augusto marketable: Washington Times: Taliban infiltrate social media

Washington Times: Taliban infiltrate social media

Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 02:49 PM - Twitter, News Stories, Facebook

It's no shock to hear that the Taliban are using social media.

A year ago I briefly touched on the subject with this article: Why do Facebook and Twitter allow Taliban?

Now a major paper The Washington Times is covering the topic.

Bill Gertz writes, "The increasing use of the Internet and cellular telephones with access to the Web is a relatively new feature of life in Afghanistan, and military officials say the Taliban are exploiting the new social-media platforms for their Islamist aims."

Gertz points out that U.S. Central Command contacts sites like Facebook and Twitter urging them to take down the account because it violates their terms of service.? Facebook is the most responsive according to the story, often deleting accounts that are used to recruit.

It's good to hear Facebook has been the most responsive, but Twitter has historically been slow to respond, if it?s responded at all.

One well-known Twitter account of the Taliban continues to be online, even after being named in the news over and over and getting into a war of words online with the U.S. military and other nations who send troops to Afghanistan.

While I?m not sure how Gertz came to this conclusion, he says in some cases, the Taliban?s use of social media has outpaced that of NATO and U.S. forces.

Read more: Inside the Ring: Taliban infiltrate social media - Washington Times

News: The Army 'likes' social media

Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 03:51 AM - News Stories Army ?likes? social media.? Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr have changed the way information is transmitted worldwide. Lightning fast posts and responses give users the opportunity to always be informed. The instantaneous gathering and distribution of information by social media sites can help spread the Army?s message.? The U.S. Army Social Media Handbook describes social media as a way of telling the Army?s story honestly and directly to America...
(DVIDS)

Satirical website The Duffel Blog dupes news sites with bogus stories. The Duffel Blog ? also on Facebook (13,600 fans) and Twitter (1,450 followers) ? is starting to gain a following among service members and veterans.? It aims not only to poke fun at military culture and foibles through humor and ridiculousness, but also to provide social commentary that can raise awareness on serious issues such as PTSD and suicide, said founder Paul Szoldra. It compares itself to The Onion, but with a military bent...
(NBCNews.com)

Veteran Japanese war correspondent killed while covering fighting in Syria.? A veteran Japanese war correspondent was shot and killed while covering Syria?s civil war, her family and the government said Tuesday.? Mika Yamamoto worked for The Japan Press, an independent TV news provider that specializes in conflict zone coverage.? She was hit by gunfire Monday while she and a colleague were traveling with the Free Syrian Army in the northwestern city of Aleppo, said Masaru Sato, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo...
(The Washington Post)

Pentagon preps new social media rules. The Pentagon is late on issuing it?s latest set of rules for service members on how to use popular social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.? Defense Department officials have been working towards a new directive on social media to replace the old rules that were set to expire July 15. The expiration date was extended when it became clear leadership couldn?t settle on new guidance until later this year. No specific date has been given for the release...
(Defense Tech)

Quora makes answers embeddable for easier use by journalists. The social question-and-answer website Quora released a new feature today that makes it easier for journalists and other publishers to quote from the expert answers posted on the network. Just highlight specific text in an answer and click the ?embed quote? button, or go to the bottom of the answer and click the ?embed? link to grab the whole thing. The popup provides an embed code to paste into your story...
(Poynter)

India Debates Misuse of Social Media. India has blocked more than 250 websites after provocative online content spread panic among people from the country's northeast, prompting some of them to flee Indian cities.? The crackdown has sparked a debate about how the country will cope with misuse of social media.? Officials say the websites that were blocked had posted edited images and videos of victims of earthquakes and claimed they were those of Muslim victims caught in recent ethnic strife in India's northeastern Assam state and Burma...
(VOANews)

Top 25 Military Mom Blogs Contest Winners

Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 04:37 AM

This month, I?ve been covering the Circle of Moms Top 25 Military Mom Blogs contest, which recognizes and promotes military moms who blog.? Well, the contest ended last week and the results are in.

