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JohnyCanuck Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-27-09 10:30 PM
Original message
Sibel Edmonds has a question for you all
Basically, would you be willing to financially support independent, investigative journalists following up on the leads she and other whistleblowers have provided and which the mainstream media, and even the "alternative" media in many cases, don't seem to have any desire to cover. See her latest blog post (excerpt below) for details:


Once upon a time an evil witch visits a kingdom and poisons the central well with a potion that drives people mad. The next morning all who drink from that well go crazy. The king, however, knew about this in advance, and didn't drink from the communal well. The next day, those who drank the poisoned water came to the king and accused him of being the crazy one. The king, aware of what had transpired, was faced with a dilemma: drink from the well and lose his sanity like the rest of his subjects, but remain king; or don't drink, remain sane, but be swept from power by those who would view his very sanity as madness.

Today in our nation those who refrain from drinking from the well poisoned by the establishment witch are categorized, marginalized, and labeled mad, crazy, extremist, conspiracy theorists, and other adjectives along the same line:

Those driven by pure, agenda-free, and nonpartisan civil liberties motives are coined as die-hard unrealistic idealist liberals.

Those in government who dare to come forward, speak up, and tell the truth are labeled as disgruntled whistleblowers.

Those political candidates who choose to run as a ‘people’s candidate,’ not the establishment candidate representing this special interest or that foreign interest’s agenda, are referred to as nutcases, eccentrics, and crazies.

Those groups who fight for accountability and demand justice are dismissed as extremists.

Those activists who dare to ask for ‘real’ investigations in matters such as 9/11 are grouped and stuffed in a bucket as insane conspiracy theorists.

SNIP

The reason I am writing this post while busy traveling is this:
I’ve been corresponding with several well-known and very-well-respected investigative journalists who are willing to cover some of these blacked-out stories, cases, and issues; do so as solid investigative work. However, they need to make a living. One way they can do this is to get paid per story/work as contract journalists, and cover exclusive and explosive stories for this site - which will have a new home soon.

Instead of sitting on our bu..s and pulling our hair when it comes to absent journalism in our country today we can go ahead and do something about it. Well, I am in a position where I believe I can do something about it. I can increase the frequency of my exclusive radio interviews to weekly or maybe even more frequently. I can hire several experienced and well-known journalists to cover some of the issues we’ve been discussing. I can do all this only with your support. I don’t want to, I have no desire, no intention, to chase funders and get inside their pockets to do this. Once you do that, you are done; you’ve drunk from the poisoned-well. That’s a fact. Whether those who do it accept it or not, it is what it is. Also, I am not interested in a strategy targeting advertisers for funding. That too defeats the purpose; at least my purpose. So we have only one option left: a site for the people (at least those who don’t want to drink from the well), by the people.


Okay. Now it is your turn. Please let me know if you are ready to support this. Also, let others know and get their take. After my return I will be in a position to decide which way to go, and the major part in this decision will come from you.

http://123realchange.blogspot.com/2009/08/poisoned-well.html


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snot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-27-09 10:32 PM
Response to Original message
1. k&r'd
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Cha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-27-09 10:38 PM
Response to Original message
2. Rec'd to go Viral..
YES!
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Lugnut Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-27-09 10:46 PM
Response to Original message
3. K&R n/t
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cascadiance Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-27-09 10:54 PM
Response to Original message
4. The problem facing us is that many of us are unemployed...
Edited on Thu Aug-27-09 10:59 PM by cascadiance
... and have to be judicious on where we put our money these days. I still at times donate to these causes, but not as much aa I'd like to. I hope that those who are working put in an extra dollar for someone who isn't working, and perhaps for those of us who aren't working, we make commitments to when we get a job that we make donations at that point.

When you see channels like Free Speech TV and LINK TV really suffering with their fund raising drives, you can see this as a big problem for them much like it is for what you are proposing.

It was also interesting in the course of her testimony that the question came up if she was independently wealthy enough not to have to worry about being employed, which she responded to that she didn't need to be employed, but didn't sound like she of course was a Warren Buffet or the like.

