Haven for the Human Amoeba

I think your talent is wonderful! I play with the idea of an old New Orleans house. I love that type of architecture with a courtyard in the middle of the house. Of course I live in Southern California so it would be completely impractical. Someone asked the other day what some of us do for hobbies. As you probably can guess from my past posts I am totally into animals. I volunteer at a local no kill shelter and raise guide dog puppies. Actually I am about to take a break from that as I am getting a new personal dog in a week or so. He's a white Shiloh whom I am going to name Kendrick after a mentor of mine. Staci, I'd probably have snakes too if there were such things a vegetarian snakes. I also have 2 rats as pets and it would kill me to feed rats and mice to the snakes. Sorry ;( I do have one reptile though. His name is Ricki and he's a 3-toed turtle. I so far have avoided getting satellite or cable television but I think if I did have cable you'd never get me off of Animal Planet. Are there any more fans of the singer Andrea Bocelli on the list? He is another one of my "hobbies". That man's voice simply sends me to a state of extacy plus he is wonderful eye candy. I also love plays especially musicals of the bygone era like South Pacific, Carousel etc. I like reading especially biographies and I will read anything about New Orleans and the Mississippi Riverwhich have remained a passion for me. I have visited there a total of four or five times. Guess that's about it! Mary

----- Original Message ----- From: To: [email protected] Sent: 6/22/2006 9:25:02 PM Subject: Re: [Haven for the Human Amoeba] Re: welcome to intro

One of the things I like to do is draw what my "dream house" would be like. One of my designs had separate areas for two people connected to a central area with a double bed. People could choose to sleep together, or apart, depending on their mood and needs. The central room would not have personal belongings.

Maybe a litle off topic, but if the moderator says its ok..... I picked 4 of the better photos. In the last one, that's me in the red shirt. We were able to take the gator alive, but I'm not as brave as you might think. In the close up photos that I took, I had a 9mm Baretta pointed at him at all times just in case he got hungry. The zoom on that camera is digital and makes the photo look really crappy so I had to actually get that close to take it. The first one, 'gator', was taken just 3 feet away. The ones that weren't uploaded were taken by my friend's wife and were too far away.

Dennis.

I just changed the settings to allow photos and files for members. Please post away, I am eagerly awaiting a glance at the gator photos.

Staci

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Good to see so many people posting these days. I am a single guy 55. I see that there are married women on this board; I haven't noticed if there are any married men. I wonder how the married folks manage to maintain their marriage. It sounds like doing some give and take. A little sexual activity, but not much. Anyone managing to stay married and not having any sex?

I think it is neat for people to think about arrangements for the ideal relationship, which for us is ZERO intercourse! :). Separate beds may be a preference, if for no other reason than we are accustomed to sleeping alone. In any case, alone or separate, I like the idea that a celibate relationship maintains one rule: for everyone to always be clad with (a minimum of) underpants while in the presence of each other. Not only is any sex act impossible with pants on, but it is also very symbolic to always strive to keep genitalia unexposed.

Was puberty a time of being told your young lady now and must save your self. As all good young Catholic girls did at that time.

Well that worked until I was 19. Then I found what I thought at the time my ever lastting husband. That only lasted 6 yrs.

After that I went threw a got of life style changes. Yes I was late on what sex was all about cause my froster mother had no ideal about sex. If I could relive my life believe me I would waited even longer to have sex maybe even never tried it. I think it's up to the parents to help their kids understand sex and be able to really sit down and explain it not make it sound bad or awful just explain.

I am not Catholic, so I probably cannot truly identify with a Catholic childhood. I did read (35 years ago) Memories of a Catholic Girlhood by Mary McCarthy, for what that is worth!

I do have a question: You have said you are married. So is sex still a part of your marriage/relationship?

Incidentally, for those of us who are older, menopausal, etc., I wonder how much sex is involved in relationships. The existence of viagra tells us that a lot of men have erectile disorders. No erection means no intercourse! :) Recently, I read that viagra is not selling as well as expected, not because of erectile problems. Instead, because a lot of men are deciding that erections are not that important!

