'Donkey Bloggers' in Azerbaijan lose appeal against fabricated charges

Amnesty International has accused the Azerbaijani government of stifling dissent after a court turned down an appeal by two bloggers against their conviction on fabricated charges of “hooliganism”. originally this press release was posted on 10 March 2010.


A Baku court today (Wednesday) upheld the convictions of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli who were sentenced to two and to two and a half years respectively after they posted a video critical of the government on YouTube. Amnesty International believes their trial was unfair and that the two are prisoners of conscience.


In none of the seven appeal hearings were the two key witnesses called to give evidence. The appeal court upheld the original court decision to reject evidence without explanation, including photographs of the bloggers’ injuries and video footage of the incident.


Andrea Huber, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Programme Director at Amnesty International, said:


“Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli have fallen victim to the increasingly repressive measures taken by the Azerbaijani authorities to crackdown on critics of the government.

“They were convicted on fabricated charges, in a trial falling short of international standards for fairness, solely because they were expressing their views.

“Independent journalists and activists continue to face harassment and imprisonment in Azerbaijan despite the country’s international obligations to uphold the right to freedom of expression.”

The bloggers were arrested on 8 July 2009 after they were attacked by two unknown men and were accused of “hooliganism”. 


The two activists have used online networking tools, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, to spread information about society and politics in Azerbaijan.


Emin Milli is the co-founder of an online community that discusses politics called Alumni Network, while Adnan Hajizade is a co-ordinator of the youth movement known as OL!, which advocates non-violence and tolerance.


A week before their arrest a video produced by Adnan Hajizade had been posted on YouTube, showing a spoof press conference delivered by a donkey. The video was posted in the wake of a news story about how the Azerbaijani government had allegedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars importing donkeys from Germany, in a deal that may have masked corruption or theft of public funds.


The video questions the purchase of the donkeys, the introduction of restrictive legislation for NGOs and the low priority the government attributes to human rights.
Call for the immediate and unconditional release of Adnan and Emin

Review maps while making flood-fighting plans in Fargo

From left, U.S. Air Force Capt. Grant Larson, of the 119th Maintenance Squadron, Army Col. Steve Tabor, facilities director of the North Dakota National Guard, and Air Force Col. Ron Solberg, commander of the 119th Support Group, review maps while making flood-fighting plans in Fargo, N.D., March 18, 2010. (DoD photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, U.S. Air Force/Released)

U.S. Air Force operations officer and instructor pilot

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jeff Myer, operations officer and instructor pilot with the 52nd Expeditionary Flight Training Squadron (EFTS), conducts a preflight inspection of an Iraqi air force T-6A aircraft prior to a training readiness mission at Al Sahra Air Base on Contingency Operating Base Speicher near Tikrit, Iraq, March 15, 2010. (DoD photo by Chief Petty Officer Michael D. Heckman, U.S. Navy/Released)

Painting a child’s face

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Melanie Allen, a training instructor with the 28th Security Forces Squadron, paints a child’s face during the Kids, Spouses and Teachers Understanding Deployment Operations event on Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., March 13, 2010. The event featured various military demonstrations, a mock deployment line and a B-1B Lancer aircraft tour. (DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Flynn, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Teo Chee Hean into the Pentagon

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, right, escorts Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Teo Chee Hean into the Pentagon March 16, 2010, to hold security discussions on global issues. (DoD photo by R. D. Ward/Released)

An aerial photography exercise

 U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anthony R. Hayes conducts an aerial photography exercise on the ramp of an MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter over Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, March 10, 2010. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael B. W. Watkins, U.S. Navy/Released)

Two landing craft mechanized (LCM)

Two landing craft mechanized (LCM) vessels carry vehicles to the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) before the ship’s departure from Moorehead City, N.C., March 13, 2010. Fort McHenry has returned stateside after participating in Operation Unified Response, a multinational effort to assist Haitians affected by the 7.0-magintude earthquake that struck Haiti Jan. 12, 2010. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Darryl I. Wood, U.S. Navy/Released)

