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    big changes at abbywinters.com

    You may have heard that in June 2009 the police received a tip that G Media (parent company of abbywinters.com) were producing and selling DVD's in Victoria (Australia), that were not rated by the Classification Board. In late December 2009, I was charged by the Police for doing this. The charges against me were dropped, and two charges brought against the Company. On May 28th 2010, I went to court, where the magistrate dealt with our case.

    We have always believed the law to be grey in this area, and that the law had not been properly tested in this regard. We could have spent many thousands of dollars in attempting to define the laws but this would have involved additional time and resources that the company could ill-afford, therefore, the Company chose to plead guilty to the two charges.

    Our QC (Queens Counsel, equivent to a defense attorney in the US) made submissions about the nature of our business, that we are reputable, well managed, have excellent systems and protocols in place, and have been operating openly since our inception in 2000. The magistrate accepted all the submissions made to her by our QC.

    The magistrate fined the company AU$6,000. Because of the way the law could be interpreted in Victoria, the company really had no option but to proceed the way it did.

    So, abbywinters.com cannot continue operating in Victoria (or Australia) any more. The work we have done to date has been identified by the courts, and the company has been penalised, so that appears to be the end of the matter. Laws in the Australian Capital Territory are more clear, but not entirely so.

    For this reason, we have decided to relocate abbywinters.com to Amsterdam, the Netherlands! We have now stopped all potentially offending shoots in Australia, and expect to be closing our doors in Australia for good in late June 2010. Some of our staff (including Chloe B, Patience and Jacki) are planning to come with us.

    Australian legislators seem to be becoming more conservative - the internet filtering bill (expected to be passed in early 2011), for example. The changes in legislation, contribute to our decision, but also Europe presents many more opportunities to grow and develop our business, and it represents a huge and interesting challenge for me personally, and our staff.

    I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff and models we have worked with over the last 10 years. You have made the site fantastic. Please stay in touch.

    Below, a FAQ for some of the questions our members may have.


    Q: Why are you moving? I'm leaving.
    A: You might have heard about our recent legal troubles. Restrictive Australian legislators seem like they are becoming more restrictive (for example, it's likely the proposed country-wide internet filter will be passed into law in early 2011), and there are more opportunities in EU.

    Also, we like a challenge!

    Q: The site will go to shit. I'm leaving.
    A: In fact, the site will be just as shit as it is now (which is to say, not at all, of course), or less.

    Q: The new shooters won't get it. I'm leaving
    A: We're taking our two longest serving and most awesome shooters Jacki and Patience (excited much?), and two of our video editors, who will work with us on training some new Dutch shooters and editors, with the Creative Director (me). We're also bringing over our management team, and some back-office staff.

    The style will stay the same. Quality will continue to increase.

    Q: What about the Australian-ness? I'm leaving.
    A: We have a variety of nationalities on the site currently, and while we're Australian people, Australia is not the only place in the world with unique, sexy, attractive, passionate, amateur models!

    Chloe B, who has worked with us for several years as a model and staffer will come with us and continue working on model recruitment and booking. We'll be using similar techniques to get a similar type of models applying, and will use the same criteria for selecting models. There will be a gradual change in the nationalities of models appearing on the site however. The accents will change.

    But also, like Australia, Europe is a melting pot of nationalities and travellers, and we exepect to significantly increase the variety from shoot to shoot, while holding true to our values.

    Q: You're selling out. I'm leaving.
    A: The site will have the same owners, intently focussed on the same goals, vision and mission.

    Q: You will shoot porn stars. I'm leaving.
    A: Like we do now, we shoot occasional "porn stars" (or rather, models who have appeared on several other sites), when we feel they express an interest in working with us, and meet the "abbywinters paradigm". While there are more professional models in the EU than in Oz, shooting porn stars is simply not what we're about, and we will resist the temptation.

    Q: You guys are changing too much lately. I'm leaving.
    A: We have changed a bit lately - new site design and AfterDark are the big ones - but also many small things are changing behind the scenes. What started as a hobby and a bit of fun has matured into a serious business and aims to be a responsible corporate citizen. That inevitably means more infrastructure and planning, which can lead to a loss of the agility we started with, and becoming set in our ways. We're sensitive to this, and embrace it as challenge. Changing countries will also give us a shakeup, and we plan to embrace that, as well.

