JoyfulC

So much for that plot twist! Haha! Remind me not to tell you what movies I'm going to see. ;)

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wrote it on a dare. I never wrote a ghost story before, and that's because I don't believe in ghosts. God forbid, I should be challenged to write zombie or vampyre erotica. My head will explode!

I actually did write a letter to the editor of The Sun once, BackRubMan. It was back when a change to the law allowing women to go topless in public places was being discussed. Myself? I would never go topless in public. Maybe at the beach when I was younger (...wouldn't want to scare anyone these days!). But my daughter was in her late teens around that time, and we discussed it and she said she saw nothing wrong with it. She went on to become quite the world traveler and has gone topless and even nude on beaches all around the world. Right after that, Earl McRae published an editorial in which he (as near as I can recall) questioned the mental health of any woman who would go topless in public. My letter simply said that the only "boob" we needed to see less of in Ottawa was Mr. McRae himself. Oddly, they didn't publish it.

It's on my blog, here: http://joyfulc1957.livejournal.com/114326.html Be gentle! I'm an SP, not a writer!! ;)

When I was a kid, every week it was something different with me. Among other things, I wanted to be a nun, a spy, an aircraft mechanic, a race car driver. I majored in chemistry because I liked chemistry -- and now I look back in horror at how close I came to working in a job I surely would have hated (Monsanto? Dow? Bayer? Big Pharma! I shudder to think!!!!) I started young being an SP, but I have to say that I was quite underwelmed for the first ten years or so. I was an avid reader of Cosmo magazine, and so I thought all call girls were filthy rich but somewhat tragically misunderstood and lonely. However, when I first started, you pretty much had to work for an agency or massage parlour. Being independent was *ahem* a tough row to ho! ;) I certainly didn't find the business as exotic or glamorous as I thought it would be. And I hated being herded around by people making money off me. (Although, to be fair, a good agent is more precious than gold. Most that I knew simply weren't good.) I did do as much freelancing as possible -- which was the upscale version of streetwalking, only done in hotel lounges in areas where business travelers congregated. It was never enough to throw off the yoke of the agencies, though. Around about my mid-20s, being an independent suddenly became much more do-able. And then this just took off for me. I cannot imagine being in any other line of work -- well, okay, I might enjoy being a librarian -- but really, this business has been so good to me, and continues to give me such a precious life, that I feel an intense gratitude every day of my life to have stumbled into it. Look in the dictionary under "lucky" -- my pic will be there!

Interesting thread! A couple years back, I went in with a few other ladies on an experiment to get more bang for our buck out of some classified advertising. Having limited line space to work with, there was some debate as to what wording we should use. All I asked is that we not use "upscale" -- no way could I pull that one off!!! ;) I long ago stopped thinking in terms of advertising and think only in terms of connecting with those who are right for me. So my ads tend to be more about them than about me. If anything, I try to downplay anything that might generate a broader appeal because I understand that my demographic is very specific. Trying to sell to everyone would just waste everyone's time and would waste my time as well. Many of us don't need a lot of new business, as we base our bread and butter on repeat business. And that's why so many SPs keep their advertising understated and low-key. However, I'm not at all prepared to state that anyone who "oversells" is a poor SP. She may be still figuring out advertising, or she may be getting some atrocious advice from someone who self-identifies as a "marketing expert." I'm not at all convinced that there's a correlation between the quality of an SPs advertising and her quality of service. Poor advertising strategies are more likely to result in more work for the SP as a consequence than anything else.

As an agnostic, I don't know whether there is a god. But if there is, she must have one hell of a sense of humour to put so many pleasure receptors in our a""holes!

I've always found grass lawns a form of mass insanity. Why would we choose the hardest thing to grow, that is most vulnerable to weed infestation, that requires the most attention and resources?? Have you given any thought to xerescaping your lawn with one or more ground cover plants that require substantially less water than grass lawns, require no or almost no mowing or weed treatment, and which are softer on the feet? You may have to check to see if there are any bylaws preventing this. (Yes! It's true! I've even heard of people being fined for putting a vegetable garden in their front yard! Insanity abounds.) But if it is legal in your area, and if you own your home, you could consider the conversion to xerescaping an investment that may very well add to your home's value. It's the way of the future.

How creepy! I just had a dream about this a couple nights back!!

