The Back Door in Fremont is designed like an oldschool speakeasy with some pretty amazing art on the walls and one of a kind lamp fixtures, many of which they purchased from Europe. They recently started putting on shows that include burlesque -maybe not romantic, per se, but always sexy- and they have a little curtained and mirrored cove that is perfect for a date. Their cocktails are STRONG and for the strength and quality, are fairly cheap ($7 where it would cost $10 on the Hill); three of them will knock you on your ass. l know l'm late to the conversation, but you should check it out anyway.

Yep, let's make this happen. I've been slacking, sorry. I'll make a separate thread and we'll get this going.

I think this is a comedic skit that isn't necessarily based on an actual fetish. But hey, l bet it'll become one for at least one guy who watches this.

I second the Couchsurfing recommendation. It's free, and a great way to meet generous and accommodating locals. Basically, people offer up their homes to you, and as long as you're a responsible and respectful guest, a good time is usually had by all. There are ratings and reviews, so you have a measure of reliability in the matter.

They may or may not be able to show you around, though that's usually part of the package when they aren't working, but are also cool with you going off and doing your own thing too. I just think it's a wonderful -and of course, cheap- way to hang in a new place. Technically free, but it's nice to take them out for drinks and/or make them dinner in return for their hospitality, which is a small price to pay.

Be honest and ask them. Some food inspectors assigned to certain areas are notorious for knocking off points on complete and utter bullshit with little to no hazard risk. Add to that nervous cooks who may fuck up somehow on the job while the inspection is ongoing, and you might see a much lower rating than the restaurant deserves.

I worked in the restaurant industry for over a decade. Most places l worked or managed we cleaned regularly, because health inspectors love to drop in unannounced and do random checks. We would still be floored by some of the low scores we got and the shit they docked us on. This is why it's hard for a popular joint to get a genuinely shitty rating - in a recession with random health checks, the possibility of the business being shut down is pretty high, so most people don't fuck around unless they're undercooking chicken or some shit. A coworker once got docked for wearing his wedding ring. While metal can be conducive to bacteria, the fact that he wore gloves during all food preparation kind of neutralized the issue, yet he was penalized anyway. Some inspectors are overly germophobic assholes with a lust for power and a sadistic streak. For the record, in all my years working and eating in my own restaurants, l've never once had food poisoning.

l would speak with the owner and just ask straight up what the deal is. Not everything is always as it seems.

Anthony Bourdain. Duh.

I'd say Stumbling Monk. Booths on slow days, good spots at the bar even on busy ones, and strong and tasty European (largely Belgian) beers on tap. Score!

I can nanny, have experience with kids, am comfortable changing diapers, l have infant/child first aid and CPR, and l charge $11.50/hr. If interested, l'll shoot you my email.

Well, it seems clear by the votes in this thread that at least one person just HATES all the answers provided, no matter how good they are. So hey, fuck it, l'll throw in my 2 cents.

This sounds like scammy bullshit to me. l fit some of the criteria too, most notably that l am also very observant and aware of my surroundings and those around me, so while l don't get overwhelmed like l used to and have learned to deal with it, l am very tuned in to the events and emotions around me. This is usually a blessing when l can cue into someone who's having a rough day, or see trouble brewing before others do, things like that. And l'm sure that being this way for most of my life probably earned the label 'intense' to some, though l'm a big old extravert and nobody would ever consider me shy or timid.

But do l believe in the HSP? No. l would generally call these traits 'human'. Someone years ago once directed me to a site about lndigo children, who are described by Wikipedia (and various other sites) as such:

"Descriptions of indigo children include the belief that they are empathetic, curious, strong-willed, independent, and often perceived by friends and family as being strange; possess a clear sense of self-definition and purpose; and also exhibit a strong inclination towards spiritual matters from early childhood. Indigo children have also been described as having a strong feeling of entitlement, or "deserving to be here." Other alleged traits include a high intelligence quotient, an inherent intuitive ability, and resistance to authority.[4][6] According to Tober and Carroll, indigo children function poorly in conventional schools due to their rejection of authority, being smarter than their teachers, and a lack of response to guilt-, fear- or manipulation-based discipline.[7]"

Almost every adjective and descriptive here applies (or applied as a child) to me to some degree.  However, after reading more on the topic, it just started sounding cultish and weird after a while, and if nothing else, seemed to have no purpose other than to sell books to parents who thought their kids were special or needed some sort of validation that they weren't shitty parents.  The whole HSP seems this way to me.  Not to mention that there are other disorders (Aspergers comes immediately to mind) that mirror many of these same traits/characteristics, so why wouldn't the HSP 'diagnosis' fit one of those other social disorders first?  And why are they writing separate books for all of this when they could just stick it all together and be done with it?  l'll tell ya - money.  

Yeah, this just sounds fishy to me.

Nectar's a great spot for this kind of thing, and they have a big patio as well as a second floor. Not sure what they charge, but l think it's all on their site, which l believe is www.nectarlounge.com. If you tell them you're my friend and l sent you (my name is Ali, like 'Allie', not the middle Eastern Ali), they might give you a discount. Cheers and good luck!