Defensive Tactics

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ronnie Aldana, a unit trainer assigned to the 35th Security Forces Squadron, explains defensive tactics to Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force Sgt. Takuro Koganezaki at Misawa Air Base, Japan, March 11, 2010. During the training, Aldana covered defensive weapon and troop-movement tactics in preparation for a joint exercise. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Jamal D. Sutter, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Family members of U.S. Army Air Force

 Family members of U.S. Army Air Force Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) lay roses during a ceremony at the Air Force Memorial in Washington D.C., March 9, 2010. The ceremony took place to honor the 38 WASPs that perished while serving during World War II. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Erica J. Knight, U.S. Air Force/Released)

U S Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates at the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi

U S Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates tours the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on March 11, 2010. According to Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority to reflect the spirit of Islam, a religion of peace, education and tolerance, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is open to visitors of all nationalities for educational tours.You may watch more photos of the Mosque at MixPix Above mentioned picture is captured by Cherie Cullenand and released by DoD USA. --Rector Kathuria

Some soldiers will do almost anything to stay in shape.

Yes it is a fact. According to a report  Army Sgt. 1st Class Darren D. Heusel Special to American Forces Press Service from Oklahoma City Three soldiers from the Oklahoma Army National Guard are lacing up their roller skates, strapping on elbow and knee pads and taking to the rink as members of the Oklahoma City Red Dirt Rebellion Rollergirls. 

For those new to the sport, this isn't the roller derby of the 1970s, when practically every move was choreographed as in professional wrestling.

No, this is the real deal -- as evidenced by the bruised and battered bodies of 1st Lt. Jessica duMonceau, 1st Lt. Kristin Sloan and Sgt. Karli Wahkahquah.

All are members of the military intelligence community and became interested in roller derby after attending an evening contest between the Oklahoma City Red Dirt Rebellion and a team from Amarillo.

"We all went to our first bout together, and Kristin and I looked at Karli and said, 'We have to do this!'" said duMonceau, who attended high school in Foley, Minn., before moving to Oklahoma City six years ago. "We can be pretty persuasive like that sometimes."

Wahkahquah said it has been at least 10 years since she donned a pair of roller skates, but she was up to the challenge.

"I'm sure I must have looked like a baby giraffe on skates out there at first," said Wahkahquah, who also hails from Oklahoma City. "There were a lot of bumps and bruises initially, but it's proven to be a lot of fun."

Sloan, a native of Mustang, Okla., said one of the clinchers for her was when "Energizer Honey," a member of the Red Dirt Rebellion, was sent flying over the railing, landed on her feet and got right back into the action without ever batting an eyelash.

"She jumped right up like she knew what she was doing," Sloan recalled. "The crowd went wild, and we knew right then this was the sport for us."

Founded in July 2007 by a group of women with previous flat-track experience, the Red Dirt Rebellion Rollergirls are members of Oklahoma's only all-female banked-track roller derby league.

While flat-track roller derby has taken the nation by storm in recent years, the Red Dirt Rebellion is one of only 11 elite banked-track roller derby teams in the country.

In its heyday, roller derby was one of the most popular sports broadcast on TV. The late 1970s brought viewers professional wrestling-style derby with mixed teams, heated fist fights and dramatic moves.

Then, as if overnight, roller derby disappeared from public view, only to re-emerge 20 years later with a totally revamped attitude. You won't often see men on the derby track any more, unless they're sporting a black-and-white striped jersey and a whistle.

You also won't see any overly dramatic "scripted" behavior on the rink. What you will see are short skirts, fishnet stockings, tattoos and smash-mouth roller derby action.

All the hits, spills, falls and breaks are real, and they're revered in the roller derby community.

Named after the infamous "red dirt" of Oklahoma and their wild "rebellious" spirits, members of the Red Dirt Rebellion Rollergirls come from all different lifestyles and backgrounds, from graphic designers and nurses, to stay-at-home moms and soldiers.

