IRAQ: A girl, a soldier, a dream
May 12, 2008
IRAQ: A girl, a soldier, a dream
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For months, Staff Sgt. Luis Falcon patrolled the downtrodden neighborhoods of Baqubah, where Sunni Muslim extremists had tried to create an Islamic caliphate. One day, he came upon a young girl sitting in an old, oversize wheelchair, blood crusting on the stumps where her legs had been.
Her name was Shahad Abbas Aziz, and on Friday, she sat patiently in a clinic in Baghdad’s Green Zone while doctors measured what remains of her legs. Later, they would make prosthetic limbs to replace the ones blown off seven months ago by a bomb.
As she perched on the edge of the examination table, wearing a denim jumper and lime-green earrings, Falcon stood behind her and related the extraordinary events that brought them to this point and that have changed both of their lives.
It began seven months ago, when Shahad was on her way home from school with her 10-year-old brother, Ali Abbas Aziz. A roadside bomb meant for U.S. forces exploded beneath them. “The Iraqi doctors thought that she was going to die and he was going to live, but what happened was the opposite,” said Shahad’s mother, Waheda Jabbar Mohammed.
Shahad was left with both legs amputated below the knee.
A few weeks later, Falcon was on a routine patrol when he came upon Shahad. “All I want is legs to walk to school,” she told him.
Thus began a Herculean effort to bring Shahad to Baghdad to be fitted with proper prostheses, an effort hampered by everything from military bureaucracy to dust storms but finally achieved just three weeks before Falcon was to end his Iraq tour.
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Late Friday, doctors finished work on Shahad’s new legs and she was able to briefly walk on them using a set of parallel bars. She’ll be returning Sunday for physical therapy, but “she is doing really well,” said Lt. Col. Frederick Wellman.
Falcon’s biggest fear is that the unit that replaces his won’t follow up with the family, which has five children in addition to Shahad. The father earns money by using a donkey cart to haul goods.
“I can’t order them to do what I’ve done. It has to come out their heart,” Falcon said. “They might say I don’t want to waste time here.”
For months after first meeting Shahad, Falcon would make sure to visit her family at its humble home in Baqubah. Soldiers brought them food, water, a heater in the winter, and a new wheelchair for Shahad.
Each time he visited, Falcon, 38, of New York, found that while other children clamored for soccer balls, PlayStations or money, Shahad never asked for anything except legs. But time was running out for Falcon, who arrived in Iraq early last year and whose 15-month deployment was nearing its end.
He began pushing her case up the chain of command. He went to his platoon leader, who went to the battalion commander, who went to the brigade leader. As Falcon’s departure date neared, he lost hope, until one day a man named Jerry Gardner approached him and said, “I’m here to help you.”
Gardner is a public health advisor working in Iraq on one of the U.S. State Department’s Provincial Reconstruction Teams. He apparently provided the final push needed to get Shahad the treatment she needed.
Getting Shahad to Baghdad proved a challenge. Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, is only 50 miles north of Baghdad, but Falcon worried about roadside bombs along the road. They arranged a military helicopter flight for Shahad and her mother on Thursday to ensure they could make it to the Green Zone on Friday morning, in time for the fitting.
The work was done by Iraqi doctors and specialists in the Ministry of Defense Prosthetics Clinic, which currently is attached to the U.S.-run Ibn Sina Hospital. One of those advising the Iraqi staff was Chris Cummings, a prosthetics expert who said the method used with Shahad was as advanced as it gets and is used at VA centers. It involved using a wand to scan her limbs into a computer so that perfectly fitted, comfortable sockets could be constructed. Shahad’s upper legs fit into the plastic sockets, and limbs and feet were attached below.
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Asked what she wanted to do most once the limbs were ready, Shahad said, “I just want to walk.”
“This was what I needed,” Falcon said of his encounter with Shahad. Until then, he had wondered about his mission in Iraq. “Doing this right now, I’ll do as many tours as I need,” he said.