In 2002, I caught an excellent documentary on TV called "The Need To Know: The trial of Paul Bernardo" or something like that. It was more about the media feeding frenzy than about the killings (and that was every bit as sick and twisted as the crimes). It was a fascinating and rare exposé of the exposers themselves. I'd love to see it again and have been looking for it online. I found a place where I can buy the DVD, but I'd rather see it online, and I would be prepared to rent it. So far, no luck. If you know where it is, please PM me. Thx.

I saw an interview with Minister Toews a couple days back, and he said that currently this information is given to the police without a warrant on a voluntary basis. This law would make it mandatory. But I can't imagine any Canadian ISP not voluntarily turning over this info if they were told it was part of an investigation into child pornography. However, I can see some insisting on a warrant if it appeared the police were targeting environmentalists, dissenters, or political opposition for the party currently in power. He also mentioned nothing about the requirement for ISPs and cell phone providers and such to provide "backdoor" access so the police can listen in, read people's email, and see where they're going online. I have been in Canada for thirty years. It was difficult at first for me to adapt to Canadian values, but these days, I'm an ardent supporter of them. (You won't catch me shopping on a Sunday. ;) ) The Harper Government's agenda seems devoid of the Canadian values I came to know and embraced. Is this the Canada we want?

I doubt this has a damned thing to do with child pornography, and to suggest it does is an insult to all our intelligence. I think it's more likely that this government wants to keep tabs on anyone organizing to oppose any of the elite interests they serve (because they're sure in the hell not serving OUR interests). Only recently, this govt has been heard to brand those with environmental concerns and who oppose tar sands development and pipelines as "eco-extremists," "enemies of Canada" and potential terrorists. They insist we'll all be better off for gouging a chunk the size of France and Germany combined out of our boreal forest, and shipping off the filthy sludge to China (via Gulf of Mexico or Northern BC), but I'm betting that while the GDP may nudge up, little prosperity will trickle down to most of us. I'm betting that we'll soon be handed extra heaping helpings of austerity.

They speak so rapidly!! But even still, in this clip, they're speaking way slower than my next door neighbours. When I listen to them, it's like they're firing AK-47s at each other!

Thanks, but I'm not sure I want to play with "real" money. I have been playing on ZyngaPoker, and I suppose it costs something, since I have to buy chips occasionally (especially when my husband burns through my stack with his "go all in!" strategies -- I keep telling him, this ain't Casino Royale, and he ain't James Bond). I will check out the books mentioned here -- thanks! I just won my second ever tournament today, but really, I feel like I have no strategy whatsoever. Right now, my only strategy amounts to only playing hands that are pretty good. That doesn't seem to work too badly with the crowd on Zynga, but something tells me I'd get creamed trying that anywhere else.

I learned to play hold 'em poker over the past year, and man! I'm BAD at it! I don't (and never would) play for money, but I've been browsing books, looking for something to at least help me improve enough to soothe my ego. There are so many! Any recommendations?

I wasn't at the trial, and so I only know from news reports, but their defense was downright laughable. I'm so relieved they were convicted and sentenced harshly. Speaking as an immigrant myself, I am astounded that people would choose to emigrate to a country and then wouldn't want their children to adopt the values of that country or assimilate. Why didn't they move to a country where women and girls are brutally oppressed? They obviously felt there were advantages to coming to Canada, but it's too bad they thought they could enjoy the benefits without any responsibility back to Canada, without having to embrace and live by our values.

Many thanks to all who helped me get through this excellent book, "Revenir de loin" by Marie Laberge. I just finished it and, despite the trouble I had with the juoal, it was very well written and conceived. I'd recommend it to anyone! It's the story of a woman who awakens from a coma with no memory of her personal life. In the hospital, she meets a young tough who is facing life as a double amputée. Together they find a way from their broken selves, not back to the lives they lived before their accidents, but forward to new and more satisfying lives. In particular, she must go back and remember some extremely painful things to make sense of the choices that led her to be living a life she didn't like much just prior to the accident. In finding her way along, she finds the healing that she hadn't done in the past and is finally free to go forward. And she helps her young tough guy too. I think juoal is like a big dog -- once you stop being afraid of it, it stops being menacing. I will note though that it wasn't until the very last pages of the book that some dialogue between two of the characters tipped me off to something huge that had evaded me until then: "y" is apparently he, and "a" is apparently she. Doh! Again, thanks to all those who helped me here and privately.

Whoops! You're right. I should have googled first!! Thanks! (and it is a very good book -- maybe not one I would have selected myself, but I'm very much enjoying it)

Thanks to all the help here, I'm finding it much easier to read the dialogue with the character who speaks thick juoal. But now I have a new problem. There's a word I encountered -- not in dialogue, so I doubt it's slang: "bardasse." It's not in any dictionary I own, including my Dictionnaire Larousse. As in: "Elle bouscule et bardasse tout ce qu'elle touche." Thanks in advance!

