The December 9, 2009 CAMS Managers Meeting included an educational session regarding Investing for Community Associations.  Chip Finley of North State Bank reviewed the various investment options available and the CAMS Community Managers participated in a Q&A session.

The Managers benefited from the seminar and learned information that will be helpful in fulfilling their management responsibilities.

No webcam required to see and hear people. Free unlimited messages, high quality video and audio rooms, videochat 1-on-1 with someone. Live streaming audio and video with our live webcam.

http://www.icutoo.com

   On Friday (12/4), I delivered a presentation to over 100 lawyers during an all-day seminar they were attending for their continuing education requirements. My segment ran about 30 minutes. The rest of this blog is a reprint of my comments. My profile on LinkedIn (Paul Freeman, CPA, CAMS) has the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied it, as well as the My Blog page on my website: www.AML-Assassin.com.

So with no further delay….

      Welcome. Today I am speaking about Money Laundering, its basic fundamentals, common methods, and how it, and the efforts to battle it, can and do, impact you and your clients.

      Let’s start with an understanding of what Money Laundering is.

      The Financial Action Task Force (FATF for short) has a 3-part working definition.

      I should explain that the Financial Action Task Force is the multinational organization which sets the global tone for all Money Laundering issues.

      1) Money laundering consists of the conversion or transfer of property knowing it is derived from a criminal offense, for the purpose of concealing or disguising its illicit origin or of assisting any person who is involved in the commission of the crime to evade the legal consequences of his actions,

      2) The concealment or disguising of the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement, rights with respects to, or ownership of property knowing that it is derived from a criminal offense,

      3) The acquisition, possession, or use of property, knowing at the time of receipt that it was derived from a criminal offense or from participation in a crime.

      As you heard, in each part of the definition, the word “Knowing” is used. While that is a critical element, there is the concept of…

      “Willful Blindness”

      You folks probably know this term even better than I do, but my understanding is basically that if the facts or circumstances       surrounding a transaction would lead a reasonable person to believe, or strongly suspect, that the funds could be illicit, then you KNEW that they were illegal

      This does enable law enforcement to assert – and often prevail – that one had the equivalent of knowledge and prevents someone from simply saying “I didn’t know” and getting away with it.

      To me, Sgt Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes with his “I know nnnnu-ting” is the poster child for Willful Blindness

      The three stages of money laundering:

      Placement – this is the introduction of the illicit funds into the financial system. Since we tend to think of these funds in the form of cash, structuring is often employed here.

      Layering – one or more steps of moving the funds around, from account to account, from institution to institution, in and out of trusts, shell companies, anything to confuse where the money actually originated and who actually owns it – a financial shell game

      Integration – this is the final stage, where the funds appear to be legitimate and are used to purchase something the criminal can use with little fear of reproach (homes, art, cars, jewelry, influence, etc)

      One of the most common methods of money laundering is structuring

      Basically, it is the act of breaking down a potential deposit into smaller ones – or otherwise altering it – to avoid currency reporting requirements.

      In the United States we know the main threshold is $10,000.

      OVER that amount – in currency – either in, out or exchanged and a Currency Transaction Report (CTR for short) needs to be filed.

      In the definition of money laundering, you kept hearing that the funds needed to be of illicit origin. But structuring is different. There is no need for a predicate crime.

      Structuring IS the crime.

      It is often the easiest charge to prosecute and it is often the charge “copped to” in a plea deal.

      For an investigator, the easiest Suspicious Activity decision comes when he gets a report from a teller that a customer presented more than $10,000 in cash, but when told a CTR needed to be filed, he took some or all of the cash back to be below the threshold – thereby thinking he just kept the government from knowing about his business.

      What he failed to realize is that he has just blatantly committed a crime and a Suspicious Activity Report WILL BE filed.

      I’ll come back to that in a few minutes.

      Some people interchange the terms structuring and smurfing, but that is not quite accurate.

      You can structure without the use of smurfs, but smurfs, by their nature, perform the actual structured transactions.

      Which brings us to smurfing

      The launderer may employ a number of smurfs – usually unwitting people – to make smaller deposits into a number of accounts, with each one staying under the reporting threshold.

      They can also perform other tasks, such as making withdrawals or purchasing various financial instruments (also staying under reporting thresholds), but depositing is what most people associate them with.

      The name does come from the mindless, little blue creatures from Saturday morning cartoons.

      While not true, AML lore is that the agent observed a bunch of old, blue-haired ladies scurrying around making all of the deposits and that’s what made him think of the Smurfs.

      Another tool in the launderer’s arsenal is refining

      Often leading up to bulk cash smuggling, it is the exchanging of smaller denomination bills for larger ones – in the US, into $100 bills.

      With the Twenty being the most common bill used on the streets for drug deals, the launderer effectively reduces the volume of currency to transport if he can have those changed into Hundreds.

      For those who wonder how big a problem this can be in the drug trade this a picture, taken in 2007 after a raid outside Mexico City.

      This is $207 million dollars. Over $205 million of that was in US Benjamins.

      (It was not found this way – it was packed in boxes, cabinets, in the walls, etc.)

      As impressive as this picture is, it is only one EIGHTY-eth of the amount of money estimated to have been laundered in Mexico last year alone

      That’s right, you would need EIGHTY (that’s eight – zero) piles like this to equal the $16 BILLION laundered in Mexico last year.

      I should also mention micro-structuring. I believe it was first observed in a terrorist financing case.

      With micro-structuring, the transactions are broken down into such small amounts (sometimes in the hundreds of dollars), so as to ensure that no monitoring platform will pick up these transactions.

      Now let me discuss a few of the forms that are the lifeblood of a Financial Intelligence Unit, starting with The Currency Transaction Report (often simply referred to as the CTR)

      It originated in 1970 with the Bank Secrecy Act that was in response to the exploding drug trade.

      Prior to that, it was not uncommon for drug traffickers or their launderers to pull up behind banks, pop the trunk, and carry in six or eight large duffel bags stuffed with cash.

      Since the BSA went into effect, all CASH transactions – in or out – in excess of $10,000 in a single business day requires that a CTR be filed with FinCEN – the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (though the IRS Computing Center in Detroit physically processes them.)

      This also should apply to cash exchanges as well

      The CTR basically consists of the name, address, ID type and number, the date and amount of the transaction.

      The personal data should be obtained for both the accountholder and the conductor – if they are different.

      In 2007, there were more than 15.2 million CTRs filed by Financial Institutions.

      These get processed into a massive database, which can be data-mined, but nobody just sits and reads them. So now comes The $10,000 Question.

      By a show of hands, how many of you have, at one time or another, advised someone (client or not) to keep transactions below $10,000?

      Yes, before I knew better I sometimes would.

      Well, we all have then advised someone to actually commit a crime. So, you may ask WHY? What’s the big deal? Let’s assume your client sold his car and now has $15,000 in cash to deposit.

      Instead of putting it all in the bank at once and providing the required information, he elects to split it in half, depositing $7,500 on Friday and the rest the next week.

      It is probable that many monitoring platforms may pick up these transactions and the client may now become the subject of a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR, for short)

      This form looks for a bit more personal info: name, address, Social Security Number, other ID, phone numbers, and occupation for each person considered a suspect.

      It also wants the account numbers, date range and amount of suspicious activity. (A copy of the blank form is in your handouts.)

      In addition to that, there is a narrative, often several pages in length. This will explain the whole relationship the financial institution has with the customer.

      It will list all of their accounts, loans, even safe deposit boxes and prepaid gift cards.

      It will name all associated signers and when the accounts were opened or closed.

      It will explain when the transactions took place and why it or they are viewed as suspicious.

