Posts by Sandra Johnson58

Robin Fox2 said:So, if we’re going to move past the constant chatter about refugees, I find this news regarding the death of that child far more compelling...

It is the inevitable result of the total degradation of the medical profession's importance and purpose; people now attempt to self-diagnose via the internet while shunning actual medicine because they believe "Big Pharma is just chasing extra profits" or that "they're being poisoned," opting instead for alternative remedies that are, in 99% of cases, absolute nonsense. Fortunately for no one, this isn't just an American phenomenon, but one felt across the entire Western world, where everyone suddenly considers themselves an expert on everything, leading us to a point where science, medicine, and pharmacy are being held hostage by half-witted conspiracy theorists...

However, a single death simply isn't enough; we'll need more of them, and the real entertainment will begin when preventable diseases start sweeping through the population again—that will be quite the spectacle. I'll just make sure to have my popcorn ready... ☕

There actually are some decent alternative methods out there. When I was a kid and getting sick, my parents would use certain alternative approaches alongside the regular medical stuff. It mostly boiled down to herbal remedies that felt a lot easier on my system back then compared to swallowing a mountain of pills. Back in those days, I was basically on a cocktail of 25 different meds😁 I mean, this death is caused by sheer stupidity and the internet. Nowadays, I see tons of Dr. House wannabes everywhere giving themselves diagnoses just because they read something online. Screw doctors and all those years they spend in school, especially when some guy thinks a long-term headache is definitely a brain tumor just because he saw it on a forum.🤣

Walter Grant5 said:The chaos in Syria is being funded. What else is there to say?

Man, screw this, this is basically the first proxy war in history.😁 Personally, it just drives me crazy how everyone focuses so much on Syria while nobody gives a damn about Ukraine. Not that I'm trying to be mean, but honestly, compared to the people coming out of Syria or Africa, Ukrainians are on a completely different level of civilization. Call me a racist if you want, I don't care, but I'm just saying.

Walter Grant5 said:I get that, but just because it's the way things are doesn't mean it's right. Most global power players were basically violent migrants and conquerors themselves back in the day. This is just the fallout. Deal with it.

Look, this isn't "consequences," it's just pure stupidity from governments that won't actually enforce their own laws. They're letting all kinds of crap—criminals, killers, terrorists, lowlifes, you name it—smuggle themselves in right alongside these immigrants. It’s bound to go too far eventually. Someone is going to finally snap because of the absolute chaos caused by the people infiltrating the innocent civilian population, and I guarantee you, it won't be us who ends up being the victims. For anyone out there thinking we're too "civilized" or "advanced" for stuff like this to happen... honestly, maybe you should start getting ready for the shock.

Walter Grant5 said:Look, I don't really see people through the lens of being Americans, Germans, Brits, or whatever else. To me, everyone is just an individual stuck with whatever nationalistic nonsense they were fed growing up. I know my way of thinking is probably too utopian and impossible to actually pull off in the real world, but I honestly believe that kind of mindset is the only way we ever move past these endless cycles of bullshit.

Also, comparing my own situation—or even the idea of me packing up and moving to somewhere like Australia—to this massive global crisis is just pointless.

Man, I feel you. It sucks that life isn't basically Star Trek, but whatever.
Anyway, I get what you're saying about how comparing you to them is a stretch, but let's look at it theoretically for a second. Like, imagine if suddenly 800,000 Syrians showed up at the borders of the USA or Australia, and a huge chunk of them had zero ways to even prove who they were. How do you think their requests would go over? Just as an example, I actually know someone who ended up in the States as a refugee from Canada through family connections. He first went to Germany in '93, then moved to the US with his wife and kids in '95. And he’s definitely not the only one; there are tons of people like him. I don't even need to go into all the hoops he had to jump through during the process, regardless of him being a refugee.

Walter Grant5 said:Look, you're definitely in no position to judge where the US stands right now. I'm assuming since you're even hanging out on this forum typing away, your actual survival isn't on the line. Don't go pointing fingers at people who are just out here trying to hit the bare minimum to get by.

It’s not even just the ones turning them away, like the Czechs, Slovaks, or Poles—they’re doing it because they feel like these folks just don't mesh with their culture or lifestyle. Like, the media loves to demonize Poles, but nobody ever mentions how many Ukrainian refugees they've actually taken in.
Also, anyone with half a brain knows this whole populist policy in the European Union is total garbage and won't last long, just like ambertinker41 said above. The Britons will probably be the first to say "no thanks," and honestly, I bet the Danes aren't exactly thrilled either. It's obvious they aren't feeling this way of bringing people in, and hey, they have every right to do what they want—nobody can force them to take anyone.
Personally, I'm not against bringing people in at all, since the US has such low birth rates and needs people, but you know how it works, right? There are laws and regulations for a reason. You can't just let a massive crowd wander through the US without any paperwork or any way to actually identify who they are.
Seriously, buddy, if you tried to do things the way they're entering the US by heading to Australia, Canada, or the States, you'd see pretty quick where that leads. Why is it that some people can just waltz into the US whenever they feel like it, while Ukrainians actually have to identify themselves and provide every single document imaginable?

