JulianLondon

Thank you I am happy she made a statement so quickly, and I think she nailed it.

It was posted before but better to show it in full display.
 
They're classy!
 
 

As a Brit it was a very sad interview to watch, the majority of the country had high hopes for them at the time of the wedding.
 
It will be interesting to see how the palace responds. The Queen will take her time and want to know all the facts first. She will not like the assertion that there were racist comments made and will want to know who said what.
 
The interview though I feel didn't really question H&M when they made various claims and seems that many who watched it have already acted as judge and jury. She did marry into a family with centuries of tradition and although she says she wasn't prepared or told about the many and quite onerous responsibilities, Harry does contradict her later to state he explained what that life would entail.
 
Admittedly it can't have been any fun at all for a free spirited young woman in love. It was probably still all a great shock.
 
I personally don't believe there is institutional racism within the family. But of course any racism is unacceptable but they need not have tarnished the whole family (except when the two most senior members Harry later stated weren't responsible) with that brush. By not stating who it was they implicate everyone else. Was that deliberate.
 
But there is often another side to a story and in the U.K. we are innocent until proven guilty, so all I'd like to say before we rush to judge is hear out the other side and keep an open mind.

I wonder if you live in a small town or large city...That make quite a difference....My uncle lives a few streets away from me in The Village...We were taking the train uptown and a very cute young guy asked us if we are a couple......I said no.....mind you he is quite a bit older that I am....He was a dancer on Broadway for many years and is in great shape...very active...lots of energy....and almost 80!....I introduced them....The young man just turned 36 years old and is now with my uncle 2 years....Not my cup of tea....But they are out there....Someone for everyone....

I'm in my early 60's. For a variety of reasons I've never had the courage to come out of the closet. I've been seeing escorts one or two times a year, since I discovered them in the mid 1990's, and to tell you the truth I've never been interested in developing a relationship with a guy, partly because there are no guys I'm attracted to in my area, and because of the issues involved in having a relationship as a closeted gay man.
 
I'm only attracted to well built, younger men with the boy next door look, and so I don't sound completely shallow he needs to have a friendly, engaging personality. That's the type of escort I look for. I keep thinking that if I were ever to decide to try to find someone to be in a relationship with I'd be out of luck, because there's probably a very little chance that an older gentleman like me could come across the type of guy I'm attracted to, and even if I would find such a man the chances that he'd like an older guy like me are pretty slim. Seems like I should be attracted to men closer to my age, but I'm not. I like the muscular, younger men, so I stick with escorts. This may be a stupid question, but at my age can the type of person you're sexually attracted to change? All of this really isn't much of a problem for me. I deal with it okay. I was just wondering if anyone else can relate to my sexual preference issues?

As a Brit it was a very sad interview to watch, the majority of the country had high hopes for them at the time of the wedding.
 
It will be interesting to see how the palace responds. The Queen will take her time and want to know all the facts first. She will not like the assertion that there were racist comments made and will want to know who said what.
 
The interview though I feel didn't really question H&M when they made various claims and seems that many who watched it have already acted as judge and jury. She did marry into a family with centuries of tradition and although she says she wasn't prepared or told about the many and quite onerous responsibilities, Harry does contradict her later to state he explained what that life would entail.
 
Admittedly it can't have been any fun at all for a free spirited young woman in love. It was probably still all a great shock.
 
I personally don't believe there is institutional racism within the family. But of course any racism is unacceptable but they need not have tarnished the whole family (except when the two most senior members Harry later stated weren't responsible) with that brush. By not stating who it was they implicate everyone else. Was that deliberate.
 
But there is often another side to a story and in the U.K. we are innocent until proven guilty, so all I'd like to say before we rush to judge is hear out the other side and keep an open mind.

I agree completely regarding the decision, or perhaps more accurately, the policy regarding titles for Archie, and for the increasing number of others that have been or will be relegated to the status of "minor royals."
 
Prince Charles, to a larger extent, and the Queen to a lesser one -she, after all, has less time ahead of her than Charles has ahead of him, and therefore, perhaps, less active interest in a more distant future - are keen to reduce the rolls of those supported by the Sovereign Grant, or the used-to-be-used Civil List, royals supported financially though public monies. As the Queen's children have children, and those children have children, and now even those children are having their own children, the number of members of an extended royal family is growing by leaps and bounds. Boundaries must be set and someone must set them. The most common complaint reported in British opinion polls regarding the Royals is the cost of keeping them in the manner to which we might all like to become accustomed.
 
