Technically, DHS is in charge of policing Chinese imports - well, really, all imports. Customs, which is actually part of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) which includes immigration and a whole host of other agencies now - is all part of DHS. Of course, that doesn't mean they do an amazingly wonderful job, but having recently been on a tour of the Baltimore Ports (including both sea and air) "behind the scenes" as it were, they catch a whole heckuva lot of stuff that we never hear about. Imports included.

I can't fathom spending $16K a YEAR on clothing, let alone each month. And while you were surprised none of that seems to encompass undergarments, I was just surprised that clothing that covers so little costs so much. Imagine her budget if she had to buy pants that went up to her waist, skirts that covered her booty, or shirts that actually left something to the imagination.

Mmmm...gumbo. Thanks for the tip - I'll have to see if we have good eatin' in a jar back East.

The gumbo mix wasn't made in China, was it?

If not, I'll be happy to give it a try!

Beth, I understand (sort of) the DHS role in customs supervision, but I was thinking more of the role the Consumer Protection Agency (or whatever it's called) plays. Is that part of the customs process? For example, I find it difficult to believe that customs agents have the knowledge, skill or time to test imported toys for lead paint. And, of course, that's the problem.

Jeff, don't ruin it by putting an image of "Chinese gumbo" in my mind! ;-)

Ah...I have no idea if that's part of the customs process, but I would think that it is somehow. Then again, if it is, someone is really slipping. Customs agents do open stuff and check for counterfeits/label knock offs etc. though...it doesn't seem too much of a stretch to think they'd be looking for/checking on hazardous stuff too. But I dunno.

Eric, thanks for the mention.

Just to clarify, the circumstances Tuesday on MyWestTexas were a bit different with what we faced in that the disruptive commenters were watching a live Web cast and adding to a quickly scrolling text. Stemming the hemorrhage of off-topic character assassinations would not have been easy during our live Web cast (which, I might add, does not mean that on-topic character assassinations would have been any more preferrable). We will not make that mistake again, and controls will be put in place the next time we host a few of our more dignified souls. (In fact we plan to hang a sign on the front door of the chat room that says "Only decent folks aloud").

This morning, I actually received an email IN DEFENSE OF people making fun of our guests' physical attributes and speech patterns, although the emailer chose to remain anonymous. There's a big Duh! for ya.

There really is no cause for this land mine behavior as I'm sure you would agree, and even if you prepare yourself, you are likely not often prepared for such childish, boorish conduct. In all earnestness, I know you are on top of it and control your blog tightly and you seldom have that problem, at least that's the way it appears.

Sadly, what happened on MyWestTexas Tuesday night is merely a reflection of the greater ills in society. That I-can-do-what-I-want-when-I-want attitude. The I-am-going-to-run-through-this-red-light-because-I-am-lord-of-lords-and-no-one-can-stop-me mentality. Accountability often does not exist in either the real or the virtual world and I was and have been well aware of it long before Tuesday's web cast, trust me. Naive though I am in hoping that decency will prevail, I chose instead to prefer to think people would behave rationally. Silly me.

Civility may not be dead, but its pulse is faint.

Jimmy, thanks for the elucidation. I wasn't specifically picking on you, just observing that the sad reality of our society is that we can no longer rely on the civility of our visitors and therefore we have to be prepared to act swiftly to enforce whatever rules we deem important to the discussion. You've apparently climbed up a way on that learning curve.

Things seem in control around the Gazette primarily because I waved a white flag and decided to no longer post about highly charged issues (generally). So, in a way, the boors have won, at least in my case. (Not that the public dialog is in any way hampered by the absence of the Gazette as a forum for such topics.)

Eric, I know you weren't caling me out, and you are right. Perhaps we should have been more forward thinking about the possibility of pettiness. People are people but fortunately, the majority of the ones who drop by here, Sticky Doorknobs and MyWestTexas, in addition to most every blog I know of out here, are well meaning people. For that at least we can be thankful.