unicorn

Hardly saving face with a nationalistic epithet. Rejection can be as simple as "Sorry, not interested," or "I have a boyfriend already." One can communicate effectively without being rude. You ought to try it one time. You might be more popular. Saying "I'm not interested in foreigners" is so in-your-face rude I cannot imagine uttering those words. Yet somehow it seems it seems fine to you. I'd say "I'm married, but you live in a wonderful country," followed by either "I so enjoyed my visit there," or "I would love to go there when the political situation changes" (i.e. if he's from Burma, Iran, Cuba, Afghanistan, or Nicaragua). I find it best to soften any rejection with a compliment, rather than add salt to the wound with an insult.

I agree that it was likely a brush-off. I don't agree that it was polite. Even if it were true, one should never say such things. Even if I were in the market and had plenty of options, I can never imagine saying to someone (even if I thought he were ugly) "I don't like your accent. I only date Americans." Whether he was lying or being truthful, I don't think that this a polite way to brush someone off. Interestingly, my husband's my first LTR with someone born in the US. My first LTR (13.5 years) was born in the USSR, and my second (2.5 years) from Paraguay.

Actually, looking like an average Joe, as I've mentioned in prior strings, is very "on-brand" for me. I never think of ourselves as a "power couple." My mother taught me that people who wear designer clothes look vulgar. When she'd see someone decked in designer clothes and accessories, she'd whisper to me "Oh, how vulgar!". I want people to be impressed with the way I treat them, my honesty, and my reliability as a friend. I certainly don't care what strangers think of how I dress. Quite frankly, I'd rather spend my money on experiences for both myself/hubby and for my friends (for example, showing them a great time at super-fun parties filled with hot men). I would actually feel embarrassed by walking around in expensive clothes. I'm not interested in being thought of as a "power couple." I take pride in looking like your "average Joe." 😉

Pura Taman Ayun: The grand 17th-century royal water temple of the Mengwi kingdom, surrounded by wide moats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site:

The prince entertained us with his dance and music troupe. My hubby and I are in the brown and green shirts.

Entrance to the palace of a Balinese prince (not such a great honor as you might think--there are dozens of them 😉😞

Sunrise over the Blue Mountains of Bali:

Istiqlal Mosque (Indonesian: Masjid Istiqlal, lit. 'Independence Mosque'; Arabic: مَسْجِد ٱلْإِسْتِقْلَال, romanized: Masjid al-Istiqlāl, lit. 'Mosque of the Independence') in Jakarta, Indonesia is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and the ninth largest mosque in the world in terms of worshipper capacity

Prambanan (Indonesian: Candi Prambanan, Javanese: Rara Jonggrang, Hanacaraka: ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ) is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, in southern Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimūrti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). The temple compound is located approximately 17 kilometers (11 mi) northeast of the city of Yogyakarta on the boundary between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces. The temple compound, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia and the second-largest in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat. In fact, it served as the inspiration for Angkor Wat (which my husband and I have also visited).

Here we are at Borobudur Temple in central Java (the largest Buddhist Temple in the world).

Be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. Have your passports, essential documents, clothes, pet stuff ready to go. Obviously, evacuate when told. I've thought about installing fire suppression systems, but strangely enough they don't lower fire insurance rates, and they're quite expensive. In the meantime, I cut down the trees which were too near my house, and suppress/cut back weeds and branches. I have a "defensible space."

Well, I saw someone other than myself tip him $100, so I don't think I'm the only man who's nuts for him, but it may simply be the case that there's something about him that makes me glow with excitement, which others don't share. Maybe if I threw in an ass shot? I don't know if there are others of you who have certain men who simply seem to be able to "push all my buttons"? It's hard for me to predict, because there are some men I think who are hot, but don't get to my highest level of excitement. Sometimes I don't know why a man reaches stratospheric desire for me, because they often don't share the same characteristics. Another such man will be coming up soon in the "Pick a Name" string in the photo forums: Joey Kirchner. He doesn't have JC's chiseled body, and even has tattoos, of which I'm not particularly fond, but for some reason he's one of a limited number of men's photos I pick when I've cum recently, but just feel like going at it again, even if my prostate's on empty. I hope you're right about his coming to my pool party in 10 days. I've been so excited at meeting him, I've actually had trouble sleeping the past few nights. Well, the jetlag from our Indonesia trip may have played a role. 😉 Some men are great at popping my champagne bottle, making sure every drop comes out!