With William now having three children of his own, the likelihood of any of Harry's children being needed to support royal succession is becoming increasingly remote. This is even more the case for the Queen's other children (Anne, Andrew, and Edward) and their children, and even more so that that, for the Snowden line, descendants of the Queen's deceased sister, Princes Margaret and her husband, Anthony Armstrong-Jones, created Earl of Snowden for his marriage to Margaret. None of the Snowden line have the HRH designation, and the children of Anne and Edward do not use royal titles. Archie, although every ounce a cutie, to be sure, not being named a prince or given the HRH designation, was in line with the policy of limiting membership in the official Royal Family, and not motivated by any prejudice or ill will.

I live in London and I could not have put it better @nycman. I doubt the interview will change anyone’s pre-existing view on H&M.
 
When Meghan first arrived in the UK, there were several reports of her having come “to find a rich husband”. She befriended various people for help in meeting men, but once she met Harry she dropped those previously useful ‘friends’. I don’t believe for a moment that she didn’t do any research.
 
I noticed Oprah didn’t ask M any tough questions about her behaviour. She didn’t ask about H&M shouting at the Queen’s favourite, long-standing servant, which rightly earned H a reprimand from the Queen. She didn’t ask why M blamed the Palace staff when H&M had handpicked them to run their private office in the Palace.
 
It’s ironic that M blamed Palace officials for not supporting/helping her when they are the ones who tried to bury the several complaints of staff about M’s bullying behaviour.
 
I disliked H&M complaining about being financially cut off, security being cut and the lack of a title for Archie.
1. Diana left H about $15 million on her death; being a child, it was invested on H’s behalf and when he became of age to inherit the money, it was approximately 4x that sum. Why should H expect to get money from his Dad once he ceased to work for the Royal family?
2. Security is provided by the UK Police and it costs the UK taxpayer. Only the senior working members of the Royal family get that protection.
3. M alluded to a “convention” but seemed to me to imply that because of his mixed-race Archie didn’t get a title. It’s a rule (set more than 100 years ago by King George V) that the titles of Prince, HRH etc are awarded only to some (not all) lineal descendants of the reigning Monarch. The children of H would never have been given titles, but H&M could have chosen the courtesy title of Lord for Archie and they chose not to - they registered his birth as Master which is used in the UK for any boy-child.
 
Personally I hope the Queen strips H&M of their remaining titles. And I hope H&M stop seeking publicity, and retreat into anonymity and a quiet life in California.

As a Brit it was a very sad interview to watch, the majority of the country had high hopes for them at the time of the wedding.
 
It will be interesting to see how the palace responds. The Queen will take her time and want to know all the facts first. She will not like the assertion that there were racist comments made and will want to know who said what.
 
The interview though I feel didn't really question H&M when they made various claims and seems that many who watched it have already acted as judge and jury. She did marry into a family with centuries of tradition and although she says she wasn't prepared or told about the many and quite onerous responsibilities, Harry does contradict her later to state he explained what that life would entail.
 
Admittedly it can't have been any fun at all for a free spirited young woman in love. It was probably still all a great shock.
 
I personally don't believe there is institutional racism within the family. But of course any racism is unacceptable but they need not have tarnished the whole family (except when the two most senior members Harry later stated weren't responsible) with that brush. By not stating who it was they implicate everyone else. Was that deliberate.
 
But there is often another side to a story and in the U.K. we are innocent until proven guilty, so all I'd like to say before we rush to judge is hear out the other side and keep an open mind.

Buyer Beware !!!
I have spent no less than 300 days in Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Manama/Doha/Muscat and Riyadh in the past 5 years or so. (but have not been there for more than a year now). The place is full of flakes and guys with pie in the sky expectations. I would bet that at least half of these ads are fakes and a few of the others might be real and actually in the area. They often quote sky high rates but will wind up settling for less than half when you tell them you are not interested. Every once in a while, one of them scores a rich local but those are rare. A lot of Saudi's and Kuwaiti's go to Dubai looking for sex as the penalty for being caught in their home country can be severe. When you get off the plane you will see one of the largest Duty Free Liquor stores in the world for the same reason. If you go there and do decide to score one of the guys who is there waiting for his rich night in shining armor, just be sure you do not give them anything of value up front. Pay AFTER service and don't even think about gift cards. You might just have a fine time but you could score better in the US or UK. PS- If possible, have them come to your hotel, don't go to theirs. Just sayin............

I want to live for as long as the living is good. No more and no less.

I saw Death in Venice in Dublin back in 1971 with my sister as we took a break from daily touring. She says it is the first time that she thought I might be gay, but she didn't say anything then. I loved the movie.

EastbayMike
 
What is interesting and I agree it's a slow burn of a film is that Thomas Mann who won the nobel prize for literature and was deeply interested in psychology is intent on digging deep into human nature and as a gay man understands profoundly the insecurities that represents, especially in that era. I believe the film relays the meaning he intended to express from the book.
 
