Wings246

Parking situation can indeed be a major obstacle to the hiring process, although I still find it a bit hilarious to list it as an amenity. If you think about it from a different angle, most hotels classify free parking as an amenity and free/subsidized parking is a huge bonus to rental facilities.

I don't think it's just this place. It's everywhere. High school never ends, remember? Back to the main topic: please forgive my ignorance, but what are the official definitions of work and reportable income (per the US government and IRS, for example)? If someone "innocently" claims that the monetary exchanges are "gifts" from one individual to another, will that constitute a legal mandate for the amounts to be filed on a tax return? If the transactions are all conducted via cash (with no evidence or paper trail), how can anyone prove that it is work (assuming no sting operations are involved)? Is it stupid and dangerous to not report the earnings on a tax return if you don't care about Social Security benefits? Again, I can be very dumb and naive to not see the potential risks associated with this alternative/arbitrary definition of work and what some may regard as tax evasion.

I can totally relate as I share the same sentiments. The self-consciousness emerges from time to time. To overcome the corrosive thoughts, I’ll convince myself that they are actors performing a script that is written and directed by me. I’m also the protagonist of that storyline. Being the audience and participant of the screenplay simultaneously, I can let go of my insecurities and indulge myself in the fantasy more easily.

I may be in the minority here. Perhaps I am just lucky, but the providers I have met all look better in person. I even tell some of them that “you don’t look your age” and “you should update your photos to reflect reality.” They look much younger than their reported ages on their RM profiles even though I am fully aware of the prevalence of age shaving on that platform.

Basic human decency, like common sense, is no longer common in our world, unfortunately.

I seriously believe @Simon Suraci should consider becoming a standup comic. I almost pee my pants from laughing too hard...... 🤣

Now, that is a storyline I'd be very interested in watching. Plots need to be morally ambiguous to reflect the true nature of human beings. Unfortunately, in our politically correct world, stories must be either black or white; no gray area is tolerated. The writer is forcing & lecturing us to accept the morally correct choice as the gold standard. In this case, the baby must be saved at all costs even though such a decision is ridiculously irrational. That's where the story feels like a contrived and trite idea to me. Oh well, it's only a TV show after all. It has to appeal to and appease the majority of the general public. Anything too drastic will get criticized and then cancelled nowadays. So we have to settle for mediocrity.

Spoiler alert: stop reading if you haven't finished the whole series or if you are planning to start. The whole series is just mediocre (at best) to me. It is entertaining mostly, but the basic premise of the show is not novel: people desperate for $$$ are tested to sell their bodies, minds, and souls (and ultimately kill others for it). The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, and countless other TV shows and movies share similar principles. In a way, it's reflective of reality: how many people are slaving over jobs they despise every day just to earn a paycheck and health insurance/benefit in order to survive? The show only dramatizes the concept to the extreme. Overall, it's not gory, brutal, or outrageous enough. Specifically, the ending where the protagonist sacrifices himself to save someone else's baby (who he just knows for under 6 days) is way too far-fetched, illogical, and formulaic to me. I hate it when the writer tries to force-feed moral and ethical standards to the audience and this show does EXACTLY that. I knew the show would end in the most cliche way the moment a pregnant girl was on screen. Then, the show was over the moment the baby was born. I cannot agree more. I can care less about the subplots with the North Korean girl as well. Basically, I am sticking around to watch the actual games and how the contestants are tortured to death. I have never been a fan of K drama. I find the K actors/actresses typically over-act and exaggerate their emotions and expressions. Subtlety is lacking. Even that Cate Blanchett cameo doesn't intrigue me too much. Will I watch an American version if it is made? Probably. Will I have high expectations? Probably not. All in all, it is not time wasted. There are indeed brilliant and exciting moments. But I still feel like the entire series is overhyped and overrated.

And just yesterday, one of the co-creators of the show, the original video game developer, quit before S3 production -- surprise, surprise, surprise! I bet he gets too many hate mails and death threats from the video game community??? Now, everything rests on Craig Mazin. It is a shame because I LOVE his Chernobyl.

S1 = 9 episodes; S2 = 7 episodes

I'd say this is a plausible generalization but a rather dangerous and limiting assumption. I, for one, am not attracted to people of my own race and cultural background. I even half-jokingly tell my friends that I "discriminate" against my own kind because I am bored by and tired of things & people that I am familiar and comfortable with day in and day out. I want new flavors and territories to add excitement and different experiences to my stagnant life. Being gay is already not "fitting in" in the grand scheme of things. So why should we force something that doesn't fit to fit? I know in the perfect world, we want everything to fit flawlessly. Things are already too difficult as is. If I can find someone who fits me, I can care less if he fits in with my family/friends. You may be looking a little bit too far ahead.