Was puberty a time of being told your young lady now and must save your self. As all good young Catholic girls did at that time.

Well that worked until I was 19. Then I found what I thought at the time my ever lastting husband. That only lasted 6 yrs.

After that I went threw a got of life style changes. Yes I was late on what sex was all about cause my froster mother had no ideal about sex. If I could relive my life believe me I would waited even longer to have sex maybe even never tried it. I think it's up to the parents to help their kids understand sex and be able to really sit down and explain it not make it sound bad or awful just explain.

Hi!

What is your name? Mine is Nicole. I tried Yahoo personals and also Yahoo IM local area chats. I've found some nice people. But let's just say that "asexual" is NOT one of the "fetishes" they cater to. :- ) I met lots of horn-doggies (male and female). With a lot of very strange ideas about people who aren't so much into sex. If you can get past the slew of obnoxious comments, some actually make nice pals.

Do you all find that not-into-sex people are shy? Because I did find some "celibate" dating sites and I put personals on there and there are no replies. And other people on there don't get many replies either, so it's not just my bad breath or something. ;-) The other weird thing that happens on the celibate sites is that they are exactly the same as the regular personals. But instead of everyone obsessing about all the stuff they DO sexually and whether or not you'll do it... they obsess about all the stuff they DON'T do sexually and whether or not you won't do it.

Either way, I end up with these weirdos asking me stuff like, "Do you shave it?" before I've even had a chance to introduce myself and say nice to meet you.

AAAACCCCKKKK!!!!

Nicole who is beginning to wonder... Is it that I am so asexual? Or is it that these people are just sooooooo not sexy?

On Sun, 28 May 2006 11:55:46 -0000 "kemblu75" <kemblu75@...> writes:

hi everyone, ive just joined this group in the hope of hearing that finding a relationship isnt an impossibility, i dont need a partner to feel that my existence isnt pointless, however i have a burning desire for affection from someone i find romantically appealing. i have just posted an ad on yahoo personals and would be interested to hear if this avenue has provided satisfaction for any of you on here.

Yahoo! Groups Links

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Do you Yahoo!? Next-gen email? Have it all with the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.

I think your talent is wonderful! I play with the idea of an old New Orleans house. I love that type of architecture with a courtyard in the middle of the house. Of course I live in Southern California so it would be completely impractical.

Not really, this is a feature found in several cultures, including Japanese, Spanish/Mexican, and Moorish/Middle Eastern. It's common for homes in southern California to have patios, which is an Americanized derivative, and IMHO, rather an inferior substitute for the real thing.

If you have the money, you can have anything, so I'm assuming by "impractical" you mean you can't afford it, especially with the price of housing and land in California. That doesn't mean you can't dream, like me. (-:

Therese Shellabarger - Civis Mundi - tlshell@...

On 23 Jun 2005, 14:10 +00:00, Mary Reese said:

I think your talent is wonderful! I play with the idea of an old New Orleans house. I love that type of architecture with a courtyard in the middle of the house. Of course I live in Southern California so it would be completely impractical.

Not really, this is a feature found in several cultures, including Japanese, Spanish/Mexican, and Moorish/Middle Eastern. It's common for homes in southern California to have patios, which is an Americanized derivative, and IMHO, rather an inferior substitute for the real thing.

If you have the money, you can have anything, so I'm assuming by "impractical" you mean you can't afford it, especially with the price of housing and land in California. That doesn't mean you can't dream, like me. (-:

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Therese Shellabarger - Civis Mundi - tlshell@...

That's so true and I think many of us can make our dreams come true too. The barter system works and learning to do it yourself works too.

Jen

Yeah, I'd love to see the pics.

Jen

I don't know that this would be a hobby, but my friend's wife just called me over to their house this morning to tell me that there was a 6 foot alligator in their yard. I went over and helped get him loaded up in the truck. His wife took photos and will be emailing them to me pretty soon. If the moderator approves, I'll post some of them in the photo section.

