They Get Younger And Younger

The johns, we mean. A 13 year-old boy was busted for soliciting an undercover cop.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An undercover officer posing as a prostitute in Alabama tried more than once to run off a 13-year-old boy who asked her for sex, but police say the teen insisted and had to be arrested.

Authorities in Mobile said Wednesday the teenager has been charged with a misdemeanor count of loitering while looking for a prostitute. The next-youngest suspect nabbed in the sting was 22.

Police set up the sting in a residential area last week because of complaints about prostitutes trolling for business. Officer Christopher Levy says it's not clear exactly what the teen said to the officer, or how she responded.

Bravo, kid. We wish we had that much balls when we were young.

Catch Phillie Fever! And Possibly An STD!

In other sports-related news, I would be remiss if I didn't blog this story from the New York Post:

A rabid Philadelphia fan -- apparently believing the "P" on the team's cap stands for "prostitution" -- was busted yesterday for offering sex in exchange for World Series tickets, police said.

Susan Finkelstein, 43, was nabbed after allegedly soliciting an undercover Bensalem, Pa., cop who answered her innuendo-laced craigslist ad seeking the coveted ducats.

The married Finkelstein posted her ad -- with a subject line that read, "DESPERATE BLONDE NEEDS WS TIX (Philadelphia)" -- on Monday in the "tickets for sale/wanted" section.

Describing herself as a "Diehard Phillies fan" and "gorgeous tall buxom blonde," Finkelstein said she was "in desperate need" of two tickets to see the Phillies play the Yankees at Citizens Bank Park.

Then came the zinger: "Price negotiable -- I'm the creative type! Maybe we can help each other!"

The suggestive line caught the attention of a Web-trolling cop, who set up a meeting at a Bucks County bar.

The officer said he had one ticket, but when Finkelstein said she needed two, the cop said his brother might have an extra, Bucks County Public Safety Director Fred Harran told The Post.

"She offered to take care of both men," Harran said.

Asked what specific activities Finkelstein offered, Harran said, "Let's just say she wanted to go around the bases the other way."[emphasis added.]

Her lawyer, while claiming his client is innocent, neverthless explains: "She's a rabid fan who, if anything, was overcome with Phillies fever."

Read the whole story, with pic, here.

In other New York Post prostitution reporting, we learn that Eliot Spitzer's favorite hooker is now working at the Scores strip joint as a cocktail waitress.

Going Green Prevents Blue Balls

Finally, a "save the earth" project TtP readers can get behind. AFP reports that a Berlin brothel is offering discounts to "environmentally conscious" patrons:

"Everyone's a winner," explained Regina Goetz, a former prostitute who runs the "Maison d'envie" (House of Desire) brothel in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg, a district in the former East Berlin, which is a stronghold for the ecologist Green party.

"The environment is a topic on everyone's lips and it's pretty difficult to park around here. So we came up with the idea of an 'eco discount' of five euros (7.40 dollars) to anyone who leaves the car at home," Goetz told AFP.

You get the discount by showing a bike helmet, a padlock or your bus ticket stud, er, stub. It doesn't exactly sound like a foolproof system to me, but, hey, they're Germans. They'll find a way to make it more efficient.

So...Is This An Ad for Craigslist?

Down in the Great Cesspool that is Florida, the Polk County Sheriff confirms what many of us have known for quite a while now. That is, if you are looking to have sex with a better-than-average looking pregnant prostitute, then craigslist is the place to go. Here's the story:

The Polk Sheriff County Sheriff's Office launched a sting over the weekend called Operation Hot Date. Undercover detectives arrested 34 people, including alleged prostitutes and their pimps who were advertising on Craigslist. They came to Polk from Tampa, Orlando, and out the state.

At a press conference on Monday, Sheriff Grady Judd called Craigslist a one-stop shop for all your prostitution needs.

"This is a public health issue. We know historically that prostitutes spread HIV and AIDS," Judd said.

Lets get one thing out of the way before we go where we all know this is going (the mugshots). I've spent time in Florida. Lots of time. I've had sex in Florida. Specifically, sex that I didn't have to pay for. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Prostitutes spreading diseases are the least of your worries. Avoiding a STD while spending any amount of significant time in Florida would be like trying to stay dry on the Titanic. Futile effort. Doesn't matter who you are fucking. Trust me on this one.

Now for the pictures...Which gets me back to original thrust of this post. There are some decent looking hookers in the bunch selling their services for some pretty fair prices. I'm not sure this is anything but an advertisement for the marketplace of craigslist. From The Smoking Gun:

SEPTEMBER 15--Charging that Craigslist remains a "one-stop shop for all your prostitution needs," a Florida sheriff yesterday announced the arrest of 28 women who allegedly advertised sexual services on the popular online classifieds site. Dubbed "Operation Hot Date," the undercover police action also netted several pimps who worked with the alleged hookers, said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. The women, pictured in the mug shots on the following pages, offered a variety of sexual acts carrying prices between $125 and $800. Two of the alleged hookers who arrived for appointments with undercover officers were pregnant, and a third arrived with fur-lined handcuffs.

The first page of mugshots is definitely the cream of the crop with page 3 not far behind. I'm not saying any of these ladies will be crowned Queen Nicotina at the local county fair, but it's still an impressive field all things considered.

P.S. I've covered the lunacy of the War on Craigslist with a more (relatively speaking) serious tone here. Click on the craigslist label for even more craigslist goodness.

Do Everything The Nice Officer Tells You

Not exactly news: A woman is arrested for leading a double life as a prostitute by night. News: Her day job was as a cop.

Now That's Social Work!

ACORN, a liberal activist group that receives millions in federal funding, was punk'd by a couple of young conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp. The two pretended that they were trying to set up a brothel and needed legal and tax advice. The ACORN folks not only provided it, but didn't flinch when the pranksters said they intended to bring in 13 girls "about 15" years old from El Salvador. ACORN employee: "You know what? You can always claim them as dependents."

She adds later: "If they're making money and they're underage, you shouldn't be letting nobody know anyway."

Also amusing: The ACORN activist's advice to the "prostitute" that she can write off her "special clothes" from her taxes.

I Had a Similar Thing Happen In Vegas When We Requested "College Aged" Girls

Needless to say I don't know too many college aged girls who have C-section scars and stretch marks. Thank god we refused the "mature women".

These guys has even worse luck:

Mountlake Terrace police are on the lookout for a trio of escorts who are alleged to have stolen about $440 from four customers who had invited them over for a weekend party. The cops have their work cut out for them since they're relying on four victims who were "incredibly" intoxicated and provided only the barest of descriptions.

According to police, the four victims decided, after a night of drinking at a Mountlake Terrace home, to pool their money and hire an escort from Craigslist early Saturday morning. "They found a woman whose picture they found appealing and called," said Det. Sgt. Doug Hansen.

But when the woman and two female friends arrived, the men later told police, they found that none of them looked like the woman in the ad. The women were described vaguely to police as being "larger and thicker" than the female pictured in the Craigslist ad.

"The men said they were not as advertised," said Hansen

The men still paid of course (when god gives you fat girls you make fat girl lemonade, am I right?) and then the call girls did what every call girl does. They stole from them. At least these broads were upfront about it.

But instead of going into the bathroom, the women ducked into a bedroom and started rooting around for things to steal, including a Blackberry and some jewelry, Hansen said. The men saw her and tried to stop her, but the woman ran outside to her friends and all three raced back to their car, a maroon Ford hatchback.

The men chased after them, but one man was run over when he tried block the women from driving off. The man suffered injuries that required a two-day hospital stay, Hansen said. The men were were unable to get a license plate number.[...]

While trying to describe the suspects to police, the men decided to rate the women on a scale of 1 to 10. Three said the women all rated a "2." But the man described by police as the most intoxicated disagreed and claimed they rated a "4."

Good stuff.

Blue Light Specials In Red Light District

The recession is hurting Amsterdam's prostitutes so bady that they have been forced to discount themselves like they were mini Wal-Marts:

Eva, a 25-year-old prostitute in Amsterdam's red-light district, gestures angrily in the direction of a rival who has slashed her rates as the economic crisis emboldens sex tourists to haggle.

"People like her make it very difficult for the rest of us," scowled the tall, blonde Estonian in skimpy black-and-white lingerie as she dragged on a cigarette while posing for men passing the window in which she offers herself.

