cmr2014

Almost 3000, you beat e to it -- I was about to say the same thing. Gothard encourages men to work for themselves, so there is no employer-sponsored insurance. I also doubt that his followers would avail themselves of the provisions of the ACA that would allow them to buy subsidized insurance. If you expect people to have 10-15 kids without insurance, or a steady source of income, midwives and birthing centers are an obvious solution. Plus the midwives are exclusively women, so there is no concern that a man might see a woman's body and be defrauded.

I'm glad Derick's mom is doing well. I find it interesting that her husband is not in this picture. The fact that he is missing in all of the wedding photos and all Duggar-related photos is interesting. Either he really won't take part in the Duggar dog-and-pony show at all, or he is really uncomfortable taking part in the life-events of his wife's adult children. Jill must have gotten her fashion sense from her mother. She's a lovely young woman, but she really does look like an unmade bed all the time. Trimming the hair would be a good start, but she should take someone shopping with her -- maybe Cathy Bynum? There are plenty of cute maternity clothes out there, and I'm sure she gets a discount at Wal-Mart. If she's planning to be pregnant all the time, maternity clothes would be an investment, right? No matter how far she shoves her stomach out, she's only five months pregnant. I'm sure she's excited and wants to show off, but these photos are really ridiculous.

Jesus, what a boring family. It really comes into focus when you set them against cousin Amy. She shows up, and there is real laughter and real fun. Then we get the talking heads of the Duggar girls saying"this is very special," and "we are making memories" in a robotic monotone. The donut cake was a cute idea.

I have to say that I like Amy as a person (perhaps it's because of the comparisons to the Duggars), and I just LOVED the dress shopping. They were silly and fun, and Amy picked a dress that showed her shape and hit above the knee, and and men didn't race into the store and ravish her -- go figure. There was more life in 3 minutes of Amy dress shopping that a whole season of the Duggars. I agree that her voice isn't that strong, and she should try to find herself a career in the music business that doesn't require her to be a lead singer. If she could write songs, she might be able to work a singer/songwriter sort of thing, but she's just not lead singer material -- she doesn't have the chops and she doesn't have the charisma. I wonder what she actually does for a living right now?

Where did this come from? I looked on-line and only saw an urban legend about people dying from roasting hot dogs with oleander branches.

This is a really good point. At this point in time, even the Gothard Board of Directors (or whatever they're called) have had to tacitly acknowledge that Gothard is a predator, and there hasn't been a peep of acknowledgement from the Duggars. They sent their daughters(Jana, at least, I don't know about the others) to JTTH where they would be exposed to this guy, but they are concerned that someone will pretend to be trans-gendered in order to sneak into a women's restroom and molest children. This is the problem with all of their logic related to the LGBT community. No one pretends to be transgender. No one pretends to be gay. It's not fun to be gay (especially in Arkansas), and it's certainly not fun to be transgender. People who are born this way are ridiculed, tormented, bullied, and often outcast by their families and communities. No one would pretend to be transgender in order to molest little girls in a public restroom. There are real things to fear in life -- men and women who struggle with gender identity are pretty far down on my list.

I agree. I don't know that there was ever a discussion between Josh and his aunt, or if that is what J'chelle told him her sister thinks, or if he just made it up out of whole cloth. Still, I have relatives who are on the opposite political side, I don't discuss political issues with their children. It's not appropriate, and there is no situation where I would tell a child (or an adult child) that I think their parents are dim-witted or narrow-minded. The phrasing of the question would also matter. "Do you think gays deserve special rights?" could easily be answered "no" by someone who simply believed that LGBT individuals deserve the same civil rights as other citizens. That would, of course, be interpreted by Josh as his aunt saying she didn't think that gay people should be allowed to marry.

No, they don't. This is the issue with so much of what the Duggars do -- they have no sense of appropriateness or proportionality. Sex between married people is good therefore we get JB and J'chelle dry humping at the putt putt range, and J'chelle's ovulation calendar on the refrigerator. Some skimpy clothes are sexy and suggestive therefore we get the "no shorts" rule and J'chelle covering the shoulders of a four year old to protect her "modesty." Children are a blessing from God therefore we have J'chelle pumping out as many as her uterus can gestate (an encouraging others to do the same) with no concern for what actually happens to those people once they are born.

I think that the petition is counter-productive. People on the far right are well aware that they are losing the culture war on LGBT rights. They also have convinced themselves that they are somehow an oppressed minority -- canceling the Duggar's show over J'chelle's robo-calls is exactly the sort of "oppression" that fuels this belief. I also feel that there is more than a little hypocrisy at play here -- support for gay marriage only recently topped 50%. While support for LGBT individuals is very high among the young (even evangelicals), it's much lower among older Americans. It wouldn't surprise me to discover that more than a few of the signers of this petition have "evolved" on the subject of gay marriage over the last few years. The fact that a family who think that "courting" is a good idea, birth control = infanticide, and women should be under the "protection" of a man at all times is uncomfortable with LGBT rights is hardly news. The Duggars -- and their 19th century beliefs -- will fade from our television screens soon enough, I don't see any advantage in giving them more media exposure.

