Blogger Claims Boycott Of Beverly Hills Hotel Hurts Wrong People

I don't know where Lynda Bekore stands on the political spectrum (I'm assuming she's a liberal), but she just wrote an article for the Huffington Post condemning the calls for a boycott of the Sharia-loving Sultan of Brunei owned Bel Air and Beverly Hills Hotel as hurting the wrong people.

The legendary Beverly Hills Hotel has seen a surge in cancellations of bookings and denouncements on social media, as Hollywood celebrities, moguls and others declare a boycott against the home of the famed Polo Lounge and its sister luxury hotel, the Bel Air, run by the Dorchester Collection.

The company is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, who recently announced that the country he rules would follow strict Sharia law regarding homosexuality and adultery, both punishable by death by stoning, as well as other crimes with harsh penalties. LGBT activists and advocates have called on Hollywood power-players, celebrities, moguls and the public to boycott the hotel, so as not to support the Sultan's repugnant announcement. Celebrities from Jay Leno to moguls like Richard Branson have organized protests or vowed not to solicit the hotels, and have called for public boycotts.

They're right to shout out about it. To Westerners, and even to many Muslims, the very strict interpretations of Sharia law such as stoning to death is abhorrent. If we've learned nothing else from the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, or the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by the Turks, or the genocide of half a million Sudanese in Darfur, we've surely learned the fatal danger of remaining silent against something we find universally horrifying. And certainly as Americans and promulgators of democratic values and the basic tenets of free speech, you could even say we have a responsibility to speak up for those who cannot protest themselves.

Boycotting a hotel, however, is very different from protesting its owner. Who are you hurting when you cancel events, or urge your clients, your fans, or employees not to do business at the hotel? You're hurting the workers, who are American, not Brunei citizens, have no say in the laws of a foreign ruler, and are just trying to make a living. They are the most vulnerable to the strings that get pulled by those more powerful than they are, whether it's their boss, their company owners, or well-meaning activists who can effectively put them out of their jobs.

[snip]

Boycotts of mid-sized establishments like the Beverly Hills Hotel inevitably hurt the innocent, and it's a pretty safe bet that most of those 1,000 workers didn't even know who owned their hotel until last week, let alone what a Sultan of Brunei was. So why punish them?

The hundreds of housekeepers, cooks, bartenders, and valets just wanted jobs, and especially the tips that supplemented them. Taking away some hotel bookings from a man who thinks nothing of covering his Rolls Royce in 24 karat gold isn't going to hurt him, but it sure is going to hurt them, and many might not ever recover.

The rest here.

Although I do agree that boycotts often adversely affect the wrong people, I have to wonder if she felt the same about the boycotting of Chik-fil-As, which are franchised operations. I doubt it.

Celebs Boycotting The Beverly Hills Hotel Owned By Sharia-Loving Sultan Of Brunei

Who knew the Sultan of Brunei owned the snazzy, celebrity-faved Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.  In fact, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah owns the whole Dorchester Hotels collection which both those hotels are a part of.  The Sultan, if you will recall, is the dude who is bringing back the 'death by stoning' part of Shariah law for homosexuality, adultery, extramarital relations, blasphemy, apostasy, murder, robbery and rape. One third of the people in Brunei are non-Muslims, but most of those laws will apply to them, as well.

Some of the other draconian laws the people of Brunei will be subjected to:

From Thursday, Brunei citizens can be fined or jailed by Islamic courts for offenses like not performing Friday prayers, pregnancy out of wedlock, propagating other religions and indecent behavior. More severe punishments -- flogging, amputation of limbs and stoning --for offenses such as theft, adultery and sodomy will be introduced in phases over the next two years.

As a result, Richard Branson of Virgin Group, along with some other celebs, has decided to boycott all Dorchester hotels:

"No @Virgin employee, nor our family, will stay at Dorchester Hotels until the Sultan abides by basic human rights."

Yeah, good luck with that. I can't imagine the Sultan is going to give a damn about some Western infidels boycotting his hotels, but the intentions are good. Maybe if enough people jumped on the bandwagon, hello Emma Thompson and you Boycott Israel types, to hurt the Sultan's bottom line he might relent, but I doubt either will.

