(It's unclear whether the couple ever actually paid for the Bic lighters in question—the article only specifies that the footage shows they scanned the package of lighters but that the scanner didn't register it.)

The couple in question is gay and their sons are adopted, which may have introduced a whole new level of emotional reactions on both sides of the dispute. The men say their children told them that while they were being held in the security room, the security staff threatened the kids and "had made disparaging remarks about Paolucci and Hitchcock's lifestyle." It's not a stretch to imagine that such an attitude, if it existed, carried over into any face-to-face interactions. Meanwhile, the police who showed up and cuffed Paolucci, then forced the two men into the backs of different squad cars, claim that the men were causing a disturbance when they arrived at the scene.

Still, no amount of pro-gay or anti-gay outrage makes it okay for a retailer to place paying customers in such an abusive situation, especially when the retailer's own security footage—which was immediately available for review—shows that if there was any inventory issue it was due to a malfunction of the scanner. But Walmart can get away with it because it can afford to:

Asked if they intend to sue Wal-Mart, Paolucci said he and Hitchcock probably won't because other attorneys have advised them Wal-Mart historically "plays hardball" and isn't prone to settle cases out of court.

"We could spend a couple million dollars to sue them," Paolucci said.

But that doesn't mean there won't be court action. Paolucci and Hitchcock e-mailed The Tribune a copy of a letter from a law firm representing Wal-Mart seeking 10 times the retail price of the items the store still claims were shoplifted by Paolucci. The letter states the matter will be dropped if Paolucci submits the $158.40 payment.

Fortunately, the men seem to have enough money that they can afford to never shop at the discount retailer again, even if they weren't banned for life. If you're not part of a wealthy two-income family, though... well hopefully Walmart will look down favorably upon you when your post-checkout time comes, so long as you act contrite and respectful of their security team's authority.

(Oh yeah, now I remember why I don't want a Walmart anywhere near where I live.)

*Note: I originally reported the Walmart as being located in Niles, Illinois. However, the South Bend Tribune generally covers areas in Michigan and Indiana, and the couple lives in Buchanan, Michigan, which also has a Niles located nearby. I've updated the post to report the Walmart as being located in Niles, Michigan. -Chris

"Niles couple banned from Wal-Mart after dispute over BIC lighters" [South Bend Tribune] (Thanks to Shanon!)

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(Photo: Brave New Films)

The short version: Jeremy Keith's blog was accidentally lumped into a list of blogs being reported to Google for mentioning pirate copies of PerfectPitch, and Boucherle apologizes for the mistake.

Here's what he sent us (I've added the links):

Official Statement from PerfectPitch.com

Re: Google DMCA Removal of a Blog Page

To All Readers:

Here at PerfectPitch.com we made a big mistake.

We instructed Google to block a blog site managed by Jeremy Keith, citing that they were in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyrights Act (DMCA). As per our request, Google did indeed remove this page from their search listings.

We wish to formally apologize to Mr. Keith and his bloggers for this mistake, for which we are deeply regretful.

Please understand that we had no intention whatsoever to suppress the speech on Mr. Keith's page. Please know that we are ardent supporters and advocates of free speech for everyone.

We recognize this was a careless error, and there is really no excuse for this. Nevertheless, please permit us a moment to explain.

Here's what happened:

We were actually submitting to Google a list of sites that were illegally distributing copies of our copyrighted intellectual property. We of course have every right to request that Google have these sites removed from their search engine results because we believe these sites violate the DMCA, which prohibits the illegal distribution of copyrighted materials over the internet.

To our shock and horror, an employee of ours mistakenly included Mr. Keith's site in our list, merely because it made a reference to illegal copies of our course. Naturally, this is not grounds for removal of this page at Google. Our intention was only to remove actual pages where the course is being illegally distributed, and not any pages of free speech, such as Mr. Keith's blog. This was a misjudgment and error on our employee's side, and on behalf of our company, we sincerely apologize.

This event has never happened to us before when reporting illegal distribution of our materials. Please rest assured that we will redouble our efforts to ensure this never happens again.

We have requested that Google immediately reinstate this page in their search results, along with our apology to Google as well.

Again, please accept our sincere regrets for this goof.

Happy blogging, everyone.

Sincerely yours,
Gary Boucherle
PerfectPitch.com

Keith over at Adactio has posted a follow-up report, which includes part of another email from Boucherle that explains what happened in greater detail

Periodically we've contacted Google to submit the following complaint:

We believe our copyrighted works have been illegally copied and made available for free download at the web sites listed below

The following URL was one of hundreds of URLS (mostly torrent sites) found with the Google search terms Burge+Pitch+Torrent:

http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/21250

While we try to check every URL to make sure it either contains torrents, or is a torrent file sharing site (not the case with this site), it was included with our complaint inadvertently.

