The Fauxto That Wasn’t

Media • Views: 8,271

In the midst of a liveblogging session on the conflict in Gaza, the Muqata raised the alarm about a possible fauxtograph: The Muqata: Day 12 of the War, Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

The picture he noticed was filed by AP photographer Adel Hana in Gaza:

An explosion is seen after an Israeli strike in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from Gaza City, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009.

The debris certainly does look odd; the pieces seem too large. The photo is also being discussed at Snapped Shot, where several commenters said the hills in the background seem out of place for the region (Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza).

It’s always good to question and criticize photos such as this, because as we’ve learned, occasionally an outright fake will come through the wires.

But in this case the picture is indisputably genuine—because here’s the same explosion photographed from the opposite point of view at about the same time, with the same flying debris and at least one of the same buildings, by a different photographer: Nikola Solic for Reuters.

Debris flies up as a bomb explodes after an Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip January 3, 2009.

That looks like a hell of an explosion (a 500 lb. bomb or larger), so it’s not surprising that two media photogs would immediately focus their cameras on it.

Nope. No fauxtography this time.

Jump to bottom

268 comments
1 rawmuse  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:02:01pm

As you were.

2 Shug  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:02:29pm

faux faux

3 Shug  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:03:02pm

PS: nice shot ( the pilot and the photog )

4 JCM  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:03:15pm

Faux alarm.

5 ted  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:03:58pm

Didn't know Palestinian's could fly.

6 Outrider  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:04:03pm

It doesn't hurt to look at any of these photos with a critical eye as far too many ~have~ been photoshopped. And the photoshopped ones have been used for propaganda purposes.

7 Basho  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:04:03pm

Ooh, that's a great photo!

8 loppyd  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:04:05pm

Faux sho'!

9 Silhouette  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:04:25pm

Given that they were taken almost at the same moment, I keep looking in the first photo to see if I can see the photographer of the second.

;-)

10 JCM  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:05:14pm

re: #3 Shug

PS: nice shot ( the pilot and the photog )

The first shot is probably from the building on the left in the second one.

11 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:05:29pm

Big Badda Boom

12 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:05:38pm

Constant Vigilance! And don't keep your wands in your back pockets!

Seriously, everything put out by the MSM or by the Palis about this war needs to be scrutinized.

13 IslandLibertarian  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:06:22pm

Question AuthorityP............always...........
They've earned the scrutiny.

14 greenmiler  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:06:22pm

you can't blame us from wondering reuters, your reputation proceeds you

15 Sharmuta  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:06:32pm

Both photos are impressive. Quite a moment to catch on film.

16 eon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:06:36pm

The flying bits look like roofing to me.

This would be consistent, as a PGM would detonate inside the structure, and roofing materials, which are relatively light, would be blown upwards carried on the blastwave front, more-or-less intact due to having been torn free rather than fragmented.

cheers

eon

17 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:06:39pm
18 Outrider  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:06:53pm

re: #12 EmmmieG

Constant Vigilance! And don't keep your wands in your back pockets!

Seriously, everything put out by the MSM or by the Palis about this war needs to be scrutinized.

..and how many wizards do you know that have lost pieces of their butts because of putting wands in their back pockets? ;-)>

19 Dar ul Harb  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:07:33pm

Now that's some flying carpets!

20 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:07:50pm

re: #18 Outrider

One of the best lines in the books, at least in the funny category.

21 eon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:08:20pm

re: #18 Outrider

..and how many wizards do you know that have lost pieces of their butts because of putting wands in their back pockets? ;-)>

I never saw the point of sitting on the artillery. I always wondered why Inspector Lestrade still had both cheeks, IYKWIM.

cheers

eon

22 Sharmuta  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:08:54pm

re: #20 EmmmieG

One of the best lines in the books, at least in the funny category.

I don't know- the "You-No-Poo" sign really cracks me up.

23 brookly red  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:09:50pm

I think the 3rd chunk on the right looks familiar...

24 Outrider  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:09:53pm

re: #20 EmmmieG

One of the best lines in the books, at least in the funny category.

I was partial to the line "Can I look at Uranus" spoken by Weasley in astronomy (?) class to one of the girls. Got him a thwack by the teacher.

25 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:10:18pm

These guys are in buildings somewhere with long range telephotos on tripods trained on the hot zone.

26 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:10:50pm

re: #17 buzzsawmonkey

Little Bunny Faux Faux
Hoppin' through the Gaza
Pickin' up all the media
And dropping them on their heads

ROFL

27 Bloodnok  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:11:24pm

It blowed up good. Blowed up REAL good.

28 Guanxi88  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:11:43pm

re: #27 Bloodnok

It blowed up good. Blowed up REAL good.

SCTV!

29 Outrider  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:11:55pm

re: #21 eon

I never saw the point of sitting on the artillery. I always wondered why Inspector Lestrade still had both cheeks, IYKWIM.

cheers

eon

because he was one of Holmes buds I guess. Hard to write him out eh?

30 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:12:32pm

re: #28 Guanxi88

SCTV!

May the Good Lord take a liken' to ya' and blow ya' up real good!

31 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:12:51pm

Watch the brave Hamas mortar crews.

Liveleak Video

I think word of spike rounds has gotten around.

32 CIA Reject  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:13:16pm

The photo looks unusual because most people do not normally see an explosion involving a large amount of munitions.

Probably a weapons cache that the brave jihadis had stored in a hospital or a kindergarten.

*SPIT*

33 Basho  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:13:28pm

A moment of silence for the sacrifice that bomb made...

34 Bloodnok  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:13:31pm

re: #28 Guanxi88

SCTV!

Glad to see fellow fans.

/Better than SNL ever was.

35 faraway  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:14:41pm

Why is one bright, and the other dark?

36 Silhouette  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:15:35pm

re: #35 faraway

Why is one bright, and the other dark?

One is facing the sun, and one has the sun at their back.

37 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:15:44pm

re: #35 faraway

Why is one bright, and the other dark?

One is the shooting with the sun behind the camera, the other into the sun (more or less)

38 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:15:47pm

re: #35 faraway

Not a photographer, but I would guess that one was shooting into the soon, and the other had his back to the sun. Or her back. Whatever.

39 Sharmuta  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:15:48pm

re: #35 faraway

Why is one bright, and the other dark?

Angle of the sunlight.

40 Ojoe  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:16:29pm

The big chunks look like pieces of a tin roof. They'd be hot. Hope there wasn't a cat on them.

41 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:16:30pm

I exonerate and absolve the media this time. In nomine patri, et fili, et Rupert L. Murdoch. Go and sin no more.

42 Dar ul Harb  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:16:34pm

re: #35 faraway

Why is one bright, and the other dark?

As Charles explained, they are reverse angle shots of each other. In the latter, the sun is behind the explosion.

43 Shug  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:16:40pm

re: #35 faraway

Why is one bright, and the other dark?

One is facing Israel, and the other is facing Hamas

44 LGoPs  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:16:44pm

Walk softly and carry a big MOAB.......

45 Sharmuta  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:16:52pm

re: #38 EmmmieG

For some reason, news photographers in gaza tend to be male. Not sure if I've ever even heard a female photog name working that area.

46 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:17:22pm

re: #40 Ojoe

The big chunks look like pieces of a tin roof. They'd be hot. Hope there wasn't a cat on them.

Iz on ur debris, surfin ur smoke.

47 mamashawna  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:17:38pm

re: #4 JCM

JCM... how are you tonight with all the flooding? I live out in Graham, getting some Orting refugees up at the neighbors, and my sons bass player has been evacuated from his area not just 5 miles from here near Kapowsin (on the way to Mr. Ranier).

Wondering about all the other Puget Sounders, especially those in this area!

48 Age Of Freedom  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:17:45pm

At least 500kg bomb. Considering the size, it's at the very least, if not double.

49 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:17:50pm

re: #34 Bloodnok

Glad to see fellow fans.

/Better than SNL ever was.

You mean like "Perry Como: Still Alive!"

Youtube Video
50 notutopia  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:18:46pm

Great to have several photos available by different photographers to validate authenticity. This does not occur however frequently enough.
Great faux photo forensics lesson Charles, and great call conclusion on the call of this photo, Lizards!

51 Aye Pod  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:18:49pm

Charles - you got a typo just above the first photo.

52 LGoPs  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:18:55pm

re: #41 Charles

I exonerate the media this time. In nomine patri, et fil, et Rupert L. Murdoch. Go and sin no more.

I was an altar boy and had the Latin Mass memorized before they went to English. The only thing I remember is ".....et tum spiritum et sancti et sanctum, I play dominos better than yoooooo dooooooo"......

53 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:18:59pm

re: #34 Bloodnok

Glad to see fellow fans.

/Better than SNL ever was.

Take off! To the Great White North!

54 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:19:10pm

re: #47 mamashawna

JCM... how are you tonight with all the flooding? I live out in Graham, getting some Orting refugees up at the neighbors, and my sons bass player has been evacuated from his area not just 5 miles from here near Kapowsin (on the way to Mr. Ranier).

Wondering about all the other Puget Sounders, especially those in this area!