      The report does not have to PROVE anything, only that a reasonable person would find the activity suspicious.

      In 2007, there were nearly 650,000 SARs filed by financial institutions.

      From conversations I have had with various law enforcement people around the country, I can tell you that virtually EVERY ONE OF THESE IS READ by a law enforcement professional.

      So which would you prefer to have filed on a client – the CTR (a filled out sample is in your handouts) – or a SAR like this?

Now we come to a form that you need to be aware of and one you may need to fill out in your practice

      IRS Form 8300 – I believe I have provided both a blank form with the instructions, as well as a sample filled out form – they should be in your notebooks.

      This is the form you need to fill out if you receive over $10,000 in cash (or cash equivalents) in your practice for a single transaction, even if the payments take place in up to a twelve-month period.

      The instructions are fairly self- explanatory. I will caution you, I am aware of businessmen who were charged and convicted – and served several YEARS – for purposely failing to file this form.

      Even if you were aware of the form, you may not have noticed the wrinkle of CASH EQUIVALENTS.

      You’ll see Box 32 is devoted to the breakdown of the cash and on page 4 under definitions, the second part of cash states:       A cashier’s check, money order, bank draft or traveler’s check having a face amount of $10,000 or less received in a designated reporting transaction (this is where the 12 month window comes into play) or any transaction in which you know they are attempting to avoid the reporting of the transaction

      A personal check from the individual’s own account is NOT reportable.

      Another method is via Casinos and Gaming.

      In casinos, launderers have been known to purchase large quantities of chips with cash, gamble very little, then “cash out” via a casino check, a wire transfer, or the money being put on account, especially if it is a major chain and those funds can be accessed at an foreign branch of the casino.

      Setting up private table poker games has also been used – in this a drug dealer may have some people that owe him money come play. Regardless of the hands, the others will play to lose. At the end of the night, the drug dealer goes home with all the money, but it has the appearance of coming from gambling, not drug sales.

      Sponsoring professional poker players – dirty money goes in, but ‘legitimate’ money comes out as the launderer collects his share of the poker player’s winnings. If the player is really good, the launderer even makes money while cleaning it.

      The launderer may even buy winning lottery tickets, buying them for a bit under the winning value (since the seller will not be dealing with the taxes). The launderer redeems them and the taxes incurred are simply the price of making the money appear legitimate – as he now has a check in hand from the state lottery commission noted as winnings.

      Then we have what are referred to as MSBs or Money Services Businesses, which are primarily:

      Check cashers

      Issuers, sellers and redeemers of Money Orders and Traveler’s checks

      Money exchangers

      Money remitters

      As I have noted, some of these have very large agent networks, such as Western Union, Moneygram, or Sigue

      You can see from the services alone how the MSB can be a great tool for the launderer: money transmission, exchanging currencies and denominations, check cashing, using money orders, travelers checks – and often with less scrutiny than a regular financial institution.

      One of the major tools a launderer employs in getting funds across international borders is disguising the transaction as foreign trade – and within that, utilizing Trade Price Manipulation

      It is the most efficient and economical means to move VALUE internationally.

      Sometimes, the launderers are bold enough to wire money between front or shell companies in the guise of international trade when no commerce actually took place.

      But when they do use the movement of goods to disguise the true intent of their actions, they manipulate the price of the goods.

      Only the import / export documentation filed with Customs can expose the launderer to any additional criminal charges (and it is only the single specific Customs form that can bring these charges on)

      Any other paperwork is part of the business deal and the only venue to settle those disputes is in the civil system

      But since the parties on each end of the deal are complicit, there will never be a civil suit. One of these angles is Selling Something for Nothing

      Let’s say the North American arm of a cartel need to get $1 million down into South America.

      One of their front or shell companies buys 200 Rolex watches for $5,000 each (total: $1 million).

      They then sell the watches to a South American front company for $5 each (total $1,000).

      The South American firm then sells the watches locally for $5,000 each and – voila, $1 million dollars is now in South America – and in the local currency to boot.

      So effectively, they have moved $1 million from the US to South America AND converted the currency – at a nominal price of $1,000 (extremely cheap in their world).

      On the flip side, they can sell Nothing for Something. Say the cartel wants to get one million dollars up to the States

      The US company buys 4,000 cheap gold pens for twenty-five cents each.

      They then sell them to the South American company for two hundred fifty dollars each (one million total).

      Frankly, nobody cares what happens to the pens.

      But effectively, the cartel has moved one million dollars to the US and disguised it as international trade. With both parties complicit in the scheme, no one will be the wiser.

      Now, another money transfer method that can be used by the money launderer is the Hawala and other       Informal Value Transfer Systems (IVTS can also be interchanged with ARS – Alternative Remittance System).

      First let me say that, in general, there is nothing wrong with these systems.

      They are ethnic in nature and have been around since long before the banking system was even conceived of.

      These systems are reliant upon the trust and goodwill among trading partners.

      I have heard the roots go back at least to the silk and spice routes and the days of Marco Polo.

      Hawalas, in particular, originated in the Middle East and Southwestern Asia.

      In other parts of the world, such systems may be called: Chiti Banking, Hundi, Chop Shop Banking, or Poey Kuan

      As I said, most of the use of these systems is completely legitimate and fills an important need.

      Some of the advantages of these systems have over traditional banks is that they can transfer value much quicker and at less cost than banks, there are basically no records kept (something the launderer loves), and they often stretch out into regions that normal banks dare not go.

      As I said, this is moving value through trading partners. So, let me give you an example of how such a transfer may take place:

      For example, a Somali taxi driver in Minneapolis needs to send $200 to his mother who is back in Somalia (a country in which banks don’t exist). Well, he goes to a local hawaladar – they are well-known in their communities. He gives the hawaladar the $200 and tells him where the money needs to go. The hawaladar, in turn, gives him a code and sends him on his way. At the one end, that’s all that takes. The taxi driver KNOWS it will get there. This system is built on trust.

      Should any hawaladar try to break this trust, he and his whole family would likely be killed.

      Anyway, the hawaladar calls or faxes a trading partner in the region and gives them the code and amount. The taxi driver also calls his mother and tells her the code. Later, she will go to what maybe a remote trading post and give them the code.

      As this post was already in possession of it, they know to provide this woman with about two hundred dollars.

      Now many will say she just gets the cash, but to me, more likely, she will get some supplies and groceries, may take some currency (but who would want much cash in such a lawless region), or she may even leave some value ‘on account’ with the trading post to be used at a later time.

      As far as the trading partners settling up, they will do so in some form at a later time. There may be some American goods shipped to the Somali trading post, or the hawaladar may pay a bill of the post, or a wire transfer may even be made – yes, THEY do sometimes use the formal banking system.

      I hope the example gives you a better understanding of the hawala-type systems. You can obviously see how a money launderer would find tapping into such a system to be beneficial – and yet, our biggest fear with these is their use in terrorist financing. Shortly after 9/11, the largest hawala in Somalia – AL BARAKAT – was effectively shut down by the US and its allies.

      Allegations were that AL QAEDA had corrupted it and was skimming monies moving through it (some hawalas have grown to be large companies with numerous branches or outposts)

      Anyway, moving on another money laundering tool is the use of Jewelry and Precious Metals.

      These are attractive for several obvious reasons:

      They tend to be of very high value, especially in relation to size and weight. You can hold a million dollars worth of diamonds in your hand – you can’t do that with currency. There is normally no ownership paper trail. And it is much easier to move a few stones across a border than to move the equivalent in currency.

      Art and Antiques are also being used in laundering. The valuation is often very subjective. It can be employed similar to trade price manipulation in that you can sell an original as a copy or you can sell pure rubbish as some form of high-end art.