—Tina Susman and Said Rifai in Baghdad
Photos, from top: Limbs wait to be paired with their owners at the Ministry of Defense Prosthetics Clinic in Baghdad’s Green Zone; A doctor measures Shahad Abbas Aziz’s legs for prosthetics (Tina Susman); U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Luis Falcon helps Shahad take her first steps. (Airman 1st Class Andrew Davis)
BlackBerry, Apple IPhone, AT&T BlackJack????
May 11, 2008
So my wifes phone is up for renewal in Feb. (Yeah it seems like a long time but..) and I am looking to get her a new phone probably sooner then later. We have AT&T and have had great service with them here in the Chicagoland area. She has a 1st gen Samsung Blackjack, which has served her well. I have the same phone but with some upgrades as I got mine later. It runs windows mobile 5 out of the box and can be upgraded to 6.0.
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To /do to her job, connectivity is a must. While the IPhone looks sleek etc, I know it can not multi-task if your doing a function and a call comes in you lose your work etc.
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The Blackberry seems to be the way most corporate go. The Blackberry 8310 is what AT&T offers but there is no Wi-fi. You have to use the 8330 which other Wireless providers use. (One thing about AT&T, they try to get every penny from you, they don’t want you to use Wireless if you can. They make more money if you use the dataplan.) Problem with Blackberry, it does not use “3G” technology yet. This is not AT&T’s fault, but Blackberry’s. Most don’t know it but Blackberry comes out of Canada. If you don’t know about the Internet up there.. (ROGERS GOUGES EVERYONE) Then you would not understand.
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Samsung is out with the BlackJack 2. It is running the most current version of Windows Mobile. The thing I don’t like about Windows Mobile, it tries to be regular windows but on a mobile platform. While I “LOVE” Microsoft Window “VISTA”, I don’t think this type of setup is right for a phone.
Are any of you using these phones? If so are you able to get data for Meds etc for them? Nursing modules?
What do you think??
Give me feedback in the Scuttlebutt Forums
Happy Mothers Day 2008
May 11, 2008
Happy Mothers Day 2008 to all you Mom’s out there.
I realized quite a long time ago that the hardest job in the military was not the person who was serving in in the service, but the person at home keeping the home fires burning.
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Mothers!
They bear our children, wipe runny noses, clean dirty diapers, help the boo-boo’s, smile and nod..
Then they take care of the children.
You see, most dads think that mom has the easy job, I used to hear it all the time, heck I even thought the same thing until my wife started to go to school, then the roles were reversed.
It was a blessing for me, as it prepared me for the day when I got out of the military. I am quite lucky in that I am a stay at home dad. Karen works at a local hospital as a ICU RN. She works 12 hours shifts, but when she gets home she puts her other hat of “MOM” on as well.
I know I am a strong part of the family unit and do quite well, but darn if the kids when they get their boo-boo’s or have something go wrong at school, They don’t tell me.. They wait for….
MOM.
I love my wife with all my heart, I love my Mother’s (Both mine and my in-law) as well and want to wish you all a Happy Mothers Day for 2008.
Have a great day!
Da-Dad
Speed Racer the Movie, Review
May 11, 2008
Movie: Speed Racer
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Movie Makers/Producers/Directors:
Andy Wachowski
Larry Wachowski
Run Time: 135 minutes
Actors:
Speed Racer: Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild)
Racer X: Matthew Fox (Party of 5 & LOST)
Rex Racer: Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights)
Pops: John Goodman (Rosanne)
MMOM: Susan Sarandon ( Bul Durham, Thelma & Louise)
Trixi: Christina Ricci (Adams Family)
Chimp: Chim Chim
My whole family went and saw Speed Racer tonight up in Kenosha, WI at the Tinseltown theater.
Included in this was myself, My wife, and 3 kids aged 9,6,5.
The Brothers made a visually stunning movie the likes I have never seen before. If you don’t remember them, they directed and made the “MATRIX” trilogy. They have and are really into the special effects dept. The visuals on SPEED RACER are something you have never seen before. The Races, awesome, you feel like your there in the cabin with speed. Heck they even brought back “INSPECTOR DETECTOR”
The only gripe I have about the movie itself was the length. Spencer was not able to manage the whole movie so he and Karen left after about 1 hour. She wants me to get a Baby sitter so we can see it again soon.
