BSR

I don’t know about Phoenix, but they would never allow that in Las Vegas. I know of a restaurant whose license for just beer, forget full bar, was denied because they were ~40 yards from a full-nudity strip club. When the (straight) strip club ended up closing (even with the broader client base, no alcohol is a tough business model), the restaurant owner was able to get a liquor license no problem.

I used to go to Newport a lot, but it’s been a while. I remember it as kind of a New England Yankee version of Las Vegas, minus the gambling and neon. Tons of bars line Thames St., where young pretty heterosexuals swarm every weekend to hook up. If you want to gnash your teeth in frustration, Narragansett Beach across the bridges has some of the most gorgeous (straight) men you’ll ever see. But the mansions and sailboats on the water are beautiful, as are the grass courts at the Tennis HoF as long as you go before the tournament. Also, Newport has the best fried clams I ever had, wish I could remember the name of the place. If you like history and beautiful scenery, you’ll love Newport. But as @pubic_assistance advises, temper your hook-up expectations.

According to this website, the difference between a legit exchange place and a cueva is only 2.6%, definitely to small a difference to risk dealing with a potentially shady cueva. When I start classes tomorrow, I will ask my fellow students if they’ve had success finding an honest cueva.

When I walked out (the sign before the doors said “salida” and “taxi”), I didn’t see a line or a taxi stand or anything. I was trying to find an Uber sign but couldn’t find anything. Note that this was 5am. A guy approached me and asked if I needed a taxi. When I said yes, he said to follow him. We walked across a couple of lanes and went to where a bunch of cabs were standing. Obviously, I did not receive or ask for an estimate. Like I said, because I hadn’t been able to sleep on the 13-hour overnight flight from Madrid, I was pretty out of it. Living in Las Vegas, I normally have my guard up about taxi scams because cabdrivers there are notorious for long-hauling passengers, but I had a false sense of security because I had taken a cab so many times in Spain, in multiple cities, and was never ripped off once. I even had a few taxi rides when the fare quoted seemed way too low. In response to your question, no, I wasn’t trying to skip the line or go around the standard procedure, because there was no line or taxi stand, at least I didn’t see one. Note that at 5am, Ezeiza arrivals was empty except for airport employees and the passengers from my flight, and from what I could tell, all my fellow passengers were getting picked up by private cars. I’ll avoid cabs and will use Uber instead while in BA. But if I do need a taxi, I’ll make sure to ask for an estimate before hopping in.

Aren’t all the federal museums and attractions in DC free? Back on topic: hmm, the report says that her initial run was “previously” sold out but doesn’t say how long ago that was. Vegas is down a bit, but not that much. I have to think that her die-hard fans jumped at the chance to see her, but there just aren’t that many die-hards out there. True, she was super-popular, but it’s been a while.

Gracias, @José Soplanucas, this time I will definitely take your advice. I found a legit exchange place just a 10-minute walk from my AirBnB. After my bad taxi experience, I’d much rather avoid getting ripped off again.

Besides saving time, you’ll also save a sh!tload of money. I took a cab, despite having read your advice, because I couldn’t find the Uber pickup spot. No wait, nice ride, but the driver charged me $100! When I checked Uber prices, the estimate was $25. Because I hadn’t slept the entire 13-hour overnight flight, I didn’t have the wherewithal to argue about it, nor did I think to get the taxi number to file a report. Alas, lesson learned the hard way. But I refuse to let that bad start dampen my spirits. Now I need to find a cueva to change money but am hesitating because I’ve read that there are some shady cuevas. I would go to Banco de La Nación because there’s no longer much of a difference between blue and the official exchange rate, but I’d have to wait until Monday. I guess I could get by with credit cards until then. Getting ripped off a second time would indeed dampen my spirits.

Goran is a world-class coach, but who knows if he and Tsitsi will click. Stefanos has long needed to cut off professional ties with both parents, yet despite a couple of attempts to replace his father with another coach, Papa Tsitsipas keeps returning to his son’s box time and again. Even though Tsitsipas maintained a top 10 ranking for almost 5 years, his current live ranking has dropped to an alarming #26. I hope he moves heaven and earth to make things work out with Goran because he’s hitting bottom, although I’m not sure he sees that.

Who da heck bought Wet N Wild, Church Lady??

My bad, I forgot that he was nominated for writing Rocky. He doesn’t come off as a writer, at all, but things are not always as they seem. By the way, I went into Rocky expecting to really enjoy it, with its theme of the triumph of the common man, but I didn’t care for it at all. Maybe I should give it a second chance.

The text in bold would be the first clue that the movie is no 21st century Citizen Kane.

https://x.com/sinfulfire/status/1923033450086351017?s=46

After Jannik Sinner destroyed 2-time Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud 6-0, 6-1 in the quarters, the Italian looked like a tennis version of The Terminator, yet Carlos handled him convincingly in the Rome final. Alcaraz has now won 4 straight against the world #1, and has become the odds-on favorite to win Roland Garros (which started today). Let’s see if King Carlos can repeat as RG champion. He has a cupcake draw until the final. Then again, for Carlos every Grand Slam is kinda cupcakey until the semis/final.

