kenomora

Wicked, with Julia Murney as Elphaba and Kendra Kassebaum as Galinda.

I love this cast and wish I was still living in the U.S. so I could see them. The only person I've seen performing live was Lindsay Mendez when she was doing Godspell. She blew me away, and my wig has been MIA since then. She also served me juice during intermission when they allowed people to peruse the stage. Also, a sweetheart at the stage door.

FYI, the virus can be found in the perianal area of infected individuals although there may be no visible lesions there. Many confirmed cases only had a few pustules on their bodies, so there is basically no good way to tell upon a casual interaction. Be careful out there. The disease may not be life threatening, but those lesions are most definitely not fun to have, take a while to heal, and you'll have to be isolated from the rest of the world for a while until all scabs fall off and your public health department determines that you're cleared.

I’m just desperately waiting for him to return to LA. 

Oh man, it would have been amazing if this had actually been the Tony Award winner Gavin Creel. I saw him in the Book of Mormon tour a few years back and have been following his career for years. Beautiful voice. This dude looks nothing like him. 

I hadn’t felt this much joy from watching a movie in a very long time. Robin de Jesus also made me cry. It was also a delight every time a theater person that I recognized appeared on screen.

Although Sunday was a treat to watch, my favorite songs were Come to Your Senses and Louder Than Words. Alexandra Shipp was a revelation to me and I now have much more appreciation for Vanessa Hudgens and the actress/vocalist she has become. Of course all theater performers were spectacular as expected. 

Most definitely Tick Tick Boom. 
 

2 hours ago, maninsoma said:

If an escort wants to eliminate certain clients based on looks, I much prefer it when his ad is clear that he does that.  He can either be blunt (specifically excluding certain groups of people) or give a strong hint ("prefer to work on clients who are height/weight proportionate" or something like that).  What I don't appreciate is a guy not having any indication in the text of his ad that he is going to screen based on looks who then does so after I've contacted him.  As others have written, it might be foolish from a business perspective since it's going to limit the pool of clients, but I don't begrudge someone who gets as much business as he wants while still declining to see certain clients based on looks.  But the last thing a client wants after approaching an escort is to be rejected based on looks.  If we wanted that we would be on an app looking for free hookups or out at a bar or sex club or something.  It's much easier if you simply know in advance not to bother to contact someone since he clearly won't accept your business rather than be annoyed after the fact.

You took the words right out of my mouth. I have communicated with a prolific provider who stated nothing about not welcoming Asian clients in his ad. When I contacted him we conversed for a bit and he asked about what I looked like because he wanted to make sure he’d recognize the correct person who’d show up at his door. Once I described myself he simply said I’d have a better time with someone else. it wasn’t rude, but it did not make me feel good. I blamed myself for reaching out to him, for not knowing my place and asking for the impossible. This was before I started researching about providers and it turned out that his preference was quite well known.
 

This has happened to me more than a few times with different providers.

Some providers do so well that they don’t welcome all types of clients and although it does pose a question about professionalism as @Jamie21 eloquently said, I respect their discretion. I just hope that they are honest and straightforward about it upfront in their ad so nobody has to waste their time. I understand that having stuff like that on an ad is bad for business, but if they’re going to have a preference they need to accept the caveats. 
 

Personally, if I were confident about my appearance and did not mind rejection after communicating with someone, I would have stayed on hookup apps and not considered hiring someone to make me feel special. 

23 hours ago, tristanbaldwin said:

(Apologies in advance for the long winded one…it’s the end of the night and who knows when I’ll get on here next…)

Well…..a perfect time for me to actually inject myself into this conversation! Like a bad family dinner that just changes moods INSTANTLY when you start talking about the black sheep in the family…! The COVID conversation is never going to be a fun one, on ANY side of the fence. 

A wiser escort once told me…never vent your true feelings about politics or any of their derivatives on this forum…because you’ll immediately ostracize half(or more) of the people who regularly post. In addition, he said the best posture was to assume that everyone here is better educated, and has more diverse life experiences then you. 

