NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE

IT’S THE SOFTWARE, NOT YOU
By DAVID POGUE

A couple of weeks ago, I spent a long weekend trip to New York City with my kids. We took a bunch of taxi rides over the three days, and discovered that the taxis are equipped with touchscreen credit-card payment systems.

As you complete the transaction, a final screen offers to save you time with shortcuts for adding a tip.

The thing is, the software for these systems come from two different companies. In some cabs, you’re offered buttons that add 15%, 20% or 25% tip–perfectly understandable.

But in the other half of the taxis, the tip buttons say $2, $3 and $4. That’s it, no matter how long or short the ride was.

Considering the huge range of fares, those options are almost never exactly what you want. A percentage makes infinitely more sense.

It reminded me suddenly of the touchscreen kiosks at Delta. Now, I actually like Delta quite a lot, and think they’re doing a lot of things right lately. But the kiosks–oh, man.

You come up, you swipe your credit card. That alone ought to tell the kiosk who you are, and it should therefore know what flight you’re checking in for.

But no, it plays dumb. It asks you to key in your destination. So you type in “SAN” for San Francisco. And it asks you: San Francisco, San Diego, or San Juan? Oh, I don’t know–how about THE ONE YOU HAVE A RESERVATION ON!?

For more information & link to complete story: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/technology/personaltech/31pogue-email.html?8cir&emc=cira1

~Sandy G.

Comments Off July 31, 2008

WHAT’S LURKING IN YOUR COUNTERTOP?

SHORTLY before Lynn Sugarman of Teaneck, N.J., bought her summer home in Lake George, N.Y., two years ago, a routine inspection revealed it had elevated levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. So she called a radon measurement and mitigation technician to find the source.

“He went from room to room,” said Dr. Sugarman, a pediatrician. But he stopped in his tracks in the kitchen, which had richly grained cream, brown and burgundy granite countertops. His Geiger counter indicated that the granite was emitting radiation at levels 10 times higher than those he had measured elsewhere in the house.

“My first thought was, my pregnant daughter was coming for the weekend,” Dr. Sugarman said. When the technician told her to keep her daughter several feet from the countertops just to be safe, she said, “I had them ripped out that very day,” and sent to the state Department of Health for analysis. The granite, it turned out, contained high levels of uranium, which is not only radioactive but releases radon gas as it decays. “The health risk to me and my family was probably small,” Dr. Sugarman said, “but I felt it was an unnecessary risk.”

FOR COMPLETE STORY, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

 

~Sandy G.

4 comments July 31, 2008

HOUSE VOTES TO REGULATE TOBACCO AS A DRUG

Decades after the surgeon general first warned that cigarettes were a health hazard, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Wednesday that would for the first time give the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products.

Citing the long history of warnings about the dangers of smoking, Representative John D. Dingell, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said that it was hard to believe that the federal government had not yet regulated the tobacco industry.

“With this legislation, we change this,” said Mr. Dingell, a Michigan Democrat.

The White House has signaled its opposition to the bill. And while the legislation has strong support in the Senate, which could take up the measure this fall, it is not clear whether the bill has a veto-proof majority there.

FOR COMPLETE STORY, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

 

~Sandy G.

Comments Off July 31, 2008

ONLY A GAME? A FIGHT OVER SCRABBLE HAS WEB FANS FUMING

The rallying cry started early Tuesday after fans of Scrabulous, an online knockoff of the classic board game Scrabble, woke up to find that their game had been abruptly removed from Facebook.com, the social networking site.

To make matters worse, people who tried to download the official Hasbro version of Scrabble found that it did not work either. The authorized game had been the victim of “a malicious attack” on Tuesday morning, its developer said — an attack that came right on the heels of the sudden disappearance of Scrabulous.

Electronic Arts, the video game company that wrote the online Scrabble program for Hasbro, said it was investigating the apparent hacking of its application, and pointed no fingers for the moment. “We’re working with our partners to have Scrabble back online and ready to play as soon as possible,” the company said.

The demise of Scrabulous was sudden but not wholly unexpected. The game, a favorite time-waster among cubicle dwellers, was created by two brothers in Calcutta. On July 24, Hasbro, which owns the North American rights to Scrabble, sued them for copyright infringement. On Tuesday, the brothers made Scrabulous unavailable to Facebook users in Canada and the United States, citing legal pressure.

