Amazing America – 3

Guys, here comes the third instalment of Amazing America.

You think folks here are any less weirder than back home in India. No way.

* Los Angeles county spent about $13,000 to pursue a $1,004 debt owed by a grandma living on social security. No kidding. Read this L.A.Times story.

* A few weeks back, a California court handed out a life sentence to Ali Foroutan for possession of 0.03 gram of methamphetamine. No typo. That is 0.03 gram of meth.

Why the heavy sentence for possession of such a tiny amount of meth? Because Ali Foroutan was a third-time felon. Read the mention of the conviction in the New York Times.

* Even death provides no relief from the debt collectors in America. Read this NYT piece.

* One thousand gamblers in New Jersey have asked the casinos to ban them (yes, the gamblers) from playing in their casinos. Weird, na?

2 Responses to "Amazing America – 3"

  1. the gora   March 5, 2009 at 2:43 am

    I’m watching this infomercial for some scam nutritional drink called Supple that is supposed to cure arthritis. The “host” is a very yummy desi doctor named Monita Poudyal, M.D. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an infomercial with a desi before.

    Which got me thinking, do they have infomercials on tv in India like they do here in America. People like Billy Mays and Ron Popeil have become quite well known for the crap they peddle like Popeil’s Showtime rotisserie grill or Mays’ Oxyclean, Ding King and other products. The latest is from some guy peddling the Shamwow cleaning towels. Also there is the one advertising commemorative Obama coins from the Franklin Mint. There are also the neverending supply of ones hawking music collections from different decades etc.

    I don’t remember seeing them in other countries I’ve visited. Curious if this is strictly an American phenomenon.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    1. You write above: Which got me thinking, do they have infomercials on tv in India like they do here in America

    Interesting question. We have no clue since we’ve been away for so long but hopefully one of our Indian readers will respond to this question.

    2. You write: People like Billy Mays and Ron Popeil have become quite well known for the crap they peddle

    You forgot another big name – Bob Villa. The guy was on TV every Sunday some 10+ years ago.

    We used to watch the fellow peddling all those do-it-yourself home improvement stuff in the 1990s when we were in New York.

  2. boopalanj   April 16, 2009 at 3:46 am

    Infomercials are there in Indian Channels too. With the naming ‘Teleshopping’ or something which sounds similar, they are mere dubbed ones, mostly from US. They are telecasted usually in the non-peak hours.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Thanks for the info.

    What are the products that are typically sold via infomercials in India. In the U.S., they are usually kitchen equipment, exercise machines or some compact tools….

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