The ladies get together at least three nights a week, and for a few bone-crushing hours, they fly around the track hurling themselves at each other as they participate in their own version of ultimate fighting.

They like to have fun, and they like to play rough, as their motto, "Skate Fast and Kick Butt," states. Once the ladies step onto the rink, they immediately transform into their "alter egos."

Wahkahquah, or "Rolling Death," as she is known by her Red Dirt Rebellion sisters, bulldozes her way through a crowded pack of five girls as she makes her way for the "jammer."

Sloan, or "Bruise Clues" as she is known in roller derby circles, finds the gap through the pack and darts in and out as she bursts her way through, dodging opposing "blockers" as they lunge at her.

The jammers, duMonceau or "La Fleur de Mort" among them, claw their way through what seems like a school of piranhas, while the blockers seek to catch an opposing skater off guard and send her skidding across the floor.

Belly flops, bruised jaws, bloody noses and twisted ankles come with the territory. But these ladies say, "Bring it on!"

After an intense bout, the skaters may seek treatment for their wounds. But, you won't see a single unhappy skater in the bunch. They'll limp out with a grin on their face and glints of roller derby glory in their eyes, eager to live on and to fight another day.

"There are definitely some dedicated people on our team," duMonceaux said.

What makes the trio so successful on the banked track is the same tenacious attitude and "can-do" spirit that helps them thrive and survive in the Guard.

"For me, the organization and the planning are huge," said Sloan. "There was no real structure when we first got started. We used troop-leading procedures to make it go a lot smoother."

Wahkahquah said she noticed the team's method of notifying people about an upcoming practice or bout was broken when she first was involved. One person was contacting everyone on the team, and it was taking hours to get people notified. So she instituted a procedure similar to a military recall roster to help speed up the process.

"Now, all is well," she said. "Roller derby has definitely taught me to be a better leader. When we first got here, it was like herding cats. Now, it's like herding sheep. It's a lot more organized."

"I'm definitely developing my communication skills," duMonceau said. "I'm very direct these days and that helps transition over to the Guard."

The women all claim to have been standout athletes in high school. All said roller derby has helped them elevate their physical fitness.

"We're guaranteed at least three practices per week, even more than that, if we have a 'bout' coming up," Wahkahquah said.

Sloan said their experience has helped with recruiting as well.

Sporting a baby blue Thunderbird on their right shoulder that's symbolic of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team with which they serve, Sloan said some of the other women will come up to them and ask about the National Guard.

Choosing the perfect roller derby nickname is important, the women said, because it becomes registered and is theirs forever. "Someone can call and ask to create a version of your name, but they have to get your permission," Wahkahquah said.

Wahkahquah's last name in Comanche means "riding death." So, in keeping with the Native American theme, she chose "Rolling Death" as her alter ego.

In French, duMonceaux's name means "the mound." So, she "just went a little darker," as she put it, with "La Fleur de Mort," which means "the flower of death."

Sloan said the nickname she arrived at, "Bruise Clues," is probably the least exciting of the three.

"That's just the one I ended up liking," she shrugged. "It was an original."

As for the reaction the Guardsmen get from people when they discover they are members of the Red Dirt Rebellion, they said most people at first don't realize Oklahoma has a team.

Second, they said, people will ask, "Is that real?"

"I tell them everything about it is definitely real," Wahkahquah said, pointing to the bruises on her left arm.

Meanwhile, the Guard members are slated to deploy to Afghanistan next year. Yet, the women will have each other to lean on, just as duMonceaux and Wahkahquah did when they were deployed together to Afghanistan in 2002.

"We're all pretty tight," said Wahkahquah. "We pretty much became mutual friends after that first deployment. We like to mountain bike, rock climb -- just about anything you might consider extreme."

Some might consider roller derby extreme. But for Oklahoma's Guard trio, sustaining a few more bumps and bruises in the rugged, mountainous terrain of Afghanistan might just make them feel right at home.

(Army Sgt. 1st Class Darren D. Heusel serves with the Oklahoma National Guard.) 