Well, he was absolutely correct on the latter- I find that the average person I’ve connected with from here is a standout, on virtually any rubric you use. On the former…he broke his own rule of wisdom and promptly got himself banned for clashing with the previous forum owner. 

So anyhow….now that we’ve got that little ‘aside’ about politics and it’s ugly stepchild Coronavirus out of the way(I’ll comment once on it by saying it forcibly changed my life…but probably for the better, in the long run), I’d like to just give a tremendous ‘Thank You’ to all of those who commented for me ‘in absentia’, by keeping my little memories alive and well. 

Physically- I feel I’m in great shape; having a more grounded life and the ability to control your meals makes for a huge difference. Negatively offsetting a lot of these physical ‘gains’, is clearly the fact that I’ve drank to a far larger amount during COVID, then prior. Coping mechanism. However, I’d like to think I have it under control; as I have to function 5-6 days a week as a well driller / installer; and then a night or two dancing. Factor in 1-3 clients if I’m able to accommodate….and it’s a life. Not a great life; but tons of potential for a future in the company(owned by one of my best friends, a fucking stud himself IMO). He’s nearly doubled his numbers since  I came onboard, while also lowering his advertising budget- because the repeat work from his past 7 years is snowballing with momentum. Each year will get progressively better, as long as we stay sharp. 

For those of you around the country who’ve wanted to see me…trust me…I want to see you too. I wish I could be traveling around like I used to; but those days are most likely behind me. I may detach out a two 3 or 4 day jaunts a month to the larger areas, like San Fran, LA, Chicago, Florida, Chicago, or DC. Or, if those of you out there are able to get to NYC or Boston, I can come down with little to no problem, if you can host. Alternatively, if you are able to take the train to Hartford or have a car, you’re welcome at my house….if you can contend with two 12 lb. balls of fluff. Brave that gauntlet, and I’ll gladly entertain you with tons of free time, and a meal…nobody leaves this house without eating…

Will try to find the time to get on here more….the web domain had seemed to shift, and I didn’t follow it as aggressively as I should have. 

Am back now- will certainly try to stay current! Much love to all of you for keeping this hobby as alive as possible. ❤️

I am so glad to know you’re doing well and keeping busy. I really need to fulfill my fantasy of meeting you. Let me know whenever you are down here in LA for anything. I will make time. Not sure how and whether I’d be able to go near where you live but will check with you if I have the opportunity to travel there. 

Missed two chances to see him here in LA a few years ago and am still hoping we could still make it happen one day. 

Although I’ve never been in a similar situation, as a medical professional I agree with what @purplekow and @jeezifonly said. Either do it out of the goodness of the heart or propose a fee. If he wants to barter then you can think about it. Less room for misunderstanding. 
 

Regardless of the approach if you don’t enjoy his companion it may not be a good idea to take the gig. 

Not much about massage in the ad, but tempting nonetheless. Anyone with recent experience?

Ben was a truly beautiful man. It was unfortunate there was no chemistry and I think both of us were too tired. I've been thinking about giving it another go.

Yup bump!

Saw him a couple months ago for an outcall in ATL. The better pics on his profile are definitely out of date. He’s a nice guy, friendly, but just seems to have an overall awkward vibe. Weird conversation. Decent massage. Mechanical end.

 

Just overall an off experience and didn’t click. Wouldn’t repeat but I’m sure he’d click with someone.

My experience was pretty similar. He looks bit older than the pic and the body was ok. I messed up by having a little drink before hand just to get myself to relax but it apparently was distracting to the masseuse. Deep, pressure was just right. He really did have the skill. I didn't prepare more cash for upgrades and got a very mechanical ending, I left the fee on his coffee table and he didn't see it and ran to the door as I was about to exit as if I was going to dine and dash. Not going back for sure, because we really didn't click at all.

Curious as well.

