Reading null's journal

Today I've learned that a packet to the USA may not contain more than 2kg of chocolate. Supposedly it's due to some anti-terrorism regulation.
Now I don't know what the *#@&% they think we put in our chocolate, but could somebody enlighten me what our chocolate has to do with terrorism? Do they expect it to be communist or or islamic, or is Swiss chocolate now considered a chemical weapon? It's not that bad, you know! I'm genuinely curious.

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

Yeah but you're allowed to have four packs of matches and two lighters... Yes, our government is stupid. Forgive us.

My guess is that it has to do with how fat America is getting. They think that by sending lots of choclate, you are trying to make us fatter and lazier than we are! Sneaky bastards! /end sarcasm

Seriously though, if our government is stupid, that's because we keep voting in stupid leaders. Go figure, right?

I know I'm dead on the surface But I'm screaming underneath

After 9/11/01 there was a paradigm shift here in the US. Now instead of living life as usual, Americans live life as a paranoid scared society (everyone is a terrorist). Now everything is somehow linked to terrorism, the gov't is now a bigger BIG BROTHER than they were 4 years ago. It's sad, it's sickening to think that now everything we do in life is measured against some kind of terrorism measuring stick. I'm sick of hearing about it.

I'm sick of hearing about it.

I'm sorry about that. I'm well aware that there have been... changes, and that most of them have been thoroughly discussed. I've just wondered what chocolate has to do with this :-P

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

I'm sorry about that.

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't saying I was sick of hearing what you were talking about. It's just that you can't escape all the talk about terrorism here in America. It's constant everyday and it shows no sign of going away.

But on your topic I have no idea why there would be anything wrong with chocolate.

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't saying I was sick of hearing what you were talking about.

Oh, no problem. :-) No offense taken. I couldn't comment on daily life in the USA anyway (for the obvious reason that I've never been there).

As for the chocolate, I know that it may cause problems in flight luggage checks, because when it's wrapped in aluminium foil the X-ray thing shows a block of metal. But why 2kg of chocolate should be okay then is beyond me (especially since aluminium wrapping is hardly used these days)... oh well... nevermind, it's not like I'm sending tons of chocolate over the pond every day. :-)

The Chocolate Incident isn't soo bad anyways, and US authorities aren't the only ones who tend to overreact. A friend of mine, let's call him R., is well-known by the local police for stranger reasons. R. is into lasers and stuff and has a buddy who works at the CERN. That buddy once sent him a transistor passbank for a laser power supply, and he sent it from work to save the postage. (For you non-electronic geeks, such a passbank is basically a bunch of fat transistors mounted on a big aluminium heat sink.)

I wish I could have seen the face of the guy checking the packet:
It's a heavy packet.
The sender is CERN Nuclear Research.
The recipient is a foreigner living in a small village in Switzerland (R. has an Austrian passport and a foreign sounding name).
The X-Ray shows a block of metal with wires and stuff attached to it.

I also wish I could have seen R.'s face when he got home and found his packet sitting in the middle of the road, surrounded by a bunch of nervous village cops and a bomb squad prompting him to open the packet at gunpoint.

History repeated itself about two years later when somebody at Liebherr Aerospace sent him two bottles of wine, but that's another story. :-)

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

This post was edited by null on Nov 12, 2004.

...a packet to the USA may not contain more than 2kg of chocolate...

hmmmm.... It is highly possible that the furor described above may be related to the following medical abstract found on the internet: lipids in chocolate supposedly contain cannabinoids.

But seriously...

...is Swiss chocolate now considered a chemical weapon?

Just could be... we are that paranoid here. Back right after 9/11 occured was when I ordered my case of Orange Kit Kats from Canada. They had no problem mailing it then, but that was then, and this is now... and we are so much more paranoid, as well as stupid, and all that that implies. The last time I flew on an international flight, they found my tweezers and then gave them back to me... they did not find my 'stash' of cannabinoid-infused chocolate. Could be the 'war on drugs' is slacking, my man.

Maybe they are worried that Americans will get stoned on their chocolate, and sit at home watching reruns of _______________(insert any major soporific television show).

This breaks my heart, as you well know how much I dearly love chocolate. It is part of my mood-defying arsenal. And here I was going to ask you to send me 3 kilos of the tasty stuff. Damn the bad luck!

If mountain goats like living at high elevations, why do none live in high rise apartment buildings?

In the currant state game of "keep the people in a panic so we can justify our stupidity" there are the most rediculous things being done.

This being one of thoes rediclous things. I'm sorry and embarrased that the U.S goverment has done this.

