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October 2004 Archive Index: October 2004 Issue of What's New Published (Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 6:12 pm) Inside Afghanistan: Exploring Democracy (Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 6:58 pm) aisk.org News Now Available via RSS (Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 9:09 pm) The Kabul American (Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 9:46 pm) Advocates for Afghanistan Update (Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:28 pm) Updated Look for aisk.org (Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 7:34 pm) Welcome to George Devadoss! (Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 8:54 pm) Reporter's Notebook: The Afghan Boomlet (Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 9:13 pm) 2 Years Ago Today: The AISK San Antonio Scorpion Stampede (Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 11:16 pm) 3 Years Ago Today: Scorpions in the News (Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 10:10 pm) 3 Years Ago Today: Scorpions in the News (Part 2) (Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:58 pm) 3 Years Ago Today: Scorpions in the News (Part 3) (Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:10 am) What's New to be Combined with Home Page (Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:39 pm) PD Articles Featuring Ambassador Theodore Eliot Jr. Found! (Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:46 pm) Preview Photo from the Howard & Viola Meadows Collection (Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 8:17 pm) The Howard & Viola Meadows Collection (Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:19 pm) Afghan Scene Magazine (Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 10:50 pm) Farsi Language Supported in the Forum (Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:34 pm) Preview: Concise English-Afghan Dari Dictionary (Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:38 pm) 3 Years Ago Today: Scorpions in the News (Part 4) (Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:20 pm) Dr. Volker Thewalt's Afghanistan 1969-1974 (Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:06 pm) ... November 2004 October 2004 Issue of What's New Published Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 6:12 pm The October 2004 issue of "What's New" has been published: What's New   Inside Afghanistan: Exploring Democracy Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 6:58 pm Dawn Erickson (1966-71) submitted the following link to a special that Dana King recently produced for the Local CBS TV station. The video is available from the following link: http://cbs5.com/news/local/2004/09/21/Inside_Afghanistan:_Exploring_Democracy.html Dawn adds in her email: Quote: Other segments were on the news also and there is one on the Buddha's of Bamiyan that will not be shown on this link. Needless to say, the rumors that we have been hearing since last October are turning into reality slowly. The big announcements should be in the spring. Philip Poullada is in Afghanistan right now working with the Kabul Police before the elections. He is posting to advocatesforafghanistan.org right now. Here's a link to Philip's journal which Dawn referred to: http://www.advocatesforafghanistan.net/blog_1.html Thanks Dawn!   aisk.org News Now Available via RSS Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 9:09 pm Our latest news updates here in the aisk.org Web site are now available for syndication using RSS. Simply point your RSS Reader (or aggregator) to: http://www.aisk.org/rss.php What is RSS and what does it mean to you? There are several interpretations for RSS but my favorite is Really Simple Syndication. Today with your browser, you must go to each one of your favorite Web sites (and hopefully aisk.org is one of your favorites) to keep up with the latest news from each site. With a RSS Reader (or aggregator), the latest news from your favorite Web sites are automatically collected for you and presented to you without you having to do the work. There are numerous RSS Readers (or aggregators) available. The one I use is Pluck - http://www.pluck.com. Pick the one that fits your requirements and working style.   The Kabul American Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 9:46 pm Thanks to Allison (Hicks) Delventhal (1973-75) for sharing her copy of The Kabul American, Volume 12, No.23 with us. The Kabul American The Kabul American was published weekly for the American Community by the American Embassy in Kabul. This issue was published on June 4, 1974. It offers an interesting glimpse into the activities of the American community in Kabul, not much different from a typical American community except for the fact that this community was located in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thanks Allison!   