middleageman

Interesting JT, I presume you are actually living in Yankland? In the UK recently, gays can 'join hands' in a civil service, but it isn't classed as 'marriage' in the eyes of the law or religion, more of a union I believe? A bit like a 'common law' couple. (I only know this through attending a couple of gay and lesbian ceremonies, simply because my wife is a hair stylist and mixes in those circles, ... ) Also, when me and the Wife got married 5 years ago in a Civil Ceremony, registry office and such, (mainly through my non religious leanings and persuasion), we were informed beforehand that the ceremony would contain absolutely no religious content. We also had to submit our CD of songs to played throughout the wedding beforehand, to ensure that there would be no hymns, religious words of praise or mentions of idols and such. Result! We therefore chose songs containing lyrics of a sexual, violent and homophobic nature. (not really ) MAM. Congratulations on breathing some Life back into this discussion fella. My oh my, it's been dull without it.

Laugh out f**king loud! I haven't heard that term for years. I had to google it and found this....... 1. belm From 1979 and Joey Deacons first ever appearence on Blue Peter (UK kids TV show for septic retards) The art of forcing your tongue against your bottom lip while making "NNNNRRRRGGGGGHHHH" sound just like old Joe Deek did "you total spazz NNNRRRGGGGHHHHH" 2. Belm A conversational retort born in the 80's (Via UK kids show Blue Peter in conjunction with spastic Joey Decon) The "belm craze" spread quickly between all children from 5-55. The Phrase is pronounced towards one who you are mocking or generally disagreeing with in conversation. The word "belm" is pronounced by inserting ones tongue between the lower front teeth and lower front lip and pronouncing the word "belm". The "lm" aspect of the word can be "held" for many seconds for great effect; EG: Belllllllllllmmmm". The pronunciation can vary in tone depending on how "spazy" one wants to make the respondent think of the power of the "belm". EG: One could choose to "beeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllmmm" at the respodent via the above proper method. For added effect to a belm it is normal to rub ones hand up and down along the enlarged front lip area or to slap it in case of greater insult to be conveyed. One on one contact: One could also choose to do the belm but only utter the sound "mmm" with the tongue stuck in belm position, this is a subtle but thorough belm and should not be disregarded as a poor belm, it is damning. This is the ultimate close contact personal insult. Don't do it unless you really dislike them. Belm Beelllllmmmmmmmmmmmm Belllllllllllllm Probably one for the 'oldies'

In my humble opinion - Michael Jackson's music has always been heard by myself since I was a kid. From the early days of the Jackson 5, and through his succesive solo albums, If I hear a 'Jacko' tune, it always reminds me of that period of time - where I was, where I worked, what pubs I went to and who was I with. His music was so subconsciously powerful, I didn't realise it until now. If you can seperate the ''Man' from the 'Music', he was as important as James Brown in the the development of Funk and Soul. A 'living Legend'! Of course backed by the top songwriters, producers and studio session players at the time. (I won't bore you with the details). But of course, his unusual upbringing as a child star, brought it's own complications. His father, Joe, used to beat his youngest son, Michael, and whip him with a belt, to push him into being the best he could be. He was a pre-teen child star, exposed to an adult world. His 1st reported sexual experience, was apparently at 14 years old, when on tour and staying in a motel room with his brothers, his Dad told everyone to leave the room except Michael, and then forced him to lose his cherry with a street hooker. Whatever the 'facts' are, the man was seriously f**ked up, by years of parental abuse, media intimidation and analysis. Wether he enjoyed playing with children, through an emotional need of a lost childhood, or maybe something even more sinister, we'll never know. Maybe the media turned him into the monster? I am by no means supporting his character, but his music. R.I.P.

Interesting topic Mr Circus. I suppose the main question regarding this case and idea in general, is wether we're talking about the concepts of 'Eternal Life' or 'Eternal Youth'? Eternal Life - Immortality, opens up a whole can of worms. We maybe have to consider religious beliefs (the Soul), mystical beliefs, pragmatism etc. and of course a possible progression in medical science, genetic engineering and such, which ideas unfortunately and undeniably possesses a major flaw, the fact we are biological organisms which maybe hindered by our physical being. Unless we can achieve a physical 'Status Quo', combined with Immortality, we're f**ked! (Decapitation could be a problem ) I personally feel we should be discussing the possibilities, drawbacks or benefits of 'Eternal Youth' in this case. (mind you, it obviously didn't work out for Michael Jackson.) MAM. Edit: correction, I don't really mean 'Eternal' youth, what I mean is looking young for your natural lifetime. Does anyone have a word for this?

