The Observer, a news site sponsored by France’s channel 24, picked up on the launch of TroopTube by the U.S. Army.  Myself and Colby Buzzell  were asked to give our opinions of the militaries answer to banning YouTube from government systems:

A year and a half after US soldiers were banned from using YouTube and MySpace, the army has come up with an alternative. Forget the all-singing all-dancing mindless, amusing rubbish – this one’s loaded with pep talks and shout-outs. Not convinced? Neither are our Observers, former soldiers in Iraq.

[...]

Jami Gibbs started writing her milblog when she was deployed to Iraq in 2005. Today she runs and writes the blog Patriot Missive, which she co-founded. 

“Considering the highly censored nature of TroopTube, I envision the majority of videos approved for public viewing as “keep in touch” clips. By that I mean videos specifically made for a service member or a family member while they’re separated on deployment. Quite frankly, these videos have little value to the general public; there isn’t much incentive for other people to “tune in” to TroopTube.

 

During the 14 months I spent in Iraq, I sent a few videos home in the holidays for my family. It wasn’t difficult for me to simply send the video file as an attachment in an email. If you have a webcam and an email address, there isn’t much to it. That’s why I’m wondering why it’s necessary to create a website for that purpose – it seems like an unnecessary middle-man to me. 

The reality is that everything is censored. Would a soldier who has uncensored internet access take time to view TroopTube?  No. Would a soldier deployed to Iraq who only has access to a censored DoD computer use TroopTube? Sure, why not. If anything, only out of sheer boredom.

Emotionally, TroopTube is interesting but not particularly useful like YouTube. TroopTube is simply patriotic, YouTube is resourceful. It’d be unfair to compare the two since they are functioning in two completely different ways.”

What do you think of TroopTube?

The Chicago Bears are sitting at 6-5 for the season and AGAIN playing a conference team with the same season record, the Minnesotta Vikings.  Today Chicago travels to the “yah know” state for prime time action… 7pm on NBC!

While we’re waiting for John Madden to get liquored up for the game, here’s a link cache to keep us informed and entertained:

• Sarah Palin is back on the campaign trail. wha-wha-what?
• MORE prisoners released by outgoing Israeli PM Olmert in a (vain) attempt at brokering peace with their Palestinian neighbors.
• The Urban Dictionary defines the ”military blogger“.  I’d argue it’s lacking in depth.
• Whatdaya know!  Bible thumping is being taken as literal as the “two faced” kitten!
• Speaking of bible thumping, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a.k.a Mormons) are facing investigation over their massive financial backing of Prop-8 (banning gay marriages in California).  Sick ‘em!
• Videos galore!  weeee!!  Flying over Iraq.  M1A1 Tank crushing car in iraq. Black Friday fight over Xbox.
• And now Canada is collapsing?!  Ol’ steady hand?  The one true cautious neutrality?  NOW I’m starting to worry.

Enjoy your respective games today, everyone.  Cheers to a new week!

UPDATE:

Final score, Chicago 14, Minnesota 34. You’re officially on my shit-list, Chicago.

The standoff against the gunmen has ended, and now Indian troops are picking up the pieces and assessing the damage done.  The count of those killed during the terrorist siege reaches near 200 as of right now, with close to 300 additional people wounded by the attacks.  The group responcible is a previously unheard of Muslim group called Deccan Mujahideen who are being linked to Pakistan via the sole surviving gunman.  It is thought that the attack was an effort to derail talks between rival countries India and Pakistan.  Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denies that the terrorists came from his country, but is sending an intelligence official to help with the investigation.

It is unknown what the U.S. will be doing in response to the attacks that saw the death of foreign civilians including British and U.S. citizens who were reportedly being targetted specifically by the gunmen for hostages.  President Elect Barack Obama is currently being briefed on the matter and released the following statement: “These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians will not defeat India’s great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to defeat them.”

I was pained with grief to learn that America’s thirst for consumering has literally led to bloodshed.  We can all tisk till the cows come home but it won’t bring back those who died today on America’s most embarrassing shop-athon today.

I wisely decided to stay far away from those blood thirsty wildebeests:

See more here at Gwaker…

He’s serious, folks.

“I would like to be a person remembered as a person who, first and foremost, did not sell his soul in order to accommodate the political process,” Bush said in the interview. “I came to Washington with a set of values, and I’m leaving with the same set of values.  And I darn sure wasn’t going to sacrifice those values.”

“I’d like to be a president (known) as somebody who liberated 50 million people and helped achieve peace; that focused on individuals rather than process; that rallied people to serve their neighbor,” the president added.

