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Subscribe to RSSThe holiday spirit is alive and well in Miami after an anonymous donor dropped a diamond ring into a Salvation Army kettle Friday.
Miami-Dade Salvation Army Capt. Linda Payton said her office received a call around 1 p.m. from a woman who wanted to remain anonymous.
"She said that she had just left something in the kettle in front of Kmart and that it was something special," Payton said.
Read the original story at NBCMiami.com
Payton said she personally went to the Kmart in Pinecrest to retrieve the kettle and bring it back to the office.
"Inside the kettle was, wrapped in a rubber band, a $50 bill and inside the $50 bill was a note, and inside the note was a ring," Payton said.
"They need more than I. Do good! A Friend," the simple note read.
The ring, which features two diamonds and a sapphire, was immediately appraised at $2,000, Payton said.
It was the second time in two years that something "special" had been dropped in a Salvation Army kettle in the area.
Last year a gold nugget, which was later auctioned for $4,000, was found with a similar note.
"It's just wonderful for the community, we're just the conduit, they're the ones who will receive it," Payton said.
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Do "news" organizations have a special drawer or shoebox or something similar where they keep the stories to use when there's either no real news, or they just need some filler? This is one of those stories I seem to see year after year, with perhaps a couple of details changed. Others:
1) My personal favorite - SHARK ATTACKS SWIMMER/SURFER
2) Cops bust little girl's lemonade stand.
3) Can you believe this wacky weather?
4) Pandas copulating
5) Gold coin or similar item found in Salvation Army bucket.
You are such a whiner.
Ahhh, yeah, you're so right!@! It does seem to happen...year, after year....hummmm, sorta like this particular holiday season, every year? ....a bit like that old phrase.... "the season for giving?" If you don't like the story, why do you bother "wasting" your own time, as you're certainly wasting ours!!!!!!!
This is a comment forum, isn't it? That's my comment. I am continuously amazed at the resistance of the MSNBSTOOPID "community" to any opinion which is different from theirs. I'm also amazed at all the people who actually think the comment forum is a serious discussion of the issues. What it really is is a bunch of losers like me, who have nothing better to do than sit unshaven in their underwear and type out whatever pops into their head, all the while convincing themselves they're "smart" and "sophisticated". Go back to watching Glee.
I stand by my assertion that this is nothing more than a recycled story.
Sucks to be you.
He won't understand that if you don't spell it out for him, Paul.
What Paul means is, it sucks to be someone whose life is so utterly worthless and depressing, that a 'good news' story at Christmastime can't lift his spirits. And further, to be such a loser that he would come on a public forum to comment on a story that he finds worthless. And further, comments against all the rest of the comments that agree his original comment was stupid to begin with.
Hope this sinks in.
At least it's not sports.
If you truly believe MSNBC is stupid why do you spend so much time on their website EVERYDAY!!!
EVERYDAY should be EVERY DAY. Thanks for proving my point.
MSNBStupid
I like the characterful caricature you are using to plagiarize the stupid, ignorant type of comments that are made here on MSNBC's commentaries. Your use of a totally lame brained, retarded, moronic concept of the issues that are represented from the woes of Wall Street, to the President's comments on legally equal marital rights viewpoints (he's against gay marriage but is for legal rights for gay couples) even spilling out your version of theatrical diatribe on issues is funny and amusing. To think that there are actually people out there that perform the ever present version of "mental masturbation" in the plain sight of the public eye is hilarious.
You acting skills are fathomable, your mother must have wet nursed you on the books of authors and playwrights. I am sure no one though could perform in real life, in real time, with real thoughts such as yours though. Only a fool would think that slapping list after list in their history of past comments and quotes would actually moronically claim the freedom of speech clause for spouting off such totally absurd viewpoints without making an actual effort to "act" the part of a true imbecile. Wonderful talent you have there.
Just a short run of some of your totally outstanding awesome rhetoric of satire and works of arts are as follows:
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$2,000 diamond ring dropped in Salvation Army kettle
Sat Dec 17, 2011:
"This is a comment forum, isn't it? That's my comment. I am continuously amazed at the resistance of the MSNBSTOOPID "community" to any opinion which is different from theirs."
Protesters arrested after building erected in DCSun
Dec 4, 2011:
"Check the immediate area for needles."
Wall Street surges on central banks' liquidity move
Wed Nov 30, 2011:
"I don't trust anyone with a beard."
Lawyer of megachurch pastor's wife says divorce is on again
Fri Dec 2, 2011:
"Who cares? He's a fag, and she looks like she could eat a 10 year old boy's liver for breakfast."
