They're back! Counting On is now an official show!

[nst]

1 hour ago, 2manyKidzzz said:

He really should be able to get a decent job with an associate degree in business. That is if he wanted to. But he could support his growing family. 

all Ben wants to do is be on tv and preach to the masses via his clothes and his stupid videos 

[FleeJanaFree]

3 hours ago, Bad Wolf said:

Maybe Jessa is pregnant. She might want to beat her sister to spawn number 2. It did take her longer to get pregnant than Jill. Maybe it took a while to figure out how the Legos went together.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jess and Ben were using some kind of birth control. Probably not pills or an iud since they appear anti womens health, but maybe condoms or natural family planning. I just don't buy that they genuinely want a lot of kids. Plus the need to not have an infant at home for the adoption storyline would justify using evil birth control. I just can't see them having more than 3. 4 tops. 

 

Another er story line could be fertility problems, wasn't  khloe k rumored to 'pretend' to be infertile. (I don't watch their show, just one of many kardashian rumors that show up every time I go online or turn on tv or radio)

[HarryPotterFan]

6 hours ago, OodOnTheLoo said:

For every minute of air time the duggars get Im donating 10 cents to PP or gay rights organizations.  No, not much but if we all do it then we can turn their return to TV into a positive.  Who's in?

I love this idea. Someone needs to promote the shit out of this on social media and get tons of people (like the rest of the world outside FJ) in on this. And every donation can be named in the Duggar family name.

[mizandry]

5 hours ago, Ace3 said:

Fellow Nevadan here as well and I did see that we have safest bridges in the country. Too bad my city was just voted lowest in something else. Oh well, you win some, you lose some...in the casinos inside grocery stores

Another fellow Nevadan here!  

Not entirely on topic to what you all were discussing from the looks of it (sorry about that -- just excited when I come across other Nevadans online), but I grew up in Las Vegas from ages 4 to 18, and went to LVA as a visual arts major - so my school was right in there in Old Vegas, blocks from Fremont. Quite the view during my sleep-deprived mornings, though it wasn't exactly prime location for a high school campus in terms of safety; it was still pretty inspiring for art pieces. My best friend's from Genoa, so her family would let me join them sometimes on their travels up North.

I'm in the Bay Area now, but I miss the lights, and First Fridays, and Cookie Monster Mountain*! Oh, and Mt. Charleston -- of course.

Spoiler

 

That's what I called it my entire childhood, anywho. MEMORIES. :')

I doooon't quite miss the intense rape culture and conservative-leaning politics, though. Or the ongoing struggle for all-age music venues to exist. But still! High fivessssss

[Bad Wolf]

Northern Nevada here. Like a different country.

[mizandry]

1 minute ago, Bad Wolf said:

Northern Nevada here. Like a different country.

SERIOUSLY. 

[CyborgKin]

6 hours ago, QuiverDance said:

Right.  So the jury is definitely still out.  lol

The rice science isn't settled.

[mizandry]

 

17 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

Northern Nevada here. Like a different country.

Actually, this reminds me - one thing I find kind of hilarious is that, according to my friend up in Reno, the feud between UNLV and UNR has been compounded (and further complicated) by the fact that tons of Vegas students in our graduating class decided to go up North for university, and vice versa, basically BECAUSE it's like going out-of-state without the extra tuition fees (not quite, but yknow... close enough when you're broke and need a change of environment). The bulk of our high school peers who didn't leave the state are UNR students, even though most of them grew up in Southern Nevada. I think I have one friend who decided to go to UNLV, but only as a last resort when his planned Chicago move didn't work out. 

So basically, whenever people talk crap about the students at UNR, they still blame it on Vegas and our close proximity to Southern California.  

[RabbitKM]

57 minutes ago, FleeJanaFree said:

Another er story line could be fertility problems, wasn't  khloe k rumored to 'pretend' to be infertile. (I don't watch their show, just one of many kardashian rumors that show up every time I go online or turn on tv or radio)

I don't think she was pretending to be infertile.  Her husband at the time, Lamar, was relapsing into his drug addiction, possibly dealign with other stuff too, and she didn't have babies.  Now, her family didn't know this was happening and just assumed something was wrong with her fertility. At least, that's how I saw the situation. Obviously, nobody can know for sure except them.

