Rally To Stop Genocide. OK, I suppose we need to address first things first. So, "Yes" ... there were puppets. Two, kinda scraggly, hardly noticeable, somewhat embarrassed and embarrassing puppets. Here they are. From a distance. That's all there were. And, "Yes" they were re-treads. I'll have some video after I finish processing it. Not much, but interesting I hope. Requires Windows Media Player UPDATE: Here's one version of the video ... I was forced to put up a low quality version because of some network issues I can't surmount at the moment. I'll replace it with a better quality soon, I hope. I'll note the change in an update when it happens. I did manage to get Elie Weisel's speech (at the end of this video) so perhaps that alone is worth it ... UPDATE: Here's the higher quality video: The first part is of me in my fruitless quest to find any muslim representation at all in the crowd. The second part is Elie Weisel's speech. Requires Windows Media Player UPDATE: I've created another video which I will put up today comprising two (2) of the speeches made at the rally: Elie Weisel and Paul Rusesabagina (Hotel Rwanda) which I call "Two Voices, Two Holocausts". Please check back. UPDATE: Here's the new video mentioned above: Speeches by Elie Weisel (Night, etc.) and Paul Rusesabagina (Hotel Rwanda) ... Two Voices, Two Witnesses: Two Holocausts. Requires Windows Media Player So, on to other things. This was a large crowd (finally). Not that I support any lefty causes (this rally, though, was a mixture of people from the right and the left) ... but the last few anti-war "rallies" they've held here in DC have been, frankly, embarrassing. Which is OK, don't get me wrong ... it was just getting all too predicable and boring. I missed the sea of faces. Even crazed anarchist faces. This was the biggest non-Immigration rally I've been to in a long time. I was speaking with a friend on the phone during the rally who (being used to the more underpopulated rallies we've been having recently) asked me for an approximate count. "Large", I said ... "very very large." "A thousand?" she asked innocently. Ha! "Many thousands," I replied emphatically. This was no anti-war, CodePink affair. There were puppets, sure, but that detracted not one whit from the overall effect. This was the real thing. I'll leave it to the organizers for the final count ... in the tens-of-thousands is my guess. I couldn't get close to the rostrum. Not even within 50 yards ... people must have camped out. Packed. I could find no footing. After a certain point, no progress was to be had. A wall. So, I contented myself with wandering the crowd. And, as I wandered the crowd (the very substantial crowd noted and described above) I began to notice a particular trend ... ... at first a subtle trend ... ... until it became, frankly, overwhelming. One quick caveat: your humble correspondent is, indeed, MOT (Member Of Tribe). However, I hadn't seen a concentration of "T" on his scale since I worked on a kibbutz. Tribespersons abounded ... I was awash. I'm not trying to be unfair here ... I'm really not. I snapped other signs and other group logos whenever I could. Here's one for good measure. But Jesus-Tapdancing-Christ ... "Where" I asked with subdued irony, "are the Arab/Palestinian contingent? Where is the Muslim "street"? That motley crew of oppressed victims and peace-lovers? Where? Aren't the Palestinians the 'new Jews'? Shouldn't they be here in solidarity against oppression? If so, where are they? There was simply none to be seen." This was a real head-scratcher. I only ask. To be fair. Indeed, the first video I captured is, in part, my quest to find one ... one (1) ... representative of that community here in sympathy with some real victims. Just "a". Did I succeed? No, not really ... not one. I was deliberately wasting your time. And I was only being funny when I said it was a "head-scratcher". Ha, Ha. It isn't. I guarantee you. Go ahead, ask any imam in the 'occupied territories' (at least) what they think of the genocide in Darfur and you'll find them in complete sympathy with the head-choppers, rapists and those forcing famine on entire villages including women and children. That's their idea of "peace". That's what they mean when they say Islam is a religion of "peace". "Peace" is when no one disagrees, or at least shuts up and keeps their dhimmi place. This is genocide, my friends, and it is part and parcel with the current international jihad. Darfur is just one face under the hob-nailed Islamofascist boot. Sudan is the reality of the muslim "street". Forced starvation is what they'd like to do to everyone who stands in their sick, medieval little way. Let no one tell you different. And you only need to open your eyes to see who are the ones standing firm here. And, oh, it's the same ones the "Religion of Peace" blames for all its own dysfunctionality. What a surprise. Yeah, for sure, there were imams giving speeches here today ... every now and then some sort of "ecumenical" grouping got up and made the appropriate blather about how everyone agrees, one deity, brothers-in-spirit, blah blah, and there was always at least one imam ... it would have been embarrassing otherwise. But they were token ... the real test was in the crowd -- who bloody well showed up to be counted. And not one bloody member of the "Religion of Peace" could I find. Not "a" representative. Remember that. This could probably be called the theme of the rally. Were there "moonbats"? Sure. "Wingnuts?" You bet. This was a good cross-section of the "Tribe" ... there were people on the right and there were people on the left and a vast center. Some speakers praised Bush, some exorcated him. Here's a good example of the "pro-Bush" type sign ... Here's a good example of the "anti-Bush" blather ... Discuss. Here's a somewhat interesting sentiment. Something makes me doubt that it would last beyond the first US casualty, but still ... and does "chickenhawk" apply here? Your guess is as good as mine. I'll leave, instead of the standard "protest babe" interlude, with one of my favorite moments. Here is a man, a mench, probably a rabbi (but perhaps not) who, like all good MOT's everywhere, does not allow the Word or the Thought of G-d to depart from his lips, morning or night. So, in the midst of all this humanity, he finds time to open his small Talmud (I have the same edition I believe ... I couldn't make out the particular tractate) and commune with his Creator. More beautiful than any "protest babe" I could find (and there were many). And he's not concentrating in spite of the crowd ... but rather as an embellishment for it. Baruch haShem.

