Mister T

Nice idea but it's been done before. As previous organiser with Skates, i've attended almost every social in Montreal (since i live there) over the past year and a half or so until the last party in September, and yes, we've had several ladies attend previous Ottawa socials before the summer.

[url]http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2015/04/14/exclusive-prostitution-lawsuit-california-legalize.html?ana=twt[/url] [QUOTE]Steve Watkins Staff Reporter- Cincinnati Business Courier Two lawyers have filed a high-profile case that seeks to legalize prostitution in California. Lou Sirkin and Brian Oâ??Connor of Cincinnati-based Santen & Hughes, filed the case last month in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on behalf of an organization representing prostitutes known as the Erotic Service Provider Legal, Education & Research Project. It named three current or former prostitutes and a man with a disability who wants to be able to legally hire prostitutes as other plaintiffs in the case. Their argument centers on peopleâ??s right to do what they want as long as itâ??s legal. "Itâ??s legal to have sex, so why should it be illegal to pay for it?" the argument goes. Oâ??Connor compared it to having the freedom of the press but making it illegal to sell newspapers. â??Itâ??s really a constitutional issue, we think,â? Sirkin said. â??Weâ??re talking only about consenting adults here. Our whole theory is that any law based on morality has no place in this country. Morals are different for different people. Legislation should not be determined by morality. â??Because you exchange a dollar rather than dinner, why should it be made illegal?â? Sirkin compared the argument with the nationâ??s past opposition to legalized gambling. Casinos used to be legal only in Nevada and New Jersey, and now theyâ??re in plenty of states. How did two guys from Cincinnati wind up filing a case in California to legalize prostitution? Itâ??s mainly because of Sirkinâ??s experience. Heâ??s been involved in several high-profile cases involving individual liberty issues around the country. Those included a Texas case to overturn a law that made sex toys illegal and an obscenity case in Pittsburgh to allow the sale of movies over the Internet. â??Iâ??ve kind of been a front-runner on this issue,â? Sirkin said. The group in San Francisco contacted him a few years ago about handling the case. While the group raised money through crowdfunding, Sirkin waited for some rulings on similar cases in Canada where prostitution is legal. â??The timing is right on this one,â? Sirkin said. â??We think we can win and sustain it. Itâ??s an important issue of individual freedom in a country that prides itself on individual freedom. People might think weâ??re crazy, but this would protect a lot of people.â? Sirkin hopes to get a ruling by late summer, but he expects the case to be taken to higher courts after that.[/QUOTE]

Why not contact CMJ directly to ask them? No better way to hear it "from the horses mouth" is the english expression, no?

[url]http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/04/10/pan-am-security-sweep-could-hurt-sex-workers-advocacy-group-says.html[/url] By: The Canadian Press, Published on Fri Apr 10 2015 [QUOTE]An advocacy group in Toronto is raising concerns that sex workersâ?? safety could be at risk if police launch sweeps to clean up city streets heading into this summerâ??s Pan Am Games. Authorities in London cracked down on prostitution ahead of the 2012 Olympics and police in Vancouver made some efforts to curb street prostitution and petty crime before the Winter Games two years earlier. With hundreds of thousands of people expected to come for the Pan Am and Parapan Games in July and August, some â?? including the head of the Canadian Council of Churches â?? are predicting a boom in sex trafficking to the region. The executive director of Maggieâ??s, a Toronto organization run by and for sex workers, says fears over potential trafficking during sports competitions are typically overblown and sometimes serve as excuses to round up local and foreign sex workers. Jean McDonald says she worries a stronger police presence could have a â??harsh impactâ? on street-based sex workers, who would be forced to work in more isolated â?? and potentially unsafe â?? conditions. Advocates for sex workersâ?? rights have long argued that isolation exposes sex workers to harm and violence, and have pushed for the decriminalization of sex work. A spokesman for the Integrated Security Unit, which is responsible for security for the Games, says authorities are focused on keeping Ontario residents, visitors and athletes safe. Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Peter Leon said the ISU is aware of â??issuesâ? surrounding the Games but would not say whether sex work or trafficking are a particular concern. â??With respect to cracking down. . . thatâ??s operational and thatâ??s something that law enforcement canâ??t really answer,â? he said. A study examining the impact of the Vancouver Olympics suggests there was no significant influx of sex workers or reports of a spike in trafficking there. The survey of sex workers found there was less demand for their services, possibly due to the difficulty in meeting clients. â??The Olympics period remained statistically significantly associated with perceived heightened police harassment of (sex workers) without arrest, decreased availability of clients as well as increased difficulty hooking up with clients due to road closures/construction,â? the University of British Columbia researchers found. â??Police harassment/crackdowns can displace outdoor sex work markets to more isolated spaces away from health and support services and increase risks of violence and transmission of HIV/STIs.â? Few studies have attempted to measured the scope of sex trafficking during large sporting events. Quantifying it â??has proven to be elusive given the clandestine nature of the industry,â? according to a study published last year in the journal Public Health. â??It almost certainly exists, but to what extent is the big question. It is a hidden problem on a global scale in plain view with tremendous public health implications.â? A report by the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, meanwhile, argued there is a wide discrepancy between claims made before events and what actually occurs. â??There is no evidence that large sporting events cause an increase in trafficking for prostitution,â? the organization said.[/QUOTE]

Poutine Tornado Where's a frier when you need one? Here's how to make a Poutine Tornado. I'm hungry now.

i purged the list i had from my profile. I dont look at them at all anymore, not even the one i created, which i might just ask to have deleted.