That perhaps is what helps a few folks like her to stick to their guns where other potential whistleblowers, especially in this economy don't feel like they can afford to take chances like Sibel's been taking, since they can't afford being out of work.

I'm sure that also has to do a lot with the interests of the corporate elites trying to keep us poor too.

Thom Hartmann has talked on this a lot in the past too. Noting that in the 60's, when college was free in California under Jerry Brown, and people were a lot better off and could afford to be jobless for a period of time, you had a lot more grass roots activism then, and that that kind of atmosphere was one thing the conservative crowd tried to keep from happening again when the middle class is strong enough to allow for that sort of activity.
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troubledamerican Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 12:29 AM
Response to Reply #4
5. Agreed, but I can't wait to see the list of Who I Can Trust...
My guess:

TRUST Larisa Alexandrovna, Seymour Hersh, Jeremy Scahill, Philip Giraldi, Greg Palast

DO NOT TRUST Anything on Air America, any major network, Democracy Now other than Scahill, or anyone else I can think of offhand.
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AntiFascist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 01:28 PM
Response to Reply #5
30. K&R, great list....

don't forget Brad Friedman who has been almost exclusively covering Sibel Edmonds.

I would also caution not to go overboard with the conspiracy theories. Some well-respected people (not included in this list) may have a tendency to do this just to attract the nutty fringe to their websites.
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troubledamerican Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 05:09 PM
Response to Reply #30
44. I agree with all your points
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tservo Donating Member (61 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 01:57 PM
Response to Reply #5
33. Don't trust Democracy Now?
I thought that they were independent media.
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cascadiance Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 02:10 PM
Response to Reply #33
37. It's been a very long time since they covered let alone had on Sibel...
Edited on Fri Aug-28-09 02:10 PM by cascadiance
For a while they had her on quite frequently. But now they sort of pretend that she doesn't exist any more.

I have my hopes that another entity that I won't name at this point will step forward and help give it more coverage, but I'll wait and see what happens. Hopefully they don't have perhaps the same "influencers" that might be affecting Democracy Now also keeping them quiet too.

There also may be some that are waiting until she gets back from her travels to try and interview her first-hand on this testimony too. That won't happen until sometime in early September.
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CrawlingChaos Donating Member (583 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 02:48 PM
Response to Reply #33
41. This was a tough one for me
But I've come to the conclusion I can't fully trust Amy Goodman. The recent silence on Sibel Edmonds was certainly one factor in that realization. Seriously, how can she not cover this?!

I tend to trust Juan Gonzalez more than Amy, and Jeremy Scahill (kinda glad he chose to become indepenent).

Sadly, I no longer trust Greg Palast.
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troubledamerican Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 05:07 PM
Response to Reply #41
43. I'm interested to hear your take on Palast.
I haven't seen any direct evidence yet that he's compromised.

But he associates with some compromised media people I don't trust (on Air America & ex-Air America)...

Any direct info I should be aware of?
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jasi2006 Donating Member (544 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 07:10 AM
Response to Reply #4
8. Also have to be careful of keeping our jobs. There has to be
a very private and secure way to support these efforts. Knowing how easy it is for one to fired for whistleblowing, Sibel needs to design a way to covertly support these efforts. (hope i don't lose my job for posting this.)
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Usrename Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 07:52 AM
Response to Reply #4
10. +1
for those of us who are self-unemployed
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Greyhound Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 01:51 AM
Response to Original message
6. Most people only realize how bad it is once they lose the power (resources)
to change it. As long as most people are fat and happy (and math and memory impaired), they see no reason to change things. Most people are very easy to satisfy for they want very little.
:kick: & R

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leveymg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 05:53 AM
Response to Original message
7. I'm already on the bus. If someone wants to pay for my ticket, marvelous.
You have my number and my rec, Sib. Always.
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Usrename Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 07:50 AM
Response to Reply #7
9. I hope someone buys your ticket.
Seems like you've been driving the bus.
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leveymg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 06:24 PM
Response to Reply #9
47. Like this guy . . . Destination: "Further"
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Usrename Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 08:53 PM
Response to Reply #47
49. Yeah, that guy!