"Some of the girls are now doing it for 30 euros (A$70). My price is still 50 euros, but the men are playing us off against each other. Some want to pay only 20 euros," she said.

Eva is not the only one complaining.

As the credit crunch keeps away sightseers and business travellers, owners of brothels, escort agencies and sex shops grumble that visitors who still do indulge in the pleasures of the flesh are increasingly tight-fisted.

They haven't been helped by the fact that Amsterdam has been busily trying to destroy its own tourism industry:

Last December, Amsterdam's city officials announced plans to halve the total 482 prostitutes' windows in the centre in a multi-million-euro revamp that would also involve shuttering many cannabis-vending coffee shops, another tourist drawcard.

Officials claim the two vices, in themselves not illegal, attract elements of organised crime. But observers have pointed to a growing Dutch conservatism.

You Can't Get Ahead Even When You're Giving Head

Every so often I hear libertarians make the argument that we should legalize something so it can taxed and become a great source of revenue. Actually it's more of a liberal argument than a libertarian one, but I hear libertarians make it often enough.

Personally, I don't get it. Taxation and regulation can be just as onerous, burdensome and flat-out unfair as keeping it illegal. And since when should classical liberals be encouraging any new taxes?

Here's a case in point of why the legalize-it-to-tax-it argument is so rotten:

Tax authorities in Germany are poised to claim 50 per cent of the money that a teenage student earned for 'auctioning' her virginity because they claim it was 'tantamount to prostitution'.

Romanian-born Alina Percea [pictured left], who is a student in Germany, was paid £8,800 in cash for a weekend of sex with the Italian businessman after she auctioned her virginity online.

But tax officials in Berlin regard the 18-year-old's act as 'nothing more than prostitution'.

Prostitution is legal in Germany - but it is heavily taxed.

'It is not a moral standpoint but a fiscal one,' an official said. 'Prostitution is not an illegal act in Germany, but not paying tax on earned money is.

'Consequently we are assessing her case and it looks likely she will have to pay around half of the sum she gained.'

Wait, it gets better:

It also emerged that, because Alina earned so much in such a short time, she may even be liable for a hefty VAT bill too.

VAT in Germany works out to 19 per cent, meaning the sale of her virginity could land her with just over £3,000 in the end.

So, in other words, of the £8,800 she earned for selling her body, the government may claim £5,800. Read the whole story here.

Glenn Quagmire, You Have The Right To Remain Silent ...

Will Rhode Island now be monitoring what goes on in your bedroom? Looks like it :

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Rhode Island could soon end a dubious distinction of being the only place outside certain counties in Nevada where indoor prostitution is legal.

House lawmakers voted 62-8 on Wednesday to close a loophole in state law, which criminalizes the solicitation of sexual acts in the street but not behind closed doors. It now heads for a vote in the Senate, where identical legislation is pending.

***

Rhode Island never expressly legalized prostitution and has several statutes meant to discourage the world's oldest profession.

Instead, lawmakers goofed in 1980 when they revamped a statute making it illegal for people to engage in prostitution in or near the street. The law also prohibits stopping vehicles and people to solicit sex. Nothing in the statute explicitly prohibited prostitution that occurs indoors, however.

Giannini's bill would end that distinction. If it becomes law, prostitutes could be punished by a prison term of up to six months in prison and a maximum $1,000 fine for a first offense. Subsequent convictions would carry a prison term of up to one year and similar fines.

That's 6 months in prison and $1,000 for doing something indoors with the shades pulled down.

Craigslist's Buckmaster Goes Down, And Cheaply Too

Last month I sold my car through Craigslist. Why that way? Mainly because Craigslist doesn't charge you if you want to advertise a car. They only charge for two things: Job listings and "erotic services".

Well, scratch one of those:

CHICAGO - (AP) Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says that Craigslist is getting rid of its "erotic services" ads and will create a new adult category that Web site employees will review.

Madigan's office said Wednesday that such existing ads on Craigslist will expire in seven days.

Madigan and the attorneys general for Connecticut and Missouri met with Craigslist officials last week seeking an end to ads they contend are advertisements for illegal sexual activities.

An e-mail sent to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster was not immediately returned Wednesday morning.

Craigslist came under renewed pressure to remove the ads after a medical student in Boston was charged with the April killing of a masseuse he met on the site.

As Rob has already pointed out, these ads are far better than the alternative, forcing the girls to walk the streets where their chances of a meeting a guy like the Craigslist killer are about 100% higher.

I suggest we start a fundraising drive for Buckmaster to help him afford a pair of testicles, 'cause he obviously needs a pair. Who's with me?

Because It's Safer to be a Hooker on the Corner

Rhode Island AG Blasts Craigslist

WARWICK, R.I. -- Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch took aim at Craigslist today after announcing that his office was seeking charges against Philip Markoff for allegedly attacking a third woman he met through the classified ad website.

Philip Markoff has been in the news as the clean-cut college kid charged with murdering an alleged prostitute that he met via Craigslist. Patrick Lynch is one of the 40 AGs from around the country that came together to bully Craigslist into doing things like requiring credit card information for ads posted in the Erotic Services section, and increasing cooperation with law enforcement.

The effect of all this, and of any future restrictions, is to make it more difficult to use what may be the safest avenue for selling sex in a society that has decided to criminalize the act.

Patrick Lynch thinks Craigslist is dangerous for these women? Wait until he forces them out onto the streets. Take Baltimore for example. At least 5 prostitutes strangled in '08 (the linked article says 4, but there was another body found shortly after that Examiner piece), and a total of 9 unopened cases of strangled prostitutes in the city since '03.

I'm not an expert on the mechanics of killing hookers -- but I'm guessing it's a lot harder to do it when the prostitute can pre-screen potential clients via the internet, control the meeting place and time and let someone know where exactly they will be -- AND -- perhaps most importantly, control their own business more effectively as a one-woman show, instead of dealing with some pimp or gang who controls the street corner where she works. It's all obvious of course, but when you are grandstanding for political points, as is the case of these Attorney Generals, facts and the safety of hookers doesn't matter much.

Mother of the Day

Man, I never knew how lucky I was that my folks only made me do things like cut the grass and wash the car:

A woman has been jailed in Japan after forcing her 15-year-old daughter into prostitution in order to cover the spiralling cost of her mobile phone bills.

The woman, 37, and her husband, 47, both from Wakayama in central Japan, forced the girl to have sexual intercourse with men in exchange for money after school as a means of covering the high monthly bills on her mobile phone.

On one occasion in February, she was made to perform an indecent sex act with a man in a hotel in exchange for 12,000 yen (£90), Wakayama Family Court heard.

Read the whole story here.

I Know You're Outraged. I'm Outraged Too

The state of Nevada is considering a tax on prostitution. The tax would apply per session with a prostitute. The Las Vegas Sun reports:

CARSON CITY – Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, proposed a tax on prostitution today that he says could raise $2 million a year for the state.

Patrons of prostitutes — both legal and illegal — would pay an extra $5 tax per session under the bill, which Coffin said was his idea alone.

How exactly the tax would be applied to illegal acts of prostitution, which in Nevada simply means off the books, is a bit of a mystery. That does not mean they will not try though:

Asked how the state could collect the tax from the independent street walkers, Coffin said that the business tax, when first imposed, wasn’t collected from all of those who were required to pay it.

Anyway, whose idea was this? Well, funny you should ask. It was the brothel owners' idea:

In the runup to the legislative session, a lobbyist for the state’s legal brothels volunteered to be taxed, an effort that some said would guarantee their continued survival. Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley turned down the industry, effectively killing the effort.

“I think we will support it,” George Flint, a spokesman for the state’s brothel industry, said of Coffin’s bill.

Oh, and the state will be keeping and collecting lots of data on who pays, who charges, etc. and keeping it in a big ol' database:

Information received by the state Department of Taxation in collecting the proposed tax would be confidential, he said. The department could publish how much it took in, so long as it didn’t identify an individual business.

See? Absolutely nothing to worry about.

So, what will all of this new tax revenue be used for? Again, funny you should ask:

Part of the receipts would be used to finance an “ombudsman for sex workers” who would help prostitutes who have complaints or want to leave prostitution and enter another profession.

An ombudsman for sex workers. Now there is something to pad a nanny stater's resume.

Prostitutes: Keep Our Profession Illegal!

