Blue Star Chronicles

Azam Amir Kasav is the only terrorist from the Mumbai terror attacks that survived. He was captured and has been interrogated, providing a great deal of information about the attacks. Read about it below and see a photo of Kasav.

Azam Amir Kasav
aka: Mohammad Ajmal Mohammed Amin Kasab

Azam Amir Kasav, also known as Mohammad Ajmal Mohammed Amin Kasab, looked confident in the photo above. It was taken as he walked into the Mumbai train station (CST) with the intent of killing as many people as he could. He and his partner finished their business at the station and moved on to their next target, Girgaum Chowpatty. They were stopped and engaged in a gun fight by police. Azam killed assistant police inspector Tukaram Umbale before he was shot. His partner was shot and killed during the gun battle. Azam played dead and the bodies of both men were picked up to be transported to the hospital. At some point, the police realized that Azam was breathing.

When the 21-year-old Azam arrived at the hospital he begged the medical staff there to help him. He told them that he didn’t want to die. It turned out that he was fluent in English and from from tehsil Gipalpura in Faridkot in Pakistan. He begged for his own life after indiscriminately taking the lives of whoever happened to be in the train station that morning.

Read the rest of this entry »

The siege of various landmarks in the financial district of Mumbai, India has finally come to an end. Read about it and see a video below.

Mumbai Siege

Indian police are reporting that the Mumbia siege is over. Indian commandos stormed the Taj Hotel on Saturday morning (Indian time) and killed the last of the terrorists holed up in the hotel. Many people have reported still hearing blasts and gunfire after the siege was reported ended. However, that is reported to have been soldiers blasting open doors, detonating explosive on the terrorists bodies and looking for booby traps.

There are reports that people are probably still hiding in their hotel rooms, fearful that they are still not safe to expose themselves. Room to room searches are continuing to ensure that everyone is out of the hotel and that it is, indeed, secured. All of the terrorist are reported to have been killed.

On Friday the Oberoi-Triden Hotel was secured. One hundred hostages were rescued and 24 bodies were found in that hotel. Also, on Friday, the Nariman House, the Mumbai base of Chabad-Lubavitch, a New York-based orthodox Jewish organization, was secured. Sadly, the bodies of six people were found in the Jewish center. Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg were murdered along wither four others. The Holtzberg’s were just 29 and 28 years old. Their son turned 2-years-old today. He was rescued by an employee who swept him up in her arms as she escaped the building at the beginning of the siege. His maternal grandparents have flown up from Israel to take him.

The death toll at the Taj Hotel is not known. Some soldiers reported finding 30 bodies in a hallway when they entered one portion of the hotel. Most of the 195 dead and 295 injured in these attacks have been Indian citizens, including law enforcement officials. The terrorists killed indiscriminately, but looked for people with UK and US passports once they were rounding up hostages in the hotels. Among the dead are citizens from the United States, Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, Britain and France.

Video

Russian nuclear warships have arrived in the Caribbean while Russian President Medvedev and Venezuelan President Chavez get cozy. Read about it below.

Russian Nuclear Warships in Caribbean

Russian nuclear warships have arrived in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela. The Russian ships docked in the port of La Guaira outside Caracas, Venezuela. President Dmitry Medvedev and President Hugo Chavez toured the ships, reviewed the trips and solidified the alliance between Russia and Venezuela. There were plenty of photographers there to make sure that the photo ops can be used to their full potential. Russia has agreed to help Venezuela get their nuclear program started, just as they have done with Iran.

Of course, to a large extent, this is yet another muscle flexing exercise and show of power in the United States’ backyard. The message is very clear. It is that Moscow can put nuclear warships in the Americas. Period. Kind of a nana-nana-boo-boo move.

Its undoubtedly payback for President Bush forcing Russia back to her own borders after her brutal and vicious attack on Georgia this past summer in an attempt to gain control of the gas and oil pipelines from the Middle East into Western Europe. I’m sure that Russia needed to let us know that they could put warships in our sphere of influence as easily as we did theirs. They have to save face after all.

What else it is, is yet to be seen.

The alliance of enemies of America are of concern. Russia, Iran, Venezuela, North Korea. All have an interest is bringing down the United States and, with the exception of Russia, all are openly hostile towards the United States. Many see an opening for aggression as a unprepared, naive and inexperienced new U.S. President prepares to take leadership of the most powerful nation in the world. There’s a fine balance that needs to be maintained. We all hope that Obama is up to the task.

Video

Unhappy with the Venezuelan election results, Hugo Chavez has told the military to be prepared to fight. Read about it below.

