SouthOfTheBorder

the visible gun & bullets in a restaurant made me uncomfortable. It was obvious others were uncomfortable too. this is not a political point. I’d rather not be in restaurants where people are carrying weapons. And I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume if carrying a weapon openly, there is some idea of fear & need for protection. Otherwise, what is the point ? and yup, that guy probably had a small dick too. I never thought about that until now - thanks for making the connection. re: small dicks & exotic cars…..that’s backed up by research. the average dick is 6” or less erect. the world is full of smaller than average dicks and that’s not “nasty”. it’s like being tall or short - it is what it is. because of most men’s obsession with dick size it becomes a complicated subject. given the core subject matter of this forum however, it’s really not surprising it comes up frequently in various contexts. sorry if this is triggering for some people. it was not intended that way.

this is the problem with AirBnBs - and it depends on the type of AirBnB. If it’s in a single family home, then no problem. If it’s in a residential multi-unit building, then that is a problem IMO. Both owners & renters usually have to go through a background screening process to get into many buildings these days. The assumption is when owners/renters have gone through this process, then there is a certain level of additional safety in the building and those people are then responsible for the guests they allow to enter the premises. AirBnB turns that idea upside down - with AirBnb renters there is only screening based on that persons reviews and no responsibility for the guests they might bring in. While @Simon Suraci may be a responsible AirBnB guest, many are not. Owners/renters generally don’t want a revolving door of unknown people coming in/out of the place they call home. Many of these buildings have no security whatsoever and that opens the door to all kinds of issues. One of the buildings I live in has 3 units that can be used for AirBnB (only because the building changed the rules after the fact) and those apartments create all the problems. The neighbors all know exactly what is going on in those units - not rocket science. If there are multiple visitors at all hours, then it’s probably drug-dealing or sex-work. Thats just the truth. And the neighbors will be complaining to the building management and whomever owns the unit. FYI - cameras are so small & tiny now where it would be difficult to know if the host has a camera or not. Once the host has been burned once or twice, you’re likely being watched.

I grew up there too, and continued to go back for my parents. after they passed, no reason to return I had to do a drive through rural America this summer. Guns in holsters with belts full of bullets in a chain restaurant (Ruby Tuesdays) in N Carolina. No thanks they seem to be very afraid of something - I’m just not sure what it is

PV has become a destination for foreign providers (non-Mexican) catering to visiting tourists. Most of the those visiting providers bring their home country rates with them - and it tends to influence the overall rates in PV, meaning rates are higher than you would expect. In that situation, I’d go for the locals. All depends on want you want tho - if there is a visiting American provider that you can’t resist, be ready to pay US rates.

I think it depends on context. If they want a pic before appointment scheduling, then no. If they want a pic after appointment confirmed, then I’d probably send it because I can understand it from a security point of view - but I would only do that if meeting the person at their home or hotel. Scheduling with a new provider requires a certain amount of trust. If you’re going into their environment whether home or hotel - they could easily record the entire session and you’d never know. Thats the reality.

that is not the American way - right now, Americans owe $1trillion in credit card debt at over 20% interest https://www.lendingtree.com/credit-cards/credit-card-debt-statistics/

LOL - Welcome to Florida 'We do not have insurance. We have an insurance bill': Condos hit with 563% rate increase Tom Baker has written to all 160 Florida state lawmakers as well as 15 news organizations about condo owners dealing with huge insurance rate hikes. Read in USA TODAY: https://apple.news/ANAoDU0JKSfuT2a22MM0OnQ Shared from Apple News

I agree with you. They are American capitalism embodied. I don’t think anyone can blame them though - they just figured out the formula.

the American dream is dead for most Americans - children now tend to advance less than their parents, or worse they end up with a lower standard of living than their parents. For those immigrating to the US, the dream is very much alive in the sense they will have a better life. and - lots of Americans leaving the country for a better life elsewhere.

LOL - love them, hate them or don’t care anything about them, the Kardashians have monetized the family in such a way that there are at least two billionaires among them. It’s wealth on a completely different level. It didn’t happen overnight and it didn’t happen by accident. I’m not a fan & never watched their shows, yet I can appreciate their success. Their brand is outrageous over-the-top expensive ….of course she’s going to have bags like that.

yeah - I’ve never seen mention of this anywhere. If this was true, the service industry dependent on tips would be in open revolt.

I think it’s every culture except the US, Canada & Northern Europe - where younger men routinely seek out older men for sex & not for money. It’s a little confusing to me tho when some guys reference getting sex “for free”. I’m not paying for sex because I can’t get it at no cost. I’m paying for convenience and sex completely on my terms - whatever that includes with no other attachments or expectations. I’ve got enough experience with the apps & “for free” to know it frequently comes with complications, expectations and the hookup is not likely there there to cater to all of my desires. “Free hookup-sex” and paid sex are two totally different things. Wasted time seeking the free sex and less than desirable experiences is almost reduced to zero (in both areas) when I pay. And there is absolutely no comparison between the real pros in the business vs random hookups. There might be free-sex anecdotes here and there - but it’s just not the way it usually works, if choosing the right provider. I will take quality paid provider mind-blowing sex vs quantity mediocre free-sex hookups every single time.

