Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kazan on November 29, 2006, 10:39:09 am

Title: what country
Post by: Kazan on November 29, 2006, 10:39:09 am
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Hills_south_west_of_Sanandaj_near_the_village_of_Kilaneh.jpg)


France?

Italy?

spain?




no...

iran.... not what most americans think of when they hear iran
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Ferret on November 29, 2006, 10:40:53 am
... And what is your point? :wtf:
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Darius on November 29, 2006, 10:53:59 am
I remember being surprised upon seeing some photos of Tehran a while ago. It was quite a beautiful city from what I saw, far from the dusty, arid town that Hollywood portrayed it in "Not Without My Daughter."

Hang on I'll see if I can dig out some of the nicer ones...
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Kazan on November 29, 2006, 11:25:58 am
wouldn't suprise me one bit to have hollywood intentionally misportraying conditions over there
Title: Re: what country
Post by: starfox on November 29, 2006, 11:48:31 am
Me neither, looks very nice & peaceful.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Ashrak on November 29, 2006, 11:54:46 am
photoshop magic, bring out the higlight down the shadows and brush the clouds lol
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Taristin on November 29, 2006, 12:13:36 pm
Iran is actually very scenic, and beautiful. Watch "Turtles can fly" or "Garmen" (This latter one Im not sure is the correct title), and you can see what the  real landscape of Iran is.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Flipside on November 29, 2006, 12:15:53 pm
Most countries are quite beautiful in their own way. At least until they get industrialized.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Turey on November 29, 2006, 12:43:19 pm
Most countries are quite beautiful in their own way. At least until they get industrialized.

Then they look like London, England.  :P

Or New Jersey.  :lol:
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Flipside on November 29, 2006, 12:47:13 pm
Yup, London's a pretty ugly place, mostly. People sing the praises of the architecture, until you realised that most of it is corroded by a combination of Pigeon crap and acid rain.

Fortunately, I live right on the border with Hertfordshire, which is a very green county, so I do at least have the option of getting away from time to time. ;)
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Ford Prefect on November 29, 2006, 01:19:08 pm
The Middle East in general has a lot of beautiful spots. I've seen pictures of the Fertile Crescent region in Iraq that I thought were quite appealing.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 29, 2006, 03:04:04 pm
Kaz, I really don't see any point in this whole thread.  Sorry, but you're really preaching to the choir here; nobody here is doubting that a country in the Fertile Crescent is going to have really beautiful spots.

As for Hollywood, don't take what the movie industry says for fact.  There's such a thing as artistic license (i.e. portraying an Iranian town as dusty to make the audience feel uncomfortable or edgy).
Title: Re: what country
Post by: achtung on November 29, 2006, 03:09:27 pm
Although I have no doubt that there are beautiful places in Iran, that image looks quite touched up, the clouds especially.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 29, 2006, 03:18:36 pm
That actually has some truth to it.

(http://iran.iwarp.com/images/dsc00284.jpg)

Here you go, untouched Iranian landscape.  It's unfortunate that less than 10% of the country is as beautiful as that.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Kazan on November 29, 2006, 03:28:54 pm
my point was that most amreican picture that entire country as a desert
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 29, 2006, 03:31:37 pm
my point was that most amreican picture that entire country as a desert

And nearly 90% of it is, so they're not entirely off on that estimation.  Bear in mind, we know that it isn't 100% desert, and anyone that thinks so needs a reality check.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: KappaWing on November 29, 2006, 03:37:38 pm
Whats that canal thing? Artificial irrigation?
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Sandwich on November 29, 2006, 06:23:00 pm
Looks like Oz.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Mr. Vega on November 29, 2006, 06:29:23 pm
What's with all the hating of arid climates?
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Knight Templar on November 30, 2006, 03:05:40 am
France?

Italy?

spain?




no...

iran.... not what most americans think of when they hear iran

I don't get  it. Where is the sand? Or the terrorists? I bet there's a bunch of dynamite strapped to those trees.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Gank on November 30, 2006, 04:20:34 am
theres a nuclear reactor dug into the side of the hill covered with a giant rug, thats why the grass is flourescent green. Blue mountains, white trees? who do they think they're fooling?
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nix on November 30, 2006, 05:09:21 am
... And what is your point? :wtf:

my point was that most amreican picture that entire country as a desert

Why do I have a feeling that this will devolve into another shouting match?  Please do enlighten us to the "deeper" reason why you posted such a large image, totally unprovoked, to take yet another heartless stab at "most americans". 
Title: Re: what country
Post by: vyper on November 30, 2006, 05:13:26 am
Austria is a beautiful country, but you wouldn't want to have met it's most famous son...
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Wobble73 on November 30, 2006, 05:19:51 am
Austria is a beautiful country, but you wouldn't want to have met it's most famous son...

