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His last post was on Saturday morning board time , which means Friday afternoon at where he lived so it looks it was sudden. He was always an advocate for fair treatment of boys and basher of cheap Charlies. Rest in peace

Hi Guys, I thought I would give a quick update about my most recent trip to Rio. I’ve been in Brazil the better part of the past 3-4 months. But in mid-December, I went home for what I thought would be a few months. On a last-minute whim with encouragement from friends, I decided to go back to Rio for New Years'! I booked my flight on the 29th with Delta, a one-way to SP, for about $350 and arrived in Brazil on the 31st. The flight time did not leave me much time for a PCR test as rapid is not accepted. I found a laboratory in Atlanta that would do the test with same-day results for $180. There were about ten people who I observed that were not allowed to board the flight due to the dates on their test. Once I arrived, I headed for my apartment then the beach. The beach was more packed than I have ever seen in my life. All the Paulistas come to Rio for the new year. Thousands of guys flooded the beaches. I ended up having to bargain with someone for two chairs and an umbrella 100real. It was worth it. Guys were making out and sucking dick and showing off their erections. The police raided the beach on three occasions, confiscating people’s speakers who were playing loud music. For NYE, the first party I went to was in Vidigal. It was fun with many people but not the vibe my local Brazilian companions were looking for. So we went to a party in Morro de Providencia. And my god, it was insane. Thousands of people packed into a tent. We partied until 7 am. The beaches remained packed but at a much more enjoyable level. On a side note, a Brazilian told me that the beach is divided by race. White gay Brazilians stay closer post nine while brown and black gays stay around the hot boyz tent. This was very evident after the Paulistas left. For the first 3 days I did my straight thing, then hit the saunas for the first time this past Sunday. The Sauna scene was underwhelming until yesterday at Point. I saw about 5 new boys that I was interested in. And took 3 of them home with me. I tried to upload w picture of the beach but got an error message. Next for me is São Paulo then back to

Can any of us forget when we watched our first episode of the TV series "Queer as Folk"? It didn't matter if it was the UK original series or the US series. I can remember sitting in the living room of a friend in England's Lake District. We'd both been out to the pub and were a little drunk. Then he said I had to see the first episode he'd recorded. So well after midnight with yet more beer I watched in disbelief that this series about gay men, including one very young, with an extremely graphic visualisation of gay sex had been shown on British terrestrial television. I later bought vdo of the two series. Then later in Bangkok I found the American series in a vdo store in MBK. The creator of the series, Russell T. Davies, is one of Britain's most acclaimed gay screenwriters. Even he was surprised at the show's success. But did you ever think about something? The acronyms HIV and AIDS are never uttered once in the series even though a character with HIV appears briefly. Davies finally came to the realisation that he could no longer avoid writing about HIV and the pandemic which started as he was starting his sexual life. Many of his friends and lovers who died in the 1980s were said to have died of pneumonia or cancer. AIDS was rarely mentioned. Even today stigma still exists, often fuelled by ignorance and fear. "It's A Sin" is Davies' new TV series which has AIDS at the centre of the drama. It will be aired in the UK on Channel 4 in late January. Hopefully it may soon become available on youtube or other channels. There is an excellent article about Davies and his life in today's Guardian. It starts like this - https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/03/russell-t-davies-i-looked-away-for-years-finally-i-have-put-aids-at-the-centre-of-a-drama

It’s going to really hurt for the citizens, due to the inflation (even though salaries are going to be increased). It may not affect tourists as much, depending on what the exchange rate is set for the USD / CAD / EUR. On my last trips, it was a steady 25 pesos per 1 USD. If I’m still getting around that, but things like restaurant meals almost double, then yes, that’s a sucky deal in comparison. I suspect the Cuban government and the underground market will make it something that doesn’t drive the [non-US] tourist market away. Also, for the purposes of this particular forum, costs for jineteros would be affected if universal Cuban salaries / pensions and inflation rise. As it becomes more costly to put food on the table, and Cubs pays its citizens more, and products cost more, expect hustler prices to go up, not down. Whether quality rises as well is the big question. https://amp.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article247526715.html

I am truly upset about this news. He was an important contributor on my board too.

