SamanthaEvans

Happy birthday, Porthos!

There are some terrific agencies, to be sure, and they have wonderful women working for them, too. A lot of women prefer to work for an agency because it's less isolating, someone else can look after the advertising and screening, some agencies provide beautiful, appropriate places for companions to work and many companions feel safer because someone always knows where they are and may be providing additional security measures for them. A good, reputable agency is a terrific place for someone to start working in our industry--no question about it--and lots of fine women work with agencies for their entire career. There are no guarantees in life, though, particularly in human relationships. While it's true that the great majority of paid companions are professional women with good personal boundaries and clear personal objectives, we're also real people with real emotions. People fall in love sometimes. Things can happen that no one anticipates or would have planned. That's how life goes sometimes. At best, all we can say is that some things are unlikely or improbable. If there were no risks in life, there wouldn't be any adventures, either! Still, look both ways when crossing streets, lock your doors at night, wash your hands frequently, practice safer sex and don't risk what you can't afford to lose.

You've had excellent responses from WrinkledinTime and etasman, already, Jenn. I agree with everything they've said. There's really no way to be sure that anyone is free of sexually transmissible infections. You can't know about us, and we can't know about you, either. That's why we each need to take steps to ensure that our own health and safety are fully protected. Studies have shown, however, that the chances of contracting an STI are lower with an independent paid companion than with someone you might meet at a bar or social gathering. Some of the finest ladies on this board are in Ottawa. Most have been in the industry for several years or more. When you become familiar with them, I'm sure you'll find that the notion that they could be exploited by anyone is the farthest thing from your mind! Most paid companions have "social rates." What we mean by that is that we charge a lower fee to meet with potential clients, often but not always in public, for completely non-erotic purposes. Things like having lunch or dinner qualify. I suggest that when you find someone who seems to be the kind of woman you'd like to get to know, discuss the options with her. She will welcome your inquiries and want to do her best to help everyone feel comfortable. Every one of us is different and we all approach things differently, based on our comfort levels and yours, too. You'll likely find that most companions will want to be sure that you, the woman, are comfortable with them. They'll be pleased to meet with you, knowing that the possibility of an engagement with you and your spouse is your idea. We're sometimes approached by men who hope to create a "surprise" threesome involving their partners without their prior knowledge. Most of us feel that's a bad idea. I think you'll find that the great majority of us are very protective of other women, in general, and have enormous respect for wives in particular. We're not at all interested in coerced sex, with anyone! Some of us may want to meet with you, alone, first, before meeting with you and your husband. Others will be happy to see you both, together. I'd suggest you decide what you want to do based on how you feel with the companion of your choice. It sounds like you're looking for some fun, exciting ways to expand your horizons! I wish you all the best--you've come to the right place to get some help!

I don't have a problem with cholesterol, but I know several people who do. Statins can be very dangerous drugs! If you take them, please, please, please do a ton of research and consider what you learn very carefully! Lipitor is the number one selling statin drug in North America, in part because drug companies are allowed to market products directly to consumers in the US. We don't allow that in Canada. Lipitor is the subject of a number of class-action lawsuits in the States because it has debilitating, irreversible effects on muscles. A good friend of mine has permanent damage in his shoulders as a result of taking this drug. Lipitor is also associated with cognitive impairment. The drug manufacturer says that this goes away when patients stop taking it, but that may not always be the case. The drug companies all deny that there's a link between statins and erectile dysfunction, but patient experience doesn't agree. Because of the problems associated with muscle wasting, it may not be a good thing to wait it out, hoping that any ED you may experience will get better over time. When you're reading up on statins, have a good look at research related to cholesterol and heart disease, too. Independent studies may surprise you! Cholesterol very likely is not the demon we've been told it is and dietary cholesterol is generally a problem only if one is also eating a low-fat diet. Don't take my word for it, though. Check it out yourself!