      Ownership records are sometimes quite loose. It can be fairly easy to move across borders and at the integration stage, a criminal can hide very high value items right in plain sight.

      Other High End Goods can be used: Cars, Boats, Airplanes. Many of these are then actually used in the business, transporting drugs and cash.

      Down-Trading. In this method, a drug dealer may exchange his high-end car for multiple low-end vehicles and take the balance in a dealer’s check.      Some have even conspired with the dealer and taken the proceeds in a series of checks under $10,000 (a few of those knuckleheads are now doing time for being so obvious).

      The Black Market Peso Exchange

      Still a cartel favorite. It is nearly impossible for an individual financial institution to detect if BMPE funds are moving through their accounts.

      The key to it is the Corrupt Money Dealer!

      Some of the major corporations that have been caught up in this include: General Electric, Bell Helicopter and Phillip Morris.

      Here is roughly how it works:

      A cartel has a lot of cash in the US, these funds get deposited into a money trader’s account.       You also have legitimate businesses in South America that want to do business with US companies and have orders with them.

      Rather than make the purchase through the banks there, which will entail high currency exchange rates and governmental taxes and tariffs many of these South American companies will go to a money trader, who will offer better exchange rates and not report anything to the government – thereby sidestepping some of those costs.

      Now the money trader, who is a lackey of the cartel, will take the local funds from the South American companies, but rather than exchange them and forward them to the American companies in payment of the South American orders, the trader will turn those funds over to the cartel and take funds from the US account (cartel drug money) and wire those funds to satisfy the purchase orders.

      Effectively, the money trader has gotten the value to the cartel, in the local currency, and no funds actually ever crossed a border.

      Now when discovered by the government, some of the companies I named before have had to forfeit those funds since they were illicit – and in these cases, knowledge does not appear to be much of a deciding factor.

      Cuckoo Smurfing.

      This functions in a manner similar to the Black Market Peso Exchange in that the key is again the corrupter in the middle of it all and the recipients have no idea the cash deposited to their accounts was illicit.

      This method tends to be found within the Alternative Remittance or Informal Value Transfer Systems.

      Real estate provides a unique opportunity in that it can be used equally amongst all three stages.

      In the placement stage, real estate can be bought with cash. In the current blow-out market, one can buy entire homes and not have to worry about currency reporting.

      One can then hire numerous contractors and laborers and sink $50k or more into the property, not only paying for it all in cash,      but probably getting discounted pricing from contractors seeking to avoid their own taxes.

      In the layering stage, the property can be bought and sold numerous times using legal entities, front people, nominees or straw      buyers (often, the inflating of appraisals takes place here, adding an element of fraud to the equation).

      The efforts in the layering stage go a long way in disguising the true ownership and blurring the paper trail

      In the integration stage, the criminal now utilizes the physical property – if it’s a high end house, he may live in it; if it’s a lesser house, he may use it as rental property, generating a legitimate income stream from it; or he can sell it, with the funds received at closing appearing to be completely clean.

      Another sector often used in money laundering is Insurance. Most significant laundering and terrorist financing risks in the insurance industry are found in the life insurance and annuities products.

      These provide the launderer the opportunity to make a large upfront lump sum purchase of the product in exchange for periodic payments from an insurance company.

      A quicker turn occurs when the launderer cancels the policy during the “cooling off” period or by other early redemptions.      What better way to disguise the proceeds of criminal activity that to have them transformed into insurance company payments?

      Another important tool in the launderer’s arsenal is the Securities sector.

      Since most firms do not accept cash. It is predominately used in the layering and integration stages.

      Some jurisdictions still allow the use of bearer shares, so there is no trail of ownership.

      Among the attractive features of the Securities sector are: its international nature, its fast paced transactions, a competitive environment that can lead to a disregarding of due diligence procedures, and the common practice of maintaining securities accounts as nominees.

      In addition, the funds can be parlayed by good investing, or included in “pump-and-dump” schemes.

      Now the last issue I want to touch on is “Money Mules.”

      Currently, these are the hottest fraud and laundering schemes floating about.

      People are recruited using “work-at-home” ads or e-mails (who here doesn’t get 2-300 of these every year???).

      Once, someone signs on, they will receive a check (maybe more), or a deposit will appear in their account.

      They get to keep a 10% ‘commission’ – while forwarding the balance off overseas using a money transmitter like Western Union, Moneygram, or Sigue

      Then reality sets in. The checks were likely counterfeit or stolen – the deposit likely originated from some fraudulent activity.

      And guess who is stuck holding the bag? That’s right. Their bank is now going to charge that item back against THEIR account, so they not only have lost their great 10% commission (“Which I got for such really little effort“), but they are now responsible for the funds they sent overseas.

      So where do they turn? The money they sent is long, long gone and the entity they sent it to probably never existed, so they are STUCK.

      And law enforcement is not going to help, if anything, since they were an active, though ignorant, participant in the movement (laundering) of illicit funds, they can be charged with money laundering. Remember back where we started?

      “Money laundering consists of the conversion or TRANSFER of property …or of ASSISTING any person who is involved in the commission of the crime…”

      And then don’t forget our friend “Willful Blindness” – all they saw was the 10% commission. They turned a blind eye to any risks that a reasonable, or less desperate, person would have understood.

      Thank you for your time. Any questions?

by MichaelTSG

[We are forwarding this email to readers of The Canadian Tgirl Newspaper]

Guys, are you looking to date a TS girl? When you ask a girl for a date, there is a list of things to do, and things not to do. This is a practical guide to sending that first email to a TS girl, when you are exploring whether to ask a girl for a date.

You are definitely going to strike out with your TS girl if you don’t provide her with the style she wants to see and enough information on which to base a decision. When you ask a girl for a date, you need to meet certain expectations. Among them are:

Name.
Location.
Age.

When you ask a girl for a date, don’t just send an email that says something moronic like, “I think you’re hot.” It’s sexually suggestive and not appropriate to send to a TS girl who is seeking a relationship. She is going to immediately assume you are just looking for sex. If that’s all you want, probably you’re better off hiring a shemale escort. You can find plenty of those at AOL and Yahoo chatrooms.

I threw out to our chatroom the issue of what to include (and not to include) in a guy’s first email to a girl. The remarks below are part of the frenzied feedback I received.

“No sex talk in the first email. No marriage proposals, either,” said one girl.

“Most of us women do not want to get married on the first date,” Sandra said.

No TS girl seeking a relationship wants a man who is married or already in a relationship. “Be single,” one TS girl said in chat, “I don’t want to hear about your problems with your wife and how she doesn’t understand you.”

Rhonda said, “Not have someone profess their undying love for you the first time you chat to them, it’s so insincere.” Let’s not assume the TS girl you’re writing to is dimwitted and stupid.
“Never ask in a first email if they travel to meet a guy,” Alison said. It’s trolling and it won’t work.
Some who ask a girl for a date try the overly familiar approach. Wrong.

“It is really annoying when someone sends you an email and acts like they’ve known you their whole life, and you’re like, ‘Who is this person?’” said one TS girl.

Miyako took that notion and ran with it. “Mushy stuff in a first email is too overboard. It says to me, ‘I’m pretending to be someone or something I’m not and/or lying about feelings now and probably always will.”

Sandra again: “I am so tired of first emails I get that are too personal, like do I care if this guy is sexy?”

Don’t get weird. Miyako again: “I think a first email should be like a handshake at a party or something. You do not meet someone at a party who says, ‘I have a huge dick,’ or ‘Would you like to meet my dog Fluffy?’ Or, ‘What light doth through yonder window break, it is thee, mine sun, whom doth light the fire of mine lonely existence,’ or anything like that.”

