In today's climate, it is super hard to say no to the almighty dollar. One of the hardest things about my job is "screening" appropriate TV shows, clothes, activities, toys, etc, etc. The one thing that I want to teach my children above anything else (outside of being a productive member of society) is to not fall prey to rampant consumerism. I really like PBS and Noggin for the simple fact that there are no screaming commercials for toys / candy / cereal that influence what my daughter needs in her life right now. It is maddening enough that marketing targets even the 2-5 yo crowd, but now companies like mattel and others (read Made in China) have sunk to an all time low in producing crap that makes children potentially sick?? For what, tighter profit margins? Talk about making someone sick. I'm with you MileHiDad, a simple boycott may or may not produce results on a grand scale, but it sure makes me feel better about things that my daughter plays with. As for the bigger picture, yes, it does fall on the "responsible" parents to make sure their kids are safe and protected, but when I signed up for this job, I knew that I would have to be ever vigilant, and informed. Thanks for the post...

Paddyrat

Let's gather all remaining polly pocket stuff (if there's any left) and say goodbye to this horrible idea with a raging bonfire. Firstly, the pieces, the pieces, good god, the pieces. Forget about a child under 3 choking on the small pcs., any child under twelve could drown in the amount of tiny things those dolls come with. I'm not for any toy that continues to lead a consumer (parent) into a never-ending buying spree of "updated" wardrobes and accessories. (umm, what about Star Wars toys in the early '80's you say? I've learned my lesson and now it's my retirement fund...) Second thought, maybe a closed ceremony in front of a nice incinerator (lead paint fumes and all...)

I know that this isn't China's fault completely. But I hate China, and this whole mess makes me want to hate them more. Not the people. The people of China are great. I just hate China itself. Not the food, either. Just the lying douche bags that run the place and are masters at covering up their various messes over there. People everywhere think the U.S. is bad because of Bush and his antics, and these corrupt communists in China manage to skate their way into the Olympics.

Rant over.

The recall sort of makes me feel like BergerMeister Meister Berger in our house as I collect my daughters Polly Pockets toys. She follows me around as I explain the safety issues the best I can to a four year old. But, it falls on deaf ears and is returned with, "No more toys?" She finally understands and helps me collect her things. None of the Polly Pockets stuff my daughter has is on the list. At least I don't think so. They get so scattered after the first week or so of owning them, who knows what set is what? We don't have the full sets of PP stuff listed. She has the Cinderella PP, Snow White PP and some random Polly dolls, but from what "set"? I gather them and put them in a bin for now.

I tend to agree with Randy here. I don't believe that Mattel was mailciously trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the American consumer. At least not totally. Corporate giants tend to go right up to the limits of what is considered safe and then label themselves as an eco friendly and caring company. (uh, can you say BP!) I believe the wool was pulled over Mattel's eyes by the Chinese manufacturers. The co-owner who hung himself did so before the government would've done it to him. (i.e. the former cheif of Chinese equivalent FDA) While I am not saying that is right, I am agreeing that it is one huge admission of guilt.

Mattel and the Chinese government say they are planning more and tougher inspections of the materials, manufacturers and exporters. All this may seem a little too late, but something's gotta be done on their end to ensure the safety and restore the trust in the American consumer. On our end, let's continue to bypass all of the BP gas stations (different issue and rant all together), and boycott all things made in China (good luck with that!), or at least Mattel products and Magnetix toys. Flood Viacom's (and all other networks for that matter) mailbox to get them to halt advertising Mattel products.

In the meantime, we'll continue to be vigilant and unstoppable in our pursuit of a safe, happy and healthy life for our families. Rock on fellow dads!

Brian

Yeah, they thought they could fix the magnet problem with glue. Uh,no. (the glue is probably toxic too!) Now they are thinking of actually encasing the magnets in plastic. (Brilliant!) Whatever they do, they've got a rough road ahead. Both in fixing the problem with their toys along with the damage control and the lawsuits that will be sprouting from all of this.

http://service.mattel.com/us/recall.asp

Toys, toys, toys, for the girls and boys, time to make some nnooooooiiiiise! - (not quite what Laurie Berkner had in mind, but...)