Weight loss surgery is NOT a good idea, hon. The complication rate is incredibly high. It's recently been promoted in the New England Journal of Medicine as a cure for Type 2 diabetes and as a way for obese people to avoid becoming T2 diabetics, but the NEJM article in favour of the surgery is written by a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic--the major centre for the procedure in the US--who has a financial interest at stake. Jenny Rhul has written a very good critique of the NEJM article. Jenny also wrote a fine analysis of weight loss surgery in January 2010 that's still on point. "But wait," you might be thinking, "I don't have diabetes. These resources don't apply to me!" Well, maybe... or maybe not. There's a huge amount of medical research showing that obesity is caused by the body's inability to deal with insulin properly. If your pancreas is producing too much insulin, you will be hungry and will, in effect, eat in order to deal with the insulin which, in turn, will store the excess carbohydrate as fat. Insulin is always involved in overweight. The best way to lose weight is to reduce your carbohydrate intake significantly. Carbohydrates are found in "white foods"--sugar, bread, rice, pasta, wheat, cereal, potatoes, milk--as well as in fruit and fruit juices. Reducing or eliminating those foods from your diet will cause you to lose weight. You can find a lot of information about following low-calorie, low-fat diets, advising that these are the only healthy ways to lose weight. In fact, they're not healthy. The American and Canadian Diabetes Associations have been strongly criticized for advocating these diets because they increase the risk of heart disease and complications from diabetes! The diabetes associations recommend these diets because their major funding sources are drug manufacturers and processed-food companies. They have an interest in promoting consumption of foods that are harmful for us and drugs that may or may not help address the problems those foods cause in the first place. If you have bariatric surgery, you will need to severely limit your food intake for the rest of your life and you will be told to eliminate bread, rice, pasta, wheat, cereal, potatoes and milk from your diet and also to restrict the amount of sugar you consume from all sources. In other words, the reason that bariatric surgery produces results is that it forces people to follow a low-carbohydrate diet. The surgery doesn't cure or prevent diabetes, either. It just eliminates the symptoms as long as the patient follows the diet associated with the surgery. When someone's carbohydrate intake is restricted, they don't have insulin management problems and so they don't gain weight. Their blood sugar levels return to normal. But if they continue to eat the standard North American diet, the insulin regulation troubles return and they regain the weight they lost, sometimes more. I only know about this stuff because I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last fall and was immediately put on insulin. Type 1 diabetes has usually been associated with children, but it is actually more frequently diagnosed in adults. I'm doing very well, now. I'm in great health and I feel wonderful. In learning about being diabetic, I've learned a great deal about both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, diet, nutrition and health, not only because my own health was at stake, but also because I'm an information junkie. Much of what I learned surprised me because it wasn't what I'd always thought was true. Following the advice I've received has worked beautifully for me. My blood sugar balances beautifully now. I'm healthy! You can learn about low-carbohydrate diets like the Atkins diet, the Protein Power diet and others. Jenny Rhul has just published a book about low-carb dieting that's actually more useful than any of the standard, popular diet books. It's available as an e-book for about $10.00. You can do this, shymale. You can lose weight, get healthy and avoid surgery. If you're not diabetic or pre-diabetic, you can also avoid the complications associated with diabetes, including heart disease, by getting your insulin regulation and blood sugar levels under control. It doesn't mean that you have to give up foods you love. It may mean reducing the amount you eat. But you will find other foods that are delicious and satisfying. And once you lower your carb intake significantly, you'll also find that you're simply not hungry as often or for as much food as before. Try it and you'll see!

Adorable, yes?

I've heard several reports on CBC radio about this. My 17 year-old son was here when we heard the last one. He thought the complaints were silly but also pretty sad. He said that parents need to get real and recognize that their kids usually know a great deal about sex and that even things like group sex and BDSM are very common among teenagers. Too often, waiting for parents to be comfortable talking about sex is futile, he says. His friends' parents are all over the spectrum, from not able to say anything to being completely comfortable talking about everything, anytime. (I'm glad to know that I'm in the latter group!) He also said that when parents aren't able or willing to talk about sex without judging their kids or skewing everything towards conversations about why it's a good idea to be a virgin "forever," their kids can find anything they want on the Internet, anyway. The trouble with that, he said, is that "porn on the 'net isn't realistic. Way too many pizza delivery boys and French maids." :icon_lol:

In my experience, men who are shy or socially anxious frequently make wonderful clients! Not to generalize excessively, most of them are very sensitive, perceptive fellows who very much want the encounter to be satisfying for both of us and are concerned that not knowing me might increase the likelihood that they'll do something wrong or upset me in some way. Far from it! On the whole, things can be much more difficult with the guys who present themselves as extremely confident, experienced and worldly because they don't always listen well, pay attention or read physical or social cues. If you feel shy or anxious, do tell your companion. She will want to know, for sure! As the others have said, we're good at helping people feel comfortable. Maybe you'd like to be seduced? That can be a great way to know for sure that everything you do is good for her!