And it’s not just about the opening email, either, Daniel pointed out. “Someone who wants to get married after a weekend together, that’s a bit much, too.”

When you write to a TS girl or ask a girl for a date, you create an expectation of an expeditious response if she’s interested. If she finds you interesting, you don’t want to take a long time to reply. One girl pointed out that if you don’t check email very often, you should say so. “Don’t leave a girl hanging,” she warned.

Truth matters to most any TS girl or GG. When you ask a girl for a date, get to the point and be honest. Honesty encompasses a number of aspects.

Be honestly single.

Don’t send an old picture of yourself or a fake picture.

One TS girl recommends you include in your first email some practical communications information.

“Send along IM info like AIM, MSN Messenger, YIM contact info and/or phone number,” she said, “because it’s hard to have a good conversation via email.”

In your first email to a TS girl, it’s a good idea to send along a picture of yourself. With clothes on. A recent picture, not something from 1988

“I hate it when guy send me photos of themselves nude,” one TS girl in our chatroom said.

Melissa added: “And I don’t want some guy I’ve sent a pic to begging for more pics. I hate that.” Come on, fella, are you going to ask a girl for a date or are you just collecting pictures to whack off to? If you behave like a pic collector, you will be treated like a pic collector.

Pets, it turns out, can be problems in pictures. It’s fine to send along pics of yourself, your residence, and even you in the same picture with your pet, but avoid separate pics of your pets.

“I stay away from lonely guys with big dogs,” said one TS girl. The consensus in the chatroom is, definitely no pic of just the dog. Why? Several girls said they worry the dog will be more important to him than she is.

The TS girl you write to wants to know about you, not your ex-wife or ex-girlfriend.

“I don’t want to hear about the details of your last relationship,” Melissa said.

“I do not want to be compared to the person that rejected them before,” Alison added.

“Someone who tells me their emotional drama in the first email is pretty much out of there,” Mike in Chicago added, from the male perspective.

Then there is the matter of other experiences with transsexual women.

“I really don’t care to hear that he was with a TS once before and enjoyed and that she was an escort he met in a bar,” Alison said. “Or that he is curious to be with a TS and see what it’s like.”

“I don’t want to hear that every other TS he ever dated used him for everything he had,” Sandra added.

If it is obvious that she is a TS girl seeking a relationship, there is no point in appearing clueless. Cluelessness does not score points. Alison observed, “By all means don’t start your email off by asking ‘Are you a TS?’”

Be sensitive to the meaning of your words when you ask a girl for a date. Sandra says, “If they want to communicate it’s a good idea to get the terminology right. When they say the usually only date girls, that’s an insult. And if they say they are not gay, they do not get it at all. And never mention the word ’shemale’ in an email.”

Most any TS girl seeking a relationship is looking for a straight guy who likes women. But it is a sad fact that many of the emails directed at TS women are from guys looking for a penis. If that’s what you want, you are probably making a mistake to approach most TS women about it.

“You have no idea how many guys have asked if you still have ‘it’ and if it gets hard. They not only don’t get a reply, they get added to my junk mail filter list,” said Rhonda.

“The main thing is they need to treat us like the women we are, not as some strange sex toy or oddity for them to play with,” Alison added.

Guys, do realize that a lot of the TS women at this website are acquainted with each other. If you send the same or similar email out to many girls and they find out about it, and it is very likely that they will, you will leave the wrong impression.

“I’ve got friends, don’t email me the same letter you mailed them,” Melissa warned. “Actually when I find out a guy has emailed another girl I know, I don’t talk to him. If he’s just interested because my profile says TS or pre-op or whatever, then he’s really not interested in ME.”

Mike in Chicago explained, “When I send an email to someone, it’s straight to the point. I say where I found out about them, my website address, and that I found them interesting and to ask if they would like to talk.” That’s direct, to the point, and without any phoney, too-early romantic nonsense.

The bottom line when asking a girl for a date, or just exploring the possibility of doing so, is to be clear, honest and provide enough information about yourself so that you stand out from the crowd in a way that is interesting and appealing.

“They should make themselves sound interesting and honest and tell us something that would make us want to respond,” Alison said.

Melissa added: “I would like to see a bit of his personality, what he is really looking for.”

So guys just be yourselves. After all, if you do develop a relationship with this TS girl, she will have to deal with the real you. If you feed her some prepackaged image you’ve concocted, she will find out about it soon enough and she won’t be happy about it. Just tell her what you want, what you’re all about, and what you would like to do on a first date.

Email the editor: Tsgirlfriend4me@aol.com

Reference:  http://www.tsgirlfriend.com

Featured,  LINK: Alternative Lifestyles Personals. Free and Anonymous Membership.

Tgirls cams, LINK.  Sign-up.  Free membership.  Registration required.

JOIN our Tgirls and Admirers social network and email list for updates and freelance job opportunities:  LINK.

Freelance Job: Media Sales Executives.  Help recruit sponsors for our new Tgirls newspaper.  Drop us a line to apply.

by Brianna Austin

	Get Dresseed! book.

Crossdressers and Tranassexuals, although both under the transgender umbrella, are really very different things, which Gina Lance talks about in her new book entitled: Get Dressed!

Gina Lance, the Editor In Chief of TGLIFE.com, may be the most well known cross-dresser on the planet. After producing and co-hosting TV-TV for Century Cable in 1997, Gina went on to publish Hollywood TVs, a retro pin up girl calendar, and then in 1999 founded Girl Talk Magazine which became the Vogue of trans publications in ten countries.

In the last decade, Gina has been featured on MSNBC’s documentary “The Secret Closet,” ABC’s “Philly After Midnight,” MTV, Showtime, HBO, E Channel, FOX and NBC’s “To Tell The Truth,” along with hundreds of radio interviews from London to New Zealand and across North America discussing what it means to be a crossdresser. She has been keynote speaker at TG conventions such as Atlanta’s ‘Southern Comfort Conference, Arizona’s ‘Puttin’ On The Glitz’ and Arkansas’s ‘Eureka En Femme Getaway’ and also participated in the West Hollywood, California “Transgender’s in the Media” televised town hall event.

I first met Gina in 2001 when I became the New York columnist for Girl Talk Magazine and she and I hit it off right away. She was funny, honest, sincere and a true friend. Always candid and direct, she is — and has been — a positive voice in the crossdressing community. Gina doesn’t make excuses or apologize for who she is; she embraces it, and by doing so inspires others. But she wasn’t born that way. Like many trans people it took years, decades even, to come to grips with being transgender. In her new book Get Dressed! Gina provides insight to how she developed her positive view on cross-dressing, offers commentary on life in general and cross-dressing in particular.

This weekend we sat down and had a chat about her book

BRIANNA: So, what inspired you to write a book?

GINA LANCE: I first thought about writing it a few years back when I realized through the editorials I offered in GIRL TALK magazine that I was actually helping a great many people. I had never done anything in my life before where people actually walked up to me and said “You saved my life” or “You helped me explain crossdressing to my wife or S.O.” I was initially startled! I hadn’t realized at that point the power of my own keyboard and I was taken aback. I decided that from then on when I was doing television, radio and print interviews that I would do my best to show us all in a good light and try to change perceptions through example when I could.

BRIANNA: Well, let me be the first to congratulate you on completing it, which in of itself is an achievement.

GINA LANCE: Well thanks! It took a bit of time to get it together, but I’m really happy with the end result. I’ve been told it’s a good read and that certain people/groups will hate me for telling the truth and exposing them as bozos!

BRIANNA: You’ll have to elaborate on that!

