DERRIK

And after darkness, come butterflies
 
http://www.mgcpuzzles.com/mgcpuzzles/pro-pictures-images-of/irregular-edge-puzzles/butterfly-jigsaw-puzzle-1A.jpg

I'm so excited for the next couple months. This touris like a re-born me, having been out of work cause of the hands, showed me to be thankful for health and wellness. I am so totally stoked to finally go to LA for the first, second and third time ! Also Vegas again *dies and floats to cloud 9*
 
I am excited to meet alot of the people whom supported me through the burns. No good deed goes unpunished. Aside from my lovely forum friends and fam I'd like to let anyone know,
 
My phone, email inbox and mind is always open to new conversations, new travels, new clients and new adventures.
 
I can't wait to meet you !

Jesus H Christ guys retract your claws and give these guys a break. Not only does Hunter Lee post on this site but he has been well reviewed by jawjateck who is well known for having impeccable taste in escorts. So maybe these guys aren’t your types but why the need to beat them to death with all sorts of mean assumptions

Most likely with Colonel Mustard in the Conservatory.
 
Gman

http://giggag.selfemployed.netdna-cdn.com/thumbnails/201305/13685049971m.jpg
 
Gman

From The Onion. You know sometimes it only satirizes. Then at other times like now it's spot on!!


How Supreme Court Justices Are Chosen
 
INFOGRAPHIC February 16, 2016
VOL 52 ISSUE 06 · News · Government · Supreme Court
http://i.onionstatic.com/onion/5271/6/original/1200.jpg
Here is a step-by-step guide to how U.S. Supreme Court justices are selected:

Step 1: Supreme Court vacancy opens after a sitting justice dies, retires, or is promoted to the Galactic Circuit
 
Step 2: President wistfully crosses out own name from list of potential candidates
 
Step 3: Official presidential nominee slowly lowered by rope into Senate Judiciary Committee pit
 
Step 4: Nominee charged one-time $30 background check fee
 
Step 5: Candidate asked whether they see themselves in exact same place 35 years from now
 
Step 6: Judiciary Committee members ask nominee whether they capable of writing a dissent that could be described as “blistering”
 
Step 7: Candidate attests they have no opinion whatsoever on issue of abortion, don’t know what it is, and frankly have never heard such a word uttered before
 
Step 8: Senate takes nominee out to drinks to see how they act in casual, informal setting
 
Step 9: Nominee stands as their predecessor’s robe is draped over them to see if government can save a few bucks on not ordering a new one
 
Step 10: Following months of direct questioning, witness testimony, and poring over the nominee’s qualifications and judicial history, the Senate votes on whether they like the president or not
 
Step 11: If confirmed, justice takes oath of office and is assigned a bench buddy to help them through their first few opinions
 
Step 12: If candidate not confirmed, process repeats indefinitely until other party holds White House or country is awash in the hot, crimson blood of neighbor killing neighbor, whichever comes first

Gman

To each their own. I think he looks great.
Further, the content of his RM profile and web site tells me that he's a professional who takes what he does seriously with no crazy flakiness - he 'gets it' like a real pro.
Putting aside the aesthetics, my gut feeling is that if I were to meet him that the time would be spent 100% focused on me and meeting my preferences.
 
I'll take that over a texting, muscle-bound narcissistic porn-star any day.

Supposedly from an actual trial transcript. I am not vouching for anything other than its humor.
 
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!

This article from NYTimes should make everyone here pause before falling 'in love' through dating services:

In Online Dating, ‘Sextortion’ and Scams

 
By KATE MURPHYJAN. 15, 2016

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/01/17/opinion/sunday/17murphy/17murphy-master675.jpg


DATING websites and apps typically see a surge in activity this time of year as people who felt lonely over the holidays try to follow through on New Year’s resolutions to find someone special with whom to share their life, or maybe just someone agreeable to share their bed on a cold winter’s night.
 
But whether they’re looking for sexcapades or long walks on the beach, the desire for companionship and connection makes people vulnerable to a most 21st-century crime: the online romance scam, which bilked victims of all ages and orientations out of more than $200 million last year, according to the F.B.I.
 