Be careful out there! The California variants of the virus (B.1.427 and B.1.429) have officially become variants of concern per the CDC due to potentially increased transmissibility and moderate reduction in neutralization using sera from vaccinated individuals (which could mean that the vaccines may not be as effective as typically expected.) We keep track of these variants and I think about half of the strains that have been sequenced in LA nowadays are either B.1.427 or B.1.429.

I would suggest maintaining as many precautions as you can if you're going to venture out to get massages. Good luck! I too have been vaccinated and cannot wait to get a massage myself but have decided to wait it out a bit more.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-surveillance/variant-info.html

Just wanted to add that the efficacy of the vaccines has been shown to be geographically dependent, probably because variants in circulation are different in different parts of the world. As for SoCal, I think some of us have heard of B.1.427/B.1.429 which seem to be taking over the whole SoCal, with just a few cases last fall but >50% of all cases now in LA. No evidence yet whether they cause more severe disease or more transmissible or whether they might have been the cause of the surge we suffered earlier, but a preprint that's coming out next week will show that sera from fully vaccinated individuals (mostly mRNA vaccines I think) are about 50% less effective in neutralizing these B.1.429. The bottom line is that we don't know what's really going around in the community because we could only sequence a tiny proportion of all positive samples. And when so little is known it is always a good idea to stay put, even if you've been vaccinated. I've been fortunate enough to have received 2 doses so I could do my job, but I still won't take a chance.

Another point often overlooked is that with the two vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, it is not known yet whether they prevent transmission of the virus even if they stop the infection from resulting in the disease COVID?

 

The new one now being distributed, AstraZeneca, has shown in trials that it is up to 67 percent effective against transmission of the virus from an asymptomatic vaccinated person.

 

It follows that even vaccinated people still need to wash their hands, wear masks and social distance, n’est ce pas?

 

Or have I got that all wrong?

Yes, regardless of vaccination status everyone should still take all relevant precautions until it is determined by public health authority in their jurisdiction that it is safe for the general population to discontinue practicing disease control measure.

It is exceeding difficult and expensive to conduct a transmission study in the real world. Researchers would have to collaborate with public health investigators to contract trace all positive cases on both unvaccinated and vaccinated arms in order to make a valid comparison and determine the effectiveness of vaccines against disease transmission. The fact that some people are asymptomatic also doesn't help making these studies any easier to conduct. These studies are necessary and there are probably many that are ongoing, but it may take a while before we have enough data to inform public health decisions.

No, not really. I didn't notice anything until I saw his post here (#2) from July and I had already seen all his attacks on guys talking about getting massages in various threads and then the one on Jan 5th. Looking up those posts was pretty easy.

Soooo apparently if someone is advocating against getting massages at this time, they are not allowed to ask questions about providers? That doesn't make sense and is not a valid argument. I am not getting a massage any time soon, but have been following 411 threads and keeping a list of providers I would like to see once it is safe to do so. @big dale is probably doing the same thing.

For those who are here solely for 411 on Jasson, I am sorry for adding another off-topic comment.

And yes I too would like to hear from people who have previously hired him.

And I am tired of the opposite, people harassing others who know the risks and follow protocols. We cannot shut down again. Every mayor and gov has said the same, the economy will not survive. You are harassing people who are trying to just live and keep things going. If youre elderly, at risk, or in contact with them then stay home. Everyone else takes risks and follows protocols. Its impossible for everyone to just lock down again or quarantine for no reason.

 

We have tests now and multiple working vaccines, youre just encouraging the destruction of our economy. In my eyes, youre the selfish ones. COVID has not even overtaken heart disease or cancer in death rate, who even knows 100% if the attributed cause of death was correct as there are tampering and cases where they deem a death COVID when it is something else.

I just hate it with politics are brought up. This has absolutely nothing to do with it.

I (and at least a few other members here) work in healthcare and trust me, you do not want to be infected with this virus. Being younger than 65 does not make you invincible and telling old people to stay home while you're constantly getting yourself at risk is unfair to them, to yourself, and to everyone around you. If people keep propagating the virus outside, it will eventually find its way to population at risk even if they are sheltered.

