TampaYankee

Thanks JKane for your kind words and for all the informative posts you contributed over the years. You have been our fundamental resource on the LA scene, in the streets and on Craigslist. Hope to see your contributions continue for many years.

Marc, thanks for the memories -- some of the very best of my life on this particular planet. Were that we could go back to those times, if only I had the wheels to traverse Ste Catherine's once again, and Ste Catherine was the lady she was in those days. Still, a future reunion in the neighborhood would be a welcome circumstance on some future Pride weekend.

Not all twinks are bimbos but it is true that most like shiny things.

I don't care who his father is as long as I can be his Daddy!!

Enery the Eighth, ee is, ee is.

I can't wait for the 3-D printer patterns!!

How To Book Your Next Plane Ticket To Get The Best Deal You already know that you should be booking your plane ticket 54 days before take-off (if all else fails, you should usually book between 104 to 29 days pre-trip). And while that's all fine and good, there are various nitty-gritty details you should be paying attention to when buying that ticket -- like day of flight and where to book. Luckily, the experts seem to agree on a few key points. Here are some of the tips we found most useful and you might too, so we're passing them along to you. Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com, CheapAir.com and the folks at Hopper.com all agree: To get the best fares, you should always try to fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. In particular, Hopper suggests that travelers should return from domestic trips on Tuesdays (to save up to $50) and from international trips on Wednesdays (to save roughly $60). The most expensive day to return is Friday. Because countless tour groups head across the pond throughout Europe's high season in the summer, CheapAir.com says, you should always play around with your dates if you're flexible. While this may seem like a no brainer, don't ever rely on a single airline's site (because, say, you have miles). It's always best to comparison shop, Seaney suggests. As for preferred days to buy, a study conducted last year stated that you should be purchasing those tickets on weekends; instead, Hopper suggests, the cheapest domestic tickets are more often found on Thursdays (to be fair, international ticketsare generally cheaper on weekends). One important caveat: Expedia noted to us that three days before domestic departure, ticket prices drop by 6%; for international trips, the price drops by 10% about 7 days before departure. The lessons here: Buy early (if you can), buy on Thursdays and fly during the week. In case you forgot, here are those pesky “magic numbers” for when to buy for some common international destinations: Europe: 151 days before your flight Asia: 129 days before your flight The Caribbean: 101 days before your flight Mexico: 89 days before your flight Latin America: 80 days before your flight See the original article at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/07/how-to-book-your-next-plane-ticket-to-get-the-best-deal_n_4995144.html

I suspect you have cruised the internet for suggestions. If not try http://tampa.gaycities.com/bars/ I did manage to investigate the gay scene on several visits during the early years of this millennium. My experiences are a decade old now but it may be a starting point for you. I visited several bars/clubs mentioned on the above web page, most on the Tampa side of the Bay Area. Valentines on N Armenia Ave. - Busy crowd on weekends, mixed crowd, everybody knows everybody, unless you don't. Emphasis on drag although there was some nice boy candy on display too. Shows started midnightish. Darker lighting, cheap beers and well drinks. Not the worst, not the greatest. City Side Lounge, Henderson Ave - Good size well-lighted club-bar, mixed crowd, with good looking go-go hunks, usually one dancing at a time. Good energy, a bit more antiseptic than most. Baxter's Lounge So. Dale Mabry Hwy - Four-sided bar, maybe twenty feet long and eight feet wide. Dancers five nights a week back then. One per night except weekends, two or three or four. Busy crowd on weekends almost all male. Good looking latins and crackers ( a few guys modeled mens clothes in catalogs, including underwear). I probably went here more than elsewhere because of the dancers. They intermingled more with the bar customers. Although many dancers straight they looked hot as hell and some danced after hours. The Body Shop on N Nebraska Ave. Known as Keith's in my day, quiet gay bar unless it is Karaoke Night, not my cup of tea. The locals enjoy it. No dancers in my day. Maybe the odd chance for a pick up but I never noticed any working boys hanging around. Other clubs I visited are closed now, probably for the better. Some were very sketchy, others just didn't manage to take off from the launch pad. Ybor City was a hot scene for straight clubs back then but not much gay in that era as I recall. I would check out today. As I said, all this is a decade off but then in the Land of The Blind, The One-Eyed Man Is King.

