Sunday, November 30, 2008

STS-126 Endeavour Crew Looks at Landing Opportunities Today - November 30, 2008

STS-126 Endeavour
Crew Looks at Landing Opportunities Today
Weather Permitting, 1st Landing Opportunity at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is today at 1:19pm EST
Sunday
, November 30, 2008

. File Photo by NASA TV.

The STS-126 crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Don Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff, were awakened at 4:55 a.m. EST for what is scheduled to be their flight’s landing day. This morning's wake up music was "Gonna Fly Now," played for Ferguson.

The two landing opportunities at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., are for 1:19pm EST and 2:54pm EST. Forecasts say rain, perhaps thunderstorms and crosswinds could prevent a landing there.

Two additional landing opportunities are available today at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., at 4:25 pm EST and 6:00 pm EST.

.. > View STS-126 Landing Ground Tracks HERE
.
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. Read Latest News and Updates +
Mission Elapsed Time Clock
at
NASA.gov.

**************
Watch Mission/Landing LIVE
At NASA TV

Click
HERE to view
ENJOY!!!
.

*******************
.
UPDATE:
.
Space Shuttle Endeavour and its crew landed at 1:25 p.m. PST Sunday at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing a 16-day journey of more than 6.6 million miles.
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The STS-126 mission featured important repair work and prepared the International Space Station to house six crew members on long-duration missions beginning next year. The new station equipment includes a water recovery system, additional sleeping quarters, a second toilet and an exercise device. During four spacewalks, the crew serviced the station's two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints, which allow its solar arrays to track the sun, and installed new hardware that will support future assembly missions.
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Chris Ferguson commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Donald Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Sandra Magnus. Magnus remained aboard the station, replacing Expedition 18 Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff, who returned to Earth on Endeavour after more than five months on the station.
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Weather concerns prevented the crew from returning to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the primary end-of-mission landing site. In 7-10 days, Endeavour will be transported approximately 2,500 miles from California to Florida on the back of a modified 747 jumbo jet. Once at Kennedy, Endeavour will be separated from the aircraft to begin immediate processing for its next flight, targeted for May 2009.
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STS-126 was the 124th space shuttle mission, the 22nd flight for Endeavour and the 27th shuttle visit to the station.
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With Endeavour and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of STS-119, targeted for Feb. 12, 2009. Discovery will deliver the final pair of U.S. solar arrays, which will be installed on the starboard end of the station's truss. The truss serves as the backbone support for external equipment and spare components.
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Lee Archambault will command the 14-day flight that will include four planned spacewalks. Joining him will be Pilot Tony Antonelli, Mission Specialists John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will replace Magnus on the station as a flight engineer.
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> For more about the STS-126 mission and the upcoming STS-119 mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
> For more about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station.
.
All above info/links/photos from the NASA.gov website
AubreyJ.........

Iraq War Is Won!

Iraq War Is Won!
.
Yes... I for one do believe the Iraq War is now won and I could not be prouder of all our men and women in the United States Armed Forces that made it possible.
.
Before this time passes into the History Books... with no parades or cheers of gratitude in the streets or within our finest of Newspapers from around this great country of ours... I just wanted to be able to say to you -- all of you that made this mission in Iraq such a success...
Thank You...

.
And we all can’t wait until you’re finally home at last!
AubreyJ.........
...
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* HOME AT LAST *

Video posted on YouTube by AubreyJ

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai, India - Updates November 29, 2008

Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai, India
* Mumbai Terror Rage Ends *
Saturday Updates
November 29, 2008
.
.
* The Miami Herald - Front Page had this article -- with LOTS OF PHOTOS and more -- posted on their website this Saturday morning and it starts off like this... This seaside city of 18 million known for its resilience has bounced back from wrenching tragedy before, but after the most brazen terror attack in India's history, the people of Mumbai are worried... In crowded trains, corner stores, office buildings and neighborhood parks, residents ask each other the same questions. "Is anyone safe?" and "Could it happen again?"... After the 60-hour siege that left at least 195 dead in attacks at 10 sites across Mumbai, including landmarks familiar to nearly every person, fear and grief have spread across a city that attracts newcomers by the hundreds every day...
Read the rest at link below...
A worried Mumbai tries to recover from fatal siege
.
* FoxNews.com has this report posted on their website this morning... Indian investigators, with the help of FBI agents, a Pakistani intelligence official and other foreign experts, are fanning out in their hunt for any remaining terrorists tied to the brutal attacks in the country's financial capital that killed at least 195 people and injured more than 300... The terrorists' final siege ended Saturday morning — two-and-a-half days after the attacks began — but the efforts to determine who carried out the attacks have only begun...Local media already have labeled the massacre "India's 9/11."...
Read the full report at link below...
Indian Authorities Hunt for Terror Group Responsible for Massacre in Mumbai