La Cles is pretty much on the abolitionist side, as opposed to Stella (more supportive IMO). An interview i've seen and posted here (in french of course, as they are active in Montreal), is basically to provide exit strategies out of the "trade". Cant say if they provide real help though... Anyway, just a late night aside.

I do not know many who hasn't enjoyed the city! :D Don't be afraid to ask other questions here too, there's plenty of first hand information that could come up ...

It's good you are willing to speak out on this issue, as the number of clients remotely willing to do so is extremely low, barely inexistant to say the least and i speak from experience. The reasons for this are numerous; impacts on their personnal or professional lives come to mind, obviously. One thing come to mind from speaking with local reporters that i can share is to ensure that they do a good piece, stay neutral, and do no go the sensationalist route. One i have dealt with last summer did tremendous pieces in town and garnered some trust in the local community, while another, after my meeting and discussion, suddenly jumped in on the bandwagon to try to get client's perspectives, only in succeeding in getting suspisious glances (including a lack of understanding of the workings of the industry as well as, by the timing of it, seeing an opportunity to get a similar story). I'll be curious to follow that up. Anyway, a quick rambling from away from my laptop.

While i do not deal with agencies myself, from my observations and discussions in town on the client side, even with those that are active on the local boards (Montreal, as some agencies have been in business consistently for years as opposed to Ottawa), that the points i bolded are in fact, dead on. I can't speak for other cities that have several agencies, obviously as i've lived in Ottawa and Montreal, but many agency clients will also benefit from their history with agencies to have recommendations made if the sp they wanted to see is busy, off or unavailable for various reasons.

Started by business psychologist, David Taylor, to boost morale, encouraged Naked Fridays in 2009, a San Francisco firm, Bold Italics just tried it for a month: http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/7154-what-our-office-learned-working-naked-for-one-month-ironically-nsfw-

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1370690

Improvisational fried rice (good way to handle leftover meat) and a blondie for dessert.

I've heard same, and a lot. Still, from my discussions over the years, not everyone has the discipline or willingness to set up their own business, filter clients, setting up ads, maintaining a place, getting to clients themselves etc .... Further, as mentioned before through this board, it's a good way (my understanding) for ladies in particular, to get started. I know a few that started out this way and became indy. I dont think either is better than the other though.

I doubt it, they are doing well here in Montreal. Always have.

That's correct, capsaicin (what makes peppers "hot") is largely concentrated in the pith and seeds. While some like to keep those in, for many, removing it from these peppers is a question of food texture in the end. As for the peppers i quoted in this recipe, they are all smoked-dried peppers, their flavour profiles are different from the fresh ones. The heat will be there in this recipe, it won't hit right away (i find) and numb the mouth - thus "killing" the taste buds. It'll sneak up on you and still give you a sweat. It's a question of balance. Name, dried-smoked = name, fresh Ancho = Poblano pepper Pasilla = Chalica pepper Guajillo = Chili pepper Mulato = fresh, its a variety of the poblano with a different flavour profile Arbol = Bird's beak chile, the long and thin red chile, often traded by Cayenne or Pequin peppers Using the peppers fresh, it'd be a different story. Without the pith and seeds, their flavours is a bit lost. Last trick i'd add on this post, milk or a bit of yogourt is the best way to put out the fiery feeling of eating spicy food.

My list would be too long. Visit this store in Manotick and taste test a few: http://chillychiles.com Besides, my tolerance for spicy is fairly high. Rhino Peri-peri sauce (the Hot one), the Iguana brand (the gold in particular right now) and the Bone Sucking' sauces (particularly the BBQ sauce; many of this brand are gluten free and kosher) is but a small sample that come to mind, as well as the Mad Dog BBQ sauce.

