Lucky

Maybe the site is just seeking your money.

King of Ashes is not a gay novel, but I post it here because S.A. Cosby writes sizzling tales and creates great characters. Not only that, this novel takes you into a dark world that you could hardly fathom in your own life. At first I thought "Why do I want to enter this world?" But Crosby drew me in and I couldn't stop reading. The Amazon summary: When eldest son Roman Carruthers is summoned home after his father’s car accident, he finds his younger brother, Dante, in debt to dangerous criminals and his sister, Neveah, exhausted from holding the family—and the family business—together. Neveah and their father, who run the Carruthers Crematorium in the run-down central Virginia town of Jefferson Run, see death up close every day. But mortality draws even closer when it becomes clear that the crash that landed their father in a coma was no accident and Dante’s recklessness has placed them all in real danger. Roman, a financial whiz with a head for numbers and a talent for making his clients rich, has some money to help buy his brother out of trouble. But in his work with wannabe tough guys, he’s forgotten that there are real gangsters out there. As his bargaining chips go up in smoke, Roman realizes that he has only one thing left to offer to save his brother: himself, and his own particular set of skills. Roman begins his work for the criminals while Neveah tries to uncover the long-ago mystery of what happened to their mother, who disappeared when they were teenagers. But Roman is far less of a pushover than the gangsters realize. He is willing to do anything to save his family. Anything. Because everything burns. Some of the raves: “Pick up the novel everyone will be talking about.” —The Atlantic “Dark, riveting, and accomplished.” —Washington Post “Propulsive and powerful. . . A gripping roller coaster ride of escalating danger.” —New York Times Book Review Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author S. A. Cosby returns with King of Ashes, a Godfather-inspired Southern crime epic and dazzling family drama. Amazon Best Books of the Year So Far 2025 • Indie Next pick for June 2025 • Library Reads pick for June 2025 • Book of the Month Club pick • Starred Library Journal • Starred Kirkus • Los Angeles Times 30 Must-Read Books for Summer • NPR’s 10 books we're looking forward to this spring • New York Post’s Must-Read New Thriller Books • New York Times’s 12 Summer Books We’re Looking Forward To • USA TODAY’s Most Anticipated Books of summer 2025 • The Atlantic’s 24 Books to Read This Summer • TIME’s 16 Most Anticipated Books to Read This Summer • People’s The 15 Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2025 • Vulture’s 28 Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Summer • New York Times’s Books to Read This Summer • New York Times’s 4 Summer Books We’re Looking Forward To • Washington Post’s 30 Books to Read This Summer • New York Post’s 30 Best Beach Reads

@viewing ownly Can you not make an appointment at the DMV so you will not be there so long?

I found this press release about a pre-game ceremony: https://www.mlb.com/press-release/new-york-yankees-to-celebrate-new-york-s-legacy-of-pride

Because I live in California and the Yankees were playing a California team, I was blacked out of the Yankees network and had to watch the game on the Angels network. The announcers there made no mention of Pride night. As I looked at the stadium crowds, I saw no one wearing the Yankee Pride cap, especially the players. I think it's a further stab in the back to LGBTQ Pride and the people who are encompassed in it. It's getting more popular to ignore gays, as witnessed by the companies dropping out of supporting Gay Pride events, Hopefully someone here watched the YES network game and saw something to honor Pride night. If so, please let me know.

Gay romance novels are often cheesy, often just an opportunity to write sex scenes, often predictable...or is that "always" predictable? The Boyfriend Subscription is a romance novel by Steven Salvatore. I am posting about it because I liked it, thinking it rises above the typical of its genre, It's Amazon reviews are generally good, with "sweet" being a common descriptor. If you like gay romance novels, I think that you will like this one. The Amazon summary reads, in part: After losing his marriage and his beloved retail plant business, Teddy Hughes is ready to drown his sorrows—or would be, if he could afford another beer in his favorite dive bar. He has no choice but to uproot his dreams and leave New York for good. And then a gorgeous stranger walks in with cheekbones that could cut glass and a confidence that leaves Teddy panting. Like the leather harness he wears under his designer suit, Cole Vivien is a mass of contradictions. He’s a successful entrepreneur whose app, VERSTL, allows consumers and sex workers to form real—if temporary—connections. But now Cole is in the unfamiliar position of needing something from someone else. A fake boyfriend can help Cole project a more traditional image for a potential investor. And Teddy—shy, smart and so much hotter than he knows—is perfect for the part. Maybe too perfect. Cole just has two conditions: no kissing and no falling in love. In exchange for one week together, Teddy will get enough money to get back on his feet, and no messy feelings will be in the mix. But some rules are made to be broken…

I just finished Edmund White's tale of his sex life, naturally titled out The Loves of My Life. White died last week at the age of 85, but says in the book that he expected to reach 90, so there go expectations. Knowing that White was a good writer caused me to expect a more sizzling tale than is delivered. It does seem complete, but not very erotic. YMMV, of course. What I liked best were White's political observations on gay life as it has evolved in his lifetime. Just for comparison, a fellow here in the desert once shared with me his journal of his sex life. It wasn't written with commercial aspirations as White's is, and thus I liked it better. Up close and personal.