Air Guard Tweaks Recruiting Web site

The Internet is set to revolutionise television within five years, due to an explosion of online video content and the merging of PCs and TV sets, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said in 2007. He is also known as a Sun on Earth. Now it is proving true that his prediction was not baseless. Then started a dangerous era. Hackers attacked a CID website. The official website of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) has been hacked. In spite of all obstacles popularity of  web sites or cyber media is still on rise. No doubt credit goes to Google also because now we can write in any language on a normal English key board with the help of Google Transliteration . Now came another latest news which reports Air Guard Tweaks Recruiting Web site.Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith Special to American Forces Press Service reports from ARLINGTON, Va.on  March 10, 2010 that Considering today's explosive popularity of social media and online research it may come as no surprise that military recruiting Web sites are rushing to keep up with new technologies and trends.Smith works at National Guard Bureau.


The Air National Guard is riding that wave with more personal interactivity in its public recruiting and retention Web site, using video and photo stories to tell Air Guard member stories directly to online visitors.

The revised recruiting Web site went live in February. Its revised design draws upon navigation links with the newest Web design technologies to present the Air Guard experience in a calendar format.

"The original site was a site we had been using for several years; it wasn't fresh, it wasn't new," said Master Sgt. P.J. Gallagher, who oversees the Air Guard's internet advertising.

He said the design team spent last year talking to recruiters and retention specialists in the field to improve the Web site's connectivity with users.

"There weren't any 'interactivities' for the users," he said.

Gallagher said the new calendar format breaks down the experience of Guard service as new recruits, prior service members, officers and health professionals experience it.

The Web site also uses the latest video technology and photo displays to depict those experiences to public viewers, many of whom may be interested in joining the Guard. Visitors can chat live with a recruiter/advisor.

The administrative functions on the Web site have been improved for the recruiters. It lists specific career field openings at the Air Guard's flying wings and geographically separated units across the nation. It allows easier online ordering of recruiting and retention give-a-ways and other resources and collects and formats online information requests.

The Website also lists units, federal and state benefits, missions, and career openings by state, as well as information to help parents and educators understand the mission of the Air National Guard.

Gallagher said the administrative functions of the revamped Web site were unveiled at the Air Guard Recruiting and Retention Workshop in Dallas last month. The workshop offered training on how to make use of the new Web site to help in daily recruiting and retention projects.

"The conference was a great venue to get feedback from the field in an up-and-close, personal way," Gallagher said. "We are going to continue to upgrade the site." 

Know Yourself...........

when you lost your wealth, All will close their doors on your face.

Your status in society is decided by your wealth, Not By character.

All will be around You,

as long as you sprinkle money around You.

Know Yourself.

Then you will be least bothered about your status in society.

Know Yourself.

That is Your best contribution to Society.

Know Yourself.

Then You will make Best Use of Your Money.

You will use it for meaningful works.

Our Daily routines and activities are like tidal waves.

some times we will be in high mood with happiness.

some times in sad mood with bitter experiences.

When You Go deep in to the Sea, You will find No waves.

similarly when You go deep inside , by self- inquiry.

All these tidal waves of desires will subside.

in the initial stages of practice they will be raising as usual .

with the Practice of Self-inquiry,

they will disappear in a staged manner.

Then You will attain the tranquility of

Stillness of the Sea.

All these practical messages I received on the night of March 10, 2010 which were sent by Datta Swami from Andhra Pardesh.

These messages show an encouraging way even in darkness of life and guide us to know the truth. To know more please click here and find some new facts of practical life.....    

                                                                                                          --Rector Kathuria

Live-fire exercise

U.S. Sailors conduct a familiarization live-fire exercise aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) March 8, 2010, while under way in the Pacific Ocean. Nimitz and embarked Carrier Air Wing 11 are en route back to the United States after an eight month deployment to the Arabian Sea. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Philip Wagner Jr., U.S. Navy/Released)

Kabul Meet

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates meets with President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 8, 2010. (DoD photo by Cherie Cullen/Released)

Officials Launch Probe into Pentagon Shooting

By American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON: The FBI, in collaboration with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency and Virginia's Arlington County Police Department, are working to figure out why a California man approached an entrance to the Pentagon yesterday and shot two PFPA officers.

