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(not just to you, Phil, but yours was the easiest post to reply to) Funny, I just saw his PAO from his Iraq deployment on CNN, talking to Brianna Keiler, the other day. Shawn Haney and I go way back to OCS, then were both Marine PAOs (the officers in charge of combat correspondents). She's a good egg, and a way better PAO than I ever cared to be. I agree with what she said -- combat correspondents are called that because they have to go out to the areas to get the information to write in their reports. Additionally, enlisted CCs were nearly as likely to accompany embedded media as the officers were, and were always packing. Another colleague of ours died on one such escort when she stepped on a hidden IED; definitely not a safe job. Not to mention, especially in Iraq, there really wasn't any "rear area." Yeah, definitely safer than others, but not a safe job. I'm not saying JD Vance is a standup guy -- I despise everything that guy says and stands for, especially his accusations toward Tim Walz's service. But I had to give the Marine PAO perspective on combat correspondents and at least defend his service. Yeah, it was easier than that of many other Marines, but he did his four years honorably, just as Tim Walz did his 24 years, just as I did my combined 32 years.

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a fair assumption that it’s a duck. Your posts and almost exclusively parroting Trump and Maga values and views, you may as well be wearing a red hat to match

Cuz she wasn't the border czar. The media just labeled her as such. You know, the same media you are always making fun of other people for listening to.

I really wish he was still alive to put his comments into the arena.

Seems excessive. But look at the positive side. It allowed you time to gather yourself for four more years of a democrat president.

I have a nephew who suffered from gender dysphoria for many years, beginning well before their teens. Now in their 20s, they went through hormone treatment and recently underwent surgery to complete the transition to female, at least externally. Although they still have work to do psychologically, it's mostly to deal with damage done by years of dysphoria and the social stigma that comes with that. At least we no longer have to worry constantly about suicide. I find it interesting that before any hormone treatment was started it was determined that the male bits they were born with were never able to produce sperm, which suggests that they were never a fully functional male and the dysphoria may well have had a physiological basis. I know that I, personally, never made a choice as to my gender identity, it was "built in" by a combination of genetics and hormone environment during development. I assume the same is true of everyone else. It is absurd to assume that other people consciously choose their gender, and even more so to assume people choose an identity that often results in a lifetime of suffering.

I don't understand why so many of you waste energy arguing with an obvious, blatant troll.

Right - so the Democrat party is so racist (after voting for Obama twice which proves they're definitely not racist) that it wouldn't choose Kamala but also so beholden to DEI that they couldn't not choose Kamala. Did any of that sound good in your head before you said it out loud?

Ahh, the I have a black friend defense. Never takes long.

You said she was never mentioned, that is false. I said it was discussed and consensus was that due to racism and sexism she may struggle to get support (let me be explicit here - we did NOT question competence) You wonder why we think you’re a Trump supporter? Your response to my post was a perfect example of emulating your dear leader. Twist the facts and try and redefine the question.

Hi base, You should get out more. I have been to countries where both sexes use the same restroom; and the same stalls; not at the same time. At first I was taken aback. Then I realized it was Go With the Flow or hold it. I adjusted just fine; and, so will you if you ever are in that situation. Jerry Baumchen

Nope. She went to Central and South America and worked out deals with the countries from which people were fleeing. I don't have the reference available at the moment, but I have heard reports that people seeking asylum at our southern border has been cut significantly due to these efforts.

They were real enough for the Somme in 1916, North Africa in 1941, the North Atlantic 1939-45, Normandy in 1944. . . . .

That isn't funny, that is scary.

A man and a woman who had never met before found themselves assigned to the same sleeping room on a Trans-continental train. Though initially embarrassed and uneasy over sharing a room, they were both very tired and fell asleep quickly.....He in the upper bunk and she in the lower. At 1:00 AM, the man leaned down and gently woke the woman saying, "Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but would you be willing to reach into the closet to get me a second blanket? I'm awfully cold." "I have a better idea," she replied. "Just for tonight, let's pretend we're married." "Wow! That's a great idea!" he exclaimed. "Good," she replied. "Get your own fucking blanket." After a moment of silence, he farted.

He would chop Trump up like a fat tuna in the Tsukiji market. Unfortunately his base would never read or hear the commentary.

If there was any hint of balance, you might have a point.

Yeah, you're abused here even worse than Trump is by the unfair fact-checking press. But you take it on the chin for freedom of speech, right? Wendy P.

