Reddog2402

I totally agree with you Cristy. I lost an uncle a few years ago to ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease). It was terrible watching him deteriorate physically, while his mind stayed sharp. I could see how it pained him - to be unable to do anything for himself, the physical pain, the mental anguish. I never had the courage to discuss it with him, but I wish I had. Personally, I know if I were to go through it, there would be a point where I would know that it was time to go, that my existence would no longer be what I would consider LIVING. To be a burden on my family, draining their resources, their physical strength, their mental strength, all the while extending my pain...it seems wrong on so many levels. In my view, an individual should be able to decide for themselves when its time to go.

I've been paying more attention to the positive stories today...the tales of kindness and goodness that are often overlooked in disasters. I find the media pays too much attention to the blood, gore, smoke and fire, and when a suspect is found, they cover every detail of their life. This only encourages other attention-seeking madmen to create their own act of mayhem. I don't know if any of you are redditors (http://www.reddit.com), but when everything started unravelling yesterday, pages immediately sprung up from people offering everything they could - places to stay, meals, cell phones, frequent flyer miles, hotel stays...the list is endless, and impressive. As someone posted previously...look to the helpers. They're always there, and deserve more praise and attention.

If you want to head out of town a little bit, Rhubarb Cafe in Indian Harbour (near Peggy's Cove) is fantastic. Fresh, locally-sourced food, and their menu is constantly being updated to include whatever is in season. Also a fantastic atmosphere - it's right on St. Margarets Bay, and they have a great patio overlooking the water. On a nice summer night, you can't get a better spot to watch the waves while enjoying a glass of wine. Definitely worth the trip.

These men are starting to see some real consequences too... http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/838505-hockey-nova-scotia-cuts-referee-charged-with-online-child-luring http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/816396-man-charged-in-child-prostitution-sting-no-longer-at-halifax-school But from what I've heard, they knew the "girl" with whom they were making appointments was only 16 - I've read that in the course of making the arrangements, the "girl" was stating that she was only 16. So they can't claim ignorance or that she mislead them. These men are going to be paying a very high price for their lack of judgement.

As Buddha said...

This thread highlights why I'm not a big fan of texting. First of all, a text isn't conducive to a proper introduction or "get-to-know each other" exchange. In a moment of weakness some weeks ago, I exchanged texts with a lady. We weren't able to connect, but a few weeks later, on a weekend, I got a random text, including a picture, to see if I was interested/available. Thankfully I saw it right away and was able to delete it, but it could have lead to big problems! So I think it's safe to say that I'll be sticking to PMs, email and phone calls now!

Speaking from experience, I know when I first started in the hobby, I found it very difficult to pick up the phone and call a service provider. Being a bit shy, it often took me a while to build up the courage to take that first step. Once I discovered CERB, it was a lot easier - I could use a PM to make that first contact and have a bit of back-and-forth correspondence with a lady. Sometimes it leads to an encounter, sometimes it doesnt. But it should still be polite and friendly. I'm thinking some of these one-liners might be on the shy side, and unsure what to say or how to open up the lines of communication. "Hi" might be all they can manage with the first contact. That being said, those that send out the "Available? Rate? Location?" texts or PMs simply lack class and respect! It's so easy to read a lady's ad, profile and/or website, find their preferred means of communicating, and touch base accordingly.

I think part of the problem was that they wouldn't say where they had disposed of the cigarrette butts. Given the potential fire risk, they had to land to deal with it. I can only imagine how pissed off I'd be if my vacation was cut short by a day or two by assholes like that!

Love it - great idea! Count me in please!

I always love hearing The Gift, by Garth Brooks. You can listen to it here: http://www.123video.nl/playvideos.asp?MovieID=416453 For a chuckle, I always go fall back on Daddy's Beer, by Dave Gunning. It's a story of Christmas morning from the child's perspective: Daddy stays in bed all Christmas day because he's sad that Santa drank all his beer instead of the mild and cookies! Somehow, it hits close to home for me!

I would TOFTT, but time and budget won't allow it! Hopefully the next time they send a visitor to the East Coast.

Being on the Coast, I'd load up with supplies, and head to the Marina. I'd find a decent-sized sailboat (no need to worry about fuel!), and hit the open water. You could stay on the boat for a long time, and only come ashore in small communities for supply runs. You could even find a private island to wait for things to settle down. Actually, my zombie plan sounds a lot like my retirement plan!

I saw this photo yesterday of the Bounty sinking. It made me very sad. Thanks to the brave servicemen and women who pulled off an amazing rescue of the crew, although the Captain apparently did go down with his ship.

Mini. Sun vacation or Snow vacation?

Tables. Boxers or briefs?

Chicken. Beer or wine?

Half would go to towards a trip - wherever strikes me at the time. Australia, Europe, China, Carribean? Who knows. The other $5k? Walk into a food bank, a homeless shelter, or something similar, and start spreading the love! Like CK pointed out, there are a lot of people out there who are way worse off than me, and they could use some sunshine too.

Not sure. I've tried to reach them this week too, but no luck. I had traded emails with them last week, but couldn't get our schedules to mesh. Tried again on Tuesday (both direct email and through their ad), but never heard back.

Peachy, if I were in your neighbourhood, I'd spend the day walking by you in the hopes that you would!

Personally, I find it puts both of us more at ease if I shower on arrival. On a repeat visit, I can definitely see the potential for this turning into a fun start to the session! Basically, I see it as a simple courtesy on arrival, and a wise way to clean up afterwards before rejoining the real world.

Vanessa beat me to it! Boil some water, and add some honey, spiced rum and lemon. Have a drink before bed and you'll sleep like a baby.

I just finished watching the Walking Dead. Can't wait for Season 3 to start in the fall!

Katie is visiting Halifax this week, and apparently (hopefully!) she plans to return on a regular basis. After contacting her via email, we arranged an afternoon encounter. Arrangements were finalized via text messages the day of the encounter. From the moment the door opened, I knew I was in for a great time - gorgeous, friendly, and welcoming, she immediately put me at ease. We eased into things slowly, just enjoying the moment and each other's company. Katie was relaxed, at ease, and laid-back, and as the encounter progressed, we took our time to explore and tease. I won't go into the details, but I will say this - this young lady left me with a huge smile on my face, and I hope to get to see her again soon! Thank you Katie!

Glad you enjoyed your visit! Hopefully we'll have the chance to meet on your next visit.

I think that's an apt description of YMMV. I have had some memorable encounters where, for whatever the reason, the SP and I "clicked", which made the session so much more than the basic physical encounter. Another hobbyist may not have the same experience because that emotional connection was not there. At the most basic level, an encounter is an interaction between two individuals - if you change one of the individuals, you change the whole encounter.