OCClient

Dean Cain is handsome in a William Shatner kind of way.

But enough about him.

Does anyone else like the young man sitting behind Ms. Matthew's.  My eyes might return to him in the lockerroom.  Do they call that "corn fed good looks"?

The Bear on Hulu.  A drama.   

Set in a Chicago restaurant. 

So far I love it.   The last show I loved this much on Hulu got cancelled so I'll enjoy while I can.

On 7/28/2022 at 1:13 AM, MscleLovr said:

I have one. Like @spider and @OCClient, I thought it would be interesting as part of my retirement planning.

I feel that whether it makes sense for you @TooSchoolForCool depends on various factors - your age, prevailing interest rates, your income tax liability and your overall investment portfolio. 
 

I took mine out years ago (when I was 40 with some payments starting at 50 and more at 60). Then interest rates were high. It was structured so that part came back to me tax-free after 10 years. Also I was able to select the funds in which it was invested (I chose 100% equities). The current payments are taxable. I chose a well regarded provider that has since been acquired and split up by two large insurance companies.
 

It’s been a wonderful investment for me. The tax-free payment was 230% of what I’d paid in years before, and the taxable amounts equate to a gross annual yield of 55% (of course, this is much less after tax is levied at my top marginal rate). The only ‘drawback’ is that the payments are fixed and so decline in real terms over the years.  

My overall approach is to be a contrarian investor. I like to buy assets that are out of favour. These annuities were not popular when I bought mine, and I’ve lived long enough to benefit. 

 

Full disclosure, I do not own a DIA and have no plan to.    You are all responsible for your own due diligence.    I made no recommendation.

Ran across this interview.  Julee Cruise and Twin Peaks fans might be interested.

While surfing the Internet today I saw the B52s would give their final tour which prompted me to find out what Julee Cruise ( known to many for Twin Peaks) has been up to.  She had subbed for Cindy Wilson on tour in the past.

I am so sorry to hear she passed away last month.   Her husband reminisced what a thrill she got out of performing with the B52s.   He played their hit Roam as she transitioned.

I ran across this clip including a past TV performance.

Born: 12.01.56. Creston, IA

Died: 6.09.22. Pittsfield, MA

R.I.P.

I resist this type of investment.

I worry what happens to my  $$ if the insurance company becomes insolvent.

That said, if Warren Buffet (Berkeshere Hathaway) owns the insurance company that would raise my confidence significantly.

5 hours ago, Kevin Slater said:

Just an update I came across: https://www.barrons.com/articles/fidelity-fintech-bitcoin-401k-51658523063?siteid=yhoof2&tesla=y

Kevin Slater

The first reader comment I found for that article predicted Fidelity's decision will come back to haunt them. 

I agree.

A quick look at Bitcoin down  55% YTD vs NASDAQ down 23% YTD suggests to me crypto is not tracking the NASDAQ as suggested in this thread.

When I lived in the Midwest a weekly agricultural show, called Market to Market, had guest pundits that would predict where the price of beans or pork bellies was headed.   One could tell these guys really didn't know, anymore than relying on The Farmers Almanac to predict yields.

For me, the folks that are promoting crypto are even more lacking  solid knowledge where the price is going next.  At least pork bellies represent a true underlying value.  Crypto, not.   

IMO the demand is only sustained by the crypto industry itself shilling for more to join the market.  And now Fidelity has come aboard.  Does anyone see similarities to a pyramid scheme?  In this case, the ability to join the scheme requires just a few keystrokes.  I try not to judge my coworkers that joined the crypto train as pigeons.  I do worry how they have sacrificed a large piece of their nest egg. 

Full disclosure, I moved all my qualified retirement $$ from legacy Fidelity accounts over to Vanguard at the end of last year.  Glad that I did.

On 3/10/2021 at 9:44 PM, Rod Hagen said:

 

It's an objectively original plot/tale: two poor mountain ranchHands falling hard in the 1970s

 

To call it cliche only because the elements that make it tragic (secrets/closet/struggles/death) are familiar is to truly not understand what is cliche.

