Severe warning about dangerous dog-toys!!

I came across this blog today on Craigslist:  http://www.thechaistory.blogspot.com/

And if you have a dog, it's a must-see.  It details what happened to a dog that was severely injured by a dog toy called a "Pimple Ball" made by Four Paws, Inc.  The dog ended up losing his tongue, and the pain he had to endure was excruciating. 

The dog's owner relates that the Four Paws Co. hasn't owned up to the fact that its toy is dangerous, and he's calling for a international boycott of Four Paws, Inc.  After watching his video links of his poor dog's suffering, even though I have cats, I plan to be sure I don't purchase ANYTHING from this company, andhopefully you won't either.

• Severe warning about dangerous dog-toys!! - LowlyMT
  • More you can do to get the word out - PsychicMT
  • totally teared up - Emily Ayn
  • Another possible recall. - sm
  • Oh wow...thanks for posting that... - Keystroker

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Millions of toys recalled; contain 'date rape' drug

Two U.S. children went into comas after swallowing Chinese-made Aqua Dots found to contain a chemical that converts into 'date rape' drug when ingested.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Millions of Chinese-made toys have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found they contain a chemical that converts into a powerful date rape drug when ingested. Two children in the United States and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads.

With only seven weeks until Christmas, the recall is yet another blow to the toy industry - already bruised by a slew of recalls this past summer.

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In the United States, the toy goes by the name Aqua Dots, a highly popular holiday toy distributed by Toronto-based Spin Master Toys. They are called Bindeez in Australia, where they were named toy of the year at an industry function earlier this year.

It could not immediately be learned whether Aqua Dots beads are made in the same factories as the Bindeez product. Both are sold by Australia-based Moose Enterprises.

The toy beads are sold in general merchandise stores and over the Internet for use in arts and crafts projects. They can be arranged into designs and fused together when sprayed with water.

Scientists say a chemical coating on the beads, when ingested, metabolizes into the so-called date rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate. When eaten, the compound - made from common and easily available ingredients - can induce unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.

Naren Gunja from Australia's Poisons Information Center said the drug's effect on children was "quite serious ... and potentially life-threatening."

The recall was announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Wednesday several hours after published reports about the recall in Australia.

Fisher-Price recalls 155,000 toys for choking risk

The two U.S. children who swallowed Aqua Dot beads went into nonresponsive comas, commission spokesman Scott Wolfson said Wednesday afternoon.

In Australia, the toys were ordered off store shelves on Tuesday when officials learned that a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were hospitalized after swallowing the beads. A 19-month-old toddler also was being treated.

The news jolted the toy industry because Aqua Dots has been one of the few bright stars of the toy selling season, which, along with overall retailing, has gotten off to a sluggish start. The item, which had been heavily advertised, had appeared on many toy experts' list of must-have holiday toys, and toy sellers are now in the midst of canceling advertising and scrambling to figure out how to replace it.

Chris Byrne, a New York-based toy consultant, noted that the incidents could have been isolated, and Spin Master may be erring on the side of caution.

"This is something that they could not have foreseen. This is an extremely hot toy. ... It's a little scary," Byrne said.

In a statement, Toys "R" Us Inc., said that it issued on Tuesday a "stop sale" on the entire Spin Master Aqua Dots product line in its North American stores and on its Web site after it learned of the news. "We understand that Spin Master and U.S. regulatory authorities are investigating this product and we have asked Spin Master to fully explain what it believes happened," said the toy seller in a statement.

Meanwhile, a separate recall was announced for 405,000 children's products made in China, most of them toy cars, because of dangerous levels of lead.

The recall includes about 380,000 Pull-Back Action Toy Cars imported by Dollar General Merchandising Inc. of Goodlettsville, Tenn., and 7,500 Dragster and Funny Car toys imported by International Sourcing Ltd. of Springfield, Mo.

Four of the recalled products were imported by Schylling Associates Inc. of Rowley, Mass., including the items Duck Family Collectable Wind-Up Toy, Dizzy Ducks Music Box, "Robot 2000" collectable tin robot and Winnie-the-Pooh Spinning Top. The company recalled another 66,000 spinning tops Aug. 22.

Representatives from Schylling Associates Inc. were not immediately available for comment.

