Lucky

Well, lurkerspeaks, in that thread you said: As someone who has done relatively little international traveling, I have a pretty long list.. In no specific order (as long as it is ALL espenses paid), Thailand, Budapest, Barcelona, Paris, Venice, Athens, Egypt (for the pyramids, etc, not for sex), really, pretty much any major city in Europe. So your trip to Thailand will be the first installment on fulfilling your travel dreams. So I guess I was wrong that you did not know of that thread and all my worries were for naught. But that's okay, it sometimes it's good to review what we post. I have seen older posts and ask myself "Did I write that!" My oldtimers disease!

Compulsive shopper? From Wikipedia: Psychiatrists do believe that the behavior can be triggered by a need to feel special and to combat loneliness, as well as a hope that shopping will somehow change them for the better. But compulsive shopping satisfies none of those needs and therefore the shopper's behavior may escalate'.[12] Similar to other compulsive behaviors, sufferers often experience the highs and lows associated with addiction. 'Like people who have to shoplift, compulsive shoppers are caught in a cycle of anxiety: endorphin-fuelled highs and guilt-ridden lows'.[13] Victims often experience moods of satisfaction when they are in the process of purchasing, which 'gives shopaholics a sort of euphoria, excitement, and "high"' that seems to give their life meaning while letting them forget about their sorrows; but 'there is usually a feeling of disappointment afterwards, followed by guilt'.[14] Once leaving the environment where the purchasing occurred, the feeling of a personal reward may already have gone, so that to compensate, the addicted person goes shopping again in a 'vicious cycle of repetitive impulse buying...just one more thing to achieve a better self-identity'.[15] 'Compulsive shoppers are prone to shop in secret as the condition worsens, debt increases, and relationships with family members and friends become strained'.[16] At the point where bought goods may be hidden or destroyed, because the person concerned feels ashamed of their addiction and tries to conceal it, and 'when shopping habits involve lying about and hiding purchases, the mental, physical, and emotional toll goes up'.

Lawyers, doctors, dentists- probably all professionals have their flaws. I was once in a courtroom where the defendant had plead guilty under a plea agreement. Everything was cut and dry as to his sentence. But, for some reason, the family hired a lawyer for the sentencing. Rather than tell the family that there was nothing he could do as it was all set in stone, he charged them $2500 to appear in court. He told the court what a good guy the defendant was, and, of course, the judge sentenced the guy as per the plea agreement. The lawyer had essentially ripped the family off. Doctors too are human. They run all sorts of tests to run the bill up, then bill for things they didn't do. I have long since learned the value of getting a second opinion from another doctor who has no financial stake in the outcome. But today I am here because of frustration with dentists. When I moved to the area, I immediately sought out the services of a gay dentist. You know, keep it in the family, patronize gay business, and,of course, a certain belief that one of our own wouldn't rip off one of his own. How wrong I was. The dentist put crowns on two teeth, and I paid extra for a precious metal crown on each. I later had the occasion to see another dentist on an unrelated matter. He asked me if I knew that one of the crowns had a chip in it, and the other was not properly fit. The one with the chip should be replaced right away. So, I wrote the gay dentist and he refused a refund. But luckily I had a picture, and he ultimately sent me a check. The second bad crown was replaced later and I did not seek a refund. But guess what? When the crowns were removed, I discovered that he had used a cheap metal, not the precious metal I had paid for. No doubt he thought I would never find out. Recently a periodontist told me I needed $18,000 in urgent dental work. The person very aggressively told me that nothing less would do, that I could trust no one else to be honest with me because they would just tell me what I wanted to hear in order to get my money. So I went to a dentist I knew, and he didn't see the problem. Neither did the dentist who had just cleaned my teeth and did a full mouth x-ray. I sent the x-rays out of state to get an objective opinion, and the dentist and periodontist who reviewed them didn't see the need for all that work either. So today I got a thorough exam, complete with the latest in digital x-rays. Guess what? That dentist thought I didn't need that work either. While I was at the dentist, he showed me the x-rays of a 17 year old girl. They were just about the best teeth you could imagine. Yet a periodontist had told her, in writing, that she needed 14 cavities filled at a cost of over $3000. This guy was going to drill into perfectly healthy teeth just to make money! So, yes, I am glad I went for a second and third opinion. I am going to end up spending $700 instead of $18,000. Friends of mine have been having similar issues. So far, they have 3 estimates. One is $20,000, one is $12,000, one is $7,000. All for the same problem. What a world we live in. No doubt the economy is keeping many people from having dental work done,and some dentists are desperate to keep up their boat payments!

