A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Imam Hashim Raza leads mourners in prayer during a funeral for Mohsin Naqvi at al-Fatima Islamic Center in Colonie, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 22, 2008. Naqvi was a Muslim, a native of Pakistan (he emigrated to the U.S. with his family when he was 8 years old and became a citizen at 16) and a U.S. Army officer. He was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol last week in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

A 50 caliber machine gun points out towards an Afghan village October 23, 2008 at the U.S. Army combat outpost Dallas in the Kunar Province of eastern Afghanistan. OP Dallas is located in the Korengal Valley, site of some of the heaviest combat between American forces and Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. (John Moore/Getty Images)

U.S. Army Spc. Kyle Stephenson grimaces from the sound of outgoing shots during a firefight October 28, 2008 in the Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan. American forces from 2nd Platoon Viper Company of the 1-26 Infantry had occupied a strategic mountaintop when they were fired upon by Taliban insurgents. (John Moore/Getty Images) #

Ghosts of Alexander a blog devoted to understanding Afghanistan and the long war that has engulfed them for a generation has this post. No Commentary Needed. The post is singular photo, the flag draped coffin show above. It says uncounted words about being an American, regardless of your origin, or religion.

Within that post is a link to the Boston Globe's The Big Picture online photo essays. The quality of the photos are remarkable and continue to prove "that a picture is worth a thousand words."

The photo essay on American forces in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley . The 31 photos capture the essence of being a soldier on the lines no seen since Vietnam.

More locally, these photos of the California wildfires (yet again) put you close enough to feel the flames.

And this journey, Peering into the micro world is brain fuel.

Visit The Big Picture for many more great photo essays.