Luckily the house sits up on a largish hill in the south Lakewood area, just east of Gravelly Lake. Lots of flooding and crazy drivers in the low-lying areas, though.

55 zombie  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:19:25pm

This is pretty much what I thought -- as I commented earlier, didn't look too fake to me. Furthermore, even if it had been fake, it didn't really prove anything or sway impressions. So the fake would have been pointless.

Because of my role in the earlier photo fraud scandals, people are constantly emailing me possible and putative fauxtographs. 95% of the time, I look at them and they're authentic. I spend (and I bet Charles spends too) way too much time tracking down fake fautographs.

56 Sheila Broflovski  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:19:38pm

U.S. Rabbi raises $100,000 in care packages for IDF troops

You can send a package (clean clothes, etc.) to IDF soldiers! How much pizza can they eat? Click on my name and the "Support Israeli Soldiers" banner in the sidebar.

57 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:19:44pm
58 mamashawna  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:19:50pm

re: #47 mamashawna

PIMF....that would be MT Rainier....


heh...

59 Sharmuta  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:02pm

It's spectacular enough as it is- it doesn't need embellishment. It's the pictures with piddily smoke and destruction that are more likely to get the faux treatment.

60 buzzdroid  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:07pm

those photos show MASSIVE chunks of debris.. still seems a bit faux to me.

what if both were faux?

61 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:12pm

re: #53 CyanSnowHawk

Take off! To the Great White North!

Its a beauty way to go.

62 zombie  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:19pm

Whoa, what kind of plane is that?

Looks like a military plane coming in straight off the Pacific. Heading up to the air base near Fairfield. Damn. Let me look it up.

63 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:27pm

re: #47 mamashawna

JCM... how are you tonight with all the flooding? I live out in Graham, getting some Orting refugees up at the neighbors, and my sons bass player has been evacuated from his area not just 5 miles from here near Kapowsin (on the way to Mr. Ranier).

Wondering about all the other Puget Sounders, especially those in this area!

Shoreline, no problem here, I'm at the highest point locally. If I get flooded we all better be building arks. Just wet and windy.

64 Only The Lurker Knows  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:31pm

re: #31 jcm

The only problem with trying to get clear is the the mortar is leaving the tube BEFORE they have a chance to clear the blast zone.

Good.

65 Guanxi88  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:45pm

re: #34 Bloodnok

Glad to see fellow fans.

/Better than SNL ever was.

When I think of the good, solid humor those Canuks put out, it makes me weep at what this nation, which put a man on the moon, calls comedy.

"Hey, Georgi," with its anti-Uzbek bigotry and John Candy - that alone redeems the whole frozen north in my eyes. (from the "CCCP1" satellite take over. Guy Riviera, classic)

66 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:47pm

re: #31 jcm

These guys went high tech and invested in a string....
Mortar Shell Fire from Within a Populated Area

Youtube Video
67 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:50pm

re: #56 Alouette

U.S. Rabbi raises $100,000 in care packages for IDF troops

You can send a package (clean clothes, etc.) to IDF soldiers! How much pizza can they eat? Click on my name and the "Support Israeli Soldiers" banner in the sidebar.

At least send them some Tums.

68 WitchDoctor  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:20:51pm

re: #47 mamashawna

Not exactly dry here in the North Kitsap area, but I live on a hill so flooding is the least of my worries. Now an earthquake...

69 Shug  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:21:15pm

Speaking of debris, did anybody get an e-mail from Johm McCain today asking for Money for his Put Country First PAC, or whatever he called it.?
I deleted it pretty quickly

70 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:21:34pm

re: #60 buzzdroid

those photos show MASSIVE chunks of debris.. still seems a bit faux to me.

what if both were faux?

The likelihood of that is minuscule since the debris cloud shows a high degree of consistency across the two pictures.

71 Age Of Freedom  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:21:35pm

Buckle your seatbelt Dorothy, because Hamas is going bye-bye.

72 opinionated  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:21:41pm

Instant replay: Lebanon 2006.

Israel officially lost when [something like] this occurred:

US supports Egyptian-French proposal

The US has given qualified support to the French-Egyptian proposal, saying that it welcomed the countries' efforts and agreed that an end to the violence is urgently needed, but stopped short of endorsing the plan.
Rice said late Wednesday that the US supported the Egyptian-French cease-fire initiative for Gaza, and she had discussed "the importance of moving that initiative forward" with Arab ministers and the Israelis.

"We are very much applauding the efforts of a number of states, particularly the effort that President Mubarak has undertaken on behalf of Egypt," Rice said. "We're supporting that initiative."

[Link: www.jpost.com...]

73 faraway  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:21:58pm

re: #69 Shug

Speaking of debris, did anybody get an e-mail from Johm McCain today asking for Money for his Put Country First PAC, or whatever he called it.?
I deleted it pretty quickly

Yea, it's like the Nigeria scam

/

74 mamashawna  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:22:08pm

re: #54 FurryOldGuyJeans

Hi Furry! Didn't know you were so close. Luckily our area of Graham is ALSO on a hill...thank God...although I do have a small river flowing down my driveway and down the hill to the swamp right next to the housing development below us....wonder if that's filling up....The road at the bottom of our hill is just about covered over.

75 LGoPs  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:22:15pm

re: #63 jcm

Shoreline, no problem here, I'm at the highest point locally. If I get flooded we all better be building arks. Just wet and windy.

My wife's uncle lives in Shoreline, I believe. Love visiting up there. Glad you're ok......

76 Aye Pod  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:22:24pm

re: #50 notutopia

The cat in your avatar looks like it should have a tiny James Bond villain sitting in it's lap.

77 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:22:25pm

re: #63 jcm

Shoreline, no problem here, I'm at the highest point locally. If I get flooded we all better be building arks. Just wet and windy.

Heard earlier on the radio news that Western WA has had in areas nearly 22 inches of rain in 24 hours.

78 Sheila Broflovski  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:22:51pm

re: #69 Shug

Speaking of debris, did anybody get an e-mail from Johm McCain today asking for Money for his Put Country First PAC, or whatever he called it.?
I deleted it pretty quickly

He is offering to share $40,000,000 of his unused campaign funds if you send him your bank account information.

79 Bloodnok  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:22:53pm

re: #69 Shug

Speaking of debris, did anybody get an e-mail from Johm McCain today asking for Money for his Put Country First PAC, or whatever he called it.?
I deleted it pretty quickly

How about Put Retirement First, John...

80 eon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:23:31pm

re: #29 Outrider

because he was one of Holmes buds I guess. Hard to write him out eh?

True. Sir Arthur tried to write Holmes out once, and it didn't work too well. Dorothy L. Sayers more sensibly married her sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey, off to fellow bloodhound Harriet Vane, and had them raise a family, after finding that her fans approved of Wimsey's Scotland Yard friend, Inspector Charles Parker, doing likewise by marrying Wimsey's sister, Lady Mary.

/Doyle probably wished he'd thought of it first.

cheers

eon

81 SemperHunden  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:23:45pm

500 pounder? No freaking way. Had to have been a 2,000-lb.

82 Silhouette  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:23:46pm

re: #50 notutopia

Great to have several photos available by different photographers to validate authenticity. This does not occur however frequently enough.
Great faux photo forensics lesson Charles, and great call conclusion on the call of this photo, Lizards!

If the worldwide media is going to require photographic evidence from Israel that Hamas rockets were just launched from any site that Israel bombs (as they seem to be doing with the UN school), then it is only fair that we require from the worldwide media at least one corroborating shot from a vastly different angle, at the same moment, and from a different news outlet before any news photo can be published anywhere.

And I'm being nice by equating them. There have been lots more fauxtos from AP and Reuters than there have been geniune errors in bombing by Israel.

83 zombie  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:24:10pm

Found it. It was a C-5 Galaxy, coming straight in from over the Pacific, heading straight for Travis Air Force Base. Presumably coming from Guam. It was taking a flight path civilian planes NEVER take.

The setting sun caught it just right, illuminating the plane and the contrail perfectly.

84 faraway  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:24:30pm

re: #79 Bloodnok

How about Put Retirement First, John...

Just send your $$ here

85 mamashawna  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:24:32pm

re: #63 jcm

Same here....if I get flooded, the entire South Hill of Puyallup is GONE!

re: #68 WitchDoctor

Still....living on a hill high and dry...with all the roads below you flooded. I say, as long as you have enough food and beer...everything should be OK!

86 zombie  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:24:35pm

It always warms the cockles of my heart to see military planes on actual missions, whatever they may be.

87 Bloodnok  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:24:59pm

re: #65 Guanxi88

When I think of the good, solid humor those Canuks put out, it makes me weep at what this nation, which put a man on the moon, calls comedy.

"Hey, Georgi," with its anti-Uzbek bigotry and John Candy - that alone redeems the whole frozen north in my eyes. (from the "CCCP1" satellite take over. Guy Riviera, classic)

Plus Joe Flaherty is a Conservative, I think.

88 Render  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:25:02pm

The string fired mortars have to do with the sheer number of double-fire incidents with the terrorist mortars...

OH
NEVER
MIND,
R

89 yochanan  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:25:02pm

re: #56 Alouette

U.S. Rabbi raises $100,000 in care packages for IDF troops

You can send a package (clean clothes, etc.) to IDF soldiers! How much pizza can they eat? Click on my name and the "Support Israeli Soldiers" banner in the sidebar.

THERE PAY IS A LOT LOWER THAN AMERICAN GI'S

90 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:25:07pm

re: #60 buzzdroid

those photos show MASSIVE chunks of debris.. still seems a bit faux to me.

what if both were faux?

Roof panels will corrugated tin will do that, big sheets of will ride the shock wave.

91 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:25:25pm
92 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:25:32pm

re: #81 SemperHunden

500 pounder? No freaking way. Had to have been a 2,000-lb.

Concur, looks to be that size.

93 MandyManners  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:25:47pm
Youtube Video
94 Sheila Broflovski  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:25:52pm

re: #83 zombie

Found it. It was a C-5 Galaxy, coming straight in from over the Pacific, heading straight for Travis Air Force Base. Presumably coming from Guam. It was taking a flight path civilian planes NEVER take.

The setting sun caught it just right, illuminating the plane and the contrail perfectly.

They had those planes flying into Israel in '73, loaded with stuff. The C-5 makes a 747 look like a mosquito!

95 captdiggs  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:26:10pm

Still something wrong about the first photo.
The explosion is way too large. It looks like it was enhanced somehow.
Compare it to the second shot, which shows a much smaller explosion.

96 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:27:03pm

No globular clusters

97 itellu3times  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:27:03pm

I'm no expert, but unless that was some kind of special munition like a 10,000 pound bunker-buster or MOAB, it must have hit one helluva treasure trove of stuff and set it all off.

98 notutopia  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:27:38pm

re: #76 Jimmah

The cat in your avatar looks like it should have a tiny James Bond villain sitting in it's lap.

She is such a sweet feline and is such a great guard cat.
She growls at the mailman and UPS. Has hearing that beats radar. I have 3 others, but, she's my fav.

99 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:27:41pm

re: #86 zombie

It always warms the cockles of my heart to see military planes on actual missions, whatever they may be.

You'd love the area here then, Zombie. An major Army fort (Ft. Lewis) AND a major Air Force base (McChord), you would get all the military fly-overs and sound of the boys playing with their toys to your heart's content.

100 LilyGecko  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:27:46pm

OT:

You guys may have already seen this before (I haven't), but I'll post it anyway.
Ashura Bloodletting Ritual...

101 Sharmuta  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:27:48pm

re: #95 captdiggs

I think that's likely due to one being taken sooner after the explosion than the other. Smoke had a few seconds more to rise.

102 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:28:08pm
103 itellu3times  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:28:41pm

re: #95 captdiggs

Still something wrong about the first photo.
The explosion is way too large. It looks like it was enhanced somehow.
Compare it to the second shot, which shows a much smaller explosion.

I think you're right - someone clipped the explosion, enlarged it, and put it back onto the scenery.

104 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:29:02pm

re: #95 captdiggs

Still something wrong about the first photo.
The explosion is way too large. It looks like it was enhanced somehow.
Compare it to the second shot, which shows a much smaller explosion.

Extreme telephoto lens compress distances, and flatten the perspective.

105 opinionated  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:29:09pm

The only thing missing from the picture is Godzilla, who usually comes up and out from explosions that look like that.

106 zombie  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:29:15pm

re: #94 Alouette

They had those planes flying into Israel in '73, loaded with stuff. The C-5 makes a 747 look like a mosquito!

It has a slightly distinctive fuselage shape. So, even though it was wayyyyyy up there, through binoculars I could make it out.

One detail, though, is that the wings seemed pretty far up near the nose, which made me think it possibly could be a B-52 Stratofortress, but I thought those were all decommissioned. 90% chance it was a C-5, 10% possibility it was a B-52. No way it was civilian.

107 LGoPs  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:29:33pm

re: #99 FurryOldGuyJeans

You'd love the area here then, Zombie. An major Army fort (Ft. Lewis) AND a major Air Force base (McChord), you would get all the military fly-overs and sound of the boys playing with their toys to your heart's content.

I worked at Ft Lewis for several years. Prettiest post in the Army. Lived just down the road from McChord on 512.......miss it terribly.

108 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:29:40pm

re: #103 itellu3times

I think you're right - someone clipped the explosion, enlarged it, and put it back onto the scenery.

Just what the *BLEEP* have you been ingesting? Is wants some! ;)

109 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:29:41pm

This might be nothing but here's the video I just linked to posted with a different title.....
Hamas shoots mortars from next to Unwra school Jbalya 6.1.09

Youtube Video

The announcer says that they are targeting forces of the Israeli army east of Jabalya.

The news roller below includes (0:46/1:30) yesterday's announcement of Hamas about the event of the "Abu Jbara" family (look for "ابو جبارة" in google news).

It would be really nice if it could be confirmed that they were next to the school. It might just be recycled old footage.

110 eon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:29:44pm

re: #95 captdiggs

Still something wrong about the first photo.
The explosion is way too large. It looks like it was enhanced somehow.
Compare it to the second shot, which shows a much smaller explosion.

Nope. The first shot was taken from a higher elevation, a hilltop or a taller building. If you look close, the POV is looking down at the blast site. The second was taken from lower down, either ground level or the top of a low building. The bottom part of the blast/smoke column is obscured by the buildings in the middle foreground.

/Police CSI and arson investigation photography- I had to know all this stuff.

cheers

eon

111 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:29:54pm

re: #94 Alouette

They had those planes flying into Israel in '73, loaded with stuff. The C-5 makes a 747 look like a mosquito!

I stood guard duty on a C-5 once. Got a real close look at about the bottom ten feet of the whole plane. Flew to the California Training Center at Fort Irwin (via Edwards AFB) on the thing the next day. I was amazed at how many of our Hueys and Cobras fit inside that thing.

112 Dar ul Harb  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:00pm

re: #95 captdiggs

Still something wrong about the first photo.
The explosion is way too large. It looks like it was enhanced somehow.
Compare it to the second shot, which shows a much smaller explosion.

The second photo appears to be slightly earlier in time. The difference in scale is entirely attributable to the expansion of the cloud.

113 mamashawna  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:04pm

re: #99 FurryOldGuyJeans

You'd love the area here then, Zombie. An major Army fort (Ft. Lewis) AND a major Air Force base (McChord), you would get all the military fly-overs and sound of the boys playing with their toys to your heart's content.

HAH! You got that right....

114 itellu3times  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:11pm

re: #104 jcm

Extreme telephoto lens compress distances, and flatten the perspective.

Righto, and in this case, I think the creative fauxtographer fired up the bitwacker to undo just those effects. Fake but true, doncha know.

115 loppyd  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:13pm

re: #86 zombie

It always warms the cockles of my heart to see military planes on actual missions, whatever they may be.

It is a beautiful sight to see.

116 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:17pm

Life in Sederot

Liveleak Video
117 zombie  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:28pm

re: #99 FurryOldGuyJeans

You'd love the area here then, Zombie. An major Army fort (Ft. Lewis) AND a major Air Force base (McChord), you would get all the military fly-overs and sound of the boys playing with their toys to your heart's content.

Ever since they closed down Alameda Air Station, we don't get much military avionics on display in the Bay Area, outside of Fleet Week that is.

118 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:35pm

re: #105 opinionated

The only thing missing from the picture is Godzilla, who usually comes up and out from explosions that look like that.

I think Rhodan would be more appropriate. ;)

119 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:37pm

re: #99 FurryOldGuyJeans

You'd love the area here then, Zombie. An major Army fort (Ft. Lewis) AND a major Air Force base (McChord), you would get all the military fly-overs and sound of the boys playing with their toys to your heart's content.

You're getting rained on right now.

(My husbnd lived at McChord. As a toddler.)

120 Aye Pod  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:51pm

"The intention behind this picture is obviously admirable, but in his haste to please Allah the photographer has made certain errors which may be detectable to the kuffar. Let us examine it so that we can learn how to avoid these mistakes in our own work..."

Image: faux1-1.jpg

121 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:30:57pm

re: #109 Killgore Trout

This might be nothing but here's the video I just linked to posted with a different title.....
Hamas shoots mortars from next to Unwra school Jbalya 6.1.09

[Video]

It would be really nice if it could be confirmed that they were next to the school. It might just be recycled old footage.

Something's off about that one. Wouldn't trust it. Wouldn't be prudent.

122 Basho  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:31:15pm

re: #106 zombie

One detail, though, is that the wings seemed pretty far up near the nose, which made me think it possibly could be a B-52 Stratofortress, but I thought those were all decommissioned.

Wikipedia says they are to stay in service until at least 2040...

123 Dar ul Harb  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:32:03pm

re: #110 eon

I like your explanation better.

124 Sheila Broflovski  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:32:33pm

re: #106 zombie

It has a slightly distinctive fuselage shape. So, even though it was wayyyyyy up there, through binoculars I could make it out.

One detail, though, is that the wings seemed pretty far up near the nose, which made me think it possibly could be a B-52 Stratofortress, but I thought those were all decommissioned. 90% chance it was a C-5, 10% possibility it was a B-52. No way it was civilian.

