MORONIC CONVERGENCE!

Holy Porcelain Squatting Mohammed!

What’s wrong with these folks?! I can’t believe it, but Team Tanless at ANSWER is at it again!

When? March 21, 2009

Where? Washington DC

Time? …

Time for another round of pointlessly pounding government pavement, followed by some serious fist-shaking, and workin’ the protest babes.

Yes my adolescent and otherwise unemployable friends: the ANSWER Coalition, along with Brian Becker and Team Tanless have once again managed to impart just the right amount of zest into your suburban basement bong-smoke filled haze.

I’m sure mom won’t be busy that day … she’ll give you a lift to the Metro and a little extra change. She’s like that.

See you there!

Free Speech in an Age of Jihad

I took this image [left] well after the conference.

My lovely spouse Julia and I just finished a fulfilling dinner at Shun Lee … a great Chinese restaurant near Lincoln Center … and were combing the streets of East Side Manhattan … when she looked up and pointed out the moon. Yes, we’re that type of couple.

I thought that the moon was beautiful, the building was gorgeous and the sky perfect so I snapped it.

Somehow, I also think the crescent moon juxtaposed against a part of the Manhattan skyline a highly appropriate image to cap the day.

I wasn’t able to get any video of this conference. The material I did get … Mark Steyn’s luncheon address … is probably copyrighted material and I’m awaiting permission to post. It’s about 45 minutes long and, sadly, only audio. But who wants to watch a talking head for 45 minutes anyway? And the fact is I want to use all of it, which would put me well beyond the bounds of fair use. Believe me, it’s well worth the wait.

I checked the audio and it’s highly entertaining and of OK quality. I didn’t have any problem understanding every word, though there are some crowd noises and some inevitable glass tinkling [it was a luncheon after all]. Mark Steyn’s people got back to me and have referred me to Roger Kimball of the New Criterion. I haven’t heard back from him.

The Conference took place at the Princeton Club on West 43rd Street. I guess the Columbia Club is only “In Residence”. I’m not sure I would have advertised that. It’s one thing to take second billing … quite another to do so “In Residence” I would think.

This is me with Robert Spencer, Director of Jihad Watch and author extraordinaire.

OK, you can’t really see me, but that’s my hand. I’m standing beside him. Really. I cropped myself out … as I’ll explain below.

I know, I know … I can almost hear my half-dozen loyal readers lament. “Again with the hand.” What’s with the hand?

The fact is … that that’s it … that’s all you’re gonna get. A hand. My hand. This time my right hand. Live with it.

Look, I meet a lot of pretty nefarious creatures at the “events” I normally cover. Some real head-choppers. I was even followed by some after an anti-Israel protest last year. Emes. Then there’s Code Pink. I’ve been followed by a couple of them, too … but for what seem to be highly different [but almost as deeply disquieting] motivations. [shudder]

Now, it’s true: both Code Pink’s Medea Benjamin and her tanless toady Brian Becker of ANSWER know me by sight, but I still like to maintain at least some anonymity.

Nice hand, though, huh?

Here’s the interior of the room the conference took place in. Nice.

I’m trying out my new Canon Rebel XTi, so if there’s a lack of consistency with these photos … that’s why. I did a lot of experimenting. Mostly I hate using a flash, so I tried a number of settings to avoid that. Not all the results were good.

The photo [above] is OK, I think.

I used the flash with this one. This is Roger Kimball, Editor of the New Criterion and the Moderator for the first panel.

I try to not miss an article by him if I can help it.

Ezra Levant was there, of course. He and I and my lovely wife had a very nice and somewhat lengthy conversation near the end of the conference … touching on many subjects; from the conference to raising kids.

Frankly, Ezra’s just about the most personable and agreeable person I’ve ever met.

I can see now just how angry he must have been during the Canadian “Human Rights” Commission kangaroo court for him to lose his cool to even the small extent that he did. He’s a real mench.

Here’s a nice photo of him speaking with some other attendees after his panel presentation.

Mark Steyn showed up about half way through the first panel and stood quietly near the back … very close to where my wife and I were seated.

I approached him and asked him if I could take a photo and he agreed … the photo didn’t turn out well, though, so I’m not including it. Blast.

This photo was taken during the luncheon before Mark spoke. I think this was the heavy-hitter table.

