MetaFilter posts tagged with customs

U.S. Customs and Patriarchal Protection

jaduncan — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:57:54 -0800

Sexism at the border: A personal account. "For me, carrying my own condoms (in purses, wallets, camera bags; everywhere) is a routine act towards safer sex. For someone else with the power to not only deny passage but judge, moralize and intimidate, it has become enough evidence to put a woman through hell. My story has brought a number of women out of the woodwork stating that they have had similar experiences." [h/t Alex Grossman]

The Life of a Permanent Nomad

netbros — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 07:41:20 -0800

Back in 1999, Wandering Earl left home for a three month trip to Asia that still hasn't ended. As a permanent nomad, Earl's aim is to demonstrate that long-term travel is not a crazy fantasy, but a very real lifestyle option instead. Find out where Earl is now, and where he's been on his blog. Past popular posts on Wandering Earl's blog include: How I Can Afford My Life Of Constant Travel The Day US Customs Found A Bullet In My Pocket Living Abroad For Less Than $1000 Per Month When Tourism Goes Terribly Wrong

Why Does Marvel Oppose Mutant Rights?

justkevin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:50:35 -0800

Are the X-Men Human? The US government says yes, these people are no different from you or I, but Marvel claims their strange mutations and powerful augmentations move them beyond humanity into the realm of monsters, angels and devils. This Radiolab short explains why Marvel Toys argued in the US Court of International Trade that Wolverine, Professor X and Storm are inhuman. Read the court's opinion here. At both parties consent, it was agreed that clearly Beast, Bonebreaker, Cameron Hodge and Robot Wolverine were not human and that Daredevil, Punisher, U.S. Agent, Peter Parker and the Invisible Woman were. [Spoiler Alert] The court's conclusion was that all the remaining X-Men and Marvel characters under dispute were non-human, including the Fantastic Four (which confusingly Sue Richards is a member of), with the exception of "Jumpsie," the little girl with toy trampoline. In its decision, the court considered the Science Fiction conventions of "mutants" and concluded they were more like monsters than men.

Russian Video from Russia

filthy light thief — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:32:49 -0800

Russian Video from Russia does what it says, providing a variety of videos from Russia, presented in English or with English subtitles, and brief descriptions of the videos. You can check out videos as they're posted, or sort through by categories (including customs, musical video, science and technology, and movie for the weekend). This last category ranges from Russian Sherlock Holmes movies to a traditional New Year romantic comedy, a documentary on Yuri Gagarin to a classic Russian children's tale of Old Hottabych, an old genie freed in modern times.

Kinder Surprise eggs = illegal contraband

joannemerriam — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:36:52 -0800

Bird said the U.S. government has sent her a seven-page letter asking her to formally authorize the destruction of her seized Kinder egg.

This Is About Power, Not Security

bwg — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:29:45 -0800

I Am Detained by the Feds for Not Answering Questions.

Better Smile When You Cross That Border, Part II

FlyingMonkey — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:49:44 -0800

Remember Peter Watts, the Canadian sci-fi writer who in December was arrested and charged with assaulting a border agent, resisting arrest, and being an asshole after being pulled over for inspection while leaving the US because his rental car had Washington plates? He was today found guilty of "failure to comply with a lawful command" by a Port Huron, Michigan, jury. Part Three, The Sentencing, will take place April 26. Watts faces up to two years in federal prison. Further:

Dr. Watts' ordeal, in his own words
Stories from the local paper, the Port Huron Times-Herald
Other information from a supporter of Dr Watts, including links to other news coverage (such as John Scalzi, Warren Ellis, and, of course, Cory Doctorow.)
previous Dr Watts on Metafilter

Plow Monday, Historic and Updated

filthy light thief — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:12:44 -0800

On January 11, 2010, Canon David Parrott blessed laptop computers and mobile phones during the Plow Monday service at St Lawrence Jewry Church in the City of London. Plough Monday is the traditional start of the English agricultural year, and the Church was involved with blessing of tools for the coming year. Before it was involved with church services, Plough Monday was a time for folk plays and dancing (associated with other Mummers plays), with regional variations. Some new Molly Dancers have revived the traditions, complete with plow. There were also races to see who would start their work the earliest, to show their readiness to commence the labors of the year. So sing out now and walk your plough (or play a ring tone on your mobile phone). Keep digging and you'll find a wealth of region-specific information, such as Plough Monday in and around the City of Nottingham, and ploughwitches and the straw bear at the Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival. Also available online in one form or another: volumes of historic writings related to Plough Monday and related events throughout England. Previously: more of British traditions in Old Weird Brittanica.

