tagged w/ Americans
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– With the US presidential election looming, RT takes to the streets of New York to find out how much Americans know about leading political figures at home and abroad.– With the US presidential election looming, RT takes to the streets of New York... more
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Kmart store manager Ted Straub talks Thursday Dec 15, 2011 in his Omaha, Neb store. Dozens of Kmart customers across the country have had their layaways paid off by strangers. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.
He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter.
"She told him, 'No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."
At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents.
Before she left the store Tuesday evening, the Indianapolis woman in her mid-40s had paid the layaway orders for as many as 50 people. On the way out, she handed out $50 bills and paid for two carts of toys for a woman in line at the cash register.
"She was doing it in the memory of her husband who had just died, and she said she wasn't going to be able to spend it and wanted to make people happy with it," Deppe said. The woman did not identify herself and only asked people to "remember Ben," an apparent reference to her husband.
Deppe, who said she's worked in retail for 40 years, had never seen anything like it.
"It was like an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store," she said.
Most of the donors have done their giving secretly.
Dona Bremser, an Omaha nurse, was at work when a Kmart employee called to tell her that someone had paid off the $70 balance of her layaway account, which held nearly $200 in toys for her 4-year-old son.
"I was speechless," Bremser said. "It made me believe in Christmas again."
Dozens of other customers have received similar calls in Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Montana.
The benefactors generally ask to help families who are squirreling away items for young children. They often pay a portion of the balance, usually all but a few dollars or cents so the layaway order stays in the store's system.
The phenomenon seems to have begun in Michigan before spreading, Kmart executives said.
"It is honestly being driven by people wanting to do a good deed at this time of the year," said Salima Yala, Kmart's division vice president for layaway.
The good Samaritans seem to be visiting mainly Kmart stores, though a Wal-Mart spokesman said a few of his stores in Joplin, Mo., and Chicago have also seen some layaway accounts paid off.
Kmart representatives say they did nothing to instigate the secret Santas or spread word of the generosity. But it's happening as the company struggles to compete with chains such as Wal-Mart and Target.
Kmart may be the focus of layaway generosity, Yala said, because it is one of the few large discount stores that has offered layaway year-round for about four decades. Under the program, customers can make purchases but let the store hold onto their merchandise as they pay it off slowly over several weeks.
The sad memories of layaways lost prompted at least one good Samaritan to pay off the accounts of five people at an Omaha Kmart, said Karl Graff, the store's assistant manager.
"She told me that when she was younger, her mom used to set up things on layaway at Kmart, but they rarely were able to pay them off because they just didn't have the money for it," Graff said.
He called a woman who had been helped, "and she broke down in tears on the phone with me. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to pay off their layaway and was afraid their kids weren't going to have anything for Christmas."
"You know, 50 bucks may not sound like a lot, but I tell you what, at the right time, it may as well be a million dollars for some people," Graff said.
Graff's store alone has seen about a dozen layaway accounts paid off in the last 10 days, with the donors paying $50 to $250 on each account.
"To be honest, in retail, it's easy to get cynical about the holidays, because you're kind of grinding it out when everybody else is having family time," Graff said. "It's really encouraging to see this side of Christmas again."
Lori Stearnes of Omaha also benefited from the generosity of a stranger who paid all but $58 of her $250 layaway bill for toys for her four youngest grandchildren.
Stearnes said she and her husband live paycheck to paycheck, but she plans to use the money she was saving for the toys to help pay for someone else's layaway.
In Missoula, Mont., a man spent more than $1,200 to pay down the balances of six customers whose layaway orders were about to be returned to a Kmart store's inventory because of late payments.
Store employees reached one beneficiary on her cellphone at Seattle Children's Hospital, where her son was being treated for an undisclosed illness.
"She was yelling at the nurses, 'We're going to have Christmas after all!'" store manager Josine Murrin said.
A Kmart in Plainfield Township, Mich., called Roberta Carter last week to let her know a man had paid all but 40 cents of her $60 layaway.
Carter, a mother of eight from Grand Rapids, Mich., said she cried upon hearing the news. She and her family have been struggling as she seeks a full-time job.
