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First, we survived being born to mothers Who smoked and/or drank while they were Pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, Locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode Our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads. As infants & children, We would ride in cars with no car seats, No booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day Was always a special treat. We drank water From the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, From one bottle and no one actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. WHY? Because we were Always outside playing...that's why! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, As long as we were back when the Streetlights came on. No one was able To reach us all day. And, we were O.K.. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps And then ride them down the hill, only to find out We forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, No video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, No cell phones, No personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS And we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth And there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, And the worms did not live in us Forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, Although we were told it would happen, We did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and Knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just Walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal With disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law Was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best Risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 50 years Have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good . While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ?

'kay I'm gonna go off on a not-so-little rant here....something I feel kind of passionate about....sharks. I know, I know, sharks don't have fur...but I swear this isn't a hijack. Denis Leary said it best right here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPSff6V6qjI "We only want to save the cute animals don't we?" Honestly fur is only a huge topic because furry animals are usually really cute. They make for great posters to tug at the heart strings and milk "donations" out of people and get a lot of attention. If these animals were butt ugly and/or really scary looking most people wouldn't really think twice about their slaughter and extinction. People complain about fur while at the same time chowing down on a nice big fat cheeseburger topped with lots of bacon....why? Because cows and pigs aren't really that cute. The Great White Shark (and other species of sharks) are becoming dangerously close to being extinct. Why? Because they're being killed...not to be turned into food, not to be turned into clothing, they're being slaughtered at an alarming rate so their fins can be turned into paper weights to be purchased at souvenir shops by tourists. They're literally being fished, having their fins sliced off...just their fins, and then being tossed back into the ocean, still alive, and otherwise still whole, where they sink to the ocean bed and drown (because they can't swim without their fins). No meat is being taken, they're not being skinned to make clothing......it's literally for their fins...because hey, everyone remembers how spooky Jaws' dorsal fin is right? As it speedily slices through the water after some unsuspecting water skier with that epic music playing. How cool would it be to have that sitting on your desk or something? Wow! These (IMO) beautiful and majestic creatures are being systematically wiped off the face of the planet because of a movie. The Great White population only started decreasing significantly in the 1970's (right around the time that movie came out). Admittedly I have a very love-hate relationship with that movie. It's one of my favorite books (I've had to replace it a few times because I read it too much), and also one of my movies. Oddly enough it's what started my fondness for sharks. But at the same time I hate the effect it's had on our culture and how most people now view sharks as a result. Not to mention the fact that considering where they stand on the oceanic food chain their extinction would throw everything out of whack. And yet....no one hears about this. You don't have super models posing nude next to sharks to gain attention....because they're scary....and they're not cute. And it's really really sad and shines an ugly glaring light on how shallow our society really is....even when it tries to be compassionate, it still comes off as being very douchbagish. I mean seriously....what image elicits more sympathy from you? This one? Or this one? Or this one? (I did a google image search and couldn't even find a picture online that says "Save the Great White Shark" so just pretend there's a caption saying "save me" at the bottom) You see what I mean? The estimated worldwide population of the Great White Shark is I think somewhere between 800 to 2,600 (no I didn't forget any zeros). That's worldwide people! How is this not making headlines? Where are all the sexy celebrities when the not-so-cute creatures are endangered? And the worst part is they're not even that dangerous. They're not man-eaters. Every year more people are killed by vending machines than by shark attacks (I'm serious. Vending machines. I couldn't make this stuff up folks). It's one of the only creatures on this planet (if not THE only creature) that was created perfect and has never had to evolve. And this is what we're doing to it. You bet your ass if the dolphins were in this kind of trouble we'd be hearing about it everywhere. ok, so maybe that was a little bit of a hijack but it was sort of related right? :p

Please DO NOT have conversations on the ladies recommendation threads, if you want to ask questions about a lady do it in the discussion areas (put a link to the recommendation if you wish) but please DO NOT ask questions or make comments on the recommendation threads that are not adding to the recommendation. Your just BUMPING it and in some cases posting bad questions. Today alone I had to remove a comment from someone bitching that the lady owed him money, I had to remove a comment asking if she does BBBJTC and another asking about a different lady! Come on guys please DO NOT do this. and ladies... remember you can not post a reply on your recommendation threads either. If someone has posted something you do not like on your rec thread simply FLAG it using the REPORT THIS icon on the post.

Well boys and girls it's PLAYOFF TIME !!! So whatya say we have a draft again ??? Hmmmm???? I am in so that would make one !! It would be much more fun if I get one more entry because I always seem to win when I play with myself ;) Let's see the Jets are out so Manitoba is out. Booo. Hab's are out so that takes Quebec out of it and MrNice2. Calgary and Edmonton are out so there goes AB. That leaves the Canucks and Samantha from the west and ............OH YA OTTAWA !!!!! How did that heck did that happen ????? :icon_eek: Okay soooooooooo. I think it was pick ten players last year but I will have to look back and take a look see and will post that tomorrow. I have pryed a $50 Timmy Hortons gift card outta a manager friend of mine for a prize so far. He just didn't know where it wasn't going ;) I have no freakin idea how I will get it to you but where there is a will there is a way :) So I will update you folks tomorrow on my plan Stan ! Go Flyers Go !!!!!!! Cheers :chug:

Does it ever occur to anybody else that this generation who congratulate themselves on how great they had it are the same people who invented the Nintendo, the cell phone, the MP3 player, and pushed for all these safety precautions, pushed for participation medals for their kids, did the research on smoking etc? Sorry, but I just find it groan inducing to see one generation blame the generation it raised for how it turned out. They should pull a Michael Jackson and start with the man in the mirror.

