Rod Hagen

No :-) But happy you caught it.

My stubborness is definitely costing me greatly. My massage and escort ads all say "NO TEXTS (I will not receive your texts; sorry." My number, 310-360-9890 is, I flush to admit, a landline. And, so, those who text me despite my ads' warnings, never reach me. And I never get to meat them, which is a loss, financially of course, but also it's a lost connection. One doesn't do this for 20 years if one doesn't like meeting people, and therefore lament missing people. Nevertheelss, the ridiculous back and forth nature of Texts for anything other than checking in with people you already know or telling someone you left your backpack in their backseat and would they please make a u-turn and bring it back?, is more of often than not a waste off time. It also could be that I just don't like to think of myself as a last-minute choice, which is of course all about my ego.

19 years here. I'm not quite the winner, but close.

Yes you have :-)

Just got back from an International flight: back of the bus. An aisle seat, children's liquid benadryl, silicon ear plugs and my favorite eye mask, and I'm set. Additionally, I prefer not to sleep on the flight back to the states, it's a perfect opportunity to catch up on reading.

effective, yes. affecting, no.

I've been escorting for decades. I certainly don't miss having to advertise in print as well as online as I did in the beginning. I do hate the culture of NOW as opposed to the previous culture of SOON. Other than that, hasn't change much since late 90s. Neither have the rates, actually. In fact, there was a period in the early aughts where the rates were, on average (this is my sense, I didn't do a study), a bit higher than now. Escorting probably hasn't changed fundamentally in centuries :-)

Aw Shit, sorry dude. oops

Definitely. I miss living in Minnesota where we wrote 5 dollar checks, and nobody minded.

Sorry if someone posted this already, but what a beautiful ad. The nonchalance of the woman/partner of the man who blows his nose into the sink is wonderful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEU-MAZRhJs

i don't text with clients. phone or email only. Texts aren't conducive to serious discussions or coordinating meetings any farther out than an hour or so.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you and poof to your very blowable candle. :-)

I think if I didn't know him, I'd like it to be faceless.

LAX is definitely within normal range for outcalls. I've been to LAX Hilton SO SO SO Many times.

Best Dessert I've ever had and I have Nora Ephron (God Rest Her Soul) to thank for pointing me to it. Every trip I make to New York, even when I was there for a funeral, I make time for this dessert. Truly a marvel. https://sweets.seriouseats.com/2013/08/behind-the-scenesthe-grapefruit-givre-at-boulud-sud.html

If they tanked, I might burst from schadenfreude.

Pop.

Ok, middle of the night, need to do an addendum. I prefer specificity as a rule, I agree with The Economist in using he or she instead of the awkward "they" in nearly all cases. However if an individual doesn't fit, then of course there should be flexibility. Recently, Asia Kate Dillon needed to classify themselves as an Actor as opposed to Actress in order to qualify for an award (incidentally, historically "Actor" is gender nonspecific). But outside of the award competition if they ("they" applies in Dillon's case) would prefer being called a "performer" it would fit, it would make sense, it would be right. A rule can bend and still be a rule. Asia Kate Dillon, the remarkable Taylor on "Billions" I now return you to the discussion of lotions and clean linens.

I actually prefer specificity: Steward/Stewardess vs Flight Attendant, Waitress/Waiter vs Server, and Masseur/Masseuse vs. Massage Therapist. We've been told it's less sexist to be nonspecific; it's not. Being specific is not sexist.

A masseuse.

Kristian is fantastic and I hear great things about Iron Maus.

I saw dog bbq'd around Vietnam, I was not tempted. I did eat horse as a kid, but wasn't told until after I finished it. Neither loved nor hated it.

That's wouldn't be unfair in my neighborhood, given that the local spas, whose therapists won't do stomach or buttocks, charge that much or more.

When I was young, haggling annoyed the shit out of me. Now, while I haven't changed my rate in 19 years, I understand it doesn't hurt me to hear them out, nor does it hurt me to say no.