Lowdark

Happy Belated Birthday! Hope you had a blast!

Happy Birthday! I hope it was a blast and you got everything you deserved.

I haven't read the book, but, isn't it perhaps a touch hypocritical for someone who deserves rightful recognition and respect for their chosen lifestyle (polyamory) judging someone else's (monogamy)? Both lifestyles should respected and accepted. As long as someone enjoys the choice they've made, all concerned parties respect each other and no one is harmed, nothing should be wrong with it. Maybe I'm misinterpreting the impressions and if so feel free to correct me but it seems like a small double standard from an author(s) who you seem to preach tolerance.

Congrats Gabriella! Here's looking forward to a thousand more.

I'm not union bashing, but for them to argue that it isn't conclusive that the driver is the source of the venomn is insulting to people's intelligence. And then, in the same breath, they rage agsint the "invasion of the driver's privacy." Well, you can hardly make that statement if it isn't conclusively the driver, now can you (even though the person in question demands that the victim of his tirade leave when he opens the doors)? And if it is another passenger, are OC Transpo drivers in the habit of allowing passengers to scream profanity at autistic passengers, threaten them with violence and bully them off the bus without doing anything about it? Sad.

LOL. Well put.

That may well be Julia, but my biggest point of anger wasn't so much his behaviour (which was agreeably appalling) but that he flipped out and threatened violence against a possibly mentally handicapped child. A kid who had no possibility to stand up for himself or understand what was going on. This kid was defenseless and that's who he decided to go off on. The price for that sort of behaviour should easily be his job.

Obviously, the utmost caution and care has to be taken with the blood supply, as evidenced by some avoidable tragedies in the past. But the simple fact of the matter is that some of the criteria they use on these questionnaires bars people with clean useful blood while those who have questionable donations are free to contribute. And the other possibility is people, for whatever reason, can lie on questionnaires. The only criteria that should be used is the result of thorough, careful testing. As Megan has said, they are turning away useful blood despite claims of high demand. Even if it means they maintain a supply of blood for several months waiting for any potential problems to surface, isn`t that better than simply turning all that good blood away?

I've spent the majority of my adult life working with the public, and yes, it can be very challenging to say the least. There are times that you just want to rush to the closest bar to cope. And bus drivers have to put up with a lot, there's no denying that. I myself have always made sure to treat them with the respect people deserve and have offered words of encouragement after they've had to deal with some stupidity. But . . . There is no excuse for this man's behaviour. To say that this conduct is a result of dealing with the public is lazy because then you discount the professinalism and dignity of the the people who haven't resorted to this kind of juvenile behaviour. I've been in situations where people have threatened violence against me and, while standing up for myself, never went this nuts. What about all the drivers who are ratinonal and sane? What does that say about them when we condone this kind of behaviour? If you read the article, the kid he threatens is mentally challenged, so he doesn't know any better. And if the driver really had reached his tolerance threshold, wouldn't he have been better off losing it on one of the teenage or adolescent gangster types who probably did push him that far? But no, this driver, tough, brave man that he is, loses his temper and threatens a hanicapped kid who runs out the back door with a look of pure terror tattooed on his face. This driver is a coward and a bully and the union will make sure not a single thing happens to him. Additional Comments: I've spent the majority of my adult life working with the public, and yes, it can be very challenging to say the least. There are times that you just want to rush to the closest bar to cope. And bus drivers have to put up with a lot, there's no denying that. I myself have always made sure to treat them with the respect people deserve and have offered words of encouragement after they've had to deal with some stupidity. But . . . There is no excuse for this man's behaviour. To say that this conduct is a result of dealing with the public is lazy because then you discount the professinalism and dignity of the the people who haven't resorted to this kind of juvenile behaviour. I've been in situations where people have threatened violence against me and, while standing up for myself, never went this nuts. What about all the drivers who are ratinonal and sane? What does that say about them when we condone this kind of behaviour? If you read the article, the kid he threatens is mentally challenged, so he doesn't know any better. And if the driver really had reached his tolerance threshold, wouldn't he have been better off losing it on one of the teenage or adolescent gangster types who probably did push him that far? But no, this driver, tough, brave man that he is, loses his temper and threatens a hanicapped kid who runs out the back door with a look of pure terror tattooed on his face. This driver is a coward and a bully and the union will make sure not a single thing happens to him.

LOL. Or losing their lunch . . . . .

I think this may be an unfortunate case of the myth being acepted as fact. You would expect better from a government agency. The truth of the matter is, responsible sex workers are less prone to STDs and STIs than the average sexually active person. But try telling that to John and Jane Public. I have heard many calls for a broad, agency wide policy review for Canadian Blood Services but I doubt there's any potitical appetite for it right now. It's a shame that change only seems to occur as a result of a crisis or during an election year.

That video was very moving DaRoot. The song by the Trews is available on iTunes and I encourage people to purchase it because proceeds are donated to families of soldiers kiled in action in Afghanistan. A quick note on the politcal debate-Canada is not like other modern powers-our military has a strict mandate for involvement, usually humanitarian and peacekeeping. There are plenty of recent global conflicts that Canada has chosen not to participate in because of dubious causes. And let's not forget, Canadian forces did more than any other country during the genocide in Rawanda to try and save as many lives as possible while the rest of world (including portions of our own government) looked the other way. That's my two cents. Thank you for the thread Julia. Wearing a poppy and remembering is a choice to honour and respect the loss and sacrafices we forget every other day of the year. Freddom is expensive, no matter what part of the world you live in, and the sad, tragic truth of the matter is that the first payment will always be made in blood. Lest we Forget those that bled for freedom's cause.