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.
Mumbai Terror Rage Ends After 60 Hours

About News Video Report: A terror rampage that engulfed Mumbai, India is over, as forces take down the last terrorists barricaded in a hotel. Now officials are trying to figure out who is behind the siege that killed almost 200 people. (Nov. 29)
News Video posted on YouTube by AssociatedPress
.
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.
*
Now here’s a chilling report I found this evening at the DailyMail.co.uk website. Be sure to click this one out...
.
'I was told to kill to my last breath'
Captured terrorist's account of Mumbai massacre reveals plan was to kill 5,000
.
The only terrorist captured alive after the Mumbai massacre has given police the first full account of the extraordinary events that led to it – revealing he was ordered to ‘kill until the last breath’... Azam Amir Kasab, 21, from Pakistan, said the attacks were meticulously planned six months ago and were intended to kill 5,000 people... He revealed that the ten terrorists, who were highly trained in marine assault and crept into the city by boat, had planned to blow up the Taj Mahal Palace hotel after first executing British and American tourists and then taking hostages... Mercifully, the group, armed with plastic explosives, underestimated the strength of the 105-year-old building’s solid foundations... As it is, their deadly attacks have left close to 200 confirmed dead, with the toll expected to rise to nearly 300 once the hotel has been fully searched by security forces... Read the rest
HERE
.
******************************
..
Post Updates:
Sunday
, November 30, 2008
.
* FoxNews.com brings us this report early this Sunday morning and it starts off like this... India's top security official resigned on Sunday, as the government struggled under growing accusations of security failures following the Mumbai terror attacks that left at least 174 people dead, New Delhi TV reported... Shivraj Patil's successor will be current Finance Minister P Chidambaram, and many other bureaucrats — including India's national security adviser, intelligence bureau director and home secretary — reportedly may be asked to quit... Patil has become highly unpopular during a long series of terror attacks. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy announced that his resignation is "too little too late" and that the entire government is "dysfunctional."...
Read the rest at link below...
India's Unpopular Home Minister Resigns in Wake of Mumbai Attacks
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************************************
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Over the next few days, I’ll be updating this post on Wednesday evening’s unprecedented terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, so check back!
AubreyJ.........

Friday, November 28, 2008

Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai, India - Updates November 28, 2008

Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai, India
Friday Updates

November 28, 2008

Hello everyone...
Hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving...

With that said... Let’s get started with today’s updates on all those tragic attacks in India, that started early Wednesday evening and are just now winding down... with this report by BBC News. It starts off like this...
.
....Investigators in the Indian city of Mumbai are beginning to pie=ce together how gunmen carried out Wednesday's series of deadly attacks... The exact sequence of events remains unclear, but security personnel are establishing a picture of how the operation was planned and executed... All the signs, officials say, point to a well-planned action carried out by a highly trained, determined group... The men appeared to have surveyed their targets in advance and were well-versed in the use of weapons and explosives, a Indian commando said... Their intention, he said, was "to create and spread terror"...
Read the full report at link below...
Battles rage for Mumbai hostages
.
....* The StraitsTimes.com had this take on the story at their website today and it starts off like this... The young men stepping out of the inflatable dinghy at the famed Gateway of India jetty wore jeans and jackets and carried rucksacks... As Mr. Bharat Tamore, an assistant supervisor at the Taj Mahal Hotel, peered through the dim light of late evening, eight men got off the boat, jumping off in pairs... When he approached to inquire, they were quick to respond: 'Students hai.' (We are students.) The boat revved its motor and sped away... Fifteen minutes later, Mr. Tamore heard the rattle of gunshots near the Shamiana restaurant, the Taj's coffee shop, and instantly connected it to the fair-skinned 'students' he had seen disembark from the boat...
Read the rest of this story at link below...

