Mister T

I know we are some ways away from the social, but i'd like to thank everyone who confirmed their attendance so far: ladies that either posted here, PM'ed me or those i've talked to directly, and of course those gents who paid for their tickets. As Lee would put it, my muffins (which will be well garded because he says i should :icon_wink: ) and I can't wait to see you all there! Cheers!

Oh god, does that mean that my muffins are at risk?? ;-)

I haven't had an issue yet with this. All's functioning normally.

Well, it's official, today is Old Dog's birthday! We have Bacon covered for your birthday: Mmmmm no, i don't think that was the right kind of b-day bacon for you. I think this would be better: Happy birthday to you!!!

It just doesn't sound like fun, it IS fun personified! :icon_wink: Perhaps you should consider? :icon_smile:

Happy birthday Vitto! Have a great day!!!

From the [URL="http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/01/15/chris-selley-trudeau-totally-untested-in-a-tough-policy-debate-and-prostitution-will-a-hard-one-to-start-with/"]National Post[/URL] The Liberal Party of Canada has a self-styled change agent at the helm, and it must be somewhat exhilarating for the progressive rank and file. On marijuana policy, members were way ahead of their soon-to-be leader when they voted to endorse legalization two years ago. (At the time, Justin Trudeau struggled halfheartedly even to articulate a case for decriminalization.) At Februaryâ??s national Liberal convention in Montreal, members have a chance to get ahead of their leader on prostitution policy as well: A resolution from the partyâ??s youth wing proposes to treat (and tax) the sex trade just as it would â??any other commercial enterpriseâ? â?? a steakhouse, say, or a shoe store. For Canada, it sounds unfeasibly revolutionary. But the pot and prostitution issues both partake of a widespread opinion that the status quo doesnâ??t work. In November, 2012, Angus Reid found just 8% of respondents willing to describe the War on Drugs as a â??success.â? Some months earlier, it found that 47% agreed current prostitution laws â??are unfair and force prostitutes into unsafe situations,â? whereas just 36% felt they are â??fair to the purpose of protecting the public good.â? Moreover, 67% agreed that â??providing sexual services to another person in return for payment â?¦ should be legal between consenting adults.â? Mr. Trudeauâ??s marijuana legalization policy can fairly be criticized as a low and lonely priority, but the Supreme Courtâ??s recent ruling striking down existing prostitution laws obligates federal politicians to tackle it. With Justice Minister Peter MacKay calling for more study, Mr. Trudeau might have an opportunity here to strengthen his changey-wangey, boldy-woldy persona. â??I think itâ??s good for us to continue to be bold,â? Justin Kaiser, a candidate for national president of the young Liberals, told The Canadian Press. Maybe so. But boldness in a politician is only an attribute to the extent he really understands the issue heâ??s being bold about. And even on marijuana, thatâ??s somewhat an open question with Mr. Trudeau. His pitch is logical enough: Weâ??re much better at keeping alcohol and tobacco away from children than we are at keeping marijuana away from children, so why not use the same regulatory approach? The problem is that it does nothing to counteract anyoneâ??s beliefs or suspicions that marijuana is far more dangerous or disreputable than alcohol or tobacco. Mason Tvert, co-director of Coloradoâ??s successful pot-legalization campaign, argues itâ??s essential to counteract such beliefs before pitches like Mr. Trudeauâ??s can gain purchase. But itâ??s not 100% clear Mr. Trudeau even believes it himself. Heâ??s clearly comfortable enough with marijuana to have smoked it from time to time. But as recently as October, 2012, he was going on about his worries that it â??disconnects you a little bit from the worldâ? and is â??not great for your health.â? The Conservatives have been appealing directly to those sentiments with radio advertising, especially in socially conservative ethnic communities. Whatever the polls say, prostitution is a vastly more complicated issue than pot. People donâ??t just debate the effects of prostitution, but what prostitution is: Some see it as legitimate commerce transacted by empowered women; others see it as violence, even slavery, by definition; and thereâ??s every opinion in between, none of which neatly correspond to party or ideological affiliations. At first blush, the Swedish approach to the sex trade might seem marketable to timid Canadians: Itâ??s compassionate in that it does not punish prostitutes, but judgmental in that it punishes their clients. But adherents tend to underplay the risks inherent to forcing prostitution into the shadows â?? not just violence and exploitation but an inability to detect and prevent it. And the Angus Reid poll found far less support for Swedenâ??s approach (16%) than for New Zealandâ??s, which is outright legalization and is generally considered a success, though hardly a panacea. Mr. Trudeauâ??s office â??neatly straddled the fenceâ? when asked about the prostitution resolution, CP reported. â??Ultimately, the government must respond [to the Supreme Court ruling] in a way that addresses both community safety and the security and safety of all those involved in the sex trade,â? said a spokesperson. It doesnâ??t seem like a sustainable line. Surely Mr. Trudeau doesnâ??t trust a government he describes as troglodytic to craft a suitable solution to such a complex, delicate problem. Surely, with a one-year deadline from the Supreme Court looming, heâ??ll have something concrete to offer. But especially in light of his yet-to-be-tested marjiuana policy, one can understand his and his advisersâ?? reluctance. He has yet to face really tough policy debates, and this is an awfully difficult one to navigate with training wheels on.

