SouthOfTheBorder

SDE is a thing.

So, you start a thread specifically asking for thoughts - then when you get the thoughts & different opinions than your own, that becomes its own separate thing. interesting- seems to be creation of conflict by design. because then you go after why you think someone feels a certain way about a subjective question you’ve put out there. When actually, you have no idea what forms the opinion. These type threads are like an unprepared client going to see a provider. Full of shit, messy & it stinks.

and likely has a small you-know-what. which explains almost everything. including the extreme views

very good advice. I did that once many years ago - the guy staked-out my condo for days. I couldn’t shake him & it definitely got weird. Being followed in MX isn’t exactly relaxing.

among the many gross publicly known aspects of Bezos/Sanchez, this one is Top 3 yes, that’s supposed to be her I think part of the revulsion is Bezos & Sanchez are just so tacky and evidently desperate for attention. Seems like a classic case of midlife crisis, yet with wealth on an unimaginable scale and with zero taste whatsoever.

vague memory of Phantom - maybe I blocked it.

What do you guys do when a client is not prepared & hasn't done basic hygiene ? I'm sure this happens with inexperienced people that aren't used to hiring. Probably also happens w some providers too. We're dealing with imperfect human bodies after all. What is the suggested etiquette when things need to be cleaned up ? Does the session end or just a break ? The listings on Hunqz really confuse me when some providers say their preference is "dirty". Maybe is a cultural thing & misunderstood by Americans. It can't mean what I think it means ??? Not a subject that gets a lot of discussion, but something that everyone thinks about at some point. I think it’s a basic unwritten rule that both provider & client arrive freshly showered & “prepared” as much as possible. I've encountered a provider or two with bad breath over the years and it’s an instant dealbreaker.

as a client, punctuality is very important. More often than not, a provider is coming to me. Things happen that can cause a reasonable delay once in while. If it's a pattern, then that's a problem. And if there is a delay, clear communication is helpful. 15-30 minutes is reasonable to wait. Anything more can impact whatever plans I have later that day/evening. If I'm traveling to a provider, then the same holds true. But I'm really never late. It's just basic courtesy when using professional services.

I’ve met him. Very hot, sexy & friendly. He travels a lot. One of the more personable & genuinely engaging guys I’ve met. He’s very into ff, which is not my thing - very skilled in the basics. Yes, his oral talents are extraordinary.

As is true with most things - you get what you pay for. “Free” isn’t free when you’ve wasted hours & then disappointed. And then there are the predators, with bad intentions. Not worth it. I stick with providers only these days & it’s so much easier. I can’t remember the last time I was disappointed w a provider.

American public schools (not colleges/universities) are a mess in both urban cities and rural areas - routinely producing students that are far behind students in other countries - especially in math & science. This is not new, but rather a trend for last 15-20 years. The exception would be very wealthy areas with property taxes to support their relatively small schools & where they can exert more control. American colleges & universities routinely outperform other countries and many foreigners arrive in the US for advanced education. The government doesn’t owe people jobs - that’s for private industry and they generally go where they can get a talented and educated work force….at least for the very best jobs. Silicon Valley developed because of its proximity to Stanford, one of the best universities in the world. Not complicated. a tongue lashing ? How about they don’t complain about their own life choices & take some personal responsibility ?

yup - if born w disability or become disabled/serious chronic illness before or during prime earning years, you're pretty much screwed and can lose everything. Half of bankruptcies are because of medical bills.

Below are Worlds 20 Most Dangerous Cities determined by homicides per capita. St Louis & Baltimore both make the list. Interesting there no European or Asian cities included. Basically, dangerous cities are in Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela & the United States.

actually, the dangerous list used a threshold of 100,000 for “city” population. The safest list used 300,000 as threshold. The methodology is all described on the link in previous post. As mentioned- you can use different sources and get essentially the same lists with St Louis, Memphis, Detroit, Cleveland among the most dangerous. NYC as an example, is never on those lists because it’s extremely safe by any measure - and that is the exact opposite of what most people think due to the reporting of NYC crime. Crimes in NYC are routinely sensationalized because it’s the largest US city & the center of national media. Those type stories will always get people to read it. A random knife attack in St Louis, Detroit or Memphis will not be reported nationally because no cares about those cities. And that’s how perceptions about big cities are manipulated by the media. A knife attack in Philadelphia at Macys will absolutely be reported nationally because people will read the story and talk about it - which is exactly what happened in this forum. When is the last time you read about individual violent murders in St Louis ? Even tho that city ranks more dangerous than several violent cities in Mexico & Brazil. You won’t read about St Louis because nobody cares about it. That’s the point.

this is the key - you were willing to move to a big city with opportunity. and you had an education and the people that stay almost never do better and then are resentful/bitter about “being left behind” - even though that was their choice. They don’t see it as a choice, however. that’s exactly how it works & adds more texture to the answer/question it’s an entirely different equation for native-born Americans & immigrants, based on the circumstances & expectations.

