[WXYZ] It was a shouting match serious enough for a clerk at a Detroit cell phone store to start filming the exchange.
The heated argument was regarding a woman's son, who bought a cell phone more than two weeks ago and wanted a refund.
"They came in a week ago, I explained them the situation," said the store clerk, who wanted his identity hidden. "I showed them everything on the receipt."
The clerk who shot the footage says after trying to explain to the irate mother her son's date of purchase exceeded the store's 7-day policy for refunds, the mother wasn't taking no for an answer.
"Take everyone's [expletive] money!" said the mother caught on camera, "Take it!"
In addition to knocking down signs, the clerk says she even used a knife to damage display cases. Things took a strange turn as the customer addressed the clerk's camera.
"Take my picture. Take that!" said the woman, as she lifted her dress and mooned the clerk's cell phone camera, "Take that! You got that? Because I will be back. You got that close up? Cheese!"
"I want you to know there's a reason why I had to do that," said Stephanie, the woman caught on camera. "He's telling me my money is up in the air, I can't get a refund or another phone."
Stephanie says the cell phone store sold her son an outdated, damaged phone.
"[The store] needs to either give me another phone or return my money." said Stephanie.
"There is no excuse for anyone to walk into anyone's business and do that." said the clerk, who says the store plans to pursue charges against the customer.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/29/2013 09:08 ||
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#4
Having lived among the population in question, I'm with RJ. Plan B, when a scam goes awry, is always yelling, curses, and a little violence, real or implied. Animal behaviorists call it threat display.
#2
The sheriff says Jordan told deputies he had been aiming at a squirrel, but he couldn't explain why he needed to attach marijuana to the arrow to go squirrel hunting.
[Al Ahram] A soccer club from Kazakhstan has been warned that it could face disciplinary action if it continues its ritual slaughter of sheep before matches.
Shakhter Karagandy killed a sheep last week at Astana Arena the day before beating Celtic 2-0 in the Champions League playoffs. In Glasgow, Scotland, before Wednesday's return match, Shakhter coach Viktor Kumykov suggested the ritual could be repeated.
European soccer's governing body says it informed Shakhter that animal slaughter is ''not acceptable in or around our competitions.'' UEFA says the Kazakh club would face sanctions if it happens again.
Shakhter is the lowest-ranked team remaining in the Champions League. It is aiming to reach the 32-team group stage for the first time.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/29/2013 00:00 ||
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Yeah, "Bitchin' Betty" is there to prompt when the airspeed and power settings would indicate that a landing is imminent, but the tires are still in the wells. Kind of a pain in the a$$ when doing low-level work (photography, powerline patrols, scoping out clothing-optional beaches etc.), but doubt that the FAA would look kindly on some kind of duct tape fix. The Radar Altimeter fed her some info about altitude as well.
A woman's voice, btw, is used because, as any married man looking to maintain domestic tranquility knows, it receives attention more readily than a males....
#2
A woman's voice, btw, is used because, as any married man looking to maintain domestic tranquility knows, it receives attention more readily than a males....
#6
GPS voice over on family car got on my nerves recently and I yelled at it to 'Stop bitchin' Betty.' Forgot Mom-in-law ( Betty) was riding w/ us.....(can you say awkward?)
[Al Ahram] A Kenyan official says at least 20 people were killed in violence among rival clans in Kenya's north.
Ukur Yattani, the governor of Kenya's Marsabit county, said Wednesday that automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades were used in festivities between the Borana and Gabbra clans. Yattani said the two groups as well as a third --the Burji-- have recently been fighting over water and pasture for their cattle.
Police front man Gatiria Mboroki said some houses were apparently set on fire but gave no corpse count.
Kenya has stringent gun laws, and obtaining a license is difficult. But illegal guns are smuggled into the country through mostly non-existent borders, especially from Somalia, Kenya's volatile neighbor to the north.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/29/2013 00:00 ||
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[An Nahar] Less than two years after sweeping to power, Morocco's ruling Islamists look increasingly isolated, abandoned by their main coalition ally, criticized by the king and with similar movements challenged.
The Party of Justice and Development shot to power for the first time after triumphing in 2011 parliamentary polls that followed the Arab Spring protests sweeping the country, bringing hopes of change.
But the party's leader, Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, has struggled to end a political crisis triggered by the nationalist Istiqlal Party's withdrawal from the coalition last month.
"There are many indications that the fall of the government is only a question of time," said the Arabic daily Akhbar al-Youm.
