Lucky

He did it! Today's Top Posters hitoallusa (24) JKane (23)

Hi Maxx. Thanks for explaining why your name is longer than Max is usually spelled, and welcome to the forums. You can't max out on the number of posts, so have at it!

You might think that all Russians are crooks from reading this article in today's NY Times about a quarter billion dollar scam by Russian doctors and other immigrants. "This one, like many others, had its nerve center in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, the locus of the city’s Russian-speaking immigrant population, many of whom grew up under a Communist system that bred disdain for the rules and a willingness to cheat to get around them. Brighton Beach has one of the highest rates of health care fraud in the nation...“This is the Russian mind-set, and this is why it’s endemic in the system,” said one law-enforcement official who has investigated organized-crime groups from the former Soviet Union for many years. “If you’re not scamming the system, if you’re not scamming the government, you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing — you’re looked upon as a patsy.” But the times is quick to correct any misimpression that all Russians are crooks: "Of course, most immigrants from the former Soviet Union involved in health care in the United States are law-abiding, and would be offended at the impression that such schemes help to create. Still, some experts in law enforcement and academia believe that the cumbersome Soviet system, with its thicket of strictures that governed almost every aspect of life, effectively helped to groom a generation of post-Soviet criminals in the United States." No doubt it is just a few who break the law, and they are the ones who make the news. On the other hand, maybe some crimes need more personal investigation: Russian authorities are investigating claims this week that young military conscripts have routinely been forced into prostitution, according to several reports. It is the latest in a string of scandals that have plagued the Russian military...Soldiers For Rent Then again: As The A.P. notes, “all Russian men between the ages of 18 and 27 are required by law to serve in the 1.2 million-member military, but only about 9 percent typically are drafted. The rest avoid the feared conscription by signing up for college, being excused for health reasons — often falsified — or by simply paying bribes.” Honestly Russian

A baseball player who won his appeal on a steroid pee result is attacking the guy who took the sample for leaving it in the refrigerator over the weekend. I guess he thinks we are dumb enough to believe that a few days in the cooler could make his piss full of testosterone. Anyway, the guy who takes the samples must witness the um, sample as it is being given. He has taken samples now from 600 athletes, all male, of course. Now that's a job to like. He gets to see a lot of games for free. I had a friend once who saw more than 600 cocks in his job, but he worked at a VD clinic, which kind of took the fun out of it!

The only time I was robbed by a guy I took home (hotel) he had sex with me first. It was wonderful. He cleaned out my wallet on the way out. (I realize that is technically not a robbery.) Anyway, he had bought me a beer in the club, saved me a taxi fare to the hotel, and gave me superb sex. All for $19! And yes, thanks, Pauleiro, for the great report.

I think the news is the tape of the daughter confirming that MJ is not singing on the album.

Say that 3 more times and you will be tied!

His daughter says so. Tapes in the possession of gossip site TMZ are reportedly the daughter, in 2010, saying that a Jackson impersonator is really the voice on the album. Paris Jackson is quoted as saying on the tapes: During the 2010 video chat, Paris supposedly announced to her friends that the reason the voice on the album doesn't sound like her dad is because it's not the King of Pop at all — it's a sound-alike named Jason Malachi. "It's NOT him ... the whole album isn't even him!! Go online ... go on YouTube and look up Jason Malachi. That's him!!" the 13-year-old allegedly replied when a friend asked why the "Hold My Hand" singer sounded different. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/michael-jackson-daughter-paris-claims-legendary-singer-album-impostor-voice-article-1.1030559#ixzz1noJqwhGt

I see that hitoallusa is giving EXPAT a run today. He has 23 posts to EXPAT's 27, and the day is still young!

Glad to help, EXPAT. My guess is that he will be showing plenty of skin when he dances.

Another twist on this is revealed in today's NY Times. I noticed that my new Ipod had a "Contacts" icon, so I hit it, expecting to find an empty box. But no, they went into the email accounts I had added and took all of the contacts from them to put into this list. The Times says that App makers also can use your information on either the Iphone or the Ipod. Specifically, they can take photos you have stored and appropriate them to their own uses. The lack of interest in privacy is creating an Orwellian world, yet one that Orwell himself could not have imagined. We are cooperating, and cooperating with gusto. Stolen Photographs

Oh, Levy has shown more than that! from kennethinthe212.com

If you are really into Russian or Ukrainian boys, then this site might be for you: Marry Me!

HuffPost reports: A Georgia judge is under fire after he allegedly pulled his pistol in a courtroom in an apparent attempt to drive a point home to a sexual assault victim. Lumpkin County Superior Court Judge David Barrett wasn't angry, but making "a poor rhetorical point" when he flashed the piece this week, District Attorney Jeff Langley told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Barrett was presiding over a sexual assault case in which a woman brought charges of rape and aggravated assault against Scott Sugarman, a former Hall County sheriff's deputy. But when the victim took the stand to testify, Barrett told her that she was "killing her case" -- allegedly because she wasn't cooperating -- pulled out his gat and pretended to hand it her way. "[barrett said] 'You might as well shoot your lawyer,'" Langley told the paper. Shoot Your Lawyer!