I think the 747 is the only civilian aircraft in regular use that has 2 engines on each wing.

125 Killgore Trout  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:32:37pm

re: #121 Charles

Yeah, I don't see anything (aside from the title) that would indicate they are near the UN School.

126 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:32:46pm

re: #106 zombie

It has a slightly distinctive fuselage shape. So, even though it was wayyyyyy up there, through binoculars I could make it out.

One detail, though, is that the wings seemed pretty far up near the nose, which made me think it possibly could be a B-52 Stratofortress, but I thought those were all decommissioned. 90% chance it was a C-5, 10% possibility it was a B-52. No way it was civilian.

There is no replacement for the B-52, they are still operational and will be for a long time.

127 Only The Lurker Knows  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:32:55pm

re: #95 captdiggs

I pointed that out to Charles in the last thread. I attribute it to a time delay between the AP and Reuters photogs. Reuters was taken earlier while the AP's was taken later (by a few seconds) thus allowing the cloud in the AP photo to rise to a higher altitude.

128 Basho  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:33:04pm

re: #120 Jimmah

ROFLMAO @ that photo!

129 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:33:09pm

re: #113 mamashawna

HAH! You got that right....

There was a time, before McChord changed the flight paths a while back, that every time one of the AF planes glided overhead the avionics onboard would set off the house doorbell.

130 Digital Display  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:33:11pm

re: #117 zombie

Ever since they closed down Alameda Air Station, we don't get much military avionics on display in the Bay Area, outside of Fleet Week that is.

I grew up outside of Yountville.. I remember as a little kid standing in the yard everyday watching a million planes take off from Fairfield/travis AFB heading and returning from Vietnam...

131 Outrider  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:33:23pm

re: #86 zombie

It always warms the cockles of my heart to see military planes on actual missions, whatever they may be.

heh You would love living here then. Have a daily constant stream of Blackhawks and Apaches with an odd Huey tossed in. Then we have the sporadic flow of C130, C141, and C5 streaming over. There is always the pair of A10s cruising around with others that I can't quite get (not being an aviation fan).

Then of course we usually catch a good earful of fire missions being shot, if they are using the astern most pads. Sounds great!

132 itellu3times  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:33:29pm

If that picture is real, how tall is that smoke cloud? And how large are those flying chunks? Too big, I thinks.

133 reine.de.tout  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:33:30pm

re: #99 FurryOldGuyJeans

You'd love the area here then, Zombie. An major Army fort (Ft. Lewis) AND a major Air Force base (McChord), you would get all the military fly-overs and sound of the boys playing with their toys to your heart's content.

I grew up near England AFB in Louisiana, and you are right - we saw military planes and heard the sound of the boys 'playing with their toys" as you put it, every day.

btw - anybody who is ever near Pensacola should visit this place - the National Naval Aviation Museum. It is awesome.

134 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:33:48pm

re: #106 zombie

It has a slightly distinctive fuselage shape. So, even though it was wayyyyyy up there, through binoculars I could make it out.

One detail, though, is that the wings seemed pretty far up near the nose, which made me think it possibly could be a B-52 Stratofortress, but I thought those were all decommissioned. 90% chance it was a C-5, 10% possibility it was a B-52. No way it was civilian.

C-5s are cargo, B-52s are bombers. My money is on it being a C-5

135 loppyd  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:33:50pm

OT, but WTH?

Hubby: Give me back my kidney!


GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - Talk about a pound of flesh!

A Long Island surgeon embroiled in a nearly four-year divorce proceeding wants his estranged wife to return the kidney he donated to her, although he says he’ll settle for $1.5 million.

Dr. Richard Batista, a surgeon at Nassau University Medical Center, said he decided to go public with his demand for kidney compensation because he has grown frustrated with the negotiations.

136 Guanxi88  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:34:06pm

re: #126 CyanSnowHawk

There is no replacement for the B-52, they are still operational and will be for a long time.

What works, works. Replacing the B-52 would be like replacing the self-contained brass ammunition round.

yeah, you could do it, but why? The current one works just fine, and keeps working better with minor tweeks every now and then.

Himmel, but those are beautiful planes!

137 zombie  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:34:06pm

re: #122 Basho

Wikipedia says they are to stay in service until at least 2040...

Yeah, but none are stationed at Travis AFB. Whereas, they got plenty of C-5s at Travis. So, I'm going with my original impression, that it was a C-5.

138 fclass308  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:34:13pm

Evening, all.

Big cloud. Lots of dead hamassholes, I hope. :)

139 zombie  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:35:03pm

This may be the very plane:

C-5 landing at Travis AFB.

140 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:35:07pm

re: #119 EmmmieG

You're getting rained on right now.

(My husbnd lived at McChord. As a toddler.)

Rain is putting it mildly. I am reminded of the typhoons of the Republic of the Philippines I went through during my Navy days on P-3 deployments at Cubi Point Naval Air Station.

141 Silhouette  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:35:17pm

re: #105 opinionated

The only thing missing from the picture is Godzilla, who usually comes up and out from explosions that look like that.

Allahzilla.

142 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:35:19pm
143 DisturbedEma  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:35:20pm

re: #135 loppyd

OT, but WTH?

Hubby: Give me back my kidney!


Gee I thought an arm and a leg was bad for a settlement. . .

144 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:35:48pm

re: #118 FurryOldGuyJeans

I think Rhodan would be more appropriate. ;)

On an earlier thread I mentioned the clouds resemblance to Hedorah.

145 DisturbedEma  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:35:49pm

re: #138 fclass308

Evening, all.

Big cloud. Lots of dead hamassholes, I hope. :)

Big cloud where?

146 loppyd  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:35:53pm

re: #143 DisturbedEma

Gee I thought an arm and a leg was bad for a settlement. . .

LOL!

I have to send this to my divorce lawyer friend. She'll get a bang out of it.

147 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:36:10pm

re: #143 DisturbedEma

Gee I thought an arm and a leg was bad for a settlement. . .

I thought the going rate for a wife was a rib?

148 Aye Pod  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:36:17pm

re: #128 Basho

ROFLMAO @ that photo!

Thanks. Not bad for my first fauxtograph, I thought ;)

149 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:36:27pm

re: #140 FurryOldGuyJeans

I just did a personal-check on the rain here. Not raining at the moment. I hope it's not raining further west, too, because the town of Vernonia just finished rebuilding.

150 Basho  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:36:30pm

re: #137 zombie

Yeah, but none are stationed at Travis AFB. Whereas, they got plenty of C-5s at Travis. So, I'm going with my original impression, that it was a C-5.

Did you get a good look at the tail? That seems to be the biggest contrast. Beautiful plane either way...

151 eon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:36:33pm

re: #124 Alouette

I think the 747 is the only civilian aircraft in regular use that has 2 engines on each wing.

Also, it's a low-wing. Most of the heavier jets (C-5, Buff, Il-76 "Candid", An-225 "Cossack") are high-wingers. Of that category, all have T-tails except the Buff and the Cossack.

cheers

eon

152 Guanxi88  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:36:34pm

re: #142 taxfreekiller

the counter battery radars have tracks of all the Hamass rockets and mortar rounds the Hamass's have fired, and that info can prove to within 10 meters where the round was fired from

Yeah, but we all know the data will be rejected as "obviously faked" by zionist murderers

153 mean Gene  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:36:49pm

Actually I haven't seen much fauxtography in this conflict.
Hamas was refreshingly honest today when it refused to accept a brokered permanent cease fire!
They knew they couldn't enforce it so why bother?
Who has real examples of fauxtography because I'd love to see them?

154 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:36:54pm

re: #147 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Sorry to only have one upding for that one.

155 Outrider  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:37:06pm

re: #107 LGoPs

I worked at Ft Lewis for several years. Prettiest post in the Army. Lived just down the road from McChord on 512.......miss it terribly.

I did a major field exercise at Ft Lewis back in '79 when our 4th Div went head to head with the 7th and 9th Div at Lewis. Never knew a place could rain so freaking much. Except for the week at Yakima, i never saw a dry day (or night). ;-)>

156 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:37:15pm

re: #133 reine.de.tout

The army shooting off the big guns brings to mind for me boys playing with their toys.

We had an earthquake here back in the 70's that a lot of residents thought was the big guns firing from the fort, they called up to complain and were told it was an earthquake instead. ;)

157 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:37:54pm

re: #124 Alouette

I think the 747 is the only civilian aircraft in regular use that has 2 engines on each wing.

Airbus 340
DC-8 Stretch re-powered by package companies.

158 Basho  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:38:06pm

re: #148 Jimmah

Thanks. Not bad for my first fauxtograph, I thought ;)

Careful, you might be violating an AP copyright ;D

159 Dar ul Harb  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:38:26pm

re: #132 itellu3times

If that picture is real, how tall is that smoke cloud? And how large are those flying chunks? Too big, I thinks.

I'm estimating 400 feet for the height of the smoke column in the AP photo, and the pieces of debris are perhaps 30 feet across...

