(NY Daily News)
James McClean Twitter 'kill threats': Ex-soldier quizzed by police. AN ex-soldier has been questioned by police over alleged threats to kill Premier League star James McClean. The Sunderland winger who comes from Northern Ireland, refused to wear a Remembrance Day poppy on his shirt during a match at Everton in November. Images of bullets were posted on a Twitter account with comments about McClean, 23, being shot...
(Mirror Online)
Matt Farmer Booted from American Idol for BS War Story. So much for Matt Farmer being crowned the American Idol Season 12 champion. Following a successful audition in Long Beach, Farmer has come out and admitted that he's one giant liar. That whole tale he told? About being injured in an IED explosion in Iraq? And being diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury? And how the medication he was assigned would supposedly make him sterile, until he ended up fathering a daughter named Cadence who joined him in front of the judges? LIE, LIE, LIE...
(The Hollywood Gossip)
North Korean Propaganda Video Imagines a Brighter World, Without Manhattan. When aliens strike, the climate goes berserk, the Russians invade, an asteroid threatens the Earth, New York City is often the first place to be destroyed. Hollywood has long used the city’s skyline to demonstrate what destruction looks like in action movies and video games. It seems as if North Korea, in seeking to show how an assault on America would play out, also has Manhattan squarely in its cross hairs...
(The Lede)
Tracking Rape In Syria Through Social Media. Rape has long been a weapon of war, but documenting sexual violence usually happens after a conflict is over. Researchers are taking a new path with the Syrian conflict: tracking the incidents of rape as they occur. The Women Under Siege project is live-tracking how sexualized violence is being used in Syria. What's new is the data: information collected through crowdsourcing — reports on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from inside the country — which is then analyzed by public health researchers at Columbia University...
(NPR)
Military blogger cautions against PTSD speculation in death of ‘American Sniper’. In his latest dispatch from the frontlines today, military blogger and photographer Michael Yon reflected on the shocking death of former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle. Among his comments came a warning against knee-jerk speculation surrounding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) being a driving force behind the senseless killing:
(The Blaze)
MOH Recipient Slams Ron Paul Over Kyle Tweet. Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer criticized former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul on Twitter Monday night after Paul posted a controversial tweet about former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, who was killed Saturday at a Texas gun range. Meyer sent his tweet in response to one by Paul that read: “Chris Kyle's death seems to confirm that "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword." Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn't make sense.”
(Military.com)
54 killed in clashes over kidnapped journalist. Manila: Around 54 people were killed, several wounded and 300 families displaced in clashes between a former separatist Filipino-Muslim rebel group and militant Islamists over the custody of a Jordanian broadcast journalist who was kidnapped in southern Philippines eight months ago, sources said...
(GulfNews.com)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Nearly two weeks ago when the militant Islamist group al-Shabab was suspended on Twitter, it was already suspected that other accounts run by the terrorist group were springing up online.
Reuters reported earlier today that al-Shabab is back to tweeting, using a similar username (@HSMPress1) to their previous one (@HSMPress).
Among the online death threats and other TOS violations made by al-Shabab under @HSMPress, the group also published photographs of a dead French soldier in mid-January.
The new account, which was launched on February 3, has already gained nearly 2,000 followers.
It’s unknown whether the new account is the real thing or just a copycat, but hopefully Twitter keeps better on top of these things.
The company reacts fast to shut down scam accounts, but takes forever to cleanup these types of accounts, even though they are in blatant violation of its own rules.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Densmore committed suicide nearly two weeks ago, months after being outed for lying about his military credentials.
According to The Times-Standard, back in November 2012, “Densmore falsely claimed he was a member of the United States Seal Team One, and that he earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star, three Purple Hearts, two presidential unit citations, and six Navy commendation medals.”
The news about Densmore was first broke by This Ain’t Hell, which to date, has helped to uncover nearly 100 people who have faked military credentials and awards.
Jonn Lilyea, a blogger at This Ain’t Hell, told the Times-Standard that the website receives 7,000 hits a day, and that readers of the blog are often to thank for tips and information.
Lilyea published several stores about Densmore.
In the latest post, published at the end of January, Lilyea discussed the death of Densmore, saying, “While we grieve for the family Ike left behind, we’re still secure in our decision to bust him out. As I said before, he made the decision to be a phony and he made the decision to abandon his family so he could avoid the consequences of the other choices he had made.”
