SouthOfTheBorder

Capitalism when it suits them. Dictators & other despots when that’s more convenient. Just read about Facebook in the Philippines (and many other countries) where it’s the de facto internet gateway, thus allowing the regime to monitor, silence, capture & torture political enemies. Not so much freedom of speech there. Not many ideas exchanged either. Facebook will do whatever they have to do in each country to keep operating. no thanks - I’ll pass when it gets to dictators and torture. Thus, exactly the problem with the lazy first world folks.

I’ve been working in media for 40 years and specialized in digital for 15 - i know exactly the data that can be collected, how it can be manipulated and used for whatever nefarious purpose anyone chooses to pay for. I sat in enough meetings to literally get sick knowing what was going on behind the scenes. if you think it’s just about someone’s own user experience, tolerance, intolerance - then you have no idea how it really works behind the curtain. most people don’t give it a second thought - thus, a naive & malleable user base ready for manipulation. the front facing encouraging of hate speech targeted towards minority groups, largely driven by algorithms designed to create outrage & more engagement (you spending more time on those networks) is just the tip of the very toxic iceberg. if you think the purpose of social media is about free speech or an exchange of ideas - you do not have a clue the number one reason for social media is to keep you engaged at all costs - vacuuming up all of your data and online habits, then selling that data en masse to whomever is willing to pay and for whatever reason. It’s not about free speech and it’s not an exchange of ideas. It’s to make as much money as possible while building a base of users that can be monetized for their profit.

the individual user experience is not the point for social media in general - participation supports those corrupt companies & people as an example: many people on the left can’t quit talking about how much they hate Trump - yet, they remain on Facebook, and in effect supporting Facebook - when it was Facebook that made Trump & his victory in 2016 possible. the bigger societal problem is nobody draws a line in the sand and says enough with these social media companies - the social media companies play the most significant role in the destruction of American society, civility, politics and almost everything else. And people just can’t quit using those platforms. I don’t get it - social media is not necessary for daily living and you’ll actually recapture hours for other things by getting rid of it. It’s one thing if your professional livelihood depends somehow on social media - but that’s just not the case for most people. I wouldn’t patronize a hotel, airline, restaurant or destination that was actively hostile & promoted hate speech against LGTBQI people - why is it somehow ok on social media ?

Don’t support a platform that encourages LGBTQI attacks ! if you’re a Twitter user, delete your account today GLAAD report says Twitter is the 'most dangerous' social media platform' for LGBTQ users WWW.USATODAY.COM Major social media platforms inadequately protect users from anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, GLAAD said Thursday...

Recently paid $400 in Miami for a very well reviewed provider - worth every penny & then some. +$150 tip because so exceptional I’d schedule with him again without hesitation

he may not be celebrating - but millions of others are doing exactly that. that’s the really baffling thing; a population so brain-washed and indoctrinated that they want their own cities to fail. Common sense has been discarded & replaced with ideology that only serves the politicians & media outlets for money. They monetize the manufactured outrage - that’s why everything is reported as a crisis along with desperate pleas for money and/or attention. Its capitalism run amok without any other political beliefs , consuming itself for the elites at the very top who have no loyalty to country, party, core values or anything else except self-interest. You don’t have to look much further than the recent defamation lawsuits to know the news people don’t believe their own reporting - just taking advantage of the rubes for money. then there’s the politicians that rail against the government, yet happily take the government paycheck, government perks/benefits, travel, staff & everything else. Not a mention about that. Because it’s ok for them, but not ok for you.

born & raised in middle America. I’ve lived all over the United States and know it extremely well. It’s a country going backwards by almost any measure. It’s not unusual in a historical context. All great empires crumble and it’s almost always the direct result of internal failures that cause the collapse vs external. The United States is in the process of slow collapse - San Francisco is just a leading indicator. Americans generally don’t understand history so they aren’t connecting the dots. I wish it was different.