Keith says he then had a phone call with Boucherle where they discussed things like takedown notices and using the DMCA to protect your copyright, and how it can blow up in the aggressor's face if used incorrectly:

I subsequently had a phone conversation with Gary and he was quite contrite about his actions—although he did try to claim that the mere mention of torrents in an online discussion might be justification for a take down (a completely indefensible attitude).

The more I talked to him, the more I realised that he simply had no idea about the DMCA. He was completely oblivious to the potential consequences of his actions were he to lose a counter-claim in court.

Gary Bourcherle abused a piece of extremely poor legislation in a scattergun approach without even understanding what he was doing.

About that counter-claim example: Diebold was found to have violated section 512(f) of the DMCA, and ordered to pay $125,000 in damages and fees—which is something you may want to point out to anyone who misuses the DMCA against your own online content in the future.

"Burge Pitch Torrent " [Adactio]

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(Meerkat illustrations of how to reject a hug: Valerie Everett)

[Original post follows:]
Here's another example of a company misusing the law to try to hide or remove third-party commentary about its services. This time it's a website called PerfectPitch.com, and its owner Gary Boucherle of American Educational Music, Inc. apparently doesn't like it when anyone talks about the product without his permission.

Jeremy Keith of the blog Adactio says he received a notice from Google two days ago that the search engine was removing all links to a post where PerfectPitch was mentioned by a commenter. The reason Google provided: "Somone has filed a DMCA complaint against your site."

Keith posted the offending comment from the original thread on his other blog, The Session, which I'll repost below:

I think that is referring to www.PerfectPitch.com. I'm not saying anything about such commercially-oriented courses because I don't know them, but I think we'd all be wise to bear in mind the general comments voiced in the first two posts on this thread.

Because that comment is so innocuous, Keith is wondering if Boucherle wanted it gone because he thought it was criticism, or if really he's just trying to force his own site to the top of the Google search results page by abusing the DMCA to get other results kicked off. Either way, it's not a legitimate use of the DMCA. Or as Keith puts it:

The Session has pretty good Google juice. The markup is pretty lean, the content is semantically structured and there's plenty of inbound links. Could it be that the owner of perfectpitch.com sent a DMCA complaint to Google simply because another site was getting higher rankings for the phrase "perfect pitch"? If so, then that's a whole new level of SEO snake-oilery.

Blog post on 'PerfectPitch' Takedown Notice [Adactio via Techdirt]
"Perfect Pitch" [The Session]

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(Photo: Chesi - Fotos CC)

Some experts warn that a sharp reduction in overdraft fees could put weakened financial institutions out of business.

Michael Moebs, an economist who advises banks and credit unions, said Ms. Maloney's legislation would effectively kill overdraft services, causing an estimated 1,000 banks and 2,000 credit unions to fold within two years. That is because 45 percent of the nation's banks and credit unions collect more from overdraft services than they make in profits, he said.

"Will they be able to replace it with another fee?" Mr. Moebs said. "Not immediately and not soon enough."

The funny thing about overdraft fees is that since they're not covered by the Truth in Lending Act, banks don't have to disclose their true cost to customers, or ask permission to sign them up:

According to the F.D.I.C. study, a $27 overdraft fee that a customer repays in two weeks on a $20 debit purchase would incur an annual percentage rate of 3,520 percent. By contrast, penalty interest rates on credit cards generally run about 30 percent.

"People would be shocked at how brutally high those fees are relative to the costs of a credit card," said Edmund Mierzwinski, the consumer program director for the United States Public Interest Research Group.

People may also be shocked by how strongly the banking industry will fight back against any overdraft legislation, the article implies, because many financial institutions will be fighting for their ability to remain in business.

"Overspending on Debit Cards Is a Boon for Banks" [New York Times] (Thanks to Steve!)
(Photo: Ciaran McGuiggan)

"Woman Drags Child on Leash Through Verizon Store" [IntoMobile]

America is truly the land of opportunity - here a collection agency owner figured out this was a better business model to service other collectors rather than having his own collection agency.

So, if you sue a collector you might just make it on Webrecon's database. Not a bad thing.

Remember, if you are dealing with abusive debt collectors who are leaving illegal voice mails, calling third parties, or suing you, contact us as we have special free reports for you to provide you with the more knowledge so you can determine if you want to sue the collector. And make Webrecon's list....