Last June, This Ain’t Hell was featured on MSNBC after outing "America's Got Talent" contestant Timothy Michael Poe, who had told the television audience and judges that he was injured in Afghanistan in 2009 by an RPG.
Read more about Ike Densmore at The Times-Standard.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
(The Washington Post)
Sharing war stories: WWII first-hand. World War II veterans had a chance to share their stories that are bigger and better than any textbook could tell. 14 veterans came together at the National Museum of World War II Aviation Saturday afternoon. A crowd of nearly 100 people, old and young, military and civilian gathered to hear their personal accounts of combat, travel and lessons learned...
(FOX21NEWS)
Israel Strike On Syria YouTube Video: Syria Releases Footage of Alleged Israeli Attack. An airstrike in Syria raised eyebrows last week when a small convoy of vehicles was reportedly wiped off the map near Damascus, while intelligence officials privately indicated Israeli forces were likely behind the attack. Now, Syria has released footage of what they say is the aftermath...
(policymic)
BBC Arabic and the complexities of the Arab world. It is no secret that recent Arab uprisings have placed enormous burdens on the shoulders of BBC Arabic journalists responsible for reporting news from the region. Covering the Arab world is not always an easy task - we need to mix sensible caution with a dose of courage in covering political issues that attract so many disputed views among Arabic-speaking audiences...
(BBC)
Malaysian journalist killed in firearm mishap in Lebanon. Claudia Theophilus, 42, who worked as a web producer with Al-Jazeera English news agency, died after a rifle - which she was taking a look at, went off accidentally at about 2.30am local time (about 8.30am Malaysian time). The incident happened in Baakleen - located about 45km southeast of Beirut. Malaysian ambassador to Beirut Ilango Karuppannan said Theophilus died shortly after she arrived at a general hospital in the district...
(New Straits Times)
Incredible war story of pilot who survived a Russian gulag and trekked hundreds of miles to India before making it to Britain to fly Spitfires for the RAF. A Polish war hero with an incredible story of survival during World War Two has died aged 91. Flight Lieutenant Czeslaw 'Tony' Rogers braved a 830-mile trek on foot across the Soviet Union's frozen wastes to India after being freed from a prison camp before eventually making it to Britain...
(Daily Mail)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Image of Chris Kyle via Craft International
People from all walks of life have taken to Twitter to pay their respects to former Navy SEAL and “American Sniper” author Chris Kyle, who was one of two people shot and killed at a Texas gun range on Saturday.
According to news reports, "Kyle was shot point-blank" while helping another man who was recovering from post traumatic stress syndrome.
Shortly after the tragic news broke, people began paying tribute on the social networking site Twitter.
Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) wrote: RIP CHRIS KYLE. You were a great sniper, honorable navy seal, and great human being.
Eve Torres (@EveMarieTorres) wrote: I was utterly devastated to hear that American hero, and friend, Chris Kyle was taken from us today. Please pray for his wife Taya, & kids.
Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) wrote: Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and many friends of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle tonight.
SEALofHonor (@SEALofHonor) wrote: Damn Few R.I.P. Chris Kyle, “The Devil of Ramadi” NAVY SEALs and Marine Sniper 1974-2013
Nick Lachey (@NickSLachey) wrote: devastated to hear of the murder of chris kyle. i was honored to have spent time with him.....a TRUE American hero. senseless. #RIPCHRIS
Greta Van Susteren (@gretawire) wrote: Stunning that Chris Kyle / Navy Seal survived so much danger in war to die like this..very sad
Jim Norton (@JimNorton) wrote: Very sad news about soldier Chris Kyle being murdered. He was a great guest, I wish he'd come on more than once
Robert Stoneman (@robert_stoneman) wrote: Friend of mine was lost yesterday, RIP to Chris Kyle
5.11 Tactical (@511Tactical) wrote: Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of slain American Hero and friend to 5.11, former SEAL Chris Kyle. He will be missed.
Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) wrote: "My heart is breaking," said director of FITCO Cares Foundation about Chris Kyle's murder. Kyle founded the group that helps vets w/ PTSD.
