nate_sf

On 10/8/2021 at 8:10 PM, johnjohn said:

Also I even tip the person at the  drive thru or pickups.Do any of you? I have been blessed in my life and pay it forward .  At least they are working  ,  trying

This is my approach too. I'm not by any means wealthy, but I'm doing OK and like to be able to share the wealth to the extent I can. 

Personally I don't think service workers are paid enough, even with the increased minimum wages. The cost of living is high compared to wages, the work can be quite difficult, and turnover is high. Most I know in the service industry have more than one job to make ends meet, and many live in very crowded conditions at home. When I think of how much extra it costs me, in real terms, to tip more generously, it's usually just a matter of a few bucks here and there. Tip the friendly barrista a buck for just a cup of coffee? Maybe excessive, but it's just a buck for crying out loud. (And at the risk of this ending up in the Politics forum, I'm not trying to be political. I'm just talking about simple economics.)

Restaurant margins are tight, so whereas it can seem the owners are just being cheap, it's also that they're trying to remain in business. If leaving good tips helps them retain their good employees, then that works for me. I'd hope the experienced waitstaff is there when I come back next time.

But I'll admit I hate the QR codes too! I'm wondering how much might be that the restaurant got a hard sell from a vendor promising all kinds of great streamlining of their service. In my day job I get tons of these pitches, all promising nothing short of miracles. My favorite pizza place uses the QR code, digital menu, and ordering from the app, but at least a third of the time the order gets screwed up.

Yes, it will be happening! We hope to see familiar faces, as well as new ones.

As with past DC gatherings, the weekend will span the MLK weekend, and coincide with Mid Atlantic Leather (MAL). Whether or not you're interested in leather, uniforms, jeans/t-shirt, etc., this is a fun weekend with lots of guys around. The MAL host hotel is dedicated exclusively to the event, and just taking in the scene in the expansive lobby can be enjoyable in itself. It's also a great opportunity to step out of your comfort zone if you're even the least bit curious in exploring something new and different.

But for those of you who may not be interested in MAL or the leather scene, not to worry! Traditionally the DC gathering has coincided with MAL because it's a long weekend and many of us are in town, but the forum gathering is otherwise independent of the leather activities and is welcoming to all forum members. You may choose to sample some of the MAL activities, or go "whole-hog", or alternatively forgo them completely. That's up to you.

The Events

It will be pared down this year, with the focus on the most popular core events:

• Welcome Happy Hour – Friday early evening – Cocktail Hour at the Mid-Atlantic Leather (MAL) event. This is an informal kickoff to the weekend, dovetailing with MAL. Great for those attending MAL, or who may just be curious in checking out the scene. Leather and uniforms are welcome but not necessary; jeans and t-shirts are totally fine, or you could right from the office in your suit (for those who appreciate men in suits!). For those who want to stick around and eat, we’ll also grab a table at the hotel so we can saunter over and get some food while enjoying the eye candy. It's in the hotel lobby, so you don't need tickets to MAL to attend.
• The Brunch – This has been the main event, and has traditionally been on Sunday. This year we're going to switch it to Saturday for a change. It would allow people to meet each other at the brunch earlier in the weekend, and still have a chance to get together that evening and Sunday. It will also allow those participating in MAL to attend the Sunday MAL brunch.
• Saturday Night - The missing link is the Saturday night event, which used to be an excursion to Secrets. But Secrets is no more. So we'll keep an eye out for other fun and potentially raunchy events to go to instead. At the very least we can have a bar night. Suggestions are welcome!

Accommodations

Generally speaking, DC within “The District” (i.e., DC proper) is easy to get around on foot, Metro, cab/rideshare. The weekend’s events will be mostly in the Dupont Circle area (for the brunch) or at the Hyatt Capitol Hill (MAL Host hotel, within walking distance to Union Station), so anywhere near or between those locations will be convenient.

Rooms at the MAL host hotel are already sold out, and they’re also sold out at most of the other hotels listed on the MAL website. But there are lots of hotels in the area, and just as many forum members are likely to be staying at other DC locations, including the Dupont Circle area. If you have a question about a particular hotel you’re considering, post the question in this thread and you’re likely to receive feedback.

RSVP

If you're interested in attending, please either:

• Visit the event page here on the Forum. On the left side of the page click "Going" or "Maybe." I'll follow up with a confirmation.
• Send me a direct message and I’ll add you to the list.

The final itinerary will be sent via DM and email, but not posted here, so please be sure to RSVP.

Questions and Suggestions

If you have general questions or suggestions for the gathering, please add a reply to this thread or send me a PM. There is still plenty of time to plan things so interested in suggestions.

Hope to see you there!

