Phaedrus

You should definitely go. It's totally awesome. While you're there, go and see Strokkur:

Nottingham.

So use HTTPS or some other encrypted session over Tor :) Although for CERB access, I don't honestly care - anyone who wants to see 90% of what I've written here can simply sign up for an account and do so, and to be honest my PMs aren't all that exciting either. It should also be noted that a bad exit node can still only intercept things for a little while as Tor changes the path you're using every ten minutes (I think, and I'm too lazy to actually check). The speed is a bit irritating, true, but I tend to just open a lot of tabs in the browser and let stuff load in the background, so it's not an issue most of the time.

Sitting outside, enjoying a drink and a cigar, a couple of months before I was expecting to be able to do so. Hello, Spring!

See your disturbing gif and....

Ephesus, because I really want to go to that part of the world.

First up... CERB, like pretty much every other online forum, has far more lurkers than contributing members. That's just the way it is. Secondly, not all the members who post use chat (like me, f'rinstance :) ). Thirdly... is it just me, or has it been generally quiet around here of late? Hopefully it's just people not posting because they're on their winter vacations and things will pick up...

I may be horribly old-fashioned, but I think that people who really do operate at the top end of things don't need to say so. You can just tell, from looking at their websites, their pictures; the way they compose not just their ads but pretty much everything else they post too. And when you meet them, you can tell from the way they speak and act, too. Classy people understand that going around telling everyone how classy you are is really not a classy thing to do at all. The truly elite understand that grainy cellphone-in-the-bathroom-mirror pics don't give the impression they'd like to put out there; that a same-as-everyone-else's website won't cut it and that you need something that looks like someone has put time and effort into it. They understand that they're judged not just on the ads they put up, but on their entire online presence - website, emails, pics, posts, everything. And they're judged not just once, but continually, by everyone. The point is that if you want the world to think that you're classy/elite/whatever, it's no good just saying so in an ad - any fool can do that. You have to *be* the elite. Always. And that's a hard thing to do. A final word: I'm well aware that the stuff above sounds horribly judgemental and obnoxious. It's not meant to be - honest! The point I'm trying to make is that placing yourself at the top of the market and staying there is *hard*. It's probably not for everyone. I have a huge amount of respect for those that can do it. But the common touch is nothing to be ashamed of, and I have just as much respect for those ladies who advertise themselves as the girl-next-door, or whatever else they choose. There's absolutely nothing wrong with someone who's more... well... normal, and I'm pretty sure that most of us guys spend most of our time visiting ladies who are more like us, and less like the untouchable elite. When all's said and done, none of us can tell you how to market yourself. You know who and what you are better than anyone, and if the image you present reflects *you* then that's probably best, in the long run. The one thing I don't have any time for is people who try and sell themselves as something they're clearly not.

Uzbekistan

Sounds like an awesome idea :) Having said that... I hate to be a miserable bastard, but I'm not sure if we should be discussing it here, though.... I'm not at all sure about the legality of it, and if it's illegal we shouldn't be talking about it. I know that conversations about car dates have been stopped in the past...

The Nurburgring, because I want to drive round it.

I think what you're doing wrong is letting the assholes get you down :) Alas, there will always be assholes. I don't see that we can do much about it, and I don't see that it's worth worrying about...

I tell them it's crap. And then take the piss out of them for having bad taste. Mercilessly. And, amazingly, I still have friends... :)

The Orinoco.

Being on your way is no good if you're on.. Talking Heads - Road To Nowhere http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtdBtZOG17E

It could be done... You could have arrangements whereby someone who wishes to see a visiting SP could drop off a deposit (at a mutually convenient time) with a local SP, who can verify it's good and hand it over to the visiting lady when she arrives. Of course, this would require the SPs to know and trust each other, and would require the client to trust the intermediary as well, and the ladies might want to work out some sort of reciprocal arrangement or compensation or something for the intermediary - but these things aren't impossible. And even if the local SP took a commission on the transaction, the visiting SP would probably still come out ahead if she saved a cancellation or two thereby. And you may even find that the deposit also results in the client deciding that the person he's just met is someone he'd like to get to know better... ;)

You might do better getting access to the SP-only section and asking there. Also, give the ladies a clue as to where you are :)

I like Cato because of the seemingly endless supply of awesome pics he manages to come up with. I don't know how he does it...

U2: With Or Without You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmSdTa9kaiQ&ob=av2n