Anatomy of a Hellfire missile

Those poor Korean cars!

Afghanistan today

This is worth a watch during winter break. France24 interviewed female activists, opium growers, local officials, and many others to show what Taliban rule is like.

Afghanistan pavilion at Expo 2020

I want to go to Dubai so badly to see all 192 pavilions. Afghanistan's slogan is: 

A journey through ancient cultures and modern successes

Because the Taliban took over unexpectedly, the pavilion does not fly a flag. And the exhibit was cobbled together last minute from a rich expat's private collection.

Kabul today

I check on this YouTube channel once in a while. The guy shoots 4K video of random street scenes in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Brave Afghan university student

1989 LA Times article about Afghanistan

 

Kabul getting ready for Taliban

This is so sad and scary.

Afghans fleeing to Kabul

 

Taliban making huge advances

 

Pakistan-Afghanistan border fence

 

Riding a Royal Enfield along Tajik-Afghan border

I read this Economist article about how well Royal Enfield is doing. The article mentioned this Dutch woman who documented her ride on an Enfield through Eurasia. A second lockdown is inevitable here in California, and I think I'll be watching all of her videos.

How to spend $10 in Afghanistan

Check out this guy's channel. He is documenting visiting every country in the world.

US versus Taliban

Talk about your asymmetrical warfare.

The last Soviet in Afghanistan

A Ukrainian draftee was "captured" by the mujahedin during the Soviet war and ended up living in Afghanistan for 30 years. He even has a family with four kids. He returns to his hometown near Donetsk (before the current conflict) and gets mixed reactions...

Largest non-nuclear bomb dropped in Afghanistan

Remember when the History Channel showed informative documentaries instead of pieces on vampires and Dan Brown novels?

And here it is in action.

Soviet Afghan war song: Drivers of Kamaz

H/t Ramon.

Taliban drone captures suicide truck bomb

Holy fucking shit.

H/t to rchen.

Taliban used camera drone for the first time, takes footage of VBIED attack on Afghan Army base in Nawa district of #Helmand: pic.twitter.com/NYY1KQA2aT

— Ahmet Yar (@Pashtunist) October 21, 2016

Mi-8 helicopter ride thru Tajikistan and Afghanistan

I was looking for some news from Turkmenistan and found this instead. The helicopter has a max speed of 260kph and a service ceiling of 4500 meters. Dushanbe has an elevation of 706 meters. Khorough in the Pamir Mountains has an elevation of 2,213 meters.

Two comedies set in Afghanistan

This first movie, Rock the Kasbah, looked promising and supposedly came out in October. It was panned by critics and lost money. But I still want to see it and I can't find it anywhere.

And here is another one, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, which comes out next March.

An afternoon in Downtown LA

As a kid growing up in suburban (and safe) Orange County, I was forbidden from going to (dangerous) Los Angeles. Yesterday, I visited downtown LA and had a great time.

The first stop was The Broad Museum. Tract home mega-developer Eli Broad has an eclectic contemporary art collection and it's on display at the new museum next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I'm not an art connoisseur, but I thoroughly enjoyed everything. Plus, it's free! Here are my favorites:

Thomas Struth:

Semi-Submersible Rig:

Florence Gallery Audience:

Jeff Wall's Dead Troops Talk (Red Army In Afghanistan):

I then met up with a friend at the remodeled Clifton Cafeteria. The line for food was 50 deep, so we settled for a cocktail at the bar.

We then walked over to Cole's for a French dip. Cole's and the nearby Philippe both claim to be the inventor of the sandwich. Mine, with tater tots, did not disappoint.