Jean Newman Glock: Are We All Digital Diplomats?

Digital Diplomacy is a topic that, for most people, conjures up images of embassies conversing with foreign governments and broadcasting information, messages and well -- propaganda -- to impact foreign policy goals.

I covered the challenges that the U.S. Embassy in Cairo faced using social media in an earlier article, so I was particularly interested to hear the many perspectives presented by a recent panel discussion on digital diplomacy and how it has evolved since last September.

Last week, the Diplomatic Courier hosted the Digital Diplomacy Forum at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. During this forum, an impressively broad-ranging panel discussed the future of digital diplomacy from the perspective of top ranking diplomats, social media and best practices. This forum greatly expanded limited definitions of digital diplomacy. The conclusion? You don't have to be a government, large business or super influencer to have international impact. Social media has given everyone a voice.

My colleague and Forbes 2013 Influencer, Ann Tran was one of the panelists. We decided to co-author this article to merge our differing perspectives.

From Ann:
It was my first experience working with a team of panelists in this type of forum, and holding court with people well-versed in the political arena. The lively debate was led and moderated by Washington D.C.-based freelance journalist Joshua Foust, and the panel members included: David Darg, Co-Founder of RYOT.org; Mary Kane, President and CEO of Sister Cities International; and Evan Kraus, Executive Director of Digital Strategy at APCO Worldwide. Ana C. Rold, Editor-in-Chief of The Diplomatic Courier, introduced the panelists.

The panelists all came from different backgrounds, which insured the discussion would be broad from the outset. It was debatable whether the term "digital diplomacy" applies only to politics, or if it has become intertwined with all aspects of social media. From my perspective, I think the forum discussion went very well. The audience was very engaged throughout the debate, and had arrived with open minds. William and Mary students as well as Washington, D.C. business leaders asked many detailed questions, wanting to learn more about social media.

Sean Evins, a member of Twitter's Government and News Team, attended the event, and sent the following tweet to Diplomatic Courier:
@diplocourier thx. Gr8 seeing 50%+ of room live tweeting+hashtag on program #bestpractice #DiplomacySM lRT @Evins http://twitpic.com/cww9e1

The appearance of a Twitter employee at the event made it obvious to the attendees -- both those in the room and those following on social media -- that technology is now an integral part of everyday life.

Another Tweet I found interesting from the event was during the keynote speech by Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky, Senior Fellow at Harvard University's JFK Belfer Center. The Diplomatic Courier posted an astute quote from Secretary of State John Kerry: Amb. Dobriansky: Maybe #digitaldiplomacy doesn't need to be the term. It is now just #diplomacy. #DiplomacySM

From Jean:
We are all now witnessing worldwide events in real time, without filters. How does a country, a business, a nonprofit or an individual use digital diplomacy on a global scale to gather information and achieve goals?

The topic is hot, but one so amorphous and wide ranging that even choosing a panel to discuss it is daunting. Kudos to The Diplomatic Courier, who put together a stellar panel proving an important basic tenet: social media has given everyone a voice. How we all use that voice is the discussion.

Ambassador Dobriansky's keynote challenged all present to step back and evaluate the world's new communication tools, and the breadth of these new tools. She cautioned that the environment, sources and medium for communicating are now boundless and accelerating at warp speed.

One particular discussion resonated with everyone present. Is social media all about "a race to go viral"? Not any longer, all panelists agreed. In the international forum, social media success is measured not in numbers, but in interactions with new and expanding audiences. Gaming the numbers is so last year and numbers so fungible that numbers of followers and even measures such as Klout and Kred are all suspect. Ann Tran pointed out that success for her clients is in new business generated, and is quantifiable. Such measures are more difficult in the diplomatic realm, but some general themes did emerge from the panel.

Building an audience and generating substantive two-way dialog was the primary concern of all present: governmental, private and non-profit businesses and individuals. Social media offers a constant flow of new and innovative ways to do that -- be it Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or Snapchat. New boundaries are being crossed as it is reported that Apple's new operating system will allow cross platform sharing with Weibo, bringing new giants together -- and new challenges.

My focus is tourism and travelers use of social media. Digital/social communications have been impactful on the whole tourism industry for years. From evaluating safety of destinations (Tahrir Square) to hotel reviews (Trip Advisor I mean you), crowd sourcing has had tremendous economic impact on all players. Learning to operate and flourish for those in the tourism industry mandates using social media effectively and nimbly-as it is changing hourly.