This little blurb actually made me feel a bit sorry for JD. He really doesn't have a lot to offer in this very superficial courting world. He's not very good looking, and he's not very sociable or well spoken. What girl is going to give him a chance when she knows that just by allowing him to speak to her, she's saying "okay" to marriage. I don't especially like him. I think he's aggressive and unpleasant with a dumb sense of humor. I also think that he doesn't especially like women (not in the sense of being gay, but in the sense of being a run-of-the-mill misogynist). I could be wrong, of course, but if my only options were to walk on by or agree to a courtship and an almost certain marriage, I'd give him a wide berth.

I've posted a few times that I think that Josh and Anna are kind of playing for the cameras and for JB and J'chelle, and are happy with three kids for now. When I watched the exchange between them on this episode, though, I got a different vibe. I still don't think Josh wants any more kids (at least right now), and when he and Anna talk about it in DC, that's the decision. When Anna was around her sister in Chicago, though, she started thinking about how fun it would be to be the center of attention, buy cute baby clothes, etc. and maybe had second thoughts. Josh looked completely over it during Anna's little pregnancy reveal. It could be that he already knew full well, and this was to stop internet rumors, or it could also be that she really did start up again about wanting another baby when Josh thought that they had settled that question.

I think that they could be headed for trouble, and may be cancelled just as abruptly as Honey Boo Boo. When the show first started, they were very careful to state "these are our beliefs, but we respect the rights of others." I had very benign feelings about them for a long time because of that. I thought they were odd, but basically harmless. For whatever reason, they have become much more outspoken in recent years, and are actively inserting themselves into political issues where they are clearly stating, "these are our beliefs, and everyone must live like we do." They have three adult children out in the world who have their own media presence, and social media presence. Michelle appears to be on the cusp of a nervous collapse. Sooner or later, someone is going to say something that will push the whole thing over the edge.

I'm glad that they weren't "called home" because of the kiss pictures as some of us had speculated. While I agree that they would get more out of the trip if they bothered to learn anything about Paris, or France, or anything really, I think they will both get a lot out of it. Unless they just stay in the hotel and have sex -- and that's clearly not the case -- they will learn something. TLC isn't going to film them going from the hotel to McDonalds and back again. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't visit a lot of the tourist attractions: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, etc. That's a good start. The whole thing has to be pretty eye-popping for Ben, and it's probably fun for Jessa to take a trip without the whole family in tow. And, jacket or no, that is a low cut shirt -- plenty of clavicle there.

I wonder if the extended honeymoon has to do with Benessa living in the shed. The idea is for married couples to have privacy to have "sweet fellowship" often enough to produce a pregnancy. If they're going to be living in the shed, it may be that JB and J'chelle don't see their lives at the compound as providing enough privacy for newlyweds.

I'm sure that's true, and I'm sure that it's a lot different to actually *have* the morning sickness, rather than simply seeing a patient every few weeks who complains of the effects. Not to make light of her pain, but maybe this is God's way of telling her that she doesn't need 19 kids of her own.

I think she's past her first trimester now, so the morning sickness should abate. I wish I believed that Derick asked her to back off on the social media, or that they were too busy enjoying their new lives to post endless selfies, but I don't think that's the case. I don't think Derick would have agreed to talks about a spin-off -- and Jill has said that they have cameras in the house -- if he was going to try for some semblance of a normal private life. TLC may have asked them to dial it back. When they were first married, there was a lot of good will toward them -- even on this board full of snarkers. Now, I think they are over-exposed and everyone is sick of them. If they don't dial it back and generate some curiosity about their lives, there won't be a spin-off. And -- just my personal opinion -- I can't imagine watching a spin-off. I don't want to see Jill give birth, I don't want to hear about her "heart for the Lord," I don't want to watch the hi-jinks as the whole Duggar family descends for an impromptu dinner. Just no.

I wonder if the Benessa wedding will hurt them with the leghumpers. If you watch them because you think they are a wonderful, Godly family, and you think they are a good influence on your children, what are you going to tell your daughters about Benessa? What are you going to say when your teenage daughter shows up with her unemployed boyfriend and wants to get married?

I think it's entirely possible that Jana wanted to be there -- I would imagine it's a nice break from the TTH. It's also possible that she didn't especially want to be filmed -- she may get her fill of THs on the regular show. I agree that the pregnancy test is a tease. They don't show pregnancy announcement on the show -- they are saved for GMA or People magazine. Anna said something like "I've taken several pregnancy tests since Marcus was born" which I found really odd. Do they just take a pregnancy test every time they have sex? Do they not wait to miss a period or two before testing? Anna has been pregnant 4 times -- can't she recognize the changes in her body?

