Ilovemylabs

What's new with Josiah? I think that young man deserves his own thread!

I agree. Why not a regular autopsy? They knew how he died. And John Francis Daley said in an interview there was almost no one around when he did his final scene for the show. It was late, most of the crew was gone as were the main character actors. He walked away in an almost empty set. I did not like this episode. Too convoluted. Not sure why anyone was after Booth in the first place.

Well, I thought it was interesting that Anna stated that she wanted to enjoy her time NOW with the children she has and not constantly project into the future about potential other kids. I think she's a good mom. Don't forget, she's young and so she might not know all the little tricks that some of us are aware of to make cooking easier. My kids are grown and married and I'm still learning stuff. I admire that she wants to cook better and healthier for her family. I think about how others might look at what I've served at times and been surprised and critical. It can also be cultural. She is a southern gal and traditional southern cooking (not the newer cuisine) can be somewhat heavy on fat and carbs. Also, she did not grow up in a family with a lot of money and it is usually cheaper to fill hungry stomachs with carbs than lean meats and protein. But whatever the case, she is trying to do better by her family and I think the effort is genuine. Just my opinion. I tend to like her.

Michelle's family seems to be completely out of the picture. Were they invited to the wedding? I understand she had some issues with them. Perhaps they just put their foot down and said no. Good for them!

Perhaps Michelle's family doesn't want to be part of this circus? I don't know much about her family. Can anyone enighten me? That being said, I thought Jill's gown was lovely and she looked great.

I agree with GEML. Menopause is tough. I was on hormone replacement therapy for a few years until the the night sweats stopped. I didn't care about the hot flashes so much but I couldn't get a decent night's sleep. When my doctor took me off the hormones I adjusted quite well. I can't imagine what Michelle may go through given her history. Religion aside, woman to woman, it can be difficult.

I know Michelle had some kind of breakdown, but I don't know the details. Could someone please inform me? I understand this had something to do with her decision to have the older girls raise the younger kids. Thanks!

Sorry to say it, but I don't see any of these kids jumping ship. I would love it if one or two developed some original thought patterns, but they have been raised this way their whole lives and I don't see how any of them would have the guts to rebel or live a more independent lifestyle.

Would you take away their right to express an opinion you don't agree with? There are all kinds of activist groups out there both on the right and on the left. The Duggars use their 'fame' to push their viewpoint just as many liberal Hollywood stars use their 'fame' to push a different viewpoint. Neither one scares me. The Duggars are much less famous than any number of Tinseltown celebrities who support liberal causes. Their fundamental beliefs are based on their biblical interpretations. I may not agree, I may dislike it ( a lot!) but they are no more scary to me than politically active libs like Alex Baldwin, Barbra Streisand, Stephen Spielberg, and on and on...people who are much more famous and gets lots more publicity. They do the same things as the Duggars but from a different point of view. I'm independent. I don't need anyone on the right or the left to convince me about what my beliefs are. There are people of all types of political beliefs trying to shove their opinions down our throats. I don't see the Duggars or their ilk as more dangerous than any of the others.

You are correct. It's impossible to compare someone as sinister and derranged as a child molester to the foolish and frequently ignorant opinions of the Duggars. But I disagree that the Duggars are scary (and certainly not as scary as someone who abusies children). To me they are amusing (except I feel badly for their kids...no real education or exposure to the rest of the world). They are only as important as WE make them by commenting on them. If they had no ratings they'd disappear.

My younger sister was the victim of a child molester. It took her years and years to get over it (if you can ever really get over something like that). Sorry, I would rather have the Duggars spout their beliefs all they want. I am free to ignore them or disagree loudly. I am empowered to do that. A child has very little or NO power over a child molester. They are monsters. They are evil. The Duggars are merely ignorant or misguided. There is no comparison.

Here's an interesting tidbit about Josh and Anna and kids. http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2014/08/josh-duggar-poses-with-children-and-assault-weapon-in-controvers/

The 'cutting off the leg' episode was a remake of a Bonanaza episode in which Little Joe (ML) was about to do the same thing. I guess everyone knows that.

I am from the northeast where sit-down dinners are the most common type of reception, usually with a full blown cocktail hour and hors d'oevres first. But I know things are different in the south and the Duggars probably followed their local traditions. I thought Jill looked terrific and I liked her choice of colors, but not the bridesmaids' dresses or shoes! One of the best receptions I went to was held in a huge field near a lake. The bride's parents were farmers and they had gigantic tents set up and everyone in the little town prepared food (not just finger food) for the reception. There were Swedish meatballs, pasta dishes, salads, etc. They had porta potties. At 4 pm the bride's father and cousins left to milk the cows! There were at least 300 people. It was great! Also, traditions are very different region to region. Friends who moved south were embarrassed when they went to church dressed casually as they did up north. In the congregation they joined, everyone was dressed to the teeth on Sunday...suits and dresses only.

