Posted by axxxr
In a Baghdad bereft of entertainment, text messaging and swapping ringtones are the pastime for young Iraqis trying to lighten their lives.
"The content of the text messages and ringtones speak volumes about the state of affairs here: jokes and songs about suicide bombings, sectarianism, power outages, gas prices, Saddam Hussein and George Bush.
phone shops, the only crowded stores these days, sell special CDs with ringtones at about $2 apiece.Collections of short jokes especially written for texters are best-sellers.
But phones in Iraq aren't just about being cool.
Some Iraqis use their cellphones to make political statements, with ringtones like "Mawtini," or "My Land," Iraq's pre-Saddam national anthem. Others favor jingles believed to be sung by members of the Shiite Mahdi Army militia.
Because of the popularity of text messages, political parties used them as a way to campaign during parliamentary elections last year. Currently, an Iraqi non-governmental organization texts Iraqis, urging them to "confront violence with peace."
The tech-savvy insurgents have also gotten in on the act, making threats through text messages sent from websites, which makes it hard to track down the source.
USA Today Article
Posted by methylated_spirit
All well and good, but how do they charge their phones up when their power stations have been bombed to buggery?
Posted by FiberOptic
True.. how would they charge their devices....
Posted by axxxr
FiberOptic welcome to esato!
They proberbly only get to charge the phones when their is power available....otherwise im not quite sure what they do?
They might even have those manual wind-up chargers?
Posted by gelfen
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On 2006-08-21 14:15:11, methylated_spirit wrote: |
it can't be quite that bad given that in the photo axxxr posted the lights are on in the store.
Posted by axxxr
The fact is its actually a lot worse than it looks....ask the Iraqi people how they have to endure 10/15 hour black outs usually daily....its easy for us to sit in our comfort zones and say its not that bad.
Posted by *Jojo*
@gelfen - I don't see any LIGHT BULBS - ON in the pic mate
Looks like the image was taken in . . . daytime.
I'm 100% certain that celfone shops in Iraq are selling those portable type of battery-operated chargers . . .
Posted by axxxr
JoJo look at the reflection of the tube lights on the glass counter...although the picture is taken during the day.
Posted by darky
gasoline powered generators dude, most of the houses/stores have 'em, only problem is the long gasoline ques, the loud noise they make, and the hassle of filling em up.
Posted by *Jojo*
@axxxr - Yeah . . . looks like
L-shaped
Posted by gelfen
my point was that some elecetricity is coming from somewhere. if there's power for lights there's power for a phone charger, despite the asinine comments of others.
i wasn't trying to make light of situation in iraq, and no reasonable person could make that assumption. don't try to twist my words into a meaning they don't have.
Posted by 02
Maybe SE, Nokia made special prototype phones for them, batt that will last for months and charges itself... when theres a need, theres a way..
Posted by xan K
Strange as it may sound, we also have 8-10 hour blackouts here in the Dominican Republic, and let me tell you, IT SUCKS!!! Most people have gone around it buying power inverter as an alternative power supply.
Posted by axxxr
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Actrually your comments towards my posts are usually asinine,but in this case again to me it did'nt sound like that....your reply to this was:
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My point was its all a lot more worse than it looks...actually the fact is the quality of life is pretty dismal and charging phones is just another one of those difficultys in their life.
Posted by *Jojo*
@gelfen - If I have wrongly misunderstood your 2nd to the last post . . .well, I'm sorry dude . . . that's the way I see it . . .
I just hope that there will more power supply in Iraq by New Year's Day -2006 !