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Subject: Never Judge Someone....
Never Judge Someone....
"Some people!' snorted a man standing behind me at the long line at the grocery store.
"You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line," said another woman.
I looked to the front of the line to see what the hold up was and saw a well dressed, young woman, trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it.
"It's one of them welfare card things. Darn people need to get a job like everyone else!" said the man standing behind me. The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment.
"It was me," he said, pointing to himself.
The young lady's face began to change expression.
Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line watched as she began running to her car. Never looking back, she got in and drove away.
After developing cancer in 1977 and having had to use food stamps for a season, I had learned never to judge ANYONE without knowing the circumstances of their life. This turned out to be the case today.
A few moments after the lady ran away, a young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if she had seen the woman. After describing her, the cashier told him that she had run out of the store, gotten into her car, and driven away. "Why would she do that?" asked the man
Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had made the statement. "I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she was using. Something I shouldn't have said..
I'm sorry." said the man.
"Well, that's bad, real bad, in fact. Her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago. He had
three young children and she has taken on the responsibility of raising them. She is twenty years old, single, and now has three children to support." he said in a very firm voice.
"I'm really truly sorry... I didn't know." the man replied. The young man asked, "Are these paid for?" pointing to the shopping cart full of groceries.
"No, it wouldn't take her card." The clerk told him.
"Do you know where she lives?" asked the man who had made the comment. Yes, she goes to our church."
"Excuse me," the man said as he made his way to the front of the line. He pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card, and told the cashier, "Please use my card. PLEASE!"
The clerk took his credit card and began to ring up the young woman's groceries.
"Hold on!" said the gentleman. He walked back to his shopping cart and began loading his own groceries onto the belt to be included. "Come on people. We got three kids to help raise!'" he told everyone in line. Everyone began to place their groceries onto the fast moving belt. A few customers began bagging the food and placing it into separate carts.
"Go back and get two big turkeys." yelled a heavyset woman, as she looked at the man.
"NO!" yelled the man. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The entire store became quiet for several seconds. "Four turkeys!" yelled the man.
Everyone began laughing and went back to work. When all was said and done, the man paid a total of $1,646.57 for the groceries. He then walked over to the side, pulled out his check book, and began writing a check using the bags of dog food piled near the front of the store for a writing surface. He turned around and handed the check to the young man. "She will need a freezer and a few other things as well." he told the man.
The young man looked at the check and said, "This is really very generous of you." "No." said the man. "Her brother was the generous one."
Everyone in the store had been watching the odd commotion and began to clap. And I drove home that day feeling very American.
We live in the Land of the free, because of the Brave!!!
Remember our Troops of Yesterday and Today!!!
This is a great example of why we should be kind and patient.
Kindness is the language the blind can see and the deaf can hear.
May God's many blessings continue to be with you ALWAYS!!!
Please forward this to your friends. Perhaps it will open a lot of eyes, hopefully hearts, and perhaps keep some mouths shut!!!
IN GOD WE TRUST
Chris --
Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, Americans across the country will sit down together, count our blessings, and give thanks for our families and our loved ones.
American families reflect the diversity of this great nation. No two are exactly alike, but there is a common thread they each share.
Our families are bound together through times of joy and times of grief. They shape us, support us, instill the values that guide us as individuals, and make possible all that we achieve.
So tomorrow, I'll be giving thanks for my family -- for all the wisdom, support, and love they have brought into my life.
But tomorrow is also a day to remember those who cannot sit down to break bread with those they love.
The soldier overseas holding down a lonely post and missing his kids. The sailor who left her home to serve a higher calling. The folks who must spend tomorrow apart from their families to work a second job, so they can keep food on the table or send a child to school.
We are grateful beyond words for the service and hard work of so many Americans who make our country great through their sacrifice. And this year, we know that far too many face a daily struggle that puts the comfort and security we all deserve painfully out of reach.
So when we gather tomorrow, let us also use the occasion to renew our commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous future that every American family can enjoy.
It seems like a lifetime ago that a crowd met on a frigid February morning in Springfield, Illinois to set out on an improbable course to change our nation.
In the years since, Michelle and I have been blessed with the support and friendship of the millions of Americans who have come together to form this ongoing movement for change.
You have been there through victories and setbacks. You have given of yourselves beyond measure. You have enabled all that we have accomplished -- and you have had the courage to dream yet bigger dreams for what we can still achieve.
So in this season of thanks giving, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you, and my anticipation of the brighter future we are creating together.
With warmest wishes for a happy holiday season from my family to yours,
President Barack Obama
With a slowly recovering economy, retailers are looking for ways to lure wary customers into their stores on Black Friday. Some retailers are attracting shoppers by staying open on Thanksgiving Day, in addition to extending their hours on Black Friday. Wal-Mart leads the pack, with most of its stores remaining open for 24 hours on Thanksgiving Day as well as Black Friday. On Thanksgiving, the Gap will open at 9 a.m., Banana Republic at 11 a.m., and Old Navy at noon. Toys "R" Us stores will open their doors at midnight before Black Friday. Others are employing social media contests to draw in customers, like J.C. Penney Co.'s Facebook sweepstakes, in which winners will receive a Penney's $500 gift card, assistance from personal shoppers, and a limo ride to the store.
