The Beer Bar

You have to read this to believe it. Just when you thought society was becoming more enlightened: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/06/21/national/a044550D67.DTL

We have added a new feature to the site. This is on the Escorts Profiles. It is a Known to Be Legit. This tells others that you have met them and their photos are real. It is not a review of an escort but simply that the escorts description and photos match the person you have met. For example, if Townie host a Hamburger Mary's party when I get back to LA and several escorts show up and you chat with them, you can rate them from your conversations with them. Do their photos match the description? Is the profile accurate? In order for members to use this feature, they must have at least ONE PUBLISHED review. This tells us that the person doing the rating is also le…

The new Terence Malick movie The Tree of Life is only showing in the cities that are important to the country right now, so I haven't seen it. I did see an article wondering if it were too boring to sit through. Has anyone here seen it? Would it not be worth seeing just to gaze longingly at Brad Pitt?

It seems air travel industry chiefs are starting to paint a much rosier picture of the future, if orders at this week’s Paris Air Show are anything to go by. Airbus has just announced the largest-ever single order for aircraft – 180 from Indian budget carrier IndiGo for 30 A320s and 150 of the new fuel-efficient A320neo jets. But that record is not likely to stand for long. Reuters and the Asian Wall Street Journal are saying Air Asia will swamp that with an order for 200 A320neos and options to purchase 100 more. Personally I'm not a fan of the A320. It's narrower than the Boeing 737 and is essentially a 5-across economy seating configuration. Yet, most airlines…

I have been working out every day for a bit trying to get in shape for an event this fall. I work at the same gym and usually early morning. There is one guy that is obviously gay (as I am) and we flirt with out eyes every day. This has been going on for 6 weeks. Today, I was in the jacuzzi and he came in and we chatted. The gym is REALLY dead in the AM's and I am usually in the jacuzzi by myself. He asked about my boyfriend as he sees him with me from time to time. We chatted a long time and then went to the steam room. One thing led to another and we ended up having sex. It was great and it was a much needed release but this gym is kind of high end and I'd…

I remember stories of this man from when I was young and in Alabama. I also spent a few summers in the Boston area and the name is infamous. He was able to turn his FBI handlers into informants that allowed him to kill his enemies. It is a fascinating story. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/06/23/137361625/gangster-whitey-bulger-who-used-to-own-boston-captured?sc=fb&cc=fp

Bravo, George Michael! The singer has announced he will stage a special concert at London’s Royal Opera House on 6 November in aid of Sir Elton John’s AIDS Foundation. The concert will specifically benefit the Foundation’s newly created Elizabeth Taylor Memorial Fund. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13885691

Hi Mr. Shepards. I notice that you registered some time ago but have yet to post. I see that you are online now. We'd welcome your participation. If there is any reason why you don't post, let us know what we can do to have you join the conversation. Welcome, a bit belatedly, to the boards! (I always screw those titles up! It's Shepards. My apology.

I have many but I guess this is the one that brings a tear to my eye every time.

A New Jersey physics professor was arrested for his “hobby” – running a site for prostitutes and their johns. Apparently he had a straight version of MER where guys could find, hire, and review prostitutes. I don’t believe he did anything more than host the site. It’s not like he was a pimp and actively assisting the girls or handling the money. However, just “owning” the site apparently got him into hot water. http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=157&sid=16057633 Any chance that something similar could happen here?

I have been strung out on the beach in a hammock and I sleep like a baby. I always just thought it was the comfort of being on the beach, sun blazing and the wind rocking me. Peace. Scientists have now said that the gentle sway of the hammock kick starts our brain and induces us to better sleep. I am sure new swaying beds are coming soon. I just hope they are better than the vibrating bed I once got in a cheap hotel when I was 16 looking to hook up with another guy. That night I slept good as well, but for different reasons. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/06/20/137300311/why-hammocks-make-sleep-easier-deeper?ps=cprs

Just in time for Father's Day! Well, doesn't Nicholas Sagar, a (straight) London model look like Obama?

