EZEtoGRU

I agree that it seems the regulations are not as tight as they used to be regarding headlights.  Also, I bet there is very little enforcement to ensure headlights are in compliance with the regulations.  I am sure there are aftermarket headlights sold that are not compliant with the law.  30-50 years ago, police would stop people for things like this (overly bright headlights).  I doubt that happens much today.
...and don't get me started on another pet peeve of mine regarding vehicles:  Windows tinted so dark that you literally cannot see the person inside.  Again, the police used to stop cars for having their windows tinted too dark.  Today, the police would be too afraid to stop such a car out of fear that the driver might have a weapon they cannot see.

Mine's a fairly recent low-to-the-ground sedan with a horizontal strip of LED's.  I get flashed occasionally and flash my brights back to let them know I'm not trying to be inconsiderate.  I've got to work with the headlights I've got.
With the incredible range of headlight shapes, sizes and elevations these days, I find it hard to believe that regulations are as tight as they used to be.  I'm often staring directly into the headlights of oncoming cars or trucks and blue-white LED's are harsh.
That said, they do light up the road quite nicely.
There's been a lot of evolution in LED technology and it's now possible for LED lights to have warmer wavelengths.  I'm hoping that regulations will likewise evolve and create tighter standards for roadway illumination as well as for oncoming driver comfort and safety.  The last thing we need is a blinded driver coming at us. 😳

American drivers have a blinding headlight problem. It could last for years.
Madison Hall Feb 13, 2023, 10:33 AM ET
The Business Insider 
* Drivers say they're routinely getting blinded by surrounding cars' headlights.
* This isn't because headlight regulations have changed — regulations on brightness haven't been altered in decades.
* In reality, it's due to misaligned headlights, taller vehicles, and the changing hue of the lights.
 
Since moving away from the suburbs and into Chicago, Ashley Seery's been blinded by headlights more than ever. She said she doesn't even drive at night anymore in an attempt to remedy the problem.
"It's to the point where I will avoid driving at night because some headlights are just so bright," Seery said. "They can literally blind me. I have to turn my mirrors away so that I can drive in peace without the glare."
Seery's not alone. There are entire communities and online petitions devoted to discussing blinding headlights. 
This isn't because headlight regulations have shifted — they haven't changed in decades, according to Greg Brannon, AAA's director of automotive engineering. But the lights themselves have.
John Bullough, the program director at the Light and Health Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has been sounding the alarm on the topic for years. Bullough, who works closely with headlights and vehicle manufacturers to try to address the issues, said there are three primary factors that have shifted in the past few decades that caused headlights to appear brighter and cause more glare. 
First off, vehicles, especially in the US, are getting taller and taller. Adding to that, the color of many headlights has shifted from a warmer, yellow hue to a harsher, blue-white one. And finally, most cars have at least one headlight that's misaligned. This isn't a new problem, but other shifts have made it into a serious issue.
The misalignment problem
The most important factor, Bullough said, is how common it is for cars to have headlights out of alignment.
"We actually did some measurements not too long ago and found that probably about two-thirds of every car had at least one headlight that was either aimed too high up, which is something that creates a lot of glare for other drivers, or too far down, which essentially limits their visibility."
A key issue is that, as cars are produced, there isn't a specific entity tasked with ensuring alignment. 
Matt Brumbelow, a senior research engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, explained that the federal regulations over car headlights are "equipment-based standards only," meaning that the headlight is certified independently of the vehicle itself.
After installation, "there's no testing to make sure that it's still aimed properly or that it's putting out enough light on the road and it's not glaring other drivers," Brumbelow said.
Americans love a big truck
Another contributing factor, Bullough explained, is the size (and height) of the average car is increasing. And as cars get taller, he said, the placement of the headlights rises alongside it. This, in turn, can lead to an increase in drivers getting blinded.
According to JD Power, a consumer intelligence company, 52.7% of vehicles sold in 2010 were either SUVs or trucks. By 2021, that number was to up to 78.5%.
American cars are bigger than vehicles from many other countries for several reasons, according to MotorBiscuit, including larger streets, lower gas prices, and the desire for more room.
Higher vehicles mean the band of light is raised up by foot or more, Bullough said. "That means that there's going to be more opportunity to create glare for other drivers as well."
The changing hue of car headlights
As cars have modernized, many manufacturers have moved away from the standard halogen bulb — which produces a yellowish light — in lieu of LEDs, which usually produce a bluer, white light. 
According to Mark Rea, a professor at the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, there is a fundamental issue with how light is measured: There's bias against certain blue hues in the spectrum.
A warm, yellowish hue of light is gentler to the human eye.
This is where, to many, the problem lies: the shine of an LED light — due to its added blue light — appears to be brighter than a warmer yellow halogen headlight despite generating the same amount of candlepower, a unit used to measure light.
"The eye is sensitive to those blue wavelengths, but the light meter is not," Rea added.
There's a solution, but it's years away
In February 2022, after being required to by Congress' Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a rule officially allowing automakers to install adaptive driving beam headlights onto new vehicles.
Adaptive driving beams automatically adjust the high beams emitted from LED car headlights in real time to avoid blinding pedestrians and other drivers. 
The tech has been legal in most countries outside of the US, and experts say they could make a noticeable difference once rolled out.
But don't expect to see it anytime soon on American roads due to the complexity of the NHTSA's regulations around adaptive driving beams, which differ tremendously from Europe.
"We're still not aware of any that are available in the US, so it might take a few years for the manufacturers to make sure that their high beam or their adaptive driving beam technology meets the requirements that the NHTSA has released," Brumbelow said.
But there isn't any legislation or regulations in place that'll force manufacturers to implement adaptive driving beams into their vehicle lines by a certain date.
So prepare for the immediate future to be even brighter, as the blinding glare problem may get worse before it gets better.

