France Magazine Attack: They Finally Got Charlie

Was ANYONE surprised that this was the work of Muslims???? Terrorists want to silence people and take away their freedom of speech, thought, and expression. This is horribly sad but I would encourage the magazine to KEEP PUBLISHING THEIR CARTOONS.

Magazine Attacked in Paris Has History of Bold Satire

By Matthew Campbell and Marie Mawad  Jan 7, 2015 7:42 AM PT

Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine where shootings today killed at least 12 people, has a long history of pushing the limits of expression -- and sometimes good taste.

In 2011 it published a special edition called “Charia Hebdo” featuring Muhammad as a “guest editor.” The cover depicted the prophet threatening readers with “100 lashes if you don’t die of laughter.” Shortly thereafter, Charlie Hebdo’s Paris offices were firebombed in an overnight attack that caused no injuries.

Just before today’s attack, the magazine’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts published a cartoon of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi offering wishes of good health for the New Year. And the current cover is on “Submission,” a book released today about a future in which an Islamic France is led by a Muslim president who bans women from the workplace.

In recent weeks, the magazine has had two police officers stationed outside its doors because of terrorist threats, Rocco Contento of the SGP police union told BFM Television.

Founded in its current incarnation in 1992, Charlie Hebdo has skewered politicians, pop stars, and religious fundamentalists of all stripes in its weekly installments of caricatures, interviews, and opinionated essays. Its cartoon covers have included former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn dancing in a red tutu and the late singer Michael Jacksonshown as a skeleton shortly after his death from a drug overdose.

Photographer: Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images

The latest issue of the French satirical newspaper "Charlie Hebdo" in Paris on Jan. 7,... Read More

Before Christmas last year, the cover depicted Charlie’s take on a traditional nativity scene -- a spread-eagled Mary giving birth to the baby Jesus. That image currently decorates the magazine’s Twitter profile.

Communion Condom

Though little-known outside France, Charlie Hebdo -- the name means simply Charlie Weekly -- is one of the country’s better-selling political magazines, with an average circulation of about 100,000.

In 2006, it reprinted cartoons of Muhammad originally published by a Danish newspaper, which had prompted sometimes-violent protests because Muslim tradition deems depictions of the prophet to be blasphemous. Islamic organizations sued the magazine for the drawings, a case dismissed by a French court in 2008, according to the Charlie Hebdo website.

Politicians in France, which has Europe’s largest Muslim population, have long understood that the magazine might inflame cultural tensions. During the 2006 controversy, then-presidentJacques Chirac asked media organizations to avoid “provocation” of Muslims. And in 2012 former prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called for restraint when Charlie Hebdo published more cartoons representing Muhammad.

The same year, Agence France-Presse reported that police had interrogated a man who called for the beheading of Charlie Hebdo cartoonist Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb. He was killed in today’s assault, the Paris prosecutor’s office said, along with three other well-known cartoonists: Cabu, or Jean Cabut; Tignous, or Bernard Verlhac; and Georges Wolinski.

“We are crushed,” said Jean-Pierre Schamber, 77, a regular reader who has lived for 25 years in the Paris neighborhood where the magazine has its offices. “Even if I haven’t always agreed with Charlie, this is very deep.”

The magazine’s writers and owners have long defended their content as free speech and argued that they satirize all major religions. In 2010, a cover showed Pope Benedict XVI giving holy communion with a condom. A 2012 story on gay marriage depicted a ménage-a-trois featuring the Holy Spirit, Jesus and God.

Charlie Hebdo is owned by a holding company, Les Editions Rotatives, controlled by senior staffers. They helped re-found the magazine 11 years after a previous version, which ran from 1969 to 1981, ran out of money and shut down.

(A previous version of this story was corrected to remove reference to the magazine’s editor.)

To contact the reporters on this story: Matthew Campbell in London atmcampbell39@bloomberg.net; Marie Mawad in Paris at mmawad1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong atkwong11@bloomberg.net David Rocks

Review: Carl's Jr. All Natural Burger

When I found out Carl's Jr. began offering GRASS-FED beef burgers....I was skeptical. Many meats that are claimed to be grass-fed are also grain-finished.

