[abe]

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

Maybe HE wanted the Thai Card ?

-t

Maybe each of them wants to be happy and they managed to find each other?

[abe]

Originally Posted by smacintush

What a bunch of judgemental garbage I'm reading. Who the hell are YOU guys to label him a creep?

This is a great way of seeing beyond the veneer of enlightenment ( ) many of the folks here think they are invested with by simply BUYING a certain brand of computer.

They reflect an uncharitable spirit, short-sightedness and immaturity.

But, everybody has to be something. That's just where they are. I'm not perfect. Neither are they. What I lament is when people intentionally hurt others.

Good thing Art doesn't post here.

After reading this thread he might think less of ALL Mac users!

[abe]

Originally Posted by subego

This is uncalled for.

Appearances can be deceiving, but it'd be hard to fake the kind of thorough devotion he expressed towards Ramona.

I would say to myself "gee, I hope I'm that devoted to my wife when I get married".

Leave the conspiracy theories to the professionals.

[abe]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I had one of those Ukraine gals trying to scam me on ICQ once.

She was actually pretty cute. But non-the-less I knew her game.

She was DESPERATE that I send her a plane ticket to here, speaking about an abusive husband and how she would take care of me etc.

I had told her I was talking to her and another Canadian gal, and was trying to decide who to fly over.

This went on for weeks till one day I had told her I JUST won the lottery! I had now millions of dollars and would make a decision soon.

She was constantly online to make sure to talk me into flying her out here.

Then one day I simply told her I was asking the Canadian to come see me.

She threw a fit and admitted she was just trying to use me, etc that it didn't matter to her.

I told her "That's ok, I never won the lottery, and there is no Canadian"

Nice!

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by abe

And in the final analysis, it's THEIR life.

Maybe you should have thought of that before you started a thread discussing it…

[lpkmckenna]

Man starts radio show and website dedicated to unfounded theories and generally implausible notions.

Thread started about said man's new marriage leads to similarly unfounded theories and generally implausible notions.

Is it justice? Irony? Karma? You decide.

[abe]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

subego: The guy's wife (Ramona) died in January. It's April. He's REMARRIED.

You don't think that's freaking WEIRD?



Not only that, but now he's moving out of the country permanently?

The guy is a freaking weirdo in my opinion - and in some other's opinions here also - that's all.

You don't just "get over" your dead wife.

Not everyone was raised the same.

Even in the same family, not everyone thinks and acts and feels and is motivated similarly.

Ask your friend, wdlove...by the way I hope he's well...haven't seen him around recently...he used to work in the industry. Not everyone deals with grief in the same way.

I know some who read this will relent and say, 'yes, it's true that you can't superimpose your expectations on another person's way of dealing with grief,' but then you may want to quickly assert that even if the above is true that YOUR method of dealing with grief is a MORE reasonable one than Art Bell's.

Cody, it's like lovemaking. Everyone has their own way. The only bad way is that which hurts others or oneself and doesn't permit you to move on with your life.

Everyone is different.

Honor the differences or encourage conformity to a super-directed standard.

Choose.

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by abe

Cody, it's like lovemaking. Everyone has their own way.

How "profound."

Originally Posted by abe

The only bad way is that which hurts others or oneself and doesn't permit you to move on with your life.

I think acting like a dead fish also counts as "bad."

[abe]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Maybe you should have thought of that before you started a thread discussing it…

God works in mysterious ways.

I never thought about it until this moment after reading your post. But, maybe He moved me to present you this opportunity to engage this lesson...again.

And though it MAY not be presented again by me, He will give you another chance to look at this. And what is "THIS?"

Whatever it is you see coming up as a result of this issue.

And it's not for me to tell you what your lesson is or might be or should or shouldn't be.

It all comes down to you.

And then again, God might not even exist.

So what do I know?

[abe]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

How "profound."


I think acting like a dead fish also counts as "bad."

I'd tried to make that allegorical transition back to the issue of grief. But I won't make fun of the amount of time you need to spend lingering on the sex before you can make the final shift.

Everyone is different.

[abe]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

Man starts radio show and website dedicated to unfounded theories and generally implausible notions.

Thread started about said man's new marriage leads to similarly unfounded theories and generally implausible notions.

Is it justice? Irony? Karma? You decide.

I think both serve as mirrors for who we are.