    The core of what we do - finding and shooting intriguing, passionate, delicate, sexy, gorgeous models, and do it ethically, honestly and creatively has not, and will never change. We'll riff on a variety of interpretations (like After Dark), but our core values remain the same.

    Q: You're abandoning the models you said you "cared for" in AU. I'm leaving.
    A: We have always, and will continue to, care for all our models, despite the media beat-ups (members interact with real models every day on the boards, and can see how happy they are with the work they have done with us). Models will remain strident voices in all decisions we make in the company (both models-as-staff and models-only), and continue to be involved in decisions we make that affect how we work with models.
    When our AU models visit Europe, we have an open invitation for them to come visit us, and where possible we'll offer shoots, or just a friendly face in another country.

    Q: What about site updates?
    A: We have planned so the site will continue to be updated regularly as normal at all times. There may be some minor hiccups, and we ask for your patience in this. As many members know, we always work to be ahead of schedule, and this buffer will allow us time to relocate, and have the site updates be unaffected.

    Q: How can I help?
    Thanks for your offer, we'd love you to help other members on the boards with their concerns, and to tell your friends how awesome AW is!

    Thanks for being a member, and I hope you choose to stick with us through these changing times.
    Last edited by garionhall; 26 January 2022, 02:34 AM.

    #2
    Hi Garion,

    Thanks for the update and news of your plans for the future, indeed near future. Sad to say I'm not surprised by your decision, very much the lesser of two 'evils' the good news being that Abbywinters shall live on. As you say the court decision makes it impossible to continue openly in Victoria, anything else would have been intolerable to you, the staff, the models and ultimately to us. To say nothing of waiting for that proverbial knock on the door in the wee small hours.
    To borrow from the Monarchy; Abbywinters is dead Long Live Abbywinters!!

    I'm confident that you'll be able to successfully transplant and continue the ethos that has made Abbywinters what it is "[...]finding and shooting intriguing, passionate, delicate, sexy, gorgeous models, and do it ethically, honestly and creatively[...]" I, for one, look forward to accompanying you on that journey.

    I'd like to extend my thanks to all at AWHQ who will not be moving with you and who have made the three years, so far, of my membership so memorable, you'll be missed but never forgotten. To those embarking on the new adventure Good Luck, "snap a bra strap"

    Thinking... there are all those Australian travellers in Europe, some of whom already known to us

    tom

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      #3
      Thanks Garion,

      I've been afraid things might come to this.

      That said, I have no doubt that abbywinters will survive and thrive after relocation! After all we are talking about THE best adult website ever. And Amsterdam seems to me to be an ideal city to relocate to. Good luck to you and the staff going with you!

      To the staff not able to relo, thanks for your fantastic contributions. You've helped make something really special with your efforts!

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        #4
        Thanks for your support guys. It's been a tough day today.

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          #5
          We are all with AW and with you!!!

          Lxm

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            #6
            Having had the pleasure of having met you in person, I can very much believe this would not have been a decision taken lightly. To anyone who hasn't, Garion is a person who truly believes in keeping the integrity and ideals of this site, and hopefully we can have him back in Aus when our pollies grow up a bit.

            If you are legally allowed to Garion, could you tell us which law they claimed you ran afoul of and any other ones they alleged against you? With the whole interactive entertainment classification debate heating up, it would be useful to know what other laws are lurking out there.

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              #7
              I'm sorry to hear that AW is more or less forced to relocate. And although I'm slightly worried about the effect the move will have on the feel of the site, I'm very excited about seeing girls on the site I may very well run into.

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                #8
                Hi Salsus - I did not realise we had met - perhaps you could e me and LMK who you are?

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                  #9
                  sorry to hear this. not really surprised though. australia seems to be more controlling by the day.
                  all the best

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                    #10
                    Why'd you guys decide on the Netherlands? Other than that the Netherlands are awesome. Was California ever in the discussion?