[Cleopatra7]

2 hours ago, AreYouThereGothard? said:

According to Lifetime, your options are being a sugar baby or a surrogate mother. If you want to make hella bank, you could probably carry Michelle's babies since her uterus has to be all sorts of defunct right about now. I'm also blindly assuming you're a female. Kindly inform me if this is not the case and I offer my sincerest apologies. 

In real Duggar talk, format has to be completely different in order to keep viewers interested again. Realistically, we're interested in the adults/older kids and want to hear what they're doing with their lives that might indicate some sort of independent thinking/action. We are all pretty well-versed in the nuances of raising a big family at this point and there's no secret about their family values, so the logical next step is to get to know the older kids better. While there is a good chance they still might parrot the Duggar Dearests (lolol, like Mommy Dearest. Except it's both of them? I'm procrastinating studying for a test, my material's lacking), at least we can pick their brains a little more. That's at least what would catch my attention as a viewer. Or drinking every time someone says "season of life" or "buy used, save the difference!"

Lately, Lifetime seems to be into Internet cautionary tales: sexting, social media bullying, assorted web weirdos preying on naive girls. I guess Lifetime could mix the Internet theme and the college girl does sketchy stuff for money by doing a movie on the dangers of being a web cam girl, but Degrassi did that about five years ago.

In any case, I don't know what this Duggar program can show. 19KAC deliberately kept what the older kids did vague, because then it would be obvious how their parents use them as indentured labor. JD and Joseph have never struck me as being very telegenic, but now that Josh is in disgrace, I guess they'll have to fill in the gap with whatever it is they do (wasn't the towing business sold?). Jana, Jinger, and Joy are probably just hanging around the TTH, raising their parents' children, but that can't be shown, since that would reveal the terrible ennui and tedium that is their lives. I'm really at a loss for what kinds of "storylines" are available, but I guess someone will have to go to the dentist eventually.

[meowmeow19]

I first want to say I agree with you all that the Duggar kids are ill-prepared for the real world. That being said I have to disagree that they don't work hard and are lazy. I think those kids end up working hard when work is to be done and worked harder than I ever did as a kid. 

Jim Boob owns countless rental houses, rental storage facility, the towing service and flipping homes. Just because this isn't a conventional job doesn't mean it isn't a job. If my family had a family owned business I would be ecstatic! No more having to deal with corporate drones, awful coworkers that don't give an F about you and your evil boss that owns your soul. Jim Boob or his dear mother set up this life style that the kids will always have something and he's probably preparing them to take over the business once he's gone. I'm sure it lines his pockets more than it does his kids and i'm sure it's not 100% as hard or as stressful as a "real job" but if you had that opportunity would you take that? Not everyone is super ambitious and that's okay. I also suspect this way Jim Boob has ultra control on his children and spouses (maybe he's a bit worse than that boss who owns your soul). I know it's not all rose buds and butterflies but I really don't see how everyone calls them lazy (except Michelle, I agree on that). He wasn't stupid to buy all those houses and rent them out, and it's only going to keep paying off for them. 

[Kira]

"Counting On" storyline predictions:

General: Look at our mainstream Christian friends, Christian rapper Flame, Krista and that Furniture Guy.

Jill and Derick: Missionary work. Raising Israel. Visits from friends and family

Jessa and Ben: Raising Spurgeon, Jessa's speaking tour, A new house(?), haniging with Flame, talk about adoption and becoming a preacher. Will Ben go to seminary school? Does he want to work in the Christian music business? Will they adopt(no)

Jana: teching piano or playing at events? In the twins birthday post, Michelle said Jana loves to plan parties. Will she work with Sierra? Will she help plan the baby shower that will be featured on the show?

JD: getting his pilot lincense. 

Jinger: She's a photographer. We"ll see her working.  She took Krista's senior photos

Joseph: Crown college, getting his real estate lincense

Josaih: healing from his break up with Majorie. Is he still working for his father? He likes to fix things, so maybe he's doing something with that?