Furthur



;)
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rhett o rick Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 08:35 AM
Response to Original message
11. I am curious why someone like rawstory doesnt provide the journalists. nt
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Vidar Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 08:48 AM
Response to Original message
12. K&R
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Gregorian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 09:50 AM
Response to Original message
13. Linktv. Amy Goodman.
This is a big story. There are plenty of journalists who would jump at this.
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pleah Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 09:50 AM
Response to Original message
14. K&R
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jotsy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 10:49 AM
Response to Original message
15. The means of an independent media in a sea of self serving status
needs roots that go beyond monetary. As much as I understand the disdain for a double dealing media in denial, I believe there are some pockets and venues that might be in a position to help.

Any grant writers out there familiar with the Sunlight Foundation? This might be just the kind of place to help facilitate the kind of operation Ms. Edmonds is considering.

I also might inquire as to whether or not there's a community radio station in her neck of the woods, or look into 1000 mikes.

We could all spend a lot more time thinking about what a difference can be made on a lot of levels if we could just give up a single dollar per week. Change the world by passing the buck!
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Recursion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 10:50 AM
Response to Original message
16. Something about her still makes me cautious
I've been slapped around a few times on here for saying this, but I've never entirely trusted her.
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redqueen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 10:52 AM
Response to Reply #16
18. Why is that?
Any particular reason?
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Recursion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 11:00 AM
Response to Reply #18
19. Just my nature; if/when she actually talks I'll judge then
Most whistleblowers I've seen don't make the story about themselves in the way she has. But that might not be her fault and just how the circumstances worked out. Still, she's had every opportunity to say whatever the bombshell is to the foreign press, and as of yet hasn't. If what came out in that hearing was it, as far as I saw the "bombshell" is that a Congresswoman was bribed by Turkey with an escort. If there's more, honestly she needs to either put up or stop stringing us along.
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redqueen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 11:02 AM
Response to Reply #19
20. Didn't she deliver her testimony just this week?
How is she stringing us along?
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Recursion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 11:03 AM
Response to Reply #20
21. It was several weeks ago
Maybe that was just preliminary testimony.
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redqueen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 11:06 AM
Response to Reply #21
22. Sorry yes, the transcript & video were released this week.
Edited on Fri Aug-28-09 11:06 AM by redqueen
That's not enough?

I'm not meaning to slap you around, just trying to figure out what I might be missing here...
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Recursion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 11:10 AM
Response to Reply #22
23. Shades of Jason Leopold I guess
I'm just going to stay cautious about her claims until this whole thing shakes out.
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redqueen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 11:25 AM
Response to Reply #23
24. Aha...
gotcha. :hi:
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nashville_brook Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 02:02 PM
Response to Reply #23
34. ugh.
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AuntPatsy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 02:17 PM
Response to Reply #34
39. and I second your ugh....what more is needed,
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Usrename Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 09:04 PM
Response to Reply #23
50. She seems very credible, besides being very accomplished.
And, why would she play this the way she has been playing it if it isn't what happened?

Why would she be gagged under the states' secrets privilige if it's all a big pantload?

Why is she the one to test your credulity? I don't get it.
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Recursion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Aug-29-09 11:49 AM
Response to Reply #50
52. Because the state secrets act has been repeatedly used to avoid embarrassment
rather than for actual bombshell secrets.
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cascadiance Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 02:07 PM
Response to Reply #19
35. I think Brewster Jennings being shut down earlier personally was a bigger bombshell for me...
Now she's hinted on that, but not in so many words, and that makes what Marc Grossman was rumored to have done that much worse, unless there was some complex disinformation campaign that she's seeing the outer edges of. But it still seems to damned suspicious, and if WMD technology was in fact given to Pakistan and forwarded to the likes of North Korea, Al Queda and Iran, that's as bad as it gets!

That's a capital offense of treason!

