News for today's 2018

Babe(s) of the Week: Funny Girls!

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">For our Babes of the Week this week IWS is featuring five of the funniest and hottest female comedians on the comedy scene ...<br /><br /><b>1. <a href="http://www.amyschumer.com/" target="_blank">Amy Schumer </a></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToG0lnLQBTnLNqzAN2rq8ttgaTPBM-RwW6xdUUY2qBdcCS38Gle6SB_GMKu1ab-XcvZAzKr-lP4fBvzG7RoHUxkN4fcTrYV5y14XQcxYjgu73_A4wbNAgZc_UMwwrlbBOCoHcHxVuOvc/s1600/Amy-Schumer-Nude-Hot-Funny-Sexy-Topless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToG0lnLQBTnLNqzAN2rq8ttgaTPBM-RwW6xdUUY2qBdcCS38Gle6SB_GMKu1ab-XcvZAzKr-lP4fBvzG7RoHUxkN4fcTrYV5y14XQcxYjgu73_A4wbNAgZc_UMwwrlbBOCoHcHxVuOvc/s400/Amy-Schumer-Nude-Hot-Funny-Sexy-Topless.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br /><b>2. <a href="http://anjelah.com/" target="_blank">Anjelah Johnson</a></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wdNO9YmCSZt3MJ_BDy5TlL6hYHHhk0q4GwH9UwCycTpPUvmssPPtaJzlvL3ZxrfQyRihMd87bSw_3gKBNEI9Otl7NR9-xa00wdWk-AHN_coAI0-MeBRB68N2iNDpTX_0ddrNSHFKRg4/s1600/Anjelah-Johnson-Hot-Sexy-Beautiful-Funny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wdNO9YmCSZt3MJ_BDy5TlL6hYHHhk0q4GwH9UwCycTpPUvmssPPtaJzlvL3ZxrfQyRihMd87bSw_3gKBNEI9Otl7NR9-xa00wdWk-AHN_coAI0-MeBRB68N2iNDpTX_0ddrNSHFKRg4/s400/Anjelah-Johnson-Hot-Sexy-Beautiful-Funny.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><b>3. <a href="https://twitter.com/jennyslate25" target="_blank">Jenny Slate </a></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSm1Cqlo9tNy0m5c3Krpah2djSujc9Q4oDHzfDeyG3jv8QBVfeUMuZQFyLPUXoiJREcV8Oocy5dYuhPsgvba6TCf_eqeqC1FR3bnPuKmS2jDKr90EKua9cy6OPPS5Trk7B48LqD6tNtxQ/s1600/Jenny-Slate-Legs-Cute-Funny-Girls-Feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSm1Cqlo9tNy0m5c3Krpah2djSujc9Q4oDHzfDeyG3jv8QBVfeUMuZQFyLPUXoiJREcV8Oocy5dYuhPsgvba6TCf_eqeqC1FR3bnPuKmS2jDKr90EKua9cy6OPPS5Trk7B48LqD6tNtxQ/s400/Jenny-Slate-Legs-Cute-Funny-Girls-Feet.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><br /><b>4. <a href="http://www.natashaleggero.com/" target="_blank">Natasha Leggero</a> </b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCWyQV4scdvU5lMEVjDwrsB1LS608V1-x6kBziXeIj9utDJVA3748DuO5Qcjiqxe1K1TtG3lERUht_WBSOclCgha4xV5UoQNEGwQU9rJ1g1aNSdzBOOU_KY-BB71lnwVESN4pymlZt10/s1600/Natasha-Leggero-Nude-Hot-Boobs-Sexy-Funny.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCWyQV4scdvU5lMEVjDwrsB1LS608V1-x6kBziXeIj9utDJVA3748DuO5Qcjiqxe1K1TtG3lERUht_WBSOclCgha4xV5UoQNEGwQU9rJ1g1aNSdzBOOU_KY-BB71lnwVESN4pymlZt10/s400/Natasha-Leggero-Nude-Hot-Boobs-Sexy-Funny.jpeg" width="303" /></a></div><br /><b>5. <a href="http://saraschaefer.com/" target="_blank">Sara Schaefer</a></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMZzxjy2KSG-DFtLrJQToBjSFPrpz0udhZYVteHabxQ3hsenhy_6_hQqFt0vkr2EE4iQFaVSWuCHHP7X-d9F1qUNuOP9PveQp8DqKRX5dvBK3vLFibaxOzZ2tFgPO6fl15mXEu4dsdAg/s1600/Sara-Schaefer-Legs-Hot-Funny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMZzxjy2KSG-DFtLrJQToBjSFPrpz0udhZYVteHabxQ3hsenhy_6_hQqFt0vkr2EE4iQFaVSWuCHHP7X-d9F1qUNuOP9PveQp8DqKRX5dvBK3vLFibaxOzZ2tFgPO6fl15mXEu4dsdAg/s400/Sara-Schaefer-Legs-Hot-Funny.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br /><br />Be sure to check out their websites and YouTube pages cause these hot babes can flat out bring the funny! So much so that they're the IWS Babes of the Week!<br /><br /></div>

Babe(s) of the Week: Funny Girls!

For our Babes of the Week this week IWS is featuring five of the funniest and hottest female comedians on the comedy scene ... 1. Amy Schume...

Paranormal research takes place Saturday overnight at Swannanoa

8:22 PM Tukiyooo 0

Paranormal research takes place Saturday overnight at Swannanoa

They say there are ghosts at Afton Mountain's Swannanoa so overnight a Fishersville paranormal society will be investigating reports th...

GERMAN GEOPOLITICS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR ENERGY SOURCES