Lawsuits are best reserved for abusive debt collectors who violate the Federal Debt Collection Practices Act, and are not an alternative to paying off your debt. If you're struggling with debt, read our guide to get back on the path to fiscal solvency.

One Benefit Of Suing Debt Collectors - They Tend To Not Want To Talk To You Again... [Alabama Consumer Law Blog]

The bill's sponsor, Tim Burchett, said consumers shouldn't have to be held accountable for delays beyond their control:

It is not right for credit card consumers to pay late fees if the payment is sitting on the desk of an employee of the credit card company or if it arrives late due to slow mail... Many Tennesseans have faced these charges, even though they made their payments on time.... Consumers should not have to pay for the mistakes of others when their efforts can be proved by a postmark.

What an awesome bill; we hope it goes through. It would be nice, too, if other states step up to protect their residents, especially since the federal government has been so slow to act.

"Pro-Business Committee Passes Pro-Consumer Bill" [Knox News](Thanks to Jeff!)
(Photo: Steve 2.0)

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, blasted the decision to end the program, saying the IRS was caving in to "union-driven political pressure."

"The administration has decided that after spending nearly a trillion dollars in the stimulus bill to keep people working across the country, they are going to cut a program that provides jobs to hundreds of people during the middle of a recession, including 60 in Iowa," Grassley said in a statement.

[..]

Under the privatized program, the IRS turns over delinquency cases, often in the $5,000 to $10,000 range, that the IRS lacks the manpower to pursue.

The program costs about $7.6 million a year to administer, and private contractors are allowed to keep about a quarter of the taxes they collect.

The contracts the private agencies were working under expire Friday. The IRS has been reviewing the program for the past month to determine whether to extend the agreements.

Private debt collectors are notoriously ruthless, and cutting them loose is a big win for taxpayers. The federal government plans to replace the private debt collectors with 1,000 new federal tax collectors.

IRS to drop private debt collection program [AP]
PREVIOUSLY: I.R.S. Employ Of Private Debt Collectors Criticized
(Photo: olarte.ollie)

She didn't want to tote it back across to the floral section when she replaced the scented oil. I was standing there looking when all of a sudden a man named Larry (who worked in the automotive section I assume) grabbed the trash can that I could feel touching my leg, yanked it up, and did a half slide/half throw toward the hardware side of the store. Well, that made the empty trash fly and crash in a loud kinda empty trash can sound way, very loud, almost 2 1/2 to 3 aisles down from where I was standing. As if my embarrassment wasn't enough, he left it in the middle of the aisle and started to return to the Automotive counter.

Surely you didn't expect him to go retrieve it, Ricky? Crazy and manners don't often go together.

Ricky, who incidentally worked for twelve years in a big box retail environment, writes:

I walked past him and said, "Thanks Larry for throwing my trash can," while 10 to 15 people just stared in amazement... It was very embarrassing. I hurried to where the can was lying in the middle of the floor and tried to pick it up without being looked at like a three-armed sideshow freak.

Larry was also trying to beat me to the trash can, the whole time saying that an "old woman" just left it there. I then politely said that "old woman" was my mother, and it was right beside me the whole time within 2 inches of my leg. He then ran back to the automotive sales counter where they change the oil, but never apologized as if he did nothing wrong. By that time I was so mad my head was throbbing, I was so embarrassed by how I was treated that I took the 2 wire items I needed and replaced the trash can back on the counter and said Wal-Mart will not get a trash can sell from me today.

Ricky went out to the parking lot to cool off, then called the store phone number that was printed on a receipt.

I was like, "I can't let this pass." I phoned and asked for the Store Manager, and the operator said she was on vacation. I then asked for the co-manager, [and the operator] said he was not there. I then politely asked, "Can I speak to whoever is in charge of the circus there?" She transferred me to Assistant Manager Mike.

Well, I told him my complaint and he never really said too much, said he would be mad too if it happened to him. [I felt] I was given the ole' "I don't have time to speak to you because I have to get back to setting the Christmas department planogram" song and dance—he was very rushed and short.

Ricky told the assistant manager the approximate time it happened and suggested he check the store security tapes for confirmation, and he left his number and asked that the store manager call him back upon her return from vacation. We hope at the very least Ricky receives an apology for how he and his mother were treated, and that Larry is "retrained" (to use a recently popular corporate term) to not throw the merchandise until after it's paid for.

(On a related note: Ricky, learn to write in paragraphs! With punctuation! Yes, I am wagging my finger at you now! It took me three days to figure out how to edit your story down to a readable level. This isn't just me being a jackass—you'll be taken far more seriously by companies if you can make a concise, well-written argument on your own behalf. Maybe not by Walmart, which has a reputation for ignoring customer complaints, but there are certainly other companies out there who actually respond to customer feedback on occasion.)