He insisted I put my preposterous attempt of a drawing in front of his private parts! 😄

Well, this was the best ogling I've ever had in my life. I'm bonkers over this man, and have probably watched every movie and TV show he's done (usually with my husband, who knows I'm cuckoo for Jason). I did get to have a nice hug with him, though (he naked, me clothed), so I wouldn't quite say not touch. 🥰 Once I get to know a lot of these men (they know I'm not trying to make a move on them), I can often even get a kiss--usually done in front of my husband--and have occasionally had some offer to let me smell their armpits. To not be interested in foreigners, period, seems highly ethnocentric and prejudiced. And ridiculously limiting.

An acquaintance of mine told me he was going to do some erotic modeling with another model. I have no artistic talent whatsoever, and no interest in trying to develop a skill in which I know I'll never be good, but my eyes almost popped out of my head when I found out he was doing it with an actor whom I find insanely handsome, Jason Caceres. Each of the models made some rapid 5 minute poses (Jason semi-erect for a couple of them), and then the two engaged in some highly intimate poses, including one in which my friend swallowed Jason's huge cock in its entirety (not easy, and he had tears in his eyes while doing so), and one in which Jason put his hot dog in my friend's buns, while my friend was swallowing another nude model's member. For the together poses we had 10 to 15 minutes each--only 5 minutes for the 3-way, though! Everyone seemed to be drawing something, so I did my best (which was horrible), but the scene was so amazing I could have passed out. Best $45 I ever spent. Most of the people there seemed serious about drawing though. Though most, like myself, did charcoal drawings, one woman actually did acrylics, and one guy did watercolors! I suppose I could have felt a bit embarrassed, but I was literally living a fantasy. Would you ever pretend to try to learn how to draw in order to see an erotic show? (Everyone was friendly, though, and a couple of men who saw my drawings offered some encouragement, though I suspect they were laughing inside). I did get to meet and talk a bit with Jason, who was surprisingly friendly. Prior to today, he's never met my friend, but boy did they have explosive chemistry. My friend said that he felt pretty certain the two were going to have rabid sex later that day (they had discussed this during this session). I did also invite Jason to a big pool party at my place in 2 weeks, and he said he thought he could make it, so we'll see. I named some guests he knew (about 1/2 of the people going to the party, including my friend, are hot men in their 30s), so he said he'd enjoy it. My friend said he'd encourage him to go as well. For all of the hot men going, they all know I'd rather kill myself than cheat on my husband, and have no intentions other than enjoying their swimsuit-clad presence. I did Venmo Jason a $100 tip after the show, and I did see another drawer hand him a Ben Franklin. The group which does the erotic drawing class is EROS: https://partiful.com/e/x5SC5XZ39VdnVZFeCBoA As their moto says "Bad at drawing? Perfect!". So I guess I fit right in. 😄

I have noticed a great number of JPG files being refused to be downloaded from my computer. This happens especially if I've modified the JPG file with Adobe Photoshop (such as by reducing shadows), but can happen with any JPG file. I've found I must convert to PNG files, which are universally accepted. I don't know the reason for this. Maybe PNG files are more immune to viruses than JPG? I doubt Adobe Photoshop is inserting viruses into JPG files! PNG files, of course, take more space, but sometimes that's the only way to send them over. As for the other issue of putting nude photos in the Beer Bar, rather than in the Photo forum, which is limited to vetted members, I do believe that, even if it's not risky by local authorities, it could get sticky with other jurisdiction. The safest thing would be move all racy photos from the Beer Bar forum and move them to the Photo forum (or delete them). I thought this was the rule already. Although I personally don't care, I'd hate to see the owner get into trouble.