FOR COMPLETE STORY, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

 

~Sandy G.

4 comments July 30, 2008

BFF AWARD

I want to thank Tammy from Mom Knows Everything for this award. Be sure to check out her other site as well: A Little Girl Talk

Thanks again Tammy. You are a great friend!

The following are the rules for the BFF Award:

***Copy***Rules
1. Only 5 people are allowed to receive this award
2. 4 of them followers of your blog.
3. One has to be new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to who ever gave you the awardI’m passing this award on to the following people:

1. Colorado Baby – Sharing Gifts & Ideas, Children International, Honey Bunches Of Stuff, Naebugs World

2. Jesse The Cat – Jesse Blogs It All, Pix & Stuff, Blogging Den 2

3. Artic Fox – ~Artic Fox~(Kan-Mato)Old Bear

4. Kimba The White Lioness – A Day In The Life Of The Lioness

5. Jacky – Jacky’s Opinion, The Best Of The Best Website, Syuradikara, All In One

 

~Sandy G.

1 comment July 30, 2008

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING THREATS

ON the afternoon of Nov. 7, 2006, pilots and airport employees at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago saw a disc-like object hovering over the tarmac for several minutes. Because nothing was tracked on radar, the Federal Aviation Administration did not investigate. Yet radar is not a reliable detector of all aircraft. Stealth planes are designed to be invisible to radar, and many radar systems filter out signals not matching the normal characteristics of aircraft. Did it really make sense to entirely ignore the observations of several witnesses?

A healthy skepticism about extraterrestrial space travelers leads people to disregard U.F.O. sightings without a moment’s thought. But in the United States, this translates into overdependence on radar data and indifference to all kinds of unidentified aircraft — a weakness that could be exploited by terrorists or anyone seeking to engage in espionage against the United States.

The American government has not investigated U.F.O. sightings since 1969, when the Air Force ended Project Blue Book, an effort to scientifically analyze all sightings to see if any posed a threat to national security. Britain and France, in contrast, continue to investigate U.F.O. sightings, because of concerns that some sightings might be attributable to foreign military aircraft breaching their airspace, or to foreign space-based systems of interest to the intelligence community.

For more information & link to complete story:    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/opinion/29pope.html?th&emc=th

~Sandy G.

2 comments July 29, 2008

LOVE’S LABORS LOOTED: INTERNET DATING SCAMS CAN GET EXPENSIVE

Organized crime preys on the lonely; sites don’t check backgrounds

Like so many others who go looking for love on Internet dating sites, Annette was lonely.

She thought she had found the answer to her loneliness when in early March, Eharmony.com matched her with John, a fair-skinned 41-year-old Christian building engineer from California.

The only problem was that he was working on a project in Nigeria, but would be back in the U.S. soon with his daughter, Hailey.

John was everything a lonely woman could want. He was attentive, sent lots of text messages and e-cards and even called Annette’s cell phone. He even said he was a millionaire.

Everything was fine until John said the customs agents at the airport in Nigeria confiscated his luggage for a week containing his $45,000 in travelers’ checks, he told Annette. He just needed $1,300 to get him and his daughter by for a week. Annette didn’t think twice about helping the man of her dreams.

For more information & link to complete story:    http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/eharmony.html

~Sandy G.

Comments Off July 28, 2008

U.S. PEPPERS GET CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH

FDA advises consumers to continue avoiding peppers grown in Mexico

You can go ahead and enjoy jalapeño and Serrano peppers again, as long as they are grown in the United States.

The Food and Drug Administration said those varieties are not connected with the current Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak. The agency advised consumers to continue avoiding raw jalapenos — and the food that contains them — if they were grown, harvested or packed in Mexico.

In addition to domestically grown raw jalapeño peppers, commercially canned, pickled and cooked jalapeño peppers from any and all geographic locations also are not connected with the current Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak.

For more information & link to complete story:    http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/fda_salmonella14.html

~Sandy G.