                    I'm glad some of the crew will be staying, but since you didn't mention Sue-Ann or Giselle, I'm guessing that they will be parting ways with the company? That sucks.

                    I can't say I've seen any real amateur European content, so maybe this will work in time. And if it means there will be more sexy French girls... my fears may be mollified.

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                      #11
                      First off... a big thank you to all those AW staffers that have looked after us so well and good luck with your new endeavors be it in the Netherlands or in Australia. Your work has been very much appreciated.

                      Now... could someone answer a couple or three questions...

                      Q. Does this mean that all the shoots in the vault waiting to be launched will never make it to the web?? Im talking more the stuff made in Victoria before shooting went out of state?? Or does this mean because you are no longer in Oz you can release all material no matter where it was shot??

                      Q. When do you expect the first "European shoots" to hit the web site??

                      Q. With relocation costs and Europe being sooo expensive do you expect this means subs will increase??

                      Think that's me for now...

                      Pinky

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                        #12
                        Well I say whatever it takes to keep going. A gay anthem it might be but Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive' seems appropriate here.

                        "As many members know, we always work to be ahead of schedule, and this buffer will allow us time to relocate, and have the site updates be unaffected." So I assume from this any completed shoots will be unaffected and will therefore be able to posted on the site. But after reading mrpinkeyes question, I'm wondering now if they will be Canberra shoots only?

                        I can't really believe "the internet filtering bill (expected to be passed in early 2011)" will actually go ahead! I suppose this could be the one political promise there's no back-flip on....

                        Maybe it's time to hunt through the drawers at AWHQ for those discarded shoots, I reckon there could be a forgotten gem hidden away there.

                        I feel sorry for the staff who will lose their jobs (but happy for those who can relocate). I'm not sure if any of those concerned will be posting again so I should express my appreciation here for all their enthusiastic work over the years.

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                          #13
                          Garion thanks for the update. You have filled us in on alot of curiosities about what the future may hold for the Abbywinters Company and imo the future is looking brighter. I strongly believe this well-tought out decision is the smartest one the AW company can make in order to secure its future, and I'm not worried one single bit that the quality of the offerings and overall spirit of AW would be compromised, on the contrary, I believe there will be newly afforded room for maneuvering once te relocation is complete.

                          I also want to thank the members of staff who have chosen to join AW in the move, I'm delighted to know that AW staffers believe in what you have planned for future endevors of the company and its successes. All the more reason for me to believe the move will go much smoother and be that much more expedient and successful.

                          I truly love Australia. But while it's sad that politics have been the crux of this decision, I believe right along with you that busuness is business and looking out for #1 is the main objective for securing the future. I'll paaphrase; I love doing talkradio. At current there are many liberties afforded to talkradio and what a talk station can do on the air, but if it ever came to a point that legislations got tight to the point that I couldn't continue doing talkradio the way I want and according to what my audience wants, then I would make strong consideration to take the successes of my business to where the grass is grener, rather than change format and let my business be dictated.

                          So Garion you can bet that I will remain in srong support of your cause and I'm by your side throughout this transition and well into the future.

                          Allthough it's rather sad that some of our beloved AW models won't be joining you in he physical move, that sadness is vanquished by the fact that, by the magic of Internet technologies, we still stay connected, as if virtually nothing ever happened. Perhaps in the not-too-distant future the AW models who had been on staff will be able to follow their hearts right back into your company's office.

                          Here's to the future.

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                            #14
                            I am surprised that you can't just continue to produce the more explicit shoots in Canberra as it is legal there. And what about lower level shoots such as solo and girl-girl fun shoots such as fitball girls? These are simple nude shoots and cannot be considered porn by anyone, even in Australia?

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                              #15
                              It's a sad day to have to move to continue doing the work.Aussie land will be just that much less for you to have to leave,a sad day in their history.My membership will continue!

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                                #16
                                With you all the way Garion!

                                DP

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                                  #17
                                  Q. Garry, so we all need to say goodbye to these all-year-long-sunny-shoots? Much more inside shoots from now? Anyway, I'm *not* leaving .
                                  Last edited by renesapp2; 1 June 2010, 07:09 PM.

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                                    #18
                                    I am heartbroken. I was really hoping things would work out for AW in Australia. I am disappointed that these people can't see all the good that AW are doing. If only all porn sites treated their models so well and everyone could appreciate NATURAL woman for their beauty.

                                    I am sad that I am o/s and won't be able to say goodbye to everyone from AW in person. But I wish you all the best in your move to Amsterdam!! And of course I'd love to come visit oneday. Even if it's just to say 'hi' and see the new HQ

                                    Amsterdam has some lovely local beauties and has a huge number of travelers passing through all the time so I hope this means the variety of models on AW will increase which will be great to see.

                                    Big hugs to everyone!

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                                      #19
                                      Hey Garion, you have already assured the members that when knocking on the door, the "Girl next Door" type would answer!...and with that in mind, even if you were to re-locate to the moon, i would still follow!

                                      You are selling an excellent product/concept!

                                      All the best with the move.

                                      TJ
                                      Last edited by tjsunray; 1 June 2010, 08:43 PM.

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                                        #20
                                        Wow...

                                        You're welcome to come on over of course, but the Netherlands is pretty much as far away from Oz as you can get Should be interesting to see how AW changes, esp. the outdoor shoots will be a tiny bit different I'd guess (though there's some nice nature down south, Mermur might have some pointers on that). It's a shame it's come to this, but that can't be helped. It will indeed be quite a challenge, but I'm sure you'll manage!

                                        Will be lots easier to visit Venus Berlin from Amsterdam, btw Always look on the bright side!

                                        I wonder if this case/verdict will affect other Aussie adult sites. Several are based in Melbourne as far as I know. It can't be that it's only a problem for one site to film adult stuff in Vic surely?

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                                          #21
                                          I don't like european sites and I never have so lets hope AW can change that.
                                          I have 3 months to go on my rebill so I'll go into it with an open mind,however the
                                          first girl I see who speaks broken english [or none at all] I'M GONE!

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                                            #22
                                            Hi,

                                            Let me just say first of all that I have been a member of this wonderful site since 2004 and have enjoyed not only the girls but the active participation on the forums with the models and staffers on the site. I have fondness for many models and staffers who will remain close to my heart. I wish those of you who are not making the trek all the best and thank you so much for bringing a smile to my face and delighting my mind as well as my senses and body.

                                            It is a shame that it has come to this. I started to think recently very strongly about the possibilities if AW were to open new HQ in Europe as I knew that as long as they kept to the same kind of paradigm and recruited the same kinds of girls, it would just add even more to the mix. However I would not ever have wanted this to be at the expense of the Australian HQ in Melbourne closing. That's what I'm faced with though, looking forward to the new venture but really sad about the fact it is a relocation rather than an expansion.

                                            It is a shame that you were left in doubt when shaken up by recent events. I would have thought they could have specified what exactly you needed to do to keep out of trouble in the future. It did seem shooting in Canberra was going well and I would have thought if they can sell X rated DVDs there they can film explicit stuff also. I can well comprehend that it is not worth putting yourself through the expense, time and effort of challenging the law but I just hope you haven't given in too easily. It is a shame that Melbourne, Aussie and travelling girls will not get this opportunity to express themselves in a comfortable female friendly environment, explore their sexuality and make new friends.

                                            I just had a few questions:

                                            Why Amsterdam in particular? I love the Netherlands and that city and there are lots of sexy Dutch girls passing through. However I am worried about a couple of things.

                                            1) I wonder if it is really the most convenient location for models to travel to and whether you will be able to spread the word far and wide enough to different countries here. I'd love the thought of French, German, Spanish, Italian, English, Irish etc etc girls posing for the site. However it is not always cheap or convenient for example for a sexy Spanish girl to travel all the way from Madrid to Amsterdam.

                                            2) The potential pool there. Yes there are many sexy Dutch girls and girls on their travels passing through. However I would have thought there was a larger potential in a bigger international hub such as London, Berlin or Paris where not only are the local girls beautiful but you also have people from all over the world passing through or living there. Do you think if all goes well you might be able to open another sub-office in one of these cities?

