The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[Cesar R M]

Mmhmm. Especially since it makes the exact same sound as their canned food opening.

Although we do let them lick the cans of tuna when we're finished.

Have I mentioned before that my cats are very spoiled?

Yes many times!

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

Funnily, I had the same problem.

I only seen snipets of that movie AND the other stop motion animation of the giant peach.
The hilarity is, I have been wanting to see it for years. I have had it in my streaming server. But somehow something always came up and had to skip it.

I presume you have rectified that problem

 

[DryerLintFan]

I don't think they are so much illegal in the US as it is that it's illegal to SEND/CARRY them to the US, and since they are not made in the US, that makes it hard to get them. My understanding is that because there is something inside that can't be seen, it makes it a safety issue...people would use them to smuggle things into the country. I could be wrong, but that's my understanding of it.

You're correct that it's the sending/ carrying of the eggs into the country that is illegal. It's a $1200 fine PER egg. They do enforce it, too, as we had a family friend who tried to bring five back and had to pay the full amount.

It's not because of smuggling things inside them, though. There are zero known attempts of someone trying to smuggle in drugs or anything with Kinder Eggs. There's a law on the books since the 30's that says that candy cannot contain unseen toys.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

You're correct that it's the sending/ carrying of the eggs into the country that is illegal. It's a $1200 fine PER egg. They do enforce it, too, as we had a family friend who tried to bring five back and had to pay the full amount.

It's not because of smuggling things inside them, though. There are zero known attempts of someone trying to smuggle in drugs or anything with Kinder Eggs. There's a law on the books since the 30's that says that candy cannot contain unseen toys.

Spoiler: just sharing not starting a debate

 

[Songbird76]

AMEN. I've grown extremely fond of donating and Freecycle (yahoo groups for giving away things). We're planning on moving to FL in the not-too-distant future, and I keep reiterating that I REFUSE to pay to move around 3/4 of the carp we've managed to accumulate, but I don't think it's getting through to him. And I get sentimental things, but some of it is just ridiculous. (For example...who needs 6 jackets/coats that they haven't worn in 20 years?!?) I get that we haven't had much money since our sons were born, but he gets REALLY upset whenever I suggest getting rid of stuff and he refuses to see a therapist. I may have to go Intervention on his butt.

I hear you. We donate all the kids' clothes and old toys to an orphanage in Romania. A doctor here goes over a couple times a year to do check-ups on the kids and he brings a truck with all the donated goods. Stuff that's not in great shape gets sent to a home in Sri Lanka for the handicapped. My friend from Sri Lanka has a friend who works there and they always have a shortage of clothes because they generally have to change their clothes several times a day as they get soiled or wet, so they want things that no one is going to feel bad if they get ruined. So anything with a tiny little hole or a stain gets sent there. But I went to box up our old coats...ones we haven't worn in years, and DH was like "What are you doing? I'm not getting rid of those...what if we need them?" I'm like...why would you need them? You have newer ones and these don't even FIT anymore! He refused to let me get rid of them.
I kept a lot of sentimental stuff when my mom died, and other stuff I kept because I thought we could use it...like some dishes. But he hates the dishes and we don't have room for them in the cupboard, so I said we should donate them...he wanted to throw them away. They are perfectly good dishes and SOMEONE might not HAVE dishes and be grateful to get them, ugly as they are. He didn't want to make the effort to drop them off somewhere. Pretty sure they are still in my shed because I wouldn't let him toss perfectly good things that someone else could use. He didn't grow up poor, so he doesn't really understand how someone who has nothing would be excited to get even ugly stuff. And then stuff that he doesn't use, he refuses to give away. It's maddening.

 

[DryerLintFan]

Spoiler: just sharing not starting a debate

View attachment 247473

I've seen that before. The whole ad campaign is visually interesting but alarmist. There are a lot of things banned in this country that don't make sense and a lot of laws that are still on the books that don't make sense.

Interestingly though, I've read that the chocolate companies themselves are often behind the enforcement of the ban so their competitors don't sweep the market that so obviously exists here in the states. They're actually funding the lobbyists to keep the ban in place

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/28/u...le-over-a-tiny-toy.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 

[Songbird76]

Most of my books are digital as well these days but I always have a few hard copies laying around.

I have yet to cave and get an e-reader. There's just something about a physical book...the smell of the paper, the cute bookmarks...I can't give that up.

 

[DryerLintFan]

I hear you. We donate all the kids' clothes and old toys to an orphanage in Romania. A doctor here goes over a couple times a year to do check-ups on the kids and he brings a truck with all the donated goods. Stuff that's not in great shape gets sent to a home in Sri Lanka for the handicapped. My friend from Sri Lanka has a friend who works there and they always have a shortage of clothes because they generally have to change their clothes several times a day as they get soiled or wet, so they want things that no one is going to feel bad if they get ruined. So anything with a tiny little hole or a stain gets sent there. But I went to box up our old coats...ones we haven't worn in years, and DH was like "What are you doing? I'm not getting rid of those...what if we need them?" I'm like...why would you need them? You have newer ones and these don't even FIT anymore! He refused to let me get rid of them.
I kept a lot of sentimental stuff when my mom died, and other stuff I kept because I thought we could use it...like some dishes. But he hates the dishes and we don't have room for them in the cupboard, so I said we should donate them...he wanted to throw them away. They are perfectly good dishes and SOMEONE might not HAVE dishes and be grateful to get them, ugly as they are. He didn't want to make the effort to drop them off somewhere. Pretty sure they are still in my shed because I wouldn't let him toss perfectly good things that someone else could use. He didn't grow up poor, so he doesn't really understand how someone who has nothing would be excited to get even ugly stuff. And then stuff that he doesn't use, he refuses to give away. It's maddening.

