SomewhereonNeptune

Actually, we've created a system where we all benefit from continued population growth at a certain rate. It's called Social Security, and the funding comes from current wage earners to pay current recipients. Unless birthrates make an increase (they've been decreasing in the Western world for years), it'll create an aging population (think Japan) that will have a difficult time meeting obligations. Fewer people to buy products, goods, services. A shelter surplus due to more homes than occupants as they die off. Japan has this now too, you can buy really cheap homes in the country now. Europe is already feeling this effect too. China will start to feel the effects of their "one child" policy. Korea is feeling this as well, Russia is aging and population declining. The fact is that fewer people are having kids and they're doing so later in life, and China can't continue to provide kids for adoption indefinitely, and Elon Musk will run out of women to impregnate. 🤣 The population growth is not coming from the first world any longer. We've worried so long about a population explosion that we forgot to notice the implosion that we've begin to create. And let's not even begin to discuss Margaret Sanger and Eugenics.

Well now we have a world online with social media where it came along, was free, and most of us volunteers our interests and everything about ourselves. What we buy, what we eat, what we watch, who we like and how we're all 6-degrees of separation. And we did all of that voluntarily. If we were smart enough, we'd ditch our online identities (mostly) and adopt a different or more anonymous persona so that the data we're providing is completely misleading. Let them think you're really "Steve from Austin who is a womanizer, drinks craft beer and is a rabid Cowboys fan with a pizza addiction". 😉

I suspect that the President is sitting back and letting shit happen and simply taking the tact of saying "I told you so". Or depicting that Chicago's mayor and Pritzker can defend how great last weekend was because there were only a dozen murders. 🤣 You inevitably get the government you accept. Clearly Brandon and Pritzker don't care about their citizens or their decreasing numbers, so until those citizens decide to end the lunacy and vote for leaders who prioritize law and order, they're stuck with that.

London has been one of the most surveilled cities in the world for years due to the sheer penetration of CCTV. Let's ask our UK friends about whether this has changed their behavior.

Thanks @firstexp. I'm not sure either. I guess seeing the things happening across the board, I fear that we can't converse for all the yelling at each other.

First of all, I suspect we can agree to disagree on a number of things, and that's ok. If we can still talk about them in a civil discourse, we're doing better as a group than much of society at the moment. For those who know, I'm libertarian and conservative. I'm also staunchly pro-Second Amendment (the gun isn't the issue, the capacity and stability of the person holding it sure is though). Where the far left has gone is looting, rioting, and 'mostly peaceful protests' that have perhaps been "mostly" but certainly not "peaceful". I think the moderates and conservatives this weekend set a good example by coming together in prayer, vigil, and remembrance. We can argue that perhaps, but that means we'd still be talking and having a civil discourse. I'm happy to do that, but I suspect that we won't reach much agreement. Kirk lived his faith, embraced liberty, and carefully studied and debated his topics. And he wasn't afraid to go on campuses where he wasn't always welcomed and engaged in discourse. People like King or Lincoln or Jesus did the same and lived his convictions without fear. I don't condone violence. I won't celebrate his death. But if the goal of assassinating Kirk was to silence those who disagreed with the radical left, I'll tell you it's had the opposite effect. I'm not going on social media and posting videos of doing the happy dance because someone was killed. But those who are seem to be learning that actions have consequences, and becoming a societal pariah is one of those. Unemployed is another. Here we agree. I'm not going to say I agreed 100% with everything Charlie said, especially his views on gays, etc. I'm writing on here, so I accept people as they are and don't expect total conformity. I applaud his conviction despite not always agreeing. Keep in mind that a lot of us on the right are very accepting and tolerant, as those who've had those conversations have learned. Including this writer. Hopefully we can exchange views without downvoting or flaming or any other vitriol. As a society, though, we need to get along and cultivate understanding and sanity. Peace.

Thanks. I won't turn this into a political stump speech, but we had to really hold tight reins on discussion of the assassination since it was ripe for deep and nasty political debate and even some distasteful memes. Or explaining to people who obviously do not care to read why the guidelines prohibit national politics discussion in General feeds to the replies of every Karen in a 10 mile radius "asking for the manager". We tell them to go enjoy TikTok with the other crazies. If you don't have the experience of living in an HOA or needing to find a plumber or electrician (or losing/finding a pet before the Chinese takeout does), you're missing nothing on Nextdoor. Though maybe your looky-lous are talking about your sling over there. 🤣

Surprisingly, I lack the leathery signs of aging, just boyish good looks, great skin, and knock-on-wood a face that doesn't look a day over 39 despite being shaved bald. 😉 Yes, I've encountered #1 and #2 above, and that doesn't go far at all. I'm kinda red pilled against paying for sex in one way or another. As for #4, I'm 20 minutes drive from one of the best beaches in the US without having to be on it, so no one's had any designs on that one (though the private pool has garnered interest). But I've encountered #3 more organically on some other sites where I get the whole daddy fetish or "I'm turned on by older guys". The conversations where the other party isn't of consenting age end abruptly since I don't crave a guest appearance with Chris Hansen. 🤣 I live in Florida not far from 'America's Favorite Sheriff' Grady Judd, so a news conference with my picture doesn't thrill me either. It sounds like your adventures or situation taught you a lot and were positive. Happy for you. Like I said earlier, I don't want to be the reason some dude's life gets totally messed up or goes into therapy to overcome it. I can see and appreciate the other views down to a certain point, but I suppose any interest I may have in someone younger would be mentoring or protective in nature. And as others have far broader experience than me, the chances of that are negligible.