Not yet, as i started taking names down last week. On the gents side, its first come first served, on receipt of the ticket payment. Besides, i'll announce when the guest list will be filled up.

I remember a few threads and posts concerning video recording over time. Very few i know offer this, but Carrie Moon does, i believe. A quick search found the following as well: http://www.cerb.ca/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=156300&highlight=video+recording

Old Dog, have i got bacon related things planned out ... With butter and things :-p ... Mouthgasm for sure!!!

While the next social is about two months away, don't forget to book your spot early, as time flies! Gents, payment of your ticket (35$) secures your spot - contact me to take arrangements if needed. Ladies, all you need to do is to reply to this thread, or if you would rather reserve your spot privately, you can send me or Loneskater a Private Message.

I almost forgot, of those using the Calendar feature, the Social is now there: http://www.cerb.ca/vbulletin/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=2306&day=2014-3-20

Ladies and Gents, i am now making it official, the next Ottawa Social will be held on March 20th, 2014. There is room for 35 ladies and 35 gents. Tickets are now on sale for 35$. Entrance is free for the ladies. As per previous socials, ticket sales will cover a drink for the ladies, snacks (available to anyone) and some door prizes. The socials are never a success without all the attendees and, of course, our sponsors (ALO and CMJ, providers of gifts of the gents for the sat several socials), we also strive to integrate all your comments we receive on site or afterwards. We couldn't improve them without it! We'll do the same for this one in March, bearing in mind we also look to get the "best bang for the buck". Gents, you can pay in person or by email money transfer (you can contact me). Ladies, you can confirm your attendance simply by responding to this thread or by PM'ing me or Loneskater. Cheers!

No worries Emma :) You need'nt have to feel sorry for asking :)

Perhaps reading these three threads; there are several good posts concerning this topic (it's been discussed before): http://www.cerb.ca/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=151618 http://www.cerb.ca/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=143689 http://www.cerb.ca/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=89799

Some indies may post that they are usually available late but to regular clients (re: that they know well) but as Kathryn mentioned, proper planning and communication MAY yield results with some independent ladies.

I remember seeing same at one point (can't remember details either). A PM would certainly help confirming details if its still the case.

There's one great thread rift here on this very topic: The Happy Hobbyist: http://www.cerb.ca/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=125268

Thanks Emily for gathering those in one place. And for the French readers: La version française de la décision: http://scc-csc.lexum.com/decisia-scc-csc/scc-csc/scc-csc/fr/item/13389/index.do Un sommaire: http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/201312/20/01-4722862-prostitution-la-cour-supreme-invalide-des-articles-de-lois.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_vous_suggere_4723010_article_POS2 Quelques possibilités sont exposées, dont une courte distinction entre deux modèles; le modèle "australien" et le modèle "nordique": http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/201312/20/01-4723010-prostitution-des-lois-a-reecrire.php Une réaction au Québec: Le Conseil du statut de la femme, au Québec, effectuera des représentations pour l'adoption d'un modèle similaire a la France et a la Suède http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/201312/20/01-4722979-prostitution-il-faudra-criminaliser-les-clients-dit-le-conseil-du-statut-de-la-femme.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_vous_suggere_4723010_article_POS1

And besides, Loneskater and I want to keep things simple. And as discreet as possible given we are in a public location. As organiser, I dont want to have to answer questions from staff. Secondly, Organising an icebreaker thing means more work for both of us.

