Wellfleet

I think this is what happens when you shelter children too much. Seriously. As with everything, there is a line, and so many fundies cross it in this regard. We can't prepare children to work and live in the world if we keep them from seeing it, experiencing it, learning about it. Fundies are continually trying to shield and protect their kids but you have to experience some stress, some bad news, some disappointment, some rotten people as a child - so you're better able to cope as an adult.

Totally agree. People with extreme views in just about any area would be very likely to set off a buzzer, IMO. I've been interviewed by the government three times when students of mine had applied for "sensitive" gov positions - two for the CIA - and had given my name as a personal reference. I remember some questions from the last one in 2012. I was asked if I knew anything about the applicant's social life, political views, even spending habits.

Not surprisingly, these things are very trendy and totally follow the news. I noticed it first the year after the OJ trial when about 25% - no kidding - of the prospective undergrad students at our university [high school seniors] were listing criminal justice and forensic science as their areas of interests. For several years in the early 2000s, we saw a lot of Disaster & Emergency Management, after 9-11 and Katrina.

Rest easy tonight, fellow Americans. The FBI accountants are packin'... Edited to add - PS - at least, according to Derick, they are.

I have a cousin-in-law at the Secret Service, though not the protection division. He's in check fraud - just like Tom Hanks in Catch Me If You Can. They use lots of accountants too. He tells us all the time how NOT glamorous it is, and I'm sure he's right. But we still tell him how impressed we are, and that he has the sexiest job in the family. I'll have to let Derick know I'd be glad to use my influence in his behalf.

Most foreigners with the US F-1 student visas are allowed to work inside the US at a campus-based job only and - IIRC - for a limited number of hours each week. They are not allowed to work off-campus at all. Student spouses, who I think are the F-2 visa, are not allowed to work at all. Obviously, the stipulations in other countries could and likely are different.

I've seen eleventy MILLION resumes in my time. I'd love to see Derick's. Something tells me it would leave me smiling...

Exactly. Losing his reputation will shut down the whole show for Boob. Plus, unless a donor sues or something similar, I can't actually see the criminal justice system bothering to "go after" the Duggars, and to be very honest, I don't care if they do. What I want is to see people open their eyes about the Duggars and see past all Boob & Me-chelle's lies, laziness and personal insecurities. Mainly I want them to see kids who are being - IMO - criminally-undereducated, women that are being [at best] emotionally abused, and adult children who are being manipulated into becoming their parents' staff at the incredible age of 8 or so.

One thing is for sure. From now on, I won't be naively thinking "Oh maybe this is the person who will rescue So-and-So from this awful fate..." when each potential new Duggar in-law is paraded out. Anyone whacked enough to even THINK about joining this family is going to have to prove his/her own sanity first. No more automatic granting of the Benefit of the Doubt. Once bitten, twice shy.

Agree. Makes me very curious about what Derick did - if anything - during the year between graduating and going to Nepal. Personally I think he was living off his mother/stepfather and/or the remains of any life insurance survivor benefits he may have received. Doesn't sound like he was conducting a careful and sober job search either. He considered a day of softball, swimming and Spiderman worthy of a Twitter entry. And even if he was job-hunting, he wasn't successful. He finally needed his Mom to get him in at WalMart. Come on Derick, if you were gainfully occupied with something more than sports, video games & movies, let us know. If you actually ARE doing something valuable and substantial with your donations, let us know. It's the absence of information that makes people question things. That and the whitewashed language on LinkedIn - but then a lot of people are pretty good at making Nothing sound like Something.

The increasing level of this kind of media attention is going to hurt the Duggars [Dillards, Seewalds etc] in the very worst way possible. For them. Fewer donations from an ever-dwindling group of leg-humping fans. Plus no one will turn around anymore to marvel at them when the whole gang piles into the local pizza place or Chick-fil-A [or however it's spelled].

NewDigs - please consider the LIKE button here as more of a SQUEEZE-AROUND-THE-SHOULDERS button...