GINA LANCE: I’m proud of who I am and I think every transgendered person should be proud of themselves too. Some in our community, and others in the mainstream, I believe show us in a bad or stupid light, and I wanted to counteract that, so I don’t hold back and I unload both barrels on them.

BRIANNA: So is this the start of the tranny wars?

GINA LANCE: [laughs], I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m sure that there will be some that are not going to be pleased with what I have to say.

BRIANNA: So what can one expect to find in GET DRESSED!?

GINA LANCE: Get Dressed! has some of my life story, what I’ve learned and how it can help other crossdressers. I made many mistakes breaking out of the TG closet and if I can help anyone else avoid those same mistakes, then I’m doing a good job. Many transgendered people are afraid to let most of the world know they are transgendered, and that’s fine. But there are others that are out of the TG closet and talking to the press, and I have my opinions about that. Part of my goal is that people in general need to know what we’re about.

BRIANNA: Did writing the book bring back any funny moments that you had forgotten?

GINA LANCE: Meeting you! Seriously, yes, there were incidents that I revisited when I was writing the book. I find it humorous that we all think we pass so well. One of the first times I was out dressed I was at the Southern Comfort Conference and I had to go to a grocery store to pick up a few items for Jin Bridges. I thought I was totally passable until I stepped out of the car. It was a wake up call because I was clocked by virtually every man, woman and child.

When I did the Roseanne Barr show I shared lunch with her. The guest before me made sandwiches with his feet, but I figured if she was going to eat one on national TV, so would I, and as it turned out, the sandwich was less disgusting than she was. Seriously though, eating the sandwich was easier than answering her insane questions.

BRIANNA: What was your favourite interview?

GINA LANCE: My favourite time being interviewed was when I subbed for a guest on a conservative radio talk show. How they found me, I’ll never know. They contacted me on short notice (about 5 minutes) and it was early evening and I had just had two martinis and I remember telling some irate caller that my personal hero was J. Edgar Hoover. There was stunned silence on the show.

The funniest interview I conducted was with actress Sally Kirkland — who did the whole interview lounging on her bed, eating shredded cheese, which continuously dropped on her ample bosom where her dog proceeded to nibble it off. And people wonder why I think life in general is hilarious

BRIANNA: Do you have any general advice for being a crossdresser?

GINA LANCE: Sure, just smile and be positive.

BRIANNA: When does Get Dressed! come out? And where can readers get a copy?

GINA LANCE: It ships Mid March this year. And I’ve learned through years of publishing that most TG’s would rather order online for books or products, and not try purchase something at say Border’s Books, so you can buy Get Dressed! right here. Orders are being taken right now and shipping as it comes off the press. It will also be available in the future at several other TG online websites.

For more information about Gina’s new book, check out Ginalance.com. LINK

by Vicki Secret, Safesextour.com writer

	Vicki Secret.

I am the one person that allot of people do not like. Very few people want to offer me jobs, opportunities, or bathroom use. I am the sex that is not listed on every government employment term. What am I you may ask? Sometimes I ask myself the same question.

My aunt once told that I will never truly be a woman no matter how much work I have and how many guys I date, I am still a boy by birth. I told her at least, I will never become a true man. This happen to me at the age of 18 going on 19.

I consider myself a pre op “transsexual”, sexually a “shemale”. Allot of girls like me hate the name “shemale”, they don’t even like the word “transgender”, but when it all comes down to it, allot of people call us, “it” or “that”. I hear those word all the time. I am a transsexual that pass 80 percent of the time depending on how I look. I can not walk out my house like normal women and go with the flow. To live this way cost allot of money because its not easy. I am not the prettiest, or the nicest, but I am me that for once I can say I am proud of.

I get in allot of fights because I call myself shemalesecret or shemalevicki. Its mostly with biological or born women and other transsexuals, post and pre-operational (pre-op). When people hear “shemale” that know what I am. Now in public, I am a woman majority of the time and I don’t tell people my personal business. I feel that a woman is not going to tell me hers, so why should I open up and tell her mine.

I don’t escort like allot of girls do, I was arrested 2007 of last year and that has taught me a lesson. I was very blessed that I had a good lawyer and a nice prosecuter that did not show hate on me the day of the trial. They referred to me as she and her, which is very odd, but I prepared myself for them.

You will see me on the net mostly nude. My everyday life is not like that. I live my life as a undercover nerd type. I am smart by many people, but they just don’t realize, I just be trying to survive and make it in society.

I am nicely endowed up to 7 inches and that is a problem when comes to finding a guy. Men think that because of my height of 5′ 9″ and I am black that I have a big something between my legs. I have a nice size something between my legs and I don’t care to use it really. I do use it at times, but that’s when I want to, not because it turns a guy on really.

I am not a pornstar, but more and activist, wanting to make change. My goal is to make that change. I pray that one day you will here that I am making a difference in the world.

You can call me a shemale, trannie, tgirl, transsexual, transvestite, cross dresser or whatever, but when it all comes down to it, I am just Vicki Secret.

Video LINK: Tgirl Cams. Totally FREE membership. Registration required for access.

Featured,  LINK: Alternative Lifestyles Personals. Free and Anonymous Membership.

Edited by John Stokes

Are you a Transgendered or a cross-dresser who is seeking a free ‘online’ social network? Are you a Tgirl admirer. The Canadian announces the development of a new and totally free ‘online’ social network for primarily for Tgirls and admirers. However this sexual diversity oriented social network is not restricted. This new social network can be used for ‘online’ dating, community activism, or business networking.

It has been observed that traditional social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook are fine decisions for those who want to get in to the social networking scene. They have tens of millions of members and are constantly growing at a rapid pace. The websites also have tons of features and a variety of options. For some people, the immense size of a social network is actually a deterrent to joining, as huge social networks can be quite intimidating.

Also, there is no focus on the big social networks, as they target everyone who has a computer and Internet connection. Maybe you are interested in a smaller, more targeted social network, one that is not threatening in the least bit and is tailored to your specific needs.

If you are a member of the diverse Transgendered community; or a cross-dresser, or an admirer, you may wish to check out The Canadian’s new social network. LINK

Video LINK: Tgirl Cams. Totally FREE membership. Registration required for access.

It’s Her Thing: How a beautiful woman with a little something extra got that way — and why “straight” men are lining up to meet her

by Amy Sohn

	New York’s Allanah Starr.

Allanah Starr is a pre-operative male-to-female transsexual, which means she looks like a woman from head to toe except for one very prominent thing. Like many other transsexuals, she works as an escort, and she also has a burgeoning adult-film career (Shemale Strokers #3 was her most recent) and a website, shemaleexotica.com, that gets more than 3,000 hits a day. She lives alone in midtown, in a dimly lit minimalist apartment, and has a framed poster of Warhol’s Marilyn above her plush red couch. She is also unbelievably hot. Her boobs put mine to shame — 36DD — and she has a tiny sculpted nose and wide eyes, all a result of the 30 surgeries she’s had in the past six years.

She looks like a contemporary Raquel Welch — so hyperfeminine she makes me feel plain. As she tells me her story in her soft voice, wearing a snug Alexander McQueen jacket that highlights her cleavage, her legs curled up under her on the couch, I find myself thinking that maybe these days, the ideal woman doesn’t have to be a woman at all.

Allanah, who says she’s in her mid-twenties, was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami as a shy, effeminate boy, more interested in girls’ clothing than boys’. “I always saw myself as a girl in a way. I would play with my sister’s toys, but I had to stop playing with them when my father came home.”

She came out at 15, became involved in a gay-and-lesbian youth group, started taking drama, and got more confident, winning a school contest for her drag performance of Julie Brown’s “The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun.” After high school, she attended a fashion college and began going to gay clubs at night. “I wasn’t going in drag,” she says, “but I was really androgynous — a lot of foundation that was the wrong color, mascara and lip gloss, my hair down to my shoulders. Most of the guys had no interest in me because I was so effeminate.”