There is no timeline set for any return to mass tourism (without hotel quarantine) yet, it is unlikely that individual traveler vaccination status will change that in the short term. The vaccine effectiveness against transmission is still unknown, these vaccines have been developed to prevent severe disease. Until we get health data analysis back from the next few months of vaccine rollout, we will not know the true real world effect on infection and mortality rates for vaccinated populations. When we start to see the results coming back in to public health surveillance networks and risk models have been applied by governments, then it is likely we will start to hear information about timelines for return to tourism. Maybe the vaccines will be extremely effective with plummeting infection and mortality rates. Maybe vaccine effectiveness is moderate and we are stuck with some retention of COVID controls. Maybe we have mutations that lead to vaccine escape variants and we get hit with a whole new world of pain. The good news is we are potentially much closer than we could have ever expected to be at this point in time, i hope we are on the home stretch to getting this under control.

Do not worry about that. America's reputation has been an American fantasy for a long time.

I participated in the Sinovac vaccine trial , 6 weeks ago first shot 4 weeks ago second shot , I was wondering if I was in the real vaccine arm or placebo arm , as I had no complaints after the shots I thought I had placebo . Last week after antibody testing I got the good news , test showed I have plenty of antibodies against Covid . To celebrate this very good news I decided to visit Brazil in February . Pity the Rio Carnaval was postponed to July . Hope Thailand announces soon no quarantine for the vaccinated visitors .

However, I did not see this going any other way. We knew the protests were going to get crazy. That is what happens when you get crazy people gathered together in a mob. They do even crazier things. Watching this and seeing this truly is sad. The photos of this will ruin the reputation of America for a generation. It guarantees that other countries will no longer look to us as a leader of democracy.

A fantastic indy film that is coming soon to streaming! It will be available on demand in the US January 15. Carey Mulligan is fantastic in this, and a surprisingly good performance from Bo Burnham as well. Used to seeing him as a stand-up comic but he really shone here in this more serious role! Also... Jennifer Coolidge is almost unrecognizable in this, but delivers a great (even if quite small) performance!

Hey guys, It's been too long. I got my first COVID vaccine two weeks ago and scheduled to get my second next week. Any official statement regarding entrance of vaccinated foreigners to BKK without the requirement of a 14 day isolation?

I like the previous work of all 3. And I am reminded that Bo Burnham and Bill Burr have only initials, stand-up, and now screen roles in common.

@Kevie770 Any updates on Salvador trip? still waiting for it

It is always a shock to read of the passing of a board member. RIP Firecat. I recall meeting him just once, many years ago, at a dinner with Michael, but did read his interpretative posts.

I am American and I have been spending the Covid Quarantine here in Brazil since March. I can tell you that sometimes I feel embarrassed of telling people I am American. America unfortunately has lost almost all its respect all over the world. Sad.

Sad day indeed

Josh Hawley should be in jail.

All is not sad. Yesterday, on the floor of the Senate, Josh Hawley improperly used the word "irregardless," which is not a word. And his ignorance is on the record. Go ahead and laugh at my grammar-nanny scold while I enjoy this non-sad moment. So many TV assholes are talking about Hawley's ELITE education, as if he gets a pass because he somehow managed to get his ass in the right schools. Josh Hawley wants to be president so bad, yesterday's blunder has revealed him to be just another fraud with a smile and a fist. Reporter A.B. Stoddard mentioned Josh's stupid word snag on NBC news yesterday, and it gave me a fun laugh, because I screamed when I saw him "live" in my living room, making a public fool of himself. And here in this next video, Nicolle Wallace, takes another stab at asshole Josh Hawley, whose career needs to end soon. Much to my surprise, this is one of the best interviews I've seen in the last week. Nicolle Wallace is the star journalist of our times. And who knew Seth Meyers could be such a serious thinker?