 :wtf:

Who mentioned Austria??? :confused:
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Bobboau on November 30, 2006, 05:22:58 am
vyper...

we was making a point that it's idiotic to make the argument 'Iran is good cause it looks purdy'.

and for the record that is basically what I think of when I think Iran (minus the Technicolor, seriously that is unnatural color)
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 30, 2006, 05:24:40 am
Austria is a beautiful country, but you wouldn't want to have met it's most famous son...

You have a point.  The country may be beautiful, but that shouldn't stop Americans from fearing the people in power.  Americans don't hate Iran because it's some sandy, desert wasteland in the Middle East, but because its leader is an absolute nutjob who's determined to acquire a nuclear prorgram and promised to destroy Israel.

So really, Kaz, there's no much point to this thread other than "look at the pwetty twees."
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nix on November 30, 2006, 05:28:23 am
Apparently we're talking about Iran being a beautiful country... Austria is a beautiful country too, Hell, I'd mention parts of southern Japan as being beautiful in thier own way.  Even the US has it's beautiful places, places not on any map, unpopular places, etc. 

Just because one place has green valleys (can anyone say irrigation? oh someone already has..!)  and snow-capped hills doesn't make it any better than any other country.  Hell, if I want to look at green valleys and snowcapped mountains, I can look out my window, and there I have it. 

Perhaps someone's afraid that military incursion will raze the 10% of landscape that's pleasing to the eye....  if it happens, **** happens, buddy! 

Austria is a beautiful country, but you wouldn't want to have met it's most famous son...
because its leader is an absolute nutjob who's determined to acquire a nuclear prorgram and promised to destroy Israel.
The same nutjob that's trying to convince people that the Jews are to blame for the holocaust?  That same whackjob that also in the same hand denies any such holocaust happened in the first place?  Couldn't have said it better myself! 
Title: Re: what country
Post by: IPAndrews on November 30, 2006, 05:28:57 am
Like I said in the other version of this thread that looks like it was deleted (I'm suspecting Fury). That pwetty hill has a nuke silo in it :)
Title: Re: what country
Post by: aldo_14 on November 30, 2006, 05:30:29 am
nice twees, though

*hums thunderbirds theme*
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nix on November 30, 2006, 05:32:56 am
I'll just sit back and laugh as this one gets locked and deleted as well, as it's just intended to piss people off. 
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Mefustae on November 30, 2006, 05:36:53 am
How's that? Locked for being pointless, I can see that. But how exactly is this "intended to piss people off"?
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 30, 2006, 05:39:48 am
How's that? Locked for being pointless, I can see that. But how exactly is this "intended to piss people off"?

As Nix said earlier, it just seems to be Kaz taking another cheap shot at "most ignorant Americans."  While not a bad concept in itself, it seems to be the topic of most of his debates and conversations, so it really has gotten old after a while.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: IPAndrews on November 30, 2006, 05:47:26 am
The post had a point. Kaz was doing a bit of myth busting. I certainly have a mental image of Iran which involves gun toting terrorists. So I thought Kaz made an interesting throw away non-opinion changing point. I thought it was worth a post. Does every vaguely political post have to be make some terribly serious point and involve a huge political debate? If there's anything that is pointless it's those threads. Since nobody ever changes anyone else's opinion and at the end of the day nobody cares what HLP thinks.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Mefustae on November 30, 2006, 05:47:58 am
Well, i've got to say Kaz has a point. I'm sure the average person would indeed be quite unaware of rolling grassy gnolls in Iran. Granted, everyone here should really know better due to the whole internet access thing, but i'd be willing to be dollars-to-donuts that a good number of people would be surprised by this due mainly to media cliche.

Edit: Damn, beaten to the punch. One of these days, IPAndrews... Bam! Zoom! Straight to the Moon!