Surprisingly (and refreshingly to me), the last thoughts expressed resonated throughout the room. Ann Tran noted that while interactions online are important and pervasive, social media is not all online communication. She cautioned that it is about building and strengthening relationships both online and offline. Echoing Ann's statement was Evan Kraus, who noted that in all realms of digital diplomacy what will prevail and measure success is "trust and capability" online and offline. He also wisely noted that this hasn't changed since the times of cavemen.

Digital Diplomacy Forum Panel

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Digital Diplomacy Forum Panel hosted by Diplomatic Courier Photo by: Akela Lacy

Digital Diplomacy Forum Panel hosted by Diplomatic Courier Photo by: Akela Lacy

Digital Diplomacy Forum Panel

Digital Diplomacy Forum Panel hosted by Diplomatic Courier Photo by: Akela Lacy

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jean-newman-glock/are-we-all-digital-diplom_b_3447788.html

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If American baseball used British announcers (hilarious) (Americablog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/312968084?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Aerobics | Why I Love Aerobics Dvds? ? Article Dashboard - Fitness ...

I tried going to the gym in the evenings and I was yawning in the treadmill all the time, I couldn?t lift a leg, so I said maybe I am a morning person?, Yeah right. Kids are sick, have nightmares and more and my nights are cut into periods of sleep and their shouting : ?Mummy, mummy? (why is that they always want me and not my husband at night ah?). So going to the gym in the morning was pretty impossible, I was going to give up when one of the mothers in my son?s daycare mentiones aerobics dvds, I said ?wow, that could be my solution?.

I started to search online and found some good reviews on aerobic step dvd and cardio dvds and purchased some, my life has changed forever. I am much more energetic, I feel much better, I lost some weight and I gained some muscle.
For the newbies in the area, I put some information together on this aerobics routines, I am now truly an advocate or these dvds and recently purchased kickboxing dvds which are more advanced but I loved them.

What is aerobic exercise?
Aerobics are a type of exercise that makes you sweat and feel your heart beating hard. The blood circulating through your veins is delivering oxygen to every part of your body, if you sustain this level of effort for more than just a few minutes while your heart, lungs, and muscles work overtime, you are doing aerobics exercise.

This rhythmic activity involves large muscle groups. Aerobic exercise makes the lungs work harder as the body?s need for oxygen is increased.

Benefits
* Increased energy levels
* Stress reduction (endorphins are released when you exercise)
* Higher metabolic rate (helps you lose weight even when you are resting)
* Blood pressure reduction and much more.

Aerobics at home
The cheapest options are putting on your favourite aerobics DVDs and dance around your living room.
In time, when you more ?pro? you can buy affordable exercising aids such as steps, skipping ropes, dance mats and more.
Aerobics dvds are a great way to exercise even if you have little time in between your busy day and you can do it in your own living room without driving to the local gym. So even when rains or snow there is no excuse.

The real benefits of aerobic exercise come from constant movement.

How often to train?
For fitness it is recommended to exercise 3 to 5 times a week and for 30-60 minutes, not including warming up at the start and cooling down at the end. But there are theories nowadays that state that even 10-20 minutes every day can do the job.

When to raise your exercise level?
When you exercise try to step up your efforts whenever you reach a comfort zone, you should be out of breath but still capable of speaking when you are exercising, if it is less than that you should be progressing to the next level.

How do I start?
Consult your physician. Then start slowly, if you have been inactive for some time, don?t start training for an hour every day.
If half an hour it?s too much, start with 10 minutes some days and then increase to 15 or 20 minute sessions the next week and so on. Listen to your body.

I really hope that you will find this solution as good as I did, and start training to get all the benefits of a healthier more energetic life.

Related Websites

Source: http://healthy-tips.net/aerobics-why-i-love-aerobics-dvds-article-dashboard/

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Emergency manager: Detroit won't pay $2.5B it owes

ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) ? A team led by a state-appointed emergency manager said Friday that Detroit is defaulting on about $2.5 billion in unsecured debt and is asking creditors to take about 10 cents on the dollar of what the city owes them.

Kevyn Orr spent two hours with about 180 bond insurers, pension trustees, union representatives and other creditors in a move to avoid what bankruptcy experts have said would be the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Underfunded pension claims likely would get less than the 10 cents on the dollar.

