If a student from a different faith wants to take an Islamic or Orthodox religious studies class, they end up doing it outside of regular hours—all while sitting through Catholic classes during the school day just yawning away the time. Everything should be put back where it belongs, and that isn't inside the classroom. Making "Critical Thinking" a formal subject only makes sense if it’s actually replacing religious education entirely. Right now, every other option just piles more onto an already packed schedule. It’s like instead of one two-hour block, kids are stuck with two hours of religion plus two hours of computer science. Students who don't pick an elective still end up spending four extra hours a week sitting through classes they didn't even choose... To me, it's total madness. Not to mention how unfair it is to the kids who skip religion altogether, or even worse, those forced to attend a religious class that isn't even offered at their school, meaning they have to head to a church or mosque on a Saturday just to make up for it. I've heard people talk about this for years, but seeing it firsthand at my little girl's school this year is just insane. She's only in first grade, and she's already pulling five-hour days three times a week.
silentraven6 said:Hey, Karen Gonzalez69, thank God I'm not alone in this 😁
🙂
Thanks for the link! I actually stumbled upon something similar myself. I'll drop it here once I get home and grab it from my bookmarks.
Go ahead and post it. 🙂
I’ve already started everything you mentioned. Right now, I’m just struggling to explain things to my gym trainers—letting them know what I can't do yet, like deadlifts. But I've jumped right into strengthening all the muscles that support the pelvic floor area, trying to target my pelvis with everything I've got.
Honestly, it feels like there aren't many gym exercises that specifically hit those deep internal muscles. And those classic Kegels? They haven't really done much for me, even though I do them constantly.
Hmm, I’ve never actually been to a gym, so I have no clue how you'd work out there while sticking to these new restrictions. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how this connects to regular exercise. If I pick up that DVD and find it useful, I'll pass it along to you. 🙂
I'm curious, where did you go for physical therapy and who sent you? Was it a recommendation from your OB-GYN or something?
I saw Jadranka Brozd, but I actually sought her out on my own. My OB-GYN made it sound like such a minor, harmless thing—they didn't even suggest physical therapy. They basically told me not to worry because everything should return to normal, and to just stick to Kegels. 🤷 I was on strict bed rest during my pregnancy, so I decided right then that I’d hit up physical therapy as soon as I could. This situation just gave me that extra push to finally go.
I'm going to hold off on digging too deep until my urodynamics test is done so we can see where things stand. I'm a little worried that I might have some actual damage, since I'm already dealing with mild incontinence.
Definitely let us know what you find out and how you're doing. 🙂
I'm going to dig into that link you sent. Honestly, though, I really think you should go get checked out right away. It's like anything else—the smaller the fix, the easier it is. This might not seem like a huge deal right now, but I’m terrified that if we wait, we're just making a bad situation worse. Since we're both young, there's a really good chance everything can be fixed easily; that's actually one of the big advantages here.
You're totally right. I'm hoping I can pull myself together this December to go see someone and get a second opinion.
Thanks again! Maybe someone else will chime in so we can all learn something new.
It would be amazing if we could actually organize all this info, theory, and lived experience into one place. 🙂 It feels like people in the States don't give this much attention at all, and I highly doubt it's as rare as they make it out to be.
During those two years, did you find yourself getting more frequent bladder infections? 🙂 I read that it can happen, and honestly, it's already making me a little nervous.
I’m not exactly an expert on this, but I wanted to jump in.
During my first postpartum checkup, my OB-GYN mentioned my bladder had shifted slightly. He was super casual about it and suggested I start doing Kegels. It didn't seem like a big deal until I got home and started Googling it—then I totally panicked. 😬 Still, I haven't gone looking for a second opinion or visited a urologist yet. I figured since it's just a minor shift and I don't actually have any symptoms, maybe things will just settle back into place on their own. :denial:
That said, I did start seeing a physical therapist. I originally went to get my body back in shape after being stuck on bed rest during pregnancy, but I made sure to bring up this specific issue. From what I’ve gathered in my sessions, here’s the breakdown: - You definitely need to do Kegels, and you need to do them right. - Posture is huge (they gave me a whole list of exercises tailored to my weak spots). - Keeping weight down, especially around the midsection, makes a difference.😬 - Avoid lifting heavy stuff. 🙄 (Though, I did read somewhere that the science on this isn't even fully proven.) - Skip the running, jumping, and high-impact stuff like aerobics or Zumba. ...and I think that covers it.🤔
I'm not sure if you've stumbled upon this website or YouTube channel yet, but I started following them recently and they are incredibly helpful. I'm actually thinking about picking up their workout DVDs.