I, generally speaking, hate people who give investment tips. Mostly because that even among professionals there are very few who are capable to give reasonable advice on investment choices. However, the life getting tougher for people living on fixed income, especially expats, and it would be nice if we could exchange our views within one integrated thread. I, of course, mean broader discussion. E.g. Americans face more and more constraints with offshore investments. Paradoxically, American expats have difficulties with their US brokerage accounts. I already had opportunity to mention in my previous posts that current Obama administration passed several new laws which s…

I know that some here are fathers. Oliver, Tomcal and KyTop come to mind, and I have heard them speak of how valuable their children are to them. I have no doubt that the reverse is true. Fatherhood was not for me. I know many gay men get married and have children, but once I realized that I was gay, I never went with a woman again. But I think it can be a pretty good thing to have children who make you proud. In a certain sense I miss that, but hey, I am not going to start now. One thing for sure, all of us have fathers, some living and some not. My father passed 24 years ago, but I remember him today, among many days. He supported my coming out before most others did.…

The gloves are off in Wasilla, Alaska. Despite taking him to the Republican convention and then getting engaged to him again after a break-up, Bristol Palin now claims that she was raped by Levi Johnston. Not only that, but: She blasts him as "the gnat named Levi Johnston constantly spreading false accusations against our family" and calls him a self-involved slacker "who cheated on me about as frequently as he sharpened his hockey skates." (AP) Upon hearing that she was pregnant, Plain claims that Levi responded: "Better be a (bleeping) boy." The AP article goes on to say that "Her reaction to learning that her son's father had posed nude for Playgirl: "Puke!"' The…

From SFgate.com: Folks at the beautifulpeople.com will tell you that hanging with the beautiful crowd has its perks - until an angry ex-employee crashes the pretty-people party with 30,000 of his or her ugliest friends. The exclusive dating site reports it was targeted by a virus aptly called "Shrek" last month, allowing thousands of so-called "ugly people" to set up profiles on the site without approval. Usually, the site's members vote on whether applicants are worthy of a beautifulpeople.com profile. "We got suspicious when tens of thousands of new members were accepted over a six-week period, many of whom were no oil painting," site director Greg Hodge said in a pr…

If anyone is thinking about not seeing Spiderman on Broadway due to the poor reviews, the photo below probably will make everyone run to secure front row tickets. The boy is hot, the outfit very cooperative, and he got the package.

Can't go anywhere near Weho without hearing the original of this song so this parody is perfect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjvJU3FSaxg Damn it, what am I doing wrong on the embed?

I tried to read Herb Vonnegut's new novel, but didn't like it. Dale Brown's new novel is atrocious. Currently I am reading Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin. On my library hold list, I have Portrait of a spy Carte blanche : the new James Bond novel Buried prey : Harlan Coben A drop of the hard stuff : by Matthew Scudder Betrayal of trust : a J.P. Beaumont novel Robert Ludlum's The Bourne dominion Before I go to sleep : a novel Trader of secrets : a Paul Madriani novel I am always interested in suggestions. I love spy novels, don't read much non-fiction or romance novels!

That's the title of an op-ed piece in today's NY Times, and it does ring a bell with me. It seems that people cannot just give to charity, they have to make it fun. Well, okay. But then big overhead costs arise to accommodate the walkers, the runners, the cyclists. Organizations form to further this means of fund raising. Salaries start to be paid, and suddenly travel across the country becomes important to the administrators. The, on some occasions, ego gets involved. The race suddenly becomes about the runner, the walker, the cyclist. Look what a good person I am! Look how much money I raised. God forbid, but people and businesses are using the events to advertise the…

The Yummy Burger He's a Japanese scientist, so no word on whether the food has been irradiated first, but check out this burger that you can make right at home!

1. Homosexuality is not natural. Real people always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning. 2. Gay marriage will encourage people to be Gay, in the same way hanging around tall people will make you tall. 3. Legalizing Gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract. 4. Heterosexual marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; woman are still property, blacks still aren't supposed to marry whites. 5. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if homosexual marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Br…

Long gone are the days when I couldn't figure out what www meant. But all the time I read stuff in the papers that I have no idea what it is. Cloud computing? Um, is that's using God's computer? Or just computing in an airplane? Now I learn that RSA Security's SecurID Device has been compromised. But I have no idea what that is. (On the other hand, it seems all things computer can be hacked.) Truthfully, I have no idea why someone with a laptop would also need an Ipad. And don't even get me started on computer games that millions of people play online. Why? Do you play them? And Twitter. I know no one who tweets. I know no one who would want to keep up hourly with my r…