Grass Valley, CA — An local man known for his large collection of home study courses ranging from cooking to calculus is in hot water this week for his How to Log online home study course.
James Cornys of Rhode Island Street made a comfortable living producing a variety of self-help/do-it-yourself online courses over the years. However, when the police knocked on his door this week, no one was more shocked than the 39-year-old entrepreneur.
“I started the How to Log course late last year when it started to get stormy,” said Mr. Cornys speaking with the Beacon on Friday. “And thousands of people have taken it and had great success cutting down dangerous trees in their yards. So the fact that some people screwed up is not my problem.”
According to Mr. Cornys, the cost of each course is between $25 and $200 depending on the topic. In the case of the How to Log self-study, the price was $150.00, which included a few coupons for chain saws and other gear from Home Depot.
“Look, I provide a valuable service in the tradition of American self-reliance. And besides, I’m saving people hundreds if not thousands of dollars in tree maintenance. The fact that OSHA is shutting me down is another example of how communist California is going to the dogs.”
Not So ‘Do-It-Yourself’
Last week, things came to a head when a Nevada City resident fell a large pine tree into his home after taking his online course. The family says they’d like to sue, but they signed off on an indemnity agreement that protects Mr. Cornys company Do-It-Easy Enterprises from litigation.
A spokesperson for CalOSHA said Mr. Cornys was fined $1000.00 and forced to cease all online training operations until the agency has reviewed his other courses. Several other courses were reported to both the Better Business Bureau and/or CalOSHA, including:
- Curing the Whooping Cough with Essential Oils ($125.00)
- Identifying Edible Forest Mushrooms ($200.00)
- Home Demolition with Simple Garden Tools ($125.00)
- Asbestos Removal Made Easy ($100.00)
- How to Rewire Your Entire Home for Under $25.00 ($200.00)
- Making Homemade Automobile and Sexual Lubricants ($25.00)
…to name a few.
Mr. Cornys plans on fighting the injunction, saying he’ll be back in business within a month or two.
“Everyone knows this is ridiculous. All these regulations do nothing to help people and only harm the small businessmen like me.”
When questioned about the damages sustained to several Nevada County homes after his customers attended his training, Cornys bristled.
“Hey, I can’t control what people do with this knowledge. I’m just the messenger here. I had nothing to do with trees falling into cars or homes. That’s their problem, not mine.”