I think this is the key. Only because there seems to be a backlash against higher education (with good intentions, I know) I think I might as well share that the recent group of MA students I have had the pleasure of dealing with are among the most brilliant, driven, thoughtful, kind and hard-working people I know, and far too many of the people I work with day-to-day (who often have no education beyond early high school) are selfish, lazy, and thoughtless. The takeaway? Assholes come in all different packages. There are plenty of good reasons to pursue higher education, but it is certainly not a necessity to be a wonderful SP.

I find the issue of education and whether it shows intelligence is really a loosers game. As people noted previously, a piece of paper really doesn't mean you are smart. It does show you are capable of perserving and do what is needed to get that piece of paper. In my program in university, we had such a high drop-out/failure rate that our rallying cry was "The can't fail us all !!" There were times before our exams where it almost felt like we were in the trenches waiting for the whistle to blow sending us over the top. If you survived that it didn't mean you were smart just damn stubborn and definitely lucky. Then there is the whole issue of what subjects you are considered to be intelligent. I know many people who are great with numbers but have know clue about what is going on in the world. Of course there are others who are the exact opposite. I know on certain subject matter I probably would be considered to be smart. But that is subject matter that I have spent my life studying and that my work is directed towards. I know I forgot a lot of things from my university days but I also know a lot of things that I would never have been taught in university. Education/intelligence is such funny thing and it causes more problems then it is worth. If you need to feel good about yourself by making others feel dumb then that shows more about your character then anything else. Of course, more likely the issue is the other person is trying to "help someone" by "teaching" them the subject matter. Unfortunately, not too many people can do this in a respectable way. Being a lowly Bachleor in Science among a large group of engineers and PhD's in science means I get lots of these "teaching moments". Intially it is rather insulting but over time and a few minor blow-ups, I learned most people are trying to be helpful and I usually give them the benefit of the doubt. I would recommend you do the same Peachy. Makes things easier for you and if the person is really trying to make you feel like a dummie they definitely will be doing a whole bunch of other things at the same time so they will be easy to spot.

Being Easter time we best watch out for this big bad Bunny hunter ;) and NO I don't mean Hugh Hefner I mean Elmer Fudd !!!! ;)

Stay Calm Dad ...... IT IS SO SWEET ....... ENJOY Now this brings a smile to your face, I had to pause it a couple of time wipe the tears off my eyes! "STAY CALM DAD"..... (Turn yours peaker on.) This is priceless! Click HERE <http://www.maniacworld.com/stay-calm-dad.html> to listen!

I don't care if they're cute or ugly. I agree with CC on the main point......animal abuse is totally unacceptable. As human beings, we're supposed to be on top of the food chain and have compassion for other species. Sadly, there are some human beings that feel animals can be treated inhumanely.

I like RoamingGuy because he enjoys playing 'Variation on the "favourite song" threads" with me.

I swore I was going to stay away from this thread, but I so agree with you Castle. Another species that is under global threat are ampibians ... Frogs in particular. This is due to habitat loss, capture and harvesting for bait, collection for dissection in school science classes, and just us people running them down with our cars. But as you say, you just don't see supermodels kissing frogs!

I volunteer to give you that spanking Christy. . .can you give me one too though? I haven't been any naughtier than normal, I just want to have to touch my bum ;)

How about a little spank and a hard love tap or vice versa. :-) ;-)

Well this is awesome Samantha that you are considering this business opportunity !! up-front costs Check, got a 649 ticket for tonight so we are covered there Sheep and A spinning mill My neighbors have sheep, although only a few alpaca's. I will borrow my other brother Darryl's valcro gloves to catch them with and we are good there.....and I will borrow my grandma's spinning wheel .... she looks like she needs a break anyways ;) Fleece Convention I checked the dates of the Fleece Convention in June.... hmmm I have a golf tournament, a beer bash and wedding social that weekend but if you two ladies would like to attend a fleece convention I don't see any reason not to change my plans. This one is going for about $10. Let's be honest, Gabriella and I work at the upper end of the market and so our products should reflect our expertise, as I'm sure you'll agree. Why yes I think we could go with a more luxurious model and charge at least 12 bucks a piece !!! Perhaps we can come up with a better name than "willy warmer" as well. We will leave that up to Gabby perhaps ! And no worries you and Gabriella can work at the upper end of the market and I will operate at the other end of the market :)

Your very own Halifax strap on queen will be visiting May 9th to 12th. :icon_razz:

