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On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.
Re: FOR EDIT - STRATFOR Overview of Mideast Unrest
Released on 2012-10-10 17:00 GMT
Email-ID | 1715420 |
Date | 2011-02-17 08:37:06 |
From | firstname.lastname@example.com |
To | email@example.com |
List-Name | firstname.lastname@example.com |
also, you know Hell has frozen over when we have a "the Middle East is in
crisis" epic piece and Iraq isn't even mentioned
On 2/16/11 9:38 PM, Reva Bhalla wrote:
** If Emre/Bayless have details to add, pls make sure they can be easily
integrated and I'll take them in F/C
STRATFOR Overview of Mideast Unrest
At first glance, news footage of self-immolations in Algeria any
particular reason you chose just Algeria here? there were reported
self-immolations in like five countries, and Algeria isn't even the most
famous, clashes between police and protestors in Yemen and Bahrain,
government reshufflings in Jordan and fledgling street demonstrations in
Iran would easily leave one with the impression that a domino effect
is taking place in the Middle East, one in which aging autocrats are on
the verge of being uprooted by Tunisia-inspired revolutionary fervor.
A more careful review of the regional unrest
paints a very different picture, however. There are common threads to
many of the protests sprouting up in these countries, and that alone is
cause for concern for many of these regimes. High youth unemployment,
lack of political representation, repressive police states, lack of
housing and rising commodity prices are among the more common complaints
voiced by protestors across the region. Social media
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110202-social-media-tool-protest has
been used as both an organizing tool for protestors and a surveillance
enabler by regimes. More generally, the region is witnessing a broad,
public reaction to the thick crust of crony capitalism that has grown
around these regimes over the past several decades.
The regime responses to those complaints have also been relatively
consistent: subsidy handouts, (in many cases, cosmetic) changes to the
government, promises of job growth, electoral reform and repealing
emergency rule and (in the case of Egypt, Yemen succession plan in
Yemen? what about Tunisia and the idea that Ben Ali would have handed
over power to Leila? and Algeria) public dismissal of illegitimate
succession plans. Anti-regime protestors in many of these countries have
been confronted with mostly for-hire pro-regime supporters tasked with
breaking up the demonstrations, the camel cavalry in Egypt being the
most vivid example of this tactic.
While the circumstances initially appear dire for most, each of these
states are also living in unique circumstances. Tunisia can be
considered a largely organic, successful uprising, but for most of these
states, the regime retains the tools to suppress dissent, divide the
opposition and maintain power. In others, those engaging in the civil
unrest are unknowing pawns to power struggles playing out behind the
scenes. In all, the assumed impenetrability of the internal security
apparatus and the loyalties and intentions of the army remain decisive
factors in determining the direction of the unrest, for better or for
What follows is the STRATFOR perspective on the Mideast unrest:
Egypt ** The Military**s **Revolution**
What Egypt has witnessed in the past several days is not a popular
in the true sense of the word, but a carefully and thoughtfully managed
succession by the military. The demonstrations, numbering around 200,000
to 300,000 at their peak, were genuinely inspired by the regime turnover
in Tunisia
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20110114-north-africa-after-tunisia ,
pent-up socio-economic frustrations (youth unemployment in Egypt is
around 25 percent) and enraged disillusionment with the Mubarak regime.
At the same time, it is important to remember that the succession crisis
in Egypt was playing out between the country**s military elite and
Mubarak well before the Jan. 28 Day of Rage I would say "well before the
protests began Jan. 25 [LINK:
The demonstrations, quietly encouraged by external pro-democracy groups
you sound like Mubarak here, blaming it on the foreigners.. are you
referring to RS501, or Cohen? i think we should focus more on the OVERT
organization that was carried out by DOMESTIC pro-democracy groups. that
was where the really hard work was done, not from California or
Belgrade, were in fact a critical tool for the military to use in easing
Mubarak out with the end goal being the preservation of the regime. The
Egyptian military is so far keeping up appearances in acting receptive
to opposition demands, but with time, the gap will grow between the
interests of the opposition and those of the military elite, as the
latter works to maintain its clout in the political affairs of the state
while also containing a perceived our talks made it sound like your
thoughts were more that the Egyptians are merely holding this card in
reserve; not that it actually perceives a threat. I would say "while
also holding the Islamist threat card in reserve as a means of
justifying a potential clamp down in the future" Islamist threat
http://www.stratfor.com/node/184337 .
Tunisia ** Not Over Yet
Though there did exist some domestic pro-democracy groups in Tunisia
before the unrest began there in December, this was the most organic
uprising in the region, fueled by years of frustration with the
corruption and political and business monopoly of the Ben Ali regime,
high rate of youth unemployment (estimated at around 30 percent in the
15-29 age group,) and rising commodity prices. The self-immolation
of a young man trying to sell fruits and vegetables was the spark that
energized the unrest and helped break down the psychological wall of
fear that Tunisia**s internal security apparatus had worked for decades
to maintain.
The ousting of Ben Ali and his family
and a reshuffling of the government has, for now, contained most of the
unrest in the streets. A sense of normalcy is gradually returning to the
country as Tunisians look ahead to elections that have yet to be
scheduled for some time this year. Since Tunisia won its independence
from France in 1956, the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) party,
which served as Ben Ali**s main political vehicle, has dominated the
country, leaving opposition groups with little to no experience in
managing political, much less business affairs. RCD politicians have
been quick in their attempts to disassociate themselves from the Ben Ali
name in hopes of retaining their wealth and political clout in the new
set-up while the opposition remains unorganized and divided. Unlike
Egypt, the Islamist opposition ** led by the exiled leadership no,
they're no longer exiled; Rachid Ghannouchi came home of the Ennadha
party ** remains a largely marginal player. In all likelihood, Tunisia
will end up with another government dominated by many of the same elites
of the Ben Ali regime, albeit with a democratic face.
The potential for another reactionary wave of unrest thus brings into
question the motives of the Tunisian army
, who dropped Ben Ali less than a month after the uprising began, and
only three days after Ben Ali called for the army to come onto the
streets of the capital to maintain law and order. The Tunisian army is
likely looking to the Egypt model, in which the military is now standing
at the helm and maintaining a number of political and economic benefits
as a result. (It was not my impression that the Tunisian army controls
nearly as much of the economy in its country as does the Egyptian army
in Egypt. Therefore this parallel is not entirely accurate, but I do see
your point.) The situation in Tunisia remains in flux, and an army
intervention down the line should not be ruled out.
Algeria ** The Power Struggle Behind the Protests
Like Tunisia and Egypt, Algeria**s protests have been fueled by many of
the same socioeconomic factors afflicting its North African neighbors
(youth unemployment in Algeria is around 20 percent.) Food prices have
also been a big factor, with riots breaking out in the country even
before the first signs of unrest occurred in Tunisia. The protests have
thus far averaged in the low hundreds or fewer wait, are you SURE there
weren't any protests that had more than 1,000 come out? i really think
there was as the internal security apparatus has resorted to
increasingly forceful measures to restrict demonstrations in Algiers and
to the east of the capital in Kabylie**s Bejaia province. Thousands of
riot police have deployed in preparation for mass demonstrations planned
for Feb. 18 and 25. The protests are primarily youth-driven and are
being organized through channels like Facebook in defiance of the
country**s ban on demonstrations (note: the state of emergency law only
bans marches IN THE CAPITAL). The marches have been organized by the
Rally for Culture and Democracy party (not to be confused with the
former ruling party in Tunisia) led by Said Sadi, the National
Coordination for Change and Democracy and Algeria**s League for Human
Rights. Most critically, a number of the country**s most powerful trade
unions are taking part in the protest marches. The banned Islamic
Salvation Front (FIS) has also reportedly called on Algerians to take
part in the march to demand "regime change,) prompting Algerian
authorities to arrest Feb. 11 the hardliner FIS second-in-command, Ali
While the civil unrest will continue to capture the cameras** attention,
the real struggle in Algeria is not playing out in the streets. A power
struggle has long been in play between the country**s increasingly
embattled President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and the head of the Military
Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DRS) General Mohamed
**Toufik** Mediene. Bringing an end to a bloody civil war with radical
Islamists led by the FIS, Bouteflika came to power in 1999 as a civilian
leader, relying on a combination of accommodation and force to stabilize
the country. Mediene, widely regarded as the chief power broker and
**kingmaker** in Algerian politics has held his post since 1990 and
consequently lays claim to a widespread network of political, security
business and trade union connections. Bouteflika relied heavily on
Mediene to both contain the Islamist threat and also to reduce the clout
of the army in Algerian politics,. The president then started running
into serious trouble when he attempted to expand his own influence at
the expense of Mediene and his allies.
The power struggle has intensified in recent years, with the country**s
state-owned energy firm Sonatrach
even getting caught in the fray. Bouteflicka (age 73) won a third term
in 2009 (made possible after he abolished 2-term limits) and his term is
supposed to expire in 2014. A number of hints have been dropped that the
aging president would either hand the reins his younger brother or prime
minister to replace him, plans that Mediene hotly opposes.
Not by coincidence, one of the main organizers of the demonstrations,
Saeed Saidi (a Berber) is known to be on excellent terms with Mediene,
also a Berber. The call for Berber rights (Berbers make up roughly
one-third of the Algerian population) has been one of the leading
drivers of the demonstrations thus far, while a large segment of
Algeria**s majority Arab population has yet to show an interest in
taking to the streets in protest against the regime. The country**s
powerful trade unions, who have strong political connections and a
proven ability of twisting Bouteflika**s arm through crippling strikes
in demanding more limits on foreign investment and better wages, are a
critical element to the demonstrations.
Overall, while the roots of Algeria**s civil unrest are like those found
in Tunisia and Egypt, the youth demonstrators are not the decisive
factor in determining the course of events in this country. The timing
appears ripe for Mediene to lay pressure on Bouteflika to meet his
demands on the coming succession. How far Mediene goes in undercutting
(and perhaps attempting to remove Bouteflika altogether) remains to be
seen. The Algerian military must also be watched closely in the coming
weeks. Bouteflika has a number of close allies in the military elite to
counter Mediene, but there are also a number of disaffected soldiers in
lower ranks who have seen the military**s profile decline under
Bouteflika**s rule. Bouteflika has attempted to pacify the opposition
with subsidies (aided by the current high price of oil,) a vow to lift
emergency rule by the end of February and promises of (limited)
political reforms, but the president is likely to rely more heavily on
force against protestors and quiet concessions to trade unions while
trying to cope with the bigger threat posed by the country**s
intelligence chief.
MOROCCO ** Making the Most of It
Morocco has been the Arab country that has flown most under the radar in
the midst of the recent wave of unrest across the region. It has yet to
experience any mass demonstrations, though small protests have occurred,
and at least four cases of self-immolations have been reported since
Mohammed Bouazizi started the trend in Tunisia Dec. 17. However, a
recently-created Facebook group known as **Moroccans for Change** has
called for a nationwide protest scheduled for Feb. 20, something that
the government of King Mohammed VI has responded to by meeting with
opposition parties and promising to speed up the pace of economic,
social and political reforms.
Just as in Egypt, there are many strands in the Moroccan opposition
from secular pro-democracy groups to Islamists. Those planning for the
Feb. 20 protests are not seen to have much in common with Islamist party
(the Justice and Development Party) or the largest opposition force and
main Islamist group in the country, the banned Justice and Charity
party, believed to have a membership of roughly 200,000. Where Morocco
differs from Egypt, however, is in the fact that the opposition is not
calling for regime change, but rather a greater level of say in the
political system within a constitutional monarchy.
One of the main demands is for the writing of a new constitution, aimed
at stripping power away from the monarchy and from the network of state
and business elite known as the Makhzen. Demands for higher wages and
state-subsidized housing are also top demands of the opposition, as are
calls for a decrease in police brutality, a common cry in the Arab
The planned demonstrations in Morocco are illustrations of opportunism
as opposed to a serious risk of a popular uprising, much leses regime
JORDAN ** The Accomodationist Approach
The Jordanian opposition, which is led by the Jordanian Muslim
Brotherhood, was quick to seize on the Tunisian and Egyptian unrest and
organize peaceful sit-in demonstrations in their ongoing push for
electoral reform and fresh parliamentary elections
The Hashemite monarchy, however, has had much more experience in