When you find a companion you'd like to spend some time with, ask her if kissing is okay. I get asked this question all the time. I do provide kissing: I enjoy it a lot, myself. Make sure that your breath is nice and fresh when you arrive or you might get turned down. I've been known to offer a guest a toothbrush. I generally keep some breath mints handy, just in case they, or I, might benefit!

There's actually been quite a bit of discussion about all kinds of activities on this site. You could use the search function to look them up. Whether it's a good idea or not to give uncovered oral service is not something that all of the ladies agree about. Some of us offer it and some of us don't. The risk of infection with any activity is something that we each need to consider for ourselves. I don't offer bareback anything. As I said, above, there's a syphilis epidemic in Vancouver and, as far as I'm concerned, that's a very good reason for me not to do this. I'm not worried about contracting HIV/AIDs from oral sex because the risk is negligible, at best: the HIV virus is very fragile and doesn't survive oral sex acts. I'm concerned about things like syphilis and gonorrhea because they often produce no symptoms and also because there is a strain of gonorrhea that's highly resistant to antibiotics. I'm seriously allergic to a wide range of antibiotics and so I'm very wary of coming in contact with anything that may require taking them. There are quite a few wonderful companions here who do offer uncovered oral sex and have been doing so for a long time without any serious difficulties. I respect their decisions about this. One good place to get information about STI risks is from the Health Nurse's website.

Well, actually, you can.... If someone writes a particularly terrific, useful, pointed or otherwise valuable post and you want to reward them, you can first give them reputation points and make a comment (or not) when you do that. Then, you can Nominate the post. You have to do it in that order: FIRST, give Rep, THEN Nominate! If you do it the other way around, you can only Nominate, but no rep! They get increased points when you do both.

I get asked for this fairly often from new clients in their late 50s and 60s. They usually say something about how they haven't been with anyone other than their wife for years, so they're sure that they're completely safe. They tend to think that STIs are risks that younger people need to deal with but since I'm a professional they're sure I'm not carrying anything that they need to worry about. Needless to say, they don't get anywhere with me. I, too, have heard that other women provide bbfs for an extra $50-100. I don't pay any attention to these claims. Why? Well, in my experience, sex is one of the things people lie about all the time! If someone thinks that telling a particular story may help them get what they want, the incentive to lie is strong. I don't offer any uncovered contact, period. If someone questions me about it, I politely inform him that it's my job to keep us both safe and healthy. A syphilis epidemic has been going on in Vancouver since the mid 1990s. If I were to offer bbbjs, I might expose the recipients to syphilis unknowingly, since it can live very happily in a human throat for many months without producing any symptoms. This usually brings that conversation to an end!

Maybe I've been unusually lucky, but I have never had a condom break with normal use. I've had them break or tear when used on sex toys, many times, but not when used on an actual penis. I've torn a few with my fingernails before putting them on the man. But no breakage while they were being worn. I use a lot of condoms, too! I claim no special skill or technique, though. I've probably used every brand that's on the market and easy to purchase in a store. I have definite preferences, mostly due to flavour and ease of use. I often have new clients help to put the condom on if I'm at all concerned about pinching or getting hair caught in the thing. Most of the time, I put a drop of lube inside the condom before it goes on, but not always. Probably the thing that makes the most difference is pinching the end of the condom to be sure that there's an empty space--a reservoir--which allows for some movement.

So, I was on my way here, to post this pic: ....when I received this link to this little video of a cat, playing chess. It's much funnier than the interior decorating cat, but both are worth posting!

The British Columbia provincial government is now recommending that the public prepare for the zombie apocalypse. The next provincial election is scheduled for May 2013; only a miracle will get the Liberals re-elected. The question is whether we're suffering from excess zombies now, or whether that will happen after the premier and her colleagues are turfed out of the legislature....

I don't have much to say that hasn't been said already, but I do want to endorse the general principle that if you're concerned that your sperm might somehow find their way to fertilize a woman's egg, you need to prevent that from happening. To have responsible sexual contact one has to accept the fact that no conventional form of birth control works 100% of the time. If the potential risk of condom/birth control pill/IUD/etc. failure is too high, and if you're not willing to accept responsibility for any children that may be conceived unexpectedly, you know what to do: Don't have sex.