Better Smile When You Cross That Border.

darth_tedious — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:14:55 -0800

Peter Watts Arrested and Beaten at the US Border. Author of the Rifters Trilogy, and that neat little vampire Powerpoint, he's been busted for "assaulting a border guard", and is looking at prison time. You can find more details here. His account of the matter is on his blog, here. Watts, previously on MeFi here , here, and here . And in various comments...

Old Weird Brittanica

Miko — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:59:31 -0800

This entrancing 17-minute film compiled from footage of British folk celebrations was put together in honor of a new project created by set designer Simon Costin. Finding much of his artistic inspiration in the folklore of Great Britain, Costin wondered why there was no national center or museum dedicated to studying and collecting these traditional customs. So he's decided to start one, The Museum of British Folklore, and is launching the project this summer by outfitting a 1976 caravan and traveling to folk festivals around the country. The expedition is intended to build interest in the museum project, and to collect and document some of the surprising variety of more than 700 annual, seasonal, often pre-Christian festival celebrations that continue to this day. What's going on in the movie? Depicted in the film (as near as I can tell from the short snippets lacking notes and based upon pieced together clues, so IDs are probably not 100% accurate): Gloucestershire Cheese-rolling Abbots Bromley Horn Dance Morris dancing Mari Lywd Wassail Tar Barrel Burning Padstow May Day Border Morris Mummer's Day, also known as "Darkie Day" Molly Dancing for Plough Monday Jack-in-the-Green Sean-Nos (old style Irish step dancing) The Hunting of the Earl of Rone The Burry Man The Battle Bonfire

The Great Book Blockade of 2009

drea — Fri, 15 May 2009 02:54:54 -0800

University of Iowa Creative Writing professor Robin Hemley on Guggenheim Fellowship in the Philippines first broke the news through a McSweeney's dispatch that the Bureau of Customs in the Philippines has begun to tax imported books, in direct violation of the Florence agreement. Concerned netizens rally against the government by spreading the news, causing #bookblockade to get trended on twitter. Neil Gaiman's tweet. More and more updates. An update from Robin Hemley. An excerpt: Customs Undersecretary Espele Sales explained the government's position to a group of frustrated booksellers and importers in an Orwellian PowerPoint presentation, at which she reinterpreted the Florence Agreement as well as Philippine law RA 8047, providing for "the tax and duty-free importation of books or raw materials to be used in book publishing." For lack of a comma after the word "books," the undersecretary argued that only books "used in book publishing" (her underlining) were tax-exempt. "What kind of book is that?" one publisher asked me afterward. "A book used in book publishing." And she laughed ruefully. I thought about it. Maybe I should start writing a few. Harry the Cultural and Educational Potter and His Fondness for Baskerville Type. Likewise, with the Florence Agreement, she argued that only educational books could be considered protected by the U.N. treaty. Customs would henceforth be the arbiter of what was and wasn't educational. "For 50 years, everyone has misinterpreted the treaty and now you alone have interpreted it correctly?" she was asked. "Yes," she told the stunned booksellers. If you want to help: please write Unesco and/or follow the 7 days of Action.

There he was with his immigration face giving me a paper chase

Smedleyman — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:25:38 -0800

Remember Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Julie Myers , the immigration chief who had some controversy during her tenure and introduced “operation scheduled departure” where illegal immigrants would turn themselves in and who’s organization was refered to (in so many words) as the gestapo by (Dem) Illinois Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez? Yeah, she resigned. Speculation abounds as to why. Statement by Chertoff

Deportation's not the worst that could happen

jdfan — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:19:15 -0800

For nearly 20 years, Hessamddin Norani and wife Sedige Khazravi have run a small convenience store in North Buffalo, working 15 1/2-hour days, seven days a week. The couple face deportation if their request for asylum is rejected by an Immigration Court judge. Norani, a Jew, and Khazravi, a Muslim, face a potential death by stoning if sent back to their home country.

When in Rome

hadjiboy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:17:36 -0800

So, you're planning to take a trip around the world, are you? Well, in that case--you'll need to know a couple of things before you leave (in order not to offend the sensibilities of the local population). Let's see--suppose you're making your way through Azerbaijan for example, and your host happens to be a businessman who is about to embark on a journey to the city: what would you do to give him the appropriate send off? Would you:

a) Bid him farewell and shake his hand.
b) Dance in front of him and do a traditional jig that everyone else is doing in order to ward off evil spirits.
c) Throw a bowl of water in his wake.

Don't know, well, that's okay. Let's try another one, shall we? Let's say you're in Croatia this time and have been invited for dinner: Now, do you...

a) Finish all of the food on your plate to show how much you've appreciated the meal. b) Finish almost all of the meal and leave a little portion behind to show that you are finished. c) Finish almost all of the meal and leave a little portion behind to show that you'd like a second helping. Are we getting anywhere? Alright, alright: last question--I swear! Now, say you're in Indonesia and you need to buy gifts for your Chinese-Indonesian, Muslim-Indonesian, and Hindu-Indonesian friends: which one of these gifts would be advisable for whom?

a) A nice leather calf-skin wallet. b) An ancient Samurai Sword that you got for a bargain. c) A bread basket from Drake's that's just opened round the corner.