accommodating its Islamist opposition
. The political arm of the Jordanian MB, the Islamic Action Front, is
allowed political representation, albeit not at a level that they deem
sufficient. King Abdallah II acted quickly to try and preempt major
civil unrest in the country by handing out millions of dollars worth of
subsidies and forming a new government
entirely. The While making concessions, the King is being careful to
avoid falling down a slippery slope of Islamist demands, making clear
that there are limits to what he will do. The new government is led by
former general and now prime minister Marouf Bakhit , whose cabinet
sworn in on Feb. 9 included some figures with an Islamist background.
Even though IAF announced that it would not participate in the new
government and called for fresh elections, it also said that the group
would wait and see to judge new government**s sincerity about reform
plans, while continuing to hold peaceful demonstrations. In other words,
the IAF understands its limits and is not attempting a regime overthrow,
making the situation overall very much contained. Meanwhile,
opportunistic tribal leaders, who traditionally support the Jordanian
regime, recently decided to voice complaints against regime corruption
as a way to extract concessions while the nation's queen, Rania, was
still hot as shit. The Jordanian government dealt quickly with the
situation through quiet concessions to the main tribal leaders.
BAHRAIN ** A Sunni-Shia Struggle with Geopolitical Implications
Long-running sectarian strife between Bahrain**s Shiite majority and
ruling Sunni al-Khalifa monarchy is the driving force behind civil
unrest in Bahrain
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20110214-shiite-unrest-bahrain .
Bahrain was the first among Persian Gulf countries to witness
significant demonstrations. After two days of demonstrations organized
by youth opposition groups on Facebook, a heavy crackdown was launched
on Pearl roundabout in the heart of Manama late Feb. 16 on mostly Shiite
protestors who were camping overnight.
Most of the protestors** demands initially centered on political reform
http://www.stratfor.com/bahrain_limiting_shiite_rise, but with time, the
demands gradually escalated to the removal of the prime minister and
then the King. mikey had said in the afternoon that only a small subset
were calling for king's overthrow, and that this did NOT icnlude Wefaq.
did that change? The Pearl roundabout, the focal point of the protests,
has been cleared and is being held by Bahraini security forces (roughly
90 percent of Bahrain**s security apparatus is Sunni. Even after this
show of force, the potential for further sectarian strife between Shiite
protestors and security forces remains, especially as funeral
processions are likely to add the current unrest.
The ruling Sunni family may be a minority in the Shiite majority
country, but some 54 percent of the population is made up of foreign
guest workers, who are notably not taking part in the demonstrations.
The al Khalifa family is no stranger to communal strife, and appears
capable of putting down the unrest, but the events of the past few days
will make the task of managing the tiny country**s demographic imbalance
that much more difficult for the regime.
Sectarian tensions in Bahrain bear close watching, as the country is a
significant proxy battleground in the broader geopolitical struggle
between Saudi Arabia and the United States on one side, and Iran on the
other. Bahrain is home to the U.S. fifth fleet while Saudi Arabia fears
that a regime turnover to the Shia
in Bahrain would encourage the Shiite minority in Saudi Arabia**s
eastern province to follow in their footsteps. Iranian media and
STRATFOR Iranian diplomatic sources appear to be making a concerted
effort to spread stories of Saudi special forces deploying to Bahrain to
help crack down on Shiite protestors. which is exactly what the Iranians
were saying about the KSA military during the fight against the Houthis!
Iran is also believed to be providing assistance to the Jamiat al Wifaq
al Islamiyah, Bahrain**s main Shiite opposition group. Iran may be
attempting to amplify the Sunni-Shiite conflict at a time when the
United States is already particularly stressed in the region as a way to
boost its own negotiating position, but Iran is also facing problems of
its own at home.
IRAN ** Standard Operating Procedure
Following the 2009 post-election uprising and subsequent crackdown
Iranian opposition groups are using the unrest in the Arab world to fuel
an attempted comeback against the clerical regime. The protests on Feb.
14 numbered in the thousands and remained concentrated in Tehran
(smaller protests were also reportedly in Isfahan and Shiraz,) with
embattled opposition leaders Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi
leading the charge. well.. wait. weren't they under house arrest? i know
you always say i take things too literally, but change that wc The
deaths of two student protestors were used by the regime not by the
regime.. just a few MP's were yelling this. that'd be like calling one
repub senator in the US "the regime" to call for the hanging of Moussavi
and Karroubi for inciting the unrest that led to their deaths. More
unrest is expected during the funeral processions and on Feb. 18
following Friday prayers, but Iran**s experienced security apparatus
and Basij militiamen have resorted to their usual, effective tactics of
breaking up the demonstrations and intimidating the opposition.
Poor socioeconomic conditions, high youth unemployment (around 26
percent) and disillusionment with the regime are all notable factors in
examining the development of Iran**s opposition movement, but, as
STRATFOR stressed in 2009, the primarily youth-driven, middle and upper
class opposition in Tehran is not representative of the wider
population, a significant portion of which is supportive of Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad while the more apathetic observers have
yet to demonstrate a willingness to put the lives of themselves and
their families at risk in opposing the government. Rather than posing an
existential threat to the Ahmadinejad government, the Iranian opposition
largely remains an irritant to the regime.
LIBYA ** Crowd Control, Ghaddafi Style
(update) Demonstrators in Libya held a **Day of Rage Feb. 17, in a rare
show of protest against the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi.
Violent clashes between protestors and police also broke out late Feb.
15 in Benghazi, were demonstrators demanded the release of human rights
activist and lawyer Fathi Turbil.
Libya**s youth unemployment rate is the highest in North Africa,
averaging somewhere between 40 and 50 percent. This is a reality
compounded by the gross mismanagement by the regime in trying to develop
the non-oil sector economy. Calls for jobs, basic access to services,
housing and media and political freedoms have been made by fledgling
opposition groups with leaderships based abroad and nudging
demonstrators on through social media.
Public demonstrations in a police state like Libya are notable, but the
Ghaddafi regime is also extremely adept at putting down dissent in the
sparsely populated desert country. While the regime will rely on its
iron fist to contain the unrest, it has also made limited concessions in
releasing Turbil while promising further prison releases. Pro-government
demonstrators have been unleashed, subsidies are likely to be doled out
and there are even unconfirmed rumors of Ghaddafi planning on taking
part in the Feb. 17 demonstrations against his own government as a way
to both mock and deflate the opposition. Most importantly, the Ghaddafi
regime has had success in pardoning and re-integrating members of the
Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (link) to guard against the Islamist
militant threat.
The civil unrest in Libya is unlikely to pose a meaningful threat to the
regime, but it could have an impact on the country**s ongoing power
between Ghaddafi**s two sons. The younger and reform-minded son, Seif al
Islam (along with his ally, National Oil Company chairman Shukri Ghanem)
has been put on the defensive as of late by his brother and National
Security Adviser, Motassem, who has the support of many within the
political and military old guard. Seif al Islam has sought to
distinguish himself from the old guard politics and build his
credibility in the country, even going so far as having his charity
organization publish a report (get date) on Libyan human rights abuses
that harshly criticized the regime. Seif al Islam has since been pushed
back by the old guard, but the current unrest could strengthen his case
that limited reforms to the system are required for the long-term
survivability of the Ghaddafi regime.
YEMEN ** Can**t Catch a Break
Even without the current spate of opposition unrest, Yemen was already
facing immense challenges in creating jobs (youth unemployment is
roughly 35 percent and unemployment overall is estimated around 16
percent,) developing the economy without the petrodollar cushion of its
neighbors, containing secessionist tendencies in the south
and a Houthi rebellion in the north and fighting Al Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula, a threat exacerbated by the fact that Yemen**s intelligence
and security apparatus is penetrated by jihadist sympathizers
After taking a gamble in recent months in making limited political
concessions to the main opposition coalition Joint Meetings Party (JMP)
led by the Islamist party Islah, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is
now facing daily protests in the capital city of Sanaa. Over the past
month, most of the demonstrations have numbered in the hundreds and on a
couple occasions in the low thousands. The protests started out
peacefully, but have turned more violent in recent days as protestors
and security forces have clashed (one youth protestor was reportedly
shot dead Feb. 16.)
In attempt to take the steam out of the political opposition, Saleh has
announced that he will not run for re-election in 2013
and that he would do away with pending amendments that would have
abolished presidential term limits. Those moves helped stymie complaints
that Saleh would try to hand the presidency to his eldest son, Ahmed
Saleh, who currently commands the Republican Guard, the elite military
force that serves as the president**s first line of defense. Saleh has
also called on the main opposition parties to form a unity government
and has been offering a number of political concessions behind the
scenes. Those moves, while making Saleh appear weak and politically
vulnerable, appeared to be working Feb. 13, when the JMP announced it
would drop out of the demonstrations and resume dialogue with the
government. However, the JMP has since reversed its decision, feeling
that there is no better time to pressure Saleh into making concessions
than now.
The multitude of threats facing the Saleh regime put Yemen in a higher
risk bracket than most of the other countries experiencing unrest.
Saleh**s survivability depends on two key factors: the tribes and the
army. Saleh has long been effective in co-opting the country**s main
tribes and in keeping the military elite loyal. The army is still
standing behind the president, but STRATFOR sources in Yemen have
indicated that the regime is growing increasingly nervous about tribal
The demonstrators on the streets meanwhile remain relatively limited in
number. That dynamic could change if the situation further deteriorates
and people start recalculating their survival estimates for Saleh.
Should Saleh become too big of a liability, a contingency plan is in
place for Vice President Abd Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi, who has been the
main interlocutor between the regime and the opposition, to take over.
Saleh for now has some staying power, but his grip is showing
increasingly serious signs of slipping.
SYRIA ** Pumping the Iron Fist
Soon after the unrest in Egypt broke out, opposition youth activists
(most of whom are based outside the country) attempted to organize
through social media their own Day of Rage to challenge the al Assad
regime. Like Bahrain, Syria**s ruling elite faces a demographic dilemma
being an Alawite regime in a Sunni-majority country. Fortunately for
the regime, the demonstrations scheduled for Feb. 4-5 in the cities of
Damascus, Homs, Aleppo and al-Qamishli quickly fell flat. The
demonstrations were sorely lacking in numbers and interest. Even the
Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, likely reflecting on the violent consequences
of the 1982 Hama insurrection, stuck to issuing statements with their
demands instead of risking participation in the demonstrations. The
dozen or so that did show up to protest were promptly harassed by Syrian
plainclothes police.
Nonetheless, the Syrian regime appears to be taking seriously the threat
of regional unrest and has moved quickly to build up its security
presence and dole out subsidies to keep a check on further protest
attempts. In a rare interview with the Wall Street Journal, Syrian
President Bashar al Assad also indicated that he would implement
political and media reforms with an aim to hold municipal elections this
year. While social media tools like Facebook have been widely celebrated
as the catalyst for revolution, the Syrian case illustrates how such
tools act as enablers of the regime. Confident in its ability to put
down protests, the Syrian government lifted a five-year ban on Facebook
and YouTube Feb. X, thereby facilitating their ability to track any
opposition plans in the works.
Syria got a scare early on in the wave of Mideast unrest, but appears to
have all the tools in place to maintain the regime**s grip on power.
SAUDI ARABIA ** House of Saud is Safe, for Now
Virtually any spark of unrest in the Middle East will snap heads toward
Saudi Arabia, where the global price of oil hangs precariously on the
stability of the House of Saud. Though feeble opposition groups have
called out for greater political and press freedoms, no demonstrations
have erupted in the oil kingdom. Saudi petrodollars continue to go a
long way in keeping the population pacified and the regime under Saudi
King Abdullah in particular has spent recent years engaging in various
social reforms
that, while limited, are highly notable for Saudi Arabia**s religiously
conservative society. Critically, the House of Saud has had success
since 9/11, and particularly since 2004, in co-opting the religious
establishment, which has enabled the regime to contain dissent while
also keeping tabs on AQAP activity bubbling up from Yemen. The main
cause for concern in Saudi Arabia is centered on the succession issue
as the kingdom**s aging leadership will eventually give way to a younger
and divisive group of royals. Saudi Arabia will offer assistance where
it can to contain unrest in key neighbors like Bahrain and Yemen, but
for now is largely immune from the issues afflicting much of the region.