I am watching now I told the Sunset About You Documentary 8 short pisodes behind the scenes of making this masterpiece series .worth watching to understand how good this series is and how wonderful are the actors there. https://mydramalist.com/79847-i-told-sunset-about-you-the-documentary

Two weeks of this should do it, one hopes ... FullSizeRender.mov

Trump should be removed and the VP needs to invoke the 25th. It is very clear, he is not stable or worthy of the office. But, Pence does not want to anger those supporters. Depends on who you ask. So many still look to America to lead. Less so recently. But, who is left to lead? Which country should be leading? China? no Russia? no UK? no New Zealand? yes

I've become inured of political hyperbole. America's reputation supposedly died with the Vietnam War. Then George Bush killed it with the Iraq War. Remember the silly boycott of French Fries? And now Trump is killing it once again. IMO, the world needs its America fantasy. That shining beacon on a hill. And all it takes is one great, democratic leadership for its reputation to be restored. Former Army General Barry McMcCaffrey on NBC just now called for Trump to be removed from office. It's going to be interesting to see what happens now, since Trump, Cruz, and Hawley are being blamed for this insurrection. America's first coup attempt.

I didn't give to either candidate, I gave to Stacy. I doubted there were many undecided voters and the race would go to the side that got turnout. The work they did was simply awe inspiring.

2021 is already off to a great start with +2 Senate seats. I find myself grinning ear to ear since this morning. Trump is not on the ticket so the crazies decided to stay home.

That's exactly what my son said. Someone needs to seriously de-brief her, figure out her methods, and begin the big teach. What this woman has accomplished is nothing short of a miracle. Jon Ossoff is about to win his senate seat with less votes than he secured in November. And that's only because David Perdue failed to bring out the numbers he had in November also. No one could have planned for this or predicted it. And now the Trump assholes are storming the Capitol. I say, let them all get what they deserve.

The Dems must find a way to keep the Stacey Abrams energy alive and definitely show her some love and give her and GA credit for the big save.

It has been the most fascinating political horse race I have ever followed. With very little sleep, I consider myself lucky I have any fingernails left. I prepared myself for Democrat failure. It's a wacky world, so poles and predictions be damned. Plus, it's Georgia. I never have any faith in the south, especially with voter response to Black politicians. This past year of politics has been the most depressing. And now we have the sedition caucus. DISGUSTING! Strip them naked. Tar and feather them all. A black stain forever on American democracy. I know far too many people who are seriously suffering. Most friends in my circle are self-employed. Almost everyone lost their job overnight, thanks to Trump's mishandling of Covid. Every single person I know with a career on Broadway has been out of work for months. Today there is light. There is hope. A big FUCK YOU to Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Stacey Abrams deserves some serious love from the Biden administration. I'm praying Sally Yates becomes Attorney General.

From Coconuts Bangkok Bangkok travelers must now quarantine in these 26 provinces As of today, residents of Bangkok and other areas with a high number of COVID-19 cases, including Chonburi and Nonthaburi, must quarantine two weeks if they travel to any of 26 provinces imposing new travel restrictions. Twenty-six provinces including Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima and Ubon Ratchathani as of today have issued regulations requiring travelers from 28 locales deemed high-risk to report themselves to the authorities and submit to two weeks of quarantine at provincial accommodations. Health officials currently deem 27 provinces and the capital as high risk because they have more than 50 coronavirus cases or are adjacent to those that do. The Emergency Decree grants governors absolute authority to take any steps necessary to contain the virus, including travel restrictions. That’s led to 26 less hard-hit provinces to put up the same barriers: Chiang Mai, Nan, Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ayutthaya, Chainat, Sa Kaeo, Nakorn Nayok, Nakhon Phanom, Kanchanaburi, Phrae, Phichit, Phetchabun, Lamphun, Ubon Ratchathani, Roi Et, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Yasothon, Mahasarakam, Sakon Nakhon, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla and Satun. The orders remain in place until further notice. Some popular tourist destinations including Chiang Mai and Buriram are offering an option for so-called red zone travelers to pay for COVID-19 tests. If they come back negative, they can forego quarantine. In Buriram, the test fee is THB600 (US$20) while Chiang Mai has not announced its cost. As of today, the 28 “red zones” are Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Tak, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Lopburi, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Suphan Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, Sa Kaeo, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Chanthaburi, Trat, Rayong, Chumphon and Ranong.

