skinster

I disagree with some of the statements above. Obamacare is pointed to coverage of EXISTING conditions subject to needed medical treatment (as in 'you already got it' whatever that may be), not prevention, prophylaxis or PReP or any enhancement procedures to your own individual wellness altogether while you are still in good health. It just wants your 'healthy' money. And meds alone for a sick person is something far from being all that is partial to good health care organization. There are specialist visits, test/lab work, therapy of many kinds, hospitalization, etc etc. And while there are new items on that list that Obamacare will mandate to be covered upon full application of the law, far too many law subjects now are getting sweet-heart deals, postponements and exclusions. And don't forget, all those now with newly cancelled individual policies are forced into the pool with people who couldn't have coverage before due to those very best 'existing conditions', and someone has to pay for all those costs. Obamacare is not free. It was never designed to be free. It is just too much of trumping up in media is shoved away from any understanding or disclosures of it's costs and who's gonna be bearing them. I am of the opinion that only time will tell how good all these 'benefits' would end up being, and I am reluctant to celebrate this law just yet. It's like buying a used car - every vehicle is unique, there are no 2 cars alike. But if I wanted a luxury one, I'd have to look for it and buy it myself. It's not what the closest salesman has on the lot. And the sales pitch with Obamacare is just overly underwhelming.

I don't think it will be 'easier' to get meds - they are likely to overall cost more if original patents are not relinquished and ratio of sick people increases within the insured pool. That law IS NOT a free lunch for everybody. The cost of this program is not 0. I've never seen a prescription rider to go down in policy costs over time. I think it will be simpler to get meds processed, if you'd be able to afford both the knowledgeable doctor and the skillful treatment. So the 'difficulty' would shift from procedural hassle/denials to heavier individual financial burden. Which would still make you work harder for the beneficial outcome one'd be hopeful of. And if you can't afford the new insurance, guess what - you'd drop it for other-than-pre_existing reason and won't get the meds anyway.

MJ, I've been looking for a boy willing to loose /with no balls for a while now. And with the vet status you're hitting 2 outta 3 right from the start in my book. To full account I am ambivalent to lack of limbs though. I'd grant you a pass on anything you'd be willing to do or take. And appearances are often deceitful, you know how to use your advantage there.

Yupp. I see him every day in the mirror - me. Keep it smooth and cleaned out.

I don't know much about Bitcoin. You can tell me I don't know enough to talk about it. But professional experience suggests that nowadays nothing electronic ever is truly anonymous/untraceable. Nothing. It only depends on time/resources available to the researching party and maturity of forensic/hacker tools used. Any web transactions, just like credit cards past the early days, over time become exposed if someone or some government gets really interested in it, or you come across a really negligent unsecured middle entity. It is somewhere in the server logs, online registers, behind an IP address, or a logon name in some 3rd party database. There are already cases of law enforcement cracking down on dealers accepting Bitcoins for drugs and money laundering inside and out of US. Google 'Liberty Reserve Costa Rica' and 'Silk Road black market', you'd get a whiff of it. My suggestion is - treat it like credit cards, bank drafts, DRM, torr_ents, Paypal, et al. and play it safe. It is not a heavenly savior. Just a financial transaction tool. When it gets too popular, there will be some controlling entity with oversight to it. Service qualification criteria is different by any provider, some websites use 3rd party processors for their things - CCbill, etc. May be it is worth it, I don't know the economics of it. If things happen, they may just as well politically or procedurally price you out of their system like Visa.

I am 44, and most of my boys now are in their mid- to late 20's. Sometimes 30's. Testosterone def helps, not for sex drive alone but well-being altogether. And I think the social acceptance by the younger of someone older has also changed in the past decade. If you want something done - get someone with a skill to do it. I think the level of support from supplements has definitely improved - when I was in my 20's, I wasn't hanging out with or looking for guys in their 40's, things were just after HIV heydays. I remember San Fran streets being pretty empty around then, and 40yo were not rolling around me there either. Going out still has a mixed crowd and a mixed experience, but one-on-ones definitely get consistent interest that I like. In the case of Mind vs. Matter - if you don't mind, it does not matter.