Music that's fast and hungry. Current list includes select racks from the following artists: Shinedown (especially Diamond Eyes) Art of Dying AC/DC Machinehead Hurt Halestorm Disturbed Godsmack Papa Roach Guano Apes Skillet Evanesence Paramore Apocalyptica Just a small sample but there's pretty much something for everyone in there lol.

I am not sure who to feel more rage against, the authorities that failed with such indifferent carelessness or the public that didn't demand better. Obviously the government and the police don't want all relevant facts to be discovered otherwise they would have offered a level playing field to everyone and given all groups with legal standing equal funding, not just themselves. And without a doubt, prejudice and maybe even some corruption played a part, very embarrassing to have that come out, but this went on for years. I remember reading articles about the ongoing disappearances here in Ottawa in the 90's, well before this creature was caged. But despite the incompetence on the part of the police and the neglect from civic authorities, if the outcry from the public had been significant, the authorities would have acted. Politicans usually only listen to two things-money and opinion polls. Should the leaders involved be ashamed and humiliated? Absolutely. But the uncaring public in Vancouver should be equally disgusted with itself.

If your planning on going the gift route, try and find out what she likes as a person. Is she a big reader? Whose her favorite author? What does she like to read? Do you have an idea of what she'd like to sample. Same with movies or TV shows. What about artwork? Does she like paintings or sculptures? If you choose to go that out instead of gift cards or cash, try to personalize it a bit.

It is very easy to confuse the fantasy with the reality in this business. The line between the two can blur easily, and I'd wager this happens to the client more often the SP. I have met some great people on this board, both by visit and chat, and have had the excellent fortune to discover genuine friendship with one. I absolutely believe that two consenting adults can develop a strong friendship in he context of this industry, without the sexual component getting in the way. Could they be more? I won't say that it couldn't happen, but you have to remember, people are sharing very intimate time with each other, sometimes emotionally as well as physically. And for those who may be emotionally vulnerable or lonely, that can spell complications. If that becomes the case, you need to take a breath, step back and evaluate the situation rationally. Knee jerk emotional reactions may be fine in the movies, but they usually end up costing you dearly in real life.

I might not agree with a few of them, but most are bang on the money and they're all hilarious.

I went through a similar situation. A friend from school seemed to be a natural talent at everything. And worse yet, everything I was any good at he was better, seemingly by putting in little effort. When high school was done I moved north for Univerity and was on my own. I was quickly forced to find my legs and discovered that I could be resourceful and likeable on my own. You're twenty one now, what you need to do is step out of any shadows into your own little slice of sunlight give it a few years to mature. And take a little comfort knowing that while he may still be the life of the party, he's relying on you, his friend, for survival. Party jokes and arttitude may get him by right now, but when you guys are 30, it'll be a different story if he's still looking for couches to sleep on.

Congrats! Can't wait to read the next 1500!

Best of Luck and all th best in the future!

Congradulations on your newest grandchild! And thanks for sharing the story. It's the kind that reminds us that there's still some magic left in the world.

Happy Belated!

I agree with much of what has been said, and Old Dog is right, you have enough information on him to give you an advantage. if he calls you again, express in no uncertain terms that not only do you feel violated, but you will contact the police as well as the company and that you have pursued legal advice from your counsel. There's a good chance that he may be thinking of you as a victim; as prey. He needs to be reminded that you have teeth as well. And as RG suggested, it can't hurt to do a quick sweep of your home for any surprises he may have left. Take others advice and get your security number switched. And, just as an aside, let him know about your new pitbull the next time you talk to him (if you do). And how much he enjoys chewing hands. Let us know how it turns out.

As many have mentioned previously, human greed and corruption play huge parts in this enormous problem. But so too does human ignorance. I have been watching the Own Wall street movement with great interest but have been disappointed to see so many media organizations, including many that should know better (you know, ones other than Fox News) dismiss the movement as "unorganized hippies." And whenever the idea of reforming the American Tax code comes up, tens of millions of average, everyday Americans rail against the idea of ensuring that the super rich and giant corporations pay their fair share, a change that would help the people raging against it. And how many people average, vote casting Americans supported a war they knew was being waged for purely economic reasons in Iraq? Popular opinion only turned against it once the insurgency began and American soldiers began losing their lives. A large part of it rest with us, the voters. Change starts at the bottom and has to fight its way to the top. Perhaps it's time we finally demanded better from our leaders. But to do that, we must all be educated on the issues and engaged. Given that the turnoutt for Ontario's recent provincial election was a paltry 42%, I'm skeptical on that front.

Not only are you justified for being upset, but one reason you should be furious is becuase he most likely planned on cheating you in advance. He figured he could dictate your fee by not requesting the masage. Would anyone be entitled to negotiate an SP's rate if they requested certain thngs not be shared that normally are? He doesn't deserve the privilege of your time if he is such a petty, scheming irrelevant waste.