There will be a Rally to Stop Genocide this Sunday, April 30 near the west side of the Capitol. This is one of those few issues we all can get behind ... left, right, and center ... and maybe make a difference. I'll be there and expect to get some good video and pictures. I'll get the photos up as soon as I can get home and then the videos as soon as I can get them processed ... probably a couple of hours. Stay tuned. Check out my earlier posting on this issue regarding Simon Deng's Freedom Walk earlier this month.

Requires Windows Media Player Yom haShoah. Literally, the Day of Extermination, on which we remember the victims of the Nazi Holocaust. With Iran and most of the Muslim world literally threatening yet another, perhaps this is a good day to remember what was. Why is it that so many Holocaust deniers first deny it then want to repeat it? Anyway, the above link is an audio stream wherein Tovia Singer and Tamar Yonah of Israel National Radio discuss the Holocaust, Iran and other topics of interest. Enjoy.

MilBlog Conference 2006. Here's a photo of Colonel Austin Bay and Bruce Edwards of the North Carolina VFW, great guys extraordinaire. I was privileged to sit next to them at the MilBlog Conference, which was held today in Washington DC . I'm busy processing the video. Until that's done, I'll post other photos as I have the opportunity. UPDATE: Scroll down for VIDEO. Colonel David Hunt was also in attendance (to say the least). He's the type of guy who fills up a room and then some. I thought he was as interesting person just watching him on Fox News ... he's incredibly charismatic in person. He's about 6' 20" ... or at least that's the impression I got. He wouldn't let me take his picture until I shook his hand. Notice that the camera is tilted slightly up ... He moderated the third panel later in the afternoon: "Blogging from the Theater" ... an amazingly charming person. Colonel Austin Bay opened the conference. Notice behind him the live blogging and feed panels ... there were any number of conference participants working away and live-blogging from the site. From my position in the room I had a difficult time keeping up with the chat. Colonel Bay was followed by Buzz Patterson LTC USAF (Ret) who moderated the first panel ... I managed to get most of the first panel: "Milblogs: Past, Present and Future" on video, which I'll present just as soon as it's finished processing. Requires Windows Media Player Here's my first video. This is the first panel mentioned above: "Milblogs: Past, Present and Future" moderated by Buzz Patterson. The blogs on the panel are:

A Solder's Perspective The Indepundit Blackfive Op-for ThreatsWatch

The audio isn't the best ... there are places where it is quite clear followed by some muddy regions, followed again by clarity. The problem is recording in a conference hall/auditorium ... too much of a hollow echo. I get much better results outside. I'm working on the problem with a new mike. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to have them. Austin Bay was, of course, a brilliant Master of Ceremonies. I've already posted his Closing Remarks below ... I'm still working on his Opening Remarks. UPDATE: I've completed processing Austin's opening remarks for the conference and the video is embedded below. Here's a video of Austin Bay's opening remarks. Here's a video of Austin Bay's closing remarks. Austin talks about bloggers as people who report what they know and what they see. I've always believed that a picture is worth far more than 1000 words ... at times a picture or a video can be literally priceless. Part of what I saw at the Conference was a lot of smart, young, tech-savvy, up-beat people who believe in this country and it's mission and it's manifest destiny. I saw military experts, military moms (no Cindy Sheehans), soldiers from the field. People who know the truth and won't knuckle under to the constant, unremitting pressure placed on them daily from the MSM and others of like ilk who's mission it seems to be to depress, humiliate, and demoralize them into accepting a defeat that they (the liberals, the left, the Democrats and the Media) have deemed necessary for their own political/power/control agenda. It won't work. This time, we're fighting back. Andi of Andi's World, pictured here, organized the Conference. A quick PSA: Bruce Edwards of the VFW spoke about the VFW's Military Assistance Programs (MAP) and its Un-Met Needs Grant Program. Please watch the short video for more information or contact your local VFW. You can also find information at http://www.vfw.org.

Save Sudan: End Slavery. I attended the Simon Deng Freedom Walk rally on the West Front Lawn of the US Capitol today, April 5, 2006. Scroll down for some VIDEO. Simon Deng is, incredibly, a former slave from the Sudan. It's appalling to think that we're only a few airline-hours away from the 7th Century. He was captured by Arab Muslims and sold as war-booty during the regional Arab/Muslim "jihad". This "jihad" is directed exclusively against the black population in the region, killing both Christian and Muslim alike, and thereby demonstrating the purely racial/genocidal character of this particular, lovely, spiritual "jihad". Frankly, if "jihad" is some sort of "spiritual struggle" then perhaps the hundreds of thousands of dead need in this region alone to be enlightened on that point. Those are some "spiritual" issues ... these people need serious therapy. Or something more "active". Starting on March 15 of this year, Mr. Deng and a group of supporters walked from New York City to Washington DC in order to bring attention to the unbelievable conditions faced by his people as a result of continuing Arab/Muslim genocide in the region. Approximately 200 people attended the rally. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) are supporting legislation to support the Sudanese victims of the on-going Arab/Muslim genocidal "jihad". I have video of both speeches and will be posting both tomorrow. Interestingly, military options were mentioned by both Senators as on the table, in order to save thousands of lives. The speeches were, mostly, non-partisan. This is an issue that should transcend such issues. UPDATE: OK, I decided against the Brownback/Hillary videos. Too bloody boring. I did, however, create an edited video version of Simon Deng's speech. I cut it by more than half ... not because the material wasn't good but because he spoke for over 17 minutes and that's not something anyone will sit through or load on the internet. My version is just slightly over 7 minutes long which, while still pushing it in my opinion, is acceptable. You might have to hit the play button a few times for it to start and keep running, depending on your connection Here are some quick quotes from Simon's speech:

"We want the United States Government to take the leadership, because the United Nations failed. I, personally, I am the last person on earth to believe in the United Nations. For a simple reason. Anyone who'll believe in the United Nations I will buy him a ticket, and let's go to Rwanda ..."

"My fellow Americans, those victims in Darfur today, they are not counting on the UN ... they're counting on you."

The situation in Sudan is rapidly deteriorating and something must be done soon. To the left is a photo of Mr. Deng (who is now a proud US Citizen) holding an American flag. Mr. Deng also gave a speech at the rally which I recorded. I'll do some editing tomorrow and perhaps post it along with those of Senators Brownback and Clinton. It was a lengthy speech, however, and may not be amenable to the net. We'll see. [see UPDATE above] Thankfully, none of the usual cast of race-baiting victim-mongers showed their faces at the rally. That's not surprising ... Mr. Deng is an honest hero who overcame actual slavery and real violent racism while maintaining his integrity. Looking at him I just can't see "victim" and I'm sure he doesn't see himself that way. The strength of his character and the validity of his history would overshadow any attempt at exploitation. It's no wonder they didn't show ... Here's a VIDEO of one of the strongest speeches at the rally, made by the chairman of the American Anti-Slavery Group. Amazing and sad that such a group is still required. He didn't pull any punches. Some quick quotes from the video:

"This is a racist jihad. You're not supposed to say that but that's the truth."

"[They] don't want to be arabized ... they want their own culture, their own customs, their own dress and their own language. Arab supremacists won't abide that, so there's a jihad."

"At the UN, the Arab League and the Islamic Bloc along with the Europeans who make money on deals with Sudan are in alliance with mass murder, and they cover it up."

Yeah ... "Religion of Peace". More information can be found HERE and HERE.