7:21 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6k6OL2tqMflrURrcB1sAO90-LbObDIAjWPYr0UFqXPrKutOSLdstyfjrCxi79qQP2l1jaMXwaqleG0_XRZR0iej-r6dk1IUkSXM-_lPKfeZOfkjvnm0Jk_YEYFoDphS7gqCUlsbYWP0N/s1600/germany_1942373b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6k6OL2tqMflrURrcB1sAO90-LbObDIAjWPYr0UFqXPrKutOSLdstyfjrCxi79qQP2l1jaMXwaqleG0_XRZR0iej-r6dk1IUkSXM-_lPKfeZOfkjvnm0Jk_YEYFoDphS7gqCUlsbYWP0N/s400/germany_1942373b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">GERMANY VIEWS SECURING ENERGY RESOURCES AS UTMOST STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Via german-foreign-policy.com</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">GERMANY and the EUROPEAN UNION depend increasingly on energy imports. Berlin views the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">geopolitical consequences<i> </i></span>of this dependence on energy resources in other nations as of the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">utmost strategic importance<i> </i></span>for its ambitions to gain more international influence. For that reason, GERMANY has been urging for some time that the EU engage in joint activities to assert political power. GERMAN government advisors leave no doubt that Berlin and Brussels will also have to adjust to using armed conflicts in the drive for diminishing energy sources in this <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">intensifying economic and political competition for power.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">INCREASING NEED FOR ENERGY</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Berlin's strategies of independent EUROPEAN world power politics presume that securing the energy supply will decide the fate of its far reaching plans for world power. Second to the USA, the EU is currently the biggest importer and user of energy in the world and thus depends to a great degree on access to (preferably low cost) foreign energy sources. According to estimates by the EU commission, the oil and gas reserves of the EU and NORWAY will last only another 25 years. Two thirds of the demand for oil and gas must currently be covered by imports. The current dependency on imports of 75% of oil from the OPEC states could increase to 85% by the year 2020. At the moment the EU still covers 50% of the demand for natural gas from its own sources. Since the BRITISH sources in the NORTH ATLANTIC will soon be depleted, the demand for imports of gas will increase further. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Related topics:</span></b></span></i></div><i> </i><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">COULD IT BE THAT THE TROIKA (ECB, IMF AND WORLD BANK) IN REALITY FOCUSES ON TAKING CONTROL OF CYPRUS’S PROCLAIMED HYDROCARBON FINDINGS? Read entire article at: </span></b></i></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/broke-cyprus-could-be-energy-trump-card.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/broke-cyprus-could-be-energy-trump-card.html</a></span></i></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">GERMAN CONTROLLED ECB WILL ESSENTIALLY TAKE CONTROL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND, AND SUBSEQUENTLY ITS NATURAL GAS RESOURCES! <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Read entire article at:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/03/cypruss-financial-crisis-and-its.html"> http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/03/cypruss-financial-crisis-and-its.html</a></span></i></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In this regard, Berlin is doubly affected: GERMANY has, on average, been 60% (1999) more energy dependent compared to other EU member countries; it imports about 98 % of its oil and 75% of its needed gas. GERMAN dependency on oil imports will increase considerably: The economic ministry's prognosis suggests a drastic increase of three to six times’ higher natural gas consumption. Natural gas which has already become the most used energy in GERMAN industry will be the basis of more than half of GERMANY'S energy by 2020. At the same time, GERMAN energy companies already control a large part of the EUROPEAN energy supply and now strive for a particularly dominant position in EUROPEAN natural gas supplies. Several countries already depend considerably on GERMAN companies for the shipping and sale of natural gas. Berlin's expert advisors on energy policies, principally, see the following options for the future increase of oil and gas imports: RUSSIA, the MIDDLE EAST. CENTRAL ASIA, and to a lesser extent AFRICA. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AFRICA AS A <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">BACKYARD</span>- GERMAN RAILROAD CONSTRUCTIONS </span></b></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZz1892QbVZSyJ8JBki0pjhJjKYGvlxeog21Qdz0zVm3_8CpNJd51aNUDvPU_1f5qpU65Xxv2pp5JrUNfJToDvZ-DtHd7lEgnUeJct3aw1QEfniOgr46v3mBdhK5XzQa3Nh9uq26bF5kg/s1600/Afrika_Kommt_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZz1892QbVZSyJ8JBki0pjhJjKYGvlxeog21Qdz0zVm3_8CpNJd51aNUDvPU_1f5qpU65Xxv2pp5JrUNfJToDvZ-DtHd7lEgnUeJct3aw1QEfniOgr46v3mBdhK5XzQa3Nh9uq26bF5kg/s1600/Afrika_Kommt_logo.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Berlin increasingly strives for access to the energy sources of AFRICA which is viewed as Europe's <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">backyard </span>because of its connection with the colonial past. Advisers to Berlin's government explain that <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">EUROPE<i> </i></span>must consolidate its relations with AFRICAN oil and natural gas providers in order to secure its energy supply. GERMAN corporations are expanding their involvement in NORTH AFRICA, i.e. in LIBYA, RWE invested in oil and natural gas production. The foreign office is interested in CHAD. There, significant oil reserves are to be channeled via pipeline through CAMEROON to the GULF OF GUINEA where considerable oil and natural gas resources are located as well. The government of the booming oil state EQUATORIAL GUINEA already promotes GERMAN involvement in its country. In the current crisis region of SUDAN, a GERMAN company is to build a railroad which, among others, will serve to transport oil from the South of SUDAN. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Comment by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Interesting to note is that the focus on almost all geopolitical and strategic activities, be it the MIDDLE EAST, the BALKANS, ASIA and last but not least AFRICA, are focused on what the USA, CHINA, SAUDI ARABIA, IRAN and the UK etc. are pursuing in these regions. Rarely is one being made aware of GERMAN geopolitical and strategic activities in previously mentioned parts of the world. In view of these facts, GERMANY manages quietly and virtually undetected to pursue its Geo-strategic objectives in order to increase its economic as well as strategic presence around the globe.</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span></i></span></div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some samples regarding such analysis are provided below in</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> related links, none of which mentions Germany’s Geo strategic role in the area</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:</span></i></span></div><i> </i><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">SUB SAHARA AFRICA, EMERGING MARKETS OF TOMORROW at: </span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/argentina-and-africa.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/argentina-and-africa.html</a></span><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">   </span></b></i><br /><br /><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">AFRICA IS FORECAST TO EMERGE AS THE FASTEST-GROWING REGION IN THE WORLD OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS at: </span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/africa-and-usa.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/africa-and-usa.html</a></span><span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">AFRICAN RESOURCE BOOM</span></b></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;"> at: </span><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/africa-forgotten-and-underestimated.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/africa-forgotten-and-underestimated.html</a></span><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></span></i><br /><br /><i><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WEST AFRICAN OIL REMAINS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT FOR U.S. POLICY MAKERS, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE TO PERSIAN GULF OIL</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> at</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">:</span> </span><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/usa-china-and-africa.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/usa-china-and-africa.html</span></a></span></i></div><i> </i><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP” </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WITH RUSSIA… AND GAZPROM</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfam445k439dJId0P52SBEpvhzvti2Wqt9cXjCTH5SFG8eJuaYCQWlZ9dGKhiNA1fhmXTMUO8atOqYOY6MEHGPruH5YQFEahh1I26YUxQwgaSaayyeEeLdBv24L0doIfOlbL1hlWD9pfF/s1600/Gazprom-300x199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfam445k439dJId0P52SBEpvhzvti2Wqt9cXjCTH5SFG8eJuaYCQWlZ9dGKhiNA1fhmXTMUO8atOqYOY6MEHGPruH5YQFEahh1I26YUxQwgaSaayyeEeLdBv24L0doIfOlbL1hlWD9pfF/s1600/Gazprom-300x199.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the moment, however, GERMANY and the EU are primarily occupied with large importing oil and gas from RUSSIA. This is expressed in the EUROPEAN-RUSSIAN <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">energy partnership<i> </i></span>which had been proclaimed in October of 2000. This connection is primarily a GERMAN-RUSSIAN one: <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Strategic projects<i> </i></span>for energy supplies were the focal point of the summit in Jekaterinburg in October of 2003. With this specifically GERMAN-RUSSIAN <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">strategic partnership<i>, </i></span>Berlin intends to reduce the influence of other WESTERN STATES and corporations on the supply of the EU states, especially concerning increasingly important natural gas. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Related topic:</span></b></i></div><i> </i><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">RUSSIAN ENCROACHMENTS IN THE CAUCASUS AND EUROPE. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Read entire article at:</span> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/turkey-and-russia.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/07/turkey-and-russia.html</a></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b></i></div><i> </i><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">TRANS-ANATOLIAN PROJECT WILL MAKE AZERBAIJAN INDEPENDENT FROM RUSSIA Read entire article at:</span></b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-energy-dependency-on-countries.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-energy-dependency-on-countries.html</a></span></b></i> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In July of 2004 this cooperation was expanded: An agreement with Gazprom (the world’s largest producer of natural gas) facilitates the participation of GERMAN companies in the complete processing chain of RUSSIAN gas production for the first time - from exploration and transport through the new pipeline to marketing in WESTERN EUROPE. An additional project is a new gas pipeline from RUSSIA through the Baltic Sea to GERMANY. Such move is to pressure, and possibly excludes, the UKRAINE and POLAND, whose territory had been originally planned for the transit, but which could possibly become unstable and subject to USA pressure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">GERMAN close cooperation with RUSSIA is solidified further with the discussion group <i>”</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">GERMAN-RUSSIAN ENERGY COOPERATION<i>," </i></span>established by representatives of the economies of both states in March of 2003, and with <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">GERMAN-RUSSIAN energy summits<i> </i></span>of which the next one will take place in Moscow in September. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">GREAT INTEREST </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">IN THE GULF REGION</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The particular reason for the energy alliance with RUSSIA, which will supply approximately one third of GERMAN oil and gas imports, are the imponderables of developments in the MIDDLE EAST and PERSIAN GOLF regions. According to the unofficial GERMAN ASSOCIATION FOR FOREIGN POLICY (DGAP), strategic trends of a potentially increasing dependency of the EU on significant oil and gas imports caused competition with the US and its energy policies. GERMANY is annoyed because the EU has turned into a “(junior-) partnership” with the US due to Washington's militarily reinforced position of power. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">COOPERATION IN SHAPING A”<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">NEW ORDER"</span></span> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Berlin's political advisers of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik</i> (SWP or foundation for science and policy), criticize the EU for disavowing any assertion of <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">geopolitical interests,<i></i></span>although for EUROPE the stakes in energy policy interests are more important than those of the USA: While the EU depends, for a large part of its energy supply, on resources from the MIDDLE EAST, it has fewer alternatives. Thus, the EU should have a <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“tremendous interest in access to the natural gas resources of the GULF REGION </span>especially since RUSSIA'S production of natural gas has been decreasing since 1990. Therefore the SWP recommends cooperation with the USA in the <i>new order </i>of the GULF REGION: <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">It would be sensible if the current crisis in the Gulf is used to define European interests concerning its guaranteed supply and, if necessary, implement a consistent policy<i>.</i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">GERMANY, IRAN</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AND THE SOUTHERN CAUCASUS</b></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyQ3jbJlo9_7R41kbCqHwsfEKd5djTZT9uNnRf1zoOCqIFMbqSpSlBR0H2MVyjnYIrA_hc02UxqUQBqQ4vLtxGD26gNa-bSTxDDmn3W2RQSnDNtniFqsx3sv5-ECxNdTqI3tvFH_A6XE_/s1600/caucasus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyQ3jbJlo9_7R41kbCqHwsfEKd5djTZT9uNnRf1zoOCqIFMbqSpSlBR0H2MVyjnYIrA_hc02UxqUQBqQ4vLtxGD26gNa-bSTxDDmn3W2RQSnDNtniFqsx3sv5-ECxNdTqI3tvFH_A6XE_/s320/caucasus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The focus is especially on IRAN which holds 15% of the world's oil reserves. Berlin's intention is to decrease GERMAN dependence on RUSSIAN energy reserves with the help of IRANIAN natural gas. However, transfer of gas and oil to GERMANY still has to be organized which could create further conflicts. IRAN'S agreement for the construction of a gas pipeline to ARMENIA caused considerable disagreements between Moscow and Erewan which, until now, has been considered RUSSIA'S closest ally in the southern CAUCASUS. RUSSIAN specialists fear that the pipeline would be extended through GEORGIA and under the BLACK SEA to EUROPE and could diminish the sales of RUSSIAN natural gas in EUROPE. In view of these disagreements over the pipeline, the foreign office engaged in intensive activities concerning the CAUCASUS, which could complicate the struggle for dominance in the SOUTHERN CAUCASUS even further. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">EXCLUSIVE CONNECTION </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WITH THE CAUCASUS</span></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b>In order to secure the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">unhampered energy supply from the SOUTHERN CAUCASUS and CENTRAL ASIA, </span>the CAUCASUS is of <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">great geo-strategic significance<i> </i></span>for GERMAN-EUROPE. Berlin views the EU as a good starting point to challenge the RUSSIAN claim to power further in this region: The SWP clarifies that the various activities (OSZE, Energy Charta agreement, membership of all states of the CAUCASUS in the COUNCIL OF EUROPE, partnership and agreements of cooperation with the EU) would offer the basis for an <i>exclusive connection </i>of the CAUCASUS and the CASPIAN region with EUROPE. Advisers to Berlin's government demand that in this case a further involvement, which might include military intervention (<i>”contribution to conflict resolution"</i>) and a coordinated EU strategy for the region. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">It should include a EUROPEAN contribution to conflict resolution and a connection with EUROPE beyond the threshold of EU membership as well as the design and the conversion of a transport infrastructure which would conform to EUROPEAN interests in securing [energy] supplies.</span></span><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">EU'S ENERGY POLICIES ARE IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THOSE OF THE US</span> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Generally, the energy policy advisers to Berlin's government assume that, in the future, GERMANY and the EU will have to assert themselves in a more intense competition for such strategic resources as oil and gas. They say that, in view of the potential increase of the EU's dependency on larger oil and gas imports from the MIDDLE EAST and the PERSIAN GOLF, its own interests are already in<i> </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">conflict with AMERICAN energy policies<i>. </i></span>Similar conflicts are also foreseen in other supply regions. According to present estimates, the amount extracted by RUSSIA will not be sufficient to supply ASIA and EUROPE with the necessary amounts of oil and gas simultaneously. Thus they predict that in the future the EU might compete with ASIA and the USA for a <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">partnership<i> </i></span>with RUSSIA. In CENTRAL ASIA, as well, an <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">intensified economic and political competition for power </span>especially with JAPAN, INDIA, the US and eventually RUSSIA over diminishing energy sources, cannot be precluded. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Energy Related articles:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i></span></div><span style="color: blue;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/complexity-of-eastern-med-energy-games.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/complexity-of-eastern-med-energy-games.html</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></span></div><span style="color: blue;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/energy-games-in-eastern-mediterranean.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/energy-games-in-eastern-mediterranean.html</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></span></div><span style="color: blue;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/natural-resource-exploration-welcome.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/09/natural-resource-exploration-welcome.html</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></span></div><span style="color: blue;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_14.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_14.html</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></span></div><span style="color: blue;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/eastern-mediterranean-sea.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/eastern-mediterranean-sea.html</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></span></div><span style="color: blue;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/energy-adventures-in-eastern.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/energy-adventures-in-eastern.html</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></span></div><span style="color: blue;"><i> </i></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/cyprus-under-claws-of-imf.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/cyprus-under-claws-of-imf.html</span></a></span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ASIAN ECONOMIC GROWTH, A THREAT TO GERMAN EUROPEAN ENERGY SUPPLY</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><br />The rapidly increasing need for energy which is linked to the economic growth of ASIA, especially CHINA, is seen as a new threat to the GERMAN-EUROPEAN <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">secure supply<i>. </i></span>The ASIAN countries are - as is the EU - increasingly dependent on importing energy. China (PRC) has already become the world's second largest consumer of energy next to the US. In particular, the Berlin strategists perceive a threat because CHINA seeks access to energy resources especially in those countries in which western energy companies are not well represented (i.e. IRAN, IRAQ, YEMEN or SUDAN). That CHINA, as well as INDIA, combine their energy cooperation with supplying states in relations to political, economic, military and military technology issues, provides them with increasing influence on these states and strengthens their position in the global theatre. This presents numerous challenges not only for the USA but also for EUROPE and these <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">geopolitical implications<i> </i></span>have, so far, not been sufficiently considered. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WAR GAMES</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">GERMANY urges that the EU should actively increase its political as well as its military power. <sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup>Concepts based almost exclusively on factors and requirements of the market economy, are not sufficient for the preservation of WESTERN energy security, thus: The “<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">game of the market powers<i>" </i></span>will be dominated, even determined, considerably by political power factors in a political crisis or during military conflicts. The GERMAN advisers to the government therefore demand that GERMANY and the EU must prepare for military conflicts in order to secure future supplies of energy. <br /><br />The <i>“Bundesakademie fuer Sicherheitspolitik" </i>(federal academy for security policy) which, as a center for strategy of GERMAN war policy and, discusses in a current publication the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">geopolitical effects<i> </i></span>of open <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">energy issue<i>. </i></span>It argues that this is of <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">greatest strategic significance<i> </i></span>in striving for a joint foreign and military policy of the EU member states. This makes it <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">compellingly necessary that for future GERMAN and EUROPEAN energy policies increased foreign and security policy factors will have to be considered<i>.</i></span> </span></div>