You obviously haven’t been to Japan recently. There’s not much there for anyone to take issue with regardless of underlying American perceptions or media reports: the country is spotless, everything works, crime is so low that’s it’s not even an issue, the people are routinely polite & tolerant. They revere and protect nature. The economy has been relatively stagnant, yet from all outward appearances it’s a very prosperous & orderly country with an overall feeling of calm & well being. No raised voices on the Tokyo subway and no horns honking in Tokyo traffic. No visible homeless population, no visible drug addicts, no wandering people in mental health crisis. In short - it’s civilized where the US is anything but.

when stories like these don’t make sense - it’s wise to consider other possible scenarios such as, perhaps you are the intended target all roads lead to the deep pockets

I can tell you are well intended here. I think hiring providers is a slippery slope for many because they want to make it something other than what it is - meaning paying for sex. It’s a huge taboo in our culture and quite unexpectedly taboo among gay men. If I had a nickel for every time one of my friends said “I don’t need to pay for sex”. I’m not exactly sure what they even means other than a passive/aggressive judgement when I’m open about my hiring. It doesn’t bother me really - but just confirms that most people think it’s wrong, even relatively liberal minded gay men. I’m of the opposite mind - I have zero shame or stigma attached to hiring providers in any context. And I don’t care who knows it. With the providers, I’ll treat them as any invited guest in my home but with a clear understanding of the transaction and what is expected. To me it’s the same as other intimate service like massage. Just because it’s sex and I’m paying for it doesn’t mean I have to craft some narrative to mentally work around it and allow myself permission to go there. I’ve literally hired hundreds of guys over the years and had some long term “relationships” yet there was never any confusion that money is what held the connection together. Of course the money isn’t always discussed - it’s more like the oxygen in the room that allows the entire transaction to happen. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

yes - this is exactly what I meant. surprisingly - very few providers make this sort of offer

try calling a provider & not paying - then see what happens it’s always about money no matter how much folks may want to obscure it with all kinds of sideways happy talk sure - it can be lovely experience and it can seem romantic, natural & bfe. you can discretely pay in an envelope or Zelle if that makes you feel better, but you’re paying for a service any way you slice it there’s no shame around any part of this - I think it’s way healthier to normalize the provider/client financial transaction without any need to make it something else or obscure it. The need to justify it in some other way means there is shame or other stigma attached by one of the participants.

well Riobard - while the tale you relate is regrettable under any circumstances, it’s entirely preventable. All banks provide numerous ways to set alerts for transactions at spending levels determined by customer & the instant function to lock the card if stolen or unauthorized charges are happening. Of course, this is dependent on the phone not being stolen too. Not being ripped off these days requires a modicum of common sense & a few reasonable preventative measures

check machofucker.com is you like these type guys lots of machofucker free content available on other sites too

I often hear Grindr, Scruff & other apps referred to as “free-sex” vs the paid providers reminder - nothing is free the typical “free” hookup takes hours to coordinate & you’ll be lucky if you don’t get robbed or an sti the apps are flooded w scam artists, thieves & drug addicts all playing on loneliness & vulnerability - especially with older men as targets crimes originating on the apps are vastly underreported because the victim is embarrassed

I will be very happy when the ban is lifted at “the other site” of course, I’m assuming it wasn’t permanent he must have really pissed off the minions

aside from kissing - assume that whatever your new sex partner is doing with you, they are doing the exact same with multiple others especially anyone from the apps. it's a well known Petri dish prep, condoms, peeing right after & a thorough shower will all mitigate. not romantic, but the reality

A fool & his money are soon parted Take your money & go to S America or Europe. Better men, better service, better everything

evidently some here are unfamiliar with the dynamics at play in due time you’ll have a better sense a leopard doesn’t change its spots

Lol - you’re making it sound like some sort of discrete geisha experience. For the regulars I know that’s kind of how it works to a point If the provider doesn’t know you - it’s frequently a demand for deposit or payment upfront. There’s dozens of threads here about exactly this. Among the other assorted scam artists, thieves & drug addicts that taint the entire industry It’s funny how so many people on both ends of these transactions want to pretend it’s anything but that. On the “other site” there’s the delusionals opining about their Brazilian/Thai boyfriends and wondering if they’re in it for the money. Seriously ? WTF The boyfriend experience has that name for a reason. Even with the regulars I’ve known for 15+ years - we both know it’s about 💰