Just finished reading the decision (the french version). Well written, i found, and a very interesting read. What the legislator will actually do remains to be seen.

As published in the [URL="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Crackdown+massage+parlours+spurs+debate+Supreme+Court/9291040/story.html"]Ottawa Citizen[/URL] on December 16th, 2013. [QUOTE]MONTREAL - Their bright neon signs have become more common on Montreal's streets, and the services offered can go far beyond simple relief from aches and pains. Some even brazenly declare "XXX massage" in the window. But these days Montreal's illicit massage parlours, viewed as a haven for prostitution and even human trafficking, are coming under increased scrutiny. Newly elected mayor Denis Coderre has made a crackdown on the parlours one of his first orders of business at city hall. Coderre wants to introduce legislation against them that would include hefty fines. The move isn't without detractors, however. It's part of a larger debate about the sex trade that has made its way to the Supreme Court of Canada. This Friday, Canada's top court will bring down a landmark decision on the legality of the country's anti-prostitution laws. Prostitution isn't illegal in Canada, but many of the activities associated with prostitution are classified as criminal offences â?? including operating a brothel, living off the avails and soliciting. The Supreme Court must decide whether to keep Canada's current prostitution laws, throw them out, or offer an alternative. Depending on Friday's ruling, erotic massage parlours like the ones popping up all over Montreal could, conceivably, become licensed, regulated venues for the sex trade. As it stands, the establishments often hold a permit as a legitimate therapeutic massage business, hiding their true purpose. Montreal has an estimated 350 illicit massage parlours operating across the city and many more in its suburbs. Other cities have already taken steps to crack down on them. Toronto introduced a bylaw this year making a distinction between massage parlours and erotic ones, and limiting the number of licenses available for erotic ones. Police in Calgary, meanwhile, raided a massage parlour in late October. Authorities shut it down for allegedly serving as a front for prostitution. These days much of the focus has been on Montreal. The city has long been seen as a hub for prostitution with a bustling red-light district. Today, many of the strip clubs in Montreal's once-seedy centre have closed down, and the street-level prostitution driven out, to make way for condos and office buildings. But the erotic massage parlours persist across the city. More than 70 per cent of Montreal prostitution now takes place in such venues, according to a new survey by CLES, a group that advocates against the sexual exploitation of women. CLES supports the new mayor's efforts, said spokeswoman Eliane Legault-Roy. "We're really happy that there's the political will to act on exploitation of women," she said. "We just hope resources will also be put in place to help women exit prostitution." Police have already made a string of arrests since Coderre's announcement last month. One case involved the alleged sexual exploitation of young Romanian women. The federal government also announced last week the creation of an RCMP unit headquartered in the city to fight human-trafficking in Canada and abroad. Emilie Laliberte, the head of a Montreal sex-trade support and advocacy group says the timing of such actions is no coincidence, with the Supreme Court ruling looming. "It's clear they're trying to make a clear link between sex work on the one hand, and human trafficking and sexual exploitation on the other," said Laliberte, director of Stella. In Laliberte's view, the issue isn't so simple. Not everyone working in the sex trade is a victim of trafficking, she said. And many workers at massage parlours are worried police action could drive sex work further underground, leading to more dangerous work conditions. "What we're saying is, 'yes' to cracking down on violence, but not on the backs of workers," Laliberte said. She's hopeful the Supreme Court ruling in favour of legalization will usher in a new approach toward the sex trade. France is one country considering such a step. Its lower house in parliament passed a bill last week that would decriminalize some of the acts around prostitution in an attempt to better tackle the issue of human trafficking. The law is intended to make it easier for trafficked women to remain in France if they get out of prostitution. Montreal is taking a different path. Anie Samson, the borough mayor overseeing the effort to curb erotic massage parlours, said she's hopeful the crackdown will help make city neighbourhoods safer for families. Samson said she noticed a huge upswing in licensing applications for massage parlours in her borough at the beginning of 2013. It has since put a moratorium on further applications. She described a triplex in her neighbourhood where there are illicit massage parlours on two of the floors, with people coming and going at all hours. A family lives on the other. "There's not even a sign. They do all the advertising online," said Samson, mayor of Villerayâ??Saint-Michelâ??Parc-Extension. "There are children who live around there."[/QUOTE]