Cain to make 'major announcement' Saturday
Fri Dec 2, 2011
"Bunch of hound dogs"
Obama on AIDS: 'We can beat this disease'
Thu Dec 1, 2011
"I have a couple of ideas. How about not having anal sex with dozens of men? How about not using drugs delivered by needle? How about monagomy? I couldn't care less about AIDS."
4 natural food cures: Eat your way to good health
Fri Dec 2, 2011:
"I don't really have any problem with Hil, but can someone please tell me why the US Secy State is wearing a pantsuit she found at the Salvation Army? She looks like a 200 pounder"
Frank announces retirement from Congress, but not politics
Mon Nov 28, 2011:
"That's nice for him. Now he can devote more time to his hobbies - eating hot dogs and sausage, amateur proctology, and cruising public restrooms."
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Man, you are sure so full of it, the play, the game, the total scenario of acting like an actual imbecile out there likened to others, just to show their stupidity. I praise you in your efforts of burlesque banter, sarcastic witticisms and periodic mockery are phenomenal phantasmal prophecy!
As a Skit Spoof, its a joke after joke scenario of pure pasquinaded, persiflagic criticism.
Wonderful talent.
Now if you could ever turn that talent around, and use equal wisdom to discern that freedom of speech doesn't release the one who is speaking divinely granting them freedom of responsibility for what they say, you might be able to combine some actual parts of your thought processes into making actual wise, meaningful, point for purpose comments.
Criticizing the OWS movement is of course part of everyone's liberties, they have started with many mistakes, are only three months along on re-birthing a nation through citizen protest, but to totally ignore their stamina, purpose, plight, willpower, and devotion is ignorant. The Civil Rights Movement started out with just as much slow motion overly criticized media hype, and if less criticism and more courage were used to support at least their cause to emphasize the plight of Americans under the knife of big money and Wall Street Bandits, well we might see a change in the country even if its slight changes by adding reform legislation for tighter banking regulations, regulatory control and heftier punishment for hiding funds overseas and off-shore and the likes. Its easy to criticize their methods now, but at least they are doing something, and that something IS for us all out here. But we have to many dumb arsed idiots out there that would rather get a rock off through the mental masturbation clause and enjoy themselves at their computer desk with anonymity acting brave and courageous to actually get up off their arses and do something that would take some energy and purpose.
Then too, AIDs is not and never has been a disease that aligned itself with people who mate with their own gender you see. It spreads more rampantly through intercourse without safety standards in place, true. Yet it has never been a discriminating disease and would likely latch on to you or me or an yone else who do not practice safe sex. Children get it at child birth sometimes but not as often as in other areas that the non-discriminating disease transpires, people get it from bad blood transfusions but very rarely. Drug users spread it more than any other source of cross contamination in America today, but alas. There are totally retarded people out there that think AIDs is for queers and fags.
So yes i love the satirical way you show just how full of sheet those people are, how totally incapable of understanding simple concepts, and how totally moronic they can be. Thanks for the smiles and laughs and grins. Keep it up please, let the entertainment go on!
Please folks, show your appreciation...vote to the right of this comment as to whether you liked it or not. I will check back.
He sure was out of the loop!
Thank you Salvation Army for the many years of service and quiet (except at Christmas) loyalty to those in need. You are constantly the most generous of all charities and if the others took after you America would be greatly different.
Do you think that news should only print stories that you want to read and what stories do you consider newsworthy?
djdrew201:
Again, thanks for proving my point. You certainly do have a lot of time on your hands, time that could perhaps be better spent working or with family.
I'd also like to thank you for your thorough research into my previous comments; and for summarizing all of them in a single posting. Thanks to you, they've been granted a new life, and exposed to a whole new group of people!
I look forward to hurricane season!
Some people are just that way, they feel that helping others is important, its good too see that there are people like that .........
WOW..so you don't like the feel good stories? In a time when this world is such a pile of @*#$ it's refreshing to find some bit of humanity and compassion still alive.
Maybe you should try doing a good deed and see if it softens your heart!
Whoever that was that left that for the needy...Thank you for being one of the few kind people left in this world.
Ignore MSNBStupid he's only on here cause his mom took away the Xbox again, and cancelled his Warcraft account. His brother posted a video of him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YersIyzsOpc
MSNBStupid
Well, we're not going to make this a banter back and forth, and I won't play to your little minded trolling efforts. smiles...there really are people here with a higher value of life and a lot more education than you can surmount if given a thousand lifetimes son. Secondly, coming from you, no one here needs your opinion on what they should be spending their time on or with family.
In reality, if you were in a group, they would slowly divide your ranting from their more civil presence I am sure, unless "misfits anonymous" is a regular dive for attendance by such. You claim to have an opinion like everyone else, when actually you abuse the anynomity to merely callously add your tongue wagging to otherwise useful conversations. Its not really an opinion at all, merely the outside extreme for the sake of response and attention. Its a deeply motivated method of asking for a misaligned belonging, even if it is maladjusted by relishing in making people want you to really go away, far away.