Wednesday's recalls include about 7,200 "Big Red" Wagons imported by Northern Tool & Equipment Co. of Burnsville, Minn. Totaling about 405,700, the recalled children's products all had excessive levels of lead in their surface paint.

Although no illnesses connected to the toy car recall have been reported, lead is toxic if ingested by young children. Children's products found to have more than 0.06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall. 

More toys recalled on lead paint hazard

Panel to push for greater U.S. recall power

most dangerous gang here in America - the world has become a very dangerous place....all some of us wanted was peace and love an all we got was guns, terrorism, gangs, death, and more destruction!

makes me VERY ILL..........

gum recession and bone loss?  I did not go to the dentist for some years, but kept up a very good routine at home. I have no cavities and my teeth are very clean.  I use an anti-plaque, antibacterial rinse daily.  I floss regularly, but just recently switched to floss instead of dental tape.  I am now using the tape again, as advised by the dentist I saw Wednesday.   He said in areas where I have wider spaces, if need be to use actual yarn.   The dentist said my care was actually too good.  He said that I am literally brushing way too hard, and that regular cleanings at the dentist are essential because bacteria between the teeth and gum line actually clings to the plaque,giving it a place to hang on and grow.  My father also had this problem with bone loss, and the dentist and hygienest said this is hereditary.  My dad had upper and lower dentures when he was still a young man.  After a thorough exam by both professionals they feel that if I come in every 4 months regularly (which I am going to do religiously), continue a good home routine being much more gentle with brushing, etc., that I can possibly keep my teeth for several years, possibly 10.  Some areas are worse, and my lower teeth in the front are the most affected. 

The dentist said to buy very soft tooth brushes and hold them between my two fingers and very gently brush in a circular motion to avoid more gum recession.  They told me these brushes are made by Colgate and are very, very hard to find because when people find them they buy several at a time.  If anyone has seen them please let me know.  I looked again yesterday and only found soft, medium and hard. 

I stopped going to my dentist when my insurance was cancelled when management changed. 

Sorry for rambling.  Hope all this made sense.  I hope I have helped someone today.  Please look for those soft brushes. 

You all have such a wealth of information that I just know someone will have a suggestion for me!  I have had severe dysmenorrhea my entire life.  I am talking pain so severe that it feels like an elephant is standing on my back and lower abdomen at the same time for 4 days a month.  I am now beginning to have pain outside my cycle that is nearly as bad.  Various doctors have suggested birth control pills, which I cannot take due to the severe nausea from the progesterone, to help the severity of my cycles.  I am currently on a progesterone cream with, you guessed it, the same nausea I get from the birth control pills.  What else can I try?  This nausea is 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and makes me feel awful.  I just want some relief from the pain of my periods without nausea as a trade off.  Thank you so much for any help you can provide!  :-)

My son did that a couple of times when he was about 3, and I was telling a guy at work about it.  He said his girlfriend's son did that all the time and actually got brain damage from it, which really freaked me out.  The next time he did it I just got down on my knees right in his face and told him verrrry seriously that he could really hurt himself doing that and let him know it was unacceptable.  He must have sensed something in my tone, because he's never done it since!

It sounds like he just needs to figure out a better way to manage his anger.  Maybe buy a book about how to help kids deal with outbursts or get him a couple of counseling sessions?  Does he ever express what is making him so mad verbally to you so that he can vent?  It sounds like he may just need to get it all out, and instead of doing it in a healthy way he hurts himself, so maybe that anger could just be redirected.

Maybe you could also explain to him that everybody learns new stuff.  Tell him if he doesn't let people teach him he will only be as smart as a 5-year-old his whole life!  Tell him he's smart for a 5-year-old but no one is going to want to hire someone with a kindergarten education!  I don't know if he will understand those exact words, but just try to get the point across to him that even adults learn new things every day and that's what makes us smarter.  Tell him to at least watch the way you do it and consider doing it your way.  Maybe if he knows he has a choice to do it your way or his way he will feel better.  Kids want choices too, I guess.  I don't know for sure, so like I said - I would try to find a book on the subject too or something.  Good luck! Before I had kids I had no idea how smart and sly you have to be to constantly figure them out!

I found this Super E Natural vitamin E ointment for $5.00 at my local drug store and it went away almost immediately.  Hope you find something that helps!  

http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?id=prod2377297&CATID=100592&skuid=sku2376775&V=G&ec=frgl_504684

Borax sold in the supermarkets for laundry washing and other uses is not poisonous to the public.  However, REAL boric acid is......just be careful with it.......that's all.....regarding pets and people.......