The lone shooter, John Patrick Bedell, of Hollister, Calif., was shot in the head and left arm during an exchange of gunfire outside the Pentagon, near the building entrance adjacent to the Pentagon Metro Transit Center, at about 6:40 p.m. Bedell was transported to George Washington University Hospital and died at about 10 p.m. Two PFPA officers, Jeffery Amos and Marvin Carraway, were injured in the exchange. The officers were treated at George Washington University Hospital and released. A third officer also was involved in the exchange of gunfire, but that officer's name is not being released at this time, officials said. Bedell, who was 36 years old, is believed to have driven to Washington in a green 1998 Toyota Avalon that has been located and removed from a nearby mall parking garage. At the time of the shooting, he had a full beard and was dressed in slacks, a white collared shirt and a blazer. Investigators are searching the car, conducting interviews and reviewing a video of the shooting in an effort to piece together a timeline of Bedell's activities leading up the incident. Investigative efforts include reviewing Bedell's possible internet activity, his cell phone usage and other information which might assist in determining Bedell's state of mind at the time of the shooting. The investigation is ongoing and anyone who believes he or she may have witnessed the shooting, or may have additional information, is urged to call the FBI at 202-278-2000. (From a news release issued jointly by the FBI and the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.)

Related Articles: Shooting Outside Pentagon Causes Lockdown

(Issued on March 5, 2010)

Blogger Prosecuted by Military Court---Amnesty International Urges Egypt to Release

Washington, DC : Amnesty International today called for the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release a blogger and prisoner of conscience facing up to nine and a half years in prison after he published a post alleging nepotism within the armed forces. 
Ahmad Mostafa, 20, is set to face a military trial in Cairo on March 7 over a post published on his Matha Assabaka ya Watan (What happened to you, oh nation?) blog in March 2009. He is the first Egyptian blogger to face a military trial for his alleged activities. 
“Ahmed Mostafa has been prosecuted solely for exercising peacefully his right to freedom of expression on his blog,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa program. 
“He is now facing bogus charges that reveal the determination of the authorities to control the Egyptian blogosphere, which has become a pocket of free expression in the country.” 
The post recounted the story of a student who had allegedly been forced to resign from a military academy in order to leave room for another applicant amid accusations of nepotism. 
Mostafa, an engineering student at the university of Kafr El Sheikh, has been accused of publishing military secrets online, publishing false information about the army and of insulting officers involved in the recruitment process at the military academy. 
According to lawyers from the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, he was first arrested by military intelligence officers on February 17 and was questioned about his blog. 
He first appeared before a military tribunal on March 1, although lawyers representing him from the Hisham Mubarak Law Center and the Association for the Freedom of Thought and Expression told Amnesty International that they only received his case file from the authorities on March 2. 
“The use of military courts to try bloggers is a shocking new development. Egypt has consistently been criticized by U.N. human rights bodies for this misuse of military justice. Rather than addressing the unfairness of trials of civilians by such courts, the Egyptian authorities are now seeking to widen their use,” said Hadj Sahraoui. 
Ahmed Mostafa is not the only Egyptian blogger in jail for his writing. 
Karim Amer, an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment in February 2007 for criticizing President Hosni Mubarak and Egypt’s al-Azhar religious authorities on his blog. 
Hani Nazeer, another prisoner of conscience, has been held in administrative detention since October 2008 for posting on his blog the cover of a book deemed insulting to Muslims. 
Amnesty International also urged the Egyptian authorities to accept key U.N. recommendations on freedom of expression and peaceful dissent. 
On February 19, 2010, during a U.N. examination of Egypt’s human rights record,  the Egyptian authorities rejected a recommendation calling on them to “release bloggers and activists currently detained under the Emergency Law and cease its arrests and detentions of political activists,” as factually incorrect or inaccurate. 
Background 
In line with international law, Amnesty International opposes the trial of civilians by military courts. Such trials violate the right to a fair and public hearing before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law as guaranteed in Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Egypt is a state party. 
Military courts were established in Egypt under the Code of Military Justice (Law No. 25 of 1966). The Law was amended in April 2007, but the changes did not address the fundamental flaws inherent in trying civilians before military courts. 
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 

