September 28, 2004
Discomforting Communications:
What do you think these pictographs are saying? (blatantly BoingBoing)
Are US soldiers actually expected to rely on these?! What incredibly twisted or naive person designed this thing? Quite honestly, without exageration, my first thought was that the card was suggesting I would be killed or molested by a soldier and his weapons, I was being robbed of my clothes and jewelry, and they were threatening to grab me by the hair and try to rip my scalp off. I hesitated to guess what the tongue thing is, but it seems right at home with the others. Considering the circumstances these are being used in, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
-
Good grief! No wonder US forces are experiencing difficulties.
-
They're saying we're too insensitive or too stupid to provide an interpreter ... /snippiness
-
I'm so getting some of these for my birthday. Personally, I want the Iraq Cultural Smart Card, complete with handy "Don't Do This" page.
-
I'd love to see a set for people being questioned by Homeland Security. I can see a series of images consisting of a computer, a person (or a monkey) typing and a web page signifying politically dissident opinions. Or a person in a crowd holding an anti-Bush sign. Darn. If only I were artistcally inclined.
-
I find the "graves" pictograph (from excerpt two) kinda creepy.
-
They must have commisioned it to whoever designed this one (big 1Mb .PNG file)
-
"When you come across a civilian, show him you're 'hip' to a game of Twister." is what I think they're saying