VedaSloan

Nice! Thanks for posting this. I am going to check out the link when I'm back from class. The case in BC was denied, unfortunately.

Don't feel humiliated, how else are you going to learn, if not from your mistakes?

Brilliant. You are brilliant. I bow down to your genius. You seem to have missed the ENTIRE point, which was that what I posted was a RANT. It wasn't meant to be taken entirely seriously, nor was it meant to garner such anger in everyone else. I'm sorry you took it so personally, but I can understand why since everything I complained about, you're guilty of. It obviously got under your skin or you wouldn't have posted. I said I was a victim of a hate crime, not stereotyping. And you are not "at the other end of the spectrum," just because I said some people in my classes were idiots. If you were, I would have kicked your ass for being a dumbass. Then, you'd be on the other end of the spectrum. When you've had your ass beat to shit because people think you're gay, then we can talk. Hear hear !

Jesus effing Christ. My apologies for generalizing; there are a few mature seventeen year olds (I used to be one, and certainly knew better than to disrespect the professor and the people around me by continually talking, even if I wasn't interested in what they were saying), but a rant is about letting off steam, it's not a thesis or dissertation on the state of the world. And I certainly wasn't referring to seventeen year olds the world over, just those in first year at U of O, :P I also think it's a huge leap to describe my post as something that could escalate to a hate crime. Give me a break. Finding something funny that someone else said is hardly a hate crime. I've experienced a hate crime, I would know. I'm just frustrated with the general feeling that the younger folks seem to think that everything should be handed to them and they shouldn't have to do any work, and that includes proofreading (something you should have done before you posted). I also never said younger folk were doomed. I said it was a result of shitty public education and accomodating teachers who hold your hand the whole way and that this was disappointing since YOU are the next generation. Sadly, your post basically illustrated everything I said and guess what? Technology can't do everything for you, and eventually, you'll have to actually visit a library or look up a journal article and OH FUCK, it might not be online. THE NERVE. Fucking hell, I sound like my father. :shock: PS Buggernot, I love you. Fabulous idea.

I took issue with this particular phrase: So the real puzzle isn?t why someone like Allie becomes a prostitute, but rather why more women don?t choose this career ....Allie has never had any trouble with the police, and doesn?t expect to. The truth is that she would be distraught if prostitution were legalised, because her stratospherically high wage stems from the fact that the service she provides cannot be had legally. It's easy for someone charging up to $500 an hour not to worry about being arrested. They're working indoors and probably had the privilege to choose this career out of a few. Someone working the street probably didn't have an option and WILL have to worry about being arrested or exploited by the police. Many women who end up on the street are women trying to escape abusive relationships and end up turning tricks because they have no other option. And the services we provide ARE legal, it has never been illegal to exchange sex for compensation, financial or otherwise, in Canada. To infer that someone would not want to decriminalize (I realize it says legalize, but that's something different) because then they couldn't charge as much is insulting to those of us who like our jobs and do it because we like it, and not because we want to make a buck. But it's also just a bad idea. Things suck right now because we have no access to legal, health or labour rights and the police abuse their privileges and criminalize people who are just trying to live. Decriminalization would make things better for everyone, not only for those of us who voluntarily chose to be sex workers, but for those who have been forced into prostitution as well. The police wouldn't look at sexually trafficked persons and then charge them with prostitution, which automatically equals deportation (if they're an immigrant). People would be able to walk around without worrying that cops are going to racially profile them and assume they're a 'ho because they're black, homeless youth, transgendered or from a low-income household (as in DC, where police set up prostitution free zones and then harass and arrest anyone they assume to be there for the purposes of prostitution). You could carry condoms around without fear that cops are going to use that as evidence that you're a hooker. You would be able to report sexual assault and rape without fear of arrest because you're a prostitute. The reason prostitution carries a high risk for those working in certain sectors is because it is criminalized.

I've had it happen and unless I'm on my own, please don't approach me. A brief nod or smile to acknowledge me will suffice.

aww, our little man is growing up! happy birthday dummpy!

I didn't see anything particularly offensive about your email, though perhaps keep the details of your last date to yourself. I have tattoos and piercings and I'm not offended if someone asks me if I have some (though I do wonder if they've bothered to look at my website which has plenty of unblurry photos of me, that show I have tats). I understand that you don't want to waste your money and have an enjoyable experience, but writing things like, "I know what I want and I want a lot of it" come off as slightly arrogant. As someone else stated, a simple, concise email can go a long way: ie. Hi, I saw your ad and I would like to book an appointment, but I have a couple of questions regarding what services you do or do not provide. If you could also let me know your rates, that would be much appreciated. I couldn't tell from your photos if you have tattoos, but could you let me know if you do? Thanks. That's it, that's all it takes.