(Photo: Getty Images)

The employees in this room were debating who would get me to the ticket gate to be re-ticketed because it was no one's job and the appropriate personnel were not responding to their calls. After that was resolved I was given a new boarding pass for a flight expected to leave at 12:55 AM. Then this person advised me she cannot get me from a D Gate to Gate A9. She again called for the appropriate personnel who never showed. We waited by an elevator for someone she convinced to bring me over to Gate A even though it was not his job. I had to beg him to stop at a bathroom entrance and to wait for me and then he finally delivered me to Gate A9.

I was given a meal voucher for my INCONVENIENCE but could not purchase any food because again there was no one to bring me to an eating establishment, never mind wait on the long line for me to make a food purchase.

At 11:15 I advised the gate attendant I was dehydrated and cramping because I could not purchase any water. This is the only nice employee that treated me with dignity. The flight I was transferred to was supposed to leave at 10:22 PM but was delayed until 1:30 AM. This gate attendant went and brought me water off of the plane.

This gate attendant also made sure she finally found some one at 11:15 PM to push me to obtain food and another bathroom break. I arrived in West Palm Beach at 3:15 AM with no ride and had to again crawl into the shuttle service to get home.

I understand plane delays and waiting at airports, but is this how you treat your handicapped passengers???

The text above is from a letter Julianna has sent to Richard Anderson, Delta's CEO, who we hope will do more than send her another food voucher—like take real steps to make sure handicapped passengers are treated with a minimum of respect when they're traveling.

(Thanks to Chris)
(Photo: Andrei Dimofte)

I was at the Germantown Wal*Mart to buy four bags of sugar because earlier in the day I had been at Butler’s Orchard picking 10 pounds of strawberries to turn into delicious jam. And to make delicious jam, you need lots of sugar. I grabbed four bags and headed to the checkout, where I also decided I could use some refreshment. I grabbed a Mountain Dew from the cooler, but the cashier had already processed my card for the four bags of sugar. He apologized and rang up another transaction for the Mt. Dew. At that point, he crumpled up my receipt for the four bags of sugar and handed me the receipt for the Mountain Dew. I headed for the exit, and was greeted by Wal*Mart security who wanted to check my receipt. I produced the receipt for the Mountain Dew and explained that the cashier had tossed the other receipt for the sugar. I would repeat this explanation 6 more times before this affair ended.

At this point, I attempted to leave, but was told I could not. I immediately asked if I was being detained. I was told “no” but that I wasn’t allowed to leave unless I walked back to the cashier to get a receipt. I said that I was “happy to let the security guard talk to the cashier, but that I was heading home with my sugar.” I attempted to leave again, and the door was blocked. I asked again if I was being detained, and was told “yes.” I asked on what grounds, and the security guard said “Because you stole.”

I informed the guard I had done no such thing, that the sugar was my property, and I was leaving with it. This time I pushed passed him and left the store, with him following me demanding I stop. As I left, he grabbed my bags, ripping them open. As he followed me he attempted to grab my bags, and grab the items inside of my bags. At one point, he told me that he should “kick my ass.” As I reached the end of sidewalk outside the store and headed towards my car in the parking lot, another employee came running and blocked my path. Soon afterwards a manager arrived. I again asked if I was being detained. I was informed by the manager that I was. I again asked for what reason, and was told by the original security guard that it was for stealing. I once again informed them that I hadn’t stolen anything and that I was leaving.

At this point, the manager informed me that Wal*Mart policy did not allow me to leave the store without showing a receipt. I said that I had paid for my merchandise, that it was in fact a store employee that had thrown away my receipt, and that I was not compelled to prove that items that I legally owned belonged to anyone but me. Again I inquired whether I was being detained, and was told my only options were to go back in the store to talk to the cashier or have the police called. I informed the manager that she was welcome to call the police, because I had done nothing wrong. At tht point, she radioed for someone to call the police. Once again, I started to walk to my car as the two security guards again attempted to block my path in the parking lot.

At this point, and off duty police officer came to the scene (he appeared to be heading into Wal*Mart to shop, not the one called by the manager), showed his badge, and asked for an explanation. Everyone was calmed by this, and tensions visibly eased on the faces of the Wal*Mart employees. I explained my side, and Wal*Mart employees explained their side. After the explanations, I asked the police officer if I was being detained, and he said yes. I asked on what grounds, and he said “suspicion of theft.” The officer told me I could give them “their merchandise back” and leave at that point or I could go inside and talk to the cashier. I indicated that since he was detaining me, I was willing to go back into the store and speak with the cashier, but that the merchandise belonged to me. At this point, one of the bags of sugar fell from my ripped bags and split open on the pavement. It was an accident, but I could tell no one believed me when I said so.

