cat

Don't worry chevysrlemons, we all have posts we'd rather forget we started. Welcome to the board... cat

I have as many Conservative clients as I do Liberals. They genuinely don't want to see this made illegal, but if the religious right gets too noisy and there is nothing to counter it then they will feel cornered. Email ALL the MPs and write your local MP at both his Ottawa office and MRO. Let them know how you feel. Make your voice heard and we won't have to worry about moving backwards instead of forward. cat

This issue is not Conservative or Liberal. The laws in place were left there by the Liberals for over 2 decades so their track record isn't any better. The key is to let the powers that be realize that it's time to move Canada to where it should be and that we are willing to raise our concerns and tell them it is time for change. Old Dog is right, the PMO watch the public comment boards as closely as they do the pollsters. Go to the CBC, CTV, Global and CITYTV websites, participate and voice your opinions. It counts. I know this for a fact, have seen it in action. We must use every means available to bring it to their attention that it is time for them to take our industry seriously and deal with the challenges at hand. As Charlotte said, you do not have to admit to being a client or an SP, but you can contact them directly to let them know this ruling should not be overturned and new legislation is needed to ensure the safety and well being of our industry and our society. cat

This was the day my life went left. I was living in NC. I was driving with a friend, received a call from her mom and we headed straight home to a TV. The chaos locally was insane in our sleepy little alcove of life. We sent the children out to play and sat horrified as we watched the planes slam over and over and over again into the Towers. The replays didn't desensitize, even now I cry every time I see it. Charlotte was the second largest banking sector in the US at the time and local news had decided it was a full blown attack on the US and the next target was Charlotte. Being the consummate planner, I got in my van with my baby girls and drove to Cosco, stocked up on food that carried us for almost 2.5 years. It was also the day that war was declared on Muslims and someone told the police that my husband (a very western Muslim) was sending the proceeds from my agency to Al Quida. One month to the day of the Towers falling, three LE agencies were invading my house at 4 am and life as I knew it was over. Over the next 4 years our life was systematically dismantled and has never been the same. If my husband had been Christian, our situation would not have warranted a second look. Local LE were dumbfounded by the State and Federal actions. We survived drive by shootings at our home and constant police involvement in our daily lives. They took our property, our businesses, our savings, our childrens college funds, and detained us for over 2 years. I often sit and think about those that died in the Towers, and I wonder if they were the lucky ones. The rescue workers live with the horror still as does the entire city of New York. I put my self in their shoes when I start to feel resentful about the fall out in my life from 9/11. No one I loved died or suffers PTSD. That day impacted every ones lives in ways most don't realize. Whether the US had it coming or not is irrelevant, the pain it caused is real and I guess that was the point of the attack. I would not be the person I am today if my life hadn't destructed. I am grateful that I am whole and intact. We should not take our lives for granted, we live blessed existences compared to many in our world and we should never forget that. cat

I am perfect example of someone who does not advertise rates, and I only advertise on occasion. My approach is simple, someone sends me an email to say "Hello, I may want to meet you." and I send an introduction with a little bit about who I am and all the details. I don't expect clients ask "how much?", the onus is on me to inform them. The key is to understand that being shy doesn't mean there can't be a great connection and like Soleil, I love to bring someone out of their shell. If you receive short or unsatisfactory responses from an SP, move on. There are plenty of us out there that will welcome your inquiry. cat

Democracy is rife with "what ifs". Who moderates who? Who is to be trusted to be impartial and unbiased? This is an online, virtual, anonymous community. I would not want to be in charge of finding anyone perfect enough to meet the requirements of monitoring this board, as there is not one participant that doesn't have biases and self interest at hand, while still pleasing the masses that seem to demand their perception of perfection instead of practical application. Given the pettiness, immaturity and nonsense I have seen on the board lately, I would gladly choose to have MOD continue as always and permanently ban the whiners, complainers and shit disturbers. The manipulation and games would push anyone over the fragile edge. I know many "valued" participants would be gone but it would give CERB a fresh start and I for one would be glad to see them go. MOD is constantly taken for granted by both hobbiest and SP alike. Has anyone ever thought of what would happen if CERB were shut down? I mean literally, off the air. Having this board is a privilege not a right. It costs nothing to participate and we all gain from it, but it costs $$$, time, heart and soul to run it. This whole "democracy" issue should have never happened. Who has the right to question and complain about MODs decisions to begin with? It's his board, which means his game, his rules!!! He has the right to make decisions without backlash or complaint from anyone in any form. If you don't like his decisions, LEAVE. There are other boards out there for you to participate on. Don't like those, start your own board. To all of those who have pushed MOD to this, those who complained and pitched hissy fits, give your head a shake, grow up and get a life. You have brought this on CERB. It would serve all those involved if MOD decided to simply close up shop and move on to something that doesn't require hyperbaric sensory deprivation treatments to maintain his sanity. You know who you are. All of you who chose to PM him, giving him a hard time about bans and suspensions. All of you who question his decisions. All of you who take petty squabbles to him instead of being an adult and taking the high road. All of you who feel it's more important to be right than it is to be happy. Life doesn't always work out the way you want it to. Accept it and move on. For those who have been banned, take responsibility for your part in it and....move on. Perhaps if some apologies and self policing were implemented, this would all go away. Use a little common sense and empathy from now on and maybe all of this can be resolved without complicating life any more than it already is. cat