Yeah - I shouldn’t have muddied it up w references to loyalty programs when it’s really more about discounts for multiple hour sessions. I was thinking that would be offered to only best clients, thus the confusion. Yes, there’s a few guys that do offer multi-hour discounts in a clear way, but vast majority don’t. I’m always curious about marketing & efficiencies when looking at different business types - and how to do it better. A single hour is definitely not my preference - but at $400-$500 per hour it gets very expensive fast. Forces me to think about it more & go with my established regulars where I know exactly what will happen. Too much risk to try someone new at those prices. And then there’s the tip. I was always told tips are for people that work for a business and don’t realize the full payment for services, like someone working in a hair salon that is not the owner - that person would be tipped. The owner of the business would not be tipped because they don’t split the fee for service with anyone else. Somehow we’ve entered an era in the US where everyone everywhere is tipped. And I’m a good tipper with wait staff usually getting 25-30%+ because I have a sense of their hourly wage - same with any other service people at low wages. I do tip providers, but 20% on top of $400-$500 is really getting out there. i definitely do not hire US domestically as often as in previous years. When I travel it’s another story - anywhere in Europe is way more reasonable & that just doesn’t seem to make any sense.

one of the major problems in the US now is there are many people cheering on the urban problems in big cities that they perceive to be run by those with different ideologies or political beliefs. It’s truly a unique American phenomenon where citizens are actually all in on the demise of the very places that drive the economy. I can’t imagine the same thing happening in Japan with an organized movement to cheer on urban problems in Tokyo or Osaka…or even worse, to celebrate the collapse of a major city. Theyre actually way too smart for that. As Americans continue to wage war with one another - they’re doing the work of America’s enemies. Typical that everything becomes a talking point for political purposes. And that’s why the country is circling the drain. Pathetic

Loyalty or incentive programs done right align with the goals of the business or individual making the offer - and it also deliver something of value to the client. If the business or individual loses something in the offer, then it’s either not conceived or executed properly. let’s say I’m a provider in NYC that has a goal of 2 appointments per day (with 2 days off per week) & does outcalls at $400 per hour. And in a typical day, I have one appointment at 1p downtown and another at 7p uptown, making $800 total for the day. And now let’s say instead of 2 appointments that break up my day requiring me to get ready twice (shower, douche, trimix or whatever) and travel - I can do one appointment of 2hours at $675, or pay for 2 get 3 at $800 - and I don’t need to break up the day or get ready twice. Which makes more sense ? I’ve offered a small discount or incentive to get back a good portion of a day or evening. And I’ve only dealt with one “better” client that I’ve selected for the offer. while the provider business model does not directly translate from other businesses - one core idea holds true which is to cultivate the very best clients and incentivize them to keep coming back & spending more. The transactional nature of the business is something the provider would like to understandably obscure - I can assure you from the client pov that there is no mystery: If the financial transaction doesn’t happen - the provider doesn’t show up. may be a very different calculation if the provider is doing incalls only & the travel component is not in the mix

I think most aren’t good at the business/marketing end of the business. just like artists who struggle with the business side when they are essentially creative people there are exceptions and those guys are easily identified by their longevity & good reputations. my sense is lots of people come & go - and some may go in only as a short term thing

the thought came to me today against a backdrop of increasing provider rates of $400-$500 per hour as new norm in major cities. And, at the same time I’m getting pinged by some providers asking me to book. So, there appears to be a new rate threshold in place for providers but a drop in actual business to those providers (I never got the pings before very recent). Getting to $400-$500 per hour takes many clients out of the market. Incentives to make it more palatable might keep more of them in. I’m curious - what is the standard booking if not an hour ? Successful providers with regulars would get more longer sessions, yet almost all advertise RM by the hour