While Istiqlal had made its intentions known as far back as May, accusing the PJD of failing to shore up the economy and solve pressing social problems, the crisis became a reality when five of its ministers resigned in July.
Benkirane has since been locked in negotiations to replace them and avoid early elections, notably with the National Rally of Independents, a party that opposed the government program adopted last year, making it an awkward ally for the Islamists.
"Politics is the art of the possible, and our conflict with this party could not last forever," Benkirane told young members of the PJD on Sunday, asking that they support his decisions.
A source close to the negotiations told Agence La Belle France Presse they could be concluded by mid-September.
Communications minister and PJD stalwart Mustapha Khalfi insists the political crisis has not undermined the government's program.
But the Islamist-led coalition has faced a barrage of criticism, especially for failing to push through much-needed social reforms, notably on costly pensions and subsidies, and to fix its ailing public finances.
The country last year faced a budget deficit of more than seven percent of GDP.
Charges against the PJD echo criticism of other Islamist movements in the region empowered by Arab Spring uprisings, notably Egypt's Moslem Brüderbund, whose Mohammed Morsi was deposed as president in a military coup last month, and Tunisia's Ennahda party.
Since the end of 2011, "we have been governed by guess-work and amateurism," lamented L'Economiste, a French-language Moroccan daily.
Separately, the PJD came under renewed pressure last week following critical comments by King Mohammed VI about the government's education policy, stoking frustration within the party.
But Benkirane remained silent on the matter, studiously avoiding any public conflict with the king, whose blessing is a pre-requisite of any future coalition.
"The king is above us. Our battle is instead with those tyrannical forces that want to get their hands on the country's riches," he said.
His criticism was directed at Istiqlal and another PJD rival, the Party for Authenticity and Modernity, founded in 2008 by a figure close to the king.
Developments elsewhere in North Africa have not worked in favor of Islamist parties elected after the popular uprisings that swept the region in 2011.
Earlier this month, PJD ministers avoided taking part in a demonstration in Rabat in support of Egypt's Moslem Brüderbund, which has been subjected to a bloody army crackdown since Mohammed Morsi's ouster.
But numerous members of the Moroccan party attended the 10,000-strong protest, and at the weekend, the party's youth wing also demonstrated its support for the Egyptian Islamists.
Political analyst Mohamed Tozy says parties like the PJD have had to learn tough lessons about the realities of power, and cannot take their voters' support for granted.
"As the Islamists are discovering everywhere, people are versatile. Even if they win on a religious program, daily concerns can prompt a change of heart," he told AFP.
For now, Benkirane appears confident that his party's relative popularity will prevail.
"If negotiations to form a new coalition fail, I will go to His Majesty," he said, indicating that he would be willing to contest fresh elections.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/29/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Since the end of 2011, "we have been governed by guess-work and amateurism"
[Libya Herald] Unood Senussi, the daughter of Qadaffy's former spy chief Abdullah Senussi, is to be released from prison, after serving ten months for entering Libya on a false passport.
Justice Minister Salah Al-Marghani said yesterday at a presser that "special procedures" had been started in preparation for Senussi's release. He said that because she had served her jail term, Senussi would be released as soon as these procedures had been completed.
Senussi was placed in durance vile Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! at the Cleopatra Hotel in the Dahra district of Tripoli ...a confusing city, one end of which is located in Lebanon and the other end of which is the capital of Libya. Its chief distinction is being mentioned in the Marine Hymn... in October last year with a passport which omitted her family name, and a large quantity of US dollars.
The passport bore her first names, Unood Abdallah Mohammed, but left out the family name of Senussi. Her arrest came just hours after she flew into Libya from Algeria, where she had been living since the outbreak of the revolution. It is understood that she was recognised at Tripoli airport.
In court Senussi pleaded not guilty "Wudn't me." and her lawyers claimed that there had been a mix-up with her name on the passport.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/29/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Ummm, he was placed in durance vile AT A HOTEL?
Mighty comfy "Jail".
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
08/29/2013 11:58 Comments ||
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Eight new cases of the deadly coronavirus Mers, a Sars-like infection, have been registered in Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday. Of the eight, two men from the capital Riyadh had died, the WHO said. Both had underlying medical conditions.
Three women and three men, all from Riyadh or the southern region of Asir, have also contracted the virus, which affects the respiratory system. In addition, a 38-year-old man who had been suffering from a lung infection died, the Saudi health ministry announced earlier on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia is the country worst hit by Mers, which has killed 49 people globally. A total of 102 cases have been registered.
