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Everything posted by unicorn
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Would you enroll in an erotic drawing class even if you can't draw?
unicorn replied to unicorn's topic in The Beer Bar
In case any of you were wondering, Jason Caceres did NOT show up for the pool party. But we still had about 100 show up, and it was fun anyway... -
The best part of being gay is being part of a wonderful, mostly loving community. The LGBTQ community is a great place for support--at least in many countries (including South Africa). The worst part is having to listen to stupid comments by ignorant (often religious) people. Being a member of the LBGTQ community opens up a lot of options, especially, but certainly not only, when you're 24. Welcome!
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Almost all studies of homosexuality, especially male homosexuality, suggest that sexual orientation develops by infancy--probably in the womb. While we all know plenty of gay men who've simply come out late in life, most will admit that they were simply playing the straight role earlier due to societal pressures. Indeed, most gay people knew they were somehow "different" from early childhood, as do their classmates. I've never met anyone who truly had the hots for women in his youth, then something switched and he developed the hots for men. I suspect that my homophobic father-in-law is one of those who's been playing the straight role due to societal pressure.
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The lesbian sexual orientation hasn't been as well studied, from my understanding.
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Here's a great video which scientifically explains the important role of LGBTQ in society and human development/success:
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Well, they're a place to start. Like Wikipedia, as secondary sources, they can be wrong. AI inquiries usually provide the references from which they obtain their answers, so you can always click on those links if in doubt, in order to assess the strength of the evidence. One thing that AI doesn't do, you're correct, is to disclose the strength of the evidence it provides. Although definitely not correct 100% of the time, AI is a good place to start a search for information.
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Simple enough to copy and paste the question to AI. It clearly also says "AI Overview" at the top to my post. The intention is to show the OP how easy it is to get answers to factual questions these days. Now, questions of opinions, suggestions, habits, and so on, are a different matter.
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While I agree that not all discrimination rises to the level of persecution, all persecution ultimately stems from discrimination. If a particular demographic group cannot, as a matter of practice, reasonably live in his country, he's being persecuted. While a visitor might be able to get away with indiscretions in homophobic countries (though risking serious punishment), that's quite a different story if one is a citizen of that country, can't hold down a job, and risks being arrested and thrown to prison or even killed. Likewise in Jamaica, where gay men have been known to be burned alive by locals, with authorities turning a blind eye. I think it's somewhat insane to go on sex trips to highly homophobic countries. Jamaica is the most homophobic country in the Western Hemisphere, though obviously there are a lot of countries in the Eastern Hemisphere which are worse--such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Uganda. Why risk imprisonment and death in Jamaica when you can go to nearby Dominican Republic? The fact that stupid tourists have lived to tell the tale doesn't make the situation for those who have to live there.
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AI Overview Men4Men, best known in the US as a pioneering directory and chat community for gay and bisexual men, was significantly restructured and transitioned away from its original commercial dating/cruising format. [1] Its original online personals and directory domains were acquired in 2021 by VS Media and officially donated to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. [1] Here is what happened to the platform and the broader M4M online space: Site Transition: The Center repurposed the Men4Men domain and its digital properties into an educational and community health resource for gay, bi, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). [1, 2, 3] Focus on Health and Well-Being: Today, resources under the Men4Men banner emphasize sexual health education, HIV prevention, and specialized clinical support groups. [1] The Death of Craigslist Personals: The closure of classic classified hubs like Men4Men also coincides with the shutdown of Craigslist Personals in the US. The platform's operators cited the passage of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) in 2018 as the primary reason for permanently closing all casual encounter and personals boards to avoid legal liability. [1, 2] Where Users Go Today: With dedicated web-based personals gone, users seeking localized M4M connections in Los Angeles and the rest of the US have migrated to app-based platforms like Grindr, Scruff, or alternative classified-style sites like Doublelist, as noted by community consensus on Quora. [1]
