Nathalie L

Yeah...seriously Eh Stoked Cool Wicked Totally I'm obviously a product of my generation. sigh

Have a fun trip Malika! I'll definitely read your blog to keep myself posted on your traveling adventures. I can't wait to see you upon your return :)

I love spoken word performance pieces by woman identified authors. Two of my favorite performance pieces that I've seen in the past two years are: 1) "Yapping Out Loud: Thoughts of an Unrepentant Whore" by Mihra-Soleil Ross (she's a transsexual sex worker and political activist in Montreal) and 2) "Gender Martini" by Beth-Anne Fischer (available here: ). She performed at VerseFest here in Ottawa this past January, and I had the pleasure of flirting with her ;)

I love Auntie Loo's too! Her gluten free cherry almond cupcakes are fantastic!

I try and shop ethically as much as possible. I love buying products that have been fairly traded, and believe most things we consume are a luxury and a privilege. I would not want to consume anything if it is to the detriment of someone else (regardless of where they're located in our global community). I try and buy locally as much as possible, and almost all the clothes I buy are used and/or recycled. I go to a lot of clothing swaps and some of the dresses in my photos are from local designers who recycle their fabric here in Ottawa. What kind of things do you do to shop ethically? I'm always up for new ideas and challenges, including (as one person suggested) not buying anything at all! Buying ethically, after all, doesn't address the fact that we all mass consume ;) Does anyone have any store suggestions for local artists, designers, clothes, soaps, etc? Here is a very shot and non-exhaustive list of the places I love to shop at: The Workshop and Victoire's on Dalhousie (clothing) Eclection in the market (jewelry) Kania on York (clothing) Young Jane's and Ragtime (vintage clothing)

I tried to find it on my MAC, but it doesn't exist... I started using Safari instead, and it seems to have fixed the problem. If it persists, I'll download google chrome for sure. If either of you hear anything else about this browser virus, don't hesitate to post it here or message me!

Over the past few hours I've noticed unwelcome hyperlinked text. My operator is a Mac, and I use Firefox. The hyperlinks are from http://www.textsrv.com and boot me to various internet dating websites, advertisements, etc. It's obviously some kind of a virus that seems to be affecting my internet browser, and there isn't much in the forums on how to resolve it. This is the first time in 4 years I've ever gotten something on my Mac! Most forum posts online seem to be within the last few weeks, so I think it's new... Does anyone know anything about it?

I completely agree!

Just a side note: it's Bill Siksay's private member's bill, and he did not, and will not run again... this means the bill will most likely die with him unless another private member of the NDP decides to take on the project. It's such a long process to bring this kind of legislation through parliament. With the amount of elections we have, it never seems to make it past 1st or 2nd reading before it's scrapped because of another election. *sad face*

Thanks again everyone! I had a fantastic birthday. I went up to a Naturist Camp on Saturday with some friends to celebrate, hehe.

"The Canadian War on Queers" is a really good book about the history of the RCMP in Canada. Specifically it address police brutality against 'queer' people (including people of colour and anyone considered to be a 'communist') during the 1950's McCarthy period in Canada. It's an amazingly written historical analysis. There's a lot on this in the U.S., but nothing which really addresses the Canadian context. It's by Patrizia Gentile and Gary Kinsman.

Thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes! It's been a truly glorious weekend and I've spent the vast majority of it camping! I couldn't be happier.

Oooh yes! Une autre personne francophone sur CERB. Ca, j'aime bien! (Re)bienvenue sur le site et au plaisir de te rencontrer...

I agree wholeheartedly with those who have claimed this to be a lovely post, it truly is! Kudos to you mrnice, for always bringing interesting topics to the forefront. I'm definitely of the mind set that when certain words are use to label and categorize people, those words 'name' those people into existence (at least socially). Quite suddenly, there is a group of people that become targets of various institutional, social, and cultural attacks meant to make them less than human. Slut, whore, queer, dyke, faggot (the list is endless)... When we are named into existence with such violence, it is nearly impossible not to attach yourself to that identity in some way shape or form. It's therefore extremely important to reclaim and reappropriate those terms. Like Sky said though (and many others) it's extremely important to take context into consideration and to realize these terms are often used amongst the group in particular, and not necessarily by people who don't understand the historical significance of the term.