As published on Pivot Legal Society's Blog yesterday [url]http://www.pivotlegal.org/with_no_reference_in_ontario_sex_workers_must_look_to_litigation_again[/url] [QUOTE][B]With No Reference in Ontario, Sex Workers Must Look to Litigation Again[/B] Written by Brenda Belak on April 02, 2015 When I heard yesterdayâ??s announcement that the Ontario Attorney General found Canadaâ??s new prostitution laws â??not clearly unconstitutional,â? I almost thought it was an April Foolâ??s Day joke. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said publicly in December that she had â??grave concernsâ? about the constitutionality of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, which had just come into force. These concerns were not surprising; PCEPA replicates the harms of the Criminal Code provisions it replaced. Premier Wynne requested that Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur review the PCEPA to determine whether it should be the subject of a constitutional reference. News yesterday of Ontarioâ??s decision not to take this route makes it more certain that sex workers and their allies will have to pursue litigation to challenge the new laws. Litigation would have been less of a certainty if the reference had gone ahead. Constitutional references are procedures that can make litigation brought by private individuals unnecessary. They allow governments to ask the courts directly whether proposed or existing laws meet constitutional muster, avoiding the time and expense of a full trial. While Canada has used references for guidance on some of our most contentious legal issues (including the proposed appointment of Marc Nadon to the Supreme Court and the legality of same sex marriage), they are still uncommon. With the exception of B.C., in most provinces references must be heard by the appeal courts; Ontarioâ??s reference would have gone to the Ontario Court of Appeal. If the Ontario reference had proceeded, Pivot Legal Society would have applied to intervene to ensure that sex workersâ?? voices were heard by the Court and to argue that the new law puts them at risk of the same harms as the provisions struck down in Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford. Even so, the Ontario Court of Appeal may not have had a robust evidentiary record of the lawâ??s impacts like the one before the Supreme Court of Canada in Bedford. The intentionally streamlined processes in reference cases are similar to appeals, in that they restrict what can be put before the court for consideration. In most cases, lawyers for intervenors can present their written arguments and evidence, but they cannot call or cross-examine witnesses. Because of this, it was uncertain how much space would be available for sex workersâ?? voices and evidence in a reference, despite the reality that sex workers are most directly impacted by the law. It is worth noting that the Attorney General did not consult with sex workersâ?? or human rights organizations while drafting her opinion, even though many sex workersâ?? organizations were eager to provide their expertise and information. Pivot Legal Society does not agree with the Attorney Generalâ??s conclusion on PCEPA. We believe the laws are clearly unconstitutional: they recreate the harms of the old Criminal Code provisions in a different format, and it is our view that they violate the security of the person, liberty, expression, and equality rights of sex workers. The Supreme Court of Canada in Bedford struck down the provisions that outlawed communication for the purpose of prostitution, the keeping of a bawdy house (any indoor establishment offering sexual services), and living off the avails of prostitution. The Court found the laws forced sex workers into unsafe outdoor locations and prevented them from engaging in safety precautions, violating their rights to security of the person under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Court also found that working indoors could enhance sex workersâ?? safety. The PCEPA makes the purchase of sex illegal. It also modifies the communication provision only marginally, making communication to purchase sexual services illegal in any place (private or public), and communication to sell sexual services illegal if it happens near a daycare, school, or playground. As a result of these provisions, sex workers will still face the same pressure to rush or forego screening clients. The PCEPA still makes it virtually impossible for sex workers to work indoors by banning the purchase of sexual services, advertising of sexual services, and material benefits to third parties, including (in many or most cases) drivers, receptionists, and bodyguards. Like the old provisions, the new provisions will make all sex workers reticent to access police services if they face violence. Not only does the PCEPA reproduce the Charter violations we saw before, we believe that it contravenes Charter guarantees of freedom of expression and equality. Ontarioâ??s decision on a reference means our next steps are becoming clearer. Without a more direct course to striking down this legislation, sex workers are once again faced with the prospect of heading to court. Over the coming months, we will be meeting with our clients, Sex Workers United Against Violence, and other sex workers' organizations across Canada to hear their concerns and strategize about the best way to bring the next constitutional challenge forward. The complexity of the new law means a great many decisions will need to be made. What know now is that sex workers are determined to fight the PCEPA and to fight for their rights, even if that means having to go to the Supreme Court of Canada once again in order to have those rights protected.[/QUOTE]

Published on Straight.com http://www.straight.com/blogra/424606/sex-workers-spread-facesofprostitution-rebuttal-rescue-industry

From CBC Radio "The Current" http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-april-2-2015-1.3018995/brenda-cossman-sex-workers-given-lower-bar-when-it-comes-to-consent-1.3019150 The 7:30 audio piece link is on the left hand side, below the picture.

CBC Radio The Current http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-april-2-2015-1.3018995/brenda-cossman-sex-workers-given-lower-bar-when-it-comes-to-consent-1.3019150 The 7:30 audio piece link is on the left hand side, below the picture.

Today's a red lunar eclipse

No demonstrations today in Montreal so that's always good, but a warm day and last-minute sushi lunch with a good friend that took me away from spring cleaning.

Roasted veggies, ham and cheese sandwich -maybe, as i havent yet decided on my protein.

Next one for you ... Schwartz's: The Musical Montrealers may or may not cringe at this