TampaYankee

Interesting perspecitve. Thanks for sharing. Would you say these hold for the UK dudes as much as for the continental boys?

Thanks for contributing to a healthy active discussion but please let's not get personal in the remarks. That has caused discussion elsewhere in the past to spiral out of bounds, descending into a flame war. I only mention because the exchange of personal remarks have a potential for spiraling out of control and descending into a flame war. We are not even close here but we don't want to be any closer either.

Acceptance by the establishment often goes hand-in-hand with accepting the establishment and that means assimilation, at least around the edges. It is the price of equal treatment or striving for equal treatment. Not everybody wants to be equal or accepted, at the cost of some loss of identity. So this counter movement is only suprising in that it seems to have organized itself so well and has taken on the big dog in its own yard. It will be interesting to see how strong this rivalry will become.

Please share with me which brand of vitamins you take. I definitely need distraction... along with a TV too. Do they have big screen TVs for cheap up there? I could find a use for the opera glasses in Montreal too.

I see you have an affinity for the oriental scissors hold! For your softer side... muscles with bouquets. For me... the one on the far right,below.

Nothing ever gets thrown out, just moved to the back of the fridge where it can grow at its own pace in peace.

Thanks for the ray of hope. Does this mean that the odd x-rated photo I might mistakenly stumble on surfing could cause a meltdown? Not me, I'm used to heat flashes; but my machine? Sounds like I could use a fire extinguisher more than a polishing cloth. Thanks for the info. Maybe it is time I enter the 'TV on Computer' age?

Your reply is most welcome as misey loves company.

Good start on the feedback. We need more of that. Thanks. But the nub of an issue Oz and I are facing is this: Do we lock several low or no use forums and archive them in a Read Only archive forum, with any new posts on topic going into the Pub or BUffet OR Do we nest present slow or no use forums inside Pub or Buffet, leave them active so more posts can be contributed. In the former case all action takes place in top level forums Pub and Buffet. In latter case you have forums inside of forums that will be active? Which is more desirable to you?

The present plan, although not hard and fast, is to keep the Pub and Buffet and the Business Travel forums. Anything goes in the Pub, within policy guidelines, The Buffet remains focused on escorts. Please use this as the context for Oz's question OR make your own suggestions.

