Gar1eth

My name is short and one syllable too. It does have a ready nickname which is longer than my actual name. It might have been used when I was an infant. Other than that it's almost never been used except long ago by a guy I had a very strange relationship with. I also have a rhyming nickname that my older brother used to call me occasionally when I was little (It's not even dirty. My brother loves me.) But it fell out of use quickly But that reminds me of when I was in second or third grade. We had a reading circle. Sometimes the teacher went by last name alphabetical order to decide who was to read 1st, and sometimes she would change it up and go by 1st or middle name. My 1st name letter is in the middle of the alphabet, and the 1st letters of my middle name and last name are towards the end. I was miffed that someone named Robert could go by Bob and get to answer near the front. I went home and asked my Mom whether there were any nicknames for any of my names which would put me nearer the front of the alphabet. Unfortunately there weren't. It's 'Sie/Sie' (sing/pl) for the formal and 'du/ihr' for the informal. I took 3-1/2 years of German in college but have only been to Europe once. So I don't have a good cultural-knowledge sense of the use. Some regions are stricter than others, but I'm betting whom you use which form with is probably similar to Spanish. But as one example, I hear Austria, or at the very least Vienna, is traditionally very formal. I've heard that people who have worked together for years who are at the same level will often still use the Sie form with each other. Gman

I realize it can be annoying to always have to correct people. My last name is often misspelled. And there is an obvious well-known example (I'd think) by most Americans-at least well-known by older Americans-back when we all had more of an identical cultural heritage. But I still frequently have to correct the spelling. Part of the problem in @Epigonos is the name chosen by your parents (pardon my misunderstanding-I couldn't tell from what you posted if your name is actually Bob or whether you were using that as an example). I'm not saying 'Bob' isn't a great name. I like it a lot. But some people are naturally going to assume its short for Robert. Some people may even think they don't know the person well enough to call him 'Bob' and choose what they think is the actual name-Robert. I have a long time acquaintance from elementary school. I can't really say friend because we weren't really although now we are FB friends and interact occasionally that way. He has a fairly unusual family 1st name which he has never used in the 48 years I've known him. Robby is a shortening of his last name. And that's what he's always gone by Or take this- if I'm remembering correctly-I had a friend in high school whose parents named his brother Teddy. Why would you do that? It's a nickname already. I would've assumed his real name was Theodore, and they called him Teddy as a child. Luckily he's always gone by Ted. Gman

I found this just as amusing. Gman

I thought this was amusing. Gman

Does anyone else thing his neck looks awfully skinny to have the rest of that physique? Gman

I have a gmail account and their letters go straight -gaily forward-to my junk folder. I didn't even know I was receiving them until I needed to look at my Junk for a possible missed letter. Gman

Even Homer nods. Gman

Just for the record, I tried image searching both these guys, but came up flat. Gman

They're both pretty dang hot. Gman

They're both pretty dang hot. Gman

Brought back memories of my 1st time. Gman

I've heard of a woman's water breaking. But this is ridiculous. Gman

I know a story by proxy. This story was told to me by a former escort/porn performer. This performer's mother worked in a office. Something in the office wasn't working -let's say a copier. The repairman comes to repair it. He sees a picture on the woman's desk. The repairman says, "Why do you have a picture of porn actor Zebediah Sweetcheeks (I'm using an alias for the porn star). The woman replies, " That's not Zebadiah Sweetcheeks. That's my son Henry Higgins." (another alias). Mother later web searches for Zebadiah. Can you say http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/g03e4neym12ns7z/File%20Jul%2012%2C%203%2059%2002%20PM.jpeg?dl=0 Gman

I just remembered one. That makes 4.5 total. The only time I attended Southern Decadence in New Orleans was back in 2012. In case you were wondering, I wasn't very decadent. But wandering around the streets in the French Quarter, I saw Ryan Raz. He's a cute guy but not really my type. Gman

The U.K. being liberal is a fairly recent phenomenon. The laws in many of these Commonwealth and former Commonwealth countries are holdovers from when Great Britain ruled them. Gman

But what if he's a 'Flake'-get it 'Frosted...'. I just slay myself sometimes. Gman

But wasn't Mark Dalton basically straight/gay-4-pay? Gman

Think about it!! http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/4brncyq9js5w01m/File%20Jul%2002%2C%205%2052%2029%20PM.jpeg?dl=0 Gman

@BasketBaller -my fraternal twin nephews are 6 years old. They just completed their 1st year of public schooling (kindergarten). As I mentioned in an earlier post, their parents put them in different classes this year, so this was their 1st minor separation. You make me wonder what the future holds in store for them. Gman

I think if anything it would refer to customers and not employees-but I agree with Kevin. I think it's a reach. Gman

http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/j049o5wisw10ab5/File%20Jun%2023%2C%2010%2048%2021%20AM.jpeg?dl=0 Gman

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1456063911098388 Bison!!! Gman

Yes-and no. In this case we haven't said anything bad about him. We've just discussed his ad. And the fact that he does have a public ad means that his name is out there. IMHO it's one of those heat and kitchen deals. If we had impugned his character, I'd agree with you more wholeheartedly. And they do say that no publicity is bad publicity. Our discussion of him here might drive more business to him if someone who hasn't heard of him before reads this thread, goes to the ad, likes what he sees, and hires him. Gman

I was actually making somewhat of a joke when I added my initial comment to @bigvalboy although probably not completely. But as some have taken my comment a bit more seriously, I guess I should too. Many people do seem to have a more expansive view of sex than I do. And I guess that's ok. But there's also a problem with that. We can't expand things ad infinitum. If we do, no one is ever going to know what anyone else is talking about. There is intimate play/behavior/interactions. But while 'traditional' sex is usually part intimate play /behavior/interactions, not all intimate play/behavior /interactions is sex. Gman

To quote US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart (in a 1964 obscenity trial), "I may not be able to define it, but I know it when I see it. " Gman