I had a friend that went on a mission trip with the church to Romania to build orphanages. Those kids don't just have nothing, they have NOTHING. When they got there, they said it was common for the kids to be sleeping on just a blanket on a cold concrete floor. It's heartbreaking.

 

[DryerLintFan]

I have yet to cave and get an e-reader. There's just something about a physical book...the smell of the paper, the cute bookmarks...I can't give that up.

I used to be like that. And then we went backpacking in Patagonia for our honeymoon and I bought an e-reader because I didn't want to carry three books in my bag for ten days. It was life changing. I still buy paper books because I like to have them on my shelves and I like to read them when I'm home, but absolutely nothing beats e-readers when you travel. You get hundreds of books at your fingertips and it's almost weightless!

 

[Songbird76]

Today I had planned to do some much needed work around the house, and then my grandson lost his wallet. The wallet was found, and when talking to my grandson's girlfriend, we decided to blow off the work, and go Downtown instead. I haven't been to Downtown Chicago in years. We ate breakfast out, and took the Blue Line Downtown, and ended up at the outside German Christmas Market that was set up in Daley Center. From there we went to State Street, where we discovered a Disney Store, that I forgot was there. Cheyenne has never been in a Disney Store, believe it or not. We browsed. From there we headed to Macy's and looked at their great tree. Took lots of selfies. We were then off to Millennium Park to see the "Bean", and their tree, and their ice rink. The Bean was fun. The tree disappointing, and the ice rink only had a few brave souls. From there we went back to the Disney Store, and I got some great deals. We then hopped back on the Blue Line, and met my grandson at his workplace. It was a fun day. How come the best days are those done on impulse. Not the planned ones?

Because you have no expectations of how it's going to go. With planning comes expectations. "I want to see this" or "I want to do that". It will never be exactly what you thought it would be.

 

[Songbird76]

Spoiler: AND MIGHT I SAY

I know...I missed it in the theater, and then it just seemed odd to watch it not in the season and I just never have gotten around to it. Maybe this will be the year!

 

[Songbird76]

Funnily, I had the same problem.

I only seen snipets of that movie AND the other stop motion animation of the giant peach.
The hilarity is, I have been wanting to see it for years. I have had it in my streaming server. But somehow something always came up and had to skip it.

I've never seen James and the giant peach, either.

 

[Songbird76]

You're correct that it's the sending/ carrying of the eggs into the country that is illegal. It's a $1200 fine PER egg. They do enforce it, too, as we had a family friend who tried to bring five back and had to pay the full amount.

It's not because of smuggling things inside them, though. There are zero known attempts of someone trying to smuggle in drugs or anything with Kinder Eggs. There's a law on the books since the 30's that says that candy cannot contain unseen toys.

Ah....thanks for the clarification. I thought the unseen thing had to do with hiding drugs, etc. But then anything hollow would be illegal to bring in...it didn't make sense to single out the eggs.
That's a HEFTY fine! What if someone doesn't know they are illegal? I wouldn't have known that until after I moved here. I had never HEARD of kinder eggs. And I sent some surprise eggs, different brand, to my best friend for her daughter, thinking they were cute. Never had a problem. I had no idea they weren't allowed.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

I put a bird feeder right outside my window at work. Lots of birds came to have breakfast this morning.View attachment 247462

Aww. We put a couple of bird feeders outside our Catio to torment our cats.

It's a $1200 fine PER egg. They do enforce it, too, as we had a family friend who tried to bring five back and had to pay the full amount.

 

[DryerLintFan]

Ah....thanks for the clarification. I thought the unseen thing had to do with hiding drugs, etc. But then anything hollow would be illegal to bring in...it didn't make sense to single out the eggs.
That's a HEFTY fine! What if someone doesn't know they are illegal? I wouldn't have known that until after I moved here. I had never HEARD of kinder eggs. And I sent some surprise eggs, different brand, to my best friend for her daughter, thinking they were cute. Never had a problem. I had no idea they weren't allowed.

I think a lot of times they just get confiscated and destroyed. I'm not sure if the fine is the luck of the draw or not, but I do know they enforce it.

 

[Songbird76]

I had a friend that went on a mission trip with the church to Romania to build orphanages. Those kids don't just have nothing, they have NOTHING. When they got there, they said it was common for the kids to be sleeping on just a blanket on a cold concrete floor. It's heartbreaking.

Yeah, we donated a bunch of stuffed animals and dolls one year and the lady who stores the donations until the doctor is ready to bring them nearly cried because she said the orphanage had ONE doll and the kids had to take turns sleeping with the doll at night...they would be SO excited to get a bunch of new ones and then they wouldn't have to share the one. It seems such a simple thing, to give away the clothes my kids have outgrown or the toys they don't play with anymore, but it really means a LOT to those kids.

 

[Songbird76]

I used to be like that. And then we went backpacking in Patagonia for our honeymoon and I bought an e-reader because I didn't want to carry three books in my bag for ten days. It was life changing. I still buy paper books because I like to have them on my shelves and I like to read them when I'm home, but absolutely nothing beats e-readers when you travel. You get hundreds of books at your fingertips and it's almost weightless!

I'm probably silly and stubborn not to have gotten one yet, and sometimes I do think about maybe getting one...like when I'm re-reading a book for the so-manyeth-time that the pages are falling out...but then I just can't bring myself to do it.

 

[Cesar R M]

I presume you have rectified that problem

Not yet, I hope to do so today. Finally weekend!
Also I hope to get my new bed mattress today after a lot of fighting with the vendors.

Also resolving my issue of the missing computer part as we speak.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

@Cesar R M