I thank all of you for the very kind comments above. PasadenaCA has it right -- these forums pretty much moderate themselves. Oz and I wanted a venue where gay men could engage in gentlemanly discussions and share information. For the most part that has been the history of this site. We owe that all to you guys and to others who have moved on. I take my hat off to you all. I can't give enough praise about the quality of the contributors to this site, be they regulars or occasional. I've always maintained that the posters make any discussion site what it is. That certainly is true here and I look forward to reading and participating with all of you in my new 'civilian' status.

My tyrannical tenure has come to a close. I have retired once again, this time as admin/moderator of this site, effective 1 April. It has been planned for a few months. I've had a wonderful 8 years and 8 months working with Oz to develop and moderate this site. He has been a wonderful partner in this endeavor, I could not have asked for better. However, I've been looking forward to cutting back on my commitments and responsibilities to others as I engage full retirement. That time has come. Oz has been a great friend since I first met him several years ago in Montreal. There never was a more friendly, generous, supporting, interesting, and fun man that I've met. I consider him a super man. I appreciate sharing this endeavor with him which has been a labor of love on both of our parts. Going forward, I wish the very best for my exceptional friend. I'll continue to walk these halls and brighten up the Pub with my cheery countenance , just without the clanking of keys on my belt.

I know when you need them too.

MB, rated 6th in the 55 rated. 1. Wegmans 2. Trader Joe's 3. Publix 4. Costco 5 Sprouts Farmers Market 15. Whole Foods 16. Hannafords 24. Kroger 34. Sams Club 35. Ralphs 36. BJs Wholesale Club 38. Albertsons

New Blood Pressure Guidelines May Take Millions of Americans Off Meds Read this copyrighted article at: http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/hsn/new-blood-pressure-guidelines-may-take-millions-of-americans-off-meds

I do recall some years ago, probably when I was living in the MidAtlantic region, a TV report of a woman arrested for smuggling a ham out of the store secreted her vagina or so she thought. Brings a whole new scope to the expression 'glazing the ham'. This comment is especially for Adam, knowing his sense of humor.

There is one but you have to move to the Northeast.

Nice your that computer guy is extending your the 7 alternative on his own. That customer care makes him a valuable vendor to have.