I've lived here in South Florida all my life and this is the first time I've actually touched a live gator. The gator is now on his way to the luggage factory. They used to relocate them, but there are so many of them eating joggers and such that they had to stop doing that.

Dennis.

So is sex still a part of your marriage/relationship?

Well it's like this my husband has Diabetes. Sadly to say they keep finding so many differ ways diabetes robs people of life.

Cause of pride it a closed subject. So you could say we live as a monk and nun. I found I had diabetes it on my 50th birthday. I still have feeling cause even after I had to have a hysterectomy. I did not have lost thoughts and feelings. Just at this point sex is not that important to me. Cause I have so much more going on in my life that sex would just get in the way.

I think when your young you have that time clock and also it has to do with the time line your born into.

I see so much going on now and we have all the people we need and the cost of a child now is more then ever and fact of what can happen it just makes most people think twice on subject of sex and kids.

We still hug and kiss and say this or that but thats as far as it go's on that subject.

Romantic Love: A Basic Human Need? by Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH

Falling in love is an intense experience that can leave you feeling breathlessly out of control. Romantic comedies bring in millions of dollars portraying the zany antics of the love-stricken, while daytime dramas intrigue us with the plots and schemes of those in love. Song lyrics describe "love sickness" in all its glory. Just consider the words of "Love at First Sight," a song by the 1980s rock group the Styx: Love at first sight It's hard to keep your balance Moving past the point of no return Romantic Love, Lust, and Long-Term Attachment Whether you've fallen in love at first sight or not, you've probably felt the rush of sensations of early romantic love: elation, heightened energy, low appetite, sleeplessness, and the inability to concentrate on anything other than the object of your affection. Brain research has shown that lust and long-term attachment are controlled by specific centers in the brain. It seems reasonable to think that the same centers are responsible for romantic love. But new research has shown otherwise.

Now if you like to know more I will put in rest of the report.

Now if you like to know more I will put in rest of the report.

No, not really. Thanks.

Therese Shellabarger - Civis Mundi - [email protected]

I'd like to see it, or at least the reference citation so I can refer people to the original article.

Jim Sinclair jisincla@... www.jimsinclair.org

On 26 Jun 2005, 01:56 +00:00, rose said:

Now if you like to know more I will put in rest of the report.

No, not really. Thanks.

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Therese Shellabarger - Civis Mundi - tlshell@...

Yahoo! Groups Links

Romantic Love: A Basic Human Need? by Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH

I know it exists, but I have never experienced it nor do I understand it. Honestly, it seems more harmful than helpful.

Dennis.

I'd like to read the rest of it. Sounds fascinating.

Romantic Love: A Basic Human Need? by Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH

Falling in love is an intense experience that can leave you feeling breathlessly out of control. Romantic comedies bring in millions of dollars portraying the zany antics of the love-stricken, while daytime dramas intrigue us with the plots and schemes of those in love. Song lyrics describe "love sickness" in all its glory. Just consider the words of "Love at First Sight," a song by the 1980s rock group the Styx: Love at first sight It's hard to keep your balance Moving past the point of no return Romantic Love, Lust, and Long-Term Attachment Whether you've fallen in love at first sight or not, you've probably felt the rush of sensations of early romantic love: elation, heightened energy, low appetite, sleeplessness, and the inability to concentrate on anything other than the object of your affection. Brain research has shown that lust and long-term attachment are controlled by specific centers in the brain. It seems reasonable to think that the same centers are responsible for romantic love. But new research has shown otherwise.

Now if you like to know more I will put in rest of the report.