According to Zeinobia an Egyptian girl and blogger said in her post it seems that the online campaign has did something already despite I can't categorize that something as good or bad especially now local blogs are not only speaking about the matter but also the human rights watch is speaking about itwith the rest of the world.

Again Mustafa did not breach any military secret but rather defending the rights of all citizens to apply and serve their country's army. He wants his army to be free from corruption as much as possible.

River security patrol

 U.S. Sailors with Riverine Squadron 1 simulate a river security patrol at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek - Fort Story, Va., March 1, 2010. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Paul D. Williams, U.S. Navy/Released)

U.S. Marines conduct training

U.S. Marines conduct training on setting up, operating and disassembling a BGM-71 Tube-launch, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided Missile Weapons System aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) while under way in the South China Sea Feb. 28, 2010. The Marines are assigned to Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Geronimo Aquino, U.S. Navy/Released)

setup up of an antenna, Haiti

Army Pfc. Paul Garland and Pfc. Sean McCall check the setup up of an antenna for voice and data tactical communications in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 28, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Robert J. Fluegel    Read Full Story

Communications in Haiti

Army Pfc. Paul Garland checks the set up of an antenna for voice and data tactical communications in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 28, 2010. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Robert J. Fluegel.  Read full story




Related Sites:
Special Report: Haiti Earthquake Relief 

Face of Defense: Son Inspires Marine to Succeed

 

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Daniel Boothe
Special to AFPS 

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.:Inspired by his son, a noncommissioned officer here shattered the glass roof of his dream by wrestling his way to the top.  "It's pretty hard to be a single dad in the Marine Corps," said Gunnery Sgt. Ignacio Ramirezlazos, training staff noncommissioned officer for the Installation Personnel Administration Center. "I did it to set the example for my son and to show him that the patience and discipline wrestling teaches you will get you a long way." 
    Ramirezlazos's championship journey began in February 2007, after criticism from his son rekindled his childhood gold medal aspirations. Seven-year-old Marco was competing in a local tournament when his father expressed disappointment in his performance.
   "I remember telling him to stop slacking and give it more effort," Ramirezlazos said. "He had pinned the kid several times before, and was close to beating him again." 

After the match, Marco stopped, turned to his father and said, "You are not the one out there wrestling." Ignacio fell silent. From then on, Ramirezlazos said, he knew he would have to lead by example.   Ramirezlazos joined the Marine Corps right out of high school, and was now returning to the mat 15 years later. The former high school wrestler began competing at local tournaments and found nothing less than discouragement. "To tell you the truth, I didn't want to show up to the next match," he said. "I was wrestling college students that were fresh from high school." He pushed forward though, and spent a majority of 2008 competing at local tournaments, fine-tuning his techniques. At the urging of his friends, Ramirezlazos registered for the 2009 USAA National Wrestling Championship in Las Vegas the following year. He entered the 152-pound weight class and competed in the Veteran Freestyle and Greco Roman categories. Contenders were scored on the best of three matches. Ignacio lost his first match. With victory now unlikely and nothing to lose, he dominated his next opponent. Ramirezlazos continued into the finals, and after a riveting first-round rematch, he won the wrestling championship for his weight class. This win qualified him in both categories for the Olympic World Wrestling Championship competitions in Turkey and Sweden. Ramirezlazos was unable to attend the Olympic wrestling competitions, but the 34-year-old NCO is OK with that. Just being able to say he made it, he said, was enough for himself and his son. "It's awesome that my dad made it to the world championship," Marco said. "I hope one day I can make it there too." (Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Daniel Boothe serves at Camp Pendleton, Calif.)