In my opinion, you can help yourself by dropping a few pounds (to take the pressure off that area) and focusing on total body strength, specifically core stability. The key is doing the right moves and avoiding anything that puts too much downward pressure on your pelvic floor. I'm still learning as I go, but I’ll be happy to share what's safe and what's risky once I know more. 🙂
I don't know much about surgery or other medical fixes, but I was reading C. Northrup’s book, *Female Body, Female Wisdom*, and she mentions options besides pessaries—like a newer type of insert. The book translates it as a "reliable urinary control insert," and she gives it a glowing review. She also mentioned Impress as something coming to market soon. Google shows some info on Impress. These are all great tools if you're dealing with actual bladder issues. 🙂
I'm 33 with one baby. My labor was a marathon—they told me I could have been delivered three hours earlier. That might have played a role in this. 🤷
You've actually inspired me to head back to my primary OB-GYN. I want to make sure she checks everything out and refers me to a specialist if needed, rather than waiting years until this turns into a real problem. 🙂
What a fantastic movie!👍 I’m betting the stage play is even better. The characters are so well-drawn, and I just loved that whole family vibe—the dialogue, the raw emotion, the feeling that it’s actually real life.
I’m looking for a recommendation for a specialist who actually takes the time to talk to you and explain things—someone knowledgeable about contact lenses here in Washington, D.C. (covered by Medicare). I wear soft lenses.
Karen Gonzalez69 said:so... I'll be dropping more info here😬
Anyway, I've got a question that might sound pretty silly🤦 if I'm running Windows 7, can I use an older version of Office, or am I stuck with Microsoft Office 2007? 🙂
I just got Windows 7, and honestly? I'm not feeling it... I've even spiraled into this weird paranoia that I actually ended up with Vista instead.😬 I thought about just wiping everything and switching systems, but since I used them during some job training tests recently, I figured I should probably just bite the bullet and learn to live with them.🙂 So... I'll be hanging out here more often.😬
I absolutely love this movie—it honestly hits me right in the feels every single time I watch it.🙈 The whole story about that young boy falling in love is just the absolute best.🙂
You’re basically Ursula from The Little Mermaid! Seriously, you are a pro at playing both sides. You act all sweet and helpful right up until the moment you twist the knife. Just because you got kicked out of the club doesn't give you the right to go after someone's kid. It feels like you spend way too much time living in the past, dwelling on "the good old days." Honestly, you just don't seem to handle change very well.
bluemason3 said:Well, it's an old classic. It isn't exactly being marketed right now—mostly because that's not its primary purpose, much like TM—but honestly, it's far more effective at curing insomnia than TM could ever be.
The method is called: State 😍
Enroll in college and sit through the most mind-numbing lectures imaginable. If you manage to stay awake, you've already won.😍
Top-tier answer.🙏 I can personally vouch for how many times my head hit the desk during lectures.😁 😍
If I were giving advice for insomnia, though, I'd suggest some intense physical activity—work yourself until you're absolutely wiped out. 👍 That’s what actually helped me when I was dealing with insomnia during that same sedentary, purely mental phase of life.😵
Raymond Palmer8 said:🙄 Are you talking about the difference in the movies or the villains themselves? By the way, I’m betting you’ve read "Jack" too. From my own experience, reading the book fills in all those gaps a movie leaves wide open. It makes the whole experience of watching the film much better. Take *Fracture*—I'm guessing you haven't read it (and neither have I), so those gaps we both mentioned remain. I mentioned them here, and you did in your last post. Especially with a subject like this, it's hard for any movie to ever truly fill those voids.