I’ve been a confident nighttime driver my whole adult life, due to a regular work schedule that mostly had me working til around 11pm. Los Angeles Metro, not in the country. Lights of traffic, signage, advertising, everywhere. 
When driving at night now, it seems as if way more cars have brights on, and that brake lights are also more bright. Somebody suggested this is because of LED’s, and I wonder if that’s how the white headlights have that piercing bluish light that is damn near blinding. Is this the new normal? More efficient to make and install, but yikes.
Anyone else bothered by this? To see when I have the green light, I use my hand to block the lower-level piercing death-rays. 😵‍💫

Just back from a  four night trip to Montreal.  Weather was mostly good with the exception of some storms on Sunday and showers today Monday.   I noticed no smoke smell during my time there.  Things were active in The Village with lots of foot traffic.
I visited both Stock and Campus.  I was at Stock Thursday and Friday nights.  Stock is looking great with all the renovations.  Stock & Soda seems to be successful...at least now during the summer.  Plenty of folks sitting on the patio part on the street.  The inside VIP room (Stock Speakeasy?) was inaugurated on Friday.   Somehow, I managed not to check it out.  Oops!  I saw the new owner, Danny, who I remember from his bartender days.  He seemed really upbeat about everything.  DJ Anthony also made an appearance on Thursday for his hosting duties of the Studio Show.    Stock currently has more employees than I have ever seen previously.   The current level of business seems to support the increased number of staff.  Although, Thursday was relatively slow.  Things didn't really get going till after 11:00pm.  Note the weekly summer fireworks have been moved from Saturdays to Thursdays.  As a result, dancers and customers don't really start showing up to Stock till after 10:00.  They had 10-12 dancers there on Thursday and some didn't turn up till after 10:00pm.  So it was fairly slim pickings before 10:00pm.  Alex the bartender was on duty at the main bar by the shower stage.  He is always good fun.  I ended up hanging out with Jasper & Eric most of the evening.  It was good fun.  The crowd was mostly gay men.  Although there were a few ladies there, they did not make for an overpowering presence.
Friday was a very different night.  It  was, of course, much busier at Stock as a weekend night.  Also, the women were present in force.  It felt like a ladies night.  In fact, when I arrived around 8:30, I was advised that there was a special bachelorette-type party going on and that it would be over by 10:00pm.  It must have started at 6 or 7 cause at 8:30 it was already well underway.  Former Stock dancer Parker was the host and he had 2-3 non-Stock dancers plus Gatuso performing for the ladies.  Several of the bachelorettes were brought up on stage and given lap-dances.  It was kind of fun to watch from afar and I assumed they would clear out at 10:00pm.  Well this pre-show did end as scheduled  and the ladies were told that if they wanted to continue on at Stock, they would need to go out and pay the Stock cover-charge and re-enter.  It seems most of them did that and the female presence just grew larger as the night progressed.   All the chairs closest to the stage were occupied by females.  Men seemed to be in the minority in the bar.  The dancer line-up consisted of many attractive guys (Jo, Jasper, Vinny, Gatuso (from Tunisia), Barack (from Costa Rica), Bran, Denzel, Miguel, and Santiago).  There were a few others there as well which I would consider duds...at least for my taste.  Former Stock dancer Tyler also made an appearance as a customer.  We had a quick chance to catch-up since I had not seen him since before COVID.  He is not currently dancing anywhere.   I had fun both nights. at Stock.  
Thursday, I stopped in briefly at Campus between stays at Stock.  I seemed to be there during the transition from the day talent to the evening talent.  The daytime boys were largely forgettable in my view.  A few of the nighttime guys coming in looked interesting but I did not stay long enough to see any of them perform.  A couple of the daytime dancers were overly-aggressive which I did not appreciate.   Campus had roughly the same amount of clients on Thursday as Stock so , due to its smaller size, Campus appeared busier.  There was only a token presence of ladies at Campus on Thursday.
I returned to Campus on Saturday and what a difference.  It was packed with a whole lot more dancers.  Two very big body-builder types.  Also there were multiple muscular younger guys at Campus that seemed to be lacking at Stock.  I hung out with three dancers Saturday night and had great fun.   The bartender John was a hoot also.  He enjoyed gradually removing his clothes while working.    The former dancer red-headed Manager (I don't remember his name) was working Saturday and I had an opportunity to speak with him.  I told him I first saw him dancing way back when at West Side on Beaver Hall when they had strippers.  That's quite a few years ago now.  There were a few more women at Campus on Saturday than on Thursday but it did not feel overwhelming to me.
I did not go to the clubs on Sunday so nothing to report there.
My conclusions overall:
*  The Stock renovation looks wonderful and is bringing in increased business to Stock & Soda and also the main strip club.
*  Stock still has to work on getting the guys naked on stage.  There are multiple guys (mostly the newer ones) that do not get naked.  Some don't even flash their goods.
*  The dancer talent at Stock has improved over the last few months.  This is partially due to getting back some of the former Stock strippers that had stopped stripping or had moved to Campus.   That is all good, (and kudos to Stock management for achieving this) but Stock also needs to get some muscular younger talent .  We need to have some fresh younger faces to go along with the veterans.  
* Stock needs to get more dancers to come in earlier.  Many dancers not arriving till 10:00 or even 11:00pm  just doesn't work for me.  I like to start fairly early.  I really want to see most of the guys by 9:00pm so I can decide who to spend time with.  I would guess that most older customers 45+ (with bank in their pocket) would much prefer to have most dancers around  by 9:00pm rather than have to wait till 11:00pm to see the top guys.
*  The Women at Stock.  Something needs to be done about this.  I know it's a difficult issue as one cannot discriminate.   But the women on Friday (after the earlier bachelorette event)  were the dominant force for the entire night.  I wanted to tip one of the dancers on the stage and found it very difficult to even get close.  I was told Saturday night was similar at Stock.
I hope to return to Montreal this summer.  I really really don't want to be spending my gay dollars in Florida if I don't have to.  I am happy with the great progress at Stock in just three months but look for further improvements on the items highlighted above.  I really want to return more regularly if possible.
 