Also watch the full Story on another link 

Rohbock Finishes Sixth in Olympic Bobsled Event

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:12:00 -0600

By Tim Hipps  Special to  AFPS


WHISTLER, British Columbia :  Army National Guard Outstanding Athlete Program bobsled pilot Sgt. Shauna Rohbock teamed with Michelle Rzepka to finish sixth in the Olympic women's bobsled event Feb. 24 at the Whistler Sliding Centre here.

Rohbock, of Park City, Utah, finished 1.78 seconds off the winning pace at the treacherous, 16-turn venue with a four-run time of 3 minutes, 34.06 seconds in USA 1. Canadians Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse broke the track record in their first three heats en route to winning the gold medal in 3:32.28. Helen Upperton and Shelly-Ann Brown took the silver aboard Canada 2 with a time of 3:33.13. Erin Pac, 29, of Farmington, Conn., and Elana Meyers, 25, of Douglasville, Ga., claimed the bronze with a time of 3:33.40 in the USA 2 sled. "It wasn't the Olympics that I dreamed of for four years, but the U.S. got a medal today, and that's amazing," said Rohbock, a silver medalist at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy. "That's awesome. That's all I want to see is the U.S. on that medal stand. I didn't drive the four runs to be on the medal stand and Erin did, so she deserves it. I didn't put together the runs to be on the podium anyway." Bree Schaaf of Bremerton, Wash., and Emily Azevedo of Chico, Calif., teamed to finish fifth in USA 3 with a time of 3:34.05. Although North Americans filled the podium and had five of the top six sleds, Team USA competitors struggled to find the fastest lines. "I figured it out a little too late," said Rohbock, who held the women's track record of 53.53 seconds prior to the games. "It would have been nice to have more runs on this track. You have two of the best drivers in the world, Sandra Kiriasis and [Cathleen] Martini [of Germany] are probably the best drivers in the world, and Martini crashed. So it's a very, very difficult track. It's just a tough one." Martini's driving mistake in the complicated 11-12-13 curve combination flipped Germany 2. Brakeman Romy Logsch was ejected from the sled and sent sliding down the track on her back. They were disqualified. "I feel like if I had 10 more runs I could have figured a lot of stuff out," Rohbock said. "Every run I was just trying something different. "That last run, I tried something different in 11 and almost dumped it," she added with a laugh. "It didn't work out, so I wouldn't do that again." Team USA bobsledders estimated that they made about 40 runs down the Whistler track, compared to 160 or more by the Canadians. "Definitely, home-field advantage gave them that edge, for sure," Rohbock said. "They drove four great runs. Every run, I was just trying something new, because what I did before wasn't working. We tried to figure some stuff out, and everybody put their two cents in during the week." By the same token, Rohbock found it interesting that North Americans were the primary beneficiaries of the track the Europeans found too tough to tame. "I think it speaks volumes how difficult the track was to have no Germans on the podium," she said. "They've dominated the sport since it started, really. For them not to be on the podium, I think, speaks volumes about the difficulty of the track." Despite the track's degree of difficulty that drew media scrutiny, the lady bobsledders expressed little fear of one of the most exciting rides of their life. "We're in the spotlight right now because of the Olympics, but there were 15 crashes when the World Championships were in Altenburg, Germany," Rohbock explained. "I separated my shoulder, and people were breaking their backs and stuff like that. It is in the limelight, and of course the tragedy that did happen here, that's horrible, but it does happen at other tracks, and nobody really hears about them. "Because it is the Olympic Games," she continued, "everybody wants to build it up. Our sport is dangerous, that's the down part of it, and everybody is aware of it." Rohbock represented the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program when she struck silver at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She delivered another worldwide boost of military morale from Whistler. "I'm in the National Guard," she said. "I definitely would not have the silver medal without them, and I wouldn't have had such an amazing year. I had a great season this year, and I've had amazing seasons leading up. "It's sad that one race defines you to the world, because this is all they really see," she added. "There are a lot of amazing drivers that didn't get on that podium today, and they've been amazing for years, and nobody will know this because they only see this one day." Although these likely were Rohbock's last Olympic runs, she is not ready to slide off into the sunset just yet. "I'd like to maybe end in Konigssee, Germany, next year," she said. "I race really well there. Maybe get a world championship, since I missed one in Lake Placid [winning silver in 2009]. It would be awesome to get a world championship on a German track, because I've won there before and I know I can drive very well there." So she's not ready to park the sled. "I don't think this year, no, but I don't know about four more," Rohbock concluded. "I don't want to say 'no,' because I don't want to be that person that says I'm done." (Tim Hipps works in the Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command public affairs office.)

