Lucky

In the old, pre-AIDS days, the bathhouse was a staple of the gay community. If you didn't find someone at the bar, trek on over to Ritch Street and thousands of horny guys...well, okay, hundreds!...were available, maybe not to you, but to some guy who may or may not show up. I loved Ritch Street. Once AIDS hit San Francisco, it closed along with other similar establishments. I can't remember their names, although one popular one was at 8th & Howard. This afternoon I was reading this funny account of a night at the Vatican sauna- yes, right there by the Vatican and owned by the Vatican. Maybe it was part of the employee benefits program or meant to deter kiddie abuse. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xd4jk3/the-gay-sex-club-next-to-the-vatican-is-the-saddest-place-on-earth (I'd submit that any sex club where you can't hook up is the saddest one.) Nonetheless, it got me wondering. With AIDS virtually a historic memory and PREP standard fare, have bath houses returned in popularity? I'm not talking about ones with hustlers, just regular guys like you. If so, which ones and where? (I know, I am too old for these places now.) But, I want to know about them. (I once took a friend to an LA bathhouse where he was refused admission for being too old. He was 46.) I hear there is one right here in the desert. Cathedral something? Another church reference. We do worship our sex gods. So what is the news on bathhouses in these United States? Are the young gays enjoying these like I did?

At 99 cents, it was well worth the read! Bang for the buck, so to speak.

There are penises I'd like to see, but they aren't on politicians. Justin Bieber-types, yes. Nick Jonas. I have a list!

HIV/AIDS Awareness and Support certainly belongs, but doesn't the epidemic itself? It devastated the community, but the effect it had on gays- the whole LGBT!- was enormous. Many people discovered a lot about themselves from this experience, and we also learned that we, as gay men, can really depend on the lesbian community. Gay marriage as well. But perhaps you only want links to information, not events and experiences. I am not clear on that. If that is the case, this post can be deleted.

The Bay Area Reporter has long been the place for gay news in Northern California. ebar.com

I agree that her heart is in the right place, but I think she hurt herself badly with the American Indian claim. I don't believe her story about why she claimed it. Her relatives didn't.

Perhaps I am wrong, but it seems that he is repeatedly pointing out dangers, and when anyone suggests that they still feel safe, he starts in again. A person with no experience in Brazil could easily be dissuaded from visiting due to these posts. That's what I think. But, mvan does say: "Many of the suggestions in the Latin America section of your site are quite good. If only the travelers to Brazil would follow those recommendations. That is the key for a likely good crime free time in Brazil. " Which is what I think the ones responding to him are saying.

So now I am drag phobic? I'm the one who loved the pictures in the NY Post comparing the guys to their before and after pictures. The guy who wrote the book wears silly outfits, childish outfits. That's not exactly drag. I think he shows poor judgment in his clothes, and that would deter me from spending money on his book!

Do cheaper flights indicate less travel to Brazil? If enough people become scared, then the airlines may stop certain flights. That would drive prices up.

The problem here is mvan's belief in the danger increasing, his own history of being attacked, yet he continues to visit Brazil. Why the effort to discourage others to visit when this history exists for him? If it's okay for mvan to visit Brazil, it is okay for any other savvy traveler. And I do believe that mvan is a savvy traveler.

If in fact pictures of Bezos nude are forthcoming, I think the community response should be to ignore them. It wouldn't be that hard as I couldn't care less what his penis looks like.

The pictures alone would keep me from reading this book.

I am about half-way through this erotic novel. The quarterback has taken the young football player's cherry. It was a hot scene. But, now I have to clean my screen! Again!

I prefer reading novels to watching TV. Tonight I did try to find something to watch on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. The Jimmy Kimmel monologue is usually worth watching. But I want something that engrosses me, like Breaking Bad.

I avoided going to Rio but was hit by a car in Canada. We make our choices and take our chances.

I donated to former American Indian Elizabeth Warren, but fortunately my check bounced.

Some guys tell little lies and some guys tell big lies. Some guys lie so much you don't know if they ever tell the truth. The author A.J. Finn, of last year's big success The Woman in the Window, appears to be in a category all to himself. His life is such a lie that you couldn't believe a thing he says, at least that's the implication of a New Yorker article this week. He spun lengthy tales of his mother's death to cancer, his father's, his brother's suicide, despite the fact that all three are still alive. He himself claimed a brain tumor and a spinal tumor, neither of which he really had, but he milked the stories at length. Is it no surprise that he can spin a tale into a novel? It is mentioned that he is gay, lives in Chelsea, but it is not a factor in the story. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/02/11/a-suspense-novelists-trail-of-deceptions Ian Parker's lengthy investigation had my jaw dropping repeatedly. If you want a shorter version, the Washington Post has it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/if-the-author-of-woman-in-the-window-is-a-serial-liar-can-we-still-love-his-book/2019/02/04/07b781cc-2894-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html?utm_term=.ef810dbc6e0e The Post article also asks the question "Can we still love his book?" That's a good one. I enjoyed the novel. I don't think I know much about the author of any novel I read. But Finn's story is so intricate that I doubt I would ever read him again. Gay or not! Dan Mallory, aka author A.J. Finn:

They don't make Trump look very good, but now he's the King!

Are trip reports now so fraught with danger on Boytoy? Are we too critical of an audience? I'd be glad to read about your Merida adventures. I think we all think of our commentary as at worst constructive criticism, but you can simply ask people not to take that route and write what and how you want. Or so I think.

It's always an entertaining read! And now with @Latbear4blk to churn the excitement!

I took a knee during the national anthem and then couldn't get back up until half-time. Seeing all those tattoos on Adam Levine made me jump!

This thread is really getting deep.

Yes, although I voted for him and liked him. He has charisma, unlike Hillary. She might have been a better president, but I suspect she would compete with Trump for self-enrichment in office.

In general, being soft on crime isn't good for a politician, but it depends on the crime. The Baltimore DA just announced that she won't prosecute any more marijuana cases. She has overturned a law all by herself. Kamala Harris was DA in San Francisco. There they don't prosecute the homeless for any crime short of murder. The voters would have a fit. A multitude of minor crimes are not prosecuted there, mostly small thefts, shoplifting, damaging property. So the prosecutor is soft on crime, and the voters like it. It's just a matter of degree. As for Backpage, it in itself isn't missed so much, but Rentboy is gone and now Tumblr. There is a war on sex. Kamala Harris showed no interest in it once she achieved her goal of becoming a Senator. She is strictly a politician, all about herself. She won no laurels in my opinion . I can't imagine electing someone so green as President. Like Trump!

With his win at the Golden Globes, Rami Malek increased his chances of winning Best Actor at the Oscars. The handsome actor has won many fans. And now, someone has leaked an undated photo of Rami, apparently from high school: He's changed, that's for sure, but I think he will win: