montreal late Dec 2010

[gaptoronto]

taboo is a hit or miss. Wednesday, 29th, Leo was the only one that triggers something in me. He is a sweet 20 yo with a charming dimple when he smiles. Very fine hairy chest is such a contrast to his over all baby face and boy charm. Nice moves on stage and back too.

 

campus is so so, not as good as a couple years ago. The young waiter is flirty, but not really doing a superb job serving drinks. There are gaps with no dancers on stage. Visited Tue, Wed and Thurs around 7pm for the slim dancers, some varieties, but not too many bright spots. A couple years ago, there were always a few I want to have a private dance with, this time, not much. Not really into huge muscles, so never visited after 9pm. cheapest drinks still.

 

Stock bar is the best, certainly worth the cover charge. The waiters are polite and attentive. There is no gap on stage, always some hottie keep you entertained. There are quite a few caught my eyes, especially Nicolas. He is very friendly when you chat with him and nice in the back too.

 

Overall, glad to see Stock is full of new faces and doing great. Pleasant surprise to see Leo at Taboo, but he said he is going to South America soon for a long break. doubt I would see him again, but one can always hope :-)

 

Le Suite Labelle is my hotel this time, very good location right at Berri station, 30% cheaper than Gouvner, free wifi and decent breakfast. Highly recommended.

[Jake]

No visit to JP? I was surprised how good it was on my last visit. Sounds like we have the same taste.

[+ newatthis]

I used to make regular December trips to Montreal. A year or so ago, I thought back over my pattern of visits and realized that the clubs were always slowest in December and the selection of dancers hit or miss. So I eliminated December from my schedule. March was second slowest, but considerably more reliable -- anyway, there's no way I could stay away from Montreal from September to June.

[gaptoronto]

just read your last report, seems we do have the same taste ;-) next time, will definitely check out JP. was not impressed with their poster on the wall when I passed by this time, so missed it.

[happyguy2]

I used to never miss an opportunity to visit Montreal and I always had a great time. Then, I don't know what happened. The economy took a dive, and for about the last four years, it seemed that it gradually went down until it doesn't seem to interest me that much any more and it just isn't as exciting and "hapening" as it was. Haven't been for four years. Have others had the same expeience?

[twinkboylover28]

yes

[EZEtoGRU]

I used to never miss an opportunity to visit Montreal and I always had a great time. Then, I don't know what happened. The economy took a dive, and for about the last four years, it seemed that it gradually went down until it doesn't seem to interest me that much any more and it just isn't as exciting and "hapening" as it was. Haven't been for four years. Have others had the same expeience?

 

Careful. You might re-ignite the debate that took place about 6 months ago in this forum regarding whether Montreal still had it going on or not. There was a very extensive discussion thread on this at the time that you can search for and find everything you want to know.....and more.

 

Now my two cents. I did not opine at the time, but I will now. I have been going to Montreal approx 2 times per year for about 15 years now. I went three times in 2010. In my view, it has changed and it is not as sensually charged nor as economical as it used to be. The gay village is somewhat rundown now and it seems the peak for Montreal does seem to have passed. Having said that, one can still have a good time at the strip clubs....albeit a more expensive good time. I only frequent the places with the high quality muscle guys (Stock & Campus) and have always been able to find something to satisfy my hunger. I cannot speak to Taboo as I have not been for years since I am not into what they have available there.

[antelope]

I was in Montreal in early December. I had a fantastic time and really enjoyed myself. The Taboo dancers are not my type so i didn't go there. Campus was mildly amusing for a few minutes but i really didn't see any dancers there that caught my eye and it took forever to get a second beer. I spent the majority of my time at Stock. The servers were on top of my drinks and friendly and the dancers were very friendly and chatty without being pushy. There were several that on a slow Thursday just hung out and had a beer with me when i made it clear to them that i wasn't interested in a dance with them. I like the muscle guys and I must say that Stock has the nicest looking and acting muscualr strippers in Montreal! I really hope to be back there soon!

[brettnyc]

Wondering if anyone has recently seen Kevin at Campus - who I was elated to encounter during my visit in mid November. He has a solid, wrestler type build - short clipped haircut, great smile and engaging personality.

 

Also fondly recall the bartender (evening) and dancer (afternoon) who's name I don't call, who very much resembles the teacher from the show, Glee -

[Jake]

Don't know the Glee guy but that's one of the things that can spark my interest in a dancer... love celeb lookalikes! There was a server at Campus who sort of looked like Kris Allen... but was a pretty dull dude... and not a dancer. Nonetheless cute.

[brettnyc]

Hey Jake,

 

Sorry you didn't run across the Matthew Morrison look alike at Campus - he was tending the bar the evening I was there and danced in the afternoon - so was hard to miss him.

 

No sighting of Kevin either - the uber-stud ? I'm still sweating from my lap dance with him 0- would be very disappointed if he's no longer around.

[DanseurMTL]

Montreal Winter 2011 update

 

That "Kris Allen type" is Charles a.k.a. Damien. A 29 y.o. ex-Taboo, he danced at Campus after and then started as a waiter there three years ago. He looked way cuter back then, the guy on the lower left in this picture:

 

http://qcboy.ca/

 

 

Actually January is the SLOWEST month in Montréal. December is slowish for the first three weeks but then it's like summer for the after-Christmas New Year festivities. The action starts to get better again in mid-February.

 

 

Kevin was at Campus the last time I visited, though he had changed to the daytime. He also got an eye operation so he doesn't wear eyeglasses anymore.

 

Daytime at Campus has been a disaster for the last two months, I blame it on the fact that the nighttime manager Danny has been doing all the hiring, for the nighttime exclusively. I haven't seen a new face in the daytime since Jasmin (April, daytime but does "doubles: 12hr shifts", you should definitely get him in the afternoon, early evening before he gets too tired...), JP (June, comes from Québec City in the weekends, likes to do "doubles" too...), KC (September, moved to daytime in December, but now away in vacations to Switzerland with family) or the infamous Jacob Junior from Squirtz.com fame (October, moved to daytime in December, now badly out of shape: too much steroids and protein milkshakes but not enough exercise...). My advice for Campus is to go at around 6pm and stay until 8.20pm or when you see that they're repeating the dancers onstage, whichever occurs first!... The daytime-nighttime transition is awkward and quiet, lots of empty stages and pause songs from 8.15pm to 9pm. Again, dum-dumb manager is to blame here, as he eliminated the middle shift (the 5pm to 11pm shift, early last year) it has been downhill ever since. Sit on the left side of the club if you like expedient service/constant drink refilling. If you prefer to be left alone stay in the section to the right or directly in front of the stage close to the secondary platform. The barman stays always on the left and the waiter too...

Come back to Campus at around 11pm or go to JPs instead if you prefer twinks.

 

JP Cabaret is opening at 6pm from Wed-Sun. Go there only after 10pm if you want to see action. They don't force their dancers to arrive at 6pm so the club goes empty until 8pm when all the dancers start arriving. They do have a large repertoire of about 30 guys, but my feelings are mixed. There are indeed lots of hot new faces (Jimmy, Gabriel, Phoenix, Channing, Izaak , and others which I don't remember and I don't fully know, yet!); but the rest are recycled classics and mildly classics banned from all the other clubs (Francis-Xavier, Myles, Adrien, Anthony, Javin, Sammy, Kevin, Joey, Francesco, Damien, Enrique, Mike, Zack, Jo, Ollivier, Steph,Maxime...) and then some really old-vintage guys like: Ray. My advice is to not sit down if you're alone and stand in front of the stage or the bar. Don't let yourself be heckled by the likes of Ray and similar! If you arrive TOO early you risk being harassed and watching an empty stage. Also never let go of your drink, as the waiter is always pushy and checking your bottle/glass.

 

Club Taboo is only moderately strong on Fridays and Saturdays, with a high of about 6-8 dancers. The rest of the week it's utterly dead. The club opens at 7pm but only starts getting somewhat busy at around 10pm... The most recycled of all the trash that is available, for hire, remains there: Alex, Nicolas-Kevin, Leo, Sebastien, Frederick, Danny, Timo, Luca, etc. ... There is an occasional jewel to be found, but it's like treasure-hunting on a deserted beach. For example, Charles a.k.a. Charley was dancing there in November-December 2010, a really hot guy! Unfortunately he got picked up by a sugar-daddy, or like Izaak who is now at JPs . Even Gerry and Antonio (perennial staff) are now gone, they got fired on January 15th. Now the guy with the parrot on his shoulders runs Taboo! (He was DJ-eing earlier this winter there, an ex-dancer called Carl)

 

Rumors:

Owner of Campus Daniel Sparks is on the last stretch of his brain cancer. There will be some changes in the club, as Danny the manager is his protegé, and the main culprit of the current mess at Campus.

 

JP Cabaret "owner" JP (nominee for Sylvain Sénecal) is struggling to pay his mortgage to Dany (former owner of L'Adonis) the club will most likely revert to Dany in early summer 2011 if things don't improve dramatically. Slow sales and $300,000 tied-up in an escrow account with his Stock Bar ex-partners don't help. He was planning to use that money to buy L'Adonis and the building. But there was a clause that explicitly barred Sylvain from opening another club to compete with Stock Bar... That's why we saw Alain the barman and Olivier going back to work at JP Cabaret in May 2010: they are Dany's workers and Dany is making sure he that will get paid!

 

Bottom line here is that the clubs might be for "sale" and I include Taboo and StockBar on this list as well. ALL the American "owners" want to cash out and get out. I say "owners" and "sale" because according to Canadian law a liquor licence/ ownership of a club cannot be held by a non-Canadian. Don't get suckered into "buying" a stripclub!

Drink prices have gone up 25c at Campus, $1-$2 at Taboo, at JP Cabaret the daytime-nighttime difference in pricing from L'Adonis has disappeared, it's always the nighttime pricing. StockBar remains the club with the most expensive drinks. They are all penny-pinching, specially on the heating, I haven't been to StockBar this winter since their staff party, but Campus, Cabaret JPs and Taboo are VERY cold (around 60 F inside), since they keep the heating at a minimum to save costs.

There will be some closings in the mid-term as the overall level of business in the Gay Village cannot possibly sustain 4 clubs. Which club goes up-down depends on good or bad management.

[twinkboylover28]

 

If you arrive TOO early you risk being harassed and watching an empty stage. Also never let go of your drink, as the waiter is always pushy and checking your bottle/glass.

 

Bottom line here is that the clubs might be for "sale" and I include Taboo and StockBar on this list as well.

 

They are all penny-pinching,

 

 

Wow. This sounds like a clone of Club Gold Coast in Detroit. I'm glad not all clubs are "nickle-and-diming" their customers, and jacking up drink prices. Management needs to go back to school and learn how to operate a successful club, as well as hire a constant, steady stream of exceptional talent.

 

My God, the economy is horrible. You think a lot of college twinks would be jumping at the chance to make $20 for a 3-minute "lap dance." Why not put some flyers up at the colleges for help wanted?

 

Am I wrong?

[Jake]

Danseur your posts are so detailed. Love em!!!

 

Not sure if that's the Kris lookalike though. Is he a server now at campus? Usually wears a plaid like button up shirt.

 

It could be him though. Tough to tell with him looking down. And probably an old pic too.

[DanseurMTL]

Yes Damien is the Kris lookalike: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=703776293

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/5410923473_3b8d4076da_z_d.jpg

The guy in the plaid shirt in the middle!

 

 

The thing with the managers at these strip clubs is that they're not very smart. They're all former dancers with a penchant for drinking/drugs/tricks/stealing... Some of them can't even write correctly in their mother tongue (French).

 

 

It's not like the dancers are getting paid $20 for every 3 minutes and $400 the hour and $2400 for a six-hour shift! The dancer has to be there for 6hrs but he's not in the back all the time. With luck and good looks, he can probably get a $20-$80 customer on average every hour, if the club is busy; but the club is not very busy at the first or the last hour of the shift... placing his earnings from $100-$300 on a busy night to $20-$80 on a quiet night at the beginning of the week, minus his drinks, drugs, cigarettes, McDonalds, DJ/bar fees/payouts & bribes, taxi... Multiply that by 52 weeks and most dancers make anywhere from $10 000 to $30 000 a year (they don't work every day, most of them average two nights a week).

They are not getting rich, I actually encourage them to go to school. Dancing is a dead-end career. Every year they spend dancing they will make less and less money and it will be more difficult for them to go back to school. Sure, some of them are smarter and keep regulars, but those regulars will still get tired after a few years.

