SundayZip

The OP may have a good reason to not post the provider's identify or even the city. I had an unfortunate interaction with a provider a few years ago after which he did something very vindictive. I did not want to post his identify or even what happened for fear that he would recognize me and retaliate. I've since learned that he is that sort of person. Although, I too, would like to know the identify of the provider, I'm inclined to respect the OPs decision to not post it.

The OP may have a good reason to not post the provider's identify or even the city. I had an unfortunate interaction with a provider a few years ago after which he did something very vindictive. I did not want to post his identify or even what happened for fear that he would recognize me and retaliate. I've since learned that he is that sort of person. Although, I too, would like to know the identify of the provider, I'm inclined to respect the OPs decision to not post it.

The OP may have a good reason to not post the provider's identify or even the city. I had an unfortunate interaction with a provider a few years ago after which he did something very vindictive. I did not want to post his identify or even what happened for fear that he would recognize me and retaliate. I've since learned that he is that sort of person. Although, I too, would like to know the identify of the provider, I'm inclined to respect the OPs decision to not post it.

I think it does. Strip clubs are dead on weekdays, even more so during the day. Weekends might be a different story.

Maybe I'm an aberration but I've gone through Canadian customs at least 30 times (Vancouver, Alberta, Toronto, Montreal) and have never been inconvenienced any more than in any other countries. There's been long lines when several international flights have landed at about the same time, but that happens everywhere.

Maybe I'm an aberration but I've gone through Canadian customs at least 30 times (Vancouver, Alberta, Toronto, Montreal) and have never been inconvenienced any more than in any other countries. There's been long lines when several international flights have landed at about the same time, but that happens everywhere.

A more tax efficient manner to donate to a charity is the use of a qualified charitable distribution (QCD).  A retiree can donate all, or a portion, of their RMD directly to a charity.  The annual limit is $100K per account owner.  With a QCD, your IRA custodian sends a check directly to the charity.  A QCD does not provide a charitable deduction for the taxpayer but it also does not add taxable income to the retiree’s tax return.
If a retiree adds the RMD to taxable income and then writes a check to the charity for a tax deduction, there is a wash.  However, by using a QCD, the retiree does not include in taxable income the contribution (up to the annual $100K limit per account owner) and then the retiree may choose the standard deduction for a more tax efficient charitable donation strategy.   
Additionally, a retiree who writes check to the charity for an itemize tax deduction is also limited to a federal tax deduction of 50% of AGI.
To illustrate the QCD strategy vs adding the RMD to taxable income and taking an itemize tax deduction, assume a retiree has $75,000 pension income and the RMD is $100K.

Here's a Forbes article about OCD's - https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinmckenna/2021/08/23/how-to-donate-your-rmd-using-qualified-charitable-distributions/?sh=6598f3663b5e
 
 

May all your problems be so happy.
Kevin Slater

Roth.
100 percent of my retirement portfolio has been converted over to Roths.

Nothing you can do.   Count your blessings, pay your taxes and enjoy life.  
 
I’ve been subject to IRMAA (income related monthly adjustment amount) for several years now.  No big deal.  There are many people who would love to be in our shoes.  
 
If you’d been smart you should have been doing incremental Roth conversions annually to lower your RMDs once you hit 73.  

Have you reserached QLAC's? - Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts.
It is a way to creatively help reduce the amount of the 401k/IRA (not Roth), that is used to calculate the annual RMD's.
This article from a couple years ago explains them. - https://www.forbes.com/advisor/retirement/qlac-qualified-longevity-annuity-contract/
I believe the amount was increased in CY 2023 from the maximum of $135,000 or 25% of the tax deferred amount to $200,000 or 25% that you can withdraw from the account when purchasing Annuity Contracts that you can use to help with financial planning and flexibility in your 70's to basically around 85.
Basically you can withdraw up to the maximun allowed per year out of the account tax free if it is used to purchase specific types of annuity contracts.
Then you can time/optimize when the annuity contracts start paying you and continue deferring paying the tax until receiving that income.

The RMDs do raise our annual taxable income, but my spouse and I are lucky that we have never needed the money from our separate retirement accounts (a 401(k) for him and a 403(b) for me) for annual living expenses. My spouse's financial advisor simply re-invests his RMD in another investment account. I usually take mine in cash, and use it for non-essential purchases, like travel, or for charitable donations (which are tax deductible). I used last year's RMD to pay cash for a new car, rather than take out a loan. If we live long enough (say from 90 to 110),  I'm sure we will actually need the money from the retirement accounts for essential care expenses, but for now I'm happy enough with the way things are structured.

