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Google Idle News

Osama's Hideout Gets 3 Out of 5 Stars on Google Maps 108

Posted by samzenpus from the too-bad-we-can't-stay dept.
Many submitters have pointed out that Osama bin Laden's hideout is getting a lot of reviews on Google Maps. Some of my favorites of the 600+ so far include: "The hotel is obviously doing quite well, as evidenced by the fact that the cleaning crew is actually helicoptered in each evening, and in fact they go so far as to destroy any furniture that they feel is outdated or in need of repair," and "Privacy was great...until being leaked out on the Playstation Network."
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Osama's Hideout Gets 3 Out of 5 Stars on Google Maps More

Osama's Hideout Gets 3 Out of 5 Stars on Google Maps

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  • Awesome Streetview Tagged Photo (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 03, 2011 @05:34PM (#36017400)

    I love that someone already tagged the location with a streetview photo of the Arrested Development model home.

    All in all, it's amazing what Americans can accomplish when the Playstation Network is down.

  • And with all that attention... (Score:3)

    by Deadstick ( 535032 ) on Tuesday May 03, 2011 @05:54PM (#36017654)

    ...nobody in the media has noticed that Osama chose to hide out in a city named after a British colonial overlord.

    rj

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by blair1q ( 305137 )

      What?

      I thought it was named after a '40s straight-man.

    • nobody in the media has noticed that Osama chose to hide out in a city named after a British colonial overlord

      Seriously? Maybe you should change your venue of media. It was explicitly mentioned on the Dutch news in several of the first few news broadcasts on Monday morning.

      Checking Google News, I'd say there's also plenty of other media that spent 30 seconds on Wikipedia or something to find out a little historical background on the town;
      http://www.google.com/search?q=Abbottabad+ [google.com]"james+abbott"

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by sqldr ( 838964 )
      random google image search..

      Here's two tourists "hey, lets check out that nice town" who have now discovered that fucking UBL is probably somewhere in the background :-)

      http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2185/2347384304_785d311309.jpg [flickr.com]

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by seyyah ( 986027 )

      Oh yes they have: Abbottabad â" pretty Himalayan town, pity about the poem [guardian.co.uk]

      I quote:

      There is some argument over whether General Sir James Abbott founded Abbottabad. Herbert Edwardes, another soldier and administrator in the Punjab, has his claims. But it was Abbott who managed to put his name to the place, and he really should have left it at that. The encomium he composed when he left the hilltown he loved must be one of the worst poems ever written.

      • Well, I wonder why Douglas Adams did not scratch Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings of Greenbridge, Essex, England off and give the award to James Abbot.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by macshit ( 157376 )

        Ugh. No doubt Abbot's poetry is awful, but the sort of smug snarkiness shown by the article author seems in very poor taste. It's the sort of thing one expects from random blogs, of course, but this guy is a "poetry professional," writing in a major newspaper (ok, it's the Grauniad, but still).

        Bad form, sir.

      • The encomium he composed when he left the hilltown he loved must be one of the worst poems ever written.

        That's quite a steep claim, but I'm not minded to pursue it. In the last couple of days I've been exposed to two of McGonagall's [ahemm]"masterpieces" dedicated to the Tay Bridge (one praising it's obvious strength, the other lamenting it's collapse). That is quite enough competition for the "worst poet in the world" for me for a few days^H^H^H^H^H years^H^H^H^H^H^H decades.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by vk2sky ( 1463797 )

      ...nobody in the media has noticed that Osama chose to hide out in a city named after a British colonial overlord.

      I thought it was named after an American comedian. I bet al Zawahiri won't be staying in Costelloabad much longer...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Surt ( 22457 )

      You feel it likely that this played significantly into his decision making process?

    • Incorrect. It was pointed out yesterday on NPR's "All Things Considered". Now, if you said "nobody in the mainstream media", you might be right, but I ignore most of them if I can help it.

      ...nobody in the media has noticed that Osama chose to hide out in a city named after a British colonial overlord.

      rj

  • Sadly, the Google Streetview team hasn't driven past the place yet.

