The Convergence Begins!

I’ll be adding photos throughout the march … check back!

I’m guessing 2000 to 3000 protesters – tops.

I should have more photos and video later … this is just live using the iPhone app.

It’s over. Now home, maybe a few more photos and a little video … check back!

UPDATE: OK, I’m done posting. I think most of the photos are sadly self-explanatory.

More coverage at This Ain’t Hell and Marooned in Marin.

Here’s the video … enjoy!

OK, one of the morons marching yesterday commented on my video, saying “I guess this is supposed to be a mocking video, but all I see are people who care deeply about this country.” Well … as far as “mocking” is concerned that would fall under “duh”. As far as “people who care deeply about this country” … well, scroll down this post and judge for yourself. Quite the echo chamber these folks live in, huh?

I’m in an experimental mood. Here’s a version you can view in High Def if you want! Hit the “HD” button on the bottom

And I end, as usual, with … THE CHE!

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.

Sudan Sunrise

SUDAN SUNRISE

Somewhere between the death of my WWII veteran father [11/8/07] and today, I was honored by Sudan Sunrise when they asked me to video their conference on Sudanese reconciliation.

The above video is the result.

Much trouble, much work, much juggling of priorities and necessities. I hope and pray that the end product is worthy of the subject.

Video: Imam Mahdi Bray

Imam Mahdi Bray seems to be “in the news” a bit these days as a result of the “Imams-on-a-Plane” incident [see my earlier post] and his interview with Michelle Malkin on the Laura Ingraham radio show.

Here’s a video I made earlier this year of a short talk I had with the Imam in front of the Israeli Embassy here in Washington DC. The “protest” in the pipe at the time was directed against the Israeli government. It was at the start of their incursion into Gaza as a response to the kidnapping of Cpl. Shalit. We chatted shortly after the formal “protest”, which was sponsored in part by our old pals and commie-poseurs at ANSWER. I really wish the Imam [who seems at least in person to be a decent enough bloke] wouldn’t hang out with those thugs.

I say that the Imam seems to be a “decent enough bloke” … and perhaps that’s simply because we’re both Virginia “homeboys” and share some sort of bizarre semi-Southern, Shenandoah Valley based commonality. There are those who disagree with my assessment. Please check this LINK at Jihad Watch for more information on the Imam. Perhaps I’m being naive … I don’t know. That’s why I’m posting the video. I report, you decide.

While I agree with almost nothing he says in the video, I must say that he comes across (to me) as sincere and is frankly a breath of fresh air when compared to most other people I meet at these events. I usually either have to deal with smug T-Shirt emblazoned “philosophers” and coffee-shop leftists, “Che”-wearing poseurs, ANSWER thugs, grim-faced radical Islamists and al-Qaida types or (worse) completely clueless middle-aged or teenage (there’s almost no in-between) suburban “concerned citizens” and Code Pinkers who would be better off learning the actual lessons of Vietnam and the 1960s as opposed to their own romanticized versions of those lessons. It can be quite draining.

Imams on a Plane

Fellow-Travellers arrive at Reagan National Airport.

Imam Omar Shahin of Tucson AZ managed to cobble together an “inter-faith” pray-in today at Reagan National Airport … early. 8:15 am. I had to get up at 5:30 am to make it in time for this.

For this.

**** UPDATE ****

Here’s the video! [Requires Flash]

[click the "play" button]

I’m uploading to YouTube and will post that when processed.

**** UPDATE ****

Here’s the YouTube version:

The things we do to keep you informed.

It [the "pray-in"] was a classic example of modern media manipulation and propaganda … hardly anything there was actually what it seemed to be. I’ll be posting one of my own videos on that subject later … for now I’ll leave you with a few photos.

There was, of course, the standard media-swarm. G-d forbid they miss an opportunity to display their “courage” and “concern”. More on that in the video.

I swear that one of these day’s I’ll point my video camera into this crowd and allow you all a quick snapshot of the type of things these guys talk about. On the other hand, it’s probably just about what you’d expect so why bother running the risk of becoming a pariah.

Still.