When Men Wear Nail Polish, the Terrorists Win

digaman — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:45:41 -0800

"I'm not a politician, I'm an artist. Depravity is part of the job description," says self-styled dandy, former drug addict, and controversial British author Sebastian Horsely, who was denied entrance to the US by customs officials at Newark Airport on the grounds of "moral turpitude," a wide net that encompasses everything from fornication to being a "nuisance." Shades of Oscar Wilde.

Come and take it

fiercecupcake — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:56:20 -0800

The president of The University of Texas at Brownsville has refused to sign a right of entry request granting access to surveyors planning the U.S./Mexico border fence. This comes shortly after Cameron County landowners were forced to allow the government access to their land. Meanwhile, landowners in Hidalgo County are filing the next wave of lawsuits.

"My humble efforts to assist in the elucidation of the social condition of a distant and comparatively unknown race."

goodnewsfortheinsane — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:34:54 -0800

Sketches of Japanese Manners and Customs (1867).

"Tonight we will venture to the stages where the zombies have created an elaborate charade to lure the living."

amberglow — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 13:46:35 -0800

Rude at Bonnaroo --eventblogging as mock ethnographic survey of sorts, in the proud tradition of Margaret Mead -- and Body Ritual Among the Nacirema. (from the ever Rude Pundit, who's also performing there) ; >

Turn on, tune in, get out

homunculus — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 22:42:40 -0800

Entheogens and Psychotherapy. A 2001 paper by Canadian psychotherapist Andrew Feldmar on the potential therapeutic uses of psychedelics and his own experience with LSD. Now, because of this paper, he is no longer allowed to enter the U.S. [Via Mind Hacks.]

That's a lot to pay for a fish dinner

pyramid termite — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 13:54:12 -0800

The Bissagos Islands are off the coast of Guinea-Bisseau in Africa. One of them, Orango, has a rather unique social custom. There, women are the ones who propose marriage.

Mohan also declined to say how often or in what volume CBP might be opening mail.

amberglow — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 18:48:09 -0800

Private Mail--Not. ...Goodman, an 81-year-old retired University of Kansas history professor, received a letter from his friend in the Philippines that had been opened and resealed with a strip of dark green tape bearing the words “by Border Protection” and carrying the official Homeland Security seal. ...the agency can, will and does open mail coming to U.S. citizens that originates from a foreign country whenever it’s deemed necessary. ...

Big fucking mess

Smedleyman — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 01:01:01 -0800

The Mara Salvatrucha gang or MS-13 is an international street gang. Operation Community Shield spearheaded by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division of the Dept. of Homeland Security has been arresting street gang members from gangs such as " Sure Inos (which seems to be spelled wrong and even Wiki knows it USA Today & Detroit Free Press); the 18th Street Gang; Latin Kings; the Mexican Mafia; Border Brothers; Brown Pride, Azian Pride;" etc. etc. (all you wanna know about gangs here or going way back - here) over the past few months and recently arrested 582 members of MS-13. So far, ICE has made 1,057 arrests as part of the sting. Rumor has it MS-13 linked with Al-Quedia to smuggle nukes into the US. C'mon, world net daily? The Dept. of Homeland Security (thru ICE) is using federal immigration databases coupled with the names of thousands of suspected gang members from state and local police departments to - at the very least - deport them. Is that ok? Under the new laws it seems legal. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called the gangs "a threat to our homeland security and ... a very urgent law enforcement priority." Yet non-Hispanic whites apparently commit more than half of all violent crimes, but make up only one-quarter of the prison population. I see the need to stop MS-13 and other gangs with international ties as much as the El Rukins were, but they were stopped by the state and local police and the FBI. So is it smarter policing or does the new law enforcement model target 'foreigners' and have the laws been tailor-made to target ghetto and barrio youth? I don't know, but why when I read ICE investigations cheif Marcy Forman say: "We're just getting started" do I get an Einsatzgruppen chill?

US to fingerprint 'allied' visitors

johnnydark — Fri, 02 Apr 2004 11:01:57 -0800

I feel safer already! A US requirement for foreign visitors to be fingerprinted and photographed is being expanded to include citizens from America's closest allies, starting September 30th.

one designers experience with US customs and immigration

specialk420 — Mon, 23 Feb 2004 08:04:01 -0800

one web designers experience with US customs and immigration
joost gets a taste of a federal detention center.via newstoday

All Things Muertos

moonbird — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 14:38:01 -0800

The Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos, "Day of the Dead."