Many years ago I competed in one of their monthly rookies nights. And I won! But it was a slow night and there was only one other contestant, so the odds were pretty good. I felt bad for the other guy and have him a cut of my prize.

That was the only time I'd stripped in front of an audience. They had each of us strip, then both of us did a round of lap dances with the audience. Lots of fun!

Nothing in SF, nothing, nada. Some gogo dancers in a few of the bars, but that's it.

7 hours ago, Snbrd said:

I'm concerned that several of DC's draws are now closed. One could attend the weekend of MAL and have a lot of fun even if not registered for the main event. Secrets/Zigfield's the drag/stripper bar is closed. The DC Eagle which got playful is gone. DC Hummer (which used to be CODE DC) which hosted a few events a year appears to be a covid casualty. There is no evidence that they or anyone else will run the clothes-check mega event at the Glorious Health Club.

As much a I enjoyed brunch at Annie's it looks like it's the only venue still open. Do any DC members have other event or place suggestions? 

I've had the same concerns, and wondering if it makes sense to do a gathering this year. But I think the basics are still available, with Annie's for brunch and meeting for happy hour at MAL on Friday. I've never registered for MAL itself but have had lots of fun going to some of the events a la carte. Anyone can come into the lobby and go to the bar, no registration needed.

Losing Secrets/Zigfield's is a real bummer. That was one of my favorite parts of the weekend. It doesn't sound like there is anything to replace it. 

I've already got my flights and hotel so I'm committed to going, even if just a few of us meet up. Maybe this is a chance to mix it up a bit and try some new venues. Definitely open to other event or place suggestions!

On 9/16/2021 at 8:12 PM, JoeMendoza said:

so u don't recommend actually staying at the Hyatt Regency? I mean, I wouldn't think their walls would be that thin, no?

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency once, and it was surprisingly quiet. With doors closed, you don't hear a lot, and people do go to sleep eventually. Maybe I was on a dunce floor, but I found it as quiet as any other hotel.

21 minutes ago, FreshFluff said:

I did go on Chatroulette once. I had a nice, nonsexual conversation with a member of the armed forces, a Marine IIRC. 

I admit I like the nonsexual conversations too. There is more of that on Cam4 than on Chaturbate. People from all over the world, and it can be fun just shooting the breeze.

On 9/16/2021 at 4:31 AM, BuffaloKyle said:

A lot of them are the women streaming on there I notice. They seem to infiltrate every other room just to constantly type in the chat "hi baby"  just to promote their cams. 

You're right, I hadn't thought of that. Lots of chat comments from people (male and female) trying to attract viewers to their rooms.

8 minutes ago, JoeMendoza said:

OMG! Thank you for that reply - all this time I thought I booked the right Hyatt and after re-checking my confirmation, I had booked the Hyatt Place. Ugh. Well, that's sad.

Hey don't feel bad. If it's the one on E St SW it's a nice hotel. I stayed there last time. Unless it's really freezing, it's a nice walk across the mall over to the MAL Hyatt.

But if you can cancel, see if you can find a room at one of the hotels nearby MAL. That's how I ended up at The George.

From time to time I'll do a broadcast on Chaturbate for fun. As the names of viewers scrolls down, I see there are a lot of women's names. But are they really women, or are they guys pretending to be women? Many of the names seem suspect, names like Candi, Ashlee, Cheri, etc. But then again my own username is pretty silly too.

Just curious, does anyone know of women who watch cams like Chaturbate? Or is it all make-believe? Or maybe they're trans women? Doesn't matter to me one way or the other, just wondering.

3 hours ago, JoeMendoza said:

I haven't been, but decided to jump the gun and registered for the weekend package and my hotel room at the Hyatt. Hope to see you there!

https://www.leatherweekend.com

You made it into the Hyatt? That's great! I was too slow to register this year so will be staying up the street at The George. Staying at the Hyatt is really fun.

We haven't posted on this in a while but planning some Forum get togethers that weekend. I'm not sure how many people will be coming this year, but I'll be there and welcome meeting up with others!

13 hours ago, sam.fitzpatrick said:

Calling @nate_sf, have you stayted here before?

I stayed at Santiago in 2019, and had it booked for 2020 until it had to be canceled. I really liked it. The grounds are beautiful, the rooms are really nice, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Guests were friendly for the most part, and action was to be found if you were looking for it.

This year I stayed at InnDulge because I wanted to be around other Forum members. I found that more fun, as I felt a bit alone at Santiago. Sure I met people there, but it's not the same as having people you know staying at the same resort.

If others are interested in Santiago I'd be game! In any case, I'd recommend it.