Walter Grant5 said:Talking about stuff hypothetically is one thing, but actually being a refugee from Syria is a whole different ballgame. So, you armchair experts scrolling on your iPhones, just back off. You’re lucky enough to have been born where you were, which means you can spend your days messing around online, grabbing coffee with friends after work, catching a game or a movie at night, doing whatever hobbies you want... if a better life was actually offered to you, you’d take it in a heartbeat. So quit your whining.

It’s not like Harry Potter waved a magic wand and turned Europe into what it is today—so much blood has already been spilled for this. Besides, some EU countries are already digging their heels in against taking economic immigrants, and others, like the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark, are basically exempt from these imposed quotas. The Germans will take in as many as they can handle, but even now, Angela Merkel is hinting that not everyone can stay in Germany. If they can't be moved to other countries, they’ll just be sent back or stopped before they even reach the EU. And if stopping them doesn't work? Well, then it’s whatever—it's like when the Bulgarians lined up tanks along the border; if people don't like it, too bad.

Man, I haven't actually stepped foot in a movie theater since Revenge of the Sith hit theaters 🤣 and honestly? I probably won't set foot in one again until the seventh Star Wars installment rolls out.

Sam Roberts said:Check them out

http://muaythaizagreb.com/hr/s/raspo...uaythai-gym-u/

Thanks so much for the info.

Sam Roberts said:What’s that supposed to mean? Can you work on focus mitts? There’s always a risk of getting hit by accident. Of course you can skip sparring at any gym since most have recreational groups. You’ve got plenty of solid clubs in NYC. Whereabouts are you located?

Yeah, I can totally use focus mitts, and honestly, a little accidental contact isn't really a big deal to me. Anyway, I'm based out in the suburbs, near the outskirts of the city.

So, I've been getting really into Muay Thai lately, and honestly, I have this huge urge to just jump in and start training. But there’s this one little—okay, actually a massive—problem. Because of some health stuff I've got going on, I'm not really supposed to do sparring. I mean, maybe I could, but my doctors are pretty adamant about me staying away from it. Just so nobody gets the wrong idea, I'm totally fine with the actual workouts and the intensity of the training; I definitely won't pass out on some pro instructor or anything. In fact, being physically active is actually super good for my condition and they really recommend it. So, I guess what I'm wondering is, can you find somewhere in a big city like Chicago to train recreationally for Muay Thai, but strictly without any sparring?

Kenneth Clark18 said:I mean, okay, but they aren't even top-tier.

In soccer, pulling in the absolute biggest stars is way harder than it is in handball. Like, handball salaries are basically peanuts compared to what an average soccer player makes. And don't even get me started on the superstars.

Plus, what kind of motivation would Messi actually have to play for Qatar? And he’s playing for the runners-up of the World Cup.

In soccer, the peak of your career is the World Cup. It’s not the Champions League or La Liga.

They didn't even land elite handball players, just some pretty mid guys—except for maybe two goalies and that Rafael Capote guy who I think is coming over from Cuba, if I remember right. Honestly, the only world-class thing they've brought in is the coach.

I guess those Sheikhs from Qatar are just waiting on the FIFA elections so they can pull a similar move with the national soccer team. If Sepp manages to win back control of FIFA for the 2022 World Cup, things are definitely going to get messy. I mean, those Sheikhs will probably fly in a whole army of experts—coaches, doctors, even mental and physical trainers—just to drill their young players and the veterans alike using the exact same playbook. People are totally wrong when they say Qatar can't just buy a national team🤣... I mean, seriously, just look at how many talented South Americans don't actually have official caps for their home countries yet. They’ll likely start scouting them around 2016 or 2017 so they can naturalize them and get them ready by 2022. And let's not forget about the guys in big European countries who don't stand a chance of playing for their own national sides; they're targets too, just like young African players who might be lured in with money. Honestly, I'm pretty sure at least half of the 23 players officially registered for the World Cup will end up being foreigners.