Here's where you can score some impressive Black Friday deals:
Wal-Mart will allow customers to camp out next to their desired items beginning on Thanksgiving Day, and Black Friday specials will last from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. Featured items include a Magnovox Blu-ray player for $78, a Sanyo 50-inch plasma 720p HDTV for $598, a Tom Tom GPS for $59, a reversible fleece jacket for $7, and a Barbie Power Wheels Ride-On for $88.
For the young at heart, Toys "R" Us will give 250,000 free Crayola 64 Boxes with any purchase, along with an $18 Crayola coupon on Black Friday. The store will also have thousands of the popular Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster in stock, along with doorbusters like a $50 gift card with the purchase of an iPod touch. Toys "R" Us will extend sales from Friday to Saturday, with deals that include select Nintendo games for $9.99. For more sneak peaks at the specials, visit the Toys "R" Us Facebook page at midnight on November 23 or take a look at 100 additional "Mystery Deals" on Toysrus.com at midnight on November 25.
Those looking for fashion items for less will have quite a selection. The Gap will offer a buy-one, get-one-free sale for adult sweaters, kid's fleeces, and pajama pants beginning November 25. Old Navy will offer doorbusters, including a free Rock Band guitar for the first few customers in line on Thanksgiving Day, $15 sweaters, and 50 percent off outerwear. On Black Friday, you can buy one cashmere sweater or scarf and get one free at Banana Republic.
Victoria's Secret will have "Pink Friday" specials beginning at 5 a.m. on Black Friday, with select stores opening at midnight, and will offer a free Victoria Secret tote with a $60 purchase. Meanwhile, Bath & Body Works will offer a VIP Bag that contains over $100 worth of products for $15 with a $40 purchase in its stores. The bath products retailer will open the doors at 6 a.m.
In the home appliance arena, Home Depot will offer $400 worth of savings on a pair of Maytag washers and dryers, a RIGID Dry/Wet vacuum for $19.88, and a Makita 18-Volt Hammer Driver Drill & Impact Driver combo kit for $199. These deals will begin on Thanksgiving Day online and in stores at 6 a.m. on Black Friday. Meanwhile, the deals at Lowe's last from 6 a.m. on Black Friday through Monday, November 30. They include a Whirlpool Cabrio washer and dryer for $998 and a Whirlpool 24.8-cubic foot French Door Refrigerator for $898.
Target will release its specials on November 25 at target.com/weeklyad and will have an online-only Thanksgiving Day sale. Customers looking for Black Friday deals will receive maps listing the store's specially priced items. They will also receive a $10 gift card when they spend $100 or more from 5 a.m. to noon on Black Friday.
Deals on electronics will be a big hit on Black Friday this year. Staples plans to offer an HP laptop with Intel Celeron processor for $299.98, a Garmin Nuvi 225W GPS 9 for $119.99, and an HP 8GB flash drive for $12.99. Also, electronics retailer Best Buy is currently offering deals on TVs before Black Friday, which include a 32-inch Dynex LDC HD TV for $299.99 and a 40-inch Dynex 1080p for $499.99.
Shoppers looking for jewelry discounts should stop by JCPenney stores. The general merchandiser's Black Friday specials — which last from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. — include Timex watches starting at $27.50, 1/5-carat T.W. diamond stud earrings for $49.99, and ½-carat T.W.diamond necklaces, bracelets, or earrings for $79.99. JCPenney will also have big sales on clothing and footwear for kids, teens, and adults.
Macy's will also offer specials on jewelry, apparel, and luggage from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Black Friday, as well as 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 28. Deals include diamond accent earrings for $34.99, ½-carat diamond studs for $199, and Victorinox Swiss Army watches for $139. Also, all kids' coats and sleepwear are 60 percent off.
At Kohl's, shoppers will find more than 300 savings offers online and in stores from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Black Friday. Kohl's shoppers can get a $10 gift card for every $50 they spend in store or online. Their specials include a 7-inch portable LCD TV from Digital Labs for $69.99, 50 to 60 percent off apt. 9 sportswear for misses, petites, and women, 50 percent off name-brand children's toys, 40 to 80 percent off kitchen electrics after rebate, and 55 to 60 percent offsterling silver jewelry.
For shoppers who don't feel like combating the mind-numbing traffic and meandering lines, most stores will offer the same specials on their websites. Amazon.com will offer its Black Friday specials from November 23 through November 30 at amazon.com/blackfriday. Deals include up to 70 percent off diamond stud earrings, a KitchenAid Pro 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer for $299.99, and Fujifilm 10 megapixel J28 for $79.99.
Here are a few things bargain-hungry consumers need to know before they hit stores before dawn the day after Thanksgiving.
Here's a Black Friday reality check: Of the hordes of pre-dawn shoppers who line up for hours outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving, most will not bag the best bargains that appear in merchants' circulars.
Look at the fine print that appears next to an advertised "doorbuster deal" at the bottom of the page in this year's circulars.
