Urgent for parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and people who have kids in their lives...

[heidi]

Gacked from twistedchick:
A chemical in the popular Aqua-Dots toy metabolizes into the equivilent of gamma hydroxy butyrate - a date rape drug that can cause seizures and even be fatal.

In Australia they were marketed as Bindeez.

I'm so glad I learned of this now - my kids have seen ads for this on Magic Schoolbus and really wanted them, and I was about to say ok and....

Well, not doing that now. I think it'll be a bikes-and-books-and-shirts holiday season for us....

ETA: Except they also recalled a red wagon for having too high a lead level in the paint. So maybe we'll be extra careful with the bikes?

In better consumer news, the collection of comics from the first season of Heroes is now out in comic book stores (and also bookstores) near you and online. Buy it from a comic book store if you can! They can use the business!

And in other Heroes news, have you read Tim Kring's interview where he apologizes for overlong sojurns in Japan, banal romances and a lack of Nathan+Peter togetherness the fact that it took too long to get to the big picture portion of the narrative. Looks like show is back in good form! For about four episodes before it goes on extended hiatus because of the strike.

As long as we still get the stories in comic book form... eventually....

Comments

[twelveeyes.livejournal.com]

Yup. The sad thing is that on the news last night, they said there had been a last minute rush on these things because people still wanted them... which lead my dad to comment that it must've been the druggies, not the mothers who were after the toys.

... bring back the old days, of Hama beads, where you had to ask your parents *very* nicely if you could make something with them, or they wouldn't iron the things together!

[ness-va.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's been a pretty big deal over here in Australia. Within a day all but one state (I think) had them off the shelves and banned.

[belleweather.livejournal.com]

Yeah, His Toddler Highness is getting DVDs, books, and PJs for Christmas. Every time I think it couldn't possibly get any worse, somehow it does.

[aisforamy]

Holy frijoles! Thanks for the info. My youngest has been begging for these things, and I have been refusing because they just look messy and frustrating to me. I'm glad I didn't cave in and buy them!

[backinblack.livejournal.com]

HAHAHA I WORK IN THE TOY DEPARTMENT OF A RETAIL GIANT, THIS DELIGHTS ME LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW. WHY? RECALLS. HAHAHAHAHA. *glee*

[ginsu.livejournal.com]

a lack of Nathan+Peter togetherness

I had to chuckle at Raven's take:

He's all wrong about that. Ando and Hiro are more compelling than most romances on TV these days, it's just that it's a platonic romance between two men.

Gay... yet courtly... subtextual love. There's a new one on me.

[royalmidnight.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's crazy common in Japan, ginsu.

Anyway, Heidi, my ex fil handcarves wooden toys in the Shaker style. If you're interested in presents for your three thousand kids, let me know. :)

[cleverthylacine]

There's a part of me that'd like to be able to see Hiro/Ando subtext--but I know a LOT of Japanese men, and I've dated far too many guys like Ando--it's a very specific type of man, and the way he treated Niki was so right down the line for the kind of man that he is, and that kind of man? does not want the cock. Even Hiro's, cute as he is.

[ginsu.livejournal.com]

Oh, I just meant I like the abstract concept. I've heard of gay love... courtly love... subtextual love... but never gay, courtly, subtextual love.

To me it seems like an unusual combination of ideas, sort of like an arranged gay marriage.

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

We just heard about it in the news yesterday, although we were told that it metabolized into Ecstasy. Not that that's any better, I'm just wondering who changed it and why, or if E and gamma hydroxy butyrate is the same thing and I'm just too ignorant to know ;)

[melwil.livejournal.com]

It's big, big news here in Australia. Apparently the children who are sick ate a LOT of these little beads. Which I though was unusual (one of the children was 10) until I talked to my 8/9/10 year old students.

A vast majority of my students have put these beads in their mouths - they were telling me that you need to pull them apart from each other at times. Absolutely terrifying

[ozratbag2.livejournal.com]

*icon love* :)

A vast majority of my students have put these beads in their mouths - they were telling me that you need to pull them apart from each other at times. Absolutely terrifying

I was wondering how a 10 year old could possibly put them in her mouth, but that makes sense. It's still horrifying, because fantasy can kill adults. *shudder*

[ozratbag2.livejournal.com]

THIS

was on ABC radio National yesterday (Tuesday). Thought you might be interested. :)

[themorningstarr.livejournal.com]

Luckily I've convinced my kids that things never work as good or as cool as they look on TV. This "truth" was made very real to them a few years ago when I thought I'd prove it to them and gave in and ordered the Digi Draw thing. It looked so cool on TV, but when it came in, it sucked royally. They rarely ask for artsy stuff they see on TV now, and if they do, I just say "Remember the Digi Draw?" and they drop it.

My kids are nearly out of the toy years. This makes me simultaneously sad and relieved. :P

[goddlefrood.livejournal.com]

This was a little bizarre, but then my brain started thinking that this could just be the new form of drug smuggling, cunning. It's exactly what this some time drug smuggler defender would expect. It's a shame about the kids who imbibed the buttons, hopefully they won't get too traumatised.

Mattel is rarely found in Fiji, the call for recreational drugs isn't that high, barring maijuana.