unicorn

Just out of curiosity, for those who come from countries where it's common to ask guests to take off their shoes--would it be fair to assume that no people who make such requests have outdoor pets, such as dogs? Otherwise it seems beyond silly.

Spurred by a recent New York Times article, I was happy to find that these stories of birth order personalities have been found to be a myth, when examined scientifically and objectively: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092656615000525 https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1506451112 "...Most important, however, we consistently found no birth-order effects on extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, or imagination. On the basis of the high statistical power and the consistent results across samples and analytical designs, we must conclude that birth order does not have a lasting effect on broad personality traits outside of the intellectual domain...". I guess they should have written "Most importantLY," since it's modifying "found." However, it has been shown that the odds for a man to be gay increases with the number of older brothers he has...

Well, had the old lady slipped and fell, she might have fractured her hip (or wrist or other bones). I would further opine that if one lives in a country/location where it's not customary to ask people to take their shoes off, it's the host who should probably offer shoe covers (or slippers). I certainly understand the problem of slosh/salt/mud in colder climates as a legitimate concern. I just learned that they even have automatic shoe cover dispensers. They would sound pretty practical in those colder climates:

No, it's not the case in which the US stubbornly refuses to use the metric system, uses mm/dd/yy, or lists prices which have little to do with what one actually has to pay. In reading up on the custom, it seems it's customary mainly in Asia and in places where it actually makes sense: in cold climates such as Canada, Nordic countries, and the Baltics, where the snow/slush/mud would actually make cleaning the house very difficult https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradition_of_removing_shoes_in_the_home_and_houses_of_worship "...In Northern Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltics, it is considered unhygienic and rude by most to keep one's shoes on when entering a house, in particular boots or outdoor walking shoes. There may be exceptions, especially when it is a short visit where it is not necessary to enter the interior rooms of the house or flat. For the most part though, shoes are taken off — in part due to the harsh winter weather... In Canada, households do not wear shoes in the home. In general it is expected that a guest would remove their shoes on entering a home unless the host states otherwise. In addition to residential homes, the removal of shoes also occurs in other settings, particularly during the winter; as footwear worn outside may be wet from snow and soiled by the associated salt/sand that is used to clear roads of snow cover. As a result, many schools in Canada require students to bring with them or leave behind a pair of "indoor shoes" at the school for indoor wear during the winter months. Similarly in office settings, employees will usually wear indoor shoes in the winter...".

Yes, I agree that in Canada this makes sense much, perhaps most, of the year. This is not an issue where I live (Los Angeles), and I was blindsided. I guess I'm going to buy some slippers to leave in my car, in case others want to impose their foreign customs on their guests. (I also don't keep an ice scraper in my car unless I'll be driving up the mountains in winter)

Well, after my 2nd bout, I went for quite a few years without a problem (wearing arch support), then stopped wearing arch support insoles, and developed a 3rd, horrible bout shortly thereafter. I have never worn shoes without them, ever since. These are what my podiatrist recommended. She did not recommend compressions socks, nor have I seen any studies to show these are effective at preventing PF. With respect to Vinapu's suggesting that I either decline the invitation or address it in advance, we were surprised by the requirement as we showed up at the door. This surprise was complicated by the lack of furniture/place to sit. My feeling was that in places where such requests aren't customary, the shoeless requirement be addressed before we leave (preferably when extending the invitation). I understand cultural differences, but in the US, wearing shoes indoors is the cultural norm.

I went to a party last night, which was a birthday celebration for a friend, given by another of his friends (my fiance and I didn't know the party-thrower couple previously). To my surprise, they asked us to take our shoes off before entering the house. I always wear shoes with custom arch supports, since, when I don't I can develop a case of plantar fasciitis, which can cause foot pain for months. The treatment can necessitate painful injections, physical therapy, and the wearing of special boots. Taking off shoes before entering a house is not the custom in the US (one of the couple was Asian, so I'm guessing the request started from him). Also, their house, newly moved-into, didn't have any stools or places where I could take the weight off of my feet. I just kept my weight off the foot which has been the culprit more often, and thankfully I'm OK. The next day (today) I went online to see if there have been any scientific studies demonstrating any illness or medical condition which would be less frequent in houses wherein people take their shoes off, and there doesn't seem to be any science behind this custom (presumably, stubbed toes are more frequent with shoes off). This seems to be all a matter of tradition--presumably traditions which predate the invention of the vacuum cleaner. I remember traveling to homes in Japan, where guests are requested to take their shoes off, and are provided with slippers. However, they provided no slippers. I understand in Japan that (1) shoes can tear up tatami mats which often cover the floors, and (2) tatami mats are difficult if not impossible to vacuum. This couple just had a hardwood floor, though. Should this couple have given fair warning to guests regarding their no-shoes policy, given that it's not the custom in this country? Provided shoe covers of slippers? Usually in the US, it's just assumed that one is not going to show up at a party in dirt-laden hiking boots that one wore on a recent hike. Separately, how should I approach this problem in the future? Should I just carry slippers in my car, then, if unexpectedly asked to remove my shoes, explain that I have a medical condition, and can go back to the car, get the slippers, and then transfer the shoe inserts into the slippers upon my return?