Well, kinda. But compared to the powers the previous government put in place to tackle peaceful protests and other things then sentencing has been quite lenient. If any pro-Palestinian marchers had conspired to attack police officers en-masse, break into people’s homes, burn cars, public buildings and hotels with people inside then it is a cast iron guarantee they would have been prosecuted under anti-terror laws and be facing decades long sentences, not a few years. Even a group of climate protestors who conspired to hang a flag from a motorway bridge got longer sentences than the members of these violent criminal gangs.

I agree JAG I think they got this right in the end. George Harris was listening from Seattle and taking notes. 8:05 - Cooper reports he's all good 8:11 Crew mentions fluctuation in the cabin and that Coops is playing with the air stairs. 8:22 Crew reports positioning of being 23 DMES of PDX. I trust in Sluggo's work, he noted, @ 8:22 - 23 NM S of Battleground/pdx VORTAC ( which isthe PDX VORTAC location in Orchards) I have not drilled into the flight details but is there is there any record of the Battleground/PDX VORTAC turn time, other then the tick marks and times noted on the on the flight path map?

Turns out we were wrong. Sometimes that happens. As far as the rest, when you find a perfect candidate, who has never in their life misspoken, and never in their life made a mistake (or something that could be construed as a mistake by their worst enemy and goal-post-mover), alert us. Wendy P.

The racist teleprompter crap is so tired and pathetic. I remember that when Obama was running the first time there were jokes flying around by racist nut jobs that he couldn’t even use the bathroom with out instructions on a teleprompter. Newsflash for you, Donald is still the rapist convicted felon he was a month ago, although maybe slightly more deranged

Not to be a doomsayer, but I think you’re wrong. Trump is definitely setting the scene, in fact I think the reason he’s got “The worst Campaign in History “ is because he doesn’t care, he’s laser focused on the first coup in American history. He’s a cornered animal and every bit as dangerous. Im genuinely concerned that the US government is sleep walking towards a crisis thinking they can just vote him into silence. However, Biden’s remarks during that interview that he doesn’t expect a peaceful transfer of power hopefully indicates that there is a strategy being developed to counter that it.

Yeah. What bothers me the most about all this hand-wringing over "oh the poor CHILDREN!" is that the very same conservatives would think nothing of getting their child life-altering irreversible surgery if it made them more cis, or prettier, or made them feel better about themselves, or got kids to stop teasing them. For kids aged 13-19, per year, there are: ~ 6000 breast reductions for girls ~ 3000 breast reductions for boys ~ 1300 breast lifts ~ 3000 liposuctions ~ 350 labiaplastys And the only time it's an issue is if the kid is trans. That's a pretty big level of hypocrisy.

it was offered as equally valid rhetoric examples of absurdity

I like how he defended his service and then in the same breath thanked Vance for his. Both classy and clever messaging about being the bigger man. He seems to be an all round stand up guy.

Which tells us everything we need to know about your level of knowledge of any of the issues and clearly demonstrates your open and willing bias. .... if you want 11 years olds to carry babies to term and forcibly become mothers.... .... if you want 16 year olds to openly carry AR-15s in public..... and so on. If you want to be ridiculous and post rhetoric like a five year old, then you can expect us to treat you like you are just that.

Well aren't you special. Wow. So considerate. /s

In 1972 I was an acting assistant manager at a pizza joint. The manager wasted himself on a motorcycle and the assistant manager was off with a broken wrist. It fell to me hire staff. A very huge, not looking very girl, person applied and in our interview was really smart, you know like fun to talk to. I hired her and immediately faced immense push back, like they called her "the hockey player" etc. I lost a few more staff as a consequence. The owner, who had three other stores, called me in and told me I did the right thing. I will never forget that.

Where exactly do you get that number? Because I rather doubt that only 1 out of every 300 transgender-identifying individuals are "legitimate." I'm not sure you're the be-all and end-all of judges of who's "really" transgender. I have a transgender nibling. Her contention is that gender is an invalid box with which to classify her, because nothing feels right. This has been true for her since she was 13, 17 years ago. It wasn't "fashionable" then, it was difficult and disruptive to her life. Maybe the reason it's fashionable now, just like the "sudden increase in homosexuality" is because it's less likely to get you killed to be brave enough to say what you are. Wendy P.

Puberty blockers: What to know about the lifesaving medication for gender diverse kids | CNN - An incredibly small number of kids are using puberty blockers. A fraction of the number of people that are, for example, killed and injured in gun violence every year. Not sure how outraged I am expected to be about kids, their doctors, their parents, and the decisions that are made within the confines of these groups, especially when it is none of my fucking business. Also have no idea how ANY of those decisions affect me, my family, my life, your life, anyone's life, any family.... and so on.... especially when it is no one's fucking business, except those involved.

