Law of Unintended Consequences

On February 10, 2009 anyone that sells children's products will be required to have their products tested for lead. Sounds good right? No one wants a child exposed to lead poisoning. When you think about people selling children's items you usually think of huge companies like Fisher Price or Graco or the like they mass produce items and could and should be testing them. But what about all the 'microproducers' Those people with home based businesses that make one of a kind, boutique or specialty items. Or what about second hand stores? The law exempts thrift stores from the requirement on one hand but on the other issues with fines or criminal penalites if they do sell products with lead. Stuck between a rock and a lead place.

This article in the Standard Examiner gives an overview of the issue:
http://www.standard.net/live/news/162611/

This article from McClatchey Newspapers and reprinted here: http://www.catholic.org/hf/family/story.php?id=31877&page=1 suggests even children's books may be in trouble INCLUDING books that are CURRENTLY in libraries.

Is this a case of the government being 'right on'? Or is it a case of oops we didn't think about that.

Marni, how will this affect your business?

Who am I--anyway?

I'm a stand up to the lady who has a big dog that is scaring my kids at the park Mom. I'm a march into the post office and talk to the post master because my postal person left ANOTHER note saying I wouldn't get my mail for some odd reason. I'm a drop in at the principal's office to once again chit chat about why my kid is not getting the education he should Mom. I'm a talk out of turn at a City Council meeting kind of person. I'm a sign up for a crazy Radio Contest to talk about politics person. I'm even a sing in Church (even though I didn't really want to) person. (I'm most likely quite obnoxious now that I think about it.) But...I didn't used to be like that. I used to be the turn red because someone mentioned your name in passing person. Or the sit at the back of the class..not all the way back mind you but more in the middle back on the far left so I wouldn't be noticed and have to answer a question person. Or the person that managed to say only about 10 words on a date to SLC and back person. I was THAT person a long time ago... in high school. I don't really know that person very well anymore. We really aren't on speaking terms. She was kicked out years ago and rarely invited back. So...why is it, that the moment I see someone whether in person or online that I knew 'back then' that the real me, the new me...seems to cower in the background and peeks over the hedges.

I guess the question is...are we only the person that someone knew...when they knew us?

I recently signed up on Facebook and started looking for old friends. Thoughts like..well maybe they won't remember me popped up. Or maybe they do remember me and don't want to talk to me. OR MAYBE they wouldn't like the NEW me. My heart starts thumping, my fingers are clammy, I can hardly type, or talk...I turn red..its high school all over. Why on earth would I ever want to go to a high school reunion??? ACK...even worse...now I'll have to go...to conquer my fears.

So...how did I get roped into that again???

Emily and I sang in church today. By ourselves. Yeah, that's what I mean, sacrament meeting...with tons of people staring at you...So how did that happen again? Emily, having no fear and some musical talents has been noticed by our ward music leader. She (the ward music leader) asked her (Emily) to sing a solo in sacrament meeting. Emily jumped at the chance. I was then notified to let the ward music number know when and what she was going to sing. Uh...ok. I said. Emily's young women's leader...having already proven her talents by pulling off an awesome ward road show seemed like the perfect person to help. Sure, she said happily. Well a week later, I hear, I found the perfect song for Emily...(me) Great...and there is a great second part that you can sing. Uh...are you talking to me??? She was. And due to an irritating tendency of mine to want to conquer my fears I decided to sing along. HOWEVER, I didn't tell the ward music leader that...just in case I decided to back out at the last moment. You see, my illustrious singing in Sacrament meeting started years ago...it was not that big of a deal in primary--you sing, you don't know one knows and know one cares. But when I was a senior in high school, there 8 girls graduating my year and they wanted us to sing a song together. They put one girl in charge and she asked me...what part do you sing....uh part? Yeah do you want to sing soprano or alto...well, I had heard of parts, but I was a band geek...and played the bassoon to boot. I was not nor wanted to be acquainted with singing 'parts'. The melody, I murmured, She rolled her eyes and explained...in a not so nice way that she couldn't believe someone of my advanced years did not know which part they sang. Great I thought another thing 'miss perfect' is great at that I'm not. I'll take soprano I said. I felt this big. (look really really hard my fingers are very close together). Being somewhat convinced that I was actually tone deaf...just ask my band teacher I had the hardest time telling if I was in tune or not. I secretly vowed I would never sing again. And then I got mad. Who was she..anyway. But as I was not confident in my tonality I practiced...quietly. For many years I tried to sing the alto part on hymns at church and for many years I sang 'some' of the correct notes. No one can always be off right? Even a broken clock is right twice a day. I joined then dropped out of the ward choir, then joined again. I sat near people that did have perfect pitch. Slowly I learned 'a little'. So to make a short story long...Emily and I sang in church today. And my name was with Emily's in the program despite telling NO ONE that I was singing? HMMM... Here are a few things I learned.