The AP confirms. You guys need to change your name to Shaker Heights, CA

Still on Windows XP? Here’s Some Bad Advice Rafe Needleman Mar 28, 2014 Windows XP is dying. On April 8, Microsoft will stop supporting the ancient operating system that was released in 2001 — and at one point was used by 400 million people. You might think that an operating system that was actually engineered in the late 90s would be fully obsolete and unused by now. After all, since XP came out, Microsoft has released several major replacement versions: Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 (recently upgraded to Windows 8.1). But there’s something about Windows XP. It’s basic, stable, fast enough, and good enough for a lot of people. It’s still running on more than 10 percent of the world’s computers, and it’s huge in China. Still, it’s time. It’s hard to keep an operating system this old up to snuff in today’s online environment. XP works, but it’s not built to the same security level as modern operating systems. Microsoft doesn’t want to keep writing new security upgrades for it, so on April 8, it’s stopping. No more security updates. No more support. Your XP computer will still work, but Microsoft won’t help you anymore. Microsoft is pretty harsh about it: “XP cannot be considered safe to use after support ends.” Microsoft urges you to upgrade. There’s even a site that tells you when your XP world will end: AmIRunningXP.com. Microsoft also has more info on what "end of support" means. To be fair, moving off XP would be a smart thing to do. Newer operating systems are easier to use (at least most of them), they run the cool new apps, and they’re definitely safer. But how do you move from an old computer that’s running XP into the modern era? I’ve heard a lot of advice on how to make the transition. Not all of it good. Here are your options. Bad ideas first: Bad idea #1: Just don’t worry about it It’s not like Windows XP computers will magically stop working on April 9. So don’t worry about it; just keep on using it. Why is this a bad idea? The problem with an old operating system is that it’s not up to speed with modern attacks. Operating systems need to be patched (updated) frequently to keep them safe from data thieves, scammers, viruses, and the like. After April 8, there will be no more updates coming. But if you plan to keep going with XP for a while, at least make sure you’re on the last, ultimate version of it, called Service Pack 3. After April 8, you won’t be able to upgrade. Windows’ own update utility should manage this for you. Make sure it’s done so. Microsoft says it will continue to provide updates to its “anti-malware signatures and engine for Windows XP users through July 14, 2015,” so you can continue to use the company’s antivirus app, Microsoft Security Essentials. That is, assuming you already have MSE. After April 8, it won’t be available for download at all. You could also get a possibly better antivirus tool from another vendor. PC Pro recommends Avast 2014. It’s free, and they say it’s better than Microsoft’s own Security Essentials. But don’t get comfortable. According to Microsoft, even up-to-date security software can’t save you if the operating system itself isn’t secure. And Windows XP just isn’t. Microsoft says, “Our research shows that the effectiveness of anti-malware solutions on out-of-support operating systems is limited. Running a well-protected solution starts with using modern software and hardware designed to help protect against today’s threat landscape.” So you can keep using XP, but not without risk. You probably don’t want it connected to the Internet, and even plugging a USB drive into it could be unsafe. Bad idea #2: Upgrade to Windows 8, like Microsoft wants you to Why not get the latest version of Windows? It’s so shiny! There are two big reasons why this is a bad idea. The first: It probably won’t work. Your old Win XP machine likely does not have the horsepower, the hard disk space, or the hardware to run Windows 8. Second: You’ll hate it. Windows 8 (including 8.1) has two separate interfaces. There’s a Windows desktop-like one in there, which you’ll probably find comfortable, but you have to go through the touchscreen-centric primary interface to get to it. That’s fine if you have a tablet. But your XP machine is no tablet. You can mostly avoid that tile-based, touchscreen interface, but not completely. It pops up from time to time, usually when you’re in a hurry and stressed out, and it’s frustrating when it happens. You can also bite the bullet and get a new Windows 8 computer. They’re not expensive at all. They’re just alien. If you do start over on a Windows 8 machine, Microsoft has tools to make moving your data from XP to Windows 8 fairly straightforward. Bad idea #3: Move to Linux The geek operating system (sorry, geeks) called Linux is stable, fast, cheap, and free, and will run on your old XP machine better than Windows 8 will. The nerds will tell you it’ll do everything that XP will do. They’re right. But here’s why it’s a bad idea: It really is a platform for nerds. Few people you know — unless you know a lot of programmers — will be able to help you out. And your Windows software won’t work. If you have apps you like, you’ll have to find Linux equivalents for them. You’re better off moving to a consumer-friendly operating system. Bad idea #4: Get a Chromebook We love the oddball new Chromebooks, Google’s web-centric laptops. They’re cheap, they work great with online apps, and they’re easy to share. Why is this a bad idea, then? Because Chromebooks rely on a connection to the Internet. Some functions and apps work when disconnected, but most don’t. And Chromebooks don’t run regular Windows programs (Photoshop, Quicken, iTunes, and so on). Chromebooks are great for specific purposes and people (they are great for kids at home or school, for example), but they’re not quite ready to replace Macs or Windows PCs for everybody. Read: Why Your Kid’s Next Laptop — But Not Yours — Should Be a Chromebook Don’t like these bad ideas? Then try one of these other directions: Better idea #1: Upgrade to Windows 7 The version of Windows that predates Windows 8 is really good. It’s stable and conceptually similar enough to Windows XP that a transition will not be difficult. It’s not a perfect solution, though. Your machine may not have the juice to run Windows 7, either, as it actually takes a slightly more powerful computer to run Windows 7 well than Windows 8. But you can, for the time being still buy Windows 7 (even though it’s not clear if Microsoft is still manufacturing Win 7 disks), and some hardware vendors still sell computers with Windows 7 installed on them. Better idea #2: Get a Mac Bizarrely, it’s easier to move from Windows XP to the Macintosh operating system, OS X, than to Windows 8.1. There are maddening small differences, but conceptually OS X is similar enough to Windows XP (and every other version of Windows other than Windows 8). It doesn’t take people very long to adapt. Most (though not all) good apps are available in Mac versions, too, and your data files should transfer over just fine. It’s an expensive move, though. The cheapest new Mac costs $600 (the entry-level Mac Mini; you can use the screen, mouse, and keyboard from your old Windows computer). Laptops start at $1000 and desktops at $1,300. Complete Windows machines today start in the $300 range, or very nicely equipped at about $600. If you can afford it, though, and you’re not married to specific Windows XP software, Macs are a treat to use. You’re not alone Why are people still using Windows XP? I asked my Facebook followers and got good answers from people who are. Some people keep old machines for specific purposes, like running XP-only software and the like. Some just take the enlightened opinion that if they have a computer that works for what they want, there’s no reason to spend money and time on an upgrade. Just because a manufacturer deems one of its products obsolete, it doesn’t mean everyone who uses such a product has to stop using it immediately. However, over time, an old product in the modern world will develop problems: It will be less safe, or there won’t be people to fix it, or some other product it relies on will fail, and replacements won’t be available any longer. Yes, I’m talking about Windows XP, but the same is true if you’re still driving a 1976 AMC Pacer. When you get into this part of the cycle, you might be forced to move on. But you have a lot of options when you decide to do so — and they might not be the options that the manufacturer recommends. Rafe Needleman can be reached at rafeneedleman@yahoo.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @rafe. See original article at: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/still-on-windows-xp-heres-some-bad-advice-80911845810.html