Here?s a look at the Top 10:

#1 The Only Girl Among Boys
A sometimes humorous, always honest look at the life of a military family enduring the ups and downs of deployments while raising four little boys. Always trying to look for ways to encourage other wives and moms on this same ride!
http://www.theonlygirlamongboys.blogspot.com/

# 2 The Meat and Potatoes of Life
Lisa dishes up a heaping helping of hilarious and heartwarming stories about marriage, parenting and military life. Her syndicated humor column appears in newspapers, Stars & Stripes Military Moms website, Military Spouse magazine, and on her blog.
http://themeatandpotatoesoflife.com/

#3 The Deployment Diatribes, (News From the Commander In Chief @ Home)
Erin is a Navy Wife and Mom to 4 boys, including one with Autism. She writes about military family life, deployment issues, Autism, and no-nonsense parenting.
http://www.deploymentdiatribes.wordpress.com/

#4 Hooah and Hiccups
My journey from college grad, to Army wife, to new mom! I write about everyday occurrences, current events, and other topics relevant to Military life and motherhood.
http://hooahandhiccups.blogspot.com/

#5 Random Rants of an Army Wife
Updates on my life as the wife of an injured Special Operator in the US Army as we adjust to life with his brain injury, mother of an adorable toddler who loves to test my patience and an adorable 7 month old.
http://randomarmywife.blogspot.com/

#6 5 Nuts in a Nutshell
Just a crazy family trying to juggle 3 boys (4 if you include daddy-dearest), Army life, school, and everything in between!
http://nutsinanutshell.blogspot.com/

#7 Embracing This Life
A blog from a young military wife about embracing this life. We'll chat about the military, marriage, motherhood, weight loss, and all things around the house.
http://embracingthislife.com/

#8 Tips For Military Families
Daily tips posted to help military families and members not just survive military life but thrive. Tips on postings, deployments, re-integrations, etc.
http://blog.whileyouwereaway.org/

#9 This Fabulous Army Life
Living the Army life ... one fabulous day at a time! Musings include thoughts on parenting, raising boys, kids' crafts, Army life with its joys and challenges, and other fabulous events in this Army life!
http://fabulousarmylife.blogspot.com/

#10 Writings of an Air Force Wife
Air Force wife. Mom of 2. Currently undergoing our 7th deployment. I write about our everyday little moments. I live a creative life full of painting, photography, DIY projects, decorating & more. Life is either a grand adventure, or nothing. -Helen Keller
http://www.emily-roe.blogspot.com/

For a full list of winners, go here.

News: Vet detained for anti-govt Facebook posts

Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 02:49 AM - News Stories Outcry after military veteran detained for anti-government Facebook posts. A former Marine involuntarily detained for psychiatric evaluation for posting strident anti-government messages on Facebook has received an outpouring of support from people who say authorities are trampling on his First Amendment rights.? Brandon J. Raub, 26, has been in custody since FBI, Secret Service agents and police in Virginia's Chesterfield County questioned him Thursday evening about what they said were ominous posts talking about a coming revolution. In one message earlier this month according to authorities, Raub wrote: "Sharpen my axe; I'm here to sever heads."
(Fox News)

Military satire site manages to fool some people. If you're surfing the Internet and happen to land on The Duffel Blog ? it's at duffelblog.com ? don't do what the folks at Gizmodo and Yell! did and believe anything you read.? That's because The Duffel Blog, the 5-month-old creation of University of Tampa senior and former Marine Sgt. Paul Szoldra, is a satire site, full of fake news about the military...?
(TBO.com)

Burmese blogger speaks out against Islamophobia. Nay Phone Latt had been sentenced to twenty years in prison by the Burmese military junta for his links to the ?Saffron Revolution? Buddhist monk led protests back in 2007. He was freed, along with hundreds of others at the beginning of the year, as part of a political prisoner amnesty decreed by the government which has recently undertaken a series of reforms.? The 32 year old blogger is now one of the few people in Burma to speak out against Islamophobia...
(FRANCE 24)

American Legion finds unexpected treasure in attic with discover of World War I bond posters.? We've all heard the stories. People rummaging around in their attics or cleaning out basements and stumbling upon relics of the past or priceless artifacts or heirlooms.? TV programs would make you believe stuff like that happens every day ... it just never happens to us.? But it has happened in Greencastle, and the Putnam County Museum has become the beneficiary...
(The Republic)

"Ridiculously Photogenic Syrian Rebel Fighter"

Monday, August 20, 2012, 03:28 PM - News Stories

Reddit: Ridiculously Photogenic Syrian Rebel Fighter

I stumbled upon this image via a Reddit thread as I was reading another story about a Burmese blogger for my regular news roundup.