Experts are struggling to understand Mers-- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome -- for which there is still no vaccine and which has an extremely high fatality rate of more than 51 per cent. It is considered a cousin of the Sars virus that erupted in Asia in 2003 and infected 8,273 people, nine per cent of whom died.
Like Sars, Mers is thought to have jumped from animals to humans, and it shares the former's flu-like symptoms -- but differs by also causing kidney failure.
According to research published this month in the American health journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, Mers was transmitted to humans from bats. But a study in the Lancet found that the virus could have come from camels.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/29/2013 00:00 ||
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Kim Jong-un's ex-girlfriend was among a dozen well-known North Korean performers who were executed by firing squad on Aug. 20, reports said Wednesday.
Sources in China said singer Hyon Song-wol as well as Mun Kyong-jin, head of the Unhasu Orchestra, were arrested on Aug. 17 for violating North Korean laws against pornography and were executed in public three days later.
The victims of the atrocity were members of the Unhasu Orchestra as well as singers, musicians and dancers with the Wangjaesan Light Music Band.
They were accused of videotaping themselves having sex and selling the videos. The tapes have apparently gone on sale in China as well.
A source said some allegedly had Bibles in their possession, and all were treated as political dissidents.
[NBCNEWS] Fast-food customers in search of burgers and fries might run into striking workers instead.
Organizers say thousands of fast-food workers are set to stage walkouts in dozens of cities around the country Thursday, part of a push to get chains such as McDonald's, Taco Bell and Wendy's to pay workers higher wages.
It's expected be the largest nationwide strike by fast-food workers, according to organizers. The biggest effort so far was over the summer when about 2,200 of the nation's millions of fast-food workers staged a one-day strike in seven cities.
Thursday's planned walkouts follow a series of strikes that began last November in New York City, then spread to cities including reliably Democrat Chicago, aka The Windy City or Mobtown ... home of Al Capone, a succession of Daleys, Barak Obama, and Rahm Emmanuel,... , bankrupt, increasingly impoverished, reliably Democrat, Detroit ... ruled by Democrats since 1962. A city whose Golden Age included the Purple Gang... and Seattle. Workers say they want $15 an hour, which would be about $31,000 a year for full-time employees. That's more than double the federal minimum wage, which many fast food workers make, of $7.25 an hour, or $15,000 a year.
The move comes amid calls from the White House, some members of Congress and economists to hike the federal minimum wage, which was last raised in 2009. But most proposals seek a far more modest increase than the ones workers are asking for, with President Barack Obama Jedi mind meld... wanting to boost it to $9 an hour.
The push has brought considerable media attention to a staple of the fast-food industry -- the so-called "McJobs" that are known for their low pay and limited prospects. But the workers taking part in the strikes still represent a tiny fraction of the broader industry. And it's not clear if the strikes on Thursday will shut down any restaurants because organizers made their plans public earlier in a call for workers around the country to participate, which gave managers time to adjust their staffing levels. More broadly, it's not clear how many customers are aware of the movement, with turnout for past strikes relatively low in some cities.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/29/2013 09:09 ||
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#1
Organizers say thousands of fast-food workers are set to stage walkouts in dozens of cities around the country Thursday, part of a push to get chains such as McDonald's, Taco Bell and Wendy's to pay workers higher wages automate more of the cooking tasks....
#6
KFI-LA Radio ran a street protest line interview - of the 17 interviewed, one (1) was an actual FF worker. The rest were SEIU and UFCW union workers bussed in and to try and unionize the min wage workers. Self-admitted, with purple wrist bands to indicate they got a free lunch
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/29/2013 20:54 Comments ||
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All makes since after a Rantburger posted a few days ago that union pay is linked to a multiple of the minimum wage.
[Aypee] JERUSALEM - A group of Israeli soldiers has danced up a storm of criticism after they were filmed boogying alongside Palestinians while on patrol in the West Bank.
The soldiers were making the rounds in the city of Hebron when they entered a dance hall and joined dozens of Palestinian men dancing to the hit "Gangnam Style." The Israeli military said Thursday it considers the incident "serious," adding "the soldiers exposed themselves to unnecessary danger and were disciplined accordingly," without elaborating.
Footage aired on Israeli Channel 2 TV shows the solders in uniform, flak jackets and carrying guns. One was shown hoisted on the shoulders of Palestinian dancers. Other soldiers joined hands and grooved with the partygoers. The channel said the incident occurred Monday.
h/t Donald Sensisng
It's official. The scare is over. The World Federation of Scientists, at its annual seminars on planetary emergencies, has been advised by its own climate monitoring panel that global warming is no longer a planetary emergency.
