Funny Animal Photos

Now this is the epitome of LAZY!!
Must be one Dangerous CAT!!
This is one of my heros. Steve Irwin "The Crocodile Hunter". He is sorely missed.

Baghdad, Iraq Photos

This is a photo of the Unknown Soldier Monument. It is close to the "Hands of Victory" or "Crossed Swords" monument. From the sky looking down this resembles a large spacecraft. It is actually supposed to resemble a shield dropping from the grasp of a dying Iraqi warrior. This is the largest structure in the "International Zone" or "Green Zone". I pass by it several times a day. It is about 1/4 mile from where I work.
Another View of the "Clam Shell" as it is nicknamed. Also represents a shield.
An aerial view of the "Unknown Soldier Monument".
Another view of the "Unknown Soldier Monument"
This is a picture of the "14th of July Bridge". It was Baghdad's first suspension bridge and was built to link the Karkh and Karradah districts on either side of the Tigris River. This links the "Green Zone" to the "Red Zone". This is pretty close to the Presidential Palace and is about a mile from where I live.
A picture of the "Hands of Victory" or the "Crossed Swords" monument
Another picture of the "Crossed Swords" with a tank in the middle.
This is really close to where I live. The trailer on the right is a laundry trailer. The covered structures are piles of sandbags that line the sides of the trailers where we live.
This is another example of the trailers where many people who work at the Palace and surrounding areas live. You can see the top of the Palace in the background. I live about a hundred yards from here.

This is the archway or entranceway to Camp Prosperity where the Al-Salam Palace is located. You can see a guard tower in the upper left side of the photo. Security is very tight here.
This is a picture of the front of the Presidential Palace. This is where Saddam Hussein spent most of his time living and working. I live about a hundred yards behind the palace. It's beautiful inside with marble or granite floors and walls, elaborate ceilings and gold engraved doors. It lives up to it's name of "Palace". There used to be huge Saddam Hussein heads on top of each corner of the palace, but they have since removed them. There is a huge fountain in front of the palace, but it is dry and no longer functioning. The blue dome you see is the center of the palace. Inside the ceiling is probably 40 or 50 feet high beneath it. There is a very beautiful and elaborate rotunda there.
Here's another view of the front of the palace with a better view of the fountain.
Ahhh the pool. This is one of my favorite places and you can see why. This is the Presidential Palace pool. This is directly behind the presidential palace, and only about 100 yards from where I live. It's the perfect way to end a day of running around in the 100 plus heat and the never ending dust. Can't beat having a nice pool in your backyard.
Another view of the pool. You can see the back of the Presidential
This is a picture of the 14th of July monument. Kinda hard to see it in the background. It is located in the middle of a traffic circle. I'll try and get a better photo later. This is located just outside the Presidential Palace in the Green Zone. It is a monument to July 14th, 1958 when a military coup over threw the governing monarchy and the Government of Iraq was created.
This is a picture of the Al-Salam Palace in the Green Zone or International Zone as it is also called. This is about a mile from where I work. The palace here is now part of what is known as "Camp Prosperity" where the US Military now has control of and units living and working here. It was bombed pretty heavily during the 2003 bombings. You can see the damage on top of the building in the photo. Next to the palace here is a Dining Facility that I go to each day to pick up lunch and dinner for people here at my work. Outside of the palace is also an elaborate swimming pool and concrete pond where Saddam Hussein kept dolphins. This is where one of Saddam's sons lived.
This is a picture of the famous "Crossed Swords" or "Hands of Victory" as they are called. These were built in 1986 near the extensive presidential complex in the center of Baghdad, as a commerative of the Iran/Iraq war. They mark the entrance to a parade field where Saddam Hussein woud hold elaborate military parades and such. There are two different Archways. One at each end of the parade field. They are approximately 1/4 mile apart. The swords were made from melted Iraqi Weapons from the Iran/Iraq War. Also at the bottom of the monument is hundreds of helmets that were taken from Iranian Soldiers that had died on the battlefields. There are some helmets that are embedded in the roadway so that people drive over them. This is an obvious insult to the Iranian people.
This is another picture of the Crossed Swords monument before 2003. They are not in nearly as good shape now, and there is no longer any nice lush landscaping around them.This is a picture of the Presidential Palace during one of the all too frequent dust storms that we have here. They are not all this bad thank goodness, but it does give you an idea of how miserable the dust and wind can make you. It is hard to even breathe when you have to be outside in these type of conditions.

This is an aerial photo of the Presidential Palace. You can see the fountain in front of the palace, and the pool behind it. I live in a trailer about a hundred yards behind the palace. I walk through the palace each morning to get to the other side where I catch a ride to my office. Near the pool is a very nice dining facility, where all the people who work at the palace eat. People who eat there range from military and security personnel to dignitaries, government officials, ambassadors, etc. It's very nice inside with lots of food selection.

Here is a picture of the entrance to the Al Salam Palace or "Camp Prosperity" as it is called. As I understand it one of Saddam's Sons lived here. It's a huge place with a man made concrete pond that Saddam kept dolphins in.

Ahhh yes. The presidential palace pool at night. You can see the palace in the background. It's a relaxing place to knock off the dust and forget the days worries.
This is a view of the rear of the palace. I walk by here several times a day. The post office, pool, and dining facility are all located behind the palace, as well as the trailer where I live.
This is a view of the Green Zone, or at least a part of it. You can see the Crossed Swords monument in the background, and behind that is the Unknown Soldier Monument. Kinda looks like a huge flying saucer. It is supposed to be a shield. I work about 1/2 mile from the monuments.