celebrities, mental health, narcissists, royals, YouTube

Somehow saying, “For God’s sake, LOOK AT ME!!!!!”

Regarding today’s featured photo… Did you know that you can buy fake pregnancy tests on Amazon.de that always come up positive? This is supposed to be a “practical joke”… Seems like they could be used for more nefarious purposes, too…

“Well, howdy there, Internet people…” to quote Beau of the Fifth Column. I hope you had a pleasant President’s Day. I was really struggling with writer’s block yesterday, so after I posted about our delightful Sunday dinner at a German castle, I reposted a couple of articles from 2018. I thought I might come back and write something new later, but Bill and I ended up hanging out with sweet Arran. Arran has lymphoma and has been on chemo since October. The chemo is no longer working quite as well as it was, and I fear we will have to say goodbye to him before much longer.

I dread saying goodbye to Arran. He’s been part of our lives since January 2013, and he’s an incredible dog. Losing him is going to hurt a lot. But, on the other hand, I look forward to not having to worry about canine cancer so much for awhile. We do still have Noyzi, but he’s still fairly young. I also want to go on vacation, and that’s harder to do when your dog is getting chemo. I guess the main thing I feel, though, is that this is part of life. Prolonging the inevitable isn’t productive in the long run.

Aside from hanging out with Bill at home, which we probably wouldn’t have been doing if not for Arran’s cancer, we had a fairly uneventful holiday weekend. I noticed a lot of scuttlebutt about pregnancy rumors. There’s talk that Meghan Markle might be pregnant with her third child. Some people never believed that she was ever pregnant with Prince Harry’s children, Archie and Lilibet, let alone with another baby now. There’s an especially icky rumor that Meghan “lacks the necessary parts” to have babies. I’m not sure I believe that. But then, it’s not really my business.

One of many sources claiming that a new Sussex could be on the way. Looks like H.G. forgot the “S” on this video.

Lots of people on H.G. Tudor’s channel are commenting about this “news”. I do remember Harry had said that he would only be fathering two children, due to his concerns about the environment. People are commenting on everything from Harry’s claim that he only wanted two children, Meghan’s “real” age, and how she might actually be older than 41 (sister Samantha has said Meghan is, in fact, 41), to claims that Meghan had a hysterectomy years ago, supposedly due to her having had multiple abortions.

I don’t know how true any of that is… Actually, even though I am not a fan of Meghan’s, I find the constant speculation about whether or not she still has all of her female parts, fertility (or lack thereof), real parentage of her children, and her “actual age” kind of disgusting. I think that kind of mean-spirited speculation only gives credence to the Harkles’ claims that people are being “evil” to them. It’s probably best to just ignore them… give them what they claim they want– PRIVACY.

“Stop looking at us!” Yeah, yeah, yeah…

But, of course, the Harkles won’t go away, and we keep seeing them in the news. I will admit to being part of the problem, since I read Harry’s book and reviewed it on this blog. I also read and reviewed Tom Bower’s book about Meghan and Harry. They are kind of fascinating, in a trainwreck sort of way. I don’t know if Meghan is pregnant. I don’t actually care that much. What I think is interesting is the commentary about why the rumor may be circulating– perhaps even at Meghan’s hands.

A pregnancy rumor might help people forget about South Park’s devastating and scathing episode about them…

H.G. Tudor’s commentary regarding the narcissistic uses of pregnancy is especially interesting to me. Because, as he rightly points out, Meghan being pregnant right now would be fortuitous timing, as King Charles III is about to be coronated. A potential new Sussex could possibly make the adults in the British Royal Family more interested in reconciliation with Harry and Meghan.

Personally, I think Meghan and Harry went too far with the British Royal Family and are desperate to maintain ties. Talk of gestating a baby, real or imagined, is one way to do that. It could also explain why Meghan hasn’t been out and about so much lately.

Well, I suppose time will tell. People on H.G. Tudor’s channel are already saying that Meghan will eventually have a “mythcarriage”. Clever turn of words that is… and I suppose it’s pretty plausible. It would garner attention and public sympathy, too. But maybe she won’t. Maybe she really is pregnant. While it’s not as common for women in their 40s to get pregnant, it does happen. Sometimes, it even happens by accident. But, as I’ve never been pregnant myself, I don’t really know.