How they did it
.
****************************


Forces Assault Besieged Jewish Center in Mumbai


About News Video: Security forces assaulted a Jewish center in Mumbai where Muslim militants were believed holed up with possible hostages Friday. (Nov. 27)
This News Video Report posted on YouTube by AssociatedPress
.
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. Travel Alert
DoS - U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
This information is current as of today, Fri Nov 28 11:48:14 2008.

November 27, 2008
.
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens about heightened security concerns in India, and advises U.S. citizens traveling to or already in India to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. This Travel Alert expires on December 31, 2008.
.
There are heightened security concerns in India following the November 26 terrorist attacks on hotels, a railway station, restaurant, hospital, and other locations in Mumbai frequented by Westerners. Over 100 persons are believed to have been killed, and hundreds injured. Casualties include both Indian and foreign nationals. Americans appear to have been among those specifically targeted. U.S. citizens should exercise caution and take prudent security measures, including maintaining a high level of vigilance, avoiding crowds and demonstrations, keeping a low profile, varying times and routes for all travel, and ensuring travel documents are current.
.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, the Department of State urged Americans to defer travel to Mumbai for at least 48-72 hours. American citizens in need of assistance related to the terrorist attacks should call the Department of State or the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai.
.
Americans throughout India should be vigilant about security at all times. The Embassy and Consulates are actively assessing the countrywide security environment. Americans are advised to monitor local news reports, vary their routes and times in carrying out daily activities, and consider the level of security present when visiting public places, including religious sites, or hotels, restaurants, entertainment and recreation venues. If unattended packages are spotted, American citizens should immediately exit the area and report the packages to authorities.
.
For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at
http://travel.state.gov/ where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Americans are also encouraged to read the Country Specific Information for India, available on the Embassy's website at http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/, and also at http://travel.state.gov/.
.
U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration web site at
https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. For additional information, please refer to "A Safe Trip Abroad" found at http://travel.state.gov/.
.
U.S. citizens may contact the American Citizens Services Unit of the Embassy or the Consulates General for further information:
.
-- The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi is located at Shanti Path, Chanakya Puri 110021; telephone +91-11-2419-8000; fax +91-11-2419-8407. The Embassy's Internet home page address is
http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/.
-- The U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai (Bombay) is located at Lincoln House, 78 Bhulabhai Desai Road, 400026, telephone +91-22-2363-3611; fax +91-22-2363-0350. The Internet home page address is
http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/.
-- The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai (Madras) is at 220 Anna Salai, Gemini Circle, 600006, telephone +91-44-2857-4000; fax +91-44-2811-2027. The Internet home page address is
http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/.
-- The U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata (Calcutta) is at 5/1 Ho Chi Minh Sarani, 700071; telephone +91-33-3984-2400; fax +91-33-2282-2335. The Internet home page address is
http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov/.

Above info from DoS Website


.**************************************

* Guardian.co.uk had this terrifying post on their website today and it goes in part like this...
...”He said: ‘Get down, get down, don’t speak.’ I just curled myself in the smallest ball I could and closed my eyes. The gunfire was sporadic. It sounded like they sprayed everyone and then looked to see who was alive and then started shooting at them on the floor... “I was covered in other people’s blood and I think that is what saved me. I was just hoping that if I stayed still they would think I was already dead. After about five minutes it stopped and I opened my eyes. There were dead people next to me who had been shot in the head. There was blood everywhere.”...
Read this and other horrifying stories at link below...

From under beds, tables, and ‘other people’s blood’ – tales of survival
.
>Also from the Guardian’s website we find this report today...
Death toll climbs past 150 as city reels from terror attack

*********************************
11:00pm CST
* It’s Over!!! *

* FoxNews.com brings us this report late this Friday evening and it starts off like this...
Two and a half days after teams of Islamist terrorists began their brutal attacks across India's financial capital, their final standoff at the Taj Majal hotel is OVER after Indian commandos took the building by force, the country's commando chief told local media... The hotel was the final terror hotspot Saturday morning, with Indian authorities already appearing to have regained control over the rest of the city after the wave of attacks launched late Wednesday night. Security officials told FOX News' sister network Sky News that all hostages had been freed from the hotel... As daylight dawned Saturday, the sound of explosions and gunfire continued to emanate from inside the hotel, and a new fire broke out and raged through parts of the building's lower floors. Indian forces went through the large building room by room in an effort to root out the terrorists, and as the operation came to an end, India's NDTV reported, one terrorist was caught, another was killed and hand grenades and an AK-47 were recovered... The lingering alarm there was a far cry from the broader, fast-evolving massacre that struck India's financial capital late Wednesday night as attacks on 10 locations left at least 150 dead, including as many as six Americans...
Read the full report by Fox News at link below...
Indian Forces End Standoff, Take Back Hotel as Focus Turns to Who Was Behind Mumbai Attacks

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This post is now closed - Look for newer post on these unprecedented terrorist attacks at post above this one. Thank you...
AubreyJ.........

