IS YOUR THANKSGIVING TURKEY A MUSLIM?

    The turkey you serve this Thanksgiving might just be a secret Muslim bird! According to   anti-Islam blogger Pamela Geller*, the US meat industry is not separating “halal” from “non-halal” meat. What’s the difference? Halal is the method of preparing meat according to Muslim requirements. Geller claims that American turkey suppliers like Butterball are “sneaking” halal birds onto non-Muslim tables.

"Across this great country, on Thanksgiving tables nationwide, infidel Americans are unwittingly going to be serving halal turkeys to their families this Thursday. Turkeys that are halal certified -- who wants that, especially on a day on which we are giving thanks to G-d [sic] for our freedom? I wouldn't knowingly buy a halal turkey -- would you? Halal turkey, slaughtered according to the rules of Islamic law, is just the opposite of what Thanksgiving represents: freedom and inclusiveness, neither of which is allowed for under that same Islamic law."  -Pamela Geller
Geller is calling on those who agree with her to boycott Butterball's "stealth halal turkeys" and write to the company to register their disapproval.

Geller also claims that halal slaughter methods are “torturous and painful” for the turkeys.  In my research, I learned that the halal method requires a certified “mature, pious,” Muslim slaughter man who follows a prescribed ritual while slaughtering the turkey. He must face Mecca and say the name of Allah over the bird during slaughter. The animal is not stunned before slaughter, but a sharp, clean knife is prescribed so the animal’s throat can be cut cleanly. The spinal cord is to be left intact during slaughter.  I did find some disturbing videos which supposedly document halal method of slaughter. I started to watch and couldn’t watch the whole clip. It was far too upsetting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_bZzxep87c&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26frm%3D1%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D3%26ved%3D0CDEQFjAC%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.youtube.com%252Fwatch%253Fv%253Dh_bZzxep87c%26ei%3DcfLKTr3rJ8jd0QH1_9Vo%26usg%3DAFQjCNFjf-YDQDHBhgRn8MNbRonYWK2dLA%26sig2%3D_dgLb6-rf7_vYYEQ2Y0aBg&has_verified=1

(You must be 18 or older and sign in to view this clip. I STRONGLY suggest you do not allow anyone under 18 to see this. It is incredibly upsetting but I feel it’s important to know exactly what halal slaughter involves.)
If this is truly the way animals are slaughtered for halal, I will be the first to start a campaign to ban it in the US! I intend to contact Butterball myself and follow up with a letter to my congressman!
Which brings me to the question: Does is matter to you if a turkey is  Halal certified? Would you choose not to buy a turkey that was slaughtered and prepared according to these rituals?  We’d like to know what you think.  If you have more detailed information on the subject, or find that what I’ve discovered in my research is not accurate, please comment!

*Pamela Geller (born 1958) is an American blogger, author, political activist, and commentator. She is known primarily for her criticisms of Islam and opposition to Muslim activities and causes, such as the proposed construction of an Islamic community center near the former site of the World Trade Center. She has described her blogging and campaigns in the United States as being against what she terms "creeping Sharia" in the country. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Geller)
FYI: From Butterball’s website

“With expertise in catering to the cultural and linguistic needs of countries all around the world, we are USDA Approved, Russian Approved, and Halal Certified. Butterball has a wide-array of product choices to serve almost any price point and market, and will work with you to meet specific product needs. With both the Butterball and Carolina Turkey brands, you will find all of the high-quality products and experience you need to make every meal a celebration.”  http://products.butterballcorp.com/intl/

TOLL FREE PHONE NUMBER FOR BUTTERBALL: 1-800-288-8372

Joel Coleman
VP/General Manager International Sales
Email: jcoleman@butterball.com
Phone: 919-658-6743 ext. 2320
Fax: 919-658-2381

Scott Singleton
International Sales Manager
Email: ssingleton@butterball.com
Phone: 919-658-6743 ext. 2628
Fax: 919-658-2381
Area of responsibility: Branded, Value
Added and Whole Turkeys

THE HEART BENEATH THE BADGE

by

Marion Pellicano Ambrose



The Heart Beneath the Badge

He stands tall and strong, ready to act, ready to defend.

