Depressing! Mike and Ray Mentzer. Look at Mike drag on that cig...

[tommywishbone]

I was friends with Mike. I only casually knew Ray.

Mike had his issues, as do we all. In the 3-5 years (1992 - 1997) that I spoke with him often, he was absolutely more positive than negative. He would laugh, smile, talk about cars, bodybuilding, whatever. Posed for every picture and signed every autograph that was ever asked of him at Golds Venice.

Ray had his issues, as do we all. Whenever we spoke (1994 - 1997) I always knew where the conversation was going- nasty. I never heard him say anything nice or positive about anyone or anything. Sorry.

[BayGBM]

 

[PJim]

I was friends with Mike. I only casually knew Ray.

Mike had his issues, as do we all. In the 3-5 years (1992 - 1997) that I spoke with him often, he was absolutely more positive than negative. He would laugh, smile, talk about cars, bodybuilding, whatever. Posed for every picture and signed every autograph that was ever asked of him at Golds Venice.

Ray had his issues, as do we all. Whenever we spoke (1994 - 1997) I always knew where the conversation was going- nasty. I never heard him say anything nice or positive about anyone or anything. Sorry.

Good stuff.

[Vince B]

Yeah, that is what people perceived Ray as being. He always looked mean but it was just an attitude. If he didn't like something he didn't hold back. He always made me laugh because he was so serious. Take playing table tennis. Well, we had a professional table set up at my place so Ray, my son Zorba and me would all compete to see who the champ was. My son beat us both. Well, Ray was a fierce competitor. This was life and death stuff and he sure didn't like to lose. He had a good smash but also missed a lot of the time. I was reasonably good at the game but I was even better at talking. It would piss Ray off no end. Eventually he said he wouldn't play me if I talked during the game. LOL, I knew then that he was finished. I was his master and he would bash his bat on the table.

When we drove to Golds in April 1991 he would point out guys that he and Mike had trained and who were now personal trainers. He laughed at how those fake trainers thought they were good.

On the way to the gym Ray insisted we visit a cafe because he was going to meet a hot gal there. So we had a coffee, then a refill and waited and waited. The gal didn't show. Ray was livid. So he swore and said let's go. I thought we were going to the gym but Ray circled the block to check the cafe. Nope, the gal wasn't there. Apparently he met her at some pool bar. He returned there afterwards to verbally abuse her. The bouncers told Ray they didn't want him to come back there. The fact that Ray was married to Pam at the time is irrelevant. I wasn't too bad with the gals so I guess Ray was trying to show off. Nope, I never met any of the hot gals that he fancied.

[Vince B]

Ray had a good sense of humour and would clown around.

[Palpatine Q]

ROFL sorry but that was hillarious - fuckin tweakers lol..

Ditto....why is this moron held in any regard ? he's a fucking glassed out meth-head

IT just goes to show you how idiotic and low-rent bodybuilding is....that someone in this industry would waste a minute of film on those two junkies

[kiwiol]

Ayn Rand does that to people.
One becomes "objectively miserable".

Not all people. Her writing is very intense and passionate, and her principles extreme and absolute, so you either hate it or love it - there's seldom any middle ground. But a lot of people who read her works and get inspired think that they have to behave in the uncompromising, puritan way the main characters in her novels do, which is, of course, not right.

I know people who've taken up smoking after reading Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead, just to convince themselves that they're more objective because of it. These are the same people who just parrot her writings like some of the meatheads here do with gh15's way of "speaking". They'll despise Kant or adore Rachmaninoff simply because she did the same, which is nothing short of pathetic if you ask me.

I've read all of Rand's writings multiple times and consider myself one of her biggest fans, but I could never do the stuff that her misguided fanboys do. Her philosophy is great (or full of shit, depending on who you ask), but what she presented in her novels were idealistic, extremely "pure" characterizations to drive home her POV. You can't be Howard Roark IRL - you should just get inspired by the character and maybe improve your life in some way by incorporating the principles that make/drive him. Like Batman, he's just a symbol you can draw courage from and stand up to bullies, to give an example, not put on a mask and start fighting crime in the streets with home made gadgets

[dyslexic]

There is only so much you can take when reading philosophy....


I don't care who it is. There comes a point where you just have to put the book down and say "enough is enough"



"A rock is a rock..." seriously.

[kiwiol]

There is only so much you can take when reading philosophy....


I don't care who it is. There comes a point where you just have to put the book down and say "enough is enough"



"A rock is a rock..." seriously.

That goes for any field of study or endeavour, really. The threshold of each person varies from one extreme to the other. Good philosophy should make you think in and about abstract principles and enable you to apply those to concrete situations successfully, while showing the methodology at work if needed, so anyone can break it down and tell if a mistake has been made. I'd say AR was damn good at that, even though not everyone will agree, since you have to understand her way of thinking, which you can't, unless you've read, digested and understood her basic tenets.

[dyslexic]

That goes for any field of study or endeavour, really. The threshold of each person varies from one extreme to another. Good philosophy should make you think in and about abstract principles and enable you to apply those to concrete situations successfully, while showing the methodology at work if needed, so anyone can break it down and tell if a mistake has been made. I'd say AR was damn good at that, even though not everyone will agree, since you have to understand her way of thinking, which you can't, unless you've read, digested and understood her basic tenets.

I agree wholeheartedly.


I have everything from Nietzsche to Plato.


I've even amused myself through Aliester Crowley's "book of lies" (not that I would even consider him a philosopher)


At the same time, I will also read through collegiate late levels of psychology. I get interested, but I also get muddled. It's from one extreme to the other...