According to FRANCE 24, "in the space of a few days, a Syrian rebel has unwittingly become the object of all sorts of fantasies ? the opponent of the Bashar al-Assad regime was photographed in the region of the city of Idlib on June 15 by Khalil Hamra a journalist for the ?Associated Press? news agency. "

The Reddit thread (which was posted about 5 days ago) is called "I present: Ridiculously Photogenic Syrian Rebel Fighter" and it was posted to the pics subreddit, a place on Reddit to share interesting photographs and pictures.

The thread has nearly 1,000 comments as of today.

Many posted comments like this:

"Seriously, how can he be in the middle of a civil war and have hair like that?"

"To be fair though, everybody looks cool when they're holding an RPG like that."

"It's a hot night. The mind races. You think about your knife; the only friend who hasn't betrayed you, the only friend who won't be dead by sun up. Sleep tight, mates, in your quilted Chambray nightshirts."

"All the ladies want him.
All the guys want to be him.
All the Syrian Army want to kill him.
Ridiculously Photogenic Rebel
in cinemas 2013"
You can read the full Reddit thread here.

You can view the image here, which has been viewed over half a million times.

Source: FRANCE 24

News: Letters from Afghanistan

Sunday, August 19, 2012, 07:11 PM - News Stories Letters from Afghanistan: Captain from Pensacola prepares to leave war front. Two weeks ago, we received an email from Army Reserve Capt. Dave Drasutis, a Pensacola resident and a lifetime Gulf Coast resident. He was writing from Afghanistan, where he is currently stationed, to comment on our new Homefront section.? From that conversation, we invited him to write a weekly series of letters from Afghanistan. Dave said he was returning home soon and wondered if the letters would be worthwhile.
(Pensacola News Journal)

WW2 vet shares his story at Darien event. World War II veterans were honored at the Darien Atria for the 67th anniversary of V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day) on Sunday in an event featuring speeches by local and national politicians.? U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, along with Congressman Jim Himes (D-4), state Sens. Bob Duff (D-25) and Carlo Leone (D-27), State Rep. Terrie Wood (R-141) made speeches. Darien Selectman John Lundeen read a proclamation.
(Darien News)

Facebook post threatening B.C. mosque sparks investigation.? Police in Victoria are investigating disturbing comments made on Facebook threatening an attack on the city?s new mosque with a rocket launcher.? On a Facebook page called ?I Love Downtown Victoria? a poster identifying himself as Dan Speed wrote, ?that?s not good? in reference to the Muslim place of worship.? ?Blast it with an 84mm Carl Gustaf,? he added in a subsequent post.
(CTVNews)

NATO, Taliban in war of words over Afghan deaths. A suicide bombing at a wedding, a deadly airstrike on a village, grenades in a mosque - hundreds of Afghan civilians are dying violently this summer, while the Taliban and the NATO coalition wage verbal warfare.? A U.N. report says 1,145 civilians were killed and 1,954 others injured during the first half of the year, 80 percent of them by militants.? But like other aspects of this decade-long war, facts are often obscured by perception and propaganda.
(NBC29)

The Duffel Blog getting more mainstream coverage

Saturday, August 18, 2012, 10:33 AM - News Stories Congrats are in order for The Duffel Blog and the site?s writers as they continue to get more mainstream news coverage and be recognized for their writing talents.

On Wednesday, I wrote about The Duffel Blog being featured in the Military Times, but if you?ve been watching the headlines, other news sites like USA Today are buzzing about the site?s satirical look at the military.

To give you an idea just how fast the site is spreading: On Wednesday, it enjoyed nearly 9,000 Facebook likes.? Today, the site is flirting with 13,000 Likes in a few short days.

The site is being compared to The Onion, another satirical website that is extremely popular.

Here?s a roundup of what the likes of USA Today have to say about The Duffel Blog:

USA Today says, "The Duffel Blog's fake military news hits the spot."

