Libertarian Capitalism

I'm sick of waiting for the state of Maryland to condescend to allow me to sell my creations, so I'm engaging in a minor act of civil disobedience.  Don't worry; I'll still pay all my income taxes later.  The only hang-up is that I can't collect sales tax without a license, so Maryland residents are still out of luck.  The rest of the country, however, doesn't need to worry about it.

So, until I'm finally able to set up my Etsy store, shoot me an email if you like something you see, and I'll create a private listing under my Ebay account for you.  Prices are posted, and we are (quietly) open for business.  If you like something that's currently unavailable, I'm always willing to recreate the piece for you.  :)

Food Fraud

Ok, this obviously has me mad enough to stop what I'm doing and blog.  I could rant and quote, but I think the video does a good job of summing it up.  (I've been catching up on my Nightline.)

Like stems in your ground black pepper?  How about lawn grass in your tea bags?  Do you think your 100% lemon juice isn't just sugar water?  Is your pure extra virgin olive oil actually what it claims to be?  Soybean oil is a pet peeve of mine, and I've been trying very diligently to avoid it, so it really burns me up that they deliberately put it in my olive oil.  I think I'll go back to buying the expensive obscure option, along with whole lemons and peppercorns.

Oh, and I'm throwing out our generic brand paprika.

Still Trying to Start a Business

The ball is in their court now.  I filed two pieces of essential paperwork a while ago, one to register my trade name ($25), and one for a tax identification number.  I can't really move forward without those two clearing first.  They haven't cashed my check yet, so apparently it's sitting in someone's inbox in Baltimore.  Maybe someday they'll find it.

In the meantime, I'm ready and waiting to apply for my trader's license and my sales and use tax license.  I'll also be needing a letter from the landlord stating that I'm not violating my lease or any zoning codes.

My Etsy store is all set up, but I can't list anything without that pesky sales and use tax license.  *Sigh*

Whoop-dee-do

Why the heck is everything Obama does automatically "historic?"  Technically, everything every president ever did is historic, but so what?  Are we going to hear about Obama eating a historic sandwich while on a historic vacation during his historic second term?  How about his historic mismanagement, his historic debts?

There's a reason why I don't watch the news.  The talking heads make me want to throw things.

So that's what the kids are calling it these days . . .

In December 2011, a federal court dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of eighteen military rape victims (women AND men), ruling that rape is an occupational hazard of military service.

Don't you just love this new liberated society we have now?

Pet Rocks Are Dated

This is our new pet oak tree.  He's a rescue.  We adopted him as a sprouted acorn in my parents' backyard last fall, and now after a long winter in a plastic cup of dirt he's finally thriving.  Isn't he cute?

The Ugly Truth

My dad posted this.  I will never be very politically articulate, but I know what I think, and apparently this guy thinks it, too.  So I'll let him do the talking.