He's pretty, elegant, graceful and athletic. A joy to watch. Thanks for sharing hito.

I've shopped at a few of these on a regular basis and I have to agree with this article, especially near the bottom of the list.

The 13 Worst Supermarkets in America in 2014 By Beth Braverman 15 hours ago Read this article at: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/13-worst-supermarkets-america-2014-193800530.html

There have always been cases of bad parenting. However, I believe it 'blossomed' in the late seventies and eighties as the sixties flower generation became parents with school age children. There was a new 'air' of permissiveness to be 'set free to realize one's potential, whatever direction that carried one. Marching to someone else's drum was constrictive, inhibiting, smothering. Well, that is what school or the military or a job is: marching to someone else's drum. I didn't like it but if I wanted an education or job I had to make compromises. I learned I couldn't have it all my way. Lots of today's kids and parents believe it is their right to have it their way. Not all of course or maybe even most but a large enough number to inject problems into the system. MY opinion anyway.

Always had a thing for him. Though not what he was ten years ago, I'd still make a go of it. Today... Over the years....

Not too many steam kettles and hot plates fit in a server footprint.

My point about the school boards is this. They are pressured by some parents who object to 'rules' of behavior, dress, and responsibilities as constricting the 'rights' of their children to be who they are and to express themselves whether appropriate to a classroom environment. Add to that demands that accountability must be waived for their child due to undue impact to their lives whether affecting the prom or their otherwise sure entrance to Harvard. Here's an example: Johnny has a classroom behavior problem. Rather than deal with the child the parent blames other students in class for this behavior or the teacher for not having classroom control. My parent would have said (to me): anymore reports of problems in class and I'll tear your ass up! Now it may be true that others in class cause problems or the teacher runs a slack class. Even so, that doesn't mean that student must participate in it as my father would impress on me. Discipline starts at home. If the parents back the teachers the kids get the message. When parents do not, kids also get the message.