GERMAN GEOPOLITICS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR ENERGY SOURCES

GERMANY VIEWS SECURING ENERGY RESOURCES AS UTMOST STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE Via german-foreign-policy.com GERMANY and the EUROPEAN UNION depend ...

Pineapple and Coconut: 'Stab-o-saurus'

7:10 PM Tukiyooo 0

blogosphere Kurt Michael Pineapple and Coconut political cartoon Virginia Politics On Demand VPOD Pineapple and Coconut: 'Stab-o-saurus'

Uh-oh. What's happened to Pineapple? Check out the latest political cartoon by Virginia Politics On Demand (VPOD) colleague Kurt Michael...

#3 ... Frontier Culture Museum in pictures

7:04 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj530YClTCbnipWd7y7Exoln_uzOuwqiPfKlariX_iWuywyCmJxxJF_SDHHj1n0ffjPsZXi148khnPBPIwzd-A2KfjRvExEe62chVKd4y8emjs3EXdnhVQjaYMDJc1vkF4R38Aezaksn9g8/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj530YClTCbnipWd7y7Exoln_uzOuwqiPfKlariX_iWuywyCmJxxJF_SDHHj1n0ffjPsZXi148khnPBPIwzd-A2KfjRvExEe62chVKd4y8emjs3EXdnhVQjaYMDJc1vkF4R38Aezaksn9g8/s640/20.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirCr0wGUbiClkC0_v5BY1OD-ShJVzH-M-Rf0sspUdYPEmtZkCr2ZvZXeYmmtSwL7yl8kCDaOPFugHbrr_79zBeWa5YXQIj85B8B5xqNOyPUQUk4CbwlOB2DYHtRZOHWesyupqyM3hCRQz/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirCr0wGUbiClkC0_v5BY1OD-ShJVzH-M-Rf0sspUdYPEmtZkCr2ZvZXeYmmtSwL7yl8kCDaOPFugHbrr_79zBeWa5YXQIj85B8B5xqNOyPUQUk4CbwlOB2DYHtRZOHWesyupqyM3hCRQz/s400/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />Irish Forge<br />June 5, 2013

#3 ... Frontier Culture Museum in pictures

American history Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia Shenandoah Valley history Staunton tourism Virginia Is For Lovers #3 ... Frontier Culture Museum in pictures

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell Irish Forge June 5, 2013

#2 ... Frontier Culture Museum in pictures

7:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjXiYZnB8uhA8GHKp473RNy_0gI0Csygwgj4FAjsm_-TdJfdk-_tgLWbFy992d7JMPO2-Advw9UFpvY7huh_MX0p8KByNb4qOH1fKB2tQzozgkFKuJS0p63kl8K0Zg7Owrl6Ov2VV6cIn/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjXiYZnB8uhA8GHKp473RNy_0gI0Csygwgj4FAjsm_-TdJfdk-_tgLWbFy992d7JMPO2-Advw9UFpvY7huh_MX0p8KByNb4qOH1fKB2tQzozgkFKuJS0p63kl8K0Zg7Owrl6Ov2VV6cIn/s640/18.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkA-zqM5nBsJ7YY_-xlxTf79F1_II5ii6DpG9jL3_y1GSgpACxodpVcjyXE3ee7NTAjZcjZ4VFAgyloaNDfwYO3hqJhrBuENPgYIAGf74eBjVBG-rdjzzFbZH7H4C65pxvKR0DxZgECbF/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkA-zqM5nBsJ7YY_-xlxTf79F1_II5ii6DpG9jL3_y1GSgpACxodpVcjyXE3ee7NTAjZcjZ4VFAgyloaNDfwYO3hqJhrBuENPgYIAGf74eBjVBG-rdjzzFbZH7H4C65pxvKR0DxZgECbF/s400/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuzu1XjBMERU3PDiS6uaoGkTqusAVGXIbr0wP20k2eu2M_ut-XmLpa4acKDLl46OxQftVzH4wsSvZeJghT-8W-Xojd5RoFe9VVuac5vEf6Xomr1JelTGD6wGhXlJzHjk5mfGJSL3XZqG-/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuzu1XjBMERU3PDiS6uaoGkTqusAVGXIbr0wP20k2eu2M_ut-XmLpa4acKDLl46OxQftVzH4wsSvZeJghT-8W-Xojd5RoFe9VVuac5vEf6Xomr1JelTGD6wGhXlJzHjk5mfGJSL3XZqG-/s640/15.jpg" width="406" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qggyS_zkM6nooOB3N7pbX-tYSNKcr4_S4tD1uJerektnG-QQCnltwLJ3GF7ngPw5HXNaOBEVXgmFkF7HzroRJDD7eCkYf9oAw8iLIYgDXYP4Li8OT3Hj_fhoD2RPqSEc7EwLQRCnZfOH/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qggyS_zkM6nooOB3N7pbX-tYSNKcr4_S4tD1uJerektnG-QQCnltwLJ3GF7ngPw5HXNaOBEVXgmFkF7HzroRJDD7eCkYf9oAw8iLIYgDXYP4Li8OT3Hj_fhoD2RPqSEc7EwLQRCnZfOH/s400/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFPNai2Sml3vQ2uJE2nXOz8ajfVNcxoGUVR_ODUIUKb2OnC6L5ZCIRZC5VOWwcZWSBfU3ytw-FXYcspxDkHDBJzA_w6zLMrMh343D6We_Ms_aAdQJKzLnlPm5Qczi8jlg-t5HQfyiIrhW/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFPNai2Sml3vQ2uJE2nXOz8ajfVNcxoGUVR_ODUIUKb2OnC6L5ZCIRZC5VOWwcZWSBfU3ytw-FXYcspxDkHDBJzA_w6zLMrMh343D6We_Ms_aAdQJKzLnlPm5Qczi8jlg-t5HQfyiIrhW/s400/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />Irish & German farms<br />June 5, 2013

#2 ... Frontier Culture Museum in pictures

American history Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia Shenandoah Valley history Staunton tourism Virginia Is For Lovers #2 ... Frontier Culture Museum in pictures

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell Irish & German farms June 5, 2013

