Rudynate

But the entire nation has two official languages, French and English. To qualify for residence in Canada, you only have to be proficient in one of the two official languages.

No I'm not joking. You know what journalists like to say about the electorate in the US - "Never underestimate the stupidity of the American electorate."

The US invented dumbing down. Our president has to have specially dumbed-down briefing books filled with pictures.

Exactly - what's the problem? Thinking that it's some sort of problem is just more xenophobia in disguise. Canada has two official languages. They seem to do fine. The EU has three official languages, they seem to do fine. Switzerland has four official languages. They seem to do just fine.

Why not? One health club I used to go to had signage in 5 or 6 different languages. Didn't seem at all problematic.

Wikipedia is not an authoritative source.

I think that's reduntant. Characterizing it as a compulsion implies psycholgical dependency.

back hair, age spots, balding, wrinkles - I like it all.

The bag has the benefit of expediency

It isn't supposed to be an endurance contest.

The paper bag has always worked for me.

How was her skin color relevant?

I have a friend who is in his mid eighties. His net worth is fairly substantial. He just isn't interested in the institutional alternative. He could afford the best elder housing money can buy. He has neuropathy from HIV meds and is very mobility-impaired. He lives on the top floor of an old San Francisco Victorian. He drags himself up and down several flights of stairs every time he leaves his house. But he does it willingly. Won't hear of assisted living or elder housing. He loves to go to recitals, film festivals, travels a fair amount, enjoys good restaurants.

I don't agree that lots of gay men have kids. It's certainly more common than it once was but I'm willing to bet that more don't than do have children. It's a common belief that gay men have problems with aging, but maybe it isn't true. It could just be another negative stereotype that gay men voluntarily oppress themselves with. A long time ago, when my sibs and I were looking for a new living arrangement for my father, I visited an assisted living facility with him. The social worker had arranged for us to meet two of the residents. One was a man who was probably gay - he was retired and had spent his career in retail. We had lunch with the two guys and all the way through, I kept thinking "What a way for a gay guy to spend his golden years."

No, straight folks have children and family to keep them from looking in the mirror too much.

Too much time on their hands.

I don't know what I expected getting old to be like when I was young, but I assumed things would work out. I looked around at the old guys I knew and none of them seemed bitter; they didn't seem lonely; they weren't committing suicide en masse. So I thought it would probably work out for me, too. It has. I don't pay that much attention to young men. Some of my friends are distressed by the fact that they seem invisible to young men. If I stopped to notice, I might find that I am also invisible to them. But, for the most part, I don't pay much attention. I do notice that young men at my gym treat me sort of like a mascot. They like to tell me how great I look - for my age. I think, "Couldn't you just say I look good?" But, then I remind myself that a flawed compliment is better than no compliment at all.

I don't like being around damaged people. If I got some sort of advance notice that a guy had serious psychological problems in his past, I wouldn't hire him.

The usual things- 3 burglaries, vehicle vandalized three times, assaulted on a dark street once. The only exotic one was being in a neighborhood store when it was held up. As he was running out of the store, the guy briefly pointed his shotgun at me and told me to stay put. One time, an employee of a messenger service that I used regularly charged a bunch of things on my credit card.

I don't think topical products are any good for lines, wrinkles and sagging skin, but they can certainly improve the appearance of the skin surface. I had a friend a long time ago, I nice-looking actor/model/waiter. The modeling agency he worked with required him to use Erno Lazlo skincare products which he purchased through them at a discount. He had nice enough skin, but he had the minor imperfections that anybody does. I was amazed at the change in the appearance of his skin after using the Lazlo products for a few months. He looked really good.

Yep, that's it.

I have had numerous occasions when I stopped to help somebody or give first aid or drive them to the hospital. I had one occasion when I was walking through a crummy part of town. A block or so away, I saw two young guys assaulting an old drunk. One was holding him with his arms pinned and the other was punching him in the face repeatedly. I thought, "I have to stop this somehow, "and I started walking faster in that direction wondering what I could do. Fortunately, a couple cop cars pulled up and intervened. I was very relieved.

I vaguely remember that show "December Bride." I think there was also a spinoff from it with Harry Morgan and Cara Williams, don't remember the name.

Men carry purses here too, they're just not called purses-daypacks, briefcases, totes, etc. Designers and mens wear manufacturers keep trying to interest American men in purses, but they're just not biting. The marketing/advertising hasn't hit the mark yet. Some time, somebody will come up with the right formula and the trend will spread like wildfire.

It's become a big clusterfuck, and not in a good way.