His mind alert, his eyes keen, he’s aware of every shadow, every movement around him.

His hand, ever ready at his holster, is just as ready to take the hand of the lost child, the distraught mother, the confused senior.

He can shout to a suspect and whisper to an accident victim, tackle a fleeing felon and cradle an abandoned baby.

The steel of his badge is cold and hard, but there is a heart beneath the badge.

He has a family of his own, and he carries their pictures in his shield case. He studies the pictures of the criminals he must find and take off the streets.

He risks his life at a domestic violence call, then he calls his wife, just to hear her voice.

He cuffs the gang members dealing drugs near the school. He coaches the basketball team to the championships.

The emblem on his shirt says “Police Officer”, but there is a heart beneath the badge.

The heart of a hero.

PARANORMAL PUB : The Silk Dress

Excerpted from Spooky New York

Retold by Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Liza worked in a box factory, and her salary was not large. She made just enough to cover the cost of food, shelter, and the clothes on her back. So when she received an invitation to a fancy-dress party from an old friend, she did not know what she should do. Here was her chance at last to shine a little, to experience how the other half lived, but she had no money to buy a dress, or even the material to make one.

She mentioned her dilemma to a woman at the box factory. “Why not rent a costume?” the woman suggested. “It shouldn’t cost much for just one evening. Try your local pawnshop.”

And so she made her way to a pawnshop near her home after work. At the rear of the store, she found a beautiful satin gown, complete with matching accessories. The owner of the shop was willing to rent the gown to her for a reasonable fee. After paying the fee she took the beautiful gown home with her on the night of the party.

She dressed carefully for the occasion and peered at her reflection in the tiny mirror in her bathroom. She looked radiant, her blue eyes glowing with the excitement of an evening out. As she turned away from the mirror, she thought she heard a whisper: “Give me back my dress.” She froze in the doorway, looking around uncertainly for the speaker, but saw no one. She shrugged, went downstairs, and splurged on the cab fare into Manhattan.

When she arrived, she was quickly inundated with dance partners. She felt like Cinderella at the ball, and the first hour of the party quickly slipped away.

She slowly became aware of growing nausea when she paused between dances. She felt light-headed, and the room was spinning for a moment. Once again Liza heard a ghostly whisper in her ear: “Give me back my dress.”

Happy Anniversary on the opening of Disney World! On October 1, 1971!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Walt’s dream of Disney World began long before 1971.  Early in 1959,  he began searching for a location on the east coast to build the amazing theme park he envisioned. Walt Disney flew over the Orlando site in November of 1963. Seeing the well-developed network of roads, including the planned Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike, with McCoy Air Force Base (later Orlando International Airport) to the east, Disney selected a centrally-located site near Bay Lake.

To avoid a burst of land speculation, Disney used various dummy corporations to acquire 27,443 acres of land. In May 1965, some of these major land transactions were recorded a few miles southwest of Orlando in Osceola County. Also, two large tracts totaling $1.5 million were sold, and smaller tracts of flatlands and cattle pastures were purchased by exotic-sounding companies such as the Latin-American Development and Management Corporation and the Reedy Creek Ranch Corporation, Retlaw (Walter backwards) and Ayefor (I-4).Some of these names are now memorialized on a window above Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom. On October 20, 1965, Walt held a press conference announcing to the world his dream for his new “Florida Project” –Walt Disney World!

http://www.cfnews13.com/video?clip=http://static.cfnews13.com/newsvideo/cfn/DisneyHistoryPressConf.flv

Walt died in 1966, before his dream was fully realized, but his brother and partner, Roy Disney promised Walt on his death bed, that he would see the project through. And the rest is history!