My daughters loved it, my 7 year old especially loved Chim Chim the monkey. I would have to admit this actor should receive a academy award for his portrayal as a chimp. (Grin)
The Movie is rated PG for some fighting but mostly the violence with the racing.
Speed Racer the movie was filmed and recorded Just like the old animated series of the 70’s.
So I give it a thumbs up, bring your kids but make sure they are able to handle the length of the movie.
Enjoy!!
D/C
Week in Review 4-10 May 2008
May 10, 2008
What a week it has been.
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Happy Mothers day to all your Mothers out there!
Will the person who applied the Vice to my head kindly come and remove it and take it home! I have had a sinus headache for over a week now. It started out as a Cold then went full force through my noggin.
Those of you who are on Active Duty, you don’t know how good you have it if you get sick. It takes almost a month now to get seen at the hospital/Clinic due to staffing a rotations of folks to IRAQ etc.
Anyhoo. Here is what has been going on this week.
- Our ships and supplies are waiting off the coast of Burma, (Myanmar) hopefully the Military Govt will let the Aid in for those ravaged by the storm.
- Most of Congress, fighting with the administration for the new GI BILL. Folks, please, if you wish to have the Sen Jim Webb GI BILL, (Info can be read Here ) Please contact your Congressman, or Senator, let them know what you think.
- The Iraqi Govt announced to the world that they had caught the “#1 Al-Qaeda opperative in IRAQ on Thursday. Problem was, wrong guy, but he had a name that sounded like him. Yeah this is our Govt Money in action folks.. they can’t even get the names right.
- The Hornets are going to take it to the finals, San Antonio is going down. Do They look old to you? I know the Spurs won a game finally but it’s not looking good for Duncan and company.
- Pittsburgh is looking tough in the NHL Playoff’s. I think Crosby and his bunch are going to win it all. This is amazing considering the Penguins were “This Close” to folding or moving just a few years ago.
- Darlington race is tonight, Will Jr. finally get a win? or will Edwards and his sideways driving car win again on a 1.5 mile track.
- The Election, Nuff said.. WOW!
We have lost 8 heroes for the month of May so far. I will be posting this weekly by month so we never loose site of my brothers and sisters over doing the nations bidding.
May 01, 2008
 Army Spc. Jeffrey F. Nichols, 21, of Granite Shoals, Texas; assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Polk, La.; died May 1 in Baghdad from wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.May 02, 2008 Army Pvt. Corey L. Hicks, 22, of Glendale, Ariz.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died May 2 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.May 07, 2008 |
I will finish with this each week. I won’t forget and I hope you never forget those who are fighting for us and have volunteered to do so. They are our Nations truest heroes. There are names not listed as well and they are the wounded. If you see a vet, Thank them.
Stay Safe.
D/C
BUTT SNORKLER ALERT!! BUTT SNORKLER ALERT!!
May 9, 2008
If it was good for WWII, why in the same heck is it not good enough for us now? / D.C
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CBO: Better GI Bill would cut retention 16%
Posted : Friday May 9, 2008 10:49:14 EDT
A new congressional report supports the Pentagon’s claims that vastly improved GI Bill benefits would hurt retention.
The Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan analytical arm of Congress, said in a report Thursday that enactment of S 22, a bill promising to pay full tuition plus a stipend for veterans attending college, could lead to a 16 percent drop in re-enlistments.
The Defense Department could counter that drop only by increasing re-enlistment bonuses. Fully offsetting the draw of a better veterans’ education program would require a $25,000 re-enlistment bonus for every first-term service member, something that would cost the Pentagon about $6.7 billion over five years.
However, that cost would be offset by lower recruiting costs, the report predicts. It estimates there would be a 16 percent boost in recruits, which would allow a cut in enlistment bonuses and in other recruiting expenses that would result in $5.6 billion in savings over five years.
The combination of better recruiting but weaker re-enlistments would leave the military with a $1.1 billion cost over five years to maintain the current force, the report said.
The report is dated May 8 but was released Friday morning.
The cost estimate for S 22, sent to the Senate Budget Committee’s ranking Republican member, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, comes as the House and Senate are poised to attach the GI Bill improvement package to the 2008 war supplemental funding bill.
House leaders delayed work on the bill until next week because some fiscally conservative Democrats are concerned about passing a veterans’ benefit program without identifying a way to pay for it.
Overall, CBO’s cost estimate is slightly lower than the estimated price tag issued by the Bush administration. Congressional budget analysts predict S 22 would have an overall cost of $680 million in the first full year and $51.8 billion over 10 years.
VA officials told the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Wednesday that the proposal would cost $64.9 billion over 10 years.
S 22, called the 21st Century GI Bill, represents a big increase over the $1,101 basic monthly education benefit provided today for someone with at least three years of active service. It would boost the basic benefit to cover full tuition and fees, up to the cost of in-state tuition at the most expensive four-year public college or university in the state where student is attending school.
Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., a member of the veterans’ affairs and armed services committees and chief sponsor of S 22, said better benefits are intended to help people who leave the military after one enlistment, which is the majority of those who enlist.
Seventy-five percent of Army, 70 percent of Marine, 50 percent of Navy and 49 percent of Air Force enlistees who complete their first enlistment term get out of the military, Webb said.
From: Navytimes
Looking for a “FOIL”
May 7, 2008
Spring Colds, I hate em. I am been stricken with one for the last 4 days.
Yeah I was a Vet of 24 Years. I have served as a Doc with the Marines, 2 Navy Squadrons and many other billets..
But a cold makes me a boob…
Anyways, heres to hoping I feel better tomorrow.
On to business. I am looking for a co-host for a weekly show with me for Corpsman.com. The Details:
Show will be produced weekly.
You must have a “SKYPE” account
You must be a Vet/ Doc of the Navy, Army, Coast Guard, or Air Force.
If your a Vet, you must have had a Honorable Discharge.
Must have done at least 2 operational deployments
Have a strong desire to help your fellow Doc’s.
If your interested, please do the following, you have to follow the instructions to the “T”.
Send me a Email to include:
Name, Age, When you served, What Service, Discharge Status, A 60 second Digital recording (.mp3 or .wav) telling me about yourself and why you want to be a part of this project.
Why am I asking / Looking for someone? While I have done 18 shows now by myself, the show would flow a lot better with a partner online.
There is no money in this. You would be doing this just for knowing your putting out info to your fellow Doc’s.
Send all submissions to admin1@corpsman.com
Thanks!
D/C
Docs keep Marines in fight
May 6, 2008
HIT, Iraq — Corpsmen know they are responsible for keeping Marines in the fight. The corpsmen in 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, relish the idea of being depended on.
The battalion corpsmen are spread throughout the area of operations in Hit and Haditha, Iraq. Having such a large area to cover has increased the responsibility of each corpsmen and added pressure to provide the same level of service to the Marines with a decreased staff.
“It’s a big billet to fill,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher J. Cook, 23, from Oakland, Calif., a corpsman with 3rd Bn., 4th Marines “It’s a lot to ask of from a small group of people, but the training we got prepared us.”
The battalion aid station handles on average 12 patients a day. This high level of service requires everyone to do more than their part.
“The experienced corpsmen really take the young guys under their wing,” said Navy Lt. j.g. David M. Viayra, 36, physician assistant, 3rd Bn., 4th Marines, from Norwalk, Calif.
The junior sailors have really benefited from the experience of the senior, more knowledgeable corpsmen.
“We have two objectives,” Viayra said. “One, we’re a force in readiness. We’re open (all the time) for the Marines. Our second is to support the command; however they see fit to use us as an asset.”
Corpsmen have treated civilian contractors, Iraqi Army and Police, Marines and in some situations Iraqi civilians. They have worked on everything from sprained ankles to a gunshot wound, Cook said.
