Rob Portman jokes about being passed over for VP

TAMPA--For Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, there seem to be no hard feelings about not being selected as Mitt Romney's running mate.

"My name is Rob Portman, and they say I was on Governor Romney's short list of vice presidential candidates," Portman said. "Apparently, it wasn't short enough."

Portman went on to praise the man who got the job, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, calling him "a terrific partner" for Romney.

"Governor Romney chose a terrific partner in Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Paul is a close friend with a great family and a reformer's heart," he said. "Vice President Biden has told people out of work to just, 'hang in there.' So much for hope and change. Paul Ryan is not asking America to continue to hang in there. He is proposing new policies that will give poor and middle class families opportunities and hope for the future."

Good evening America, and hello to the fired-up delegation from the Buckeye State right in front of me.

My name is Rob Portman and they say I was on Governor Romney's short list of vice presidential candidates.

Apparently, it wasn't short enough.

But it's been a great convention and I am delighted to be here tonight to talk about the fundamental differences between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama when it comes to understanding our economy.

Let's begin by talking about something the Democrats love to demonize - Mitt Romney's success in the private sector. He built a company from the ground up, created lots of jobs, and yes, he made money.

He made it the old fashioned way . . . He earned it.

Then you have Barack Obama, who has never started a business-never even worked in business. And he claims those who have should give credit to the government or someone else for their success.

So, you have one candidate who understands that success comes from working hard, competing and taking risks.

And you have another candidate who believes success comes from government.

Which one do you think knows how to turn this economy around?

Which one would you choose to invest your life's savings?

Should it be any different for safeguarding our nation's economy?

Or let's say you don't have any savings. Let's say you're worried about how to pay September's rent or mortgage.

Let's say you are one of the millions of Americans out of work or the millions more who have given up looking.

You've gotta be running out of patience - and hope. You have to be tired, looking for a new start.

Well, you don't have to be patient any longer. Through your vote this fall you can change the leadership of this country and the opportunities for you and your family.

America, it has been nearly four years of over eight percent unemployment - and double digit unemployment for young people, Hispanics and African-Americans.

Four years. FDR and Truman won an entire world war in four years.

America is tired of waiting.

In business, if you don't move rapidly, you are out of business. You are finished.

We want a president who operates at business speed not government speed.

President Obama says he deserves reelection because his economic policies have worked.

NOT in this universe they haven't.

In fact, the experts tell us that if we don't change our policies we are going back into recession next year.

Tens of millions of Americans are not out of the last recession!

Governor Romney had a plan to build his business. He now has a detailed plan to restore our economy and strengthen the middle class.

I ask you: Where is the president's economic plan?

Blaming others does not qualify as a plan. Now the president did submit a budget. It was so bad that not a single Republican or a single Democrat in the entire United States Congress would vote for it.

He got zero votes. That is a failure of leadership.

President Obama has been right about at least one prediction he's made about the economy. He said, "If I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition."

I think you are right about that, Mr. President.

It hasn't worked, because you cannot spend your way, regulate your way, tax your way or blame your way out of the economic mess we are in.

You have to liberate the productive power of the American people through policies that encourage innovation, risk taking, investment and jobs.

And you have to compete and win in the global economy. Governor Romney understands this.

In contrast, President Obama is the first president in 75 years-Democrat or Republican-who hasn't even sought the ability to negotiate export agreements and open markets overseas. Now why is this important?

Because 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside our borders. And to create jobs, our workers and our farmers need to sell more of what we make to those people.

While this administration has been dragging its feet, other countries have been busy negotiating hundreds of new trade agreements to benefit their workers and their farmers, taking away our opportunities.

President Obama has been so driven to advance his big government ideology that he has abandoned the daily economic work that a government must do to open markets, restore business confidence and create the climate for job growth.

This is the work President Romney would begin on day one.

Take trade with China. China manipulates its currency giving it an unfair trade advantage. So why doesn't the president do something about it?

I'll tell you one reason - President Obama could not run up his record trillion dollar deficits if the Chinese did not buy our bonds to finance them.

We are as beholden to China for bonds as we are to the Middle East for oil.

This will end under Mitt Romney.

We need to knock down these trade barriers abroad, but we also need to knock down the self-imposed barriers to success right here at home.

We need to reform our outdated and complicated tax code. We need to fix our burdensome regulatory system and we need an energy policy that encourages development of our resources right here, in the ground, in America.

America has a choice between Mitt Romney, who seeks to grow the economy, and Barack Obama who seeks to redistribute it.

Which one do you think will liberate America's entrepreneurial spirit?

At the other party's convention, you will hear the chant, "Four more years. Four more years."

Folks - we can't afford four more years. How about no more years?

Governor Romney chose a terrific partner in Paul Ryan of Wisconsin - Paul is a close friend with a great family and a reformer's heart.

Vice President Biden has told people out of work to just, "hang in there." So much for hope and change.

Paul Ryan is not asking America to continue to hang in there. He is proposing new policies that will give poor and middle class families opportunities and hope for the future.

Mitt Romney made his mark turning around businesses and solving problems.

Paul Ryan made his mark as a respected reformer focused on results.

Together they will do what President Obama has not done: They will lead in breaking through the partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C.

America, give them the chance to restore America's economy and restore the American dream.

I have seen that dream up close. When I was a kid, my dad left his job as a salesman and started his own business selling forklift trucks. My Mom was the bookkeeper. He had to borrow money from her uncle because the bank wouldn't give him a loan. He lost money for the first few years, but he never lost his dream.

And by the time he retired and my brother took over, the business had 200 employees - supporting 200 families in Southwest Ohio.

This is the classic American story - not of government telling us what to do - but of free men and free women willing to work hard and take a risk to build something of value for themselves, their families and their community.

About a year into the Obama Administration - I asked my dad whether he would do it again. He said, "Rob - with all the uncertainty out there today - I don't know if I would take the risk."