It's just worth pointing out Kaz only alluded to the general American population because of said nation's recent show of will towards invasion. It is possible to refer to Americans without inherently bashing them, after all. :doubt:
Title: Re: what country
Post by: vyper on November 30, 2006, 06:17:56 am
vyper...

we was making a point that it's idiotic to make the argument 'Iran is good cause it looks purdy'.

and for the record that is basically what I think of when I think Iran (minus the Technicolor, seriously that is unnatural color)

Uhh, Bob I was addressing the main post not any of the replies.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nuke on November 30, 2006, 06:39:55 am
ever been to phoenix?

fact: theres more desert in the united states than in iran :D
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Kazan on November 30, 2006, 09:23:17 am

Why do I have a feeling that this will devolve into another shouting match?  Please do enlighten us to the "deeper" reason why you posted such a large image, totally unprovoked, to take yet another heartless stab at "most americans". 

go troll somewhere else
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Kazan on November 30, 2006, 09:25:47 am
The country may be beautiful, but that shouldn't stop Americans from fearing the people in power.

i don't know where you jump to the conclusion that this is somehow the point of this thread


Americans don't hate Iran because it's some sandy, desert wasteland in the Middle East, but because its leader is an absolute nutjob who's determined to acquire a nuclear prorgram and promised to destroy Israel.

thank you ric romero

So really, Kaz, there's no much point to this thread other than "look at the pwetty twees."

no, the point is "look... not all of iran is one big desert

you know.. knowledge of knowledge sake?


and following Sun Tzu's advice
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Kazan on November 30, 2006, 09:28:12 am
a couple people got my point in this thread instead of making the presumption of malicious commentary


It is possible to refer to Americans without inherently bashing them, after all. :doubt:

yes, especially since i'm one of them

and i suffered from that same instilled notion of "iran is a desert"
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Kazan on November 30, 2006, 09:29:37 am
I'll just sit back and laugh as this one gets locked and deleted as well, as it's just intended to piss people off. 


and who exactly appointed you to tell my what ym intent in making a post was?

do me a favor and stop being so presumptious.

if you're just going to troll then go somewhere else
Title: Re: what country
Post by: IPAndrews on November 30, 2006, 09:29:51 am
Forget it Kaz. You post a heavy thread. You get grief. You post a light thread. You get grief.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Kazan on November 30, 2006, 09:36:02 am
i could post a thread "look at this cute kitten" and get grief from UT, Nuclear1, ngtm1r and Nix
Title: Re: what country
Post by: aldo_14 on November 30, 2006, 09:36:53 am
If you ask any nation in the world and they'll have a stereotypical view of others, with inaccuraccy increasing with distance.  Doesn't matter if that nation is enemy or friend. :)

It would be interesting, I think, to have a stereotype-busting (or at least surprising for a country) piccy thread.  Like the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina or the Bardenas Desert (more of a badlands than a desert, apparently) in Spain; especially given that we're in a world where the concrete form of jungle seems to be the most common kind.  I've always been quietly surprised, for some reason, when you see the lush grassfields in helicopter footage of Iraq.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Kazan on November 30, 2006, 09:43:36 am
Perito Moreno Glacier

(http://www.woodskunk.addr.com/jbj/biketrip/Pictures/tr2/P1000197.JPG)
(http://obswww.unige.ch/~cramer/images-2/09d-moreno.jpg)

Bardenas Desert

(http://www.pyrenees-passion.info/images/randos/bardenas2.jpg)
(http://www.pyrenees-passion.info/images/randos/bardenas1.jpg)
Title: Re: what country
Post by: karajorma on November 30, 2006, 10:22:27 am
It would be interesting, I think, to have a stereotype-busting (or at least surprising for a country) piccy thread.

I tend to agree which is why I let this thread carry on without saying the exact same thing earlier.



Nix, Nuclear1 and all the others who felt the need to make this political just because Kazan posted can consider themselves warned. The fact is that he's completely right in saying that most Americans consider Iran to be completely desert. He only didn't go far enough cause most of the people in the world who've heard of Iran think it's all desert.

And Kazan while I'm at it, stop quadruple posting. :p

Title: Re: what country
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 30, 2006, 10:28:17 am
The post had a point. Kaz was doing a bit of myth busting. I certainly have a mental image of Iran which involves gun toting terrorists.

