Author: coastcontact

I am a somewhat cranky but mostly optimistic 65 plus who refuses to give up on this maddening world. The purpose of this BLOG is to express my feelings, thoughts.

For the Sake of Safety

Two Muslim religious leaders say they were removed from a commercial airliner in Memphis on Friday and were told it was because the pilot refused to fly with them aboard.

Masudur Rahman, who is also an adjunct instructor of Arabic at the University of Memphis, said by telephone from the terminal at Memphis International Airport that he and another imam had already been allowed to board their Delta Connection flight to Charlotte, N.C., before they were asked to de-board.

It was reported that airline officials at Memphis tried to resolve the situation, but the pilot refused even after a 30 minute discussion.  One man was dressed in traditional Indian clothing and his traveling companion was dressed in Arab garb, including traditional headgear.

In January 2010 a teenage airplane passenger using a Jewish prayer object caused a misunderstanding that led the captain to divert a Kentucky-bound plane to Philadelphia and prompted a visit from a bomb squad.

I too would have been fearful of people dressed in a manner that is not customary in America.  Is it racisim or fear of the unknown?  Should we have the right to doubt someone’s intentions?

For the sake of safety I believe the pilots were correct in both instances.

America Needs a New Leader

While everyone is celebrating the capture and death of Osama bin Laden, no one is watching the stove.  The water isn’t boiling over.  The pot is burning. I mean the economy.  Weekly Initial Job Claims increased by 43,000 people. Total initial claims were 474,000 people and have not been this high since the week of August 28, 2010.  (May 6, 2010: Unemployment rose from 8.8% to 9.0%).  Home values in Los Angeles have continued to drop to ever lower levels. The Median price is now $325,000.  That is more than 2% below last years March number.  In 2007 the median home price was $560,000.

So I ask, what laws have been passed or what actions has the government taken to reverse the trend?  NONE.  The recent reduction in new job claims cannot be attributed to any government activity.  Commodity prices have been driven up by speculators but there is no justification for the price increases.  World demand doesn’t spike in just a few days or weeks.

Neither political party has a clue on ways to revive the economy.  They know they have no ideas.  Thus they march out diversions.  It’s the budget issues, Planned Parenthood, the national debt, Medicare, or anything else that will divert your attention.

We need leaders with new ideas.  Sadly none are on the horizon.

Bin Laden’s Sea Burial is a Hoax

It hasn’t been two days since the killing of Osama bin Ladin and already the newspapers are reporting conspiracy theories about his death.  It seems that whenever anything consequential happens the theorists offer their own version.  There is even a conspiracy theory website.  http://listverse.com/2007/08/21/top-10-conspiracy-theories/ 

The above site starts with this introduction. 

“Everyone enjoys hearing about a good conspiracy theory and many people enjoy coming up with new ones. You can spend an incredible amount of time reading about theories and wondering if there is any truth to them. This list is the top 10 conspiracy theories.”

  1. 9/11 was Planned by the US Government
  2. UFO Recovered at Roswell
  3. John F. Kennedy’s Assasination
  4. Global Warming is a Fraud
  5. Princess Diana was Murdered by the Royal Family
  6. Jewish World Domination
  7. Apollo Moon Landing Hoax
  8. Pearl Harbor Was Allowed to Happen
  9. The Third Secret of Fatima
  10. The Philadelphia Experiment

Now add to this list the idea that Osama bin Ladin was not killed this past Sunday. Proof is the dumping of his body into the Arabian Sea. No one outside of those involved in the White House plot actually saw his remains. The reason for conducting this hoax is to put the search efforts to rest and improve President Obama’s re-election chances. The complete hoax theory was printed in the Los Angeles Times.

Disposition of a Body

A colleague penned the following comment about the disposal of bin Laden’s “holy body.”  Worth a read. 