Besides Branson, there have been organizations pulling scheduled events out of the hotel after the Human Rights Campaign urged them to do so.

 On Sunday, the Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs pledged to move its awards event for the Impact Awards from the Beverly Hills Hotel to another location.

“[W]e cannot, in good conscience, support an entity that is controlled by an individual whose beliefs are in direct contradiction to ours," said the group's executive director, Keishia Kemp.

and

On April 30, the Feminist Majority Foundation similarly moved its Jay Leno co-chaired Global Women's Rights Awards in protest. And on April 26, a small group protested at the Beverly Hills Hotel location to raise awareness.

Other boycotting celebs:

Sharon Osbourne, Ellen DeGeneres, Brian Atwood and Peter Som are among those in the industry who have used social media to protest.

The Motion Picture and Television Fund is pulling out for their 2015 event, and Jay Leno and his wife joined a small group of protesters at the hotel.

The Beverly Hills Hotel response:

"We continue to abide by the laws of the countries we operate in and do not tolerate any form of discrimination of any kind." [snip] "The laws that exist in other countries outside of where Dorchester Collection operates do not affect the policies that govern how we run our hotels."

Not good enough. But I predict the boycott will never get off the ground, and after a few months it will all be forgotten. Meanwhile, the A-List celebs will continue to boycott Israel.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Air Freshener Withdrawn From Ukraine After Complaints About Brand Colors

It doesn't take much these days for people to take offense to one thing or another. This time it's Ukrainians and a toilet freshener. What would offend them you might ask? The branding colors of the BrefDuo Stripes freshner. They're blue and yellow. The same color of their flag. And Sweden's. Though I don't see Swede's complaining.

Now you might think they would be royally pissed off had it been, say, a Russian company that manufactures the toilet freshner, but it's actually a German company, and enough Urkainians have complained that Henkel pulled it from Ukrainian shelves, and issued an apology on its Facebook Page:

First of all, we wish to stress again that we are sorry if people feel offended by the design of our new Bref Duo Stripes. The color blue, intended to stand for water and hygiene, and the yellow color for lemon scent are common for this type of products. However, we have carefully listened to the comments of our consumers in Ukraine as we listen to our consumers in all countries in which we operate and take their concerns very seriously. We respect our consumers' feelings and have therefore taken the appropriate steps to immediately discontinue the distribution of the product in its current color design. We have also cancelled the respective TV ad. We apologize for any irritation our product may have caused.

Now I thought this might be a joke (am not going to fall for anything bogus, again!), but there is a TV ad, and enough complaints on the Henkel FB page to warrant taking this seriously. There are even calls for boycott.

Sigh,

Source: RFE/RL

Whole Foods CEO Apologizes For Calling Obamacare "Fascism", Liberals Will Still Boycott

John Mackey, co-CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods and a free-market Libertarian, received a lot of flak when he penned his alternative to Obamacare in 2009, and even more for calling Obama's health care plan "more like fascism" during an interview with NPR this past Wednesday. Now, as they did back in 2009, the usual suspects are calling for a boycott- which is what stupid liberals do- without taking into account that Whole Foods ranks as one of the top 100 places to work, so corporate must be doing something right. In fact, the health food store was ranked #32 in CNN's top 100 for 2012. Not only has 53-year-old John Mackey capped executive wages, he has paid himself an annual salary of a whopping $1.00 since 2006. Yes, that's right, "one" dollar. Cashier's make a little over $26,000 per annum, team leaders over $80,000. They receive 100% health coverage, subsidized gym memberships and are offered domestic partner benefits for same-sex partners. So liberals are calling for a  boycott of a workplace that you'd think would be a liberals dream, just because the CEO happens to think Obama's Affordable Care Act sucks?

Unfortunately, Mackey bowed to pressure for his fascism comment, apologizing for what he called a "poor word choice", and posting it on Huffington Post and the Whole Foods blog:

I made a poor word choice to describe our health care system, which I definitely regret. The term fascism today stirs up too much negative emotion with its horrific associations in the 20th century. While I'm speaking as someone who works hard to offer health care benefits to more than 73,000 team members, who actually vote on their overall benefits packages, I am very concerned about the uninsured and those with preexisting conditions.