we know already. And no prostitution either in case somebody asks

relax , you are one step ahead of most of us

The B Word: Sao Luis Edition – Something is Better than Nothing Everyone knows that there is more to Brazil than just Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. I do not have anything against these two amazing cities - and if I don’t visit any other Brazilian cities in my life other than these two, I’d be more than content. But all the “bests” I’ve had ever in my short 3-year Brazil touring experience has been out of RJ and SP: best sauna night (TBV in Recife), best road trip (Gramado in Rio Grande do Sul), best AirBNB experience (a party house in Florianopolis), best churrasco (a restaurant in Joinville, Santa Catarina), best Acai dish (an ambulante near the Amazonas Theatre in Manaus) etc etc. That’s not to say that all Brazilian cities are a must to go to. I’ve always wanted to EVENTUALLY visit all the states in Brazil. So far I’ve been to 15 out of 26, which seems remarkable since I’ve only started going in 2018. So when Paulo asked me if I wanted to go with him to Sao Luis, Maranhao, because he had some family matters to attend to, I jumped on the chance to go, since I have never been to Maranhao state. And when he said there was one boy sauna he knew of that was in Sao Luis, and we could check it out, it made the trip more enticing to me. But other than knowing that Maranhao state has the famous Lencois Maranhenses National Park, I didn’t know much about Sao Luis, and upon reading about it online, learned that it is a city of a million people that is staddled between the Northeastern cities of Brazil in the east, and the Amazonian parts of Brazil in the west. Sounds like the middle of nowhere to me, but it did have a beach, and a sauna, and with Paulo by my side, I won’t have any qualms exploring the city. We got to Sao Luis around midnight, after a frantic dash to the airport to make our flight (never have sex before a flight – time flies when you’re having fun). Without dinner or anything, we decided on getting Uber Eats/iFood at the AirBNB. One of the few blessings in this pandemic is that food delivery in Brazil has thrived by leaps and bounds, more than pre-pandemic times, and we would never be hungry. But not in Sao Luis, it seems. We try to put in an order at around 1 AM, and Uber did not have any drivers available. I guess the town shuts down pretty early, in this weekday night. A far cry from SP or RJ, where you can seemingly get anything at any time. So a bit about Sao Luis – in the map, its in the middle of the Northeastern region, where Salvador and Recife are, and is defined by beaches, warm waters, and 24 hour sunlight, and the Northern region, where Manaus and the Amazon is, and is defined by tropical rainforests, mosquitoes, and hot hot temps. And indeed, it seems to inherit some parts of both regions, and it doesn’t do any of it well. It has beaches, but uninspired ones. It has hot weather, but it seems to be Amazon hot (with mosquitoes!) rather than Northeast hot (with a relaxing wind that takes away the sting of the sun). And the infrastructure seems to be crumbling, like what I found in Manaus, than what you see in Recife, for example. I wouldn’t classify this city as a must-go. But we were here because the BF needed to take care of some family business. We spent most of the waking daylight hours (which is usually after 1 PM for us – it takes us forever to get out of bed) in government agencies and banks, including this branch of Bradesco with a particular inviting ad with world-reknowned hottie surfer Gabriel Medina. It does make me want to open an account here. Some other oddities: We had sushi at a restaurant called Taipan in a shopping mall, and there was an oddly high ratio of gay men among the clientele in the restaurant. Paulo felt uneasy, because he was (again) easily head and shoulders the hottest guy there, and everyone was checking him out like in the sauna. For Paulo, it was one thing to get checked out in the sauna, but in public, he does want to be left alone. But we got confirmation that, on this Friday night, this restaurant was a bit of an informal hot spot for the gays. Whatever. It was weird. And it was the first time I’ve ever found these training wheels for chop sticks: The food and beaches were kind of meh for us, but we tried out best to enjoy what was in front of us. The saving grace however, were the bars by the beach at night. Live music, including some of the best Reggae live music we’ve ever heard. This was not an accident. Sao Luis is known as the “Brazilian Jamaica” after all, for some reason. We didn’t know this at the time of the trip, but was surprised that this was actually a thing here in Sao Luis. We had a blast anyway. There was one sauna in Sao Luis, Sauna Go 63. It follows the proud tradition of naming your sauna after the street number your establishment is in. In Rio, you have Clube 117 (Rua Candido Mendes) and Ponte 202 (Rua Siquiera Campos). Also, SP has Fragata 555 (Rua Traipu) and Salvador has Clube 11 (Rua Jose Duarte). It was across the bridge from the Beach of Sao Marcos where we were. It in the “Centro Historico” part of town, and it felt as such, as it was a bumpy ride getting there, with all the potholes and crumbling infrastucture around us. This was a Friday night, and upon entering the premises, we were immediately questioned by a guy sitting behind a table right at the entrance way. Turns out, he was a health advocate, and he was there to promote