Patti is right - aspirin can safely be given to dogs.  It's Tylenol (acetaminophen) that is dangerous to give to dogs, and I believe also to cats. (Anyone with doubts, please call the nearest veterinarian, but I know several vets have told me so, I've had probably 20 dogs in my life,  and though I love cats, I'm allergic to them )  The animal livers can't handle Tylenol like human livers (and it's also very dangerous to our livers in overdoses)   Chocolate is also bad for dogs, by the way. 

Hoax or not, the long-term safety of cell phones is still very much in question!  They are not innocuous, and emit harmful electromagnetic radiation in varying amounts.  Just as policemen's radar guns laid in their laps have caused testicular cancer, so the incidence of brain tumors from cell phone usage has also been on the rise. 
That very thing happened to my stepdad, a brain tumor & aneurysm right above his right ear, where he holds his cordless phone constantly.  Cell phone signals decrease fertility of humans & animals alike, & Swedish researchers have proven that they are ESPECIALLY damaging to the brains of children!  Cell phone-using kids are FIVE times more likely to get brain cancer.  I gave mine up over 5 years ago & will never use another one on a routine basis.  This issue is being covered up, but is certain to become the controversy of the 21st century, just as tobacco was in the 20th century.

This has been a terrible and tragic week for our town.  A first grader that goes to my son's school was killed last Friday when he was crossing his street to go home after he had chased after his dog.  It happened right after school and a bus load of children were there to witness this scene.  Then, just 3 days later a former teacher of my daughter lost her 24-year-old son in a car accident. The accident was caused by another driver who crossed the center line.  They were both killed. 

My daughter just came home from the funeral home and is understandably very upset.  She went with her older cousin who also had this teacher and went to school with her son.  My daughter is 16 and has been begging me to allow her to get her permit, which I have been putting off due to the fact that I am terrified of the whole driving thing with her.  I lost a very close friend in high school due to a car accident, which is probably part of the reason.  I also know at least 3 people who have lost their young children to car accidents.  When she was telling me about his mother hugging her tight and not letting go tonight, I broke down into tears and told her that I didn't want her to drive, that I was scared.  So, now she has stormed upstairs and both of us are in tears.  I just don't know what to do.  I know I can't keep her from driving forever.  I just feels 16 and 17 year olds are simply not mature enough.  My boys are 8 and 4 and I know someday I will face this with them to and go through the same thing.  

She came down a bit ago and I told her that I wasn't saying she couldn't get her license, but that I was just worried and didn't feel she was quite ready yet.  Am I completely wacko or are these normal feelings for parents of driving-aged kids?

That's an interesting thought - about Ben using the smoke monster to spy on people. It has also been used to kill people (Mr. Eko) so it's pretty powerful. But then, Ben doesn't seem to hesitate to kill when it serves his purpose.

I don't trust Juliette - I think they left her behind as a spy. And from the previews, so does Sayid. Maybe we will find out a little more next week (ha!).

Wasn't it interesting that Kate met up with Sawyer's ex-GF? So many connections that the other people don't know about - Sawyer meeting Jack's dad, Claire being Jack's half-sister....

And what about Sun's pregnancy? I know it's early days yet, but surely she should have morning sickness or something, just to remind people that she is pregnant.

I think Nikki at least (and maybe Paolo) got out of the grave and covered it back up so the others wouldn't know they're alive. For what purpose, I don't know....but somehow I don't think we've seem the last of them.

 How pathetic is my life that I spend so much time thinking about a TV show???

Sometimes when I've popped a really big one, that night I will dream about little white worms coming out of my skin.

Yuck yuck yuck yuck yuck!

I have been coughing and kind of achy, yesterday hurt all over, no fever, but in the middle of the night last night, woke up with horrible pain, to the point of making me cry all the way from my shoulder to the joints in my hands.  Both shoulder joints are sore, but the right arm hurts all the way down.  I have taken Advil, used muscle rub and am working with my arm propped on a pillow.  Anyone ever had this happen?  Wondering if it is just muscle pain from being sick or if I got something out of whack in my cervical spine from all the coughing!!  This stinks!!!