Joy Anna: Hanging with friends. trying to be a regular 18 year old.

I'm predicting a courtship or pregnancy annoucement(Jill)

[Mercer]

Given a choice between a 1/19 share of a handful of family businesses (or something like a 1/95 share for the next generation, if each kid had five kids) and having a job of my own, I would personally go for the job hands down!

[Kira]

When will Discovery issue a press release, I want to know more!

[socalrules]

Jim Bob may have some businesses and rental homes but I don't for a minute believe it generates enough income to take care of 19 kids and all their future spouses. It's obvious he doesn't want them to marry spouses that actually intend on continuing to work once married.  Those kids aren't getting regular paychecks that would enable them to live on their own and likely are not paying into social security. There is no reason to believe they will be fine and dandy if something happened to their parents.

Here is the thing about their hard work, at the end of the day, if they didn't diaper a baby, clean the floors or whatever, they still had a roof over their heads, clean clothes and food on the table. If they don't finish anything today, so what, it isn't like they can't finish it tomorrow. There are no deadlines or expectations like a real job.  They have no idea what is expected on a real job. 

As for the kids being in a better place financially, I have 100k in student loan debt and it is the best debt I will ever have. I will always have an education no one can take from me, always the chance for my income to continue to grow significantly and, most importantly, always have a multitude of options.  I don't have to be at someone else's beck and call, I.e. Jim Bob. Yes, the Duggar kids have no debt, they also have no options, no education and little opportunity other than a tv show that won't last forever. At some point it will end. Very little of their Jim Bob training is transferable to any job and I wouldn't trust any house that has been remodeled by the Duggars. So how are they better off? They are really just treading water. At some point they will sink. 

[meowmeow19]

8 minutes ago, Mercer said:

Given a choice between a 1/19 share of a handful of family businesses (or something like a 1/95 share for the next generation, if each kid had five kids) and having a job of my own, I would personally go for the job hands down!

I think the idea is to start their children on a path of doing it themselves. More of a launch pad for them to start their own business empire, not to just stay stagnant. 

[meowmeow19]

27 minutes ago, socalrules said:

Jim Bob may have some businesses and rental homes but I don't for a minute believe it generates enough income to take care of 19 kids and all their future spouses. It's obvious he doesn't want them to marry spouses that actually intend on continuing to work once married.  Those kids aren't getting regular paychecks that would enable them to live on their own and likely are not paying into social security. There is no reason to believe they will be fine and dandy if something happened to their parents.

Here is the thing about their hard work, at the end of the day, if they didn't diaper a baby, clean the floors or whatever, they still had a roof over their heads, clean clothes and food on the table. If they don't finish anything today, so what, it isn't like they can't finish it tomorrow. There are no deadlines or expectations like a real job.  They have no idea what is expected on a real job. 

As for the kids being in a better place financially, I have 100k in student loan debt and it is the best debt I will ever have. I will always have an education no one can take from me, always the chance for my income to continue to grow significantly and, most importantly, always have a multitude of options.  I don't have to be at someone else's beck and call, I.e. Jim Bob. Yes, the Duggar kids have no debt, they also have no options, no education and little opportunity other than a tv show that won't last forever. At some point it will end. Very little of their Jim Bob training is transferable to any job and I wouldn't trust any house that has been remodeled by the Duggars. So how are they better off? They are really just treading water. At some point they will sink. 

Boob and Michelle said they bought all the properties with cash which I believe since so many of them are foreclosures. Fixing them up and renting/flipping can make a pretty big profit. Didn't Jim Bob fund his own campaign? I remember people posting that he put 250k of his own money. Now his family lived pretty modestly I won't deny that. Of course he doesn't have that big of a cash cow for everyone but he's preparing them to make their own. Even if they didn't go into self employment, having one rental house could bring in at least 10k a year. That could really make anyone's life a bit easier. As for paying into Social Security, a lot of people don't, and a lot of those people being self employed.

