TriGirl

Kirk was definitely my go-to coach for the numerous times I had to get current. Questionable sense of humor, though not if you asked him! The funnier he found one of his own jokes, the more snorts you'd get out of his laughing (I did hear a three-snort laugh once!). After I learned of his death, he came up in conversation with someone I had only just met. I told her the funny story about how no one ever knows until later that they dated Kirk Knight. She got quiet for a minute, then realized she had dated him as well (she wouldn't have realized it had I not connected the dots for her). Kirk was the reason I was a decent skydiver, am a pretty good judge, and am also an ambassador for the Museum/Hall of Fame -- and I'm just one person. I know there are dozens (if not hundreds) of people who could say the same about how Kirk helped them. He is still missed. Fucci -- thanks for being there for Kirk, especially at the end (whether he wanted it or not). You were both great teammates. --T Bone

I like this one!

Seems like a good place to pose this question: Please post your favorite nicknames for the president elect. We have Mango Mussalini, Sweet Potato Hitler, etc. Mine is Tangerine Palpatine.

My concern about Hegseth's idea is that he says the "choose your own" healthcare provider, funded by the VA, for only service-related injuries/health problems. There is your hidden issue: what gets determined to be "service-related." A friend of mine has what his VA doctor described as "paratrooper knees" after many years jumping round canopies while carrying radio equipment (active duty). However, he has never been able to get his broken-down knees categorized as "service-related" for his disability claim. The doc claims they can't prove it was caused by his airborne time in the service. [smh] It's this kind of nonsense that we'll hear about incessantly if the VA goes to the type of medical care option Hegseth is proposing, and we'll be back to veterans suffering.

Yep, ^^^ this. He actually paid the taxes, with penalties. Yes, they were very late, but they were paid. Also, he didn't use the firearm in commission of a crime. That is really the only time the "illegal acquisition" law is enforced/prosecuted (as I understand it). Hunter was not charged with any crimes for his alleged "selling" of access to his father. However, since the cases filed against him had not been fully adjudicated, there was no sentence to commute. Granting a blanket pardon keeps Hunter safe from any petty misstep the next administration could have tried to exploit to the same level as the tax and gun charges have been -- way over the top for the actions, especially considering the outcomes.

It was really interesting to see the recent spate of news about the opposition making gains in Syria last week. Amazing to hear the news about Assad. It's easy to celebrate these milestones (and we should), but we should still be very concerned about what's next. ISIS could decide to make a power play, the forces in power could totally fail to deliver public services, or someone else could simply step up with his own brand of authoritarianism as just a different kind of "bad" for Syria. I'm not sure we should be a part of the re-building of institutions and democracy, considering our penchant for "getting ahead of our skis" when we start out trying to do the right thing. But I certainly think we should support our allies stepping in to assist in the process. The earlier a new government can get off the ground, the better the whole region will be.

I would entertain more requests for personal emails from many of you. Please PM me before the site shuts down! Tanya ETA -- Thanks, Sangrio. It's been great!

We were spelling out the repercussions to Turkey way back when I was a diplomat there, when Turkey was just considering whether to purchase the S-400s. At the same time they welcomed the U.S. Patriot battery on loan to help guard against attacks from Syria. We tried to warn them, but they had to ... "find out."

And his head of Blue Origin had a meeting with Trump later in the day. Bezos said it was a coincidence, that he didn't know the meeting was scheduled. Really? Is that how you keep up with the business you own, by not having any idea that they're meeting with a former president and presidential candidate? At least that meeting definitely should have been on his radar.

Trump and Vance saying they didn't hear the remarks, yet campaign officials reportedly nixed other jokes from Hinchcliffe's planned set. So, Trump doesn't have anyone telling him (or Vance) about what happens on stage before he is set to go on? Not to mention, this guy's set wasn't the only disgusting, despicable and (yes, I'll say it) deplorable crap that was spewed. Tucker Carlson referred to Harris's "pimps," and another guy actually called her the C-word. I have no more words.

