MscleLovr

Maybe I’m out of line here but I find the comments by @dutchal @pubic_assistance and @marylander1940 to be distasteful, not just superficial. Please remember two young men have been senselessly killed.

FWIW my two cents - I find that it’s easy in Barcelona to meet nice young men (whether paid or free). As it happens, I live not far from Thermas - no judgement but I’ve not visited as I have a young partner - and it’s widely known about as a safe and reliable venue for paid male sex; the management is honest. (I know of a hot young American who visited, looking to hook up for free, and was outraged when he was expected to pay for sex. He complained to management and was promptly refunded his entrance fee). I don’t get into political debates about Catalan identity/independence even though my best friend is Catalan. I don’t see why any visitor would express an opinion on the matter. I’m told I speak Castilian at an advanced level and I have a smattering of useful Catalan phrases. Again, foreign visitors are not expected to speak Catalan. IMO London has a more diverse offering of male companions to Barcelona but their cost is much higher. I too have an apartment in Barcelona (in the Eixample district). I prefer Barcelona to Madrid as I find it easier to navigate socially and culturally. And in the Summer, I prefer to be by the beach and sea. I cannot relate to Bangkok as I’ve spent no time there.

As to the ones I know about: in LA, one opened an art gallery but two are still trying to make it as actors in London, one works for Chanel and another has his own business in Sydney, one works as a lawyer and another is an executive in banking

Which area is this @Massageguy99?

And the monthly rate of inflation has been published as having fallen to only 20% !

I’m astounded @purplekow - what a litany of auto accidents. You are lucky to have not been badly hurt. I suggest you don’t argue with the insurance company. With your luck, I’d use the money to buy (used or new) a small Mercedes. They’re solidly built, reliable and have great safety features.

It’s not just in Colombia. I know of a few incidents in Cape Town, South Africa where it was used on young men and women.

Did you consider that she told you what you wanted to hear? Personally, my ‘reliable source’ on this topic is the Queerty Newletter 😉

Absolutely. It’s a discretionary trust, set up a few generations back, with the usual requirements for good behavior etc by beneficiaries. I’ve always used an eminent firm of lawyers as advisers. I pay so much for their advice that I’d never go against it.

Good for you. I have exactly the same ‘problem’, an elder brother who is financially reckless. It intrigued me that when I was a teenager, my grandfather trusted my judgement and he detailed all our assets. He told me that I was to become the senior trustee on his death and he told me why my elder brother was being cut out. I’ve multiplied the assets considerably since then, and I always paid my brother his share. At times, I paid him more than his share. I was never thanked. One time, my brother tried to deceive me. He cheated me out of my share when a family asset was sold - I let him get away with it but said “That’s all you’ll get from me. You’ve got more than you’re entitled to, so enjoy it”. And we haven’t spoken since that day 12 years ago. Entirely agree.

You may be right. But I also paid those rates in 2000-2009, and I had plenty of good overnight dates with handsome, fit-bodied young men. I always felt that was key. Once we’d established we were fully compatible, I’d suggest an all-expenses-paid overseas trip. I’d ask what place/resort or activities interested them. I’d mention it would be luxurious throughout, and get them to say what fee they’d require. I only dated nice guys and I was often pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the fees were.

I know there are 4 types of urethroplasty and I know that it’s not a minor procedure. Also, I know of two good websites on this - mountsinai.org and clevelandclinic.org - but there are others too. Perhaps you’d get a better response if you posted about what concerns you or the queries you have. Then others may be able to help you more.

Slightly off-topic but this really resonated with me. The pandemic changed my attitude towards flights and travel too. Prior to the pandemic, I travelled every month and thought nothing of it. But since then, I’ve been reluctant to travel. In the last 15 months, I made only 4 overseas trips (2 to Southern Africa and 2 to Spain) but each time I stayed for a month. In retirement, I had the same idea. But I couldn’t decide where: Key West was once a delight but it’s changed a lot; Palm Springs has too little culture for me; Northern San Diego appealed to me the most. Good Luck with your decision-making!

I don’t understand the relevance of the thread title @PileDriver Are you much older (say in your 70s) than the man you met, or are you a comparative youngster?

I had two dogs over the years, but I never considered getting another once I retired. My reason is that I like to travel and nowadays I have extended stays overseas. I thought @EZEtoGRU that you too travelled extensively? Are you planning to take the dog with you on various trips? Will the dog enjoy visiting the sauna in Brazil with you? 😎

When he needed to divert himself, Oscar Wilde said he read his diaries. Nowadays @Coolwave35 you have your photos to divert and please you. 🙂

Yes. It ends not with a whimper but with a bang: multiple loads are shed.

The experienced posters here have given you some good advice @that_masked_man My take on this is that, like me, you enjoy helping people. Also I suspect you have few friends that you can rely on. I don’t think that what you had was in any way a true friendship. This gay-porn guy probably instinctively realised your vulnerabilities and he exploited them for gain. My strong advice is Move On. And you do that by following the advice given to victims of domestic abuse: cut all contact; change your email and cellphone number (and any other contact info this guy has on you); change the locks (if you haven’t already) as he may have made copies of your keys; change the alarm code on your property; get rid of any items you bought when you were with him and put anything he gave you in the garbage; do not keep any memento or reminder of him around. You may be finding it difficult now but with time, it will be much easier.

I know New England is heavily forested. Perhaps, at this time of year, the providers you like just don’t want to linger in the woods 😎

The dollar has been strong, hence the FX rate. IMO the rate you mention (£120/$150) seems low to me. For reference, I used to pay that rate for the best guys 15-20 years ago. Of course, back then that equated to US$200 . I’ve haven’t hired in many years but I hear from friends that top-quality - beautiful face, muscled physique, passionate and versatile - guys ask £200/$250 in London. Apart from doing the obvious checks as to compatibility and availability, you should check if the rate quoted is at their place only? If you want them to travel to you, are you to pay for their taxi/Uber both ways? (Given traffic can be slow in central London, you may want to set a limit on travel costs)

I don’t know in which city you live. If you don’t want to say, please will you describe the area.

Care to add some details to your cryptic post @FreshFluff? And surely you can answer your own question by getting out of bed and driving over there at 1am to take a look?

I suspect they wouldn’t have the time 😎 After all, with complaining about work, discussing micro-aggressions, bemoaning the lack of mental health care and publicly describing their reduced or non-existent sex lives, how could they fit this all in?

Not so. I’d term it “a triumph of hope over experience” 😐 With bonds trading at 37 cents on the dollar, and their view that they may strengthen to 45 cents, that’s a nice percentage gain (21.6%).…PROVIDED THAT you are both smarter and can trade better than the Goldman dealers on the other side of that trade 😉

Just to add to your correction: the mother was the actress Farrah Fawcett (and not a lady plumber) 😎