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UNREMARKABLE IMAGE
Nothing much to see here. Just a nice house. Newly built. Big garage.
Before you hit the link, try to guess where this house is located.
UPDATE. A claim is made in comments that the picture is a fake. So Bulletin creative director Jeff Young, who is able to detect photo-bogusness the way ordinary people might detect airports or golf courses, checked out a hi-res version.
Verdict: genuine.
Wait….what’s that I hear?
“McMansions all over Iraq! Destroying the ecosphere! Bourgeoise bastard Americans!”
Oh, sorry—just creaks from the Left Wing. Please ignore that side of the house. We’re having it torn down.
Posted by Monroe Doctrine on 2006 02 15 at 10:40 AM • permalinkFrom this to the picture above. Unbelievable, the courage and industriousness of the Kurds. Tough resilient people.
A Google search will produce scads of revisionism as to Saddam’s regime actually having done the ‘gassing’. I think, if I read all that rewriting correctly, the deaths of Halabjal, we due to a giant collective fart the Kurds cut among themselves.
Of course all of the revival in the Kurdish region, will be do to the graciousness of Saddam Hussein, even from his prison cell.
What a guy, huh?
Oz’landers tell the Sidney Morning Herald people, that if they don’t stop running photo’s of Abu Ghraib, instead of their being duty bound (freedom of the press and all that shit) to show the reason that people in Islamic lands are still pulling a FranceTantrum, to the NON Islamic world, WE in the United States of America are prepared to send Dick Cheney with his shotgun, to their offices.
Omigod! KB Homes are challenging Halliburton for global hegemony! This could get ugly…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 02 15 at 11:09 AM • permalinktry to guess where this house is located.
A once-safe ALP seat?
Posted by Jim Geones on 2006 02 15 at 11:15 AM • permalinkfrom Mr Totten’s site
Reconstruction in Iraqi Kurdistan is absolutely explosive.
Uh oh, it’s what? This isn’t gonna be like that “exploding palestinian population” is it?
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2006 02 15 at 11:32 AM • permalinkThat house looks like a computer graphic. Dammit, it is - look at those non-translucent windows! Blair, you’re a total fraud!
Iraq is merely a mote in some graphic artist’s eye. Loewenstein was right.
Posted by James Waterton on 2006 02 15 at 02:31 PM • permalinkLast June, Michael Yon had a good piece on living conditions in Kurdistan, where he said of the city he visited:
Dohuk is thriving. In fact, this Iraqi city appears to be doing at least as well as-perhaps remarkably better than-many comparably-sized towns in Italy.
It’s good to see that the quality of life in the region seems to be getting even better.
Hey, why do they get to have a neato keen street made of multicolored pavers when my McMansion only gets asphalt?
Posted by Monroe Doctrine on 2006 02 15 at 04:31 PM • permalinkI guessed it was the Kingston-Ellis love nest overlooking the beach at Byron Bay. Sometimes it’s a great relief to be wrong.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2006 02 15 at 05:16 PM • permalinkEveryone might think about hitting his tip jar for a buck or so. Let’s face it, where else are you going to get news these days? And the man is paying his own way.
ME
Posted by CujoQuarrel on 2006 02 15 at 05:38 PM • permalinkThat picture is an “artist’s rendition” for sure.
Posted by attilathepun on 2006 02 15 at 08:01 PM • permalinkIf Totten took the photo himself, then obviousy I will take his word that it is real. It just looks “wrong” i guess - the colours are too uniform in the light, the windows don’t look translucent.
I hope it is real, and I hope the Kurds build a “Dubai in Iraq”.
Posted by attilathepun on 2006 02 15 at 08:24 PM • permalinkI saw other images of such prosperity in the Kurdish north on the PBS NewsHour program I think it was. You would NEVER see anything like that on our public broadcasters. It would be like conceeding defeat. Of course victory for the fat, rich, white men who run the ABC and SBS would mean the sacrifice of 20 million or so Iraqis, but that’s a small price to pay, for a bit of self-indulgent, dinner party point-scoring!
Paul McGeough popped up again on Lateline this week, with his 423rd prediction of the imminent outbreak of civil war in Iraq. Fingers crossed mate.
Collectivist vs Individualist- Islam, by its very nature is built on the principles of community. (ie we are a collectivist society). similar to communism ensures survival.
Collectivist:col·lec·tiv·ism (kə-lĕk’tə-vĭz’əm)
n.
The principles or system of ownership and control of the means of production and distribution by the people collectively, usually under the supervision of a government.or col·lec·tiv·ism (kə-lĕk’tə-vĭz’əm)
n.