#1 ... Frontier Culture Museum in pictures

6:55 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlhHMtWZNeeyzBV0RMm2xowJHUZ8qHLb1qMLS5JVE8d4uArasyjPiMM6G7ae5xst6AOVrVpYQltSwgNxCKYktz5YsGkoA0LqRJOlzqKOeUJkm4jV2s-NOx9lhECLey_I1IfnI9_Mx0yuN/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlhHMtWZNeeyzBV0RMm2xowJHUZ8qHLb1qMLS5JVE8d4uArasyjPiMM6G7ae5xst6AOVrVpYQltSwgNxCKYktz5YsGkoA0LqRJOlzqKOeUJkm4jV2s-NOx9lhECLey_I1IfnI9_Mx0yuN/s400/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTL28Z8ndeFjxEZuOinVloT5UQjEUKkRFCIue42qnX52wPhdK0Jg23HGH3DJaQhd65SxL19-dRXxTI7HZjc9Bh8kz-39m5pIHGmtAgEal9SPDWSc4QjMcSqvvcnezft94sXqdek4pd-3s2/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTL28Z8ndeFjxEZuOinVloT5UQjEUKkRFCIue42qnX52wPhdK0Jg23HGH3DJaQhd65SxL19-dRXxTI7HZjc9Bh8kz-39m5pIHGmtAgEal9SPDWSc4QjMcSqvvcnezft94sXqdek4pd-3s2/s400/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHU76P7QSKnjFxhs1IQi__rdg8g2WRbgbuA0mLDWMV8LfrJityyU-0IUHySWoc9GYzcjWYQmTWc1o4ZUewLC7YElMBqAQG9033bAQ1TweyX5k39l0WY6XS6C-A-sUfLr4pvbASM0I6Uhg/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHU76P7QSKnjFxhs1IQi__rdg8g2WRbgbuA0mLDWMV8LfrJityyU-0IUHySWoc9GYzcjWYQmTWc1o4ZUewLC7YElMBqAQG9033bAQ1TweyX5k39l0WY6XS6C-A-sUfLr4pvbASM0I6Uhg/s400/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nH0D5dbC4h_KmYCCO8tVXbCt3SjtwcQmE3vY7aXVcRa4H_HKy221ObZK1EF8F4EW-jtUxgkZeEbNPMKsodZlDyoAnVbjelmzj9ACYBNdJ4kJVBjYv2hFeO_PLjrDKkgEywNc1UsK6uAV/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nH0D5dbC4h_KmYCCO8tVXbCt3SjtwcQmE3vY7aXVcRa4H_HKy221ObZK1EF8F4EW-jtUxgkZeEbNPMKsodZlDyoAnVbjelmzj9ACYBNdJ4kJVBjYv2hFeO_PLjrDKkgEywNc1UsK6uAV/s640/13.jpg" width="353" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAGzB5Tvx8WTAlwWF8P_GTuytorBFr22MrPTKhjCgTw8dnke612PeKSZv49epnEUg7-dluGWkE3Jyk_dZGBvkdkDsRWnxoXLZE3wxgak8jc0DtpddfbGGuOfN-fop2n4TpAgQaTOHRtTR/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAGzB5Tvx8WTAlwWF8P_GTuytorBFr22MrPTKhjCgTw8dnke612PeKSZv49epnEUg7-dluGWkE3Jyk_dZGBvkdkDsRWnxoXLZE3wxgak8jc0DtpddfbGGuOfN-fop2n4TpAgQaTOHRtTR/s400/14.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />June 5, 2013

#1 ... Frontier Culture Museum in pictures

American history Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia Shenandoah Valley history tourism Virginia Is For Lovers #1 ... Frontier Culture Museum in pictures

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell June 5, 2013

Touch

2:16 PM Tukiyooo 0

This is a rambler... so as Maryanne said, just pull up a chair.  It's sweltering on the porch today... grab a little fan and make yourself a margarita right over there from the big pitcher.  I tried that new mango margarita recipe and it's in the blender... absolutely divine! <br /><br />Not sure if I'll end up anywhere with this.  I'm good at thinking in circles.  Everybody needs a talent :-)<br /><br />It amazes me how at least once a week someone has blogged the exact thoughts going through my head at any given time.  So <a href="http://smilingbellesjourney.blogspot.com/2013/06/reconnection.html" target="_blank">Smiling Belle</a> is the winner this time.  This has really been weighing heavily on me on and off, but more on lately.<br /><br />Touch.  It's so important to me.  I'm just going to steal her words because I can't write them any better.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>My primary language is "touch".  Yes....I have to be touched by [my hubby] a good bit.  Hold my hand, slap my ass, hug me, rub my  back, stroke my face, have lots of sex with me (hehehe...oh yes I must  have that too!), oh this list could go on and on but you get what I am  saying.....I need to be touched by him.   </i></blockquote><br />So that's not the one I married.  I love him and cannot imagine any different.  I did kind of go into things with the thought that I'd be able to change him... haha joke's on me!<br /><br />Many years later, I've come to realize, that while you can force change on an animal or a young child, you cannot<i> make</i> an adult mind change into something it doesn't want to.  That's a pretty recent lesson for me.  It took a lot of reading to <i>finally</i> get it through my thick skull that I wasn't ever going to <i>make</i> him change into the touchy feely lovey snugglebug I was craving.  I now understand that I can only change myself, and through these changes I may see him evolve over time in the general direction I want.<br /><br />So I get that.  Am I happy with that?  No!<br /><br />I know there's the communication thing, the part about expressing what I want.  He's not a mind reader after all.  I'm talking about casual touching, about snuggling, about all that lovey dovey stuff.<br /><br />So I've really done a good range of things to let him see and hear that I want him to touch me. I reach for him, I snuggle into him, I sit close, I play footsie... and not in an obsessive crazed woman kind of way.  Just sometimes, when the moment seems right for that little bit of connection, then I do it.  I don't feel it in return.  It's like I'm touching a statue most of the time.  He's very lean and muscular, so there's no natural 'squish' to cuddle into.  I usually have to physically move his arm to get under it and then pull it around my body.  I can hold his hand but it's not often he holds it back.  Does that even make sense?  <br /><br />I just don't <i>feel</i> loved. The kids, yes, the three of us are constantly physical - and that won't last much longer before it's not cool.   I just don't feel loved by <i>him</i>.  I hope I am, though I sometimes think it's more of a love for your bestie than the person one wants to grow old with.<br /><br />So I've told him a number of times that I have this deep ingrained need to be touched by him.  I've never made a big stink about it or had any kind of threat or ridiculous ultimatum or anything.  When I bring it up, I do get some little 'token' snuggles and then it quickly fades within a day or two.<br /><br />A couple weeks ago I had a long rambling dumping of my soul to him.  That might've been when he said it or maybe it was another similar time... He said something to the effect of it not being 'him' to be physically close.  I don't want to put words into his mouth, but I think there was more to it than that.  The message that sunk into my head was that I needed to suck it up, that I can't <i>make</i> him become a softer physical presence.<br /><br />He lets me touch him under the covers a bit. I'm apparently like a furnace and he can't stand being hot.  So it's usually my toe on his leg, sometimes I can slide my hand under his thigh without protest lol<br /><br />{oopsy, edited out 'cause I got carried away again}<br /><br />So where do you draw the line?  How do I learn to balance expressing my desires/needs without being a nagging b----?  Is there a middle point that it's okay to feel entitled to meet at, or am I trying to force him to change and become someone he is clearly not comfortable being?  Is it fair for him (as the HoH-ish character in the house) to expect me to accept his non-touchiness?  Is it fair to me to force change upon myself to accept being the non-touchy person he seems to want in a partner?<br /><br />And no, this isn't new.  This has existed since loooong before day 1 of our marriage.   It's just been on my mind lately.<br /><br />I'm at such a a loss.  Maybe this is the <i>only</i> reason I feel so drawn to spanking.  Maybe it's a lasting touch that I can feel later.  Maybe it's a touch he'd be comfortable with, a not-so-touchy touch.  Gosh I like it so much though, so clearly I'm wired all kinky in the first place.<br /><br />Maybe that's what's drawing me to DD also.  I <i>need</i> his attention, his concern, leadership, structure, consequences, etc.  But maybe it's that butt whoopin' I'm really looking for.  A long-lasting physical feeling that I <i>am</i> loved and that he <i>does</i> care enough to stop and help me, to touch me.<br /><br /><br /><br />{yeah, gotta learn to reel in the emotional garbage...edited again}

Touch

This is a rambler... so as Maryanne said, just pull up a chair. It's sweltering on the porch today... grab a little fan and make yourse...