                                            3) The English speaking issue. Now us Brits are shameful in our record of speaking languages and I recognise that our continental European friends often shame us with their speaking of up to 5 different languages and their high standard of English. However you can't automatically expect this to be the case. It is easier in Australia to get to girls doing a T3 to feel comfortable with each other as they can chat away and discover what each other likes. Could the rapport be as warm between an English girl who speaks no French and a French girl who speaks no English? Would it be very easy for you or your staffers to explain to someone who isn't very proficient in English what the site is all about, what kind of girls you are looking for and even to interview them in the video? From this perspective somewhere like London would make more sense despite the higher probable costs of locating here initially.

                                            Garion, going back to looking on the bright side do you plan to advertise far and wide afield, as already mentioned I would hope you'd get girls from further afield like England and Spain to pose but rather than just relying on travellers passing through I wondered if you had any plans to spread the word and somehow advertise in big cities like London and Madrid that you are now based in Amsterdam. Do you think that in the same way as you did trips to Canberra, you might actually be able to come over here to London for example for a few days and shoot some models?

                                            Anyway I may have more queries but good luck mate, I admire what you've done with the site and how far you have come with it. I hope you realise how many of us love what you guys do and the word keeps spreading. I'm not planning to leave this site I love if you keep to what you're so good at.

                                            Please keep things like the natural flowing non scripted girl/girl shoots and the pubic hair friendly nature of the site.

                                            SF

                                            PS The thing that really makes me sniff is that I won't get to witness the return of Immie in particular and a few other girls I had hoped might have one or two more hurrahs. Is there absolutely no way to postpone your departure for a few weeks more? I had so looked forward to seeing our beloved Immster in T3 action as well as I feel this would somehow complete the cycle of my all time favourites coming back for another hurrah and I wouldn't then feel quite as down as I do now about the Australian side of things.
                                            Last edited by sweatyfox; 1 June 2010, 09:29 PM.

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                                              #23
                                              Wishing you all the best GH and AW.com. I know that many of us will support you financially and in writing. Let us know how you want us to help.....

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                Yeah, I'm feeling pretty raw about the whole thing, too. Not to mention disillusioned. For fuck's sake, Australia, you should be ashamed!

                                                Well, I have no specific Europe travel plans in the near future, but I do hope to pop in next time I'm in the neighbourhood. Some shoots would be nice, too, but I guess we'll see.

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                                                  #25
                                                  I wonder if this case/verdict will affect other Aussie adult sites. Several are based in Melbourne as far as I know. It can't be that it's only a problem for one site to film adult stuff in Vic surely?
                                                  I'm wondering about that myself. I have the unfortunate feeling that the days for the unique Aussie adult industry are numbered.

                                                  Comment


                                                    #26
                                                    I'm thinking of the people who will move far away from home and leave their families and friends behind and I'm thinking of the people who can't move and will lose their jobs. All that is so sad and unnecessary in my eyes.

                                                    The people who want to decide what's appropriate for other adult people to see and do should be ashamed. Silly politicians who make even sillier laws.

                                                    One positive thing I see is that I could go to staff meetings from time to time in the future, Amsterdam is not so far from Luxmanland.

                                                    All my best wishes to everybody at AWHQ Melbourne!

                                                    Lxm

                                                    Comment


                                                      #27
                                                      Originally posted by Luxman View Post
                                                      I'm thinking of the people who will move far away from home and leave their families and friends behind and I'm thinking of the people who can't move and will lose their jobs. All that is so sad and unnecessary in my eyes.

                                                      The people who want to decide what's appropriate for other adult people to see and do should be ashamed. Silly politicians who make even sillier laws.
                                                      I second all of this. Well said.

                                                      It's a shame New Zealand doesn't have a bigger population, as, and I could be very wrong, I think it's 'more' legal (if that's a term! ) to create porn in NZ - there is certainly at least one high profile pornographer I know of who seems to operate very much openly - but then again, who knows for sure for it's all 100% legal I guess. But the biggest problem is the lack of population and modeling pool.