 

By no possible stretch of the imagination could you call BrokeBack a rehash of anything that's come before it.

 

A movie where the main character is a detective, about to retire, who has to complete one more "impossible" case is a cliche not just because the story has been told a thousand times, which I repeat Brokeback hasn't, but also because retelling it doesn't contribute anything to our understanding.

 

You may be cynical of a great work of art like Broke Back, but five minutes on almost any gay Message Board will show you how deeply it contributed to people's understanding of how hard it is to live a lie.

 

The post above me said it's "all about taste". I very much disagree. Broke Back is an objective work of art. Just because you don't like something shouldn't preclude you (I don't mean you Benjamin I mean generic You) from classifying something important as important.

 

I don't like Philip Roth, but I will defend him as a great artist, a great writer. This habit people have adapted in the last 20 years of not sticking to their guns about something being objectively good, or bad, and not making arguments on the one side or the other baffles me.

 

It's leaked into criticism. Read a Gore Vidal critique of a book or a Anthony Lane or Pauleine Kael review of a movie and you can see how important it is to argue the worth of something. Today critics say things akin to "it's not my cup of tea". Grow a pair!

 

Anyway, to shit on Broke Back but to swoon (and again I don't mean you Benjamin, I don't remember if you did) in another thread over an entertaining and insignificant (but not cliche!) show like Grey Gardens is to just not give a crap about art. That makes me sad. I usually express my sadness through anger.

I agree with you, and knowing what prompted Annie Proulx to write the story, and that she gave the thumbs up to the film because Larry McMurtry was going to write the screenplay might cause anyone to think twice before poo pooing the film as cliche.  

And then there's Ang Lee's direction.

I just ran across this piece discussing some of the editing.   

21 hours ago, CuriousByNature said:

But 'died' is such a passive word.  'Kicked it' is much more dynamic.  LOL

 

Or something relateable.

He enjoyed his last combo massage.

😥

If I don't know who is calling I either don't answer or I'll pick up and let them talk first.  I did take a very important call that way last week.  But yeah, if it is important they'll leave a VM.

To the OP, yes the frequency of spam texts have gone up.

"This is Jessica. Got number from Peter"

Or this morning I received 

"Zendaya, after work we can go to take a cup of coffee together or not?"

The English seems as though poorly translated.

I agree with the above, never responding and usually blocking them.

Is anyone familiar with Redwood Village, in what is referred to as Mid City section of San Diego?

Approximately 3 miles south of I-8, in the vicinity of San Diego State U.   

There was mention of a Little Saigon over there.    My impression so far is the area is safe, quiet and relatively affordable compared to many other areas.

I noticed San Diego masseur RealManTouch, known as Bene, (above) has switched to his own custom Website and he advertises there with another provider, Anthony (below).       

My question is how would you guys compare these two?  I see a lot of positives posted about Bene.  

Circling back to Happy Together.   

I watched it again last night and now I wonder if Chang was in love with Fai?   I have the Criterion disc, so maybe I'll find answers in the extras clips.

There seemed to be clues, how Chang chose to keep an eye on Fai and to be near him, even showing physical affection during their soccer games, grabbing Fai, arms around from behind.  I've read comments on the Internet whether the movie chose to keep the relationship ambiguous.    But certainly, the two were a symbol of how two people might be happy together.

That said, I'm glad I purchased the Wong Kar-Wai box set.    Such unique movies.

@Lucky  I just read the NYTimes article.  A good read.  Love how they remembered his singing....