Comments Off July 28, 2008

MAJOR BEAR PROBLEMS IN ALASKA

UAA runner races a grizzly and gets lucky

Almost a week after the fright of his life, University of Alaska Anchorage cross-country runner Auston Ellis can’t remember whether he heard the grizzly bear woof or a roar.

What he does remember very clearly is looking over his shoulder and seeing a huge set of jaws closing on his rump as he paused near the top of the Spencer Loop Trail on the Anchorage Hillside.

Instinctively, “I sucked in my butt.”

The jaws, he said, clapped shut with a snap, barely missing flesh.

And then he ran.

He knew he wasn’t supposed to. He knew, in this situation, with a grizzly bear this close, the recommended procedure is to drop and cover.

“I’ve never heard of a story where anyone who has run from a bear that bad things haven’t happened,” said Ellis, 21, who grew up in Wyoming before spending his high school years in Valdez.

But, as he fairly points out, most of the people who advise dropping and playing dead for a grizzly bear have never had a bear chomping the air inches from their butt.

“I couldn’t do it,” Ellis said. “It was one of those instinct things.

“I took off and sprinted for about 20 yards or so.”

As usually happens, the bear gave chase.

It “was maybe 2 feet behind me the whole way,” Ellis said. “I was 99 percent sure I was going to get mauled, and I was about 97 percent sure I was dead.”

Running, he decided, wasn’t going to work. A bear will invariably beat a man in a sprint.

“I banked left into the woods,” Ellis said.

He was going fast enough that the bear, being far bigger and thus less nimble, couldn’t make the corner.

“I banked quick enough that she had to come to a stop,” Ellis said.

The move gained him precious seconds in the chase. He looked for a tree to climb to safety now.

He couldn’t find one. He dove into a thick tangle of alder.

“The bear circled back,” Ellis said, “and got with about 3 feet of my face. We had this stare down over the bush. I didn’t breathe or blink or anything.”

He tried to calm himself down: Stay cool, he thought. Try to relax. Don’t have a heart attack.

He could feel his heart turning over so fast it was whirring more than beating.

“I could hear it when I was holding my breath,” he said.

‘IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY’

The day wasn’t supposed to have gone like this. It was Saturday and the first, almost the only, nice day of the summer in Anchorage.

Ellis had been able to toss his shirt and run in nothing but shorts for the first time all season.

He took off from the University of Alaska Anchorage sports complex in Midtown, ran up the Tour of Anchorage Trail into the Campbell Tract, took a turn onto a trail called Rover’s Run and kept going up. He didn’t think much about the fact that wildlife biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game consider this the most grizzly filled terrain near the city.

Or that only about a month earlier 15-year-old Petra Davis had been attacked and badly mauled near where Rover’s Run intersects the Anchorage gas line corridor not far from Hilltop Ski Area. Davis was just getting out of the hospital, still looking at a long road to recovery, about the time Ellis ran smack by the spot she’d been mauled.

He kept going, followed Rover’s onto a multiuse trail connecting Hillside Park to Basher Drive, and then headed up a series of rolling hills on popular Spencer Loop. It made for a good workout for a young athlete.

“It was a beautiful day,” Ellis said.

It was about 4:30 p.m. Conventional wisdom would mark that as an hour when bears, which tend to be nocturnal, are less active, but state wildlife biologist Sean Farley, who has extensively studied the bears in this area, said he has seen no clear time pattern in their movements along Campbell Creek where they search for salmon in July and August.

After Davis was attacked, the darkness of the night (she was riding in a 24-hour mountain bike race at the time), the sound of the water in the creek, and the rustle of the wind in the trees were all cited as conditions that might have accounted for her surprising a bear. None of those things existed on Ellis’ outing.

The winds were calm. It was the middle of the afternoon. Ellis was far away from the gurgle of the creek.

Somehow, though, he still surprised a bear. He was far from where a couple other runners were run over by a grizzly with cubs shortly before Davis was attacked. There is no way of knowing if that bear was involved in the mauling, but it is possible the one Ellis encountered was the one that had met runners before.

The other runners described a sow with two cubs. Ellis was about to discover that is exactly what he had, unexpectedly, run into.

He wouldn’t make this discovery until the very end, however.