                                                      Can anyone in Aus enlighten me on your government.... I thought Rudd's lot are the liberal ones.... more to the left than Howard's lot anyway....? Are they all just conservatives to different degrees...

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                                                        #28
                                                        I was sad and disappointed to hear the news. You were treated extremely unfairly by the people behind the court case who decided to target Abby Winters to forward their own predefined agenda, even more so considering their actions have left you little choice but to leave your home in Australia. I wanted to echo what Luxman eloquently stated in the first paragraph of his post above (#26), best of luck to everyone who will be relocating to Europe and best of luck to everyone who will be staying behind!

                                                        I am certainly planning on remaining a member here. There is something about the Australian character of the site and the beautiful Australian women who have modeled for the site that I love and will definitely miss. At the same time I firmly believe most of the things we all love about the site and the wonderful care and character the staff brings to the site will remain unchanged, and I am sure we will find new things to love about your new home.

                                                        Comment


                                                          #29
                                                          So after a lot of time to ingest and ponder about the concept of porn, the Australian political stance on it, and my position in amongst it as an Australian/model/photographer/woman...here's the core of how I feel.

                                                          As evolved as we are as species, there are some seriously prehistoric ideas and activities in the world. The ever present undermining of an adults ability to choose and indulge in their own sexual exploration. Whether that be in the privacy of their own home or via a medium such as the internet. And the absolutely horrific, everyday occurrence of any such choice being torn away from a human through such inexcusable tragedies like child sex slavery, war crime victims and domestic violence/rape. All in all there are endless amounts of horrific sexual acts in the world that need constant monitoring, attention and political support.

                                                          Instead though, outrage and court time is being focused on sexual acts, like the ones our company provides. And I am completely disheartened.

                                                          In my time as a model (both fashion and erotic) I have come across a variety of reactions. At times people have tried to make me feel ashamed, dirty, regretful, cheap, 'easy' and less than classy with their opinions of my choices in modeling. To them I say, efforts are lost here I'm sorry. Because I have never felt more empowered, sexually knowing, proud, grounded, and 100% fucking classy than I do right now as a woman!!!

                                                          I have spent many years exploring myself sexually, both in my private life and as part of projects for friends and erotic sites. I am so much stronger for having done so. And to have the freedom to do so in safe environments, and as a choice completely made by ME! Well what a blessing. I'm so devastated by all the research and time I spend learning about women in the world who have no power whatsoever over their sexual journey. And men too for that matter.

                                                          For all that I love about Australia, I am saddened that we are still taking our sweet ass time support the forever evolving nature of social perception. I am incredibly supportive of kid safe policies, whether it be as simple as internet screening to putting an end to child sex slavery. Both are of equal importance. But to dare dictate what one consenting adult can share with another consenting adult, is absolutely lost on me!

                                                          I will go head to head with any person who dares try and take that choice as a woman away from me! I and only I, decide how I explore myself sexually. And for all the years a have worked for G Media. I believe that it's heart intent is to give women a vehicle to do just that. We all have things to learn and we work day to day make adjustments to get better.

                                                          Moving to Amsterdam is one of those adjustments. To surround ourselves with people who are fully content and acknowledging of the positive role erotica and sexual expression has to play on society. Well what a blissful joy that will be! Fuck the condemning nature of other people's opinions on our own choices. I am done with that!!

                                                          I will support this move 100%. Not only for what G Media is trying to achieve. But more importantly to be just one small shift in the backwards thinking of global conscience of sex. Sex feels good, looks good, tastes good and should be shared in a loving, respectful and consensual manner. We have so much to learn from each other. And oh the pleasures we encounter in the learning. Mm. The G Media that I know and work for today...does all these things!

                                                          Comment


                                                            #30
                                                            Garion,
                                                            All your pals and fans at LittleMutt wish you the very best in your move to Amsterdam. Over the years you have consistently raised the bar for those of us who think this business can be ethical and positive. I know your high standards and the great creativity you have enforced through the years will certainly bring a great adventure and even greater work.
                                                            Sal Paradise

                                                            Comment

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