well, not exactly, but just the same, my day sucked! With my Dell Laptop quite long in the tooth, living in constant concern that it might go belly-up at any moment, I jumped on an EL Cheapo Best Buy best buy -- fancy (for me) new Compaq laptop with AMD Turion Dual Core fancy schmancy processor, 3GB RAM, 200GB HD, full up DVD/CD Drive (short of BluRay capable), Nvidia GeForce 800M video card, and complete with power supply, battery, and polishing cloth -- $499 + shipping. Bought it Sunday. Arrived on Wednesday and stepped over it, in its UPS box, until Saturday afternoon when I opened the shipping box, and the computer box and verified all parts were therein: the computer, the battery, the power supply, the READ ME FIRST sheet that unfolds to table cloth size, and a polishing cloth in a little plastic bag. Along with the polishing cloth in the little bag was an abbreviated owners manual, instructions provided in English, French and Spanish, (I was suprised at their perceptiveness about how savoir faire chic this customer is) and my warranty describing all the limitations to my rights , again in the palate of tongues. So far, so good. I screw up my fortitude and unfold the table-cloth-size READ ME FIRST instructions which say: 1. Insert battery into computer. 2. Connect power supply to computer, then and only then plug into outlet. 3. Strap on your seat belt, power up, and do everthing that your computer tells you. Wow!! Doubt sets in. I'm not sure I'm ready to make a blind commitment to 'do everthing' the computer tells me! Such blind commitment to a totally strange computer seemed all too daunting to me. I backed away, I turned go... (a tune echos in my head). THis level of commitment will have to wait another day. Did I mention that the fancy schmancy computer has an Nvidia GeForce 800M video card? A few hours later... I receive notice from one of my online mail lists about the following: Graphic Card Problem May Affect Millions of Computers Nvidia admits problem but doesn't alert consumers (for those interested in details: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/08/nvidia.html ) I read and slowly absorb... a deep funk sets in. The new fancy schmancy AMD Turion computer, the computer I just popped the seal on a few hours earlier, that the fancy schmancy computer has a birth defect -- possible a fatal flaw. Its mother unwilling to recognize the unalterable truth about her offspring. So disconcerting is the reality. Then another realization sets in. It not just me that has been screwed... it seems everyone (almost) is up for a porking on this one. Nvidia Ge8M cards are everywhere, in most computers. There is strength in numbers... isn't there? It is nice to know that I won't be the only one seeking clarification to my 'Limitation of Rights' as described in my little plastic bag. Had I only waited a few more hours or days to pop the box.... Whammy #2, later that night... Having climbed far enough out of my earlier funk, I decide to let the world in... I tune in to the Olympics for a dose of swimming and gynastics feats by some really really hunky and some very cute guys. Love the asian gymnasts. They get my head into all sorts of contortions as their mucsles pop and bulge and flex and... Cute asses too. I am watching on my vintage CRT TV probably purchased especially for the olympics long ago if not far away... maybe in the Bush 1 years? I could have determined by measuring the dust thickness if I had cared enough or only knew what was to come.... Well, as I sat glued to the muscles and butts... I mean the ancient TV, I began to wonder if there was a off odor somewhere. Nothing definite. Couldn't decide yes or no? I continued to watch... now shimmering swimmers. There that faint odor again, or is it. I had known the TV was in the autumn of its years (another tune in the back of my head yearns to play out) but with the new flat screens coming down in price, making them almost affordable, I was holding out until they actually would be affordable. I had balanced the dilemma: new laptop or TV. One is business, the other pleasure. Business always wins out over pleasure, and besides, the El Cheapo computer was a steal. (Did I mention that the Nvidia GeForce 800M video card?) The TV's just lingering out of reach... I digress. As I watch the shimmering swimming bodies fly through the water, sleek and erotic in an athletic way, I am convinced that there is an off odor wafting past my olfactory sensors. Then I become distracted with the TV screen as the swimming pool has gone dark... the colors flash on the screen, yellows, whites, some bluish maybe... interspersed with blackness. My mind has only fractions of a second to survey the scene. What has happened at the Olympics? Have they cut away to a fire works exhibition? A power failure at the venue? Accidental electrocutions caused by power leakage to the pool? Terrorists with flash grenades? It all becomes clear as a suprisingly thick cloud of black smoke with a noxious odor, that same odor only hinted of earlier, emminates for the back of my vintage TV. Wow... smoke to go with the on-screen fire works. Who said smellivision is still far off? Imagining my home is not far from going up in flames, I leap out of the recliner, across the room, to frantically pull all plugs frm the power strips and outlets. Which one is the TV? The VCR? The cable box? The wireless router? Are there actual flames yet (that action above) I wonder as I grapple in the floor with cords and plugs. Whew.... finally.... all of the power cords are unplugged. Backing away reveals no flames visible, smoke still apparent but dimishing noticably. A minute passes. The worst seems behind. No fire. Only noxious odors and old smoke floating in the air. One more TV for the ash heap of history. That baby has seen its last night in my house. I struggle to drag it outside, down the walk way and leave it in the driveway figuring not much to catch on fire there if some pesky flame rekindles of its own accord. It seems vintage is only a good thing when it comes to wines. Now, I have no TV... well actually a small vintage TV in storage inherited from a relative, and a new fancy schmancy el cheapo lap top with warnings that my screen may be dark or full of colored lines when I power up! I wonder if Best Buy will take a trade of one almost unopened fancy schmancy el cheapo lap top for a modest flat screen replacement TV, without hitting me up for a restocking fee? No, wait... business comes first. I'll have to live with the inherited TV and maybe some opera glasses. Did I mention it is a really small screen TV? To paraphrase a citrus drink analogy... categorize this as making manure out of shit.

I suspect straightguy has a tatoo removal appt or camoflauge session in his future. Imagine how the wife is going to take that night after night, not to mention the kids, inlaws and neighbors. That or maybe a new tattoo of 'BOOB' or a boob across his forehead? He maybe a doll but he has about a nanosecond of foresight.

That is pretty gross!! Are my sensitivities showing?

I agree with Voke. The dyamics are completely different for one-on-one, double teaming by a pair of boyfriends or two-on-one with two independent escorts in tandem. Best to be the only focus of your service provider. The dynamics of boyfriends can be weird and sometimes escorts working together for the first time can suffer inhibitions or competitive issues or loose sight of the clients as focus. In the beginning keep it simple, see a single guy.

I am totally at a loss to understand or appreciate this phenomenon.

Boy, you can say that again. No better example than this political season. You only have Adam's bad examples to blame for this.