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving - 2008

Happy Thanksgiving

To everyone out there from across the seas
to here at home...
My wife Amy and I wish you all
a memorable and safe Thanksgiving.
.
Don’t BURN THE ROLLS!!!
AubreyJ.........

Memories of Past Thanksgivings - 2008

Memories of Past Thanksgivings
Thursday, November 27, 2008
(Note: This post on top Wed-Thur-Fri ... Scroll below for newer post)

Hello everyone...
.
I wrote this short story for my family a few years back to bring back the memories of those good old days when we were all so young and the family was everything.
.
Today I wish to share this story with you... and all those overseas doing this country so proud... in the hope that it helps bring back, in you, some of those good old memories about some of your past Thanksgivings with your loved ones...
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God bless you all and Happy Thanksgiving...
AubreyJ.........

...
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.
God I use to love those good old days at Thanksgiving time. All that good cooking and eating that went on... It's like them days had happened just yesterday!!!
.
I can remember dad driving up to the Big House and all of us kids jumping out of the car and making a dash for the front porch. Just to be pulled back to help unload the car of all the food offerings that we had brought for the Thanksgiving feast.
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As we walk into the house, we're greeted by hugs and kisses from the Aunts and warm hellos from the Uncles. Smile at Papaw as we walk by and on to the kitchen and out to the back porch we go. After unloading all the food on the tables outside, it's time to go and get a big hug and kiss from Mamaw.

.Naturally we would always get the yes ma’am - no ma’am drill from her and after that all of us kids would take off in our own directions.

Now as for me -- I usually ran for Uncle Buddy and would jump up into his arms. We'd have a short man to man chat, then it was off to Papaw. Oh yea... That short dash, backward flip to a tail slide across the arm of the chair topped off with a good 10 point landing... down between the side of Papaw and the arm of the chair. Such perfection... I'd even managed to miss that big old cigar that was always in Papaw's mouth.

"Hey Papaw.... Got you any wolves this week???"
(My Grandfather had a lot of Hunting Dogs back in those days and he was a BIG Wolf Hunter.)
I sure did love getting up in that chair with Papaw. All the small talk that went on between us that only Papaws and their grandchildren can have and the smell of Papaw's cigar... Now how can any of us forget that!!!
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After a short visit with Papaw, I would run through the house to see what all the cousins were up to. Shoot... It always seemed that by the time we could all get together and get some kind of game started, all through the house you would hear Mamaw calling... "Everyone come to the table- it's time to eat." Now you would think that all us kids would come a running!!! Well some of us would, yet some of us would not.
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Yes sir, some of us kids were a little hard headed. Figure that!!! We would give ourselves them excuses like... "If we hurry up -- we can finish this game and then go eat." This never did work out, no matter what we were playing. A few minutes would pass by, then someone would come for us bringing major threats from our parents. Hard headed are not, we knew for our own self preservation it would be best to make a dash for the tables about this time.
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Now... Where you got to sit down and eat was all up to how old you was. When you came of age, you got to eat at the big tables. If not of age yet, you had to eat in the kitchen or on the back porch. (I thought on this for a little bit and came to this conclusion... If we were to have a family reunion this Thanksgiving... and everyone showed up, I'd still end up on the back porch or at best in the kitchen... and I'm almost 50 years old now!) Oh well...
.
After everyone got settled down in their chairs it would start to get real quit. That's because before we could all start eating we had to have prayer. There was always some praying going on but it was more on the lines of: "Lord, please don't let Aunt Alice say the prayer this year." Mother wouldhave the food cold by the time she got done with the Thanksgiving Blessings. Yes sir... That women could sure do some praying at the table!!!
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Anyway -- after a good 5 minutes of quit time, we finally got to eat. A-Men!!! There's no need in going over the list of food again because we had it all and then some... I'd eat so much that there was no way in the world I was going anywhere near that dessert table. Well not for an hour or two...
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After the feast, all us kids would take off to play and the adults would clean up and then head for the living room to visit and watch football. Uncle J.P. and Dad would go outside and have them a smoke while Uncle Jack and Uncle R.V. headed for the back bedrooms for a short nap. After a while dad and Uncle J.P. would catch up with the men and us kids knew to play very quietly around this time. If we had awakened any of the men we would have all been dead meat!!!
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I could go on and on with this story but I think I'll end it here. Besides, I have so many fond memories about this time of the year that I'd have to write a small book to cover them all...
.
Anyway, I truly hope that this short story has sparked a few fond memories in all of you and I'll end with this wish... May you and yours have a wonderful and memorable Thanksgiving and for god’s sake… don't burn the rolls this year!
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Story by: Aubrey J. Fawcett
11/15/02