I would also bet that they asked him to say it -- over and over. I'm sure they wanted multiple takes of him saying that, and I'm sure that they do that all the time. Then, they went to work and edited it so that it looked and sounded ridiculous and bored us all. I think he's a doofus, and I think that this was probably an emotional time for him. They didn't need to repeat the same thing 200 times to make those points clear.

Yes, I saw that, too. I go back and forth on that, but I think that when Anna is in Arkansas in the TTH, she says what she thinks she is supposed to say. I should point out that I think Anna loves babies, and wants kids, I just think she is finally comfortable admitting (at least to herself, and to Josh) that she doesn't want the 18+ kids lifestyle. I also saw the spot where she said she wanted more babies and that she had "baby fever," and Marcus was still a nursing infant. That was taped right after they moved to DC, and I think the change has occurred since the move. I could, of course, be 100% wrong in my assessment, but they both seem to have matured so much since moving to DC. I found them both revolting when they were in Arkansas -- Josh was smug and lazy, and Anna was cloying. I didn't think that either of them was capable of speaking off-script or saying anything honest -- not to the camera, not to each other, and not to themselves. I may be too optimistic about the changes I've seen.

I really believe that Josh and Anna have had an honest conversation or two in the past year or so. I think that when they were "courting" and first married, they were afraid to say anything "unGothard" to one another (and in all fairness, they would not be the first married couple who put off having important conversations -- plenty of couples end up in counseling or divorce court because they assumed that "he'd want to have kids eventually," or "of course I'll work and she'll stay home"). I think Josh may have blurted out "I don't want 18 kids!" and Anna replied "I love kids, but I don't want to have 18, either!" and then the floodgates opened and they started talking. That's my take, anyway. They both seem sooo much happier, and while I hear Anna make "cousins soon!" remarks, I also think there's a little edge to what they're saying -- like she and Josh have a little joke between them. It also occurred to me that Anna comes from a very modest background, and Josh grew up in that tiny rental. They have a nice house now, and Anna can wear pretty clothes, and she can decide what to serve her family for dinner -- not just what can she afford to make. They can also provide a nice place for the J'Slaves to come and visit and get away from the TTH. As someone who has been there, I can say that it is a wonderful feeling to be able to transition from being the person on the receiving end of kindness, to being the one who is able to offer it to others. This applies to the Josh / law school thing, too. In the first special, Josh looked like one of the Romney kids: clean, neatly dressed, polite, well spoken. He looked like the son of a politician, and he wanted to be a lawyer or politician (I forget which). Then, as the years passed and JB and J'chelles lives became all about popping out "blessings," and plans he might have had for the future just kind of disappeared. Maybe Anna is encouraging him to live his dreams -- it's something that a wife should do (and, of course, something his parents should have done, but didn't have time for). "I want to be a lawyer" is a better goal than "I want to knock up my wife as many times as humanly possible so that we can keep this dog and pony show going indefinitely."

I don't know if she is as delutional now as she was last year when they filmed the doctor visit, but she certainly thought she knew more than some dumb-ass doctor. "They've been telling me about these risks since I was 35!" I wonder if the calendar is still on the fridge? If there's ANY chance at all, I'm sure they're still trying. I also wonder if they have ever sat down and had a serious conversation about what happens if either of them were to die? I read a posting yesterday about J'chelle's sister dying at 60 -- her mother also died relatively young. The whole concept is simply insanely irresponsible. Trying to conceive a child that they know has a very high risk of being a special needs child, when they know that J'chelle could develop this same condition long before that child is grown, I guess that's why the Lord gave them Jana, huh?

It's not actually the number of eggs -- even women who have regular cycles have plenty of eggs -- it's the viability of the eggs. She's clearly super-fertile, but she's had one near-miscarriage, and one miscarriage (that we know of), and no successful pregnancies for 5 years. Even if she does manage to "catch" another baby, I think the chances of her carrying it to term are slim to none. I could see another Jubilee-type special for a spontaneous miscarriage at 6-8 weeks, though.

I doubt it. She is clearly past her baby making days. There were serious complications with Josie, and she lost Jubilee. It's been four years now since her last pregnancy -- and she is clearly still trying. She seems to be trying to wrap her head around this "new season of life," but she doesn't appear to be succeeding. For a while I thought she was going to have a break-down on camera, but she has seemed more composed recently. I think, though, that she has been busy with Jill and Jessa's weddings, and the campaign trip, but she will now have a few months now before baby Dillard is born. I don't know what will happen then, but I don't think it will be good. I don't think that there's any chance that she will receive counseling. JB isn't going to pay for her to see a psychologist, and she has no pastor to speak with since they have their own church.

I wonder if any of that will change once she has children -- especially daughters -- of her own. I believe that Jill loves kids and was a great sister-mom, but it's really different having your own children. Once she holds her own daughter in her arms, will she really want her to become a sister-mom and live the way she did? She'll also be meeting Derick's friends who are , I'm sure, devout Christians but not Gothardites. She and Derick may eventually start making their own decisions about raising their family.