Business Insider writes, "It's about time the blog exploded with traffic. Duffel Blog has been steadily growing in popularity, making news across the web with its pitch-perfect satire of life in the employment of the Department of Defense."

Military Times: ?Szoldra and Stormtrooper said their growing audience, along with the success of the ?Terminal Lance? comic strip, shows there?s an appetite for a humorous, but clever, look at military life.?

Gov't-wide social media registry opened to public

Saturday, August 18, 2012, 10:11 AM - News Stories GSA opens public portal to governmentwide social media registry.? The public can now verify whether a Google+ page is legit and whether the IRS really is on Pinterest.? The GSA has put together a one-stop shop for federal agencies, elected officials (but not campaign accounts) and programs that manage official LinkedIn pages, Meetup groups or Twitter feeds to register all of those accounts in a governmentwide database.? The public can access the full database of URLs via USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov. Social media sites are hosted on commercial domains and lack the telltale .gov or .mil domain tags that help the public know they are visiting a legitimate government site, the GSA said in a statement Thursday...
(Federal News Radio)

The Reality Military Shows Will Never Air. Army Wives: Alaska. Coming Home. Stars Earn Stripes. There's a lot of interest in the reality of military life. But even with all of these shows, I'm left wondering about what story they are telling because, for the past decade, most of the military families I know have been living a reality that I don't see on primetime.? Episode one of any show I've watched doesn't feature deployment number five which is a coming attraction over in my friends' living room next month. Where's the show called "Leaving Home," documenting the crying on the front end of a year apart? Note the crying kids in unmatched shirts in the background. Oh, and those beautiful homecomings. Those big, flag draped hangars filled with soldiers. I wish every real life reunion installment ended that way.? Maybe I could write an episode for a new series...
(Huffington Post)

Civil war documentary to feature Carroll County sites. When Maryland Public Television debuts "The Heart of the Civil War" on Sept. 11, it will showcase many Carroll County sites.? The hour-long documentary features areas like Westminster and Uniontown and battlefields that were critical to both sides in the war between the states.? The film includes footage of the most crucial territories where Confederate and Union forces battled for strategic advantage in Carroll, Frederick and Washington counties. The story focuses on Maryland residents enmeshed in the famous battles, whose sites still draw hundreds of tourists annually...
(Baltimore Sun)

Military-media relationship. THE world over, the media and the military have never had an easy relationship.? In Pakistan?s case the issue is more than usually complicated. The military wants favourable coverage of the several military operations undertaken in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, but reporters have difficulties dealing with their uniformed hosts.? Gen Pervez Kayani?s visit to Swat some time ago highlights the issue. Local journalists were informed about the visit on May 22, and they rushed to Bari Kot where the army chief was inaugurating a bridge on the River Swat.? What followed, however, was irritating...
(DAWN.COM)

Reddit Thread: I Am A bomb technician

Friday, August 17, 2012, 02:40 AM - News Stories Michael Kelley, a writer for Business Insider, highlighted an interesting ?IAmA? thread over at Reddit called ?IAMA bomb technician.? AMAA? that originally appeared on the social news site about 5 months ago.

The thread tallied up hundreds of comments.

?You have to want it, it's volunteer only. I love blowing s*** up! On a more serious note, I don't have a death wish and this job makes me feel alive. I like to think I'm saving lives and helping the greater good,? wrote the Reddit user who claims to work

on a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team.

If you?re not familiar with the ?I Am A? Reddit, it?s considered one of the most popular sections of the site and to date has nearly 2 million subscribers.? Users who start the ?I Am ? thread prompt other users to AMA (?Ask Me Anything?).

Yesterday, members of the Mars Curiosity Rover Team answered questions in a thread titled ?We are engineers and scientists on the Mars Curiosity Rover Mission, Ask us Anything!?.

Later today, TIME Magazine correspondent, Michael Grunwald will be answering users' questions online.

Full Business Insider story here.