“IPs and some Marines have had (staphylococcus) infections,” Viayra said. “For those, you have to cut them open, dig (the infection) out and start them on antibiotics. That seems to be the biggest problem out here right now.”
Despite having to see some nasty infections and bad symptoms, these corpsmen don’t mind. It’s all in a day’s work.
“I love what I do,” Cook said. “I changed jobs to become a corpsman.”
With the battalion’s corpsmen dedicated to their work and ready for anything Marines are reassured that they will be taken care of if anything goes wrong.
“We take care of Marines and they take care of us,” Cook said. “That way everyone’s happy and we all make it home.”
Article from “THE GLOBE“
POCKETDEAL.COM Deals for 05 May 2008
May 5, 2008
From Pocketdeal.com
| Sears - Buy One Get One Free Craftsman Garden Tools BOGO |  |
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| Sears has a Buy One Get One Free Promotion on Craftsman Garden Tools with Fiberglass Handles. The discount is applied when you add 2 items to your cart, and final price is about $20 for two. Shipping is $7.50 for 2 items, or choose free instore pick-up. Some of the available items:
Expires: 5/10/2008 Deal Details More Tools & Hardware Comments (0)   (click star to vote) |
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| Staples - Samsung Color Laser Printer $99.98 AR shipped |  |
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Staples.com offers the Samsung Color Laser Printer, model no. CLP-300, for $99.98 after $150 mail in rebate. Shipping is free and this is the lowest total price we have seen. Features include up to 17 ppm black and 4 ppm color, up to 2400 x 600-dpi resolution, duty cycle of up to 24,200 pages/month, and more. Expires: 5/10/2008
Deal Details More Printers & Scanners Comments (0) |
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| BestBuy - Dell E22WFP 22″ Widescreen digital LCD with DVI $199.99 |  |
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| BestBuy.com offers the Dell E22WFP 22-inch Widescreen digital LCD with DVI (HDCP compliant) for $199.99, the lowest total price we have seen. Shipping adds $15, or order online for free in-store pickup. Features include a 1680×1050 Resolution, 5ms Response time, 800:1 Contrast ratio, 300 cd/m² Brightness, VGA, DVI with HDCP, and 3-year warranty. Expires: 5/10/2008 Deal Details More Monitors Comments (0) (click star to vote) |
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 Store Events |
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| Kmart - Mother’s Day Sale |  |
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| Kmart.com has posted its Mother’s Day Sale. Plus, shipping is free on all orders over $99. This is one of the best sales we have seen from Kmart recently! The promotions: Expires: 5/10/2008 Deal Details More Store Events Comments (0)  |
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| Notebook PCs |
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| Buy.com - ThinkPad R61e 7650 Laptop Computer Notebook $399.99 shipped |  |
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Price drop! Buy.com offers the ThinkPad R61e 7650 Laptop Computer Notebook, model no. 765084U, for $399.99 shipped free. Features include an Intel Celeron 540 1.86GHz processor, 15.4-inch widescreen LCD, 512MB RAM, 80GB hard drive, DVD/CD-RW combo drive, 802.11a/g wireless, and Windows XP Professional. Expires: 5/10/2008
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| BestBuy - HP Pavilion dv6815nr AMD Turion 64 X2 2GHz Laptop $599.99 |  |
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| BestBuy.com offers the HP Pavilion dv6815nr AMD Turion 64 X2 2GHz 15-inch Widescreen Notebook for $599.99 with $20 for shipping, the lowest price we could find. Features include an AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 2GHz dual-core processor, 15.4-inch widescreen LCD with BrightView, 3GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, media card reader, 802.11g wireless, and Windows Vista Home Premium. Expires: 5/10/2008 Deal Details More Notebook PCs Comments (0) |
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| Dell - Up to 30% off Dell Inspiron Laptops of $1,299+ up to 30% off |  |
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| Dell Home has some new coupon codes for Inspiron Laptops and Desktops! Plus, shipping is free on most orders.