My understanding is the TAXPAYERS are not covering this.  FDIC insurance paid by the banks will ultimately "pay" for this.  
See @GTMike's great writeup above for more detail on this:

I frequently read statements from health experts that we need, at minimum, 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. They say that less than that has negative consequences such as lower cognitive ability, increased cancer risk, a shorter life span, impaired immune system and more. If I sleep 7 hours (or more) it's probably because I'm ill or have been sleep deprived. for a day or two... so I find all warnings about my supposed sleep deprivation disconcerting. 
From reading the Lunesta/sleep aides thread, I know that others struggle with getting enough sleep.  Do you have a target number of hours you feel you should be sleeping every night? If so, how does that compare to the number of hours you actually get? I'm usually at under 6 hours per night but feel that I should be at 7. 

I figure, you die with a million dollars in the bank, you lose. You die owing a million dollars, you win. I am happily but prudently spending down my portfolio. The one thing in life I am sure of is that I’m not going to take it with me. 
 
While I spend more on travel and boys than I did when I was younger and working, there are many expenses that are less…new suits, freshly laundered shirts every day, downtown lunches daily, commuting costs, etc. And while the stock market was in the long bull market I had more money at the end of the year than the beginning. Those days are over, but a young plaything now and then is nickels and dimes. 

Eh, i get where you're coming from, but once you've crossed the line to hiring I'm not sure there's a principled stand to take on whether they're straight or not. By definition you're paying someone to do something they wouldn't do absent the money. To me the question is are they respectful. There are gay escorts who are assholes and are abusive towards their clients as well. There are some straight guys who are just in it for the money but still manage to be nice to the clients and as long as they cam perform the tasks asked of them I don't think it matters. This isn't courtship, it's a service. Some of them do this specifically to keep their sex work and their romantic relationships separate. I know of some lesbians who strip for men for.similar reasons. As long as nobody's walking away from the encounter feeling shitty about themselves then it's fine IMO.

A few years ago I would have thought that a claim to be bisexual was a stepping stone to admitted being gay but I've since learned that lots of men truly are bisexual. They may be simultaneously attracted to both men and women or they may go through periods of being attracted to one sex more than the other. I will admit to wondering if Archuleta is calling himself bisexual as a stepping stone but I'm also reminding myself that truly bisexual men do exist... and there are lots of them.  
 

A few years ago I would have thought that a claim to be bisexual was a stepping stone to admitted being gay but I've since learned that lots of men truly are bisexual. They may be simultaneously attracted to both men and women or they may go through periods of being attracted to one sex more than the other. I will admit to wondering if Archuleta is calling himself bisexual as a stepping stone but I'm also reminding myself that truly bisexual men do exist... and there are lots of them.  
 

Being a fan of Neil Patrick Harris, I had looked forward to watching this series but after the first couple episodes, was asking myself, do these characters actually represent a segment of the NYC gay community? Not being a New Yorker myself, I thought, well... maybe this is want is meant by A-List gays. If so, put me in the D-list (no, make that the Z-list). 
I forced myself to watch all 8 episodes of season 1 although there were several times I had to mute the TV and look away, it was just that insipid and cliched.  I have no plans to watch season 2. 

Being a fan of Neil Patrick Harris, I had looked forward to watching this series but after the first couple episodes, was asking myself, do these characters actually represent a segment of the NYC gay community? Not being a New Yorker myself, I thought, well... maybe this is want is meant by A-List gays. If so, put me in the D-list (no, make that the Z-list). 
I forced myself to watch all 8 episodes of season 1 although there were several times I had to mute the TV and look away, it was just that insipid and cliched.  I have no plans to watch season 2. 

Being a fan of Neil Patrick Harris, I had looked forward to watching this series but after the first couple episodes, was asking myself, do these characters actually represent a segment of the NYC gay community? Not being a New Yorker myself, I thought, well... maybe this is want is meant by A-List gays. If so, put me in the D-list (no, make that the Z-list). 
I forced myself to watch all 8 episodes of season 1 although there were several times I had to mute the TV and look away, it was just that insipid and cliched.  I have no plans to watch season 2. 

Robert Conrad on the TV series, Wild Wild West 

 
Bobby Banas (the dancer with the floppy hair) 
 

This is NOT a political post but I have say, I was surprised to see Clark Kent at the Jan 6 congressional hearing. Twitter was going nuts trying to figure out, who is this guy?  Wow, what a hunk!  

 

As can be expected, the NY Post has the best coverage
https://nypost.com/2022/07/22/hunky-clark-kent-lookalike-steals-show-at-jan-6-hearings/