"My kids will have clothes for Christmas," she said.
Angie Torres, a stay-at-home mother of four children under the age of 8, was in the Indianapolis Kmart on Tuesday to make a payment on her layaway bill when she learned the woman next to her was paying off her account.
"I started to cry. I couldn't believe it," said Torres, who doubted she would have been able to pay off the balance. "I was in disbelief. I hugged her and gave her a kiss."
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Associated Press writers Michael J. Crumb in Des Moines, Iowa; Matt Volz, in Helena, Mont.; and Jeff Karoub in Detroit contributed to this report.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/anonymous-donors-pay-off-kmart-222535611.htmlKmart store manager Ted Straub talks Thursday Dec 15, 2011 in his Omaha, Neb store.... more
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Powerful video. I'll let it speak for itself.
"Good luck. You're going to need it."
Please spread the video if you can!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRN9Y5NvdqkPowerful video. I'll let it speak for itself.
"Good luck. You're... more
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The terrifying legislation that allows for Americans to be arrested, detained indefinitely, tortured and interrogated — without charge or trial — passed through the Senate on Thursday with an overwhelming support from 93 percent of lawmakers.
Only seven members of the US Senate voted against the National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday, despite urging from the ACLU and concerned citizens across the country that the affects of the legislation would be detrimental to the civil rights and liberties of everyone in America. Under the bill, Americans can be held by the US military for terrorism-related charges and detained without trial indefinitely.
Additionally, another amendment within the text of the legislation reapproved waterboarding and other “advanced interrogation techniques” that are currently outlawed.
"The bill is an historic threat to American citizens,” Christopher Anders of the ACLU tells the Associated Press.
For the biggest supporters of the bill, however, history necessitates that Americans must sacrifice their security for freedom.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a backer of the legislation, says current laws protecting Americans are too lax. Rather, says the senator, anyone suspected of terrorism "should not be read their Miranda Rights. They should not be given a lawyer."
Graham adds that suspected terrorists, “should be held humanely in military custody and interrogated about why they joined al-Qaeda and what they were going to do to all of us,” although other legislation in the bill isn’t exactly humane. Waterboarding, sleep-deprivation and other methods outlawed in the 2005 Anti-Torture Act will be added to a top-secret list of approved interrogation techniques that could be used on suspects, American or other.
Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte said last week that "terrorists shouldn't be able to view all of our interrogation practices online,” and Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) added during debate this week, "When a member of Al Qaeda or a similar associated terrorist group, I want . . . them to be terrified about what's going to happen to them in American custody.”
"I want them not to know what's going to happen,” added the senator and former presidential candidate.
Not only won’t they know their gruesome future, but they wouldn’t know their own rights — that’s because they won’t have any.
"We need the authority to hold those individuals in military custody so we aren't reading them Miranda rights," adds Kelly.
While lawmakers rallied with overwhelming support to approve the legislation against terrorists, it can also be applied to anyone, including American citizens, who are even suspected of terrorist-ties.
President Barack Obama has pledged in the past that he would veto the legislation if it made through Congress, and a White House official told the AP on Thursday that that threat still stands. As Obama is faced with a country on the brink of economic collapse so close to Election Day, however, a change of heart couldn’t be out of the question — the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 comes at a price-tag of nearly $30 billion below what Obama had asked for.
http://rt.com/usa/news/detention-legislation-torture-senate-891/The terrifying legislation that allows for Americans to be arrested, detained... more
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To help expose the looming cash-for-immunity deal between the Obama administration and big banks, there will be a march from Liberty Square to the U.S. Court House Building at Foley Square on November 5th.