On the way into the store, the officer informed me that it was his day off, he had important things to do, and he didn’t want to take me to jail. But I had one last chance to give them their merchandise back and just leave, because if I wasn’t telling the truth, he would personally drive me to the station. I agreed wholeheartedly with him, and told him so. I’m fairly certain he thought I had actually stolen the sugar at this point. He then asked what I needed so much sugar for anyway. At the time, I was literally covered with strawberry juice. It had stained my shorts and shirt red, and I thought it was fairly believable that I was going to make strawberry jam. He still seemed skeptical, asking where I had been picking strawberries, and only seemed to believe me after I was able to name Butler’s Orchard. He then asked if I had ID, what my name was, and how old I was. Upon telling him this, he said “You better not be lying to me,” so perhaps I was too quick to think he didn’t assume I was guilty.

Of course, upon re-entering the store and speaking with the cashier, he informed everyone that I had paid for the sugar and the receipt was found in his trash can. His story differed slightly in that he told them he had given me the receipt but I had thrown it into his trash can. That was impossible based on where his trash can was from the checkout counter, but it didn’t matter. The original security guard was cordial, shook my hand, and apologized. The Wal*Mart manager and police officer lectured about how next time if I just cooperated and gave up my rights at the beginning, it would have been much easier on everyone. Trust me, Wal*Mart, there won’t be a next time.

If you defend Wal-Mart for this treatment of an average customer, you are a slave. There are other ways to prevent shoplifting. How about the security guard follows the suspected shoplifter to his car to take down his license plate while radioing someone in the store to confirm whether or not his story is legit? Besides that, Ben had four bags of sugar in Wal-Mart branded plastic bags—the likelihood that he was shoplifting them was low, and the value of the sugar to the store was virtually nonexistent compared to other merchandise that was and is probably being stolen from Wal-Marts all over America this weekend. No matter how belligerent a customer is in this situation, the guard, manager, and officer should remember that if the customer is innocent, he has a right to be belligerent and offended that he's being harrassed to such a degree—especially over something as trivial as four bags of sugar.

Update: Ben wrote back to us, "To their credit, they did replace the bag of sugar."

"Detained by Montgomery County Police For Buying Sugar" [Metblogs] (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)
(Photo: kaibara87)

Adi writes:

I ordered a pizza online tonight, and since there was no field to enter my coupon, I brought my coupon to the store. The staff member at the register was unsure how to enter it, so she got someone else to help me.

When I showed her the coupon in question, this woman informed me I couldn't use it. I asked why and she said I ordered online. I re-read the coupon and when I pointed out there was no online exclusion she said it didn't say it COULD be used online. I said that unless there was a printed exclusion, it should be acceptable. She refused, and I said that I would like to cancel my previous order and re-order my pizza using the coupon. Her answer was, "Fine. You can wait." She threw the coupon back across the counter and I asked, "Isn't the pizza already made? You're going to throw it away and make a new one?" She replied that she was and after commenting that that was ridiculous, I stepped back to wait. She then yelled, "What do you want?" I began to answer and she interrupted me, yelling, "I can't HEAR you." I spoke louder and placed my order and she held out her hand for the coupon. I handed her the page of coupons and again she threw it back, saying, "You have to tell me which one." I pointed it out for the third time, and she typed in the code and then threw the page away. I asked for the remaining coupons back and she snapped, "I'm not your secretary!"

At this point I asked if she were a manager and she informed me she was the co-owner. I was shocked a business owner would take part in such a display of such deplorable customer service. Of course, an employee would be fired in a minute for such belligerence.

When I got home I relayed the experience to my boyfriend, who insisted on calling and demanding an apology. After speaking to the owner, she refused to apologize and he informed her we would be contacting corporate. I realize she is a franchise owner, but I assume she is NOT the sort of person you want as the face of your company, and I suggest action should be taken, perhaps in the form of customer service training. I would also like to be compensated for my time and for the fact that I endured such vitriolic interaction.

I've been a Papa John's customer for a few years, and have never had a problem before, but something of this nature makes me think about never stepping foot in one of your stores ever again.

(Photo: LiveU4)

The passenger, Gokhan Mutlu, was traveling on a buddy pass, and says about 90 minutes in to the 5 1/2 hour flight from New York to San Diego the pilot told him to give up his seat to a flight attendant.