Yep. Or put another way - If you think giving rights to other people will erode yours, it's not equal rights that you want - it's privilege.

Now wouldn't that be pleasing to some who are so fraught with gay concerns? Just for the sake of understanding could you please tell me just which gay or woke rights are wrecking your days?

Hasn't the US recently had a serious rollback of reproductive choice rights? Is there not a "anti-woke" movement? Those who think the battles are won have never actually had to fight.

Americans call it "Project 2025", the American Sharia Law.

Consider how chest straps need to be completely un-threaded and re-threaded for every jump. Every time they slide through a buckle, they suffer a tiny amount of wear, hence chest straps wear out first. Also consider that leg straps need to be tightened before every jump. Again, every time a leg strap slides through a friction-adapter, it suffers a little friction. 20-some-odd-years ago Aerodyne published a Service Bulletin recommending adding a layer of Type 12 webbing to leg straps to increase friction/reduce slippage. I have sewn that update into harnesses made by Aerodyne, Altico, Flying High, Mirage, Relative Workshop, Strong, Sun Path, etc. I have worked at a few skydiving schools where all the student rigs hade been re-harnessed when the containers were only half-life. The worst was when (around 2001) when we bought out a school that had dozens of Javelin student rigs. This was just after Sun Path published a Service Bulletin about fraying main lift webs. That winter I replaced frayed MLWs on 20 harnesses, plus 20 chest straps and a few frayed leg straps. I also did a bunch of container repairs …. replacing cracked stiffeners, etc. I could only return half of them to service. Talk about hiding behind a sewing machine all winter!

Do you have anything to say that I can respond to?

Just found guilty in 7 out of 10 counts. Tina Peters found guilty in plot to hack into Colorado’s election system to prove voter fraud

https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/12/politics/suspected-iranian-hackers-breached-personal-email-account-of-someone-associated-with-trump-campaign-investigators-believe?cid=ios_app Since it was achieved with a spear fishing email, remember the whole era of “Take this pill and gain a few inches” spam emails? What are the odds Donald opened an email “How to double your crowd sizes in 7 days”?

If your are going to poke fun at the "college educted" (sic). Maybe better spelling would help make your point.

He'll never concede. He'll die proclaiming it was stolen.

Hi folks, I am of the opinion that this recent prisoner swap is the perfect end of a quite decent political career. Good for you, Joe. Thoughts? Jerry Baumchen

I sure can. 10 million undecided voters breathed a sigh of relief because they did not want to vote for Trump and did not want to vote for Biden, but they now have someone to vote for. tens of millions of other voters that would have voted for Biden are now enthusiastic, and with good reason. Democrats are going to line up like Republicans do behind their candidate instead of being the usual wishy-washy about every fucking issue. She gets the black vote, and even the Southern Baptist vote, despite them being pro-life and her being pro-choice. She is a mouthpiece for ALL women who want bodily autonomy. She is by definition, the law and order lady, that was her career. And if she debates Trump, that will be a center piece, handled with ease, jabbing Trump endlessly instead of mumbling Joe. Everyone predicted chaos if or after Biden quit, what chaos? Nothing. not a peep. The 'Biden Crime family' is gone, Hunter is gone, the senile old man is gone, the pedophile is gone, they have NOTHING except race and gender, and that will be exactly what the GOP will do, poorly, and it will fly back in their face. and the oldest man in history to run for President is now Trump. They cannot say another word about senity or age, and it will be wiped from the GOP scripts from end to end. Trump did not win any new voters by getting convicted, his base just got louder. Trump did not win any new voters by losing case after case in civil courts, his base just got louder. Trump might have gained some empathy for getting shot at, but he is already long past the RNC speech and the 'nicer kinder gentler' Trump and back to his raving self, because they have no strategy to combat Kamala without looking like the actual pieces of shit that they are. And all the mouthpieces at the GOP can only complain about 'how the dems forced out Biden and had a coup with Kamala' as if they give some flying fuck about how the Democrat party operates.... it looks weak, lame, and sounds like a five year old that dropped their lollipop in the sand. And then whining about how much money they had to spend already on Biden....1-800-waa-aaah Harris will choose a white man to be VP and she will win, likely by the same margin as Biden won in 2020, because no votes have changed hands in the past 4 years and like I said, Trump most certainly has not gained any being the POS convicted felon that he is. 1 week ago I would not have bet on the Democrats winning. I am back to $500 bets that Trump, if he is in the election in November, will lose that election.