SouthOfTheBorder

Yes it can. This is ridiculous. If you see thousands of homeless on the streets, it’s a problem. If they are visible consistently in the subways & make riders feel unsafe, it’s a problem. If there are more homeless appearing on the streets each year, it’s a problem. There are major homeless problems in NYC, LA, SF & many more - this is not in dispute. It’s clearly visible & has significantly impacted the quality of life in those cities. if you visit a major world capital, like Madrid Tokyo and you do not see homeless in any numbers & any consistency after several days & several trips, there is no problem in the American context. How could it be possible to visit NY or SF and seeing hundreds of homeless immediately yet in Madrid & Tokyo almost none after several days ? The truth is simple and obvious. This is a unique American failure any way you look at it. Similar to our healthcare debacle and declining life expectancy. Minimizing, denial & obfuscation are the tools to somehow make peace with this failure I guess. Beware of anyone who tells you not to believe what you have seen in-person. Very Orwellian

you need to travel a bit more & see it for yourself There is no visible homeless problem in either city, nor are there safety issues created by rampant homeless Anyone comparing American homeless (like NY, LA, SF) problem to Spain or Japan hasn't been in either country recently & has no idea what they're talking about. More keyboard warrior information from the basement the homeless problem in the US is a curiosity to my European friends - they don't actually believe it's real & can't understand why it can't be solved, or mitigated to a non-issue. That's the tough thing to explain.

we all process information differently & all have different levels of risk tolerance. Information includes our own first-person experience - and I’ve seen way too much in Rio to think crime/danger is simply a “narrative” or wildly overblown press accounts. If anything - the rampant tourist crime & crime related to sex trade is underreported. Any frequent visitor Rio knows this is true. For all those reasons Rio is permanently off my list when other more safe options are available.

relatively speaking - they have solved the homeless problem. In Madrid there are homeless people. But you can walk the city for an entire day and it would be difficult to count more than two dozen. Same in Tokyo. It’s just not a visible or an overwhelming issue in either of those places. And the homeless are not visible in either Madrid or Tokyo subway systems at all vs New York or any other major American city where they are a permanent fixture. It’s just the way it is in those places. Doubtful any country/state/city can completely eradicate homelessness- but Spain and Japan have dealt with the problem in such a way that it does not impact quality of life for others nor does it create a visible population or unsafe environment. America is failing in more issues than homelessness - another drop in life expectancy in US for 2022. The only wealthy country to experience this type of decline - you can google it & find consistent information from a variety of sources.

there are actually way more hurdles to build housing for homeless, thus the exorbitant costs. i agree that solutions should include building housing in areas that do not have same cost considerations and/or complex regulations. That means going outside California which will never happen. agree 100%. The thing I keep returning to though is that other rich developed counties do not have these same issues - homelessness & gun violence. why is it only in America ?

the thing that makes Rio the outlier in these crime/danger discussions comparisons is the unique geography/demographics I can’t think of another major global tourist destination that is concentrated in a very small area (Leme - Leblon) & is completely surrounded by favelas/slums in ultra close proximity. The Rio favelas are filled with desperate people and competing gangs managing the drug trade. The tourists in Zona Sul are easy targets and there is crime against tourists pretty much nonstop - most of it non-violent and likely vastly underreported. Sao Paulo does not have the same set of variables - not even remotely close. Nor do any of the other cities mentioned. Comparing a tourist visit to Rio vs Chicago/Detroit doesn’t hold water as those cities don’t have a global tourist draw centered in a very small area. Cape Town or Puerta Vallarta might be a better comparisons, but still lack the extremes of Rio geography/demographics. A comparison of crime in entire cities or regions can be made - but that would overlook Rios unique geography that leads to more crime against tourists. I love Rio - but soft-pedaling the tourist crime/danger reality isn’t helpful. Nor is hysteria - just know what you’re getting into & be prepared if you choose to visit. Also can’t think of another place I’ve visited where I see a robbery at least once a day.

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correct. the true narrative tho is Rio is dangerous. This last tragedy involved a foreign tourist. The previous one was a garoto murdering a Carioca - who knew what to look for & even he wasn’t safe. The “Boa Noite Cinderella” home robberies in November 2022 was a gang of garotos robbing & drugging Cariocas. The point is that if Cariocas are getting murdered, drugged & robbed - then foreign tourists are even easier/more vulnerable targets. I’ve been to Rio many times & love the city. I wouldn’t go now tho. When I get the Brasil itch, I’ll go to São Paulo - totally different ballgame..

the homeless industrial complex does indeed use private contractors with sky-high costs for property acquisition, exorbitant legal costs (everyone fights it - nimby), insane requirements to build, impossible permitting, scarce labor, etc. The list goes on and all adds to final price-tag. In 2022, costs approaching $600,000 in California for each new housing unit designed for homeless people. No easy solutions for this long festering problem. Other rich counties do not have this same problem - why only here ? Column: Spending $800,000 for a single unit of homeless housing is a red flag for L.A. WWW.LATIMES.COM Spending $800,000 for a single unit of homeless housing? L.A. has to do better

interesting & hard to believe - I’m not saying you’re wrong tho Internet service in the Pines is owned/controlled by the people that own Pines Pantry. It’s a racquet & they always seemed hesitant to spend money to upgrade. Yes, my experience pre-Covid is it was awful and not wfh appropriate.