Charlie's response has had such an impact on me that I am considering a sex change operation in Thailand just so I can identify more with the transgender community. Unite brothers/sisters, and in between folks!

Sometimes after I post, I consider what I have said and then realize that people may not take it the way it was intended. Above I pointed out a thread wherein this subject, or a similar concept, was discussed last July. It occurred to me that it might be taken as an indication on my part that lurkerspeaks should have picked up on this thread before starting this one. Not true. I am well aware that lurkerspeaks was away from MER at that time and could not reasonably be expected to have known of that thread. I added it so that the responses there could be considered along with the responses to the current thread. I was away from my computer for a few hours and am glad to return and find out that no one seems to have taken the response in a way I did not intend. You never know! Lucky, Esq.

Am I the only one in America who found this segment on the TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm offensive? EXPAT can bring the clips to you directly, but I am too lazy, I just give you a link to them! Offensive Young Actor This kid tries to act "gay" by doing a poor job of being effeminate. The perpetuation of this stereotype is supposed to be funny.

But you are the one they wrote about in the NY Times today, not me! "As Perry Rises, G.O.P. Elite Look Toward Romney" GOP elite, get it? That's Mr. Epigonos!

Quite a long time ago, well, last July, a similar question was asked. So those answers might apply here too: http://www.maleescortreview.com/forum/index.php?/topic/7306-what-if-you-had-a-chance-to-go/page__p__39905__hl__travel__fromsearch__1#entry39905

Is that what he said? The first part I can find, but not the second one: November 01, 2004 The Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera released a full transcript Monday of the most recent videotape from Osama bin Laden in which the head of al Qaeda said his group's goal is to force America into bankruptcy. Al-Jazeera aired portions of the videotape Friday but released the full transcript of the entire tape on its Web site Monday. "We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah," bin Laden said in the transcript. He said the mujahedeen fighters did the same thing to the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s, "using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers." "We, alongside the mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat," bin Laden said. He also said al Qaeda has found it "easy for us to provoke and bait this administration." *** Or maybe it was this: Bin Laden's Goal: Kill 4 Million Americans Stewart Stogel, NewsMax.com Wednesday, July 14, 2004

And today's LA Times headlines an article: Studio City's Oil Can Harry's helps country fans kick up heels A thriving country and western club in L.A.? You bet, partner Hehehe...nothing country about the old Oil Can in SF. On one of my first visits to SF in the 70's I wanted to go there, having heard it was a twink bar...and I thought I was into twinks then. But my SF friend said "You don't want to go there, it's an Oriental bar!" Well, coming from the midwest, I didn't think I'd like that either, so we didn't go. Later, when I moved to SF, I learned that "Orientals" liked me. It took a while, but I finally discovered that this could be fun. At the Ritch Street baths, before AIDS, an Asian guy made a kamikaze attack under my towel in the orgy room. He had his mouth on me before I had a chance to resist, so, not having much choice, I decided to give Asian men a try. Many of you know how that ended up!

And what does that mean? Because we spend billions to defend against a phantom enemy? Or are the terrorists now ruling Milwaukee?

The NY Times today uses the acronym LGBT, defining it as the "abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people." But when did I get abbreviated? How is it that lesbians are identified as a group with gay men? And what about transgender? What does that have to do with me? Yes, I know it is a common thing to use LGBT when talking about these groups, but aren't we individual people and individual groups? I don't know much about what it is like to be transgender, and can guess that lesbians are like gay men except when they are not, which is a lot. So I wish they would just use gay men when talking about gay men, and lesbians and transgender when talking about them. But I know it is not going to happen. It's too easy to use this acronym, and it is easy in part because we have let it happen.

I do, I do. (Not words the Republicans want me to say!). What would the Politics forum be like if we all just parroted each other?

Of course I knew that already, but just enjoyed getting you to say it yet again. In my world, gay men do not support the party that has done nothing to help advance them. We don't pretend we can yuk it up with politicians who secretly despise us, but take our money. Social libertarian? Sure, if that makes you feel better. But the fact is, in my opinion, that gays voting for Republicans either do it because they are concerned about their investments, which I can at least understand, or because of an internalized homophobia of their own. If they just support the Republicans, maybe they are more acceptable than they think. Kind of like the guy in Kansas who wants his guns so he will vote for a party that consistently acts against his economic interests.