Received a very short and sweet email from the CEO of Mattel Inc. today via my subscription to the Fisher Price website. Let's just say that his words did not sound convincing enough for me to let me skepticism go. They are definitely pulling out all stops to reassure the American consumer that they are a trusted brand. I wouldn't expect anything else from an enormous American company a few short months before Christmas! Whatever they do, I have personally made the decision that not a single Mattel Inc. toy will be under my Christmas tree this season, and I will keep a wait-and-observe stance on the matter past that.

About China, I almost completely agree with what Colin is saying, but I won't go so far as to say that I hate them. You're own your own bud!

TickTock,
Some people forget that this country runs better with dissenting opinions and I am one of them as well. Therefore, I'm adding to your list the things I "hate":

- Barney (it's a P.C. Cult, I swear)
- Conservatives (esp. far right nutjobs)
- Mormons knocking on my door in the middle of nap time! arrgh!
- lima beans
- ignorance

In lieu of urnials, does the "trough" bother you too?

Urinal troughs? I was at Wrigley Field last night. And I can truly say yes, I do hate the urinal trough!

Colin, thanks for the laughs!

Brian

Toys are always going to be a topic making headlines, but like paddyrat says and I quote, “One of the hardest things about my job is “screening” appropriate TV shows, clothes, activities, toys, etc, etc.”
It ultimately comes down to us to make a decision, right or wrong and just how do you know based on parental pre-purchase research. In due course, it is a crapshoot when buying kids toys whether a recall will be issued or not and the company will be“big boys” about it. If you Google toy manufacturers, a bunch are overseas and they all have recalls out; what concerns me is having them admit there is a problem on their own before it causes illness, death or disability, or just look the other way.
On a different note, with all the new big screen big screen TV plasma displays becoming more affordable could it be only a matter of time before a company is going to make us sick watching it? It will be interesting to watch it wash out in the press if it debilitates someone like our fearless leader G.W. ; I don’t want this thread to start being political so don’t even go there! I just am wondering what would happen if it was more than our youth getting sick and dying. Back in the day, plasma was a gun not a TV, now we are watching plasma TV’s, do you know what that plasma is?
Plasma deals with atoms being negatively charged. Nuclear, a spontaneous nuclear transformation (radioactivity) characterized by the emission of energy and mass from the nucleus of the atom.
[img]Toys are always going to be a topic making headlines, but like paddyrat says and I quote, “One of the hardest things about my job is “screening” appropriate TV shows, clothes, activities, toys, etc, etc.”
It ultimately comes down to us to make a decision, right or wrong and just how do you know based on parental pre-purchase research. In due course, it is a crapshoot when buying kids toys whether a recall will be issued or not and the company will be“big boys” about it. If you Google toy manufacturers, and a bunch are overseas and they all have recalls out; what concerns me is having them admit there is a problem on their own before it causes illness, death or disability, or just look the other way.
On a different note, with all the new big screen big screen TV plasma displays becoming more affordable could it be only a matter of time before a company is going to make us sick watching it? It will be interesting to watch it wash out in the press if it debilitates someone like our fearless leader G.W. ; I don’t want this thread to start being political so don’t even go there! I just am wondering what would happen if it was more than our youth getting sick and dying. Back in the day plasma was a gun not a TV, now we are watching plasma TV’s, do you know what that plasma is!
Plasma deals with atoms being negatively charged. Nuclear, a spontaneous nuclear transformation (radioactivity) characterized by the emission of energy and mass from the nucleus of the atom.
[img]Toys are always going to be a topic making headlines, but like paddyrat says and I quote, “One of the hardest things about my job is “screening” appropriate TV shows, clothes, activities, toys, etc, etc.”
It ultimately comes down to us to make a decision, right or wrong and just how do you know based on parental pre-purchase research. In due course, it is a crapshoot when buying kids toys whether a recall will be issued or not and the company will be“big boys” about it. If you Google toy manufacturers, and a bunch are overseas and they all have recalls out; what concerns me is having them admit there is a problem on their own before it causes illness, death or disability, or just look the other way.
On a different note, with all the new big screen big screen TV plasma displays becoming more affordable could it be only a matter of time before a company is going to make us sick watching it? It will be interesting to watch it wash out in the press if it debilitates someone like our fearless leader G.W. ; I don’t want this thread to start being political so don’t even go there! I just am wondering what would happen if it was more than our youth getting sick and dying. Back in the day plasma was a gun not a TV, but now we are watching plasma TV’s, do you know what that plasma is!
Plasma deals with atoms being negatively charged.
Nuclear, a spontaneous nuclear transformation (radioactivity) characterized by the emission of energy and mass from the nucleus of the atom.
I am not looking to argue, this is a troubling issue, I am just opening a dialouge up on this topic to break my day up a bit as we "snack" on my son's dinner he made for me as he trashes pots and pans, his creation HotWheels Virgal. ?? You got me!