1. Emily is an amazing girl. She is beautiful, talented and awesomely unafraid. I'm proud she is my daughter.

2. Prayer works! I simply prayed that even though I knew we wouldn't sing all the right notes that we could be pleased with our performance and the spirit would do the rest for the audience.

My prayers were answered.

3. One thing I didn't learn...how in the heck did the person doing the program get my name in there??????

So here's my hero daughter in her new dress. Do you know how hard it is to find a dress for an almost teenager that a) has sleeves and b) is longer than mid-thigh...just in case you don't know it is very very hard. As in as hard as walking a tight-rope across a pit of pythons, or driving down a one way street the wrong way with your lights off in an ice storm, or trying to herd cats. Ok so I got away with myself on the last one....but its pretty darn hard. :)

And here's one of us...compliments of my budding photographer Tim.

Cigarettes or Kung Fu Panda

Oh dear you say, has Kat gone off the deep end and taken up the forbidden vice??? Was all the blogging pressure just TOOO much? Nah...its just that the Utah State Legislature is starting up on Monday and one of the proposals on the table is to raise cigarette taxes to $3.00 a pack. It is currently at $.69 (and a half) per pack. Governor Huntsman would like to use the 'extra' tax revenue from the $2.30 (and a half) tax hike to replace funds that would be lost by repealing the food tax. As you may know our tax on food has already been reduced significantly over the last 4 years and the Gov would like to finish it off this year. The question is...is this a good idea? Just to be clear...here are a few blanket assumptions as to my thinking on this subject.

1. I HATE smoking. I hate the smell--I hate the litter. I hate that when I am in my car and a smoker is in the car in front of me I can STILL smell their smoke through my air system. I hate that smokers hack and cough. I hate that the stench can be so ingrown in a car or house that it leave its mark on unsuspecting passerbys. In short...I think smoking stinks!

2. I think it is a great idea to do away with food tax. It is an unfair tax. It puts a greater burden on those that have fewer means. Those that have a lower income spend a greater percentage of their money on food and therefore have a higher percentage tax burden. It seems only fair to lessen the burden of taxes on those essential items we need to survive. (I'm not talking necessarily about Ding Dongs and Twinkies but rather fruits, veggies and the like)

3. I would favor a tax hike on cigarettes. We rank 34 in the country on cigarette taxes. This has nothing to do with religion, it has everthing do with creating cleaner air and saving lives. The American Medical Association has found a correlation between increase of tobacco tax and decrease in usage. 'Studies show that for every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes, youth smoking is reduced by seven percent, and overall consumption by four percent.' http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/17693.html Our tax currently is low...only 16 states are lower and most of those are in the South where they produce the tobacco. The states with the highest tobacco taxes are liberal states interestingly enough...New Englad, New York, Washington...etc.

Now to the real issue. Does it make sense to tax a minority...with the 'hope' that the tax will ultimately discourage use and use the money to help the majority? I'm not so sure. If smoking rates do take a nosedive...where will the money come for the shortfalls then? And, is it really fair to tax a minority for everyone elses benefit? If the taxes were going to go to cessation or education programs I would be all on board. But something about this proposal just doesn't sit well with my sense of fairness. Rankings and tax info found here: http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/cigarett.html

Thoughts???

Ok now to the really important stuff. Kung Fu Panda Movie Review.
Yes we are quite behind on the 'hip' movies but we finally watched it tonight. Judging by the kids laughter my guess is they would give it very nearly 4 **** (STARS--not bad words) I laughed too, my rating would probably be around 2 3/4 ** not my favorite movie of the year, but fun for a laugh and a Friday night with the FAM.

First Post Pressure

Everyone's doin' it. That's what I hear anyway. So here I am caving to peer pressure. That's not a bad thing though if what your peers are doing is good...right? I'm not sure yet what direction this blog will take, but I do believe it will take a direction and then change it. I look forward to having an outlet to express my thought and opinions. Heaven knows those that know me, know I tend to have a few of them and I'll be honest not everyone wants to hear them. BUT, I do love to hear other people's opinions and I am especially open to them when those sharing do so in a nice way. I'm all about the exchange of ideas, enhancing knowledge, continually learning, and expanding my horizons. So, with that...let the games begin.

p.s. Check out my new favorite comic strip down at the bottom of the page. I hope to figure out how to put it on here with a rss feed so it changes everyday, but I don't know how...if anyone does know how let me know. From the first strip I read I knew it would be a classic. It has humor, pathos, spirit, insight, and of course fun art...you can read more about its origins here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frazz