What the Hell?
We sold some products to a client of ours in Maine. They, in turn, decided to ship some to their branch in Canada.
The customs broker working with our client called me to ask me to send him a NAFTA Certificate of Origin since it's going to Canada, and we didn't give our client one.
Well, considering we didn't know it was going to Canada and ONLY sold it to the branch in the U.S. a NAFTA COO is not required.
Instead, we call our client (who has never done a NAFTA COO), and I fill it out for him. My coworker faxes it to our client, tells him to sign it, and send it to the customs broker.
Several hours pass when I get a phone call from the customs broker informing me that although they received the COO from the client, it's not signed. Could I call our client to tell him to sign the COO and fax it back to the customs broker?
Okay.
Isn't that what the customs broker is getting paid for? The transaction of moving the product over the border is between our client and the customs broker...not US and the customs broker.
I kinda laughed at the customs broker when he asked, "well can you call him and tell him to sign the document and fax it back to me?"
"Um....yes [I can do your job for you]."
I reminded him, again, that we were merely the manufacturer. We were not involved in the transaction to Canada so further correspondence needed to be done between he (customs broker) and our client....NOT us.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Pit Bull FACTS
I posted this on Craigslist this morning, but I felt the need to post it here as well.
1) Spelled with capital letters, "Pit Bull" versus "pit bull" indicates the breed that has come to be known as the "American Pit Bull Terrier." The term "pit bull" with lowercase letters refers to "bulldog type dogs" such as Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso, Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, etc.
2) Pit Bulls are known to be same-sex dog aggressive, but so are other breeds of dogs such as Akitas. Yes, there are always exceptions to the rule, but ask any reputable Pit Bull rescue about adopting a Pit Bull of the same sex as a dog into your home: they will not allow it.
3) Pit Bulls are terriers. Terriers are known to be tenacious, unrelenting, and of high energy. This goes for ALL terriers and "Pinschers." (Pinschers is the German term for "terrier" which is why we have Miniature Pinschers, German Pinschers, and Doberman Pinschers all of the same energy and tenacity levels.)
4) No responsible dog owner would keep their dog (especially one that is known to be same-sex dog aggressive) unsupervised outside in a fenced area when no one is home. That goes for ALL breeds.
5) Pit Bulls have a solid working drive. There are several Pit Bulls used in Pet Therapy and Search and Rescue (see "Kris Crawford"). There were Pit Bull SAR (Search and Rescue) teams at the Columbia and 9-11 tragedies.
6) Google - "Sgt Stubby" and "War Hero." Enough said.
7) Pit Bulls' jaws do NOT "lock." The PSI of their bite is equivalent to several other breeds, if not all other breeds, of dogs. People assume they "lock" their jaws because they do not give up easily (see #3...."tenacity.")
8) Contrary to majority belief, and this goes for any dog breed, temperament is not only environmental, but it is also genetic. You do not breed two dogs or even one dog that has overly aggressive or overly submissive temperaments just as you wouldn't breed a dog with genetic health issues that could be passed along to its puppies. Once again, this goes for ANY breed, and a conversation about any breed will have Pros and Cons. Think the epithet "ankle biters." If Pit Bulls were the size of Chihuahuas, they would fall in the "ankle biter" category if it was to bite someone. If a Chihuahua was the size of a Pit Bull, they would fall under the "aggressive" or "vicious" category as many people perceive Pit Bulls to be.
9) The reason why there are so many "problem Pit Bulls" is because people buy them as puppies from backyard breeders because they like the look of them or the idea of owning a Pit Bull. They don't realize that with terriers, you start from day 1 with socialization, training, and teaching boundaries and respect. By the time they are 9-10 months old, they have a solid block of muscle that doesn't respect them, has no socialization, and knows no boundaries. For ANY breed of dog, this is DANGEROUS. No one thinks twice when a Pomeranian jumps on someone who comes to visit. People freak out and think they're being attacked when a Pit Bull jumps on someone who comes to visit.
It is up to the responsible dog owner to do their research on a dog prior to ever purchasing or adopting one. Learn ALL of the ins and outs of the dog breed: what they were originally bred for, what they are currently used for, their energy level, their grooming level, dog aggression issues, health issues, etc. If you still decide to purchase or adopt a certain breed after doing your research, start from day 1 with the knowledge you've learned about that breed. That way there are no "surprises." Don't impulse buy. Don't impulse adopt. Just because a breed "looks cool" doesn't mean you can treat it like a clothing accessory. This also goes for small/toy breeds of dogs. There's nothing I can't stand more than toy/small breeds of dogs whose owners baby them and teach them zero boundaries. Just because a snap on the hand or ankle from a small breed of dog doesn't cause major damage does not mean it should be overlooked nor accepted.