I believe that, if the goal is universal health care, our country would be far better served by combining free enterprise capitalism with a strong governmental safety net for our poorest citizens and those with preexisting conditions, helping everyone to be able to buy insurance. This is what Switzerland does and I think we would be much better off copying that system than where we are currently headed in the United States.

I believe that health care should be competitive in the open market to promote innovation and creativity. Despite the criticism of me, I am encouraged that this dialogue will bring continued awareness and a better understanding of viable health care options for all Americans. There is an alternative to mandated health care in free enterprise capitalism based on voluntary exchange for mutual gain. This alternative allows individuals and businesses to innovate and develop customized solutions to health care where a “one size fits all approach” fails. Creativity and progress are stifled when government regulations dictate the parameters of what health care plans can be offered. Creative businesses, and the people who work them, can make something that has value for all stakeholders.

I need a new word or phrase to describe the state of health care now because it is something that I, like all folks entrusted with the wellbeing of a team, grapple with daily in this era. I think for now I will simply call it government-controlled health care to distinguish it from free enterprise capitalist health care. Clearly, I would prefer free enterprise capitalism in health care because it would greatly increase innovation and progress —just like it does in every other aspect of our lives, wherever it is allowed to exist. I hope those who are my critics, would recognize that we are all after an improved state of society, and not be distracted by the poor use of an emotionally charged word.

The majority of comments on the Whole Foods blog are negative, some even call for his resignation, and some say they will not shop there until he's gone:

SHARON KA SAYS ...
I will not be shopping at Whole Foods in Madison, Wi anymore. i think you can guess the reasons why. John Mackey needs to resign.

And idiots who don't bother to do their research, since Mackey makes $1.00 per year:

ED FROM JERSEY SAYS ...
I shop at Whole Foods not because I care about their political views but because of the quality of the food. That said, I think I pay enough for their food that a portion of it should benefit the employees by providing them with health care. Why is it that CEO's think they deserve their million dollar salaries, fat bonuses, and fat stock options, but the lowest people on their totem pole don't deserve the most basic human element? CEO's need to factor in the human element into their business model.

And another idiot who has no clue about Mackey or Whole Foods policies, since he offers 100% insurance coverage:

EMDOYLE SAYS ...
Do you provide healthcare for your employees? Or are they forced to find something for themselves like so many other big companies? You say you support universal health care - we all do, including the President. But when CEOs don't try to lead the way on an issue such as this, and, instead, sit back passively and then criticize the outcome, that's just ridiculous. You think of yourself as a job creator, but if you don't offer health insurance, you're only doing half of what is needed and relying on the government to pick up the slack. Good work.

I find the response very sad, but not at all surprising.

H/T Drudge Report.

Macy's Says No To Petition To Dump Trump

30-year-old Angelo Carusone, the guy who credits himself for getting Glenn Beck off of Fox News (@StopBeck) by targeting the advertisers, is at it again; but this time he's set his sights on Donald Trump. Why? Because he didn't like Trump's anti-Obama campaign.

Angelo who now has a new Twitter account @GoAngelo- in case you feel inclined to engage- is now trying to get Macy's to drop Trump's line of clothing, accessories and fragrance. On October 24, he started an online petition on SignOn.org (part of MoveOn) urging Macy's to dump Trump:

Macy's: Donald Trump does not reflect the "magic of Macy's." We urge you to sever ties with him. Macy's says it has a strong obligation to be "socially responsible" and that "actions speak louder than words." Indeed. It's time to act.

Carusone said: “Trump’s public conduct had been especially abominable,” criticizing him for his  "birther" stance, and his $5 million charity offer to Obama if he shared his college records and passport application with Trump.

As of now there are well over 574,000 signatures on his petition, just shy of his 575,000 goal.

Carusone also said of Trump:

”Trump’s brand is consequence-free bullying. That doesn’t reflect well on Macy’s. People expect more from Macy’s. I’m more interested in what they have to say and less interested in what Donald Trump says.”