160 LGoPs  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:38:31pm

re: #155 Outrider

I did a major field exercise at Ft Lewis back in '79 when our 4th Div went head to head with the 7th and 9th Div at Lewis. Never knew a place could rain so freaking much. Except for the week at Yakima, i never saw a dry day (or night). ;-)>

You're right about that but when the suns out it's the most beautiful place on earth, IMO. Beautiful views of Mt Ranier from Main Post.

161 loppyd  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:38:41pm

re: #157 jcm

Airbus 340
DC-8 Stretch re-powered by package companies.

Were/are you a pilot?

162 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:39:03pm

re: #144 CyanSnowHawk

On an earlier thread I mentioned the clouds resemblance to Hedorah.

I am forced by incontrovertible evidence that I have to change my opinion from Rhodan. ;)

163 notutopia  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:39:25pm

re: #82 Silhouette

If the worldwide media is going to require photographic evidence from Israel that Hamas rockets were just launched from any site that Israel bombs (as they seem to be doing with the UN school), then it is only fair that we require from the worldwide media at least one corroborating shot from a vastly different angle, at the same moment, and from a different news outlet before any news photo can be published anywhere.

And I'm being nice by equating them. There have been lots more fauxtos from AP and Reuters than there have been geniune errors in bombing by Israel.

I agree. That's why I think the time evaluating these is time well worth the spending in the effort of validating their authenticity. I also think there should be no double standards of photos released by pro-Palestinian/Hamas photojournalists. What one is required to use as proof of or against, They need to provide validation by multiple sources as well.
How can one justify "Too much time" spent in evaluating these photos by the news sources who release them to the public, knowing reasonably well that they are validated as authentic and not touched up or staged, or created for the story.

164 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:39:51pm
165 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:39:54pm

re: #161 loppyd

Were/are you a pilot?

Just an extreme airplane geek.

166 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:40:05pm

re: #155 Outrider

I did a major field exercise at Ft Lewis back in '79 when our 4th Div went head to head with the 7th and 9th Div at Lewis. Never knew a place could rain so freaking much. Except for the week at Yakima, i never saw a dry day (or night). ;-)>

It's been raining for the past couple of days a lot worse. :%P%

I still prefer the rain to snow.

167 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:40:54pm

re: #157 jcm

Airbus 340
DC-8 Stretch re-powered by package companies.

Just be sure if you buy an airbus, you train the crew first

The brand spanking new Airbus 340-600, the largest passenger airplane ever built, sat in its hangar in Toulouse, France without a single hour of airtime. Enter the Arab flight crew of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) to conduct pre-delivery tests on the ground, such as engine runups, prior to delivery to Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. The date was November 15, 2007.

The ADAT crew taxied the A340-600 to the run-up area. Then they took all four engines to takeoff power with a virtually empty aircraft. Not having read the run-up manuals, they had no clue just how light an empty A340-600 really is.

The takeoff warning horn was blaring away in the cockpit because they had all 4 engines at full power. The aircraft computers thought they were trying to takeoff but it had not been configured properly (flaps/slats, etc.) Then one of the ADAT crew decided to pull the circuit breaker on the Ground Proximity Sensor to silence the alarm.

This fools the aircraft into thinking it is in the air.

168 Aye Pod  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:41:12pm

re: #158 Basho

Careful, you might be violating an AP copyright ;D

I just got a call from them - with a job offer ;)

169 zombie  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:41:28pm

re: #124 Alouette

I think the 747 is the only civilian aircraft in regular use that has 2 engines on each wing.

Had a different fuselage shape than a 747, and the wings were too far forward. But it did indeed have two engines on each wing.

170 Guanxi88  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:41:39pm

re: #164 buzzsawmonkey

OT

Get yer official portrait of Big Brother here! Geeeettttttttt yer portrait!

It'll go real nice with that new Telescreen box you have to have on your TV next month.

Seriously. What is it with his acolytes and this conscious decision to co-opt totalitarian "art" in his service? Do they have ANY idea how utterly stupid it is to put together socialist-realist/Soviet op-art portraits of their guy?

171 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:41:48pm

re: #165 jcm

Just an extreme airplane geek.

Better fit, I dare say. ;)

*ducks and runs*

172 Outrider  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:41:48pm

re: #164 buzzsawmonkey

OT

Get yer official portrait of Big Brother here! Geeeettttttttt yer portrait!

It'll go real nice with that new Telescreen box you have to have on your TV next month.

Scary.

173 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:42:26pm

re: #136 Guanxi88

What works, works. Replacing the B-52 would be like replacing the self-contained brass ammunition round.

yeah, you could do it, but why? The current one works just fine, and keeps working better with minor tweeks every now and then.

Himmel, but those are beautiful planes!

It's getting a little long in the tooth. It needs to be replaced now, but foot dragging and other factors have forced us to rely on it as we develop and deploy its replacement, a process that is currently in its very early stages. You can't just build new ones as the current fleet ages itself out of service.

174 reine.de.tout  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:42:34pm

re: #156 FurryOldGuyJeans

The army shooting off the big guns brings to mind for me boys playing with their toys.

We had an earthquake here back in the 70's that a lot of residents thought was the big guns firing from the fort, they called up to complain and were told it was an earthquake instead. ;)

What we heard was the planes doing bombing practice.

175 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:42:44pm

re: #104 jcm

Extreme telephoto lens compress distances, and flatten the perspective.

Exactly. From checking out Google Earth's views of the area, the background to the first picture looks like it might be the foothills of the Judean Hills. That's some kinda super duper AP long range lens Adel Hana's got there. I wonder which one it is?

176 Dar ul Harb  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:42:45pm

re: #167 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

An old story, but a good one.

177 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:42:49pm

re: #157 jcm

Airbus 340
DC-8 Stretch re-powered by package companies.

BAe 146 Commuter. Similar in basic shape to Mil Airlifters.

178 rawmuse  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:43:13pm

re: #86 zombie

It always warms the cockles of my heart to see military planes on actual missions, whatever they may be.

Shortly after 9-11 I was walking on the beach when 2 A10 Warthogs flew south, right over my head, at pretty low altitude, like about 2k feet. I will never forget how much I would not want to be on the business of those things.

179 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:43:23pm

re: #176 Dar ul Harb

An old story, but a good one.

The pictures make it fun.

180 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:43:30pm

re: #170 Guanxi88

Seriously. What is it with his acolytes and this conscious decision to co-opt totalitarian "art" in his service? Do they have ANY idea how utterly stupid it is to put together socialist-realist/Soviet op-art portraits of their guy?

Read the write up, the author is praising this as "contemporary visual art". *SPIT*

181 rawmuse  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:43:38pm

business = business end
PIMF

182 Guanxi88  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:44:05pm

re: #172 Outrider

Scary.

My guess is, on some level, they really DO want Lenin, Mao, Stalin, and Che, somehow bred together on a multi-cult bed, with the child delivered by Oprah Herself.

honestly, though, they need to knock off the third-world adulation and outright worship of the guy.

183 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:44:22pm

re: #174 reine.de.tout

What we heard was the planes doing bombing practice.

Eeep! Not here that I know of, not that I would object too much. Each boom is the sound of freedom as far as I'm concerned.

184 eon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:44:30pm

re: #142 taxfreekiller

the counter battery radars have tracks of all the Hamass rockets and mortar rounds the Hamass's have fired, and that info can prove to within 10 meters where the round was fired from

CBR was first used (experimentally) in Korea, and later in Vietnam. It works better on infantry support weapons, (mortars, bombardment rockets, etc.) because while a gun system (like the Paladin) can fire on various trajectories with varying velocities (watch a Paladin battery doing a Time-On-Target sometime), mortars and BRs are generally fired at more-or-less fixed elevations. As Ian Hogg once observed, "It's a poor counter-mortar radar that can't fix the location of the mortar to within fifty yards after only one or two shots, and that's close enough to make things unhealthy when a 155mm howitzer shell arrives."

And that was in 1976. Today, it's more like "within five meters" and "crossdecked to an F-16 loaded with JDAMs orbiting overhead."

cheers

eon

185 Aye Pod  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:45:28pm

re: #164 buzzsawmonkey

OT

Get yer official portrait of Big Brother here! Geeeettttttttt yer portrait!

It'll go real nice with that new Telescreen box you have to have on your TV next month.

I'm not big on Obama paranoia, but that picture is pretty f*n scary all the same.

186 Guanxi88  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:45:45pm

re: #180 FurryOldGuyJeans

Read the write up, the author is praising this as "contemporary visual art". *SPIT*

See, I always thought, after Sam Goldwyn's line, ars gratia artis. Art for art's sake, not for any other purpose. To suggest that the work of art or the artist has to convey some message, political or otherwise, is the Stalinist theory of art. And it sucks.

187 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:46:34pm

re: #164 buzzsawmonkey

OT

Get yer official portrait of Big Brother here! Geeeettttttttt yer portrait!

It'll go real nice with that new Telescreen box you have to have on your TV next month.

Progressives of the world, UNITE! You have nothing to loose but your CHANGE!

188 OldLineTexan  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:46:35pm

re: #185 Jimmah

I'm not big on Obama paranoia, but that picture is pretty f*n scary all the same.

It's not paranoia if they really ARE after you.