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Top Response
1* Free Play Predators PUCK LINE.Editors Note: AAA Sports finished the 2012/13 season among the BEST in the World in the NFL at +$24,000 units. 2013/14 would be ALL about his NCAAF domination at +$39,000 units. 2014/15 sees him return to his roots, he's +$8,600 w/ ALL NFL picks this year and has the 10* side in Super Bowl XLIX ready to go!
In a game which I believe will be decided late or in the extra periods, I have no issues whatsoever in laying the price for the extra 1.5 goals of insurance today. Note that this is a "revenge" game for the visitors who would fall 3-0 at home to the Pens back on November 25th. In fact, to say this is a revenge game would be a bit of an understatement I think as Pittsburgh has won five straight in the series. The Predators will be playing with an edge today, after winning five straight the Central Division leaders have gone a sluggish 1-2-2 after falling 3-0 at Colorado on Friday. The Pens are coming off back-to-back wins and I think will come in a bit complacent today; and note, it's not too hard to imagine the home side getting caught "looking ahead" to its three game Western road swing which starts on Wednesday. I have always maintained that I would gladly lay -500 odds if I thought the line should in fact be -800, in my opinion we're getting pretty good line value with the added goal and a half. Consider a second look at NASHVILLE on the PUCK LINE.
AAA Sports