And trying to get a company to dump his products isn't a form of bullying?  What happened to free speech?  Can we not criticize a particular candidate or political party without liberals jumping on the boycott or "dump" bandwagon?  If we don't conform to your way of thinking we suffer the consequences?  This is so wrong.

Thankfully Macy's hasn't buckled.  Spokesman Jim Sluzewski emailed this statement:

 “Macy’s marketing and merchandise offerings are not representative of any political position. Many of the individuals associated with products sold at Macy’s—or at any retailer, for that matter—express personal opinions that are not related to the merchandise we sell or to the philosophies of our company.”

Of course, liberals don't see it as a question of free speech. They just want to silence any dissenting voices.

Chicago- No To Chik-fil-A, Yes To Anti-Gay Nation of Islam Restaurant Salaam

By now everyone knows about the Chik-fil-A controversy, and the call for a boycott of the Christian-owned fast food chicken eatery by the gay and lesbian community (and supporters) after president Dan Cathy admitted he is anti-gay marriage. He didn't specifically say he was anti-gay, he simply stated that he believes in the "biblical definition of the family unit."  Heck, there are gays I know who are against gay marriage. Not many, mind you, but there are some. Does that make them anti-gay? I really don't care one way or another, there are far more pressing global issues to be concerned about, like a nuclear Iran, or the massacre in Syria.  Should gays and lesbians and their partners have rights, absolutely. Should they be discriminated against? No way. But gay marriage is not something  I spend much time thinking about. 

So now everyone wants to shut down a company that employs thousands, in an economy that is tanking. How smart is that. If you don't agree with the philosophy of a particular company, don't patronize that business, but don't force everyone else to do the same. Cathy is  not going to change his stance on gay marriage, so what's the point?  He didn't call for the killing of gays, unlike the Westboro Baptist wackos; or that extremely un-Christian pastor in N.C. who thought it would be a great idea to round up gays and lesbians, corral them behind an electric fence, and let them die; or pretty much the bulk of one particular religion, at least in the Middle East and parts of Asia.

Ironically, Chicago just opened its arms to a restaurant built by anti-gay, anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan's the Nation of Islam, and yet Rahm Emanuel has said he backs the blocking of the construction of another Chik-fil-A in Chi-town. What most of the people calling for a boycott don't realize is that Chik-fil-As are franchised, and maybe some owners might not have as strong an opinion against gay marriage as Cathy, and they will suffer as well, along with all the people they employ who might so happen to be pro-gay marriage.
So, back to Salaam, the Nation of Islam's 5 million dollar eatery.  It sounds like a great place to eat, healthy dining, great vegetarian options. Just up my alley  Would I eat there? Never. Why? Because of Farrakhan's hate-filled ideology. Would I tell people to boycott? No. Should gays boycott Nation of Islam restaurants because of their anti-gay rhetoric? If they are boycotting Chik-fil-A, they sure as heck should. The Nation of Islam is a far greater threat than a man who doesn't support gay marriage.  Farrakhan also happens to be anti-gay marriage.

Legal Insurrection blog also points out the hypocrisy of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino's declaration that he would block a planned Boston Chik-fil-A- although he was taken to task for that by a Boston Globe editorial:

But which part of the First Amendment does Menino not understand? A business owner’s political or religious beliefs should not be a test for the worthiness of his or her application for a business license.

Chick-fil-A must follow all state and city laws. If the restaurant chain denied service to gay patrons or refused to hire gay employees, Menino’s outrage would be fitting. And the company should be held to its statement that it strives to “treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation, or gender.” But beyond the fact that Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, the religious beliefs of the company’s top executive don’t appear to control its operations.

LI also references a blog post by Michael Graham that claims Mayor Menino supported a homophobic mosque in Boston.

This is the Islamic Society of Boston’s mosque in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, a.k.a. “Menino’s Mosque.

Mayor Menino “sold” $2 million worth of city property to the ISB for $175,000, despite their well-documented links to Muslim extremism. The mosque teaches a form of Islam that condemns homosexuals to death.