Photo for the Day - November, 27, 2008

* Photo for the Day * Normal Lives for Tunis Tots
Iraqi girls stand together outside of their home in Tunis, Iraq, on Nov. 20, 2008.
Photo by James Wagner

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 987-08 November 27, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Master Sgt. Anthony Davis, 43, of Deerfield, Fla., died November 24th in Baaj, Iraq, after being shot by an Iraqi Security Force soldier while he was conducting a dismounted humanitarian food drop. He was assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Fort Riley public affairs office at (785) 239-3410.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai, India

Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai, India
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
...
Mumbai, India came under a series of unprecedented, well coordinated terrorist attacks Wednesday evening that left over 80 dead at last count, 240 or more injured and some people were even taken hostage.

Fires broke out from the destruction in several of the high profile targeted areas that included two hotels, the landmark Taj Hotel at the Gateway and the Oberoi Trident Hotel at Nariman Point, the domestic airport at Santa Cruz, the Cama and GT Hospitals, the Metro Adlabs multiplex and the Mazgaon Dockyard.

NDTV.com is reporting that one Briton who escaped the terrorist attack at the five-star Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai Wednesday night was saying the attackers were specifically asking for American and British tourists... Alex Chamberlain, who is working in Mumbai, said the terrorists allowed him to leave along with other diners at the besieged Kandahar restaurant in the Oberoi, now known as the Hotel Trident, after he kept his nationality a secret.
(Read more on this story HERE)

It’s also being reported this evening that a little known group calling themselves the ‘Deccan Mujahideen’ is claiming responsibility for the attacks.


More to come...
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**********************************
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* Mumbai Rocked by Deadly Shootings *

Video posted on LiveLeak by DotDotDash
.
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DoS - U.S. Department of State Press Release follows:
Wednesday, November 26, 2008


Attacks in Mumbai

We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks that have taken place in Mumbai, India. Our sympathies go out to the families and friends of those killed and injured, and to the people of Mumbai.

We are monitoring the situation very closely and stand ready to support the Indian authorities as they deal with this horrific series of attacks. At this point, we are unaware of any American casualties.

Also from DoS this evening...
Consular Calls: Attacks in Mumbai, India

* Americans who have reason to believe that a relative or friend has been affected by the attacks in Mumbai, India should call... 1-888-407-4747
2008/994
.
************************
.
>>> INDIA: Live Video Streams and more
*
CNN IBN Live Streaming * IBNLive
* NDTV Live * NDTV.com
* Times Now
.
>>> From The Fox Forum at FoxNews.com...
MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS: A ‘Planned’ Operation Designed to Create Chaos
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.
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More than 100 Held Hostage in Mumbai in Terror Blitz

News Video posted on YouTube by RussiaToday
.
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.... POST UPDATE:
Thanksgiving Day
Thursday,
November 27, 2008