I've been through a similar experience. I also realized that getting to the end of it the feelings were not mutual. It hurt. A fucking lot. A long time. It had been a long time since. I am still relatively single. We still talk on occasion and see each other (thou he moved out of the country). But the sooner you cut it clean, the less damage long term to you it is. I recognized it early enough on. The sooner you accept that the better it gets. Yet I acknowledge I still breathe unevenly in his direction. I just don't expect anything in return. Now (these days) I screen for similar behavior in the past of all long-term potentials. 'Economic dependency without (your) charity and without emotional attachment'. Sooner or later, if it is there it comes out. And it seems that youngsters these days are not even registering anything scornful in it. I don't want a repeated experience. And I wish you the same. PS: for 37yo he is far too irresponsible with your money and with your emotions. Why should you be willing to pay twice? That mama thought him no manners.

Great thread! I couldn't agree more with many of your comments. Our ability to think critically had been for years undermined by the smiling ads with muscle boys promoting one retroviral drug or another. Truly one can market any kind of crap consequences in a nice shiny wrapper. Life's honest truth.

Now, for your kind attention is my report and directions on Hampton Heath: I'd want someone to go through my directions and verify them, as I was writing post-factum out of memory. Hopefully, I haven't mixed up too much, and all of this is useable for future visitors. Same here man, first trip was way too late (past midnight on a Thursday), no clear directions but a vague sense, I just went on a whim, was too excited and literally blew past the whole thing. Saw quite a few people on the pathways cruising the area, but no Tree. The first hole happened to be not even washed, or to say douched, and it killed the mood. But the amount of uncertainty where to go at all turn points is borderline overwhelming if you're coming over first time and are not very focused, it is really a very misleading place. There are many spots where there is no moonlight or any kind of ambient lighting. So your tracking skills will be needed. Later on chatting on BBRT I shared my frustration with one of the locals, and he was more optimistic than I was. And with a kick start from him, I gave it another shout on last Sunday night. Yes, it is 0.5 mi by Google Maps. Make two rights out of the Tube at Hampstead station and walk uphill on Heath St. A bit strenuous if unprepared, or 2 stops (* I will explain later why 2) on a local bus - 268 days or N5 at night. Stop to disembark at as my suggestion - Inverforth House (id #51254). If you use Whitestone Pond / Jack Straw's Castle (id #72683) as suggested, it is a farther and more inconvenient walk to Heath. But it is safe and well-lit. If you drive - there is a small car park on the side of the road by Inverforth House too. I have not tried asking for directions for it, not sure if it is widely known. By all means use Jack Straw as a second reference. Just keep in mind the extra distance. Pic 530 correctly shows the white Jack Straw Castle and brownstone Old Court House in front of it. It is the Northbound side of N End Way at Whitestone Pond. Not the best route, seriously. Past that car lot there are no lights whatsoever, the steps are deeper/wider than you'd expect, uneven, and they are very easy to lose balance on and fall. And you'd be hitting stone, not dirt. Forget it, that one is not for the night adventures. There is another walkway, off the same Heath Brow dead-end, about 20 guard poles from the corner and to the right going downhill. It just looks like a moved grass walkway 3-ft wide. In reality it ducks into a pretty dark woody section, very rooty, very uneven, sometimes unpredictable downhill. Same thing - very easy to fall. I mean there are people in that area as well, chatting, smoking and what not, but it's not the Real McCoy. I tried it the first trip over, and didn't like it. Now the best way - via Inverforth House & bus stop. If you arrived by bus, it drops you off in front of a brick wall with a gate. Turn left and go backwards about 30m to the end of the wall. There will be a turn-bar gate there and dirt/pebble road going downhill. Turn right at that point and follow that road. It is straight, it is even. You're going along a wall on your right. It is pitch-fukin-black as you're passing under leafy canopy after a well-lit street. And the more confidence you have in your step, the less likely you'd bump into someone - there will be silhouettes standing by the side of the way there too. Distance - about 75m give or take, all straight down. You will come into an opening with a dirt pathway crossing from left to right - pic 531 shows about that spot but from a different angle. You will need to turn right at that corner. <Comment 36>That's the back of Inverforth House and gardens. After that right turn you need to walk about 80 paces of a taller guy ( I am 6-1) to the next landmark - black square garbage bin. It is on pic 532 and is at a Y-shaped split. Bear left there. Now I believe there is an omission in <Comment 37> in the prior directions by BBERIK. You need to walk about 90 paces from Y-split to the next turn. It will be a T-shaped intersection of sandy gravel pathways, and you need to make a left. If I remember correctly, you'd be still walking mostly on even surface. Walk another about 90 paces and arrive to a wide, uneven X-shaped intersection with large trees around it. It is a darker spot. You need to make another left, and you'd be walking downhill from there. About 140 paces away from X-shape turn is that open spot on pic 533 with another garbage bin on it. The main pathway will turn right and continue along the bushes downhil. Follow it for another approx. 140 paces. The pathways will twist, split, merge, do mild turns, but you just need to follow it's main course. There are multiple tracks/ passageways left and right to it in and out. At the end of those 140 you'd arrive to a moonlit sandy riverbed type opening curving left with bushes around it. There are 2 landmarks on it - a small oval grassy spot like an island at the upper part of the bed, and a black square garbage bin on the right side at the bottom end of it. Stop there. Backtrack a bit uphill and turn onto a last dark passageway on the right (at a 45-60 degree angle) off the original direction of travel before that opening. In 40 paces straight you will hit the Fuck Tree in front of you. Now, pic 535 is a bit misleading - it is taken from behind the Fuck Tree looking towards the pathway you have arrived by. Or nearly a 180-degree angle as you'd see it upon arrival - it is just a dark towering spot. And ... if you're lucky, there'd be people around it. The Fuck Tree is nearly at the center of a roundish woody opening with a lot of nooks and crannies around. If you pass it by and walk a bit uphill behind it, there is a small Y-split in the bushes and another 2 fallen trees left and right where people might be hanging about. Take a chance to discover surroundings. As both loads I have left at the Fuck Tree on Sunday happened not at the Tree itself. Now - the demographic slice for Sunday nite: a few people with wedding bands (offputting to me), then someone insisting on condoms and calling me a nasty bastard (first look in the mirror, mate), a guy in full military uniform with a plug up his ass saying that he doesn't get fucked by strange men (but willing to show up at the Heath), an older Indian Sikh guy (with a turban and everything). Few skins in the vicinity. Needles to say the Tree was revisited but unattended to. Now timing - given that it was very nice dry July night, sun down was at 9 pm. I was told to go for 10 pm, arrived closer to 11 due to weekend construction on the Tube but still caught up some people at the Tree. Just like on Thursday - crowd dispersed from the Tree after midnight and went cruising around the vicinity. Given that it was still very dark, I'd not give anyone in attendance there less than 40 yo. Enjoy!