A Trialer was walking down the path one day when his friend, another Trialer, rode up on an incredible shiny new bicycle. The first trialer was stunned by his friend's sweet ride and asked, "WOW! Where did you get such a nice bike?" The second Trialer replied, "Well, yesterday I was walking home, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up to me on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, 'Take what you want!'" The second Trialer nodded approvingly, "Good choice. The clothes probably wouldn't have fit." A very devout Trialist dies and goes to heaven. Saint Peter meets him at the gate. First thing the Trialist asks is if there are bicycles in heaven. "Sure," says St. Peter, "let me show you," and he leads the guy into the finest Trials park you can imagine. "This is great," the Trialist says. "It certainly is," says St. Peter. "You will have a custom bike and the best cycling clothes you've ever seen, and your personal masseuse will always available." As they speak a blur streaks by them on the track riding a gold plated Koxx. "Wow!" the Trialist exclaims. "That guy was so good that can only be Gilles Coustellier!" "No," says St. Peter, "that was God on the bike, he only thinks he's Gilles". What's the hardest thing about learning Trials? The floor!

RULES: NO race joke's NO offencive joke's against people NO jokes under 10 words let the jokes commence . .. . . . ... .

I know... What do you get a TGS rider for Xmas?..... -A life! What do you get a mod rider for xmas?...... Some dignity! What do you get a Stock rider for Xmas? A seat! What do you get a 24" rider for xmas? Nothing, he already has it all! Only kidding!!!

Could it be: If you take the "ph" (f***) out of an Elephant, you better get the f**k out of it's way? I dunno? I don't really get the supermarket angle though? Sorry! Edit: The clouds have now parted!

Of course, I mustn't forget my Latvian cousin, Jelena, who showed me the "basics"- trackstand, balance, up to front etc. And of course, my cousin Jesus, who was "the King of natural Trials!", from Mexico... God rest his Soul.

'Me, learning to ride!'. roadbikepinup.htm

"Bring Back The Old School", My gosh! This has topic has brought some memories flooding back. I therefore thought I might share some bicycling photographic gems from my families albums if I may? 'My Great Grandfather Albert, discovering the joy of physics'. 'Whilst his brother Gunther watches enviously with his prototype Monty Camel'. 'My Grandfather, during the war, making the most of the lack of available steel, but yet finishing 3rd in th Tour De France'. 'My Great Uncle Aldolf, during his Tour of Germany' 'My Uncle Dagmar's Scandinavian pursuit bicycle 'His cousin Gerd's 1st Time Trial' 'My Wife on the first day we met' 'Our children on their way to school 'My Dutch Nephew Casper's school engineering project' (made from a carboard box from Ikea and an old Dutch pizza cutter I'm lead to believe). to be continued... as I can't add the photo's I most cherish........

"Happy Fathers Day!" my Wife and Son professed at 9.30 this morning. As I tried to smile and remove the vice my head was seemingly trapped in, Saturday night unveiled itself like a vision from a deathbed. Please let me explain...... Yesterday, we'd invited a friend of my Son's round for a day of fun and a sleepover. A splendid day was spent beachcombing with our dogs, street hockey on skates, then shooting targets and Stella cans with catapults and air rifles. All good fun. In the evening we all went to the cinema to watch Transformers 2, cool. It all started going a bit pear shaped when we got home and the Wife and I started drinking a record breaking amount of wine. (well, maybe just me :$ ). Anyway, as I'm told, we ended up in the local skatepark at 1 am for a 'midnight adventure', the Wife, Son and friend, dogs and inline skates and me. Judging by the aches, pain and dried blood I woke up covered in, not to mention the egg on my head, I've therefore worked out the following mathematical equation: a copius amount of wine + inline skates + skatepark halfpipes + "showing off" = a rather large hangover + wrecked ankles + scrapes, blood and bruises + 3 people who point and laugh. Even worse, when the brood had taken rest, I decided to carry on my record attempt of wine consumption, watched a couple of spaghetti westerns and posted some bollocks on TF. I finally got some sleep at stupid o'clock, only to be awoken an hour-ish later with the words "Happy Fathers Day!". And then cruelly reminded that I'd promised the boys a game of street hockey. We played. I now want to curl up and die. How is your Fathers Day going?

