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Perspective, Political, ,

Patriot Act – messing up my Christmas

Well here’s a new one!

I was going to order a few Christmas gift baskets for relatives and friends. In the past I had purchased some items from a French on-line merchant BienManager, French Gourmet Food and Gifts.

On background, their website notes that they are located in Lozere, in the center of France. They work with 200 producers that match traditional know-how and produce quality products.

They also note that they deliver worldwide.

Because of past purchases I am on their E-mail list. I very much enjoyed what I had purchased, and true to their marketing the quality and variety were excellent.

The marketing E-mail I received from them a few weeks back had some very nice looking baskets with just the right things for the folks on my Christmas gift list.

I went to their website, filled my shopping cart and behold – they do not ship to the United States.

If I lived in Andorra, Gabon, Mayotte, the Gilbert Islands, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Tuvalu, Equatorial Guinea, Poland or any one of 115 countries I could buy their stuff. But no U.S. of A.?

Well, perhaps it was a website error.

I wrote to the company and received a very speedy reply from Mme. Aurelie Verlaguet advising me that even though they have an FDA registration number they can no longer ship to the United States due to the Patriot Act.

Past deliveries were unnecessarily delayed because of Patriot Act requirements and as such they could no longer guarantee the quality of the products they shipped here.

Sad really. I wrote back to Mme. Verlaguet to express my regret, not only that I could no longer engage in open commerce with a reputable company, but that our “involvement” in the crazy politics of the Middle East has brought about such problems.

I guess that free trade and international commerce only apply if you’re rich enough to take your corporate jet to the store, or rather, you import the stuff yourself and take yet another cut from the consumer.

Poland - Polish - Polonia

Been buying those Polish products?

From Fibre2Fashion: USA now stands as Poland’s most important trading partner

The challenges and opportunities facing companies exporting to America, was the theme for the conference that took place at 11 am, on Thursday the 27th September, in the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ) Press Centre in Warsaw.

The dynamic growth in the inflow of American investments to Poland means that the USA now stands as Poland’s most important trading partner. During the first seven months of 2007, the value of Poland’s exports to the USA has exceeded 1.1 billion USD, while American imports into Poland have reached 1.8 billion USD.

In USA trading contacts from the beginning of last year, the largest areas of growth have been in the export of arms, ammunition and in works of art. Increases in turnover have also been noted in the export of goods based on vegetable products, of food articles, chemical products and in plastics…

It’s too bad that arms has to play such a large role. Polish fibre products, food, and industrial products, glassware, etc. are top notch. Check your retail shelves and look for these lovely items.

Note that the article may only be speaking of trade in fibre goods.

Dorota Dabrowski, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland responds that the US makes up only 2% of Poland’s trade. Germany is the biggest trading partner at about 45% of the total and the EU in general at over 80%. US companies as investors are big, but again only 15-17%. The bulk of investors again come from the EU.

Christian Witness, Saints and Martyrs, ,

Interesting sign at Borders Books

I was browsing through the Borders at Crossgates Mall in Albany today.

I saw the religion section from a distance and walked over. I was particularly interested in the signs they had pointing to “Christian Fiction.”

I figured millenialist books and similar, perhaps a few other things.

Guess what I found?

Bibles and Concordances.

That about sums up the world’s attitude toward Christianity, and most faith for that matter, excepting whatever people define as their personal brand of quasi-religious “spirituality.” I give them some credit for avoiding the soft-soap approach toward their attitude.

Side note, witchcraft, tarot, etc. were in a section all their own labeled “Mysticism.”

St. John of the Cross, pray for us.
All Holy Visionaries and Mystics, pray for us.

Perspective, ,

Further advenures with Home Depot

As regular readers may recall, I had quite a run-in with Home Depot about a year ago. That run-in was over promises to deliver merchandise that eventually arrived late — and not until after a poor customer service experience and numerous telephone calls.

This week, Home Depot decided to send me $1,300!

What you say…

Well, me too.

What!!!

So I called the lovely Markia at Home Depot Credit and asked why a $1,300 credit suddenly appeared. She politely told me that I had paid $1,300 (on an account that hasn’t been used since August 2005) via EFT.

What!!!

Well, Markia, out of what bank account?

Markia informs me that they don’t keep track of such things.

Now, I know for sure that no money came out of any bank account that I or my family may have. I also know that no transfer was made from any other credit card, or from any other source I know of.

In the end, my identifying the issue did nothing. Markia insists that my wife has to call (primary account holder etc.) and without her doing so, there is nothing she can do. She can’t even refer it to their investigation unit…

I feel bad for Markia – she’s limited to following a script. I would suggest to whomever is the new CEO at Home Depot – focus on customer service. Elsewise Lowes will crush you. Better yet, I hope the local hardware store – which I do support – crushes you.

In the meantime, I’ve got to figure out what we’re going to do with the free money. Anyone need a new grill? 👿

Oh, and if you are the poor person out there who’s down $1,300 – sorry man, there’s nothing they can do for you.

Poland - Polish - Polonia, ,

Time for toast!

From France24: Polish monks to open chain of hellishly good food shops

Unfaithful and angelic Poles will soon be able to buy jam made for their vice or virtue when the Benedictine monks of Tyniec open a chain of shops selling hellishly good food.

“We plan to open more than 100 franchise outlets. Sixty of them will be opened before the end of the year,” Father Zygmunt Galoch, who is in charge of the monks’ commercial affairs, told AFP.

Pear and apple “angelic jam”, zesty lemon “unfaithful jam”, and even cinnamon, raisin and apricot “prayer book jam” are already available online.

The new chain of shops will also sell cheeses, herbal teas, fruit syrups, prepared meat products and alcoholic beverages, all sold under the “Benedictine Products” label.

All the products are organic and produced either by the monks or by small family businesses located, like the monastery, near the southern Polish city of Krakow, Father Zygmunt said.

Franchisees will help to fund the monks’ plans to go forth and multiply the number of shops selling their heavenly foods.

Current Events, Poland - Polish - Polonia

You put your g-string in my rochet…

From In the News: Quirkies: Polish lace makers get saucy

Lace makers in a sleepy Polish village have come up with a novel way of injecting new life into their business —“ by making risque lingerie.

But the decision by workers in Koniakow, who previously supplied ceremonial robes for John Paul II, has been condemned by the Catholic church.

Local priests claim that the switch to lacy g-strings and bras has brought shame upon a national tradition, but Malgorzata Stanszek, who set up the venture, says that the money flooding in is helping to fund the church.

“If we listened to everything the priest says, we wouldn’t earn a penny,” she said.

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