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21 Aug 2011 11:07

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U.S.: Iran hikers’ families: Jail sentencing has been extremely difficult on us

  • Of the 751 days of Shane and Josh’s imprisonment, yesterday and today have been the most difficult for our families. Shane and Josh are innocent and have never posed any threat to the Islamic Republic of Iran, its government or its people.
  • A statement from the families of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal • Expressing disappointment over the eight-year sentence imposed on the two men by Iran. The men received the jail sentence for spying and entering the country, but the hikers emphasize that they merely walked into Iran by accident. Meanwhile, the lawyer for the men, Masoud Shafiee, plans to appeal the tough sentence. “I still hope for my clients to benefit from Islamic kindness and compassion in this holy month (of Ramadan),” he said. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Aug 2011 00:09

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About, World: Tips and tricks: How to follow the Twitter action in Tripoli

  • Recently, our friend Matthew Keys had a pretty good idea called Quotse. Pretty much, the whole idea is that he drops his news-gathering secrets to those who might find a use for it. The piece he wrote about YouTube searches for breaking news stories was particularly helpful. In that spirit, we’d like to drop a couple of suggestions of our own. How do you parse through Twitter during really complex cases like Tripoli, where you’re hearing things from so many directions that you may not know where to start? As you guys might have noticed last night, we had to change our techniques on the fly because Twitter changed the way its search engine works. Anyway, here are some tips we’ve built up from that experience, as well as things we’ve learned over the years:
  • Basic tools Some like TweetDeck; we don’t. You can get lost way too easily. Fortunately, there are alternatives like HootSuite, which does the same thing with less visual clutter. It’s good to be fluent with multiple Twitter apps. We also dig Echofon. Also, if you find certain users to be trustworthy, put them in a Twitter list. Here’s our Tripoli list.
  • Intermediate tricks One of our favorite tricks for following a breaking news story is to do a search for a topic with the name of a popular image service behind it. Examples: “tripoli yfrog,” “libya twitpic” or “#feb17 youtube.” The result? Sometimes you might catch things — amazing photos, for example — before anyone else. Be sure to credit the source.
  • Advanced queries Twitter supports searches which don’t seem particularly obvious. For example, you can search by latitude and longitude. Use this tool to find your location, then paste it into this setup: “geocode:(your code),15mi”. Now, put that into Twitter. Pretty awesome, right? It’s not perfect (there are false positives aplenty), but it’s a great start.
  • » The key part? Use your head. Not every piece of information is a gem. Confirm information as much as possible, don’t accept info based on one report, keep an eye on Twitter accounts that have proven trustworthy with information in the past, and keep changing your searches as stories evolve.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Aug 2011 15:18

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World: Jailed hikers likely didn’t know where terrain crossed into Iran

  • I think he went to [Iraqi] Kurdistan to cover the elections … and [during a hike] unfortunately didn’t know the ground he was walking on well enough to avoid crossing over whatever boundary was there.
  • New America Media executive director Sandy Close • Discussing the fate of Shane Bauer, one of the hikers who was sentenced to eight years in prison for accidentally crossing into Iran back in 2009. Bauer had planned to write a story about Iraqi Kurdistan, but those plans were put on hold after Bauer and his friends Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested for accidentally crossing into Iran, and then getting caught. Shourd was let go on the promise she’d eventually come back, but Fattal and Bauer will spend a decade in jail. Where’s Bill Clinton to broker a deal when you need him? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Aug 2011 19:26

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Politics: Russ Feingold’s out: Wisconsin political institution sits out 2012 races

  • While I may seek elective office again someday, I have decided not to run for public office during 2012.
  • Former Sen. Russ Feingold • Breaking the hearts of many a progressive with a single quote. The Wisconsin institution, who’s currently teaching at Marquette Law School and working on a book about 9/11, says he’s enjoying the stuff he’s currently working on and wants a little bit of a break from the political game. This is not a particularly great sign for Democrats going into 2012, as Feingold was seen as likely to do well in another Senate race. Feingold lost his Senate seat, which he held for three terms, last year. Let the speculation begin: Perhaps he’s holding out for a race with Scott Walker? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Aug 2011 17:06

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U.S., World: Dominique Strauss-Kahn case might be decided by money, not courts

  • the Strauss-Kahn accuser might drop the case for money. However, the woman’s lawyer is denying these claims that follow a report from the Wall Street Journal that sites anonymous sources. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were trying to make a deal — anything close to a conviction in this case would be political suicide for prominent French politician Strauss-Kahn, if his career isn’t over already. It’s evident that he and his team want this case out of the way as soon as possible, and from what’s being said, the woman might just take money instead of going through with the trial. We’ll see. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Aug 2011 16:53

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U.S.: West Memphis Three aren’t so happy about having to admit guilt

  • Although I am innocent, this plea is in my best interest.
  • Jessie Miskelley Jr., one of the West Memphis Three • Explaining why he essentially pleaded guilty to get out of jail. It’s believed that the prosecution would’ve had enough evidence to convict them, so the plea deal was in their best interest — but none of the three seem to be happy about having to plead guilty to be free. As a condition of the plea deal, the trial will remain on probation for ten years, and if they re-offend they’ll have to go to prison for another ten years. So what do you think — was justice served? source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Aug 2011 16:23

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Culture: ‘Real Housewives’ death won’t stop Bravo from airing the show

  • realityEven after a main character committed suicide, Bravo won’t cancel their hit reality show “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” Russell Armstrong’s suicide follows on the heels of marriage and money problems that were likely caused by the show. Originally, the show’s return to airwaves wasn’t even going to be delayed.
  • actuality This situation shows how reality TV affects the stars — and the lengths networks are willing to take to keep the moneymakers on the air. People are fascinated with reality TV and want to watch others live their lives — but reality stars make a big sacrifice to keep up the facade. Russell Armstrong is a perfect example of that. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

19 Aug 2011 15:59

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Music, World: Another stage collapse: Belgian music fans grieve after Pukkelpop tragedy

  • Pukkelpop was cancelled Friday, a day after a collapsed stage, violent storm and uprooted trees killed five and injured 140 at the Belgian music fest, which included major acts (the Foo Fighters, Eminem) and up-and-comers (Odd Future, Crystal Castles). Many of the acts that played or were scheduled to play have offered condolences for the tragedy on Twitter. It’s the latest in a long line of devastating stage collapses this summer, and the worst so far by injuries. Sadly, a sixth person died in the Indiana State Fair incident from last week. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Aug 2011 14:46

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Culture: “The King” is dead: Burger King retires its creepy mascot

  • An awesome ad campaign dies: One of the most unlikely ways to advertise that you should eat burgers will go the way of many other kings before it, as high-calorie ruler Burger King (which has been struggling a bit recently) has decided to refocus its marketing on something a little less … y’know … creepy. Bring back the Subservient Chicken! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Aug 2011 14:17

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U.S.: Obama administration eases up on deportation case prosecution

  • what The Obama administration has chosen to prioritize its deportation cases — focusing mostly on those accused or convicted of criminal activity rather than immigrants who may not have come to the country on their own accord as children.
  • why Obama faced criticism, particularly from Hispanics, that the administration was being too tough on immigration issues by focusing on deportation cases of those that been productive members of society. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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