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There's a massive, massive, massive difference between simply being discriminated against (which, as you said, happens to everyone), and being thrown in jail or even killed because of whom you love--private activity between consenting adults. As shown on the map, those in the orange and brown don't just face "discrimination," but serious prison time and even death. I can't believe anyone would fail to see such a huge difference. Let me tell you--prison in those orange/brown countries is a fate worse than death, for the most part. This doesn't even include countries in which the murder of gays will often if not usually never be investigated by legal authorities (such Jamaica, Russia, and Uganda). Only in the yellow countries are laws against the LGBT community not enforced with prison sentences (Guyana, South Sudan, Pakistan, and Myanmar). It shocks me to hear a gay person have no understanding of the life-threatening hardships faced by the LGBT community, many in Africa. These hardships are far greater than just being fired from a job for being LGBT (though that's bad enough). Another charity which I support is the Rainbow Railroad, which helps members of the LGBT community relocate to one of the blue countries (most commonly Canada, these days). https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/474896980#beacon-report
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Well, I asked AI for the answer to my last question: Ceuta is the primary target for Moroccan migrants because its geography allows them to swim around the border fence via a short, accessible maritime route, whereas reaching Melilla requires scaling highly dangerous 19-foot razor-wire land fences. [1, 2, 3] While migrants do attempt to breach both Spanish enclaves, the overwhelming discrepancy seen in recent migration surges comes down to distinct physical, structural, and geopolitical factors. [1, 2, 3, 4] 1. Geography and Method of Entry Swimming vs. Climbing: To enter Ceuta, migrants frequently swim just 3 miles (5 km) from the neighboring Moroccan town of Fnideq around the Tarajal and Benzú sea breakwaters. [1, 2] The Melilla Land Barrier: Melilla is heavily fortified by a triple-layer, 19-foot (6-meter) land fence topped with razor wire. Trying to cross this requires scaling the structure en masse, which historically leads to high-fatality stampedes and severe clashes with border police. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] 2. Legal Exploitation and Social Media Rumors The Sea-Arrival Loophole: A recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling decreed that migrants intercepted at sea cannot be summarily returned without due process. [1, 2] The Viral Effect: Human trafficking networks and social media platforms widely amplified this ruling, heavily misinterpreting it to imply that anyone who swam into Spanish territory could remain. Because Ceuta is heavily associated with maritime entry (swimming), it became the viral focal point for the massive surge. [1, 2, 3] 3. Tactical Policing Discrepancies Moroccan Border Controls: Sudden surges in Ceuta often correlate with localized breakdowns or strategic relaxations in Moroccan border policing. Eyewitness accounts and analysts frequently note that Moroccan security forces occasionally look the other way or wave crowds through toward Ceuta's beaches during diplomatic friction between Madrid and Rabat. [1, 2, 3] Melilla Clashes: Conversely, the land borders around Melilla are heavily guarded on the Moroccan side in towns like Bni Nsar, where recent attempted crossings were met with immediate, aggressive police resistance, resulting in riots and arrests before migrants could even reach the fence
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Well, what would be fair to say is that most are probably not refugees. Some are. One might guess that some, for instance, might be escaping persecution due to being gay. The brown/orange/yellow countries on this map have laws forbidding LGBTQ activity, or even expression: There are even areas south of the Sahara in which the death penalty can apply (dark brown). Some 25 years ago, I helped my boyfriend get asylum from the Russian Federation (he came in on a student work visa, but had experienced harassment in Russia, even having chemicals thrown in his face). [Dark blue have same-sex marriage, light blue have domestic partnerships, gray have neither protections nor prosecutions for the LGBTQ community]. The influx started immediately after the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that anyone coming in by sea had to be (eventually) be offered a hearing in order to determine whether or not they've suffered true persecution. I guess they should have left out their exclaves in Africa (Ceuta and Melilla). Anyone who can windsurf across the Straits of Gibraltar (or survive the 16 km swim with only mask/fins/snorkel) probably deserves a hearing. Just swimming around the fences of the enclaves probably shouldn't qualify. It's interesting that I haven't heard of many making the swim to Melilla. I've never been to Melilla, so I don't know the situation there.