When Mutlu expressed reluctance to go sit in the bathroom, the pilot, who was not named in the lawsuit, told him that "he was the pilot, that this was his plane, under his command that (Mutlu) should be grateful for being on board," the lawsuit said.

When the aircraft hit turbulence and passengers were directed to return to their seats, but "the plaintiff had no seat to return to, sitting on a toilet stool with no seat belts," court papers say.

Sometime later, a male flight attendant knocked on the restroom door and told Mutlu he could return to his original seat, court papers say.

We wonder if this is just a new corporate policy to reduce the attractiveness of buddy passes. To be honest, though, traveling in a plane bathroom—no strangers sitting nearby, your own sink, free to stand or sit the entire time, and the opportunity to spend most of the flight in your underwear—doesn't really sound that bad. It'd be like a very short prison term, and who doesn't want to get away from everything now and then?

"Man Says JetBlue Pilot Forced Him To Sit On Toilet" [CBStv.com] (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)
(Photo: qmnonic)

Prosper Inc.—where slow sellers are put on two-week notice, the supervisor keeps a "2x4 of motivation" on his desk, and the team leader "threatened to draw a mustache in permanent marker on the face of sales people for 'negativity'"—doesn't sound like a healthy place to work even on good days. But Hudgens was somehow surprised by the severity of the "team-building exercise" this time around.

Christopherson called the men into the break room and announced, "We're going to do an exercise." He asked for a volunteer.
 
Hudgens raised his hand. [Never raise your hand, Hudgens! First rule!]
 
"Keep in mind," he said, "the last time we did a team-building exercise outside, we did an egg toss."
 
Prosper maintains that Christopherson explained what would happen next, and Hudgens knew what he was in for, even handing his cellphone and keys to co-workers before lying down. Hudgens insists he had no clue.
 
"So they held me down," Hudgens said, "and the next thing I know, Josh has a gallon jug of water and he's pouring it on my face. I can't scream because the water's going down my throat.
 
"And halfway through he stopped for a second. I tried to mumble the words, 'Stop, knock it off.' I tried to get that out and he continued to pour."
 
"I'm not getting any air," Hudgens said. "Toward the end, I'm starting to black out. I'm getting very dizzy, light-headed. The sensation that's going through my head is, 'I'm going to drown.' "
 
That is the oft-described whole point of waterboarding, though Hudgens said he was not then familiar with the word. He said that what he told a friend in the human relations office two hours later, after "coughing, choking, mucus" was: "My team just tried to kill me."

Here's Kimberly's full letter:

I am a volunteer for Catholic Charities and my new client Sandra recently went into Grossinger Auto in Chicago, IL to buy a car. She was approved for a brand new 2007 Pontiac with all the options available by GMAC. She makes $900 a month in social security, has had several strokes so she does not have a valid license, and is in credit card debt up to her eyeballs. She is a 65 year old women who also suffers from Dementia.
 
GMAC approved her loan even with her bad credit rating! I believe the scam is working. Sandra lives in public housing and there is NO way that she has the credit to get a new car. Yet, GMAC gave her the money to do so.
 
One month after she failed to make her payment they repossessed the car. Now they say she owes $7,995.80 for the difference of the car and what they got for the car at auction. I have tried repeatedly to get a hold of someone who could explain to me their loan process but was hung up on. They have not responded to my complaints to the Better Business Bureau. I also went to Grossinger Auto and asked how they could sell this woman a car and they also slammed the door in my face. What a creative way to scam!!

If you are one of the many Americans who are opposed to real fur, the problem is obvious: you bought "faux fur" and received real. Or—if you are ok with some types of fur—you thought you were purchasing one species but instead took home a garment trimmed with fur from a species of dog.

But even if retailers and designers were to stop falsely advertising and labeling raccoon dog fur today, consumers would still be left with less than ideal information about what is really on the jacket they're purchasing.

That's because, despite "raccoon dog" being this animal's common name (that is, the non-Latin name which is generally used), the Federal Trade Commission inexplicably decided in 1951 that this animal should be referred to as "Asiatic raccoon" in advertising and labeling under the Fur Products Labeling Act.

"Investigation Results Find Raccoon Dog Most Misrepresented Fur Sold in America" [Humane Society] (Thanks to Pierre!)
(Photo: hokkey)

Apparently, Steve "The Cows Needed A Pick-Me-Up" Mendell was shocked, horrified and sickened by the undercover video that showed cows that were too sick to walk being lifted and prodded with forklifts.

"I was shocked. I was horrified. I was sickened," Steve said.

Testifying before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Mendell, who appeared only after being subpoenaed, assured lawmakers that despite his lack of knowledge about conditions at the plant, sick animals were not slaughtered for food, so no safety issue existed.