Meaning, throughout the life of the cattle they MAY have been feeding on grass but towards the end of their life were given grain.

I tried an All Natural Burger on Monday 1/5/2014. I was asked if I wanted to make it a double (2 meat patties). I declined. I just asked for Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Onions.

When I received it came with their Fresh Baked Buns. The patty itself was very thin and they bulked up the burger with lettuce. The Fresh Baked Buns had almost a thick potato-bread consistency. I could hardly taste the meat because it was so thin and it got lost with so much bread and so much lettuce. I would probably make it a double and make it a lettuce wrap next time.

But I contacted Carl's Jr. to find out if the meat was TRULY grass-fed AND grass-finished. They responded very quickly with the following:

Dear Ms. V,

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.  Our goal is to make every guest happy every time!-

The beef for the All-Natural Burger comes from Australian ranches which raise grass-fed, free-range cattle that are steroid-free and antibiotic-free with no added hormones. The All-Natural Burger patty is sourced from cattle raised in a manner that meets USDA requirements for natural beef. It also meets Australia's stringent Department of Agriculture standards.

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Sincerely,
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Carl's Jr. & Hardees Guest Relations
On the Web at www.ckr.com
ckr-carlsweb@service.contactondemand.com

There you have it. While I am not quick to believe any claims that such a product is "all natural," I am pleasantly surprised that a FAST FOOD CHAIN of all places, is actually offering something GOOD and that there was no hesitation to address my concerns. Not only that, but the last few times I have visited a Carl's Jr., the service completely changed. The staff was very friendly, they served us as opposed to being called to pick up our food, and cleaned up after us. It was as if I went to a nice restaurant as opposed to a fast food joint.

Thank you Carl's Jr.

Facts About Grass-Fed & Corn-Fed Beef
Definitions:

Corn-fed (conventional): Corn-fed, also known as conventional or grain-fed, is the most widely
produced kind of beef in the U.S. This is the product most consumers see in the meat case at the
supermarket. Conventional beef assures a consistent, year-round supply of high quality beef with the
tenderness and flavor most consumers prefer. Corn-fed beef cattle spend most of their lives in range
or pasture conditions eating grass. At 12 to 18 months of age, conventional cattle are moved to a
feedlot and are usually separated into groups of 100 animals and live in pens that allow about 125 to
250 square feet of room per animal. Cattle usually spend four to six months in a feedlot, during which
they are fed a scientifically formulated ration of corn and/or silage, hay and distillers grains.

Grass-fed: Consumers typically don't know that all cattle spend the majority of their lives eating grass in pastures. Calves start grazing at a young age and are kept on pasture after they are weaned until 12-18 months of age. Then, they are taken to a feedlot or are kept on grass to become “grassfinished”. In North America it’s difficult to produce grass-fed beef in large due to limited growing seasons. That’s why most grass-finished beef is imported from Australia and New Zealand where grass grows all year.

Grass-finished: Also called free-range, grass-finished cattle eat only a grass and forage-based diet
throughout their whole lifespan. Grass-finished beef is often described as having a distinct taste and
may require different preparation methods, including marinades and shorter cooking times.

Natural: The definition of “natural” beef can confuse some consumers. According to the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), natural means that a product is minimally processed and
contains no additives. By this definition, most beef in the meat case is natural. Many companies are
raising beef under “natural” production practices. Common “natural” production claims include, “raised without hormones,” “raised without antibiotics,” “free range” and “vegetarian fed.” Since the definition of “natural” production practices can vary, it is important for consumers to read labels carefully to understand what a particular company means when it says “natural.”

Certified Organic: Certified organic beef must meet USDA’s National Organic Program standards.
Organically-raised cattle must be fed 100 percent organic feed, and they may not be given hormones
to promote growth or antibiotics for any reason. Certified organic beef can be corn-fed or grassfinished.

USDA states organically produced food is no safer or more nutritious than conventionally
produced foods. Organic food differs only in the way it is grown, not how it's handled and processed.
Like many organic products, organic beef is more expensive to produce, which results in higher
prices than other beef choices in the meat case.