now is a good time for dick pics - if anyone is so inclined sidenote: did you know your cock contains biometric data and you can be identified by your cock alone ?

from the butthole

Let me fix this for you the correct comparison in this context would be; someone who watches the Kardashians, professes to intensely dislike them ad nauseam, then devoting significant time/attention & energy to detailing that intense dislike while consuming lots of adjacent media about the Kardashians to fully confirm that the reason for the intense dislike is justified. Your comparison implies that someone just watches Kardashians and isn’t triggered by them. If the person is extremely triggered by watching Kardashians - then the question becomes, why watch ? btw - when you continue to consume media about celebrities or other public figures whom you dislike, you’re just strengthening their brand & name recognition so they will make more money on their next projects. So just keep talking about whomever you dislike. As they say - there is no bad press. Remember Kim’s sex tape ?? Like it or not - our capitalist system thrives on people who have widespread name recognition (good or bad) and absolutely nothing will change it. Sometimes, celebrities with huge name recognition will go into politics - you gotta love America 🇺🇸

and then - there’s SHADE !

People often conflate personal choices that have no impact on others (gender identity) vs choices that affect (and can damage) the greater society and individuals. They are not the same. A driver without a license has the capacity to kill or injure another person and/or damage property. A person determining their own gender identity has no impact whatsoever on others - if the others are minding their own business. As for tropes like the “bathroom” issue - anyone who travels knows that unisex bathrooms are standard in many parts of the world without issues. The bathroom thing is another hysterical talking point far removed from reality. For those fragile people who are uncomfortable with anyone different than themselves - perhaps staying in the basement & trolling chatroom forums is a less triggering experience

and there’s a lot more to a hot dick besides length - girth, shape, curve (or not), hardness, head, cut/uncut, etc lots of variables - that’s why I’d rather guys emphasize what they have, rather embellish elsewhere

it's not about whether or not they're hung - it's lying about it, photoshopping, using someone's pics & the list goes on

ever notice the default gay cock size seems to be 8” ? Rentmen is full of 8” dicks when the average hard dick is 6” or less ? Yet, statistically only 1% of the male population has 8” or more I operate under the assumption everyone adds 2” (except me) And, what do you do when someone shows up (paid or otherwise) that doesn’t quite measure up ??

x

key words - not in recent years. Pines lives off the image created its glory days, that is not relevant today. The image lives on in memories, photographs and an occasional travel article, but it’s just not close to reality. the number of Pines multi-million dollar homes that are architectural digest worthy are less than 15 total now. It’s not hard to see - just walk down the beach and look at oceanfront homes - 1/3 are in a state of visible disrepair- pools collapsed, decks falling in, etc. Most look poorly maintained like they ran out of money. Ironically the very few really fabulous non-rental houses are rarely used as the owners have multiple homes in more desirable locations. Everyone knows this. As for the “tours” of architecturally worthy houses - it’s all smoke & mirrors for a few days. Homeowners in Pines who do not rent their houses as summer shares are a tiny fraction of the population. They exist but that’s not how it works. The Pines looks good (and glamorous) from a distance - get up close and it’s a very different picture. ridiculous & out-of-touch and a matter of taste I suppose for those who only place value on attractiveness/availability of stereotyped potential sex partners, which encapsulates the Pines mentality perfectly. Predictable, boring & cliche.

Doesn’t sound like you’ve actually spent much time out there. Pines has more “million dollar” homes on the ocean & bay for sure. Once you’re off those two waterfronts, Pines has lots of shacks & dumps albeit with better landscaping. And very few of those million dollar homes are anything more than a nice facade - inside typically worn & “partied out” from the extreme use because they are rentals. Usually mismatched furniture stained with lube & smells like poppers. And that’s the point - Pines is a facade to something very dark & seedy. It’s not luxury or even close. It might look different during the day if you’re oblivious or a day-tripper. Grove is trashy - just the better of the two towns imo. It’s not pretending to be something different. And you’ll find more restaurants in Grove with better overall quality. Restaurants in Pines (one sit down, one cafeteria and one pizza to go) are an abomination.

Pines & Cherry Grove are absolutely gay bubbles. In Pines tho I’m not sure that’s the primary attraction anymore - it’s more about unlimited availability of sex, drugs (crystal & coke)& parties for majority of the weekend crowd. it’s really impossible to overstate how that dominates everything out there. It’s fun the first few visits even if you’re not in that scene - after that it’s just tedious & boring. I think the Pines crowd would go anywhere they could find a similar party scene. Only a major circuit party or an Atlantis cruise would have more sex & drugs than a typical Pines weekend. Grove is very different in that sense where it’s a more friendly relaxed bohemian vibe not centered on drugs & sex. Drugs & sex still there but not overwhelming. Pines people go to Grove to party in clubs depending on event (underwear party) and go right back when it’s over. While not as manicured & imposing as Pines, I’d pick Grove every time if had to choose between the two. Less pretentious & more interesting.

correct - the attack on trans people now is because they are perceived as the most vulnerable among our larger community. It’s the beginning of an attack on established gay rights. Just like Roe/abortion was not settled law, don’t for one minute think the Obergefell (required states to license and recognize same sex marriage) decision is also settled law. In the fight for equal rights, there are no passive observers. We are either allies & support, or you are against. Peoples lives are in the balance

I like mine ethically sourced (most of the time) & piping hot !