And Menino won’t let a guy spend his own money opening a restaurant because he doesn’t support same-sex marriage? Hey, Mayor Moron—when was the last time Chick-Fil-A stoned a gay guy to death?

How's that for liberal hypocrisy.

Pakistani Extremists Call For Boycott Of Ahmadi Owned Juice Company

Shezan is a very popular brand in Pakistan.  The company manufactures everything from soft drinks and juice to ketchup, chutneys, pickles, and jams. Unfortunately, the founders are Ahmadiya  Muslims and Ahmadis are not well loved in Pakistan, or in any other Muslim-majority country for that matter.  Even though they are Muslims (or at least consider themselves to be) they are persecuted and marginalized because they are not the right kind of Muslim.  In fact, in several countries (including Pakistan) they are considered non-Muslims, and as a result they're often victims of violence. In June 2010 the Shezan factory in Lahore was bombed, and Ahmadiya mosques have been targets of suicide bombings in the past.  Now, Shezan is being hit by calls for a boycott of their products by two different groups: a student union at the University of Punjab, and the Lahore Bar Association.

Shezan has been around since 1964 and employs over 1,000 people. Ironically, most of the employees are not even Ahmadi, but that hasn't stopped other boycott efforts of both the company and companies that do business with Shezan.

The latest boycott at the university campus is thought to have been instigated by student members of Islami Jamiat Tulba, which is part of the extremist Jamaat-e-Islami organization.

As for those lawyers,

Media outlets in Pakistan cited Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, the president of the LBA that around 100 members had unanimously supported the boycott, to be applied to all canteens and food outlets in the court complexes under the LBA’s jurisdiction. However, Zulfiqar Ali was quoted in other media reports several days later as saying the boycott would not be enacted until a vote was put to all members. He claims the association is made up of various factional movements, one of whom moved for a resolution on the ban in the last meeting. The group behind the motion goes by the name Khatm-i-Nabuwwat Lawyers’ Forum (KNLF).

The legal profession in Pakistan has become deeply politicized in recent years. The Lahore Bar Association in particular has been in the spotlight, as some of its’ member publicly celebrated Mumtaz Qadri, the body guard who assassinated Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer in January last year.

The more enlightened Pakistanis, however, have balked at the boycotts and have started their own support Shezan campaigns. They've also been highly critical of the lawyers and their bigotry. 

If these extremists can't even get along with fellow believers in Mohammad, how can they ever be expected to get along with the rest of us.

Egyptian Tycoon Receives Boycotts, Lawsuits & Threats Of Severed Tongue For Posting Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Islamic Garb

Disney's Mickey Mouse has taken center stage, yet again, in the Middle East.  But this time, rather than being a tool for teaching terrorism to kids- remember Farfour the Palestinian Mouse-  he and his gal pal Minnie created a firestorm of protest against Egyptian Telecom and media tycoon-cum-politician, Naguib Sawiris.  Sawiris has had lawsuits and boycotts launched against him for posting a cartoon of Mickey with an Islamic beard and a niqab-clad Minnie from his Twitter feed. Apparently, the cartoon had already made the rounds in an email that featured the mouse couple and the quote: "this is the future of Egypt"- which is more than likely where the country is headed, given the overreaction to the post.  It probably doesn't help that after the fall of Mubarak, Sawiris formed a political party- Free Egyptians-  determined to create a secular Egypt and is a Christian Copt, to boot. As an 'infidel', he justifiably (in the minds of the Salafis who are at the bottom of all the protests) deserves all the obligatory death threats etc. that are being leveled at him, in spite of having apologized on Twitter:

 "I apologise for any who don't take this as a joke, I just thought it was a funny picture no disrespect meant! Assef!! ". [sorry]

According to various news sources, Facebook pages materialized calling for a boycott of  Sawiris' cell phone company, with one group accruing over  60,000 followers.  Although I was unable to track it down, the "We are  joking Sawiris" group supposedly had the following posted on its page:

 "If you are really a Muslim, and you love your religion, boycott his projects. We have to cut out the tongue of any person who attacks our religion."