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The title of the string is "Dementia among white and Hispanic men under 65." The Orange Bozo-in-chief hardly fits that category. 😉
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I will again submit a plea that anyone wishing to help do so via vetted, bona fide charities, and NOT via questionable websites such as GoFundMe, where you really have no way of knowing who's getting the money and how the money's spent. Organizations such as Charity Navigator receive details of charities' financial statements in order to make sure the money goes to help the intended recipients. One should aim for 4-star organizations with profile scores of over 90%. AI Overview The best charities to donate to for refugees depend on your goals, as different organizations excel in various areas of aid, from emergency relief to legal advocacy and local integration. The following highly-rated nonprofits provide effective support: [1, 2] United Nations Agency: The UNHCR is the principal UN agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, internally displaced people, and stateless communities worldwide. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Legal Aid & Advocacy: The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) provides vital legal representation to displaced persons, ensuring their rights are protected and helping them navigate complex immigration policies. [1] Local Resettlement: For a direct impact in the Los Angeles area, consider local resettlement agencies like the International Institute of Los Angeles (IILA) or the International Rescue Committee (Los Angeles), both of which directly assist newly arrived refugees with housing, employment, and legal services. [1, 2] Global Emergency Relief & Resettlement: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is highly rated for responding to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helping refugees survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. [1, 2] Before donating, you can review the financial transparency and efficiency of any of these organizations on Charity Navigator. [1, 2, 3] https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/521662800 https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/135660870 The IRC is one of my favorite charities, and is named in my living trust as a beneficiary. I agree that inviting lawlessness is not an effective way to combat world poverty, since it only adds another humanitarian crisis. There are plenty of 4-star organizations which aim for helping communities combat poverty. A good organization to help combat poverty in general is Direct Relief. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/951831116 "Direct Relief is a humanitarian organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies. Nongovernmental, nonsectarian, and not-for-profit, Direct Relief assists people and communities without regard to politics, religion, ethnic identities, or ability to pay. Direct Relief's assistance programs - which focus on emergency preparedness and disaster response and the prevention and treatment of disease - are tailored to the particular circumstances and needs of the world's most at-risk populations. Direct Relief honors the generosity of its donors by following a firm policy of full transparency in all its operations. This tradition of transparent, direct, and targeted assistance, provided in a manner that respects and involves the people served, has been a hallmark of the organization since its founding in 1948 by refugee war immigrant William Zimdin."
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The visa situation seems extremely easy for almost all passports when it comes to Vietnam. If I can believe Wikipedia, no nationals of any country need a consular visa, so don't waste your time and money with a visa service. The most any national needs is an eVisa, which can easily be done online. Of course, I'm sure that passports from fake countries such as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transnistria), the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) passport, and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic would not be accepted. However, Filipinos don't even need an eVisa. They can just show up with a passport valid for at least 6 month. If you need an eVisa, they will ask for your religion. None is a good answer. (As one traveler I met told me "I put 'none,' short for 'none of your business.'") https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Vietnam Only countries in the light blue-green need an eVisa. Others can just show up.
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Would you enroll in an erotic drawing class even if you can't draw?
unicorn replied to unicorn's topic in The Beer Bar
I don't know if he's modeled, but I think of Jason Cáceres as more of an actor than a model. According to his "Famous Birthdays" profile, he's an "actor and writer most known for his work in commercials. He's been featured in advertisements for Topps: Baseball Cards and XXL Sports, among others. He has also appeared on TV shows like Criminal Minds, Insatiable and Kidding." They don't mention his gay TV shows, for some reason, which is where I know him from. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/jason-caceres.html I can go on with sexy photos of him (and have some in the the Photos forum), as I'm a major fan. The most famous high-end working model who came to one of my parties was one of the +1's of one of my husband's best friends. The model's name was Scott Gardner, someone whose photos got a lot of jizz out of me. Both he and the friend are kind of "messy" people, and it didn't end up working out between them. Scott is also going through a messy divorce from his apparently extremely rich husband. Despite not having a pre-nup, Scott seems to think he's not going to get anything. I suggested he might look for another attorney, but he seemed dejected by the idea. A bit over a month ago, he told me he was homeless and moving back to NYC, where he can at least get modeling work. Scott asked me to front him a ticket back to NYC, to which I agreed if he met with me. He blew off the first meeting we set up, then when I made another, he blew that off as well, with a story about "bad chicken." He ended up finding someone else to get him the ticket back to NYC. I wanted to ask him if he could stay at our place in the few days before his flight to NYC, but my husband put his foot down (especially due to the breakup with his friend). Had he shown up to either meeting and opened up to me about his life, I would have outright given him the ticket (with points). When he came to our party last year, he was 35: I definitely have tons of photos of Scott! -
Would you enroll in an erotic drawing class even if you can't draw?