The march will gather at 2:00pm on the east side steps at Liberty Square (Zuccotti Park), and will arrive at Foley Square at 3:00pm. Join the Facebook event page
President Obama is on the brink of cutting a backroom deal that would give bankers broad immunity for illegally throwing tens of thousands of Americans out of their homes. The Administration is pressuring state attorneys general to abandon an ongoing investigation into the massive "robo-signing" fraud, in exchange for a relatively small payoff by the banks.To help expose the looming cash-for-immunity deal between the Obama administration and... more
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Marine / Army Vets @OccupyWallStreet Tell Sean Hannity to "F**K OFF" - HOOaaaAH!!! OWSMarine / Army Vets @OccupyWallStreet Tell Sean Hannity to "F**K OFF" -... more
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"How many people think it’s important to risk arrest, attendees at the bank accountability panel were asked. Everyone raised their hands.""How many people think it’s important to risk arrest, attendees at the bank... more
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Cabal
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Lee Camp finally gives away his detailed step-by-step plan to decrease corporate power. NSFW.Lee Camp finally gives away his detailed step-by-step plan to decrease corporate... more
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Cabal
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The Empire has no clothes. It has been revealed. Having unilaterally withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with Russia, the US is leading NATO to build a ring of missiles round Russia in Europe. It is globalizing its military forces and operations. An armada of missile-laden NATO war ships is deployed in oceans around the world with nearly 1,000 US military bases on every continent on the planet. Working in this expanded military capacity, NATO members and their allies are encircling China in the Pacific, just as we are surrounding Russia, while rejecting Russia and China’s repeated proposals to negotiate a ban on weapons in space. NATO is a lawless rogue alliance, determined to control the world’s oil and other scarce resources, by brute force. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/recent-news/43004-time-to-disband-natoThe Empire has no clothes. It has been revealed. Having unilaterally withdrawn from... more
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worrg
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"The deaths of these 31 Americans, and the more than 2,600 U.S. soldiers who have died in this quagmire, should raise a renewed debate about our presence in Afghanistan. Let's tell President Obama that the best way to pay tribute to the soldiers who have died -- and to address our financial crisis -- is to bring the rest of the troops home."
[Our presence in Afghanistan is not making us safer because Afghanistan is not a threat to us. This was clearly acknowledged by a senior Obama administration official in a background briefing to reporters on June 21. "United States hasn't seen a terrorist threat from Afghanistan, for the past seven or eight years," he said. He noted that Al Qaeda had moved on to Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.]
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Stop-Sacrificing-US-Soldie-by-Medea-Benjamin-110809-259.html"The deaths of these 31 Americans, and the more than 2,600 U.S. soldiers who have... more
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"It's like an oppression-slavery swirly soft serve ice cream cone."
http://youtu.be/lb5tmpCd1dM
A QUICK NOTE: Kids these days. If it's not in video, they're not going to pay attention. So in order to reach a broader audience. I'm pleased to announce the very first installment of a hybrid Effective Immediately! in video and in text. The text is the script for the video so you can learn about the new requirements either way. Or both ways. Or you can follow along at home. Thank you. And now...
The following is effective immediately!
12.1 The Analogy Police are Watching You!
Effective immediately, everyone needs to be less dramatic with their analogies. From now on, you can't compare inconveniences or rules or laws you don't like with genuine human suffering.
For example, you can't say someone is being like the Nazis, unless they're killing people. You can't say someone is being like Hitler, unless they're advocating genocide. And you can't say someone is being like Dick Cheney unless they're wiping their butt with the American flag, performing human sacrifices under a full moon and shooting their friends in the face.
The point is everyone is being a little overly dramatic with their speech. Even the slightest hassle gets compared to the most vile and violent human oppression and that's insulting to those who do actually suffer. Just imagine a Sudanese refugee comparing stories with a spoiled American.
SUDANESE REFUGEE: Dey destroyed my home and my people. Dey killed my brothers and raped my sisters. Dey made me starve. Tree-hundred of us boys walked fifty miles to avoid de fighting. Dozens died daily from the heat, malaria and animal attacks. We drank from festering puddles of camel urine. Of dah five hundred who set out, only ten lived to work in the gold mines for twenty years.
SPOILED AMERICAN: Dude, I know exactly how you feel. My government is proposing an additional three percent tax on rich people's gross yearly income. Not only that, brah, but they want us to stop using plastic bags. It's like an oppression-slavery swirly soft serve ice cream cone. You ever had those before? Aw, they're delicious! Anyway, I can totally relate to that story you just told that I've already forgotten about.