Hugo Chavez

Venezuelans went to the polls to vote last Sunday. After a decade in power, Hugo Chavez was put to the test by opposition forces within Venezuela. He has been working to renew his drive toward Socialism despite falling oil prices that have affected the economy in his OPEC nation.

Chavez was not happy with the election results. Despite President Hugo Chavez’ tight grip on the Venezuelan people, opposition leaders gained five gubernatorial posts and the Caracas mayor’s office. Chavez declared that the opposition obviously ‘wants a confrontation’ and are attempting to depose him as they did briefly in 2002.

In the fashion of any petty dictator, Chavez is not taking the will of the people lying down. He has told his military and his supporters to prepare to fight. He will not except the newly elected political opponents and has told his supporters to be prepared to ‘die for the revolution’.

Chavez called on Venezuela’s military to ‘prepare to defend the revolution’ and said ‘we won’t show them mercy.’

Its interesting that Chavez sees himself as ‘the revolution’ even though he’s been in power for a decade. And, like is often the case with the far left, he is quite willing to let people vote as long as they vote the way he wants them to. If the vote doesn’t come out like they like, then the protest, threaten, stomp their feet, wail, gnash their teeth and do whatever they can to intimidate people into voting so that the outcome is to the liking of the far left. Chavez is no exception.

The United States has strongly condemned the terrorist attacks by the Deccan Mujahideen that have taken place in Mumbai, India. More information, photos and a Mumbai map are included below.

Mumbai Attack
Surveillance cameras catch pictures of gunmen entering building

At latest count, 101 people have been killed and 287 people wounded in one of the worst terror attacks in recent years in Mumai, India. The terrorists, reportedly affiliated with the Deccan Mujahideen, attacked at least 10 sites targeting Americans and Brits. Local media reports say 11 police officers, including the head of the Anti-Terrorism Squad, Hemant Karkare,were among those killed in the synchronized attacks.

It was a scary scene: Gunfire could be heard throughout the business district of Mumbai after army commandos moved in to assist police in killing the Deccan Mujahideen terrorists - believed to be loosely connected to Al Qaeda - who coordinated these attacks on a number of sites, including the two luxury hotels (Taj Hotel and Oberoi Hotel), a hospital and the city’s busiest commuter railway station, according to reports. There were reports later in the day that terrorists also had taken over a building housing the offices of Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish outreach group based in New York City.

White House press secretary Dana Perino issued a statement saying,

“President Bush offers his condolences to the Indian people and the families of the innocent civilians killed and injured in the attacks in Mumbai, India. The U.S. condemns this terrorist attack and we will continue to stand with the people of India in this time of tragedy.

The U.S. government continues to monitor the situation, including the safety and security of our citizens, and stands ready to assist and support the Indian government,”

Even at this writing, the violence continues and residents are still being told to stay indoors. Reports say that as many as 10-12 Deccan Mujahideen are still involved at multiple hotels in Mumbai including the famous and beloved Taj Hotel.

You can go here to watch live streaming from Mumbai. Also, the State Department set up call center for Americans concerned about family or friends in Mumbai. The number is: 1.888.407.4747.

More Photos

President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving Day by Proclamation on October 3, 1863. You can read the proclamation below.

Abraham Lincoln

Did you know that Thanksgiving wasn’t an official American holiday until 1863 when Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation establishing Thanksgiving Day? A lot of people don’t know that. We are taught that it is a tradition passed down from our Pilgrim forefathers who celebrated a bountiful harvest with the Natives in the American Colonies. Of course, that IS where it started. But it wasn’t regularly practiced and there was not a holiday until a century or two after the original harvest feast that brought ALL Americans together for a day of celebration.

Abraham Lincoln was one in a line of Presidents who had been asked to establish a day of Thanksgiving by a woman named Sarah Hale. None of his predecessors saw a reason to do it, or felt like bothering with it. However, in the hard years of the Civil War, Lincoln saw the need to bring the country together as one in celebration and Thanksgiving for the blessings we have been giving merely by virtual of being born in this wonderful country.

And so, at the urging of Sarah Hale and in an attempt to heal a broken country, Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday in November as a national holiday.

Now you can’t say you didn’t learn anything at Blue Star Chronicles today. Unless, of course you had remembered that from your school years, but I think most people don’t associate Abraham Lincoln with Thanksgiving!

Here is a video about the original Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

Here is Abraham Lincoln’s official Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day

Ralph M. Knox was a World War II veteran who survived the Bataan Death March and died on Tuesday in his front yard. Read about him below and see some photos.

Ralph M. Knox

Ralph Knox was a bit of a living legend in his home town of Williamston, South Carolina. When he was just 20 years old, he was captured by the Japanese. He survived the infamous Bataan Death March and 42 months in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp. While he was imprisoned he dropped from 175 to 89 pounds.