But Mr. Mendell retracted the statement when shown a second video in which a "downer" cow was shocked and abused by workers trying to move it to the "kill box," then finally shot with a bolt gun and dragged by a chain to the processing area.

When Mr. Mendell told the committee he was unaware of the abuses, Mr. Stupak asked him, "What's your curiosity, as president and C.E.O. of the company you're responsible for?"

Mr. Mendell replied that after he had seen the first video, he concluded that "it was a regulatory violation, for sure, it was inhumane treatment, for sure," but that he did not believe it was a food safety issue until he saw the second video on Wednesday.

Mr. Stupak asked if one could conclude from the video that the cow dragged into the killing area had gone into the food supply.

"That would be logical, sir," Mr. Mendell replied.

Meat Packer Admits Slaughter of Sick Cows [NYT]

The Gap, Nike, and Levi Strauss actually have comparatively large inspection teams for U.S. companies, but "large" in this sense means about 90 inspectors for the Gap—the number of inspections-per-plant for the Gap in 2006 still worked out to about one every six months.

The current inspection process has only been around since the early to mid-90s, and clearly the current level of inspections aren't working:

A forthcoming study from the Worker Rights Consortium examined 50 factories serving these top companies and found major problems at each location, like verbal abuse, lack of access to drinking water and bathrooms, and the inability for workers to organize. In 84 percent of those factories, workers didn't understand how their salary was determined.

Surprisingly, the infrared thermometer inside was not damaged.

In a column by bankrate.com's resident debt adviser Steve Bucci, a woman named Nina writes of her mother's death while on a cruise ship. Although her mother's $30,000 in medical expenses were eventually paid off by the insurance company, in the months it took for the payment to go through, "the credit card company hit her account, even though they knew she was in a coma and subsequently died, with over-limit fees, finance charges, etc."

Bucci informed her that, thankfully, because Nina is "not a joint cardholder on the account and [her] mother left no estate," she does not incur the debt. That's good to know. Who wants to worry about the debt their kids are accumulating while in an endless coma?

Read more at bankrate.com —BRIAN FAIRBANKS

(Photo: Getty)

Maybe it's her, or maybe there's two bitaches living in a very close proximity to the Target store in Warwick, who knows...

We have a sneaking suspicion that Fran's vacation is more of a "vacation" brought about by Friday's incident.

Transcript inside.

Digg this story.

Let's just cut straight to the point: Fran, store manager of the Target located at 1245 Bald Hill Rd. in Warwick, Rhode Island? She's a cunt.

If that seems harsh to you, we can only say we wish there was a word in the English language that was even harsher.

Reader Lexi H. wrote us in with an absolutely appalling tale about how her elderly, handicapped mother was treated by Fran at the local Target. Her mother — a plucky old gal who requires oxygen and a wheelchair — was puttering around the Warwick Target in one of the electric handicapped carts when the battery died.

Lexi and her mother understood: these things suck, but they happen. What shouldn't happen is for the manager of the store to then rush out to verbally abuse and publicly embarrass an elderly, crippled old woman. Yet that's just what did happen.

We're fucking spitting mad over this one. In fact, we're putting out the call. We want you to read Lexi's story and then call Target to complain. Don't be rude, don't be a jerk, but we want you to call Target, mention Fran by name and register your disgust with a company that would treat any patron — let alone someone's sweet, wheelchair-bound mother — so completely inhumanely.

The Warwick, Rhode Island telephone number is (401) 821-0121. Corporate HQ seems to be 800-591 3869 (don't press or say anything to get a human). Mention the store name, address and Fran by name.

And while you're at it, mention that Peter is a great Target employee, and should get a ribbon, if not Fran's fucking job.

Read Lexi's email, after the jump:

I am writing about a truly disturbing experience I had today at the Target store located at 1245 Bald Hill Rd. in Warwick, RI. My mother uses oxygen and a wheelchair, and it is hard for her to get about and go shopping. Today as a special treat, we decided to go to Target. We arrived at the store at about 12:30 pm, and I dropped her off at the door, and went to park the car. When I got inside the store, she was standing inside looking for a MartCart, one of the electric carts that most big box stores have to make shopping possible for handicapped patrons. There wasn't one available, so we went and ate lunch in the cafe and waited until one became available. A patron who was using it left, and my mother got in it and we entered the store itself. About 20 feet into the store, the battery on the cart died. I went back to the front of the store where the carts are kept, to see if another MartCart had become available. While I stood there, a friendly and helpful employee named Peter came over to ask if I needed assistance. I must add here that Peter seemed to be mentally disabled, which in no way was a problem or an issue at all- he was delightful and very kind during the horrorshow that our visit became.