Love Is Like…Thirst? Researchers in New York and New Jersey studied 17 college students who had been intensely in love for a relatively short period of time—17 months or less. The subjects looked at photographs of their beloved while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Functional MRI is a scanning technique that indicates which areas of the brain are most active at any given moment. The researchers found that the brain region associated with early romantic love was not the region already known to be related to lust or long-term attachment. Instead, the area of the brain most active in early romantic love is one associated with the most basic human drives: thirst, hunger, and craving. This region, located in the caudate nucleus and the ventral tegmental area (VTA), is also involved with reward-seeking and motivation. The VTA releases the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is increased when people anticipate a reward. For example, dopamine sites are more active in gamblers when they score or win. According to the study researchers, the fact that early romantic love is associated with neural activity in a brain region responsible for our most basic human needs shows that early romantic love is an "important evolutionary reproductive strategy." It also provides a biological explanation for the intense drive associated with passionate love—explaining why, for example, some people contemplate stalking or suicide when rejected. Whereas lust drives us to find any suitable mate, romantic love pushes us to focus on a particular suitable mate. Later, in relationships that continue, long-term attachment encourages partners to share parenting duties to ensure their offspring survive, thus passing their genes on to the next generation.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do In a follow-up study, the same researchers are studying the brain activity of 17 men and women whose partner recently broke off the relationship. The subjects are being assessed with functional MRI as they look at photographs of their ex-partner. Early results indicate that during a break up, brain activity is heightened in areas of the brain near those associated with romantic love. These early findings may explain why being dumped can sometimes intensify romantic love. According to Helen Fisher, one of the study researchers, "As humans we have a highly motivated drive toward romantic love." It may not matter to you or your beloved that the source of this drive is the same brain region that motivates you to go find a bottle of Evian or a plate of chocolate chip cookies when you're parched or hungry. But it may explain why we pay millions of dollars to see "Sleepless in Seattle," "The Wedding Singer," and "Bridget Jones's Diary." After all, romantic love is as basic to us as eating.

RESOURCES: Aron A, Fisher H, Mashek DJ, et al. Reward, motivation, and emotion systems associated with early-stage intense romantic love. J Neurophysiol. 2005;94:327-337. Fisher H. Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love. New York, NY: Owl Books; 2005.

References: Aron A, Fisher H, Mashek DJ, et al. Reward, motivation, and emotion systems associated with early-stage intense romantic love. J Neurophysiol. 2005;94:327-337. Carey B. Watching new love as it sears the brain (May 31, 2005). New York Times website. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/31/health/psychology/31love.html? ei=5070&en=ea89015ce84b87b4&ex=1127448000&incamp=article_popular_4&pa gewanted=print. Accessed September 21, 2005. Fisher HE, Aron A, Mashek D, et al. Defining the brain systems of lust, romantic attraction, and attachment. Arch Sex Behav. 2002;31:413-19. National Public Radio. The evolution of Valentine's Day. Available at: http://www.npr.org/programs/musings/2004/feb/valentine.html. Accessed September 21, 2005. Tom Ashbrook. Love is all in your head [transcript]. WBUR. June 2, 2005.

Imagine what you could learn if you would learn to imagine!

Please pass plate of chocolate chip cookies. Cause I been there done that and cookies are better.

It seem this kind of Love only happens when your young any way.

A good pizza is better than any of it.

Dennis.

Please pass plate of chocolate chip cookies. Cause I been there done that and cookies are better.

It seem this kind of Love only happens when your young any way.

Hi. I have been with my husband for 12 years and we have a 7 year old child. Since our meeting I have had a hysterectomy due to cancer, thyroid cancer removed and major back fusion surgery. Needless to say, it has not been a bed of roses for either of us. I used to blame my new found asexuality on menopause but the doctors say with my meds (estrogen) that should not be the cause. I just do not want sex. And of course, he does. It causes so much stress. I feel like a failure. He feels unattractive and that I do not love or care for him anymore. No, I do not feel the heart palpatations kind of love I used to feel but does anyone after 12 years. If you do, more power to you. The bottom line, a divorce would kill our 7 year old who has moved as many times as years and is autistic. So I do not know what to do. I can not keep putting myself thru something physically that I do not want as it is wearing on my already low self-esteem. He does not understand and maybe most men would not but I am here and its happened so what do I do now. Any suggestions for D? I am open.