The snarkiness continues on day 2 of the Democratic National Convention. Reverse Order:
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@davejohnston:“I *might* back Universal Nachos.”
“Militant lesbians and beta males unite! Together we shall achieve mediocrity!”
“”I’m a United States Senator….because Rudy Giuliani got cancer.”
“Bow before the Great Pumpkin!
Popularity: 94% [?]
Admittedly, sometimes I get bored, and I have to entertain myself. The Democrat National Convention started last night, and I saw it as a perfect opportunity to burn off all the energy that Diet coke tends to provide. I know I said I wouldn’t cover the DNC, but I couldn’t help myself. I went Twitter-crazy. Here is the entire batch of comments (in no particular order) for your enjoyment. Note: Typos have been corrected for your reading pleasure.
Popularity: 64% [?]
I need somebody to explain something to me. I really do.
Why exactly is it, despite all that has happened since the 2006 midterm, (which in reality isn’t much, nice job, Nancy) “conservatives” still seem to think that we need to move left to win an election? Or at least, “It’s not what we want, but it will do.”
I’m completely baffled. Could we *please* grow a set?
To be more direct, what I’m actually talking about at the moment is the half-baked idea that Joe Lieberman would be the ideal running mate for John McCain this November. For the love of God, has everybody lost their minds? What in the hell is wrong with people?
I realize I’m coming off as rather terse here, but it’s all I can do to keep exploding in a fit of rage.
Popularity: 59% [?]
Introduction:
Just a little under seven years ago, my life changed. Actually, I think every American’s life changed, whether they can admit it or not. Who among us ever would’ve thought the course of American history would be changed so drastically in a matter of moments? I certainly didn’t, and I bet most of you didn’t either. Let’s face it. We in this country have been able to lead what a great many might call insulated lives. Depending on your point of view, I suppose you could see that as “lucky”.
We are a distracted culture, and none of us saw what was coming on that fateful September day. Why would we? Terrorism is something that happens in other places. It’s something that only happens on TV, not here. Not in America. September in America is about the start of football season and sending the kids back to school, isn’t it?
Well, it was.
Now, all the horrible things we had seen on the television over the years had suddenly become real. The horror was in our own front yard, and this time, it wasn’t a movie we could turn off and walk away from. Radical Islamic extremists had just declared all out war, and not just on us, but on western culture as a whole.
I think we all understood that….for about two weeks. It didn’t take long for some of us to start navel-gazing and asking “why do they hate us”, or worse yet, simply forgetting and falling back into our comfortable, complacent lives.
I think some of us need a refresher course.
Recently, I was given a copy of Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against The West. As many of you know, it is a film I have mentioned in the past, but I had only seen straggled bits and pieces. Now, having finally been able to view the film in its entirety, I can say without reservation that it is indeed, as the box states “required viewing for everyone.” The educational import of this film cannot be disputed, and it very well may be the most important film in the last 50 years.
After viewing the film, I was able to sit down for a moment with Gregory Ross, Communications Director for Clarion Fund, to talk about the project:
Art Lindsey: Could you tell us a little bit about whom you are, what you do?
Gregory Ross: I’m originally from Los Angeles and have lived overseas for many years. I moved back to LA from New York after 9-11, and a stint on Wall Street, and started working in the Hollywood Entertainment community.
AL: How did you become involved with this film, and what was/is your specific role?
GR: The producer of “Obsession”, Raphael Shore, is an old friend of mine. He approached me over a year ago about representing the film in Hollywood. My exact title is, ‘Director of Communications’ for the Clarion Fund (non-profit, 501c3), and I assist in everything from internal/external communications, dealing with the press, and helping to secure distribution for our films. We also engage in educational activities online and on college campuses, as the mission statement of the Clarion Fund is to educate Western Civilization about the threat of radical Islam.
AL: Who financed the film, and what was the cost? How long did it take to complete the film?
GR: The film was financed by a concerned citizen who has a long standing relationship with our organization. The cost was under $500k and it took over a year to complete.
