HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

NeverWoodHigh would like to wish all of you a very festive and safe 4th of July. Having been raised a military brat, I can't help but to love independence day. From everyone's patriotic smiles, military salutes, hands over hearts, the smell of bar b q and fireworks in the air. With our economy down, there's no better time to celebrate for free, because WE ARE FREE and FREE to live our lives however we choose. Have the best holiday weekend and as you light your sparkler don't forget about the people in Iran fighting for their FREEDOM.

What says Americana more than a video by Bruce Weber for Abercrombie & Fitch.

Here's a great reminder of why we celebrate on the 4th again and what our Independence Day, really means.

I am PROUD to be an AMERICAN

IRAN KEEPS HOPE IN THE DAWN OF A NEW REVOLUTION #iranelection

To catch you up to speed:

This past Saturday, June 20, 2009. I attended a rally in Westwood, CA in support of the protesters in Iran (#iranelection).

That same day a young woman in Iran, by the name of Neda Soltani was shot and killed while protesting with her father. Her death was seen world wide on the internet (facebook & youtube). Neda means "voice" or "calling" in Persian, and she has been referred to as the "voice of Iran" and "a symbol of pro-democracy protesters battering the Islamic regime" in the World.

Flaws were found in the balloting (#iranelection), however these irregularities don't affect the results of the election. 

All the social networking (Twitter, Facebook, Youtube) sites have been great help for the people of Iran to have their voices heard. Although, creating difficulty for journalist to confirm what 3rd party information is correct.

Click here for a look at #IranElection Crisis: A Social Media Timeline

Below is the video I made:

The White House released a statement - President Obama: "We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people."

Social media’s important role in the Iran crisis

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Social media has been playing three very important roles in the Iran situation:

1. It has helped Iranians communicate with each other.
2. It has helped Iranians communicate with the outside world.
3. It has helped the rest of the world communicate with both Iranians and others who sympathize with the protesters.

YouTube and Flickr have brought multimedia out of the distressed country. Twitter and Facebook updates have spread videos virally. Blogs, Wikipedia, and citizen journalism have helped disseminate and filter this information. Most of all though, these tools have helped people take action.

While we can only imagine what it is like to be on the streets or to lose a loved one during this #IranElection crisis, social media has opened a direct line of accessible information to us. It may very well prove to be a key factor in the fate of Iran itself.

 Source: Mashable.com, Wikepedia.org, Twitter.com

YOUNG IRANIANS CHANGING THEIR DESTINY #iranelection

Take a moment to remember our fellow friends and students in Iran, who are fighting for change. My heart goes out to them and their protest for a new beginning.

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." Martin Luther King

How you can help:

Since the only 'media' outlets that we are receiving information from are mostly coming from Twitter and online blogs the Iranian government is searching for blogs and twitter accounts in the general area.

We can help by simply clogging up their searching efforts by claiming to be fromIran--we can do this two ways--I will explain each step by step so you can easily 'convert' your account to combat censorship in Iran.

This is basically putting a blanket over twitter/bloggers.

Wherever you might stand on this topic this is a simple way you can help PROTECT PEOPLE.

TWITTER CONVERSION:

Step One (Time Zone):
1) Log into your Twitter account.
2) Click Settings. (or here!)
3) Change your Time Zone to (GMT +03:30) Tehran.

Step Two (Location):
1) Log into your Twitter account.
2) Click Settings. (or here!)
3) Change your location to a city in Iran. (Click for a list of cities)

Twitter Tips:

1) DO NOT retweet usernames, these people need to stay hidden for as long as possible regardless how many people are following them.

2) Only retweet from reliable sources. This means if someone is reporting and only has 25 or 250 followers chances are that it is not a real account.

3) If you want a green twitter icon but do not know how to create one @DevynBurton and he will help you!

BLOGGER CONVERSION:

Step One (Time Conversion):
1) Log into your Blogger account.
2) In the 'Manage Blogs' area click 'Settings'.
3) Click 'Formatting'.
4) Change your Time Zone to (GMT +03:30) Tehran.

Step Two (Location):
1) Log into your Blogger account.
2) Click Edit Profile beside your display picture.
3) Change your location to a city in Iran. (Click for a list of cities)

source: www.twitter.com/anncurry & http://fdreview.blogspot.com/