The mayor of Las Vegas is pushing to legalize prostitution in the city by creating an official red light district. Why? Well, for the children of course. And by "for the children" he means "I want to tax the hookers":

[Mayor Oscar] Goodman said, “I’ve met with folks from that industry who make a very compelling argument that it could generate 200 million a year in tax dollars, and that would buy a lot of textbooks, pay for a lot of teachers.”

So what do the hookers think of paying more taxes and being forced to work in brothels instead of independently? Shockingly, they are not thrilled one told the L.A. Times:

"Since many customers are critically concerned with discretion and prostitutes prefer their 'freedom,' I believe the idea may appear much more appealing than the reality of the situation and what is necessary to make it happen."
***
In any other industry, the brothel system itself would seem obviously a bad deal for the workers. The brothels charge room and board to the workers for lodging as well as take up to half the money earned by them from customers, technically often including tips. So, you could in theory work a week and lose money after you pay your rent to the brothel. Women have no privacy rights even in their rented rooms which can be searched by the brothel owners for hidden cash or drugs at any time. The sacrifice of "freedom" is real.

Others strongly object to the money. One local high-end illegal escort I reached who opposes legal brothels in Vegas told me: "I would never give a brothel owner half of what I earn, that is a legal word for pimp."

One Way Or Another He Was Determined To Get People To Shout "Oh, God!"

Here's one for the you-cannot-make-this-shit-up file: The ex-director of Ohio's Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives has been arrested on charges he was running a prostitution ring. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

COLUMBUS -- A man once hired by Gov. Ted Strickland to head a state office because of his ties to Ohio's religious community stands accused of being involved in an online prostitution ring.

Robert Eric McFadden, former director of Strickland's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, was arrested Wednesday morning in the Columbus suburb of Dublin. He has been charged with seven felonies, including pandering obscenities involving a minor, promoting prostitution and compelling prostitution, according to a Columbus Police Department spokesman.

Police spokesman Sgt. Richard Weiner confirmed that the 46-year-old is the same person who worked for Strickland.

McFadden headed the faith-based office for nine months before taking a demotion and a pay cut for a short-lived job as an administrative assistant with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

Police believe that McFadden was the man they have been looking for in connection with a prostitution ring that was run from Craig's List, according to a report on the Web site of Columbus television station WCMH. Police cracked the ring when men involved in a Web site that posts reviews of prostitutes held a raffle for sex at a brothel near downtown Columbus.

TtP noted that bust at the time, calling it the "cutting edge of pimping". We had no idea. Again from the Plain Dealer:

For years, police have noticed a man involved in prostitute discussion boards under the names of Sullivant Guy, Broad Street Guy and Toby, according to a report in the Columbus Dispatch. They now apparently believe that man is McFadden.

An academic adviser at Ohio State University and a sex-abuse caseworker at Franklin County Children Services recently were arrested in connection with the ring.

McFadden was hired by the Strickland administration in February 2007 and paid an annual salary of $75,000. Strickland knew McFadden before he was elected governor in November 2006.

"He is someone that had been engaged in work in the faith community for a long time and was someone very known by people in the faith community, and that led to his hire," said Keith Dailey, Strickland's spokesman. Dailey called McFadden "well-regarded."

A local TV station adds a bit of color to this story:

[Police] said he was one of the main organizers and the “guru” of Columbus prostitution, writing reviews of their services and advising Johns on how not to get caught.

***

Police also said McFadden was the go-to guy in Columbus when it came to prostitution.

This Week In Prostitution

This is a little late (sorry, Christmas shopping) but here's the latest from 'round the world.

Update: Amsterdam Destroys Its Own Tourism Industry -- Yeah, like you ever went there just to see Anne Frank's House. From the AP:

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Amsterdam unveiled plans Saturday to close up to half of the famed brothels and marijuana cafes in its ancient city center as part of a major cleanup operation.

The city says it wants to drive organized crime out of the district, and is targeting businesses that "generate criminality," including prostitution, gambling parlors, "smart shops" that sell herbal treatments, head shops and "coffee shops" where marijuana is sold openly.

"I think that the new reality will be more in line with our image as a tolerant and crazy place, rather than a free zone for criminals" said alderman Lodewijk Asscher, one of the main proponents of the plan.

The city said it would also reduce the number of business it sees as related to the "decay" of the center, including peep shows, sex theaters, sex shops, mini supermarkets, massage parlors and souvenir shops.

San Francisco Not Helping Itself Either -- Not sure how I managed to overlook this before but in the election San Francisco residents decided against legalizing sex work in the city. Geez, are you guys queer or something?:

Not quite everything goes in San Francisco.

Voters in this liberal bastion have turned down a measure that would have barred police from arresting prostitutes.

San Francisco couldn't technically legalize since it's against state law, but Proposition K would have barred local authorities from investigating, arresting or prosecuting anyone for selling sex.

Advocates say the measure would have freed up to $11 million the police spend each year arresting prostitutes, and allow sex workers to form collectives to defend their rights and safety.

The Cutting Edge of Pimpin' -- Two Ohio men were busted after they engaged in a rather novel form of entrepreneurialism. From the Columbus Dispatch:

Rusty Blades, 42, a Hamilton Township real-estate agent who bought the house in December 2007, is among three people who have been arrested after a party at the house on Oct. 11 in which police said seven prostitutes mingled with customers who had posted reviews of their services online.

***

Blades was arrested Friday and charged with promoting prostitution. Christopher S. Johnson, 33, an adviser at the Ohio State University College of Nursing, also was arrested Friday on the same charges.

Police say Johnson started the Web site that featured prostitute reviews and set up a $10-a-chance raffle that offered sex with a top-rated prostitute as its prize.

The Libertarian Case Against Prostitution? -- Yes, someone has tried to make that argument. Here's the column. Debate amongst yourselves:

The bottom line is that black market prostitution is legitimately a social evil — it has risks for its costumers, makes the lives of its lower echelon of providers miserable, and produces all sorts of problems for those not even involved in it. A-ha! you say, but that is black market prostitution, and if we legalized prostitution, we could eradicate black market prostitution and have transparent and regulated prostitution. From what I have read, legal prostitution is no picnic either, but I have no personal observations of it, so I will skip that point. My main concern is precisely that legalizing prostitution will not eliminate black market prostitution.

In Malaysia, It Is Safer To See A Prostitute Than To Sleep With Your Wife. -- This one is not a joke:

Kuala Lumpur: HIV infections among women in Malaysia are on the rise and more housewives than sex workers have been found to contract AIDS, according to a new report that has health planners worried.

Prostitution-Related Headline of the Day -- "Boy George 'was too fat to be able to attack male escort'". Enough said.

Client #9 Is Back In The Game, Baby

Meet the media's latest financial columnist:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned earlier this year over his involvement in a prostitution ring, will write a column for online magazine Slate.com about the economy and financial regulation.

The column, which will be called "The Best Policy," will appear every other week, Slate Group Editor Jacob Weisberg told Reuters in an interview.

Excuse me, but what does this guy know about finance? He's the only Jew ever to have paid above retail price for something, for crying out loud.

Oh well, at least this time he'll only be able to screw over his new employers at Slate.com.

So, will Spitzer write the only column by him that I am interested in reading? The answer is maybe:

David Plotz, who edits Slate.com, said Spitzer has not said whether he will write about the events leading to his resignation, but, "if he chooses to write about that in Slate, we'd be happy to publish it."

UPDATE: Here's his first column, and, no, it is not about hookers. It's about why the bailouts are a bad idea. Maybe there is hope for the guy yet.

This Week In Prostitution

Once again, we here at TtP are dedicated to bringing you the latest news in the vitally important economic sector. So here we go, sailor:

Ho's Down, Economic Indicators Up in Middle East -- Here's one of those stories that makes you wonder how exactly the reporter did his research. It's headlined Prostitutes in Syria raise prices, improve services.

Defying the worldwide economic downturn, prostitutes in Syria are experiencing boom times as more robust economic activity in Syria has created a booming market for their profession due to an inflow of investments in the private sector that have increased the disposable incomes that fund entertainment and indulgence.

Prostitutes in Syria hoping to cash into the economic boom are accordingly raising their prices and improving their highly sought services for better customer satisfaction as the demand for prostitution peaks.

"Prostitution is gradually becoming a legitimate profession, considered mainly as part of tourism."