I have already bought one on Ebay!

Well, the cap WAS pictured above!

The Yankees are giving away a cap with NY in rainbow lettering on June 16th. I would be thrilled if someone would get the cap for me! Legacy of Pride Monday, June 16 A portion of every ticket sold in this special event ticket offer will benefit The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative. The Yankees' support of New York’s Legacy of Pride will be spotlighted in an on-field ceremony prior to the Yankees-Angels game on Monday, June 16, as the Yankees-Stonewall Scholarship Initiative takes center stage. Created in June 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn Uprising, the initiative annually awards five $10,000 scholarships to student leaders representing each of the five boroughs who have demonstrated academic achievement, a commitment to equality, and impactful support for the LGBTQ+ community. The Yankee-Stonewall Scholarships are intended to provide resources to launch the honorees' educational and career goals. Each Special Event Ticket includes: Game Ticket: Monday, June 16 vs. Los Angeles Angels Special Event Item: A New York Yankees hat with the Yankees logo in the Progress Pride Flag colors Please note that you must purchase a Special Event Ticket in order to have access to this exclusive offer. Item Pickup: Instructions for item pickup will be sent to buyers prior to the event.

Uh-hem.

What about Bangkok?

Once I began losing my hair, the drug finestaride caused me to lose complete interest in sex...even just looking. I'd rather be bald.

Well, guess what, @d.anders? I did hear from the police and also from Eco ATM. The latter did find my phone in one of their kiosks and within a few weeks I should have it back.

I just sit on top of the bleach bottle and swish my tush for a minute or so.

Palm Springs is full of escorts who would normally be considered to be after their "sell by date."

Do you recommend the alcohol or the drugs, or dare I say both?

I was in Vegas last week for 3 nights and hated it.

Last night I had a seat right by first base and saw Logan O'Hoppe, the designated hitter on base. I've always admired his face on TV, but last night I saw what for me is the most beautiful bubble butt. No, I didn't run out on the field to rim him, especially since I had my Yankee gear on, but I admired for as long as he was there. It seems to really add back padding, which is good since his usual position is catcher! An early photo of Logan: All I can say is that you gotta see his butt in person. Pictures just don't do it!

So far neither the police nor EcoAtm has responded to my complaint. Once I got my phone information restored yesterday, I looked to see if anyone had called while I did not have access. No one did...BUT there was a message left Friday night from a number I do not recognize. A woman said that she hoped I would find my phone, and she used my name. The call is not in the recent call list. I googles the woman and she apparently lives in Desert hot Springs. Funny.

He made light of a guy committing suicide and you think that's funny? It did turnout that many posters had things to say about Queens, but rather than starting a new thread without the mocking of the dead man, @samhexum keeps bumping this thread. Go figure.

I'd be leary in Singapore of even urinating in a public bathroom.

I have so enjoyed my 8 or 9 trips to Brazil that I would love to go back. I follow the rules, mostly, about not carrying much on me, and I have never been robbed. I grant that that could be a matter of luck, so I remain careful. (I do ride the subway at night.) One thing I notice about all of these stories about being accosted on the street in Rio is that no one gets hurt. You lose money, but no injury. Again, I concede that is possible but it seems less likely that you will get hurt than robbed. So consider it a tax that you pay to the local indigents for being a tourist in their town. You are not carrying that much money anyway, so it's no big loss.

ON Friday I stupidly set my phone in a shopping cart while I unloaded the cart. It is the same color as the car, and I failed to pick it up. I went back to the store several times and no one had turned it in. So yesterday I ordered an older, cheaper model from Amazon and it was delivered at 7 this morning. I wasted no time getting to T-Mobile to have the phone set up and my info transferred from the Samsung Cloud. The woman at T-M showed me how to use the Find My Phone app, and it turned out it was at another grocery store near my house. I went into the store, started the app, and it directed me to a kiosk where people can sell their phones. The implication is that the phone is still in the kiosk. I called the number on the kiosk, and while they were clear that my call was very important to them, they never responded despite 15 minutes on hold. So I filed a police report. Having taken possession of my phone is theft and hopefully the police will contact the EcoAtm folks and they will cooperate. They have special people assigned to work with law enforcement all over the country, so this is not an unusual thing. What got me was that when I used their "price your phone" feature, my older phone was worth less than I had paid for the older model I had just bought. They get you everywhere. Anyone wanna give odds on my getting the phone back?

I am glad to see that my thread took off despite my earlier apprehensions. Thanks to all who have contributed and will contribute. I don't know if this has been made clear, but I believe that you have to come out to yourself before you can come out to others. And by that I mean stop the denial, look yourself in the mirror, and say something like I AM GAY AND THAT's JUST THE WAY I WANT IT.