John Rieber (@John__Rieber) wrote: If y'all don't know who Chris Kyle is, he's the deadliest sniper in American history, a true hero who is with God now.
WFAA-TV published an update earlier today noting that the second victim was identified early Sunday morning as 35-year-old Chad Littlefield. Eddie Routh, 25, is in custody in connection with the shootings, reports WFAA.
Rest in peace, Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield.
[ 1 comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
White House Warns: Don't Photoshop Obama Gun Pic. The White House has released a picture purporting to show President Obama "skeet shooting" at Camp David. An activity he claims he does "all the time." The White House also warns all you mischievous internet types to not mess around with the picture...
(BREITBART)
'America's most lethal sniper' dead: Best-selling author and ex Navy SEAL shot at gun range. Former US Navy SEAL and best-selling author Chris Kyle has been shot dead along with another man on a gun range, police in Texas said. Newspaper reports said Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant had confirmed that Kyle, 38, who wrote the book 'American Sniper', and a second man were found dead yesterday afternoon at Rough Creek Lodge's shooting range, west of Glen Rose, about an hour south west of Fort Worth...
(Mirror Online)
Army: Satellite network isn’t for Facebook. Soldiers are using a war zone logistics satellite network to surf Facebook, Twitter and other sites that are off limits on Army computers. And the Army is ordering them to knock it off. An Army bulletin warns soldiers that the mobile satellite network is not for non-Army uses like file-swapping networks, checking e-mail or visiting non-Army web sites. Army deputy chief of staff for logistics Lt. Gen. Raymond Mason issued the message Jan. 13...
(Army Times)
Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors Who Served in the Military, and How it Changed Their Work. So much of science fiction's core topics intersect with war, one way or the other. Rapid social change and technological innovation both get supercharged during wartime, and some of our greatest explorers are also warriors. So it's not surprising that many of science fiction's most well-known authors served in the military at some point — especially during the era when we had a compulsory draft. But how did serving in the military shape these writers' books? Here's a look at 15 of the authors who served in the armed forces, and how their work reflects that experience...
(io9)
Red-handed: Associated Press caught inserting “assault rifle” into Alabama hostage standoff. Jimmy Lee Dykes has no business having firearms. A violent Vietnam vet with PTSD who beat a neighbor’s dog to death, threatened to shoot school children, and did shoot into an occupied vehicle, that Dykes wasn’t already incarcerated is a complete failure of the mental health and criminal justice system in this nation. All that happened before he murdered a school bus drive and took a 5-year-old hostage earlier this week in an on-going standoff. In reading up on the hostage situation today, however, I caught an edit to the established facts...
(Bob Owens)
“Fighter Pilot’s” book panned. Hilariously. Unless you like to get pummeled in the ready room, this is exactly what you shouldn’t do before you try to become a fighter pilot. Ensign Shannon Ray Anderson wrote a self-help book that promises to show anyone who is interested the path to become a fighter pilot. But there’s a catch: Anderson is not a fighter pilot. Nope. He’s a student at Training Wing 2, flying T-45 Goshawks...
(MilitaryTimes)
Marine survey lists concerns on women in combat. Male Marines listed being falsely accused of sexual harassment or assault as a top concern in a survey about moving women into combat jobs, and thousands indicated the change could prompt them to leave the service altogether...
(SFGate)
Video of protester stripped and beaten fires Egypt fury. After eight days of protests that killed nearly 60 people, a video of one demonstrator stripped naked, dragged across the ground and beaten with truncheons by helmeted riot police has fired Egyptians to a new level of outrage...
(Yahoo! News)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
I learned of this story when I visited Reddit today.
Apparently, Team Maxwell-Gunter at Maxwell Air Force Base earned very low marks for standards in 2011. "Disregarding them shows a lack of attention to detail and a lack of respect to our service. It shows disregard to our core values." writes Jeff Bergdolt of the 42nd Air Base Wing Plans Office.
While news of uniform violations may not be all that interesting, here's where the story gets juicy.
In the coming months, Maxwell AFB photographers will capture pictures of standards violations across Maxwell Air Force base and post them in the Dispatch. Then readers will be challenged to identify the violation.
Fashionistas are going to have a field day with this.
The picture above is the first photograph posted online asking readers to comment. It was also posted to the base’s Facebook page. While no one commented on the picture, one reader left a separate comment about a violation they witnessed. It involves a taco.