Allanah Starr and Gia Darling who both Transsexuals at a night club.

But she was professionally driven and started dancing at clubs for money. “I was more interested in being shocking and bizarre than pretty,” Allanah says. When the club work started drying up, she got a job at tranny theme restaurant Lucky Cheng’s in Miami (in drag), where she met some transsexual waitresses. “I started thinking, When I get older, do I want to be a really effeminate old gay man, or do I want to be a girl and explore all these things that I always wanted to do?”

With help from a co-worker, she began taking hormones and getting electrolysis. She found a plastic surgeon and got a nose job, an ear pin, and breast implants. She assumed a female name, coming up with Allanah later, when she started doing porn.

	Allanah Starr

Those first surgeries were funded by a friend, an older man she met at Lucky Cheng’s: “He was helping me out quite a bit. We didn’t have sex. He said he was impotent. Then Viagra came out and I stopped seeing him.” Eventually he disappeared and the restaurant closed down, so she turned to escorting. “I’d never had a regular job, and I just couldn’t see myself working somewhere for $10 an hour. It’s an expensive lifestyle,” she says.

She moved to New York four years ago to work for an agency, and now she works for herself. The men who like transsexuals are a diverse bunch, she says. Almost all are interested in the thing that makes Allanah so special. “A lot of them are submissive,” she says. Some guys are turned on by it, but “they can’t deal with touching it.”

“Are there a lot of guys like that?” I ask.

“Very few,” she says.

The most annoying thing about being a transsexual is that guys always want to dish with her about that annoying topic called What It All Means. “Of course they all think they’re gay. I avoid that conversation. I can’t deal with people who have issues.”

Part of the problem is, there’s no language yet to describe men who are drawn to trannies — or, as a friend of mine puts it, “transgressives.” My own guess is that they fall into four subcategories: closeted gay men who need the T & A so they don’t freak out about the ‘D‘; bisexual men who can get both needs met at the same time; porn-addicted men who need to keep crossing new boundaries to get aroused; and straight guys who nonetheless have a narcissistic attraction to the penis.

	Graphic credit: Zohar Lazar.

Allanah’s sexuality is much more simple: She likes men and is okay with it. Though she’d like to be in a serious relationship, she doesn’t think it’s likely in the near future. For one thing, the guy would have to accept her work; for another, he’d have to accept his own attraction to her. For now she leads an independent lifestyle, doing movies to help with publicity and escorting to pay for her surgeries. “Surgery is kind of an obsession,” she says. “I’m totally addicted to altering my appearance, and I’m not really satisfied with anything. Transsexuals are very vain. Your whole life is your appearance.”

As for the surgical hole-y grail, she’s not sure. “There’s an assumption that a sex change is the final goal for everyone, and I don’t think it is,” she says. “If I do it, it’s going to be just for myself, not because I think it’s going to be a way of solving all the problems that I have now being pre-op.” And financially, as with any career, it helps to have a penis: In porn films, transsexuals start at about $1,000 to $1,500 per scene while women’s rates are about half that.

Still, sometimes she wishes she’d known more about her options earlier. “I think my life would have been different if I had started transitioning when I was younger and gotten a sex change. I could have had a regular career. And I probably would be able to find a serious relationship.” She pauses, and then we both grin, thinking the same thing. “I know,” she says. “I guess in New York, genetic women have a hard time finding relationships, too.”

This article first appeared in New York magazine. LINK

Video LINK: Tgirls cams.  Totally free membership.

by Nikki S., Transgender Section columnist

When young Simmie Williams was shot and killed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, CBS 4 news ran the following headline:

“Gay Teen Gunned Down Dressed As Woman In Ft. Laud, FL”

The article goes on to describe the details of the murder, and questions whether Simmie was the victim of a hate crime:

Source: CBS4 LINK

	Simmie Williams: murdered for daring to cross gender boundaries.

Now, any reasonable person would realize that Simmie was indeed murdered out of hate; the question is, what was it about Simmie that incited such a disgusting, violent reaction? Was it indeed, as the article suggests, because Simmie was “gay” meaning homosexual? Or was it because Simmie, assigned male at birth, dared to present a female appearance and attract male attention? In short, was Simmie killed or being gay, or for being transgendered?

The truth is, it doesn’t matter what category Simmie fits into, or under which type of hate crime legislation his murderers are charged. For more than any other reason, Simmie was killed for daring to cross gender boundaries.

Think about it for a moment, and it will seem a lot clearer. Homophobia is a very real phenomenon, and countless individuals have been subjected to horrifying acts of violence simply for engaging in same-sex activity. But who has the bigger bulls-eye on their forehead? Is it the straight-acting, suit-wearing, buff-and-bearded tough guy, who just prefers the company of men, and is “normal” in every other way? Or is it the effeminate fashion designer, with the tight pants, plucked eyebrows, earrings and eyeliner, “swishing” down the street? Which of these people receives the lion’s share of abuse?

Is it homosexual who follows the rigidly-enforced gender code, or the homosexual that breaks the gender boundary as well, and freely expresses his feminine traits?

The same is true of female homosexuals as well. The feminine, attractive “lipstick lesbian” is revered by society, accepted by nearly everyone, and constantly eroticized by straight men; does her flannel-shirt wearing, make-up rejecting, short-haired sister receive the same respect? Of course not; the “butch dyke” is despised nearly as much as the “flamboyant fag” because she dares to express her masculinity in a way that makes others, particularly men with fragile egos, incredibly uncomfortable. Because she refuses to accept her secondary status in society, she’s ridiculed, rejected and disrespected, by women and men alike.

Transphobia is rampant in our society. A man who dares to go out in public in a sundress and heels is constantly subjected to ridicule, regardless of that person’s sexual preference; nobody stops to ask about sexuality before hurling insults, eggs, or rocks in that person’s direction. Transgendered prostitutes, like other, non-trans sex workers, are routinely attacked and murdered, often in broad daylight, and the police rarely make it a priority to capture the culprits. A transgendered prostitute who is arrested for solicitation is placed in a male prison, making them subject to further violence, particularly rape and sexual assault; the guards will usually passively watch, or even laugh and participate.

The hateful components of society specifically target people who refuse to accept the role that others have assigned to them; the masculine man, or the feminine woman. By choosing to reject these expectations, we put ourselves at tremendous risk. Violence against gender non-conformists rampant, as is discrimination in the workplace, the legal system, and even in politics.

	Nikki S. Photo credit: Goodhandy.com.

We need to end the cycle of violence, speak out against transphobia, homophobia, and all forms of gender-bashing, and realize that the old, outdated stereotypes of masculinity and femininity have no place in a modern society. If we tear apart the gender binary, the patriarchy will come crashing down with it – only then will male privilege begin to wane, and we’ll be one step closer to true equality of the sexes.

That’s another article, for another time – for now, let’s just accept people as people; nothing more, nothing less.

About the writer:

Nikki S. is a transsexual from Toronto, attending University of Toronto for Sexual Diversity Studies and working towards her Master’s in Counselling Psychology. Her goal is to become a psychologist specializing in gender issues and helping others in the GLBT and Trans communities.

She also appears regularly at Goodhandy’s as one of the ‘Diamond Girl’ dancers, and is also involved with several community and political organizations working to improve the lives of transpeople everywhere. Her email is agora_nikki@hotmail.com.

Video LINK: Tgirl Cams. Totally FREE membership. Registration required for access.

by Brianna Austin

	Brianna Austin.