.
* CNN.com brings us this report this morning and it starts off like this...
Americans and other foreigners were among those caught up in the bloodshed and chaos of the terror attacks in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday and Thursday... At least six foreigners were among the 125 dead, police said. Targets included two luxury hotels, the Oberoi and the Taj Mahal, as well as a cafe popular with Western tourists... A man told a local television station that he was in the Oberoi around 10 p.m. Wednesday when gunmen entered the lobby and began rounding up guests, asking for anyone with a U.S. or British passport and taking about 15 of them hostage... Fire raged at the Oberoi, the scene of much bloodshed as explosions and gunshots rang out Thursday morning. Outside the Taj Mahal, screaming and fighting broke out as reporters scrambled to capture the chaotic scene... Australian filmmaker Anthony Rose told CNN that......
Read the rest at link below...
Terrified Americans describe Mumbai chaos
. .
*************************
.
* CBS News has the following News Video Report posted on their website this Thanksgiving morning. It’s around 7 minutes long....
* Tragedy In Mumbai *

About New Video: Terrorist attacks across Mumbai, India involved shootings and explosions left over 100 dead and 300 others injured. As Sheila Macvicar reports, terrorists targeted American and British nationals...
News Video Report posted on YouTube by
CBS
.
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.
* AFP.Google.com brings us this updated report. It was posted on their website, late this Thursday morning, around 11:30am CST...
Indian commandos battled Thursday to end a multiple hostage crisis in Mumbai after Islamic militants killed 125 people across the city and grabbed foreign guests in two luxury hotels... Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the militants had come from "outside the country," while the military official leading the operation to flush them out insisted they were from arch-rival Pakistan... Major General R.K. Hooda told reporters they had "pretended" to be Indian... Pakistan's defence minister denied any involvement... A little more than 24 hours after the attacks began, military officials said special forces had successfully cleared the landmark Taj Mahal Palace hotel of all but one injured gunman... "I think we should be able to mop up the operation very quickly," National Security Guards director general J.K. Dutt told the NDTV news channel... Efforts continued to flush out militants at the Oberoi/Trident hotel and at a separate office-residential complex, housing a Jewish centre...
Read the rest of this report at link below...
Commandos battle Islamist gunmen in Mumbai, over 125 dead
(Above link has lots of photos and more)

.* The Miami Herald - Front age had this article -- with LOTS OF PHOTOS/VIDEOS -- posted on their website this Thursday...
Officials resist laying blame on al Qaeda for attacks in India
.
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This post is now closed - Look for newer post on these unprecedented terrorist attacks at Post above this one. Thank you...
AubreyJ.........

Photo for the Day - November 26, 2008

* Photo for the Day * Iraqi national policemen from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd NP Division, Civil Affairs Team, gather with Iraqi children from an elementary school in the Doura community of southern Baghdad Nov. 20. The NPs are part of a freshly formed CA Team created by Soldiers from Company D, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad.
Read the story behind the photo at link below...
Iraqi National Police Strive to Serve, Protect Baghdad's Residents .
U.S. Army photo

DoD Identifies Army - Marine Casualties

No. 985-08 November 26, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1st Lt. William K. Jernigan, 35
, of Doraville, Ga., died November 24th in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information the media may contact the U.S. Army, Alaska, public affairs office at (907) 384-1542.


No. 986-08 November 26, 2008
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Capt. Warren A. Frank, 26, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died November 25th while supporting combat operations in Ninewa province, Iraq. He was assigned to the 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liasion Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Okinawa public affairs office at 011-81-611-745-0790 or OkinawaPAO@usmc.mil
.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Keep Top Pentagon Job Under Obama Administration

Tuesday, November 25, 2008
FoxNews.com brings us this bit of good news today, even though one KNOWS many on the LEFT are having a fit over it... and that bit of good news is this... Defense Secretary Robert Gates will keep the Top Pentagon Job for at least the first year of the Obama Administration, FOX News has learned... There was very strong support for Gates among Democrats, said one Democratic source in the Senate whose boss was intimately involved in bringing Obama and Gates together to see if they were compatible... The move confirms speculation that Obama aides had encouraged before the election that Gates would stay on for an interim period... A registered independent, Gates has served various Republican administrations. President Bush nominated Gates to replace Donald Rumsfeld after the 2006 midterm elections, when the war in Iraq was descending into chaos and became a political liability for Republicans... Gates will continue to preside over two U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that Bush launched as part of the larger war on terror...
Read the rest at link below...
Defense Secretary Gates to Keep Job Under Obama

DOD file photo

NO CASH FOR TERROR - Convictions Returned in Holy Land Case

NO CASH FOR TERROR -
Convictions Returned in Holy Land Case
Tuesday
, November 25, 2008

The FBI’s fight against terrorism funding paid a big dividend yesterday when five former leaders of a U.S.-based Muslim charity were convicted of funneling more than $12 million to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

> About Photo: Holy Land Foundation office in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Richardson in 2001.