After the war, he returned home with a Bronze Star and Purple Heart and went on with his life. Just a few years ago he wrote a book about his experiences in the war (see photo below). The on Tuesday morning, the 86-year-old Knox died of exposure in his front yard in South Carolina.

Apparently, he collapsed in his yard, near his front door. No one knows why he collapsed, but neighbors report hearing someone calling out during the night. When they investigated outside, they failed to see Knox. He was found dead in his yard on Tuesday morning. He died of exposure during the very cold night.

Ralph M. Knox - Photos

Food is a big issue today seeing as Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away. And what is Thanksgiving with out yams? Here’s a good old fashioned Southern recipe for Candied Yams. Yum.

Candied Yams

Any recipe that is prefaced with ‘Southern’ can be trusted to be chock full of cholesterol, fat and pretty everything else that you shouldn’t eat in today’s world. However, our ancestors did quite well living off this food. Then again, they mostly ate fresh vegetables out of the garden. That might have had something to do with the quality of their health in their lives. The good home grown vegetables they ate most of the time canceled out all the sugar and fat, I suppose.

Anyway, the following recipe for Candied Yams is one I learned from an elderly aunt. It was made the old fashioned way, which means nothing was measured. So I have tried to put measurements to it, but you might have to experiment with it a bit to get the right quantities of sugar and butter (to taste).

You start with REAL sweet potatoes. No self-respecting old fashioned cook would get it out of a can - plus it doesn’t make the nice neat slices that look so pretty on the plate. Oh, okay, you can use canned sweet potatoes, but its really not that much harder to use real ones.

Old Fashioned Southern Candied Yams Recipe

L/Cpl. Samuel Joyce

Lance Cpl. Samuel Joyce, from Boston, accepts a bagfull of toys during the Toys For Tots 5k Run at Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Runners donated new toys to the local Marine’s Toys for Tots program.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Just in time for Thanksgiving we have a delicious Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake recipe. Yummmm. The recipe is below.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

You simply can’t have Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie or some variation of pumpkin pie. So how about a Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake for a decadent day of gluttony? Sounds wonderful to me. Here’s a fantastic recipe for it. The preparation time is only about 15 minutes and even shorter if you choose to use pre-made pie crusts.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

The British couple who were arrested in Dubai for having sex outside of marriage have escaped a prison sentence and will be deported back to England instead. Read about it below and see a photo and video of the couple.

Dubai Sex on Beach Couple
Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors

I’m betting that Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors will not be visiting Dubai again any time soon. The two were arrested their on July 5th, 2008 for having sex on the beach. They claim they were just kissing and hugging, but the courts didn’t believe them and last month sentenced each to three years in prison and fined 1,000 dirhams (about £160) each. Their sentencing was fairly lenient in terms of the strict islamic laws under which they were tried. The charges were for having sexual relations outside of marriage and drinking alcohol.

Michelle Palmer is a 36-year-old former publishing executive from Rutland, England and Vince Acors is a 34-year-old businessman from Bromley, England. The two met at a 5-star hotel champaign brunch just a few hours before they were arrested on Jumeirah Beach. The rest, as they say, is history.

Both the prosecution and the defense appealed the initial court sentence. The prosecution argued that the 3 year sentence was too lenient under the islamic laws of the Muslim emirate. The defense pleaded for them to be deported as their punishment.

Today, the judge suspended their sentence, enforced their monetary fine and banished them from Dubai.

Video

Hiroshi Nohara left Japan for a visit to Mexico and hasn’t left the Mexican airport. Read about it below and see a photo and video.

Hiroshi Nohara

If you’ve seen the Tom Hanks movie, Terminal, then this will seem like deja vu. Hiroshi Nohara has been living in the Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico for three months now. He is from Tokyo, Japan and left there to visit Mexico with a visa and a return ticket. He got to terminal 1 in the Mexican airport and has stayed there every since.

The odd thing is that he doesn’t know why.

Mr Nohara said: “There is no specific reason (why he chose Mexico). But if I had to come up with an answer then I would say I wanted to breathe the air of Mexico at the airport.”

I’ve breathed the air in Mexico and this statement makes me wonder about the air in Tokyo.

He’s become something of a celebrity in his chosen vacation spot of an airport terminal. People want his autograph and to have their photos made with him. Vendors in the terminal give him items with their logos on them for publicity.

He sits in the terminal all day every day chatting to whomever sits there with him. He gives no explanation for his actions and the Mexican government can’t really do anything about it because he has a valid visa. I mean, if you go on vacation and have the proper papers who’s to say you shouldn’t spend your vacation sitting in an airport not shaving? To each their own.

Here’s the video