AL: While the subject matter of the film is obvious, in your opinion, what is the ultimate goal of this film?
GR: Ultimately, our goal is that of self-protection. This is a non-partisan film that looks to warn Americans and other Westerners of the growing existential threat that we all face – radical Islam. Our enemy does not care if they kill a Democrat or Republican, black or white, Christian or Jew, or even in some cases other Muslims. We all, moderate Muslims included, need to ban together in order to succeed in this battle with the fundamental Islamists. No less than our Democratic way of life and the liberties it provides are at stake.
AL: In your estimation, how many people have seen “Obsession”?
GR: At last count I believe over 18 million people have seen “Obsession”. It has aired on CNN, Fox and other news outlets. It’s impossible however to truly gauge how many people have seen the entire film as it seems countless universities, churches, temples and other organizations have arranged screenings without our knowledge – which is just fine by us. We encourage activists to take matters into their own hands and spread the message. For us it’s all about getting the job done – not who gets credit for getting it out there.
AL: What is being done with the proceeds from this film?
GR: Proceeds from “Obsession” have primarily gone back into marketing the film. We’ve had a 2 year run so far since the films’ release, and yet there is still a large segment of America that does not know about the enemy we face. Our job is to reach those people, and fast!
AL: Have you received requests for the film from educators? Do you know of any institution where it is part of the curriculum?
GR: I know that the U.S. Department of the Navy uses the film and that it has also been shown on Capitol Hill on many occasions in order to education politicians. We have also screened it at countless universities and colleges. However we are unsure as to if it is being used in their curriculums – we certainly hope it is.
AL: How has it been received in a critical sense by the general public? Favorably or otherwise?
GR: Many people leave watching the film in a state of shock, however most all viewers are grateful for, and enlightened by, the information we provide in the film. This is scary stuff indeed! The public is extremely uniformed about the threats we face, and the general media is too consumed with Iraq to pay attention to the larger issues at hand. In the past years we have won and placed in numerous film festivals, and many critics have praised the film highly. Indeed, Glenn Beck said…”Obsession is without exaggeration one of the most important films of our time”.
AL: Have you received any feedback from Muslim groups such as CAIR because of this film? If so, what has that been like? Any backlash?
GR: Let’s just say that CAIR is not a big fan of our work – and they shouldn’t be! We uncover the lies, deception and terrorist activities that they work so hard to hide from us all. Other more moderate Muslim organizations and individuals actually use “Obsession” as a primer for their talks and lectures. We work closely with all moderate Muslims that look to reclaim their religion from the radical fanatics.
AL: What is your opinion on the current state of our war against Radical Muslim Extremism? Do you think the public truly grasp it? What aboutOur leaders in Washington? What is your view of the future, all things considered?
GR: Now that is the big questions, isn’t it? The public? Unfortunately, largely clueless. That’s why we are doing the work we do. The politicians? Some are not much better informed than the people they represent, especially when it comes to what is going on in their own backyards. The prison systems where hate and killing are being taught by radical Islamic chaplains who are paid for by the U.S. government, radical Islamic communities sprouting up in the U.S., Shariah financing on Wall Street, etc. We indeed have a big task ahead of us to get the people in Washington to do their job in protecting American citizens.
In terms of my overall view on the situation…go visit Europe now and kiss it goodbye, in our lifetimes it will be overrun by radical Islam. As far as America is concerned I think the Middle Eastern expert Bernard Lewis sums it up best in our new film when he succinctly suggests that America “wake up!” We have a short window of opportunity to turn the tide, and we really must join all of our resources in fighting what is the most dangerous threat today to our society and way of life. The global climate crises may present problems in 20-30 years, but if we don’t counter the threat of radical Islam, we might not be around that long to ‘enjoy’ the warm temperatures that our carbon footprints provide.
Popularity: 83% [?]
Irreconcilable Differences?