189 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:47:09pm
190 Guanxi88  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:48:07pm

re: #173 CyanSnowHawk

It's getting a little long in the tooth. It needs to be replaced now, but foot dragging and other factors have forced us to rely on it as we develop and deploy its replacement, a process that is currently in its very early stages. You can't just build new ones as the current fleet ages itself out of service.

Too bad we can't just build new ones. I agree about the fleet's age though (heard some stories myself about that). Still, I can't help thinking that any successor to the B-52 would have to be about the same as the old one, albeit with better avionics, etc. I really do suspect (and have heard from a few who flew the things) that there wasn't all that much room for improvement on the basic plane - a fellow I knew described it as the apotheosis of the strategic bomber, the absolute last word.

191 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:48:15pm
192 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:48:28pm

re: #151 eon

Also, it's a low-wing. Most of the heavier jets (C-5, Buff, Il-76 "Candid", An-225 "Cossack") are high-wingers. Of that category, all have T-tails except the Buff and the Cossack.

cheers

eon

I believe the high wing configuration is better for the uses that the military might put it to. It lends itself to the fuselage mounted low slung landing gear that is able to operate out of unimproved airfields among other things, as well as the ability to load from front and rear ramps instead of with lifting platforms like you have to do with KC-10s and other low wing cargo planes.

193 OldLineTexan  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:48:57pm

re: #189 buzzsawmonkey

You think the portrait's scary, you should read some of the adulation of The One by some of the other artists on that site.

My favorite Obama tribute was done by Steve Harvey in drag as Maya Angelou.

194 eon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:49:08pm

re: #167 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

Contrary to the article, from the looks of the cockpit area, I can guess what happened to the flight crew.

To quote Bill Whittle, "Historically speaking, in every conflict between an aircraft and the ground, the ground has won every time."

cheers

eon

195 loppyd  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:49:10pm

re: #165 jcm

Just an extreme airplane geek.

That's cool.

My cousin flies these....

196 albusteve  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:50:06pm

re: #190 Guanxi88

Too bad we can't just build new ones. I agree about the fleet's age though (heard some stories myself about that). Still, I can't help thinking that any successor to the B-52 would have to be about the same as the old one, albeit with better avionics, etc. I really do suspect (and have heard from a few who flew the things) that there wasn't all that much room for improvement on the basic plane - a fellow I knew described it as the apotheosis of the strategic bomber, the absolute last word.

B2 works...expensive but we dont that many of them...go for it

197 loppyd  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:50:16pm

re: #166 FurryOldGuyJeans

It's been raining for the past couple of days a lot worse. :%P%

I still prefer the rain to snow.

Not me! I love to watch the snow fall while sitting in front of a fire...

198 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:50:31pm

re: #175 Charles

Exactly. From checking out Google Earth's views of the area those hills look like they might be the foothills of the Judean Hills. That's some kinda super duper AP long range lens Adel Hana's got there. I wonder which one it is?

To bad they don't include metadata in the images, we'd know which camera and could take a look at the extreme telephoto lens for that body.

199 itellu3times  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:50:40pm

re: #190 Guanxi88

Too bad we can't just build new ones. I agree about the fleet's age though (heard some stories myself about that). Still, I can't help thinking that any successor to the B-52 would have to be about the same as the old one, albeit with better avionics, etc. I really do suspect (and have heard from a few who flew the things) that there wasn't all that much room for improvement on the basic plane - a fellow I knew described it as the apotheosis of the strategic bomber, the absolute last word.

Well, it's been reengined a couple of times already, right? But different shapes to make it stealthy, supersonic cruise or attack speed, and maybe an upstairs lounge, occur as things it will never have. I guess manned strategic bombers are going out of style anyway, and supersonic didn't seem to buy the B-1 a lot of love.

200 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:50:44pm

re: #186 Guanxi88

The National Endowment for the Arts promotes nothing but "message art". I fully expect the NEA supporting lots of Messiah-King Worship inspired art for the next 4 years.

201 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:50:50pm

OT

Apparently Mickey Rourke has been picked to play the bad guy in Iron Man 2.

202 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:51:07pm

re: #195 loppyd

That's cool.

My cousin flies these....

Is he transitioning to the EA-18 Growler?

203 FurryOldGuyJeans  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:51:43pm

re: #197 loppyd

Not me! I love to watch the snow fall while sitting in front of a fire...

Snow here means stuck in the house for days on end, no thanks. ;)

204 Winmag  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:52:02pm

Actually, I'm glad it was a real bomb. More, please.

205 Pygmalienation  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:52:18pm

Just posted on the Leaf thread...
Sorry for the OT and if this has already been mentioned, but I just came across this, so heads up FaceBook users. A couple of days ago I had noticed a predominance of "Islamic oriented" groups when browsing among the user groups--this article explains why. Yet more e-jihad...

206 OldLineTexan  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:52:32pm

re: #197 loppyd

Not me! I love to watch the snow fall climate change while sitting in front of a fire carbon emission violation...

207 TheOtherCanadian  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:52:55pm

*To the tune of Werewolves of London*

I saw a Nassul The Blood Thirsty Rabbit walking through streets of Gaza in the Rain.

Ah-hooo, Wabbits of Gaza, Huh, Draw Blood....

208 Sheila Broflovski  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:52:59pm

Here's some fauxtography I just whipped up with my trusty old Photoshop:

IDFzilla

If it shows up tomorrow in Daylife, you saw it here first.

209 Fat Jolly Penguin  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:53:04pm

re: #193 OldLineTexan

My favorite Obama tribute was done by Steve Harvey in drag as Maya Angelou.

Here's another.

210 Age Of Freedom  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:53:04pm

re: #175 Charles

Exactly. From checking out Google Earth's views of the area, the background to the first picture looks like it might be the foothills of the Judean Hills. That's some kinda super duper AP long range lens Adel Hana's got there. I wonder which one it is?

The eye of Sauron!

211 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:53:15pm

re: #200 FurryOldGuyJeans

The National Endowment for the Arts promotes nothing but "message art". I fully expect the NEA supporting lots of Messiah-King Worship inspired art for the next 4 years.

Thats nothing. I hear the Dept of the Interior is already setting land aside for his Pyramid.

212 OldLineTexan  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:53:20pm

re: #199 itellu3times

Well, it's been reengined a couple of times already, right? But different shapes to make it stealthy, supersonic cruise or attack speed, and maybe an upstairs lounge, occur as things it will never have. I guess manned strategic bombers are going out of style anyway, and supersonic didn't seem to buy the B-1 a lot of love.

Yeah, but it made the Russkis develop at least two interceptors they didn't need...

213 doppelganglander  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:53:27pm

re: #186 Guanxi88

See, I always thought, after Sam Goldwyn's line, ars gratia artis. Art for art's sake, not for any other purpose. To suggest that the work of art or the artist has to convey some message, political or otherwise, is the Stalinist theory of art. And it sucks.

If an artist wants to convey a message, that's his privilege. When the state demands only art that conveys the state's message, that's Stalinism. But what do I know. I like art that tells an interesting story, makes me laugh or cry, or just looks pretty.

214 loppyd  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:53:40pm

re: #200 FurryOldGuyJeans

The National Endowment for the Arts promotes nothing but "message art". I fully expect the NEA supporting lots of Messiah-King Worship inspired art for the next 4 years.

Does that include "piss art" like the NEA promoted back in the day?

215 Guanxi88  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:53:54pm

re: #196 albusteve

B2 works...expensive but we dont that many of them...go for it

See, I don't know that the B-2 is a suitable replacement. Not that I'm an expert by any means, but for pete's sake, there are some targets, and some missions, where you need something that can haul a massive load of ordnance and drop it within a specified (but not necessarily precise) area. If it should be cheaper than the super-stealthy plane with the limited payload, so much the better.

I just hate that bombing runs in Iraq made by B-2's required these freakin' non-stop roundtrips from US bases to targets in theatre and back again, since local facilities for maintenance and storage weren't available.

To me, the B-2 is a highly specialized system, whereas the B-52 is sort of a do-all ground-shaker. you need both, seems to me. It's why we have rifles, and why we have shotguns; different targets, different weapons.

216 OldLineTexan  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:54:16pm

re: #209 Fat Jolly Penguin

Here's another.

Actually, my bad...that's the one. LMAO, thanks!

217 eon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:54:35pm

re: #192 CyanSnowHawk

I believe the high wing configuration is better for the uses that the military might put it to. It lends itself to the fuselage mounted low slung landing gear that is able to operate out of unimproved airfields among other things, as well as the ability to load from front and rear ramps instead of with lifting platforms like you have to do with KC-10s and other low wing cargo planes.

Agreed. The Boeing bombers (B-47. B-52, and the unbuilt B-55 turboprop) all used the high-wing configuration to allow a long central bomb bay under the main wing spar, right at the CG, without having to deal with the main spar(s) passing through the bomb bay itself, as on the B-29. Consolidated (Convair) was the first to use this configuration, with the B-24 and B-36. The biggest bomber ever to use it was the Convair YB-60 eight-jet version of the B-36. If it had been just a bit faster and longer-ranged, it might have won out over the B-52 and we'd still be flying it today.

cheers

eon

218 Dr. Shalit  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:54:59pm

Lizardim -

Truly too bad that the "Iranian" Regime is so wedded to their Islamic Apocalypse. After Iraq, Lebanon and the current Gaza "unpleasantness" - a Sane National Power would start looking to talk to "the other side" with an eye to switching allegiances.
Kissinger had it right in 1974 - create an "Iran/Turkey/Israel" Axis to keep the Middle East quiet and balanced. Too bad about the events of 1979 - that alignment would be much more natural than what exists today.