I am in full agreement here. I've been turned away because I have 'too much education' or been told that I don't have enough practical experience in my field. Unfortunately, I need both the education and the practical experience in order to be hired. I have both. Education does not make me any more intellectual than anyone else on here by any means, just means I was dumb enough to pay for it all, lol! Some of the most fascinating people I ever met had no formal education to speak of. They read lots, watched world current events and could put the so-called intellect to shame. Education should never have to be a part of what we do as sp's, with the exception of honing our craft and educating ourselves on what our clients needs are. Almost every sp that I have met can carry on a conversation with the best of them, and there have been some that couldn't carry a conversation if it had handles. Higher education has no merit in our work here, it does not make any of us better or worse than any other sp

I am replying to this as a country bumkinses with rifles ;) I hunt foxes when need be....but for necessary reasons for instance because they are killing my chickens :( .... or population control. I will sell or give the hides to local trappers for the fur trade.... and I do have a fox hat. I hunt coyotes every year and sell the hides for fur trade .... a population control issue and kill local cattle which is the livlihood of many in my area...they run in packs and need to be controlled. As population increases so does the mange and that is not a good thing either. This is only a couple examples used to get my point across....but right, wrong or indifferent I obviously am involved in the fur trade in one way or another. I am an animal lover big time ! With the exception of a few years in the city...I have spent my life living in the bush pretty much surrounded by wildlife. It is awesome truthfully .... but there are nature control issues that are always there so the fur trade will need to live on forever in my world as I see it. If it doesn't and there are no more people to wear furs...the hides will just be tossed away.....

Many visits to a mink farm (interchangeable with stink farm) as a child convinced me that we need not raise animals in these conditions only for their fur, especially when we can fake it so well these days it's hard to tell the difference (but of course you can). Oh sure they are really nasty critters that have nice fur but I know they can feel emotions and pain. Just in case you're wondering, I really do give a thought or two for the animal that gave it's life so that I may live when I chow down on that streak. Guess I'm a bleeding heart animal lover too.

Lotta misconceptions out there, sorry to say. First of all, I don't know of any any animals that are skinned alive. They are euthanized as humanely as possible, some are stunned unconscious (then the jugular is severed and the animal dies without conscious pain), others are gassed until they expire (mink, for instance). It is quick and painless with the well being of the animal in mind and is scrutinized by all (inspectors, public, PETA, etc.) to make sure it is done right. It may not be pretty or savory to some, but it's the best way to do it. Factory farms is another term I dislike. People that raise animals for fur or food depend on doing everything absolutely right in order to make a living doing it. The animals have to be kept clean, comfortable, healthy, and well fed at all times.

farmed animals raised for fur are treated just a poorly as those raised in any other large factory farm ... I think animals for meat should be raised and killed as humanely as possible I cannot get my head around raising animals for fur ... nor indiscriminate killing of wild animals

I think if an animal is being utilized for food, then it is a sin to not use all of that animal. I eat beef, so wearing leather is fine in my books. That being said, if I had to kill and render an animal I would be a Vegan, Does that make me a hypocrite, of course it does, but I'm not alone in this boat.

I don't think anyone should be taking this gentle reminder personally. Yes the visitor can sometimes come without warning and be unpredictable, but I don't think that's what this thread is about. Sometimes the lady may very well be in the know about her "visitor" and simply not clue the client in on it because she wants that $200. I am NOT saying this of all ladies, and certainly not of any ladies on here. So please don't bite my head off. In my experience the majority of ladies will have enough respect for us to let us know if it's that time of the month and will simply offer restricted services during that time or will take the time off. But sadly there is the minority who will not. Unfortunately not everyone on this planet is honest and respectful, men and women alike. I think this reminder is for those ladies who purposely leave out that little bit of information when booking the appt. If you're not that kind of lady then there's no sense in taking offense to it. I don't take offense to the many "reminder" threads about gentleman's hygiene and/or cancellations, etc because I know I'm not that kind of client and I know those threads have nothing to do with me.

Education doesn't mean anything! I actually got iq tested routinely in school because i failed half my classes and aced the other ones. They thought i was autistic or something. Nope just adhd and a 168 iq. I dropped out of school when I was 15. When I tell people this their minds are blown as I can discuss just about anything and definetly have alot more knowledge then most of my college educated friends. If someone wants to quiz you then tell them to fuck right off because they are being a pretentious asshole. Posted via Mobile Device

Being book smart doesn't make you life smart or street smart. Or emotionally intelligent, or creative. There are so many different kinds of intelligence to which education is irrelevant. Go with what you got :)

I have no issue with the client being married. In fact, most of my best clients are the married ones. They come to see me of their own accord. Many have admitted to me they love their wives but aren't getting certain needs met at home and don't want to have an affair and don't want to break up (mostly due to the kids). I have heard the term "sexual surrogate" used by some SPs to describe what we do and I think that's what we are. And if, by coming to see me that client's needs are met that aren't otherwise being being met, then perhaps that will make him a better partner, husband, father, friend, etc. and that makes it better for everyone. The client is not only paying for my "services", he is also paying for my silence. I believe I save marriages, not ruin them.