Had not been to Shoreditch but Vauxhall was disappointing on my visit during Fetish Week. Very few people overnight, and at some point the whole place (like 3/4 of) were closed for prolonged 'cleaning'. I left. Pleasuredrome was eventfull as was expected. Not the top-notch facility features though. I know, I am asking too much. And Vault on Monday Naked Cruise was disappointing. Been only once, it's not a statistic.

Nuh, man, 'underwhelmed' is a shrink of a word to describe it. I'd say just because Recon was solely in charge of things there, the events I have attended were mostly uniformly enjoyable as opposed to other fetish events in Europe where they still come on board. Nexus Extreme had a properly-sized venue after the change. I am glad organizers pay attention how many tickets they are selling. Crowd was proper, and had enough sleaze to pass around. I barely ever seen rubbers used, and it was mostly raw ass wall to wall. Skinhead social at Eagle had many familiar faces present. But if you put even a few nasty pigs together, some play is bound to happen. I got a sweatheart bj in front of the DJ booth, so damn sweet, we both enjoyed it. Afterparty at Hoist was mostly low-key. Full Fetish later on was in a huge venue, good music but very little and poor space for play. All nooks had 2-level space built-out with no airflow and were hot as fukin hell to play in. But same thing - I've seen only 2 people asking for a rubber, and it was mostly raw ass wall to wall. And same as at Nexus - 2 happy asses had my loads added in. Heath ... will receive a detailed report by me a bit later on & in a separate thread. I am putting details together, and I am thinking it will be fool-proof. As to costs - mate, I paid airfair and more to be there. I get my drinks before the event, I go there to play. Extra £25 doesn't really matter.

I agree - there's always an element of voyerism that creeps into the mind to either top or bottom, and you won't know if it did. But it messes up concentration and rhythm (change of pace) - and such changes just extend the overall exercise. I had a couple bottoms in gangbangs jump of my dick just because they went sore in all that time, and I am still poking in. But I like it.