“My only hope is that we never lose sight of one thing, that it was all started by a mouse.”- Walt Disney

TO TWEET OR NOT TO TWEET

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

OK, I happen to be an average, fairly intelligent, well-educated woman of the world, but I just can’t get what the big thing is about Twitter. I’ve researched (Twitter for Dummies, numerous articles and “how to’s) which made me even less interested in Tweeting or Tooting or whatever they call it. OMG: branding, “tweeting retweetable tweets”, tweet fodder, hash tags, it’s just too much work! Also, from what I can see, people who Tweet document every bloody detail of their lives. Talk about TMI!  

“12:15pm Stopped by Steak and Shake”   “12:30 Waitress slow”12:30 Frisco melt@ Steak and Shake”   “12:45 Back to work”   “1:15 SO bloated and nauseous-”  “1:40 in BR, can’t go” 

ENOUGH ALREADY! If you are irregular, tell your doctor. I really don’t want to know! I just don’t get why people think the world is interested in these minute details!  I did enjoy an article I read on “Tweeting Too Hard” (see link below) It claims to be “A site for shaming the twitteringly self-important. Loved it!

So maybe I’m just getting old and resistant to change, but give me good old Facebook any day! I can keep up with IMPORTANT and INTERESTING news from family and friends without having to hear about their toilet habits.  I hope Twitter Tweeters will not take offense at this post. I believe, to each his or her own, but I just can’t tolerate taking time to twitter terribly tacky tweets on Twitter.   ( Now say that 3X fast!)

Tweeting Too Hard May 19, 2009 | Eric Eldon
http://venturebeat.com/2009/05/19/tweeting-too-hard-a-site-for-shaming-those-twittering-self-promoters/

Twitter 101 By Aliza Sherman

http://gigaom.com/collaboration/tweeting-101-a-twitter-cheat-sheet/

WITH GREAT POWER

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: "With great power comes great responsibility."

Peter Parker was talking about his newly found super powers as Spiderman when he said these words, but when I hear them I think of the power we all now have through our postings on social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

I’ve read too many posts that twist facts or even state falsehoods as if they were facts. Unfortunately , many people believe whatever they see in print and are purposely misled by such tactics. It’s certainly common practice in political posts, as noted in a You Tube video called “.Alternate Reality”

The system has gone mad, everyday newspapers and TV carry more and more stories of brazen politicians and executives who have no fear and act as though they are above the law. Even when their own words (at times on tape) confirm their scheming, they continue to treat the public like we're stupid.

It seems the government also wants in on the social media propaganda bandwagon. According to radio celebrity Alex Jones, the Defense Department unveiled its Social Media in Strategic Communication (SMISC) program. It’s an attempt to get better at both detecting and conducting propaganda campaigns on social media.This is more than just checking the trending topics on Twitter. The Defense Department wants to deeply grok social media dynamics. So SMISC will be aimed at discovering and tracking the “formation, development and spread of ideas and concepts (memes)” on social media. http://www.prisonplanet.com/pentagon-wants-a-social-media-propaganda-machine.html

  DRL takes our responsibility seriously, using social media to educate, inform, inspire and enlighten as well as give our readers the opportunity to voice their own opinions, whether they agree with ours or not. We also use this forum to encourage positive action, as in The Generosity Game Meme http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/06/generosity-game-meme.html ) or Meet Pongo and Join DRL’s Team to Help Him and The Center For Great Apes (http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/06/meet-pongo-and-join-drls-team-to-help.html)

Barbara’s Soul Food attempts to lighten the soul and encourage our readers to “keep the promises you make to yourself ”                                                                ( http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/07/soul-food_24.html) and Patty’s Sticky Sweet (http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/07/sticky-sweet_24.html)  just makes you feel good! Tony has shared his stories with us to help us understand issues that we might not have considered, such as For Me It’s My Little Girl (http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/03/tony-walker-almost-everyone-has.html). Dawn gives us a wake up call as to what’s happening to our daughters’ childhoods with In Vogue (http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/08/in-vogue.html)

I’m proud to be a writer for Delayed Reaction Lounge. It’s a place where every effort is made to present truthful, enlightening information as well as entertaining, funny, even spooky reading as well! I hope you enjoy reading as much as we all enjoy writing for you.