[volcano]

Originally Posted by abe

God works in mysterious ways.

I never thought about it until this moment after reading your post. But, maybe He moved me to present you this opportunity to engage this lesson...again.

And though it MAY not be presented again by me, He will give you another chance to look at this. And what is "THIS?"

Whatever it is you see coming up as a result of this issue.

And it's not for me to tell you what your lesson is or might be or should or shouldn't be.

It all comes down to you.

And then again, God might not even exist.

So what do I know?

Philosophical, much?

Either way - I find your posts much more intriguing than the threads you start, abe.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, either.

[abe]

Originally Posted by volcano

Philosophical, much?

Either way - I find your posts much more intriguing than the threads you start, abe.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, either.

Rita - I didn't know you could play like that.

Phil - Oh, I'm versatile.

"Groundhog Day" (1993)

[smacintush]

Well, I give Art a for doing what is right for HIM instead of what is "publicly acceptable". Whether or not you or I would do the same is completely irrelevant.

[abe]

Originally Posted by smacintush

Well, I give Art a for doing what is right for HIM instead of what is "publicly acceptable". Whether or not you or I would do the same is completely irrelevant.

Precisely!

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by smacintush

Well, I give Art a for doing what is right for HIM instead of what is "publicly acceptable". Whether or not you or I would do the same is completely irrelevant.

That's an interesting take on things. Our entire justice system is build on the notion that the majority decides what is and what isn't acceptable behaviour. Of course that set of rules changes over time, see slavery, see polygamy, see sexual behaviour.

As far as I am concerned his actions are neither sane nor moral. I don't believe that he set out to take advantage of a young woman, but this is what he is doing. He's not dealing with his grief, if indeed there is any, and he's in a relationship based on power imbalance with a woman 40 years his junior.

[abe]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

That's an interesting take on things. Our entire justice system is build on the notion that the majority decides what is and what isn't acceptable behaviour. Of course that set of rules changes over time, see slavery, see polygamy, see sexual behaviour.

There are rules against two consenting adults getting married in Canada???

As far as I am concerned his actions are neither sane nor moral. I don't believe that he set out to take advantage of a young woman, but this is what he is doing. He's not dealing with his grief, if indeed there is any, and he's in a relationship based on power imbalance with a woman 40 years his junior.

I applaud anyone who is willing to risk the intense scrutiny that comes with being a self styled moral arbiter and, thus, a target for hypocrisy hunters. It takes courage to step out from an undistinguished obscurity to assume a persona that's available for the taking only because it's so unattractive, no matter who wears it.

[Dakar]

Creepy.

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by Mastrap

As far as I am concerned his actions are neither sane nor moral. I don't believe that he set out to take advantage of a young woman, but this is what he is doing. He's not dealing with his grief, if indeed there is any, and he's in a relationship based on power imbalance with a woman 40 years his junior.

Well, you are entitled to your opinion but it is based on nothing but your own prejudices of what a person should or shouldn't do.

[what_the_heck]

Originally Posted by smacintush

Well, you are entitled to your opinion but it is based on nothing but your own prejudices of what a person should or shouldn't do.

HIS prejudices ? How about our societies prejudices.

In 99% of the cases, when a a 60 year old screws a 21 year old, something IS wrong.

-t

[Cody Dawg]

Actually, 9 people out of 10 here thought it was not sane or moral, to be honest.

I think it's just weird.

Here's the way I see it:

1. He loved his dear departed beloved wife so much that he is grief stricken and heartbroken and not coping well...he meets this girl and totally invests himself in her in order to forget about his wife. Verdict? Not normal.

2. He loved his dear departed beloved wife so much that he is grief stricken and heartbroken and not coping well...so he goes online looking for a girlfriend to help him forget about his wife. Verdict? Not normal.

Either way you look at it, his behavior is, well, just not normal.



Even if you don't villify the guy, he's just not acting in a way that most of us think IS "normal."

[Cody Dawg]

Oh, and I don't give a crap about the age difference, to be honest.

I have a lot of friends who have May-December relationships (both older men with younger women and older women - usually wealthy - with younger men) and my own relationship with my husband is an October-December relationship because he's younger than myself and that doesn't matter to me. I've been with guys much older than myself, too, and they've got the mojo physically and intellectually (which is why I was sometimes attracted to older men) and we hit it off.