How does gun-toting members of the Revolutionary Guards sound instead? Iran, parts of it anyways, looks kinda nice, but you wouldn't want to live there.

Point of fact those pictures resemble sections of the "high desert" around here. They're nice to look at and visit. But you wouldn't want to live there either.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: IPAndrews on November 30, 2006, 10:47:34 am
It's pretty. Hence I learned something.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Flipside on November 30, 2006, 10:58:23 am
I've been leaving the thread alone because the pictures are nice.

I like looking at pictures of Io, doesn't mean I want to live there either.

Let's not read more into this thread than was posted, there's way too much assumption going on here. And yes, when I think of Iran scenes of Lawrence of Arabia come to mind with Camels and Tents and stuff, so it's nice to see the 'other side' of my assumptions.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Unknown Target on November 30, 2006, 11:41:43 am
i could post a thread "look at this cute kitten" and get grief from UT, Nuclear1, ngtm1r and Nix


I haven't said anything yet :p


Although I want to...:p

Title: Re: what country
Post by: Fineus on November 30, 2006, 11:43:04 am
Do try not to, look at it this way - where's the fun if he can't talk back?

Now get back on topic :)
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Inquisitor on November 30, 2006, 11:59:43 am
Best thread Kazan ever posted :)

Educational, not directly confrontational, and some cool pictures.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nix on November 30, 2006, 01:19:59 pm
I'll just sit back and laugh as this one gets locked and deleted as well, as it's just intended to piss people off. 


and who exactly appointed you to tell my what ym intent in making a post was?

do me a favor and stop being so presumptious.

if you're just going to troll then go somewhere else

Honestly, Kaz, It IS old.  Congratulations, you affirmed what a lot of educated people know about the world.  Unbeknownst to you, I  actually have a college education, and have taken courses that involve international geography, and know that most countries north of the equator actually DO have scenic landscapes that might be pretty to the eye.  I also know that there can be green, fertile valleys due to the miracle of irrigation.  The Egyptians did it, among thousands of other races, thousands of years ago. 

In my opinion, mister, you're the one doing the trolling.  You said it yourself, assuming that any american reading this post would think Iran is 100% desert, and I found it insulting, along with other people who've posted here.  The picture is just fine.  The point you tried to get across, which YOU said yourself, was rude and insulting.  Typical.

Oh, and about being presumptuous, Why would I post in a thread about cute kittens?  You think you have me figured out to a T, when in reality, you don't know the slightest thing about me.  I'm just going off of what I know, what I've seen you post about for the past two years I've been an active poster here.  You just go off of me being of opposite political alignment and religious belief, and instantly, I'm a bad person.  Ah, but what the hell do you care?  You're self centered, I think several others would agree.  If your posts aren't about political issues, it's about "Something --> I <-- did".  I'll stick with being theocratic scum.  At least I give a **** about others and what they think. 
Title: Re: what country
Post by: karajorma on November 30, 2006, 01:40:09 pm
Oi! Did the fact that I warned you to lay off mean nothing to you?
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nix on November 30, 2006, 01:43:50 pm
Oi! Did the fact that I warned you to lay off mean nothing to you?

What, I can't vent?  I've just done it. I'm through with the topic.  You'll see nothing more from me.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: redsniper on November 30, 2006, 02:00:31 pm
Check Kaz's profile; he quit.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Deniidil on November 30, 2006, 02:06:33 pm
i think kaz is right, that's not what most americans would think of when they think of iran
Title: Re: what country
Post by: karajorma on November 30, 2006, 02:29:45 pm
What, I can't vent?

Not after you've been specifically told not to.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Ace on November 30, 2006, 03:22:07 pm
That actually has some truth to it.

(http://iran.iwarp.com/images/dsc00284.jpg)

Here you go, untouched Iranian landscape.  It's unfortunate that less than 10% of the country is as beautiful as that.

ZOMG! It's the Arathi Basin!

WE MUST INVADE IRAN FOR LARP WORLD OF WARCRAFT! NOW!
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 30, 2006, 04:37:17 pm
It would be interesting, I think, to have a stereotype-busting (or at least surprising for a country) piccy thread.

I tend to agree which is why I let this thread carry on without saying the exact same thing earlier.