It's quite obvious conservative Muslims lack a sense of humour. Time and again they demonstrate a serious inability to find the grace and humour in life, which is perhaps why they so often resort to violence. If they lightened up a bit, life would be  much more pleasant- and peaceful-  for the rest of the world. But no, they  consistently choose to be offended by even the most innocuous of things. Like a veiled Minnie and bearded Mickey.

Sources: ArabTimes , TelegraphUK,
photo from The Blaze

March 30- Buy Israeli Goods Day!

To counter the international anti-Israel 'BoyCott Israeli Products Day' (March 30) promoted by groups like BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), pro-Israel and pro-Jewish groups are actively encouraging people to go out and buy Israeli products today. Here's one website that will help with that goal. And if you have stumbled upon this website, intent on boycotting Israel, take a look at this video before you opt to do that. You might have to give up more than you are willing to.

Spain Sponsors Palestinian "Boycott Israeli Goods" TV Ad

The Palestinians have started airing a TV ad promoting the boycotting of Israeli goods. With their flare for the over dramatic, the ad shows a couple of men (one of them a shopkeeper) discussing the boycott. They both agree Israeli products are, for the most part, better than Palestinian goods and that this is what the Palestinians demand. A young boy, who has been listening to the conversation, opts to buy the Israeli potato chips, until he hears gun fire (obviously evil Israeli soldiers). In response, he drops his chips on the floor and asks for Palestinian chips instead. It ends with the words:

"Don't prolong the occupation's life upon our land".

Now, it's not really surprising that the Palestinians would produce and subsequently air an ad endorsing the boycott of Israeli goods, in spite of the fact that Palestinian products obviously stink. After all, they're not the only ones calling for a boycott of everything Israeli. This is something that has been going on for years. What was surprising, however, was the fact that the Spanish government and a Spanish NGO sponsored the ad. Prominently displayed at the end of the video are their logos, in case anyone has any doubts.

I suppose I'm really not surprised, but rather disgusted that a foreign government would sponsor a boycott of another democratic country. And where do the Palestinians expect to get their supplies from? They'll soon be pissing and moaning about not having enough goods.

Now go out and buy some Israeli goods!



The transcript of the TV ad as published on the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) wesbite:

A boy enters a store and overhears a conversation.
Customer to shopkeeper: "Do you see them? They're plastering the city with advertisements about boycotting Israeli goods."
Shopkeeper: "I can't not bring in [Israeli products], because people ask for them."
Customer: "Israeli products are better than the local products."
Shopkeeper to the boy: "What do you want?"
Boy, after looking at Israeli products: "I want Israeli chips."
He takes the chips, walks to the door, and hears gunfire. He looks around, drops the chips on the floor, returns to the shopkeeper and says: "I don't want the Israeli product, I want the Palestinian product."

The advertisement ends by displaying the text: "Don't prolong the occupation's life upon our land," with the logo of the Palestinian NGO Health Work Committees, followed by the logos of the ad's sponsors:
The Spanish government,
the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
AECID (Spanish governmental humanitarian aid development),
ACSUR (a Spanish non-profit organization),
Canaan Joint Development Project for Jerusalem (Palestinian).

AFA's Christian Boycott of The Gap Goes Too Far

The pro-family Christian organization American Family Association (AFA) has issued a temporary boycott of The Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic stores because, according to their website, they're pissed off that the Gap has refused to use the word 'Christmas' in its TV ads.

Problem is, this isn't quite true, since the following ad features dancers singing a ditty that clearly contains the word Christmas, and given top billing, to boot.

"Go Christmas, go Hannukah, go Kwanzaa, go Solstice... do whatever you wannukah, and to all a cheery night."

Personally, I don't find anything offensive about the ad, though I know there will be some who take issue with the fact that it includes other holidays. I will be the first to criticize how pc this world has become, but there is a difference between being pc and being inclusive. Christmas is not the only celebrated holiday during the December 'holiday season', and it's not as if the Gap was excluding Christmas or calling it something it isn't. Yes, it's stupid to call a Christmas tree a Holiday tree, that indeed is being pc, but to wish someone Happy Holiday's is not pc, since not everyone is Christian.