As I said above, I have his complete speech in audio. It’s about 45 minutes and I think the whole thing is worth hearing. However, this event was a private event and using all 45 minutes is well well beyond “fair use”, so I don’t feel comfortable posting it without permission. I contacted his people and they got back to me pretty quickly and referred me to Roger Kimball. I contacted him but by that time is was in the late afternoon, so I don’t expect to have any answer before Monday.

The fellow in the foreground Steven Emerson, Director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism. We sat at the same table.

Robert Bork was there for the final panel.

He is, of course, a firm defender of the First Amendment, but he reminded us that even Justice Holmes’ “Marketplace of Ideas” dictum has it’s limits. He reminded us that Holmes himself fought during the Civil War and was wounded four times. Holmes, more than many, knew that there are times when the civility of political debate breaks down and everyone needs to recognize that they are in a struggle … and like any struggle there will be winners and losers … and that we all need at those times to hunker down and do our duty and fight hard for what we know is right.

It’s time for us to recognize the struggle that we’re in and work for victory.

I had the opportunity to meet other bloggers at this event. Here’s Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs. I also had the privilege of meeting Judith Weiss of Kesher Talk, though sadly I didn’t get a good photo of her.

FINAL POST: “TROOPS OUT NOW” PROTEST MARCH, SEPTEMBER 29, 2007

Just a short note with some video … here [above] are some brave souls who faced almost constant taunts, threats, and outright theft from Leftist thugs and Jew-haters to stand for what they believe. A part of their tale is told in the video below, along with the whole insane juvenile acting-out that happens when a bunch of spoiled suburban kids try to take control of the traffic pattern of a major city.

Enjoy.

Keep scrolling down for more coverage and more video.

FINAL POST: “TROOPS OUT NOW” PROTEST MARCH, SEPTEMBER 29, 2007

Just a short note with some video … here [above] are some brave souls who faced almost constant taunts, threats, and outright theft from Leftist thugs and Jew-haters to stand for what they believe. A part of their tale is told in the video below, along with the whole insane juvenile acting-out that happens when a bunch of spoiled suburban kids try to take control of the traffic pattern of a major city.

Enjoy.

Keep scrolling down for more coverage and more video.

PROTEST CODA: September 15, 2007

Yes, that’s just a hand. My own left hand, to be precise. It’s holding the corner of a Code Pink banner on the Capitol Steps. Don’t ask why.

****

PLEASE NOTE: More photos and the two videos are in the post just before this one … just keep scrolling down.

****

I’ve tried to keep my anonymity in tact for these events. Sadly, it’s become somewhat unravelled over time … Medea Benjamin [Code Pink] and I exchange nods and smiles from time to time … same goes for Cindy Sheehan and Brian Becker [ANSWER], among others. People are people, after all.

Still, I’ve never shown an actual photo of myself on this blog and I’m going to keep that as a rule. This hand is about as close as I’ll ever get.

By the way, I’ve heard silly rumors that ANSWER is trying to claim 100,000 attendees at this protest. No way. 30,000 maybe … 35,000 tops. I walked the march from beginning to end and from front to back. The videos I took are from various parts of the march and should be adequate testimony that there were no where near 100,000 people at this thing. That’s not to say that 30,000 is anything to sneeze at … it was a respectable showing.

MySpace activity in and around DC must have nose-dived for those few hours.

Here, of course, is a collection of “peace-scarf” wearers … or, as I prefer to call it … the “I’d Rather Be Killing Jews, But OK I’ll Settle For Your Infidel Protest” scarf.

QED.

If you read the printing on this dude’s t-shirt I think you’ll agree it’s somewhat less than “peaceful”. Just to be clear.

You can click the photo to get a higher resolution.

The shirt says “Enemy Combatant”. I believe it.

And what would an ANSWER protest be without … the Che?

Sadly, these folks kept thinking I wanted a photo of them with their pre-printed signage. I finally had to insist … just put down the signs: I want the Che!

And how, I ask, could I conclude this dreary little tale without reference to Medea Benjamin and her sewing circle? That is, after all, where I began my 9/15 sojourn.

Here’s Medea herself at the end of the march … at the “die-in” … walking among the dead. Notice she is on her own two feet.

