Vegas_Millennial

I agree with this paragraph about Johnson's (only).

When I do take the bus, I always pay exact cash fare. But that's me...I pay cash for almost everything. I recommend staying at a Gay hotel in Wilton Manors, walkable to the Drive (Wilton Drive, but everyone just calls it the Drive). Ed Lugo, Solstice at Wilton, Fantasy Island Inn, Calypso Inn, Casa Hermes, and Manor Inn are all gay hotels/B&B within a block of the Drive.

When visiting Wilton Manors I've used Uber/Lyft, taken a bus, driven a car, and walked when staying at a nearby gay hotel. I've never hailed a cab; the city just isn't dense enough to have taxis roaming the streets looking for fares. On Fridays and Saturdays don't bother trying to park your own car; just use Uber/Lyft because parking is limited. Uber/Lyft is pretty responsive, except you might have trouble right at 2am with "last call", when everybody is trying to call an Uber/Lyft at the same time.

I have read on here a few times about a PIN for credit cards. Will I be able to use my non-PIN US credit cards in Europe, without a PIN (most have a chip now)? I did so in Canada a decade ago. They made the US customers sign their receipts while Canadians entered their PIN.

Agree 💯 Perfectly well stated. That's been my philosophy since I was a youth. When I was a boy scout leader, I always taught that freedom and rights come with responsibility. The right to vote comes with the responsibility to research the candidates before voting. The right to a trial by jury means the responsibility of serving on jury duty. The right to freedom of speech is the responsibility to be truthful. The privilege to operate a motor vehicle comes with the responsibility to follow the posted regulations. The freedom to choose to eat what you want, read what you want, and sleep with whom you want comes with the responsibility to take care of yourself physically and mentally and not to rely on others to take care of you for poor choices. Etcetera.

Because they can't afford to buy/consume the drugs themselves. That's the problem/blessing of money. It magnifies what someone already has/wants. If someone has a great idea, money helps them perfect it and produce it for the rest of the world. If someone is charitable, then money allows them to be even more giving and generous to others. If someone has an alcohol or drug addiction, then the money will cause on early death because it allows that person access to kill themselves with more alcohol or drugs.

And, while bullying was always present in school in some form, you used to be able to go home and forget about the bully until the next day. Or, you could learn how to avoid that bully in the school hallways. Now, that bully exists online 24/7, and there's no avoiding him or her no matter where you are.

Actually, the rate of childhood homicide is about the same now as it was in 2000. The rate of childhood suicide, on the other hand, has nearly doubled since 2000. In the late 2010s, childhood homicide deaths were lower than childhood suicide deaths. But both are tragic.

SAY NO TO DRUGS

Because this topic is about health declines in the US the last 3 years. I am sure there are other threads to discuss people fleeing California. 😜

I was surprised to read a few weeks ago that childhood (under 18) deaths have soard since 2020, primarily due to suicide. While homicide rates for children are up slightly the past few years, they are about the same rates as 20 years ago. Childhood suicide rates, on the other hand, have nearly doubled in the past 20 years. And to reiterate the point made by @augustus, a life lost at that young age will greatly reduce total live expectancy numbers more than a life lost at a greater age.

I'm sure @SouthOfTheBordercan't be blamed for bringing all the drugs! 😂

Could be true. During that period of school shutdowns and virtual learning, the education level went down and will have likely affected an entire generation.

Yes, the covid shutdowns probably caused more long term health problems than the number of deaths they reduced from slowing the spread until a vaccination was ready. Now we know better for next time.

The US continues to have more immigrants than most other rich developed countries. It's much easier to keep a stable happy, healthy, population if you restrict who can enter based on a merits-based system of income, education, and age.

Let's please not discuss politics. Anything to add about San Francisco would be welcome. If San Francisco were to have gay strip clubs, I would go visit. The last time I was there in 2018 I only found one bar with go-go boys, but no strippers.

I was at SFO airport last week. I was flying Alaskan airlines first class and had a four hour layover which I spent at the airport in the Alaska first class lounge. While I felt no desire to venture into the city, I must say the airport was one of the more pleasant airports to layover in.

That makes sense. Even they're attitude towards the shared electric scooters left all over the sidewalks is sort of live and let live.

Actually, we were discussing San Francisco. But that's good advice for everyone to follow anyway: to please try to stay on topic.

I also visited on a week the sun was out. So yes, it was very much an anomaly that week 😆

I would say the decay of San Francisco could be the Internet. Now that is so easy to find guys online, there is less demand for gay bars and theaters.

I am thankful that San Francisco has a large swath of gay escorts and massuers available. During my last visit in 2018, prices and availability for their services were better than New York, and almost as good as Los Angeles.

You, like most others, call it an outrage because you worked hard to provide for yourself and your community. Unfortunately there's a growing vocal mindset who believe they and others are pre-destined to fail, that life is rigged against them, and they're owed three square meals a day and shelter without contributing back what they can to society.

Oops, I think now you forgot to say "when parents are estranged." Nope, it's there. I added bold for emphasis

#MeToo