But then again, the M$M ignoring what they would normally cover and label as "bigger news" of some congresswoman getting outed as a bisexual in a sleezy way, is something that doesn't fit what normally happens either. That's why for me, I think there's something pretty big behind what she's talking about, and the only way they have of fighting it is to ignore it and hope that everyone else does with their control of the media. If she truly was spreading disinformation, it would seem a trivial exercise to get someone who knew what was going on to testify in court or even in front of a closed session of congress to dismiss her allegations as false (even if she's not necessarily lying about her knowledge of them). Trying to ignore her in my book just points more of a finger at them trying to cover something up.
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AntiFascist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 05:43 PM
Response to Reply #19
46. The primary bombshell seems pretty obvious...

and people have been pointing it out all along: the WOT may have been fabricated involving those politicos who profit from it. Sibel Edmonds path at arriving to this conclusion is very complicated and convoluted, but once the evidence is analyzed in the proper contexts, it can be devastating.
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Barack_America Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 11:46 AM
Response to Reply #16
25. You're not alone.
I've always been a bit skeptical, but asking for money definitely set off a alarm or two for me.

It wouldn't be the first time members of DU were scammed, after all.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Kelvin%20Mace/2
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redqueen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 10:51 AM
Response to Original message
17. K&R
Edited on Fri Aug-28-09 10:51 AM by redqueen
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Echo In Light Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 11:47 AM
Response to Original message
26. Rec
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defendandprotect Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 11:49 AM
Response to Original message
27. k i c k
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shireen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 12:55 PM
Response to Original message
28. before we donate our hard-earned money, a few questions.
Edited on Fri Aug-28-09 12:57 PM by shireen
1) does she have a "business plan" to implement this? It's easy to make vague requests, but until it is backed by a plan, it will be difficult for us to "invest" in her efforts.

2) has she discussed these matters with independent news outlets like Democracy Now and Current? Talked to bloggers like TPM, Greenwald, etc..? If she partnered with one of them, credible sources of information, we could support her work through them.

In a time when resources are scarce, those of us with what little money we have need to use it wisely. If she wants to appear credible and serious, she needs to do a better pitch than ... a site for the people ..., by the people.
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MasonJar Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 01:10 PM
Response to Original message
29. YES!!!! This is our country we are talking about. My children's and my grandchildren's
future.
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azul Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 01:29 PM
Response to Original message
31. A whistle blowing and nobody listening.
This is the strangest thing. Having to arrange to pay for an audience itself because the media prefers its own captive audience to hear a different tune.

I give money to multiple alternative media outlets, but I think that if they would cooperate and combine somehow that they would have more authority and better-spent resources. Most all of them I know are covering this story, but they are competing with each other why?
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think Donating Member (316 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 01:33 PM
Response to Reply #31
32. Huffington Post is now on board!!!
Edited on Fri Aug-28-09 01:44 PM by think
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midnight Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 02:07 PM
Response to Original message
36. Recommending.
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AuntPatsy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 02:13 PM
Response to Original message
38. Definately.....a worthy use of my cash if I ever heard it...let me know how much and when
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travelingtypist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 02:19 PM
Response to Original message
40. I love this analogy.
What a great idea for a book. It's another version of the Matrix, but it works.

I'd probably be inclined to give money for this, yes.
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Roland99 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 03:28 PM
Response to Original message
42. 100 recs...and I've often wondered why Gore/Soros didn't start up a *real* news network.
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swilton Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 05:26 PM
Response to Original message
45. You Betcha!
:kick:
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Vattel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 06:45 PM
Response to Original message
48. She might be a crank and she might not..
I don't know. As long as she can't give details because of the gag order, who knows what the truth is? And btw, what's up with the photos without names? In her deposition whe confirmed identities and general allegations, but she wouldn't identify the people in the pictures herself. I don't get it.
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NBachers Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-28-09 09:30 PM
Response to Original message
51. Tell me where to send it, and I'll send it
It'll only be in five and ten dollar occasional dribs and drabs, but I'll do it.

Let's do it.
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wildbilln864 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Aug-29-09 11:59 AM
Response to Original message
53. too late to rec....
how did I miss this thread? :grr:
Anyway here's a big kick. Thank you Sibel! :patriot:
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