Oh, of course. Because Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the UAE are so much more interesting than Egypt, Cambodia, France, Turkey, or the US.... 😄 That has got to be the silliest list I've ever seen. It just shows what some tourist offices are willing to pay to get on silly lists.

No thanks. Even if I hadn't tipped him, it would have only taken seconds to provide a yes/no answer. Not to answer a question someone has, in effect, paid you in advance to answer is, at least in my mind, rather rude. I unsubscribed and won't be attempting any other contact.

I don't understand those people who are closing down all of these university campuses. While I agree that Netanyahu is a war criminal who should be locked up, I don't see how occupying and closing down university campuses is supposed to help the cause. It just seems to embolden BN, who called the protesters "antisemitic thugs." It definitely doesn't seem to make anyone more sympathetic to their cause. All I see it doing is punishing and antagonizing people who are not in the decision loop with BN. I could understand protesting at Israeli consulates, but Colombia University? It seems irrational to me. Opposing BN doesn't mean one supports Hamas, and opposing Hamas doesn't mean one supports BN. I'm sure there are plenty of Palestinians, Muslims, Jews, and Israelis who don't like either Hamas or BN.

Will weather or ATC be valid excuses against the refunds? Those do seem out of the airlines' control, unlike "maintenance," a frequently cited non-excuse. However, the weather or ATC excuses, I'd hope, would need to be validated.

Wow. That's way under your $3000 budget. Good luck, and let us know how it works out (what you visit, and so on). To answer a previous question of yours, which it doesn't look like has been answered yet, Uber, but not Lyft, operates in Mexico. Ubers are usually allowed to take passengers to, but not from the airplane terminal, so you'd have to walk to a nearby place if you want to hail an Uber. Taxi fares are regulated, and are usually less expensive than Uber fares. I'll usually first get a price from Uber, then get into a taxi to ask its price, making sure it's under the Uber price, which it usually is. Ubers do have a safety advantage, though, as your ride is recorded and monitored.

Although my bitch has been fixed, male dogs like to lick her pussy, especially this one chihuahua (my dog weighs around 25 kg).

No, it wasn't Clark. As I mentioned in my OP, the creator I PM'd and tipped lives in LA. I won't say who it was, as I don't want to possibly send any business to his OF.

Looks as though a number of statues have been put in since I was last there... https://lifetraveledinstilettos.com/11-unique-and-quirky-statues-you-can-only-see-in-prague/

I suspect it must have been installed since the last time I was there, probably some 12 years ago...

When I heard that they were building (now have built) a suicide barrier at the Golden Gate Bridge, I assumed it would be like other ones I've seen, such as this bridge in Toronto: Or on top of the Empire State building: I was shocked when I recently saw what was recently installed: This new "barrier" seems to be completely ineffective, since whoever jumped into the nets could easily jump again from those nets. When I googled as to whether anyone had actually been saved by that barrier, I didn't find that anyone had, but did come across this article by a psychiatric RN: https://www.statnews.com/2023/05/10/golden-gate-bridge-anti-suicide-net-cost/ "...Spending $400 million to save 30 people a year is a misuse of funds. The current population of the Bay Area is about 3.3 million. While money certainly can’t buy happiness, at $120 per resident, $400 million can buy an awful lot of therapeutic help and crisis intervention for those who need it — particularly given that 85% of those who choose to jump from the Golden Gate live within an hour’s drive of the bridge...". Delving into the subject further, I found that even effective barriers, such as that on that Toronto bridge, don't lead to an overall drop in suicides. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897976/ "...Although the barrier prevented suicides at Bloor Street Viaduct, the rate of suicide by jumping in Toronto remained unchanged. This lack of change might have been due to a reciprocal increase in suicides from other bridges and buildings. This finding suggests that Bloor Street Viaduct may not have been a uniquely attractive location for suicide and that barriers on bridges may not alter absolute rates of suicide by jumping when comparable bridges are nearby...". It seems to me like a sad mis-use of funds--big $$ which could have helped people simply wasted away.

I actually tipped him $10. Just rudeness. Where does Clark Reid live?

Have any of you sent messages to an OF creator? I subscribed to the account of a local porn star (who lives here in Los Angeles). I sent him a message with a tip, informing him I lived in his area and asking him basically if he'd be amenable to escorting. Notwithstanding the tip, he didn't even answer yes or no, now two days later. I've never PM'd someone on OnlyFans before, so I don't know if this lack of response is typical, even when I paid him to read my message.