In that one sentence, he summed up what I've heard from hundreds of small business owners across Ohio and around this great country. They're afraid to make the investment and jobs are the casualty.

Ladies and gentlemen, we need new leadership and new policies to bring back the dream and renew America's promise.

No more excuses, no more blaming others, no more waiting.

We need Romney /Ryan and we need them now! And with your help, it will happen.

Thank you and God bless our great country.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/rob-portman-jokes-being-passed-over-vp-010256709.html

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Aug 21-28: News Articles and Appellate Court Cases Relating to ...

Childhood is the barrel they give you to go over the falls in. Whatever you get to take with you in it can?t be bigger or sharper than an idea.

Linda McCarriston?

US: Helping Foster Kids Even After Adoption

Aug 28, NPR: The U.S. adoption system was largely organized around placing infants, both from this country and abroad. But, it turns out that, by far, the largest number of adoptions in the U.S. is through the foster care system. That means toddlers, young children, even teens. Yet many in the field say the system does little to help families cope with the special issues a number of these children will face, even years after adoption. Foster adoptions have nearly doubled since 1997, when a policy change gave states financial incentive to place children with permanent families. The federal government has also waged an aggressive and charming ad campaign, with TV spots reassuring people that they ?don?t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.? Debbie Riley, head of the Center for Adoption Support and Education in Maryland, says she is seeing an increasing number of ?disruptions.? ?Families are calling and saying, ?I can?t do this,? and [they're] putting children back into [foster] care?. Link to NPR Article

Baby, Allegedly Shaken, Still Critical: Justin Mcintyre Charged in Injury of Son Bentley

28 Aug, WOOD TV: ? A 6-week-old boy hospitalized last week after showing symptoms of having been shaken remains in critical condition. Bentley McIntyre was admitted to Helen DeVos Children?s Hospital in Grand Rapids on Aug. 24 with brain trauma. His family has been by his side the whole time. Police suspect Bentley was shaken by his father ? 23-year-old Justin McIntyre ? at their home in Ferrysburg late last week. He is charged with felony child abuse. He was in court on Tuesday in which a preliminary hearing was scheduled for September. Link to Article

MI: Saginaw?s Top Catholic Bishop To Be Named in Philadelphia Clergy Sex Abuse Lawsuit

Aug 27, Saginaw News: Attorneys plan to name the leader of the Diocese of Saginaw in a lawsuit surrounding clergy sex abuse allegations at his former assignment in Philadelphia, media reports indicate. Bishop Joseph Cistone earlier this year was not named in any criminal indictments, but lawyers say Cistone and others will be named in a civil case brought on by a former Philadelphia altar boy who claimed sexual abuse in 1992. ?My best description of them is that they were the kingpins,? Slade McLaughlin, a Philadelphia attorney, told the news station when describing Cistone and another former Catholic administrator in Philadelphia. Link to Article

GA: Georgia Makes Parent Volunteers In Schools Mandatory Child Abuse Reporters. Is That A Mistake?

Aug 26, AJC.com: Schools in Georgia are now informing parents of a law passed this year that broadens the list of people mandated to report child abuse. The list now includes volunteers at churches, colleges, clubs, summer camps or soccer fields or parents who chaperone a field trip. They could go to jail if they fail to report suspected abuse. Link to Article

MA: Program Helps Families Create Their Own Solutions

Aug 26, Boston Globe: The Family Independence Initiative, which recruits families, urges them to identify their aspirations, and pays them $160 a month to record their progress toward achieving them. The central idea behind the initiative is that poor people have the resourcefulness to solve their own problems. That with the support ? and the watchful eyes ? of a small community of peers, they can transform their lives. The results so far have been stunning. Among the first families to join these groups two years ago, personal savings have grown a massive 264 percent. Average monthly incomes have risen 25 percent, not counting FII payments. Children?s grades have jumped 25 percent, too. Members have started businesses, bought houses, enrolled in college, begun microloan programs, gotten care for sick children, lost weight, and found community. Link to Article

US: Finding Hope after Trauma: The Remarkable Recovery of the Adolescent Brain

Aug 26, Huffington Post: A 2005 study conducted by Casey Family Programs found rates of PTSD in young people formerly in foster care to be more than twice that of U.S. war veterans.
Young people who have experienced trauma are extraordinarily resilient. Nowhere is this clearer than among the population of young people who have been in foster care. Trauma comes in all forms, and whether the trauma young people in foster care experience is defined by physical or sexual abuse, moving from place to place, being separated from siblings and other loved ones, or living in a disjointed system ? its impact can be devastating. Without access to a supportive family or network, young people in foster care ? especially those who abruptly age out of the foster care system ? don?t have the same opportunity to recover and move on. And yet, it is precisely during that window of their young lives ? between ages 14 and 25 ? that young people have the most potential for recovery and resilience. New advances in neuroscience tell us that the brain is not ?done? by age six, as previously thought. Instead, the adolescent brain continues to develop, providing a ?use it or lose it? timeframe similar to that which exists in early childhood. Even after significant trauma, the brain can indeed rewire itself ? meaning that the physiological consequences of trauma can be reversed. Systems that support young people must seize this window of opportunity. Link to Article

Young and Alone, Facing Court and Deportation

Aug 25, New York Times: Immigration courts in this South Texas border town and across the country are confronting an unexpected surge of children, some of them barely school age, who traveled here without parents and were caught as they tried to cross illegally into the United States. The youths pose troubling difficulties for American immigration courts. Unlike in criminal or family courts, in immigration court there is no right to a lawyer paid by the government for people who cannot afford one. And immigration law contains few protections specifically for minors. So even a child as young as six years old has to go before an immigration judge ? confronting a prosecutor and trying to fight deportation ? without the help of a lawyer, if one is not privately provided. Link to Article

US: Special Visa Program Offers Citizenship Path For Illegal Immigrant Youth In Foster Care