Faced with confrontation, what’s a TG girl to do?

I was walking down Broadway in Manhattan — a small group of friends in tow – when just as I crossed

West 22nd Street I heard a voice shout out, “Hey, beautiful, is that an Adam’s Apple you have”? I turned, with a grin upon my face and saw four or five guys in their late-20s, sitting in their compact car (no doubt part of the “bridge-and-tunnel-crowd” that descend upon Manhattan from New Jersey, Connecticut and the other New York boroughs each weekend) laughing as they waited for the light to change.

Honey, that’s the least of what I have,” I said with a giggle, prompting them to laugh once more. We then engaged in a playful banter for the next few moments. Were they initially laughing at me? Perhaps, though I wasn’t sure, but, now, they were laughing with me. As the light changed they pulled off with a parting, “you’re pretty cool, have a great night!” And so I did.

Since I had walked out of the closet so many years ago, encounters like these had become a regular occurrence for me. I don’t necessarily go looking for them; but it’s pretty hard not to find them when you’re walking down the street in a pink, spaghetti strap, Gucci mini-dress and matching spiked sandals. And though things don’t always go so smoothly, I have to say that most times they do.

For all the remarks that are aimed at me, I never took any of them too seriously. Several of my friends were offended at the Adam’s Apple remark, and given the chance would have opted for a simple, “Fuck you,” or some other aggressive response. But it seems to me that many of the guys who are arrogant with TG girls are often insecure within themselves to start with, making for a potentially explosive situation. So, when met with head on anger it is a breeding ground for physical confrontation. Leaving me to wonder why any TG would risk the possibility of physical harm as their first course of action? What purpose could such an action provide?

Even if I had taken an aggressive stance, met a physical confrontation head on, and emerged victorious, what is the prize? The odds are higher that I would have ruined my new shoes rather than changed anyone’s views about me. Not to mention that the rest of the evening I would have been all worked up emotionally, only to have me right back where it all started anyway.

That’s not to say that I take everything that comes along, because sometimes, you just have to stand your ground. But I at least try to give the antagonist a way out by trying to ease the tension first. If it doesn’t work, then sometimes you have to decide your next option. In fact later that same night, outside of Centro Fly, the club we were en route to, another fellow yelled out from his SUV, as he was waiting to park.

Again – with a smile – I found myself in a verbal banter; however, this time was different. This guy was hostile and arrogant. The more my remarks brought laughs from his friends, the angrier he became. But, I never downgraded him; I only made light of the situation. It is easy to keep a lighthearted mood if you don’t allow people under your skin.

By realizing that their words don’t define you, but only them, makes that easier to do. Someone calling me a freak, fairy or jerk doesn’t necessarily make me those things; but does define them for saying it. With every insult he threw, I tossed back something light and easy, until finally, when he had been verbally out jousted long enough, he screamed, “ I’m gonna kick your ass fagot!”

What was I to do? My friends were quite stunned when I reached down and took my shoes off, looked at him and quietly said, “OK, come on. How bad a beating I give you will depend on how dirty you get my dress.” He stood there a long minute, absorbing the words, and finally, cracked a smile and started to laugh. And that was that.

Maybe he realized how ridiculous the whole affair was, or perhaps he suddenly realized that had he lost his friends would never have let him live it down. Still, right until the very end I kept offering him a way out through humour, and just in time, he took it. Confronting someone is always a last resort however, and only if you’re confident you can handle the situation. Otherwise just walk away: use your head, not your ego. Believe me, I have walked away from many hostile situations where I felt that I was in danger.

For the most part I have found that being candidly transgender disarms people. Straight guys love to yell, “You’re a guy,” or something to that effect. But, when you shrug it off as though “Your point being,” what else is there really left for them to say? Their punch line came and went, and had no effect. When they then know that you know that they know, everyone is more comfortable. That doesn’t imply abusing yourself for their sake, but rather making light of the obvious.

There are times when being TG can be funny, and onlookers shouldn’t be expected to pretend that something out of “their” ordinary hasn’t occurred. When someone yells out, “Hey, you’re a guy,” that’s an observation not necessarily an insult. And even if it is first intended to be, most people chuckle when my friend Dahlia would counter, “Thanks for reminding me, I had almost forgotten.”

In the end, we are new to people in the mainstream, and many, especially young straight guys, are intimidated and insecure. So, to cover it up they try their hand at an insult for laughs. Our society breeds contempt and insult, just watch any of the late night talk shows. So I say, there is too much drama in the world already, why add to it. Does it make you feel better to be hostile in trying to make a statement? Get over it, and make your point by example: live and let live with a smile. Even if the other person is a little slow to grab the idea, usually they’ll realize how silly they are acting in time. Besides, wouldn’t you rather be trying on a new pair of shoes?

Until next time, be happy, be safe, and always think pretty.

About the writer:

Brianna Austin is co-author of “I’d Do It Again,” a free lance writer, and publisher of TG Life, LINK, a website by, for and about the transgender community.

Become a member of The Canadian Tgirl Newspaper, with your donation-pledge. Help support independent, progressive, and not-for-profit journalism.

by Brianna Austin

	Brianna Austin.

What makes the crossdresser? Is it the clothes, the attitude, or the inner glow of stirred feelings? If it were 3 million years B.C., would we, could we still be cross-dressers? I sometimes wonder if in another time or place we would pursue our femme self. Some of the (lets refer to all as) T-girls ACT feminine, some LOOK feminine, and some simply FEEL feminine — or a combination thereof.

In 3,00,000 B.C would we all shuffle off to a remote cave, put leaves over our nipples and saunter about? I wonder. Would that really stimulate us? By looking at this bizarre idea one might have a fresh perspective, and possibly isolate the source of their feminine motivation. I started to ask myself these questions because I have noticed over the years how the source of my delights have shifted. I can identify with many who in early life experienced a definite sexual energy when dressing. I also recall thinking, “what would it like to be a girl?” And I’ve spent the next four decades pursuing answers to that question.

Sometimes you have to look at life from a silly perspective

Growing up I lived vicariously through the girls on TV — usually the one’s with short skirts. Of course as you all know, when puberty kicked in, it was a thrilling surprise. As I got older I remember on certain occasions, after orgasm, feeling embarrassed and ashamed of myself, and like many, swore it was the last time. These past few years I enjoy the simple sense of being my femme self, and in fact usually do not orgasm in direct response to dressing up. For me dressing was just a way to express something that the inner me that I couldn’t express as a male. I guess that is rather obvious.

Sexuality plays a part in our evolution, regardless of our orientation, and even heterosexual cross dressers (some, not all) go through a phase where they wonder about men. And that too can be motivated by different things, such as genuine attraction, or the need for being validated as a woman.

I have had boyfriends and wondered if I — like others — was just gay and afraid to admit it. But for a time I did identify as gay, so my motivations were not based on a fear to say so, and I came to the realization that sexual relations with men was not the motivation for me to dress. I dressed because there is something about that girl I enjoy having around. But who am I dressed that I’m not as a man? Brianna is silly, playful, fearless, and less on-guard. Yet the fearless part could almost be considered aggressive, which ironically is usually seen as a male characteristic. How can I as a man dressed as a woman be more (or at least equally as) comfortable as I am as a man? I am confident as a woman even though I am aware that the general public sees me as a man in a dress.

But back to the original questions: As cavemen would we, could we be crossdressers? And if not, how would we manifest whatever it is that our female persona satisfies? Had I not pursued my female persona to the extent I have, I really think that I would be dressing, jerking off, going to bed and then doing it all over again the next time. So my search continues. I have not yet discovered the “why” yet, but I have been able to discover some of the “why nots,” and I guess that is as good a place to start.

