mike carey

West Texas Intermediate doesn't work quite so well..

Re: thread merging. Thanks for inserting the year-old topic. I had been aware of it. I consciously started the new topic as it is specific to the one bacterial STI [gonorrhea] most concerning for its increasing standard treatment failure rate, as well as adds vaccination concepts (eg, Bexsero) not included in the previous discussion but that had been referenced in at least one other thread on the board. Moreover, the previous topic discussion is antimicrobial resistance focused and requires unpacking the merits and liabilities of DoxyPEP alone across a broader range of viral and bacterial diseases. There are also several separate threads more relevant to gonorrhea alone over the past year, including vaccination as mentioned, newly emerging first-in-class oral treatment medications, and acute disseminated gonococcal disease. Anybody wishing a more integrative reading experience is advised to use the search term ‘gonorrhea’ on the board. 

It varies on context.
Many of my clients of course live in my city and see me on a regular basis, such as monthly or quarterly. A client hiring me only twice or less per year I generally do not consider a regular.
Clients in my city who see a bunch other providers and hire me again many months later, only to see them again after they cycle through their long list of guys  - those are not regulars. I don’t mind that they hire others. That’s only natural, but it means that they are not seeing me as often, even though it would be very easy for them to do so. The issue is neither how often they are willing/able to hire nor travel distance. They just don’t want to hire me as frequently as they do someone else, or they have many different guys in rotation. Which is fine. But they are not what I consider regulars.
Once a month on average is a good general baseline I consider to be a regular. I have many monthly clients.
Clients traveling to my city, or me to theirs is a bit different. I see some clients who visit my city on a monthly basis which in the same straightforward way I consider regulars. Or some travelers see me as little as a couple times a year, but every time they are in town, they make sure to prioritize booking an appointment with me. Some of my regulars in Dallas booked me about once a month (sometimes more frequently), and they still book me in San Diego whenever they visit. They may not see me as frequently anymore, but I still consider them regulars.
Any sustained period a client hired me on a consistent, regular basis, I will always consider a ‘regular’. One client told me recently that any time I am anywhere on the east coast that he will travel to see me in any city no problem. He was a regular in Dallas and still is, as far as I am concerned. We have a great connection and although he still hires others occasionally, he considers me his top choice whenever and wherever I am available. He travels frequently for his work and so the only thing keeping him from hiring me monthly or more is his travel schedule and travel distance. That’s a good regular.
Clients I reach out to when I am going to be in their city I consider regulars if they hire me more than once. I still have people texting me from cities I visited last year asking when I am visiting their city again. Those too are regulars.
Recently a client was visiting from out of state and hired me twice in the same weekend. He was delightful. I had never met him before that weekend but I consider him a regular. I am positive based on our connection that whenever I visit his city he will hire me again. 
One client in Dallas used to see me weekly, sometimes twice or more per week for therapeutic massage with a HE. He was very guarded and did not like to connect. Very little chatter, very little in the way of physical or emotional connection. Did not like anything more than the standard ending, and even then only after many visits was he even comfortable receiving that part (which he enjoyed thereafter). He never tipped. He only ever contacted me with about 15 mins notice. If I wasn’t available immediately, forget it. It was an odd dynamic. I felt at times his demanding, erratic booking behavior was disrespectful toward me but I came to accept that it is what it is, and am glad to have the regular work. I appreciate that he visited me often, more so than any other client to date. However, I can’t consider him a regular,  because when I visit Dallas he will be the last person on my list to contact. He might fill in a gap when he texts last minute but I can’t count on him to prioritize his time with me. There’s no way he would book ahead and plan his schedule around a time I had available. Sometimes considering someone a regular is less about how frequently he sees you, and more about how much he values your work, your time together, your mutual connection, and you as a person. 

The cynic in me says that on a US Legacy 3 airline I would need to taste test the dressing before taking their word that it was in fact 'spicy'. One hot chilli in the room when they made it, sure, a lot, or actually any heat in the dressing, maybe not! (And as an aside, to me spicy and hot are not the same thing, there are combinations of aromatic spices that flavour foods that aren't in the least bit hot. Of course there are some cuisines where the two go together, Sichuan being one,)

The cynic in me says that on a US Legacy 3 airline I would need to taste test the dressing before taking their word that it was in fact 'spicy'. One hot chilli in the room when they made it, sure, a lot, or actually any heat in the dressing, maybe not! (And as an aside, to me spicy and hot are not the same thing, there are combinations of aromatic spices that flavour foods that aren't in the least bit hot. Of course there are some cuisines where the two go together, Sichuan being one,)

OMG!! So, sneakers are straight-people shoes??