Aug 27, Washington Post: Two years ago, her mother was deported, her brother was detained and she was put in foster care. A powerful reminder of all she lost and gained is printed on the top right corner of her green card: ?SL6.? That?s the code for special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS), the little-known program that allows Boudet and hundreds like her each year to live and work in the U.S. as a legal permanent resident. The program has quietly helped 10,000 young illegal immigrants become legal permanent residents since 1997. More recently, much attention has been focused on President Barack Obama?s deferred action policy that allows some young illegal immigrants to avoid deportation by obtaining temporary work permits. Thousands flocked to apply for that program on the first day alone. Advocates say that the new Obama administration policy won?t directly change the juvenile visa program, and that it?s too soon to tell exactly how the visa program may be affected by the policy change. But it may make young illegal immigrants more comfortable coming forward for help staying in the U.S. That could lead to more people applying for the visa. The policy change also gives them another option if they don?t qualify for the special visa program because of key requirements to be under the age of 21, unmarried and a dependent of the state at the time of the application. ?Link to Article

US: As Thousands of Parents Are Deported, US Citizen Kids Face Fallout; Some Placed For Adoption

Aug 25, Associated Press: It?s a question thousands of other families are wrestling with as a record number of deportations means record numbers of American children being left without a parent. And it comes despite President Barack Obama?s promise that his administration would focus on removing only criminals, not breaking up families even if a parent is here illegally. Nearly 45,000 such parents were removed in the first six months of this year, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Critics say the parents are to blame for entering the country illegally in the first place, knowing they were putting their families at risk. These parents have taken a reckless gamble with their children?s future by sneaking into the country illegally, knowing they could be deported. ?Not to deport them, gives them the ultimate bonus package, and creates an incentive for others to do the same thing.? Others, including Obama, say splitting up families is wrong. A year ago, he told a Texas audience that deportation should target ?violent offenders and people convicted of crimes; not families, not folks who are just looking to scrape together an income.? And, last year ICE announced a new policy of ?prosecutorial discretion? that directs agents to consider how long someone has been in the country, their ties to communities and whether that person?s spouse or children are U.S. citizens.

In Congress, California Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard has proposed legislation that would make it more difficult for local agencies to terminate the parental rights of immigrants. She calls it ?heartbreaking ? that in the U.S., immigration status in itself has become grounds to permanently separate families.? It is, she said, ?absolutely, unquestionably inhumane and unacceptable, particularly for a country that values family and fairness so highly.? Link to Article

TX: A Child?s Life Lost Amid Too Many Cases at CPS

Aug 24, Houston Chronicle: Information obtained by the Houston Chronicle shows the fragile toddler died earlier this month on a mattress inside her southeast home as her case remained stuck in the investigative stacks at a protective services office with some of the highest caseload volumes in Houston. Link to Article

WI: Father Reaches Settlement with Welfare Workers in Death of Infant Son

Aug. 24, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The father of a 5-month-old boy who was drowned by his mentally ill mother in October 2007 has settled his federal lawsuit against three child welfare workers and their employers, according to online court records. The suit, filed in federal court in Milwaukee, alleged wrongful death and a violation of the 14th Amendment. When Will Robert Johnson was just 1 month old, child welfare workers removed him from his mother?s home because they feared that her serious mental illness compromised his safety. Yet four months later, social workers left him alone with her for a visit, and he drowned in the bathtub. Two social workers and a supervisor were named as defendants. The three and their employers, which had contracted with the state, knew or should have known Will?s mother, Arkisha Johnson, had a long history of mental illness, which included threats of violence, emotional instability, multiple suicide attempts and failure to take her medication, according to the suit. In October 2010, the Child Welfare Disclosure Act was passed without opposition by state lawmakers and quickly signed by the governor. It requires the state Department of Children and Families to notify the public when a child has been killed or suffered serious injury. Link to Article

MA: Children?s Rights Chides Mass. System on Foster Care

August 24, Boston Globe: A children?s advocacy group has issued a series of scathing reports on the Massachusetts foster care system, contending that nearly 1 in 5 children in state custody for at least two years have suffered abuse or neglect. The group, called Children?s Rights, released the reports Thursday as part of a federal class-action lawsuit it brought against the state?s child welfare system in 2010. It asserts that children are mistreated at a high rate under state care, that they often bounce from one foster home to the next, and that they sometimes stay in the foster system for years. Approximately 1 in 6 who are reunited with their families return to foster care after further abuse or neglect, the group says. In several reports submitted by child welfare specialists, the group said the state?s Department of Children and Families is plagued by dysfunction, low staffing, and lax oversight. Link to Article

ID: 3-Year-Old Idaho Child Reunited With Father in Mexico

Aug 23, Miami Herald: A young girl whose custody case was ultimately decided by the Idaho Supreme Court traveled to Mexico earlier this week to begin living with a father she had never met before. Maria Ramirez, 3, flew to Mexico on Monday and was handed over to her father, Jesus Ramirez, to begin a new life with him and his family in Salamanca, a small town in central Mexico, according to officials with the Consulate of Mexico in Boise. In April, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that a lower court erred in severing the man?s parental rights even though he had never met his daughter, initially came to the U.S. illegally and was barred from ever returning. The Idaho Department of Health and Human Services argued to have the father?s custody rights severed as the agency explored placement options for the child after officials removed the girl from the mother?s home. Mexican officials in Boise cheered the girl?s transfer to her father?s custody and the legal process that affirmed the rights of birth parents over questions of a parent?s immigration status. Link to Article? Comment by C. Enright: How can someone be reunited with a parent she had never met? This must be a very traumatic experience for this girl.