Advocates for Afghanistan Update Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:28 pm Dear AFA friends, I just have to send you the following journal entry from my staff member, Shanon Faulk. She is working with Dr.Fred Mednick and I on setting up a school exchange between Jamooriatt High School and Cleveland High School in Seattle. Yesterday she went into classes to present the program to 10th graders. Here are her observations: Shanon Faulk wrote: Oct 4, 2004 Today I met with students at Cleveland High School in Seattle, Washington to introduce One Face at a Time. A simple question was posed and the answers varied, but in the answers is where I found the true opportunity of this project. “What do you think about the people of Afghanistan?” I asked. “They are terrorists” “If we write letters will they bomb our school?” “They are poor” “I don’t think they like us” Two things emerged for me from their answers, one being the level to which we are scared of what we don’t know, and two being the extent to which we feel separate from the people we share this planet with. For myself, I discovered the opportunity of this project is this: A generation where questions, not fear, move them to act, and a generation who feels connected, not separate, from the world around them. What would occur in our world if this was what our young people had access to? The most valuable piece of training I have ever received about working with teens is to acknowledge their actions rather than their reactions, and to stand for them being heard. So today they had their reactions to Afghanistan, I listened, and what moved me were their actions. Through all the fear, confusion, questions and concerns the students of Cleveland High raised their hands and said yes to establishing a relationship, a dialogue and a process of exploration with the students of Afghanistan. This is what we have to learn from our youth, and what they have to contribute to our communities both locally and globally. They, our future leaders, so beautifully demonstrated you can not know, voice your fears, and still be bold enough to say I am willing to learn more. This willingness to learn resulted in their answers leading to new questions, and the new questions came from a place of curiosity, a place of wonder. The questions were what moved them to act. “What is their religion?” “Will I get to meet them?” “Will I get to go to Afghanistan?” This is what our youth want. They want to be heard, acknowledged and then allowed to ask the next greatest question. I left Cleveland High clear that if all that happens for the next year is that our young people gather once a week, ask questions, get listened to, and connect to people, who they currently feel separate from, new leaders and powerful voices will emerge. One Face at a Time is a program that provides a space for all of this to occur, and this space will allow for new actions, new visions, and new answers to the question “What do you think about the people of Afghanistan?” Shanon Faulk... The Advocates for Afghanistan October 2004 Update is available in PDF format here: AFA October 2004 Update Marnie Gustavson   Updated Look for aisk.org Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2004 7:34 pm Welcome to the updated home page of aisk.org! This is the fourth update of this Web site's home page since it was initially published 9 years ago this month. The thumbnail on the left is similar to this site's initial home page. Click on the thumbnail to view the home page as it looked in July 1997. The first update kept pace with the Internet trend of incorporating more graphics - animated graphics at that! The second update was the initial attempt to move the "latest updates" to the home page. This is the third update and previous version of this site's home page which was just retired. Hope you like the updated home page! More changes are coming to our Web site.   Welcome to George Devadoss! Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 8:54 pm George is the latest Scorpion to find us and our Web site. He writes: I sincerely thank the management for having registered me & thus giving me an opportunity to look back down memory lane which was lost way back during the Chrismas of 1962 at Kabul, Afghanistan. Peter Dass is the only name I remember among my classmates. And my other friends at that time were Stuart and Taylor Baldwin. If anyone knows their email address, please be kind enough to send me the same, so that I could say hi to them. Thank you so much to every one out there more specially to Gerry, whom I figured out is instrumental in keeping this web site alive all these days - my joy was immeasurable when I accidentally bumped into this site - God bless you Gerry much more abundantly from now on - love from me & my family. His contact information is: George Devadoss   Reporter's Notebook: The Afghan Boomlet Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 9:13 pm Scott Norvell (1971-73) who is with Fox News and in Kabul recently posted Reporter's Notebook: The Afghan Boomlet.   