Do you remember all the panic that was created over y2k? There were people in this country that went into debt to prepare for the comming "doom" And nothing happened. It was all media generated.
In the currant state of stupidity, aka anything could be used as a terrorist weapon, what's happening is people are being talked into living in a panic state again.

I love chocolate. It's got alot of the same chemicals that are released in the human body when your in love. No wonder it's loved by millions of people.

I'm sorry about all of this. My deepest applogies for how stupidly the goverment is behaving.

It only looks that way because your standing on your head.

My guess is that it stems from the coffee idea that people use to smuggle drugs around. If you put it in enough coffee, the dogs can't smell it.

With a dense choclate, it would be possible to not only seal up a chamber but the smell might mask the scent of an agent. Or there could be other reasons like choclate is a non volitile medium that could be used to transfer Anthrax or something. I'm sure there's a reason, but not necessarily one we would know.

I know I'm dead on the surface But I'm screaming underneath

And all of the what if's leave us in a state of such a paniced mindset that soon even going to the grocery store will require a chemical testing kit, because maybe the beef or chicken or fish that you buy will contain arsnic or anthrax or some other deadly chemical. And soon even your neighbors next door could be part of a plot to get you...

The mindset that is in play at the currant time is a sick one.
Fear everyone and everything outside the usa. While all the time we have one of the larget stockpiles of deadly chemicals in store houses.

At the currant rate of behavior and propagana being fed to the american people it will get to the point where no one trusts anyone or anything anymore. And the country we live in will become a state of complete division, no, more like a fractured broken mirror where all the peices are too small to fit back together.

Terrorism is designed to gain control of people. And oddly enough it's been around for hundreds of years. The worst kind of terrorism is the kind that plays on the mind of people long after any kind of physical act has taken place.
It plays on the fear of death and loss of freedom.
And it makes enemies of friends.

That's the really sad part about all of this. What the goverment is doing is making the american people afraid of everybody and everything outside the usa. And it's pissing people off. If it doesn't stop soon, the usa won't have any friends at all. It will be just us. And then it will be just a matter of turning everyone against each other. And there will be rewards for turning your neighbors in for doing anything that isn't sanctioned by the state.

That's what all of the hype and suggestions and the rules and the limits are about. And it's really, really sick.

It only looks that way because your standing on your head.

R_pendragon, has the packet arrived yet? I have a feeling that you don't get my e-mails.

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

I have a feeling that you don't get my e-mails.

There were e-mails? *gives e-mail account good swift kick* Alas, no, I have gotten no e-mails.

Nothing has arrived yet, but I have faith. I'm sure that as I type this, the Dept. of Homeland Security is running countless tests to ferret out the anthrax, mustard gas, caffeine and other hazardous biochemicals you may have included in a criminal attempt to rob the United States of one of her finest citizens:

Moi. ;)

I'll let you know when it arrives, and my apologies for the missed e-mails. I should probably just suck it up and use something decent, but I hate to change addresses and I've had this one since I was 15....

My stepdad isn't mean, he's just adjusting. -Death to Smoochy

There were e-mails? *gives e-mail account good swift kick* Alas, no, I have gotten no e-mails.

Oh well, they weren't too terribly important. I could send them again if you're curious, but it's not like your life would turn into a disaster if you don't get them. Still, feel free to kick Hotmail all you want!

I'm sure that as I type this, the Dept. of Homeland Security is running countless tests to ferret out the anthrax, mustard gas, caffeine and other hazardous biochemicals you may have included

As long as they don't discover my evil plot to fatten you up with chocolate. :-P

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

Don't forget! They regulate the chocolate these days, as you so kindly brought to nao's attention.

But alas, chocolate to a girl, you are despiccable!

I should be ashamed of myself.

But alas, chocolate to a girl, you are despiccable!

Girls love chocolate! And as this particular subject has pointed out, she can use the extra calories, so she won't even experience the usual media-induced guilt trip through which most women go when eating sweets. Sin without remorse, is there a better thing on this earth?

(Besides, everybody knows that chocolate is better than sex!)

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

This post was edited by null on Nov 30, 2004.

Girls love chocolate!

Yessssss. Choooooooocolaaaaaate....

And as this particular subject has pointed out, she can use the extra calories, so she won't even experience the usual media-induced guilt trip through which most women go when eating sweets. Sin without remorse, is there a better thing on this earth?

No joke. My mother thinks she has me on a weight-gaining diet, but she has somehow missed the point, I think, as she has been feeding me lentil soup, vegetarian lasagna and cream cheese and alfala sprout sandwiches. *shakes head*

I've never understood the "feeling guilty about eating" schtick. But then, I have noticed that I could sit on the couch and eat junk all day and still fit my clothes, so I may just be a lucky one....