The thing that is weird is just the plain and simple fact that he's run off and is wildly in love with some chick he met on the internet immediately after his wife has died.

W - E - I - R - D.

[Dakar]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

1. He loved his dear departed beloved wife so much that he is grief stricken and heartbroken and not coping well...he meets this girl and totally invests himself in her in order to forget about his wife. Verdict? Not normal.

I'm not sure I'd call that not normal, so much as not healthy. Its a natural part of the grieving process.

[Cody Dawg]

I want to say that if Art had waited, say, 6 months, I don't think I'd have thought it too peculiar. A little odd, but not downright weird the way that most of us think it is now.

On the other hand, if I die before my husband (a probability) then I want him to get his **** together emotionally and resume dating and meet another Mrs. to be his life partner if that is what will make him happy.

I wouldn't want him to grieve and be unhappy for months and months. Death is a part of life and we should be productive human beings, not sit around and be non-functional because of the death of a loved one. You can still love someone as much after they're gone in the flesh...they're still present in the spirit.

[abe]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I want to say that if Art had waited, say, 6 months, I don't think I'd have thought it too peculiar. A little odd, but not downright weird the way that most of us think it is now.

On the other hand, if I die before my husband (a probability) then I want him to get his **** together emotionally and resume dating and meet another Mrs. to be his life partner if that is what will make him happy.

I wouldn't want him to grieve and be unhappy for months and months. Death is a part of life and we should be productive human beings, not sit around and be non-functional because of the death of a loved one. You can still love someone as much after they're gone in the flesh...they're still present in the spirit.

And what would you say to someone who followed a tradition which 'mandated' a longer period of loneliness than you feel is right?

Then, what would you say to someone who was absolutely certain you were simply living your own life with too much regard for what OTHERS think because you were lying there lonely and alone after four and a half months but wouldn't agree to start living again until 180 days after dear Hieronymus had breathed his last?


"Hieronymus"

[goMac]

If he had gotten married to a long time friend or something, it would be a little suspicious, but not as much so.

Art Bell married some young young girl (relatively) from the Philippines who he met online and hadn't known for more than a few months. That's just weird.

[Cody Dawg]

What he ^^^ said.



It isn't about societal expectations, abe.

It's about what NORMAL people DO.

NORMAL people don't have their wife die then immediately start surfing the net for a hook-up, knowwhatimean?



And, then, after they "meet" someone online, they get married - two months after their life partner died?

It's creepy - no question about it.

[abe]

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

HIS prejudices ? How about our societies prejudices.

In 99% of the cases, when a a 60 year old screws a 21 year old, something IS wrong.

-t

Some of the questions to be posed here include:

What constitutes a 'decent respect for the opinion of mankind?'

To whom do you owe the greatest allegiance, yourself or society?

Because society is changeable and amorphous, how do YOU decide?

Is the path you choose in life decided by that which you figure will bring you the least amount of pain and the most pleasure?

Other than tradition or peer pressure or what you BELIEVE society wants you to do or not, what is ACTUALLY wrong with a 60 y/o marrying a 21 y/o?

Which represents the greater actual harm to the person or persons involved in the action: Marrying another adult 40 years different from your age?

OR, you, (in the USA) smoking pot for recreation?

No Llamas needed for a while, I think.

[euchomai]

I think that it is funny that so many on this board scream about personal freedom. Freedom to have sex with who they want, freedom to smoke, drink or do whatever they want. But the minute a person does something that they are TOTALLY FREE to do, people jump on them.

I agree that Art is creepy and this is weird, but really who cares, she could have a bondage, freaky old man fetish. She could be taking advantage of him. Really though, it is their choice and who cares what they do.

[Chuckit]

Funny how some people on this board are so eager to call people out with extremely vague claims of hypocrisy…

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

It isn't about societal expectations, abe.

It's about what NORMAL people DO.

Besides being a blatant contradiction, this almost literally turns my stomach.

NORMAL people don't.....

<Wretch, gag, hurl>

On the other hand, if this is just your usual bait & bitch for self-amusement, I take it back. Good job, you got me.

[euchomai]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Funny how some people on this board are so eager to call people out with extremely vague claims of hypocrisy…

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by Kevin

...I told her "That's ok, I never won the lottery, and there is no Canadian"

I don't know why I thought that last sentece was so freakin' funny, and I couldn't resist a HA!HA! Guy pic:

[abe]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Funny how some people on this board are so eager to call people out with extremely vague claims of hypocrisy…

You're a hypocrite.