From AlArabiya.net.

Ho's Down, Economic Indicators Down In Nevada -- Things are worse here in the states, where even in the popular places more and more people are getting laid off as opposed to getting laid:

The Mustang Ranch is a multimillion-dollar business and, despite the unique product, it's run with sophistication and a keen eye on the profit margin. Austin is a former prostitute and shrewd businesswoman who never goes anywhere without her German guard dog named Cita. These days, she is worried. Despite strong demand, the clients are spending less money.

"Well, recently, business has dropped off dramatically dollar-wise, a lot of men coming in, a lot of parties, but less money," she said. "They don't have as much to spend."

***

The irony for Austin is that while the money is drying up, more women are applying for jobs. "And the age group is going older," she said. "I had a 72-year-old apply for a job."

She says the poor economy has forced her to lay off 30 percent of her staff, unheard of in a business generally regarded as a printing press for making money.

Read the whole story here.

Child Prostitution Stings Nab Adult Prostitutes -- The FBI and the Justice Department operates a program called "Innocence Lost," which is intended to combat child prostitution. It has task forces set up in 23 cities around the country. So how are they doing? Well ABC News sent a news crew along to one of their stings. What they discovered is that the task force is a doing a bang up job with your tax dollars:

When the police had enough evidence, officers came in the hotel room to arrest the woman and bring her to another room for questioning. It turned out she was not in fact underage, but in her early 20s.

Soon after, a second woman arrived. She was 23.

They're not exactly being exploited either:

The second woman told Bob that she got involved with escort services after working at a strip club in Atlanta, where the VIP room strippers performed sexual services for men.

"I like sex, sex is my favorite thing," she said.

This Week In Prostitution

It's been another busy week in the world's oldest profession with news from all four corners of the globe. So let's get ready to go 'round the world:

Australian Brothels Make Certain Taxpayers are Screwed: According to the Daily Telegraph, about 80 of the nation's (legal) brothels have been calling their "massage with happy ending" services "therapeutic" and billing apparently unsuspecting health insurers. Thanks to the country's involvement in the health care sector that means the taxpayers are getting jerked around too:

Health Minister Nicola Roxon said her department was investigating the report because public money was involved through government subsidies to health insurance premiums.

"We are interested in public funds being used for health services, and if we have any evidence to the contrary then certainly we would look at how we could take action," she told reporters.

The story was headlined: "No happy ending on rebates from brothels."

You Can Regain That Loving Feeling For 60 Won: South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak has filed suit to evict a karaoke bar that operates out of a building he owns. Why? 'Cause apparently it is the most awesome karaoke bar ever:

Allegations surfaced before last December's election that female employees provided customers with sexual services in the bar.

So That's Why Daddy Always Volunteers To Pick The Kids Up: Police in San Juan arrested seven women for operating a brothel that was disguised as a child day-care center:

The establishment had been registered as a "family training and childhood development center."

Danish Polls Get Blackballed, Develop Blue Balls: The Danish prostitutes union SIO (Sex Workers Interest Organisation) is urging all prostitutes to boycott any Danish elected official who backs further restrictions on their trade. This follows the proposal by the ruling Liberal Party's Karen Riis-Jørgensen and other officials to bar pols on official business from staying at hotels that are known to allow hookers to operate:

"The hotels are where we work. We can't do it in backyards or in cars. The proposal will force many out into the streets," Sex Worker Sus tells politiken.dk.

The Recession Is Truly Global

A German Brothel is offering discounts to patrons who get its logo tattooed on their arm. So far, 40 men have agreed to do it and the place's in-house tattoo artist is working around the clock. Classic quote from regular customer Herbert Manske:

"My wife doesn’t mind. I save five euros entry, plus the thirty euro cost of a lap dance."

Honest Abe Alive and Well in the Sandy Springs Police Department

Needless to say, I want this officer's job. Or former job.

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. -- An investigation is underway to determine if one Sandy Springs police officer's contact with two alleged prostitutes crossed the line.

Acting Sandy Springs Police Chief David Bertrand confirmed he has requested an internal investigation into allegations one Sandy Springs police officer may have gone too far while investigating alleged prostitutes.[...]

In a report dated Aug. 22, the officer entered a spa and said he was there for a massage. A price of $200 was given and a woman removed her clothes. The report suggests she climbed on the table with the officer and began rubbing her body on him before putting a condom on him.

The report goes on to say, "She then initiated the act of sexual intercourse with me."

The report said he told her to stop during the act, so he could use the phone. He gave the take down signal to a detective and advised the woman she was under arrest.

A second report indicated on Aug. 18, an officer responded to an ad. The woman allegedly placed a condom on the officer and began another type of sex act. Again, the officer advised her to stop so he could make a phone call. He told her she was under arrest.

Has this officer ever heard of lying? Cops do it all the time and guys having sex with prostitutes do it all the time. The guy is the perfect combination of a liar. She forced her self on me. Her vagina had magnetic like qualities and my penis has a reconstructive metal rod inside of it. Her crotch was a bear trap, and I'm a bear. I don't care what, just make up something.

Full story here.

Get Up, Stand Up, Be Counted

Prostitutes, higglers and ganja farmers could soon find their output captured in local official data as part of efforts by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) to accurately measure the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

"We will try to capture underground production, legal and illegal," Anette McKenzie, deputy director general of STATIN, said yesterday, as the agency launched its Jamaican System of National Accounts.

According to McKenzie, prostitution is already captured in the data and efforts will be made to capture information on the under ground and informal economy.

It is a move that has been welcomed by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who noted that the informal sector is estimated to be 40 per cent of the formal economy.

Not only is the "informal sector" an estimated 40% of the economy but it is growing faster than the rest of the economy, according to the Jamaica Gleaner. So, umm, yeah, I'd say adding those people could give a better sense of Jamaica's GDP. Read the whole story here.

Stockpile Gold, Canned Goods and Magazine Porn

A selection of some stocks from my portfolio and watch list after today's bloodbath.
I'm thinking tomorrow might be a good day to liquidate all my assets and buy as many drugs and hookers that I can. See how long I go until I drop dead in a warm crotch of a loving prostitute.
--
Name Price Change MktCap
CIT 4.59 -1.88 (-29.06%) 1.31B
NTAP 13.40 +0.15 (1.13%) 4.39B
MOO 26.00 -0.55 (-2.07%) 624.20M
SBUX 11.01 -0.52 (-4.51%) 8.04B
PXE 13.87 -1.68 (-10.80%) 80.45M
GS 101.35 -11.65 (-10.31%) 40.08B
AIG 2.39 -0.80 (-25.08%) 6.43B

Politician's Excuse of the Week

Peter Allan, an Australian elected official, has resigned from office following reports that he visited a local brothel and then charged it to the taxpayers. His defense? He didn't know it was a brothel. He thought it was a strip club!:

"It was nine years ago, I don't remember exactly what happened," he said. "I went in with two other guys, they asked for two strippers and that's all I'm prepared to say."

"I didn't participate in anything other than that. We were only there for 20 minutes, there was no intercourse or anything like that."

But a spokeswoman for the centre said they did not offer stripper services.

The studio's website says it is "Canberra's largest brothel with the biggest choice of ladies".

This Week In Prostitution

It's been a busy week for the world's oldest profession, so let's relax and get right to it:

Life Imitates Late Night Cinemax Movie: In the category of "why didn't I ever get a teacher like this in junior high?" a New Zealand educator was discovered moonlighting as an escort. Here's the real twist: She may actually keep her day job. Prostitution is legal in New Zealand and the woman is arguing that as long as she does it on her off hours and it doesn't interfere with her teaching, they don't have cause to fire her:

Teachers' Council director Peter Lind said the most important factor was whether the teacher's second job was affecting her teaching duties, "and there would have to be actual evidence".

She's not alone either:

Prostitutes Collective national co-ordinator Catherine Healy said there were several teachers who had second jobs as prostitutes.

Prostitutes -- A Leading Economic Indicator. Despite the carnage on Wall Street, a Columbia University sociologist says the meltdown is not likely to hurt Gotham's call-girl business. That makes sense. If ever there was a time those Wall Street guys needed to blow off some stress, this is it. Meanwhile globalization is bringing a better quality of escort to India, the land that gave us the Kama Sutra. Elsewhere around the world, there's crackdown going on in South Korea.