2 Years Ago Today: The AISK San Antonio Scorpion Stampede Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 11:16 pm It appears that we've all lost that "loving feeling" based on what I've been reading recently in the Forum. It may be time to reflect on the wonderful memories of the 2002 AISK San Antonio Scorpion Stampede and start thinking/planning for another reunion. The photograph above is by Clayton Esterson, husband of Peg Podlich '68.   3 Years Ago Today: Scorpions in the News Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2004 10:10 pm Three years ago today, we were just a month into a new world reality. Terrorism became the primary focus as it is today. Suddenly, Afghanistan was pushed into the spotlight. And it wasn't long before the news media discovered the Scorpions. Pam Beer of The Baldwin Bulletin wrote an article titled Couple Recalls Life in Afghanistan, With a song on their lips and a dance in their hearts. It was about our Steve and Maggi (Bennett) Stoner sharing their "fond memories of their life in Afghanistan and a compassion for the Afghan people." 4 days later, The Reunion Recorder would follow with another article about Steve and Maggi: Milledgeville resident remembers time in Afghanistan by Payton Towns III. This is the beginning of the news coverage Scorpions would receive during that period. More to come...   3 Years Ago Today: Scorpions in the News (Part 2) Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:58 pm Three years ago today, the Scorpions in Sonoma County, California were also discovered by the news media. Sam Kennedy of The Press Democrat wrote an article titled "Memories of a Different Afghanistan." This article was the direct result of another article Sam wrote about Theodore Eliot, Jr. (former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan) which was also published in The Press Democrat earlier. Unfortunately, I do not have a copy nor a link to that article. The following Scorpions were featured in the article: Gerry Geronimo, Danny Hilario and Dave Sperry. Note that the photo accompanying the article shows our home page displayed on the monitor in the background. The photographer (Kent Porter) also took shots with the American flag reflected on my glasses. I actually had second thoughts about proceeding with publication of the article since my wife expressed fears about others misinterpreting the article and thinking that I was supporting the Afghan Talibans and Al Qaida. This wasn't too farfetched based on the intensity of emotions during that period. Here's the rest of the article.   3 Years Ago Today: Scorpions in the News (Part 3) Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:10 am Three years ago today, the Scorpions and their Web site were discovered by the news media in Brazil - unbeknown to us at the time. I stumbled across this article (in Portuguese) after noticing a surge in traffic to our Web site from Brazil. The English translation (courtesy of Altavista's Babelfish) was posted in our December 16-31 Guest Book.   What's New to be Combined with Home Page Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:39 pm The "What's New" page will be combined with the Home Page (this page) and retired at the end of this month. The October 2004 "What's New" will be the last. As a result of the recent changes to our site's home page, it is no longer necessary to have a separate "What's New" page. Previously, a separate "What's New" page was required to announce the latest news and updates (when our home page was static) and to archive these news and updates for visitors who do not visit frequently. The new home page (this page) allows us to publish the latest news and updates of interest to our community as they occur instead of waiting until the beginning of each month. The new home page also archives all the news and updates announced here automatically (less work for the lazy Webmaster). The 10 (ten) latest news and updates are displayed as a default but you can browse all the news and updates announced in the home page by using the Goto links at the bottom of the home page. As an added benefit, the new home page will allow authorized individuals other than the lazy Webmaster to post the latest updates and news!   PD Articles Featuring Ambassador Theodore Eliot Jr. Found! Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:46 pm Thanks to Peter R. King '77 for finding the Press Democrat article (published on September 28, 2001) featuring former Ambassador Theodore Eliot Jr. and referenced in the 3 Years Ago Today: Scorpions in the News series (Part 2). Peter also found another Press Democrat article featuring the former Ambassador to Aghanistan published on March 1, 2002. Thanks Peter!   