More on the suicide bombings in Afganistan. Cross posted from CDR Salamander's blog.

Monday, December 29, 2008
Mandatory viewing
Sure, the words are one thing.
A single-file line of schoolchildren walked past a military checkpoint Sunday as a bomb-loaded SUV veered toward them and exploded, ending the lives of 14 young Afghans in a heartbreaking flash captured by a U.S. military security camera.The video shows the SUV slowly weaving through sand-bag barriers at the checkpoint just as the children, most wearing white caps, come into view. They walk along a pathway between the street and a wall, several of them pausing for a few seconds in a group before moving forward again.The vehicle moves toward the security camera while the children walk in the opposite direction, nearly passing the SUV when the footage ends in a fiery blast.Photos of the bombing's aftermath showed bloodied textbooks lying on the ground beside small pairs of shoes. Afghan officials said the children were attending a final day of class for the year to find out whether they would move up to the next grade.Abdul Rahman, a doctor at a hospital near the blast, said the children were 8 to 10 years old.22 total killed. pupils were receiving their exam results and end-of-year education certificates, police said.

But it is the video that you need to see.

CNN is too busy worshiping Palestinians to show it to you though. At least the NYT and AP have it up.
Labels: Afghanistan, Terrorists
// posted by CDR Salamander @ 07:13

Think about this the next time someone argues with you on diplomacy with these zealots.

JR14 out

End of days?

Sometimes when I open my iGoogle homepage and see the above I really have to wonder. When I start to see these headlines start happening on American soil I'll think of packing the family up and heading for the hills.

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NERF Chaingun

Sign me up for one of these:

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Wreath-laying Mainers pay respects at Arlington

A Little late on this but non the less:

17-year-old tradition punctuated by smiles, tears

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY GABOR DEGRE
Members of the Burton-Goode-Sargent Chapter 1 of the Korean War Veterans of America lay six wreaths at the Korean War Memorial at Mount Hope Cemetery on Saturday. The ceremony was held to honor the men and woman in all major branches of the military and it coincided with the laying of thousands of wreaths in Arlington National Cemetery. The 3rd annual event was held as part of the Wreaths Across America Project founded by Morrill Worcester of Harrington who also donated the wreaths.



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10 gifts for the hardcore techie

Pocket Projector.

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Happy 10th Impeachment Day President Clinton

The President of the United States Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998, and acquitted by the Senate on February 12, 1999. The charges, perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power arose from the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the Paula Jones law suit. The trial proceedings were largely party-line, with no Democratic Senators voting for conviction and only five Democratic Representatives voting to impeach. In all, 50 senators voted not guilty, and 45 voted guilty on the obstruction charge. The Senate also acquitted on the charge of perjury with 50 votes cast as not guilty, and 50 votes as guilty. It was only the second impeachment of a President in American history, following the impeachment of Andrew Johnson in 1868.

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NY governor proposes 'iPod tax'

Gov. David Paterson has proposed a so-called 'iPod tax' on downloaded music and entertainment services to help his state close a $15.4 billion budget deficit.
However, Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) products aren't Paterson's only targets. He has proposed 88 new fees and taxes that go far beyond, including on movie tickets, taxi rides, soda, beer, wine, cigars, massages, cable and satellite TV.
That's just one aspect of Paterson’s proposed $121.1 billion budget released yesterday. The budget attempts to make state government leaner while relying on a wave of new taxes and fees that will be passed down to businesses.
The proposed budget is balanced and holds state spending just under the inflation rate. The budget also erases a combined $15.4 billion in budget gaps over the next 15 months.
Paterson revealed his budget amid the unrelenting shake-up on Wall Street that has already depleted state tax revenue and triggered tens of thousands of layoffs. Before this recession, the state’s financial services sector had produced 20 percent of state tax revenue through income taxes, year-end bonuses, real estate deals and initial public offerings on the stock markets.

People never learn that any taxes passed down to business' are just passed onto the consumers. This is how we end up payin up to 50% in total taxes paid form receipt of your paycheck to walking out of 7/11 with a candy bar.

Also when the deficit is erased will the taxes be recinded? Nah, I don't think so. Welcome to the #1 Blue state.


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Battle of the Bulge

On this day, the Germans launch the last major offensive of the war, Operation Mist, also known as the Ardennes Offensive and the Battle of the Bulge, an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium. The Battle of the Bulge, so-called because the Germans created a "bulge" around the area of the Ardennes forest in pushing through the American defensive line, was the largest fought on the Western front.

The Germans threw 250,000 soldiers into the initial assault, 14 German infantry divisions guarded by five panzer divisions-against a mere 80,000 Americans. Their assault came in early morning at the weakest part of the Allied line, an 80-mile poorly protected stretch of hilly, woody forest (the Allies simply believed the Ardennes too difficult to traverse, and therefore an unlikely location for a German offensive). Between the vulnerability of the thin, isolated American units and the thick fog that prevented Allied air cover from discovering German movement, the Germans were able to push the Americans into retreat.
One particularly effective German trick was the use of English-speaking German commandos who infiltrated American lines and, using captured U.S. uniforms, trucks, and jeeps, impersonated U.S. military and sabotaged communications. The ploy caused widespread chaos and suspicion among the American troops as to the identity of fellow soldiers - even after the ruse was discovered. Even General Omar Bradley himself had to prove his identity three times - by answering questions about football and Betty Grable - before being allowed to pass a sentry point.
The battle raged for three weeks, resulting in a massive loss of American and civilian life. Nazi atrocities abounded, including the murder of 72 American soldiers by SS soldiers in the Ardennes town of Malmedy. Historian Stephen Ambrose estimated that by war's end, "Of the 600,000 GIs involved, almost 20,000 were killed, another 20,000 were captured, and 40,000 were wounded." The United States also suffered its second-largest surrender of troops of the war: More than 7,500 members of the 106th Infantry Division capitulated at one time at Schnee Eifel. The devastating ferocity of the conflict also made desertion an issue for the American troops; General Eisenhower was forced to make an example of Private Eddie Slovik, the first American executed for desertion since the Civil War.
The war would not end until better weather enabled American aircraft to bomb and strafe German positions.

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12 DEC 08 Biggest Full Moom of the Year

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Blackwater joins fight against sea piracy

Anyone need a job?

"Billions of dollars of goods move through the Gulf of Aden each year," said Bill Mathews, Blackwater's executive vice president. "We have been contacted by ship owners who say they need our help in making sure those goods get to their destination safely. The McArthur can help us accomplish that."


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Perfect piece of kit for those long helo rides

SanDisk Sansa Clip

$80 • SanDisk.com
8 out of 10

Tiny Player Packs Features and Dead-Simple Menus. This Zippo-sized MP3 player packs as much into its small frame as possible. Four gigs of media storage, an FM tuner, voice and radio recording, a bright OLED screen and a handy clip waiting to grasp the nearest lapel or waistband. The interface and menus are dead simple, and so is grabbing music from your PC — just drag and drop. The freebie earphones, though ugly, belt out the sound.













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The Mumbai atrocity is a wake-up call

Great read from the Daily Mail UK website. Mrs. Phillips hits the Islamic Fanaticism problem right on the head.


The Mumbai atrocities show very clearly what too many in Britain obdurately deny - that a war is being waged against civilisation.
It is both global and local. It is not 'our' fault; it has nothing to do with Muslim poverty, oppression or discrimination.
The Islamic fundamentalist fanatics use specific grievances - Kashmir, Iraq, Palestine, Chechnya - merely as recruiting sergeants for their worldwide holy war against all 'unbelievers'.

WAKE UP AMERICA.

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