Truer words never spoken 72Nova! As for my name, as a child my dad always referred to me as a cat because it seemed I had nine + lives. I guess he was right, despite his best efforts I still breathe. Catherine was chosen when I was standing on the corner of Catherine and Bronson and was asked what my name was by a stranger. I have always had a connection to the great Catherines in history and it just rolled off my tongue. I haven't really used my given name since grade school so changing names was never a problem. I always know I'm in trouble when approached by strangers who address me by my given name, its always LE. cat

This has disaster written all over it. Stay very far away. cat

I would suggest advertising on EC. It is what pays for CERB and I always found it to a excellent investment. cat

Outside of health and safety, I have 4 rules. 3 of them are negotiable but the 4th is "no socks" and its written in stone. :wink: cat

DO NOT SHAVE YOUR LEGS! It will start a nightmare cycle that is never ending and only smooth for the first day after the shave. Leg stubble is as dangerous as face stubble and rubs a much broader skin surface. I had a lover who had to shave her legs twice a day, we finally decided she had to put pj bottoms on when we slept together. I can't imaging what a mans legs would be like, especially if he has coarse hair. cat

I use my oldest daughters age as a gauge for allowable partners. They need to be 5 yrs older than she is. There have been a couple of exceptions but those were difficult to handle. Last fall I had a guest walk thru the door and I carded him, turns out he's in his early 30's and he is now a treasured favorite! I remember being 18 tho and walking into an appointment and the gentleman was into his late 60's or early 70's and it was not a good scene. I ended up standing in the hall of the hotel naked trying to gather my clothes off the carpet and get out before security found me. He had noooo sense of humor! To this day I cannot see a naked man of any age with an erection and knee high socks, I ROTFLMAO. For me the key is intention. When I was young, I was naive and uncertain. Occasionally I was taken advantage of by older guys who manipulated and who played on youthful insecurities. Age is a personal preference and as long as you treat her with respect, see her as a person and not just a firm body, it's all good. cat

I have read the entire thread and I have to agree with Mod on this. I have just celebrated my 25th anniversary in this in industry and I have seen monumental changes across the spectrum. The internet has revolutionized an ancient industry in many positive ways and some not so positive. I understand why SPs choose to advertise on free sites. We run a tight bottom line and have to maximize our opportunities to make a living. We have to pay the bills. That said, I see CL is personally beneficial, but I feel it is not industry beneficial. The big box store is a great analogy and we all know that those stores are wiping out our small retailers. I shop at Walmart but only when it is a last resort. I prefer dealing with stores that are owned and operated by people like me, people who care about their customers. I want them to know my name and exchange pleasantries while they check me out. I want to deal with people who treat their employees fairly and realize their staff is the most precious asset of their business. I want to patronize establishments that strive each and every day to keep my business and value my presence as a customer. Taking an ethical stand takes backbone. Doing the right thing often isn't easy because it usually requires personal sacrifice, which most people are unwilling to do. Mod did not say to only use CERB for advertising, only that supporting CL is detrimental in this industry because of the fundamental flaw of being unmoderated. It's the Wild West of the SP advertising world. While it's true you can't let a few bad apples spoil the barrel, what if the barrel is full of rotting fruit? Is it worth picking thru the decaying mess to find the one good one at the bottom of the barrel when you could pick one off the tree? If they made it a paid site and moderated it perhaps I would reconsider my opinion of it. At this point, its a rotting messy barrel I'm not willing to stick my arm into. cat

Back atcha baby! cat

I don't mind beards if they are past the prickly stage and well cared for. If you rub your beard on the inside of your upper arm and its scratchy, then it's too rough to be near a woman's delicate spots. I always suggest that one uses hair conditioner on it, really makes it soft. It also depends on who is wearing the beard. I have guests with beards and its not a problem, then others that I have a hard time getting close to because it feels like steel wool. I think it's all in the grooming. cat

I had to think long and hard, as there is not a lot out there that I'm afraid of. I have an aversion to moving swarms or anything else that even looks like it. I've never come across a swarm in real life, save ants and there wasn't enough to be disturbing. I don't like watching anything gory on TV like horror movies or plastic surgery. I have been in situations where there was plenty of real gore and I was fine so maybe its just TV aspect. In the real world not much throws me except LE with arrest warrants and my dad. Lol! cat

I'm pretty sure I talk to much most of the time. Because I only entertain for 2 hr visits, I like to indulge in couch time and get to know someone. It changes the tone and feel of an appointment for me and definitely enhances my experience. Great conversation is such a bonus and I have clients that I can talk to for hours upon hours. I love to play, but I really love to learn, and I learn so much when I talk to people. It is one aspect of my work that I simply wouldn't change. cat