“The drive to find a preferred mate is extremely powerful,” said Lucy Brown, a clinical professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who studies the brain activity of people in love. “It’s a reflexive urge, like hunger and thirst,” which can cloud judgment and make people less likely to question the motives of an online match.
 
Moreover, she said, romantic love can produce feelings of euphoria similar to the effects of cocaine or heroin, which explains why otherwise intelligent and accomplished people do irrational things to get a fix. Of course, people have always been fools for love — it’s just that the global reach and altered reality of the Internet increases the risk and can make the emotional and financial damage more severe.Have you been targeted on a dating site or app? If so, how did it unfold and how did you find out? Share your story in the comments with this article or on Facebook. Please avoid descriptions that could identify an individual or site. We may highlight your response in a follow-up article.
 
 
“I don’t think there is a general understanding of how much of this romance scam stuff is out there, how it works and what the consequences are,” said Steven Baker, director of the Midwest region of the Federal Trade Commission. “It’s staggering how many people fall for it.”
 
Scammers typically create fake profiles on dating sites and apps like Match.com, OkCupid, eHarmony, Grindr and Tinderusing pictures of attractive men and women — often real people whose identities they’ve filched off Facebook, Instagram or other social media sites. This lures victims who swipe or click to begin corresponding.
 
The perpetrators may be working out of call centers in West Africa, wooing four or five people at a time. Or it could be some dude at a Starbucks texting victims on his cellphone, or a pajama-clad woman in her apartment sending bogus love bombs from her laptop. They may assume the identity of actual soldiers deployed overseas or pretend to be engineers working on projects in far-flung locales. Scammers have also been known to pose as university professors, clergy members, doctors, chefs, swimsuit models, waitresses, nurses and librarians.
 
“They have a canny ability to mirror what the victim seems to need and to create a sense of intimacy very quickly,” said Debbie Deem, a victim specialist at the F.B.I.’s Los Angeles bureau. “They are able to manipulate the victim into believing they have found their one true soul mate.”
 
Victims are as likely to be men as women, young, old or middle-aged, gay or straight, highly or poorly educated. After a few days, weeks or even months of romantic and sometimes hotly erotic back-and-forth via email, text or Skype, come the requests for money.
 
Maybe the soldier needs a new cellphone so the lovers can better communicate or needs cash to get the necessary papers to go on leave so they can finally meet. The offshore engineer says his child is in the hospital and he’s having trouble wiring money to cover medical expenses. The model or nurse may need money to pay lawyers’ fees to get a restraining order against an abusive ex. Or maybe the scammer doesn’t ask for money at all but requests that the victim receive money and then transfer it to another account, giving marginally plausible reasons.
 
“It’s common for victims to become money mules where they are unwittingly helping facilitate other crimes,” Mr. Baker said. “There have been prosecutions of victims who kept receiving and sending money even when they were firmly told they were working for crooks.” Yet prosecutionsof romance scammers have been rare, thanks to the anonymity of the Internet and the difficulty of tracing wired funds.
 
In the latest twist, scammers coax victims into taking explicit photos and videos of themselves and then threaten to distribute them to their Facebook or Skype contacts if they don’t pay them money or help them launder money.
 
“We’re seeing a lot of these sextortion cases lately,” said Wayne May, an administrator who gives advice to the lovelorn on the website ScamSurvivors. “We get about 30 requests for help a day,” usually from young men who sent a picture of their privates to a buxom Tinder match who turned out to be a blackmailer. AARP has been fielding similarly cringe-worthy distress calls from seniors who exposed themselves in front of a webcam.
 
There are even reports of online recruiting of youths to join the Islamic State using romance and marriage as enticements. Young women, particularly in the West, are promised a so-called jihottie (jihadist hottie) of their choosing for a husband. Young men are offered an attractive and devoted wife, which they might not have the money or social standing to obtain otherwise, particularly if they live in the Middle East, where unemployment is forcing many to delay marriage (and sex if they are devout).
 
“There is a lot of talk about developing love, falling in love and finding love on the battlefield,” said Katherine Brown, a lecturer of Islamic studies at the University of Birmingham in Britain who researches terrorist recruitment tactics. “They present quite a saccharine image of romance and marriage using the image of the lion and lioness together, supporting each other, being best friends and companions.”
 