I told Peter that the battery in the MartCart had failed, and he walked with me to where my mother was sitting in the dead cart. He looked at the cart, and agreed that the battery had died. He was about to say something else, when from about 25 feet away, another Target employee began yelling "Is there a problem?" Peter walked toward the yelling woman, to explain what had happened. Meanwhile, she began walking towards us. I noted that her nametag said Fran.

As she approached, she continued yelling. Peter was telling her that the battery had died, and she approached my mother and I by yelling (quite literally yelling) "I don't know what you want me to do, I can't shop for you." My mother said quietly that that wasn't what she wanted at all, but Fran cut her off by yelling again "There's nothing I can do for you, what do you want?" My mother said "I am not deaf, please stop yelling." Fran lowered her voice fractionally, and said again "I can't shop for you."

At this point, Peter, who as I say was differently abled but with a heart of gold, said that the cart needed to be charged. Fran ignored him and very aggresively and loudly said "I don't have a wheelchair, what do you want me to do, push you around in that?" pointing at the non-operative cart. My mother looked shaken, and said "It is humiliating enough to need help to shop, please stop talking so loudly." Fran's yelling was, in fact, attracting interested stares from other shoppers.

Peter again said that the cart needed to be charged, and I asked him how long that took, hoping to somehow salvage the day. He said it takes 7 or 8 hours to fully charge the carts, adding that it was usually done overnight. I said then, "Well, how long does a full charge last? It's just past noon, how many people can actually use it if it takes 8 hours to charge and only lasts till noon?" Peter replied that he didn't know how many trips around the store the cart could make on one full charge, but that it had not been plugged in earlier. At this, Fran began haranguing Peter, saying that the cart had been fully charged and had been plugged in that morning. He started to say again that it had not, and she cut him off yelling (again) that it had been charged, and that she didn't know what we wanted. He looked very distressed, as I think we all were, and I said to my mother who looked on the verge of tears "Let's go." She nodded, and I removed from the cart the few items (from the rack immediately inside the store) that we had chosen. I went to put them on the shelf, and Fran snatched them out of my hand. I said to Peter "Thank you," and then to Fran "You've very unpleasant, and I will be writing to the manager." She said again, aggresively, "There's nothing I can do." She did not, at that point, tell me that she was the store manager. I helped my mother to the door, which thankfully was only about 20 feet away, and ran to fetch the car. My mother and I left the store.

In the 8 years that my mother has been disabled, never have I seen anyone treat her in such a way. Fran's behavior was so shocking that I am still shaking with disbelief. Not only was she aggressive and abusive, she was mocking and seemed to think that if you have one disability, you probably have another, given that even after my mother pointed out that she was not deaf, Fran kept yelling at her. Fran's treatment of her employee, Peter, was similarly astonishing. At no point in this ugly experience did Fran apologize for the store's lack of handicapped accomodation, or make any effort in the least to be pleasant, conciliatory, or even simply humane. She seemed in fact to be angry and aggrieved to have to deal with a customer of different needs. I have never met anyone who seems to get their kicks by abusing the handicapped, and I am more disturbed than words can say. That my mother should be a one time target of Fran's abuse is horrifying to me, but upon further reflection, that her employees are treated in such a disparaging manner is equally disturbing, especially considering that Target receives public recognition for their diversity of staff.

I took my mother to WalMart, where she had her choice of 4 MartCarts, and we did some shopping. The moment I got home, I called the store, and asked to speak with the manager, as I had a complaint. I was transferred to a woman named Coila, and told her what had happened. She seemed horrified, and sounded aghast. I asked her if I could have Fran's last name, as I wanted to write to the corporate headquarters as well, and wanted to make sure that no other Fran would be involved. Coila told me that she couldn't tell me Fran's last name, and then she told me that Fran was the store manager. I think I stopped breathing for a minute. Coila then gave me the guest services phone number, and I spoke with another helpful employee named Evie, and told her of the distrubing experience.

I cannot adequately express the horror I feel at what happened this afternoon. It was truly one of the most upsetting experiences I have ever had, to stand helplessly by as my wheelchair bound mother and a mentally challenged worker were verbally lambasted by a yelling woman, the public face of a major corporation. I have always enjoyed shopping at Target, as has my mother. As I am sure you understand, going out to Warwick and going to Target is always something of an expedition for us, but it has always been an enjoyable experience. What happened today was so deeply disturbing, and I felt compelled to write this letter to let people know about the situation at the Warwick RI Target store.