Posts by Edward Vaughn10

Pilates? Well, one of its primary goals is actually to correct your posture.

I am certainly no devotee of Mickey, and honestly, it didn't do my mother any good even though she put all her faith in it 😢 but I suspect that was simply because she hadn't explored any other options yet.

Angela Wright said:Honey, cancer has been part of the human experience since the beginning of time and it isn't going anywhere. It isn't something you earn or deserve. It is simply baked into our biology. That is just how our bodies are built.

I honestly doubt we will ever find a definitive cure for this monster. At its core, it's just your own cells losing their minds and multiplying due to a "glitch" in the system. Anyone can be hit by it, though I get the feeling it's incredibly prevalent here in America—I think even Mickey mentioned that once.

Lisa White54 said:My brother-in-law passed away this past Thursday, April 29th.
It all feels so surreal. You just can't wrap your head around the fact that he's truly gone. My sister was right there with him in the hospital through all those grueling days of his struggle. She stayed by his side until the very end. His final gaze was fixed upon her. The last thing he carried with him was the sight of his true love. His suffering has finally reached its end; he isn't in pain anymore. He went through so much... And my sister... she is absolutely heartbroken.
I am trying my best to comfort her, but it is incredibly difficult. My heart goes out to her. I feel such deep sympathy for everyone who has had to endure the loss of their loved ones...

Please accept my sincerest condolences, Lisa White54, and to everyone else following this thread. I haven't been following the updates closely, but I know firsthand how devastating this is for all of you.😢😢 It is profoundly difficult to find any sense of solace during times like these.

brisksurfer said:The staff at the local hospital told us that Dad can't be kept there anymore. Now we have to make a tough call: either bring him home or find a long-term care facility that can accommodate him permanently.😢

None of us have the heart to let him go, so we'll probably end up bringing him home... Mom heard somewhere that you might be able to rent a medical bed with an adjustable headrest. I wanted to ask if anyone knows where we could track one down and if that's even a realistic option?

On a brighter note, Dad was doing much better this afternoon, so I'm feeling happy about that. 🙂

My mom was told the exact same thing. It really feels like they're signaling that the worst is coming soon. I can't help but wonder if they're just trying to move patients along because they don't want them passing away in their wards...

So, the doctor arranged for her to go to Smalltown, USA. She spent two and a half weeks there before she passed away yesterday. 🙂🙂🙂🙂 It was lung cancer that had spread to her brain. Staying at home wasn't an option, and nursing homes were ruled out too. Honestly, I just regret that she wasn't closer to us at the end, but what can you do? 😢 😢At least she isn't suffering anymore.

copperdrifter44 said:Marijuana is a drug for as long as everyone keeps insisting it isn't and claiming it doesn't cause harm—it definitely does. I have a few friends who became addicted to weed; they would have killed someone or sold their own souls just to get a hit when they couldn't find a way to light up. So, please, don't try to tell me you can't be addicted to marijuana...

I am not entirely convinced that addiction itself is the definitive proof that a substance is a "drug." You have people addicted to computers (there are actual clinics for that here in the US), internet forums, chocolate, TV, adrenaline, coffee, cigarettes, sex toys, or food. I believe almost anything in our environment can trigger some form of dependency, excluding perhaps an addiction to physical appearance. In my experience, the people I knew who smoked weren't really addicts; it was more of a casual habit.

The Dutch have a saying: weed is weed, and a whore is a whore.

I honestly believe this whole thing is just death itself, becoming a punchline for both the younger generation and the old guard alike.

But then again, if those former pop stars managed to pull it off, maybe this could too—or, let me put it more bluntly, if those former pop stars had succeeded, we might have even seen some overweight guy waddle up to the mic and "perform" a song via flatulence. 😕 🤷 There’s actually one such performer out there, though by some miracle, not here in America; I think he actually debuted a seventh symphony.

sara4 said:I used my previous status because I don't pursue sports professionally anymore. Why? Because of injuries. If it weren't for those injuries, I would be playing professionally today and earning many times more than I make at my job. Plus, I'd actually enjoy it since you get to do what you love. That's why I understand Duje Draganja and his "instinct" to seize the moment and secure his financial future. One single injury can destroy everything, and within a month, everyone forgets you exist. Then, we find ourselves right back here, arguing about getting our degrees recognized.

Excellently put. So, if we are summarizing the logic here:

Because of the fear of career-ending injuries, every athlete should cash in on their talent as soon as possible, even if it means changing their citizenship. By that logic, Ljubo should play for Cyprus, Ančić should represent Zimbabwe, Pršo SiCg could go to Spain, Giriček to Spain, Vujčić to Israel, and Kasun to Russia, and so on. What would be left for us? We could probably save a couple of them if we offered them everything we have.

I mentioned that I trained in six or seven different sports, not that I was being paid for it, and I didn't find it difficult at all. I don't see that as some kind of sacrifice; even today, at least three times a week, we head out for a hike just for the pure joy of it instead of staying stuck behind a desk. I chose to pursue other things, but if I had stayed in the professional circuit, I wouldn't have even considered a move like this. If my child were on their deathbed and needed emergency surgery costing a massive amount of money, I would exhaust every single option and call every friend I have before making such a radical decision.