I really genuinely feel sorry for people with the misfit mentality you relish in and encourage yourself with. Dysfunctional family origins and histories, or previous pedophile permissive personae from other family members, I am not sure which or if, but don't envy you in the least. Yet to merely criticize people just for the sake of criticizing them? Well, you can see why I went to an extreme loop to make a point now. See, its not fun at all is it.
Have fun with your retort son, I will not honor it with a reply as it merely feeds and fuels your perversion and mental hazy laziness. Its just, just, oh its just too hard on ya' to try and actually post something intellectual for others to share, even if it IS an opposing viewpoint. Sniffles sniff.
If you report them relatives soon enough, you can get them in a lot of trouble before you come of age and turn 18.
You win DJDREW; you and your thesaurus.
It is a recycled story, because America never runs out of attention whores at Christmastime. The lady even phoned in!
Just more MSM glurge to make us all feel like this annual nightmare is actually worth it.
Someone was in a giving mood. Hope it helps someone in need.
Bah! Every year, without fail, the Salvation Army plants a story just like this. Have you read their 501 disclosures? Have you seen the mansion that the General of the Salvation Army lives in? It is a veritable castle, with cooks, maids, gardeners, and chauffeurs. So every time you hear a bell ring.........it is not necessarily someone going to heaven. It may be the Salvation Army copping money to keep this army living in style.
They also have free to them vacation homes that sit empty a large part of the year all over the US. Look up their camps, lodges and other sites, such as High Peak Camp in Colorado.
We give a substantial amount each year...directly to needy families. Not one cent is spent on church mortgages, administration, salaries, upkeep, utilities, advertising, expense accounts political contributions, lobbyists, or all the other costs that religious donations must cover before helping those who need it.
Aside from siphoning a large percentage of charity meant to help others to cover their own costs, because they are a church, they can discriminate if they want to and aren't above using extortion to get their way...the S/A threatened to close all their soup kitchens in NY if they were made to pay domestic partner benefits, and have been known to campaign to prevent LGBT equality for example.
In 2001 the Salvation Army sought a change in distribution regulations for the $24 billion in new federal grants and tax deductions for charitable institutions requested by President George W. Bush. The alteration would have denied funds to state and municipal governments if they imposed restrictions on anti-gay hiring practices such as are practiced within the Salvation Army. Controversy arose after the publication of an internal Salvation Army memorandum suggesting that the discrimination provision would be allowed in exchange for the organization's support of the Bush faith-based public works program.
In fairness...after all the backlash, the S/A did try to change their policy and provide benefits fairly...but then rabid fundies from Focus on the Family and The American Family Association bombarded them with hate mail and threats...so a month later they went back to being bigots.
There were stories of the S/A destroying donated toys that were from the Harry Potter or Twilight franchises rather than distribute them to kids...although some said they just gave them to other organizations.
I think they are primarily a good organization and do a tremendous amount of good work...but they are still a church, so any donations to them support their church and all it's backwards thinking as well as those who need help.
No way a gold nugget can be worth more than a high quality diamond?
At $1600 an ounce, a gold nugget is pretty valuable.
MSNBCStupid ... Go find another news site since you dislike this one so much.
This isn't a news site; it's a place for your brain to catch some sleep.
You can type while asleep? How clever.
Then why aren't you sleeping? If you can't sleep why are you here? You can't figure out how to use a search engine?
I think you're here because you love us and all these sweet stories. 8^)
How sad. They could have given it to Goodwill, or any other one of countless charities that do not practice religious hatred.
. . . or that don’t vicitimise the needy with prosetylisation. The Salvation Army is one of the last organisations I would ever give to.
That was my first thought upon reading this. I wouldn't give those bigots a dime.
Let me know when you see a Goodwill representative ringing the bell and standing by a kettle outside a major department store. Plus, the Salvation Army may have a bigger presence in this particular community and do more good than Goodwill. Sounds like you're one of the people who wouldn't help someone in need if they professed to be an anti-gay marriage Christian - or anything else you disagree with politically/morally - or does this selective generosity only apply to major organizations?
Actually, David, I know someone that was in the Salvation Army for years and he says they brainwash people like a cult. They tried to control all parts of his life including who he married. Hearing his tales is scary so I've cut back on how much I put in the kettle.
There are many more charities out there to give to like Goodwill, Toys for Tots or food banks. One doesn't have to give to the Salvation Army in order to be generous. If SA is only group you see outside stores asking for donations that must just be your area because I see other groups out at the stores as well. They might not ring a bell but they still need help and are working to get donations too.