5 minutes ago, MikeBiDude said:

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Right now the vaccination restrictions are on the local and county levels.

Yesterday San Francisco's vaccine requirements became effective, which requires proof of vaccination for entering indoor bars, restaurants, gyms, and other crowded places. I went to my gym yesterday and had to show my vaccination card, and they entered it into their system so I only have to show it once.

Interestingly, I received a notice from the gym earlier that said proof of vaccination would be required for all of their Northern California locations, not just SF where it's required by the local order. I'm guessing other businesses may go this route, either because it's easier to implement across the board rather than have a patchwork, or maybe they expect orders like this to expand to other areas in the future. It might also be a way to get customers back... I've noticed a drop in attendance at the gym, and at bars since the delta variant has taken hold and people have had to return to masking. I'll admit when I went to the gym yesterday I liked the idea that everyone in there was vaccinated (at least among customers... employees have an additional month to comply). So as much as it may seem the vaccine requirements might drive some customers away, conversely it might attract others to come back. 

But of course the vaccine cards are easy to forge. There has already been a booming cottage industry among college students, as many colleges and universities are requiring proof of vaccination to be on campus. It's just a piece of cardstock after all, and a blank card could be easily produced using a simple laser printer and card stock. However a forged card would not be able to be matched against a database.

On 8/20/2021 at 5:21 AM, maninsoma said:

Finally -- and not surprising it's from the BBC versus a U.S. news source -- I understand what's happening.  In a nutshell, there is just so much content posted to OnlyFans that they haven't been doing a good job of removing sexually explicit materials featuring minors or others being sexually exploited.  They are not only under pressure from payment processors but also are facing increased government scrutiny.  Too bad that they cannot figure out a way to ensure that all content posted is from consenting adults and then allow that content to continue to be posted, but I guess it's easier and safer for them to simply keep their millions and effectively close up shop.  (I know they aren't officially ending the business, but I doubt many content creators or customers are going to stick around once sexually explicit videos are banned.)

I think this has a lot to do with what's going on. I've been involved with an OF group that has a bunch of guys doing naked yoga for the OF page. This week, the guy running the group reported that the page was deactivated until they provide for each and every model appearing on the page (1) a photo ID, (2) a signed release form, and (3) a photo of the model holding the ID and release form. OF also gave them language that they need to include on the release form. To me, this seems like the kind of stuff we've become accustomed to since FOSTA-SESTA, and would suggest a need for better record-keeping for OF to keep itself out of trouble.

I'm sure the credit and bank issues are real as well, so they're being pinched from multiple directions. But it seems more palatable to blame the changes on the requirements of the creditors, rather than issues with consent documentation.

In addition to @Juan Vancouver, I liked @FrancoDiSantisxxx from the early days. Franco was here for just a few years, but at the time I was just starting escorting and I really appreciated his insights. 

1 hour ago, lonely_john said:

... we all know that in general men perform better in positions of leadership and women as managers can be very difficult to work with, i.e.: The Queen Bee Syndrome.

Ack! I'm not trying to be politically correct here, but this is just wrong. It's along the lines of saying that all short men suffer from the Napoleon Complex. These stereotypes are inaccurate and really damaging.

I've worked for many women, including my current job. I've also worked for many men. Of all of them, some have been great managers and leaders, and some have been not as great. But no relation to gender. I like my current boss, and while she is tough, that is her job as director. She is also fair and ethical, and she has our backs. She is part of the reason I have stayed in the job as long as I have.

My last supervisor was indeed fastidious and territorial to work with, so I know what that's like. He was a gay man. Take that for what it's worth. I would not attribute his qualities to other gay men; it was just him.

But to answer your question, yes I've worked with lesbians on a number of occasions including currently. The HR director for my organization is a lesbian, and we get along very well.

A few years ago I was on an interview panel, and my gaydar pinged on one of the women being interviewed. She reminded me of lesbian women I knew, and in her resume there was mention of playing on a women's softball team (and you know what that means, right?!?). But what was important was that she rocked the interview, and had the best skill sets of all of the interviewees. The panel was unanimous in choosing her. She has been an outstanding employee and is still with the organization. I never found out whether or not she is a lesbian; it doesn't and shouldn't matter.

I am sympathetic to your concerns, as working with a difficult employee can be awful. I've had my share, and know how toxic it can be and how hard it can be to dismiss a troublesome individual. But of the difficult individuals I've worked with, there has been no pattern regarding gender, race, or sexuality. Jerks come in all stripes.

A better approach to sussing out how someone might fit into the team is to check the references. While here in California and the US there are restrictions to what a past employer can say about a former employee, you can usually get a sense. That's at least a better approach than making judgements based on appearance or past experiences with others.