 

YOU are responsible for YOUR own health.  
My hope is that those who lie about their status are also on daily meds that keep them undetectable.  U=U.
Since that's impossible to know for sure, if you're going to tread amongst male escorts and the sex trade, it's your responsibility to protect yourself.
Unregulated industries have their downsides.   This is one of them.

At the end of the day is up to you to take care of your own health whether is by taking a pill a day, wearing a condom or doing both! 
We've had PrEP for 6 or more years and condoms before, it breaks my heart to see young folks who are HIV+ as if they didn't know better what not to do

All is good.  Americans continue to feel better about inflation and the economy:
Americans continue to feel better about inflation and the economy | CNN Business
WWW.CNN.COM US consumers have been feeling a whole lot better this summer as inflation has continued to slow.  

I think we can all agree there is really no inflation problem in the US right now.  The trend has been towards lowering inflation for more than a year.  The Fed may raise rates one more time this week just to finish the job.  I see no further rate increases this year (since there is no longer an inflation issue) unless there is another oil crisis or a major COVID resurgence.  Hard to predict.  

I haven't flown on a small plane for decades. But back in the day, when I was flying in places like Hawaii, the Caribbean and in Canada in remote places on small planes, we were never weighed. But then we were very fit and height and weight proportionate.  
In those days I was 5'11", 160 pounds and had a 30 inch waist. Same with my boyfriend although he was an inch taller. I think they just took one look at us and gave us a pass.

Tall people don't waste more fuel and effect overall weight & balance... Overweight people do. 
That's the bottom line when flying in smaller aircraft or helicopters.
However, larger people who can't fit into one seat in commercial aircraft should be required to purchase a second seat. 

Saw Barbie last week.  Oppenheimer this week.  Oppenheimer the way Nolan wants us to on 35mm Imax, not just Imax.  Meh.  Barbie sucked.  Oppenheimer was good, too long, by no means a work of art like There Will be Blood, but not boring.  Enjoy.

What??
So I point out the behaviors a poster has done in the past and then I am accused of making fun of Autism & Asperger???  Mary you need to lay off the alcohol.

Ask him how many times he has complained about his home market and then moved to a new market...and then complained about the new market😉.

Ask him how many times he has complained about his home market and then moved to a new market...and then complained about the new market😉.