As for the characters... Hannibal Lecter is a killer who feeds on the victim's mental anguish. He practically relished just listening to Clarice describe her suffering, or how she still suffers when she hears the screams of Jack. Whether it's physical or psychological pain, he finds satisfaction in it. I can't imagine anyone seeing Ted Crawford that way at all... Crawford is just a perfectionist. He’s so obsessed with being right that he’ll risk his own life just to prove he's flawless...
No, I wasn't comparing the characters. I was just building on what you said and then compared the films instead. 🙂 I wouldn't even link the characters together.😉
Look, I haven't read "Jack" either, so it's tough to explain my take on this movie since we walked away with totally different impressions based on how we watched it. But for me, this film lacks conviction, passion, and real motivation... everything you wrote is spot on, but for me, it just isn't fleshed out enough to be a great movie.
Larry Cooper40 said:Are they even that different? A. Hopkins plays them both the exact same way. They both carry that "I know something you don't" vibe, and they both manipulate everyone around them using that massive IQ. Or do they? Watching this movie and seeing Hopkins in it, I couldn't help but wonder, "Why aren't you doing this same routine to this kid like you did to Jodie Foster?" Honestly, that sense of déjà vu alone is enough to make me write this off as "nothing new."
No, there’s a huge difference here: Silence of the Lambs is a masterpiece. You can see all that heavy psychology and those mental games playing out in every single frame—it’s convincing, brilliantly executed, and the characters are incredibly deep. This, on the other hand, lacks real psychological depth. The character studies here are just🙂
This movie is just plain, undeniably bad. I didn't even have high expectations, yet somehow it still managed to let me down.😬
I wanted to sit here and write a massive, deep-dive analysis, but honestly, it all boils down to one thing: the people behind this project had the exact same flaw as that rookie prosecutor in the movie—they were superficial and way too full of themselves.😁
The dialogue is terrible. It’s totally lifeless. Even though the plot drags on forever through these pointless conversations meant to build up Will Becham’s character, we never actually get to know him. The lines feel like they were written by a kid... or like the screenwriter had zero creativity and no clue how actual human beings talk. It kills any sense of realism.
My second gripe is the psychology—or lack thereof. There isn't a single subtle detail or scene that gives us a real look into why these characters do what they do. We aren't just left in the dark; we're left unable to believe them at all. The biggest, most glaring mistake is how they handled the "mastermind," Ted Crawford. If you look closely, there’s absolutely no real motivation shown for why he’d cold-bloodedly murder his wife and take out her lover in one go. Why does he choose this path? Is it just because he’s a cold jerk who nitpicks everyone and is bitter that his wife cheated? That’s all we get from a few surface-level scenes. To me, that’s a weak excuse. It’s naive and totally unconvincing. It just doesn't work.
Also, the cinematography is just tacky. You can't miss how much they force the lighting and those glass surfaces. The camera is constantly peering at the actors through doors or windows, always watching them... and then there's that light. It might have worked if it weren't so aggressive. They basically shove this symbolism in our faces, making it so obvious that it becomes ridiculous.
I don't know... the whole thing feels shallow. It’s not even a fast-paced movie; it's slow and filled with this fake "depth" that serves no purpose. It just drags. Don't waste your money seeing this in a theater. The only reason to watch it is to see just how bad it really is. 😉
I used to swipe books from the local public library😳 every now and then, plus some cash when I was out on the town, and even a little teaspoon I really liked😬
Since we're already talking about belly buttons... why do some people have a little dimple while others have a bulge sticking out? What actually determines that?🤔
rapidmaker10 said:just ???😲 I’m lucky if I get six hours of sleep—usually it’s more like four or five—but my wife sleeps at least 10-12 hours a day and she’s constantly exhausted...
P.S. when she isn't sleeping, she's just lounging on the couch watching TV...😠
Are you Al Bundy?😁 😉
O.T. That's probably just your daily nap quota. There was a time when five hours felt plenty for me... now I need seven just to function.🙄