  • Review (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 03, 2011 @06:01PM (#36017724)

    Needed a nice place in Abottabad for wife's honeymoon. So impressed when I saw the place it nearly blew my eyes out of their sockets. Interior left something to be desired. Surprising number of rowdy Americans staying here.

  • I don't think it's a very good hideout if that many people have visited it...

    • It's called hiding in plain sight. Think of it like playing Where's Waldo, just instead of a funny shirt you look out for a face eating beard.

  • The military supposedly recovered a lot of digital information (hard drives, DVDs, flash drives, etc.) over there. I'm wondering how Osama reconciled the use of computers with his anti-Western beliefs (which I assume includes Western technology).

    • Re: (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward

      I'm wondering how Osama reconciled the use of computers with his anti-Western beliefs

      Maybe because like most extremists, his professed beliefs were convenient bullshit. See also: Republican Party, Teabaggers, Operation Rescue, etcetera

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by LordLimecat ( 1103839 )

        See also: Republican Party

        How your post gets modded will say an awful lot about Slashdot, and its ability to deal with differing opinions in a rational way.

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by Anonymous Coward
          You mean like how you apparently taking AC's lack of mention of democrats to indicate that democrats can do no wrong says an awful lot about you?

          Or like how my presuming your post was about AC's lack of mention of democrats says an awful lot about me?
      • I'm not really convinced in his case(or in that of a fair number of other extremists). Religions are full of charismatic con-men acting out L. Ron Hubbard's famous advice, and politics is larded with people whose 'principles' conveniently match their interests; but it is both the empirical fact that, and absolutely necessary to the success of the cynics that religions be full of genuine suckers ready to be milked dry, and politics have a supply of voters ready to line up and cheer lest the wrong pathologica

    • Re:Computers? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Tuesday May 03, 2011 @06:10PM (#36017852)

      You may rest assured it was made in China, that's cool.

    • You would likely assume wrong. Now, as with many religious enthusiasts, he likely would have professed a disagreement with some of the social and psychological structures that are included in the aspects of western societies that helped produce those technologies and artifacts(compartmentalization is certainly doable, and many do it; but the structures of thought and society that characterize a contemporary global capitalism guided by a mixture of pragmatic empiricism and hedonic appetite are not... fully..

    • Being against western beliefs doesnt mean that he was Amish; he simply believed that western culture and governments are "bad" (to put it mildly).

      • Being against western beliefs doesnt mean that he was Amish;

        If that's the case they're gonna be really disappointed when they start going through all that data and all they find is porn.

        • They call it "The intelligence community". Don't you think that, like any community, it probably has a creepy, lecherous old man somewhere who would patriotically volunteer to work days, nights, and weekends, with nothing but Ramen and lotion for sustenance, to crack the secret of what diabolical plans of terror could be hiding within the depths of 4.6GB of "Bad Burqa Babes: Ankle exposed! vol. 1-237" and 3.2GB of what looks alarmingly like palestinian-occupied-territories-produced amateur femdom/malesub wi

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mjwx ( 966435 )

        Being against western beliefs doesnt mean that he was Amish; he simply believed that western culture and governments are "bad" (to put it mildly).

        In lay terms,

        He could use western technology, software and firearms but could not listen to American music.

        No wonder he amassed so many followers, some of them even saw American Idol.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by vk2sky ( 1463797 )

      I'm wondering how Osama reconciled the use of computers with his anti-Western beliefs (which I assume includes Western technology).

      Same way he rationalised drinking Coke and Pepsi [smh.com.au], I guess.

    • his anti-Western beliefs (which I assume includes Western technology).

      It doesn't.

      For the same reason, Muslim insurgents use AKs and RPGs (developed by a God-defying atheist infidel regime, no less - worse than America!) rather than swords and bows.

    • Oh, c'mon, about all of this "western technology" has been manufactured in Far East.

  • What no street view? No wonder he was so hard to find!

  • The one that was getting all the "reviews" yesterday is apparently not bin Laden's compound, but a girl's school.

  • How can you get 3/5 without phone or internet? Sure you can not put these distractions in the guest's room but the facility should offer these somewhere.

  • What, no street view?

