The Foreign Service Journal, January 2006

Because most blogs are created under humorous pseudonyms, their creators have the luxury of being honest about their views. To launch your own blog, you can sign up at www.blogspot.com , but it’s just as fun to read what others have to say if you aren’t inclined to start your own. If you would prefer to keep your postings more private, www.live journal.com is a great resource for an online journal that requires the author to give permission to others for read- ing privileges. Blogs could become a useful tool for FSOs to keep in contact with friends and family around the world, or as a method to educate others on current issues, describe the elements of diplomacy or give an inside per- spective about embassy life. Remem- ber, they can be completely anony- mous to protect your privacy if you wish. Search for blogs on your topic of interest by using a blog search engine. The most user-friendly is http://blog search.google.com , which allows you to search by topic within the blo- gosphere. Many directories are avail- able to aid your search, among them http://www.blogrankings.com/ , http://www.blogcatalog.com/ and http://www.bloggator.com/ . The number of FS blogs is grow- ing. The Dinoia family keeps a blog from their current post in Reykjavik. Available at www.dinoias.blogspot . com , the blog keeps a record of the family’s trials and rewards of life abroad and is a useful tool for others regarding the aspects of raising a fam- ily overseas. For the more conservative viewer, we recommend the Daily Demarche , a self-described “blog by members of the State Department Republican Underground-conservative Foreign Service officers serving overseas com- menting on foreign policy and global reactions to America” ( http://dailyde marche.blogspot.com / ). Behind many a diplomat is a so- called trailing spouse. The Diplomat’s Wife , a blog written from the embassy community in Sarajevo, is a comical exploration of Shannon’s adventures while adjusting to a new culture ( http: / /shannonstamey.blogspot.com/ ) . Current FSO Mike is posted in Seoul with his family in tow. His experiences are chronicled at http:// spaces.msn.com/members/world adventurers/ , beginning with A-100 training. His posts about the APEC Summit in November 2005 are a par- ticular treat. Here, with thanks to Kelly Midura and www.aafsw.org , is a partial list of other FS blogs: • FS Husband http://www.live journal.com/users/fshusband/ • The Kolodner Family http://www.kolodner.com • Well, Let’s Talk About It! http://wellletstalkaboutit.blog spot.com / • Tumbleweeds http://editfish. blogspot.com/ • Prince Roy http://www. princeroy.org • Aaron Martz http://aaron martz.com/ • Coupon: The Movie http://coupon.blogdrive.com/ • The Permanent Mission of Joshie http://www.missionofjoshie.com/ Some of the best blogs are kept by those with no obligation to parrot the statements of State or the president. The Democracy Arsenal is dedicated to commentary and sparring on for- eign affairs ( http://www.democracy arsenal.org/ ) . The writers include former speechwriters for ambas- sadors, Secretaries of State and pres- idents; some are former members of the State Department policy plan- ning staff; some work for think-tanks. You will notice both a neo-con and a muscular-Wilsonian vein throughout this blog, depending on the author of the post. New Sisyphus , a former FSO and now an attorney in Oregon, writes at on all subjects, foreign and domestic. The site not only raises questions but answers them thoroughly ( http: / /newsisyphus.blogspot.com/ ) . WhirledView is the collaborative effort of Patricia Kushlis, Cheryl Rofer, and Patricia Lee Sharpe, all respected international affairs experts. It is a fantastic resource for distinctive op-ed-style world affairs pieces ( http: / /whirledview.typepad.com/whirl edview/ ). Let us know if you have your own blog about life in the Foreign Service, or if you know of a good foreign affairs blog, by e-mailing the Journal at journal@afsa.org. n — Caitlin Stuart, Editorial Intern C Y B E R N O T E S u 14 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 6 I t is through the shared experience of failure, of crisis and of risk, as well as of eventual success, that true trans- Atlantic trust can be built and further strengthened. I cannot recall many moments over the last two decades when there was greater trans-Atlantic bonding than at the successful conclusion of the Dayton talks. — Wolfgang Ischinger, German Ambassador to the United States, Nov. 21, www.upi.com