Even in California, with divorce rates hovering around 50%, the dissolution of a marriage is still looked upon as a sad and tragic event – celebrity breakups notwithstanding. Most people still believe (I hope) that one should work thru their marital difficulties and use divorce only as a last resort. The question is: Does this hold true for the relationships between countries…and are we now at that point with the Arab world?
Many people would like to think that we can still salvage our relationship with Arab nations; however, the harsh realities of the Middle East paint a dismal picture indeed. One need look no further than recent events in Lebanon to realize how bleak prospects are for marital harmony between Western civilization and our Muslim ‘other half’. It boggles the mind that anyone could be anything but aghast at the lack of humanity Hezbollah terrorists displayed in their recent celebration of death. Samir Kuntar’s brutal killing of a 4 year old girl, coupled with his countrymen rejoicing in the return of their “hero”, leaves even the mildly perceptive wondering about the perversity of how these people think. Is there some way to save this marriage between our civilizations? Or, is it time to recognize our irreconcilable differences, and file for divorce?
The problem is, unlike the divorcing spouse that just gets up and moves to another house, our world has become too small and interdependent to revert to such isolationist behavior. This is especially true as we are on the cusp of a nuclear armed Iran. This, added to our reliance on foreign oil – which in turn adds more zeros to terrorists’ bank accounts (can anyone say $5.00 per gallon!) – has us feeding the very beast that aims to consume us. Wow! Did it just get too expensive and dangerous to get a divorce?
Here are a few facts that speak for themselves….
1. Islamic countries with large investment portfolios now own sizable parts of Citigroup and NASDAQ.
2. At current gas prices, within 5 years OPEC countries can have a controlling interest in every major U.S. company.
3. Within 10-12 years OPEC countries will have the financial wherewithal to buy every major U.S. company outright.
And if that isn’t enough to scare you into scrambling for the remote to zone out on an old “Seinfeld” episode, consider this…
4. Current Saudi Arabian oil reserves are now worth more than all of the companies on the NYSE combined.
(For more depressing info on our country’s self-defeating energy policies (or lack of them), see the recently released YouTube video.
So, is there still time to get out of this mess? Any sane person would have already called their divorce lawyer (or at least a marital counselor) decades ago. But sadly, America and the rest of the Western world are far, far, far from sane.
Hence, enters the documentary “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West” – www.obsessionthemovie.com . Obsession attempts to awaken Western civilization and unveil the truth about our militant Arab ‘spouses’. While painting a glimmer of hope by calling for moderate Arabs to rise up against the radical Muslim minority that looks to enslave us all, Obsession clearly delineates the inhumane principals by which our adversaries live.
In no uncertain terms Obsession graphically depicts that we are in a war, defined by its opposing religions and cultures, which is nothing short of a battle for global supremacy being foisted upon us by radical Islam. This leaves me to ask how in the hell we in the West can continue to pay homage to so-called political correctness. Take for example multiculturalism. It’s simply not true that all cultures and religions have the same values, and as Hezbollah and other terrorists have shown us, they have little regard for truth or human life. If knowing your enemy is the path to victory, then Obsession is the sourcebook for the battle plan we so desperately need.
Don Vito Corleone (“The Godfather”) once said, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”. The reality is that we can’t financially afford to get divorced from the Arab world and we will have to continue to live together (until lunar condos become available). However, on November 4th Americans can choose who will wear the pants in this family, the Muslim world or Western civilization. Let’s just pray that whoever is elected doesn’t wear trousers made from Jimmy Carter’s cotton farm.
Gregory Ross
Director of Communications, Clarion Fund
****Tomorrow: An Interview with Gregory Ross
Popularity: 62% [?]
I am a staunch conservative, a long-time podcaster, an Internet radio pioneer and perhaps the laziest blogger in the world. Please check out my current podcast “Out in Right Field” with my buddy Mark Hopkins on the Take That! Radio. Thank you for stopping by! Please see my ‘about’ page for a more detailed bio, and feel free to drop me a line at: art[at]artlindsey.com