This surprising image doesn't fit into the usual categories of military pictures I've seen in news coverage, or war movies, or recruiting ads.

I was struck by this beautiful and sad photograph. I reminded me of another photograph of children killed in conflict by Carolyn Cole taken at the beginning if the Iraq war. The composition and light add to the solemn tenderness of the moment.

I know it seems like a huge waste...but it would be so much fun. Don't you think we waste more on a daily basis in the US than they're wasting here?

I really liked this photo. It is not the posed celebrity shots you usually see. Jolie looks genuinely concerned and while I applaud her activism and compassion, I have to wonder, isn't it just a little crazy to have 4 kids and go to a war zone?

AP photographer Karel Prinsloo witnessed the aftermath of an IED blast that killed three Iraqi soldiers. I do not know the fate of the soldier in this photo but it shocked me when I saw it. Reminded me of photos I saw from the war in Vietnam.

Its difficult to stay positive when the political divide seems so deep in this country. These three pictures come from a presidential visit to Bellevue, Washington on Monday. I guess we can be satisfied with the idea that we are free to disagree. Our citizens can express their opinions and work to further their causes without asking permission of anyone. Photographically, the AP covered Bush's visit very well. They captured both sides and did a solid job of visual reporting.

I was drawn to post this photo because I really liked the way the hands were stretching to the sky and the way the beams of the light shine through the clouds. It just made me smile.

Photojournalist Alessia Pierdomenico captured a great face and made wonderful use of available color in this picture.

I made it onto my little league all-star baseball team once, and it is still one of the happiest memories of my life. I can only imagine how good Ryo felt when this picture was made.

Photojournalist Spencer Platt made an interesting set of pictures while on a raid with members of the 82nd Airborne. The soldiers were looking for anti-American militia members. Spencer's pictures show everything from young men to pot-bellied, older men being rousted out of bed in the dark. But the pictures that resonate with me are Spencer's pictures of wives and mothers reacting when their men and sons are taken away. The photographers ability to make touching pictures in what must have been a difficult situation is close to incredible.

Pictures of grief can be difficult. I struggled with whether or not to publish this picture today. There are many pictures coming in from the fires in Greece. Many of them depict the scene pretty well, but this one provided the human reaction that makes the story much more meaningful to me. What do you think? Would you have published it? Are pictures of grief too difficult to look at?

It's an arresting image that really stops they eye. The wartorn buildings in the foreground make it even scarier.

I am constantly amazed at the lenghths photographers will go to get an angle no one else has. Kai Pfaffenbach put an underwater camera in the steeplechase water jump for this low angle shot. This image is so crisp you almost can't tell it's shot through water. Do you think this picture works?

There's something chilling about this image of President Putin, a former KGB agent, talking to one of his deputies. The sunglasses, the tight crop, and the telephoto foreshortening all add to the drama. It reminds of a poster for a spy movie. Do you think photographer Alexander Natruskin was trying to say something about his country's leader?

So cool...

I guess Senator Dodd's daughter has heard enough political talk for one day. What a funny and charming moment.

Human emotion always makes the most striking news pictures. We see so many pictures of grief from wars and natural disasters that they start to lose their impact. This image presents a complex and ambiguous message. I would pick this picture for a book of war photographs, but decided not to use it as daily story photo on this site. I was afraid readers would think the photo was disrespectful to the woman. Do you agree?

I don't know if this "living sculpture" really makes a statement about global warming, or about how strange these people are. At least it was a nice sunny day.

To paraphrase Homer Simpson, this is why baseball is so great. Photographer Christian Abraham caught an amazing moment: the raised bat, the expression of the pitcher, the catcher interceding and the outfielder running in the background.

I don't care how old they get, the Stones still put on a great show. There have been numerous photos that I have seen from their recent tour but this has to be one of my favorites. I love how Mick is frozen mid stride, making this picture very Mick-esque.

This image caught my eye because of the minute detail shown by stopping the motion of this moment. You can see ball fuzz hanging in the air on the left, and detail in the arm muscles, both from Nadal's effort and from the movement of his swing. That level of detail can't be matched in typical TV footage of the match.

I wasn't aware that this sort of thing even existed. Seems like a pretty amazing way to store cars.

This load looks heavier than one we'd carry by hand in America. But is it merely the usual way to get to market for this family?

I like the dawn light captured in this image, as well as the blur motion which conveys a nice sense of airiness which is appropriate to the scene. The blurred and repeated lines on the balloon top remind me of that 1960s toy -- Spirograph.

Both the scale of the statue and level of devotion make this image startling to me. In discussing with other editors what political statues in America are similar in scale, Mt. Rushmore came to mind. What other ones would compare? In what ways do Americans show similar devotion to our political leaders, past and present?