Let's all be more charitable during this Holiday Season. Since that's what the season is all about. Isn't it?

'Boycott Israel' Group Vandalizes Israeli Products At Trader Joe's

The following video is a perfect example of what happens when you gather a group of people who have way too much time on their hands, no brains, and little respect for the property of others.

On June 30, 2009 ("Don't Buy Into Apartheid Day"- yep, it exists), in the San Francisco Bay Area (and elsewhere), pro-Palestinian/anti-Israeli activists, members of Global BDS Movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions for Palestine) trekked on over to various Trader Joe's and proceeded to vandalize all Israeli-made products. In this particular location, the feeble Trader Joe's employees basically did nothing to deter the idiots from plastering stickers on the food, other than threaten to call the police. At the beginning, they also asked them to stop filming, although they continued to videotape their antics for 6 minutes or so.

Of course, they bandied about the whole Israel is an apartheid state, which is ludicrous, and to which I devoted a whole post to.

I wish I had been there!

WARNING: The video has an annoyance-factor of 10+.




HatTip: WeaselZippers

Children's Film "The Golden Compass" not so golden!

Jumping on the global PC bandwagon, and its tireless effort to appease all those who might happen to get offended by nothing and everything, the film and television industry has had no compunctions, whatsoever, about censoring the word "God" from programming. Last year, I wrote about NBC editing out all references to "God" in the animated children's show "Veggie's Tales". According to Rebecca Marks (NBC spokeswoman) the references had been edited out

"... to reach as broad an audience as possible with these positive messages while being careful not to advocate any one religious point of view."

As if Christianity had the exclusive rights to God! In the original format two of the characters, Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato, ended each episode with, "Remember kids, God made you special and he loves you very much." Nothing more, nothing less, but it was obviously deemed potentially offensive to someone, so "God"-- gone.

This year it's Disney's turn. This past October, the Disney Company ordered the word "God" to be removed from some radio ads promoting the animated film "The Ten Commandments". Disney claims the words "chosen by God" were purged

"...because its policies require mention of the studio in its commercials and it decided to replace the "chosen by God" phrase with "from Promenade Pictures" because the original script made it sound as though the actors were chosen by God, not Moses, as was the intended meaning."

If you listen to the ad, it actually could be misconstrued, however, the script could easily have been rewritten in order to make the intention clearer. They obviously chose not to.

Sadly, "God" has become, in many ways, persona non grata, in today's world. From banning prayer in schools to calls for removal of "In God We Trust" from the U.S. currency, we are slowly being forced to eliminate God from our lives by a vocal minority of God-haters. And many are acquiescing to the PC way of dealing with those easily-offended types, by catering to their whims because it's simpler than fighting back. But the more you submit, the more they demand- and the more you lose. It's not a good precedent to set, by any means. And what is so odious and offensive about the word "God", anyway? Even if you do find it so, what harm is there in its use by others who don't? There are many things I find offensive, but I don't demand they be removed or banned. If you can't bear to use the word "God" in our Pledge of Allegiance, then simply omit it, like a fellow actor at a recent SAG meeting!

There seems to be an on-going tug of war between those atheists who want a world devoid of God, and those who believe a God-less world will be the downfall of humanity. And atheists seem to be gaining ground in that battle- including in the realm of Hollywood. On December 7th, 2007 a children's film entitled "The Golden Compass", starring Nicole Kidman and other major players, is being released. It's based on the first novel "Northern Lights" in Philip Pullman's trilogy "His Dark Materials". Seemingly innocuous, it's actually atheism's answer to the Narnia Trilogy. And although all religious (or rather anti-religious references) have been removed, Christian groups are still calling for a boycott. Their main concern is that children will be inspired to read the trilogy after viewing the film (in its watered-down version), and that unsuspecting parents will then purchase the books, which have a decidedly anti-Church, anti-religious theme. In fact, God is portrayed as a drooling, senile old man, and is killed off at the end, by the young protagonists. Pullman, an avowed atheist makes no apologies for his writings, and has openly admitted:

"My books are about killing God."