His better book though is possibly The Magic Mountain.
 
I'm a Bogarde fan too, so I come at this film from that angle, but the themes of hubris, humanity, desire and longing not to mention the developing pandemic which makes this so prescient.
 
It's a film best watched more than once, sorry to say Eastbaymike!
 
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/20/death-venice-arthouse

'Death in Venice' one of the most beautifully crafted films. Perhaps Dirk Bogarde's best as an actor.
 
This will be interesting to watch when released.
 

https://www.instagram.com/artchatto/
 
http://observer.com/2017/10/queen-elizabeth-grandnephew-arthur-chatto-summer-instagram-photos/
 

I have used a strategy suggested by someone previously - paying $50 just to meet for coffee and chat and just had my first meet. It was great! The guy was nice and pleasant, showed me a couple of good places to eat and I had overall a great time.
 
Now we are moving towards more intimate things, like spending a night together. I have never spent a night with an escort before, but I want slow sensational encounter. Any tips from the pros how to make it happen in the best way?

I took an Atlanta SA guy with me on a business trip for 5 days and paid air, expenses, etc., and gave him something in that ballpark for walking-around money since I was in meetings most of the time. I’m far too unpleasant to be around any longer than that.
In Houston I regularly gave guys $100 - $300 for overnights. These were students who had nothing else to do and enjoyed a little taste of luxury.
i still occasionally hear from a few SA guys but haven't met any in a year.

#goals

Mail delivery in both the morning and the afternoon M-F; only once on Saturday
 
MacDonald's hamburgers were 15 cents, a small fries was 12 cents, and a coke was a dime.
 
Watching the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.
 
Tammy, Tammy, Tammy's in Love.
 
Keukla, Fran and Ollie.
 
Watching Casey Donovan in Boys in the Sand.
 
Gas was under 20 cents per gallon.
 
Top price tickets for a Broadway musical on Saturday night were $9.99.

The black & white episodes of I DREAM OF JEANNIE
A milk vending machine next to the cigarette vending machine in our apartment building's lobby.
People using phones to talk to each other
Answering machines and landlines (both of which I still have & use)
Pinball arcades
 
8 mm home movies with no sound
Aquarias & Sugar Sugar battling it out to be the #1 song of 1969
Pool clubs
My parents letting 7 year old me and my 10 year old sister walk 10 blocks to take a public bus then another 6 block walk to our pool club
Being able to walk one block
 
The Golden Age of Music-- The Disco Era
The first baseball players' strike, which occurred from April 1 to 13, 1972.
Ron Blomberg of the Yankees being the first DH
Single screen theaters with large screens
My father's liquor store in a blue collar section of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at a spot that is now hipster central and properties sell for millions of dollars (not that I'm bitter about that, of course)
Trying pizza for the first time at a pizzeria (that is still there) next to the barber shop near my father's store
 
Having sex with anonymous strangers with no concern of catching a deadly disease
The NY Knicks being good
A new show on NBC called Saturday Night Live
Shouting "look out below" when somebody jumped out a window during an explosion scene in a fireworks factory in Thorough Modern Millie when I was 6 and having the whole theater crack up.
Making my parents take us to see Thoroughly Modern Millie again the next week

All indications are that Covid-19 maintains its strength and communicability from the ramprant ignorance and arrogance of the general populations. If the standard precautions had been practiced by all at the beginning, we would very likely be in the final stages of this by now.

Thank you for that clarification. I was thinking the first stop for me after covid...ophthalmologist. ?

EastbayMike
 
What is interesting and I agree it's a slow burn of a film is that Thomas Mann who won the nobel prize for literature and was deeply interested in psychology is intent on digging deep into human nature and as a gay man understands profoundly the insecurities that represents, especially in that era. I believe the film relays the meaning he intended to express from the book.
 
His better book though is possibly The Magic Mountain.
 
I'm a Bogarde fan too, so I come at this film from that angle, but the themes of hubris, humanity, desire and longing not to mention the developing pandemic which makes this so prescient.
 
It's a film best watched more than once, sorry to say Eastbaymike!
 
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/20/death-venice-arthouse

For those interested (and who didn't check previous thread) - here's a taste of it on YouTube.

 
For those of us in the UK (and Australia ?) - it was released on 22nd January; and the pace of the show matches the link on YouTube...
For those in the US - it's exactly as @pitman says: HBO Max on 18th Feb.
 
For those of us who lived through this the first time, it really captures the moment; extremely fast paced, and then you suddenly find yourself uncontrollably sobbing. Brought back memories of many people I loved....