oenophile

Gee, I feel so "out there" now. Please won't a few other guys talk about their sexual interests and fantasies. It's like the recurring dream like we all have...naked in a room of clothed people for me.

CW, The other stuff can wait. Make love now.

ahhh grasshopper...

If you started at a 70' depth and ascended to the surface, you could make it if you exhaled slowly enough (dont rush to the surface or use your BCD as an elevator or you will get the bends)because the air volume expands as you get nearer the surface. However, if you hold your breath...your lungs will overinflate causing damage for the same reason.

Ouch...now I'm sweating bullets too. How far back can they go?

I'm a 52 year old male, so I guess I qualify to participate in your survey. I cannot speak for the entire species of 50 somethings with outside plumbing but perhaps a few personal thoughts on the subject might be helpful to you. Right now I am a divorced and unattached. In other words I ain't getting any right now. :-( I would like to think that I would meet my soulmate someday and that we just couldn't get enough of each other. Anyway, here goes...I like my partner to make a big deal of what she likes about what she is getting from me sexually. If she has any criticisms, I would like those to be tactful and if at all possible be brought up after the sexual encounter. I would listen because if I am really in love with her then her pleasure is very, very important to me. (By the way, since sex is the most intimate thing two people can do, I choose only to do it with someone with whom I share a corresponding emotional and spiritual connection. Sex is sacred space to me. I'm sure a lot of my fellow males will have other thoughts on the matter. But for me, I want it to be with one person exclusively and with a view toward marriage.) I would like her to be the initiator of sex at least some of the time. As for fantasies...how about if we agreed to meet at a bar beforehand and act out the following scenario. She would meet me at a bar where I had arrived ahead of time. She would sit down and start striking up a conversation with me, maybe around the second round. We would start off by talking to each other as if we just met i.e. job, hobbies, weather etc. and later she would start to give me signals like if she was starting to take interest which in turn would change to that she is getting turned on...then she couldnt wait to get me home and demands the check...(she pays with my credit card ofcourse.)...and we walk out arm in arm. Maybe we make back home, maybe we check into a hotel. Ofcourse, next week it's my turn to reciprocate by her being the pick-upee.

I nominate Loyboy. Perhaps the rest of the innies will leave after a year or two of his spewing and slashing. That certainly would be tough medicine for them to swallow but hopefully in the end they will feel much better for having taken it...ah freedom.

CW, Is a hookah the same thing as a water pipe? If it is maybe I could join you in the enjoyment of your wine filled hookah sans cannabis.

This is indeed a thorny topic. Those that argue that in no case should a person have the right to end their suffering when there is no liklihood of recovery obviously have not witnessed a loved one suffer in that condition. I watched as a nurse administered a handful of syringes filled with morphine to my dad and was grateful when his agony ended. Yet I am alarmed at the practice in the Netherlands. The state should never be allowed to play God by fiat passing death mandatory death sentences on whole classes of cases. The right to die should never become the duty to die. The decision to terminate suffering should be left to the patient (if mentally competent)or the person designated by the patient by power of attorney for medical matters and the attending physician.

Mike, Your formulaic concept of life is just wrong. Reality is far too complex to be reduced to a priori formulas found in the PFAL class or in collaterals. Paul said that "the letter kills but the spirit gives life." Far too many people who struggled with difficult issues in TWI sought help only to be judged and upbraided by smug and sanctimonious "miserable comforters" for their supposed lack of believing. Conversely, the summation of Jesus' message love, mercy, justice and hope which are concepts that don't lend themselves easily to trite slogans, maxims and formulas.

a fifth is roughly 750ml and a quart is roughly 1.0L

WG, I remember from my English history class that Nelson was killed at Trafalgar.

Paw, You and yours are in my thoughts and prayers. I know how it feels to lose a parent as I have lost both of mine...gut wrenching at first but the peace knowing that they are in God's hands settles in over time. I trust that you are finding that peace. I'm sure your dad was a proud Irishman. I just came from raising a pint of Guinness in his honor. Peace, Robin

Happy birthday bud...hope to see you when I finally make it to Chitown.