As it's Fathers Day.... I can officially.... stay up as late as I remain conscious, receive cards, presents and breakfast in bed, do no household chores, choose the tv programs/films I want to watch, and sell my family to some Romanian gypsies, whilst running off with their rather attractive 20 year old gymnastic daughter. Don't blame me, these are the rules!

This is not a wise practice to follow. Back in the day, when I was a bit of a 'fitness freak', I was a very keen swimmer and had an older friend who scuba dived as a hobby. He taught me how to achieve 2 lengths of a swimming pool, underwater, holding your breath through hyperventilation. Not good. I eventually succeeded the task, but ended up having a severe headache for a week or so! Read in: Hyperventilation can, but does not necessarily always cause symptoms such as numbness or tingling in the hands, feet and lips, lightheadedness, dizziness, headache, chest pain, slurred speech and sometimes fainting. Take heed!

Around about the late 90's, me and some friends used to go out clubbing, then drive up to a local disused mental asylum in Denbigh, North Wales. It's a massive place and eerie as hell, especially in our 'condition'. Plus the fact we'd have to break in and sometimes be hunted by security with torches and dogs. Pictures sometimes speak louder than words. Imagine this place in the dark. Off your head. Edit: Oh Yeah! I've just remembered a story about the asylum. When I was 14 ish, my Dad had a decorating firm employing around 14 or so men, and had a contract painting there. One summer holiday, he took me with him there to pick up a ladder. He explained that we could carry it all the way round the outside of the building (which was rather a long way) or we could cut through the corridor leading past the 'day room'. As we went through the double doors, pronouncing 'staff and patients only', my Father leading the ladder with myself picking up the rear, I will never forget the sight of a man darting out of the day room , confronting us with a rolled up magazine and my Dad shouting "Run!" As we tried to escape, carrying the ladder, I am left with the eternal image of the loony repeatedly whacking my Dad on the back of the head with the rolled up magazine as we ran to the exit doors. A male nurse calmed the fellow down and then came outside to comfort us with the words "You really shouldn't of walked through there". No Shit!

Thanks, . But I was sort of searching for an opinion from a more metaphysical bearing though.

I have a question. About our concept of Time. There have been some very intriguing posts on here questioning our human ability to comprehend 'time' and that we rely on our belief that our existence is based on a Timescale. What I mean by this, is the suggestion that there was never a beginning, there will never be an end. We just exist, "Now". I can sort of understand this principle, but as I type this post, I am living in the 'now', but I can also see my immediate past written before me. Therefore, in my basic conception of 'time', I live with my Wife and Son, I have past memories and photographic evidence of our 'being'. But do not have any from the 'future'? I can't really comprehend the fact that 'time' may not always be a constant progression. I am not posting this to critisise others, but more to gain an understanding of their views or beliefs. MAM. edit: for ugh!

"Do people actually eat this stuff?.....Americans do. It did Elvis no harm..... He died on the toilet eating a burger, nice.

Holy f**k! I already knew of this site! I only posted on here to gain some enlightenment and banish my demons. The wheel has turned full circle. I now know my destiny. edit: oh yeah, and of course the creator of life/birth..........is a Woman!

The Devil made me do it!

Do you realise that; ' feS - iron sulphide cells ' is just an anagram of ' Self suicide - hell's porn ' !!!!!!!!!! Forget the Da Vinci code, I think we're onto something here fellas!

"Soooo, God is an iron sulphide cell? All hail the lord, and he shall henceforth be known as the almighty FeS." - monkeyseemonkeydo LOL! Have you actually read any of my posts?

