Toys and child development

I am ranting here about a mix of psychology and my corporate greed shtick.

With holiday season in full sales-display mode it’s time to really pay super attention to what you buy for your children – especially if buying toys.

22 toys were recalled in October – and with more and more hitting the stores form now until January sales time – I’m guessing more will be recalled – but you might already have bought them or are in a hurry and get caught up in the shiny pretty mode...and not the look at where it is made mode.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the recalls can be found here: http://www.cpsc.gov

Click on the tab for recall and product safety – you can then look by month or by products.....

You can also sign up for email recall notices at the site.

Also there is a toy recall site: http://toyinfo.org - but beware - it is a site of the Toy Industry Association.

I can’t tell you what to buy or not buy for your children – but please – place your child’s health above all else. Children do not care how much you buy them or what you pay for it – that’s all hype put out by the toy companies and the stores and why? They want you to go into debt before January 1 only because they ant to make tones of their yearly income before January 1.

Yes I am a cynic. But I am also a parent and a developmental psychologist and my goal as both is to have optimal development and that, to me, does not mean caving in to the ads. It means teaching children the difference between want and need – and that means you have to disagree with the TV programs that keep preaching to children to tell your parents you need...x,b,y,z,a,c,d,etc,etc.

But do remember you are the adult and you are in charge; your children and your wallet will be the happier.

Impeach Cheney ?

I got this from an Oregon Peace group member.....

House Resolution 333 for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney is off the House floor, and has instead been sent to the Judiciary Committee for "further study."

This maneuver, organized by Pelosi and the Democratic leadership, is consistent with their mantra that impeachment is "off the table."

*But, we are told Nancy Pelosi is reported to have replied to the question of impeachment that if she received 10,000 hand written letters she would proceed with it.*

What are we waiting for?

Cindy Sheehan wrote this:

Dear Friends:

Instead of sending your impeachment letters for Dick Cheney to Nancy Pelosi's office, send them to my office so we can get an official count.

Please send them to:

Nancy Pelosi
c/o Cindy Sheehan
RE: Impeach Dick Cheney
1260 Mission Blvd
San Francisco, Ca 94103

Please only include the letter – nothing else .....
And send them today, Friday, November 16th , so they can be delivered to Pelosi’s office in San Francisco before Thanksgiving.

Faux Noise Pornography

I do not watch Faux Noise but am glad Robert Greenwald's group does.

This is unbelievable [ no I take that back - it's most believable ! ]:



Or - Go to the site below and see how Faux Noise puts porn in all it's "news" segments and then sign the pledge to not watch Faux Noise and also contact the Faux Noise advertisers....

Fox News Porn

Interesting tidbits of news

Clips from The Progress Report

The "hidden" economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, costing the average U.S. family of four more than $20,000. The total includes higher oil prices, the expense of treating wounded veterans, and interest payments on the money borrowed to pay for the wars.

"The income gap between black and white families has grown," according to a new study by the Brookings Institution. One reason for the widening gap is that "incomes among black men have actually declined in the past three decades, when adjusted for inflation."

$19.5 million: Amount PhRMA spent from July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, aimed at killing legislation to speed the availability of less expensive generic drugs.

If I were a conspiracy theorist I might say these go hand in hand and result from a republic congress [with d's aiding and abetting] ...but then the right wingnuts would get royally pissed.