Atlas Shrugged, Then Humped: New York Magazine prints the epic account of a high class New York pimp who says he was inspired by Ayn Rand:

To me, the higher percentage of your life you are happy, the more successful you are,” says Jason, who came upon his philosophy while reading Ayn Rand. “I was really into the ‘Who is John Galt?’ Atlas Shrugged thing. I thought I could save the world if I could bring together the truly elite people, the most beautiful women with the most perfect bodies, best faces, and intelligence, and the elite men, the captains of industry, lawyers, and senators. This would bring about the most happiness, to the best people, who most deserved to be happy.”

The New York Post reports how his agency's staff included a young woman named "Kristen" who was a favorite of "Client No. 9" better known as Eliot Spitzer. "This girl could be our next superstar," one of the agency's top girls said. Be careful what you wish for. That's her in the picture above.

Duncanville, Texas, Knows How To Make Zoning Disputes Sexy: Despite the best efforts of the local prosecutor, including alleging the participants are involved with prostitution and money laundering, the Cherry Pit, a Texas swingers' club, defiantly continues to operate:

"We want it to shut down. We asked them. We told them they're illegal," City Manager Kent Cagle said. "We gave them lots of chances – they continued to operate."

The Cherry Pit's slogan now is "Fight For Your Right To Party."

H&R Block Is My Pimp: A New York attorney tried and failed to get the money he spent on hookers and related services written off on his taxes:

All told, Halby spent about $322,000 to satisfy his desires, according to court papers.

In 2002 alone, Halby deducted $111,364 for "therapeutic sex" and massages "to relieve osteoarthritis and enhance erectile function through frequent orgasm."
***
A former counsel for the Equitable Life Insurance Society of the United States, Halby represented himself through the proceedings. He meticulously recorded each liaison in a notebook titled "Tax Journal," including the cost and practitioners' first names.

Astonishingly, the IRS did not see it his way. The guy is appealing though. Maybe he can still get a happy ending.

It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp: Especially when your 'hos look like this.

No Happy Endings At This Year's Political Conventions?

Seems that way. It turns out they aren't good for at least one area of the economy, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Some outcall services that have sex for sale seem in agreement with activist groups that would like to eradicate the business; both think the influx of 35,000 visitors during the Sept. 1-4 [Republican] convention will mean a rise in prostitution.

On the other hand, St. Paul police spokesman Tom Walsh said his department discussed the issue with police in New York and Boston, which hosted the 2004 Republican and Democratic conventions, respectively.

"And what they have reported to us ... is that there is not an increase in that kind of traffic," Walsh said.

***

"In 2004 there were all sorts of media reports that sex workers were coming from all over the country to New York City because there were going to be so many potential customers during the Republican National Convention," said Juhu Thukral, director of the Sex Workers Project at New York's Urban Justice Center. "The reality was that a lot of [prostitutes] we heard from said they were leaving because there was going to be such a strong police presence, and so many people coming to town."

Read the whole story here.

I'm guessing the Republicans are too busy with the pay-per-view movies in their hotels and the Democrats are too busy with each other. Where's Eliot Spitzer when we need him?

Truckers Now Spending Whore Money On Gas Instead

The economic downturn continues to impact honest, hard-working folks, according to this AP story:

RENO, Nevada (AP) -- Rising fuel prices are putting a pinch on the world's oldest profession.

Nevada brothels that cater to long-haul truckers are offering gas cards and other promotions after seeing business decline as much as 25 percent from a year ago, industry officials said.

Geoffrey Arnold, president of the Nevada Brothel Owners' Association, said truckers account for up to 75 percent of business at the state's rural brothels along Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 95.

He said business is down about 19 percent at his two northern Nevada brothels along I-80: Donna's Ranch in Wells and Donna's Battle Mountain Ranch.

"We're being affected by the economy like everybody else," Arnold said. "Times are tougher ... and truckers have less money to spend. They're not high-rollers anymore."
***
Hardest hit are independent truckers, who must pay for their own fuel, said George Flint, a lobbyist for the brothel owners' association.

"So there goes your disposable income to have a little fun," Flint told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Since January, the number of long-haul trucks based in Nevada has dropped by 4,100, or 12 percent, said Paul Eons of the Nevada Motor Transport Association.

So, there is a Nevada Brothel Owners' Association and it has a lobbyist? Wow, how does one get that job?

Is that a Rebate Check in Your Pants, Or Are You Just Erect?

Brothels in Neveda getting hit hard by high fuel costs and a weakening economy are looking for creative ways to drum up business. Nothing beats the Bunny Ranch's special tax rebate promotion:

Media exposure certainly has its benefits. Featured in the ongoing HBO reality series, Cathouse, Hof's Bunny Ranch is going strong. While others brothels saw a slump in revenues, Hof experienced a 30 percent jump in May. But he's not resting on his laurels. Last week he began offering a recession special: The first 100 customers who show up with their tax rebate checks receive twice the "services" for the price of one. "We always give our customers the most bang for the buck," he says. "You bring your $600 check in, and we give you the $1,200 George Bush party--three girls and a bottle of champagne."

Full story here.

Somewhere Eliot Spitzer Is Crying

The one on the left is Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the prostitute that cost Eliot Spitzer his gig as New York governor. The one on the right is her 46 year-old mother. So you can kinda see where Ashley's hotness comes from.

I have no point whatsoever to make with this picture. I just had to post it. You understand, I trust.

Via Egotastic, which has more pictures.

Necessity Is The MILF Of Invention

In news that will surely have Rob doing some travelocity research, Cracked.com lists the 6 most innovative brothels in the world.

What's interesting about the article is how the brothels reflect aspects of their respective countries. The American one offers Wal-Mart style discounts, the Japanese are obsessed with cleanliness, the French provide them for their soldiers and zee Germans? Well they live up to their reputation for efficiency:

Germans apparently love whoring on an epic scale. So much so that the city of Cologne is home to the Pascha brothel, a 12-story, 27,000-square-foot tower that houses 120 prostitutes and services as many as 1,000 customers a day. This is what happens when whorehouses take on a McDonald's service attitude. It's not fast poon, it's good poon fast!

White Trash Special

A North Carolina pastor was busted in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart for solicitation. The only way this story could get more redneck is if he had offered the women tickets to a Larry the Cable Guy concert in exchange for the sex. Or if she was his cousin. Either way:

Randolph County, NC -- Randleman police charged a local preacher with "solicitation for prostitution" and "solicitation of a crime against nature." They arrested him Tuesday.

Police said Otis Durham, 54, started communicating with a woman, who is in her 30s, through email May 23. He was responding to her posting on a website looking for a "legitimate, legal service," according to police.

A detective said an "innocent" conversation quickly turned sexual in nature. According to a detective, the woman contacted police after Durham asked for oral sex in exchange for the service she was requesting. Police decline to comment on what the service was because it could hinder future investigations. They said the effort to exchange a service for sex is a crime.

Police said there was no discussion of an exchange of money, just the services. A detective said police can charge someone with "solicitation for prostitution" if they believe that person tried to exchange anything (money, services, products, etc.) for sex.

Durham used the name "Jim" in the emails. An undercover officer continued communicating with Durham through email by pretending to be the woman. The officer and Durham agreed to meet in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart in Randleman.

Police said Durham showed up on time Tuesday around 10 a.m. Police had a female come out of Wal-Mart and get into the vehicle Durham was looking for.

A detective said Durham got out of his vehicle immediately at "light speed" and tried to get into the vehicle. After police identified it was Durham, they arrested him.

Durham is the pastor of Sandy Ridge United Methodist Church in High Point. WFMY News 2 went by the church Wednesday evening. News 2 also left messages for Durham at his house in Kernersville. He did not return the calls as of Wednesday evening.

Sen. Vitter Gets Off Again

Louisiana Senator David Vitter -- the upright Republican who was patronizing Deborah Jean Palfrey's escort service -- got a bit of good news the other day. The Senate Ethics Panel dropped its complaint against Vitter "with prejudice" this week, meaning he'll escape any official sanction for his whoremongering.

How did he do it? Well, it seems that timing is everything, as the Washington Post explains:

In its ruling, the [Senate Ethics] panel said it could not punish Vitter because his association with the escort service occurred before he joined the Senate in 2005.