SUDANESE REFUGEE: But der is so much wealth in your nation. Your basic conveniences are considered riches in many parts of dah world.
SPOILED AMERICAN: Are you kidding me? We're slaves! We can't even use the kind of light bulb we want. And shoot, there's so many types of coffee, I can't decide. It's slavery, I tell ya! Oppression!
SUDANESE REFUGEE: I walked all dat way for this?
So remember, effective immediately, you're no longer allowed to compare taxes to slavery, or environmental regulations to living under the Nazis. When you do, you sound far more dramatic than a high school kid who can never get a date to the dance, who the girls think smells funny and who thinks he'll never find love. Now I'm allowed to use that analogy... because that used to be me.
Sincerely,
Larry Nocella, CVO
Chief Vidiocy Officer
www.LarryNocella.com
ei@larrynocella.com
If you need to review all the items that are effective immediately, click here.
===
Larry Nocella writes the blog ROFL: Random Outbursts From Lar! at LarryNocella.com. He's the author of the novel Where Did This Come From? The world's first CarbonFree(R) novel according to Carbonfund.org. The book is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook. It is also available for reading online. P.S. You don't need a Kindle to read Kindle eBooks. Download the FREE Kindle app for PC, Mac and smartphones. You can then purchase Kindle books or download free ones. Enjoy!"It's like an oppression-slavery swirly soft serve ice cream cone."... more
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Congress is at a stalemate over raising the federal debt ceiling, and Americans need to pressure their elected representatives to work out a compromise that will avoid a potentially devastating default, President Barack Obama told the nation Monday night.
Link : http://edition.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/07/25/debt.talks/index.htmlCongress is at a stalemate over raising the federal debt ceiling, and Americans need... more
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sitsi
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The Presidents Gallery is a brand new exhibit that displays all forty-four US Presidents in an exciting, educational and interactive environment.
Comprising of fourteen highly themed immersive rooms The Presidents Gallery is the only place in the world where people can see and interact with every presidents' likenesses in 3D.
Throughout the experience guests will learn about the history of the United States of America through the lives of its iconic leaders. Madame Tussauds provides a once in a lifetime family experience in the heart of Washington D.C.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBeoQsEEXQ0&feature=player_embeddedThe Presidents Gallery is a brand new exhibit that displays all forty-four US... more
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World famous broadcaster, DJ Mona-Lisa portrays the sexy persona of the "dumb blonde" as she strives to celebrate America's "Independence" Day.World famous broadcaster, DJ Mona-Lisa portrays the sexy persona of the "dumb... more
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.Several attackers believed to be wearing suicide vests stormed a luxury hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul, late Tuesday and early reports indicate that 10 people have been killed.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the Intercontinental Hotel. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group was targeting foreign guests and that heavy casualties have been inflicted. However, the Taliban often exaggerates the number of casualties in attacks against Western and Afghan government targets.
Police said a wedding party was under way when the attack occurred. They said at least one suicide bomber blew himself up inside the hotel. However, witnesses reported at least three loud explosions and gunfire inside and outside the hotel.
Police blocked off streets leading to the hotel, situated on a hill overlooking the Afghan capital and said the entire area was in darkness.
Violence has flared across Afghanistan since the Taliban announced its spring offensive and the United States is set to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in the coming weeks.
In other violence Tuesday, NATO said three of its service members died in separate insurgent and bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan.
Also in the south, authorities said a roadside bomb killed two women and wounded a child in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province..Several attackers believed to be wearing suicide vests stormed a luxury hotel in the... more
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Starvation! Working or not-inflation-recession... calls for a sacred moment with Jesus Christ. Exclusive gospel channel: http://tinyurl.com/exclusive-gospel-channelStarvation! Working or not-inflation-recession... calls for a sacred moment with Jesus... more
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On Sunday, May 1, 2011 Barack H. Obama, the 44th President of the United States announced that Leader of al Qaeda & terrorist Osama bin Laden Killed by the United StatesOn Sunday, May 1, 2011 Barack H. Obama, the 44th President of the United States... more
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