I am aiming to do that, however it’s not as easy as just dropping everything and going. I used to be able to do that more readily in my 20s, but now I realize doing that means making concessions for change of license, health insurance, car insurance.
 
Example: I always had the desire to move to Arizona, but when I brought a used car there one year: I didn’t realize how hectic it is to get a tag. Such as: won’t pass emissions if your check engine light is on. Then that’s a rabbit hole of additional expenses to pay.
Then when I took the car to Florida, I was hit with another surprise in change of insurance rate and “one time new resident” fee. Which fortunately I was able to bypass, considering I had a license plate from there previously. But it took multiple trips to the DMW to figure that out. 
Of course non of that is unattainable, however: that makes it take more time. In the meantime however, I travel my ass (and other parts) as much as I can. But, I’m not able to consistently stay on the road long enough, to always be the new guy in town. Especially in the summer, I have a tropical garden that I can’t always rely on it to get rain, and it’s been close to 100 degrees everyday. 
So I usually have to come back and regroup in between trips, but that often means not being in a position to immediately travel again. And this month, has been exactly that. After sashaying in a few cities during May, June and early part of July: I’m beat from the heat and expensive hotel rooms. Not to mention, lot of areas this summer can be slow anyway due to vacations, kids out etc.
 

Gurl, have a seat 🪑 
I have moved to different markets HOWEVER: I have also seen markets CHANGE. For example, Nashville was once a somewhat lucrative market for me. Wasn’t always the best. But it was better than what it is now. The amount of ads have tripled, and the prices of living have skyrocketed. My last trip there last month, I stayed for a week and earned less than $300. Minus the amount I spent on the hotel…It was horrible. But not surprising. It’s too saturated.
Just because I’ve switched markets doesn’t necessarily mean it was the market I chose. Most times I’ve moved, it’s been due to a reason not related to the business, or to be closer to relatives. Exceptions were Denver, which I first moved back in 2011. It used to be a gold mine, but similar to nashville: it became overpriced, overnight; and saturated with sex workers: When I moved there, it was only like 5-10 of us.
 
Cities change all the time. What was hot in 2016 might not be popping in 2023. Making mocking statements isn’t necessary. It takes a bit more understanding of these things.
 
Exactly! And even high expenses doesn’t guarantee more opportunities in the industry either. So many guys getting into it, it’s not the same it seems.
The good news is, there’s opportunities still in crowded cities. Sometimes it just depends on where one’s look will sell the best.
Even though I complained a little bit about San Diego earlier this year, overall I did GREAT because all my visit were $250+, sent deposits without fuss, and were fun during the session. But I only met 4 during my 2-3 weeks there. I had wanted like 2-3 during the week, and 1-2 on the weekend. It just wasn’t as busy as I wanted it to be, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a good time. And the nightlife…was giving everything lol. Not to mention the beach:

I’d move to San Diego if I had the means to do so. However I can’t just up and go without a couple thousands to drop on a place or a roommate who already has a place. It’s just not a joke to move there on a limited budget. I need $5,000. 
 
How much income is required to afford rent in San Diego?
FOX5SANDIEGO.COM As rent prices continue to climb across the country, San Diego appears to be no exception.  

Well @Jarrod_Uncut is an honest poster! 
Unfortunately people like him (providers) can't hide in a public forum and don't have the privacy that we have.
I would suggest not making fun of subjects like autism, Asperger,  etc. reminds me of a big orange bully!

Ask him how many times he has complained about his home market and then moved to a new market...and then complained about the new market😉.

Yes but can a smart techy fix a lousy attitude?

Ask him how many times he has complained about his home market and then moved to a new market...and then complained about the new market😉.

C'mon!
 

Yes but can a smart techy fix a lousy attitude?

You are right.  I was just in Montreal and spent three nights around the village.  I felt completely safe, saw very few homeless people, and never got pan-handled once.  I would say The Village has changed compared 20 years ago.  However, to me, it's basically the same as it has been for the last 7-8 years.  So I would say it's pretty stable now.   
Like you, I don't seek hotels in The Village any more.  Been there done that 30 years ago but not now.  Obviously, to each his own.

I said Big Mac MEAL.  Things are not good as @EZEtoGRUalleges.  Everything has skyrocketed the past two and 1/2 years.  Millions of people are going to have their power cut off soon because they can't afford the utility bill.  Wages have been stagnant and definitely not keeping up with the inflation of the past two and 1/2 years.  Now car insurance and home insurance premiums are skyrocketing.  It's terrible!  

All is good.  Americans continue to feel better about inflation and the economy:
Americans continue to feel better about inflation and the economy | CNN Business
WWW.CNN.COM US consumers have been feeling a whole lot better this summer as inflation has continued to slow.