The principles or system of ownership and control of the means of production and distribution by the people collectively, usually under the supervision of a government.Why are we called Reverts by the BROS?
That’s racist!!!
It does look fake. But I know from experience that bright light-coloured houses under bright sunlight do look fake- even when you stand right next to them.
Anyway, I guessed that it was on the grounds of an airport in Miami.
Posted by Just passing by on 2006 02 15 at 09:23 PM • permalinkMight be a bit suss I think.
Note the shadows under the two gables on the left but not the same extent under the gable over the garage. Might be because of the pitch of the gable but ..........
Posted by Mikie Slats on 2006 02 15 at 09:23 PM • permalinkNote the shadows under the two gables on the left but not the same extent under the gable over the garage.
Take a look at the shadow of the palm we can see just at the edge of the upper left-hand corner of the photo. It’s consistent with the shadows we see on the house.
Most importantly, the photo seems to have been taken by Michael J. Totten himself. At the very least, he seems to have seen the house in person.
Not a CG. Just really cheap semigloss latex…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 02 15 at 09:42 PM • permalinkor I posted some in the VD day post, it’s most peculiar. the website is attached.
Cultural differences- you may say, ‘well I have also been culturalised in the West’, but nevertheless, I am quite sure that your ethnic heritage and more importantly your Islamic heritage would have taken precedence in your upbringing. No matter how ‘Westernised’ you might think you are, there are still many many issues that will inevitably arise whereby cultural differences are an impediment and obstacle. I am happy to go into more detail if you’re interested, but I think I’ve made my point.
~Different paradigms/frames of reference- even reverts will have difficulties understanding/interpreting matters from your paradigm of interpretation (everything from matters pertaining to child-rearing to politics!) How would you cope with the knowledge that your life partner supports the so-called country of Isreal???
~ Family matters- often you will not have the support of his family or yours for that matter, and again, this might be underplayed but in the grand scheme of things family support and acceptance is indeed vital and important.
~ Old habits die hard- Yes, reverts often come to the religion with amazing fervour, but that does not always mean that old practices/beliefs/ideologies won’t resurface in some context or another. As long as you’re prepared sister!
Collectivist vs Individualist- Islam, by its very nature is built on the principles of community. We as individuals are taught to be selfless and to work for the betterment of our families and communities (ie we are a collectivist society). Westerners however come from a very different school of thought, whereby its all about me me me (ie the individual reigns supreme- an individualist society). This can affect many Islamic aspects- for example, in a Westerners’ mind a woman’s financial contribution to the household is valued as much as (and sometimes even more than) her contribution as wife and mother. Indeed a woman should have the choice to work, but it should be just that- a choice, and should not define or impact on her value as a woman.
~She’s so lucky!!!- This is something, as a woman married to a revert, you will have to live with on a daily basis Im afraid. Everyone idealises your relationship and even envies it. Being the object of such attention might be appealing at first, but it gets tedious, overwhelming and just plain annoying after a while.
The bottom line is…a man is a man is a man. I’m sure you catch my drift!
Essentially, what you are saying is that a male revert will come into Islam with a lot of cultural traits and preconceptions that are un-Islamic.
But then a lot of those born into Muslim households may also hold a lot of cultural traits and preconceptions that are un-Islamic as well. The person you want is the one who will make every effort to discard these traits and bring themselves closer to the example olf the Prophet.
If you want to argue that ‘born Muslims’ are more likely to make the effort and succeed, then i’d just point out that since revert has made a conscious choice to adopt a new culture (of Islam) they are probably more aware of the distinction between ethnic culture and the true deen.
Secondly, while a revert’s family may put pressure on them to leave Islam, they do not have to face the confusion of a family who call themselves Muslim but whose behaviour may be far from the ideal.
so Flo, i think your remarks are unblalanced, tending to presume the worst of the revert and the best of ‘born Muslims’.
salaams
or this? So is Revert Racist?
well, posting is just the same on this lamb blog
“Its funny you ask this sis, cause everytime we hear of a muslim raised girl marrying a revert we say how lucky she is and how on earth did her parents agree??
Most of the girls I know dream of marrying a revert “
That’s probably becase they want kids with blonde hair and blue eyes
http://forums.muslimvillage.net/index.php?showtopic=19451So, is this isolating a possible race, or a possible religion due to the blonde hair?
“Am I allowed to bold?”
Only during the mating season. (It’s expensive, you see.)