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Shaw Tommy Bahama Home Nylon Moroccan Mosaic Dk. Brown Rug
Item #: 1373V49540110-P Add to Wishlist
Description: The Tommy Bahama Home Nylon rug collection brings together Caribbean warmth and casual elegance in golden sunwashed color pallates. Lush green palms, historical and coastal persians, British colonial, and images of the West Indies are just a few of the looks that this collection offers.
- Collection: Tommy Bahama Home Nylon
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- Material: 100% Nylon
- Weave: Machine Made
- Styles: Traditional Rugs
- Origin: USA
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This rug is beautiful. I truly love it! It is well made and so pretty. The picture on line doesn't do it justice.
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Kuwait to play host to additional US troops
Tuesday 17 September 1996
The US military build-up continued in the Gulf despite Defense Secretary William Perry finding little enthusiasm from the old Gulf-war coalition for further attacks on Iraq.However, the attack that Mr Perry last week called "imminent" appeared increasingly uncertain in the face of an Iraqi retreat from confrontation and a dearth of diplomatic support for President Bill Clinton's tough line.
Harry Potter actor suffered 'severe flu-like symptoms' on a flight from London to Orlando
First full-length look is finally here
World cities ranked in terms of safety, food security and 'liveability'
- 1 Saudi preacher who 'raped and tortured' his five -year-old daughter to death is released after paying 'blood money'
- 2 The awkward moment Sarah Palin raised $25,000 for Hillary Clinton's election campaign
- 3 Ball pool for adults opens in London
- 4 Amal Clooney gives excellent response to fashion question at European Court of Human Rights
- 5 Baldness could soon be treated using stem cells, scientists hope
Woman falls to her death as she celebrates marriage proposal at the edge of Ibiza cliff
Sex abuse inquiry: 'Victims receive death threats' after MPs release names online
Saudi preacher who 'raped and tortured' his five -year-old daughter to death is released after paying 'blood money'
Teenager brandishing fake gun taken down by police after demanding airtime on Netherlands' NOS TV station
The awkward moment Sarah Palin raised $25,000 for Hillary Clinton's election campaign
9 reasons Greece's experiment with the radical left is doomed to failure
'We would evict Queen from Buckingham Palace and allocate her council house,' say Greens
Have we reached 'peak food'? Shortages loom as global production rates slow
Greece elections: Syriza and EU on collision course after election win for left-wing party
British grandmother Lindsay Sandiford faces execution by firing squad in Indonesia
Liberal Democrat minister defends comments suggesting immigration causes pub closures
A warm welcome to the smiling coast of Gambia
The Gambia is fast becoming known as a winter sun haven
Jobs that robots can't do as well as humans
Here are 10 jobs where robots will never be better than humans…
i100: Who makes your world a better place?
Tweet us the people who deserve some recognition to @thei100 with the hashtag #everydayhero and tell us why.
Fitness reconfigured
A multi-million-pound gym revamp. A new member experience designed by sports psychologists. In 2015, Fitness First really is setting the agenda.
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Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
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£28000 - £34000 per annum: Recruitment Genius: This is an exciting opportunity...
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text: SIX FEET UNDER BIOGRAPHY Death metal behemoths SIX FEET UNDER are back, and with the seething UNBORN, the tenth full-length of their imposing career, they are out for blood. Led by the inimitable Chris Barnes, owner of one of the most powerful and instantly recognizable voices in the genre, the band are returning with an overhauled line up that sees them reinvigorated and churning out some of the most visceral music they have ever put their name to. In November of 2010 when vocalist and founding member Chris Barnes first started to get the idea of working with new writers for SIX FEET UNDER's next release, he contacted Rob Arnold, Jari Laine, and Ben Savage to share in the writing process. After just two years of writing and recording 20 plus tracks, and releasing UNDEAD in May of 2012, SIX FEET UNDER are now proud to unveil UNDEAD's demented fraternal twin... UNBORN "The journey to create, write, and record UNDEAD and UNBORN has been the most challenging and exciting musical endeavor and process I have ever been involved with," expresses vocalist and founder Chris Barnes. "Working with all these amazing writers and musicians like Ben Savage (Whitechapel) on songs like Neuro Osmosis and Fragment are some of the most dynamic, beautiful, and brutal songs I've ever had the pleasure of putting lyrics to." Barnes continues, "I believe Ben is a true innovator of the death metal genre. It was also a lot of fun working Jari Laine from Torture Killer again. We wrote a great album together a few years back called SWARM! one of my favorite releases I've been involved with and Jari is someone who I have really wanted to work with again ever since. I wanted to revisit collaborating with Jari because of how well we work together; proof of that on UNBORN are the hook heavy sounds of songs like Zombie Blood Curse and Incision." Barnes concludes, "I can't wait for UNBORN to be unleashed upon the death metal masses this spring!! UNBORN is gonna make you wish you were never born." Having begun as a side project while Barnes was fronting Cannibal Corpse, the band became a full-fledged and unstoppable entity in 1995, and over the course of their career they have consistently helped shape the face of death metal through their uncompromising approach to their craft. Joining Barnes on UNBORN are longtime guitarist Steve Swanson, new guitarist Ola England, new bassist Jeff Hughell, and drummer Kevin Talley, whose history blasting for Dying Fetus, Misery Index, and Chimaira speaks for itself. UNBORN was mixed and mastered byZeuss with Planet Z (The Acacia Strain, Whitechapel, Hatebreed). |