Moving on… I would like to write about another attention seeking woman who is currently being buzzed about in the Duggar Family News Facebook group. I’m writing about Jill Rodrigues. Now… I don’t actually write very often about the Rodrigues family, even though I recently got a nasty comment from someone who claimed I was condescending and hateful to Jill and David Rodrigues’s pregnant daughter, Kaylee. For the record, I mostly try not to be hateful– especially to or about people with whom I don’t have any personal dealings. I will admit, though, that I am human. Sometimes, the snark does slip in on occasion. And folks, when it comes to Jill Rodrigues, it’s kind of easy to be snarky.

Jill Rodrigues was reportedly born on November 3, 1978. That means she’s 44 years old. She has 13 children, with her husband, David. David was born on May 29, 1972, meaning he and I are the same age. I know that one’s 40s and 50s is not the prime time to be making babies, but modern medicine is miraculous.

Jill’s eldest child, Nurie, is married to Anna Duggar’s brother, Nathan, and together, they have two very young sons. Jill’s daughter, Kaylee, is also married and currently pregnant. Jill recently announced that her son, Timothy, is now in a “courtship” with Heidi Coverett. This is a lot of exciting news for the “Rodlets”, as they are sometimes called by fundie snarkers. Perhaps Jill was feeling a bit left out, as she posted this announcement on her Instagram, and it was shared in the Duggar group (I am not on Instagram myself, so I didn’t find this on my own).

I have taken the liberty of editing out the children’s faces in these photos…

Alas, it was not to be, and hopes and dreams are cruelly dashed as Jill announces a miscarriage of her 14th child…

Ahem… If Jill Rodrigues really was pregnant and has suffered a miscarriage, then I am truly sorry for her loss. I would not wish that on any woman, regardless of what I might think about them. And, to be honest, I don’t think about Jill very often, but I do see her get posted about a lot due to some of the places I frequent on the Internet. I don’t agree with the way she behaves. A lot of her behaviors set off my cluster B chimes, just as Meghan Markle’s do. But if she was pregnant and had a miscarriage, that is legitimately sad news for her.

It’s kind of interesting that this announcement came up as Jill was sharing other big news about her children. I know that when it comes to narcissistic types, sometimes it’s hard to let other people have the spotlight. Pregnancy can be very validating to a vain type of narcissist. Being fertile signifies youth, which might also mean a person is still sexually alluring and attractive.

I don’t find Jill sexually alluring. I’m not attracted to women, and I probably wouldn’t go for her even if I was, because she wears tons of makeup, is a fundie Christian, and sells Plexus. But, I do realize that biologically speaking, heterosexual men are naturally attracted to women who can still reproduce. So, claiming to be pregnant at age 44 could be a stab at trying to stay youthful and attractive.

Again, maybe she really was pregnant. I don’t know if she was, nor do I even really care, on a personal note. I just find attention seeking, narcissistic behavior very interesting.

On another note, many people in the Duggar group were commenting on how the little child in the photo is holding on to Jill’s pee stick with both hands. Will the child’s hands be washed after the photo op? One would hope so. Adding to the intrigue are the messages that were supposedly written by Jill’s already born children, comforting her after her loss. This message was connected to the above photos of the very small grandchildren holding Jill’s pregnancy test and announcing that they are going to get a new aunt or uncle.

Many people in the Duggar Facebook group speculate that, in fact, Jill wrote those “messages” supposedly given to her by her children. Again, I don’t know if she did or not, but even if the kids did write them, posting it on her busy social media pages, for strangers to see, does seem to be a very needy ploy for attention. I also know, from the posters in the Duggar group, that Jill doesn’t like it when people question her sincerity. She has a habit of blocking people who are “negative”.

I’m certainly not in the position of knowing whether the pregnancy claims regarding either of these 40-ish women are true or not. I know that some women can get pregnant naturally after age 40, but it’s not necessarily easy or particularly common to do so. I think the ones who get pregnant in their 40s probably had medical help of some sort. But that’s not the kind of thing that most people want to talk about openly.