Related Sites: Special Report: Military Olympians

Journalist Captured in Somalia by Al-Shabab Must be Released, Says Amnesty International

Posted on 23 Feb 2010 at 10:11 PM


Washington : Amnesty International is calling for the immediate release of a Somali radio journalist held by the armed group al-Shabab, apparently after a report was broadcast alleging the group had killed a man in the Wanleweyn district.
Ali Yusuf Adan, a 47-year-old correspondent for Radio Somaliweyn, is being held by the armed group in the port city of Merka, in southern Somalia.

“Amnesty International fears for the safety of Ali Yusuf Adan, given the numerous human rights abuses committed by al-Shabab against civilians, including journalists”, said Erwin van der Borght, Africa director at Amnesty International. 

“Al-Shabab must immediately release him without harm, stop threatening journalists and respect the right of all Somalis to freedom of expression.”

Ali Yusuf Adan was captured on February 21 in Wanleweyn, a town northwest of the capital Mogadishu controlled by the armed group,

Al-Shabab has said that the journalist was held because he made a “mistake.”

In the past few months the group has imposed drastic restrictions on journalists in an attempt to stifle information in areas they control.

They have closed down radio stations, banned the airing of reports mentioning Somalia’s government and made intimidating statements against journalists.

Many journalists who fled Somalia reported to Amnesty International that they did so after receiving death threats from individuals claiming to be members of al-Shabab.

Nine journalists were killed in 2009 in Somalia; at least three of them were deliberately murdered.

Two radio directors, Said Tahlil Ahmed and Mukhtar Hirabe, were killed in Bakara market last year, an area of Mogadishu controlled by al-Shabab militia.

Although al-Shabab spokespeople have denied involvement in these killings, the group’s leaders have failed to publicly condemn attacks against the media and order their forces not to target journalists. 
Background

Al-Shabab currently controls vast areas of south and central Somalia, including major cities such as Merka, Kismayo and Baidoa, as well as districts of the capital Mogadishu.

The internationally-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, which exercises authority only in part of the capital, is repeatedly attacked by al Shabab and other armed groups and has not been able to establish a national justice system.

Al- Shabab armed groups have grown out of the Islamic Courts Union, a movement that temporarily established control over Mogadishu and other areas in 2006.

The Islamic Courts Union was militarily defeated by Ethiopian troops who intervened in Somalia in late 2006 to assist the Transitional Federal Government.

After Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a former Islamic Courts Union leader, was appointed President of the TFG in January 2009, and Ethiopian troops left Somalia, al-Shabab and other armed groups have continued fighting against the TFG, claiming that it is allied to Western nations.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 

Meanwhile the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is deeply concerned about the arrest of Radio journalist in Wanlaweyn district of lower Shabelle region on Sunday 21 February 2010. According to NUSOJ  the arrest follows a report filed on 20 February by the journalist about Al-Shabab militias who shot a man over prayer delay in Wanlaweyn. It is believed that this report might be behind his arrest.

Mystery of life

Some of us don't grow old gracefully, 


some are not so smart,

some are tall, large & big, 


some bald, some physically challenged.......!


It is good or bad...?


what we can do and what we should do when we feel ourself as a cracks or unfit or defaulter or unlucky etc...!


Ms Priya Deelchand suggests an extra beautiful way for all of us and also solves the mystery of life...!