Forbes noted that they used “cities” with populations of 300,000+ and then based on per capita findings. There are several ways to compare cities & regions - using an expanded region would pull in suburbs and likely make the numbers look better. Most common comparisons are either the municipal boundaries that define an exact city (like NYC, which consists of 5 boroughs only) or a regional term which is DMA (designated market area, which pulls in exact suburban areas and matches the geographic area commonly used to analyze television/radio market coverage). Either way, not everyone will agree on methodology based on their unique knowledge of individual cities & regions. It’s a standardized process to make things neutral when building data comparisons. Making the threshold city low at 300,000 probably pulled small areas into the mix that just have exceptionally high crime. Im not sure that matters tho as I live in NYC, and I don’t mix in area of 8M people, more like several hundred thousand that live in close proximity. The area I live in is probably much safer than reflected in overall NYC data. You can cross reference this list to other high crime city lists and likely get very similar results, with a few outliers which are probably the small cities. The bigger point is the cities you would expect to find on the high crime list are not there at all, like NYC & Los Angeles. Of course, that doesn’t match the narrative about big cities being the epicenter of violent crime in America. The truth is it’s the small to mid-sized cities that have exceptionally high violent crime and are dangerous. You’re much more likely to encounter violent crime in St Louis, Memphis, Cleveland or Baton Rouge than Manhattan - any way you slice it.

From Forbes - Philadelphia, is indeed ranked one of the 15 most dangerous US cities. NYC is among the safest https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/01/31/report-ranks-americas-15-safest-and-most-dangerous-cities-for-2023/

I used to go to Philly frequently for business and stayed in Center City many times 2012 - 2017. I didn't seem unsafe at all then, day or night. I had several clients in that area & never heard any concerns about crime or personal safety. maybe I got lucky or misread the environment. Or, things have changed in last few years. the stabbings are horrific without question. these types of crimes generate headlines that go national & then influence the overall perception of safety. I don't know the Philly crime stats, but similarly in NYC - the subway violence paints NY as crime ridden, when it's actually very safe in context of per capita violent crime in US cities. NYC isn't even in Top 20. The national media makes it seem different because sensational headlines attract viewers/clicks/readers & that equals money. It's right to report the crimes of course - but as usual it's always in the details which most people can't process.

agree - fantastic city. world-class architecture & a great city for food. everything from the most sophisticated restaurants to famous deep-dish pizza !!

yes - although I don’t think links to providers are allowed anymore. I tried to paste it here & no luck. Just search Mega on RM & you’ll find him. Looks like he’s in Japan now - but he will return to NY

the US air-traffic control system is in crisis- according to air-traffic controllers its not about near-misses https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/02/business/air-traffic-controllers-safety.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare Drunk and Asleep on the Job: Air Traffic Controllers Pushed to the Brink

the issue is the expectations - not the gift-giving or lack thereof expectations will always let you down. It’s better to have none at all & then maybe be pleasantly surprised by the unexpected I don’t like receiving gifts, not even from my husband. I accept gifts politely, but completely unnecessary - and then it should be done privately, never with anyone else present. It’s not a spectacle and I don’t want to perform on cue. Birthdays are blown wildly out-of-proportion for adults and really, this is a thing for children. Cards are sufficient if anything at all.

agree - he is one of the very best. You cannot go wrong with him. Probably my all time favorite. He’s not in NY 100% of the time, but always returns

agree - it’s basically a circuit party now w overpriced everything by Mexican standards. It’s still beautiful during winter, but full of everything I generally want to get away from.

the average one-hour European rate is 150euros, give or take 50 in some circumstances. The US one hour rate is more like $300, give or take 50. I’d pay equivalent of 150euros in PV - I wouldn’t pay $300. Obviously an individual choice tho.