Got an email from Canada Post re: Shipping physical products to the US.
"Goods valued at US$800 or less that are shipped to the United States through the postal network will be subject to an ad valorem duty. This duty will be equal to the effective tariff rate applicable to the product's country of origin under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). For Canada, the current IEEPA rate is 35% for most goods.
"What this means for your business
"Starting August 29, 2025, every package shipped from Canada to the U.S. must show proof that duties have been prepaid before the shipment can be accepted for delivery."
So I won't be shipping jewelry to US customers for the foreseeable future, partly because of that 35% tariff, and partly because that number could change at any moment.
Full text of the email:
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I found this great piece about #AcornBread -- written by a friend who I learned to make acorn bread from!
by Chris Knapp
"In autumn, all over the world, something wonderful happens: The acorns fall.
"The oak seed, which once sustained the bulk of human civilization, is now largely ignored as a food. Not so at our #Koviashuvik Local Living School (in #TempleME), where every fall my family, friends, apprentices and I spend three wonderful mornings crawling around in the nearby red oak grove picking up acorns. We are not playing; we are making a living and playing.
"This article offers a practical guide to processing acorns, a glance at the crop’s agricultural implications, and a chance to change the world – for as with any food or product, its conscious production and consumption create powerful opportunities for social and environmental change.
Using Acorns
"My family eats acorns in a variety of ways and uses 200 pounds of acorn flour a year. All our acorns come from the red oak, Quercus rubra, as that is our local oak. All acorns – whether from red or white oaks – are edible and all acorns contain enough tannin that leaching is a necessity.
"Our daily bread is a delicious blend of 60 percent acorn and 40 percent sourdough #spelt from the Webb Family Farm in #PittstonME. We make #AcornOatmeal #porridge twice a week for breakfast with 50 to 75 percent acorn. My kids, ages 4 and 2, eat it right up!
"We make biscuits and cookies. I like a dense, 95 percent acorn flat bread held together with 5 percent soaked ground #flax. For a basic biscuit recipe that will please anyone, combine 2 cups of acorn flour with 1 cup of oat flour, add 2 tablespoons of good fat and 1/2 teaspoon salt. (For fat we use Maine-grown sunflower oil or lard.) Add water to make a moist but not runny batter. Form the batter into biscuits and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 375 F. Will Bonsall ate a whole bowl of these crackers when we shared them with him."
Learn more:
mofga.org/resources/recipes/ac…
#SolarPunkSunday #AlternativeGrains #Acorns #WildEdibles #Foraging #MOGFA #Maine #FoodSecurity
Acorn Bread - Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners
Processing acorns in a Davebilt nutcracker. Photo courtesy of Chris and Ashirah Knapp. By Chris Knapp In autumn, all over the world, something wonderful happens: The acorns fall.Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
If it freaks you out to see troops in our major cities, just wait until we see what Trump/MAGA have planned for Election Day in 2026 and 2028.
I suggest everyone plan to vote as early as possible.
These will not be “normal” elections.
Authoritarians play for keeps.
I think it's absolutely unfortunate that in everything in society, anything less than being number 1 at anything is looked down upon and diminished in value.
Sports? Gotta win. Fortnite? Gotta win. Pokemon? Gotta be the very best like no one ever was. Money and power? If you're not the richest straight white man alive, what are you even doing with your life?
It's so bad that it creeps into stuff like art and music and even stereotypical nerd arguments about whether Superman could beat Goku in a fight.
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Yeah, it's kind of sad we can't have the time to do everything as well as we'd like.
Someone on r/GenX said they'd just retired at 52 (police pensions are nice), and now he needed to find a hobby to occupy himself.
And I'm thinking like, "Dude... I've been wanting to retire since I was 18 to have time for all my hobbies! What have you been doing outside of work for all these years?"
Which makes the possibility I might not be able to retire at 65 really, really sad.
...an iron curtain has descended across the Continent"
From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.
---Winston Churchill, March 5, 1946, Fulton, Missouri, USA
Now, thanks to Trump, a literal Iron Curtain has descended across North America. Trump is the Stalin of the twenty-first century.
Mr. Donald Trump, tear down this wall.
#iron-curtain #border-wall #trump #stalin #churchill #reagan #fence #border-fence #usa #mexico #ussr
Euros Halt Shipments To U.S. Over Trump Tariffs | HuffPost Latest News
And the number grows
huffpost.com/entry/ap-eu-us-po…
European Postal Services Suspend Shipment Of Packages To U.S. Over Tariffs
Multiple postal services around Europe say they are suspending the shipment of many packages to the United States amid a lack of clarity over new import duties.AP (HuffPost)
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Maybe with something like #OpenSnitch...
github.com/evilsocket/opensnit…
GitHub - evilsocket/opensnitch: OpenSnitch is a GNU/Linux interactive application firewall inspired by Little Snitch.