US: For Chinese-American Adoptees, Matters of Identity

Aug 23, NPR: Of the roughly 80,000 Chinese children adopted in the United States since 1979, almost all are girls, abandoned at birth by their parents because of China?s one-child policy, coupled with inheritance laws that favor boys. Waiting for them at this end was the pent-up parental longing of thousands of infertile couples, single women (and a few single men) and gay and lesbian couples. This is hardly unexplored territory, but until now most of the copious commentary on Chinese adoption has come from the parents? point of view. Now some of the girls are old enough to speak for themselves, and Linda Goldstein Knowlton, a Hollywood producer and an adoptive mother herself, picks up their story in Somewhere Between, a warm-hearted if somewhat over-orchestrated documentary that gives voice to four teenaged adoptees from loving but very different homes. Link to Article

MI: Saginaw Woman Charged With Sexually Assaulting 6-Year-Old Boy Mentally Fit For Trial

Aug 22, Saginaw News: A Saginaw woman charged with sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy is mentally fit for trial, a judge has ruled. Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank on Monday relied on a report from the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Ypsilanti to determine that Jessica D. Nielson, 28, is mentally competent. Link to Article

CA: Senate Unanimously Passes Bill to Protect Child Actors

August 22, Los Angeles Times: The California Senate unanimously passed a bill today that would provide greater safeguards for child actors in Hollywood, moving the measure one step closer to adoption. The bill would require criminal background checks for talent managers, publicists, photographers and others in the entertainment industry who would have unsupervised access to young performers. It also would prohibit registered sex offenders from representing minors. Link to Article

CA: Social Workers Build Bridges to Find Homes for Foster Children Living on the Street

Aug 21, Los Angeles Times: L.A. County?s staying connected to juveniles on the street via Facebook, family ties and foot patrols and placing them when they?re ready. The Department of Children?s and Family Services doesn?t have enough famil y foster homes for parent-less adolescents. Unhappy teens who run away become wards of the Probation Department because they?re considered delinquents. The two agencies barely talk to one another, so those children languish on the streets and are often victimized by thieves, drug dealers and pimps. Four years ago, in the wake of a scandal over hundreds of unaccounted-for children the foster care agency agreed to try an unconventional approach, forming a small Runaway Outreach Unit that relies not on hauling kids in from the streets, but building trust to bring them back. ?The old way wasn?t working,? said the unit?s leader, social worker Eric Ball. Since 2008, his team ? using Facebook, family connections and foot patrols ? has located 1,500 missing youths and eased 500 into independent living and out of foster care, he said. ?The important thing is to make contact and begin to earn their trust,? Ball told me Saturday, from a crowded downtown community center, where his team had gathered hundreds of their teenage wards for a daylong conference on healthy living. ?We?re trying to empower them,? Ball said. ?Nobody likes being told what to do.? Link to Article

IN: Some Judges, Police Call Department of Child Services Child Abuse Hotline ?Frustrating,? ?Inefficient?

Aug 21: IndyStar.com: Department of Child Services officials call the agency?s centralized child abuse hotlinea ?model for other states,? ?one of the most up-to-date and effective? in the nation. The hotline?s workers in Indianapolis answer calls promptly and effectively 24 hours a day, the state officials say, delivering consistent results for children in all of the state?s 92 counties. But local officials who have been using the centralized hotline since it went into effect in 2010 paint a different picture. They use descriptions such as ?constant problem,? ?very frustrating? and ?inefficient.? ?They do not seem to understand the issues that are actually going on in the field,? a Warrick County sheriff?s detective says. A Knox City police detective is more blunt: ?Children are not getting the help they need.? Those comments are contained in responses to an informal survey conducted by Sen. Brent Steele, R-Bedford, which he shared exclusively with The Indianapolis Star. Link to Article ?See also: Link to Courier Press Article and Link to Indiana Public Radio Article

FL: Florida Turns Down $4.9 Million from Federal Government Designed to Strengthen Parenting

August 21,Tampa Bay Times: Kimberly Dudley says she is grateful for the agency Healthy Start, which sent an educator into her home to help her get off drugs and prevent her kids from being shipped to foster care. ?If I didn?t have the program, I would be homeless with a premie,? said Dudley, 21, a Clearwater mother of two young children. Now the program is in danger. Earlier this month, the Florida Department of Health turned down a $4.9 million federal grant that already has helped 84 Pinellas County families and hundreds more statewide. The department was forced to turn down the money after the Florida Legislature refused to accept it. Some state lawmakers were upset because the program is connected to the Affordable Care Act, also known as ?Obamacare.? Link to Article

FL: State?s DCF Removes Child Protective Investigation Function Away from Sheriff?s Office

Aug 20, Citrus Daily: The state?s Department of Children and Families (DCF) has taken child protective investigations away from the Citrus County Sheriff?s Office. Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy said the DCF?s move was totally unanticipated. ?I never saw it coming,? said Dawsy. ?I?m shocked.? The DCF has optioned to bring Citrus County?s child protective investigations (CPI) back in-house, effective as of Oct. 31. DCF?s precise reasoning is cloudy, but the state agency has said that the performance and measurable outcomes of the program under the Sheriff?s Office was never in question. The DCF exercised the exit clause in a one-year contract, signed earlier this year, to keep the program under the auspices of the Sheriff?s Office. After hearing the news, Sheriff Dawsy promised to make the transition of services as smooth as possible, although he admitted to worries about the safety of the county?s children. The Sheriff?s Office said today that the DCF?s decision in no way impacts the six other Florida sheriffs who currently perform the same CPI function. No additional info in article.