"Communicating for the purposes of prostitution" is the same as "soliciting," yes. For the most part, "soliciting" broadly applies to sex workers who approach people in public places to offer sexual services, while "communicating" has broadly applied to men who approach women, usually but not always on the street, to ask about sexual services. But the terms can be used interchangeably.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. While it's too late to send a card, and ordering flowers for delivery might be difficult, even if you made the mail on time and/or ordered the bouquet, please, please, please remember to call your mother. Mother's Day began as a day for peace. After the Civil War, American women set aside this day to reflect on peace and an end to war, on no longer sending their sons to kill other women's sons. Mother's Day is a call for peace. If your relationship is strained or broken, please try to bring a little bit of peace into it. For just ten minutes this weekend, let go of the hurt and call your mom anyway. If you've tried in the past and it didn't go well, set that aside, too. Take a deep breath and do it. Call your mom. You don't have to pretend that things are okay. Just call, please. For those of us who have lost a child, especially if that child is alive and knows where we are, Mother's Day is very hard. Whether the break is our fault, or our doing, or whether someone else engineered the alienation, this is a heart-wrenching time. And if the distance is because of something the child has done, the mother feels the separation acutely. No matter what, your mother can never forget you. If you have a good relationship with your mother, celebrate it! She won't be around forever. While children yearn to be adults who move away from their parents and into their own, separate lives, parents continue to be parents for as long as they live. If your mother is no longer living, remember her. Call someone else--a family member, a neighbour, a friend--and wish her a happy Mother's Day instead. Mothering is hard. We all appreciate being appreciated! Call your mom!

O-kay.... I'm definitely going to Ottawa in the fall! Late September, early October. If, that is, anyone is going to be around.... It's great to hear about this party!

Any excuse for a party is a good one! But I don't think the world will really end, then. I think the apocalypse is more a theological issue than a physical one. Besides, my doctor does a lot of work in Guatemala, with the indigenous Maya there. She says that they're publishing calendars for 2013 and are generally amused by the kerfuffle about the world ending in December.

I love the women here. So many different backgrounds, experiences, points of view, and so many, many kinds of beauty in every way. It's an honour and a privilege to be among them. For today, I nominate Cat. She's playful, sensual, smart as can be and deeply wise--all of that, wrapped around a heart of pure gold. Cat is the epitome of what I want to be. And she's utterly gorgeous, too! Great curves, a hint of mischief in that smile, and somehow I'm certain that the eyes behind the shades are sparkling bright.

I like backrubman because he asks good questions, gives good answers and is very helpful. He's also got a wicked sense of humour!

I used an accountant the first time I filed a tax return covering my work in this industry. Then on his advice, I bought a copy of the leading income tax return software and filled in all the information there just as it appeared in the tax return the accountant had prepared. Since then, I've upgraded the income tax software each year, updated my information and filed my taxes myself electronically. One more thing, ladies. As self-employed people, we're not required to file our tax returns until June 15. File early, by all means, but if you're considering getting some help, you've still got time and the main rush for standard employees is over, too.

backrubman, if you come to Vancouver and want to see me, I'm pretty sure we could make arrangements acceptable to both of us without any trouble. :icon_lol: Of course. I can provide useful directions regardless of the means of transportation my guest may employ. I don't worry about taxi drivers. We have zillions of them in Vancouver. I use taxis frequently, but I've never had the same one twice. In any case, not only can I not be concerned about drivers who gossip, I can't imagine what they would have to say about me in the first place. I don't operate a pleasure palace, but a very discrete, low-volume business in a quiet, up-scale neighbourhood. No worries! Stowing a bit of luggage isn't a problem. Calling another cab to take someone to the airport is also a very simple matter.

Jabba, I've never seen a man who needed enhancement, frankly. It really is true that it's not what you've got that matters, it's how you use it. Most of all, thoughtful creativity, sensitivity to one's partner and a willingness to be playful and experiment are what count. As for what's available that actually works, there's a good thread about cock rings that may interest you. Some men who have severe erectile dysfunction opt for penile implant surgery; the Mayo Clinic has an article describing the basics. There's a wide variety of options for implant surgery, which are discussed in this article. I knew one man who'd had an inflatable implant. He'd had the surgery quite some time ago and was pleased with the result. I had no problem with it. All that mattered to me was that he was happy: being able to have intercourse was very important to him.