OpenSnitch is a GNU/Linux interactive application firewall inspired by Little Snitch. - evilsocket/opensnitchGitHub
I already hate little snitch enough for not being cross-platform compatible, don't make me use open source that only works on a single OS.
I'm a software engineer, I use all three of linux, mac, and windows at the same time every single day =)
(my KVM sees so much action)
Escaping the chains of tethered products: the Juice Rescue project
A neighborhood in Upstate NY found out that their EV charging systems would be shut down in two weeks.
They figured out how to take their charging systems back and keep them running.
#EV #RightToRepair #OpenSource
J. Nathan Matias Escaping the chains of tethered products: the Juice Rescue projectEscaping the chains of tethered products: the Juice Rescue project
How could a group of executives halfway across the world, with a single email, disrupt my community’s mobility, and what could we do about it?J. Nathan Matias
𝕕𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕒 🏳️⚧️🦋 likes this.
Hey everyone, I’m #newhere. I’m interested in #animals, #bulldogs, #goats, #dobermans, and #heavymetal. Thanks for the invite, @Steven Vaughan-Nichols!
The image is a two-panel comic strip. In the first panel, a man in a suit is holding a pixelated image and smiling. He is saying, "WITH AI image generation, we don't have to pay artists to advertise our product." The second panel shows a person wearing a red cap and a red shirt, looking at the same pixelated image with a skeptical expression. They are saying, "Hmm AI... must be a cheap scammy product if they couldn't afford an artist." The pixelated image in both panels is a simple gradient with colors blending from green to blue to pink to yellow. The comic strip humorously contrasts the perceived value of AI-generated images versus traditional artwork.
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Newsom is Selling Bibles! Trump Supporters Are Furious.
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Do Americans know that in some 37 states it is illegal for state employees or state contractors to boycott Israel. And only Israel.
And not just GOP states. It includes TX, OH, IL, IN, FL, AZ, GA, IA, PA, MI, AR, MN, NV, SC, TN, AL, RI, NJ, OK, KS, NC, UT, MO, ID, WV, CO, MS, NH.
So much for free speech.
JFK once said, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.”
- I knew (24%, 86 votes)
- Just finding out now wtf (76%, 272 votes)
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A good lawyer knows the law.
A great lawyer also knows the judge.
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One of the most obvious portents in which you can see the fall of an empire is when they stop trusting their military advisors, and begin replacing them en masse with yes-men and other useless wastes of flesh.
You cannot possibly obtain accurate assessments from civil or military servants who know that the instant they deliver bad news, they'll be shitcanned. There just aren't enough good folks willing or able to risk their positions. What you're going to get are a set of data which align with the boss' preconceived notions, and as it so transpires, reality doesn't care what premonitions Trump sees in his daily shit.
The US military is cooked. Hegseth has fucked it harder than one of Vance's couches, and there's no end to the damage that has to be repaired, if indeed it can be.
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Real quick just want to remind you that men's rights do not vary from state to state in America.
Women's rights do.
Take from that what you will.
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Yard work over due
Started at 0630 with the front lawn that hadn't been mown in three weeks. Mostly went well, but my Hart equipment needs new batteries, could've sworn I had four, but could only account for three, one of which broke, and the remaining two seem to have drained way to fast. While waiting for them to charge, I started on project two, finally reining in the south side where things have been growing like weeds. Not sure if most of it was goldenrod, or the Missouri equivalent of bamboo, but I went to work cutting each piece down with pruners and piling it in the back against the fence.
At one point I took a break, ordering MickeyD's delivered, which is stupidly expensive. After eating, I got back to work, finishing the pruning before returning to the front to finish that. After that, we went to work using a trimmer to cut the grass in the same area because there was no way the mower would get it done. In the end, the room mate joined in, since his equipment is better than mine, and everything along that side was cut.
Yep, no before pic, but there's the after, not real impressive looking, but at least its no longer an eyesore.
That said, I do think I overdid it, from neck pain to unquenchable thirst, as well as the coffee I had with my breakfast, I went through four 12oz Gatorades while I was working. Since I came in, I've had another coffee, and cup after cup, after cup of water which doesn't come back out. My neck is also sore, and I'm fairly certain I'm a bit sun burned.
Ugh, no grocery shopping or laundry today, those can wait until tomorrow, though I will do the mileage log and finish proofreading a story I've been working on, along with my regular night's web surfing... Well, extended version since I didn't surf this morn. Once I get that all done, it'll prolly be bedtime.