The current shingles vaccine, Shingrix, requires only one set of two shots, 2-6 months apart. The prior shingles vaccine, Zostavax, did show a waning of immunity over time. So far, I haven't heard of any recommendation for boosters for Shingrix. I got the old vaccine about 7 years go, and will get the new one when I turn 65. https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp/vaccine-considerations/index.html CDC recommends 2 doses of Shingrix separated by 2–6 months for immunocompetent adults aged 50 years and older: Whether or not they report a prior episode of herpes zoster. Whether or not they report a prior dose of Zostavax, a shingles vaccine that is no longer available for use in the United States. It's not necessary to screen, either verbally or by laboratory serology, for evidence of prior varicella infection. Recombinant and adjuvanted vaccines (like Shingrix) can be administered concomitantly at different anatomic sites with other adult vaccines. This includes COVID-19 vaccines. Coadministration of RZV with adjuvanted influenza vaccine (Fluad) and COVID-19 vaccines is being studied.

I realize that Russian airspace is closed to airlines of NATO members, but is it also closed to Chinese airlines such as Cathay Pacific?

It's definitely doable in business class, and better than the alternative of multiple flights with a minimum of 2 hours' connection time with each flight change. If one had to go in the main cabin, I suppose it would be preferable, if one has the time, to break the flights into multiple flights, with overnight stays in airport hotels along the way (still quite a bit less expensive than flying business). I've done that before. It's so risky to use the airlines of the Persian Gulf countries, and probably will be until Trump leaves office. On our recent trip to Indonesia (started Jakarta, ended in Denpasar/Bali), we did meet one couple who flew via Doha, but that seems rather risky. We flew via Singapore. I suppose that flights on Qatar Airways and/or Emirates are probably good bargains today, but quite dicey. Australia is so far from Europe and North America, making super-long flights often the best option.

Only form of Judy-ism I'll practice:

I agree that I could have written more specifically that "...all citizens and permanent residents..." must declare one of five religions rather than "...all people." That being said, in that same post I mentioned that Vietnam is the only country in which I've been asked what religion (if any) I practiced (I put "none," of course, which they liked). One might infer from that statement that Indonesia has no such query for tourists, since I discussed being there. My guide, who lives there and had to make the choice, assured me that one has to pick one of those 5 he mentioned. I suppose Orthodox Christians, Jains, and Jews have to make believe. I do remember seeing in one of the restaurant menus a section for "Vegans and Jains," so there must be some. Or maybe it's just for tourists.

Not banned from entry, but banned from citizenship, according to our Indonesian guide (who's from central Java). According to him, at the age of 17, all Indonesian citizens must declare one of the 5 religions I mentioned. He may be wrong at this time, but he had to do it when he turned 17 (apparently the age of majority in Indonesia). I asked him what if one were Zoroastrian, B'Hai, etc., and he said you still had to pick among the 5 mentioned. I haven't seen the actual law(s) involved. If he's wrong, I'm willing to admit it, if someone wants to look it up. For my purposes, I was willing to take him at his word.

Not a term used in either medicine or gay slang in California. My husband (who's in his 30s) never heard of the term either. Probably more common in the UK, where circumcisions are far less commonly performed. No need to be haughty about it. I may know some regional slang with which you're not familiar.

Correction: I meant to say I could see most of the group chuckling. We would not, of course, have chuckled within earshot of him. We waited until we were walking back to the hotel. But everyone found the aura reading to be quite amusing in its inaccuracy. Of the group of 9, 5 or 6 declared themselves to be atheist, and the most of the rest were probably, as well. There was an English gay man in his 30s who I suspect was atheist, but it never came up. One was from Cambodia, and may have been Buddhist. He was the quietest of the group. My sense from my travels is that the Cambodian government isn't as hostile to religion as the Vietnamese government is. Vietnam is the only country I've been to in which the government asks all visa applicants what their religion is, and can get quite nasty were one to bring in religious materials into the country. In Indonesia, being religious is mandated by law. All people must declare themselves to belong to one of 5 religions: Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism, or Buddhism.

He'd have to be blind to have said that. This woman was in her late 70s.