*****

 

What I do find nowadays is that I go to a club and four or five dancers know me and I like them or at least I used to like them. The problem is ALL of them DON'T have a customer and are available when I go and they're all over me. I feel guilty. I can only take two or three of them for $60 or $40 plus drinks without blowing my budget and only two years ago I would have had 2 excellent $100 backroom dances in a busy club... I would have been able to be low-key hiding amongst the many customers and now it's like I'm the only good customer available (turns out the rest of the crowd were locals the day I went)

 

What I do is tell the dancer I picked that I'm willing to spend $40 or $60 or whatever and if I know the guy I give it to him upfront. If I don't know the dancer I only give him $20 upfront and ask for ONE SONG! One scammer can screw up your whole night.

 

I find that dancers are willing to give me one or half of a song for "free" to keep me coming back. I do miss the $10 dances but you can always work out a deal, just not 2 for $20! You have to be willing to spend a little more, try 3 for $40 or 4 for $60 or 5 for $80... even if you were to say "8 for $100?" NOBODY would refuse!

 

 

 

The absolute worst thing you can do is arrive to Montreal, on a Tuesday and go every single night to the same strip club for a week. Montreal strip clubs are dead Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, even Thursday afternoon are quiet! I have a couple of friends who do that, they're miserable and cheap. I try to arrive on a Thursday and go out Thursday night and Friday afternoon and night, I sample around and if the Friday was not fantastic I have something else on Saturday, like a private... Or a dinner with a private. The busiest night of the week is Friday.

[twinkboylover28]

There is an occasional jewel to be found, but it's like treasure-hunting on a deserted beach.

 

That's exactly what I was saying about Club Gold Coast when someone asked why I keep going back. It's like going to a casino. You never know when you will hit gold, but most of the time you lose.

[twinkboylover28]

And I never understood the concept of paying someone to have dinner with you at an expensive restaurant? If I'm kind enough to invite someone to a nice restaurant, so they dont have to eat at mcdonalds or cook at home, then the least they can do is say thank you for the free gourmat meal im buying them (not charge me to eat the meal with me -- I find that repulsive) But to each their own.

[EZEtoGRU]

Yes Damien is the Kris lookalike: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=703776293

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/5410923473_3b8d4076da_z_d.jpg

The guy in the plaid shirt in the middle!

 

 

The thing with the managers at these strip clubs is that they're not very smart. They're all former dancers with a penchant for drinking/drugs/tricks/stealing... Some of them can't even write correctly in their mother tongue (French).

 

 

It's not like the dancers are getting paid $20 for every 3 minutes and $400 the hour and $2400 for a six-hour shift! The dancer has to be there for 6hrs but he's not in the back all the time. With luck and good looks, he can probably get a $20-$80 customer on average every hour, if the club is busy; but the club is not very busy at the first or the last hour of the shift... placing his earnings from $100-$300 on a busy night to $20-$80 on a quiet night at the beginning of the week, minus his drinks, drugs, cigarettes, McDonalds, DJ/bar fees/payouts & bribes, taxi... Multiply that by 52 weeks and most dancers make anywhere from $10 000 to $30 000 a year (they don't work every day, most of them average two nights a week).

They are not getting rich, I actually encourage them to go to school. Dancing is a dead-end career. Every year they spend dancing they will make less and less money and it will be more difficult for them to go back to school. Sure, some of them are smarter and keep regulars, but those regulars will still get tired after a few years.

*****

 

What I do find nowadays is that I go to a club and four or five dancers know me and I like them or at least I used to like them. The problem is ALL of them DON'T have a customer and are available when I go and they're all over me. I feel guilty. I can only take two or three of them for $60 or $40 plus drinks without blowing my budget and only two years ago I would have had 2 excellent $100 backroom dances in a busy club... I would have been able to be low-key hiding amongst the many customers and now it's like I'm the only good customer available (turns out the rest of the crowd were locals the day I went)

 

What I do is tell the dancer I picked that I'm willing to spend $40 or $60 or whatever and if I know the guy I give it to him upfront. If I don't know the dancer I only give him $20 upfront and ask for ONE SONG! One scammer can screw up your whole night.