One of my new year's resolutions in 2010 was to learn to read French. My resolution last year was to improve my French reading skills -- and I think that went well! Three of my resolutions this year are 1) to continue improving my French reading skills; 2) to develop some basic French writing skills; and 3) to learn to hear French. Towards the last, I purchased an episode of Mirador off iTunes over the holidays, and I will work with it until I can figure out what they're saying. (I'm already able to pick up some... Only trouble is, they don't speak on there like my neighbours speak. My French neighbours all seem much more animated and lively in their speaking. And waaaaayyyy faster.) And I will carry forward my resolution from last year to continue paring down our physical possessions. When Fred and I first married, everything we owned fit in his van and my little car. I doubt we'll ever achieve that again, but I'd at least like to get it down to the point where we could move over the course of a few hours with just a small moving van. And I really need to get new pics and videos. I think my hair is finally stabilizing. :-/

"The secret to walking on water is knowing where the rocks are." -- Bootsy Collins "You never get what you pay for, and you always pay for what you get." -- The Brides of Funkenstein "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich and the poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." -- Anatole France "The right to do something does not mean doing it is right." -- William Safire "The tragedy of my life is that I'm treated better when I'm making money than when I'm spending it." -- JoyfulC "I've told you a million times not to exaggerate." -- JoyfulC's husband

A few years back, when I still kept an apartment in Ottawa for entertaining, I had some stalkers who used to phone me up. First it was some guy who would get on the phone, apparently wanting to use my services, but who would berate me for being older. The poor lad was dumber than a stump and I often made quick work of him -- I mean, really. If you don't feel someone is worth seeing, why call them up??? Call someone you want to see. Most of the time, once I got the better of him, some chick would grab the phone and screech at me that I was too old and I should just retire. ???? Why? Did she think business would be better for her if I retired? Unlikely. I was (and still am) getting plenty of business. Why should I retire when there is still a demand for my services? I would never pretend that I'm the best choice for everyone or even most people, nor would I lie about my age. But fact is, I have a bigger problem with guys trying to sneak around my "over 40" requirement than I do with trying to get business. The business is still rolling in steady for me. Today I saw a new customer who sheepishly admitted at the door that he was only 36. I went ahead an saw him, and he was a nice enough guy so I'll see him again -- but that happens to me all the time. My age preference is much stronger than those of the customers. I'm honest -- they're often not. I was saying to my husband just the other day that I really was born at just the right time. When I was a young girl, young girls were all the rage. Now, I'm an older woman when older women seem to be all the rage. Whatever. The thing is, people see (and accept seeing) those whom they prefer. Retirement in this business is a lot the same as it is in a sport, such as hockey. Some players don't go far, but others continue to be valuable players into their old age. They may not be right for all teams -- some teams might be focusing more on younger players -- but for those teams that need a more mature* player, there are still slots. (*I use the term "mature" loosely. Nobody my age would cop to being mature. Maturity is something way overrated by the young. ;) )

Maybe our "funks" keep us honest and humble, and remind us that we really need to be receptive to the feedback of others around us. I don't get in a funk so much over any time of year, but every time I feel like I'm "coming down with something," I get a strong feeling that "nobody loves me." It might not be true, but maybe it's not such a bad thing as it reminds me that I still need to earn the love and respect of others, and to be sensitive to their feelings. As difficult as this might be to experience, perhaps it makes us better people.

It depends on the friend. If you know her well enough, you'll know what she'll love best. Myself, I prefer handmade or homegrown or homecooked gifts. But I did once have someone bring me an order of suicide hot take-out wings and a cactus one day -- yeah! That worked for me! Remember, it's not the gift but the thought that counts. If your thoughts are right, no matter what you give her, it will be right.

No. Really?? Additional Comments: I agree with you 100% there. In fact, our one fender is unpainted -- we've been meaning to get the whole car repainted, but attention deficit disorder, eh? ;) This car will be a little different to maintain than those we've had before. We don't expect much from a car -- just to get us down the road reliably -- but we may have to do some learning to accomplish that with this one. I ordered a Haynes Manual and it has been shipped. I'm dying to see what it has to say. Who knows? I think I read somewhere recently that there's software you can buy to link into your car's system to get readings and such. We'll see. This is a whole new world for us. But we're both good at cars, aircraft and computers so we should be fine.