Where do you buy it? Sounds like I need a case of the stuff.

Happy birthday Paw. You have already received your best present...RED SOX WON THE WORLD SERIES!!!!

Matilda, I would reserve the name TWIt for the hard core abusers, manipulators and born of the seed of TWI types who will never see the light. Innies who may be so inclined to be won over to the idea of reconnecting with their families are like we once were mostly intelligent - but under delusion and held captive.

I think Roy offers some wise advice. Just get on with our lives without twi which is in itself the best way of getting back if you feel you need revenge. Move on. Tell your story so others may learn and you may heal. But move on, use your God given talents that were either stifled or exploited by twi. Stop being a victim. Let go of the bitterness which only keeps you in twi's prison without bars.

Its the MOGFART!!!!

Thank you excathedra for shedding light on the quote attributed to P.T. Barnum. I suppose Hannum was correct when he said "there is a sucker born every minute."

It was just reported on CNN that a lady in Hollywood,Florida has a ten year old grilled cheese sandwich for sale on eBay that curiously reveals a resemblance of the Virgin Mary on the toast. It is reported that even though the bread is ten years old there is no sign of mold. CNN reports that the current bid on eBay is in the million$. I guess P.T. Barnum was right. -->

Too scary!!!

Hey, Ryan and I were able to see them all the way down here in the Grand Rapids area last Sunday evening. It was my first time I saw the northern lights. Thanks God.

nevermind what i said. maybe the ash heap is not such a bad place after all. maybe the miry clay we so easily get stuck in feels good between our toes, kind of squishy. but if you do choose to forgive and move on with your life, understand that forgiveness does not include falling for the same load of crap a la twi that was served you previously.

Maybe it is time to declare peace among the warring factions here. Is it so hard for us to put bury our battleaxes? How many more heads have to be lopped off before the bloodlust ends? Is it such an anathema to allow our spears be formed into pruning hooks and our swords be beaten into plowshares? How many more hearts need to burst being run through with such blind anger and acrymony? How many more friendships need to be poisoned with these bitter waters? What is forgiveness anyway? Who benefits from it? Does forgiveness excuse or mitigate the perpetrator of the injustices suffered by the wronged party? Does forgiving obligate the wronged party to restore the perpetrator to his or her previous status of trust or friendship in the absence of contrition? Forgiveness is just simply letting go of the hot coals of hate that seeks to burn us out leaving us a charred heap of ashes. Just let go! I know it's not as easy as hanging on to your hurt and sitting in your ash heap but personal growth never is easy. Believe me, I am struggling with some major forgiveness issues of my own right now and yes the rage does flare up on occasions. Growth requires that we stretch ourselves beyond our comfort zones in order to fulfill our destiny, potential or calling if you prefer. It is impossible to receive what is next for you until you first let go of your anger and hurt. Perhaps the best way of accomplishing this is to embrace your anger, feel it, notice the sensations that arise in your body, the images play themselves out in your mind and then...let them go. Imagine the river of life carrying them off away from you into eternity where God can sort things out and restore you to healing and freedom to move ahead with your life. Doesn't this sound better than the ash heap alternative? Forgiveness absolutely does NOT require the wronged to restore the perpetrator to the former status of trust. Trust is like Humpty Dumpty. Once it has been smashed it is difficult if not impossible to restore. It's the perpetrators job to pick up the pieces if there is to be any restoration of trust. In the absence of such contrition and restoration the wronged is not obligated to extend trust to the perpetrator. You are simply allowing yourself to be free from bitterness which ultimately benefits you. Some of the cases of TWI abuse against some of the posters on this thread are so horrific that they probably couldn't be made right or restored even if the perpetrators were to lick the ground on which the abused walked. But to hold on to the bitterness makes the wounds that they inflicted permanent. The choice is ours. The ash heap or our destiny.