I preemptively booked a whole week in a deluxe pool view room at InnDulge for next year 4/7/25-4/14/25. That room type has a better shower, more clear floor space for my massage table…and more room for various extracurricular activities. Maybe I will set up a sling 😈 

Yes it does default to the topic you're in, but I've fallen for it often enough that I usually remember to look at the text at the end of the search box for the drop down list to change it, if necessary.

Yes it does default to the topic you're in, but I've fallen for it often enough that I usually remember to look at the text at the end of the search box for the drop down list to change it, if necessary.

Yes it does default to the topic you're in, but I've fallen for it often enough that I usually remember to look at the text at the end of the search box for the drop down list to change it, if necessary.

Yes it does default to the topic you're in, but I've fallen for it often enough that I usually remember to look at the text at the end of the search box for the drop down list to change it, if necessary.

Please quote my full post. 
Thank you!

I dont think we can. People are certainly going to have individualized objections to any number of words. However, restricting the cultural voice of others here is unnecessary. 
When your sexuality is the stand out factor that makes you divergent from the norm, it becomes an important part of your culture. It's a culture steeped in a rich tradition of freedom and expression regarding sex. That culture, and the freedoms that come with it, were fiercely fought for by many.
It typically allows us to freely have discussions about sex, and use any number of sexual terms, without shame or embarrassment. And while still in some ways, we may not be able to have those discussions, and use those terms, in "polite" society at large, there is absolutely no reason we shouldn't embrace and celebrate the tolerance to have those discussions, and use those terms, within our own community.   

The cynic in me says that on a US Legacy 3 airline I would need to taste test the dressing before taking their word that it was in fact 'spicy'. One hot chilli in the room when they made it, sure, a lot, or actually any heat in the dressing, maybe not! (And as an aside, to me spicy and hot are not the same thing, there are combinations of aromatic spices that flavour foods that aren't in the least bit hot. Of course there are some cuisines where the two go together, Sichuan being one,)

I do agree with this.  I really enjoy some international foods (ie Indian, Thai, Mexican) that use spices we are not accustomed to in traditional US cuisine as long as the level of heat is not too high.  However, food that is overly hot is not appealing to me.  Some foods are spiced so overly hot that the flavor of the dish gets lost in the heat.  Only my opinion of course.  
To me, there are some hot sauces and chili that greatly enhance the heat level without actually contributing much to the foods flavor.  
 

The cynic in me says that on a US Legacy 3 airline I would need to taste test the dressing before taking their word that it was in fact 'spicy'. One hot chilli in the room when they made it, sure, a lot, or actually any heat in the dressing, maybe not! (And as an aside, to me spicy and hot are not the same thing, there are combinations of aromatic spices that flavour foods that aren't in the least bit hot. Of course there are some cuisines where the two go together, Sichuan being one,)

Eek!! I think you meant 5" circumference (40mm diameter is a little over 1.5"). I'm not sure what universe 5" diameter is comfortable, but if that's your universe I'm in awe!

As I learnt in a previous thread (I think that included a video explaining in perhaps too much detail how the digestive system works) eating stimulates the intestines to move it all along (and it's not simply the pressure of food entering the small intestine, there are hormonal and nerve reactions involved), so eating in the n hours before your meeting will result in some of that s**t being closer - perhaps too close - to the action.

As I learnt in a previous thread (I think that included a video explaining in perhaps too much detail how the digestive system works) eating stimulates the intestines to move it all along (and it's not simply the pressure of food entering the small intestine, there are hormonal and nerve reactions involved), so eating in the n hours before your meeting will result in some of that s**t being closer - perhaps too close - to the action.

This is an outrageous slander of the great British culinary tradition.
Actually, no it's not. It is, however, slightly unfair to say that the idea of food actually tasting like something had completely passed the country by. Curry houses have been popular in the UK for decades, and chicken tikka masala is called a national dish of the country. I haven't been there for years (sorry Jamie) but there was, and perhaps still is, much stodge on offer.

This is an outrageous slander of the great British culinary tradition.
Actually, no it's not. It is, however, slightly unfair to say that the idea of food actually tasting like something had completely passed the country by. Curry houses have been popular in the UK for decades, and chicken tikka masala is called a national dish of the country. I haven't been there for years (sorry Jamie) but there was, and perhaps still is, much stodge on offer.

A regular is a client who has come more than 3 times, especially if that’s in a single session. 

If I see you for extended visits- weekends or longer- for years, then you're a regular.
It's not just about the time or money spent, for me it's do we know each other?