Hey, Jerry, We had a state (or two) recently ratify it, so we have enough. I have heard some argue that there was a time limit on ratification, so we would need to start over getting the states to agree to it. Technically this administration can just declare the win and it gets added to the Constitution (according to legal pundits I have heard on several chat shows/ podcasts). I also am not an expert by any stretch, but I listen to experts. Not sure why the current administration has not done so yet. Tanya

Exactly right. It protects the government from infringing on your rights. Women recently lost some of that protection. The exact reason the first 10 amendments are literally called the Bill of Rights.

But if Ukraine had just given Russia the territory it wanted, there wouldn't be a war right now. See? Easy to have prevented a war. [/s]

Until one of the major crypto CEOs (or whatever they're called) gave Trump a lot of money. Then Trump changed his tune on crypto.

One reason he faces fewer charges is because he was CONVICTED of THIRTY FOUR of them. And currently the ones in Florida for mishandling classified have been dropped (I can't remember how many of the total that was). The Georgia case had already had a few of the counts dropped, so even before he was convicted in New York he was down to 88. Looking forward to the 11th Circuit overruling Canon's decision to dismiss. Hopefully a nice gift to all of us in time for the holidays. :)

Hi, Jerry, If he weren't a strong contender for the office of POTUS, I would be laughing. Unfortunately, the situation doesn't make it funny right now. Maybe when he loses the election and continues to "lose it," we can laugh at him.

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.

Agreed! Very scary. Funny side-note -- Flynn has a brother who is still an Army flag officer. He's a really good guy, though. Just hope he doesn't have to put up with too much blowback from his power-hungry brother's activities and antics.

(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.

He's going to keep harping on "crowd size," since that is what many of his followers cited in 2020 as the "evidence" that in NO WAY could Biden have received more votes. They pointed to the fact that Biden didn't have anywhere near the same attendance at his public appearances than Trump did as evidence that he didn't have the same support. In the throes of a deadly pandemic, before vaccines were widely available, and the delta variant was running rampant. Nah -- people didn't show up in the same way to Biden events because he didn't have the support. Right.

Listen to #SistersInLaw, Talking Feds, Opening Arguments, amongst others.

Thursday at 06:50 PM (edited) Technically, no. If he is permitted to cast a ballot, however, every harassed Florida voter needs to post it all over social media alongside their stories. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am corrected. The Florida rule is that you are only prohibited from voting in Florida if the state in which you were convicted would restrict a felon from voting. Reportedly, New York only prohibits a felon from voting while they are incarcerated. Had he been found guilty in a Florida court, he would be restricted from voting, as that is the Florida standard. Also, I have learned that Trump is technically still not convicted. He has been found guilty but is not "convicted" until he is sentenced. The stuff you learn when you listen to podcasts with lawyers. :)

Technically, no. If he is permitted to cast a ballot, however, every harassed Florida voter needs to post it all over social media alongside their stories.

I can't see Trump giving her another position, especially since she didn't complete her U-Turn with the requisite "Trump is the best choice for America!" She just said she couldn't support Biden, so she has to vote for Trump. Not really the same. Although, still very disappointing. I have several friends of the traditional Republican type who were very excited for her campaign. Looking forward to asking them what they think of her recent pronouncement.

The other card-carrying woman here (though I have been absent a bit!). Anyone impregnated should be able to get her own treatment from a provider who is trained and still willing to perform the procedure. "Late term" is not a thing. "Later abortions" happen after a fetus is expected to be developed to viability and can survive outside the uterus but are necessary due to something non-viable about the fetus (it will never be viable outside a uterus). To force someone to continue growing a fetus that will never grow a brain, or statistically speaking has a 98% chance of not surviving due to ruptured amniotic sac or other complications, or for myriad other medical issues that none of us NOT trained in obstetrics fully understand, is cruel, dangerous and unethical. Anyone trained in the science who is willing to perform the procedure in-office or by medications (has taken an oath to do no harm and still feels the procedure is appropriate), should be able to provide that health care to the patient who wants it.