TriGirl

I prefer the Lemonades over Lemon Ups by far. And the website details a new sandwich cookie called Toast-Yay, describing it as a French toast flavor. I’m anxious to try those! I have a freezer still stocked with ThinMints, Trefoils, Do-si-dos, and the sandwich cookie version of S’Mores. The local military guys I work with love them!

(And yes, I know we have had similar threads before). My real motivation to start a discussion is because we were talking about them at work. I’m trying to find a troop using the right baker to get my favorites — they’re only available from one! Though I am still interested in the walk down cookie memory lane, I would welcome a PM from anyone who can help me get a couple cases out here in the South Pacific. Don’t worry — I have a US mailing address!

Okay, folks — what are your favorites? What discontinued cookie was a good/bad idea? I remember selling them as a kid, back when we used to have to take the orders in advance and if you didn’t place an order, you didn’t get cookies (at least where I lived, kids didn’t pull shifts at grocery stores manning a cookie table). Today some troops set up the online order process, so you can order from your niece/grandchild/best friend’s kid, and the cookies get sent right to you. Not sure that doesn’t defeat the purpose of having the kids put in the work, but it certainly does seem to increase the sales. One of my recently discontinued favorites were the Thanks-a-Lots. Shortbread cookie coated in chocolate on the bottom. Gonna miss those!

Well done! Love the holiday motif. He’s adorable.

I bought a motorcycle before I took up skydiving. By the time I started jumping I already knew her attitude, because she said as much when I bought the Harley: “Neither you nor your brother are stupid people. Staying inside trying to be ‘safe’ all the time isn’t living. I trust you both to be smart about anything you take up.” she came out to the DZ when she was in town for visits. She knows I love it, but has no interest in doing it herself. But she does enjoy sitting in the shade and watching jumpers come in! My father and his wife, OTOH, think I’m insane.

My email box has been inundated with the diplomatic message traffic relaying that, “(X country) warmly welcomes US back to Paris agreement.”

Pfff... like a Marine would fall for Q. SEALs sure but not a Marine. I appreciate the love, guys, but I think we all know Phil's statement is inaccurate! And Joe -- again, "not possible from PNG!"

Aww, thanks. But it definitely wasn't me -- not a lot I can do from Papua New Guinea!

No. The parties need to take back control over what they claim they represent. GOP used to be the party of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, states' sovereignty and personal responsibility. They claimed to be the standards of the law and the Constitution. Law/Constitution? 197 Republican members of the House just voted against holding the president accountable for his inciting an insurrection. Personal responsibility? See above. Also see Sen. Ted Cruz's comments about Donald Trump 1) during the 2016 primaries, then 2) during the 2016 election, then 3) during this election cycle, and 4) after the insurrection. State sovereignty? How many members of each house still tried to object to the electoral votes of states they did not represent even after the insurrection? Fiscal responsibility? Why is it that the debt grows exponentially in GOP administrations, and either starts to shrink (or at least slows its growth) under DNC administrations? What's going on there? (maybe someone else can help me out by filling in the hypocrisy of the smaller government platform) Bottom line: the GOP allowed Donald Trump to put an "R" behind his name when he filed his candidacy for the nomination, and allowed him to keep it for the second election, even though he violated most of not all of the values the GOP has stood on for decades. The parties need to enforce their own basic platform to their own members.

Hey, Joe, The military draws its personnel from the same society it serves. We have our own issues dealing with personnel who can't treat each other with dignity and respect. We always say that it is our job to protect citizens' rights to think whatever they want to think, so I don't really take offense to whatever loyalty or motivation is questioned (or touted). What does worry me as a leader -- now and throughout my career -- is ensuring the personnel under my charge are upholding their own oaths and commitments to the Constitution and the UCMJ, as well as learning to work with their teammates from all walks of life and cultures that make up the country. It's a challenge, even on the small scale we deal with in the Marine Corps; but it's what we've been charged to do as leaders of Marines. I may never rid a Marine of his or her bigotry (for whatever they don't like), but I can ensure they act with integrity and respect for the mission, unit, and society we serve. (Did anyone else hear patriotic music in the background as they read that? Sorry for the recruiting commercial! )

1) this was from September (just putting into context) -- not part of the events of this thread. 2) I went to the link with the .pdf of this release from the campaign. I know two of those retired Marines -- one to whom I still send holiday cards. I would be really shocked if they actually were a part of language like that (I'm not saying they weren't, only that I would be shocked). If someone posted a real version -- say, with a date at the top, perhaps some kind of header, and the actual signatures -- and if it were sourced to be FROM the group (not the campaign), I would be less skeptical.

The problem isn't whether (or how) the virus will affect that person. It's how it will affect the person to whom they end up transmitting it. Most of the people who developed COVID after Sturgis weren't the ones who attended the rally, but their family members back home who were infected by those who didn't realize they brought it home with them. Holiday gatherings were discouraged not because people were sick, but because they could still bring the virus to their family members who may or may not get sick, but who would also at least pass it to others. Some of those people are going to die. Many more are going to get sick, which also usually means some degree of lasting health effects if they recover. This isn't about us protecting ourselves. It's about protecting each other.

Just proof that the US military will accept recruits of lesser intelligence. An early news report about her said that after all her years in the Air Force (including active duty, Reserve, and Guard), the rank she had "most recently attained" was Senior Airman. That's an E-4, folks. You can make that within 2-3 years, depending on circumstances upon enlistment. That tells me that she was likely a SrA more than once. I won't speculate on why she left AD and went into the reserves, and later into the ANG, but usually going from AD to the other components makes it easier to get promoted. It would be polite to simply conclude that she was not what we'd consider a stellar airman.

