s1conrad

“I think these days when there is so little to believe in——when the old loyalties——God, country, and the hope of Heaven——aren't very real, we are more dependent than we should be on our friends. The only thing left to believe in——someone who seems beautiful.”

- William Carlos Williams

Bless you for this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_a-eXIoyYA

Andrew Sullivan, in an article on how to cope in these times, wrote about W.H. Auden. Lovely piece! I excerpted the part with W.H. Auden...
 
I’m particularly drawn to W. H. Auden these days, not simply because of the transfixing wisdom and beauty of his poetry, but because of who he was, and how he led his life. I recommend two essays about him, one by Hannah Arendt in 1975 in The New Yorker and one by Edward Mendelson in The New York Review of Books. I stumbled upon both recently and am glad I did.
 
Auden is an antidote to Trump and to our times. He despised celebrity; he ran from fame and money; he never “signaled” his many virtues to anyone; in fact, he went to great lengths to hide them from view. “Once at a party I met a woman who belonged to the same Episcopal church that Auden attended in the 1950s, St. Mark’s in-the-Bowery in New York,” Mendelson recalls. “She told me that Auden heard that an old woman in the congregation was suffering night terrors, so he took a blanket and slept in the hallway outside her apartment until she felt safe again.” He privately paid for the tuition of a succession of war orphans until his death; he made himself look like an asshole in demanding immediate payment for some work — but only so he could quietly give the money to Dorothy Day’s homeless shelter in New York. Mendelson also recalls how “I got a phone call from a Canadian burglar who told me he had come across Auden’s poems in a prison library and had begun a long correspondence in which Auden gave him an informal course in literature. Auden was especially pleased to get him started on Kafka.” It turns out that there were countless such acts of quiet generosity.
 
He hated to grandstand. He knew the temptations of the easy political stance. He gave a public speech in the U.S. just after he arrived here in 1939 and got a rapturous response from the liberal crowd. But he wrote to a friend afterward: “I suddenly found I could really do it, that I could make a fighting demagogic speech and have the audience roaring … It is so exciting but so absolutely degrading; I felt just covered with dirt afterwards.” He took full, deep responsibility for his misjudgments born out of excessive, if well-intentioned, zeal. Arendt noted: “He turned against his early leftist beliefs because events (the Moscow trials, the Hitler-Stalin pact, and experiences during the Spanish Civil War) had proven them to be ‘dishonest’ — ‘shamefully’ so.” She goes on: “In the 1940s there were many who turned against their old beliefs, but there were very few who understood what had been wrong with those beliefs. Far from giving up their belief in history and success, they simply changed trains, as it were; the train of Socialism and Communism had been wrong, and they changed to the train of Capitalism or Freudianism or some refined Marxism, or a sophisticated mixture of all three. Auden, instead, became a Christian; that is, he left the train of History altogether.”
 
Most important of all, he never succumbed to the belief that evil was always on the other side, that those fighting for the good weren’t also capable of great wickedness, and self-deception. He was not one of those, in Mendelson’s words, “who can say of themselves without irony, ‘I am a good person,’ who perceive great evils only in other, evil people whose motives and actions are entirely different from their own … He observed to friends how common it was to find a dedicated anti-fascist who conducted his erotic life as if he were invading Poland.” I love that line. But what he saw most potently was that victims are also capable of becoming victimizers, that the best intentions come wrapped in the crumpled tissue of human fallibility, that “I and the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, / Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return.” He was, like Orwell, a patron saint of anti-tribalism.

I'm growing to like the series the more I watch it--despite the historical inaccuracies. Jenna Coleman is likeable as the strong-willed young monarch. However, the best portrayal of Victoria is Annette Crosbie's amazing performance in the 1975 series, 'Edward the King'. If you want to see what matches the real Queen Victoria and her volatile temperment, seek out this series.

Made a recent trip to Bali and the escorts/masseurs there really made my trip memorable.
 
Having traveled there after 10 years I noted that the area has really grown and is amazing..Food is cheap, accomodations a plenty and all in all a very welcoming place . I made reservations on Agoda after browsing the gay Asia forums
 
Lots of gay spas in Seminyak and Kuta Beach. The two that I would highly recommend are 1) Banana Spa - Tel +62-813-3893-9220 ; and 2) Teman Spa - Tel +62-878-6185-6196. Had wonderful experiences in both places - I would especially recommend Nino from the Banana Club.
 