And here, also, for your viewing pleasure, are other images taken that 9/15 morn as we waited for the festivities to begin.

A lovely time was had by all.

And, finally, just a reminder of what all this is really about …

MORONIC CONVERGENCE: September 15, 2007; Washington DC

Puppets. Let’s get that out of the way, shall we?

Yes, there were puppets. Small and aging puppets. And stilt-walkers. That’s new. Sort of.

Once again, my video[s] will concentrate on the oddities … especially the musical oddities … present in these protests. Stuff you won’t see otherwise. The speeches you can hear on C-SPAN, etc. and they’re boring anyway.

I’ll probably have one video, however, dedicated to my walk between the ANSWER Protest and the Gathering of Eagles [henceforth: GOE] Counter-Protest. There was about a 10 foot corridor between them.

I call it “The Gauntlet”.

**** CHECK BACK FOR VIDEOS ****

**** UPDATE: SUNDAY 09/16/2007 ****

Here’s my second video: More Protest Music. It’s still processing through YouTube so it may take a while until it actually works, though YouTube is getting quicker at approving these things. UPDATE: It’s live … go ahead and click!

I think it’s my best work. Hope you enjoy!

**** FIRST VIDEO IS UP ****

The last time we saw this puppet it was being blown to bits crossing Memorial Bridge. It is definitely the worst for the wear. I have a few words with the creator in one of the videos.

Sticking with the jokes … there was a small Ron Paul representation at the protest. Most people kept their distance.

And of course, the ultimate joke … Ramsey Clark … was there in person. I got kinda close, ya think?

Then there were the “normal” insanities one expects at ANSWER anti-war protests:

These … I have no idea where to even begin …

… and then there was the just plain ugly.

Or just plain stupid.

Or, well … er …

Then there are the surprisingly sentient and yet oddly insane … and happy [!] … jew-haters …

The Iraq Vets against the war marched …

Some folks got arrested …

And then the party … well … just … er … died.

We wanted to … well … pull the plug on the whole thing …

… but then Santa showed up again and everything was OK!

YAY!

PRO-AMERICA/PRO-ISRAEL COUNTER PROTEST 6/10/2007

PRO-AMERICA/PRO-ISRAEL COUNTER PROTEST 6/10/2007

Here are some images I took from the counterprotest on 6/10. There weren’t many people there, but then again they only started organizing two weeks before the event and it wasn’t … unlike the pro-Fascist rally [see post below this one] … coupled with an official Convention. Highly impromptu.

Most of the images speak for themselves so I’ll leave them at that.

If anyone asks why the US supports Israel … it’s probably because Israel supports the US. Duh.

I should probably mention that June 10 was also DC’s “Gay Pride” Day and that there was a huge event on the Capitol Mall to celebrate. It had far [far] better attendance than either one of these rallies.

There was, however, some natural movement among the groups, although I didn’t see a lot of gay couples in amongst the head-choppers on the Capitol Lawn.

Here’s and example of a gay supporter of Israel. “LGBT” means “Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-gender” … just in case you didn’t know.

I didn’t. I had to ask.
Is should also probably point out that the catalyst that brought on this counter-protest was an ad campaign instituted by the head-chopping Fascists wherein they purchased ad space announcing their “event” in the DC Metro. Very slick.

Once the pro-Israeli/pro-Human forces got wind of it they bought their own ad space and a counter-ad-insurgency was begun. What you see at left is an example of that ad campaign. There’s another one [about the same size and style] some photos below this.

Pro-Terrorist Rally on US Capitol Lawn: June 10, 2007

Pro-Terrorist Rally on US Capitol Lawn: June 10, 2007

Lamest Protest Rally … Ever.

There’s a line from Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” where Woody and Annie are sharing their first glass of wine together on a rooftop in New York City, and Annie complains that she meets a lot of … “jerks”.

Well, I meet a lot of jerks at these rallies … true, some require more critical observation, some less …

This guy ….

I think it was the keys. And the pathos. I mean really … three signs? Or maybe it was the hair.

Oh well …

This guy, then again, came a close second.

I’m not really sure why. I do know it was close, though.

***

The rally was marketed as:

The World Says No to Israeli Occupation March and Rally

Sunday, June 10th 2007 2pm

People around the world are joining together in a global day of action as “The World Says No to Israeli Occupation” to protest the 40th anniversary of Israel’s illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and Syrian Golan Heights. In the United States, thousands of people from all over the country will converge on Washington, DC, from June 10-11, 2007, to send a clear message: The United States Says No to Israeli Occupation!