RS. 44,990 - BlackBerry Q10 launched in India

12:35 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="border: currentColor;"><br /></div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZBt5SGXnwdviMdiL2_sfzltlD6Ka23VMqd106lSz7Rh_0GtsiGuI7QGPhWPJLj6SNrczAYXhhcEaLs5mAWhJcX49ySkdo3LA8uWE2wdh2KApL8NBZdhYUvMyZt59-nPrVyk3vEmRMHs/s1600/bb-Q10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZBt5SGXnwdviMdiL2_sfzltlD6Ka23VMqd106lSz7Rh_0GtsiGuI7QGPhWPJLj6SNrczAYXhhcEaLs5mAWhJcX49ySkdo3LA8uWE2wdh2KApL8NBZdhYUvMyZt59-nPrVyk3vEmRMHs/s1600/bb-Q10.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.pc-gadgetworld.blogspot.in/2013/05/blackberry-q10-review-specifications.html">BlackBerry</a> has launched  QWERTY smart phone, Q10 in India. The smart phone will be available for Rs. 44,990<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>BlackBerry Q10</u> sports a 3.1-inch super AMOLED touchscreen. It also comes with a physical QWERTY keyboard, which has been associated with BlackBerry devices since the company started offering smart phones. There is an 8-megapixel rear camera on-board and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4G and NFC. BlackBerry Q10 also packs in 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 2100mAh battery.</div><br /><br /><div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">BlackBerry had introduced the BlackBerry 10 operating system in January 2013 along with its flagship smart phone BlackBerry Z10. BlackBerry Z10 was launched in India almost a month after its global debut for Rs. 43,490.BlackBerry Z10 is a full-touch device that comes with a 4.2-inch LCD screen with a 1280x768 resolution. The smartphone is powered by a dual-core processor that clocks at 1.5GHz along with 2GB of RAM. The internal storage available on the smartphone is 16GB, which can be further expanded by up to 64GB. It has an 8-megapixel rear camera that can capture 1080p videos and 2-megapixel camera in the front. Z10 comes with 1,850 mAh battery, which as per the company claims gives 10 hours of talk time and 312 hours of stand by time.  <br /><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>BlackBerry Q10 Most Specifications:-</u></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div style="text-align: justify;"> RS. 44,990 </div></li><li><div style="text-align: justify;">3.1-inch super AMOLED touchscreen</div></li><li><div style="text-align: justify;">1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus </div></li><li><div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">2GB RAM </div></li><li><div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">16GB internal storage </div></li><li><div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">8-megapixel rear camera </div></li><li><div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">2-megapixel front-facing camera </div></li><li><div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">Wi-Fi,Bluetooth, 4G and NFC </div></li><li><div style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">2100mAh battery </div></li><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>BlackBerry</u> 10</div></li><li><div style="text-align: justify;">720 x 720 <span class="spec-label">resolution , 330ppi</span></div></li><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="spec-label">1080p HD <span class="spec-label">video recording</span> </span></div></li><li><span class="spec-label"><div class="spec-long" style="text-align: justify;">BlackBerry 10 <span class="spec-label">operating system</span> </div></span></li></ul><div class="spec-long" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="spec-long" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Accessories</span></strong></div><div class="spec-long" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="spec-long" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span>       <strong>  <em>BlackBerry Mini Stereo Speaker</em></strong></div><div class="spec-long" style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="spec-long" style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_bxUJo_OMiOF-howVDV3i1sbD6e3Q8zdBu2y7LbNO_0-YCF7JE4mhEhcTy_Goyzhsm0iM1iklC3McUni4aFAzJoNmA18Qh4xCEk_E4mKM3uY4BBOV9ocLVc3ZYVt-L3Fau11ZEFErRc/s1600/Balckberry.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_bxUJo_OMiOF-howVDV3i1sbD6e3Q8zdBu2y7LbNO_0-YCF7JE4mhEhcTy_Goyzhsm0iM1iklC3McUni4aFAzJoNmA18Qh4xCEk_E4mKM3uY4BBOV9ocLVc3ZYVt-L3Fau11ZEFErRc/s320/Balckberry.png" width="320" yya="true" /></a></div><div class="desc" style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;">Play music wirelessly from a Bluetooth enabled smart phone, or use the speakerphone function to take a conference call on the run. With its light, clip-on design, the BlackBerry Mini Stereo Speaker can be worn on a bag strap or placed on a table.</div><div class="spec-long" style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="spec-long" dir="rtl" style="border: currentColor; text-align: justify;"></div><div align="justify" class="spec-long" style="border: currentColor;"><div class="feature"></div></div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjSAwF0nhr-dpYKIhk4K1bost-thmSONPDk8MKOnVEAen5E-84ELPAhN-ZnPn34qEiij4stU2RqkT_KFtds7TgquoUEuiWrnc_v4gHmj3R3GKwb27VKoaF-90e5UIDsO8UDNOEXcvv9I/s1600/bbQ10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjSAwF0nhr-dpYKIhk4K1bost-thmSONPDk8MKOnVEAen5E-84ELPAhN-ZnPn34qEiij4stU2RqkT_KFtds7TgquoUEuiWrnc_v4gHmj3R3GKwb27VKoaF-90e5UIDsO8UDNOEXcvv9I/s1600/bbQ10.jpg" yya="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Published by <br /><a href="https://plus.google.com/112865615030946176397" rel="author">Priyanka</a></div>

blackBerry mobile news Q10 smart phone RS. 44,990 - BlackBerry Q10 launched in India

BlackBerry has launched QWERTY smart phone, Q10 in India. The smart phone will be available for Rs. 44,990 BlackBerry Q10 sports a 3.1-in...

Healthy foods that keep you full

10:52 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Healthy foods that keep you full</span></span></h2><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hunger is one of the biggest obstacles to Losing Weight. But be smart, you can totally make choices keep you feeling full and also help you burn extra calories and fat. If you want to quiet those cravings and still feel good about yourself; these are  healthy foods that keep you full : </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt=" healthy foods that keep you full" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZF5cSFvQ3Lt2MQy_8lVihNtTFX4BTc8Z_v2bDYdSotqN_flZBQTt67LrAx8PPyoelUZ1Pl8FilcxRQNc1kAXtqscWqH4CPnTawiZOHmsyzY4o1XUmnB7pj-qZy0X906ufvGMOx1rn5o/s1600/+healthy+foods+that+keep+you+full.jpg" title=" healthy foods that keep you full" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><center><script type="text/javascript"></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /></center><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Broccoli</span></span></b></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Broccoli is a very useful vegetable to enable weight loss. It has a very high nutritional value as it contains several essential nutrients, like calcium, carbohydrates, proteins, iron, chromium, vitamin C and vitamin A. It also contains some antioxidants and phyto – chemicals which not only help in raising the immunity but also help in weight loss efforts. Add to this the natural detoxifying properties.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Beans</span></span></span></h3><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">They are rich in B vitamins, fiber and protein, they have everything you need to stay happy and satisfied. There's also some evidence that beans keep blood sugar on an even keel, so you can stave off hunger longer. They work well in veggie burgers, soups, or side dishes to a meal.</span></div><br /><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-5028478688240504" data-ad-slot="6695176472" style="display: inline-block; height: 600px; width: 300px;"></ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></center><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Raspberries</span></span></span></h3><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Good taste and good source of vitamin C .  Raspberries also contain an antioxidant and antimicrobial activity,  helping to keep certain bacteria from getting out of hand. Raspberries  are a great source of manganese, another player in the antioxidant  scene. They are low in fat and calories and have two grams of fiber per  half cup. Some of the fiber is insoluble, so it helps keep you full.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lentils</span></span></h3><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lentils are high in protein and fiber with over 60% of your daily recommended intake per cup; Lentils are also high other essential nutrients, including potassium,  folate, iron and a slew of antioxidants, each lending a special nutritional hand . The iron may help fight off anemia, which is especially common among those with low-iron diets, like vegans and vegetarians. And lentils are also low on the glycemic index, meaning they cause blood sugar to spike less quickly than other starches</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">For more good foods that support a healthy diet and keep you full, check out this article : <a href="http://waysforweightloss.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-best-superfoods-for-weight-loss.html" target="_blank">Superfoods for Weight Loss</a>. There are <span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span class="">so wonderful</span></span>!</span></div><br /><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-5028478688240504" data-ad-slot="6975892477" style="display: inline-block; height: 280px; width: 336px;"></ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></center><br /></div>

Healthy foods that keep you full

Healthy foods that keep you full Hunger is one of the biggest obstacles to Losing Weight. But be smart, you can totally make choices keep yo...