From Slate, re: Niagra Bentley crash It does make you wonder, though: Why on earth would someone want to own a car—one meant to be driven on regular old roads in, for example, upstate New York, where its driver operated a small local chain of hardware stores—that can go a reported 175 miles per hour? That’s 110 miles per hour faster than the highest posted speed limit in the state of New York. It’s about 107 miles per hour faster than the highest posted speed limit in Ontario, where the driver hoped to attend a KISS concert. Heck, that’s 90 miles per hour faster than the highest posted speed limit in all of America (on state Highway 130 outside Austin, Texas). Unfortunately, we can’t ask Kurt P. Villani, 53, of Grand Island, New York, or his wife, Monica Villani, also 53, why they bought a car that can go that fast, because they both died horribly when the car exploded. They Died at an Absurd Speed at Niagara Falls. Why Did Their Vehicle Let Them? Automakers are happy to sell you a Bentley that drives 175 miles per hour. But we don’t have to allow it. Read in Slate: https://apple.news/AIKHAObp1SFqNmUSOkOtPrw

Pretty sure there is function to view anonymously. You’re way overthinking it - they are offering professional services, I doubt your profile makes them “interested” or not. If interested, just contact them directly by text/whatsapp. Not complicated

From the NYT article about the Niagara Falls Bentley crash - it notes multiple recalls for defective parts & workmanship on Bentleys last few years. Sounds like a real bargain at $300,000+ the random acceleration thing must be really fun The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received no complaints about the 2022 Flying Spur, but Bentley issued three recalls involving the car’s seatbelts, airbags and entertainment systems, according to the agency’s website. None involved acceleration Ms. Bronner said Wednesday’s incident was not tied to a recall in 2021 of some models over a risk that their accelerator pedals could become stuck. She said there had been no such problem on left-hand drive cars, the kind sold in the United States and Canada.

while the reasons for the Florida insurance crisis can be debated - that means nothing to Florida homeowners that are facing huge premium increases or being dropped altogether. As more insurance companies exit Florida, the problem will only get worse & more expensive. Anyone considering a move to Florida & buying a home will soon experience exactly that problem. back to the OPs question about a Florida housing market bubble & prices: what happens when banks will no longer lend money to buy when the buyers either can’t get insurance ? or it becomes so expensive that it affects their ratios for loan approvals ? Banks will not loan money on a property that is uninsured or underinsured. Cash buyers cannot sustain the overall market. Unless the insurance problem is fixed, it will inevitably lead to a correction in pricing. Very basic economics - reducing the pool of potential buyers because of insurance crisis & stricter lending requirements leads to overall less demand. Time will tell.

you share information just by visiting the site (IP address) and more if you’re logging in with an email address. If you’re using VPN, then probably fine. Otherwise, NO. That’s the reason Microsoft put that message up - the “other site” is not secure & you are at risk if you use it. Proceed at your own risk.

Yup - not only a stereotype, but researched fyi - this is not surprising Men with small penises are more likely to buy flashy sports cars:... NYPOST.COM Men with smaller-than-average penises are more likely to want to own high-performance sports cars...

Same exact thing - different social class

I don’t think it’s nasty to “think” someone has a small dick & maybe compensating with an expensive sports car. statistically, many many guys have small dicks & it’s basically an obsession with lots of them. Interesting to note however, re: exotic cars (Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc) about 90% of the buyers are men. I wonder why ? No - not a car guy. Thankfully, I live in places where I don’t need one.

buying an expensive car, Bentley/Rolls/exotics is the quickest way to signal to the general public you’re rich - or, you want people to think you’re rich. Driving a car like that makes that person a target. the real rich don’t generally go out of their way to do that. For the aspirational rich, the thought probably never crosses their mind - they want the attention. Being a target to the aspirational means nothing because it’s a house of cards financially. I’ve found the real rich are generally discreet and don’t try to broadcast wealth - on a need to know basis only: stockbroker, accountant, banker & maybe real estate agent. They’ve got nothing to prove. As always - exceptions to every rule. Very much dependent on culture of the family & household. When I see men driving Lamborghini, Ferrari, and the like - my first thought is small dick

cars & boats are depreciating assets. yeah, I know there are exceptions. lease or rent those - don’t buy unless you keep vehicles for 10 years personally, i think the folks driving Bentleys, Rolls, Lamborghini are screaming for attention. If you have real money, you don’t want anyone to know - that’s the rule. Car ownership is money down the drain every time. I no longer have a vehicle anywhere & life is so easy.

he’s Brazilian- there you have it

it’s not just Microsoft. This a frequent occurrence because they don’t run it as a serious thing & the owner is otherwise occupied in Thailand most of the time. The SSL certificates lapse with no thought of the site security and how it could impact users; hacking. These same warnings from various tech companies are not unusual there. There are other threads about same exact thing here very recent. It might be ok to browse without logging in - but do not give them any information. I wouldn’t risk it.

this is accurate. that assumes someone bought property years ago. anyone buying now will get hit with taxable value as purchase price and those rates are extremely high. long-term homeowners are getting priced out in some areas due to insurance costs. Not unheard of $20,000 - $30,000 single family homes annual if close to the water. People are leaving because of that. The alternative is to go without insurance if your home is paid off - very risky for those who are older and the home is significant part of asset portfolio. To go without insurance is called going “RAW” - not kidding. For condominium dwellers their unit insurance costs may not go up dramatically - but the HOAs are looking at 25-35% insurance increases which is passed on to owners. Dig into all the details before buying there. The last Florida bust was 2008-2011 with the financial crisis & that wasn’t Florida specific. It feels like they are due for major correction. Given the capital required to buy there now & the insurance crisis, I don’t know how people afford it.