Preview Photo from the Howard & Viola Meadows Collection Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 8:17 pm I recently received a CD of Afghan photographs from Mary (Meadows) Pyburn (1968-74). Mary writes: "Here they are! I'm so excited for them to be shared! They are photos from the Howard and Viola Meadows Collection (1968-74). And just a bit of trivia - the Kodachrome fared better than the Agfafilm. Agfa faded." I, too, am excited to share these photographs with all of you - starting with this winter shot of Darulaman. I've forgotten how beautiful the trees lining Darulaman were covered with fresh snow. This shot would have made a great Christmas card! I hope to publish the rest of the collection in a few days. Thanks to Mary and the Meadows family for sharing these photos with all of us!   The Howard & Viola Meadows Collection Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:19 pm Here are 4 pages of 46 photos of Afghanistan (1968-74) from The Howard & Viola Meadows Collection: Page 1 - Band-i-Amir, Bamiyan, Air Shot, Bazaars, Markets, Chai Khanas & Food Page 2 - Cannon, City Shots, City Scenes, Familiar Places & Wild Cards Page 3 - Faces, Istalif, Kuchis & Caravan Page 4 - Landscapes, Agricultural & Mazar Thanks to Mary and the Meadows family for sharing these beautiful photos with all of us.   Afghan Scene Magazine Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 10:50 pm Thanks to Van Auburn (1962-66) for informing us about Afghan Scene Magazine which has been added to our Related Links page. Van states: "I know some of the authors and know they speak from the heart." Afghan Scene Magazine "is published and printed in Kabul. Some 10,000 copies are freely distributed monthly to the expatriate community across the city and on the various airlines serving Afghanistan. AFGHAN SCENE aims to bring a positive look to developments in Afghanistan and encourages the expat community to fully experience their time in the country." The first 4 issues of the Afghan Scene Magazine are available for download in their entirety (PDF) from the magazine's Web site. Add your comments about Afghan Scene Magazine in the Forum. Thanks Van!   Farsi Language Supported in the Forum Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:34 pm The Farsi language is now supported in the Forum as a courtesy to our Afghan visitors. You must be a registered user to select Farsi as your language in your Profile. When selecting Farsi, the "left to right" orientation of the Forum (including the scroll bar) is also switched to "right to left."   Preview: Concise English-Afghan Dari Dictionary Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:38 pm Clayton Esterson, husband of Peg Podlich '68, wrote: "We've been cleaning out Peg's parents house. After 35 years they are moving to an assisted living place. We are uncovering all sorts of Afghan artifacts. One of them is an English to Afghan dictionary. I scanned in a few sample pages that I have enclosed. I wanted to know if you wanted this for posting on AISK ("content, I want content"). If you do, I'll chip away on it until I do all 135 pages. The images need some touch-up because the paper is thin and the type on the reverse page shows through. Let me know what you think." I immediately responded "Yes!" and here's a preview of the Concise English-Afghan Dari Dictionary pages which Clayton has already scanned. Thanks to the Podlich Family and Clayton Esterson for sharing their Afghan treasures with all of us.   3 Years Ago Today: Scorpions in the News (Part 4) Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 9:20 pm On the morning of October 31, 2001, I received a phone call at work from a colleague in my company's Corporate Communications department informing me that she was surprised that I went to school in Kabul, Afghanistan. I assumed that she had just found and read the article published in the local paper over 2 weeks ago (see Part 2 of this series). She quickly corrected me stating that she discovered that information while reading that day's Wall Street Journal! The AISK Scorpions made the front page of the Wall Street Journal! The star of the article was Mary (Meadows) Pyburn and her photo accompanied the article on the front page. Other Scorpions mentioned in the article included Leo Geter, Gerry Geronimo, Harry Alexander, Dennis Fitzhugh and Eric Claussen. Here's the rest of the article on page A10. It's also fun to look back at the entries in the Guest Book when the article was published. I stopped by a hotel on the way home and bought their last 2 copies of the Wall Street Journal.   Dr. Volker Thewalt's Afghanistan 1969-1974 Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:06 pm Clayton Esterson - husband of Peg Podlich '68 submitted a link to Dr. Volker Thewalt's site which contains a wonderful gallery of Afghan photos. These photos include treasures from the Kabul Museum. It is definitely worth visiting. Thanks Clayton!   Back to top