Laugh now.

[abe]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Actually, 9 people out of 10 here thought it was not sane or moral, to be honest.

I think it's just weird.

Here's the way I see it:

1. He loved his dear departed beloved wife so much that he is grief stricken and heartbroken and not coping well...he meets this girl and totally invests himself in her in order to forget about his wife. Verdict? Not normal.

2. He loved his dear departed beloved wife so much that he is grief stricken and heartbroken and not coping well...so he goes online looking for a girlfriend to help him forget about his wife. Verdict? Not normal.

Either way you look at it, his behavior is, well, just not normal.



Even if you don't villify the guy, he's just not acting in a way that most of us think IS "normal."

"Hieronymus"

ANNOUNCER: 'Dear, Hieronymus,' has taken a turn fer the wurst and is about to breathe his last. Let's get closer to the soon to be 'extinguished' old guy and see if he has any last words.

HIERONYMUS: (talking incoherently to no one and then he gains lucidity and starts to make sense...the bulb shining brighter before it goes out for good?) I...I...I...went to a party once...

(He begins wheezing and coughing)

HIERONYMUS: ...it was a garden party and I went to reminisce with my oldest friends. I thought it would be a chance to share some old memories and play our songs again.

(Heart monitor flatlines and beeps until the attending physician and nurse administers the heart defib paddles.)


HIERONYMUS: When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name
No one recognized me, I didn't look the same...

DOCTOR AND NURSE STAND CLOSER AND SING CHORUS WITH HIERONYMUS.

TRIO: But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself...

HIERONYMUS: (Hacking and coughing like this is the end.) What a dumb ass I am! I tried to please Cody's idea of normal...

(He gasps then collapses in the bed. The sound of the monitor and medical staff taking heroic measures to save the old man fade to silence and black...)

FADE IN CREDIT SCROLL

FADE UP SFX: RICK NELSON SINGING, "GARDEN PARTY."

People came from miles around, everyone was there
Yoko brought her walrus, there was magic in the air
'n' over in the corner, much to my surprise
Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes wearing his disguise

CHORUS

lott-in-dah-dah-dah, lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Played them all the old songs, thought that's why they came
No one heard the music, we didn't look the same
I said hello to "Mary Lou", she belongs to me
When I sang a song about a honky-tonk, it was time to leave

CHORUS

lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Someone opened up a closet door and out stepped Johnny B. Goode
Playing guitar like a-ringin' a bell and lookin' like he should
If you gotta play at garden parties, I wish you a lotta luck
But if memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck

CHORUS

lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah

'n' it's all right now, learned my lesson well
You see, ya can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself

FADE OUT SFX: "GARDEN PARTY"

FADE TO BLACK ON FINAL NOTE

THE END

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

It isn't about societal expectations, abe.

It's about what NORMAL people DO.

NORMAL people don't have their wife die then immediately start surfing the net for a hook-up, knowwhatimean?



And, then, after they "meet" someone online, they get married - two months after their life partner died?

It's creepy - no question about it.

So what exactly IS the proper length of time for a person whom you don't know to wait after a spouse dies before remarrying? I need to know so that in the unforeseen event of my wife's death I know what is the NORMAL thing to do so as to not give anyone "the creeps". (which really SHOULD be a person's goal in making important life decisions)

After all, being "normal" is FAR more important than being "happy".

[what_the_heck]

Originally Posted by abe

Other than tradition or peer pressure or what you BELIEVE society wants you to do or not, what is ACTUALLY wrong with a 60 y/o marrying a 21 y/o?

The motive of the horny 60 year !

-t

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

The motive of the horny 60 year !

-t

So is it that it is wrong for a 60 year old man to be horny or is it that a 60 year old man should only be with wrinkled old women?

Or both?

[what_the_heck]

Originally Posted by smacintush

So is it that it is wrong for a 60 year old man to be horny or is it that a 60 year old man should only be with wrinkled old women? Or both?

Yes, no, no !

No, wait...

No, yes, yes.

Aaargh, I mean

Yes, no, Yes !

-t

[Mastrap]

The OP of course knows all about that.

[rozwado1]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

And I see that there is a lot of rhetoric on the internet about him being accused of being a child molestor.