That must be something very local in scope and thus mostly unknown. I've looked over the years and haven't seen the ones that stayed around. But do share. To second it, I've looked at it, Bear. I am tempted. Very tempted.

I have switched to preferring a gay-owned/operated business out of straight competition. Gay dollars matter.

I think competition between hookup sites who does what better has now evened out to the point that all of them that remain found an advantageous niche for themselves that no one other has. And it is mostly based on a particular fetish or practice first or foremost, just like bare, or country. I knew of 4 bare sites over the years, only 2 remain, and only 1 US-centric. Weeds and flakes are all over the place, and I agree it is a numbers game. So you might find a more focused demographic if you enjoy something in the fetish world or another, and bare would be an add-on to that, not the main course. Change and rotation also help.

Love it when the mood is right - 50/50. Honest sweat, crotch and feet, like a locker room, not a rancid stench of a hobo. Or some rare butt musks - I have no idea how can it get so repulsive even after a shower. Use only fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic soaps, shampoo and detergents.

Hey, people! I saw there is a Fetish Week in Gran Canaria in October. I understand with the climate no one is dragging much rubber around. Is that a popular event? what's the crowd like if someone's been? I understand it had only 2 runs so far but you can't miss it - the island is not large. Comments appreciated. Cheers

Well, Puppeon, I can guarantee your opinion and practice will change with time and age. In my teens I didn't know what HIV was (a culture thing), and I did have multiple partners my own age. I did not understand it how people could make it to 40. In my 20's (and early 90's) things changed for the most of time, and I was paranoidly safe. In my 30's things changed yet again, my understanding gradually deepened and my practice loosened. In my 40's I can't say I am much different from what I did in my teens. I just like more and more particular things and I am not shy about it. I am not chasing. I have advanced in my understanding of own mortality, but I still don't accept it. You can trust a perfect stranger - it changes your perception of life phenomena. I do things that I like. I am not in midlife crisis. I enjoy things that I do. Well, most of them anyway. I suffer through more responsibilities. But when one looks at the whole picture, you see the quality of life changes. And had someone told me that earlier, I bet I would have noticed it earlier. But we all fall into the pit of learning from our own mistakes. You have an option of learning from someone else. Regardless of what choice you make.

Yes, PissPig, we didn't have it this year. Because someone thought YOU don't need it. You can want it all you want, but you don't NEED it. City powers that be (thank you, Mr.SchMa-Yor) didn't think that bringing additional crowds [of THAT kinky kind] to town helps the local economy. They don't want to think of alternative locations when the designated block is closed for construction because they don't want it there, there and ANYWHERE. Period. It had been the official policy for the past nearly 20 years, by dollar, tooth and nail every which way to squeeze it all out and away. It roils me up to no end. You should be so grateful the Pride is still happening.

I am thinking (but this being 21st century kinda ... strange) that London guys fall into the same 'analogue' crowd - word of mouth and printed ads/mags, and part of it is economics. Web presence is not as widely used for promotion at venue level as in the States - lack of, or may be cheapskating with, web developers - you have to pay for service to put up changes to the website. I've seen the same thing with events and venues in Berlin. There is a ton of them, most - nearly single-paged, but even major fag events are 'registering' attendance via email, not a web page. As in 'someone manually adding things to a list in Excel'. But that's my IT understanding of things there. The 3 major gay websites located in Britain don't allow self-posting of parties (I think), only through personal profile. All the sleaze hangs on somewhere else.

I agree, Tatt. Just 1 block for Folsom? This town used to be fun. It's Disneyland East now.

Even being a top, I still shower myself in my own on occasion when I am in a tub. Come to think of it, first time I did it I was around 7 and had a partner in crime )

I am coming for the FW attending main events. Have plans for saunas and Heath, not sure which days are best though. Have seen very mixed reviews. But I am thinking there will be traffic anyway. Hopefully enough sleaze comes to town to party ;o)

I agree, it is a crutch even when you're still walking. But the alternative is to become immobile altogether. The worst thing ever is that we all die regardless of HIV. Anything that reduces the risk (even off-putting rubbers) is better than going unknowingly and unmedicated. But I do have a problem with side effects of long-term use. It's not aspirin. I don't need additional chronic things going on in my life, I'd like to keep my kidneys, bones and liver.

"You're a pervert" and damn proud of it!