Matt Said Jay Said 301.688.5849

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">Matt jokes, Jay jokes, You joke too! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Matt: Cheers! <br />Jay: Holaaaaaaaaaaaa! <br />Matt: I think we’re ready! <br />Jay: Hell ye … What was that? <br />Matt: What was what? <br />Jay: I thought I heard something. <br />Matt: *listens* I don’t hear anything. <br />Jay: Okay, that’s cool. <br />Matt: Have you been drinking? <br />Jay: No why?<br />Matt: You’re hear … Wait! <br />Jay: Uh-huh! <br />Matt: Something’s messed up. <br />Jay: I know. I don’t know what it is though. <br />Matt: Me either. <br />Jay: I’ll call you back and see if it’s better. <br />Matt: Good idea. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">*Jay calls Matt back*<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Matt: Hello? </div><div class="MsoNormal">Jay: Hello? <br />Matt: Do you hear anything? <br />Jay: Nope. <br />Matt: Okay then. <br />Jay: Whew! That was weird. <br />Matt: Even weirder than usual for us. <br />Jay: I know ri … WHAT WAS THAT?<br />Matt: You know what it sounds like?<br />Jay: Heavy breathing? <br />Matt: Yes! That’s it. <br />Jay: Is Corky asleep on the phone? <br />Matt: No, she’s staring at Schmoop eating a burger. <br />Jay: Huh. This …. Wait a minute! <br />Matt: OH MY GOD! <br />Jay and Matt: We got an NSA agent who is a fucking pervert!!! <br />Matt: Gross! <br />Jay: That really pisses me off! <br />Matt: Really offensive. <br />Jay: On the plus side, I think I would be a GREAT NSA agent.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntL15AKMN2rhX17feGCnR1yaNr4YEFOCxq8Y7htDzL1RjyVSwyDFidpF4e7YGk1stz70wgYYyrFKi3NJC06pKCDf5M7WgGUyDYa8TUgnBeweE2rX3GzXUipm3LCJMgD0-pN3uGU-l7Hw/s1600/Jay+Great+American+NSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntL15AKMN2rhX17feGCnR1yaNr4YEFOCxq8Y7htDzL1RjyVSwyDFidpF4e7YGk1stz70wgYYyrFKi3NJC06pKCDf5M7WgGUyDYa8TUgnBeweE2rX3GzXUipm3LCJMgD0-pN3uGU-l7Hw/s320/Jay+Great+American+NSA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Matt: You do have excellent stalking skills.<br />Jay: I prefer “reconnaissance” please. <br />Matt: Either way, you’re tireless in your pursuit of people. <br />Jay: Hey now! Your snooping skills are top notch too. <br />Matt: Well, I’m good at digging up dirt. I mean information. <br />Jay: I think the NSA would be lucky to have us working for them! <br />Matt: They would barely have to train us at all. <br />Jay: Just teach us to not follow the rules. <br />Matt: Exactly! Beat the honesty out of us and we’d be perfect. <br />Jay: If <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/06/weve-been-discovered.html" target="_blank">Lorne Michaels doesn’t call</a> we outta pursue this idea. <br />Matt: We might think about it … IF … Lorne doesn’t call. <br />Jay: Even if Lorne does call, we might think about it. <br />Matt: We are great Americans like that. <br />Jay: True. And having that kind of power does excite me a bit. <br />Matt: Oooo … Good point. I for one would never abuse that! <br />Jay: Not at all. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx0pB71sUoyGvOqDHswbS2jQUcHPuQtWb7orUE2b42wnfjiOuablyWEobzZTALoNDUhTMrJjiEOGLuTDh9d6BdjgIHt5Ua2jWeA6Fq-nPASK80BZz8Da6Jphj53wVHMcLzT7OpwBRT8k/s1600/Matt+Man+NSA+Agent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx0pB71sUoyGvOqDHswbS2jQUcHPuQtWb7orUE2b42wnfjiOuablyWEobzZTALoNDUhTMrJjiEOGLuTDh9d6BdjgIHt5Ua2jWeA6Fq-nPASK80BZz8Da6Jphj53wVHMcLzT7OpwBRT8k/s320/Matt+Man+NSA+Agent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Matt: So, Joke Show time again!!! <br />Jay: It’s the happiest day of the year! <br />Matt: Totally! <br />Jay: It’s gonna be so much fun. <br />Matt: Lots of smiles and laughter. <br />Jay: That’s what we’re all about! <br />Matt: AAAAAND! … Audience participation! <br />Jay: We have a couple of commitments from people. <br />Matt: I can’t wait to hear what they’ve worked up. <br />Jay: And, a couple of audios from other listeners. <br />Matt: HILARIOUS! <br />Jay: And our correspondents! <br />Matt: And some Public Service Announcements. <br />Jay: I’m excited! <br />Matt: Me too! <br />Mystery Voice: OHHHHHH YEAAHHHHHHH! <br />Jay: <br />Matt: <br />Jay and Matt: GROSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Be sure to tune into “<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/06/09/show-me-the-funny" target="_blank">Show Me the Funny</a>!” Sunday at 12 Noon ET on <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/06/09/show-me-the-funny" target="_blank">I’m With Stupid</a>! It’s gonna be a riot! <o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>

Matt Said Jay Said 301.688.5849

Matt jokes, Jay jokes, You joke too! Matt: Cheers! Jay: Holaaaaaaaaaaaa! Matt: I think we’re ready! Jay: Hell ye … What was that? Matt: What...