"The conduct at issue occurred before your Senate candidacy and service . . . the conduct at issue did not result in your being charged criminally . . . the conduct at issue did not involve use of public office or status for improper purposes," the committee wrote in a letter signed by all six senators.

Elected to the House in 1999, Vitter cannot be investigated by its ethics committee because it has no jurisdiction now that he is a senator.

So while the woman who ran the service got convicted, faced a jail term, was bankrupted and finally became so depressed that she hung herself, her patron gets away without even a slap on the wrist thanks to his Senate buddies. Makes you proud to be an American, doesn't it?

On a related note, the Post earlier pointed out that Palfrey's total earnings from her escort service were peanuts.

Palfrey ran her business, Pamela Martin & Associates, by telephone from her California home, and authorities said she grossed about $2 million from 1993 to 2006, splitting the money about evenly with her escorts. They said she employed at least 132 women over the years, dispatching them nightly to clients in homes and hotel rooms in the Washington area.

So, $2 million over 13 years? Whip out your calculator: that means her whole operation was grossing about $154 thou annually. Half of that went to the call girls. Palfrey then had to pay whatever the overhead was herself (It was probably not that much, since she ran it all by phone). It's not clear whether she paid any taxes on the call-girl service either, but she wasn't convicted on tax-dodging charges, so she may very well have.

In short Palfrey was making about $77 thou a year before any expenses and any taxes. Retirement and health care came out of her own pocket too. Hardly a lavish operation. Isn't there actual, big-time corruption going on someplace the feds can go after?

In a World Unknown To Anyone, Rob Calls Men Who Fuck Street Walkers "Disgusting"

I noticed yesterday that our 'Baltimore' label was getting an abnormal amount of traffic. Checking the 'Came from' statistics I was hoping to find a link from a reputable blog, praising the wisdom and wit of TtP. Instead I found the traffic coming from this url: http://www.usasexguide.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3354. (link probably NSFW)

It's a message board for johns in Baltimore where users can rate different street walkers, provides helpful tips, locations, etc. I talked about it here, in the post that the message board guy was trying to link back to...If fucking Baltimore street walkers hadn't rotted his brain so much as to make linking to an individual post too challenging for him. Here's what 'Sleeping Bag' had to say about Rob:

And the Sep 24 posting on http://www.tothepeople.com/labels/Baltimore.html sees us mongers having "nothing better to do" and our sexcapade postings as "disgusting," and full of "shock and horror."

So to all of us, let us not say we weren't warned that 5.0 monitors this and that we've been shunned as social rejects...

How great is the internet? I couldn't have written a better parody is I had tried. Classic stuff. Mark this one down kids -- this is most likely the last time I will ever be accused by guys who bone street walkers of not being fully on their side. As a matter of fact, I'm hurt. I've now spent the better part of a year and a half, protecting the little guy who would rather pay $20 dollars for sex with a crack-addled Latino hooker off the side of the road, than pay the astronomical prices of an escort service...Or, you know, try and normally date. And this is the thanks I get? Outrageous!

Navy: Accelerate Your Sex Life

A Navy officer has resigned after revealing that she worked as a hooker for 13 years for D.C. madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey. The Navy Times reveals all:

Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Dickinson told federal prosecutors at U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., that she had sex with nearly every client she met while working for Deborah Jeane Palfrey from October 2005 until April 2006.

***

Navy spokesman Capt. Jack Hanzlik told Navy Times that Dickinson, 38, was fired from her position as an instructor at Naval Supply Corps School in Athens, Ga., earlier this month after she gave detailed information about her involvement in the case to superiors.

After her statement, Dickinson also received nonjudicial punishment and was given a punitive letter of reprimand. Hanzlik said she could face additional punishment in the future and has been placed on leave. When she exhausts her accumulated leave time, Dickinson will revert to unpaid leave status and remain there until she is separated from the Navy.

“We expect the men and women who serve in our nation’s Navy to adhere to a standard of conduct that reflects our core values of honor, courage and commitment,” Hanzlik said. “Lt. Cmdr. Dickinson’s conduct will prevent her from wearing this uniform again in the service of our country.”

Actually it wasn't not wearing the uniform that got her in trouble?

Seriously though, sailors and whores are a great combination that have worked great together throughout the ages, kind of like Reese's chocolate and peanut butter. Don't tell me that the Navy doesn't look the other way when male sailors patronize whores. So why is the Navy coming down on this poor woman, who was apparently just trying to pay her bills?

Breaking News: Husband Cheats on Ugly Wife with Hot Hooker

Keep these coming please:

ROY, Mich. — The husband of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow told police he paid a prostitute $150 for sex at a hotel, according to a police report.

Thomas Athans, 46, co-founder of the liberal TalkUSA Radio network, was stopped by police who were investigating prostitution at the hotel, according to a police report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press under the state Freedom of Information Act.[...]

Officers said they saw Athans enter the room Feb. 26 and leave 15 minutes later, and they stopped him and informed him of the investigation.

He told the officers he had used the Internet to make a date with a prostitute and paid her $150 for oral sex at the motel, the report said.

Quick facts of this case: Picture of Sen. Stabenow below.

Yikes. She's pretty frightening. So her husband pays $150 to get a blow job from this 20 year old My Space whore. [I prefer craigslist, but I don't judge]

Yeah, all the facts line up in this case.

Profitable Mistake

How many of you would like to make a $5,000/hr mistake?

Now that her alleged involvement with Emperors Club V.I.P. has been exposed, "she's just trying to work through it," says high school friend Joe Pawlak, who remains in touch with Ashley. "We're just trying to keep her head up and keep her strong, have her look at this as a positive. People make mistakes. All you can do is try to go on, grow from the experience."

Yeah, move on. I'll translate for you -- Move on: Capitalize on your fast, and probably short-lived fame with a few high-priced media interviews and a shady music deal or two.

I'm not sure I get all this hand-wringing over her decision to sell her body and sexual talents for what would certainly be considered more than fair market price. As a society we tend to look up to politicians like say Barack Obama, who make a living out of selling more than just their bodies to the highest paying special interest group, doing damage not only to their souls, but to our pocketbooks and freedoms. I know which whore I respect more.

Spitzer To Resign

News media is reporting that Spitzer will resign any moment now. No word yet on whether he will be attending rehab for stupidity. How dumb can one politician be? A politician who was a prosecutor no less. The phone calls, all those text messages and e-mails...Was he thinking at all? He must have been thinking somewhat; he didn't want to use his credit card for the transaction, and he paid extra cash so that he didn't have to go through the payment process again. Still though, all that communication on tape and paper. So stupid and so unnecessary.

My tip to Spitzer if he ever finds himself in the halls of power again: Drive around a run-downed section of a city really slow. After that, it's pretty simple and self-explanatory. And cheap. You won't be spending $80,000 on sex if you operate that way. Health insurance is a must if you're getting your hookers that way, but it's still a bargain. As I always say -- Street walkers are the Wal-Marts of prostitution.

Markets Up

This morning's Spitzer Effect on Wall Street?

And more news on TtP's favorite John: Turns out Spitzer was the target of the federal investigation, because of suspicious movements of money that looked like he was hiding bribe money. I'd say on a scale of bad to good news for E Dawg, this is pretty fucking bad news. Also, The Smoking Gun has more hooker documents up.

More Spitzer Links

The Fix has a decent, take-it-for-what-its-worth run down of the political implications of this, where I learn that the Lieutenant Governor of New York -- who would take over if Spitzer resigned -- is a legally blind black man. Which would have to be some sort of milestone in regards to governors, as well as a major coup for the blind African-American community years after the not-too recent exit of Ray Charles from the national stage.

Also, from this WCBS news blurb I learn that escort service he was allegedly using was way out of my price range. By about $5,540/hour:

[...]the high-profile "Emperors Club VIP," which was accused last week of offering prostitutes to wealthy clients, topping out at $5,500 an hour. Four people were arrested in the ring that was linked to cities in the U.S. as well as in Europe.”

And, of course, The Smoking Gun has all the documentation (mostly in relation to the Emperors Club), including transcripts, which will require a lot of whisky and time for me to go through it all tonight.

We've also got our Eliot Spitzer tag up, so be sure to give it a click if you landed on this page from google or another link.

Actual Breaking News: NY Gov. Spitzer Likes Him Some Hookers

I hated the guy until I read this:

NEW YORK - The New York Times is reporting that Gov. Eliot Spitzer has told senior advisers that he had been involved in a prostitution ring.