Happy hunting, girls, let the journey continue one dance at a time.

As always, be happy, be safe, and think pretty.

About the writer:

Brianna Austin is co-author of “I’d Do It Again,” a free lance writer, and publisher of TG Life, LINK, a website by, for and about the transgender community.

Video LINK: Tgirl Cams. Totally FREE membership. Registration required for access.

No webcam required to see and hear people. Free unlimited messages, high quality video and audio rooms, videochat 1-on-1 with someone. Live streaming audio and video with our live webcam.

http://www.icutoo.com

A camgirl is a women who owns a webcam and choosing to broadcast on the internet. She could be broadcasting live streaming video, photos or a combination of both. Every since the webcam has been invented you will see women using it to manipulate and create their own fame. There is a phrase in the documentary movie “Camgirls” that a with an internet connection and webcam your no longer famous for 15 minutes your now famous to 15 people.

I believe now in the last 10 years or so there is about over 1000s girls online who are considered camgirls and I am one of them. In 2003 I was introduced to a webcam never really knew anything about it never had one in the home and never seen a webcam site on the net .I have seen porn sure but nothing live and in real time expect for using msn messenger back then msn was just chat with no cam feature as it is today.

They say the very first web camgirl site out there was the Jennicam. Jenni made her site back in 1996 ! until about 2003.  Her webcam archives are all over the net so which is something to consider when you become a camgirl your image is pretty much immortal. It is reported that Jenni cam went off to work in a web design firm and as far as we know she has no plans of bringing back jennicam, but her image lives forever as long as someone has a photo from her cams. I never got to experience viewing the Jennicam by time I got full experienced with being a webcam model the site was taken down.

From the documentary camgirls are feminist/professor Theressa M. Senft decided to start a webcam site to see how being a camgirl could make such an impact. Her segment in the documentary is very insightful. Thressa has also wrote a book called Camgirls: Celebrity and a community in the age of social networks. Something I will have to purchase and definitely write a review about.

There are hundreds of webcams out there on the market and there is pretty much a new webcam out there every few months. I try and make sure I personally test out webcams out there on the market to save camgirls time before purchasing a webcam.

You do not need to spend alot of money on a webcam if your buying the right webcam, spending about $25 to $200 on a webcam can be a good investment since. You do make that money within a month of being online as a webcam model, some camgirls are even able to make that money back within a few hours of work.

So your in the store about to buy a webcam, and your pretty much overwelmed with all the boxes in front of you that have a webcam in them. You pretty much want to get a webcam where has simple words to understand on the box.

At Regal Autosport we are aware that our customers always want more power from their cars, regardless of what the base vehicle is.

We were recently approached by the owner of a Mk4 Golf 1.4 16v in search of a few extra horsepower, but didn’t want to go for an engine swap, he just wanted to extract a few brake from the factory powerplant.

Again we teamed up with the guys over at Dbilas Dynamic in Germany who offer a range of parts for the lower capacity engines. Flowmaster air intake, Flowtec high-flow inlet manifold and up-rated cam shafts teamed with a Jetex cat-back exhaust system all tied together with Dbilas ECU software.

With this combination of parts on the 1.4 engine and remapped to suit you should see gains of approx 35bhp!

These items are not just for the Golf! All of the above Dbilas parts are also available for the Polo 6n2 and Lupo 1.4 and 1.6 16v models including the GTi versions and other models across the VAG range

Pricing depends on spec, but please do not hesitate to call us on 02380 558636 for a quote.

As we enter our third week at Red Rocks Canyon we still haven’t given in to the Las Vegas glitter and we keep on climbing, stronger than ever. We haven’t entered a single casino or even fooled around with all the conveniently located gambling machines, though I’m surprised Las Vegas isn’t audacious enough to put a slot machine right inside all the toilet stalls in the city. No doubt that would coax even the least interested to gamble, as staring it right in the face without taking a chance would seem a little unfulfilling.

Our gear is part of us. We take care of all of it and treat it like an extension of our bodies. In return it treats us well, or maybe ‘fairly’ would be more accurate. The cams respond to a squeeze of my fingers. They’ve lost some of their color from the many times I’ve placed them inside a crack to protect me from any potential falls. This gear holds me from hitting the ground were I to fall. I trust it and have learned to use it well. I think about the direction of the force that would be exerted on the piece, and then place it accordingly. Each piece should be set with the intention that it could withstand a fall. I gain confidence from each piece that I place, and keep climbing past it. It suits the part of my mind that should have been an engineer. It’s that confidence that allows me to keep climbing harder and harder routes. I can place gear as I see fit. I stitch up a climb if it’s difficult and I conserve pieces and energy in the stretches that don’t warrant protection. The placing protection component of trad climbing might be the most dynamic element that always keeps things interesting.

This climb is called The Fox. It’s a 10d dihedral crack that starts at fingers moves quickly past thin hands to hands and then mandates a lieback through an off width section and then finishes on a slabby, balancy arête. This climb has been the feature presentation of my dreams. Kristine and I have hiked up there twice since the first time I saw the climb, which isn’t a small feat since it’s a solid 45 minutes scrambling up boulders to the climb. I’ve hiked up to the top of the climb and set up a natural anchor from which I top-roped the climb. The second time I had Kristine accompany me to the top and taught her about the anchor I built and then we both rappelled to the base of the climb. Here’s Kristine in perfect style with The Fox to her left.

As much as I’d love to I don’t think I’ll be leading the climb before I leave. It’s part that I need to simply do it, but I also don’t have big enough cams to adequately protect the crack where it opens up. My mind can manage the tension while on top rope, but I don’t think my nerves would stay as calm if I was working myself up the slabby arête knowing my last piece was fifteen or more feet below me. For now I’ll remain content with my top-roping feat of this climb, but continue to dream of the day when I’ll lead it. Here are my boney knees, a bloody pinky, and my limp forearms after my second go at The Fox.

   Welcome to my first topical post “What is Money Laundering?” Well, money laundering, quite simply, is the process of making dirty money appear clean. The Financial Action Task Force, FATF for short, is the multinational body that sets the global tone for AML efforts. Formed in 1989, it is based in Paris.

   Its working definition of ML: (1) The conversion or transfer of property knowing it is derived from a criminal offense, for the purpose of concealing or disguising its illicit origin or of assisting any person who is involved in the commission of the crime to evade the legal consequences of his actions, (2) The concealment or disguising of the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement, rights with respect to, or ownership of property knowing that it is derived from a criminal offense, and (3) The acquisition, possession or use of property, knowing at the time of its receipt that it was derived from a  criminal offense or from participation in a crime

   As you see, in each part of the definition, the word “Knowing” is used. While that is a critical element, I will discuss in my next posting the concept of Willful Blindness – which generally will prevent someone from just saying, “I didn’t know” and getting away with it.

Until then, thank you for reading.

And coming soon, my website:  www.AML-Assassin.com

Секс – это то, что всегда беспокоит умы людей. Для некоторых это простое удовлетворение физических потребностей, для вторых – развлечения, для третьих – смысл жизни. Так или иначе, секс является частью нашей личной жизни.

Сейчас сексуальные услуги перешли на следующий уровень – виртуальный. Связано это с появлением секс видео чатов(ChatInLive.Ru). Что это такое? – для многих это понятие совершенно новое. Конечно же, современных пользователей не удивишь такой услугой, как простой видео чат, где люди общаются в режиме онлайн. Так вот, эротический видео чат – это расширенный видео чат, который создан для реализации такой услуги, как виртуальный секс. Понятие довольно новое и ещё не так широко распространено, как в западных странах. Однако на сегодняшний день в рунете появляется всё больше и больше видео чатов эротической направленности.