Those “thousands” ended up being about a thousand. Tops. That’s “a” thousand, as in “uh” thousand. And that’s counting the speakers. And I’m pretty sure that most of them were locals. Which means that the only people happy about this tonight is the ANSWER crowd. Finally someone has put on a protest more lame than their own.

That must be a relief. I would think.

There were, as usual, packs of pathetic leftovers from the 60′s.

How anyone who actually lived through the Carter presidency can look at a picture of that man without either revulsion or lapsing into a giggle fit I have no idea.

Luckily for me I missed most of the fiasco by living in another country.

I did, however, manage to get the tail end, viz: the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Now there was a well managed international crisis. Yep, Carter put us in solid with the Iranians.

That peanut growing, rabbit fearing anti-Semite was the nail in the coffin of my own naive leftism. He was leftism’s reducto ad absurdum at its best.
He still is. Perhaps more so.

I suppose I owe him for that.

One of the benefits of attending these rallies is one get’s the truth raw.

I mean, none of this namby-pamby “two-state” crap.

Let’s just drive those pesky Jews right into the Mediterranean.

That’ll fix everything.

The Capitol Building really is beautiful, isn’t it?

Hard to remember sometimes that Lincoln walked these grounds, along with most of the great men and women in our history.

At many points during the Civil War Union cavalry messengers would gallop across this very lawn with news from the front. The disaster of Chancellorsville … the triumph of Appomattox. People crowded here on hearing the news from Pearl Harbor. VE Day, VJ Day were celebrated by thousands of cheering Americans, some weeping with joy. One can almost see them sometimes.

That truth just adds to the pathetic tragedy that is today’s left.

Sometimes it just makes me want to weep.

Then I catch a glimpse of something that encapsulates so well everything they stand for … a mascot … an avatar of the irony and the comedy that is the warp and weft of today’s left along with their pathetic, attention seeking neurosis.

And I just have to laugh.

Ah … that’s better.

More to come … I hope.

**** UPDATE 06/11 8:45 pm ET ****

OK, the media and the organizers of this dead-end rally have obviously tried to pull their embarrassed butts out of the fire by claiming 5000 attendees. Now, while 5000 is still pitifully small, I want to enter into the record in the interest of full disclosure a group of photos I took at the height of the rally ~ 4:00 pm. I have put them together into a panorama. Please click on the image to get a larger, more detailed look. I have another 14 meg version on my computer here at 8500 pixels/2500 pixels if the media or anyone else wants an even better look.

That ain’t 5000. It may not even be 1000. Don’t push it.

**** UPDATE 6/12 8:15 am ****

Just a few more photos for those who are in denial that this event was essentially leftist:

Brian Becker … National Coordinator for the ANSWER Coalition.

The “Man With No Tan”

He’s holding the sign.

The keffiyeh/Che convergence.

This is the ANSWER table. The fellow to the left (!) is actually a decent enough bloke … I’ve seen him at a number of these rallies and have spoken with him.

Sad.

He’s the bloke in this video I took last year in front of the Israeli Embassy ….

Medea Benjamin (to the left, appropriately), one of the founders of Code Pink and professional harpy to various and sundry legislative assistants … along with some of her quilting bee.

PROTEST/COUNTER-PROTEST on the Capitol Mall

PROTEST/COUNTER-PROTEST on the Capitol Mall.

… This is getting to be a habit.

Potty-mouth lefties vs. the occasional Lizaroid. What more could you want?

Well … you’d want more I’d be bound. However, Julia and I are going to a special fundraiser tonight and I won’t be able to process this stuff as quickly as I would like, so I’ll just leave you with these for now.

Two rallies … one Capitol. Two worlds.

Here is a photo [left] from the pro-Israel rally just up the street. I’ll be posting more on that later. Nicer folk.

Plus the observation that, no matter what the media may be saying about the pro-terrorist rally on the Capitol South Lawn today … and I hasten to admit that I haven’t heard anything … the attendance was ~ 1000 tops.

And I have the photos to prove it.

As you will no doubt see later.

Plus, of course, some video.