First, he’d have to survive that faceoff over the brush.

BIGGEST BEAR HE’D SEEN

“When I was sizing her up,” he said, “her head seemed to go from about the top of my head to my waist. It must have been 3 feet in diameter. She was easily the biggest bear I’ve seen since I’ve lived in Alaska.

“The weird thing is she didn’t make a noise.”

For what seemed like a lifetime but was only a matter of minutes, possibly only seconds, Ellis and the bear stared at each other in the silence.

“Then she just walked away nonchalant,” he said. “She just walked away.”

Ellis saw her collect a pair of cubs and head off, and he knew then just what had happened.

“I ran between the bear and the cubs,” he said. “I don’t blame the bear. I just spooked her. I run quicker than most people. I probably came up on her pretty fast.

“And it all sort of just worked out in my favor. I can’t explain how lucky I was.”

“Don’t ask how lucky,” added Michael Friess, Ellis’s coach at UAA. “I’m getting a little fearful of what’s going on.”

He noted his athletes have been running into bears all over Anchorage of late. That hasn’t happened in the past. Area wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott said the bear population could be on the increase, but doesn’t know for sure.

It could just be a weird summer. It’s already that way weatherwise; why not bearwise?

Biologists are, however, cautioning people using Far North Bicentennial and Hillside parks to be especially alert, particularly runners and mountain bikers who might be moving fast enough to catch a bear off guard. The bears in the area, Farley notes, use the trails as regularly as the people, so encounters are always a possibility.

Many people appear to have abandoned recreation in the area since the attack on Davis, but Ellis said he will continue to run there even though bear encounter left him badly shaken.

He will just be sure to take a buddy along from now on.

“It’s too nerve-wracking for me alone,” he said.

Biologists note that one of the best protections against bears is to travel in a big group and make lots of noise. Short of that, they say, it is wise to stay alert — leave the headphones at home — and carry bear spray to douse any bear that might be encountered.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/wildlife/bears/story/475837.html

~Sandy G.

1 comment July 26, 2008

RELATIONSHIP ADVICE SITE

Straight Talk On Relationships

Love, marriage, and relationship advice from the relationship expert who is not afraid to tell it like it is by Lisa Merlo-Booth.

If you are looking for advice on relationships, this is the site! I found it on Furl.net, which is another great site.

NOTE: I am not being paid for this post, nor am I connected with this site in any way. Just a fan.

~Sandy G.

1 comment July 25, 2008

RECALLS

Nissan Recalls 2007-2008 Sentras

























Brake fluid leak could lead to crash

Nissan is recalling 169,202 of the 2007 and 2008 model year Sentra because the brake master cylinder might leak fluid, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“The internal seal groove in the body of some brake master cylinders may allow for a gap in the in the groove contact areas of the seal. This may result in brake fluid slowly leading from the master cylinder into the brake booster assembly, causing the brake warning light to illuminate,” NHTSA advised.

NHTSA warned that if consumers ignore the lamp, “one of the brake circuits on the vehicle may not operate as designed increasing the risk of a crash.

Nissan dealers will inspect the braking system on the Sentra when the recall begins July 23.

If brake fluid is found to be leaking, Nissan will replace the master cylinder free of charge.

Consumer can contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/sentra_recall.html

Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum, Charger Recalled



















Rear axle could ‘disengage’

Chrysler is recalling 5,509 2008 Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and Charger sedans because of a manufacturing defect that could cause the half-shaft in the rear wheel drive vehicles to “disengage from the wheel-hub,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In a brief statement on its Web site, NHTSA advised that the defect could “cause the vehicle to lose power and result in a crash without warning.”.

Chrysler dealers will replace the rear axle hub-nuts when the recall begins later this month.

Consumers can contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/chrysler_magnum.html

Split Master, Huskee Log Splitters Recalled


























Honda engines used in SpeeCo and Huskee Brand Log Splitters are being recalled. The engine’s fuel tank can crack and leak, posing a risk of fire or explosion.

The recall involves Honda engines (model type GCV160LA N1A) used in Split Master by SpeeCo and Huskee brand log splitters. Only engine serial numbers between 5547012 and 6880908 are included in the recall. The serial number is located below the upper shroud near the oil dip-stick. The following models of log splitters are affected by the recall and are either silver/black or red/black colored.