GA: Degarmo Publishes Book on Foster Parenting

Aug 20, Jackson Progress-Argus: John DeGarmo has worked as an English and drama teacher, managed a day care center, hosted various radio shows throughout both the United States and Australia, and even worked in the field of professional wrestling. He is currently serving as a media specialist at both Jasper County High and Middle schools. He recently earned his doctorate and he published his doctoral dissertation on the challenges that foster children face in public schools. ?Fostering Love: One Foster Parent?s Journey,? according to DeGarmo, was about his own personal experiences with the foster care system. It takes actual events that have taken place in his first nine years as a foster family and puts them in writing. He uses the perspective of himself as the parent and the stories form from how each experience affected him and his own children. Link to Article

GA: Court Cases Show Challenge of Prosecuting Child Abuse

Aug 18, Augusta Chronicle: The challenges of prosecuting crimes against children were on full display the past two weeks in the Augusta judicial circuit. jurors delivered a partial acquittal of Corduray Scott, who was charged with fatally squeezing and shaking his 3-month-old son, Corduray Jr., in 2010. While convinced Scott was guilty of felony murder, they cleared him of killing the boy with malice. The week before in Columbia County, jurors deadlocked after 11 hours of deliberations could not produce a verdict in the case of Lawanda Concettes Tripp, a baby sitter accused in the 2009 death of a 22-month-old toddler. Former assistant district attorney Adam King said the prosecution walks into a trial with the jury?s sympathy for a child victim. But the advantage is limited ? human nature makes it hard to believe someone could be so cold-hearted they would harm a child, King said. ?That sympathy cuts both ways,? he said. The same can be said of the scientific and medical evidence. Link to Article

Court: Michigan Court of Appeals (Unpublished)
Case Name: In re Mullins

The court held that because the trial court intended that the child should be allowed to maintain a relationship with the respondents-parents, it clearly erred in finding that termination was in the child?s best interests. Thus, the court vacated the termination order and remanded for further consideration of the best interest factors. In an order issued concurrently with its opinion, the court set a schedule for the proceedings on remand, and retained jurisdiction. In the consolidated appeals, both parents challenged the termination of their parental rights to their infant son (TM). The petitioner-DHS presented clear and convincing evidence that at least one statutory ground supported termination. However, the trial court did not properly consider TM?s placement with his paternal grandmother when deciding whether termination was in his best interests. The court noted that relative placement is relevant to the best interest analysis because the relative may be open to allowing the parent to maintain a relationship with the child, which may be in the child?s best interest even if the parent is not a fit full-time custodian. Full Text Opinion

If you have items that you think would be helpful to include in this occasional post, please forward them to me at the email in my signature block.
These stories were chosen because of their perceived relevance to the child welfare community.? MiPSAC is not responsible for the views expressed in any of these articles, nor does it take a position for or against the positions expressed in the articles.? They are presented merely to provide a sampling of what the media is saying about child welfare.

Charlie Enright, JD, MSW
4907 Foster Rd.
Midland, MI? 48642
(989) 600-9696
cenright@ymail.com
Secretary,
Michigan Professional Society on Abuse of Children, MiPSAC
These and previous CA&N News Articles can be found at: http://www.mipsac.org/category/can-articles where you can subscribe to an abbreviated version of posts such as this one.

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Source: http://www.mipsac.org/uncategorized/aug-21-28-news-articles-and-appellate-court-cases-relating-to-child-abuse-neglect

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Adrienne Maloof's Husband Officially Files for Divorce

Adrienne Maloof is the latest Real Housewife to turn into a real ex-wife.

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For over 45 years we have taken pride in offering the very finest in hurricane protection products.?

We offer first-rate products to match all budgets and feature manufacturers such as Winguard, ETI, PGT, Elite Aluminum, Plastpro & Eastern? Architectural .

Bennett?s services the greater Palm Beach metropolitan area including Martin County & Northern Broward County.?

We work with

• Residential
• Commercial & Office Buildings
• HOA & Condo Communities
• High Rise Buildings
• Apartment Complexes
• Industrial Buildings
• Storefronts
• Builders and Architects

Our Products & Service Offering Includes:

• Screenrooms, Sunrooms & Florida Rooms Construction/Installation
• Hurricane Impact Windows
• Hurricane Impact Doors
• Hurricane Shutters
• Storm Shutters
• Standard Glass Windows & Replacement Windows
• Standard, Custom Decorative & Impact Resistant Entry Doors
• Screenrooms
• Sunrooms
• Florida Rooms

Bennett?s serves the greater Palm Beach County/Martin County area including: Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Delray Beach, Lantana, Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach, Jupiter, Royal Palm Beach, Singer Island, Wellington, Stuart, Port St. Lucie & Beyond.

Please call us today regarding Florida Room Builders West Palm Beach or any other hurricane protection or home improvement questions you might have.

Call Now:

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561-967-7080

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Hours of Operation
Monday: 8am-6pm
Tuesday: 8am-6pm
Wednesday: 8am-6pm
Thursday: 8am-6pm
Friday: 8am-6pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Accepted Payment Methods
Cash, Check, Major Credit Cards

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Source: http://hurricaneimpactwindowspalmbeach.com/florida-room-builders-west-palm-beach-palm-beach-county/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=florida-room-builders-west-palm-beach-palm-beach-county

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Pink*Denver: End of Summer Low Calorie Cocktail

It's amazing what you can find in your fridge as a mixer. I personally cannot drink anything straight unless it?s dark liquor. A few weeks ago I decided that vodka sounded good and headed to my local liquor store and purchased low calorie vodka. There are a wide range of lower calorie vodkas out now days and I can vary what I get by flavor and mood. This particular weekend I decided on Skinny Girl vodka. With a whopping 35 calories per shot I decided I needed to try it.

I bring my happy vodka home and realize that I don't have any mixers to go with it. I didn't get flavored vodka so I was definitely going to need a mixer. Luckily I had just bought the best watermelon from a little Ecuadorian food stand in the Highlands. Here is my recipe for the best end of summer, low calorie cocktail.