An assessment of the plan's progress will come in the next 30 days or so.

Orr also announced that Detroit stopped paying on its unsecured debt Friday to "conserve cash" for police, fire and other services in the city of 700,000 people. The debt not being paid includes $39 million owed to a certificate of participation.

"We will not pay that today," Orr told reporters after the meeting with creditors at a hotel at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus.

More than 42 percent of Detroit's 2013 revenues went to required bond, pension, health care and other payments. If the city continues operating the way it had before Orr arrived, those costs would take up nearly 65 percent of city spending by 2017, Orr's team said.

The team also said the proposal presented Friday is the one shot to permanently fix fiscal problems that have made the city insolvent.

Orr said everyone involved needs to come to grips with Detroit's dire financial situation that has been worsened by years of procrastination and denial. He said his team is prepared for potential lawsuits from creditors not pleased with the arrangements under the plan.

"If people are sincere and look at this data, you would think a rational person will step back and say, 'This is not normal ... but what choice do we have?'" Orr said.

Detroit's fiscal nightmare didn't occur overnight. It's been decades in the making as city leaders took out bonds at high interest rates to pay bills Detroit's general fund couldn't cover.

"The average Detroiter has to understand this is a culmination of years and years of kicking the can down the road," Orr said. "We can't borrow any more money. We started borrowing from our own pension funds."

The city's budget deficit could top $380 million by July 1. Orr believes Detroit's long-term debt is more than $17 billion.

The Washington-based bankruptcy attorney hired by Michigan in March reiterated that the chances of bankruptcy are 50-50 for Detroit, the largest U.S. city placed under state oversight.

Orr is nearly three months into the 18-month job. With little time remaining on his contract, there is no time to lose. The plan creditors received in the closed-door meeting may be the only one they get.

"There may be some room for negotiations, but not a lot," Orr told reporters. "They need to have some time to digest what they have."

Swallowing the proposal will be tough, especially for current and retired city workers whose health care and other benefits, as well as pensions, would be cut back.

"The firefighters are going to do what we can to keep the city stable now," Detroit Fire Fighters Association President Dan McNamara told reporters after Friday's meeting with Orr.

McNamara said creditors were told by Orr that "we're in a death spiral."

The city will not be able to back up some promises related to pension and post-employment health care and benefits. Orr is proposing a $27 million to $40 million health care replacement program that will partially rely on the federal Affordable Health Care Act, health exchanges and Medicare.

He also said $1.25 billion will be set aside from concession savings over 10 years for public safety, lighting and eliminating neighborhood blight. Improving the quality of life in the city will help attract more residents and businesses, which Orr's team says would bring more tax revenue and increase the potential for creditors to recover more of what they are owed.

Creditors were told about plans to possibly change management of Detroit's revenue-generating Water and Sewerage Department. A separate, freestanding authority would control the department, with some annual payments coming to Detroit and the city maintaining ownership of the system.

On Friday, Moody's Investors Service downgraded a number of Detroit bonds, including its general obligation unlimited bonds. As a result, all Detroit bonds are now below investment grade.

Hetty Chang, a vice president with Moody's, said "the emergency manager's proposal to creditors indicates further debt restructuring."

"We also believe the city's risk of bankruptcy has increased over the last six months," she said in a statement.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/emergency-manager-detroit-wont-pay-2-5b-owes-162748031.html

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True Love! Kristin Cavallari & Jay Cutler Share Their Wedding Flick (PHOTOS)

True love can withstand anything.?

Just ask Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler. The two were engaged and ready to get married when Jay Cutler called it off back in 2011.?

But what a difference a couple of years can make.?The NFL footballer and the former reality star were back engaged in November of 2011 and had a baby named Camden in August of 2012. So the next thing left to do was jump the broom!?

Kristin shared this adorable wedding photo of her and new husband Jay Cutler on Instagram. The duo got hitched last week in a private ceremony in Tennessee.?

Sending a giant-sized congratulations to Kristin and Jay. Much love!?

Source: http://globalgrind.com/entertainment/kristin-cavallari-jay-cutler-wedding-pictures-photos

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BlackBerry Q10 (AT&T)

There's nothing like the BlackBerry Q10 ($199.99-$584.99 at AT&T). It's a messaging monster. If you're one of those "keyboard people," the Q10 is the answer to your prayers: a well-built, modern smartphone with the best physical keyboard you can get your thumbs on. And even though the Q10 doesn't lead the pack in terms of other features, its near-perfect little keyboard may be enough to keep BlackBerry alive.