As for deadlines, I bet they have them. Deadline to fill a rental houses, deadline to meet self put quotas and deadlines from people that are renting from them. I don't think Jim Boob wants them under his wing for ever but I bet he rather under his wing than some other bloke that doesn't give 2 cents of a care about them. As for transferable education, you better believe it. Any of them could work in real estate, construction, some kind of estate management. I agree education is lacking in these kids BIG TIME. I wish they could have it. I'm not saying the Duggars have it right. I think they have a lot wrong, but I only argue that Boob's financial plan and plan for his kids future isn't too bad, in addition to my thinking that the lot isn't lazy. 

It feels like difference of thought, those of workers and then those of bosses, owners and entrepreneurs. 

[Mrs Ms]

Counting  Culting On 

Fixed that for you TLC! 

[EmCatlyn]

15 hours ago, QuiverDance said:

This is just as good a guess as mine, and obviously I don't know any more than anyone else with internet access knows.  I just think the timing of it all is way too convenient, and I wouldn't put anything past TLC.  

Yeah, we are all just guessing.  But you are coming from the idea that TLC would have wanted the Danica case to go away, and I am coming from the idea that the Danica case didn't do TLC's plans any harm.

So it is not just we are guessing different reasons the case was dropped but that we are assuming different things about TLC's attitude to Josh's difficulties. .

It's interesting anyway.

[DuggarWatch]

8 hours ago, Kira said:

Ben has an associate degree in business.

No.  The degree is political science.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3084687/Congrats-man-19-Kids-Counting-star-Jessa-Duggar-gushes-husband-Ben-Seewald-s-college-graduation.html

8 hours ago, 2manyKidzzz said:

He really should be able to get a decent job with an associate degree in business. That is if he wanted to. But he could support his growing family. 

His degree is in political science. It was a two-year, online degree and the college is not accredited.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3084687/Congrats-man-19-Kids-Counting-star-Jessa-Duggar-gushes-husband-Ben-Seewald-s-college-graduation.html

[Whoosh]

29 minutes ago, DuggarWatch said:

No.  The degree is political science.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3084687/Congrats-man-19-Kids-Counting-star-Jessa-Duggar-gushes-husband-Ben-Seewald-s-college-graduation.html

If people want to have this conversation again, more power to ya (I am not at all trying to stop anyone from doing that).  

If people are OK with short-cutting the "what is Bin's associate degree" debate, I am sharing a link where several people weighed in on the topic.  

Basically, The Daily Mail and other media sources did indeed say his degree is in Political Science, but according to the school website, it seems like the school he is said to have gone to does not offer a degree called an Associates in Political Science.  It seems a lot of people do think the degree is a Business degree, but I don't recall why they think that exactly.  Political Sciences classes are offered through the Social Sciences department.  Anyway, this conversation happened in June and whatever the correct answer is it should be the same now as it was then I would think.  

Here's the link - I don't know how to link to the specific post, but if you go to this page and search for "political" you will find what I believe is roughly the start of the conversation.

 

 

[Ungodly Grandma]

19 hours ago, Buzzard said:

I was watching my 600 pound life last night and they had atleast 4 Duggar promos.  Really?  The fact that they're pimping the hell out of the show makes me sick.  

I wonder what the commercials will be on the actual Duggar show. Can't wait to see who the sponsors are.

[rainbowbubbles]

I really have nothing new to add to the revamped duggar shit show that is happening. You all have said it all more elequently than me, and for that I thank you. I just have to say thank you, Merci, danke, to you Buzzard for once again giving us recaps. This Riesling is for you.... 

[felinefundie]

9 hours ago, Bad Wolf said:

Northern Nevada here. Like a different country.

For real!! I've been to Vegas precisely once in my entire life. It's a completely different world. Vegas is all water crises and big city life... Northern Nevada is basically all rural and small towns. It also snows in the summer sometimes in my hometown and surrounding areas. Because elevation, I guess?? I think we can all relate to slot machines and liquor-selling in gas stations, though. At least some of them. Additionally, my favorite laundromat has slot machines and my school currently has a campaign to end students gambling their financial aid away. Ahhh, Nevada...

[CoveredInBees]

Counting On?

Counting on TLC's money.