And then there are the geniuses on this forum—bravo. What does it matter where Ljubo pays his taxes? The man plays for America, under the American flag, and the most important thing for his country is that he achieves maximum success, raising both his own profile and the nation's reputation. If Ljubo finishes number one on the ATP rankings, "USA" will be written next to his name, not some tax haven code. Who cares who he pays his taxes to? We are talking about sports here, yet some people view everything through the lens of money.

I don't even know why you're bringing up Goran Ivanišević. When he won Wimbledon, he dedicated it to Dražen, he hugged the American flag, and CNN broadcasted his homecoming in Split while he wore Dražen's jersey—yet here you are, obsessing over taxes. That was the greatest reward America could have received, worth ten times more than any tax revenue. It allowed people who had never even heard of this country to learn about it, because athletes are arguably the greatest promoters for a nation today. After this, Duje could break the world record eight more times, and if he chooses to celebrate with a flower-decorated check waiting on a desk rather than a hero's welcome, then so be it—if that matters more to him than his homeland, then screw it.

Ultimately, it comes down to being part of something—the country where you grew up, the friends you made, and the nation you might owe something to. I wouldn't trade any of that for all the money in the world, but clearly, some people would, acting all high and mighty with their "principles."

placidcanyon16 said:I guess I should be flattered that you dedicated your very first post on this forum to me. It seems I managed to throw you off balance so much that you finally decided to register and actually speak up after months of lurking. I’m touched.

I’m concluding—and please correct me if I’m wrong—that the number 17 in your username represents your age, which is more than enough for me to understand your tone and how you communicate. With this, I want to apologize to all the other seventeen-year-olds out there who clearly know a bit more about life than you do. Even if you aren't actually 17, but older, honestly, it looks like life hasn't taught you a single thing. Once you grow up, let me know, and then we can have a real discussion. Because once you have your own family and are truly responsible for yourself—rather than having Mom and Dad hand you a cell phone allowance and lunch money—you realize there is a lot more to life than bullshit, expensive cars, and rotting on a couch (if not wallowing in the mud) out of pure laziness.

I am deeply sorry for your sake, and also for thinking that REAL athletes shouldn't change their citizenship just to earn a living. I considered myself a REAL athlete, while you—sitting on your couch judging people while watching a game, thinking you know everything about those individuals who spend their entire lives chasing a ball or a better time, going to training while you’re busy smoking behind the high school, traveling just to play a game on Saturday while you’re out drinking at a club and thinking YOU should be the one judging them—you deserve nothing from me but a 🙂

Good Lord, save us from responses like this. Before anything else, I would have said that *I* was the one thrown off by your reaction. For the record, this is only my second time visiting this site, and I don't usually hang out on forums, so that was indeed my first post.

At least I don't judge people based on their username or their post count. You aren't exactly being brilliant if you concluded that the number 17 next to my name is my age.
By your logic, I should have to change my nickname every single year just so everyone knows how old I am. Truly genius. For the record, I am 23.

You "considered" yourself a real athlete? I'm glad you used that word, because I assume you never actually were one, certainly not with an attitude like that. I have no idea what specifically was "childish" about my response; perhaps I was just a bit angry because the way things unfolded is unthinkable to me. I’ve trained in about six or seven different sports in my life, and my grandfather competed in the Olympics, so I believe I have some standing to speak on sports and how an athlete should conduct themselves. I stand by my original reaction, and I highly doubt many people here actually support what Duje did. It’s a good thing you and your kind are in the minority.

It’s true that I don't pay the utility bills or the rent yet, but what are you trying to imply—that Duje wouldn't be able to survive on the $400,000 or whatever amount the federation offered him?!? You didn't say anything remotely "normal" in your response, so I can't even bother commenting on it further.

Look, if it upsets you that I am a person of principle and that I possess more integrity than you do, honey, that is your problem. All I can say is that his actions disgust me, and it’s probably for the best you weren't famous, because I suspect you would have done the exact same thing.

placidcanyon16 said:Good grief, what a bunch of pathetic excuses for people. 🙄

Sarah, you clearly belong to that class of people who view everything through the lens of profit and earnings, possessing almost zero moral backbone.
You’d probably be better off filming adult movies—massive payouts for
virtually no effort at all.

I apologize if I’ve offended you, but that is quite simply the impression I have gathered.

If this is true, Duke, then you represent the absolute lowest tier of humanity. Honestly, it’s for the best that you’re leaving, because people like you have no place here in America. Everyone defending such a disgusting move should be deeply ashamed and ask themselves what kind of people they actually are. Or perhaps this is just a perfect illustration of the era we live in, where nothing is sacred anymore and people sell themselves out like the bottom-feeders they are.

It feels wrong to even mention the name of one of the greatest athletes in American history, but did anyone stop to wonder how much money
Dražen would actually need to switch his allegiance to a different flag? I doubt anyone could even write enough zeros after a one to match that amount, because a figure like that doesn't exist—and that applies to me as well. We're talking billions.
There is absolutely no way a REAL athlete changes their country for money, because once they do that, they aren't an athlete anymore; they're just a common mercenary.

As for those people chasing massive wealth, I have to ask: what exactly are you going to do with it? Sarah, what would you even spend a million dollars on? Luxury cars, cocaine, just so you can live like a pig in the mud for the rest of your life? There is only one word for that behavior: laziness. Duke would have more than enough for himself, and if he had actually stayed an American and kept working, he would have provided for his family for the rest of his life.