I miss...

@leigh.bess.toad

@NYTomcat

@tyro (still here sometimes!)

@Decatur Guy

@Professor Mitch (RIP)

@Boston Guy (RIP)

@Romann

@Chris Eisenhower

I could see shaving off years (or alternatively, adding years) to reflect how the escort looks. I used to shave years off the age in my ads because clients would tell me I looked younger than my age. I don't think they were just trying to flatter, since people in my family all tend to look younger than their ages. So I wanted the age in the ad to reflect what people might think based on my appearance, rather than wishful thinking or delusion. I know another guy who did the opposite, adding years to his age because he looked older and wanted to appeal to guys wanting someone older.

This year I finally put my age as 50. I don't know whether or not I look 50, but I'm enjoying being in my 50s and wanted to reflect that in my ad. Also the idea of a guy escorting in his 50s is intriguing to me. Time to own being a daddy!

On 7/15/2021 at 8:52 PM, purplekow said:

I know you saw him being dumped buy you can get him checked for a chip. Maybe the dumper is not the owner.  

I think this is an interesting thought. I have a friend whose adorable, friendly pit bull mix has been stolen twice. We presume it was to have it show up in a dog fight. We put up a reward and got the dog back, both times. Perhaps the Rottweiler that was dumped at your house was too friendly or timid to be a good fighting dog.

I think chips can only be checked at an animal control facility. I was at the vet last week and someone showed up with a friendly, well cared for pit bull that they had found running around a shopping center, and the vet said they were not authorized or did not have the means to check or read a chip. They directed them to take the dog to the SPCA to check for a chip.

The other thought, which might not be practical given your travel schedule, would be to foster the dog for a period of time until a permanent home can be found. We've rescued a couple of dogs, and each time we cared for the dog for 4-6 weeks before a permanent home was found. It might be that the rescues are not in the position to take and care for the dog themselves, but if you were able to foster the dog for a time they might be able to find a permanent home for it after some time. You may have already found this link, but just in case: https://rottweiler.rescueme.org

I swim a lot, and admit I love to wear speedos. I have a whole collection of them, which my husband finds very amusing.

I chuckle a bit when I see guys swimming laps in trunks or board shorts, but can understand if not everyone wants to wear a brief. The other legit options for swimming are jammers (long, almost to the knee) or square cuts (Speedo calls them "aquashorts"). I wear each depending on the pool and the weather. Some guys look better in one type compared to another, or find some styles more comfortable than others.

Speedo.com has a great selection of all styles. So many to chose from... too many to choose from. Which is why I have amassed so many!

On 6/9/2021 at 9:24 PM, azdr0710 said:

I wonder what the story is behind this....

those guys are....uniformly.....in gym body shape, everyone of them.....I don't think every graduate of the Egyptian Police Academy would look like this......and that pose they all have with the spread arms and puffed-up chests...... 

I was wondering this too, so did a quick Google search to try to get some background. According to this, the academy is a four-year program with 4,000 students. It is also selective: according to the article, police work in Egypt is a popular career, and the police academy attracts many more students than it can handle. So my guess is the guys in the parade have been selected as the cream-of-the-crop, from an already-selective group of men. I'm also guessing it's probably a big deal to be selected to be in the parade, sort of like making it into a pageant but way more butch.

I was in the Castro today, and with it being a warm sunny day it was very active. Though the City is still not what it was pre-Covid, it seems to be bouncing back pretty definitively as everyone has had cabin fever. Plus the parklets (impromptu dining areas in the parking spaces) are fun and creative, and are being well utilized.

Though it's warm today, that could change tomorrow if the fog rolls in. Be sure to bring some layers, as weather can get chilly and windy in the summer. Hoodies are great to have along with you.

A museum experience that is fun and a bit offbeat is to go to "NightLife" at the California Academy of Sciences on Thursday nights. It's just for adults (21 and over), bars are set up around the museum, and there is music and cool light displays. You get the run of the place, and can bring your cocktail with you as you check out the exhibits. You need to make reservations, and right now it's only every couple of weeks, so check your calendar and make reservations if it would fit with your trip: https://www.calacademy.org/nightlife

9 hours ago, FreshFluff said:

Poor guy on the lower floor will have to have sex in his kitchen if he wants anyone to know. The Wolfe ovens provide a dramatic backdrop. 
 

I hadn't noticed that those are bathrooms facing the floor-to-ceiling glass... (I'm a bit slow to pick up on things sometimes). Well that's exciting!

I suppose the guy on the lower floor could do a naked chef thing, just to keep up with the neighbors above. 

These could be marketed as “view condos.” View of what is tbd however!