I have more from the English Al-Jazeera site. Once more, we must remember that they tone down their rhetoric drastically for their English readers. Everything I've heard about the Arabic versions of their stories is that it's many degrees more virulent and anti-Western. I'm sure you've seen the direct quotes about how American soldiers are known to be "trigger happy."

Against this backdrop, real Marines are in Iraq dodging real bullets during their shifts, only to turn around and work even harder for the Iraqis in their off-hours, building schools, hospitals and other infrastructure. Now they are setting up Iraqi television stations in the hope of getting unbiased information out to the people and combatting the obscenely one-sided version of events Al-Jazeera puts out there.

It's especially interesting to me that one cannot do any kind of a cut-and-paste from the Al-Jazeera English-language site. Any time I try to highlight text, I'm simply bounced to the top of the same page. They apparently do not want to be quoted.

more...

Posted by: Attila at 04:29 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 It's especially interesting to me that one cannot do any kind of a cut-and-paste from the Al-Jazeera English-language site. Any time I try to highlight text, I'm simply bounced to the top of the same page. They apparently do not want to be quoted. Works fine for me. You might try "View Source."

Posted by: Christophe at April 22, 2004 05:03 PM (2rBIo)

2 Perhaps they only want power users to quote them; maybe they're just snobs.

Posted by: Attila Girl at April 23, 2004 12:31 AM (q85Vj)

3 hiya, you may wanna try, highlighting the text, then go up to Edit, Copy. seems to work on some sites. good luck tony lavanway south haven, mi

Posted by: tony lavanway at April 25, 2004 07:09 PM (yJrQ5)

4 That's what I was doing: trying to highlight the damned text. It wouldn't let me.

Posted by: Attila Girl at April 25, 2004 11:22 PM (q85Vj)

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As you will recall, we're trying to raise money for the Spirit of America, which is now focusing on providing the Iraqi people with something like unbiased media coverage. Many of you are aware that some Iraqi stations are still under-equipped and unable to broadcast just yet. Those that are functioning are in need of more programming and forced at times to air Al-Jazeera's propoganda simply to fill the airtime.

We who speak English can only see through a glass darkly, here, because Al-Jazeera tones down its English "translations" of what amounts to continual anti-American, anti-Israeli, anti-coalition propaganda. But here is a sample from their English-language site. It's worth noting that the figures of Iraqis dead from the war are given without any balance or context: at no point is a comparison made with how many Iraqis would have died during that same time period had Saddam stayed in power. The massive casualties from Saddam's regime and his wars are not even mentioned in passing! The figures on the dead are simply presented as evidence of American evildoing.

Before the handover in June, the Iraqis must be given access to information that includes the reasoning behind the coalition point of view. Citizens cannot make intelligent choices when they are forced to listen to apologists for terror.

Click here to give; thank you.

Posted by: Attila at 02:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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. . . is confused. I mentioned, in passing, that I probably have more guns than him and his fundraising rabble put together. Now, of course this is true, on the face of it: girlie men don't have real guns, 'cause no respectable gunshop--no one with an FFL, period--would sell real guns to people whose DNA has wimpiness built into it. You can spot 'em right away, and the gun dealer will just claim he's fresh out that day, and could you maybe come back tomorrow. Very hard for wimps to get guns.

He sent me a few pictures of some cap guns and cheap plastic reproductions of vintage miliary stuff, challenging me to prove that I had more ordnance than he does. Very silly.

I mean, I could take the bet, but I'd be taking advantage of the befuddled. I'm sure if he or any of his cohorts have real, working firearms, they're probably .22s. Or maybe .32s, max. Probably most of 'em have cap guns, or guns that shoot out little flags with the legend "bang!" on them. And, of course, Kevin and Michele's groups all have autographed pictures of Chuck Schumer, Dianne Feinstein, and Sarah Brady in their homes; we've proven this scientifically.

If they do have real, working firearms, there's only one way for them to prove it, and I don't mean taking pictures from local museums and pretending they're photos of your basement.

They'll have to open their wallets and give to the Spirit of America. To make things easier, I'm providing a link here wherein they can easily do this. One's armory should always be judged by one's fundraising prowess, after all.

May the best-armed group win.

Posted by: Attila at 05:12 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Starting Wednesday morning--in the wee hours in the Pacific Time Zone--the Heroes of the Blogosphere Challenge begins. A group of private backers and U.S. Marines is forming what The Wall Street Journal calls "a coalition of the Can-Do" to get defunct Iraqi TV stations up and running, and thereby give the Iraqi people an alternative to the tripe being broadcast on Al-Jazeera.

Dean's World, Michele & Kevin, and John of Argghh! have created individual alliances that will be competing against each other to raise funds for this project, entitled The Spirit of America and run by Jim Hake (who headed earlier efforts to send toys, medical equipment and school supplies to Iraq).

Please give early and often; this entire fundraising project will only last for eight days, because it is imperative that all the video/editing equipment be purchased and at Camp Pendleton by May 7. We must get the new TV stations up and running before the new Iraqi government starts up on June 30: multiple sources of information are essential to democracy.

The only two conditions that will be placed on the Iraqi owners of the stations: 1) do not actually lie on behalf of the terrorists (legitimate criticism of the government and/or the Americans is fine), and 2) allow the Marines to purchase television time to get their own viewpoint across to the masses.

I would encourage you to give if any of the following applies:

1) you like my blog;
2) you hate my blog;
3) you like my writing but hate my politics;
4) you like my politics but hate my writing;
5) you're hoping I'll post a picture of my breasts someday;
6) you prefer leggy brunettes to round blondes, thank you very much;
7) you're gay;
you're bisexual;
9) you're transgendered;
10) you're asexual;
11) you're married;
12) you're divorced;
13) you're single;
14) you walk on your hind legs;
15) you're paraplegic;
16) you have a pulse.

The shorthand?--I'm a fundraising 'ho. I'm perfectly happy to have you on board for this worthy a cause. Hell--you can even troll my comments, for the right price.

We have eight days to raise funds, people. Make this the one time you gave money over the internet: the cause could not be more important. Click here to give.

Thank you.

Posted by: Attila at 03:07 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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