The F.T.C., F.B.I., Homeland Security, State Department and United States Army Criminal Investigation Command have reported an avalanche of complaints about scams in the past two years. Average financial losses are $5,000 to $10,000, but the F.B.I. says many victims have lost more than $400,000. And these are just losses reported by those who fessed up to being had.
 
“I more often hear from people who call on behalf of a relative or friend who is getting scammed,” said Chris Grey, director of public affairs for the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command who learned quickly not to contact the victim in these cases. “I’ve been cussed out that I don’t know what I’m talking about because they are so infatuated with this person they’ve never even met.”
 
Psychology experts liken this to the crushes or strong feelings of connection people develop for sports figures, , actors and other celebrities. It’s easy to project perfection on someone you’ve never met, particularly if, along with a pretty face, he or she is emailing, texting and calling every day or several times a day telling you how awesome you are.
 
“For most of us, there are pockets and maybe whole sections of our minds and hearts that are not really reality-driven,” said Stephen Seligman, a psychoanalyst and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.
 
That puts law enforcement officials in a bind when lovestruck victims so willingly and willfully participate in ruses. “People don’t want to know what’s behind the curtain,” said Mr. Grey. “They really don’t.”

I am not sure if "forgive and forget" is a decision
 
It may be a gift

I am not sure if "forgive and forget" is a decision
 
It may be a gift

I am not sure if "forgive and forget" is a decision
 
It may be a gift

I am not sure if "forgive and forget" is a decision
 
It may be a gift

Hi Geminibear,
 
Thanks for creating this thread as I myself in the past year have been painfully hurt and betrayed recently by a couple of people I thought were my close friends, and came to find out they bad mouthed me to each other, and even stabbed me in the back on more then one occasion.
 
Wanted to get even, and been tempted to do so considering the circumstances of how badly burned I was in the situation, but decided to take the "high road" instead.
 
Really hurts when you been loyal to someone you consider as a friend, and then consequently in the end find out they've betrayed your trust and confidence in them cold-heartedly to others. Then when you call them out on it, and express your hurt and anger - they wanna so call end they're association/friendship with you after they've done you wrong viciously.
 
Really hurts to be burned terribly in that manner, but it's good these things do happen to show us who are true friends are in this world.
 
Now, how shitty is that? By them ending a friendship after you call them like that shows maybe they can't stand you hurt you, and is a firm of guilt maybe?
 
I can totally relate what your experiencing, and sorry to hear this happened to you.
 
I'd say take the high road, and eventually forgive, but not hold a grudge. I'm gonna do the same thing is to forgive, but on guard of who I consider as close friends from now on. Especially if I been burned by them already horrifically in the past without end.
 
Be the bigger person and forgive, baby as it'll pay off to keep a positive outlook and know what goes around does eventually come around to those who are nasty individuals that can't be trusted with a two dollar bill as karma my dear can be a vicious bitch too. Just doesn't pay to be nasty to people, and always be gracious and kind to others as when your nasty to people who been loyal and kind to you, it'll come back on you and sometimes 10 times fold worse then the crap that person has done unto you.
 
Just isn't worth it, and best to take the high road in these sort of unfortunate circumstances.
 
Really is a shame, but it happens, and we move on with our head up high knowing they're are more fish in the sea as you win some and you lose some as they swim up stream. ;)

Perhaps China-Mex instead of Tex-Mex?!!
 

 
Also seems overly discriminatory toward escorts!!!
 
TruHart1

Well, that IS what is required!!!

 
TruHart1

Somewhat extreme advertising??! :p:D

TruHart1

No wonder you're gay! LOL!

SOAP BOX ALERT - TR is about to dump out a lot of random thoughts
 
@bigvalboy, great post above, buddy. I think you are hitting on a couple of points that connect: when you face bias or any "isms," point it out diplomatically, sit back, remain cool, don't escalate, and let them squirm. I think this is easier to do when you belong to the same group - i.e. racial group. My assumption is that you and your lawyer neighbors are the same race? If so, naming their behavior and laughing it off is somewhat easier (it still take balls though - so kudos there!). Even if you weren't, you have a certain thing in common (maybe being neighbors?) that gives you the ground to call it out.
 