Spitzer is scheduled to make an announcement Monday afternoon. Spitzer officials wouldn't immediately comment on the story. Spitzer, 48, is married and has three daughters.

AP story here. Thanks to my Dad for the early heads-up on the story.

UPDATE: More from the NYT story:

ALBANY - Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a high-priced prostitute at a Washington hotel last month, according to a person briefed on the federal investigation.

The wiretap recording, made during an investigation of a prostitution ring called Emperors Club VIP, captured a man identified as Client 9 on a telephone call confirming plans to have a woman travel from New York to Washington, where he had reserved a room. The person briefed on the case identified Mr. Spitzer as Client 9.

I'm guessing this is where he found himself in some relatively serious trouble, but if we have any readers who are lawyer types that would like to elaborate on the details of this kind of case, please do.

Federal prosecutors rarely charge clients in prostitution cases, which are generally seen as state crimes. But the Mann Act, passed by Congress in 1910 to address prostitution, human trafficking and what was viewed at the time as immorality in general, makes it a crime to transport someone between states for the purpose of prostitution. The four defendants charged in the case unsealed last week were all charged with that crime, along with several others.

And of course, how could we forget to mention this from Spitzer's not-too-long-ago past:

As attorney general, he also had prosecuted at least two prostitution rings as head of the state’s organized crime task force.

In one such case in 2004, Mr. Spitzer spoke with revulsion and anger after announcing the arrest of 16 people for operating a high-end prostitution ring out of Staten Island.

“”This was a sophisticated and lucrative operation with a multitiered management structure,” Mr. Spitzer said at the time. ”It was, however, nothing more than a prostitution ring.”

I feel for anyone who gets popped for the crime of paying to get his dick wet. Really, it's a shame in most cases...this just doesn't happen to be one of them.

UPDATE 2: Sorry guys but this is a pretty big story, and I'm enthralled by it, so I'm going to keep posting worthless re-hashes of what I see on cable news and read at political blogs...

Looks like Spitzer will may be indicted based on this complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, and has been identified as "Client 9". The full complaint has been posted by the NYT here. But I pulled this interesting bit from it where the hooker "Kristin" talks to the home offices for the service.

LEWIS continued that from what she had been told "he" (believed to be a reference to Client-9) "would ask you to do things that, like, you might not think were safe - you know - I mean that . . . very basic things. . . . "Kristen" responded: "I have a way of dealing with that . . . I'd be like listen dude, you really want the sex? . . . You know what I mean." Near the end of the call, LEWIS and "Kristen" discussed "Kristen's" departure via Amtrak, the room that Client-9 had provided for "Kristen," and "Kristen's" share of the cash that Client-9 had provided to her. (Call 9750R).

Oh God this is too good...Does Spitzer have an asphyxiation fetish? Not safe...Could be not safe in a non-hygienic way, feces or the like, (who doesn't enjoy a good log on the chest?) but I'm guessing asphyxiation, etc. If I had to make a wild guess I'd say he isn't the dominant. But maybe he is.

BTW, I'm waiting for my call Fox, CNN, MSNBC. I'm there to do on-the-spot, studio analysis on this breaking story. Perhaps I can clear up any questions that might result from sexual information that leaks out. I'm great with fetishes. I'm even pretty good at figuring out where they come from. Where's my agent...? I need air time! Pronto!

Everybody Needs a Good Accountant

This Las Vegas CPA doesn't bother with the bullshit in his advertising:

2010 Olympics To Feature Extra Pole-Vaulting

A group of Canadian "sex trade workers" (you know, hookers) are fighting for the legal right to incorporate their co-op brothel. They want to get this done in time for the 2010 Olympics in Vancover so they can having people shouting "Oh, Canada" in at least 35 languages:

Brothels are illegal in Canada, but the country's prostitution laws have recently been challenged in the court as unconstitutional. Prostitution itself is legal, however solicitation, procuring or living off the avails of prostitution can land you in jail.

The group hopes to win an exemption from Parliament by showing it would be safer to have prostitutes work in a single facility in Vancouver that they control, rather than plying their trade on the streets.

The Conservative federal government has warned it will oppose the effort, which critics have said will only perpetuate the idea that prostitution is acceptable.

It took the group six months to draft a business plan and bylaws for the organizations, but it had no trouble from the British Columbia provincial government getting incorporated, [brothel spokeswoman Susan] Davis said.

That was probably the most relaxing lobbying session those provincial government officials ever had. The rest of the story is here.

Pussycat Preachers Pounce on Prostitutes

Jesus would be proud:

RIVERSIDE, Calif., Feb. 11 /Christian Newswire/ -- When young pastor Matt Brown announced he was supporting a ministry for women in the sex industry led by an x-stripper, he was expecting applause. Instead, he got cold stares and an e-mail inbox filled with angry letters. At issue was Heather Veitch, an x-stripper turned evangelist.

Expecting applause? How do not love this guy? Basically he said, "I want to work with a blond stripper with big tits. I'm going to give her $50,000 and follow her into strip clubs and porno sets. Appluad me, bitches." Seriously, I want to marry Pastor Brown. What balls.

More on that $50,000:

Instead of backing away from Heather, Pastor Brown put up $50,000 of church money to support the ministry. But in no time at all, a rumor got started that the $50,000 was being used by Brown to buy lap dances for himself. Brown suddenly found himself on the verge of losing his church facility housed on the campus of Southern California Baptist University.

A rumor..Gee, how do you think that rumor got started? Could it have something to do with giving $50,000 to a stripper? Even better, it was church money. Maybe I should get to know Jesus. I pay for my sexual addictions with my own hard-earned money. And sanity. And emotional stability. Oh, and physical well-being. You get the point. No one is helping me out.

The ex-stripper evangelist on her record:

For her part, Heather Veitch claims she is winning souls and that is what matters. For evidence, she has the documentary which shows a number of strippers making their first venture into church. "Now comes the hard part," Heather smiles.

I need names of churches please. Addresses would be nice also.

The documentary's web site, The Pussycat Preacher here. Article here. Heather's website here, where you can check out her blog, a gallery of pictures, and get booking information for private parties. Uh sorry, I mean "speaking engagements".

Thanks to Sean Higgins for the tip, who last I saw him was heading off to strip clubs with bible in hand 20 WWJD bracelets on his arm.

Amsterdam Mayor At It Again

Job Cohen:

"The romantic picture of the area is outdated if you see the abuses in the sex industry and that is why the council has to act," he said. "We don't want to get rid of prostitution but we do want to cut crime significantly."

Cohen said the city wanted to partially reverse the full legalization of prostitution introduced in the Netherlands in 2000 because it had not achieved its aim of bringing the profession out of the shadows and protecting sex workers

I'm not sure there's anything new here. Sounds like more of the same rhetoric from the Mayor, with a few creeps of increased regulation like increasing the legal age of prostitutes from 18-21.

This woman however, has it right:

Mariska Majoor, a former prostitute who now runs an information center in the red light district, said the city's plans could force hundreds of women out of work or underground.

"Where should the women go?" she asked. "They are only talking about criminals and gangsters. We're talking about a legal profession here ... They completely ignore the hundreds of women who are working of their own free will."

Full story here.

P.S. I hope this doesn't cut into the Amsterdam mainstay of scary, brutish, and completely British tourists that will make any American wonder how we got such a bad name overseas. The Brits are absolute animals anywhere, but throw them in Amsterdam? Forget about it...

Off and On

Off my vacation destination list:

El Alto, Bolivia.

Prostitutes in the Bolivian city of El Alto sewed their lips together Wednesday as part of a hunger strike to demand that the mayor reopen brothels and bars ordered closed after violent protests by residents last week.

On my vacation destination list:

Western Australia.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - An Australian barmaid has been fined for crushing beer cans between her bare breasts while an off-duty colleague has been fined for hanging spoons from her friend's nipples, police said Wednesday.

I Like My Bolivian Hookers Dirty and Agitated

Trouble in the streets of Bolivia:

LA PAZ (AFP) - Hundreds of outraged prostitutes are ready to fight a morality campaign targeting their trade by marching nude in the streets of Bolivia's capital, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

[...]

Lily, speaking on behalf of the prostitutes, warned that prostitutes would "march nude in the streets of La Paz" and threatened to forsake checks from health authorities.

