CuriousByNature

I'm thinking that impaired reason might be too generous a descriptor for the people in this story - lol.

Every one of those things - and all within the 24 hours before they were devoured by the monster bird and square-pooped marsupial.

I should have mentioned that all my Australian relatives made it to their 60s at least, before they were inevitably eaten by emus and wombats.

Hello everyone - I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for historical novels? I'm more interested in those set pre-19th century. I've read several of the Follett books including The Pillars of the Earth, and I appreciate that level of historical detail mixed with fictitious characters and storylines.... thanks in advance!

I would probably choose Ireland over England. While it can be rainy and windy, it's also very mild due to the Gulf Stream. And they are part of the EU and I believe they have a better standard of living than the UK.

Australia would be great, except that 98% of the wildlife there can kill you... lol. I think I would choose New Zealand, given the diversity of landscapes and climates in a relatively small area, and it's high standard of living. And the fact that you can survive most animal interactions there... hahaha

Aww, this Canuck is blushing now. I have no doubt you'd be welcomed up here with open legs, I mean... arms.

I have to respectfully disagree with your assessment here. Nobody else was in the room with them, so none of us can say what motivated the provider to keep asking about health matters. Whether or not he genuinely cared, or was instead overly curious and unable to mind his own business, the main point is that it caused the client unnecessary pain. And with respect to the client revealing private information about the provider on this forum - information that you are 'sure was painful (for the provide) to share' - I have to wonder how concerned the provider was about his private information if he was willing to share it so freely with someone he just met. It doesn't sound like this information was shared with the expectation of complete confidentiality. But regardless, there is nothing wrong with a client not wanting to spend their time with a provider engaging in idle chit-chat. Given the circumstances the client finds himself in, and his reasons for engaging a provider, I would hope more grace could be extended to him. I would like to extend that same grace to you, and believe you are only trying to be helpful by suggesting how his post could have been written instead. I think we also have to remember that the poster is relatively new to the forum, and that every person who posts here does so differently. Peace 🙏

What would the donation for YOUR time be to reciprocate? LOL

The thing with cancer, that I've learned from friends who have been going through that journey, is that every new day brings more advances and hopefully better outcomes as well. I think each of us needs to live with intention, and not to take anything for granted. Life is but a blink of an eye for everyone, compared to eternity - even for those people to live to 110. It sounds like you are doing all you can to live your best life in each moment, and by doing so, you may be the one who is the most alive compared to many of us 🙏

I'm really sorry to hear you've been having to go through these health challenges. I hope your treatments are/will be completely successful and that you have decades more of life to embrace. Nobody should be put in a position where they are forced to confront something they are already processing on their own - that was very bad form for the provider.

I'm normally not in favour of the death penalty, but this sounds like a capital offence to me. It's a good thing I'm not a judge.

These sorts of things are happening in the big Canadian cities too, where congregations of churches and synagogues are aging and shrinking, and the land has skyrocketed in value. I knew a family years ago that attended a church in Vancouver, and that congregation ended up partnering with a developer to construct a high-rise condo building adjacent to the church. This way the city was able to provide more housing, the developers made money, and the congregation also benefitted by either subdividing or leasing the land - I'm not sure which.

I think you're asking a very important and understandable question. I have not met with anyone myself, but I imagine that it would be very difficult to find a provider that you would have a genuine connection with on your first meeting. I'm not saying it isn't possible, but that it's probably difficult, and for your own sake, you might need to set your expectations relatively low until you meet someone who genuinely clicks with you. I'm also not sure how one would judge what a 'genuine' connection is, given the transactional nature of the meetings - but I am sure there are providers who care very much about their clients and try to provide the most genuine experience possible. It's important to remember that providers are people like everyone else, and each will have their preferences about looks and personality - therefore, it could be like hitting a jackpot to meet a provider for the first time and find that a genuine connection exists for both of you. I hope this doesn't sound discouraging at all - that's not how I mean it to sound.

Also in no particular order: 1. Travel 2. Great food experiences 3. Reading 4. Being able to give to others 5. Faith

Now I'll always be wondering when someone tells me they have a runny nose...

Does that mean that 'swallowers are wallowers'?

In addition to the tremendous amount of focus and determination it must take to meet with clients who would not normally attract a provider, I also can't imagine how difficult it must be to meet up with someone you know nothing about. And to do this multiple times in a day or a week. The risk of disease can only be mitigated so far, and the risk to personal safety can probably increase quite suddenly with some clients. Then there's the societal stigma, the risk to interpersonal relationships with family and romantic partners, the stresses and costs of keeping oneself in tip-top condition, the expense of marketing oneself and travel, and the risk of income loss during unexpected crises like pandemics and recessions. I imagine the work is physically, emotionally, mentally and even spiritually draining. No work-place benefits or pensions, no protection through regulations in those places where the work is not legal or fully legal, and then there's also the relatively short term nature of this career path - given that everyone ages, and not everyone is able to navigate change and adapt and rebrand themselves accordingly. All in all, I can't think of many other careers that have the potential to bring so much happiness and fulfilment to the clients, and with such a high level of diverse risk for the providers. This is part of the reason why it really bothers me when providers are objectified and disrespected in this forum. Yes, there are those providers who evidently fall very short of the mark and it's good to warn others about them, but the number of people who are truly suited for this line of work is likely exceedingly small, and I would argue they should be seen and treated as the professionals they are.

Laminated pictures on the wall of multiple dismembered limbs and torsos? Triple red flag! LOL

So I guess that means I have a 'sex parking lot'.

Uhm, maybe don't send that invite to Grandma.

I really don't think @musclestuduws was being sarcastic. It's an honest question when posts get deleted. If I may weigh in, it wasn't as much about meeting the provider, it was more about not being able to because the provider may no longer be in the country. If I'm summarizing the gist, correctly. 🙏

I would hope it has more to do with an undiagnosed mental illness than embarrassment about sex...

Then in those cases, perhaps those who are interested in the details should have to go through the official search processes to learn the cause of death. I believe a deceased person's reputation is something that should still be protected because they no longer have the ability to defend themselves if the details lead to inaccurate assumptions. Often people's causes of death are released by the news and media when it's an important part of the story, and I don't really have an issue with that. What I have an issue with is society's growing expectation that the personal details of public individuals should be immediately/easily accessible. And particularly in cases where the survivors ask for privacy. To me, it's about having respect for the deceased, and for their family and friends as they deal with their loss.

I'm assuming this is hyperbole - lol. I agree it shouldn't be anyone's business. It is unfortunate that the misunderstanding of texts led to some very twisted ideas regarding the body, sexuality, and sexual expression - particularly during the later Victorian era. Vestiges of that period likely continue to factor into many people's moral standards. It also might explain why nobody names their son 'Onan' anymore...