I've been pondering evolutionary theories and can except geological discoveries form a timeline of physical evidence, through skeletal structure and such. But then I started wondering about the point where Life on Earth began. I found this interesting; The basic timeline is a 4.5 billion year old Earth, with (very approximate) dates: 3.8 billion years of simple cells (prokaryotes), 3 billion years of photosynthesis, 2 billion years of complex cells (eukaryotes), 1 billion years of multicellular life, 600 million years of simple animals, 570 million years of arthropods (ancestors of insects, arachnids and crustaceans), 550 million years of complex animals, 500 million years of fish and proto-amphibians, 475 million years of land plants, 400 million years of insects and seeds, 360 million years of amphibians, 300 million years of reptiles, 200 million years of mammals, 150 million years of birds, 130 million years of flowers, 65 million years since the non-avian dinosaurs died out, 2.5 million years since the appearance of the genus Homo, 200,000 years since humans started looking like they do today, 25,000 years since Neanderthals died out. Of course, some of this is scientific fact and most is simply conjecture. I really don't understand how people on here can stamp their feet, dig their heels in and claim that evolution has been proven. Science is constantly being disproved by itself. Surely then, scientific 'fact', doesn't and will not ever exist, because it will always be bound by our present knowledge, understanding and the limitations of our intelligence? To futher back my viewpoint, you may find this interesting; "A new and controversial theory on the origin of life on Earth is causing a stir among scientists. And one of the implications is that life could be more likely on planets where it was previously thought unlikely to flourish. The theory claims that living systems originated in so-called "inorganic incubators" - small compartments in iron sulphide rocks. Proposed by Professor William Martin, of Düsseldorf University, and Professor Michael Russell, of the Scottish Environmental Research Centre in Glasgow, it stands conventional ideas on their head. Instead of the building blocks of life forming first, and then forming a cell-like structure, the researchers say the cell came first and was later filled with living molecules. In total darkness Since the 1930s, the most accepted theory for the origins of cells and therefore of life, claims that chemical reactions in the Earth's most ancient atmosphere produced the building blocks of life which led to the first cells. In explaining their new theory Professors Martin and Michael Russell outline their problems with the existing hypotheses of cell evolution. Rather than the building blocks of life originating first and then forming themselves into cells they believe that cells came first. They say that the first cells were not living cells but inorganic ones made of iron sulphide and were formed not at the Earth's surface but in total darkness at the bottom of the oceans. Life, they add, is a chemical consequence of convection currents through the Earth's crust and, in principle, this could happen on any wet, rocky planet. Solar system Dr Russell says: "As hydrothermal fluid - rich in compounds such as hydrogen, cyanide, sulphides and carbon monoxide - emerged from the Earth's crust at the ocean floor, it reacted inside the tiny metal sulphide cavities. "They provided the right microenvironment for chemical reactions to take place. That kept the building blocks of life concentrated at the site where they were formed rather than diffusing away into the ocean. The iron sulphide cells, we argue, is where life began." One of the implications of this idea is that life on other planets or some large moons in our own solar system, like ice-crusted Europa - a moon of Jupiter - might be much more likely than previously assumed." Maybe, until we can actually create Life from 'nothing', then surely all bets are still on? MAM.

Evolution? Now, if you have read my previous posts you'll have seen that I'm personaly a sitting on the fence, agnostic, bordering on athiest. With a liking for Darwinism. But I'm open to ideas. But the views on here posted by some regarding evolution, whilst valid in many ways, don't you realise, through your conviction in the big bang theory, planetary and resultant Human evolution, you have become more devout, opinionated and bigoted than any Christian's viewpoint on this TF topic yet? That maybe, you are forming a belief system for yourselves, a 'religion', admittedly based on scientific fact, rather than Hope. But are you really that convinced that science has found the 'Ultimate' answer to our beginnings? That fortunately Mankind has discovered 'The Answer' whilst we are alive at this time? Do you actually believe that we have found the answer to 'Life, The Universe and Everything' and there is no possible future theory or concept that will change your mind? Do you not think that maybe in the past, people thought they knew the answer? Probably geological excavations will develop to further support 'common' theory. But what if something else is discovered or develops? Will you be the one's that can't except 'the present truth', or will you cling on to your beliefs like a limpet to a rock? MAM. Edit: for extreme overuse of, commas, and daftness.

Preachy? Really? Sorry, perhaps my posts don't come across as I intend. I don't believe in any Religion in any way, shape or form. I am perfectly happy with evolutionary theories, at this present moment in time they seem to make the most sense. The point I was trying to make was the fact that we've come all this way forward through scientific reasearch and basically all we've learnt is that 'we are animals with a bit more nous'. A bit of a disappointment really. Also, please take my posts with a small pinch of salt, as I assure you my toungue is wedged firmly in my cheek as I type. I'm just keeping an open mind and throwing a few ideas into the melting pot to stir up a bit of debate. MAM. edit: maybe re-read my post.