#6
Every conservative politician everywhere should campaign on the premise of a massive clawback. Here in the US, RICO should be on the table...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
08/29/2013 9:24 Comments ||
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#7
Global warming is still alive and kicking in pop culture. A generation of kids has been raised to regard it as revealed truth, and has neither the interest nor the education to ever challenge their total faith in the evils of CO2.
#12
Another Hoax Killed, Good Riddance.
NO globull (NOT misspelled) floods, No scorching wastelands, Nothing.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
08/29/2013 11:48 Comments ||
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#13
just a minute
yes it is true that global temps haven't risen in 16 years or so but that, by itself, really doesn't mean there won't be a significant rise or a significant decrease for that matter, in the next 16 years
legitimate skepticism cuts both ways
the earth is overdue for a strong El Nino, if it comes and there is still no global temp rise, that will be a pretty strong piece of information
Posted by: lord garth ||
08/29/2013 12:05 Comments ||
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#14
I don't think the celebration over this news has anything to do with whether or not world climate is changing. Rather the good news is the public acknowledgement by yet another section of the scientific community that the entire AGW scare was a hoax.
The skepticism has to do with the self-aggrandising, self-enriching scare mongering. The "science" was totally bogus and therefore none of the conclusions of the Watermelon crowd have any validity.
That says nothing about the climate. THAT is still unknown. What is known is that Mann, Hanson and company lied.
"Figures don't lie, but, liars figure." - attributed to Mark Twain.
#17
We may have rising or falling temperatures because the earth does that. When Eric the Red discovered Greenland, it really was green, and the Danes were able to colonize it and even raise sheep and cattle there for 200 years. Then the Little Ice Age began, and the temperatures dropped and the Danes abandoned their colonies. Archaeologists examining the cemeteries in Greenland saw the effects of the temperature change in the decreased stature of 13th and 14th C Greenlanders, compared with the earlier settlers.
The research money should go to developing crops that can survive different levels of warming and cooling. If one of those Pacific Rim volcanoes blows, we could have several consecutive years without summer.
#18
Oh mom, you and your 1950 view point. Eric the Red Invaded Greenland, and sic'd sheeps and invasive plants upon it's virgin shoreline. This caused the the Great Cooling, a rejection of the Norse and built a fitting home for the kralings or was it skralings (Eskcimaux)? I'm never certain on these things. Anyway,don't peer past the Clovis layer.
Anyway, an early case of the earth itself rejecting the imperialist whiteman
[DETROITNEWS] Detroit's funeral directors received this unusual text message last month. "FYI, city of Detroit can't process death certificates because they have no paper and don't have money to buy any."
The message, from a fellow funeral director, was mostly true: The city did stop issuing certified copies of birth and death certificates on July 23, days after the July 18 bankruptcy filing. That day, a nervous paper vendor demanded cash -- and the city wanted to do business as usual, on credit.
FYI: In bankrupt and frequently bizarre Detroit, dying is easy. It's proving you are dead that's hard.
Cutbacks in hours, balky vendors, and the news that Herman Kiefer Complex will close Oct. 1 are all affecting the city's death and dying business. The city's vital records department will close and Wayne County will assume responsibility for issuing birth and death certificates, according to Bill Nowling, spokesman for Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr.
"Have you ever heard such a crock?" asked Wallace Williams, president of the Michigan Select Funeral Directors Association, when asked about the paper shortage. "They told us they ran out of paper and it might take five days to get some." Williams, who texted his 20 or so funeral director members, says the potential impact of a death certificate shortage was dire.
Without certified copies of death certificates, families couldn't access bank accounts, file insurance claims, or access probate court. The families are often struggling financially, grieving and frustrated by any bureaucratic delay. And although funeral homes provide copies as a service to families, they wind up taking the heat.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/29/2013 09:07 ||
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dying is easy. Its proving you are dead thats hard.
Yep. those government checks are good.
Keep them coming. (Whether or not deserved)
People dont understand that families become very upset when they cant get the certificate.
Hard as hell to get your hands on that cash, smooth things out dammit.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
08/29/2013 11:23 Comments ||
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#2
That'll make it easier for them to keep voting.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Al Ahram] A soccer club from Kazakhstan has been warned that it could face disciplinary action if it continues its ritual slaughter of sheep before matches.
Eight new cases of the deadly coronavirus Mers, a Sars-like infection, have been registered in Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday. Of the eight, two men from the capital Riyadh had died, the WHO said. Both had underlying medical conditions.
