mike carey

Indeed, and I did say 'may', and I too would pick DCA over the other two for DC, have done for 30 years. I wouldn't fly into NY if I was only going to DC (or Boston), but when I travel to the NE I usually go up and down the NE corridor. When I book, the QF web site tells me what aircraft will operate the connecting flight on AA. (Part of my decision process, MAX or no MAX is that I'd prefer the trans-continental flight on a QF 787 to whatever AA offers.)

Yes to all of that, but I'll reserve judgment on whether I'll fly in them, at least in the initial period after they return to service (if they do). Which regulators approve them will be one factor. I have flown on one once (AA from LAX to DCA last January, so after the Lion crash) so I know they can operate safely. I may chose my flights in the US more carefully (say, QF metal to JFK rather than AA to other east coast destinations). All this is in the future.

Well, yes, I suppose I did, but I was happy to go out on a limb and say it 'will' be different. As you say, I may end up being wrong, it could become so notorious that everyone will be scared of that aeroplane.

The biggest difference I can see is that the Concorde was a niche market and the 737MAX is a mass market aircraft. Passenger reactions to the two will be different. One thing potentially in favour of the MAX is that the passenger base may be less likely to be paying attention to what sort of aircraft they are flying in. As to when it will return to service, the FAA and other regulators will be aware of the perception, right or wrong, that they were lax in their original approvals of the operating certificates and will be careful to ensure that they don't leave themselves open to such impressions about the return of the type to service.

Thanks for that post @bostonman. Like you I've followed Brian's progress both here and on Facebook and we've exchanged messages but never met. We missed each other by a couple of days in April in California. Your story is entirely unsurprising, as that's exactly the sort of person he's come across as.

I agree there is far more for a tourist in many cities than there is in SIngapore (or Hong Kong), but close by in Malaysia there are other places to add on to a trip. Malay and Nonya food is amazing. I could spend a weekend in SN or HK and binge eat. But as you probably appreciated, I was citing my willingness to fly there for a longish weekend as a difference of perspective from an idea that an eight hour flight constitutes a major vacation rather than possibly a weekend or week away. (As another comparison that I hadn't considered until just now, how many people in the middle and east of the US wouldn't think twice about a week in Hawai'i but would reject the idea of a week in London or Paris as being far too far to travel.)

Two videos of lyre birds and their amazing mimicry.

Kurtis, I take your point that the forum may be at best an annoyance to you, and as such you may wish nothing well for it. For me, it is a source of discussion about a range of issues, many not related to m4m activity. But they are still the focus. I find it easy to ignore the things on the site that I don't much like. Although my chances of being in Texas to meet you are not that great, I enjoy the things you have to say here. You're whip smart on so many issues. By all means disparage the things here that you don't like, but I doubt I am the only one who values your contributions.

I agree absolutely, a good fortnight is needed to do London justice without venturing anywhere else in the UK. I was more reflecting on the fact that I have seriously considered flying to Singapore or Hong Kong for just a few days to meet certain gentlemen I've met through this forum, and Sydney to either of those cities is a longer flight than NYC to London. I wouldn't want such a short visit to be my first, though.

@Kurtis Wolfe thank you for continuing to comment here despite the challenges.

A long weekend in London is always nice, go there and see him. It's not as if there aren't heaps of flights to LHR.

Narrowly my favourite.

That's a possibility, and it could return in the US and under a possible new UK civil aviation authority. Less likely in the EU and they would apply their rules to any airline flying into the EU not just EU flag airlines. I'm not confident Australian or Canadian regulators would clear it (and from having watched US carriers track over Canada on US internal flights that could be a problem if Canada banned it from their airspace). Other than that, AU and CA would not affect the big picture. China is another big market, and regardless of the merits Trump could scupper any chance of regulatory approval there. That's not necessarily bad for Boeing, they have other aircraft that they can keep making, and they will sell albeit not into the same market segments. As a case study, Qantas has gone heavy on Boeing for long haul (cancelled A380s and retained B787 orders) but short haul single aisle it's gone in big on A320 variants.

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/women-buying-sex/11486794 This is an item from a mainstream morning ABC radio program this week. It is a 14 minute segment on women buying sex. Before you all run screaming from the room, bear with me because it's relevant across a wider spectrum of sex work. It's reporting on some academic research, and as is stated in the audio it resulted from women contacting the researcher when she was looking for participants for a project she was running about male clients. It features the researcher herself and a sex worker in conversation with the program's presenter. The thing, apart from the general interest, that prompted me to post it was a comment that US legislation, referring to SESTA/FOSTA, had had a chilling effect on the ability of sex workers in Australia to advertise on the internet. Another comment that will likely raise some interest in the forum is one that the sex worker makes about workers choosing not to accept female clients, or not accepting clients of any gender, which she says is their right. (Some may recall that there was a knife attack in central Sydney a month or so back in which a sex worker was fatally stabbed. As well as the routine discussion of it as a crime, there was also mainstream media discussion that sex work is work and that like all workers, sex workers have a right to a safe workplace.)

Good to hear. Never sampled but he's always seemed the real deal from what I've seen.

Not related to this man, but you have been called out, @Epigonos [MEDIA=twitter]1171485227710996483[/MEDIA]

I would second the recommendation in post no 2 above or https://rent.men/thedudenextdoor, Eric Hassan. He is a regular at the Palm Springs weekends so many of us have had the opportunity to chat with him around the pool.

@Benjamin_Nicholas I haven't yet taken up the invitation the author of the 15minutesmore blog, whoever he might be, to correspond directly. I suspect as yet there is no need for that.

Noted!

My education on this subject is sadly lacking, it would appear.

[MEDIA=twitter]1170378351418183681[/MEDIA] Tropical storms are not what you expect in Canada.

Cue comments about Tito and Lake Bled.

Also in parts Wisconsin and parts of New England (the one in US rather than ours) according to Wiki.

[MEDIA=twitter]1169504628146204672[/MEDIA]

Yup it is. Used in parts of Australia and also in places in the US. It's the term used where I grew up in NSW.