A lot of my old friends showed up … among them Imam Mahdi Bray, who is the executive director of the Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom Foundation.

I have to admit that I have a grudging affection for Imam Bray … I’m spoken to him and have seen him at a number of these protest rallies … and he does seem to be a genuine fellow of peace and a devout Muslim. Perhaps I’m being naive, given his reputation elsewhere … but I’ve never … personally … detected any animosity from him nor have I heard first-hand anything beyond what I could classify as more than just common left-wing spittle [which, perhaps, I've become just too used to].

Too bad he hangs out with these types and ANSWER thugs.

I suppose it’s a living.

A devilishly handsome bloke, though.

This guy showed up, too. “Rabbi” Arthur Waskow.

He’s a Reconstructionist. I know that doesn’t mean much to the non-tribal readers. Frankly, it doesn’t mean much to the tribe, either. It’s all very confusing.

Suffice to say that it qualifies as “Jewish”, but just to the left of Unitarian.

**** UPDATE: 11/29 ****
I’ve just been informed that our friend Waskow here has left the already wacky Reconstructionist movement and has merged into the barely sentient “Jewish Renewal” movement [which, frankly I had never even heard of] … talk about a slide into darkness. This is the best they could get? This is sort of like getting Jim Jones to stand up as a representative of the Vatican.

He definitely needs talit-wearing lessons. I assure you … it’s an art and this “rabbi” doesn’t have the beginning of a clue.

Here’s a link to his web site. About what you’d expect.

He’s a friend of Cindy Sheehan’s so I suppose that makes him a good Jew to keep around, just in case. Like now … when they actually need one.

Hold the phone!

Who is this distinguished, full-bearded gentleman stepping up to the mike in his expensive suit? Could it be the Reverend Graylan Hagler of the United Church of Christ?

What’s that he’s saying about America?

What’s that he’s saying about the Jews and getting along together?

My word, but he seems to be a reasonable bloke!

Mon dieu! It is! It is the Rev Hagler!

Now, where have I seen him before?

Ah … now I remember … more on that [later] in the video.

Heh.

It pays to go to more than one of these.

Video: Christopher Hitchens

This was a video I made on February 24, 2006 in front of the Danish Embassy in Washington DC. We were meeting together to express solidarity with Denmark and free-speech during the “muslim cartoon” insanity. At the end of the rally, Hitchens got up to give a short address and I decided to test the video setting on my new Sony MegaPixel.

I posted the video and it quickly spread around the net … it was my first attempt at “videoblogging” and, luckily, I hit a home-run.

I’ve finally given up on Google Video and am now, one by one, transferring all of my archived videos over to YouTube.

I don’t know what I was thinking … that when Google purchased YouTube they would somehow merge their databases? Perhaps that’s in the works but I certainly haven’t been notified. As it now stands, YouTube is the standard for web-video and that isn’t likely to change any time soon. That’s where all the viewership is and all the action.

Funny, when I made this video … just February of this year … YouTube didn’t even exist.

I’ve been crazy busy with a number of projects … nothing to do with the blog.

I notice that Darfur is once again in the news … here are some videos I made earlier this year on that subject:

Simon Deng, a former slave from Sudan, speaks about his life and his troubled country in a speech on the West Lawn of the US Capitol April 5, 2006.

The chairman of the American Anti-Slavery Group speaks about the Arab-Muslim jihad against blacks, both Christian and Muslim, ongoing in Sudan.

Speeches by Elie Weisel (Night, etc.) and Paul Rusesabagina (Hotel Rwanda) … made at the Rally to Stop Genocide, Washington DC, April 30, 2006.

Muslims to Pope: How DARE you imply that Islam is a religion of violence?!?

… er

A Short History of IslamoNazism

courtesy In the Bullpen

For your afternoon viewing pleasure.

PLEASE NOTE that I should have some new stuff of my own up by the end of this week regarding a very interesting congressional race near where I live in the DC area.

While we’re at it, here’s another collection of infomercials and kiddy-shows brought to you by the “Religion of Peace”.

Know your enemy. Enjoy.