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Under DDoS Attack?
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As the global leader in domain names, Verisign powers the invisible navigation that takes people to where they want to go on the Internet.
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About Verisign
As the global leader in domain names, Verisign powers the invisible navigation that takes people to where they want to go on the Internet. For more than 15 years, Verisign has operated the infrastructure for a portfolio of top-level domains that today include .com, .net, .tv, .edu, .gov, .jobs, .name and .cc, as well as two of the world's 13 Internet root servers. Verisign's product suite also includes Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Protection Services, iDefense Security Intelligence Services and Managed DNS.
©2013 VeriSign, Inc. All rights reserved. VERISIGN, the VERISIGN logo, and other trademarks, service marks, and designs are registered or unregistered trademarks of VeriSign, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and in foreign countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.


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Drawing on over 8 years experience, I specialize in strategic social media campaigns for brands.
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Showcase a 360 degree view of who you are
Help people find and follow you on your social networks
Be found for new opportunities


text:
Merck is committed to bringing out the best in medicine and scientific research. As part of that effort, Merck provides all of The Merck Manuals as a service to the community.
Visit The Merck Manuals website.
New book helps consumers assess when to worry and when to wait.
Learn more.


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Oversized to accommodate larger sleepers or those who like to sprawl out, the Exped SynMat 9 inflatable sleeping pad is designed specifically for four-season usage. An innovative, integrated hand pump makes inflation easy.
The self inflating SIM Comfort 10 sleeping pad delivers luxurious camping comfort in any season. Measuring 78" x 26" x 4", the SIM Comfort 10 is ready for use at the campground, in an RV or even as a portable guest bed. Stuff sack included.
These inflatable pads use air for cushioning. They're lightweight and pack smaller than closed-cell foam or self-inflating mattresses.
View more videos in our Video Library.


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(08-11-2012 07:40 PM)rybowski97 Wrote: hi guys, I think i only posted once or twice on here before. If anyone has any john cena, r truth, mysterio relics and autos for trade please let me know. i have football basketball and baseball available and will trade at a fair value. I dont collect wrestling cards but these autos must be hard to get from retail cause my kid has not pulled one out of at least 30 packs. Post what ya have and what or who you are looking for in return. thanks
(08-13-2012 05:19 PM)thelegendjerryrice Wrote: First problem is that it's retail he is pulling from lol..... Another is as a Baseball fan you auto's are not easy finds... ESP. !!!!!! If you are a player collector lol
(08-13-2012 08:30 PM)swjrp10 Wrote: get him a hobby box of 2010 WWE Platinum, he'll do decently there!


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Manufacturer and Exporter of sodium bisulfite, potassium meta bisulfite & sodium metabisulfite, ultramarine blue pigments and industrial pharmaceutical chemicals.
About Us
Incorporated in the year 1944, Varun Enterprises is a name recognized as one of the most trusted and reliable manufacturers, suppliers and exporters of Sodium Meta Bi Sulphite and Sodium Bi Sulphite, Ultramarine Blue & Potassium Metabisulphite. These are widely appreciated by our clients for their non harmful features. The company came into existence in the year 1944 but we have started manufacturing and exporting our gamut in the year 1976. Since our inception, we are dedicated towards offering premium range of products and that are formulated using optimum quality raw material.
Our Main Production
Sodium Metabisulphite Our clients can avail Sodium Metabisulphite that is processed using high quality base ingredients that are sourced from trusted vendors of the market. Appreciated for its remarkable chemical properties, our products is widely used for various applications in different industries. The chemical compund is the primary ingredient in Campden tablets and is used for wine and beer making.
sodium metabisulfite is used as a bleaching agent in pulp and textile manufacture, as well as a reducing agent in pharmaceuticals.


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Customer Reviews
Average Ratings: 4.7
Write your own review
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"First Kiss Treasure Box with Photo Frame"
By Marissa
Comments: My boyfriend and I are celebrating our first year together. I am so happy and I wanted to get him something he can keep and not feel like its too feminine. I loved the treasure box because it is something that I was looking for. I cannot wait for him to see it!! THANK YOU!
"We love it!!!"
By Lauren Snyder
Comments: My husband and I really love this box. I bought it because I loved it, but justified 'needing' it by using it as the card box at our wedding. One back corner is a tiny bit mushed, but it isn't anything that instantly detracts from the piece. . .. and now its our wedding memory box!
"First Kiss Treasure Box"
By Lara Lucas
Comments: I love it! The engraving is perfect and the box is wonderful!


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Banner Staff Writer
A Bradley County Board of Education decision to dismiss Hopewell Elementary school teacher Susan Elliott has been upheld.
In a summary of his decision and the hearing that took place in January, impartial hearing officer Dale Conder Jr., an attorney from Jackson, outlined the testimonies that led to his decision.
"Based upon the evidence, I find that the Bradley County Board of Education has met its burden of establishing grounds for dismissing Elliott for unprofessional conduct, incompetence, and neglect of duty," Conder said in the document.
The "conclusions of law" listed in the document state the witnesses who testified for Elliott did not bring enough evidence to convince Conder to overrule the dismissal.
The document also outlined how Conder came to his final decision.
"Because there is such sharp dispute between the witnesses as to important matters, determinations as to witness credibility are critical to deciding this case," Conder said
Whether witnesses avoided directly answering a question, how they acted while testifying and whether testimony contradicted other statements made in the hearing were all considered, Conder explained.
The document highlighted selected testimonies that played a part in Conder's final decision.
"Although it has been unpleasant and difficult for all those involved, I truly believe Mr. Conder made the right decision in affirming Ms. Elliott's dismissal. I simply could not ignore her unprofessional conduct and overall lack of good judgment," Bradley County Director of Schools Johnny McDaniel said in a statement submitted by Bradley County School Board Attorney Chris McCarty.
Telephone messages and emails left by the Cleveland Daily Banner for Elliott's attorney, Virgina McCoy, on Thursday and Monday were not returned.
Elliott may appeal the officer's decision to the Bradley County Board of Education.
The recent dismissal hearing was sought by Elliott after the Bradley County Board of Education voted that if the charges for dismissal submitted by McDaniel were true, then they would be grounds for dismissal.
The hearing took place on Jan. 30-31.