What you need:
1 tsp. honey
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup watermelon
2 (1.5oz ,typical shot) vodka
1 cup water or soda water
(Mint leaf for garnish)

?One of my co-workers actually harvests his own honey and I buy it from him at a very low price. It has to be the best honey I have ever had. I use about a teaspoon of it for this recipe and stir it in a 1/2 cup of warm water so that it breaks down easier. This is important... Your honey will not break down in cold water. You will just end up with cold chunks of honey.
Next you want at least 3/4 cups of watermelon. I cube the melon and put it into the warm water/honey mixture. From there you just stab the shit out of it until it?s mashed and mulled into the water. It does not need to be purred. I prefer the chunky watermelon to eat after you?re done drinking your cocktail. It actually soaks up a lot of the liquor.

After you have mashed the shit out of your watermelon you want to throw 1-2 shots of your vodka in there. Toss in three if it's Saturday, mostly because it's Saturday. I find a substantial taste difference if you do ice and then the vodka so make sure you follow this step carefully.

?You are now ready to throw in?a few cubes of ice and then top it off with water or soda water. I say about a cup depending on how strong you like it. Put a mint leaf in that bitch for garnish and you got yourself a summer cocktail.

Calorie Intake: 130ish calories.. But the watermelon and honey are good calories, so who cares..
Happiness level: Through the roof
Underwear: Fell off
Hunger level: Who knows, you?re drunk. It's way more fun to drink your calories then eat them.
Judgment level: None, your drunk without the calories... hate on that suckas!

(FYI, you can make up your own mixers by what you have in your fridge. You might be surprised by what you come up with. You can go a long way with cucumbers, lemon wedges, blueberries, and even pickle juice. Find your inter mixologist and see what happens)

Pink*Denver

Source: http://www.pinkdenver.net/2012/08/end-of-summer-low-calorie-cocktail.html

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The 3 Cs of effective credit risk management | Sydney Business Month

When you go into business, you?re also taking on a certain level of risk ? and none more so than when you extend credit to new customers. In an uncertain economic climate, small business owners are acutely aware that each day they are waiting for their invoices to get paid is another day money isn?t coming through the door.?

According to recent Dun & Bradstreet data, firms with one to five employees took 53 days to pay their bills, an increase of more than two days over the past year. Lengthened payment times are a leading indicator of cashflow pressures that can push a business over the edge if appropriate risk management strategies are not implemented.

While offering products and services on credit has widespread benefits for SMEs and customers alike, businesses should keep in mind the three Cs of credit risk management whenever they do so.

1. Conduct credit checks

Before you embark on a long-term relationship with a customer, you should consider running a credit reference check to gain a thorough understanding of who you will be dealing with ? this is the best way to assess their ability to pay.

A credit check can be conducted through a credit reporting agency such as Dun & Bradstreet. It can confirm a business? existence or identity, predict financial stability and payment patterns, and provide valuable information on legal or bankruptcy records. In particular, you should examine a potential customer?s trading record, connections with any companies that have failed and previous directorships to determine if executives have been on the board of failed companies.

Getting a sense of the character of the business and its key decision makers are critical in assessing a company?s ability to meet its financial obligations.

2. Consider your terms

Longer credit terms mean you?re not getting paid for longer, so it?s essential to periodically review your terms and evaluate if you need to shorten them. Your credit terms should be based on the level of available cash reserves and risk appetite ? for instance, if you are offering 45 day terms, you should have enough funds to pay your staff, overheads and other expenses. You should also be confident in your customers? ability to repay their accounts.

However, SMEs generally don?t have large cash reserves ? so it might be a good idea to stick to the standard 30 day terms or even reduce this to 14 or seven days depending on how much you sell. Alternatively, you can arrange a payment plan with your customers whereby they pay over several installments or provide an upfront payment.

3. Collect overdue accounts

If you have a credit policy in place, it?s likely you also have a procedure to collect overdue accounts, which makes up a crucial component of the accounts receivables process. A failure to recover outstanding amounts will result in write-offs and accumulation of bad debts, which means you will have to generate more sales to make up for these losses. Having a contingency plan will help prevent these outcomes, and this can be as simple as sending reminders for amounts that are a couple of days to a week late, and escalating this process as necessary. If there is still no response and the invoice is more than 60 days overdue, you may want to refer the matter to a debt collection agency.

In a climate where cash is king, don?t let your business get caught out ? implementing the above strategies to effectively manage your credit risk will ensure the ongoing financial health of your business.

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Got something to say? Join the small business forum here at DynamicBusiness.com.au.

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Source: http://sydneybusinessmonth.com/the-3-cs-of-effective-credit-risk-management/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-3-cs-of-effective-credit-risk-management

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Columbia Bank Voorhees Twp Location | SelectCDRates.com - The ...

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Jenelle Evans Granted One-Year Restraining Order Against Gary Head

Troubled Teen Mom 2 star Jenelle Evans has been granted a one-year restraining order against her troubled ex-fiance Gary Head, reports indicate.

Head was arrested in June following a fight so brutal that a source claimed he “beat the sh!t out of her” and tried to strangle her with a bed sheet.

Jenelle, who was also arrested, is so terrified of him now that she sought the restraining order and was relieved when the judge granted it to her.

“Jenelle is afraid of Gary," a source tells Radar. "She was viciously attacked by him and she is really frightened that he is going to come at her."

"That’s why she wanted a restraining order.”

The restraining order forbids Gary from having any sort of contact with Jenelle Evans in person, via the phone, online or through a third party.

“She doesn’t ever want to talk to Gary again, she just hopes that he obeys the law and stays away from her," a source close to Evans says.

"She knows that the restraining order is just a piece of paper but she feels safer knowing that he can’t and shouldn’t ever come near her.”

Jenelle must appear in court today regarding her own role in the fight, and also plans on seeking custody of her son Jace. Good luck there.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/08/jenelle-evans-granted-one-year-restraining-order-against-gary-he/

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iSwifter Reveals Itself As ?Agawi,? Announces Second Version Of ...