Moral of this post:
BE A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER AND MEMBER OF SOCIETY!
1) Spelled with capital letters, "Pit Bull" versus "pit bull" indicates the breed that has come to be known as the "American Pit Bull Terrier." The term "pit bull" with lowercase letters refers to "bulldog type dogs" such as Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso, Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, etc.
2) Pit Bulls are known to be same-sex dog aggressive, but so are other breeds of dogs such as Akitas. Yes, there are always exceptions to the rule, but ask any reputable Pit Bull rescue about adopting a Pit Bull of the same sex as a dog into your home: they will not allow it.
3) Pit Bulls are terriers. Terriers are known to be tenacious, unrelenting, and of high energy. This goes for ALL terriers and "Pinschers." (Pinschers is the German term for "terrier" which is why we have Miniature Pinschers, German Pinschers, and Doberman Pinschers all of the same energy and tenacity levels.)
4) No responsible dog owner would keep their dog (especially one that is known to be same-sex dog aggressive) unsupervised outside in a fenced area when no one is home. That goes for ALL breeds.
5) Pit Bulls have a solid working drive. There are several Pit Bulls used in Pet Therapy and Search and Rescue (see "Kris Crawford"). There were Pit Bull SAR (Search and Rescue) teams at the Columbia and 9-11 tragedies.
6) Google - "Sgt Stubby" and "War Hero." Enough said.
7) Pit Bulls' jaws do NOT "lock." The PSI of their bite is equivalent to several other breeds, if not all other breeds, of dogs. People assume they "lock" their jaws because they do not give up easily (see #3...."tenacity.")
8) Contrary to majority belief, and this goes for any dog breed, temperament is not only environmental, but it is also genetic. You do not breed two dogs or even one dog that has overly aggressive or overly submissive temperaments just as you wouldn't breed a dog with genetic health issues that could be passed along to its puppies. Once again, this goes for ANY breed, and a conversation about any breed will have Pros and Cons. Think the epithet "ankle biters." If Pit Bulls were the size of Chihuahuas, they would fall in the "ankle biter" category if it was to bite someone. If a Chihuahua was the size of a Pit Bull, they would fall under the "aggressive" or "vicious" category as many people perceive Pit Bulls to be.
9) The reason why there are so many "problem Pit Bulls" is because people buy them as puppies from backyard breeders because they like the look of them or the idea of owning a Pit Bull. They don't realize that with terriers, you start from day 1 with socialization, training, and teaching boundaries and respect. By the time they are 9-10 months old, they have a solid block of muscle that doesn't respect them, has no socialization, and knows no boundaries. For ANY breed of dog, this is DANGEROUS. No one thinks twice when a Pomeranian jumps on someone who comes to visit. People freak out and think they're being attacked when a Pit Bull jumps on someone who comes to visit.
It is up to the responsible dog owner to do their research on a dog prior to ever purchasing or adopting one. Learn ALL of the ins and outs of the dog breed: what they were originally bred for, what they are currently used for, their energy level, their grooming level, dog aggression issues, health issues, etc. If you still decide to purchase or adopt a certain breed after doing your research, start from day 1 with the knowledge you've learned about that breed. That way there are no "surprises." Don't impulse buy. Don't impulse adopt. Just because a breed "looks cool" doesn't mean you can treat it like a clothing accessory. This also goes for small/toy breeds of dogs. There's nothing I can't stand more than toy/small breeds of dogs whose owners baby them and teach them zero boundaries. Just because a snap on the hand or ankle from a small breed of dog doesn't cause major damage does not mean it should be overlooked nor accepted.
Moral of this post:
BE A RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER AND MEMBER OF SOCIETY!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
"I'm like gonna start slurring soon!"
Question: When was it ever "cool" or socially-acceptable to profess how drunk you are?
I went over to a friend's house on Friday night for a pot-luck type dinner. It was me, Andrew, two of our friends (in their late 20s...28...and early 30s), our friend (the hostess, early 30s) and then the hostess's roommate (21 years old).
Of the whole group, some of us were only casually drinking (one beer or one cider with our meal). The 21 year old, however, had to inform us each and every time she was making another drink and profess loudly as well.
Frankly, I don't care if a 21 year old is pouring themselves another drink. They are 21 years old; therefore, they are old enough to drink alcohol.
This was not a "let's get wasted" party. This was a small pot-luck dinner among friends.
Not only did the 21 year old have to profess how often she was pouring herself another drink, but had to put her $0.02 into every single conversation taking place.....and do so loudly.