Nix, Nuclear1 and all the others who felt the need to make this political just because Kazan posted can consider themselves warned. The fact is that he's completely right in saying that most Americans consider Iran to be completely desert. He only didn't go far enough cause most of the people in the world who've heard of Iran think it's all desert.

And Kazan while I'm at it, stop quadruple posting. :p



I don't quite understand--I see Kazan having a history of calling a large portion of Americans idiots or uneducated, and then he posts another thread with "most Americans wouldn't think of this..." and therefore implying that most Americans don't have a clue of what happens outside their country.  Had he worded it differently, I wouldn't have said anything in my previous post, and just admired the pictures, but it seemed as if Kazan was taking the offensive against his favorite usual targets.

I think that's what Nix was thinking as well, but if Kazan didn't intend this thread like that, then I apologize and withdraw my previous comments to some extent.  Post on, and let's see some pretty pictures. :)
Title: Re: what country
Post by: aldo_14 on November 30, 2006, 04:56:04 pm
To be honest, looking at the media that does come out of the US, for foreigners like myself it's hard not to think of the US as ignorant towards other countries.  That's a problem, I'd imagine, with all countries that huge of course - it's just that Chinese or Indian TV tends not to reach as many places as the likes of CNN.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Ford Prefect on November 30, 2006, 06:35:20 pm
That's not fair. I'm American and I know there are other countries. I saw them in Disney World. They have funny music and live in grass huts. And if it weren't for us they'd all be speaking German or something.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 30, 2006, 06:37:14 pm
Oh, you're a riot Ford.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Sandwich on November 30, 2006, 06:55:41 pm
Yes, he is. He's also sadly accurate about the state of too many American's awareness of the rest of the world.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: wtf_cl0vvn on November 30, 2006, 07:24:32 pm
that is true. even right next to the industrial, globalized city of Houston ignorance is prevalent.

however, my guess is that most of the citizens of HLP are NOT the ignorant american :)
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Kosh on November 30, 2006, 07:37:45 pm
May I ask why Kazan got monkeyed this time and not the people who tried to turn this thread into a political flame war?


http://www.tuniu.com/places/photos/19183


Good picture of part of Nanjing's downtown.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 30, 2006, 07:45:34 pm
May I ask why Kazan got monkeyed this time and not the people who tried to turn this thread into a political flame war?

Because he also had two other threads that got locked; one pointless one about "look at the pretty kittens" that devolved quickly, and another about circumcision where he actually posted "FLAME ON!"
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Goober5000 on November 30, 2006, 11:27:18 pm
And the person who provoked him, despite a warning to knock it off, got temp-banned.  So there you go.


that is true. even right next to the industrial, globalized city of Houston ignorance is prevalent.
No, no, no, it's the planet Houston! :D
Title: Re: what country
Post by: WeatherOp on November 30, 2006, 11:44:33 pm
I know it's a little off topic, but I work in a place that teaches appropriate technology to 3rd world "interns" and helps teach people in the US what they have to go through. Pretty amazing things that you can come up with with just a little PVC pipe an old tire. ;)
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Turey on December 01, 2006, 07:54:08 pm
That's not fair. I'm American and I know there are other countries. I saw them in Disney World. They have funny music and live in grass huts. And if it weren't for us they'd all be speaking German or something.

I learned all I need to know about foreign countries from the "It's a Small World" ride.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Unknown Target on December 01, 2006, 09:05:52 pm
We must liberate the unfortunate brownies of the world! :p
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Taristin on December 01, 2006, 09:10:00 pm
We must liberate the unfortunate brownies of the world! :p
That's racist.
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Ford Prefect on December 01, 2006, 09:14:11 pm
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b319/Mistah_Kurtz/thats_racist.gif)
Title: Re: what country
Post by: Flipside on December 01, 2006, 09:46:35 pm
I'm too damn tired for this, Insomnia sucks, big time.

This thread is locked, I detect a certain degree of self-sarcasm in UT's post anyway, but either way, this is going down the toilet fast, regardless of who said what.

I am available through PMs if anyone thinks it should be re-opened.

I refer you to Item 2 of the Forum Guidelines.

*HLP will not tolerate any posts of a racist, sexist or bigoted nature. Nor shall we tolerate any attacks of a personal nature.

Whilst I'm not certain this fits 100% into this category, the fact that complaints were made is enough to warrant action.