Wellfleet

Kudos to you for acting as your child's parent - and not his best friend. Makes all the difference in the world. Well, according to this childless teacher anyway. You must be so proud of your USAF Captain-son. Please pass on my thanks for his service... :>)

Haven't watched The Willis Family at all. I have learned my lesson, thanks to 19K&C, and do not need to get sucked into another of TLC's too-large goofball family stories.

Sorry to say I would not be shocked if this turned out to be the case. It would be a little startling to think that Boob could come up with such a crafty idea - he definitely doesn't give off the "crafty" vibe. But I think it could be possible. Right now it could be anything though...

In Cosby's case, I think the "statue" of limitations has probably expired on many of the alleged incidents. But from the bits I've seen on TV, I think he may be up to his eyeballs in civil lawsuits - at least if there is no statute on time there.

Very true - it's always the ones who shout the loudest and longest about the evils of Evil who get caught with their own hands in the cookie jar.

Without a doubt, the most difficult aspect of breaking off from the family would be going against the belief system they've been virtually soaked in since birth. But personally I think they are light-years away from that. Things would have to become much, much, MUCH more difficult before any of the kids even begin to think about leaving the family. Right now, I don't believe this idea has crossed anyone's mind. Overall they're relatively-content. I don't think anyone would say Life is perfect. I'm sure some wish there was less parental oversight. Maybe some wish they had their own rooms, maybe some of the girls would even like a "secular" job etc. But being disgruntled with life at home is practically in the rule book for teens and early 20-somethings. No, I think overall conditions at the TTH would have to become much worse than they currently are before anyone would even begin to think about breaking away. If that day ever came, $$ would be a secondary consideration. If any Duggar kid really believed conditions were intolerable enough to warrant leaving, I don't think $$ - having it or not - would stop him.

In that respect then, fundie families are just like everyone else. Gossip is rife in every culture - and an integral part of social bonding. People, from birth, are observing everything about the individuals who surround them. For an eye-opening experience, watch some Fours and Fives play house sometime. You will learn more about the home life of those children in 30 minutes of play than by talking to their parents directly for an entire afternoon. :>)

"... all 19 of them don't even make one interesting person...." I love this line. Internet winner of the month - and so far, leading for the year as well!

No problem, JenCarroll. I like hearing viewpoints that differ from mine. They always make me think, they always make me consider things from the other side - and sometimes they even get me to change my mind. If I could, I'd send you a copy of a poster I have framed on my office wall. Don't Believe Everything You Think. Given to me by my parents when I went off for my freshman year in college, and now something of a mantra for me. :>) Yes, I absolutely agree that Josh probably must have a lot of resentment built-up toward Boob and Me-chelle - for many obvious reasons. And if he doesn't, he should...

Agree, but then again Jill only has her own mother's example to go on. And Me-chelle often seems to say the correct words for a situation, but without any real conviction. She says the right things, she just doesn't come off as believing them...

Not lucky at all. But it sounds like you were SMART enough to attend regionally-accredited schools both times! Plus it sounds like most of what you took at School A fit well into your program at School B.

Agree. Lawyers are to the 80s, 90s and early 21st century what engineers were to the 50s, 60s and 70s. Everywhere. Not to mention every third contestant on Jeopardy.

Good grief. I honestly don't know what to think. There are compelling and logical arguments on both sides. The only thing I can say with much certainty at all is that if anything monumentally-unintelligent was done during this saga, it was Boob that did it.

My interpretation as well. I don't think Josh had a single clue as to how much work would be involved in getting a bachelor's degree and then on to law school. Seven years if done full-time and he's how old now - 26? Then there's the bar exam. Although the FRC has been showing him daily how ill-prepared he is for it. No, IMO, Josh is not your typical high-achieving, responsible, dependable, self-disciplined - and uptight - firstborn. I think he would have spent years happily minding the car lot if FRC hadn't come calling. His "I want to be an attorney" declaration really translates to "My Dad wants me to be an attorney. He needs one now, one that he won't have to pay for every little thing..."

If it had dawned on this genius that it was actually storks she wanted - and not flamingoes !!! - she wouldn't have had to paint anything at all. Storks are often white - and there was enough pink and blue crap around already.

The RA-resident assistant on my floor senior year wore cords at graduation from the National RA Honor Society, simply for membership - no academic honors involved.

I also wonder about this. Their logic is so convoluted it's difficult to call it logic at all. Me-chelle claims to be willing to sacrifice her life to give birth to a healthy child. Then why did they give the go-ahead to the doctors to deliver Josie so early? Why not wait to see what God had in store? I would have been very interested to see what would have happened if the pre-eclampsia had developed at 18 weeks, 20 weeks? There are pregnant mothers with cancer who actually forego treatment because they are determined to give their babies as healthy a start as they can. I think Me-chelle is all talk - all drama - all her - and NO action.

I wonder if the interviewing party could get around this by asking "Why were you only willing to do this interview if you could hand-pick the questions?" Maybe it wouldn't get on the air, maybe the Duggars would walk out etc. But it would be great to see the dropped-jaw look on that Hee-Haw face of Boob's...

No kidding. The neighbors were talking about you, Me-chelle. You're not imagining that at all. But they weren't discussing how hot you were. They were doing the very same thing you'd be doing if you saw a bikini-clad teenager mowing the lawn across the street. They were gossiping about what a defrauding little harlot you were...

Great post, wanderwoman. So glad Maisie is finally home and having some fun with her Momma & Poppa. At last! PS - when is Maisie's birthday? If she's a Pisces Feb 22-Mar 20, then she's an Old Soul - and probably can read yours by staring into your eyes... :>)

Never heard of Erica Hill so I just googled her. Surprised to find out she's with NBC News. Our family's go-to news channel since I was a kid and my dad watched Huntley-Brinkley and Frank McGee. Guess I've just been watchin' when she wasn't on. Can't say that I'm a fan after this either. Wonder why someone who already had serious news chops would agree to this Duggar outing. Quite odd. Maybe NBC is buying TLC? They already own the Weather Channel, the USA Channel, CNBC, the Syfy Channel, Telemundo and so on.

Yes. Sometimes it really feels as though they're giving a performance as "Happily-Married Christian Husband" and "Happy Stay-at-Home Wife & Mother." And IMO, Priscilla has been giving a much-truer performance - maybe because she really believes it?

Anything's possible. Obviously many people, in many different fields, are awarded honorary ["honoris causa"] degrees each year, especially as they get older. Nearly everyone who speaks at a college Commencement ceremony receives one, for example. But honest individuals, and the issuing schools, are always sure to make the "honorary" fact very clear. Someone who was given an honorary degree, but portrayed it as earned degree, would be seen in academic circles as the equivalent of a politician who claims to be a wounded military veteran - and isn't. IOW, a scummy douche.

Completely agree. So far, Boob has been far, FAR luckier than smart. MissyVixen's "He was born on third base but thinks he's hit a triple" line is perfect! A smart person would never have thrown away $250K of his own money - !!! - on a political campaign. OMG. Hey, a smart person wouldn't have thrown away $250 of his own money. Boob is where he is because of the housing bubble, TLC, the recession, Arkansas and other factors. Not because he's JP Morgan.

The Kellers do live in a trailer, don't they? I bet a lot of Gothard fundies live in trailers, basement apartments, converted family garages etc - most of them at or near the poverty line. Something tells me this little tidbit about life, as Bill sells it, is not a bullet point in his brochure...