Pregnancy can be a great way to stir up attention and buzz, though, especially when the mom is “older”. It’s kind of an old trick. I saw it somewhat often when I used to hang out in a certain online “pink” site for second wives and stepmoms. Certain women would announce that they would soon be hearing the “pitter patter” of little feet, only to announce a miscarriage later. Then they would “drink up” all of the attention from other women who were kind and sympathetic to their pain. I suppose if you think about it, the need for attention on that level is kind of sad and… painful. Especially for women who are of a certain age. 😉

Recently, I have been dealing with a little mid life crisis myself. Sometimes I do think about the fact that I don’t have children… and instead, I have dogs, who get cancer and die. :'( But, on the bright side, I don’t have to send them to college or get them fitted for braces. And dogs are an ever flowing fountain of love, loyalty, and regard toward those who bring them into their families and take good care of them. I have never regretted a single dog adoption… except for one, and that was an exceptional case. That dog never actually made it into our house, either.

I guess, if I feel anything sad about aging, it’s that I feel like I haven’t amounted to much and have disappointed other people. But that’s probably a futile and pointless thought, since when it comes down to it, most people are pretty fixated on themselves. So, at this point, it probably doesn’t matter too much. At least I managed to marry well, right? 😉

Anyway, if Jill Rodrigues is recovering from a miscarriage, I wish her all the best. And if Meghan Markle is pregnant, I wish her a happy and healthy pregnancy. If these two ladies are just trying to gin up attention, sympathy, and buzz, though, then I wish for them to find good mental health help. That kind of behavior is truly pathetic, and it has far reaching consequences for innocent people.

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blog news

I love it when people hate what I do…

A little while ago, I got a brand new comment from a new visitor. She showed up just in time for my comment function to be fixed. How lucky for me!

Evidently, “Toni” didn’t like a recent post I wrote about fundies having babies in 2023. She says I have a “sad life”; my blog is “lame”; and I’m condescending. I guess that’s a fair enough assessment by someone who doesn’t know me. *shrug*

The funny thing is, I don’t think I was particularly harsh in the post she complained about. I wished the fundies involved, happy and healthy pregnancies, and even commented that the already born babies are cute. Seriously, I’ve been way more condescending and rude in other posts I’ve written. That one was nothing on the snark scale!

I was going to just trash Toni’s comment, but I figured some of the folks who actually appreciate my “lame” blog might get a kick out of it.

My blog may truly be “lame”, and Toni may see me as “condescending”, but I’d say looking for blog posts like mine, and then taking the time to comment on them, is just as lame. At least I get ad revenue when people like Toni stop by and show me just how “Christlike” they really are… What does Toni get from judging me and leaving me a disapproving comment? Especially when it’s obvious she didn’t read more than one or two posts? But then, my vocabulary is probably too spicy and advanced for someone like her.

For the record, Toni, I didn’t actually express anything mean or nasty about the status of Kaylee’s womb. In fact, I hope she has a healthy pregnancy. Really, I do. I even explicitly wrote that in the post you attacked. Did you read it?

And you certainly aren’t the first person to call me “judgmental”, “condescending”, “rude”, or “lame”. I didn’t change my ways for those previous disgruntled commenters. What makes you think I give a fuck about what you think of me? I must have really gotten to you to inspire such a response. I clearly don’t know my own strength. 😀

People who sing homophobic songs about farm animals kind of invite snark from people like me. Especially when they pump out babies and then get into car accidents without wearing seatbelts or putting their newborn babies in car seats. You’d think having two paralyzed people in the extended family would serve as a lesson about driving unrestrained. I guess young fundies who are “high on God” have more faith and hormones, than common sense and intellect.

Anyway, Toni, your disapproval is noted. I’ll be sure to keep writing judgmental and condescending articles just for you. After all, I LIVE to give myself pats on the back for being so negative! Too bad my mom wasn’t allowed to have an abortion, huh? At least my husband of 20 years is glad she didn’t, anyway.

Thanks again for the AdSense. I’ll put it toward my next trip to Paris.

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Duggars, marriage, religion, wingnuts

A big bumper crop of new fundies in 2023…

Yesterday, I noticed that my blog was getting a lot of hits on posts I wrote about fundie Christian families. I know why people are visiting. Recently, there have been a couple of announcements that are making the rounds on the Internet. But no one should be surprised by the news… because it involves newly married, young, relatively healthy people having sex and getting pregnant. This shouldn’t be news… but when you’re in the Duggar family, or the fame lusting Rodrigues family, baby making is your one big job. Gotta make new quiver arrows for the Quiverfull… although if you were to ask them if they’re following the Quiverfull movement, they’d probably deny it.