 

I find that dancers are willing to give me one or half of a song for "free" to keep me coming back. I do miss the $10 dances but you can always work out a deal, just not 2 for $20! You have to be willing to spend a little more, try 3 for $40 or 4 for $60 or 5 for $80... even if you were to say "8 for $100?" NOBODY would refuse!

 

 

 

The absolute worst thing you can do is arrive to Montreal, on a Tuesday and go every single night to the same strip club for a week. Montreal strip clubs are dead Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, even Thursday afternoon are quiet! I have a couple of friends who do that, they're miserable and cheap. I try to arrive on a Thursday and go out Thursday night and Friday afternoon and night, I sample around and if the Friday was not fantastic I have something else on Saturday, like a private... Or a dinner with a private. The busiest night of the week is Friday.

 

Thanks for all your great information on the Montreal clubs. I usually get there 2-3 times per year. Your experience of having 4-5 of the guys all over you sounds like when I go to Stock. I am a very good customer when I go to a strip club and several of the dancers normally remember me from prior visits and immediately welcome me to the club....and usually join me for a drink or two and then maybe a dance. You are quite right that Montreal cannot support 4 x dancers clubs. Something has to give to get it down to 2 or 3. I suppose that Taboo or JP's will be the casualty. However, based on the scenario you paint for all four of the clubs, it seems that anything might happen.

 

Thanks for the great information!

[DanseurMTL]

And I never understood the concept of paying someone to have dinner with you at an expensive restaurant? If I'm kind enough to invite someone to a nice restaurant, so they dont have to eat at mcdonalds or cook at home, then the least they can do is say thank you for the free gourmat meal im buying them (not charge me to eat the meal with me -- I find that repulsive) But to each their own.

 

You don't invite an escort to an expensive restaurant, remember you're a man and the person you're inviting is a younger man; I don't think he would even be comfortable in such a place. I've invited dancers to restaurants in Montréal and waiters are uneasy with these situations; you get really crappy service.

 

You invite him to a normal restaurant in the Gay Village, where it's perfectly OK for two men of unequal age to have a romantic dinner. You can eat both for less than $100. Then you pay him $200 and have sex in your hotel room... All for less than a single meal at an expensive restaurant...

[twinkboylover28]

You don't invite an escort to an expensive restaurant, remember you're a man and the person you're inviting is a younger man; I don't think he would even be comfortable in such a place. I've invited dancers to restaurants in Montréal and waiters are uneasy with these situations; you get really crappy service.

 

You invite him to a normal restaurant in the Gay Village, where it's perfectly OK for two men of unequal age to have a romantic dinner. You can eat both for less than $100. Then you pay him $200 and have sex in your hotel room... All for less than a single meal at an expensive restaurant...

 

 

Uhm? Ok, so I' m a man inviting a younger man to dinner. What's your point? There are plenty of straights who invite much younger females to dinner. What's the difference if it's two senior citizens eating dinner, or two teenagers, or a black person with a white person, or 2 people in a wheel chair? I have taken out numerous good looking twinks out to eat at the finest of restaurants, and not once have I paid them to eat with me the FREE gourmet meal I was buying them. And not once have I ever received bad service because of my choice of dinner partner. For God sakes, the waiter doesnt care who Im eating dinner with. All they care about is their tip. For all the waiter knows, my dinner partner could be my nephew, my son, or a host of other possibilities. It's none of his business. If the waiter gives me bad service then he gets no tip. Simple really. And why would a date, or any person for that matter, be uncomfortable having a romantic dinner with an older man? That's so ridiculous. Most of the restaurants in the gay vilage arent that upscale ,and kinda suck to be perfectly honest.

 

And what's the difference between being a "very good customer" at the clubs, or being a sucker who everone knows overspends too much? Sometimes I really wonder about some guys and their low self esteem. I mean if you have the money to spend then more power to you, but even if i was a multi-milionaire, I would never pay someone to eat dinner with me.

 

Seriously? What's next? Paying someone to watch me pay their heating bills for them, or maybe I shall pay someone to spend time with me while I buy them a new car and we can have sex after that..., or maybe pay someone t ogo grocery shopping with me whilst i purchase their free groceries. LOL

 

To each his own, but I would never pay someone for their time to eat a free gourmet meal with me, that I'm paying for, even if it was just a Happy Meal at Micky Dees.