From Wiki
In April of 2000, Bell again retired, but offered no details other than stating he intended to "resolve a family crisis". It was later explained he had left to deal with the aftermath of his son's rape.

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Plus, it seems that he's spent some time down in the Pacific rim area.

Yeah.... if you'd like to call it that...

[abe]

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

The motive of the horny 60 year !

-t

He wants to watch Lawrence Welk with her while making her drink Geritol with him.

Face it.

You are a bigot.

[abe]

Bell To Trade “High Desert” For South Pacific’s “Ring Of Fire”

Art Bell wasn't alone for long. The original host of the syndicated all-night "Coast To Coast AM," who lost his wife Ramona following a severe asthma attack in January, has remarried and is moving to the Philippines, where he'll continue to host the weekend editions of "C2C."

During his first hour on-air this weekend, Bell shared the story of how he met, fell in love with and married a 20-something Filipino woman named Airyn Ruiz. He told of how a mutual friend had set them up after Ramona Bell's death, and how he spent several months getting to know Ruiz via Internet videoconferencing. Bell and his friend then traveled to the Philippines, and the two are now actually brothers-in-law, as Bell married Ruiz and the friend married her sister.

Bell also announced that he will be moving to the Philippines on April 29th to be with the new Mrs. Bell, but will continue doing weekend "Coast to Coast AM" programs from his new home. He then mentioned that he's looking for buyers for his home, property, vehicles and radio
station, KNYE-FM.

http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntr...&pt=todaysnews

[CRASH HARDDRIVE]

Good Lord, much of this thread reads like a peek into some crotchedy bunch of old busibodies' knitting circle.

I never cease to be amazed by people being so incredibly judgemental over other people's choice of who they marry. Of all things, this seems the most surefire to get people's panties in a wad.

Seriously, what is it about other people's "mating choice" that causes that?

The same lame ass arguments about someone else's choice of who they marry, when, why, under what circumstances,etc have all been spouted ad nauseum with the same distain by busybodies over same-sex marriages, interacial marriages, marriages outside a certain social caste or religion, etc.

Why the F do people nose so much into other people's business when it comes to marriage?? I just don't get it.

If they are both unrelated, consenting adults, who the F cares?

[abe]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE

Good Lord, much of this thread reads like a peek into some crotchedy bunch of old busibodies' knitting circle.

I never cease to be amazed by people being so incredibly judgemental over other people's choice of who they marry. Of all things, this seems the most surefire to get people's panties in a wad.

Seriously, what is it about other people's "mating choice" that causes that?

The same lame ass arguments about someone else's choice of who they marry, when, why, under what circumstances,etc have all been spouted ad nauseum with the same distain by busybodies over same-sex marriages, interacial marriages, marriages outside a certain social caste or religion, etc.

Why the F do people nose so much into other people's business when it comes to marriage?? I just don't get it.

If they are both unrelated, consenting adults, who the F cares?

The reactions are predictably fascinating, aren't they?

[euchomai]

Originally Posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE

Good Lord, much of this thread reads like a peek into some crotchedy bunch of old busibodies' knitting circle.

I never cease to be amazed by people being so incredibly judgemental over other people's choice of who they marry. Of all things, this seems the most surefire to get people's panties in a wad.

Seriously, what is it about other people's "mating choice" that causes that?

The same lame ass arguments about someone else's choice of who they marry, when, why, under what circumstances,etc have all been spouted ad nauseum with the same distain by busybodies over same-sex marriages, interacial marriages, marriages outside a certain social caste or religion, etc.

Why the F do people nose so much into other people's business when it comes to marriage?? I just don't get it.

If they are both unrelated, consenting adults, who the F cares?

Exactly what I'm saying!

[Doofy]

If I end up bumping a 21-year-old when I'm 60 I'll be very happy, that much is for sure.

[besson3c]

It's fun to judge strangers on the interweb!


P.S. Maybe Abe is secretly this Art Bell fellow?

[Dakar]

Originally Posted by besson3c

It's fun to judge strangers on the interweb!


P.S. Maybe Abe is secretly this Art Bell fellow?

No, but you just reminded me of the big bru-ha-ha from around Christmas time involving him.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Dakar

No, but you just reminded me of the big bru-ha-ha from around Christmas time involving him.

The David Bowie thing, or the Anna Benson thing?