It would be nice to see Adam Smith posting regularly again. And what happened to Beware of Nick? What did he stay for...a day? Was it something I said, BoN?

Suckrates, consider switching to Crestor as I did. Only with your doctor's blessing, of course. FourAces, that video is one of the best ever! I loved it.

The thread has brought back some good memories though. I wonder why I could not put together my attraction for Wally, and yes, Robbie on My Three Sons, into the fact that I might be gay. Ricky Nelson too, damn he was hot.

So now we know that FourAces is up at 3:10 in the morning. Only West Coast guys could catch this cute twink in action, and speaking for one West Coaster, I was fast asleep! But as I mentioned in my Thailand posts, if you want to see cute Russian boys, go to Pattaya.

Let's see...I am still counting..ah, there we go. Yes. Data breaches of individual's personal information last year resulted in 36 MILLION people being affected. a study shows. Javelin Strategy & Research does an annual report. A Washington Post columnist, Michelle Singletary, says: “You’re telling too much of your business.” People using LinkedIn, Google, Twitter and Facebook had the highest incidence of fraud, the company said. Javelin found that 68 percent of people with public social-media profiles shared their birthday information (with 45 percent revealing the month, day and year); 63 percent shared the name of their high school; 18 percent shared their phone number; and 12 percent shared the name of their pet. The crooks know many of us are password weary. They know many people don’t want to remember several passwords. They know that to make it easier for yourself, you choose a password you hope you won’t forget. Think about the details of your personal life you’re posting. Are you revealing your likes, dislikes, favorite foods, hobbies? You may think these details are insignificant, but they can be opportunities for people skilled at mining such information to guess your passwords. Do you absolutely have to tell everybody and their mama on your Facebook page or on Twitter about the latest escapade of your pet, especially if you use your pet’s name as a password or part of a password? Then there’s your smartphone. We are increasingly carrying around some of our most sensitive personal information. The survey found that 7 percent of smartphone users were victims of identity fraud, compared with 4.9 percent of the general population. Read more: Data breaches

What? No Leave It To Beaver? I was in love with Wally, and hoped that Eddie Haskell would pull my pants down! (It's okay, I was underage too.)

Oh, I found it! here it is: Posted last year: As the $1500 poster child, OK, one feels sufficiently chastised. But to the point: any of our participation here is tied to all kinds of other, not necessarily related life vectors. But which do affect desire/motivation/time to post here, as they affect so many other life pursuits that we chase with verve during more normal times. For me, divorce, rocky business transition, and trying (not too well) to navigate a complex of psychopathologies all conspire toward anhedonia (what Woody Allen originally wanted to title Annie Hall). Back when and as one can. Love continues meanwhile. *** You failed to mention that videos of Boo Boo Stewart could get you back as well! He sure is a doll. If I had $1500, I'd hire him! That could be quite a life vector!

Please provide a link to the comment made several days ago. I remember one several months ago...

High cholesterol has been my unwelcome buddy for many years now. I hate the drug Lipitor since it caused severe pain in my calves. But, I had to take it. So, I took 10mg a day even thought that is a low dose. When the leg pain would have me screaming, I would stop for a week. Then, earlier this year, the doc switched me to Crestor, but only two days a week at 20mg. My cholesterol numbers plummeted and I have little calf pain. For the first time in years, I had a normal level. All of this is to preface new warnings today from the FDA on statin drugs, whether Crestor or Lipitor or a generic. It seems that they can cause memory loss and confusion. Given that older folks tend to be the ones taking them, this is no small matter since we don't need any more help to forget things. And I am always confused! besides muscle pain, it is thought that these drugs can increase the likelihood of getting diabetes. Yet Big Pharma seems not ready to rest until we are all on statin drugs. So, start with your diet, and then exercise, and see if you can avoid these drugs altogether. Reading this article may encourage you in that direction: Article on Cholesterol Another medical study in the news yesterday was on the dangers of long term use of sleeping pills. (You die earlier.) Don't get me started on how dangerous Ambien is. I have stopped it altogether. Article discussing Danger of Sleep Pills

Once upon a time, a review site held a contest, and awarded the winner $1500!!! Not such small change, eh? So today I was surprised to see the winner of that contest make a cameo appearance here on MER. Perhaps he was contemplating entering the current contest? Maybe that $1500 is spent!

I did have another thought on this, and that is when someone dies, especially a young person, we do need to allow a time for those who knew him or her, especially family and friends, to grieve. Perhaps listing the cause of death at the time is thought to be a deterrent from proper mourning. And it is a fact that if a person takes his own life, there are plenty willing to second guess his choice. So, when it is a time for grieving, it is not a time for second guessing. So, maybe I disagree with what I wrote above. In time all facts tend to come out, but when some are grieving, there is no hurry to provide more details that could detract from proper mourning for the loss of someone we loved or admired.