Posted by Old Grouch on 2006 02 15 at 10:46 PM • permalinkPw, I don’t mean to hijack any thread, sorry I don’t know the rules, I was expecting such a curt response and HR standard issue answer given to me, I’ll post down the back then, can you have a miscellaneous spot please then?
Sorry: then lament in your adjectives then, but I am not a writer.
BOLD and BEAUTIFUL
Thanks for the tip Hamish, there must be a fortune to be made selling flannies and ugh boots over there
Bogans are a marker of true civilisation.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 02 16 at 12:58 AM • permalinkI thought it would be Auburn.
Actually, all the comments here are very valid. Just why are they using the term “Revert” it’s the opposite of convert.
I think blogg looking is an interesting way of finding out about the real underground news and not nec. the politically correct news which we hear all the time.
So what if the above annoys you, I’d rather a number like that anyday. Refreshing and wanting to know what’s out there.
Otherwise you should all go back to the dark ages and become your own secret “cencored” who you want to blogg site.
DTim love the blogg spot….Posted by doleblogger on 2006 02 16 at 01:59 AM • permalinkjust passing by:
“Anyway, I guessed that it was on the grounds of an airport in Miami.”
Er—no. I can assure you (as someone who was born and raised in Miami and lived there until a few years ago) that there are no houses on the grounds of any airport in Miami. Or on any other airport, I hope.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 02 16 at 07:32 AM • permalinkAre you thinking of Coral Castle (a house of solid coral rock blocks built by an eccentric down in South Dade County, and nowhere near the airport), or the eccentric faux-Arabian city hall of the city of Opa-Locka (which is north of Miami). There is an Opa-Locka Airport, but the building isn’t on it.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 02 16 at 12:14 PM • permalinkSeveral years ago, someone told me about people living in cardboard boxes alongisde the runway of Bombay international airport. I flew into Bombay in 2004 and can confirm that there are no houses - even those of the most temporary nature - on the airport grounds.
And I still maintain that the house in the picture is as fake as a three dollar bill.
Posted by James Waterton on 2006 02 16 at 01:21 PM • permalinkAnd yes, Bombay International Airport is a total dive.
I thought Perth International Airport was bad.
Posted by James Waterton on 2006 02 16 at 01:22 PM • permalinkJames, if you go to the linked post, you’ll notice that Michael Totten refers to it as an “already completed house.” Complete usually means “built.” I’m not sure why you are so determined to believe that the house is fake. Or that Totten is lying.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 02 16 at 03:02 PM • permalinkSeveral years ago, someone told me about people living in cardboard boxes alongisde the runway of Bombay international airport. I flew into Bombay in 2004 and can confirm that there are no houses - even those of the most temporary nature - on the airport grounds.
How do you know that they weren’t cleared out in the meantime? I’m not saying that what you were told is true, but all you are saying is that it wasn’t true sometime later.
I could have sworn I’d selected italics…
Anyway, while I’m here, I’ve had another thought:
James Waterton, if you are so sure that the picture is fake, why not head over to Totten’s site and call him on it in the comments? Or email him if you don’t want to be so public about it?
If you are going to call the man a liar, have the common decency to do it to his face.
I thought it might have been in Evergreen Terrace, Springfield.
Posted by David Gillies on 2006 02 16 at 05:34 PM • permalinka picture of a house!
“The photos they didn’t want us to see.”
i.e., positive images of western influence.Posted by daddy dave on 2006 02 16 at 08:02 PM • permalinkWho the hell is this person accusing me of posting a fake image on my blog? The house is real. It is not a model. It is not cgi. It is not photoshopped. And it is in Erbil, Iraq.
Ask a Kurd if you don’t believe me. Several of them are posting in my comments section right now.
Posted by Michael J. Totten on 2006 02 16 at 08:23 PM • permalink#72 I saw those skeptical comments, and I have to say, I thought how ‘unbelievable’ is this really? it’s hard to be disbelieving about a photo of a new house. equally hard to believe that the Kurds could never achieve such a feat. especially when the photo has dirt and building detritus in the foreground, curtains hanging inconsistently, and an inconvenient cable of some kind cutting off the corner. it would be a bizarrely anal-obsessive CGI artist that would add those imperfections.
Posted by daddy dave on 2006 02 17 at 12:21 AM • permalinkMaybe a dream for Kurds but the buildings are too reminiscent of England’s slum flats. I still prefer the transportable on my 20 acres even if it doesn’t look quite so flash! BTW don’t bother to comment on Totten’s site unless it is favourable. He doesn’t publish unfavourable comments!
Posted by The Hunter on 2006 02 19 at 12:04 AM • permalink
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I’d say the Khurds are on their Way.