[...]

Organizers of the morality campaign have demanded the mayor close several hundred illegal brothels and enforce a ban on minors visiting them. The activists have also called for ensuring the houses of prostitution operate a good distance from churches, schools and hospitals.

The police have sent in reinforcements to the turbulent area but the campaign has spread to other towns and provinces.

Protecting protesting prostitutes. A military action we could all get behind. Full article here.

Thanks to Sean Higgins for the link, who btw, has a delightful article, well worth a read, up on Modern Drunkard on the U.S. Prohibition Party. From the piece on scheduling an interview with the party's presidential candidate:

Scheduling an interview with a presidential candidate usually takes a lot of negotiation and many phone calls. Not so with Amondson. A Google search turned up his e-mail address, and about half an hour later he agreed to an hour-long interview on the following day.

“I have all the time in the world,” he explains.

His campaign headquarters? He doesn’t appear to have one. It turned out that the phone number was for a local public library where Amondson spends a lot of his free time.

Full article here.

Oh No Tom! Don't Leave Us!

Sizemore is done with the drugs...for good.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) — Tom Sizemore says he's done with drugs.

"I'm not trading my whole life for some powder," the 45-year-old actor told The Bakersfield Californian in a jailhouse interview published Friday.

"God's trying to tell me he doesn't want me using drugs because every time I use them I get caught," Sizemore said.

I know, I know, who's going to produce some of the finest dialogue known to man, in amateur-hooker-porn now? I'd say -- knowing Tom Sizemore like I don't; he won't soon forget his fans, and make a few more returns to a life of drugs and debauchery.

P.S.: I did my best, while here at work, to dig up a transcript, or link to the famous Sizemore-sex video. No luck. I'm not sure if its the same as his official video, "The Tom Sizemore Sex Scandal"-- where he claims to have had sex with Paris Hilton among other things. But the one I'm talking about involves 3 prostitutes and lots of drugs. And some hilarious dialogue. And possibly some cock-to-face-slapping. But I could be making that last one up. Or confusing it with my weekend. Who knows.

A Late, But Worthy Submission for 2007 Mother of the Year

From Saratoga...Florida:

Wendy Cook of 332 Caroline Street was arrested for prostitution after offering to perform sex on an undercover police officer for money Monday, said Schenectady police.

After arresting her, detectives learned that Cook's two children had been left with friends in a car nearby. Shortly thereafter, police found Cook's five-year-old daughter and eight-week-old son in Cook's car with two adults.

As detectives continued their investigation, they learned that Cook had been out all night smoking crack and snorting cocaine while in the company of her children.

Cook performed oral sex on at least two johns early Monday morning while her children were awake with her in the car's back seat.

Additionally, Cook snorted cocaine off her eight-week-old son's stomach while breastfeeding him.

Hardcore.

It's the type of parenting that will guarantee your kid will grow up to be a Nobel Prize winner. Or a sociopath who blogs. One or the other.

Full article here.

Italy Considering Prostitution Crackdown

Italian prostitutes may have to consider relocating to a country more favorable to their trade. The Italians are considering on the spot fines and shaming for the solicitors of prostitutes. Apparently they blame the addition of the 12 new members of the EU for the rise in prostitution. Story from the BBC.

Guess Which Handle is Rob's!!

I'm not sure any of this is safe for work; and the link to the message board that reviews Baltimore street walkers definitely isn't. Unless you work for an employer that doesn't mind you trolling online message boards, checking out reviews of the best street walkers Baltimore has to offer. If that happens to be you, please send an e-mail describing the application process for your place of work to tothepeople a_t gmail.com. I'd appreciate it.

Our readers might actually be familiar with this board (surprise! I wasn't) but this particular section of USASexGuide has been floating around the Baltimore blogosphere for awhile. Of course, everywhere else it's linked, it's accompanied by shock and horror. "How can people post such disgusting things??" Me: Uh..Dunno...Whistling by our archives "Who are these people?" Me: Current and future TtP readers?...I think some blog even threatened to alert the police. No worries, nothing better for them to do in West Baltimore!

Enjoy some excerpts.

On the merits of car searches, post-act:

Car searches are an important part of mongering to me. Over the years I've found make up, packs of cigarettes, cell phones ( had a car wreck over that one) syringes, pipes, rocks, pills, all kinds of stuff. One girl lost a pill of dope in the vehicle and we looked for a good half hour for it. I found it about two weeks later on the floor mat !! Another girl left her bra behind the seat of the pickup I had and forgot to retrive it after the act. Several days later I cleaned the p/u found the bra, washed it and put it in with my wifes stuff. She kept asking me how come she had seven bra's, when she only owned six. I denied everything not knowing what I had done, until one day I saw the girl on the stroll, figured it out and had to pull over I was laughing so hard. Needless to say we are divorced now.

Now whenever a SW leaves something legel in my vehicle I try very hard to get it back to them. I did collect panties for awhile but that's another story

Of course a typical question of the day in this forum seems to be, "Age. Does it matter?" Some opinions on the matter.

TBaby,

You seem to "know it all". Just like you knew that Heather was not 18 after two senior members had stated that they met her face to face and could tell she was at least 18. I think you said that I would be in a world of hurt if I dated and posted about her.

[...]

Hello Rook

Great pics, Baldy would be proud of you. I have dated Heather, she looks young, but told me she was 18. WTF is it with these aforesaid assholes, are thay going to have SW's fill out job applications, with photo ID, SS card and proof of citizenship?

The Monger business is like sex you have to fuck all the assholes!

Big Red

[...]

I disagree with fucking assholes. It is a personal thing, but I will agree to the girl with cum in her eye. I wouldn't ever ask the age. Frankly, if she knows how to fuck and suck, I don't care. Mind you, I don't like old hags though. I really wish I could have face fucked the girl. I am too timid and nice. I don't talk. For some reason, most think I look like LE, so I just hurry. It makes the evening kind of uneventful.

Who Doesn't Love a Little Big Mother-Daughter Romp

At $15 a pop, sex with this mom and daughter is a steal...Factor in the the combined weight of 700-800lbs it works out to something like a 1/2 a cent per pound for these plentiful ladies.

FORT PAYNE, Ala. -- A 62-year-old grandmother arrested in a prostitution sting in Fort Payne has begun serving a two month jail sentence.

[...]

The mother and daughter were arrested Aug. 1, after they allegedly both agreed to have sex with an undercover officer for $30 -- at $15 each.

Fort Payne Police Chief David Walker said the sting was carried out after his office received several tips that the women were engaged in illicit
activities.

Walker said the majority of the Duncan’s clientele was believed to be Hispanics.

I'm sure the city of Fort Payne thanks you Chief Walker, for making them safe from the menace of fat grandmothers fucking Hispanic day laborers. Alabama can rest easy now. Full article here.

And Now to ABC's Expert on Pimps and Hos, Bare Lee Legal

If you're like me, you're on the edge of your seat waiting for ABC News to out more people who have asked the DC Madam for, uh, a helping hand. You know, people like Bush's abstinence czar. Of course, outing people who use the services of sex workers raises some serious privacy issues. And when the outer is an (alleged) sex worker, it raises some serious integrity issues as well. So what do the hos think about this, I'm sure you're asking. Good question. Fortunately, they've started a new blog to cover the scandal and other issues. It's aptly titled, www.BoundNotGagged.com.

From their opening post:

In the story of alleged DC Madam, Deborah Jean Palfrey, one voice is conspicuously absent: ours, and our lips are, despite what you may have heard, hardly sealed.

We’re a group of educated, Internet-savvy, politically-game escorts, and we aren’t for hire. (Not here, anyway.) We’re apparently the exception to the rule, but for us, this is just business as usual. Of course, rich and powerful men want access to erotic companionship. Of course, Washington is a hotbed of hypocrisy. We know this not because we’ve been privy to really fantastic pillowtalk, which some of us have, but because we work the halls of government by day, as well.

We want to talk to you, but we might have to do it in private. We might have to do it in the dark. We might not be able to tell you our real names, but that doesn’t mean we have to be quiet about it, either.

We’re Deepthroated, bound, maybe, but certainly not gagged. And here, we’re going to go down- and dirty on Washington.

Via Stacey at the Desiree Alliance. Bonus Bill Frist "Fristing" joke here.