Guilty verdicts on all 108 counts against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development were announced in federal court in Dallas, Texas, representing the largest victory against terrorist financing in the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks.

“For many years, the Holy Land Foundation used the guise of charity to raise and funnel millions of dollars to the infrastructure of the Hamas terror organization,” said Patrick Rowan, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This prosecution demonstrates our resolve to ensure that humanitarian relief efforts are not used as a mechanism to disguise and enable support for terrorist groups.

The FBI first got involved in the Holy Land case nearly 15 years ago. In 1994, we began looking into the organization’s financial ties to Hamas. During the investigation, our agents traveled the globe to conduct more than 100 interviews, to sort through hundreds of boxes of documents (including many Arabic documents), to view hundreds of video and audio tapes in Arabic, and to review thousands of pages of bank records.

Noting that the FBI's top investigative priority is
counterterrorism, Robert E. Casey, Special Agent in Charge of our Dallas office, applauded yesterday’s verdicts and put terrorists on notice: “The FBI will continue to keep the country safe by actively investigating all forms of terrorist threats, whether that threat manifests itself in the planning or execution of a violent terrorist act or other crimes that provide support to terrorist organizations.”

> About Image:The Holy Land Foundation, based in a Dallas suburb before it was shut down in 2001, provided about $12.4 million in funding to Hamas-controlled organizations in the West Bank and Gaza.

Fighting terrorism by choking off its funding source is one of the many techniques we use to proactively disrupt and dismantle terrorist enterprises before they strike. The case against Holy Land was investigated by one of our Joint Terrorism Task Forces, which bring together local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

In December 2001, three months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Holy Land as a “Specially Designated Terrorist” group. We raided the organization’s Texas headquarters, seized its assets, and shut down its operation. At the time, Holy Land was ranked as the country's largest Muslim charitable organization.

Hamas was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. in 1995, and that made contributions to the group illegal. The 108 counts the Holy Land defendants were convicted of yesterday, including providing material support to Hamas and money laundering, carry stiff sentences. No sentencing date has been set.

During the trial, the government presented evidence that Holy Land Foundation and the five defendants provided approximately $12.4 million in support to Hamas and its goal of creating an Islamic Palestinian state by eliminating the State of Israel through violent jihad. Evidence was also presented that several of the defendants have family members who are Hamas leaders, including Hamas’s political chief, Mousa Abu Marzook.


Read the Press Release at link below...

U.S. Report Predicts Declining American World Dominance in Economic, Military and Political Power

Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A new report by U.S. intelligence agencies says the United States is losing its position as the world's dominant economic, military, and political power... Titled "Global Trends 2025: A World Transformed," the 121-page report by the U.S. National Intelligence Council has been prepared in time to warn U.S. President-elect Barack Obama about the challenges his administration will face after it takes over the White House on January 20... It says the international system will be almost unrecognizable by 2025 because of the rise of emerging powers, a globalizing economy, the transfer of wealth from West to East, and the growing influence of nonstate actors...
Read the rest at
RFERL.org

Monday, November 24, 2008

Fourth Spacewalk Complete - Shuttle Mission Extended One Day

Fourth and Final Spacewalk Complete -
Shuttle Mission Extended One Day
Monday, November 24, 2008
9:45pm CST
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Image above: STS-126 Mission Specialist Steve Bowen works outside the International Space Station during the mission’s fourth spacewalk.
Credit: NASA TV
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Steve Bowen and Shane Kimbrough ended their mission's fourth spacewalk Monday at 7:31 p.m. EST. The excursion lasted six hours and seven minutes.

They worked on the starboard and port solar alpha rotary joints, installed a camera on the Port 1 Truss and installed a GPS antenna and retracted a latch on the Kibo laboratory.

