From paradise to paradox in Aruba (Arubans sick of U.S. Media/Volunteers)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/22/Worldandnation/From_paradise_to_para.shtml

<snip>

Audiences in the United States are used to the sight of media satellite trucks arrayed outside Los Angeles courthouses, high school shootings and even a Pinellas Park hospice. But tiny Aruba has never seen anything like it. Only 20 miles long and 6 miles across, with 97,000 inhabitants, it is less than one-third the size of Pinellas County, with one-tenth the population.

At first the Americans were met with open arms by locals. They found them free hotel rooms and meals. They washed their clothes. Arubans are proud of the island's reputation for hospitality and a low crime rate. Auto license plates boast the slogan, "One Happy Island."

But almost three months later patience with the media - and the Holloway family - is wearing thin.

"We put out the welcome mat and we were trampled upon," said Julia Renfro, the U.S.-born editor of Aruba Today , a daily English-language newspaper that rallied island support for the family. "We all wanted to help, but we never thought this would become a case against Aruba."

[Jim Sagle]

1. "Arubans sick of U.S. Media"? How do they think WE feel about it?

:puke:

[Desertrose]

2. Yeah, but they didn't ask for it and they didn't create it.....we did.

One more way for the US to "make friends and influence people"....NOT!

[ixion]

3. gee, how could they not love the mass soul suck that is the MSM?

:eyes: :sarcasm:

[ironman202]

4. I have no idea what this story is about

but I am equally sure that I don't care.

[dbackjon]

5. Aruba - One Happy Island

As long as you are not Gay.

[tomreedtoon]

6. What happened to Aruba's Caribbean Super Station?

Most of you guys never heard of it, but there used to be a free, unscrambled satellite channel broadcasting out of Aruba. "The Caribbean Super Station" apparently was supported by a custom free gift shop and one hotel in Aruba.

The station was like those old independent TV stations that used to broadcast in the days before cable. They only ran public domain movies that they didn't have to pay for; before the movie was re-copyrighted by the greedy megacorps, they used to run "It's A Wonderful Life" 2 or 3 times a month. They apparently ran these from home-style VCR's. They were also known for running uncensored nudity. One of their favorites was a nudie film, "Tonight for Sure!", that was - wait for it - actually directed by Francis Ford Coppola in his early days!

The only original programming they ran were weather reports, using satellite photos of the Caribbean, and some local heavily-accented guy reading the weather report. That, and a concert by a fifty-member steel drum band that quite often was their sign-off video.

If they have complaints about the satellite trucks, why don't they use eminent domain, capture one of them (please let it be one from Faux News!) and re-start the Caribbean Super Station again. And make the premiere film "Tonight for Sure!"