Tomorrow I'll have to start scanning documents to share with my financial manager related to Vik's passing, we need to get a plan in place so I can start taking care of the big financial decisions, and winding down his estate. I did accidentally kick over a hornet's nest yesterday, hopefully the bank doesn't repo his car now that they know he's dead, I'd rather like to keep it, even though ownership transfer will be challenging, but them taking it is not that big of a deal. And I do really need to get back to the comics, prepping that for sale, and that's the really big project. I do have someone brokering the sale of his fountain pens, and that's going well.
#today #mo #STL #Yardwork #fountainpen
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The image depicts a rural outdoor scene with a wooden fence in the foreground, supported by vertical posts and a horizontal wire. Behind the fence, there is a pile of cut grass and branches, indicating recent yard work. A large tree with a thick trunk is visible, with its branches extending over the fence. In the background, a grassy field stretches out, suggesting a spacious, open area. A black compost bin is positioned near the pile of yard waste, and a small wooden platform is visible on the right side of the image. The overall setting appears to be a backyard or a small farm area, with a mix of greenery and dry patches of grass.
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The image depicts a backyard scene with a mix of natural and man-made elements. In the foreground, there is a grassy area with patches of dry, brown grass, indicating recent mowing or natural wear. A wooden fence with wire running between the posts encloses the area, with a pile of mulch or compost visible near the fence. To the left, a bush with dense green foliage and some red flowers adds color to the scene. A large tree with a thick trunk and spreading branches stands prominently in the center, providing shade and a natural backdrop. In the background, a grassy field extends towards a distant view of a town or city, with power lines running across the sky. The sky is overcast, suggesting a cloudy day. Various gardening tools and materials, such as a propane tank and a hose, are scattered on the ground, indicating ongoing or recent gardening activities.
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my bf is selling a bunch of very cool (working) vintage macs! boot up your old favorite games, turn into art; whatever! just pls get them out of my basement
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The image shows a cactus that has grown in a unique shape, resembling a human figure. The cactus has a central stem that stands upright, with two arms extending outwards and a head-like structure at the top. The arms and head are formed by the natural growth of the cactus, with spines visible along the entire structure. The background is a natural outdoor setting with dry ground and some greenery in the distance. The text overlay reads, "When your cactus slowly walks away because it knows you're capable of killing it."
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The image features a colorful toy resembling a 3D printer, with a yellow base, red lid, and blue and green components. A container of Play-Doh is visible in the background, with a green ball of Play-Doh nearby. The text "THE ORIGINAL 3D PRINTER" is prominently displayed at the top of the image. The toy's design mimics a 3D printer, with a lever mechanism and a slot for extruding Play-Doh, humorously suggesting it as the first 3D printer.
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The image contains two tweets side by side, each with a black background and white text. The top tweet is from Kristi Noem, dated February 6, 2024. It reads: "If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on states' rights. Over the last several years, we've seen Democrats try to take away our Freedoms of religion, assembly, and speech. We can't let them take away our right to defend ourselves, too." The bottom tweet is from Gavin Newsom, with the text: "This aged well." Both tweets have their respective user handles and verified badges. The image is a screenshot of these tweets, likely intended to convey a political message.
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The image is a screenshot of a tweet from the Governor Newsom Press Office, featuring a satirical message. The tweet reads: "ALL HAIL CHAIRMAN TRUMP! WITH HIS GLORIOUS 10% PURCHASE OF INTEL, THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF AMERICA ENTERS A BOLD NEW ERA OF GOVERNMENT-RUN BUSINESS." The background of the tweet includes an image of a man in a suit and red tie, with a red flag featuring a yellow hammer and sickle symbol, reminiscent of the Soviet Union flag. The man is depicted in a formal portrait style, looking to the side. The overall tone of the image is critical and humorous, using hyperbole and political symbolism to convey its message.
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The image features a man seated at a desk, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and a patterned tie. He is positioned in front of a backdrop that includes an American flag and a display of coins or medals. The setting appears to be an official or governmental office, possibly the Oval Office, given the presence of the American flag and the ornate decor. The man is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. The text overlay at the top of the image reads, "The current generation probably doesn't even know that there are two people in this picture."
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Altbot
in reply to 🌴 Seph 💭 👾 • • •The image is a meme featuring a social media post with a humorous twist on a news broadcast. The post is from a user named "Godzilla" with the handle "Bennett Seacrist," posted 4 hours ago. The post reads, "He's our only hope." The image shows a dramatic scene with two large creatures in the water, resembling Godzilla and a giant shrimp. The text overlay reads "BREAKING NEWS: WALMART RADIOACTIVE SHRIMP ATTACKS U.S." with a timestamp of "10:24" and a note "GODZILLA DISPATCHED TO SAVE US, MORE AT 11." The scene is presented as a live news broadcast, complete with a "LIVE" indicator in the top left corner. The meme humorously suggests that Godzilla is being called upon to combat the threat of radioactive shrimp from Walmart.
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