Instead, he sold his soul to “augment” the political process?  What can I say.  The man truely believes he did right for the country.  And you know what?  It doesn’t really matter at this point that the man believes he’s right or wrong.  Only 53 days left until the inauguration.

And as a side note:

The entire interview will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Great. Because we don’t have enough ‘Bushisms’ for our offspring to laugh at.

As you’re at home carving bird (or fake bird as some of my veggie eating friends are doing today) and watching the game, the Godfather marathon, the Rocky marathon, or actually speaking to the assorted relatives around the dining table, remember to give thanks that you ARE at home, and not currently caught up in one of the following world-wide ordeals.

• At least 125 are dead, and over 300 wounded in India following a massive terrorist attack on 3 locations in Mumbai. The attacks also saw hostages taken, with the gunmen reportedly seeking specifically U.S. and British citizens.
• There’s an increased police presence in and around New York City subways and trains due to a potential terrorist attack that could take place during the holidays according to an FBI memo.  The threat is being listed as “plausible but unsubstantiated”, however it is still being treated with the utmost seriousness.
• In better news the Iraqi Parliament has backed the security agreement with the U.S. by a substantial majority. The agreement will see the complete withdrawl of ALL American troops by 2011, following a withdrawl from cities and in 2009 to specified military bases.  All that remains now is for approval by the 3 member Iraqi Presidential Counsel.
• And in the most random “war” to take place, Axl Rose of the infamous Guns N Roses is launching an assault on Dr. Pepper accusing them of not living up to their promise of a free Dr. Pepper for all Americans if the album Chinese Democracy was released by the end of 2008.  To make it even more interesting, the album which has been in the works for 14 years is also under attack by the Chinese State Media who, being Communist are not thrilled about the album title and the title track.

I know that neither of those last two links are really all that important or meaningful in the grand scheme of things, but it seemed a friendlier note to end on than some of the other newsbites.

Happy Thanksgiving, I’m going to go eat some turkey now.

Is that the correct plural for ‘cache’?  And if so, how would you prounounce that?  If ‘cache’ is pronounced -cash, then is caches pronounced -cashes or -cashay?   Questions that definitely need answering.

While we’re pondering that, lets consider all things that make us thankful today on Thanksgiving:

• A new rise of (possible) sectarian violence in India as Muslim extremists attack in Mumbai targeting Westerners.  The world watches and waits in anticipation of more information on the blood bath.  I’m thankful that Jews and Gentiles have found a common bond and don’t fear attacks from one another anymore.  Evolution in religion, my friends.
• Obama will keep on Defense Secretary Roberts Gates who will be charged with finally ending the Iraq war.  I’m thankful that, regardless of who’s Defense Secretary, a withdraw plan is finally coming to light.
• Rahm Emmanuel makes a Thanksgiving turkey picture with his four fingered hand.  I’m thankful that it wasn’t a three fingered hand (Or a ONE fingered hand that Rahm is so famous for!).
• German troops to serve in France.  uhhh….  ‘Membah WWII?   I’m thankful that after 50+ years, we can acknowledge that the Germany of today is NOTHING like the Germany of WWII.
• Black Friday is less than 24 hours away!  Lifehackers helps us get organized.  I’m always thankful for discounts.  If only I could forgo the crowds.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

The Iranian government is doing to “na, na, na, na, na” song after claiming to have captured three alleged Mossad spies.

One of the spies admitted under (I’m assuming, tortured) confession that “he was a salesman who obtained high-end but security-compromised pieces of electronic equipment from the Mossad and sold them to military and defense centers in Iran.”

Both Iran and Israel have been building a cold war between the two as Iran continues to call for Israel’s obliteration and Israel continues to hold off on launching their F-35’s to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.

This claim of capturing Israeli spies sorta reminds me of THIS fiasco.   ‘Membah that Photoshop disaster?

This is what serves as valid debate topics for Islamists:

To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1922.htm.

Al-Hilbawi: “I Believe That Every Israeli Civilian is a Future Soldier… Even If He Is a Child”

Dr. Kamal Al-Hilbaw: “I condemn the targeting of any civilian, but incidentally, I believe that every Israeli civilian is a future soldier.”

Interviewer: “He is what?”

Dr. Kamal Al-Hilbawi: “A future soldier.”

Interviewer: “Even if he is two years old?”

Dr. Kamal Al-Hilbawi: “Even if he is a child. A child born in Israel is raised on the belief that [the Arabs] are like contemptible sheep, and that this is a land without a people, and they are a people without a land. They have very strange concepts. In elementary school, they pose the following math problem: ‘In your village, there are 100 Arabs. If you killed 40, how many Arabs would be left for you to kill?’ This is taught in the Israeli curriculum. What would you say about that? Should a child studying this be considered a civilian? He is a future soldier.”