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Trade Resources
Sub-Zero and Wolf are dedicated to continuously improving the tools we offer to make specifying, configuring, and installing our products easier than ever.
Product Specifications
Search for product specifications by model number or name, or browse our full Specifications Library.
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A visual guide to Sub-Zero Built-in installation and Sub-Zero Integrated installation – including custom panel installation instructions.
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Built-In Panel Configurator
Answer a series of questions and download your panel dimensions in an easy to read PDF cut-sheet.
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Whether you're shopping for appliances or have questions about those you already own, we've got the resources you need. Talk direct to a customer care expert at our factory, or connect with an appliance consultant at an official showroom near you. Get quick answers online, or reach a certified service provider or installer. And much more.


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Along with the dusty trails and gunfights in the Wild West, there was a period of elegant artistry. This Silver Rodeo enhancer's attributes are derived from the wonderful talents of those who tooled designs into classic Western boots and saddles. Made entirely from sterling silver, this double-sided treasure features twisted rope patterns and traditional vine and leaf openwork designs. With a large snap hinge bail, this timeless keepsake can fit over any of your favorite chains, beads, or leather cords. The enhancer measures 2-1/8" long x 1-1/4" wide. Made in America.
The classic tradition of tooled leather Western saddles enters a new frontier when interpreted in bold sterling silver and carved mother-of-pearl. A tribute to the individuality and spirit of the American woman, these designs exude both strength and beauty.
Like all fine jewelry, Carolyn Pollack Sterling Silver Jewelry should be handled carefully. Store jewelry in a plastic bag, dry and wrapped in tissue paper, when not being worn or displayed. Clean sterling silver with a silver polishing cloth when necessary, but never subject to chlorine, silver dips, chemical solutions or ultrasonic cleaners, as these substances can cause the genuine gemstones to discolor. Never wear jewelry in a swimming pool.


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saver tee
by HOPE
HOPE begun as a creative discussion between two friends, Swedish designers Ann Ringstrand and Stefan Söderberg, who were passionate and extremely interested in well-made utility wear. Realizing a lack in modern and useful Outerwear and Trousers for women, the pair launched HOPE in Autumn 2002. The concept was built around updated, masculine style using unexpected fabrics and redesigned vintage garments. The result is a collection of easy, tailored looks with utility for everyday wear. In 2005, a collection for men was added to the concept along with a complete range of shoes and accessories. Back To Product View All From This Designer
Men's Size Chart
Product Details
T-shirt crafted from a lightweight cotton-jersey in a relaxed shape with deep neck and slightly longer sleeves. Loose, relaxed fit.
• 100% cotton
• machine wash cold
• imported


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I was looking for a new board/card game, and i came across this one. It sounds interesting. It got a better score on board game geek than the regular anima card game. I'm not very big on collectable card games (dont know if this is one). i heard you need one light starter and one dark starter for a game, or something and its very recomended to by another figure or two when starting. So is this a collectable, if so should i play the regular version? If not which products should i buy to start? Also i don't know if this has anything to do with this but i am a HUGE fan of japanese anime.
just heard of this interesting game, how do i start?
Posted 19 November 2010 - 11:59 AM
Posted 19 November 2010 - 12:21 PM
Alrighty, so this game is only sort of collectible... firstly its a Miniature game not a card game, it uses cards which come with each of the miniatures to keep track of the stats and abilities of the various characters. The two starters basically contain a pair of figures thier cards a die and a couple of other bits and pieces. If you find a friend to play against getting the two starters and just having a go will teach you the very basic version of the game.
In the past I would have said grab the starter sets have a look over the rules and another figure based on its faction Light/Dark that looks cool to you and go from there but there are a few other options. First you can get the basic rules from FFG' main Anima Tactics sub-website this will give you a basic intro to what the major rules for the game are. Then you can also buy the Hard-cover rulebook which will expand on those rules and also give you information and stats on 70 characters (out of the 90+ currently availible).
A lot of people then put together thier initial army straight from that book before expanding outward from there.
While some (such as me) see Anima as a collectible Miniature game, it's not specifically designed that way such as Hero-clicks or other games where the figures are pre-painted or numbered x out of y. Mostly you are just meant to buy the figures that you like or wish to use in your army, the problem is that most of the figures look really cool and yes they do cash in on that Anime feeling.
Whether or not you start into this game on your own or not you can look and see if their are any Free Agent (People who run demonstrations) in your local area. This way you will be able to learn the game from another and probably meet others to play against.
If you head on over to these forums cipher-studios.com/AnimaBB/index.php you can ask around for who is the closest Free agent to you and there is also a player locator thread as well as spoilers on new characters and lots of other things.
Hope this helps.
- Raith
Posted 14 August 2011 - 10:38 PM
Apologies for the small-necro, I didn't think it was worth starting a new thread
Potentially looking to start playing with the wife and some other friends around here.
Raith said:
A common suggestion seems to get a starter box + one more mini, to have a group of three for the first battles. However, I've seen it mentioned a few times that the balance between the Light & Dark starter sets isn't the best. Is this the case and, if so, what are the best alternatives to kick-off with?
- Light Starter Set + 1 mini
- 3 Dark Minis (any suggestions?)
- An Organization Starter Set + 1 mini
Thanks in advance
Posted 15 August 2011 - 11:49 PM
Replying to my own post for any future comers.. After a fair bit of digging we bought the Light Starter Box with a few extra miniatures; with the aim to create a Church and Empire force.
So we have incoming:
- Justina - http://atoracle.wikidot.com/en-justina (Dark, level 45) (Light Starter Set)
- Sister Evangeline - http://atoracle.wiki...aint-evangeline (Light, level 50)
- Damien - http://atoracle.wikidot.com/en-damien (Neutral, 45)
- Kronnen - http://atoracle.wiki...n-kronen-roxxon (Light, level 40) (Light Starter Set)
- Janus - http://atoracle.wiki.../en-janus-faith (Light, 45)
- Khaine D'elacreu- http://atoracle.wiki...khaine-d-lacreu (Light, 50)
- Tsubasa - http://atoracle.wiki...subasa-kurokami (Neutral, 55)
- Faust - http://atoracle.wiki...n-faust-orbatos (Neutral, 60)
and if we were going to do Samael I guess we'd do something like:
- Bael - http://atoracle.wikidot.com/en-bael (Dark, 45) (Dark Starter Set)
- Cheshire - http://atoracle.wiki...en-dark-chesire (Dark, 50) (Dark Starter Set)
- Kairos - http://atoracle.wikidot.com/en-kairos (Dark, 45)
- Ophiel - http://atoracle.wikidot.com/en-ophiel (Dark, 70)
Feedback welcome as always


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Wood and Nickel Screen:
Delivery charge includes delivery to your home, placement of items, and removal of all packing materials. You will be contacted to schedule a delivery time. Please note that this item can not be delivered to Hawaii and Alaska.
Material: Wood and nickel
Brand: Amanda Nisbet
Origin: United States
New York-based interior designer Amanda Nisbet transforms exclusive homes into elegant yet functional living spaces. Through Amanda Nisbet Design — the firm she founded in 1998 — Nisbet runs her home-decorating business, creates fabrics and fine linens for showrooms around the world, and designs a contemporary collection of lighting for the Urban Electric Co. Bold colors, luxurious textures, and a blend of classic and contemporary styles define Nisbet's work, which has appeared in publications such as Elle Decor, O at Home and House Beautiful.


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We could spend a lot of time fussing about who invented the ice-cream sandwich and when. Or we could get on with it and make some. For the Fourth of July — and the rest of the summer.
You could use your ice-cream maker to make the cool stuff at home, with coaching from Tessa Arias' book "Cookies & Cream: Hundreds of Ways to Make the Perfect Ice Cream Sandwich" (Running Press, $18). Maybe her recipe for strawberry cream cheese or caramel chocolate swirl. Or a cookie from her dozens of recipes — maybe salted macadamia nut or bacon chocolate chip.
Don't have an ice-cream maker? No problem. Just sub premium ice cream for the homemade, as Donna Egan does in "Ice Cream Sandwiches: 65 Recipes for Incredibly Cool Treats" (Ten Speed Press, $16.99). Her book offers lots of ice-cream recipes but also ideas for doctoring purchased ice cream, such as swirling butterscotch sauce into vanilla for smooshing between snickerdoodles.
So get creative. Mix and match cookies with ice creams. Maybe customize plain ice cream with mix-ins. Scoop ice cream on a cookie. Top with another. Enjoy. We've got a cookie recipe to get you started, plus plenty of ice-cream-sandwich-making tips.
Ice cream
Choose a premium ice cream or gelato (Haagen-Dazs Limoncello, Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch — you get the idea).
Choose a flavor that complements the cookie. A few ideas: coffee-flavored ice cream with cinnamon cookies; lemon with shortbread cookies.
Use two small scoops of different, but complementary flavors of ice cream, says Arias.
Choose a plain premium ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, coffee). Then soften 1 quart in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Turn into a bowl, then use a knife to swirl in about 1/2 cup of mix-ins. Maybe coffee ice cream plus caramel sauce and mini-chocolate chips. Or vanilla ice cream with seedless raspberry preserves and chopped toasted almonds.
Choose one or two mix-ins from these categories:
Sauces: Caramel, fudge, seedless fruit preserves
Crunch: Toasted nuts (pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts)
Sweet: Chocolate chips, coconut, coarsely chopped candies
Or pick one of the variations in the photos above.
Dip edge of finished sandwiches in melted chocolate. Roll in decorating sprinkles, crushed candies, tiny chips (chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter), coconut, chopped nuts. Arias suggests: crushed pretzels, crumbled bacon.
Wrap frozen sandwiches in cooking parchment or food-safe decorative paper, says Arias, and tie with raffia or ribbon.
Freeze prepared sandwiches an hour or two to firm.
For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap. Store up to a week.
To serve, let stand at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes to soften slightly.