Concerned Old Dude writes, “I saw a female at the food court today with a group of six other people during lunch who had her PT gear on including her jacket. She had the jacket sleeves tucked up to her elbows while devouring a taco. She managed to keep these sleeves up while conversing and prancing around the food court looking like a crazy. She did not pull them down until going outside only because I assume she was cold. I am wondering why she was even wearing PT gear at noon”.
In case you’re wondering, the photo above is not Photoshopped.
The airman is miraculously able to walk with both hands in her pockets. God willing, she made it to her destination without toppling over.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
The newest batch of blogs added to Milblogging.com includes quite an array of categories and countries. The list includes blogs written by Afghan nationals, military spouses, reporters, the Coast Guard, and more. There’s something for everyone.
Endeavor to Persevere, Rebecca Johnson, United States, Military Ethics Twitter Course
Nasim Fekrat - Afghanistan Through My Eyes, Nasim Fekrat, Afghanistan, Nasim Fekrat is an Afghan blogger who has also wor...
Afghanistan's Realities, Farzad Lami, Afghanistan, Afghanistan-born Ahmad Farzad Lami (or Lameh) is a...
Mufid Perspective, Hadi Mufid, South Korea, Hadi Mufid, was born in Ghazni, Afghanistan. On th...
CPJ Journalist Security blog, Covering the news in a dangerous and changing worl...
Love and the Air Force, Marley Marie, United States, My husband and I were recently married and are now...
Buoyed Up, Ollie, United States, 3 May 2012 changed the lives of more than 176 men....
It All Fades, Jay Christopher, United States, The content posted here is a mixture of both perso...
Becoming A Navy Wife, Julie, United States, He's the "Steely Eyed Killer of The Deep" & I'm th...
My Home Is With You, Meara Bodle, United States, Sharing snippets of our ordinary lives, under extr...
Alice Swan's Blog - DCMilitary Family Life, Alice Swan, United States, So as another of your site bloggers, I hope to sha...
Navy Wives Unite, Jen Hatzung, United States, A place where Navy Wives {or husbands too} can gat...
White Coat Revolt, Unknown, United States, Adventures of a Spec Ops Flight Surgeon
The Navy's Grade 36 Bureaucrat, Ryan Haag, United States, One-stop shopping for all your questions related t...
After Action, Group blog, United States, Your military sports report
FlightLines, Group blog, United States, Air Force Times blog for airmen
Stan R Mitchell, Stan R Mitchell, United States, I often write about Afghanistan, National Security...
Jenny the Military Spouse, Jennyspouse.com, United States, Jenny follows the adventures of a young Air Force ...
The TSA Blog, United States, This blog is sponsored by the Transportation Secur...
Coast Guard Auxiliary Live, United States, This is an official blog of the U.S. Coast Guard A...
Active Duty Dad, Theron Bostic, United States, A collection of tips, thoughts, and random rants f...
Lily and the Roses ~ Creativity with Autism, Twins and Military Adventures, Lily Rose, United States, I am a composer, pianist, artist and an Air Force ...
Mal's Miles, Mallory Whitt, United States, Lifestyle blog of an Army wife, runner, teacher, p...
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
A major headline that has dominated the military news this past week is "Women in Combat". It’s a hot term in the news and there are literally thousands of articles on the subject.
Facebook pages have sprang up. There's a Wikipedia page dedicated to "Women in Combat". There's even a domain company called BuyDomains that has the web address for sale for $1,894.
I decided to run down some of the more interesting news headlines of the week and post them below. It gives you an idea of what journalists are thinking.
Women In Combat: What Do Troops In Afghanistan Think?
BOYKIN: Common sense, emotion and women in combat. A lack of front-line privacy would be humiliating
Why women in combat is a mistake
Jon Stewart Tackles Women In Combat Controversy (VIDEO)
Panetta's cowardice on women in combat
The Truth About Little Women Carrying Big Wounded Men in Combat
Women in combat: It's their choice
Women in combat: But don't girls just wanna have fun?