-S-

219 jcbunga  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:55:24pm

Do I see?...yes.

A pink bunny exiting the frame at escape velocity.

220 doppelganglander  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:55:58pm

re: #201 Kragar (Proud to be Kafir)

OT

Apparently Mickey Rourke has been picked to play the bad guy in Iron Man 2.

Iron Man vs. Wax Face?

221 loppyd  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:57:08pm

re: #202 jcm

Is he transitioning to the EA-18 Growler?

He hasn't mentioned it....but I will ask him.

Marine. Recently made Lt. Colonel. We are all so very proud!

222 Kragar  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:59:18pm

re: #220 doppelganglander

Iron Man vs. Wax Face?

Crimson Dynamo apparently

223 psyop  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 5:59:41pm

I am still going to have to say that the first image is altered. I would say someone did get a picture from the front of the second image shown, and then exaggerated it on the first picture shown.

With an explosion that size, at that point in its detonation, you would see the shock wave disturbing the surrounding area.

There is no such disruption (dust or dirt being disturbed in a circular pattern, heat distortion in the air at any point, or any number of other things...).

Someone is very good, but the first pic is an alteration.

If it was me, and I had a pic from the front, then saw someone else had the pic from the back, I would think it a perfect opportunity to get a really good propaganda victory. Just a little Photoshop.......

224 stuiec  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:00:26pm

re: #135 loppyd

He ought to be awarded the right to reclaim the kidney if and when his survival depends on it. It was one thing to save her life when she was still theoretically going to spend it with him, but now, she's shown he doesn't mean all that much to her.

225 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:00:45pm
226 albusteve  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:01:31pm

re: #215 Guanxi88

See, I don't know that the B-2 is a suitable replacement. Not that I'm an expert by any means, but for pete's sake, there are some targets, and some missions, where you need something that can haul a massive load of ordnance and drop it within a specified (but not necessarily precise) area. If it should be cheaper than the super-stealthy plane with the limited payload, so much the better.

I just hate that bombing runs in Iraq made by B-2's required these freakin' non-stop roundtrips from US bases to targets in theatre and back again, since local facilities for maintenance and storage weren't available.

To me, the B-2 is a highly specialized system, whereas the B-52 is sort of a do-all ground-shaker. you need both, seems to me. It's why we have rifles, and why we have shotguns; different targets, different weapons.

40k lbs is a hell of a payload when you put down the pipe...that's the difference...these are the times we live in...

227 jcm  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:01:41pm

re: #221 loppyd

He hasn't mentioned it....but I will ask him.

Marine. Recently made Lt. Colonel. We are all so very proud!

Give me my thanks if you remember.

228 rightymouse  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:02:37pm

Forgive me if this was already discussed. But earlier today, I went out and took a look at Hadel's recent photos posted on the net. Am having trouble finding the one I saw this afternoon, but I did find this one - is it the same spot in Gaza?

229 psyop  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:02:50pm

re: #223 psyop

Also, I would like to see an after-shot of the same area. I would believe it if I saw a crater worthy of that explosion in that frame.

It shouldn't be a big deal for some intrepid international reporter to get a shot from that same perspective to show the world the destructive power of the IDF, but I don't think they will find anything close to the crater necessary to explain the explosion depicted in that picture.

230 eon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:03:42pm

re: #215 Guanxi88

See, I don't know that the B-2 is a suitable replacement. Not that I'm an expert by any means, but for pete's sake, there are some targets, and some missions, where you need something that can haul a massive load of ordnance and drop it within a specified (but not necessarily precise) area. If it should be cheaper than the super-stealthy plane with the limited payload, so much the better.

I just hate that bombing runs in Iraq made by B-2's required these freakin' non-stop roundtrips from US bases to targets in theatre and back again, since local facilities for maintenance and storage weren't available.

To me, the B-2 is a highly specialized system, whereas the B-52 is sort of a do-all ground-shaker. you need both, seems to me. It's why we have rifles, and why we have shotguns; different targets, different weapons.

According to this month's Popular Mechanics, the B-2 replacement is going to be a smaller, two-engined version of the Spirit with less range, a lower payload, but with a low-RCS skin that isn't so vulnerable to weather erosion. The idea being that it can be forward deployed more easily and efficiently. However, it will probably cost at least as much per copy as the Spirit.

As for shotguns, one of my recent pet peeves is that every new rifle-sighted (slug-sighted) shotgun out there has a fully rifled barrel for firing sabot slugs. I want one like the old Remingtom 870 SP Deer, with a 20" improved cylinder bore and rifle sights for firing conventional slugs, buckshot, or regular shot. Not only will shot loads beat the h**l out of a rifled bore, the rifled barrel causes too much dispersion to suit me (due to centrifugal force imparted to the shot column and/or power piston). Rifled barrels are great for deer hunting, and a darned nuisance otherwise.

There is such a thing as too much specialization in anything, especially weapon systems.

cheers

eon

231 CyanSnowHawk  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:04:15pm

re: #190 Guanxi88

Too bad we can't just build new ones. I agree about the fleet's age though (heard some stories myself about that). Still, I can't help thinking that any successor to the B-52 would have to be about the same as the old one, albeit with better avionics, etc. I really do suspect (and have heard from a few who flew the things) that there wasn't all that much room for improvement on the basic plane - a fellow I knew described it as the apotheosis of the strategic bomber, the absolute last word.

Aviation technology has come a long way. If we were to build something around the exact same mission as the B-52 we could do it with significant improvements, especially in efficiency.

Unfortunately, the mission today is significantly different and we will have to ask much more of the plane than to be just a strategic bomber. I believe that the newer bomber will have both manned and unmanned variants and have heard suggestions that it might even be done with the idea of a single manned plane leading up to a squadron of unmanned ones, kind a swarm idea. I agree with you in that it appears that we will continue to have a use for a strategic bomber, and therefore, a plane that can to the mission that the B-52 does now.

232 albusteve  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:04:20pm

re: #223 psyop

I am still going to have to say that the first image is altered. I would say someone did get a picture from the front of the second image shown, and then exaggerated it on the first picture shown.

With an explosion that size, at that point in its detonation, you would see the shock wave disturbing the surrounding area.

There is no such disruption (dust or dirt being disturbed in a circular pattern, heat distortion in the air at any point, or any number of other things...).

Someone is very good, but the first pic is an alteration.

If it was me, and I had a pic from the front, then saw someone else had the pic from the back, I would think it a perfect opportunity to get a really good propaganda victory. Just a little Photoshop.......

I think that one or both of these picks is phony...but the vote says otherwise

233 Aye Pod  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:04:27pm

re: #98 notutopia

She is such a sweet feline and is such a great guard cat.
She growls at the mailman and UPS. Has hearing that beats radar. I have 3 others, but, she's my fav.

Sorry I didn't see your reply.

She's lovely, but also looks like a serious customer! I have 2 very friendly cats. Not much use as guards but they do at least perform a reliable morning wake up call service!

234 Silhouette  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:05:48pm

re: #229 psyop

Also, I would like to see an after-shot of the same area. I would believe it if I saw a crater worthy of that explosion in that frame.

They can't show the picture of the crater until they've had time to drive a school bus, an ambulance, and twelve wheelchairs into the hole, and cover it all with stuffed animal sprinkles.

235 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:05:54pm
236 snapped shot  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:07:04pm

Thanks for the very fair writeup, Charles! To be honest, I sat on this story for more than a day, and tried to get in touch with Adel Hana to get some background info on the photo first. When I didn't hear back from him (or my other contacts in the area), I ran with my mostly skeptical review of the controversy. Seeing the second angle definitely seems to confirm that the photo is genuine to me, too.

Regards,
Brian/snapped shot

237 yochanan  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:08:02pm

What happens when a fly falls into a coffee cup?

The Italian - throws the cup and walks away in a fit of rage.

The Frenchman - takes out the fly, and drinks the coffee.

The Chinese - eats the fly and throws away the coffee.

The Russian - drinks the coffee with the fly, since it was extra with no charge.

The Israeli - sells the coffee to the Frenchman, the fly to the Chinese, Buys himself a new cup of coffee and uses the extra money to invent a Device that prevents flies from falling into coffee.

The Palestinian - blames the Israeli for the fly falling in his coffee, Protests the act of aggression to the UN, takes a loan from the European Union to buy a new cup of coffee, uses the money to purchase explosives And then blows up the coffee house where the Italian, the Frenchman, The Chinese, and the Russian are all trying to explain to the Israeli that He should give away his cup of coffee to the Palestinian.

238 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:09:13pm
239 Ilan Toren  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:10:43pm

From the bbc new site:

Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the UN relief agency Unwra, said the move did not go far enough.