[EZEtoGRU]

Uhm? Ok, so I' m a man inviting a younger man to dinner. What's your point? There are plenty of straights who invite much younger females to dinner. What's the difference if it's two senior citizens eating dinner, or two teenagers, or a black person with a white person, or 2 people in a wheel chair? I have taken out numerous good looking twinks out to eat at the finest of restaurants, and not once have I paid them to eat with me the FREE gourmet meal I was buying them. And not once have I ever received bad service because of my choice of dinner partner. For God sakes, the waiter doesnt care who Im eating dinner with. All they care about is their tip. For all the waiter knows, my dinner partner could be my nephew, my son, or a host of other possibilities. It's none of his business. If the waiter gives me bad service then he gets no tip. Simple really. And why would a date, or any person for that matter, be uncomfortable having a romantic dinner with an older man? That's so ridiculous. Most of the restaurants in the gay vilage arent that upscale ,and kinda suck to be perfectly honest.

 

And what's the difference between being a "very good customer" at the clubs, or being a sucker who everone knows overspends too much? Sometimes I really wonder about some guys and their low self esteem. I mean if you have the money to spend then more power to you, but even if i was a multi-milionaire, I would never pay someone to eat dinner with me.

 

Seriously? What's next? Paying someone to watch me pay their heating bills for them, or maybe I shall pay someone to spend time with me while I buy them a new car and we can have sex after that..., or maybe pay someone t ogo grocery shopping with me whilst i purchase their free groceries. LOL

 

To each his own, but I would never pay someone for their time to eat a free gourmet meal with me, that I'm paying for, even if it was just a Happy Meal at Micky Dees.

TBL

 

What I spend at clubs may seem extravagant to you, but it seems perfectly sensible to me. It is all relative. I demand the very best in masculine muscle guys.....and that costs money. Pure and simple.

 

There is a guy from New York that travels to Montreal every two weeks and stays for 3-4 days each time. He walks into Stock and I understand that he drops $10,000 or so a night between drinks and dances with the guys. That seems excessive to me, but I am sure it is perfectly normal to him. Hey, if it works for him and for the boys, who's to judge.

 

I'm not sure why you always want to criticize anyone who thinks or acts differently that you do or would.

[twinkboylover28]

TBL

 

What I spend at clubs may seem extravagant to you, but it seems perfectly sensible to me. It is all relative. I demand the very best in masculine muscle guys.....and that costs money. Pure and simple.

 

I demand the very best in twinks. What does that have to do with paying someone to spend time with me while also paying for their dinner? I submit you could go to your local Lifetime Fitness and likely find many of the "finest muscle guys" who would love to have dinner with you for free.

 

 

There is a guy from New York that travels to Montreal every two weeks and stays for 3-4 days each time. He walks into Stock and I understand that he drops $10,000 or so a night between drinks and dances with the guys. That seems excessive to me, but I am sure it is perfectly normal to him. Hey, if it works for him and for the boys, who's to judge.

 

There's a guy I know from New York who is in jail for running a ponzi scheme named Madoff. There are plenty of guys I know who also spend thousands of dollars to fly escorts in for overnights , or even weekly sessions. I think they're all losers. I certainly dont look up to them. But then again, it doesnt matter what I think. As i said earier ,if they have the money to waste, to each their own. Ask any grade schooler what they think about paying someone to have dinner with you. They wont be able to stop laughing.

 

 

 

I'm not sure why you always want to criticize anyone who thinks or acts differently that you do or would.

 

Likewise.

[EZEtoGRU]

Um.....I never commented on having dinner with anyone. What are you talking about? That was someone else's post. Are you drunk?

[Samai139]

I think the bartender, evening, dancer, afternoon you are referring to might be Chris, who according to a friend of mine no longer dances. Really well-endowed? Engaging personality? Always sober and professional?

[+ newatthis]

...The absolute worst thing you can do is arrive to Montreal, on a Tuesday and go every single night to the same strip club for a week. Montreal strip clubs are dead Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, even Thursday afternoon are quiet!...

Well, it depends on the time of year. In summer "high season," I've been able to spend every afternoon at Campus for a week and see scores of attractive dancers of all varieties, with maybe 30-40% overlap from one day to the next. That used to be true (oh so many years ago, alas) of Taboo.