mike carey

I think you've missed the point. What Russ was saying, and what his twee video attempted to portray was that the idea of the Alpha male as a cultural and biological inevitability is nonsense. The idea of an assertive, dominant, entitled male who thinks he runs the world is very much alive, but that's not the same thing. Oh, and Russ can be as alpha as he likes, whether that is a thing or not.

Interesting. I had expected (I won't say assumed) that it would take a little longer than that. And I don't mean for you in particular, just as a general case.

Good to see you on here again, Rico.

To clarify, that was to the review site, not the forum. Of late Daddy has been reporting on his progress at upgrades and rewrites of site software. That would be taking up a lot of his time, so I suspect that is why he hasn't been looking for articles to which to post links. The page is still there every day, it's just that its content has been pared back.

In situations like this, I think it is unhelpful to quote what someone says and challenge them on it, as it denies them the opportunity to recast their words. By all means challenge them, but including referenced text is not necessary. Once in here, I said something regrettable and decided to delete it, but before I had done so someone quoted the whole passage and said it was a shitty thing to say. I edited what I said, but my challenger had ensured that the original remained on record. In this sort of industry of course people should declare their income for tax, but claiming expenses is problematic, so it would be understandable if net income were declared rather than declare the gross income and run the risk of a censorious IRS agent disallowing valid business expenses.

Yep, twee AF. Thanks, @Russ.

https://m4m-forum.org/threads/working-at-palm-springs-weekend-2018.131219/

Happy birthday, have a great day. I love the humanity of everything you post and the dose of real life that you have brought us. I look forward to the next instalment whenever that is!

Ministers of religion are automatically accredited as celebrants, so after the church ceremony they go into the vestry and sign the state paperwork. Churches are exempt from having to perform same sex marriages although some of them, the Uniting Church for example, are considering doing so. There are probably churches who have already decided to do so, it just hasn't been discussed anywhere I've seen.

Also, it's dangerous to buy in the 'irrational exuberance' phase of something that could be a bubble, and that's where bitcoin is now. If you hold them, by all means keep some, but sell say half and take the profits rather than risk losing it all if the bubble bursts. If you're happy to lose the lot, by all means keep 'em all.

Births, Deaths and Marriage registries around Australia (they are state, not Federal offices) amended their web sites with the new forms* and rostered on extra staff on Saturday. It was one of their busier days. Couples hoping to be married in January may end up being frustrated, there may not be enough celebrants available. The ACT will waive its normal fees for couples who were married under its ill-fated marriage laws in 2013. and for those in civil partnerships. Kim Davis was not seen anywhere. *The old forms had two columns for the people to by married, the first one for the groom and the second for the bride. The new ones have two columns (no polygamy here) both of which have check boxes for groom, bride or partner. So, subversively, opposite sex couples no longer have to list the groom first.

The Australian Ambassador to France proposes to his partner, perhaps too publicly. Perhaps not!

You could rent a room in a seedy hotel and arrange to meet him there. I understand there is such a thing in NYC. Or hell, book a nice hotel!!

That's cool. It is fun: social, friendly, low-key and no pressure.

To summarise, it's a social weekend involving a lunch and a pool party (and perhaps a dinner as well) with a number of clients and escorts who, if they do not live there, stay at the various gay resorts in Palm Springs. In between formal events, many of the resorts have enough participants staying to ensure that there is plenty of socialising around the pool or elsewhere. I'm surprised that wasn't clear from the other postings in this thread. If you search for the thread about the 2017 weekend, you will find an indication of how it worked out that time.

Perhaps, but not uncommon. Running a currency isn't cheap for a very small country. Several South Pacific countries use the AUD, and several in southern Africa use the ZAR, and although they issue their own currencies at par with the Rand, the Rand is legal tender in them.

Interesting side point, the Bill was passed four years to the day after the first same-sex weddings in Australia. The Australian Capital Territory legalised them in 2013 and there was a quick flurry of solemnisations, but seven days later the High Court struck down the ACT Act, thus voiding those marriages.

UK in Australia ‏Verified account @ukinaustralia 10h10 hours ago Today we have raised the rainbow flag over the British High Commission in Canberra to celebrate with Australia in this historic moment The Australian Parliament has voted to change the Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry #marriageequality#loveislove #LoveisGREAT [ATTACH=full]14672[/ATTACH]

No, for most things legal status as a couple is available to both married and unmarried couples. Marriage is automatically evidence of being a couple whereas people in de facto relationships need to provide more evidence. For means tested benefits, which count both partners' income to determine eligibility, any appearance of it being a mutually supportive relationship rather than house-mates makes you part of a couple. And they can be intrusive in investigating. Ironically, when this was introduced a few years ago it was to the disadvantage of same sex couples. Before that they were deemed to be single so unemployment benefits and pensions didn't consider their partner's income and their previous entitlements weren't grandfathered. Tax returns are filed individually with no option for joint filing, so marriage makes no difference. Australian states have a governor who is also the representative of the Queen. The governors' link to the crown is direct, not via the governor general.

It's still the Royal Anthem so it's used in any events involving royalty (not the GG though). The Bill received royal assent in the last few minutes and will come into force at midnight. From then foreign marriages will be recognised here, but the first weddings will only be possible on about 9 Jan as there is a requirement to give 30 days' notice of intention to marry. From tomorrow the words 'marriage is between one man and one woman' will no longer have to be said in the ceremony.

People in the public gallery of the House of Reps after the vote was taken.

It is done!! The Marriage Amendment Bill was passed with only four votes against it. (House Standing Orders provided that with so few no votes, the yes votes were not counted.) Welcome to he 21st Century.

The debate in the House of Representatives is coming to a close, they are voting now on whether to put religious freedom/freedom of speech amendments into the Bill. Several earlier amendments of the same sort were defeated. This final vote was 63-79, so the amendments failed.

Who isn't?