  • . . . to the nearest Pizza Hut. I hope he tipped well.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by JDeane ( 1402533 )

      Not sure about the tip but I would imagine the 30 minutes or less rule was out the window.... Unless they flew it in by chopper hmmmm

  • Props to whoever used the Arrested Development house image on their reviews, its what came up when I clicked it.

  • No Street View? Lame.
  • I'm just waiting for the "Osama Bin Laden's Compound" DLC.

  • As one of the "reviewers" pointed out, it's not in the Bilal section of Abbotabad, it's not on a dead end street and it doesn't have 12-18 foot high walls. So whoever's house that is, it wasn't Osama's last one.

  • but everyone agrees it takes forever to find the place.

  • subhumans (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Tom ( 822 ) on Wednesday May 04, 2011 @08:33AM (#36023320) Homepage Journal

    Everyone who gloats about this in any way, including writing "funny" reviews, is somewhat less than human.

    Not that I feel sorry or wish he'd still be alive. Snap out of that "black and white", "with us or against us" mindset you brainwashed drone.

    I strongly believe the adequate reaction is a solemn acknowledgement of the fact that there is now one dangerous man left on the planet. Though how dangerous exactly he was in the past past years and for the future is a matter of debate, but we can ignore that.

    But gloating? Happiness? Celebration? You're not an inch better than the muslims that celebrated 9/11.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by x6060 ( 672364 )
      I was taking you seriously until you said that everyone else is sub-human. Osama thought that everyone else is sub-human as well and figured it was fine and dandy to kill us "sub-humans". Your words really tell us much more than I think you wished to say. Congratulation on being far more narrow minded than those you accuse. Also, we are better than those muslims that celebrated 9/11. The people in the World Trade Center were innocent, Osama is far from innocent.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Tom ( 822 )

        Osama thought that everyone else is sub-human as well and figured it was fine and dandy to kill us "sub-humans". Your words really tell us much more than I think you wished to say. Congratulation on being far more narrow minded than those you accuse.

        In your mind. Let me stress that properly: In your mind.

        Apparently you agree with Osama that sub-humans somehow deserve a worse treatment or can be killed at will.

        What makes you think I share that sentiment?

        The people in the World Trade Center were innocent, Osama is far from innocent.

        His guilt has not been proven in a court of law.

        Oh, you do believe in the principles of our justice system, do you? Or are you one of those people who think the principles don't always apply?

        I'm not saying I believe he's innocent. It's sad one has to point that out explicitly. But I am saying that full-b

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by x6060 ( 672364 )

          In your mind. Let me stress that properly: In your mind.

          Apparently you agree with Osama that sub-humans somehow deserve a worse treatment or can be killed at will.

          What makes you think I share that sentiment?

          How did I say I agree with killing anyone? So thats a pretty bad strawman argument, and at worst out right intellectually dishonest. Which by the way if you are going to take the "In your mind" approach the exact same can be said for your arguments which would render EVERYONES ARGUMENTS ABOUT ANYTHING SUBJECTIVE AS MOOT. So really thats another bad argument to use as well as it renders your opinion meaningless at the same time.

          Personally I do not look down on anyone as sub-human. My family is from Poland an

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by Tom ( 822 )

            EVERYONES ARGUMENTS ABOUT ANYTHING SUBJECTIVE AS MOOT.

            Subjective creates objective - opinions shape our actions which shape our world. Subjective is anything but moot, I don't know why this meme hasn't died out long ago. Subjective is in no way less important or vital than objective is.

            My family is from Poland and those are the words Nazis used to define my family, and how they justified murdering much of them.

            Accepted, that explains how you came to that conclusion. Then let me simply explain that I don't think less sophisticated and more barbaric humans, like americans or fanatical muslim terrorists, or fanatical right-wing christians, for that matter, should be killed or otherwise t

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by stdarg ( 456557 )

      Whew, good thing you're not susceptible to "black and white" mindsets yourself.

    • I've seriously had enough of the small crowd of people, sitting atop their high horse, saying that no one should be celebrating anything here.

      Someone was brought to justice for a terrible crime in which thousands of people died. That bin Laden resisted arrest and got himself killed is irrelevant. He needed to either be captured or killed, and he chose the latter by (apparently) resisting capture. What's being celebrated here is that justice has been done, and there is nothing wrong with it.