For women in combat, the big threat isn’t behind enemy lines
Women in Combat: Listening to Those Who Have Been There
Women in combat no victory
Women in Combat: A Debate that Deserves More than Giggles
Women in Combat Already Here
Women in combat a dangerous experiment
A Brief History Of Women In Combat
Image credit: Defense.gov
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
(GIFF)
Al Jazeera America Has Received More Than 8,000 Applications. Within 24 hours of posting openings for the majority of their new positions, Al Jazeera America received 5000 applications for open positions, a number that has grown to 8,063 over the past three days, a network source told BuzzFeed. Al Jazeera caused a stir earlier this month when it was announced that the Qatar-based network had bought the struggling liberal channel Current from Al Gore for $500 million, and would use it to expand into American coverage...
(BuzzFeed)
Mark Bowden's War Stories, From the Killing of Bin Laden to U.S. Drone Bombers. The day after President Obama announced the U.S. military had killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and Black Hawk Down author Mark Bowden was approached by a film producer who felt Bowden should be the one to write the movie version of the raid. So he emailed Obama press secretary Jay Carney and asked if he might be able to interview the players involved...
(Philadelphia Weekly)
Caution: Graphic Images - Sixty-Five Found Executed In Syria's Aleppo -Activists. Amateur video purports to show dozens of dead bodies with their hands bound lying by a small river. Activists said that at least 65 people, apparently shot in the head, were found dead with their hands bound in a district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday (January 29)...
(YouTube)
Humanitarian law, ethics, and journalism in Syria. A small number of journalists reporting from Syria have recently interviewed prisoners of war under highly coercive circumstances. In doing so, they have ignored the protections that are due to prisoners under international humanitarian law, or IHL...
(CPJ Journalist Security Blog)
Group Launches Second Mil-Writing Contest, Anthology. The Warriors Arts Alliance has published a call for submissions to a second volume of military-themed fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and photography. The non-fiction category includes creative non-fiction, essay, and oral history. Both the anthology and a related contest are open to all military personnel, veterans, and military family members...
(Red Bull Rising)
In Mali, a war 'without images and without facts'. The French army is often called la Grande Muette, or "the Great Silent." The war in Mali confirms the French military's well-deserved reputation of being secretive about front-line actions. "Locking the information is more in the culture of the French army than of the U.S. army," says Maurice Botbol, director of La Lettre du Continent. In the first two weeks of military operations against Islamist militant groups in Mali, the French army has released only a blurry video of an air attack at an undisclosed location...
(CPJ Journalist Security Blog)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Image of Brenda Marrocco via Twitter
A number of news sites and blogs, including The New York Daily News, are reporting that Brendan Marrocco, a soldier who lost all four limbs in 2009 in Iraq, is recovering after undergoing a double arm transplant and a bone marrow transplant.
But it’s not just the media reporting about the transplant and recovery, Marrocco himself is sharing his story with the rest of the world through the microblogging site Twitter.
A month after the operation took place on December 18, 2012, at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, Marrocco tweeted, “Ohh yeah today has been one month since my surgery and they already move a little”.
Marrocco (who tweets under the username @BMarr86) joined Twitter on December 2011, and to date, has published nearly 2,000 tweets.
With a Twitter tagline of “Live Fast, Love Hard, #DieYoung #EatBacon”, Marrocco has been tweeting nearly daily, only taking off a few days for the 13-hour operation.
Since the news broke yesterday about the transplant, Marrocco has continued to remain lighthearted and cheerful on Twitter, sending messages to followers that included:
“ahhhhhhahahaha!!! Seems I’m way more famous then last time. This is like legit famous”
“I guess it’s a decent day to be that Brendan Marrocco kid”
“Wow front page of yahoo…maybe I really am a big deal.”
Marrocco and surgeons plan to discuss the transplant at a news conference later today.
You can follow Marrocco and his amazing story on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/BMarr86
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
(Washington Post)
Looking behind the sightlines of an American soldier under Taliban fire. The video would be viewed more than 23 million times, making it perhaps the most-watched footage of the Afghan war. It began last April when Pfc. Ted Daniels pressed the record button on his helmet camera.
(Washington Post)
Timbuktu library – a treasure house of centuries of Malian history. Timbuktu's main library, officially called the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research, is a treasure house containing more than 20,000 manuscripts covering centuries of Mali's history.