With that said, what I hear in @hunterlee 's post is "cumulative impact" - the emotional weight that builds after the sum of being the recipient of bigotry, racism, discrimination, and/or even subtle bias. It begins to weigh so heavily on the recipient that simply laughing it off actually adds more negative impact - you can't laugh something that is slowly but surely eroding your own identity. To me, posting about it in a safe environment - actually venting your feelings - is a good way for the carrier of cumulative impact to begin to deal with the weight. Sh!t, I'm doing that as I write!
 
So how does this connect to being hit on by younger folks? Methinks this situation can also can have a cumulative impact - you may start thinking people your own age or older don't see you as worthy prospect. That could lead to negative feelings and so on. What do I take from all this? Every action has an impact, and being introspective is helpful, yet you also need a peer group (even if anonymous) to fully deal with impact.

Someone needs his hearing checked.

http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/tawZWMv.gif

In my personal experience there are two ways in which this happens.
 
The first and most common way, is after a shared intimacy, after a passionate session or few years of getting to know one another, he looks at you with a glint in his eye, says "I fucking love you, man" slaps your ass, smiling and moves unto something else. In my experience, when a session goes the way I want it to go, I fall in love a little, I feel butterflies a little, I cherish that special moment looking into each other's eyes, which makes it very easy for me to imagine he will also feel that.
 
There is no promise, no contract, no attachment, no exchange of vows, and more importantly, no benefiting from the other's vulnerability. There is only love, encounter, tenderness, passion, all lived powerfully in a magic moment, then forgotten, till next time.
 
The other way is when after one or many sessions you notice the client suffering, tentative, demanding a lot of attention, constantly trying to break the pre agreed privacy boundaries, asking for reassurance, information, promises, or a lot of time outside of the time you spend together. Sooner or later when together, he will break down and in a very emotional way he will say something like: "I have not been doing well, I am suffering so much because of my feelings for you... I love you so much that I _______". You get my drift.
 
In this case, I listen attentively and compassionately and explain that under these circumstances I am unable to continue seeing him because that would only be damaging to him. I clarify that because of my professional ethical rules I will never -under any circumstance- start an emotional partnership with a client because I believe the power imbalances and mutual transferences and expectations will make the relationship unhealthy from the very beginning. I then strongly encourage him to look for professional help, someone with whom he can talk about this. Not another escort, who might potentially take advantage of his vulnerability, but a psychologist who might be better equipped to help him through that.
 
I tend to prefer not to wait till all this happens and look for the signs of emotional attachment before they further develop.
 
I have no problem with having a passionate, romantic boyfriend experience. Love traveling to romantic places with dear old clients of mine, with whom I can allow myself to be vulnerable and absolutely available because they understand, respect and celebrate the boundaries and nature of our relationship. What I won't do under any circumstance is keep seeing a client and charging him even if I know well that I will never be able to give him what he believes he wants. Making money out of heartbreak, to me, is just not an ethical thing.
 
To me love and vulnerability have never been a problem. They are the goal.
 
Attachement, expectations, blurred boundaries and emotional exploitation are an absolute no no. As soon as they show up, I will end the relationship.

Just an English major here.
 
That dude needs a shrinkola.
 
Or, anybody taking him up on his offer does.

A guy who purchased his wife a pocket Taser for their anniversary submitted this.
 
Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Julie. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse-sized taser. The effects of the taser were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety....
 
WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two triple-a batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arch of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs.
 
AWESOME!!!
 
Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.
 
Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right?!
 
There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target.
 
I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat.
 
But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?
 
So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and taser in another.
 
 
The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries. All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and (loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-A batteries) thinking to myself, "no possible way!"
 
What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best... I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, "don't do it master," reasoning that a one- second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad. I decided to give myself a one-second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and
 
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION!!!
 
I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner , then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again.
 
I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs?
 
The cat was standing over me making meowing sounds I had never heard before, licking my face, undoubtedly thinking to herself, "Do it again, stupid, do it again!"
 
Note: If you ever feel compelled to "mug" yourself with a taser, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one-second burst when you zap yourself!
 
You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor.
 
A three-second burst would be considered conservative.
 
SON-OF-A-... That hurt like **% !!! A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. How did they get up there? My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I'm still looking for my testicles! I'm offering a significant reward for their safe return!!
 
Still in shock!!
 
P. S. My wife loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it.
 
"If you think Education is difficult, try being stupid."