Huskee Log Splitter
LS401227TS (22 Ton)
LS401228NO (27 Ton)

SpeeCo Split Masters
LS401228SP (22 Ton)
LS401227NO (22 Ton)
LS401225NO (25 Ton)

The log splitters with the recalled engines were sold at outdoor power equipment dealers and Tractor Supply stores nationwide from January 2007 through June 2008 for between $1,150 and $1,500. They were made in the United States.

Consumers should immediately stop using the affected log splitters and contact any Honda Lawn and Garden dealer or Honda Engine dealer for a free repair. Registered owners of the recalled log splitters will be mailed a notice.

For additional information, contact Honda at (800)426-7701 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.hondapowerequipment.com

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2008/log_splitter.html

SunL Group Recalls SLA90 Youth ATVs















SunL Group Inc. is recalling about 144 SLA90 Youth All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).

The youth ATV lacks front brakes, a manual fuel shut-off, and padding to cover the sharp edges on the handlebar assembly. Additionally, the vehicle is sold without a tire pressure gauge or adequate flag pole bracket. The defects could lead to young drivers losing control of the ATVs, which poses the risk of serious injuries or death.

Description: The recalled SLA90 ATVs are intended for children between the ages of 12 and 15 years old. The recalled SLA90 ATVs were available in the following solid colors: red, blue, yellow, green. The ATVs were available in the following camo colors: pink, brown, green, and blue. The word ‘Sunl’ is on the front side of the ATV.

The ATVs were sold by SunL Group dealers nationwide and Web retailers from May 2005 through March 2007 for between $400 and $500. They were made in China.

Consumers should immediately stop using these ATVs and contact SunL Group for instructions on how to receive a full refund.

Consumers can contact SunL Group toll-free at (866) 355-0497 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s web site www.sunl.com .

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND THE RECALLED UNITS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS, PLEASE GO TO THE LINK BELOW:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2008/sunl_atv.html

~Sandy G.

Comments Off July 23, 2008

CONSUMERS INCREASINGLY EXPOSED TO COUNTERFEIT DRUGS

Internet sites the most common source

More and more consumers are turning to the Internet as a source of lower-cost prescription drugs, and the trend could have negative consequences on public health, according to researchers at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

While perhaps saving money, the report concludes that consumers are facing a growing risk of getting counterfeit drugs because of rising Internet sales of medical drugs, projected to reach upwards of $75 billion by 2010.

The report calls for stronger enforcement legislation than current proposals in Congress.

Counterfeit drugs get into the U.S. through different sources, but those through illegitimate Internet sites are of special concern, says report author Francis Palumbo, PhD, executive director of the Center on Drugs and Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

For more information & link to complete story: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/counterfeit_drugs.html

~Sandy G.

Comments Off July 23, 2008

MORE CHILDREN BECOMING STROKE VICTIMS

Symptoms are different but risks are similar

Older adults are not the only people in danger of suffering a stroke. Increasingly, children are also stricken, according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

In fact, it happens often enough that the association has released a scientific statement addressing treatment, symptoms and risk for stroke in infants and children.

The “Management of Stroke in Children” statement published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association provides healthcare professionals with evidence-based guidelines for prevention, evaluation and treatment.

“Children and adolescents with stroke have remarkable differences in presentation (symptoms) compared with adults,” said E. Steve Roach, M.D., chair of the statement writing group and professor of pediatric neurology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine.

For more information & link to complete story: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/kids_stroke.html

~Sandy G.

1 comment July 22, 2008

MORE RECALL SITES TO COME

I just want to let everyone know, I’m currently working on multiple sites that will be for specific recalls. I will have one for each of the following: automotives, food, household products, sporting goods, children’s items, and medications and medical supplies.

I will continue with this site as well for anyone wanting to see all recalls, not just specific ones.

I will let you know when each site is ready. Thanks for stopping by. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

~Sandy G.

1 comment July 20, 2008

RECALLS

Parragon Books Recalls Children’s Necklaces with Ballet Shoe Charms

 

 

Parragon Books is recalling about 500,000 Children’s Necklaces with Ballet Shoes Charms. Solder on the charm of the necklace may contain high levels of lead, which if ingested by young children can cause adverse health effects.