Other areas like Sanur Beach or Ubud tend to be hit or miss - these are more faamily oriented and non-gay areas. In these areas most of the spas have male therapists - you get great body scrubs and Balinese massages - but nothing extra.
 
The best way in Kuta or Seminyak (more gay friendly) is to call the spa - dont be surprised that a female answers - and she will message you whos available on Whatsapp. Hire a private taxi if you are not in Seminayak or Kuta - really inexpensive and reliable - for a RT trip from where you are staying.
 
Bali is safe and you will not get ripped off!! Its really Paradise
 
Rick

I went to Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar one October--tail end of the rainy season. Not the "hot" season--could have fooled me. The humidity was crippling. Think south Florida in the summertime. I learned to put my camera in a zip lock bag so it could warm up on the street from the hotel AC. Otherwise, water condensed inside the camera! When I stepped out of the hotel, my glasses steamed up so I could not see. Temperatures in October were in the high 80s. During the hot season, they go into the 100s. Great if you are a mango. January to March should be perfect!
 
Suvarnabhumi Airport is the finest airport I have ever experienced.
 
If you are traveling around Bangkok consider travel by water--ferries and water taxis on the river and some of the canals. It is cheap, fun, and you will get to your destination much faster. Cabs are comfortable, reasonable and generally air conditioned, however, at certain times of the day, you will just sit in traffic. I did take a tuk-tuk when I could get nothing else. Did not have a problem. The general issue with tuk-tuks in Bangkok is that the driver may very well not take you where you asked to go, but to a silk emporium or gem showroom where he gets a kickback if you buy anything. The sky train is an excellent option and not too hard to figure out. Avoid motorcycle taxis (as distinct from tuk-tuks) unless you have a death wish.
 
If you are a shopper, Bangkok is paradise!--beautiful things, amazingly cheap. Great place to buy gifts or have clothes made to order. Bangkok also boasts the most aggressive and persistent street vendors of any place I have visited. They offer a wide variety of goods and services. The words, "No, thank you!" have no meaning for them. To avoid hucksters, say nothing even if directly addressed, avoid eye contact, behave as if they do not exist, and they will lose interest. Any flicker of attention from you and it is like blood in the water to a shark. This advice from my Thai guide. I spent my life in customer service industries and it is incredibly hard for me to treat people rudely, but it was in fact the only thing that worked. Basically, you snub them completely. You are expected to haggle over everything (which I hate)--pay no more than 50% of the original asking price and offer 25% to 30% to start the haggling. Good luck. They are pros at this. You need to get them down at least 25% just to save face. Most often, the original inflated asking price seemed pretty reasonable to me. In department stores and high end designer shops, one generally does not haggle.
 
Given that my hotel was across the street from the red light district, I should not have been surprised when every time I walked out of the hotel, I would be approached with, "Hi, you want girl?" or if that didn't work, "You want boy?--no problem!" There are in fact a great many very friendly Thais on the street who will greet you with a cheerful "Hi, Where you from?" The English translation of that question is, "Hi, How much money are you willing to part with?" If you answer America, you will have a new best friend. If you answer Russia or India, when you look up, the guy will have already vanished. Many of these guys just want to help you out of the kindness of their hearts. They are or have a friend who is a guide and will take you around or they have a brother/cousin who is a tuk-tuk driver and will take you where you are going. If you tell them where you are going and how you are going to get there, they will give you all sorts of reasons why you should not do that and will suggest an alternative involving said brother/cousin. Bangkok is not a particularly dangerous city. If you go off with one of these people, you will probably not be murdered. You may be robbed, and best case scenario is that you will wind up spending a lot of money. (But, of course you knew that.) These hucksters are easier to shake than the ones selling products. Just tell them that you know exactly where you are going and how to get there even if that is a barefaced lie.
 
Have fun!

jj you are most welcome to my share. My mother was a stand back and throw kind of cook and so am I. My deviled egg recipe is something I have put together over a number of years listening to suggestions from people who eat the disgusting thing.
I put the egg yolks through a ricer so that the filling will be smooth. I then start by adding a fairly sizeable amount of a good Dijon mustard. Next I add garlic salt, Worcestershire Sauce and Tabasco Sauce all to taste. I used to add anchovy paste but many people didn't like the flavor so I stopped using it. I finally add just enough Best Foods Mayonnaise to make the mixture smooth enough to allowing piping through a star tip. I then pipe the filling into the egg whites, garnish with paprika, plate the damn things and serve them.