Mr. Epigonos, still no answer how a gay man can support Romney, nor an answer to how you can support a guy who did what Romney did at Bain Capital. Answers,Mr. Epigonos. You may not have to show any stinkin' badges, but answers, yes. Now as for your "easy" answer on Clinton. There were 7 major oil companies, known as the Seven Sisters. These are the ones that counted. Reagan was president when the oil companies were gouging Americans after the big oil shortages in 1979. He didn't enact a criminal prosecution against a single one. As a matter of fact, the big oil companies actually wrote the legislation that they were supposed to follow- hardly the sign of an administration trying to protect the American consumer!

You have to stand somewhere!

Mr. Epigonos, is not the presidency a job? Mr. Obama works at it, and he is paid for it...some 400k a year, plus lots of benefits. Now about Bain Capital?

Hmmm...you have not hurt me, gcursor. Here at MER we tend to be a forgiving group anyway and let bygones be bygones. So I am sure if you felt that you hurt anyone here it is long since forgotten...and forgiven...if such is needed.

Romney is no doubt the candidate of the hedge funds. This article from his fellow residents of Massachusetts helps understand his positions: http://www.massresistance.org/romney/ampad_062607/index.html So, why Mr. Epigonos do you want to criticize a man who devoted his career to public service? Is that no longer an admirable way to make a living? I'll bet a lot of high school teachers would disagree with you.

Mr. Epigonos, how does blame for the economic mess pass to Clinton? He left office with budget surpluses.

The media is all over this story. Poor Mr. Kessman probably wishes he had just asked for a chair:

A weight-challenged individual has sued the White Castle restaurant chain, claiming that they reneged on a promise to make their seats wider to accommodate people of girth. "A 290-pound diner claims the White Castle chain has violated the civil rights of its more sizable clientele by not following through on promises to make its tight booths bigger to accommodate their bellies. Martin Kessman, a 64-year-old New Yorker, filed a complaint after he could barely squeeze into the fast-food restaurants booths and bumped his knees on the table's metal supports, the New York Post reported." The article was cited in today's SFGate.com, where readers weighed in on the subject unmercifully, with most chiding the man for not losing weight, and others making much more crude comments. Here's a sample of the disdain which faces the weight-challenged today: Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/hottopics/detail?entry_id=97327#ixzz1XlE1W0aN When they enlarge the seats, it will only enable him to get fatter and sue again claiming the same thing. Your brain is suppose to tell you, "Man, I can't fit in the seat anymore. I better stay out of fast food joints for awhile." But nope. In this country, we'll pay you for being too big. Now enjoy the enlarged trough we built for you and all the free hamburgers you can eat since you've won your lawsuit. Why not sue to have a drive thru put in so he only has to run the PowerChair into the van and not deal with all the sweaty waddling? Wow, now there's a real Fat Bas*ard for you. How about, go on a diet and get a life? Oh, just take out all the tables and give them couches, beds and tv trays so they can deteriorate in comfort. *** Fortunately, you too can go to SFGate.com and add statements of support for the slider supporter.

kennethinthe212.com adds yet one more:

The article states: In the late 1970s and early 1980s, “there was quite a few really hot, buff prostitutes that were really tough,” Rob Bennett recalled. “ I can't say a word about the late 70's as I wasn't there, but in the early 80's some very hot guys were working Polk Street. The customer had the advantage of being able to see and talk to a hustler before hiring him, unlike today's internet catalogs of boys. Unfortunately, MsGuy, I won't admit to being more than a casual observer! I will say that one of the beautiful guys I have ever seen was a Polk Street boy. One Thanksgiving Day business was so slow that he offered himself to me for $15. I can't tell you if I was thankful or not... But I did enjoy the tempo of the times, days before AIDS came to our attention and Polk Street succumbed to becoming more of a skid row. Just as we have lost Stella's and the Gaiety, as Montreal's strip bars lose some of their luster, Polk Street too is just another story in the history books.

The NY Times today reports on an internet hacker, apparently from Iran, whose hacking skills seem to surpass those of others I have read about. He has been able to change the security certificates of websites, thus allowing himself to take over, for example, Google in Iran. This would then allow him to eavesdrop on every Gmail communication, denying privacy to those who might oppose the government and be organizing against it through Gmail messages. Granted, I am the last person who understands what this guy is capable of doing, so I invite Oz, TY, or other computer whizzes to read the article and tell us what I am missing, or getting wrong. One thing I am sure of: The internet is nowhere near as secure as some would have us believe! Article on Baddest Guy on the Internet