About MileHiDad Make Babies, Not War!
We Dads are Pioneering New Childcare Methods in the Worlds Second Oldest Profession!
What happens if you're in a car going the speed of light and turn the headlights on?

Man, you may have deja Vu, but I was qouted 3 times in one response - the closest I've ever come to fame!!!

I do not mean to offend MileHiDad in any way because I do understand the analogy he was trying to make between the defective toys and plasma-screen TVs. However, his understanding of what a plasma is is completely wrong. So, I figured that I would don my nerd cap and shed some "light" on what a plasma is before everyone freaks out about owning a big-screen TV.

A plasma is nothing more than an electrically- or magnetically-excited gas. The gas becomes excited (ionized) when a voltage (electric potential) or magnetic field is applied to it, thus creating gas atoms that are either positively or negatively charged -- meaning that electrons have either been added to or stripped from the atom's outermost electron orbitals. This has absolutely nothing to do with the nucleus of the atom -- the protons and neutrons -- which always remains intact.

In a plasma-screen TV, a mixture of xenon and neon gas is used to create the plasma. Xenon and neon are both noble gases and relatively inert. Two electrodes that run along the back and front of the TV ionize the gases in between them by creating an electric potential between the two electrodes. As the gases are ionized, they are attracted to and accelerated towards the electrodes by electromagnetic forces. The bombardment of the ionized gases against the two electrodes releases excess energy from the gas atoms in the form of ultraviolet photons (in other words, the same energy released by the sun). These photons then excite phosphors inside the TV pixels which release photons in the visible light spectrum: red, green, and blue. The inside of the front panel of the TV is coated to contain the ultraviolet photons that would merely give you a "sun"burn if not contained. If the TV were cracked open, the harmless gases would escape into the atmosphere and the TV would no longer function.

What MileHiDad is referring to in his comment is known as nuclear alpha decay, in which both mass (protons and neutrons) and energy are released from an atom's nucleus during the fracturing of the atom into smaller components: an alpha particle, a second atom, and gamma radiation. Alpha decay is the process that makes elements such as radium and uranium radioactive; they are constantly breaking down and releasing alpha particles and gamma radiation according to their respective half-lives. There is absolutely no alpha decay going on inside a plasma-screen TV.

To let you know just how harmless the plasma state of matter is, it is approximated that 99% of all matter in the universe is plasma. It is around all of us all of the time.

As Paul Harvey would say, now you know "the rest of the story."

Taking off nerd cap now. ;-)

- Randy

I was just getting a little gonzo crazy in my anology and thinking, constant 4 yerar old communications and reasoning will send you over the edge, please, I'm trying to get back from the otherside!
I really didn't think anybody would know about plasma, me included but thanks for setting me straight. Get your geek on!

About MileHiDad, Make Babies, Not War!
We Dads are Pioneering New Childcare Methods in the Worlds Second Oldest Profession!
What happens if you're in a car going the speed of light and turn the headlights on?