Ooh-oo child

Things are gonna get easier

Ooh-oo child

Things'll get brighter

Susan Payne of PRIDELA.ORG referenced the article in her recent piece on Burke who was honored at this years Los Angeles Dodgerf's LGBTQ+ Pride Night.  

https://thepridela.com/2022/06/44-years-later-mlbs-first-openly-gay-player-glenn-burke-now-celebrated-by-dodgers/

“The most unique human being, the most dynamic person, that I’ve ever met,” said Larry Corrigan, a minor league teammate of Burke’s (1973 to 1976) before working more than three decades as a scout and executive, mostly for Minnesota. “He was built like a god. He was funny, witty and semi-loud if he knew you. But he could be quiet, too.”

72F here but the real feel = 84F.  (What determines that?)

In the direct overhead sun I did begin to wilt, kinda like during the Palm Springs hike.

30 minutes ago, 7829V said:

He quoted 200 for erotic MT. He is in downtown San Diego all this week. At least that’s what he claimed. 

His reviews show even higher amounts.  That must be for the executive treatment.  😁

His private pics are tempting.  😍

A guy in most of my classes, a preacher's kid.  The Matt Damon type. 

I was so hot for him, his curly blonde hair and sinewy, wrestler physique. 

He was a bookworm, his nose always in a book, to the point where some teachers would scold him for not paying attention.   

I was clueless about sex back then.  All I knew was he made my heart go pitter-pat. 

Even now I remember how that felt.

On 1/17/2021 at 10:45 AM, Lucky said:

Wonder what happened with the OP. He hasn't posted since November, 2019.

I texted him around the time he left Cali.   No response.  I assumed he just moved on.

Here is a cover that is excellent for the talent of the band.   The players were all 20+ year old from Hungary.
 

12 hours ago, rvwnsd said:

I haven't used Mrs Meyers' laundry detergent since SC Johnson bought the company that makes it, but I found it did not rinse very well. Even after a few rinse cycles there was still a residue. Seventh Generation is actually pretty good. 

How did you detect there was residue?   I may try Seventh Generation.   

I've noticed sort of a musty-like smell since switching to Mrs. Meyer's detergent and dryer sheets.

39 minutes ago, samhexum said:

It briefly became a story in 2018 when the actor who played Elvin on THE COSBY SHOW was spotted working bagging groceries at a NJ Trader Joe's.

Supposedly Robert Downey Jr. has been giving him money to survive.

But that's according to the freaking New York Post

Point is, someone bagging groceries is not really news.

Performers mature and often find no more opportunities.  

Why should we invade their private lives?

I mentioned the movie Sweet Smell of Success in another gossip thread, how we might not want to trust a lot of entertainment gossip news.  That's my view of the Armie Hammer scandal. 

Why did these people suddenly gang up on him?  Why now? Why did the news so easily coordinate the scandal.  What launched the initiative to screw A.H. with such awful publicity.  

A lot of slimey people.

Anyone with the Netflix DVD option, check out Sweet Smell of Success.

On 5/6/2022 at 8:49 AM, 7829V said:

Any updates on this guy? 
based on rates, I assume therapeutic only. 

A sweet guy. Happy I booked him.

15 hours ago, KK913 said:

Do you live towards the coast in Huntington Beach, or more northeast towards Garden Grove/Fountain Valley? If you live near the beach, the vibe is pretty similar to Pacific Beach.  La Jolla is similar to Newport Beach & Corona Del Mar. 

I live near the beach in HB.

La Jolla and PB might be a bit too far from my job, but those are certainly nice areas.

There are plenty of working actors.  Why shame someone for having a job?  I'm not inclined to read a lot of that kind of entertainment news.

And his fantasies are still off limits IMO.  

On 7/11/2022 at 6:07 PM, FreshFluff said:

I absolutely loved Coronado Island. The heavy military presence  and “Arrest Fauci” signs somehow add to the ambience.

I drove through Coronado Island today and then down the Strand to Imperial Beach.  There is definitely a change in ambience between Coronado and Imperial Beach.  😉

I saw one large Pride flag in Imperial Beach and also a drive-in theater.  Also a street called Gaywood.  😁

Not sure I'd feel at home in either place.

You guys are such a hoot.