News: WWII Vet hesitant to talk about military

Thursday, August 16, 2012, 11:26 PM - News Stories World War II veteran from Advance hesitates to tell story. Ivan Woodfin is just one of many World War II veterans who has said he's hesitant to tell a story of their time in service.? Woodfin said it's not something they like to talk about because it makes them relive those memories.? "I just don't want to go back and relive what I had to do," said Woodfin.? Now, his life in Advance is pretty peaceful.? "Played golf all day," said Woodfin.? But the emotion still comes when he talks about his time in World War II.? When asked how often he talks about it, he said, "not very often."
(KFVS12)

Reuters hacked for third time with hoax al-Faisal death. Hackers first hit the agency's blogging platform at the beginning of August, with claims that the Syrian rebel army was on the retreat.? Two days later the agency's tech news Twitter feed was taken over and pro-Syrian government messages posted.? It is unclear who is behind the hack.? Reporting on the breach, Reuters said that cyberwar between the pro and anti-government factions in Syria had intensified with Saudi Arabia emerging as a staunch opponent of Assad...
(BBC)

Video: How to Create Your First Blog Post. Blogging on Fort Stewart Patch is an effective way to reach a ready-made audience on base, in Hinesville and beyond.? Blog posts that originate here, are often syndicated to other Patch towns in Georgia. Military-specific content is often shared to other military Patch sites.? Some bloggers show their expertise, others show the impact their organizations have had in the community. Some just write fun posts.? Whatever the reason, each had to start somewhere.? The accompanying video, from our sister site Camp Pendleton Patch, shows how to get started with your first post. It contains a lot of information, so pause as often as necessary...
(Fort Stewart, GA Patch)

?Dr? Winson Seow closes his Facebook account. WINSON Seow, who had claimed to be a military surgeon until his credentials were questioned, has closed his Facebook account a day after he apologised for misleading the public, reported Nanyang Siang Pau.? The account with the username Dr Winson Seow has 4,373 fans. However, Seow's personal account was not removed.? Seow, 26, wrote a message to inform fans of the closure on Wednesday.? ?Due to the restriction set by Facebook, I'm unable to change the display name in this page hence I have no alternative but to deactivate this account by today. I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused...
(The Star Online)

Afghanistan Soldier Tells the Story of Rebuilding Life After War. St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) August 16, 2012.? Bryan A. Wood is a quiet and unassuming police detective who works to keep the streets of St. Petersburg, FL safe for its citizens. In 2003, however, Wood fought another battle in a distant land halfway around the world, and in many ways, that battle has never ended. Wood has beautifully documented this battle in his gripping memoir ?Unspoken Abandonment: Sometimes the hardest part of going to war is coming home."? Wood's story, which has been gaining fans and is now flirting with several best-seller lists, is based on the journal he kept while serving with the 747th Military Police Company and Third Special Forces Group in Eastern Afghanistan...
(Virtual-Strategy Magazine)

The Duffel Blog makes news headlines for satire

Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 04:52 AM - News Stories

The Duffel Blog makes news headlines for satire

The military website The Duffel Blog is making headlines for not only its satirical stories, but for its ability to fool readers into believing, for example, that the DoD banned Tapout clothing for all military personnel.

Yesterday, Military Times ran a story featuring the site called Satirical military news site fools some readers.

Gina Harkins writes:

?A fake military news site is doing such a good job of lampooning the service, it?s already duped some officials into thinking their breaking news is real.

Former Marine Sgt. Paul Szoldra, from Lakeland, Fla., runs The Duffel Blog, the military?s equivalent to the satirical newspaper, The Onion. He has about 20 writers regularly contributing stories on a volunteer basis from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.?

The military blog has quickly grown in popularity, resulting in nearly 9,000 ?likes? on Facebook.

The Army Times took an insightful look at the site that is well worth the read.

Full story here.

Follow The Duffel Blog on the web here and Facebook here.

FCW: DoD's new policy 'likes' social media, but...

Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 04:19 AM - News Stories DOD's new policy 'likes' social media, but with caveats. For all its benefits and the enjoyment it brings to the people who use it, social media has a dark side. When it comes to military users, one slip ? such as an inadvertent mention of a deployment timing or location ? can endanger lives. But given its intrinsically open nature and constantly changing boundaries, how can the Defense Department effectively manage social media?
(Federal Computer Week)

Amateur video: Rebels claim army fighter jet shot down over Syria. Syrian rebels claim they have shot down an army fighter jet in the skies above the village of Al Muhassan...
(itnnews)

Military sexual assault is focus of YouTube series. The enormous obstacles and emotional torment that a female solider confronts in reporting a sexual assault in the military are the focus of the three-part Web series "Lauren" debuting Monday on YouTube's new channel WIGS, which focuses on drama for women.? Featuring "Flashdance" star Jennifer Beals and Troian Bellisario, "Lauren" gives a close-up look at the challenges women service members face in trying to find justice after being raped. It's a problem that military leaders have given unprecedented attention to this year...
(Boston.com)

Civil War Diary of an Adams County native helps to pen new Civil War book. The century-old letters and journals of an Adams County native are the focus of a new Civil War book.? The Quincy Herald-Whig reports the accounts of Lewis F. Roe provide a first-hand view of the day-to-day activities of Civil War soldiers and the dangers they faced in battle.? According to the newspaper, Roe was a farmer who served in the 7th U.S. Infantry and the 50th Illinois Volunteer Infantry between 1860 and 1865...
(The Republic)

Artist uses her talent to honor military pilots. When Sherry Boggs nearly died in 2004, she lost her home, most of her possessions and months of memory ? but not her talent or her faith in God.? Boggs is an accomplished artist who specializes in aviation and ordnance art. Her artwork hangs in venues across the country, including the legendary ?Top Gun? naval aviation school in Miramar, Calif...
(Sturgis Journal)

Navy Social Media Directory: Facebook, Twitter, more

Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 02:50 AM

Navy.mil has what it calls a one-stop shop social media directory that provides links to official Navy social media pages across the internet.

The directory is built manually ? each command submits their information and then the submission is reviewed.?

There are a number of guidelines and requirements that must be followed in order to get approved.

According to the checklist provided on the site, requirements for an official command social media presence include:

- Commanding Officer or qualified Public Affairs Officer approval
- The POC must include a valid .mil address when submitting
- The presence must have a URL to an official DON website
- The presence must post disclaimer text (required for Facebook & Blogs)
- The presence must have a user agreement (required for all sites that provide for public comment ? primarily Facebook & Blogs)
- The presence must be clearly identified as ?official?
- The presence must be unlocked and open to the public
- Only ?official pages? on Facebook can be registered
- Social media presences identifying an individual vice the command or billet are not recommended as an ?official? presence with the exception of a notable few (e.g. SECNAV, CNO, MCPON).
- Requests to register social media presences that are too targeted or specific will be reviewed and may be disapproved.
- Requests to register social media presences that are based on an event will be reviewed and may be disapproved.
- How you write your command name on the form is how it will appear in the directory.

While you won?t necessarily find links to Pinterest or Google+ in the Navy.mil directory, you will find links to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and even blogs.

A quick glance at the list of social media sites currently listed, shows that Facebook has the strongest presence, outnumbering blogs by what appears to by at least 10 to 1.?

Twitter has the next strongest presence, followed by YouTube.

The list of official web logs may not be new on the Navy.mil directory, but the DoD Social Media hub, which lists all of DOD's official pages across various social media networks, hasn?t supported the listing of blogs since it launched years ago.

As of today on Navy.mil, you can find blogs such as the The United States Navy Band blog and blogs for Navy ships like the USS NIMITZ called Old Salt Blog.

Ft Hood hosting Facebook, TV Townhall Aug. 14

Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 02:26 AM - News Stories, Facebook According to the Killeen Daily Herald, Fort Hood will be hosting it second Facebook and TV Townhall.? It will be broadcast via satellite using DVIDS.

Fort Hood?s Facebook page, which has nearly 20,000 likes as of today, can be found at facebook.com/forthood.

If you?re interested in participating, the Facebook townhall takes place from 5 to 7 p.m today, August 14, 2012.? The TV Townhall takes place from 6 to 7 p.m.

You can call (254) 288-4990 to ask a question or click on the town hall tab at facebook.com/forthood.

The Telling Project: Americans Need to Know

Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 01:20 AM

While checking updates on the blog Red Bull Rising, I came across an interesting military project called The Telling Project.

The idea of the project is to stage a theatrical performance in which military veterans and their family members ?tell? their stories for their communities.?

To date, The Telling Project has performed in 14 cities and 9 states since 2008, putting over 50 veterans and veterans family members on stage to tell their stories of military life to their communities.