(Guardian)
Twitter launches advertising services in Middle East. Twitter Inc launched advertising services in the Middle East and North Africa on Sunday as the social media firm seeks to exploit a tripling of its regional subscriber base following its widespread use during the Arab Spring protests.
(Reuters)
Group seeks World War II veterans to tell their stories. The Potomac Highlands World War II Roundtable is seeking veterans who want to tell their stories of serving in the military as part of a preservation project sponsored by the Friends of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
(herald-mail.com)
Women train for Afghanistan frontline. The women of this Air Force group are training for the frontline of battle in Afghanistan. CNN's Don Lemon reports
(CNN)
Dan Nygard’s war stories explore military life at home and away. There is a lot of pressure to get it right when you write a war story. You must balance humanity with violence, explain impossible politics, convey the essence of a military culture that is largely hidden from society, and move through constant tragedy without getting bogged down.
(MinnPost)
Sniper! On Embedded Journalism and the Killing of an Al Jazeera Reporter. Journalism is a tough job. It’s a tough job, that is, if you aren’t one of the people who are content to sit in plush air-conditioned offices regurgitating material handed to you by various interested parties or randomly pulled off the internet and passed off as “news
(Subversify)
Iranian journalists arrested in raids on newspapers. Security officials in Iran have raided at least four newspapers and arrested several journalists in what appears to be concerted action aimed at intimidating the media in advance of the presidential elections in June.
(Guardian)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
This e-mail just landed in my inbox:
Former Army Captain and milblogger Lee Kelley (Wordsmith at War) has landed a major book deal, which is described in a recent issue of Publisher's Weekly:
“St. Martin’s Press has acquired a new book about the “first” helicopter. Michael Flamini bought world rights, at auction, to Marine Colonel Ray “Frenchy” L’Heureux’s Inside Marine One: Flying the World’s Most Famous Helicopter. L’Heureux, who’s flown the vehicle for several presidents (from George H.W. Bush through Barack Obama), was represented by agents Todd Shuster and Jacob Moore of Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary; L’Heureux is co-writing with military blogger Lee Kelley.
The book will explore the helicopter itself, as well as the elite squad that operates it (and that L’Heureux oversaw), HMX1. The book is slated for spring/summer 2014.”
Click the link, then scroll down to the section titled "SMP Boards Presidential Chopper" to learn more.
If you’d like to catch up on what’s been happening with Lee Kelley over the years, I wrote up a “Where are they now?” story on Kelley last June.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Facebook, Twitter, Skype, YouTube and other social networking sites have been used to spread information, images and video directly to the masses.
But that’s not all the sites are good for…
A story published on NPR’s website tells how activists have found love on Facebook during the Syrian uprising.
“Mohsen, an activist from Hama, says he first met Sara, his girlfriend of nearly two years, on Facebook.
She sent him a friend request because she saw he worked in the field of journalism, and for months they chatted casually about the Syrian uprising. Then, after government troops stormed Hama, Moshen fled to Damascus, where he and Sara finally met face to face.
"The revolution is what brought us together. ... It was the thing that pushed us toward each other," he says. "Without the revolution we were never going to meet in person."
Full story here.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
The Twitter account of the militant Islamist group al-Shabab has finally been suspended.
The Associated Press reports that Twitter suspended the account on Friday after al-Shabab used the microblogging site earlier in the week to announce a death threat against Kenyan hostages.
This has been a long time coming as I’ve been griping for years (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), along with plenty of others, that Twitter needs to crackdown on terrorist accounts.
It’s suspected that al-Shabab has several Twitter accounts already springing up online, but this is a step in the right direction, although it’s a bit ridiculous it took this long.
Al-Shabab tweeted under the username (@HSMPress). Visitors are redirected to a Twitter page stating the account has been suspended.
In mid January, al-Shabab published photographs of a dead French soldier, and then days later tried to defend themselves after an uproar.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
(Telegraph)
‘Rise of the Drones’ Is Mostly a PBS Infomercial for the Military Defense Industry. The widely-acclaimed PBS program, NOVA, premiered a documentary on unmanned aerial vehicles or drones. The documentary, “Rise of the Drones,” was produced to explore how the technology is revolutionizing warfare and creating the next generation of cutting-edge surveillance. It was created to provide a glimpse at how the technology has advanced and how innovations might progress in the future...