I selodm watch CNN. Less than seldom. I believe that African American voter turnout will be astounding. The under 30 is much more uncertain. They are motivated but they dont have 400 years of history to overcome in their own heads. I agree Depends on what you mean by fail. IMO the era of casual flying is coming to an end, at least for the working class and curtailed for many of those better off. To survive the airlines will have to overhaul their fleets with new more efficient planes. That will be a slow process because they are in the red and falling, without cash to support wholesale revamping of fleets, even if the production was there. It will revert much to the flavor of the 50s and 60s when only the well heeled and business people flew. Others were shut out by the fares. Many of the younger today may not realizebe aware of that history. I remain to be convinced it will last anywhere near that long. I think one year maybe 18 mos or 2 years at most. That depends, in part, on the price of gasoline. However, I don't think you will see housing prices inflate as they did in the past. The present day realities don't support that. Suburban and gentrified rural America won't flourish in the coming fuel environment unless cheaper gasoline alternatives are perfected. Few alternatives ever undercut the price of the mainstream product but they relieve price pressure on that product, in this case gasoline. Neither would I. You understate the challenges IMO. I'm not confident that any president can overcome the many challenges we are facing. Success may be measured in handling a very few. And that assumes a coopeartive Congress which heretofore has been more interested in dancing to the tunes of lobbyists. That applies to both parties which have a common hunger at the trough.

I like David Gergen. I have a lot of respect for David Gergen. I often agree with David Gergan...

Yup, almost seems un-American doesn't it. More likely the case will be made that not ceding your right against unreasonable search and seziure is un-American. I hope an Obama aminstration and Dem Congress with introduce some measure of probable cause. That won't happen with a McCain adimistration. Maybe congress can push it anway but only if veto proof. Another in a long list of reasons for me to seek a return of Democrats to power at this time. I know they too eventually will abuse their power too. We have to endure pendumlum politics and turn out the scoundrals, whoever they are, when the abuse of power become too great to tolerate, and cherish the time spent near the nadir of the swing arc where previous abuses are righted and fresh starts are made.

If you have to rely on Fox News for politics then certainly your are getting a very slanted picture. They are very busy and actively grinding their ax. I have given up watching Fox altogether because of their strong slant to the Repubs. I don't watch much of the others either when it is just party sychophants trotting out talking points and then talking past each other. I'm past the taste for blatant propaganda presentations. The election may be a close call either way or it may be a blow-out for Obama, I think. Too early to tell. Let's see how the economy performs and whether we have any terrorist action near the election. If Obama wins I think he will have a very comfortable electoral vote lead. Let's see what late Sept. brings. I strongly supported McCain in 2000. I thought he and Bradley were the only candidates worth considering. (The activist dems didn't have the wisdom to support Bradley.) I was deeply disappointed that McCain did not prevail on the Repub side. The Bush South Carolina primary antics was the reason I refused to even consider Bush in the general election. I say this as background so you know where I am coming from. McCain 2008 bears no resemblance to McCain 2000, IMO. Basically, he as sold out to the religious right, and to the far right. He as flip-flopped on many positions to curry favor with the Republican base and the Party of God. He has dropped his forthright, above-board demeanor and principles of character to descend into the mendacity of gutter political tactics. He denies his own statements, and not just rarely -- something I thought I would never see. But far more than all of that, what I realize now and what I had no inkling of in 2000 is that I am seriously concerned about his temperment and judgment. That may or may not be an effect of advancing age. (I've gotten crankier with age too. ) Those are two attributes critical to the President and Commander-in-Chief. I am concerned that these perceptions, which seem so apparent to me, are overlooked by the electorate, so far anyway. Also, the press lets him skate time-after-time on faux pas: low political tactics, misstatements, lapases of geographical knowledge, Al-Kaida vs insurgents, etc., etc., etc. It's as though they view his present actions, statements, behavior, and flip-flopped principles and positions through a lense eight years ago. At worst just a head scratching reaction when these occur, then moving on. A final thought about McCain... I believe the probability of getting involved in another unnecessary war is very much greater with McCain. It's that judgement/temperment thing that worries me. Now before anybody responds to me about Obama this and that.... Obama is not my point. My point is why I went from a most enthusiastic McCain supporter in 2000 to a disappointed and disaffected former supporter that can not support him now or in the future. It seems this turned into a bit of a rant. How did that happen?

Bravo... bravissimo... Lucky. I haven't encountered such doublespeak bullshit of that quality since I retired.

Maybe you are Don Juan del Infligrante Delicto?

Maybe I'm confused you. I think that is a good idea. I just cautioned against relying on that as a foolproof indicator of who is active. I will confer with Oz but I'm thinking of cutting it waaaaaay back. Think of one Anything Goes forum (within forum policy) and two travel forums. Just an idea as of yet. That should ease the burden on the eyes.

Good idea. I'll look into that. I have no problem with google hanging around. Google is good.

Is that Harm or Ham?