harassment from a young girl, no matter how false, and your life is ruined.

My local HS lost one of the best male teachers it had ever had a few years back. A gaggle of girls decided he was being too hard on them, and made the sexual harassment charges. After 2 years of investigation, he ended up being completely cleared, was awarded all his back pay, and offered his job back. He had enough time to retire- and did.

Oh, yeah. I do instruct, but not in school. 5 Boy Scout merit badges, and I’m a Scoutmaster. No state licensing required.