So, Katey Nakatsu Duggar, wife of Jedidiah Duggar, is now pregnant with her second baby. She’s due in May 2023. Below is the video posted from Jed and Katey’s YouTube channel, announcing Katey’s condition. I don’t feel the need to snark on Jed and Katey. They are a young couple, and this is only their second child. I’m just glad they didn’t announce it the way they did the first time they were expecting a baby. But dayum, they just had their son in the spring of ’22, so maybe they will give Ma and Pa Duggar a run for their money.

Gotta admit, Truett (the baby) is very cute.

Katey is very pretty… and it looks like she’s already getting the voluminous hair that develops when women get pregnant. Not that I know from personal experience… but I do have a lot of relatives and friends who have been pregnant. I didn’t watch the whole video, but I do know that a lot of folks have been commenting that the annual Duggar party was pretty sparsely attended this year. I guess it makes sense, given the pall cast over the family by Josh Duggar’s incarceration. But at least we get to hear Michelle Duggar shrieking that Katey is pregnant at about 7:30 minutes in… sheesh! John and Abbie’s daughter, Gracie, has the best reaction at all. It’s practically memeworthy…

Gracie is also very cute.

John David looks kind of like he’s got one in the oven, too…

The Duggars aren’t the only ones who had big news… nor is Katey the only pregnant Duggar (Joy Anna and Hannah Duggar — Jeremiah’s wife– are also expecting). Jill Rodrigues, whose daughter, Nurie, is married to Anna Duggar’s brother, Nathan, also shared the news that her second married daughter, Kaylee, is preggo. Kaylee only JUST got married in November, so that means she’s only been expecting for about ten minutes. Nurie and Nathan already have two babies– boys, I believe.

Again, I don’t think it’s a bad thing that Kaylee is pregnant. She’s young, healthy, Christian, and married, and that’s what people like her do. As long as they’re able to take care of the baby, that’s all that should really matter. It’s not her fault her mom is a bit snarkworthy. I sincerely hope she has a healthy pregnancy, even if I’m definitely not a fan of extremely religious people. I see from Jill’s Facebook that besides being newly married and expecting their first baby, the happy couple are also brand new homeowners, as of November 24th. They have a lot going on for being so young. I’m 50, and I still haven’t owned my own home or had a baby.

Nice to know they’ve been so busy.

I’ve found that I’m less interested in the fundies, lately. I’ve been too focused on the soap opera that is Ex’s life. But she’s been pretty quiet over the past few days, and besides, I don’t think most people are as interested in her as I am. Alexis has been busy with the big things in her life, and she’s pretty much the only one who pays attention to the drama that is Ex. So, even though I feel compelled to write about her, I know those aren’t my most interesting topics for regular readers.

Younger daughter sent us a video this morning. Her youngest child, who is a baby boy, is just adorable! He appeared to be very hungry, too. 😉 Guess he’s a breast man, like his grandfather.

And it’s also the day before Christmas Eve… which isn’t a big deal at our house, since it’s just Bill and me and our dogs. But this is the time of year when production tends to slow a lot and people are busy with the annual holiday ritual. So it’s hard to come up with anything exciting to write about that is new or fresh, and I don’t want to delve into politics or world events when people are struggling to be happy for the holidays.

I did get my new parka yesterday. It’s very nice, although I probably need to take more walks to get rid of my beer gut. 😉 People will think I’m pregnant… a la Sarah, elderly mother of baby Isaac. My parents would be so proud that I remembered something from Sunday School. But anyway, it’s a very nice new jacket. I will make good use of it. Especially if we have another cold snap like we did last week.

Well… I’m already kind of bored with this topic, so that about does it for me today. In spite of my occasionally snarky comments about fundie Christians, I do hope the expectant mothers in these families have safe, comfortable pregnancies, and they deliver happy, healthy, much beloved babies. And I also hope you have a great Friday! I think I’ll go back to bed and read more of Matthew Perry’s book. 😉

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Duggars, religion, wingnuts

More religious hogwash…

Earlier today, I happened to notice a couple of posts in the Duggar Family News Facebook Group that made my eyebrows raise. The first one was regarding the Rodrigues family, headed by Jill. Jill and David Rodrigues, you may or may not know, are the parents of thirteen children. Jill wears a shit ton of makeup, sells Plexus, and plays homophobic songs on her banjo. The family has a “printing ministry”, which I guess means that they print religious tracts. Their eldest daughter, Nurie, married Nathan Keller, who is brother to Anna Keller Duggar. That means Nurie’s infant son is Josh Duggar’s nephew.