Even if he gives you his "real" name, how can you verify that it's indeed real unless he shows you his official government-issued documents? Still, how can you rule out the possibility of a fake ID? I'm just pushing cynicism to the extreme here.

Everyone’s healthcare coverage & arrangements are different. I can only speak about my experience. I have HMO so the PCP and lab visits are integrated. My PCP is allowed to place an unlimited amount of standard HIV, PrEP, and STI lab tests in advance. That was exactly what he did for me. He entered 9999 (the maximum number permitted) in the “quantity” boxes of all these lab tests. Hence, they become perpetual standing orders on my medical record. There is no need for me to contact my PCP. I just go to the lab to get everything done in 1 visit (and as frequently as I wish). Now, if your PCP and lab belong to separate healthcare entities, then I am not sure if your PCP can pre-order indefinite lab tests. You may have to contact the PCP’s office ahead of time each and every time. That really is a hassle.

That's the primary problem with developing a TV show from a video game. Storylines in video games are the ornaments; the gameplay itself is the Christmas tree. While the story is important and keeps the players invested, ultimately, the actions (killing, shooting, hunting, escaping, etc.) are the centerpieces of the game. So, logically, the storylines need to provide justifications for the actions. Violence and vengeance offer the perfect reasons for killing, shooting, hunting, and escaping when the gamers are playing from the main characters' perspectives. For those who don't know, you play as Joel in Part 1 of the game and you play as Ellie and Abby in Part 2 of the game. So in a sense, you can see and understand each character's viewpoint in doing what they have to do. In other words, as a gamer, you immerse yourself in their experiences. Now, the fact that the writers and producers are so gung ho about being faithful to the entire plot of the game is brewing trouble. As a TV viewer, you cannot indulge in the first-person experience as a gamer (as described above). You are a third-person observer of the events. There is a sense of detachment and the intensity of the emotional response is much diminished. I feel the writers and producers are having a tough time reconciling the distinction. I suppose the whole TV series will continue to spiral down unless they can find some magical ways to salvage what's left.

I cannot agree more. Too bad I don't live in his area......

Ashley Johnson. She actually played Ellie's mother in the S1 finale. For the video game, on top of voicing the characters, the actors/actresses actually acted out the scenes for motion capture production and then everything is transformed into the video game with CGI. That's why S2 is hit by a barrage of criticisms. Most die-hard fans of the game agree that the CGI + voice + green screen suit acting in the game is way better than the real-life, on-screen performance in the TV show. What a disaster. The saddest part is that these video game voice actors/actresses probably get paid 100 times less than the TV "stars." How depressing is reality?

Disclaimer: I have zero romantic experience whatsoever and I'm very, very new to his "hobby" (as some of the members here call it). I'm your direct opposite: short & very unattractive & much older than you. So I don't even know if I'm qualified to respond. But those 4 sentences you wrote struck me as I feel more or less the same way (when I'm in a paid situation). A different version of myself -- that I don't know exists -- comes out. "Soft, present, sensual, alive" are understatements. I LOVED (not just liked) who I was in that moment. It's both astonishing and scary to discover an alternative persona just as though I have dissociative identity disorder. I can't help but wonder (for myself and for you, of course): is this the version that the world needs to see in order for meaningful, romantic, and intimate relationships to materialize?

I agree with most people that S3 is a disappointment. That said, Laurie's finale monologue hits me really hard. I am 10 billion light years away from being that filthy rich, but I can identify with her self-reflection in the speech. In particular, I share this sentiment in ways that I cannot describe: “I’m glad you have a beautiful face. And I’m glad that you have a beautiful life. And I’m just happy to be at the table.” Do you think: 1. She has accepted her fate & life and is truly happy and at peace to be at the table? 2. She has honestly accepted that is all that she can ever achieve in her life and that she has begrudgingly conceded that she can never reach the “beautiful face” and “beautiful life” status of her friends? 3. She still harbors some sort of animosity and resentment towards her fate & life and some degree of jealousy towards her friends? 4. A combination of any or all of the above?

The long holiday will be his participation in Season 50 of "Survivor"? 😅 What the hell is he thinking?

