US Customs & Christmas

"Byzantine"is the only word that can apply to what has become of sending Christmas presents to the US.  Not only are there several forms to fill out, but the information requested is utterly ridiculous.  It must be part of Homeland Security.

I hope the US feels safer, now that Customs knows that the fabric in the sweater that we sent to my sister is a cotton/wool blend, and that the thread used to bind it together was nylon.  That buttons were plastic and that all of these components were manufactured in Canada.  (like I know this shit, but I had to respond to these questions for every goddam christmas present that we sent).  Is this a Bush administration "Fabric Defense Shield?"

FTS! (Fuck that shit)  from now on (and I actually wanted to do this this year, but was overruled) there are no more gifts that can be prodded, insppected or even shipped.  If we feel the urge, the absolute need to give anything to anyone, it will be in the form of an e-mailed gift certificate to a giant box store or e-retailer.  This, however, is antithetical to how I prefer to live, the nature of businesses I want to support, and the type of merchandise I would want to encourage the production of.

If these are the hoops we have to jump through for this hollow holiday, than it is time that I abandon it altogether.  In a way, I must thank US Customs since it has now become abundantly clear that the inpenetrable isolationist wall around the US is here to stay.  I, my family, and our "traditions" will pay the price.

Mr. Bush:  tear down this wall!

Merry Christmas indeed.

•  Fabrics

  And the thing is, you can go to any Wal*Mart and pick up MaryKate and Ashley slave labour clothing for your kids, but a hand-made sweater from Canada is a threat that must be scrutinized at the border.

  (be kind, soothe my soul with some MoJo for x-mas)

  by Gearhead on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:08:03 AM PDT

  •  yea but

    Mary Kate and Ashley rock!!!

    who would want to restrict any fine product bearing their name?  Did you know they're sisters?! WOW

    by diplomatic on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:14:00 AM PDT

    •  Tell that to these kids...

      

      I am not implying that these children are making MaryKate and Ashley clothing, but I want to illustrate that child labour with slave "wages" are acceptible to the US retailers.

      (I don't believe that you and I disagree)

      by Gearhead on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:19:20 AM PDT

      •  two things

        First, I was joking!  I don't even think they "rock"

        Second, you DID imply that slave workers make their clothing.  Is that a fact?

        Wal Mart finds a lot of things acceptable that I disagree with and finds many things unacceptable that I agree with. (like things they've banned)  Go figure.

        by diplomatic on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:24:26 AM PDT

        •  Yup, it's true

          What I didn't want to imply was that the children in this photo were making their clothing.

          Here's one link

          by Gearhead on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:43:28 AM PDT

          •  that's sad then

            by diplomatic on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:56:40 AM PDT

            •  What do we do?

              Grow our own cotton, weave our own fabric, sew our own clothes.

              If I do this and mail it to my family in the States from Canada, it will be stopped at the border, or at the very least, I will have to prove that it is not a national security threat.

              I'm just having one of those rant-days.  You know?

              Nice chatting.  I feel a bit better now...

              by Gearhead on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 11:01:35 AM PDT

              •  Or...

                ...buy from companies like American Apparel, who guarantee that their stuff is non-sweatshop labor made. Tom Bihn is also good.

                But, you have to figure this out yourself; our government is not going to help you...

                by mecki on Wed Dec 08, 2004 at 08:54:44 AM PDT

            •  Just imagine

              Imagine the impact on the world if these same Byzantine rules only permitted the importation of ethically produced and environmentally friendly merchandise?

              by Gearhead on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 11:05:52 AM PDT

•  I'm wondering why my aunt

  in Switzerland when she took her package to the post office to send us, they told her that she couldn't even send our package to the US. This will be the first time in 51 years that we have received nothing.  I can't quite comprehend what or why this happened.  She sends us several packages a year and this has never happened.  I don't know if it was what she was mailing or??? The content was (same thing as always) likely Swiss Chocolate, gloves, hand towels little goodies like that.  It's just really special, especially for my 84 year old mother to get something from her homeland.  My  90 year old  aunt (who looks 65 from her pictures) has to walk  from the convent into town (a distance in miles) to  do the mailing so she had to just walk back with it.  

  My aunt told my mother what the post office had told her over the phone Thanksgiving morning.  They talk once or twice a month on the phone, as well as letters and packages.  I did a google on this after my mom told me what she said and I came up with nothing.   I still find it hard to believe, don't people on ebay send stuff to the US?  Is it just limited to Swiss packages or is it the Chocolate part?  We are all pretty disappointed with this news, it was the highlight of Christmas for my mother.

  by otis704 on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:25:40 AM PDT

  •  The Swiss are terrorists

    I hear they like to use small little knives of some kind

    by diplomatic on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:30:22 AM PDT

    •  Must be because they wouldn't sent their

      army to iraq along with Poland...oh wait that was Sweden??!!! :}

      by otis704 on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:33:41 AM PDT

  •  Little by little

    They are chipping away at all that gives life meaning.

    We need to take back our country and our world from these bizantine fascists.

    (now here I go again!)

    by Gearhead on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:45:21 AM PDT

    •  Looked at Culina's menu and

      am now starving!

      by otis704 on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 10:59:20 AM PDT

      •  next time U R in Edmonton

        You'll just have to check it out...

        -GH

        by Gearhead on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 11:08:22 AM PDT

•  shopping online

  was how I solved the problem when I lived in BC. Shipping costs less, too.

  by cyclopatra on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 11:20:00 AM PDT

•  And that's not all

  they've now got all kinds of dumbass restrictions on sending food over the border - where am I going to get my freaking Shreddies?  

  Good,Good Whole Wheat Shreddies?  

  Fascists!  

  (you're right though - we've had stuff stopped many times for really ridiculous reasons)

  by confusedintexas on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 11:20:43 AM PDT

  •  Aero Bars

    coffee crisp, and on and on.

    try getting some good beer, too.

    by Gearhead on Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 11:22:21 AM PDT