safe sex practices, which was I guess pretty appropriate, given the venue. After a brief chat, and some nosiness about the BF’s and my relationship, we were free to check in the sauna. He was also giving out free condoms, as well as free at-home HIV tests: Upon check-in, we noticed some boys, one half-naked, another naked and cupping his dick, approach the counter to get some condoms. This certainly was a welcome preview of what is to come. As we head on over to the locker room, Paulo was recognized by a tall and big fellow. He was a boy who who recognized Paulo from one of the saunas in Fortaleza. He had dark skin, nice face, but not as in shape as I would like. I’m sure he was cute to someone. We both change in towels. Paulo asked his friend about the lay of the land here. Paulo then requests that he go into the premises alone at first, to suss out the territory himself. “Are you going to find a client?” I asked. He said he wasn’t sure yet, judging from his conversation with his friend (cheap clients), but willing to see the lay of the land first before deciding on whether to work or not. Knowing what to do, and acting accordingly, is important to Paulo when going to a sauna with me. Paulo says that clients are always jealous of other clients, and if he decided to work tonight, we would have to tamp down on the PDA, and maybe even not talk to each other for a bit, until he was sure he was able to get clients. If he decides not to work, he is free to touch, kiss, and be boyfriends with me. He is big on the PDA, and seems like he wants to do it with me, especially in a sauna since it was a more-or-less private space where he is free to be “gay” and not hetero like out in the world, so he has to make these choices. As Paulo makes his way into the premises to assess the client situation, I make my own way into the sauna slowly, and made sure I was able to assess the boy situation. Yes, I was still forbidden in getting any of these boys, but I was free to look, and sometimes I can get away with inviting a boy with me for a drink. It is still worth it for me to be “single” while I am with Paulo, since the benefits (amazing sex, great conversation, hot hot hot boy, seeing Brazil through his eyes), outweighs the pitfalls (no sex with other guys, penis too large and thick). And it’s not like I am a saint when I am not with him, and I am able to roam the saunas, trawl the sites, and hit Grindr, like before. After one or two rotations around the sauna, I am sad to say that I found a total of ONE guy that I would even think of hiring. That ONE guy was obviously super busy and was getting hired by one client after another, since he was the hottest one there. He was handsome, dark skin, and muscular with abs, so he would be a fit in any other sauna in Brazil land. And any boy of equal or better quality surely should take advantage of this in this sauna. There was not a shortage of clients here for sure. The rest of the boys were boy next door types. Good for hanging out and a laugh or two, but noone I cannot live without. After a while, I see Paulo, emerging from the lockers, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He meets me halfway and plants me a big kiss. “I just got one, and I don’t want anyone anymore,” he says. He takes my hand and gets me to the bar, where he orders us two caiprinhas: “What happened?” I asked him. “They kind of suck here in Sao Luis,” he says in a whisper, and then laughs. I asked why. “Clients were offering me 50 reais, and then 70 reais. It was horrible. You know I don’t do it for less than 100.” But you did one client? “Yeah, remember that guy handing out HIV tests? I guess he liked me enough to offer me 120 reais. But he ended up paying me 150. It was fast too. I only had my penis head in him and he came. Easiest 150 I’ve made. And now I am paying for these drinks,” pointing to the two caiprinhas. I guess he was feeling generous with his earnings, and also since tonight was 2 for 1 caipis: Paulo has a theory that the boys here are happy with 50 reais programas, as long as they can get 4 or 5 clients, that works out to 250 reais a night. They run a volume business. Paulo suspects that the hot guy I saw worked the same way. He said he'd be surprised if that guy couldn't be had for 70. Volume is the key, since there were a lot of clients. The clients simply don't pay like they do in SP or RJ. The sauna itself was actually pretty nice. The drinks were suuuuper cheap, and we got some snacks too that were 15 reais: The premises were nice too, and there was a pool that was outdoors, but still in the courtyard of the sauna, so with the hot weather, it was a nice addition, and Paulo took advantage of it by diving in naked, which caused a commotion with some guests: Overall, this was a chill sauna to spend a Friday night in. The space was pretty spacious: And there was a separate dance room that one could dance with one’s partner to the day’s popular hits. As the sauna was closing, the owner approached us and asked for Paulo’s number. He said he knew some “politicos” that would be interested in getting Paulo’s services, and they pay way more than the average sauna goer. Paulo gladly gave him the number. We got stinking drunk too. And our bill was less than 100 reais. Worth it. In closing, I guess I wouldn’t go out of my way to go back to Sao Luis, except if I was on my way to Lencois Maranhenses. But Paulo certainly has a way of livening any location we are in, so it was better than nothing. Up next, Belo Horizonte, during COVID.

