Rudynate

I read just this morning that the tourist dollars the Monarchy brings in is about equal to what the Monarchy costs - not a great ROI.

Germans love Persil. Now they don't do it because of the internet, but Germans living in the US often had friends and relatives send it to them, they liked it so much. I used it for awhile just because I liked the scent and it always made me nostalgic for Germany. Germans really know how to do fragrances for household products - they all smell terrific. In Italy, I remember. I thought the scents for household products were really peculiar - they smelled really floral, kind of like a cologne that would appeal to old ladies.

While we are waxing sentimental about the Queen, it is worth noting that a significant minority of Britons think that they should do away with the monarchy and the UK should adopt a republican form of government. More than 20% feel this away. Within that 20%+ there is a vocal minority who think the Royal family are little more than parasites.

The effect is different. The edibles tend to have a sedative quality. Some people do both at the same time. A while ago, I went over to a guy's house for a sex date. As soon as I walked in the door, he gave me an edible and then we smoked throughout out playtime. Goodness, was I loaded.

It doesn't matter if he is. When QE2 dies the machinery of succession will kick in he will be the next sovereign. Like his mother, he basically will keep his mouth and do what is expected of him. So his personality hardly matters.

But she doesn't "contend" with them. They have their regular audiences with her, she listens and keeps her mouth shut, as the law requires of her. Because of their respect for the monarchic tradition, and their affection for her, if she does express an opinion, they probably give it due respect. It is said that she finds subtle ways to make her views known on issues that are particularly important to her. The Queen sailed on because she has guaranteed employment for her entire life,, much like a Supreme Court Judge. I am sure any Prime Minister takes office with the knowledge that he/she has a shelf life.

Those were Monarchs who wielded enormous power. Queen Elisabeth doesn't. I don't discount her popularity and the influence she has because of it, I think the world of her. But influence is what she has - almost no power.

It would be different if the presence of the Sovereign were critical to the well-being of the nation, but it isn't. She could be brain-dead and on life support and her reign would proceed without a hitch. They don't need her for much of anything. She's mostly just a feel-good symbol.

I know from personal experience that one can be very laid-up from a mobility issue and otherwise be in very good health - that could be her.

They have it all under control. Her Regents are already doing what needs to be done to continue her reign.

My oldest brother, who is a car nut, has always used premium in his cars. I have never used premium, but I have never owned a luxury or high-performance car.

He looks terrific - I imagine he really knows how to fuck - but he is definitely versatile or versatile top. The fact that he's willing to bottom on film, to me, indicates that he is pretty willing to have his hole used.

Its just me, but I find total tops - tops who make you their hole, incredibly sexy. To me, a total top is made that way. In my personal lexicon, a top who can be persuaded to give it up occasionally is a versatile top. I'm perfectly happy with versatile tops, but I don't confuse them with total tops. All other things being equal - if I had to choose between a total top and a versatile top, I would choose the total top.

Actually, your favorite California city has a larger homeless population than San Francisco. In SF, it is more concentrated and, thus more visible because SF is such a compact city. San Francisco lost more population during the lockdown than any other US city - more than 6%. It never fails, though. People who leave the city during an economic downturn either return or are replaced by others when the downturn passes. It's no different this time. That 6%+ is going to be hard to replace, though. Housing has just continued to become more expensive. Rents are increasing steadily and may soon reach pre-pandemic levels. I have a rental unit that I was renting pre-pandemic for $3700.00, which become vacant during the lockdown. In order to fill it, I had to drop the rent to $2800.00. I could rent it now for nearly what I was getting pre-pandemic.

I moved here in 1990 - and it was an interesting time - the AIDS epidemic was raging and effective antivirals were still several years out, but there was a general view that life had to go on, so it was a very lively place in spite of the epidemic.

Or they might have ignored it not finding it noteworthy

Twice, I have hired guys to shave me almost completely for bodybuilding competitions. The first time was a guy who does manscaping. He shaved me completely, except for my head, in about an hour. It was uncomfortable because he worked from his apartment and we spent the hour in a chilly bathroom, but he did a perfect job. The second time, I hired a big gorgeous hunky provider. He knew a lot about hair removal because he stays completely smooth all the time, including his head. He shaved me everywhere -pubes, asshole, everywhere except my head and eyebrows. He wanted to do my head too, but I said some other time. He did a beautiful job, but it took three hours and I was really tired. He wanted to fool around after that, but I had to be up early next day for my show, so I declined.

That is a pretty rosy description of the Tenderloin, but it isn't untrue. The places they describe do exist and I have been to some of them. Now, whether a first-time visitor to San Francisco should seek them out depends on how confident and adventurous he/she is. Someone who has never ventured out of a squeaky-clean suburb in the midwest might feel very threatened. Someone who has traveled a lot and seen other urban areas might take it in stride. I remember the first time I visited Montreal when I was in high school. I couldn't believe how slummy and dive-y some parts of town were, but since I came from a city that had its own slums, it wasn't a big deal - just an adventure - obviously, I lived to tell about it.

You have to learn the lay of the land. The Tenderloin is a very bad neighborhood that has all the problems associated with very bad urban neighborhoods - drug-related crime, violent crime, lots of scary homeless people and so on. The thing is, San Francisco is a very compact city and the Tenderloin is adjacent to Nob Hill, one of the more desirable neighborhoods and Union Square - the retail district and Center of Everything in San Francisco. You can wander into the Tenderloin from Union Square without even knowing it. There is a transitional neighborood between the Tenderloin and Nob Hill that people who live there often call the "Tendernob." People can find relatively affordable housing there, and it isn't a very desirable neighborhood, but it isn't anywhere as gritty as the Tenderloin. Roughly speaking, anywhere west of Union Square, south of, maybe, Post Street, and north of Market Street is the Tenderloin. Oh - I forgot - East of Polk Street. So west of Union Square, south of Post Street, north of Market Street and east of Polk Street.

Often, people who live in cozy, affluent suburbs like Danville are fearful of the inner city and tend to magnify in their minds the poor conditions and the dangers associated therewith. I remember, when I lived in Rochester in the 80s, I happened on a job opportunity for my nephew who was in high school, who had grown up, and barely had ever been out of, a mid-scale suburb. When I called him and told him about it, he asked me if it was downtown, and I said yes. He responded "No way man. I'm not going downtown!!" Thing was, downtown Rochester had just been the object of an exhaustive urban renewal project and looked brand-spanking new. New convention center, hew hotels, vintage buildings renovated, etc. etc.

That's the way I feel, but I understand why people that are new in town wouldn't have learned that attitude yet.

With Cuban links - love em. I'm going to get one. I was going to get one around Christmas, Now they are almost twice the price because gold has gone up so much.

There is some difference of opinion in the scientific community as to whether viruses are a life form at all because they don't have all of the characteristics that the conventional definition of a life form specifies. It is true that a virus particles, before it infects a cell, is incapable of metabolism and reproduction. But once it infects a living cell, it takes over the cell and it's gangbusters. I consider them to be living organisms - intracellular parasites. Someone else will read this and disagree with me, and that's fine, because it is not a settled issue. I believe that prions definitely are not living organisms because they lack a genome coded in nucleic acids. There are also biologic entities called viroids, and I'm not sure what I think about those, They have a genome coded in nucleic acids but they lack the protein coat most viruses have. I lean in the direction of calling them living organisms.

If I have to work too hard to keep the conversation flowing.