The Menlo Park-based company formerly known as iSwifter has announced version 2.0 of its cloud gaming platform to offer more content types and usage on clients beyond iPads. With today?s release of capabilities they describe as??any game, anywhere, instantly? comes a new name, the acronym Agawi.

Android tablets, Windows 8 tablets, smart TVs, Macs, and PCs will be able to stream games via cloud service. While the company?s first offering, the iSwifter Flash web browser app available in the iTunes store, is largely used by social and casual gamers, the new platform is aimed at publishers of mid-core and hardcore gaming titles. With the announcement Agawi is expanding its B2B offerings in the hopes of wooing creators of premier AAA games (which means it may not be long before games traditionally seen on GameStop shelves are available to gamers playing without consoles).

The company has developed both products with $500K in funding, much less than the $56.5MM that competitor OnLive?raised and used to pay for data centers before closing and being sold recently. As opposed to companies that offer storage-based solutions, Agawi hopes that game publishers will pay licensing fees to use their technology and to reach new audiences through any third-party cloud service provider.

Co-founder and executive chairman Peter Relan says that cloud gaming will change gaming interactions in the same way that streaming has changed movie viewing, improving on the experience of going to a video store to rent a DVD. ?The cloud gives you the ability to provide necessary capacity to users who want to have their content whenever and wherever they want it,? said Relan. He says the offerings will help publishers reach gamers who are currently underserved and who may prefer to play on tablet over PC.

With 30 people, Agawi has increased its engineering team and is triple the size it was when it launched the first version of the platform. The company was incubated through YouWeb, which helped launch mobile game network?OpenFeint and social gaming company CrowdStar. It has received?angel funding from Dave Roux, co-founder of Silver Lake,?which helped sell Skype to Microsoft.

Agawi says that it isn?t emphasizing consumer-facing offerings with this release. The company stresses that it is looking more to interest publishers and developers than expand its overall user base of 3 million gamers. It will be?announcing new partners for the updated version of the platform at the Cloud Gaming USA conference in San Francisco in early September.

iSWiFTER is the industry?s first cloud-based Flash game streaming service specifically built for mobile devices including smart phones and tablets, spanning mobile platforms such as Apple?s iOS and Android. Low-cost servers in the cloud run abstraction software that intelligently converts browser-based Flash games to a form that is optimized for individual mobile devices, complete with multi-touch gesture support for game interaction, and accommodating different screen sizes. A client app connects to the gaming servers in the cloud to download...

? Learn more

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/24/iswifter-agawi-cloud-game-platform/

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Cabinet roll out shelves organizes your kitchen - IdeaMarketers.com

by Pardhi Content Developer
Send Feedback to Pardhi Content Developer
Request Reprint | Print | About Author | Report Problem | Tweet This Install the Cabinet roll out shelves in your kitchen to have that perfect organized look.

When you are working in your kitchen then you always want that it should be carried out in an easy way. But if you have a small and congested kitchen which is full of kitchen items then you must be facing a lot of problems in carrying out your work. In order to simplify your work you should install the cabinet roll out shelves in your kitchen. Not only kitchens with small area but also the kitchen which has got a large area should get these shelves installed because they offer you convenience.

The Cabinet roll out shelves along with convenience also provides you a great look to your entire house. If you have any plans for renovating your house then you should consider installing these shelves. They work very well as a decorative piece for your house. With the presence of these shelves in your house it makes it look more presentable. There are many elements of your kitchen that make your kitchen look presentable. There are several ideas that you can utilize to design your kitchen. But if you do not have enough finance available to you then you can opt for installing these shelves. The kitchen is the area where you spend most of your time with your family. So it is important to keep it clean and tidy.

When looking out for a change in your kitchen you should for good options as you cannot afford to change the look of your kitchen very often. There are a lot of things that you will get in the market that you can use to decorate your kitchen. In this way you will not have a clear picture about what will suit your kitchen better.

People who have small houses should opt for the Cabinet roll out shelves because it will solve your space related problems. More space will be created in your house with the installation of these shelves. You will not be using congested word to define your kitchen anymore. They will simplify your work even more. You no longer have to search for the kitchen items in those dark cabinets. The household work can be done easily with these Cabinet roll out shelves. You will notice that all your work is done within time without getting frustrated. All the items will be made available to you easily. Very little time you will have to invest in installing them in your house. They are used in hospitals, schools, offices and at many places.

Slide Out Shelves LLC offers top notch solutions for pull out kitchen shelves and Cabinet roll out shelves that can enhance the storage space and efficiency at your home.

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Retro Game Network | The New Retro Gaming Community ? Game ...

It was made news eariler this year that there was a brand new board game that took two classics, and wedged them together: Sonic The Hedgehog and Monopoly. USAOpoly had given various teasers over the last few months about what the game was to look like, however the one thing that hadn?t been made public yet was what the actual game board was going to look like. That is, until now, as the board has now been revealed.

(click above image for full size view)

For reference and another preview, here is a list of all of the zones?that you could collect on the board:

1. Brown consists of Pumpkin Hill & Metal Harbor
2. Light Blue consists of City Escape, Mystic Mansion & Frog Foreest
3. Pink consists of Seaside Hill, Speed Highway & Sky Sanctuary
4. Orange consists of Chemical Plant, Green Hill & Babylon Garden
5. Red consists of Apotos, Metal City & Sand Ruins
6. Yellow consists of Sweet Mountain, Empire City and Holoska
7. Green consists of Sylvania Castle, Planet Wisp & Tropical Resort
8. Blue consists of Splash Hill & Mad Gear
9. Stations consist of Tornado, Extreme Gear, Egg Mobile & Speed Star
10. Utilities consist of Team Chaotix & Team Babylon

The collector?s edition of Sonic The Hedgehog Monopoly is currently available for pre-order. The cost is $39.95 and is expected to be released on September 10, 2012. I have to tell you, that being a fan of both Sonic The Hedgehog as well as Monopoly, I for one am very much looking forward to this one! If we get any more details, we will be sure to relay them to you right away!

