RockHardNYC

That could certainly be a possibility. Intellect may not guarantee superb leadership qualities, but I personally prefer a man who reads than one who doesn't, and has no interest. I miss Obama's intellect, the way he paused before he spoke. I also like the fact that Pete Buttigieg served in the military. And from what I'm hearing, South Bend is loving him as mayor.

He is refusing to turn over his cell phone to law enforcement, and I don't blame him for that. I would not hand over my cell phone either. There are plenty of other ways to cooperate without surrendering personal computers to law enforcement. Furthermore, the Chicago police are not supporting the hoax theory (yet), and they've addressed it in a statement. It lingers in the background because it's click-bate, and tons of people bite on it in the Trump era of lies, especially in the world of online media. If Jessie Smollet was stupid enough to "stage an attack for publicity purposes," then he clearly shot himself and his very young career in both feet. Smart people have been known to do very stupid things, especially the self-destructive among us. But I'm very reluctant to believe conspiracy theories spread on the internet. If the gossip about this incident turns out to be true, then Smollet's career will be over, and he may end up in jail. Given the discipline it takes to break into show business, I find it hard to fathom that a young, talented, Black, working actor would be so utterly self-destructive, especially if he's not a functioning drug addict (which some are).

"In an age of rising rents and stagnating wages, after corporations just got a big handout from the Republican tax bill with much less relief for struggling families, as income inequality continues to ensure that the profit of our economic productivity is skimmed off by those at the top, the era of such incentive deals may be coming to an end." The reaction is quite swift. New York Finally Called Amazon's Bluff

I never understood why Amazon was given so many concessions and tax breaks to build in Long Island City. It's easy to argue that NYC did not need this business, and Amazon would have done serious over-priced damage to the LIC community, drastically escalating real estate prices. It's well known that the area's landlords were already behaving like heroin addicts greeting a drug smuggling ship. The greed here can be unlike anything elsewhere. Amazon's letter is an interesting read. They're delivering a BIG fuck you to the politicians, and I happen to think the politicians deserve it, given their handling of this transaction. I can't imagine that Cuomo and DeBlasio are happy about this breakdown. IMO, this is a business fiasco, but not for Amazon. Amazon will thrive no matter where they settle. Maybe now they'll consider Cleveland, which makes the most sense. Amazon Pulls Out Since Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led the very vocal fight against Amazon, it's going to be interesting if she takes a hit for losing this financial behemoth in her community. No matter what you thought of this deal, Amazon in LIC would have been super successful for thousands more people than the few it would have hurt.

I believe the West Side Club on 20th Street is still open. Also, the East Side Club on East 56th St. Very different places, from what I hear, attracting very different customers. Manhattan's hipsters are extremely reluctant to travel north of 23rd Street. Nobody who considers himself "cool" goes to the Upper East Side for anything. Older, heavier, ethnic men from Queens tend to favor the East Side Club. The Flatiron District still maintains an "edge," however dull it may be. And when it comes to sex, edge still implies non-fat. I know a few retail queens who love 20th St. I have no idea how these places pay their rent. From what I hear, the housekeeping at both places is subpar. In all my years in Manhattan, I've never been to a bathhouse here. The reason is simple: I never wanted to run into someone I know from work. Sex is a private affair for me. I've known quite a few guys who adore bathhouses and enjoy sharing their stories. They love hearing about my gym exploits, too. Personally, I enjoy the good-looking men at my gym, and I prefer to see everything in the bright light of day. And the need to be discreet adds a little something to the sexual tension and eventual release. There are bathhouse guys who enjoy the dark, maze-like rooms, naked men walking around in towels, the sound of water and fake-sex porn, and the group/social randomness of it all. Depending on the time and day you go, I suppose there is a chance you can still meet someone fun. Popular? Enough to stay alive.

"soon, I was forsaking my No Fatties rule and heading to the Bear Zone." Clearly, the author was desperate to get off, or write a story. Personally, I'd rather eat a good meal than have sex with an obese man. Bathhouses in Italy are an interesting experience, for a minute. But good luck finding the right minute. If you aren't a handsome Italian man with olive skin and dark hair, I wouldn't bother. Italian locals are not interested in having sex with their tourist visitors. Sex in Italy is so much more fun and rewarding when you hire someone. At least then you can get closer to your fantasy. I'm always surprised to find any gay bathhouse open these days. Who has endless money to invest in these financial duds? It costs a lot of money to run a great bathhouse. I won't even mention how someone defines clean. Young, horny guys find easy sex on their cell phones in the modern world. Using Grindr, you don't need to pay a $50 entrance fee, drag a gym bag, carry a gallon of disinfectant, and sign any documents while the security cameras are capturing endless photos of you. Honestly, what incentive exists for a hot gay man in his 20's, 30's, and 40's to go to a bathhouse? Unless, of course, he's into "Fatties." To a young, gay man, mentioning a bathhouse is like discussing land lines. Terms that a dinosaur would use.