Kyle Morris7 said:Man, what a total scam and a joke. Qatar making it to the handball World Cup final? They’re literally 10-15 goals weaker than any team in Europe!! It’s honestly like if the Los Angeles Lakers went to play in the NBA and actually won the championship! I guess sports have been more about business than actual playing for a long time now, but this kind of blatant rigging of an entire World Cup is just... I've never seen anything like it. Maybe the Qatari people just bought everything in sight—the refs, the delegates, even players from every single team they faced! Probably tossed a few hundred thousand bucks at everyone and now everybody’s supposedly happy. I mean, I guess making it out of the group stage was expected, since I remember how much the officials helped Mexico and Canada when they were hosting back in the day. But for them to hit the quarterfinals and semifinals? That's just straight-up criminal. I hear the Poles are complaining now, but who knows, maybe they got paid off too. I always watch the finals, but I think I'm skipping this one. Honestly, I'm just totally disgusted.

They aren't even pushing Qatar half as hard as they pushed Mexico or Tunis when those guys were the hosts.

Jessica Gonzalez said:It seems like a really interesting phenomenon that isn't just happening here on the forum, but maybe even a bit wider. You see people easily justifying invasions of foreign territories or the downing of civilian planes, yet they suddenly turn a blind eye to any actions taken by our own local police or official institutions. They might cry about domestic anarchy or foreign dictatorships, but honestly, you'd have to be quite narrow-minded—maybe even a bit malicious—to see things that way. I suppose what I've realized over the years is that people who lack critical thinking tend to gravitate toward strong personalities and powerful leaders. So, it probably isn't surprising when supporters of figures like Maddox end up in the same camp as followers of Harmon or Pavelić, simply because they are drawn to someone like Putin, Chavez, Castro, Lukašenko, or Assad.

And honestly, even educated people suck up to those types—and I don't just mean the ones who bought their degrees. I actually know this guy who went to a top-tier university here in the States and works at some massive corporation making insane money, but he still thinks Putin is some kind of god. Like, on paper, the guy is totally smart, but somehow Putin is his hero, his savior, whatever. It's crazy.🤣

Anthony Jackson2 said:Someone once said the only thing uglier than people from Austria would be the Austrians themselves. Looking at this—well, I guess there’s a new limit to how bad things can get.

🤣🤣
He’s basically an Austrian man and woman rolled into one.☕

velvetmoose9 said:Yeah.
Especially if those extra pounds were pushing you way past your ideal weight.

But, hey, definitely do those searches your doctor suggested.
By the way, did they run a full panel on your cholesterol, electrolytes, or blood sugar?
Like, have you been super thirsty or running to the bathroom all night?

I’m not really overweight, actually, I think I’m kinda underweight. Anyway, my thyroid and blood sugar results came back, but nothing too crazy yet.🤷

Here’s the numbers:

HEMOGLOBIN A1c (HbA1c) (IMI) 4.9
HEMOGLOBIN A1c (HbA1c) (RAC) 30

TOTAL T4 (ECL) 136
TSH (ECL) 1.96

Based on what it says here, everything looks fine, so now I'm starting to freak out that maybe it's something more serious.

So, I’ve dropped seven pounds in just the last month without even changing my routine, so my doctor sent me in to get my TSH and T4 levels checked. Honestly, I feel totally fine—no issues at all—and my abdominal and heart ultrasounds from three months ago came back completely normal. I guess I'm just wondering... is it actually possible to lose weight just from being super stressed? I'm prone to anxiety, you know? Just asking so I can stop worrying about it, since this isn't exactly the biggest health crisis on my radar right now.

The Canadians are a solid squad, so it’s honestly no shock they fought their way into the semifinals. As for us, if we hadn't totally choked, I guess we might've actually beaten our neighbors.

George Robinson43 said:Yeah. They’d probably try to blame some messy Mexicans, while they're actually just chasing medals through the French and Danes.

That's pretty much it.😁If we just play a heavy defense against the Mexicans, they honestly won't have a clue what to do because they're way too slow, and their small forwards are basically useless. I mean, the Canadians showed us exactly what happens—once you tighten the screws on them, all they can do in those last ten minutes is feed the ball to Vujinic and Ilic to let them chuck shots, and we already saw how that ends. Honestly, the Mexicans suck. They might stand a chance if they're playing at home in Belgrade, but anywhere else? We'll probably smoke them by ten points, easy.

Adam Williams2 said:I mean, it doesn't even matter, you just gotta take everything you can get. It’s all or nothing, right? ☕

Exactly. And man, we are totally gonna crush them. No doubt about it.
I guess the only downside to pushing for this win is maybe wearing out the players for the next games... I don't know. Like, they might end up getting banged up against teams like France or Denmark more than if they were just playing someone like Germany or Belarus.