It’s not black or white either/or. Yes, Kelvin is young and cute, but we also know his story: dysfunctional family, lived with his grandmother, became homeless when she died. A young man with no indications of substance abuse or mental disorder (Bozo’s been around the block a time or two) and with his whole life ahead of him got dealt 2-7 unsuited (for you Texas Hold ‘Em players). That should draw empathy from anyone, looks aside.

R.I.P. George Wendt, thanks for all the laughs. Here’s my favorite Norm scene …

I must be slow … can you explain the joke?

If you see him again, maybe you could invite him to your hotel room to clean up/shower/nap(?) while making it clear that you will wait for him in the hotel bar/lobby. I wouldn’t feel comfortable extending such an invitation to just any random stranger, but he seems like a trustworthy sort. Plus his need for a long hot shower likely far exceeds whatever slight unease I’d feel.

While in Manila I remember seeing Lukasxyz_PINOY’s ad, cute enough to make me consider him but I opted for another guy. Phew! dodged a bullet … Sorry about what happened to you. It is so sh!tty, but it happens, and far too often.

Even though Wimbledon qualifying is held off-site, they do charge for tickets as do the Australian and Roland Garros. The AO is the cheapest of the paid entries at just AU$10 (US$6.46) while RG charges 25€ ($28.10) and Wimbledon £15-20 ($20.04-26.72). The US Open qualies have long been known as the best bargain in tennis, with a can’t-beat-the-price admission fee of $0.00. However, given the jaw-dropping amount the USTA will invest in upgrades, I suspect that the US Open will start charging soon enough.

Here is the funniest bit I’ve seen from this guy. I’ve seen it a half-dozen times and crack up every single time. Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro highlights the clip, but there’s no actual political content.

While Makati is home to the poshest neighborhood in all of the Philippines (boxer Manny Pacquiao and multibillionaire Manny Villar, richest Filipino on the planet, live in Forbes Park, Makati), I would stay in BGC (Bonifacio Global City), the city next door (Makati and BGC are technically cities, not neighborhoods). BGC is cleaner, quieter, and believe it or not safer (imho). When I return to Manila in December, I’m planning to get an AirBnB in the Grand Hyatt condos because you can get one week in an AirBnB for the same price as one night in the GH hotel, $300-350. The Dusit and the Grand Hyatt are about the same distance from Población, the gay district in Makati, but the Dusit is much closer to Remedios Circle, another gay district in Manila proper. I’ve read that BGC supposedly has its own little gay district but don’t ask me where because I couldn’t find it for the life of me. As for bringing a cute pinoy (Filipino guy) up to your room, trust me, every hotel security guard and front desk clerk knows the score. You will likely have to show your room key to the security guard to get into the lobby front door and/or to go up the elevator (most 4- & 5-star hotels work like the casino hotels in Las Vegas), but they couldn’t care less about your companion in tow ‘cuz they’ve already seen it 287 quadrillion times. If you’re puti (white), their only response might be a concealed smirk. Some nonhotel-related travel tips: 1) when you exchange money, ask for a whole lotta 50p and 100p bills because tipping in the Philippines can only be cash, no way to add the tip onto a credit card transaction. Please tip your Uber/taxi driver (10%, rounded up, minimum 50p), Starbucks barista (50p per transaction), restaurant server (10%), and anyone else you would tip in the US. Keep in mind 50p is only 90 cents. If you knew how little they’re making, it’d break your heart. Tip your escort, just flat out ask him how much he’s expecting. The guy I hired had a “manager” who took 40% of his fee (didn’t know this until the end of our last session). 2) download the app eGovPH and fill it out before landing, it will make going thru customs a lot quicker & easier. 3) download Grab, the app for Uber (there is no Uber in the Philippines, their equivalent is Grab) and taxis. I found out the hard way that it’s pretty much impossible to hail a cab on the street. The app will give you cost estimates for private cars (like an Uber in the US) and metered taxis, plus estimated arrival time for each option. If you’re feeling adventurous, download Move It, an app for motorcycle or scooter “taxis,” for when you’re going somewhere solo. It can be a bit of a fright because they weave in between cars like maniacs, but in heavy traffic (brace yourself for 3rd World traffic) it’s by far the quickest option. 4) check Grab for how much it should cost to get from the airport to your hotel. The drivers were quoting 1,200p until my aunt (who’s lived in Manila almost 20 years) called bullsh!t, then they dropped the price to 400p

Most of this Matteo Lane bit is about a straight couple with a 14-year age difference, but his mention of a May-December gay couple applies to Geffen & his soon-to-be ex. 86K views · 1.9K reactions | Matteo Lane - Gay vs Straight Dating (1)... WWW.FACEBOOK.COM Matteo Lane - Gay vs Straight Dating (1) #matteolane #standupcomedy #crowdwork #comedy #humor #improv #jokes #reaction #podcast #podcastshow...

Log into Facebook WWW.FACEBOOK.COM Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. I don’t know if this link words, hope so ‘cuz it cracked me up!

I don’t watch much doubles … hmm, maybe I need to start. The team linked in the previous post are Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul. Reboul is featured in another thread because he is the first ATP player to come out publicly. Fabien is hot, but his partner slays me … those eyes, those full lips, that ripped physique, zoinks!