My gut is telling me this is an anomaly. It's been my experience that certain military Vets automatically receive Pre-TSA treatment, especially if they show up at the airport in a wheelchair. That said, the "rules" seem different at different airports. No two TSA agents think alike, if they're able or allowed to think at all. They all have bosses. It's hard to believe that any of them showed up to work for free during the government shutdown. I would have told a certain "chief" to go fuck himself. In the age of terrorism, the concept of "security" at airports is what it is. Complaining about it won't change a thing. The minute you allow humans to make an exception, that will be the minute you meet an underwear-bomber. Protecting planes from would-be terrorists is no easy task. There has to be a smarter way, but finding intelligence these days is also no easy task. If you wish to avoid being confronted with utter disgust and stupidity, don't fly. Attempting to define humanity at an airport is depressing.

It's official, Elizabeth Warren formally announced today her Presidential Bid. At 69, you got to hand it to this woman. She's some kind of fighter. I'm personally thinking her time has come and gone. She didn't stand a chance against Hillary. Maybe there was a prime spot for her in the Hillary administration that we'll never know about. She really could have been something. Then she made the HUGE mistake of letting branding-baffoon Trump label her "Pocahontas" long before she ever dallied with a run for the White House. No different than Hillary giving her enemies that server in her basement. Unable to fully explain in a satisfactory manner how she came to label herself "American Indian," even on registration cards and employment records, she has a DNA test only to find she might have well said she was part Black. And then finally, just days ago, she kind of apologizes for all of it. That's one way to announce your run for President. I like Elizabeth Warren. I have always thought her heart was in the right place, looking out for the working Joe and his family. I'm kind of glad she's hanging in there with fists up. The more Trump bashes her, the stronger the women's movement gets. And you know Trump can't resist bashing her, even though she's nowhere near a threat.

Bret Stephens is another conservative writer whose work I enjoy reading. His controversial opinion piece in the NY Times this week is titled, Why Ralph Northam Should Not Resign. "…we believe that our worst moments and dumbest utterances shouldn’t define us. That our youthful behavior is more of a reflection of what is around us than a representation of what’s inside. That we deserve to be judged by the decency of our intentions and the totality of our deeds. That we are entitled to a presumption of innocence, a measure of forgiveness, a sense for our times, and multiple opportunities for redemption." It is a miracle that Ed Gillespie, with all his Republican dollars, never found Northam's medical school yearbook during the campaign, while Northrop played the race card against Gillespie. A miracle. I don't think Ralph Northam could have handled his yearbook fiasco any worse. He totally failed at explaining himself. Politicians, even those with good intentions, are often terrible at PR damage control. The pressure to "perform" well is too much for many to bear. Even so, I happen to agree with Bret Stephen's position: you don't judge a man by the dumbest, non-illegal thing he did over thirty years ago. In a 35-year career, there seems to be no hint of racial bias. If you're a racist, that's almost impossible to accomplish.

No parapet pecker on my palazzo, unless there's a hood molding. But I do enjoy peek-a-boo windows.

As we often do. I don't care about anyone's penis. But his cock-pic that he sent his mistress I will look at. When it comes to photography, I'm a known slut.

LOL! Ignore a dick pic selfie from the wealthiest man in the USA? I don't think so. I've never been much of a self-flagellator.

That's basically the attitude I've maintained throughout my years of travel, using this reasoning as a way to explain why I haven't endured more trouble. I have been robbed more than once. Those experiences have a way of changing you forever. Even when I wear casual clothing, strangers tend to assume I have a lot of money or wear expensive jewelry. Because I have been robbed, I rarely wear a watch in public. I can make an attempt to dress down, but that doesn't change my body language or the basic way I stand out in a crowd. Normally, I'm risk averse, unless you're inviting me to sky dive. I don't enjoy the feeling of being "on guard." Being a New Yorker for decades, like Oz mentions, I tend to be on guard by default. But when I visit places that are specifically known for high crime, my on guard feeling intensifies, and that's the feeling I don't enjoy. In the last ten years or so, I decided to end travel to places where I don't feel safe. Now that Trump is president, I'm very glad I made that decision. In certain places, Americans can be easy targets. If I receive a travel warning from a reliable source, I appreciate the warning and I heed the advice.

In keeping with this sentiment... Kara Swisher is a terrific writer I follow in the NY Times. Jeff Bezos Isn't Afraid of Total Exposure

Such titans of industry. I know how to tickle a dick. Even the bureaucrats at the FCC, attempting to have it both ways, say that they “must be mindful of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section 326 of the Communications Act, which prohibit the FCC from censoring program material, or interfering with broadcasters’ free speech rights.” “My guess is that the networks are engaging in more than they’re legally required to do,” said University of Virginia law professor Frederick Schauer, who’s also the Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment, emeritus, at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. “Major broadcasters are often more cautious than they are required to legally be. But a cautious lawyer would advise a cautious client that that is still the law, and that words on the list should be bleeped out.” But in the public interest – and in the name of honest journalism – the cable news networks, which are not bound by FCC censorship, could and should broadcast Trump’s profanities without deletions, bleeps or pixels. The only thing that stops them, as Trump would say, is that they’re a bunch of pussies.