[...]

Dr. Nabil Yassin: “What Kamal said is very dangerous. He is familiar with the case of the Kharijites. He takes us back to the Azariqa, the Kharijites who were most lethal to Muslims. They used to cut open the bellies of pregnant women, because they believed that the child would become an enemy of the Kharijites.”

[...]

Yassin: “I Do Not Condemn the Child, Who Still Doesn’t Know How He Will Kill the Arabs in 20 Years’ Time, When He Becomes A Soldier”

“If we, as Arabs and Muslims, condemned every operation targeting civilians anywhere, we would be able to demand that all parties – not only the U.S. – commit themselves to the same position. I condemn the Israeli governments for teaching children such things, but I do not condemn the child, who still doesn’t know how he will kill the Arabs in 20 years’ time, when he becomes a soldier. We should differentiate… These things lead us back to the root of the problem: Who is a civilian, and who is a soldier, who is being targeted, and who is targeting me? We must not include civilians in the list of military targets.”

[...]

Dr. Kamal Al-Hilbawi: “We must first ask ourselves, with regard to the Polish or Russian Israeli, who came with his children to occupy a land and a home that are not his, expelling the Palestinians to America, Britain, France, and Lebanon – what is his status according to international law?”

Interviewer: “We don’t want to limit the show to the Palestinian cause and the Arab-Israeli struggle, we are talking about terrorism in general.”

Al-Hilbawi: “In My View, Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi is One of the People Responsible for the Development of Religious Violence”

Dr. Kamal Al-Hilbawi: “Allow me. I absolutely do not condone the killing of civilians. But those responsible for the killing of these civilians are sometimes their own relatives and their own country.

“In my view, Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi is one of the people responsible for the development of religious violence, I’m sad to say.”

Interviewer: “Dr. Nabil, we don’t want to…”

Dr. Nabil Yassin: “Let’s be clear on that… Religious scholars issued fatwas…”
Interviewer: “We are not here to pass judgment on Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi or anyone else.”

Yassin: “Jurisprudents… Fuel the Phenomenon of Religious Violence”

Dr. Nabil Yassin: “We need to be realistic. For 1,400 years, we’ve been speaking in the name of Islam, while concealing the facts of reality. There is a movement among the clerics – and I don’t believe in clerics, because there is not supposed to be any clergy in Islam… There is a group of clerics, or religious jurisprudents, who fuel the phenomenon of religious violence, provide religious justifications [for terrorism], and allow people to go to Paradise and marry the black-eyed virgins, by killing themselves and others, some of whom are Muslims.”

I guess they’re giving doctorates to anyone these days.

Apparently President Karzai has heard about the time tables and strategic withdrawls of troops from Iraq and how well that seems to be working these days.  I guess what he might not have heard is that many of those troops are now coming to his country, because he’s asking for a planned withdrawl as well.

Mr Karzai made the call in a speech to a visiting UN Security Council team.

He said if Afghans had “no light at the end of the tunnel” they had the right to pursue other options, such as peace negotiations with the Taleban.

Mr Karzai said Afghans could be asking why a “little force like the Taleban can continue to exist, can continue to flourish, can continue to launch attacks”.

The president said after seven years Afghans were asking why “with the entire international community behind them, still we are not able to defeat the Taleban”.

Mr Karzai said there were two options.

First would be to set a timeline, saying that what had not been achieved in the past seven years would be achieved in the next “four years, five years or another seven years”.

But he added: “If we cannot give a light at the end of the tunnel to the Afghan people, [do] the Afghan people have a right to ask for negotiation for peace? [Do] the Afghan people have a right to seek other avenues?”

Mr Karzai said he would continue to fight al-Qaeda and Taleban members “who are ideologically against the rest of the world”.

However, he said Taleban members who were “part of the Afghan community” could be brought back to serve Afghanistan.

The BBC’s Daud Qarizadah in Kabul says Mr Karzai’s strong comments show he is extremely worried about the dissatisfaction and frustration among Afghans in the south and east where the insurgency is high.

The call for the timeline is an attempt to win support back in those regions ahead of elections next year, our correspondent says.

In addition to asking for some sort of a recognizable plan forward in his country, Karzai is also asking for an end to international security forces arresting Afghan citizens in their homes and on public roads, saying that is a job for the local police.

As to how the UN and U.S. will respond to these requests remain to be seen, but there is no question that new direction and a plan forward will be needed to reach any sort of success and stability in Afghanistan.