Definitely a horse. They are so majestically beautifully... An intelligent animal, and yet fiercely independent and loyal.

I've had my MacBook for over 4 years now, and my battery still lasts up to 4 hours and I haven't had any problems with it what-so-ever! I love it, and it's still super fast and adheres to all of the requirements you've laid out. The layout takes getting used to, but once you learn the shortcuts it's fantastic! Good luck sexy ;)

That's very true. I sometime wonder whether people love a 'potential', or love who that person is in that particular moment. To love potential seems really problematic. What if it's potential you judge by your own standards? The attachment to that narrative of who they 'could' be has the potential to hinder their personal growth (as they see fit). I understand what you mean about a destructive path though. Ultimately, we need to be supportive, and people won't change unless they truly want to (the change needs to come from them!)

The only difference I've ever found is between "love" and "adore". Je t'aime, je t'adore. There is a slight nuance there. However, I've always found it hard to express my feelings for people in French, precisely for that reason. "Je t'apprecie, et j'aime ta presence dans ma vie" is the closest I've come.

I may be cynical when I say that very rarely is the beloved more than a shaping spirit for the lover's dream. And perhaps such a thing is enough. To be a muse may be enough. The pain is when the dreams change, as they do, as they must. Suddenly the enchanted city fades and you are left alone again in the windy desert. As for your beloved, she didn't understand you. The truth is, you never understood yourself." - from "Sexing the Cherry" By Jeanette Winterson I think we all fall prey to this, at various points in our life. We are all constantly changing, and it is important we always give the people in our lives the opportunity to fall in love with us over and over again (be they friends, family, or lovers). 'Loving' is a verb, after all. We also need to make sure that we do not grow so attached to people that we do not allow them the latitude necessary to change, and become whoever it is they want to be in that present moment. Just thought I would share my thoughts on such a beautiful passage... What kind of experiences have you all had, that reinforce, or conversely, that contradict, this passage?

I'm deeply sorry that sex workers and their allies went through what they did at Women's World... It blows my mind that such violence was propagated at a 'feminist' conference... I wish I could have been there to support you all.

They might appreciate Canadian contributions on the website, you never know! I would suggest e-mailing them and asking them... especially since you've written so much already, and done so much work already... I'm sure you'd be able to pull together an article in no time whatsoever ;) Although the particular circumstances and conditions may be different, there are a lot of parallels between the U.S. and Canada. Especially considering Canada is attempting to adopt a model much like the one in the U.S. (i.e. more punitive...). It scares the crap out of me.

This is a really cool video about why some women love to be sex workers. It portrays a rather large array of workers in the industry who talk about their experiences. http://blip.tv/redlightdistrictchicago/what-i-love-about-being-a-sex-worker-3780746 I'm a proud whore too! ;) Also, this is a really interesting website some people might want to check out. Some sections of the website are still seeking submissions: http://www.swaay.org/

I love it when I take the time to really reconnect with myself, ground myself, and create an environment conducive to my happiness. Sometimes it means turning off my cell phone, bringing a book, and sitting in a coffee shop. Sometimes it means bringing myself out on a date (something I love doing). Once a month I pick a fancy restaurant, bring a book, and treat myself to a 4 course meal. It's the perfect love affair.

Safe sex can never happen (unless the above comical suggestions are taken to heart hehe); we can only practice safer sex by reducing the risks involved in this very (very) lovely activity. I do CBJs only, but allow for DATY, digits, and DFK. I would say my services are 'safe' according to my standards. The risk of transmission to me is considerably low for these activities, but the risk of transmission to one of my partners, if they aren't using a dental dam, is higher (but still comparatively low to unprotected sex). Safer sex is an odd game of statistics. I would say an SP who sees multiple clients a day is at a lower risk of STIs than one girl who goes to a bar, picks up, and gives the guy a BBBJ and fucks him without a condom...