Of course, it doesn't help that I also am a firm believer in God, which requires faith, not objectivity. I don't want to have that last statement taken out of context. I am a Christian, but I love to stimulate my mind, and I also like to hear other people's points of view. I know many Atheists that just blow me out of the water. I don't argue with them, but I do like to bring them to the point of being somewhat compelling in their "belief" (or better yet, *lack thereof*)

[apply85]

haaha, the photo of vince with blue shorts on, maybe I'm drunk but that looks like a ton of shit shove into a pair of blue panties

[BayGBM]

Did either of them ever marry?  Or have a kids?  Were they lifelong bachelors?

[Primemuscle]

haaha, the photo of vince with blue shorts on, maybe I'm drunk but that looks like a ton of shit shove into a pair of blue panties

Fashions have changed since those days. Someday years from now, someone will post a photo of a fellow is baggy basketball shorts, sagging off his hips with only a few inches of lower leg showing between the tops of some brightly colored, jell soled high-tops and the bottom of the skirt like shorts....and everyone will laugh at how funny they look.

[unrageable]

stop talking about these miserable and depressed shit physique bodybuilders.  fucking wankers.

[apply85]

the shorts are one thing, the pile of shitin them is another, can u believe that guy is on the juice hanging with bbers talking weights lol

[Primemuscle]

stop talking about these miserable and depressed shit physique bodybuilders.  fucking wankers.

Looking though your posts in various threads, one thing stands out and is consistent. This would be your total negativity and hostility. You must be one unhappy (unrageable) dude.

[unrageable]

Looking though your posts in various threads, one thing stands out and is consistent. This would be your total negativity and hostility. You must be one unhappy (unrageable) dude.

why you looking through my posts?  u gay brah?

[Vince B]

Those interested in philosophy but find it boring or too difficult to fathom might be rewarded by reading Karl Popper's work. Do a search online for a start. This is a vital and current subject of interest to modern philosophers.

I don't think Mike ever married. Ray did because I found him his wife. That was while he was staying at my place in Sydney with his partner, Kathy. He had a daughter, Dagny, with Kathy. He emigrated to Australia after selling his Muscle Mill Gym in Torrance. I guess he was trying to get away from LA and start all over in Australia. It didn't work out for some reason. They separated while here and Kathy stayed on for a while before returning to America. Ray had to pick up his daughter from the police station at Redondo Beach. I met little Dagny in 1991 when she was 5. She was just a baby when at our place. Kathy was listening to some mentor over in America. Ray wasn't violent as far as I knew. He looked mean and he talked that way but he was a softy.

Ray married Pam who worked as a telephone operator in Sydney. She was from New Zealand and already had a son. They stayed together at Torrance for several years but I don't think either was happily married. That is just my opinion.

[Reeves]

Fashions have changed since those days. Someday years from now, someone will post a photo of a fellow is baggy basketball shorts, sagging off his hips with only a few inches of lower leg showing between the tops of some brightly colored, jell soled high-tops and the bottom of the skirt like shorts....and everyone will laugh at how funny they look.

Yup.   What those baggy pants fools don't realize is that they look like the 3 Stooges going golfing.  Except Moe, Larry and Curly had class.

[Primemuscle]

why you looking through my posts?  u gay brah?

As a matter of fact....Don't flatter yourself. It is just curious to me when someone only posts negatively. You should look at your own posts, you'll see what I mean. BTW, your handle "unrageable" suggests to me that you'd be mellow, not hostile and negative. Just saying.

Since you asked, I'm bisexual but not in the market. 

[kiwiol]

Those interested in philosophy but find it boring or too difficult to fathom might be rewarded by reading Karl Popper's work. Do a search online for a start. This is a vital and current subject of interest to modern philosophers.

I don't think Mike ever married. Ray did because I found him his wife. That was while he was staying at my place in Sydney with his partner, Kathy. He had a daughter, Dagny, with Kathy. He emigrated to Australia after selling his Muscle Mill Gym in Torrance. I guess he was trying to get away from LA and start all over in Australia. It didn't work out for some reason. They separated while here and Kathy stayed on for a while before returning to America. Ray had to pick up his daughter from the police station at Redondo Beach. I met little Dagny in 1991 when she was 5. She was just a baby when at our place. Kathy was listening to some mentor over in America. Ray wasn't violent as far as I knew. He looked mean and he talked that way but he was a softy.

Ray married Pam who worked as a telephone operator in Sydney. She was from New Zealand and already had a son. They stayed together at Torrance for several years but I don't think either was happily married. That is just my opinion.

Did they name the girl after Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged?

[Vince B]

I believe so. My kids told Ray and Kathy that wasn't a good name because she would be called Dag for short, which is a demeaning name in Australia. She would be 24 or 25 years old now.

[pellius]

Ray had a good sense of humour and would clown around.

Vince, what year was that pic taken? Also, how many times have you visited California, what years and about how long did you stay?

[BayGBM]

Looking though your posts in various threads, one thing stands out and is consistent. This would be your total negativity and hostility. You must be one unhappy (unrageable) dude.

He registered on June 20, 2011.  Guess which gimmick. 

[Vince B]

The photo of Ray was from 1988 I believe. I was in LA briefly in 1967. I returned for a month in October 1968. Then I returned for my honeymoon in June 69. 1980 was the next visit but this time I brought by two youngest children, Lani and Zorba, with me. Golds Gym was in Santa Monica then. I wasn't there again until April 1991 when I stayed at Ray's place in Torrance/Redondo Beach. I was in Orange County in September 2000 for a few days then visited again in September 2004 for a week. I visited Golds Gym, Venice on every occasion since 68.