“What would you do to a friend
who lied to you
as often as your fears have?”
as quoted by Andrée Seu
who lied to you
as often as your fears have?”
as quoted by Andrée Seu
Soul and Spirit
Sunset. Life.
I did something very, very unusual for me a few minutes ago.
I stood out in the cool, breezy, gathering gloom.
And watched the sunset’s brilliant orange fade.
What beauty!
And I came up with this question:
How is a sunset like life?
Your answer?
Shop. Drop. Hop.
Shop — as in, shop all you want and set up shop all you want.
Drop — as in, drop the above notion(s).
Hop — as in, hop right along to other ventures and venture-ers.
Now, before any further explanations of the title or of the above explanations, a quote to rivet in your head:
“We don’t make haphazard decisions about risks here at CPSC.”
Scott Wolfson, CPSC spokesman
Scott Wolfson, CPSC spokesman
Good. That sounds commendable enough to me. I mean, any reasonable person should be in favor of not making that kind of decision.
With no further introduction or commentary….
New Government Policy Imposes Strict Standards on Garage Sales Nationwide
Americans who slap $1 pricetags on their used possessions at garage sales or bazaar events risk being slapped with fines of up to $15 million, thanks to a new government campaign.
The “Resale Round-up,” launched by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, enforces new limits on lead in children’s products and makes it illegal to sell any items that don’t meet those limits or have been recalled for any other reason.
[…]
In order to comply, stores, flea markets, charities and individuals selling used goods — in person or online — are expected to consult the commission’s 24-page Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers (pdf) and its Web site for a breakdown of what they can’t sell.
Violators caught selling anything on the enormous list face fines of up to $100,000 per infraction and up to $15 million for a related series of infractions.
Waddle that do for eBay, Craig’s List, Amazon, Roth’s Curiosity Corner, Anabaptist Bookstore, and your great aunt’s garage sale?
😯
Breaking Discovery: I was ready to publish this post. I decided to pause long enough to have a peek at the CPSC site. Here’s a quote:
CPSC’s Internet surveillance team
is monitoring
online retailers and auction sites
for sales of recalled and hazardous products.
CPSC 9 Aug 09 Press Release
is monitoring
online retailers and auction sites
for sales of recalled and hazardous products.
CPSC 9 Aug 09 Press Release
Below the News Radar
There are two kinds of things
you never read about in the news:
the planes that land safely
and the healings by God of not-yet diagnosed ailments.
Andrée Seu
you never read about in the news:
the planes that land safely
and the healings by God of not-yet diagnosed ailments.
Andrée Seu
Good’s Stores and the American Flag
Google alerted me to this story:
Controversy is surrounding a popular general store in Lancaster County because of its decision to not sell American flags.
A number of viewers have contacted News 8 about this decision, wondering if it was true.
News 8 asked employees of Good’s Store about the decision. They said that the owners are of the Anabaptist faith, which includes Mennonites and Amish. Their beliefs follow the teachings of love your enemies and non-violence.
But that statement is not good enough for some of Good’s customers, like Mary Elen Rice, of Holtwood.
She thinks that Good’s should sell the flags no matter what the owners believe.
“They were persecuted from wherever they came from for their religious beliefs. So, they came here for their freedom,” said Rice. “So, they should be proud to be an American, and the flag represents America as far as I’m concerned.”
Rice said that she vows not to shop at Good’s again.
The owners said that they accept any consequences of their faith and respect other people’s viewpoints, but they will not sell the flag.
I strongly and heartily and publicly commend Good’s Stores for their stance on this issue.
I have a question for them, though. The story above is headlined this way by WGAL: Local General Store Stops Sale Of American Flags.
To the folks at Good’s — Is that headline accurate? Having formerly sold American flags, have you discontinued selling them? (Maybe they will reply in the comments below!)
Canada: Hate Speech Law Unconstitutional
More good news (I guess) on the freedom of speech front:
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on Wednesday ruled that Section 13, Canada’s much maligned human rights hate speech law, violates the Charter right to free expression because it carries the threat of punitive fines.
The shocking decision by Tribunal member Athanasios Hadjis leaves several hate speech cases in limbo, and appears to strip the Canadian Human Rights Commission of its controversial legal mandate to pursue hate on the Internet, which it has strenuously defended against complaints of censorship.
It also marks the first major failure of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, an anti-hate law that was conceived in the 1960s to target racist telephone hotlines, then expanded in 2001 to the include the entire Internet, and for the last decade used almost exclusively by one complainant, activist Ottawa lawyer Richard Warman.
[…]
All sides seem to agree, however, that the stage is set for pitched battle in federal court, where CHRT rulings can be appealed. Another less likely outcome is for Parliament itself to repeal or amend Section 13, a law that even supporters say needs updating in the age of the Internet.
Source: National Post — Hate speech law unconstitutional