Good points. Although I think none of us were surprised to hear about the details of this thank-you-for-giving-us-money-now-we-need-your-food party, it does make me think that Boob Et Al are even less intelligent than we thought. He has GOT to realize, or at least GUESS, that the leg-humper support has dwindled somewhat with the Josh relevations. If he's even a little smart, he'll stick a crowbar in his well-packed wallet and start cultivating their ever-shrinking pool of fans. The longer he does, the better [for them]. Although I still think this whole thing is only a year out from totally going down in flames.

I'll bet it was more like a crew of 7 who wanted to see Paris - LOL. The honeymoon was just a way to get there on TLC's dime...

Completely agree. What is TLC going to find to film? Just a lot of contrived situations I'm sure - camera fodder. This plane is on fire already and it hasn't even left the ground yet...

Our family has both planned and spontaneous gatherings often, and potluck is almost always involved. But potluck is when it's family only, and when there's no gift expected. Birthdays, graduations, showers etc - the hosts plan and pay for everything. Anything else was considered beyond tacky. The only things my parents ever asked guests to bring were folding chairs, or a card table. Remember card tables? PS - very good rule about what not to eat at a potluck. Unless it's a family event, I won't touch any dish with mayonnaise, or anything that doesn't look like it was adequately transported, heated, kept chilled etc. There were times when this rule really limited my choices at office parties, I'm sorry to say. But I've become a real fan of vinaigrette potato and pasta salads - you can usually count on them to be safe. Our family is really organized about things now too. My 20-year old nephew makes labels on his computer for every dish as it arrives & prints them out. Then if you really like something, you write your e-mail address on the sheet so the person who brought the dish can send you the recipe. And he came up with that idea when he was 8. What a smart kid...

Incredible. I think it's really true. There are two kinds of people in the world - Givers and Takers.

Enjoy your every second on Tybee, Happy - it's a bee-yoo-ti-ful place. Just MADE for recuperative vacationing. Let all the sun and sand and breezes and shrimp - and vodka - soak into your every pore. Let it re-energize you for what will probably prove to be an interesting next few months in your family. ☀

Making Boob the poor man's Donald Trump. Admittedly, Donald has more $$, but they're both just as intelligent...

Oh, yuck. No trees? I literally could not purchase a home without trees on the property. Taller-than-the-house trees.

I agree. I believe the bottom line is that most people really DON'T care what others will think. They will go ahead and do X, if that's what they really WANT to do. At least I hope so. I'd hate to find out someday that most people did far less than they wanted to because they were so worried about what other humans would think of them. My Dad always said, "As long as what you're doing doesn't hurt anyone else..." And of course we can always count on Dr Seuss too - Be who you are and say what you think - because those who mind don’t matter - and those who matter don’t mind. ⭐️

Oy, this is quite true. If he stays with Mommy and Daddy at least...

I'm sure they borrowed the terminology from TLC or other businesses with which Boob is familiar. I could see him listing TLC as a financial partner of his own on financial applications, paperwork, taxes, etc.

OMG, these people are Beyond Belief. Have the Duggars ever popped for a REAL social gathering themselves? I'd use the word party but well, it is the Duggars, after all. The word for today, kids, is hospitality. The Apple dictionary defines it as the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers. Honestly, I have to say, on the Civilized Meter, I think Boob might be the Missing Link. What a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal... I bet Josh designed the invite - straight off the Apple e-mail system. Canned background and everything...

Personally I would be BETTING on the fact that Boob has himself firmly-planted into the TLC-Jill-Jessa deal. No question in my mind. He feels it's his right as a father. He'd believe this if Jill and Jessa were in their 40s or 50s too. Plus his SILs are two very easy-to-lead sheep and VERY unlikely to speak up. He's playing both the Respect-your-elders and Been-there-before-boys-I-can-handle-this-for-you cards with them, I'm sure.