If you want to donate to a good organization and mean it, then one has to look a little further and not donate to bigots, because a lot of people are out there doing good things for EVERYONE, not just those that they don't fit their idea of what's "right". And I do it, so do many others. The Salvation Army can suck root.
Persoanlly, this year I am donating to Water for South Sudan (run by a Sudanese war orphan, provides wells for drinking water in South Sudan, featured on a PBS program) and The Jazz Foundation (basic neccesities and performance opportunities for elderly musicians, featured on NBC Nightly News). Both can be found in a 5-second internet search. And there's always Easter Seals (non-sectarian and top-rated for decades for efficiency), and Japan is still in need. And panhandlers (a dollar can make a huge difference to someone). It's not that hard.
I needed help years ago real bad and they refused me I'll never donate to them
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The money raised by the Salvation Army is used to finance anti-gay marriage bans, or if you're a bigot, the money is used to protect marriage.
"anti-gay marriage ban" ... I'm confused.
I think flex is trying to say (anti-gay) marriage, not anti-(gay marriage).
now I'm really confused... I can't tell if flex is bragging or complaining. Shouldn't it just read
"... gay marriage bans.". ..whatever.
yeah here comes the GAY community to bash the salvation army...
I gave extra this year to the salvation army...just because the LBGT SMALL community HARASS'S the salvation army...I am so sick of the LBGT spewing venom and lies and a poor message
Everyone one posting here about the SA being some bigoted organization, making up some hateful LBGT crap, is also a much bigger bigot then the salvation army every has been or will be...
Live and let live...anyone who helps the less fortunate is aces in my book - regardless of religious views or politics.
Merry Xmas!
...
I give them a few bucks going into Wal-Mart and my receipt on the way out.
MSNBStupid: what about: Man Stuck In Chimney? Ha Ha. I like to participate in your psychosis. I perceive that you think these stories are fabricated? The thing is, the news paper article has dates and places and names. If you did your own investigation, you could probably confirm/expose the story. Just make a few calls, or write a few emails. If you catch a newspaper publishing fabricated stories, you could take them down, and make yourself famous. Follow your heart on this, and report back on your results please. As the movie "Back To The Future" proves, the future can be changed! Here are the two newspaper headlines that could be, so choose your next moves wisely:
1. Newsvine Contributor Exposes Lame Stream Media Hoax!; or
2. Newsvine Contributor Exposes Self To Santa and Kids While Drunk
This sounds like an engagement gone bad. I hope the receiver of the ring came to their senses. Think about it. The engagement ring is supposed to represent 3 times the offerers monthly income. $2000 breaks down to $666. That is wrong on so many levels.
The only thing about giving the ring to the Salvation Army is that they openly hate. Americans should give to more loving and mutually beneficial organizations.
LOL
Well that's one way to get rid of an old engagement ring after a divorce! ;)
To the one who made the Glee comment in the first post.... the x-mas episode of Glee that was on this week featured Rachel and Finn giving the SA Rachel's diamond earrings she had asked for. Granted they took them back tot he store and got the cash back but still... same difference. Good idea to reference GLEE!!
The Salvation Army is one of the most homophobic non-profits around. Their bell ringers are a nuisance ringing their incessant bells at store entrances and some even singing Xmas hymns off key. Trust me, I've dealt with this organization for years and I must say they have strong allies and a good PR reputation. Give your diamonds to Goodwill or some other local charity that doesn't discriminate.
i like feel good stories, especially the ones where motorists stop so a family of ducks can get across a busy road.
the trouble with winter is that the baby ducks grew up and flew south, so we are left with old engagement ring stories. i still felt good. thanks lady, whoever you is.
I hear Somalia is entirely non-socialist, and has complete freedom of religious hatred.
In Charlotte Brontë’s Shirley one encounters the 19th century concept of the “deserving poor” – that is was acceptable to help those in need, as long as they bent over and took it up the chute from the local witch doctor (which office was, in those days, a welfare entitlement handout for the excess population of the ruling classes). The most recent well-known manifestation of this concept was imposter president George Walker Bush’s “compassionate conservatism” (as with all conservative doublethink newspeak, the phrase signifies the exact opposite of what the words mean).
Other type of religious “charity” described in Shirley are the “Jew basket” (the collection for the conversion of Jews – how exactly was the money spent, one wonders?) and the missionary basket (for the indoctrination and enslavement of the filthy wicked heathens).
I've given to the salvation army for year's ,also bought a toy for the angel tree. Even though I might not agree with their political agenda,it's about helping those less fortunate not politics people,though I do wish I had a 2,00 doll er ring I could just give away also . Very generous person and I hope it goes along way towards helping those who really need it.