Ms. Child
 

 
“A party without cake is just a meeting.”
 
“The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook.”
 
“I think every woman should have a blowtorch.”
 
“People who love to eat are always the best people.”
 
“Remember, 'No one's more important than people'! In other words, friendship is the most important thing--not career or housework, or one's fatigue--and it needs to be tended and nurtured.”
 
“Just speak very loudly and quickly, and state your position with utter conviction, as the French do, and you'll have a marvelous time!”
 
“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit.”
 
P.S. I apologize if the person is supposed to be alive, like the Nobel.

I love to jerk off, I do. Nobody does me like I do :)

My favourite film of the year. The setting reminded me a lot of parts of my childhood, and the sex scenes were pretty realistic, though more lube would have been appropriate.

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I saw this film last week and it stayed with me for several days. I was riveted by the raw, intense performances of the two male leads, and how their relationship slowly developed. The hardscrabble Yorkshire setting has echoes of 'Brokeback', but it's a much grittier film. The scene, half-way through the film, when the emotionally aloof Johnny shares a passionate kiss with Gheorge (the sensitive, beautiful Romanian immigrant) is a satisfying moment--it makes you almost fall in love with the characters. But the film is not big on sentiment--though it has its moments: when Johnny's disabled father gives his approval their relationship, and a brief scene where the two men impulsively climb a hilltop and view stunning sunset. It's probably one of the best films I saw this past year.

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Check out "beach rats" and "god's own country" which both received rave reviews. GOC is suppose to be the uk version of brokeback mountain.

I am new to this site and I have seen more negative comments here then I have seen on other sites.
 
LOTS of angry people on here.....and not sure why.....
 
I met Jim and worked with him many years ago - and he was always a gentleman and kind. I am sorry to see he passed away and even sadder that so many people feel the need to bash someone who is no longer here to defend themselves. He made decisions on how he wanted to live his life - and while many of you may not agree with that decision - it’s was HIS decision. I think if someone is closeted and in a position of power and is bashing gay people or making laws which discriminate against LGBT people that is a different story. He had the right to be closeted if that was what felt right to him. Just because he was a celebrity doesn’t mean it’s his responsiblity to be out.
 
Sorry there are so many angry people here! Just my 2 cents.

He lived in his shoes and we live in ours. He had a gorgeous voice and he made many people happy. May he rest in peace.

I honestly believe that those of you who plan to attend the Palm Springs Weekend for the first time in April 2018 will find the regulars MOST welcoming. It has always been our intent to make ALL new attendees regulars after their first Weekend. It would seem we have been somewhat successful, in this endeavor, as our attendance continues to grow each year. What makes the Saturday evening dinner so important is that it gives many of us an opportunity to circulate and greet and make welcome all of you newbies. If some of you new guys are staying at the Canyon Club or INNdulge the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening pool side gathering are relaxing and lots of fun. For those of you who are a bit shy I promise you that many of us "old” timers will work diligently to help you feel a part of the group and less shy. I am sincerely looking forward to meeting all you newbies Saturday evening.

Yes, Victor's ass is the topic and I assure you it is a mighty fine ass up and close.

Well RM says we are all Pornstars so.....

I remember about 25 years ago, SF Chronicle did a in-depth report on homeless/panhandler young people in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood. A lot of these teens/20 yr olds were runaways and many with drug addictions. There were some tough stories about how they wound up on the streets. One story stood out: a 19 year old from a small town came to SF to take advantage of the mild climate and free-wheeling atmosphere. He said that he could survive on about $10 per day (most of the donations were by older women who took pity on him "That Could be MY Son"). He stated that he didn't want to put on a coat & time and punch a clock everyday -- so he actually preferred being on the street!
 
The streets are a lot meaner these days---there's constant reports of victims falling to stabbings, beatings and even bleach attacks (!). To answer the question -- yes, I do give to older, disabled people on occasion (esp. with the holidays approaching). But I do not/will not even make eye contact with able-bodied, tattooed, young people reeking of a freshly smoked joint.

I gave someone a champagne enema once. Does that count ?