Re: E-mails. I give up on hotmail– several friends have complained to me now about bounces or not hearing from me. Try sending to: rachel at shinigamihigh dot net. I seem to have less trouble with that one, it's just that I can only check it off my own computer.

chocolate is better than sex

Why separate the two? ;)

My stepdad isn't mean, he's just adjusting. -Death to Smoochy

This post was edited by r_pendragon on Dec 02, 2004.

Why separate the two? ;)

Isn't that why Nutella was invented?

Thbbbbt

Hehe...

Nutella...

Yeah, I agree with pendragon on that one. If it's good by itself, and the other element is as well, it's gotta be good together, sort of.

I should be ashamed of myself.

This post was edited by Aynjell on Dec 02, 2004.

Yessssss. Choooooooocolaaaaaate....

Preccioussss chocolate!

E-mails. I give up on hotmail– several friends have complained to me now about bounces or not hearing from me.

Yeah, they seem to have gone a bit overboard with their 'junk' filter.

it's just that I can only check it off my own computer.

Have you tried another free service, like GMX? Even their free offer is excellent, and the only downside is that you get a newsletter filled with ads once a week. If their spam filter wreaks havoc on your inbox, you can still disable (parts of) it and retrieve the mail it banned.
And there's of course still GMail!

Why separate the two?

You mean there's a way to combine them? Doesn't that get messy? :-P

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

This post was edited by null on Dec 02, 2004.

Why separate the two?

Well, you might be on to something. I read recently that a study done by some Italian scientists concluded that women who eat more chocolate have a better sex life; more desire, easier arousal, increased satisfaction, etc.

So you see Aynjell, giving the gift of chocolate makes a lot of sense... :)

But I can't find no place or nothin', where thrills are cheap, and love is divine

Yes. Yes it does...

I should be ashamed of myself.

I read recently that a study done by some Italian scientists concluded that women who eat more chocolate have a better sex life

That's interesting! Do you think the chocolate is the actual cause for better sex, or is there just something else about this women that a) increases their chocolate intake and b) lets them enjoy sex better?

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

How can one be having sex and eating chocolate at the same time?

Hmm... *thinks......alot*

*comes to a conclusion* - Now its not too easy but can be done.. *thinks a little more* -- nope ... youll end up choking on the chocolate.... oh wait.... does chocolate syrup count?

nope ... youll end up choking on the chocolate...

I think it's the timing that's crucial. It should be possible with the right timing. Perhaps include the chocolate in the foreplay, or something.

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

I think it's the timing that's crucial. It should be possible with the right timing. Perhaps include the chocolate in the foreplay, or something.

... as long as you don't eat a kilo of chocolate during the foreplay... because that might be a little hard to digest ;)
I would say yes to: chocolate, whipped cream and fresh strawberries. If someone has other foods to add to the list... suggestions are welcome! :)

Un bacio è un'apostrofo rosa scritto tra le parole "ti amo".

If someone has other foods to add to the list...

I don't know if you can get chocolate mousse in a spray can (much like whipped cream) in Italy, but if you do, try combining it with whipped cream to produce two-tone artwork. It provides a nice variety both for the eye and the taste buds.

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

Haha...

On the not so sweet side, oysters. I hear they are quite the aphrodisiac (sp?).

I should be ashamed of myself.

I've read that, too. If I remember correctly, it increases the ability of the women to enjoy sex. It's because of the stuff in the chocolate, you know serotonine or so...

"Sie wollen nichts anderes. Sie wollen kämpfen! Sie sind Soldaten! Fucking Wahnsinnige!" - Noel G.

If I remember correctly, it increases the ability of the women to enjoy sex.

*stockpiles tons of chocolate*

"*sigh* Some men are really hard to manipulate!" - Orchid

it increases the ability of the women to enjoy sex.

*nodnod* Multiple orgasms, chocolate makes sex better... we definatly got the better end of the deal ;)

This post was edited by jael on Dec 03, 2004.

My god man! Do you know the sweet delicious delights that could be contained in over 2kg of Chocolate! My god, our citizens might learn to enjoy swiss chocolate over mass produced Hershey's!

[/sarcasm]

It's amazing some stupid policies like these can make their way through. I'm sure they guess some terrorist would bake anthrax into the chocolate. Personally I wouldn't cause I'd bake it then before i could think I'd sneak in a couple bites, *BAM* before you know it I'm dead.

Pistol Grip Pump In My Lap At All Times

Yep, this theory is known also to Italians who generally import the Swiss chocolate as it is so darn good!! :)

Un bacio è un'apostrofo rosa scritto tra le parole "ti amo".

This post was edited by andromacha on Jan 16, 2005.