It will either say "While supplies last," "Minimum 2 per store," "No rainchecks" or "All items are available in limited quantities."
A quick scan through a few of this year's Black Friday circulars show quantities as low as a "minimum of 5 per store" on some models of large plasma and HDTVs and popular brands of home appliances such as a washer-dryer pair.
Should Black Friday deal hunters feel cheated? Yes they should, say some retail experts.
"It's a sleazy practice," said Craig Johnson, retailing expert and president of retail consulting group Customer Growth Partners.
"I am old school," said Johnson. "If a retailer is advertising a juicy deal and they are not prepared to have in sufficient quantity, don't advertise it. Or give consumers a raincheck
Johnson said it's not enough for retailers to mention that they'll have such limited quantities of a product on one of the most-hyped shopping days of the year.
"Retailers aren't winning any customers. They are just pissing off people," he said. "It's poor retailing practice."
Unfortunately for consumers, more examples abound.
CNNMoney.com spoke to industry experts to uncover a few dirty secrets of Black Friday deals.
Limited quantities: Advertising a Black Friday deal as "limited quantities" is bogus, said Johnson.
"The only time it makes sense to have only two or three [items] in stock is if the deal is on a $2 million gift product that appears in the Neiman Marcus holiday catalog," he said.
Edgar Dworsky, a consumer advocate and editor of Consumer World, agreed with Johnson.
"C'mon guys. Give me a break," said Dworsky. "How can you be the size of a retailer like Sears and only get a minimum of five per store, yet devote big space in your circular to advertise that deal?
Sears (SHLD, Fortune 500) has not officially revealed its Black Friday sales. However, the company confirmed to CNNMoney.com that two of its post-Thanksgiving deals include a Samsung 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $599.99, "Only while quantities last, minimum three per store, no rainchecks."
The other is a Kenmore 3.5-cubic-foot high-efficiency washer and 5.8-cubic foot dryer pair for $579.98, "Limit four per store, no rainchecks."
"Sure, you probably have more, but how do you put out a circular to millions of households and only have three?," Dworsky asked.
When asked for a comment, Sears spokesman Tom Aiello said he was "not comfortable" addressing the issue of limited quantities for some Black Friday deals.
Such short supply on deals are not only annoying but can also be dangerous to Black Friday shoppers.
"We saw the stampede at a Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) store in New York last year on Black Friday that led to an employee's death," said Burt Flickinger, managing director of consulting firm Strategic Resource Group. "The stampede happened because so many of the deals were advertised as limited supply."
One retailer, while not explaining why its advertised deals are in such limited supplies, said it is taking measures to better handle the Black Friday rush.
"From going down the line and handing out doorbuster tickets that guarantee a purchase in advance of the store opening, to printing the minimum quantities in the circular, we go to great lengths to ensure that the Black Friday consumer knows exactly how many items will be at the store and whether or not they will be able to purchase one prior to entering the store," Best Buy (BBY, Fortune 500) wrote in an e-mail.
What do you mean this HDTV is a "derivative?" Some of the holiday electronics with those low sale prices are derivatives, models that have a few less features than a standard model in that product line, said Dworsky.
The difference can be subtle. "The image contrast ratio might be 20,000 in a derivative model versus 30,000 in a standard model," he said. "Most consumers probably won't even notice the difference."
A report earlier this month in Consumer Reports called attention to HDTV models from Samsung and Sony advertised in Black Friday deals that appear to be "derivatives." The report said these one-off TVs "with unfamiliar model numbers" are usually cheaper than the standard model in their class.
Dworsky cautions that retailers usually don't advertise these models as derivatives. "There's no way the average consumer will know that the TV model they are buying is not the standard one unless they are savvy enough to compare their model numbers," he said.
Which Black Friday deals are online? "Many retailers will say that their Black Friday deals are available online," said Dworsky. "But they're not nice enough to tell you which ones."
"How about telling me which exact ones so I can shop online from home and I'm not in my pajamas at 5 a.m. in front of your store," he said.
Online deals that never get shipped: Case in point: Sears. Last year, one of Sears' hottest Black Friday doorbuster deal was on a Kenmore washer-dryer pair for $600.
Even though the retailer advertised that deal to be in "limited quantities," the company decided to honor every customer order made on that deal last Black Friday.
Big mistake. The manufacturer could not ramp up production fast enough. Some customers waited months before their order was shipped. Others were sold a substitute model, that was "comparable or even better" for the same deal price, said Sears' Aiello.
Lesson learned. "We will not be doing that again this year," he said.
Be careful if you're shopping online on Black Friday, said Dworsky.
"Since retailers don't have a live inventory online you run the risk of getting an e-mail weeks later that your order had been delayed or worse, canceled, because the product is out of stock," he said.
About those rainchecks: Finally, if a retailer does offer you a raincheck on a deal, it could still turn out to be an empty promise, Flickinger warned.
"A raincheck doesn't guarantee that you will eventually get that elusive Black Friday deal," he said. "Consumers can go weeks waiting and hoping, and the retailer may never get more of the product shipped to its stores."