There was one Congressional guest on CNN who clarified that he saw people raiding the Capitol Police’s storage, including grabbing the flex cuffs. It doesn’t mean no one brought their own, and the “reappropriating” of what was already on the premises still equates to probable intent. But it’s important to include facts when we have them.

Let’s be clear, Bill. She said “about” seven times. So if you only receive six tweets, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!

Let’s start with teaching Government in public schools. I heard a former member of Congress on the “Intelligence Matters” podcast recently cite that 20% of states don’t require ANY classes on government. Only 9 states plus DC require a full academic year. I must have attended high school in one of the latter 9 states, since my HS did require all seniors to have Govt for both semesters. So this means we have kids in 10 states who are out in the world with no formal education on how the government functions. Students from another 31 states have no more than 1 semester. Seems pretty obvious to me how so much of the population could be so susceptible to what to many of us are blatant lies about what the VP and Congress could have done about overthrowing the election this week. Or to the lies about “massive voter fraud.” Or that the election was “stolen.” (Recall the seditious mob chanting “stop the steal!” as they paraded through the halls of the Capitol). I would like to see SOME education requirements (and funding) come from the federal government. I’m cool with letting the states run most of it, but there has to be some set of “common good” knowledge — and resources — to produce a minimally educated (and therefore productive) society.* *let’s all be reasonable in replies, please. Don’t presume I’m talking about brainwashing or ideological indoctrination.

But unless the code is “person, woman, man, camera, TV,” are we sure he remembers what it is?

You’re 4 years too late using that one. Former President Obama emphatically stated upon Trump’s election that Orange is NOT the new Black!

...or that they are ignorant of how government actually works. When they get frustrated or feel the government has let them down, instead of hearing from a responsible representative about where the system has gone wrong and where that person's situation fits into the bigger picture, they're hearing "the elites are out to get you!" and "only I can fix it!" and "I'm on YOUR side. It's us against them!" Strong technique for said elected official to stay in power. When the constituency stays in that bubble of ignorance and eats what's being thrown at it, the ignorance and idiocy are never solved. It's sad, really, that our system allows for just a small people to make a difference on an issue. Democracy isn't just casting a vote. It's civil society engaging in "collective bargaining," and the citizenry making a stand over what is and what isn't important. And it's a responsibility of that citizenry to get involved to be part of the solution. Not just "of the people" and "for the people," but also "BY the people." And yet, we have "public servants" who choose not to help shine a light to educate their constituents on how they fit into the big picture, and the power they each have to influence it.

Oh, yes. I'm aware. I wanted to write it in a way that hit home with certain consumers of the Q nonsense, who may fit the description. Just trying to get people to think for themselves. Take a look in the mirror, reflect (no pun intended) on a whole-of-life experience, and start to apply a little basic logic. Either this whole "deep state" idea fooled the rest of us who work in the government (and in intelligence specifically), or it was the best, most elaborately planned, and best kept secret in the history of this country. Or, that's all bullshit, and a good portion of the country has fallen victim to this prank. Pretty sure Option 2 is the answer under Occam's razor.

Is it just me, or does this sound eerily similar to the early days of the Soviet Union? Do these so-called "patriots" have absolutely no grasp on history at all? Particularly the ones who served during the Cold War -- many of us still serving who were part of that, so yeah, retirees definitely should remember that. The absurdity of the whole movement, and just how far past the limit of what any thinking person would believe a large population could possibly believe, is absolutely astonishing to me. Seriously, I often feel like it's an expertly orchestrated "flash mob" prank on an epic scale, and we're all going to see a nationwide choreographed song-and-dance finale performed as an opening act at the inauguration events.

I'm embarrassed to say this guy was a Marine (and have been embarrassed by him for some time). I'm pretty forgiving when people who have never served in government are elected to office, and then overstep or misunderstand (innocent mistakes) ethics and finance rules. But military officers have to engage in -- and often lead -- annual discussions and training sessions on this stuff. As a member of congress he committed gross violations of finance laws and ethics regulations (to the point that I wouldn't even have excused them for someone who might not "know better"). Double whammy. It's guys like him who make it so military members can be forced to take on even more training sessions, with documented attendance and participation -- taking away from doing our regular mission and from the annual skills training calendar. It's disgusting.

I needed this thread today! I often struggle in my current job not just with being "good enough," but because I've been told I have a (totally bullshit) reputation with the higher headquarters as a "rock star." So, of course, I try to live up to the fact that I was asked to come do this job, because they know they can count on me (okay, at least their confidence in my dedication is warranted). The demands of the job are totally unrealistic for the number of people they put on the ground to deal with it all. My ambassador tells me I'm doing well; boss at my own headquarters says the same. And consciously I can look at these metrics and point to these unreasonable demands to illustrate that there is only so much I can do in a day (and can't physically be in three island countries simultaneously). But that doesn't stop the insecurities from creeping in. And Nat -- I do give myself permission to say aloud that I can only handle so much on my own, and that's okay. Sometimes, just hearing/reading about someone else dealing with similar levels of "this just sucks right now" is therapeutic. So, THANKS Wendy & Nat!

I didn't say they weren't getting elected. I meant that they are not what the Republican party claims it stands for (small government, personal accountability, fiscal responsibility). How many of the higher ranking, long-term Republican officials chose to leave the field altogether at the mid-terms and this year? The current batch now define what it means to be a Republican: selfish, power-driven, with no regard whatsoever about rule of law, decency, or real patriotism. THAT is what was destroyed.

That ship sailed long ago.