Oh, I forgot about the escorts reviews forums! Those are still up.

I say this as a non Greek and with no offense intended: Athens is filthy - really garbage can filthy outside of the main tourist areas and some nice residential areas. Years ago in the past the police had a mostly hands off attitude regarding iv drug use, homeless folks, and sex in the public parks from what I could tell. One of the large parks just north of the great national archeological museum was cleaned up quite a bit around 2 years ago. i never saw rent boys at the train station but I rarely went looking there. Pre Covid omonia area was seedy but relatively safe in the daytime beyond pick pockets which can happen anywhere. I thought it was not unsafe at night. The rent boys hung out at cosmopolit or kosmopolit cinema and nearby area. You could have sex there or a nearby hotel, with cheap rates by the hour. I never had sex nor saw anyone looking for sex in the big park between plaka and the parliament. I also never went there at midnight. Gay Greece is not Central London nor Los Angeles. Every place has its own rules. Athens is a great city for tourists but be aware that the boy show in Athens can be hugely enjoyable though sometimes a bit rough. Just mind your ps and qs and you should be fine.

I've got 10 posts but cannot see the other forums. Logging in and out didn't help. Do I need more posts? EDIT: Apparently, you need 11 posts to see the porn forums because it popped right up after I posted this.

A very good friend of mine and a long time poster on this board passed away in the USA. Firecat traveled with me to several continents and I have never met someone kinder to the boys he met. He is going to be greatly missed!