unicorn replied to unicorn's topic in The Beer Bar
The ad I showed you was on Amazon. I'd be surprised if TH allows Amazon, of all places, to sell fakes of their products. I don't know where my husband gets discount luxury label stuff. I suspect it may not be at their standalone boutiques, but I do get the impression that some (not all) of the luxury brands do heavily discount their merchandise when their new stuff comes out. -
Would you enroll in an erotic drawing class even if you can't draw?
unicorn replied to unicorn's topic in The Beer Bar
Yes, hardly a high-end fashion brand, but, touché, a brand nevertheless. If spending $20 on a shirt makes me a slave to high fashion, I'm guilty! 😄 I personally think that's rather modest spending for a shirt. When my mother was referring to "vulgar" clothing, she meant Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Hermes, Gucci, Versace, and the like. My husband gets impressed by that kind of stuff, and I bought him a few fake designer accessories in Bali. Occasionally he'll buy real stuff on his own. I'll see this Gucci T-shirt and I'll say "Let me guess: it regularly goes for $600, and you think you got a bargain for $150?". The response would be affirmative (at least when he gets tired of it, he can often sell it for $100 🫠). -
Would you enroll in an erotic drawing class even if you can't draw?
unicorn replied to unicorn's topic in The Beer Bar
Fantasies, for me at least, are what make life worthwhile. I guess I'm the opposite of a Buddhist. Buddhists teach that the key to happiness is not to want anything. For me, having fantasies makes life for meaningful. Who knows? Sometimes fantasies do come true. To make it very clear: my fantasy is to be friends with Jason, NOT to get intimate with him. I'd NEVER cheat on my husband. -
Would you enroll in an erotic drawing class even if you can't draw?
unicorn replied to unicorn's topic in The Beer Bar
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Would you enroll in an erotic drawing class even if you can't draw?
unicorn replied to unicorn's topic in The Beer Bar
The only eroticism allowed with these sessions is among the models. And, of course, no photos during the modeling sessions. Had I been younger, I probably could have cum without touching my penis, though, when I saw Jason giving it to my friend. So far Jason and my friend haven't done the deed in private, though, so maybe he won't be coming to the party after all? I take that back! I just checked the approved guest list, and he's RSVP'd yes! Cross our fingers. His +1 is one of his co-stars from one of his TV series. So far 113 approved yeses (not counting +1's). Someone invited but who hasn't said yes is Cory Tyndall/PrettyBoiRoq. I almost feel like every handsome gay man in his 30s will be at our party! Cory Tyndall (also known by his stage name PrettiBoiRoq) is 37 years old, born on March 31, 1989. Background Details Date of Birth: March 31, 1989 Place of Birth: New Bern, North Carolina Occupation: Rapper, songwriter, model, and actor -
Would you enroll in an erotic drawing class even if you can't draw?
unicorn replied to unicorn's topic in The Beer Bar
I feel a song coming on... 😄 -
Would you enroll in an erotic drawing class even if you can't draw?
unicorn replied to unicorn's topic in The Beer Bar
In the case of the mosque, I needed a covering for my legs (and removal of my shoes) in order to show respect/follow the rules for the mosque. We were also asked to wear the headgear for the house of the Balinese prince. This was not a fashion choice, but rather a matter of respecting local customs. I remember from a few years' back that my husband was frightened of being photographed when we went on one of those Vietnamese basket boat rides wearing those conical hats. He was afraid of being "cancelled" due to "cultural appropriation." I secretly took a photo of him in the hat, but didn't share the photo. I got a good chuckle over his sensitivity in the matter. I just do as the locals ask us to do and don't fret too much. (Photo is not us--but you get the picture) Interestingly, only one person has answered the question I posed in the original post. I don't get embarrassed by my unfashionable clothes, but this post started from my balancing my embarrassment over faking an interest in a drawing class, over the thrill at seeing one of my favorite actors in the buff, having sex. I genuinely wonder how many would be able to overcome embarrassment in order to experience a thrill they've been fantasizing. -