Shannon Larratt is Zentastic

I've just updated the “UnderMars: An online archive of soldiers' photos” website with some photos from Hatra and elsewhere around Iraq. I have to admit, if I wasn't doing BME and didn't have other ways to see the world, even though I'm definitely not a pro-war guy in the least, I'd be really tempted on a lot of levels to sign up just to see the world. All politics removed, it's got to be an overwhelming and life-changing experience (sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, I'm sure).

Anyway, click to go to the gallery:

PS. Make love not war!

I was asked to dig up some of the feedback that UnderMars has generated, positive and negative, so I thought I might as well share some of it here (since I don't want to put a feedback page on the site itself because that politicizes it). There's quite a bit of feedback that I haven't included here as well (mostly positive) because it includes comments that identify the writer and I don't want to do that.

…man…I can't find the words to express what I feel right now…just saw all the photos and read your text. I saw just a fraction of war myself 10 years ago in former Yugoslavia and it left me thinking and dreaming about it for a while…it was somewhat hard to get back to “normal” life.
Somehow you managed to make a true neutral website/document about something so extreme…and that's awesome!!
Thanx and greetz from Holland

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I only wish you all die, you stupid and naive mother fuckers.This “war” you fighting is not to defennd America but you idiots are fighting for Jews.
See you in Hell ! Pussies ! You want be playing nintedo games there !
P.S.
Looking at your faces I found that almost all of you look kind of retarded, so you as well might die nobody wants you to pollute our gene pool anyway.

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EVERY ONE IN HELLAS WE HOPE AND PRAY FOR A BETTER WORLD… WE HOPE THAT AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND MOST OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS WILL FIND A
VERY VERY PAINFULL DEATH AND THEN GO WHERE THEY BELONGE… TO HELL!!! :-)
YOU ARE THE INVADERS !!!
YOU WENT THERE FOR THE OIL
SO NOW I HOPE THAT ONE DAY YOU WILL BECOME … HUMANS

So this is my wish
PLEASE DIE…

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I knew american military were metally sick, with Abu Grabe prison sick sadist crap and it seems from the pictures on your website proves my views on what is going on over there is SICK!
No wonder you sick people will not win!
Before you shoot your mouth off and call me a whinning Liberal democract……….Wrong Assumption, because I am a stern Constitutionalist and 100% hold to the fact, that all public servants, be they Govt. burrecracts or military personnel that took the OATH to uphold The Constitution Of The United States and do not keep that OATH as traitors!
P.S.
I will turn this websit Link over to my US Congressman & US Senator for review!

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You really should get checked into a mental hospital before they take your health insurance away. At first I was like “This guy is a total piece of shit” but then I realized that seeing what you've seen can't possibly leave your sanity intact. Seriously. You need help.

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The photos from US Sodiers doing their duty in Iraq was both entertaining and enlightening. It's good to see a typical day in a soldier's life there…both the doldrums as well as the more serious reasons we're there. God Bless our soldiers. I pray He brings our men and women, every one, home on His shoulders. And that the country of Iraq and the surrounding countries benefit from our presence there, thus securing our own peace and prosperity. Love you each and every one.

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No I don't have a picture but I can hardly wait until every US soldier is blown to bits and appears on your screen!!!

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hey
just wanna drop a line to say the site is awesome!
i like to see the army etc have a good time and its nice to see some of my own [brits!!] having a good time!

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Thank you for making this site available. I have always been curious about the combat experience.

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I dont have any pictures to send in. nor am i affiliated with the army or any other armed forces except that i am an american. i think what you're doing with this site is wonderful. it gives people the real truth, not the media truth. it puts things in perspective; especially from a soldier's point of view. so, again, thank you for doing this.

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A moving tribute to men and women who serve. This is what is called “Photography” most others are just snapshots. The presentation is graphic yet tasteful in its purpose. I was directed to the site by a Military friend. As the old saying goes indeed ” A Picture is worth a thousand words.”

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you are a fuckup.
The fact that your website would show these NOT FUNNY captions that these dumb as rocks military men write shows it.
Why make the situation this way?
Show things in a better light and maybe people would take you seriously.
Only Marines and other shitheads would laugh at the not funny jokes you have.
If you know anyone in the “war”, i hope they get killed –
i can laugh at a picture of them with their body parts blown all over the countryside.

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I'll assume you get a lot of crap mail. Just a quick note to say that your project is very impressive, and I have a great deal of respect for the way in which you are going about it.

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you are a bunch of fucking pituitary retards

"Great White Sharks exist for only two purposes: To eat and to make little Great White Sharks. And hurricanes exist for only one purpose: To disperse heat from the equatorial regions towards the polar regions."

That is, in the simplest of terms, the reason we're seeing the South flooded right now (look at the pictures in the previous entry) is due to global warming… which means it's going to get a whole lot worse, since pollution continues to rise dramatically and energy consumption goes up yearly. I think it's also worth quoting Walter Maestri who is the emergency management chief in Jefferson Parrish, Louisiana. Last year Bush cut the funding for flood control measures to prioritize war.

"It appears that the money has been moved in the presidents budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose thats the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees cant be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us."

Every death that happens in Louisiana and Mississippi and every bit of property damage might have been averted if the money to defend against this type of disaster had not been diverted into Halliburton and the other corporate friends of the administration — and those who voted blindly to support the war share in that blame. With a $1.4 trillion projected cost, is the Iraq War really worth it? Is it more important than ensuring the safety and prosperity — and future — of Americans? Along those lines, let me also quote from a story from a month ago:

"When members of the Louisiana National Guard left for Iraq in October, they took a lot equipment with them. Dozens of high water vehicles, humvees, refuelers and generators are now abroad, and in the event of a major natural disaster that, could be a problem."

Too bad the National Guard got drafted for Iraq service…

How messed up is it that Venezuela — who Bush names as the South American “axis of evil” leader and has mulled invading — can offer relief aid of food and fuel to Americans while Bush laughs it up and plays guitar with Mark Wills (see the picture in the previous entry). Hell, Venezuela has even offered free eye surgery to Americans without healthcare.

I've linked this story before, but with Morgan Stanley predicting a 90% chance of economic armageddon, and with President Bush having mood swings described as “paranoia bordering on schizophrenia” coupled with “pre-senile dementia“, one has to wonder what steps can be taken to medically relieve someone from office… I mean, on Star Trek the chief medical officer could relieve the captain of duty if he was unfit to command — is there a person with that power in the United States, or does it take some vigilante patriot voting from the rooftops?

Why oh why couldn't Bush just have a slightly more humorous disorder?