And:

"I don't profess any religion; I don't think it's possible that there is a God; I have the greatest difficulty in understanding what is meant by the words 'spiritual' or 'spirituality."

Here is a reference from "His Dark Materials", that you won't find in the film:

"The Authority, god, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, the Father the Almighty – those were all names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves – the first angel, true, the most powerful, but he was formed of Dust as we are, and Dust is only a name for what happens when matter begins to understand itself….The first angels condensed out of Dust, and the Authority was the first of all. He told those who came after him that he had created them, but it was a lie."

There are those who believe that the anti-religious references should not have been removed, and I tend to agree. In this way, parents would at least know, upfront, what they are dealing with, rather than being bamboozled into seeing a film which is actually based on books with a rabid anti-God agenda. They should be allowed to make an educated choice, particularly before buying the books for their kids.

I'm not calling for a boycott, however I won't be lining their coffers by viewing the film, nor will I be recommending it to anyone, either. And, just as I would challenge all Atheists to simply ignore any God references that they might find offensive, rather than jumping to sue to have them removed, I am challenging all Christians and others of faith to just not view films like "The Golden Compass", or buy Pullman's books, rather than calling for a boycott. Boycotts rarely achieve their intended goals.

However, I definitely think parents should be made aware and act accordingly. If I had kids, I know I would not allow them to see this film!

Boycott the Middle East!

It seems that calls to "boycott" this or that have become de rigeur, these days, from idiotic Islamic fatwas against Danish products to loony leftist edicts to boycott Israel. So this is what I propose: in light of the increasing violence against non-Muslims, the 'western world' should boycott the Middle East.

In spite of warnings from western governments to avoid certain countries, people still travel to those areas for adventure and tourism and maybe a death wish or two. If that was curtailed, the income lost from tourism (at least in those places that still have a modicum of normalcy) might persuade those particular governments to take a stronger stand against the extremists that seem to have found a safe haven in their backyards.

The U.S. government has issued travel advisories for the following countries (note how many are in the Middle East) but that doesn't seem to stop people from traveling to those areas.

Lebanon 06/14/2007Saudi Arabia 06/14/2007Chad 06/11/2007Colombia 06/04/2007Côte d'Ivoire 06/01/2007Iran 05/31/2007East Timor 05/11/2007Nepal 05/07/2007Eritrea 05/02/2007Yemen 04/30/2007Philippines 04/27/2007Uzbekistan 04/25/2007Congo, Democratic Republic of the 04/24/2007Sri Lanka 04/05/2007Afghanistan 04/04/2007Algeria 03/22/2007Central African Republic 03/06/2007Kenya 02/06/2007Burundi 01/24/2007Nigeria 01/19/2007Israel, the West Bank and Gaza 01/17/2007Haiti 01/10/2007Indonesia 01/09/2007Pakistan 12/05/2006Syria 11/13/2006Sudan 10/05/2006Iraq 08/28/2006Somalia 06/05/2006

Apparently, the government of Spain has also issued warnings about travel to Yemen, however, an alleged Al-Qaida suicide bomber plowed into a group of Spanish tourists at an ancient Yemeni Temple dedicated to the Queen of Sheba (yesterday), killing 6 or 7 Spaniards and 2 Yemenis, and wounding others, just proving, once again, their total disregard for the sanctity of human life and historic and religious treasures.

"Al-Qaida has an active presence in Yemen, the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden, despite government efforts to fight the terror network. Al-Qaida was blamed for the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Aden that killed 17 American sailors and the attack on a French oil tanker that killed one person two years later. Yemen was a haven for Islamists from across the Arab world during the 1990s, but after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it declared support for the U.S. campaign against international terrorism."

And what would happen to the whole Middle Eastern infrastructure if western workers pulled out of the region? Most of those oil-rich countries are dependent upon those foreign workers, and yet they are targets of terrorists, as well. They might have the crude oil, but they need our technology and expertise, just like Venezuela does.

And what about all the foreign aid ngos? Pull those out of Palestine and other areas and see what happens.

Why should innocent civilians put themselves in harm's way?

I say level the playing field and see what happens! Boycott the Middle East!

(Yeah, I know, dream on. But one can dream.)