Inside the station, the other shuttle and station crew members completed maintenance on the Water Recovery System's Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) and started another processing cycle. Engineers hoped that the maintenance performed would enable the UPA to run for its full four-hour processing time.
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In addition, the Space Shuttle Program Mission Management Team formally approved extending STS-126 by one day. The STS-126 mission was extended so the astronauts could continue troubleshooting the International Space Station's new Water Recovery System.
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The crews of the International Space Station and Space Shuttle Endeavour now will spend Thanksgiving Day together, and the shuttle will undock on Friday.
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Space Shuttle Endeavour's Landing is now targeted to take place at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility at about
1:18pm EST, Sunday.
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All above info/links/photos from
NASA.gov website
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. But for now...
Read Latest News and Updates +
Mission Elapsed Time Clock
at
NASA.gov

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Watch Mission LIVE
At NASA TV
Click
HERE to view
ENJOY!!!.

*********
AubreyJ.........

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 979-08 November 24, 2008
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt 1st Class Miguel A. Wilson, 36
, of Bonham, Texas, died November 21st in Abu Sayf, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a rescue attempt of another soldier while their unit was conducting a dismounted reconnaissance mission. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas. The incident remains under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993 or 254-287-2520; after hours (254) 291-2591.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Special Report: First Haynesville Shale Expo/Shreveport Convention Center

Special Report:
First Haynesville Shale Expo
A Huge Success!
Shreveport Convention Center
Friday,
November 21, 2008
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...Booths, exhibits, demonstrations and information sessions were the buzz inside the Shreveport Convention Center this past Friday for the first Haynesville Shale Expo that was held from 1:15pm to 7:00pm.

This HUGE event was hosted by the City of Shreveport and presented by The Shreveport Times and the energy companies -- Chesapeake, Devon, EnCana, Petrohawk and XTO. Regional Chambers of Commerce also served as hosts.

Now... for those of you who are not from the local area and would like to know a little bit about what all the fuss is about over this Large Natural Gas Deposit... here’s a little inf0 on the Haynesville Shale just for you.

For one... The Haynesville Shale is one of the richest fields of natural gas ever discovered in this part of the country and some have said it could be the 4th largest natural gas field in the world. Only time and a lot more drilling will tell for sure and as one of the many land owners, I... along with many others... can’t wait to know the final verdict!

Most all of the Natural gas production from the Haynesville Shale occurs within rocks about two miles down... underneath northwestern Louisiana, southwestern Arkansas and eastern Texas. Although the gas field covers about eight parishes in the northwestern part of Louisiana, the most productive areas thus far have been in Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, DeSoto, Red River and Webster Parishes plus a few adjacent areas in southwestern Arkansas and east Texas.
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* The Shreveport Times had a couple of articles I’d like to share with you today and they go as follows...

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> The recent slowdown in the whirlwind of large scale land leasing and the drop in lucrative cash bonuses is nothing more than one of many cycles that will be realized in the Haynesville Shale for some time to come, an economist told 815 people gathered Friday for a luncheon kicking off the Haynesville Shale Expo...
Economist: Haynesville Shale will experience ups and downs
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> Everything anyone wanted to know about the Haynesville Shale and its associated activity could be found in the 100 booths set up Friday inside the Shreveport Convention Center for the area's first Haynesville Shale Expo...
Shale Expo exhibits feature plethora of stuff
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* KTAL-TV had this report...
First Haynesville Shale Expo
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* KSLA-TV reports the EXPO this way...
Thousands arrive for first-ever Shale Expo
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Haynesville Shale Expo 2008
Slideshow

Find more photos like this on Go Haynesville Shale
Photos and above post by AubreyJ.........
AubreyJ.org
Sunday, November 23, 2008

Photo for the Day - November 23, 2008

* Photo for the Day *
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STS-126 Mission Specialists Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (left) and Shane Kimbrough work together during the mission's second scheduled spacewalk as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station.
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During the six-hour, 45-minute spacewalk, Piper and Kimbrough continued removing debris and applying lubrication around the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, Joint, replaced four more of the joint's 12 trundle bearing assemblies, relocated two equipment carts and applied lubrication to the station's robotic Canadarm2.
Image credit: NASA
11-20-08
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The Crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-126 has been on a 15-day mission to expand and improve the Space Station's living area and is scheduled to return to Earth on November 29th.
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Note: Shuttle Astronauts Steve Bowen and Shane Kimbrough prepared Sunday for the mission’s fourth and final Spacewalk that is set to start at 1:45pm EST Monday.
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*********************
..
Read Latest News and Updates +
Mission Elapsed Time Clock
at NASA.gov
.
***********
.
Watch Mission LIVE
At NASA TV
Click HERE to view
ENJOY!!!
.
******
AubreyJ.........