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The Sivy Seventy
Top stocks from America's top industries.
There are surprisingly few such stocks that you need to follow on an on-going basis -- we've come up with 70, which you can track in the table below. What are the defining characteristics of these great growth stocks? Size is certainly part of it, and almost all of the stocks on the core list have market capitalizations and total revenues that top $5 billion a year. We also looked for companies with diverse product lines and dominant positions in their industries. As for growth, we sought companies that are capable of returning a steady 11 percent to 12 percent a year through a combination of earnings gains and yield.


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Did you miss Iron and Wine's performance at the SXSW Radio Day Stage last week?
The entire set is now online to stream, including "Grace for Saints and Ramblers" and "Winter Prayers" from the upcoming album, Ghost on Ghost.
Check out wfuv.org for additional info, photos and videos.
Thanks to WFUF, WXPN, KUTX, KXT, and The Current for making this event possible.


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The Global Intelligence Files,
files released so far...
Index pages
by Date of Document
Our Partners
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The Global Intelligence Files
On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.
Re: [CT] tearline? Re: [OS] US/RUSSIA/CT- FBI Russian Spy Videos Released
Released on 2012-10-12 10:00 GMT
Email-ID | 1597798 |
Date | 2011-11-01 13:59:02 |
From | firstname.lastname@example.com |
To | firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com |
List-Name | email@example.com |
available on the FBI website too?
From: Sean Noonan <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Reply-To: CT AOR <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:40:49 -0500
To: CT AOR <firstname.lastname@example.com>, Fred Burton <firstname.lastname@example.com>,
Multimedia List <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Subject: [CT] tearline? Re: [OS] US/RUSSIA/CT- FBI Russian Spy Videos
here's a tearline topic. If you guys in multimedia come across better
versions of these videos or other videos in the case, please let me know.
On 10/31/11 11:31 AM, Sean Noonan wrote:
2 articles below, and 2 videos at this link:
This probably tells us more about FBI surveillance methods than it does
about what the 10/11 russians were doing. The first video shows the
sting operation set up by the FBI to replace or work on Chapman's
computer. The second video didn't show anything conclusive to me,
unless she was somehow transmitting information to the guy with the
briefcase during that time.
On 10/31/11 11:01 AM, Sean Noonan wrote:
FBI releases video, papers about arrests of 10 Russian spies that led
to Cold War-style swap
By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, October 31, 10:41 AM
WASHINGTON - FBI surveillance tapes, photos and documents released
Monday show members of a ring of Russian sleeper spies surreptitiously
passing information and money during a decade-long counterintelligence
probe that ended in the biggest spy swap since the Cold War.
The tapes show a January 2010 shopping trip to Macy's in New York
City's Herald Square by former New York real estate agent Anna
Chapman, whose role in the spy saga turned her into an international
celebrity. She bought leggings and tried on hats, investigators said,
and transmitted coded messages while sitting in a downtown coffee
On another occasion, Chapman was seen setting up her laptop computer
at a Barnes and Noble. "Technical coverage indicated that a computer
signal began broadcasting at the same time," noted part of a heavily
redacted report on the incident, apparently showing an effort by
Chapman to communicate with her handlers.
Other photos and video from the surveillance operation, which the FBI
called "Ghost Stories," show some of the 10 other conspirators burying
money in a patch of weeds, handing off documents in what looks like a
subway tunnel, meeting during a stroll around Columbus Circle or just
taking their kids for a walk. A photo of one spy, Donald Heathfield,
shows him at what appears to be a university graduation ceremony.
Called illegals because they took civilian jobs instead of operating
inside Russian embassies and military missions, the spies settled into
quiet lives in middle-class neighborhoods.
Their long-range assignment from Moscow: burrow deep into U.S. society
and cultivate contacts with academics, entrepreneurs and government
policymakers on subjects from defense to finance.
The code name Ghost Stories appears to refer to the ring's efforts to
blend invisibly into the fabric of American society. An FBI spokesman
said the decision to release the material on Halloween was
The linchpin in the case was Col. Alexander Poteyev, a highly placed
U.S. mole in Russian foreign intelligence, who betrayed the spy ring
even as he ran it. He abruptly fled Moscow just days before the FBI
rolled up the deep cover operation on June 27, 2010. Poteyev's role in
exposing the illegals program only emerged last June when a Russian
military court convicted him in absentia for high treason and
The U.S. swapped the 10 deep cover agents for four Russians imprisoned
for spying for the West at a remote corner of a Vienna airport on July
9, in a scene reminiscent of the carefully choreographed exchange of
spies at Berlin's Glienicke Bridge during the Cold War.
While freed Soviet spies typically kept a low profile after their
return to Moscow, Chapman became a lingerie model, corporate
spokeswoman and television personality. Donald Heathfield, whose real
name is Andrey Bezrukov, lists himself as an adviser to the president
of a major Russian oil company on his LinkedIn account.
President Dmitry Medvedev awarded all 10 of the freed deep-cover
operatives Russia's highest honors at a Kremlin ceremony.
The swap was Washington's idea, raised when U.S. law enforcement
officials told President Barack Obama it was time to start planning
the arrests. Agents launched a series of raids across the northeast
after a decade of intensive surveillance of the ring, which officials
say never managed to steal any secrets.
The case was brought to a swift conclusion before it could complicate
the president's campaign to "reset" U.S. relations with Russia,
strained by years of tensions over U.S. foreign policy and the 2008
Russian-Georgian war. All 10 of the captured spies were charged with
failing to register as foreign agents.
An 11th defendant, Christopher Metsos, who claimed to be a Canadian
citizen and delivered money and equipment to the sleeper agents,
vanished after a court in Cyprus freed him on bail.
Attorney General Eric Holder said the FBI decided to arrest the
illegals because one of the spies was preparing to leave the U.S. and
there was concern that "we would not be able to get him back." Despite
the ring's failure to gather any intelligence, Holder said they still
posed a potential threat to the U.S.
Former Soviet intelligence officials now living in the West scratched
their heads over the "Ghost Stories" saga.
"In my view this whole operation was a waste of human resources, money
and just put Russia in a ridiculous situation," said Oleg Kalugin, a
former KGB major general who spied against the U.S. during the Soviet
era, in an interview earlier this year. He now lives near Washington.
Alexander Vassiliev, a former KGB officer and journalist who has
written extensively about Soviet spying in America, said the illegals
were supposed to act as talent spotters and scouts, identifying
Americans in positions of power who might be recruited to spill
secrets for financial reasons or through blackmail. Spies with the
protection of diplomatic credentials would handle the more delicate
task of recruiting and handling the agents.
Moscow's ultimate aim, Vassiliev said, was probably to cultivate a
source who could provide day-by-day intelligence on what the
president's inner circle was thinking and planning in response to the
latest international crisis. But he said there was no evidence the
Kremlin made any progress toward that goal.
"How are you going to recruit someone like that, on what basis? That's
quite a successful person. Why should he spy for the Russians? I can't
see any reason."
He said Russia's intelligence services seem unable to shake their
Soviet-era habits. "The current practice of the Russian espionage
agency is based on the practices which existed before 1945," said
Vassiliev, who now lives in London. "It's so outdated."
The 10 Russian illegals included:
- Chapman, the daughter of a Russian diplomat, who worked as a real
estate agent in New York City. After she was caught, photos of the
redhead's social life and travels were splashed all over the tabloids.
Following her return to Russia, Chapman worked as a model, became the
celebrity face of a Moscow bank and joined the leadership of the youth
wing of the main pro-Kremlin party.
- Vicky Pelaez and Juan Lazaro, of Yonkers, N.Y. He briefly taught a
class on Latin American and Caribbean politics at Baruch College. She
wrote pieces highly critical of U.S. policy in Latin America as a
columnist for one of the United States' best-known Spanish-language
newspapers, El Diario La Prensa.
- Michael Zottoli and Patricia Mills of Arlington, Va. He had worked
at a telecommunications firm. The couple raised a young son and
toddler in their high-rise apartment.
- Richard and Cynthia Murphy of Montclair, N.J. He mostly stayed home
with their two pre-teen children while she worked for a lower
Manhattan-based accounting firm that offered tax advice. As part of
her job, she provided financial planning for a venture capitalist with
close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
- Donald Howard Heathfield and Tracey Lee Ann Foley of Cambridge,
Mass. He worked in sales for an international management consulting
firm and peddled strategic planning software to U.S. corporations, and
graduated from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. She was a
real estate agent.
-Mikhail Semenko of Arlington, Va., who spoke Russian, English,
Spanish, Chinese and Portuguese. He worked at the Travel All Russia
travel agency, where co-workers described him as "clumsy" and
In return for the return of the illegals, Moscow freed four Russians
after they signed statements admitting to spying for the U.S. or
The U.S. spies included Alexander Zaporozhsky, a former colonel and
deputy chief of Russian foreign intelligence's American section, who
had retired in 1997 and moved to suburban Baltimore in 2001. He was
arrested after he returned to Moscow for what he thought was a reunion
with KGB colleagues and was sentenced in 2003 to 18 years in prison
for espionage.
Zaporozhsky may have provided information leading to the capture of
Robert Hansen and Aldrich Ames, two of the most damaging spies ever
caught in the U.S.
Gennady Vasilenko, a former KGB officer who worked in Washington and
Latin America, was accused by Hansen of spying for the U.S. He was
arrested in Havana in 1988, but released from Moscow's notorious
Lefortovo prison after six months for lack of evidence. But suspicions
lingered, and Vasilenko was arrested again in 2006 in Moscow and
sentenced to three years in prison for illegal weapons possession and
resistance to authorities.
Vasilenko now has a home in Leesburg, Va. He declined the Associated
Press' request for an interview.
Arms control researcher Igor Sutyagin worked for what may have been a
British-based CIA front, and he denies being a spy, saying he didn't
pass along any information that wasn't available through open sources.
He told reporters he signed a confession out of concern he would
otherwise ruin the swap for the others - and for fear of abuse and
misery in the three years remaining in his prison term.
The fourth was Sergei Skripal, a former colonel for Russian military
intelligence, the GRU. He was sentenced in 2006 to 13 years in prison
for passing the names of other Russian agents to British intelligence.
Skripal, now about 60, is said to be suffering from diabetes. Both
Skripal and Sutyagin went to Britain following their release.
U.S. officials have not commented on the Poteyev case.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who was a KGB foreign
intelligence officer during the Soviet era, lashed out at Poteyev last
"Those people sacrificed their lives to serve the Motherland, and
there happened to be an animal who betrayed them," he said. "How will
he live with it all his life, how will he look his children in the
eye? Swine!"
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
On 10/31/11 10:58 AM, Sean Noonan wrote:
*videos at the link
By Jason Ryan
Oct 31, 2011 9:21am
FBI Russian Spy Videos Released
ABC News' Jason Ryan, Pierre Thomas and Jack Cloherty report:
The FBI video is remarkable: Russian spies digging up payoff money
in New Jersey, handing off a bag in a New York train station and
passing information in furtive meetings and "brush bys."
It's all part of the surveillance video released today of a
decade-long FBI undercover operation that brought down Anna Chapman
and the Russian spy ring operating in the United States.
The videos were released as part of a Freedom of Information Act
request by ABC News and other news outlets.
In conjunction with the release of the videos, the FBI has also
released more than 1,000 pages of highly redacted documents from the
case that was dubbed Operation Ghost Stories because it was
reminiscent of the Cold War's cloak-and-dagger spy games.
The FBI tracked the spy ring known as the "Illegals" program across
the United States with FBI agents and the Justice Department
arresting the 10 spies June 27, 2010.
The case captured international attention with Russian bombshell
Chapman providing an undercurrent of sex appeal and international
intrigue in one of the biggest spy cases since the collapse of the
Soviet Union.
Chapman covertly communicated with Russian government officials from
the Russian Mission to the United Nations by using private wireless
networks sent from her laptop computer.
One of the videos shows Chapman days before she was arrested
interacting with an undercover FBI agent who approached her when she
was having computer problems. The FBI agent was posing as a Russian
consulate employee.
Captured from multiple angles in another video, Chapman appears in
the FBI surveillance videos being monitored in an unnamed department
store in New York City.
Also released is a video of Russian spy Mikhail Semenko dropping off
$5,000 in cash at a park in Arlington, Va. According to court papers
in the case prior to the June 26, 2010 video, an undercover FBI
agent posing as a Russian agent had handed Semenko the cash during a
meeting in downtown Washington, D.C.
Besides Chapman and Semenko, the case involved four couples living
in the United States under assumed false identities while secretly
working as covert Russian spies on long-term, "deep-cover"
assignments to try to infiltrate U.S .policy-making circles.
The Russian spies used the fake name of Richard and Cynthia Murphy
and lived in Montclair, N.J., Donald Howard Heathfield and Tracey
Lee Ann Foley lived in Boston, Michael Zottoli and Patricia Mills
lived together in Arlington, Va., and Seattle, and Juan Lazaro and
Vicky Pelaez lived in Yonkers, N.Y.
The couples even had children together to add to their cover
Also, Christopher Metsos - the Russian handler and alleged paymaster
at the center of the spy ring who facilitated meetings and cash for
the 10 Russian spies - posed as a Canadian citizen and regularly
traveled to U.S. locations to meet with the spies, including
numerous meetings in New York City in places such as coffee shops
and book stores.
The videos show a brush pass between Metsos and an unidentified
Russian government official at the Forest Hills, Queens, train
station on the Long Island Rail Road May 16, 2004. Metsos received
an orange bag stuffed with cash from the man who the FBI alleged
worked at the United Nations Russia Mission.
Metsos drove to Wurtsboro, N.Y., the next day and buried the cash
wrapped in duct tape in the ground. The FBI dug up the cash weeks
later and photographed the evidence and reburied the package.
Another of the videos released shows the same location more than
two years later and Russian spies Michael Zottoli and Patricia Mills
digging up the money left by Metsos.
Metsos remains a fugitive and is believed to be in Russia. After the
spies were arrested in the United States, Metsos was detained in
Cyprus but mysteriously disappeared and failed to show up at a bail
hearing a day later.
The agents operated at the direction of the Russia's Foreign
Intelligence Service, the SVR, the successor agency to Soviet
Union's KGB.
In a 2009 encrypted message deciphered by the FBI, the SVR provided
two of the spies, Richard and Cynthia Murphy, with a communication
that noted, "You were sent to USA for long-term service trip. Your
education, bank accounts, car, house etc - all these serve one goal:
fulfill your main mission, i.e. to search and develop ties in
policymaking circles in US and send intels [intelligence reports] to
C (enter),"
After the agents were arrested, the spy saga lasted almost two weeks
in late June and July 2010 with the United States and Russia
exchanging spies on the tarmac of an airport in Vienna, Austria on
July 9. The spy swap occurred after the 10 spies admitted in New
York federal court that they were Russian agents.
They were sentenced to 11 days of time served and expelled from the
United States under the terms of the spy swap, which released four
people who had been convicted of spying for the West.
Another suspected agent, Alexey Karetnikov, was deported from the
United States in July 2010. He was arrested June 28, 2010, when the
story broke but was only charged with immigration violations after
the FBI could not find solid evidence that he was connected to the
spy ring. Karetnikov had been working at Microsoft in Seattle before
he was arrested.
Since the spy saga ended, Chapman has become a celebrity in Russia,
posing in Maxim magazine and Russia's Playboy. She has also taken a
role in Vladimir Putin's United Russia political party.
Earlier this year Alexander Poteyev, a former senior Russian
intelligence officer, was tried in absentia in Moscow for allegedly
exposing the spy ring. Poteyev left Moscow as the arrests were
unfolding and is believed to be living in the West.
Although it operated with Cold War stealth and tactics, the spy
network never obtained any classified information, FBI officials
Sean Noonan
Tactical Analyst
Office: +1 512-279-9479
Mobile: +1 512-758-5967
Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
Sean Noonan
Tactical Analyst
Office: +1 512-279-9479
Mobile: +1 512-758-5967
Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
Sean Noonan
Tactical Analyst
Office: +1 512-279-9479
Mobile: +1 512-758-5967
Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
Sean Noonan
Tactical Analyst
Office: +1 512-279-9479
Mobile: +1 512-758-5967
Strategic Forecasting, Inc.