I have many secrets! I read, but a guerrilla reading where I will have several books and magazines and just jump from one to another. I make up the bed with fresh sheets, make toast with peanut butter and honey triangles, fill a platter and grab a mason jar of juice and curl up in my bed and read and leave crumbs everywhere. I sit in the dark and window watch at night. Here in Ottawa I have two buildings to watch and in Calgary I have lots of houses within eyeshot. Sometimes in my robe, sometimes naked, sometimes with binoculars. I love watching people do mundane stuff like make dinner and fold laundry. I actually people watch all the time, everywhere I go. I eat giant boxes of stuff. Cookies, cereal, crackers all with old cheddar cheese and milk. I have a 30x's magnifying mirror. I have seen every inch of my body up way too close. I thread any hair I haven't had lasered when I use the mirror and debate if spackle might be pliable enough to use as a filler on me. I wear 6 inch platforms and loads of silly costume jewelery with my tracksuit when I clean my house. I drink virgin margaritas for breakfast on Sunday and dream of the day I turn 65 and can have a real one every morning for breakfast instead of my usual smoothie. When I go OCD I sit and straighten the fringe on my carpets and pillows one by one while I listen to old Motown or the Beach Boys. I put on Santana when I'm in the bathtub and slip down below the water and listen to it thru the water. I scratch my bum...a lot. Sometimes it itchy because I'm wearing something stupid (but it looks amazing), sometimes I test my nails to see if they are too sharp, and sometimes it just feels good. I play with the bubbles in the kitchen sink. There are always bubbles in my sink because I cannot function in a house without a sink full of water in the kitchen. Not sure why. I eat out of the jars in my fridge and only drink out of mason jars unless I'm entertaining. I love wearing mens underwear. cat

Congratulations Erin, a great article for those unaware! cat

On several occasions I have had clients run out the door (literally) when time wasn't being watched too closely and they were late and they forget to drop the envelope. Or they have something that has come up with a bank machine or timing. Never once have I been burned for it. Comping is different in my opinion tho, it is a free session. If a client is exceedingly generous with the # of visits he pays me, then a session might be offered on the house for a special thank you. This is a business built on relationships as all service businesses are and sometimes comping is smart business... cat

I think this is in the wrong section... This is a question screaming "stir the pot". The blanket answer is "it's not a problem, and we welcome traveling SPs". The truth for me is that traveling SPs do not hurt my bottom line but I will not speak for other local SPs. That said it is my opinion that it doesn't make the local economics any easier. Ottawa has an excellent local SP base with many women who take their business seriously and provide great service. When there are too many traveling thru, it dilutes the market. As with any business, when the market gets flooded prices are driven down and dissatisfaction follows not far behind. From the membership and action on CERB for the Ottawa area, one would think this was a mecca for the industry, but in reality it isn't. I am firm believer in buying local unless one craves something exotic that cannot be grown at home. cat

Just to clarify for those a little confused, there are 2 Cat's on CERB, I have had a couple of mix ups because of it. She is, I believe Catherine57 and I am Catherine St.Claire for future reference. cat

I toured London 3 times in one summer. Honestly, I will never go back nor do I recommend anyone going when I'm asked. Not only was there an issue with no shows, but it seemed to be another planet. I cut my rate in half and tried to accommodate but it was impossible to please there. The expectations were unrealistic concerning pricing and services. I did meet a couple of wonderful guests, and I enjoyed the city but for entertaining it just wasn't worth it. cat

This is a tough situation to call. There were cruisers outside the hotel. Altho outcalls are legal and the SP wasn't breaking the law, living off the avails is illegal and a driver lives off the avails according to the law. If the SP had been with with LE her safety was not in jeopardy, but the driver could have been facing criminal charges. A driver is just that - a driver. They are not usually trained to handle dangerous situations and the perpetrator did not keep her long enough to send up flags. It is a false security to think someone is there to "save" an SP. We all know it takes only seconds to do damage and unless someone is in the room with you, there really isn't much they can do by way of protection. I am saddened that this happened to her, but pointing the finger at the driver is not the answer. These acts of violence against us happen, and it is a risk we take knowingly. The only real option is to ensure that cases like this are well publicized and other potential offenders realize they are going to be held accountable and continue to verify. I hope this gives the hobbiest on CERB an opportunity to think the next time an SP asks for "real" information. With accurate verification we are simply trying to protect ourselves. I hate to say it but Ottawa is the worst city to try and verify clients, getting accurate information is like pulling teeth. So help us out here boys, allow us to set a standard for verification... cat

I happen to love my "lurkers" from CERB. I know some of the frequent posters and a couple are guests but several of my favorite guests who see me very regularly are "lurkers" here. I happen to prefer a guest who doesn't run home to put up a recommendation for me. I appreciate that they respect my privacy. I don't think it is a crime for people to read and absorb the feel of our community. Many feel they have nothing to contribute and just enjoy the content. We all contribute to the extent we are comfortable and that is ok with me. Just my 2 cents... cat