I cannot agree more. In addition to the heartwarming father-daughter relationship and the ethical dilemma, there were cheeky fun times and terrifying, anxiety inducing moments in S1. It was a good mix/balance. In S2, she simply transforms into an annoying, bitter, high-school looking bitch even though she should be depicted as a young adult by now (with all the life-changing challenges in a post apocalyptic world, the aging process should be sped up???). She still looks like a prepubescent child to me. They should have aged her more. I want to like her and her performance. I try sooooooo hard to keep an open mind to accept her as Ellie. However, her on-screen emotional expressions swing from extreme rage to pathetic teary eyes. Don't get me wrong, she can deliver the tears and the berserk look, but it seems like there is no subtlety in between. There are countless YouTube videos of the major scenes showing side-by-side comparison between the video game and the TV show. I'm sorry to say that the CGI Ellie actually moves & impresses me more. There is a progression of her psychology, not just a stubborn, unidimensional display of wrath. The video game storyline gives you a deeper understanding of why & how she spirals down to mindless killings (in the name of vengeance) and eventually loses herself to a place of no return. I am not sure if it is the script that fails BR or BR that fails to deliver the script. It just doesn't work. It lacks the depth and sophistication that are evident in the game. Overall, S2 is a disappointment. I bet I'll watch S3 when it is released, but the level of expectations will be much, much, much lower.

This statement resonates so much with me. I suppose I need a reason to change my status quo. Finding / Having the right person will be the perfect push & reason I need to be honest. The problem, though, is that it's more difficult to find / meet the right person if I continue to stay in the closet. Is this the classic example of a the chicken-or-egg paradox? Which one needs to come first? 😅

I do agree with you. This thought crosses my mind frequently. Therefore, I feel I am probably creating an unnecessary obstacle for myself.

I’m 100% in the deepest corner of the closet, although I believe that my family and closest friends/coworkers all suspect that I’m gay. After all, it’s not too difficult to guess when a middle-aged man has zero dating history with any female human beings. The biggest hurdle is my family. The irony is that I do have a very loving and supportive family. This, however, as ridiculous as it may sound, is a double-edged sword. I don’t know if they would mind or care, but I am certain the people around them would. So I cannot get over (or even bear) the thought of bringing negative impacts to their lives. I have no fear about the consequences of my own decisions and choices; unfortunately, I have crippling hesitations when my personal decisions and choices can and will affect the lives of those I love and care about. I don’t know if this is just my lame excuse to rationalize my own cowardice. My mother, given her age, is surprisingly open-minded (or at least she appears so). She’s a die-hard fan of an openly gay superstar. More than once, she has applauded the audacity of that superstar’s coming out journey in my presence. I am not even sure if that’s her clue to encourage me to tell her something that we all know. But I keep telling myself that “it’s OK if it happens to someone else’s son. It will be a completely different story when it is YOUR son.” Once in the not-too-distant past during a heart-to-heart conversation, my brother indirectly hinted at me that “we will love you and support you no matter what your decisions are about your life.” At that moment, I fully understood that there was no ambiguity in what he was alluding to. Still, I shied away from the golden opportunity to give the proper, ultimate response and pivoted the dialogue to something else. I know, I know, I know — I am exhausted by my own weakness. It’s funny that two of my best male friends are gay, one of which is openly gay and happily married to another man. The other one is in the closet but is out to me. Yet, I don’t have the guts to be honest with them; I don’t even understand myself. They’ve even told me, on separate occasions, that they saw me as a mystery, that they didn’t even know who I truly am or what I really want. I suppose the mystery will stay as is until I have the courage to face myself one day. Sometimes, I’m so tired of myself and I feel people around me are tired of me. Maybe I am constantly and needlessly fighting an imaginary battle against the worst enemy in the entire world: myself.

Personally don't prefer tattoos, but not necessarily turned off by them. However, these are 100% unacceptable to me: tattoos of characters/symbols/alphabets of a foreign language that 1. Are transcribed in the most unesthetic manner (e.g. out of proportion, misaligned, don’t conform to the standards of that particular writing system) 2. Mean something completely wrong, stupid, illogical (unintentionally) Number 1 is insulting to the language/culture. Number 2 is humiliating to the bearers of the tattoos. The unfortunate fact is most of them don’t know they are making themselves a laughingstock and yet, wear their public self-humiliations with pride. Attractiveness instantaneously vanishes into thin air when you are laughing uncontrollably upon witnessing such mishaps.

This may be something to consider, especially when you need absolute privacy. Not sure how the hotel rooms are booked. If it's done by your office admin, adjacent rooms may be booked together. Are the rooms sound proof enough then? You know some hotels have paper thin walls. If I were you and if possible, I'd avoid letting your coworkers know your room number at all costs. There may be some clingy coworkers who want to hang out and/or ask you for work related help after work hours. Sure, you can silence your phone, but if they know where you are, they may knock on your door in the most inopportune time. Chances of this happening are slim, but you want that chance to be zero.