I visit TED when I'm supposed to be doing other things, like making flashcards of Italian verbs. :) And now I'm going to watch the one you suggested. I could go for some mind blowing right now.

Ha, well I hope you can keep your interest until then! Or you could just find some prof-like students and bone them until the actual prof is available?

I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. Welcome :)

Ah, I bow down to you (though I believe someone else corrected me earlier). Despite Babylon being a city-state of Mesopotamia, it is still not a good idea to confuse the two. Athens was a city-state of Greece, but you wouldn't refer to Athens as Greece. There is no concept of "Mesopotamian", just as there is no concept of "Greek." You are Athenian or Spartan or Corinthian etc. Just as you are Babylonian, or a Sumerian, but not Mesopotamian. Mesopotamia simply refers to a region in the Middle East, which included Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires.

As someone dating a professor, it can be done, but you have to be discreet, even if you are not one of his students. I met my prof online, last January, and I have never been, nor am I a student of his, but it still looks bad for him to be dating a student at the university. Wait until you're not his student and then go for it. Professors are totally worth it.

I think it also has to do with the poor state of elementary education, when they're supposed to learn the basics of spelling and grammar, as well as the whole "no student left behind" campaign. I was lucky enough to go to private school, but my sister, who went to public school, received a decidely less-than-amazing education. When I was still at Laurier, I took a linguistics course for fun and we spent three weeks learning parts of speech and there were people in the class who thought we were going to fast because they weren't sure what a preposition was.

Dawkin's talk on TED about being an atheist is fabulous.

It is unfortunate that most people cannot admit to their sexual desires and urges and so feel the need to go outside the relationship. Maybe your wife will surprise you if you actually tell her how you feel and why you need to do this. Why do most women feel so threatened if they find out their man is seeing a pro? People have needs and if more of us actually opened up about what we want, maybe there would be less running around going on.

I wouldn't say that blowing off some steam in an online forum implies a lack of patience. I could have turned to either one of those women and corrected them condescendingly. Or I can post about how it was a funny to me in a forum where I consider most of you as peers. Everyone has pet peeves, one of mine just happens to be ignorance. You don't have to have an expensive university education to educate yourself. Being ignorant in this day and age is just lazy.

Actually, at the end I also stated I was aghast at some of the lack of respect (ie, talking through a lecture). Sorry I didn't spell it out for you. And my parents paid for my first degree, I am paying for this one. I certainly am very aware of the privilege I have, but I'm also putting it to good use, whereas some waste it and sit there talking. I wasn't passing judgement so much as having a laugh at someone else's stupid comment. You seem to have taken what I said personally, as Lowdark already pointed out, it came from a place of frustration, not intolerance.

BAHAHAHA. I loved the first xkcd comic. That site just kills me.

That's exactly my point. People are lazy and think that everything should be handed to them. If you don't want to be there, or take it seriously, then go back to Mom and Dad and wait a few years instead of coming to class and driving me crazy with your ignorance. You'll have to excuse my low tolerance for boneheads.

Actually, Voltio, I have a degree in a science-related field, archaeology. This is my second degree. And at the university level, I don't think it's appropriate to sit and talk through lectures, when some of us actually want to be there. And if you're so smart in another field, why raise your hand and say bonehead things when it's obvious you don't know what you're talking about?

So as most of you know, I'm back in university and doing a second bachelor's degree. I'm in class with seventeen year olds. And they complain about the most ridiculous things and say some of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Here's the best example. I'm in Women and Religion and we're discussing some passage from the Old Testament and the girl next to me raises her hand and says, "That's from Hammurabi's Code" and for a second, I think she might have something interesting to say, until she continues, "you know, back in Mesopotopia." Uhhh, it's Mesopotamia, and Hammurabi's Code is Babylonian, but I guess she tried. Seriously, MesopoTOPIA? Here's a good one from a second year Greek religion course: "What's the Aegean Sea?" Uhhh, the body of water between Greece and Turkey? Then, the other day I heard these girls in my intro to Women's Studies class complaining because our professor ONLY lectures, and doesn't use powerpoint, and you know, some people are visual learners and it's hard for her to know what to write down. Awww, poor thing, do you need the prof to hold your hand too? Where do these people come from? I'm just aghast at some of the things they aren't aware of, don't know and the lack of respect some of them show in class. I can't even tell you how much I have to refrain from correcting someone when I glance at their notes and notice spelling mistakes. HOW DID YOU EVEN GET TO UNIVERSITY? /end rant.

I was planning on coming, but I got uh, distracted, by some sexy professor lovin'. Sorry guys :)

Philip K Dick is one of my favourite writers, right up there with John Wyndham (The Day of the Triffids) and Heinlein (I actually use the phrase grokking in real life).

Pardon my language, but fuck swine flu. It's overblown and there are other things out there to protect yourself from, like, oh, AIDS maybe.