Close enough. I believe one of the questions was, "Calvin's or 2(X)ist?"

Is anyone really interested in seeing his dick pics? Today is the first time I ever heard network news anchors use the words "dick pic" on television. The feud between Bezos, Pecker, and Trump is fascinating. Can't wait to see where this goes. I guess we'll be seeing Bezos's cock sooner rather than later. Since Bezos has decided to play hardball, my bet is that Bezos has a bigger cock than Trump, and it ain't no mushroom head. Extortion and Blackmail

Some members don't like it. If you enter the board from the Recent Updated column on the right, you can't tell what forum you're in (unless you work extra hard to find out). Too much work for so little pleasure.

I see little point in participating in a broken record... Not equally. The details matter. I own my own business. Sometimes, taking on additional debt makes perfect business sense. Obama inherited a SERIOUS fiscal meltdown, from a Republican administration. A disaster! IMO, not only did the stimulus package make perfect sense to me, it should have been much larger. The damn thing should have included a bailout to protect homeowners from foreclosure. I'm not talking about the folks who were speculating (flipping) or lost vacation properties. I'm talking about those who owned their homes (primary addresses) for 10 years or longer. Borrowing when money is at its cheapest is the smartest time to borrow, if you can safely do it. I've done it several times. Asshole McConnell knew, if Obama got more money to do infrastructure, the Dems would be in office for many future terms. McConnell killed success out of spite. Welcome to American Democracy in 2019. In Ancient Rome, the poor were required to pay public urinal tax. So much for their welfare program working.

Unfortunately, racism will always exist, no matter what party affiliation you are. I prefer to live in the present. Living pre-Civil War will not help you get health care (or make you look younger). Not all history repeats itself. The costs can be calculated and forecast. Businesses large and small do this every day. America has plenty of smart mathematicians. As long as the wealth disparity in this country continues to grow, the poorer among us will eventually REVOLT. That history WILL repeat itself. Trump's DEBT is ASTOUNDING to me. Shame on the Republican Party, and that joke known as The Tea Party, for being bold-faced liars/hypocrites, just like their fearless leader.

Mainstream America, at least those who voted for Trump, have no soul. They sold whatever soul they thought they had to embrace the devil. A sad sack of scared, racist hypocrites. That's a quiz I hope I never have to take, especially on a board like this one. The ancient city of Rome or the Roman Empire? Imperial Rome or Republican? Very different dates. The Roman Empire lasted almost 1500 years. Some Vaticanists put the date at 2700+, and still counting. Only the first two centuries of the empire's existence were peaceful and politically stable. Pax Romana. Without the GAY, I see Nero in Trump. Perhaps even a little Marie-Antoinette, which is the only French culture he could possess. I realize a lot of people like to cling to the notion of history repeating itself. After all, mankind doesn't seem to change much. We have changed, however. The role of women in American culture has changed dramatically for the better. And I expect it will continue to change. Ancient Rome was male dominated, out to conquer, steal, and plunder anything in its path of growth. Some may see America this way. I don't.

I caught Buttigieg being interviewed by Chuck Todd. I remember Chuck Todd when he was a fatty with hair. As a gay man who is proudly fashionable and an aesthete, I would've had to ask Todd about his vanity-less fatter years, when he was making much less money than he is now. I say this in response to some of the questions male anchors ask a gay man running for president. If there's one thing Sarah Palin got right, it's her characterization of the "gotcha" question. She deserved all of her "gotchas," but certain questions really bring out the sensational stupidity of the public at large and the stupidity of some of the anchors. These questions also bring out the fake-ness of those being asked. Once again, Pete Buttigieg handled himself beautifully. He never lost a beat of respect and dignity. He stayed on point with his very positive appeal. Todd almost massacred Buttigieg's last name, but it looks like that's something we fans are going to have to accept.

I've decided to write a check to her and Cory Booker's campaign. I really like the fact that two, smart, African American politicians entered the race. I think both of these candidates have a lot of heart and soul.

At least the board's owner respects his forum rules. I'd rather watch wet paint dry before watching Trump say anything on TV. Trump is the WORST actor. He has one face: STICK-UP-ASS. Congress should create a law preventing the blowhard fucker from ever using a teleprompter. Thank god for the DVR. I can't live without mine. No commercials (even though I've produced many). No Trump! Luckily, the date for the address moved. I celebrated a friend's birthday at Le Bernardin. Had that on the calendar weeks in advance. There was a handsome escort at our table. He was charming and educated. We all had a blast. Not a bad meal for $1400. In many ways, it made ignoring Trump delightful.

George Stephanopoulos recently interviewed Pete Buttigieg on This Week. The more I listen to the guy, the more I like him. You can see his campaign video here: Leaping for President. He's extremely articulate. Very smart. Great speaking voice. Handsome enough. He's the kind of gay man who can appeal to the masses. I think I'll be sending a donation to his campaign soon.