(The Dissenter)
Tweeting the news: Andy Carvin test-pilots Twitter journalism. Andy Carvin’s official title is Senior Strategist, Social Media Desk at NPR, but that bureaucratic fog undercuts the scale of his work. More emphatically, The Columbia Journalism Review has called him a "living, breathing real-time verification system," while The Washington Post declared him “a one-man Twitter news bureau.”
(The Verge)
Time running out for old war stories. AN appeal has been launched to find the stories behind the names on St Clears's war memorial. Philip Lanc, of Tenby Road, is trying to trace information on the men whose names are etched into the Pentre Road monument. He said to many people it is just a list of names and he wants to provide the people of the town with the stories behind the men before it is too late. "At any stage we could go and look at the military service record," said the 57-year-old...
(This is South Wales)
Video Suggests Missile Hit Syrian University. At least one of the two explosions that killed more than 80 people at Syria’s Aleppo University last week was caused by a missile, according to two analysts who examined new video of the attack posted online by Syrian opposition activists. Traces of what appears to be a missile descending moments before the huge blast can be seen in three still frames taken from the brief video clip, which seems to have been recorded on the university campus as the second rocket shattered a dormitory...
(The New York Times)
Almost all in Congress use Twitter; if only bills could be as short as tweets. Four years ago, when President Barack Obama was first inaugurated, the savvy social media politician was among the first to use Twitter to his advantage to get his message out to voters. Republicans also used the short-messaging blog back then to heckle the new president as he delivered a speech to Congress...
(NBCNEWS)
Serbia to review probes into killed reporters. THE Serbian government on Thursday appointed a team to review the probes into the unsolved murders of three Serb journalists killed during and right after the 1990s regime of strongman Slobodan Milosevic. A committee composed of prominent journalists, top police and intelligence officials is ``tasked to examine facts collected during the probes and other circumstances related to the murders of Dada Vujasinovic, Slavko Curuvija and Milan Pantic,'' a government spokesman said...
(The Australian)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Reporter Elisabeth Bumiller writes, "The groundbreaking decision overturns a 1994 Pentagon rule that restricts women from artillery, armor, infantry and other such combat roles, even though in reality women have frequently found themselves in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, where more than 20,000 have served. As of last year, more than 800 women had been wounded in the two wars and more than 130 had died."
The New York Times tweeted a link to the story on Wednesday and the tweet ended up being retweeted by users nearly 1,000 times (749 at the time of this story being published).
People from all over the world took to Twitter to express their opinion and react to the news.
Here are a handful of the Twitter reactions, with some in favor, some against.
John McCain @SenJohnMcCain
“I respect and support Secretary Panetta’s decision to lift the ban on women serving in combat”
Tammy Bruce @HeyTammyBruce
“And btw, every line in today's world is the "front line." Women *have* been fighting in combat. Now they'll get paid/recognized for it.”
Desiring God @desiringgod
"A man who endorses women in combat is not pro-woman; he’s a wimp. He should be ashamed" (John Piper, 2007)”
Kelly @KLSouth
“Women in Combat directly impact combat effectiveness of our military. This is an attempt to further weaken America.”
The American Caliban @substitute
“Women now permitted in combat in US military; 300 Hollywood scripts start.”
Malcolm Fraser @MalcolmFraser12
“Women have been unofficially involved in military combat for years”
Jen Kirkman @JenKirkman
“Once the ban is lifted on women in military combat, that draft better not come back.”
MJ Rosenberg @MJayRosenberg
“Women in combat. Progress? Nothing about war is progress except ending it, not enlarging pool of victims.”
Zerlina Maxwell @ZerlinaMaxwell
"women allowed in combat = Conservatives say, "but what about their safety!" 1 in 3 women raped in the military = Crickets."
Andrew Kaczynski @BuzzFeedAndrew
“146 women have died in uniform since 2001, regardless of the ban on women in combat lifted today”
Political Dissident @der_bluthund
"Personally, I think we should put all that energy used against women in combat roles into protecting civilians who get caught up in wars..."
Ron M. @Jewtastic
“I guess since there were not enough women in his White House to please his base, the President threw them into combat instead.”
Jamil Smith @JamilSmith
“Seems @davidfrum was for lifting the ban on women in combat before he was against it.”