Pre-Order Link:

http://www.sonicmerchandise.com/us/monopoly-sonic-the-hedgehog-collector-s-edition.html

?

Source: http://www.retrogamenetwork.com/2012/08/22/game-board-reveiled-for-upcoming-sonic-the-hedgehog-monopoly-game/

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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

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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)

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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.

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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)

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"Ridiculously Photogenic Syrian Rebel Fighter"

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

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

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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)

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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.?

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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)

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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.

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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)

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The Duffel Blog makes news headlines for satire

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

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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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

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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)

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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.

More on Nixle here.

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Top 25 Military Mom Blogs, Voting Ends Aug 16

Saturday, August 11, 2012, 02:54 AM

Circle of Moms is promoting and recognizing military moms who blog by running an online contest.??

Circle of Moms gives their network of 6 million registered moms direct access to the Top 25 winners.? The Top 25 are also featured on The Roundup (the Circle of Mom's editorial channel).? According to the FAQ section, the feature includes a short interview, favorite posts, and a photo of each Top 25 winner.??

It?s great to see coverage of military mom blogs, especially to such a large audience.

Voting ends August 16, 2012 at 4pm PST and you can learn more about the contest here.

Here's a current look at the Top 10 standings as of August 11 (2:38 AM EST)

1. The Meat and Potatoes of Life (748 votes)
2. The Only Girl Among (562 votes)
3. Random Rants of an Army Wife (515 votes)
4. The Deployment Diatribes, (News From the Commander In Chief @ Home) (470 votes)
5. 5 Nuts in a Nutshell (401 votes)
6. Embracing This Life (373 votes)
7. This Fabulous Army Life (282 votes)
8. Writings of an Air Force Wife (279 votes)
9. Hooah and Hiccups (233 votes)
10. The Crow Family (225 votes)

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Mashable: What is the Syrian Electronic Army?

Friday, August 10, 2012, 11:27 PM - News Stories What Is the Syrian Electronic Army? As forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad clash with the rebel Free Syrian Army in the streets of Syria, Internet-savvy government supporters are fighting a parallel information war in cyberspace. Called the Syrian Electronic Army, the group has a single mission: unleash an onslaught of pro-government propaganda upon the Internet.
(Mashable)

Rare WWII naval dispatch to be auctioned in Pa. Chief Yeomen Robert W. York knew he was clutching a piece of history as he hurried to find his boss aboard the USS Holland, which was trolling the Pacific days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.? In his possession was a dispatch from President Harry S. Truman's navy secretary, dated Aug. 15, 1945, that read: "All hands of the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard may take satisfaction in the conclusion of the war against Japan."? Japan had surrendered. World War II was over. York and his mates could go home.
(NBC29)

Scammers posing as soldiers selling cars online. A Craigslist car scam cruises through the Internet and has now parked in the Treasure Valley. The posting advertises a car for sale. A person claims to be a soldier and talks about selling immediately before he is deployed.? "I came across a 2004 Avalanche with 70 thousand miles on it and the guy said he was in the military so I was like okay, and he's selling it for 1900 bucks, " Michael Thomas said.
(KBOI 2)

Even The Army Can Use Digital Media. The Israel Defense Forces has been releasing some great videos on YouTube ? which do a wonderful job of humanizing the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).? Today a video was released of the IDF?s only co-ed combat unit ? and a well spoken young woman detailing the final exercise after months of hard training.? This exercise does exactly what digital media is meant to do ? tell a story without a filter. This segment humanizes the faces of Israel?s soldiers and shows the faces of people many can relate to. Great public relations work.?
(Jewocity Blog)

Hacked Reuters blog appears still unpatched. News service Reuters appears to still be running the same outdated version of WordPress that allowed its blogging platform to be compromised by attackers last week.? Attackers published fake blog posts on Friday, including a purported interview with the leader of the Free Syrian Army.? Mark Jaquith, one of the lead developers behind WordPress, told The Wall Street Journal that? Reuters had been running version 3.1.1 instead of the latest version, 3.4.1.
(SC Magazine Australia)

Syria's electronic army wages war online. On Monday, it was a hijacked Reuters Twitter feed trying to create the impression of a rebel collapse in Aleppo. On Tuesday, it was another account purporting to be a Russian diplomat announcing the death in Damascus of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.? As the situation on the ground becomes ever more bloody, both sides in Syria are also waging what seems to be an intensifying conflict in cyberspace, often attempting to use misinformation and rumour to tilt the war in reality.
(TVNZ)

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NYPD subpoena Twitter for user making threats

Thursday, August 9, 2012, 07:48 AM - Twitter

The NYPD subpoenaed Twitter earlier this week to get the identity of a user who tweeted under the username @obamamistress.? The user caught the attention of authorities after threatening to copy the Colorado mass shooting at Mike Tyson?s one-mad Broadway show.

?This s--- ain?t no joke yo I?m serious people are gonna die just like in aurora,? read one of the tweets posted in late July.

According to the NY Daily News, police identified the Twitter user and would be interviewing them this week.

The Aurora tweets weren?t the only threat-messages.

@ObamaMistress whose description read in part, ?having an affair with barack obama,Eric Holder, lamar Odom, Reggie Bush, and many many more,? even had celebrities on their hit list like Twilight star Kristen Stewart.

One message posted on July 30 read, ?Wow I got like six hundred people on my hit list and I still ain't finished yet. Wow that's gonna be a mass mass murder for real. #excited.?

The Twitter account has now been deleted, but with the help of Google cache?[screenshot above], you can see several? of the messages.

Mashable has a timeline of the mass murder tweets that include messages like "its not a threat it's a promise" and "Planning a murder is harder than I thought but people are going to die just like they did in the theater."

Full NY Daily News story here.

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Source: http://milblogging.com/index.php?entry=entry120822-144909

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