On February 21, 2002, a videotape was released titled “The Slaughter of the Spy-Journalist, the Jew Daniel Pearl.”  The video shows Pearl’s decapitated and mutilated body.  On March 10, 2007, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, reputed to be third in command of Al Qaeda under Osama bin Laden,  confessed (boasted?) to his captors. ” I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew Daniel Pearl, in the city of Karachi, Pakistan.” He repeated that statement during before the military tribunal. Pearl’s body was cut in ten pieces and left to rot in a shallow grave. There was no  cry of
indignation among Pakistani religious authorities about whether Pearl was given a proper burial, although a Muslim philanthropist hated by the extremists, Abdul Sattar Edhi, collected the body parts and arranged to send them to California for burial. In the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden and his burial at sea, there have been complaints by some Muslim religious authorities that, by burying OBL at sea,  American authorities did not give him the respectful burial to which every Muslim is entitled. I also thought of the hundreds of workers at the World Trade Center who were incinerated by OBL and his crew whose bodies could never be buried in individual graves that their families could recognize. There is something viciously asymmetrical in that moral calculus. Those teachers and religious leaders are quick to complain about slights they believe that been done to their own, yet have not a word on behalf of those they consider infidels. In a way, it’s the same thing with their vicious calls for the killing of all Jews (e.g. Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi) and their demands for laws against “Islamophobia” and hate speech against Islam.

 

Rabbi Arnold Stiebel, Ph.D.
Mediation Matters of California
Woodland Hills, CA
arnoldst@aol.com

Osama bin Laden is Dead!

Osama bin Laden was found and killed by United States representatives in a mansion near Islamabad, Pakistan.  This is a historic event.

President Barack Obama announced this fact this evening at 11:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Savings Time.

This is a great day for the United States of America.  Without their significant leader, al-Qaeda will be seriously impaired.  Will they decide to conduct an attack somewhere in the world in retaliation?  I am quite certain that all nations are on alert.

Many loud cheers for America!!

Trump: ‘Our leaders are stupid’

If I was going to create an outrageous candidate for President he just might speak like Donald Trump.  This could be the lead character in a B movie.

By Cristina Silva The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS – Real estate developer and TV showman Donald Trump fueled speculation that he’ll enter the 2012 White House race, assuring a crowd of supporters at a Las Vegas casino that he is seriously weighing a presidential run in a speech laced with the F-word.

The setting Thursday night was fit­ting for the casino mogul whose moni­ker is draped across the gold-tinged Trump International Hotel & Tower just off the Las Vegas Strip. An open bar greeted more than 1,000 people, waiters passed hors d’oeuvres, and a Trump impersonator entertained the crowd.

At one point, a woman in the lavish reception at the Treasure Island casino yelled out that Trump should run for president.

“I think I am going to make you very happy,” the developer said.

But he later said, “There is a real good chance that no matter what hap­pens I won’t win because one of these blood-sucking politicians who’s been bulls—ing people for years will end up still getting elected.”

During a 30-minute stump speech focused mostly on foreign affairs, Trump sprinkled in a number of swear words and insults directed toward glo­bal leaders.

“Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people,” he said. “It’s just very, very sad.”

Trump also blasted President Barack Obama’s handling of Libya,Iraq,China and Afghanistan, and in one of his many curse-bombs, he lamented the nation’s focus on building schools in war-torn Afghanistan while neglecting education in the United States.

He said he wouldn’t help struggling nations such as South Korea,Iraq or Libya without payment.

“I’m interested in protecting none of them unless they pay,” he said.

When discussing trade, he said he would tell China’s leaders, “Listen you motherf——, we’re going to tax you 25 percent.”

A frequent critic of the federal health care law passed last year, Trump said the Supreme Court should decide the dozens of lawsuits challeng­ing the legislation and urged district courts not to waste their time on it.

Trump has created waves by ques­tioning whether the president was born in the U.S. Obama produced his detailed Hawaii birth certificate Wednesday, and Trump eagerly took credit for the reveal.

Trump’s visit to Nevada came a day after he traveled to New Hampshire, which is set to host the first presiden­tial primary in 2012.

Immediate Opening for Dispatcher in Burbank, California!!!!!

This email was sent to me today.
—
Good Afternoon,
 
We currently have an immediate need for a dispatcher in Burbank.  This group is seeking someone for at least 2 weeks possibly longer.  This group specializes in retail construction, retail equipment installation, and maintenance.
 
Qualifications:
– 2 years dispatch experience
– Basic to intermediate computer knowledge
– Strong data entry skills
– Ability to work in a fast paced environment
 
If you are interested in this opportunity please send a copy of your resume for review.  If you know someone who could be a good fit for the position please feel free to send them this information.
 
Thank you!
Bridget Firestone
Professional Staffing Resources
West LA: 310-478-6100
East LA: 818-847-1990
Fax: 858-875-0999
bfirestone@mypsr.com