I have been deployed to control outbreaks more than a few times over the past year, and have heard people telling me countless times how miserable they are even after they recover. A lingering cough, constant fatigue and pain, and prolonged loss of sense of smell and taste that still hasn't come back months and months after they got infected. And that's not even an exhaustive list.

A lockdown is not always needed. People can (kind of) live their lives as long as they wear masks, practice social distancing, and do not hang out with people outside their households. Now, getting a massage is going far beyond normal social interactions and everyone involved is at risk. If one decides to get a massage, they should self-quarantine afterwards for 10 days with no contact with the outside world. Getting a test within a few days after the session is useless and self-quarantining is the only safe way to protect others. If you're out and about after getting a massage, you're essentially a threat to public health.

The idea that vaccines and testing will keep you safe at this point is, well, delusional at best. Yes there are multiple vaccines, but it could take up to a year from now or longer until most people are vaccinated. Until then, no one is safe. And even then we still haven't had them around long enough to determine the actual long term effectiveness.

Yes we do have tests, but not all tests are made equal and the ones you could get quickly at an urgent care (the ones that do not get referred out to a real lab) are probably less sensitive than a more complex molecular test that takes a day or two to get results, which means you could walk out of the clinic thinking you're fine but actually not.

Tests and vaccines don't matter much if people are still putting themselves and others around them at risk. Changing social behavior is the most important thing at this time.

I think you almost have the right idea, having mentioned taking precautions. However, one needs to know the difference between safe and risky behaviors.

The name of the game now is take precautions amd get vaccine and tested. You and people on the far left have this idea that everyone needs to quarantine. Its not right

Not everyone needs to quarantine. You only need to quarantine after risky encounters or exposure to a positive case. Having a prolonged, intimate contact with someone outside your household is a risky behavior and essentially against the "precautions".

To everyone who has sent positive notes, or even better, made comments on here that are full of common sense and support: THANK YOU.

 

For everyone who has sent a nastygram, or continues to spread misinformation: We all have individual calculations to do about what we feel is safe, and the choices we make will have repercussions beyond ourselves. I hope your selfish and ignorant choices don't seriously harm your friends and family. I hope things work out for the best for you, and those you love.

You have been the voice of reason on the issue. People need to understand that the only way to stay out of the disease is to not have contact with anyone outside your household, and if you're outside you must have face covering, be socially distant, and wash your hands before and after you touch your face or any suspicious surfaces. Air purifier, having windows open, changing sheets and covers, disinfect surfaces - none of these would do any good for a facility offering massages. The contact during a session is too intimate and prolonged.

So incredibly late to the party on God’s Own Country, as I only sought it out because I wanted to see what the dude who plays Prince Charles on the Crown has done previously. And wow, what a film. I was deeply moved by the simplicity and honesty of it all. Sometimes it’s freaking scary to love or be loved, as it could make us feel weak and vulnerable, and this film is all about that. I also think that it’s kind of refreshing that that the movie is not really about the trials and tribulations of coming out or being gay, but solely about love. And that ending.....I’m welling up just thinking about it!

I agree. Josh was genetically predisposed to play the part. However, makeup can do an awfully lot. I bet they have some sort of piece they can slip on and push his ears forward. Voila' Charles.

Lol yes. In one of the interviews Josh was joking that his sticky outy ears saved the producers a lot of money for prosthetics. Josh is so dreamy and seems to be smart, sincere, and kind. I think that it’s hilarious that he believes he is not good looking. Also a very transformative actor. Saw him in God’s Own Country and could not believe it was him.

At a certain point Charles does get older and not sure that even makeup could get Josh to his 50s. However the one thing to make up for it is that Dominic West (be still my heart) will probably take over Josh's role. I am not sue if we remember him as the leads philandering boyfriend in the movie musical Chicago.

 

Dominic is appropriately yummy, but I’m not sure he has the proper ears for the job! Josh, on the other hand, was a perfect ear casting choice.