According to Charlie Sherpa, performances of ?Telling: Des Moines? are planned for November 2012 on the Ankeny, Iowa campus of the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC).

To learn about The Telling Project including the upcoming schedule, clips, and more, visit http://thetellingproject.org

News links: Veterans share stories of war

Monday, August 13, 2012, 03:40 AM - News Stories Veterans Share Stories of Honor Flight, War. A sobering statistic flashed across the screen at Miller Park during the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight Field of Honor film debuted Saturday night.? ?One-thousand World War II veterans die every day.?? As the veterans pass, so goes the chance to honor them, to hear their stories and to learn from the Greatest Generation. But honor flights throughout the state allow for those veterans to be honored and appreciated and to share their stories with the rest of the world...
(Oak Creek, WI Patch)

Indiana veterans find peace by sharing war stories in monthly meeting at Anderson church. While the church has a pacifist background, pastor Robin Mayer said reaching out to veterans is an opportunity for the church to be "peacemakers."? "Many veterans carry stress that is not always given the attention it deserves," Mayer said. "This is an opportunity for us to help them find peace."? Mayer said it may seem contradictory for a pacifist organization to hold such an event for veterans, but it's not. She quoted Romans 14:19, which reads "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
(Greenfield Reporter)

Israeli Blogger Detained Near Syrian Border in Turkey. A blogger with dual Israeli-US citizenship was detained in Turkey Saturday while reporting on Syria near the border in the Kurdish region.? Roee Ruttenberg, 34, is a writer for the leftist English-language blog +972Mag. He said Turkish police appeared to be concerned he was documenting Turkish military activities in the area. Ankara has long had struggles with separatist Kurdish extremists in an eastern region near the northern Syrian border...
(Israel National News)

Book chronicles Civil War life based on Adams County native's diaries.? The diaries of an Adams County man who served in the Civil War have sprung to life a century and a half later in a new book.? "From Western Deserts to Carolina Swamps: A Civil War Soldier's Journals and Letters Home" tells the story of Lewis F. Roe, an Adams County native who logged his observations from 1860 to 1865 while serving in the military before and during the Civil War...
(Quincy-Herald Whig)

Canadian reporter opens a window on the Mideast and on the futility of war. Nahlah Ayed had been a parliamentary reporter but the events of 9/11 were the instigation for her to join CBC as a freelance reporter. She is fluent in both Arabic and English. From her book, I think she was eminently suited to the complex subject she covered. She appears to be highly intelligent with a combination of simplicity and humbleness.? Since 2002, she briefly reported from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran but her reporting also came from Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Syria...
(TheSpec.com)

Captured on 8mm film: Weddings, personal war stories, and other small illuminations of Israeli history. One of the scenes in a remarkable new film ?Israel: A Home Movie,? depicts a group of brawny men on their annual camping trip to Sinai at the outbreak of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.? The film, which is composed of archived home videos, captures Israeli history from the late 1920s through the early 1980s. Via the private moments that unfolded alongside the momentous ones, the film tells ordinary but striking stories of weddings, love, war, despair and loneliness...
(The Times of Israel)

Police social media tool nears 1MM subscribers

Sunday, August 12, 2012, 11:26 PM - News Stories The Associated Press has reported that police are embracing a?relatively new social media tool called Nixle that allows them to provide public alerts to their communities.

"Almost 6,000 law enforcement agencies are now deploying the public notification service Nixle to provide residents with real-time alerts on crimes in progress, traffic messes and missing children. Previously, the service has helped police in Amarillo, Texas, capture a fugitive wanted for aggravated robbery and probation violation; and authorities in Fayetteville, N.C., nabbed a suspect wanted for armed robbery soon after a Nixle alert was sent to residents."

The story goes on to say that while many government agencies have been using Facebook and Twitter as their public notification system, Nixle has increasingly become a more popular choice.

According to the Nixle website, "There are four types of messages; Alerts (many would refer to this as an emergency type alert), Advisories (less urgent need-to-know information), Community Information (day-to-day neighborhood to community-level information), Traffic (very localized traffic information)."

Full story here.

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Friday, August 24, 2012

Washington Times: Taliban infiltrate social media

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