What does IIRC stand for?

Please correct me if I am wrong. The Browns engage in plural marriage for religious reasons, don't they? What exactly do they believe will happen if they don't have a plural marriage? They seem pretty cool with their children deciding NOT to live plural marriage. If there is some eternal benefit or reward for living that lifestyle, wouldn't they be more encouraging of their kids to live polygamy?

I just saw a few new pictures on the Duggar family blog. Apparently the 4 little flower girls walked down the aisle each carrying a sign. The 4 signs together read "Here comes your bride". The attendants stood at the altar in pairs as the couple made their vows. Do you think Jill promised to 'obey'? It's not in most services anymore.

Though I really liked Jill's dress and the bridal party color choices I did not like the bridesmaid's dresses. But It wasn't MY wedding. If she was happy with it, then good. I did think they ought to have had matching shoes...and preferably not brown. The cake...what can I say? It certainly wasn't a professional job. But weddings are funny things. I had a friend who wore her mother's wedding gown. Though it was made over somewhat I didn't like it at all. But it was her choice and she was happy with it. It was her day. I hope that the wedding was everything Jill had hoped it would be. I hold out some hope that she will pull back a little from all the Gothard stuff and that Derick will be a liberating influence on her. If her parents truly love her they will support whatever decisions she makes with regards to how she lives her new life. It will certainly be conservative compared to most of the rest of the country. God bless them both.

Why is her nose so red?

I don't know if they are real investors but the woman with the cleavage has a facebook page called the Stevie K Show. She will have a reality show about bartenders on the CW soon. Check out the fb page!

I thought she looked lovely. I loved the gown...modest yet very pretty. I also like her flowers and the grey tux on Derick. However I am not a fan of the "I haven't shaved in three days" look. But I wish them well.

Well, I am swimming against the tide here. I like Amy. I like her go-for-anything spirit. She may never make it in Nashville, but she's going to try, despite all the warnings and nay-saying from everyone. That takes some guts. She's not stuck with being a baby machine like her cousins. Did you get John David (or maybe Joseph) saying he thought she was going to announce she was engaged or getting married or something normal like that? Normal for his sisters certainly, but Amy has dreams and plans beyond that. Who cares if she uses the name Duggar? Maybe that was her mom's choice. She said her parents had a lot of issues and didn't marry till she was a teeneager. She has a relationship with both parents. She's honest about her beliefs--certainly not as fundamental as the rest of the clan. She gives front hugs! She says 'friggin'. She dates, she doesn't court. She seems genuine and I never had the opinion that she was trying to draw attention to herself. That's just her personality. I really like her and I wish her well. She looks like she's be a lot of fun to be around. Just my opinion.

I thought I heard several times that the couple sets their limits in terms of physical contact. But they all seem to follow the same pattern. And I think that some of their restrictions will make for an awkward wedding night. Jessa seems much more mature than Ben. I just don't get the attraction. But then I remind myself that we only see a small portion of their lives and then only what they and TLC want us to see. Maybe Jill is a bit childish in her raptures over Derick, but I honestly think they have a better chance at marriage than Jessa and Ben. Neither Jessa nor Ben have real jobs or a decent education. How the heck are they going to lives? Off TLC residuals?

I do not think the FRC is a 'hate group'. They have very conservative values and lobby congress, just as many uber liberal groups do. I may not agree with them, but I will not call them a hate group because of their beliefs and lobbying efforts. They were very active in getting young Justina Pelletier out of the hands of the Massachusetts Family Services. I will not go into all the details. You can google Justina Pelletier and see what happened to her family when they took her to a hospital (Boston Children's Hospital) that disagreed with the treatment whe was receiving at another world-reknown hospital (Tufts). Any parent reading her story would be frightened. In any case FRC focuses on families. The problem is that their definition of family may not be yours or mine, but that is their right. And for sure Josh got that job because of family name recognition. He doesn't actually seen to be working very much, but I don't know the taping schedule for 19 Kids and Counting. Perhaps they tape around his work?

I am happy for Jill. I wish her and Derrick the best. Like others on the forum I hope that Derrick's mom helps to bring her 'out' a little in terms of continuing her education. I hated the wedding gown sequence. When my daughter selected her gown I went with her and her bridesmaids. She tried on abut six or so gowns and I was doing two things. The first was biting my tongue so I wouldn't try to influence her one way or another--it was HER wedding. And the second was fighting back tears, while the girls chattered and laughed around her. Luckily she selected the gown that I liked best without much input from me! But she would have looked gorgeous in anything. As for modesty, I hope they don't alter a gown like they did Michelle's for their vow renewal. Kate Middleton had a beautiful gown that was quite modest, but modern at the same time. Finally, you go Jessa. No gown try ons until the ring is on your finger!