The Internship: Not worth hiring

6:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b><i>The Internship</i> </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>(2013) • <a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/theinternship/" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">View trailer</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b> </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>2.5 stars. Rating: PG-13, and somewhat generously, for profanity, sexual content and considerable crude humor</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>By <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/12885694730612878577" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">Derrick Bang</a> • </b></span>Originally published in <i><a href="http://www.davisenterprise.com/" style="color: #27a9c5; text-decoration: none;">The Davis Enterprise</a></i>, 6.7.13</b></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>            <br /><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fans hoping that a reunion with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson means another hilarious raunch-fest — along the lines of <i>Wedding Crashers</i> — are in for a <i>major</i> disappointment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher9Z9sPZu1GoU3Su4TPfupsmT2v43De76iwB7u7ZbZvkRzXnvHeGfM5dUzabcFo8_56ZGAfmjsVTr9wtrf1vM1K1_Yt1l8Cwp0NIHlXrnq3WfQDwrWKfXupJ7VlFG30kFCfNsAps8wcA/s1600/Internship+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEher9Z9sPZu1GoU3Su4TPfupsmT2v43De76iwB7u7ZbZvkRzXnvHeGfM5dUzabcFo8_56ZGAfmjsVTr9wtrf1vM1K1_Yt1l8Cwp0NIHlXrnq3WfQDwrWKfXupJ7VlFG30kFCfNsAps8wcA/s400/Internship+blog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Having forsaken IQ-busting challenges for one evening, Billy and Nick (Vince Vaughn<br />and Owen Wilson, far right) take their young colleagues — from left, Yo-Yo (Tobit<br />Raphael), Stuart (Dylan O'Brien), Lyle (Josh Brener) and Marielena (Jessica Szohr) —<br />out for an evening of merriment at (where else?) a local strip club. But because this<br />is a PG-13 film, nobody actually strips...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Internship</i> is a sweet, gooey, insubstantial and totally forgettable little fairy tale ... with just enough coarse humor to stretch the boundaries of its PG-13 rating, while also compromising the story’s otherwise fluffy tone. Director Shawn Levy clearly doesn’t know how to approach this project; he’s obviously much more comfortable with overly broad slapstick such as <i>Night at the Museum</i> and <i><a href="http://derrickbang.blogspot.com/2010/04/date-night-bland-date.html">Date Night</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levy flails amid this film’s mostly gentle tone, and he further exacerbates the clumsy pacing by s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g this minor giggle far beyond what the material can support. Seriously, two hours? Since when do lightweight comedies need anything beyond 95 minutes?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, Vaughn and Wilson riff each other reasonably well, although I frequently had the impression — glancing at their eyes, and how their lips seemed primed to twitch — that they desperately wanted more profane dialogue. They deliver well-timed rat-a-tat exchanges, although the script — credited to Vaughn and Jared Stern — is both unimaginative and quite redundant. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Indeed, this story delivers at least two “Let’s win this one, kids!” speeches too many.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Additionally — and this is a major problem with many such films — Levy & Co. beat their thin material into submission, vainly trying to turn minor chuckles (at best) into major belly-laughs. All concerned seem to believe that if a scene lingers another minute, or two, or three, that we dense audience members finally will “get” the joke and laugh harder.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doesn’t work that way. As the old saying goes, Levy and his cast repeatedly flog a dead horse. And, frequently, one that’s already smelling very, very bad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We meet Billy (Vaughn) and Nick (Wilson) — glib, silver-tongued salesmen who could offload sand on desert sheikhs — just as they learn that their company has folded. Out of work, and for some reason unable (unwilling?) to investigate other sales jobs, they ponder their fate as dinosaurs in an environment where even whip-smart college grads aren’t guaranteed employment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nick gets minor sympathy from his sister; Billy gets none from a wife/girlfriend who lingers onscreen only long enough to dump him. Neither actress is seen again, leading us to wonder why we met them at all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br />  <div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While using the world’s ubiquitous search engine one evening, trolling for jobs, Billy impulsively decides that Google itself is the answer; after all, its Mountain View headquarters looks like a plush gig. Never mind that he and Nick haven’t a whiff of computer training, and we assume they also skipped college en route to their sales careers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They somehow bluff their way through an online interview for an internship that <i>might</i> result in actual employment (one of many scenes where Vaughn and Wilson overwork thin material).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They nonetheless gain entry as “diversity” candidates, and of course — upon arrival at Google’s corporate Googleplex — they’re twice as old and half as smart (if that) as everybody else in the room. As explained by somewhat imperious intern wrangler Mr. Chetty (Aasif Mandvi, a note-perfect scene-stealer), the summer’s activities are to be a competition: Teams of five interns will tackle various challenges, with employment offered solely to the one team that triumphs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nick and Billy wind up on a team of overlooked (but still quite smart) misfits: the hyper-sensitive Yo-Yo (Tobit Raphael), who tortures his body after perceived failures; Marielena (Jessica Szohr), a “cosplay” fan who adores pop-culture sci-fi and fantasy; and Stuart (Dylan O’Brien), a somewhat withdrawn genius more comfortable staring at his smart phone than interacting with people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This group is chaperoned by inexperienced Google staffer Lyle (Josh Brener), insecure because this is the first time he has mentored an internship team.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Day One, their arch-rival turns out to be Graham (Max Minghella), an obnoxious, condescending jerk who never misses an opportunity to belittle Billy and Nick. Graham heads his own team: Call them the overly nasty Slytherins to Billy and Nick’s kinder, gentler Gryffindors ... a symbolic divide further driven home when one of the Google challenges turns out to be a ground-based quidditch match.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We never meet any of the other interns, nor do their various teams figure at all in this story. It’s as if the other 100 or so people simply don’t exist. For that matter, Graham’s teammates also never get introduced, nor do they get any dialogue, aside from one poor guy singled out as “the fat kid.” That's pretty shallow scripting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nick immediately notices a workaholic Google exec (Rose Byrne, as Dana) who shouldn’t give him the time of day, and doesn’t for awhile, but <i>we</i> know that she’ll eventually change her mind. Indeed, Wilson and Byrne eventually share a dinner date that turns out to be one of this film’s few genuinely funny and warm-hearted scenes: a stand-out moment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, it’s one of few. Vaughn and Wilson never seem comfortable as <i>de facto</i> father figures, and their various can-do lectures lack conviction. And while it may be amusing the first time Billy draws his fortune-cookie wisdom from the underdog plot of 1983’s <i>Flashdance</i>, that running gag quickly wears thin.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Naturally, our heroes encourage their young entourage to “live a little” by taking them to a strip club, a detour that seems to have wandered in from some other film. The boys can’t get enough lap dances, while Marielena agreeably tolerates this questionable environment because she, too, secretly loves the “release” of pole-dancing. Or something like that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The young performers are engaging, even endearing, and they sketch reasonable performances from the script’s wafer-thin character notes. Raphael’s repressed Yo-Yo is a stitch, particularly as he “punishes” himself by slowly plucking one eyebrow into oblivion (a much more palatable alternative to, say, cutting). Szohr channels some vulnerability as Marielena, probably this story’s closest approximation to a real human being.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">O’Brien thaws credibly as the initially wary but eventually accommodating Stuart, and Brener’s eager-beaver Lyle is moderately funny for the way he constantly over-compensates.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Byrne, as well, is appropriately tart as the wary Dana, naturally suspicious of a smooth talker like Nick; Byrne delivers her lines quite well. Josh Gad pops up as a silent, bearded “Google Jedi” who comes to Billy’s aid at an emotionally crucial moment: a cute part with an amusing payoff.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, John Goodman is wasted in a pointless cameo as Billy and Nick’s initial boss: the guy who exists mostly to tell them they’ve lost their jobs, after which he exits the stage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Far worse, Will Ferrell pops up as Nick’s sister’s lecherous boyfriend, a mattress salesman who seems determined to copulate — on his own merchandise — with every babe who wanders into his store. Ferrell isn’t the slightest bit funny, and — as with the strip club sequence — this vulgar detour seems to belong to some other film.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for <i>this</i> film, though, it’s difficult to shake the notion that it’s little more than a frankly astonishing valentine to Google: a jaw-dropping example of corporate placement that bodes ill for the future of such behavior. Given that the Googleplex and its staffers’ “googliness” are as much a character as any of the human cast members, this Silicon Valley country club fares better than they do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, having endured this inconsequential film, I’d love to work at Google ... but not alongside any of <i>these</i> twits.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>

2013 Aasif Mandvi Comedy Dylan O'Brien Jessica Szohr John Goodman Josh Brener Josh Gad Owen Wilson Rose Byrne Tobit Raphael Vince Vaughn Vulgar Will Ferrell The Internship: Not worth hiring

The Internship (2013) • View trailer 2.5 stars. Rating: PG-13, and somewhat generously, for profanity, sexual content and considerable ...