Johnny Fuggin Bravo @MrFitMarine
“How I feel about women in combat? BOOTS 2 ASSES. S/O to every brave woman who takes that step.”
Chris Regan @ChrisRRegan
“Women now cleared for combat! Or at least the economically-disadvantaged ones.”
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Photo by Issouf Sanogo
A photograph of a French legionnaire in Mali wearing a skeleton face mask drew an angry reaction from the French military and government.
Reactions on Twitter and other social media sites range from condemnation to expressing support. One Twitter user @phillycat writes, “It’s badass”.
AFP photographer Issouf Sanogo took the photo on January 20th, which quickly went viral because of its likeness to the Call of Duty character "Ghost", a non-playable British character in Modern Warfare 2, who wears a pair of sunglasses and a skull-patterned balaclava, similar to the one worn by the French soldier.
Sanogo told the story behind the image to AFP:
“A helicopter was coming in to land and churning up tremendous dust clouds. Instinctively, all the soldiers grabbed their scarfs to avoid getting a mouthful of sand. It was evening, and rays of sunlight were pushing through the trees and into the dust clouds. It was a lovely light. I spotted this soldier wearing a strange scarf and took the photo. At the time, nothing about the scene seemed especially unusual or shocking. The soldier wasn’t posing and there was nothing staged about the image. He was just standing there, protecting his face from the dust, waiting for the chopper to land. No one tried to stop me shooting the picture.”
Here’s a look at the image of the Call of Duty character Ghost.
According to the video game news site Kotaku which calls the controversy “silly”, "The photographer at the heart of the controversy, AFP's Issouf Sanogo, is "surprised" by the resulting media storm."
Luke Plunkett writes, "French authorities are now trying to identify the soldier, presumably so they can reprimand/make a scapegoat out of him."
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
(Wired)
DOD hopes to harness power of tweets, blogs and updates as intelligence tool. When is a tweet more than just a tweet? When that tweet - along with millions of other bits of digital data - is merged to create a network of real-time information, all that can be harnessed and used by the military. How to harness and interpret such massive amounts of information is the goal of an initiative through the Department of Defense's Data to Decisions program, run by the Office of Naval Research...
(al.com)
Veteran stands up for 2nd Amendment at Chicago anti-gun forum. After enduring hours of derision and mockery by the panelists at a Chicago-area guns “forum” Sunday, one man in the audience stood up and addressed the crowd, identified himself as a veteran, and proceeded to give a straightforward but passionate defense of his support for the First and Second Amendments...
(Legal Insurrection)
Al Jazeera Is Hiring. Looks like someone is hiring. Al Jazeera just posted a list of over 100 job openings on their website for the soon-to-launch new U.S.-based news channel. At the beginning of the year, Al Jazeera Media Network announced that it had acquired Current TV, the network founded by Al Gore, and would use the network’s distribution system to launch a new U.S.-based news channel for American audiences...
(Observer)
Some news orgs’ social media policies are on shaky legal ground. If your social media policy prevents employees from saying anything bad about the company, it might be going too far. The National Labor Relations Board has weighed in on several cases where employees lost their jobs because of social media activity, Steven Greenhouse reports. The board is standing up for the rights of workers to discuss wages and working conditions...
(Poynter)
Production Begins on DreamWorks’ WikiLeaks Project “The Fifth Estate”. Principal photography has begun on the WikiLeaks drama “The Fifth Estate,” it was announced today by DreamWorks Studios. The film about the controversial website stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange and Daniel Brühl as Daniel Domscheit-Berg, as well as Laura Linney, Anthony Mackie, David Thewlis, Peter Capaldi, Dan Stevens, Alicia Vikander and Carice van Houten. Following Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Brühl), an early supporter and eventual colleague of Julian Assange (Cumberbatch), “The Fifth Estate” traces the heady, early days of WikiLeaks, culminating in the release of a series of controversial and history changing information leaks...
(Business Wire)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
This year, Military Spouse magazine added an installation level to the award, ensuring that each and every base, district (Coast Guard), and state (National Guard) has a representative.
Last year’s Military Spouse of the Year award went to Jeremy Hilton, an Air Force Spouse.
If you’d like to learn more, here’s a look at the timeline.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
