What a mistake to make

I've wanted the Sony A850 camera from the day I first read about it. It's full frame, has a great sensor, is 24.2mp and contains all manner of useful bits and pieces. Today I made the stupid mistake of picking one up and testing it. It's gorgeous and snaps shots with a heavy thunk that makes my camera feel like a plastic toy. It was all that I could do to walk away - but I did. It's a $2000 investment and I know that the price will fall (my last camera, with a kit lens now retails at a mere C$420) but I'm just aching for it with every fiber of my being. Damn it.

On a kinda related note had dinner with a friend and his friends last night and was joined late by someone who had been working... he was a stripper in a male lapdance club and had made $1300 on his shift that night (a good night admittedly). That would buy 3/4ths of a camera. Now Canada is Full Contact so to make the money he basically had to chat up old men, lead them to a booth and then see how many songs he could get out of them before they balked at the escalating cost.... it usually ended up with them groping his naked genitals and requesting more (he's not allowed to comply) but it seems a small price to pay.

Real Gold was getting a VIP room booking - an hour with someone, a private pole, some champagne and anything up to a Grand for the time. To get those regularly you needed a few things he said... first when you got your 1 song to dance to on the main stage you needed to be engaged, use the pole, show some athleticism, have a routine, show that you could move slowly, fluidly and with rhythm and then not disappoint in the cock department (hen nights want you half hard but they never splash cash, gay guys wanna see you 'tied off' and to get you half hard later). You also needed a great 'barside manner' - these guys have to approach clients, say hello, hold a conversation, hold the customer's attention and then move it from amiable to libidinous in seconds. It's a tougher skill than the pole by all accounts - and the real money makers are the guys who you think genuinely like you.

I'm thinking that the latter skill might be something that we tap into for a session or two on engagement....