      If you had the pr

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Tom ( 822 )

        I've seriously had enough of the small crowd of people, sitting atop their high horse, saying that no one should be celebrating anything here.

        I can only repeat: "Snap out of the black-and-white thinking, you brainwashed drone".
        The usage of the all-quantor is misleading or dishonest. Nobody is telling you to not celebrate anything.

        However, I will point out that you celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden is on the same ethical level as him celebrating the 9/11 attacks.

        What's being celebrated here is that justice has been done, and there is nothing wrong with it.

        Revenge is being celebrated, not justice. Stop kidding yourself. Look at the snide comments. No, wait, I am wrong. It's not even revenge. You know what is being celebrated? Osama ma

        • The usage of the all-quantor is misleading or dishonest. Nobody is telling you to not celebrate anything.

          However, I will point out that you celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden is on the same ethical level as him celebrating the 9/11 attacks.

          You said, "everyone who gloats about this in any way, including writing "funny" reviews, is somewhat less than human." But you are also saying that it is ok to celebrate something. Can you detail what exactly you think is acceptable, namely what sort of celebration is permissible?

          What's being celebrated here is that justice has been done, and there is nothing wrong with it.

          Revenge is being celebrated, not justice. Stop kidding yourself. Look at the snide comments. No, wait, I am wrong. It's not even revenge. You know what is being celebrated? Osama managed to hurt the US on their own turf, something that has never happened before (you fought all your wars after the revolution elsewhere except the one where you fought each other). He hurt your pride. He demolished the illusion of invulnerability. That pride is now restored, through revenge. That is what quite a lot of you celebrate. Just look closely.

          What snide comments are you referring to? I hope you are not making a generalization about the US response to this in any way based on some Slashdot posters. As far as revenge, pride, and invulnerability go, I don't think any of th

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by Tom ( 822 )

            You said, "everyone who gloats about this in any way, including writing "funny" reviews, is somewhat less than human." But you are also saying that it is ok to celebrate something. Can you detail what exactly you think is acceptable, namely what sort of celebration is permissible?

            A good weekend, best friends, whatever it is you have to celebrate.

            The man committed a crime in which thousands of Americans were killed. He deserved to be brought to justice.

            Yes, but he was not.
            He was killed.

            I thought we had left the middle ages behind in which we equate those two different things.

            Bringing someone to justice involves, in my mind, well, justice. You know, a trial, a court, a judge, a verdict. All of that is missing here. How can you talk about justice when absolutely no element of the justice system is involved? What kind of justice is that? Is it not a cornerstone of our society that we do not e

            • Apparently there was a firefight, so he resisted arrest. If you murder someone, the police come to get you, and you engage them in a firefight, what are they supposed to do? Keep sending in police to get shot at until you are brought out alive and unharmed?

              Now you can claim that there was not a firefight and the reports are false - that we went in there, everyone put their hands up, and we killed bin Laden anyway. That is a different argument.

              The man forfeited his right to a trial, a court, a judge, and a v

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by Tom ( 822 )

                If you murder someone, the police come to get you

                Unless it is in flagranti or followed from the scene of crime, they come with a warrant. Issued by a judge.

                I don't see how I can make myself any more clear. Every argument you throw out comes back full circle to that point. In civilized countries, prosecutor, judge and police are not the same person. It has once again become clear that the USA is only a part-time civilized country.

                The man forfeited his right to a trial, a court, a judge, and a verdict when he and his people opened fire.

                You can not forfeit your right to a trial. Show me the clause in the law where it says that. You are back to arguing from emotio

  • Here's what really happened (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    http://www.infowars.com/top-us-government-insider-bin-laden-died-in-2001-911-a-false-flag/
    http://www.prisonplanet.com/inside-sources-bin-ladens-corpse-has-been-on-ice-for-nearly-a-decade.html

    If you do a little research, it quickly becomes apparent that the US government has proclaimed Osama to be dead no less than 9 times. Witnesses are now appearing that indicate that Osama has been dead for almost 10 years. This announcement is just a stunt to get Obama's tanking popularity back up in preparation for 20

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