Would you mind coming over on Nextdoor and reinforcing that to the Karens who think the Guidelines shouldn't apply to them? The past two days (we can all imagine why) have made the LGBT Politics threads here look downright meek. Some of the things that get said from behind a keyboard on a literally hyper-local (read: down the same block in the same subdivision) neighborhood-focused network make you think they have the intelligence of a baseball score. Especially in a state with Constitutional Carry laws. ____________________________ Yes you have First Amendment rights. Keep in mind that everyone also has Second Amendment rights.

I suppose that as hot as it may seem that someone young and hot is into us, I don't want to be a predator in the situation. Like am I the "dirty old [banned word]" that's into little boys (answer in that case is an obvious "yes"), but I'd always wonder what he'd see in me, or if the roles were reversed, would I see a dude my age now being an instant "ick". Not a dad/son experience but a grand-dad/grandson experience. And your point about being a mentor is more how I'd approach it. Someone older as a protector and to provide guidance in the right setting, but the other party would need to request that so I didn't feel like it was predation. The "young enough to be my son" thing isn't that big of an issue at my age. That would make the guy somewhere between say 25 and 40. But the topic made me do soul-searching a bit to where I'd need to ask the following: For those who actually had an "early experience", how did you feel about it? Did it form how you are today? Did you or the older person take the initiative? I'm hoping this doesn't run afoul of the guidelines. Not asking the details of the encounters or anything titillating, but how do you look back on it now? Might be interesting to hear those who responded with say sub-16 responses for proposed consenting age.

Uh oh...here comes Neptune saying something controversial or prone to be downvoted. (Ahem) Now this is a really good question. Years ago, I probably would have said 16. That was around the time of my first experience and the consenting age in my state. But by the same token, that also had the capacity to mess with my brain, my emotions, and my feelings, and at 16 the idea of sex versus love are still formative. This. Plus, growing up I'd routinely watch a priest sit in his van at a park that was known for being a pedo cruising spot. And he had predilections for 13 and 14 year olds. Know any 13 year olds able to process the full impact and notions of sex? Didn't think so, though quite a few of us had those experiences and most of us survived intact. Entering my seventh decade, rarely would I suggest 16 or younger. Unless this was something that truly came out of the thoughts and actions of the younger party doing so of free will. But even that is sketchy to me because (and this will be controversial but it needs to be said) we have kids who are not yet maturationally developed at 13 or even younger being supported through gender transition and sexual reassignment. Breasts or penis, something's being altered at an age where they are possibly not able to process the future ramifications of their decision. Yeah, maybe some folks have had gender dysphoria, and I have cousins and nephews who are going through it, but pulling hormone blockers or chemical castration or mastectomies at ages below 16 is...is...well, crazy. I've spoken to detransitioners who went through procedures before 18 who not only now regret it but are trying to return to their genetic state, which adds more complexities. And I'm not prudish about these things, but my heart breaks for them. Leave it the way it is, or move it to 18 where it isn't. Let kids enjoy being kids before they do something that will put them in therapy for several years.

I can only echo the absolute dated feel of BBRT. No one has done frame navigation since the late 90's, and there's a reason for that. We have better development tools but apparently BBRT won't spring for a site update that uses them. And while people knock on BBRT for 'Oinks', Adam4Adam is even worse in many cases with its 'Winks' (I know, here's SoN complaining about A4A again, will he ever give it up?). I can count at least 5 or 6 winks per day from non-pic/limited-effort profiles or those who have descriptions that make it seem like the Gay eHarmony. I've stopped responding. I concur with @ellentonboy on NKP. It's either more fetish based or more focused on 'pigs' and 'parTyinG'. They do seem lacking with their Groups implementation, so if you see a Group don't get too excited. There are only a few Poz Groups over there, most are blue ballers from what I gather. I wonder how BZ would do if it enhanced their current search capacity to be more friendly to people trying to meet. Forums are great and an organic way to foster friendships or hookups, but there's already some search capacity here that could be leveraged for hooking up. Seems like there's a missed opportunity.

You and I agree on that. Others can do what they want, but I'd hope we're all better than that. Fact remains though that we need to operate under the premise that not everyone is as honest or above board about sexual health.

I was feeling old having recently turned 60, but this thread just brightened my day. Good to know some folks still appreciate older guys. Thanks.