Let us know how you feel. What are your favorite features? Is there something you would like to read about that we haven’t covered yet? If there’s something you really like, let us know and we’ll keep it coming. If there’s something you think needs to be said, tell us and we’ll try to say it for you! The Lounge is for everyone and everyone is welcome! Thanks for stopping in!

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT?? TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolph Hitler, Gaius Julius Caesar, Pinky and the Brain: They all have something in common, World Domination! 

Throughout history there have always been, and will always be those who dream of “taking over the world”. I’ve always had difficulty understanding why anyone would want to do this. I love the idea of diversity and the multitude of different customs and beliefs to be found all over the globe. Why would anyone want to blend us all into one boring empire?

New York's Little Italy

One of the reasons I love living in the United States is the amazing variety of cultures, races, religions and customs of the different people living here. Coming from New York, I know the great pleasure of having a Jewish deli, Italian restaurant, French bistro and Irish pub all on the same block! On weekends we would all go up to China town for authentic Chinese food or Little Italy for the best pastries on earth. We could have a Guinness (or in my case some good Irish tea) at McSorley’s Bar and then hop over to Brooklyn for the Chili Pepper Fiesta! One minute you could be doing the polka in a Polish club and then the next sitting in on a new age séance in the village! The options are endless!

McSorely's Pub

I’m all for world peace, cooperation between nations, and fair, humane treatment for all people, but why can’t we just live and let live, accepting our differences as blessings instead of obstacles?  Believe me, I know it isn’t as simple as that, but I think this world would be a happier, more interesting place to live if we could all give up the idea of “taking over the world”!  Sorry Brain!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJPFSNu_QNs



Dancing the Polka



Chinatown, New York

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We have over 1,000 blog posts

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If you'd like an easy way to find something good - here are just a few of our favorite posts!

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YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE IT! EVERYDAY!

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

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REMORAS....and other feeder fish, like you

FISHNETS....

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

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THE LEGEND OF THE ACAI

JOSE IS COMING AND HE'S NOT ALONE

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

The National Weather Service warns that Irene was not alone! Here comes Jose and he is followed by two more areas of low pressure. One has a very high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours. Keep your eye on the tropics throughout this hurricane season, which is predicted to be an active one. Could we have another major hurricane so soon?

IRENE AND THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS

Marion Pellicano Ambrose 

What are the words to that song? “I want to wake up in the city that never sleeps.” Well, Old Blue Eyes would be singing a different tune if he saw the forecast for New York this weekend!  Hurricane Irene is going to bring NYC to a standstill: mandatory evacuations of low lying and coastal areas, including part of the financial district in Manhattan. This zone has been ordered to be evacuated by 5 pm Saturday. I heard from an old friend that my hometown of Sheepshead Bay is also being evacuated. First time ever!

In addition, the entire NYC Transportation System will be shut down from Saturday afternoon until Monday. The last time this happened was on September 11, 2001. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg cautioned residents not to be fooled because the sun is shining. He warned that Irene is a dangerous storm and “it’s heading directly for us”.

Irene is expected to blast its way into North Carolina Saturday afternoon and then move up the coast bringing winds of up to 115 mph, heavy rains and surges.

New Jersey Mayor Chris Christie is taking the threat seriously as well. All gaming in Atlantic City will be suspended starting Saturday at noon. Coastal and low lying areas are being evacuated in stages. President Obama has urged everyone to obey evacuation order.

“I cannot stress this highly enough, if you are in the projected path of this hurricane you have to take precautions now. Don’t wait, don’t delay. All indications point to this being a historic hurricane.” Obama said

We at DRL South are praying for our Northern counterparts and all of those in the path of this historic storm. We hope it will fizzle out or move way to the east before it can cause any destruction or loss of life, though it certainly doesn't appear to be the projection. PLEASE be as prepared as possible and know that we’re rooting for you!

http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/downloads/pdf/hurricane_map_english.pdf (NYC evacuation zone map)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlJl1LfDP4 (NY,NY)