Physical Features, Keyboard, and Voice Calling
The BlackBerry Q10 looks like the BlackBerry Bold 9900, but improved. At 4.7 by 2.6 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and 4.9 ounces, it's very clearly designed for both one-handed and two-handed use. It's shorter than the full-touch BlackBerry Z10, and still narrow enough to use in one hand. The back is a soft-touch, carbon-fiber-like material that RIM calls "woven glass," with a subtle gray-and-black pattern. (There's also a white model.) The front of the phone is evenly balanced between a 3.1-inch, 720-by-720-pixel display and a physical QWERTY keyboard that's similar to the Bold's, but better. A traditional BlackBerry notification light blinks up by the earpiece.

The four-row keyboard is 30 percent wider than the Bold's, stretching almost edge to edge. Each row is separated by a fret, which makes for a fast, accurate typing experience. My only complaint is that the Shift and Alt keys are swapped from where you'd instinctively find them, but it's easy enough to get used to that. Your fingers absolutely fly on these keys.

I feel like I need to devote more space to the sheer physical relief of being able to type on a 'real' keyboard, but if this is one of the things you get instinctively, you'll get it. AT&T doesn't sell any other recent QWERTY phones. If you want the keyboard experience on AT&T, you might as well stop reading now. Nothing else will satisfy.

The Q10's screen, albeit small, delivers the deep, punchy colors of AMOLED technology and clocks in at 328 pixels per inch, almost exactly the same density as Apple's iPhone 5 but less dense than the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4. In any case, text is very sharp down to very small sizes.

The Q10 is an okay voice phone, but I expected better. Earpiece volume is moderate and there's just a touch of muddiness at top volume. And there's some sidetone, which I like. Transmissions also sound good but not spectacular; noise cancellation generally works, but lets a bit of background noise through. The moderate-volume speakerphone also lets some background noise through. Both the HTC One and especially the Samsung Galaxy S 4 offer better call quality. Voice commands can be activated over a Bluetooth headset, but the Q10 had trouble recognizing my family's (admittedly odd) names, including my own.

This model of the Q10 supports AT&T's LTE network, as well as global HSPA+ networks. It supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, as well as Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, and mobile hotspot mode with the right service plan. I saw 10Mbps down using the Flash-based speedtest.net speed test, a decent speed on AT&T LTE in New York City.

I got pretty good battery life on the AT&T Q10, with 11 hours, 6 minutes of talk time and 4 hours, 14 minutes of LTE video streaming. That falls short of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 (as well as the Verizon version of the BlackBerry Q10), but it isn't shameful and still predicts a day's use before recharging.

BlackBerry OS and Performance
The BlackBerry Q10 runs BlackBerry OS 10.1, a minor update to the BlackBerry 10 OS with a few new features and bug fixes, so check out that review for an in-depth look at the Q10's operating system. In short, the Q10 has a modern, competitive Web browser with Flash support; a unified inbox called BlackBerry Hub that also integrates Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn; and an excellent note-taking app called Remember that syncs with Evernote, among other things.

The keyboard and the 10.1 OS update make the Q10 even better for messaging and office work. The most dramatic new feature is Instant Actions: Just start typing, and the BlackBerry will try to figure out what to do with what you're typing, whether it's a contact's name, the name of an app, or something you want to search on the Web. The feature reminds me of WebOS's beloved Just Type, and it's excellent.

(Next page: Apps, Multimedia, and Conclusions)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/-T5Tkpo_IeM/0,2817,2418035,00.asp

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Pope expresses solidarity with tornado survivors

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Francis has expressed his "closeness to the families of all who died in the Oklahoma tornado," with special concern for "those who lost young children."

The pope posted a Twitter message to the survivors Tuesday, and followed up with a telegram to the archbishop of Oklahoma City, Paul S. Coakley.

The deadly tornado struck a suburb of Oklahoma City on Monday, destroying homes and an elementary school, and many of the victims were children.

In the telegram, Francis said he remains "conscious of the tragic loss of life and the immensity of the work of rebuilding that lies ahead." The pontiff conveyed to the community "assurance of his solidarity and closeness in prayer."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-expresses-solidarity-tornado-survivors-165306023.html

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