Well, it seems that another Rodrigues is getting married. Sister Kaylee, who is 21 years old and looks a lot like Nurie, is now engaged to a guy named Jonathan Hill. Below, you can see a few screen grabs from a couple of videos posted on Jill’s very public Facebook page. Apparently, the engagement was a “total shock”. But it looks like she was standing in a big heart, and the couple is dressed alike. Wouldn’t that give her a clue as to what was about to happen? It seems like whenever there’s a big event in that family, everyone is there to witness it.

I hope the couple has a happy marriage. Truly, I do. I like to snark on fundies, but I see no reason to rain on their parade.

The next bit concerns Rodrigues son, Tim. He posted something kind of strange. Again, I don’t follow the Rodrigues family, as a general rule, but I do take notice when they get discussed in the Duggar Family News group. And today, someone posted these “words of wisdom” written by Tim, which he allegedly wrote after the marriage announcement.

The person who shared this in the Duggar Family News group cut most of this post down to the part that made me stop and take note. Because God knows, I’m not wading through all that religious stuff to get to the point. I noticed with amusement that the poster referred to Tim as TIMMMAAY, and Jill as “Godjilla”. That’s pretty funny!

This reads a bit like one of Jill’s posts… like when she seems to be offering up her daughters to the first Godly male to make a claim.

In reading this, I’m thinking that perhaps Tim missed out on a good education. He’s not wrong that it’s good to treat the women in one’s life well. I would expand that to mean that one should treat everyone the way they would like to be treated. I would say that Tim seems “nice” enough… but if I were still looking for a spouse, the poor writing skills would turn me off. Also, I would be put off with the comment about wanting to date my sisters. That’s a little too much like Trump wanting to date his daughter. Yuck.

I try not to be too tough on the Rodrigues kids. It’s not their fault their mother is the way she is. My experiences dealing with Bill’s kids make me realize that sometimes, kids do stuff to keep peace in the home. And I’m sure it’s not easy to recover from being raised in a fundie home. Still, I think Tim has a ways to go. Once again, I thank God I wasn’t raised in a super religious home. Boring Presbyterianism was enough for me.

People in Duggar Family News also shared a blog post by Debi Pearl, infamous co-author of the horrible child rearing “how to” guide, To Train Up A Child. That book is condemned by most sane people, because it includes discipline tips such as “blanket training” (using pain to teach babies to stay on a blanket) and using dowels to beat one’s children for any and all disciplinary infractions.

The blog post was about what single “girls” should so with any money they have before they get married. Pearl says that when you get married, “what’s yours is his, and what’s his is yours.” But I think in a lot of fundie marriages, the truth is that “what’s yours is his, and what’s his is his.” Debi writes about how she once owned a little Volkswagen that she had taken meticulous care of and paid off completely. When she married her husband, he had a gas guzzler that he still owed money on. He used to enjoy “hot-rodding” her VW, which really upset her. But she bit her tongue, because her car was now “his”. It sounds like Debi was on her way to being a self-reliant woman when she got married, but then wound up with an immature, abusive, and inconsiderate husband. She’s stuck with him, now.

Debi did include a couple of hopeful anecdotes about decent guys who used their wives’ money and resources for things that benefitted both of them. But unfortunately, I know that’s not always what happens. Bill’s ex wife was basically a parasite who wasted his money and drove them to financial ruin. Granted, I am kind of a parasite too, but at least I do housework and at least try to save and invest some of what he makes. I don’t just buy Swiss Colony snacks and Disney plates to sell on eBay. 😉

I could write more, but I don’t really feel like it today. We had nice weather, but we didn’t go out because we have to leave town in a few days and don’t want to risk getting sick before seeing the dentist and going to France. I’m so sick of the COVID lifestyle. I hope like hell the incidence drops more so we can abandon this reclusive life for something a little less claustrophobic.

Hope you had a good Saturday. I had to call my bank again to get them to unlock my account… which gets locked at the drop of a hat.

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