Consumer group claims Zhu Zhu hamsters unsafe

In this article, one of the hottest selling toys of the holiday season is seen as unsafe for consumers. The Zhu Zhu hamster is said to carry high amounts of a potentially hazardous substance, antimony. “We found levels of about 93 to 106 parts per million,” O’Rourke told CNN. “The new federal standard is about 60 parts per million.” Antimony is used in textiles and plastics to prevent them from catching fire. Producers of this product say that it is safe for consumers.

Corporations have a duty to test and re-test products to make sure they are safe for consumer. With the holiday season approaching rapidly, this is a very serious issue. If this is one of the hottest items of the holiday season, millions of kids are going to be wanting these hamsters. Comments?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/06/zhu.zhu.toys/index.html

AB

Favre says he played “a lot” with concussions

In this article, the discussion of how serious concussions are and how they can affect players seriously in the future. Brett Farve tells NBC that he has continued to play countless games with serious blows to the head. With athletes, especially football players, the severity of concussions is ignored. After having a few serious blows to the head, the results can be permanent brain damage. Athletes of the NFL are constantly playing games with these serious injuries.

After Ben Roethlisberger took a serious blow to the head and had a pretty serious concussion, you would think that the NFL would take a more serious action to ensure the safety of the athletes. What do you think the NFL should do to help create a more safe playing environment? Comments?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/06/favre-says-he-played-a-lot-with-concussions/

AB

Flying with the flu? Some may be tempted

In this article, the issue of people traveling for the holiday season when they are well aware that they are sick. The H1N1 flu virus is very contagous and for some reason people arent taking this situation very seriously. Some still traveling when they know their sick and not taking proper safety precautions. People dont seem to be worried when they are in a tiny, cramped airplane cabin that these germs are going to spread and very well like wild fire.

I personally think travelers need to be safe and very aware of their surroundings espically during the busy holiday season. Some people need to travel and airplanes are the only method for them. If this is the case, pack your bags properly with a mask and carry antibacterial hand sanitizer. Comments?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/11/23/flying.with.flu/index.html

AB

Freddie Mitchell arrested

In this article, Formal Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, Freddie Mitchell was arrested for failing to pay child support. This all arose from a tweet from CSN Philadelphia. Mitchell has been in the media for his countless attempts to be signed by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mitchell was wrong for not paying child support and should be held accountable for his actions. There is also the question of privacy that raises controversy. Was Leslie Gudel of CSN Philadelphia, violating Mitchell’s privacy when she tweeted his personal business? Comments?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/12/06/report-freddie-mitchell-arrested/

Government wants tougher side air bag rules

Proposal is the latest attempt to address deadly rollover crashes

On Tuesday, the government proposed to have longer and stronger side airbags to prevent people from being thrown out of the car on roll over crashes. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the proposal, combined with anti-rollover technology, would attempt to reduce the more than 10,000 deaths in rollover crashes every year.” The Bush Adminsitration approved the rules making anti-rollover protection standard on all 2012 models.

I feel that these new implications will really benefit the lives of victims of crashes. Hopefully with the Obama Administration, these plans will procede. There are so many deaths from crashes that these new regulations will help save lives. Comments?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34224558/ns/business-autos/

AB

HIDDEN FEES MORE ANNOYING THAN DOG POOP

In this article, the list of irritating habits are getting more irritating. Things such as annoying neighbors, those people who call your house asking if you want to participate in a survey, and traffic on the highway are moving down on the list. The new irritating habit is hidden fees. “Several technology-related irritants were also included: unreliable Internet service (7th), Spam (10th), and passwords and PINs (20th).” The fact that we are getting computers to do the job of humans, of course this saves money but sometimes it is an even more waste of time. Corporations are so focused on making the most profit, that they are now affecting the consumers as well. Is it right for corporations to sneak in these hidden fees to consumers? Comments?

http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/12/hidden-fees-more-annoying-than-dog-poop-.html

AB

Are your holiday lights a fire hazard?

Counterfeit electronics pose a safety threat, especially around the holidays.

Not only are counterfeit electronics illegal, they are also very dangerous. “These things can kill you,” says Brett Brenner, president of the Electrical Safety Foundation, an industry-funded organization based in Roslyn, Va. “A counterfeit purse or a CD isn’t going to hurt you. But a counterfeit electrical product will hurt you.”

The danger with these products isnt visible to the plain eye, these products arent tested for safety regulations which can be very dangerous for consumers. Some products include batteries, hair dryers, and cell phone chargers. US customs agents are doing their best to check what comes over the border before they hit the market. Counterfeit electronics often have fake safety seals to make them look legitimate. This raises quite a dilemma. Should we put more enforcement on the borders and what comes into our country? How do we do so? With the regulations we have as it is, there are still counterfeit products all around. Comments?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34225517/ns/business-personal_finance/

AB

Is Adam Lambert a ‘Role Model’ or ‘Nightmare’?

American Idol Finalist Adam Lambert, put on quite the show at the American Music Awards. “I could be somebody’s role model, but on the flip side I could be somebody’s worst nightmare at the same time,” the singer tells. His provocative performance led to ABC cancelling his interview.

Some say this was completely inappropriate for television and some say this is an expression of his music. Was ABC in the right  to cancel his interview? This situation raises quite the controversy. I think there are some things that are appropriate for television and i think this was quite extreme. Sure he is expressing himself, but this was not appropriate for live television. Some of his actions were meant to be shared in the privacy of his home or anywhere else that is not live television. Comments?

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20322693,00.html

AB

At This School, It’s Marijuana in Every Class

In this article, a college in Michigan’s main curriculum is based on the study of medical marijuana. At Med Grow Cannabis College, they learn “the history, the horticulture and the legal how-to’s of Michigan’s new medical marijuana program”. Due to the economic crisis our country is in right now, they feel that by creating this program they  can provide more jobs to help stimulate the economy in the state of Michigan. With the business of medical marijuana growing, some students dont want to be photographed or their names written.

With this being said, I think that with the economic crisis our country is in i think its a good thing to help provide jobs for people. Any comments?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/education/29marijuana.html?_r=1&ref=us

AB

Woods on crash: ‘This situation is my fault’

In this article, Tiger Woods was involved in a car accident in the early morning hours outside his home. Woods has cancelled several interviews with investigators looking into the crash. He hit a fire hydrant and then a tree. His wife heard the crash and ran out to come see what happend. She broke the rearview window with a golf club and pulled Woods out.

Woods has cancelled several interviews because he said, “This is a private matter, and I want to keep it that way.” Under Florida law, he is not required to give a statement about the crash. Tiger Woods wants to protect the privacy of his family and he should have that right. We have a right to privacy and he doesnt want to expose his family to ridacule and the media. Any comments?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/29/tiger.woods/index.html

AB