ericwinters

Greetings folks...
As you might have noticed, this site has been offline since around mid-day Tuesday.   Our prior hosting provider decided that they are unable to continue hosting our website and had ended service to us.  Unfortunately they did not provide any notification to me about this decision and I was forced to move the site to a new server without any sort of heads up.  This includes arranging for the new hosting company, configuring the new server to meet the technical requirements, getting a copy of our current data, restoring that data (over 300GB of files), recovering the database (over 18.5 million records in that database taking up 11GB of space for the DB alone), and reconfiguring the software itself to run in the new environment.  
While migrating there was also some technical issues that I ran into that required me to coordinate with Invision's technical support team.  So that back and forth added additional time to the mix as well.  
And to pile on further… all of this occurred while I'm traveling for my day job. So I've been doing this while in a hotel in between doing my day job on the road.  
There are most likely several other things that will need to be fixed still and I'm working through them.  For example, email may only be partially working.  I still need to setup things like SPF and DKIM for the new server so our emails don't flag as spam.  There are other settings that might need to be redone to work in the new server as well that I'm not thinking about yet.  (As you might have imagined, I've not had much sleep during this whole process.)
But anyway... you get the idea.  No... we're not going anywhere!  This was a minor setback but we'll continue to move forward.  Thank you all for your understanding and support!
Rob

That strikes me as a specious argument. We wanted the same rights as others, so that means there should be no hotline to deal with gay issues, suicide or otherwise?
If a deeply closeted gay teen is contemplating suicide because of shame regarding his sexuality, doesn’t it make sense that he would be more willing or likely to get help from someone he views as having a similar experience?  Hence the gay suicide hotline.
 
When you’re scared to death that someone will find out, the only person you want to tell is someone else who is gay. That’s my view at least, from someone who grew up in the Bible Belt, and was constantly told that I was going to Hell.
 

Granted there is a tad more reluctant tolerance, but U.S. society in general is a looooong way from treating gay people the same as everyone else.

If someone says they have a "policy" of being paid in advance, I simply respond that that is a dealbreaker for me and ask if that’s a "dealbreaker" for them. If they say "yes", then I thank them for their time and I move on. I’d say about 50% say it’s a dealbreaker for them and about 50% agree to meet without being paid upfront. If they do decide to "break their policy" for me, then I make sure the money is clearly visible when they come into the room. That seems to be enough to set the skeptics at ease. I’ve had some great times with some guys who have broken their policy for me, so I think it’s worth at least asking. 
I will tell you that refusing to pay an upfront will piss some guys off. I’ve certainly been spoken down to, berated, and even threatened for refusing to pay ahead of time. The funny thing is, the more agitated a guy gets, the more I think he’s a scammer, and the more I think I just dodged a bullet. So it’s a win-win in my book.

Just don't tell my employer.  That company has been exploiting me for nearly a quarter century (giving me money to do something I would not otherwise be doing willingly).  I sure would hate for that exploitation to end.

My experience has been similar. I have tried multiple times when he came through town but was never successful. I think part of it is he doesn’t always update his location, so he isn’t available when you try. However, I think he’s cute enough to keep trying. I hope he (eventually) proves worth the effort. 

Adrian Massage just asked for $80 deposit to guarantee the time slot!

Should change his name to Ryanbails.

I met him in NYC last year:  Axel looks exactly like his sexy pictures, is intelligent and attentive, and is Hott AF.  IMHO

I think so. 

I met him. He was nice and kind. He got all my buttons. 

If you’re traveling from out of state to meet, I think he should be paying *you* a (refundable) deposit. You’re taking the bigger risk here if he flakes. 🙂 

In my experience they fall 50:50 mind-blowing and disappointing. Never just average.

I think so. 

And as Lt. Columbo would say, just one last question.  Did he fulfill his promises to you about activities he would engage in?

I met him. He was nice and kind. He got all my buttons. 

I met him. He was nice and kind. He got all my buttons. 

I met him. He was nice and kind. He got all my buttons. 

I prefer not to use the phrases "I can't afford that" or "It's not worth that", and instead use the phrase "That's not my priority".  I will prioritize spending thousands of dollars for Business or First Class when I travel, but will not pay that much for an overnight escort, even if both the escort and the flight  last a similar length of time.
Some prioritize a model with zero fat.  Others prioritize a big dick.  Yet others prioritize kissing.  There are so many comments from men who will not hire a guy who doesn't kiss, but that's not a priority for me.  I'll pay a premium for other aspects of the man which are my priority.

arent'  you risking the dog running off with it?

That might not be realistic for many people. Here are more useful tips from companies:
How to Prevent Vishing in 2025: A Step-by-Step Guide
TRUSTIFI.COM You can protect yourself and your organization in multiple ways from falling victim to a vishing attack. Here are 4 simple tips to prevent vishing in 2024.  
What is Vishing? Examples & Ways to Avoid Voice Phishing
BUSINESS.BOFA.COM A phone call, called vishing or voice phishing, is what criminals use to get personal or company information. Here are examples of vishing and how to stay safe.  

Or just don't answer your phone when the call is from a number you don't recognize, even if the number has been spoofed and the caller ID looks legitimate.  If the call is legit, they will leave a message.  If the message sounds scam-y, just delete it and block the number.

They sure can. 
Block the numbers they are calling from. 

Yes, they can. They use a technique named spoofing to pose as a different number with a different name.

Telephone Scams Using U.S. Marshal’s Name | U.S. Marshals Service
WWW.USMARSHALS.GOV Fort Smith, AR – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) is alerting the public to several imposter scams involving individuals...