Expires: 5/15/2008 Deal Details More Notebook PCs Comments (0) |
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| Monitors |
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| CircuitCity - ViewSonic 28-inch Widescreen Monitor $599.99 shipped |  |
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CircuitCity.com offers the ViewSonic 28-inch Widescreen Monitor, model no. VX2835WM, for $599.99 shipped free. This is the lowest total price we have seen. Features include Flat-panel LCD, 800:1 contrast ratio, Digital/analog input, 1920 x 1200 resolution, 500cd/m2 brightness, HDMI connection, and more. Expires: 5/10/2008
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| NewEgg.com - Westinghouse 25.5-inch HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor $419.99 AR shipped |  |
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NewEgg.com offers this Westinghouse 25.5-inch HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor, model no. L2610NW-SP, for $419.99 shipped free after $50 mail in rebate. This is the lowest total price we have seen. Expires: 5/30/2008
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| ComputerGeeks - Ref. 24-inch Soyo LCD Monitor with Speakers $199.99 |  |
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| ComputerGeeks.com offers the Refurbished 24-inch Soyo LCD Monitor with Speakers, model no. MT-GW-DYLM24D6, for $199.99, the lowest total price we have seen. Features include 24-inch color TFT active matrix LCD, Resolution: 1920 x 1200, Contrast ratio: 1000:1, 170° horizontal, 160° vertical, 6 ms Response Time, and more. Expires: 5/8/2008 Deal Details More Monitors Comments (0) |
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| OfficeMax - Soyo 22-inch DYLM2286 Widescreen LCD Monitor $239.99 shipped |  |
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OfficeMax.com offers the Soyo 22-inch DYLM2286 Widescreen LCD Monitor, model no. 21600493, for $239.99 shipped free. This is the lowest total price we could find. Featuers include 22″ WSXGA LCD Display, 1680 x 1050 Resolution, 1000:1 Contrast Ratio, 5ms Response Time, Analog VGA & Digital DVI Inputs, 2 Integrated Stereo Speakers (1 Watt), and more. Expires: 5/10/2008
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| Projectors |
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| Buy.com - ViewSonic Portable DLP Projector $399.98 AR shipped |  |
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Buy.com offers ViewSonic PJ503D - Portable DLP Projector for $399.98 after $100 mail in rebate. Shipping is free, and this is the lowest price we have seen. Plus, receive a FREE Elite Mount and 80-inch Projector Screen! This versatile projector offers 1,500 lumens and a high 2000:1 contrast ratio (typ) in only 5.7 pounds. Multiple inputs, Advanced Image Processing and support for 720p and 1080i signals let you connect this projector to your PC, DVD player, and more. Expires: 6/1/2008
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| ComputerGeeks - Ref. InFocus High Definition Home Theater DLP $899.95 |  |
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ComputerGeeks.com offers the Refurbished InFocus High Definition Home Theater DLP Projector, model no. IN76, for $899.95, the lowest total price we have seen. The InFocus IN76 uses Pixelworks DNX video-processing technology to dramatically improve the quality of video by combining multiple enhancement techniques to deliver clear, natural-looking standard and high-definition images. Expires: 5/8/2008
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| Staples - Sharp Digital DLP Projector $549.98 AR shipped |  |
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Staples.com offers the Sharp Digital DLP Projector, model no. XR-30X, for $549.98 after $200 mail in rebate. Shipping is free and this is the lowest total price we have seen. The XR-30X offers brilliant high-resolution images - with 2300 ANSI Lumens brightness, 2200:1 contrast ratio and XGA native resolution. Expires: 5/10/2008
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| Printers & Scanners |
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| Office Depot - HP Deskjet D4260 Color Inkjet Printer $39.99 |  |
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OfficeDepot.com offers the HP Deskjet D4260 Color Inkjet Printer, for $39.99. Free shipping on orders over $50. The D4260 delivers high-quality text, charts, graphics and more at speeds that won’t keep you waiting — up to 30 ppm (pages per minute) black and 23 ppm color. Expires: 5/10/2008
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