text:
Los Angeles Review of Books
Late Start, Spectacular Finish: The Life of Penelope Fitzgerald
An Unabashed Tour d'Horizon: Media in the 20th Century
Film Junkies
Susan Howe's Telepathy
A Shadow of His Spirit
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A Novel at War with Itself
Before the Fourth Wall: Reading "New World Drama"
The Lives of Our Memories
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A Death-Defying Love: Versions of the Orpheus Myth
The Bachelor Vernacular
LARB's Top 25 Most-Read Articles of 2014
John Rechy: An Interview
A Guide to Federal Surrealism: Fiction and the American Intelligence Community
Taylor Negron, 1957–2015
Hollywood Calling: Luise Rainer, Sally Hawkins, and the First Law of Telephone Scenes
Toward a Messy and Uncertain Grace
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Forgive My Father, For He Has Sinned
I Dare Not: The Muted Style of Writer in Exile Ha Jin
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A Portrait of the Young Girl: On the 60th Anniversary of Nabokov's Lolita Part IV—An Interview Series
Kristiina Ehin, Author of Walker on Water
Got It While She Could
A Portrait of the Young Girl: On the 60th Anniversary of Nabokov's Lolita Part III — An Interview Series
A Portrait of the Young Girl: On the 60th Anniversary of "Lolita" Part II — An Interview Series
PODCAST #73: Tod Goldberg
A Portrait of the Young Girl: On the 60th Anniversary of "Lolita" Part I — An Interview Series
Stretching Out
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"The Only Cure for Homesickness Is More Homesickness"
The Laurel Canyon Story
"California Split," 40 Years Later, Part III: An Interview with Elliott Gould, George Segal, and Joseph Walsh in Three Parts
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text:
Start watching at 8:24
Straight men check out big dicks.
Start watching at 8:24
Straight men check out big dicks.
you may enjoy the whole thing..there's shemale stuff too
The guy in the video has such a cute dorkiness. I love the way he bounces around as he talks.
Not really new:
A new study on website design and eyetracking (where readers' eyes tend to travel when they are presented with text or images) reveals that men (and not specifically gay men) have a much greater inclination to check out the package than do women, based on their study of an image of baseball player George Brett:
Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2007/03/stu...#ixzz2GpSEpRmm
I think it got something to do with admiration, and envy, or maybe even a little bit of desire.,but not lust.I do that all the time when a stare at woman's beautiful body, and admire her TITS.Girls like Stoya Doll,Bambi Bliss,and Tae Heckard are very beautiful women to look at.Now if a "straight man" looks at another dudes penis too long, with a mouth watery gaze, then he is very suspect.
It makes me beg the question whether or not the men are truly interested in large dicks or whether they are simply interested in the erotic response of the female to a larger penis.
That's certainly been true based on my experience.
I'm not surprised.
For all their bravado, men are very insecure and base a lot of their self worth onto their penis, how big it is, how well it performs...
It makes sense that they would size up (no pun?) the competition.
I found the part about the shemales the most interesting of all. Although I'm rather surprised to find out that most of the men who were interviewed at the shemale club described themselves as "straight". I personally don't believe that bisexuality actually exists, but I would think that men who seek out shemales would at least self-identify as "bisexual" rather than "straight". Because really, why would a straight man seek out a chick-with-a-dick unless he wants to do something sexual with that dick?
There's a difference between searching for pictures of shemales online, and actually going to a shemale club.
Very interesting video. I watched the entire thing.
" For all there is to feel, let it be felt"
― Emeli Sande
The belief that bisexuality (among men anyway) doesn't really exist is more common than what you may think. I base my personal belief on experience: I've met several men over the years who at one point or another claimed to be bisexual but were really just gay. Also, I recall reading a post on another forum a few years ago in which the user (a gay man) suggested that while true bisexuality among men doesn't exist, in women it might actually be a possibility. In fact, the lecturer in this video hinted to that effect. He said "Homosexuality in men is almost certainly biological. With women it's much more ambiguous". Then he went on to say "Some women are born gay. But women, by the nature of their sexuality, can also become lesbian". And he explained why, mentioning that women's sexuality is more fluid. He also brought up Anne Heche's name as an example (she was married to a man, then got involved with Ellen Degeneres, and then went on to marry another man).
How do you come to the conclusion that bisexuality dosen't actually exsist? I'm not bisexual myself, but I know a couple of guys who identify as Bi, and they're not like the Easter Bunny, they do exist. Just because you can't wrap your head around someone elses orientation dosen't make it imaginary.
As to "there's a difference betweeb searching for pictures of shemales online, and actually going to a shemale club", what's the difference? Opportunity? Proximity? Level of desire?
The person who goes to these club seeking interaction with a tranny is at least being honest with himself and others. The guy who seeks out pictures online, I'm assuming, is dealing (or not) with feelings of guilt, shame, and fear of who he is, and what he desires.
Men checking out other mens junk has been going on as long as there have been men. It has nothing to do with orientation, it's all about "where do I stack up in comparrison".
I'm most curious as to who approved this study? Did this guy get a financial grant for this? It seems about as necessary as a study confirming water is indeed wet.
Last edited by The Fly; January 2nd, 2013 at 12:18 PM.
make universtiys make dork wads just say males a dickheads
Let's face it, even if we don't want to suck on it, who doesn't love looking at a big penis?
The Three Musketeers... Bashful, Chrisglass, and Ronboy!
Doesn't everyone?
golf world game ya nose
bend ans swish bend ans swish
* cum on Potta!!!!!!!!!!! *
& butt butt &
* no butts potta giv it a gurd swish *
$ neva get it bigga a mineeee $
* oohhhhh *
! slitalongys house dude ya miss a swish !
£ is this not a nice £
% oooh noo gon borke mine %
- oooooh wetnappys _
% boooooooohoooo %
_ ooh get a nose why dunt ya _
this nothin do wit dick
There are a few threads here on JUB I need to send to my straight buds
That was fascinating. I just ordered his book after watching the video to the end. Fascinating stuff. Some of it I knew from the couple of psych classes I took, some of it was totally new and difficult to believe. Very interesting. Thanks for posting that vid.
Lol, will have to get that book.
Modoooo and his 10 inch cock
I have seen this guy http://www.cam4.com/modoooo/gallery/
he has been on the past four days but someone said it was a video . . of a 10 inch cock
I saw him at about 1:30 - 2:30 am Pacific assuming they perform around the same time
My general mindset is that I don't tell other people what sexuality they are - I assume they know better than I do, especially if there's so many of them.
Straight guys look at any penis.
They just need to know if they are bigger than average, it is a confidence thing.
That's normal.
There are guys that don't like looking at big penises?
Finally I hv time to watch the vid..
well, still I respect people's orientation and I dont label all guys are gays or accuse all straight guys inherently want to be gay..
those straight guys who love to see big cock action still focusing their view on the girl's facial expression being intimidated/degraded by big cock..
it's not like they want to taste the cock themselves.
if they secretly imagining it...prob few % they could turn bisexual.
I think that it is more of an insecurity thing going on when str8 guys scope out big dicks, and the same can be said of many gay men. I hear that some Men, gay and str8, feel overburdened by their big dicks, and wished they were just average.
Straight guys like to look at other dicks in general, comparing them. Be it for length, thickness, size and shape of the head, whatever, all guys look.
Um while it is true that some bisexuals are really just sexually confused gay men, or simply in denial, that does not mean that the vast majority of them are. I know plenty of bisexual men who are openly attracted to both genders, some leaning more towards men others leaning more towards women (and Im not even talking about relationships vs. sex). I also know plenty of people who don't really care about things like gender, blood relationships, and unfortunately species (bestiality) so long as they get laid. In general, if some people can be sexually attracted to infants, relatives, inanimate objects, and animals I don't find it too hard to believe that others can be sexually attracted to both genders. It's in my own experience that people simply refuse to believe in this possibly due to an extremely limited understanding and exposure to the subject of human sexuality (and lets face it thats the vast majority of America). BTW Some of the so called expert studies are speaking from an inconceivably small, and specific, group of people that cannot possibly be used to fairly represent a population as whole, but are treated as such.


text:
"This is where I grew up as a kid," said Bishop Carley Sparks, the coordinator of the events.
"We wanted to give back to the community."
Music was provided by local DJs while church members and friends of Sparks helped to pass out backpacks and school supplies.
"Most of these kids are low income kids, coming from a single parent background. We just want to touch them.
"We bend over backwards and got a couple of sponsors to help us," said Sparks.
Sparks has done five back to school rallies this summer in Shelby, Mound Bayou, Ruleville, Clarksdale, and Cleveland.
Along with putting school supplies in the hands of these children, Sparks is also working on establishing a charter school in Cleveland called the Delta Charter Achievement Academy.
"My initiative is going to affect low income children. We want the D and F students to have a good productive teacher," said Sparks.
According to a study done at Brookings Institution in March 2012, fewer than half, 48 percent, of poor children are ready for school at age five, compared to 75 percent of children from families with moderate to high income, a 27 percent gap.
Sparks wants to collaborate with legislators, Cleveland officials and members of the community to better the education of low-income children in Bolivar County.
"You hear them say it takes a village to save a child, but it takes more than that now because of the economy," said Sparks.
Having grown up in Cleveland and the area around Sterling Anderson Park in particular, Sparks said he is able to sympathize with the children that stood around him at the rally.
"A lot of people are fighting charter schools but don't really understand what charter schools are," said Sparks.
Charter schools are independent public schools allowed freedom to be more innovative, while being held accountable for improved student achievement.
"If it's going to do good, I can't understand why anyone would fight charter schools in the Delta if they have never had one," said Sparks.
Charter schools are unique in that they work to address the issues of the students to further education.
"I've been in Jackson exposing the legislators and exposing the educators to charter schools," said Sparks.
Sparks passed out backpacks and brightly colored drawstring bags to each child that was at the rally.
"We don't have problem children, we have children with a problem," said Sparks.
Children were also able to obtain school supplies such as markers, pencils, and paper.
Sparks believes the children of this particular area will be better prepared on their first day of school with these supplies.
"This is where my heart is right now. The Lord is leading me to educate our own children," said Sparks.