I finally had enough, felt like I wanted to punch someone or say something cutting and snarky, so I went and sat down...waiting to leave. I ended up texting three friends of mine trying to hold my tongue before lashing out against the 21 year old.
But when was it ever cool to constantly interrupt conversations stating you were going to start slurring soon, pouring yourself another drink, or grabbing the bottle of alcohol and showing us [again] what you were drinking tonight? When did loudly interrupting ongoing conversations with inappropriate comments or topics become acceptable as well?
Geez. I know I'm not THAT old, but I was never that annoying.
I went over to a friend's house on Friday night for a pot-luck type dinner. It was me, Andrew, two of our friends (in their late 20s...28...and early 30s), our friend (the hostess, early 30s) and then the hostess's roommate (21 years old).
Of the whole group, some of us were only casually drinking (one beer or one cider with our meal). The 21 year old, however, had to inform us each and every time she was making another drink and profess loudly as well.
Frankly, I don't care if a 21 year old is pouring themselves another drink. They are 21 years old; therefore, they are old enough to drink alcohol.
This was not a "let's get wasted" party. This was a small pot-luck dinner among friends.
Not only did the 21 year old have to profess how often she was pouring herself another drink, but had to put her $0.02 into every single conversation taking place.....and do so loudly.
I finally had enough, felt like I wanted to punch someone or say something cutting and snarky, so I went and sat down...waiting to leave. I ended up texting three friends of mine trying to hold my tongue before lashing out against the 21 year old.
But when was it ever cool to constantly interrupt conversations stating you were going to start slurring soon, pouring yourself another drink, or grabbing the bottle of alcohol and showing us [again] what you were drinking tonight? When did loudly interrupting ongoing conversations with inappropriate comments or topics become acceptable as well?
Geez. I know I'm not THAT old, but I was never that annoying.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sunday - no rest day
We picked up a new family member this morning: "Spork." Well, that's the name she came with. She was rescued by a family from Cobb County Animal Control (kill shelter). She is a 10 months old female [spayed] Pit Bull Terrier. She was basically the ready-made pet...just add family.
We were going to hike at Cloudland Canyon, but it's two hours away from us so we opted to hike at Red Top. Note to self (and others, obviously): take note of the loop lengths.
Neither one of us had been hiking in some time so we grab the dogs (Grimm and Spork) and head out on a hike. About a mile in, the trail split, and we opted to continue on the Homestead Loop (not knowing how long it was). After mile 3 marker on the very hilly trail, Andrew said, "wouldn't it be funny if when we got done we found out it was a 6 mile loop?" I laughed and said, "I HOPE NOT!"
5.5 miles.
It was a 5.5 miles loop around Allatoona up and over the mountain. I thought "Homestead" = maybe some old buildings. Nope....just trees, rocks, and some small streams.
We got done hiking, and the "kids" were ready for more. So we came home, ate, watched an episode of "Dexter" and headed on our way to the Cherokee County Humane Society Thrift Store's Dog Park.
Things were going great until the no-manners Labradoodle came walking in, ran over to me, and body slammed me, jumping up to my face. Nice.
Then it started growling and snapping at Grimm.
Then as I was bending down, it ran over, jumped up, and nearly broke my nose: I saw stars.
We ended up leaving after some shopping for dog toys in the store (new ones, at that!) and just got home.
Phew.
Sunday = no rest day.
We were going to hike at Cloudland Canyon, but it's two hours away from us so we opted to hike at Red Top. Note to self (and others, obviously): take note of the loop lengths.
Neither one of us had been hiking in some time so we grab the dogs (Grimm and Spork) and head out on a hike. About a mile in, the trail split, and we opted to continue on the Homestead Loop (not knowing how long it was). After mile 3 marker on the very hilly trail, Andrew said, "wouldn't it be funny if when we got done we found out it was a 6 mile loop?" I laughed and said, "I HOPE NOT!"
5.5 miles.
It was a 5.5 miles loop around Allatoona up and over the mountain. I thought "Homestead" = maybe some old buildings. Nope....just trees, rocks, and some small streams.
We got done hiking, and the "kids" were ready for more. So we came home, ate, watched an episode of "Dexter" and headed on our way to the Cherokee County Humane Society Thrift Store's Dog Park.
Things were going great until the no-manners Labradoodle came walking in, ran over to me, and body slammed me, jumping up to my face. Nice.
Then it started growling and snapping at Grimm.
Then as I was bending down, it ran over, jumped up, and nearly broke my nose: I saw stars.
We ended up leaving after some shopping for dog toys in the store (new ones, at that!) and just got home.
Phew.
Sunday = no rest day.
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