The recalled necklace has a silver-colored chain with a silver-colored charm consisting of a pair of ballet shoes and a bow. The necklace was provided with the purchase of a children’s book entitled, The Magical Ballet Slippers (alternatively titled Ballerina’s Magical Shoes), ISBN 1405411449, published by Parragon Books, Ltd. UPC 9781405411448 is printed on the back of the book. Spanish version, Las zapatillas magicas de la bailarina ISBN 1405448385; UPC 9781405448383. French version, Les petits chaussons magiques ISBN 1405449527; UPC 9781405449526.

The books were sold at retail chains and independent bookstores nationwide from January 2003 through June 2008 for about $7. They were made in China.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled necklaces away from children and contact Parragon for instructions on how to return the necklace and receive a free children’s book.

For more information, consumers can contact Parragon 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, toll-free at (888) 480-2854, or visit the firm’s Web site: www.parragonrecall.com.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2008/parragon.html

 

 

Wal-Mart Recalls ‘Faded Glory’ Lip Gloss, Jewelry

 

 

Wal-Mart is realling “Faded Glory” lip gloss and jewelry.

The lobster claw clasp on the bracelet contains high levels of lead, which is toxic if ingested and can cause adverse health effects.

The recalled three-piece sets contain a rectangle-shaped lip gloss container, a heart-shaped locket necklace, and a charm bracelet. The following models are included in the recall:

Item/Model Number/UPC

Frog Set/6709-4250/72783357703
Monkey Set/6709-4251/72783357704
Cat Set/6709-4252/72783357705

“Faded Glory”, the model number, and UPC are printed on the product’s hangtag.

The items were sold at Wal-Mart stores nationwide from May 2008 through June 2008 for about $6. They were made in China.

Consumers should immediately take the bracelet away from children and return the set to any Wal-Mart store for a full refund.

For additional information, contact F.A.F. Inc. at (800) 949-3311 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.faf.com

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2008/faded_glory.html

 

 

Honda Recalls Lawn Mowers

 

 

 

Honda is recalling about 20,000 lawn mowers. The rear shield can break off allowing debris to be thrown toward the operator, which poses a laceration hazard to consumers.

American Honda has received one report of a shield breaking off the lawn mower. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves HRX walk-behind lawn mowers with model numbers HRX217(K)2HXA and HRX217(K)2HMA. The model and serial number are printed on a label located on the upper rear of the mower deck. Serial numbers included in the recall are MAGA-1500001 through 1520532. The recalled lawn mowers are red with ‘HONDA’ written on the bag.

The mowers were sold by authorized American Honda Motor Corp. dealers and Home Depot stores nationwide from October 2007 to June 2008 for about $900. They were made in the U.S.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled lawn mowers and contact their local Honda Lawn and Garden dealer to schedule a free repair. Registered owners of the recalled lawn mowers have been contacted by direct mail notification.

For additional information, contact Honda at (800) 426-7701 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit Honda’s Web site at http://www.hondapowerequipment.com.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2008/honda_mowers.html

 

 

Children’s Charm Shoelace, Necklace Charms Recalled

 

About 18,000 Children’s Charm Craft Kits are being recalled. The clasp in the charm craft kits contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.

This recall involves ‘Super Dooper Charms’ (item #63403) and ‘Shoelace Charms’ (item #67310) children’s charm craft kits. The craft kits contain components (i.e., charms, beads, wire, clasps) to assemble necklaces, jewelry accessories, or charms that can be hooked on shoelaces, backpacks, or used as zipper pulls. The item number can be found on the back of the package.

The kits, made in China, were sold through various retailers nationwide from July 2007 through April 2008 for about $17 for the ‘Super Dooper Charms’ kit and $6 for the ‘Shoelace Charms’ kit.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled product away from children and contact Action Products International for instructions on returning it for a free replacement.

For additional information, contact Action Products International at (800) 772-2846 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the company’s Web site at www.apii.com.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2008/childrens_charm.html

 

~Sandy G.

1 comment July 12, 2008