"When you are trying to feed 750,000 people a day in Gaza as we are, you need a permanent ceasefire. You can't do that in a three-hour window," he said.

Sigh, you mean I can't have a permanent ceasefire that only lasts 3 hours? But this is the Middle East and isn't that acceptable there?

Or maybe he wants a 3 hour cease fire from Hamas, but a permanent cease fire from Israel?

240 yochanan  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:11:03pm

An Irishman, a Brit and a Scotsman enter a pub after an afternoon of revelry at the futbol games.

Each decides to have a drink of their homelands fame! The Englishman orders a pint of bitters, the Irishman orders an 18-year-old irish whiskey and the Scot orders a 12-year-old malt scotch.

As the bartender sets down their drinks, 3 flies land in them simultaneously!

The Brit sends back his bitters.

The Irshman, knowing the alcohol would kill germs, picks the fly out and downs his whiskey in one gulp.

The Scotsman picks up the fly and begins squeezing it while shouting, “Spit it back, ya wee bastid!”

241 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:12:37pm
242 rightymouse  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:13:39pm

re: #235 taxfreekiller

#228

but no stuff in the air,
time,, gravity is fast but , not that fast,,,?

The photo I saw this afternoon showed the explosion on this hill with the buildings on the side, and everything else looked the same except that the one up top here looks like the one I saw was plunked down into a different background. Definitely nothing in the air like this. Hard to explain. Arghghghghgh!

243 fclass308  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:17:53pm

re: #237 yochanan

What happens when a fly falls into a coffee cup?

The Italian - throws the cup and walks away in a fit of rage.

The Frenchman - takes out the fly, and drinks the coffee.

The Chinese - eats the fly and throws away the coffee.

The Russian - drinks the coffee with the fly, since it was extra with no charge.

The Israeli - sells the coffee to the Frenchman, the fly to the Chinese, Buys himself a new cup of coffee and uses the extra money to invent a Device that prevents flies from falling into coffee.

The Palestinian - blames the Israeli for the fly falling in his coffee, Protests the act of aggression to the UN, takes a loan from the European Union to buy a new cup of coffee, uses the money to purchase explosives And then blows up the coffee house where the Italian, the Frenchman, The Chinese, and the Russian are all trying to explain to the Israeli that He should give away his cup of coffee to the Palestinian.

And the liberal American calls his lawyer to initiate a law suit for mental anguish and pain and suffering incurred by the trauma of seeing a fly in his coffee.

///// :)

244 brookly red  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:17:55pm

Tax free re:238, Yes! New 52's & some new 68 Cameros too! If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

245 [deleted]  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:23:07pm
246 brookly red  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:24:22pm

not fast, just w/style :)

247 Promethea  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:30:14pm

re: #182 Guanxi88

My guess is, on some level, they really DO want Lenin, Mao, Stalin, and Che, somehow bred together on a multi-cult bed, with the child delivered by Oprah Herself.

honestly, though, they need to knock off the third-world adulation and outright worship of the guy.

I was surprised that Obama kept on going with his Big Brother art. It was extremely creepy right after the election to see Big Brother O's stalinist face displayed from the side of the Cook County Building on La Salle Street, the financial center of Chicago.

I was in East Berlin once, and it had huge banners displayed on buildings. I had a flashback to that soviet time. Very very creepy. Seig heil!

248 Judith0007  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:47:38pm

I think they are faux.

The World Trade Centers once hit and then imploding never had huge hunks of matter flying off them with such clarity... and there were possibly 100's of different views from varying distances frozen on frame with cameras AND TV's!

I work with PhotoShop a lot and this just does not appear right to me, IMHO.

249 Who Watches the Watchmen?  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 6:57:48pm

I don't think anyone could fault us for a healthy skepticism. It's like the old adage "believe none of what you hear and half of what you see."

250 Aye Pod  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 7:14:18pm

re: #240 yochanan

Heh. Just one thing to correct there - it should be 'baisturt' not 'bastid' ;)

('bastid' is more north of england than scotland)

251 Alberta Oil Peon  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 7:19:41pm

re: #7 Basho

Ooh, that's a great photo!

The only shortcoming is the lack of extra explosions.

I sorta think they must have hit a weapons bunker, there.

252 Mardukhai  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 7:36:52pm

Charles -- I'm still having trouble with that photograph -- there are no hills anywhere near Gaza. Period. I've been there.

253 SouthTexas  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 8:24:15pm

Good job guys and gals.

Stay vigilant!

254 Render  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 8:37:54pm

Image: gaza0.jpg

[Link: news.bbc.co.uk...]

[Link: news.bbc.co.uk...]

What hills?

DON'T
SEE
EM,
R

255 TmjUtah  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 8:52:01pm

Looks like fragments of something heavy and metal - possibly chunks of shipping container? In any case, the material is too rigid to be roofing materials. Most construction in the Pal areas is slipshod; when concrete is used the term "reinforced" usually lacks the engineered steel and tensioning we take for granted.

Hit a concrete building in Gaza and you get dust. Not chunks.

It's been a while, but just going on those pics I believe that you are looking at a penetration strike that lit off an immediate and high order secondary explosion.

256 Cygnus  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 9:22:02pm

re: #22 Sharmuta

I don't know- the "You-No-Poo" sign really cracks me up.

"The constipation sensation that's sweeping the nation!"

I'd like to send some of those Skivving Snackboxes to Hamas. Without the antidote, of course.

257 Cygnus  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 9:24:47pm

re: #35 faraway

Why is one bright, and the other dark?

Different lighting. The darker one is back lit. Pretty cool picture.

258 psyop  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 9:50:10pm

The more I look at this picture, the more I am convinced it is a fake.

I have see alot of explosions. It is like water miniatures in movies, they are just a little off, but it is obvious to anyone who has spent time on real water.

259 Charles Johnson  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 10:09:17pm

It's not a fake.

260 arcatan  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 10:13:26pm

If they can fake a picture from one perspective, why not from 2? They're not complete idiots.

261 memoryleak  Wed, Jan 7, 2009 11:28:08pm

Bada bing bada BOOM !

If only Tony Soprano ran the IDF ! :)

262 Render  Thu, Jan 8, 2009 12:34:23am

Clearly both photos are of the same event. I think the question of when and where remains debatable.

Not one, but two highly trained photojournalists with top of the line equipment (I'm guessing), both in the right, however different spots at the same time? In Hamasland itself? (the northeastern part of the Strip is considered a HAMAS stronghold, or was)

Perhaps they both got wind of one of the IDF's cellphone hack warnings?

=

Going by GoogleEarth and being generous with the city limits, it's around 4 miles from Gaza City to Beit Lahia, and a couple of smaller cities in between. From there it's another 15 miles or so and a couple of more small cities to the Judean foothills. Think White Helmet Guys (Adel Hana) MegaWhiteSuperDooper lens can handle that?

Perhaps Adel Hana was in or on the roof of one of the buildings in the back round of Nikola Solic's photo, and vice versa?

Has the IDF/IAF confirmed any strike at that location? Although given the local inhabitants, I'm sure there have been several...recently.

...and that's about all I got left. I think both Hana and Solic are in actually in HAMASland itself, and Hana has some serious equipment...

MOVING
ALONG,
R

263 FabioC.  Thu, Jan 8, 2009 2:13:57am

Explosions of all flavours for comparison

The big pieces of debris must necessarily come from a sturdy metal structure; as #255 suggested, shipping containers or some sort of shipping crate are likely candidates. The detonation of stored explosives/ammunition is probably involved.

re: #31 jcm
It seems that the Hamas grunts are most afraid of the mortar tube blowing up in their own hands.

264 Izzy Dunne  Thu, Jan 8, 2009 3:27:03am

Say, when is the new FauxtoShop 3D version going to be released?

I hear it handles such tasks as these with the new "perspective" tool.

You don't think AP is above conspiring with Rooters, do you?

265 johnjdick  Thu, Jan 8, 2009 4:49:46am

Not that AP/Reuters haven't earned their scrutiny... but it seems like lately many people are too quick to jump on the fauxtography bandwagon. This doesn't project a lot of credibility to any casual readers who happen to be stopping by. There's a fine line between constant vigilance and paranoia.

I applaud Charles' efforts to put out the truth that this was an actual photographed event. Still, I just find it sad that it's necessary to correct this stuff in the first place.

266 The Sanity Inspector  Thu, Jan 8, 2009 5:11:31pm

Catch 'em doing something right, are rules for children and the msm.

267 tsionguy  Thu, Jan 8, 2009 10:10:57pm

The explosion may have been triggered by an Israeli air-strike, but the secondary explosion pictured was caused by Hamas' ammunition stockpiles, probably stored in a civilian building. Israel could just as easily drop lit matches into Gaza and then watch the fireworks.

268 Flavia  Thu, Jan 8, 2009 10:11:49pm

2 points:

1) Am I the only one who notices that this "refugee camp" looks like a huge CITY? *I* should have such a "pathetic little shanty town (WTTW)" as MY neighborhood!

2) Why can't I vote on peoples' comments? Did I do something wrong?


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Create a PageThis is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.
Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.
Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

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