Filed under: Parks, Rumors, Outings, Weird but True, In the News, Outdoor Play

Here's a news article that might make your Halloween night a little spookier: a playground in Argentina has gained worldwide attention for a unique feature: it has a swing that moves all by itself for as long as ten days straight, according to some witnesses.

However, not everyone is ready to hop on the haunted playground theory.

The pendulum theory seems plausible, but I still wouldn't let my kids anywhere near those swings!

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Filed under: Moms, Dads, 4 years, In the News

This isn't going to improve Kate and Gerry McCann's image at all. After the disappearance of their daughter in Portugal, the couple have been vilified for leaving their kids alone while they had dinner nearby. Then they were named as official suspects in the disappearance. And then, Susan Healy, Kate McCann's mother, made the ridiculous assertion that if her daughter was heavier and had bigger breasts, people would be more sympathetic towards her.

If all that weren't damaging enough, now there are reports that the McCanns have used some of the funds set up to pay for the search for their daughter to make a few mortgage payments on their home. BBC News reports that the couple have dipped into the $2.26 million Find Madeleine fund to the tune of $8,000 to make their July and August mortgage payments.

A spokesman for the McCann's confirms this, but says that since being named suspects, the couple have been cut off from the fund completely. John McCann, Madeleine's uncle, says, "When they were made arguido [suspects], it stopped, which was a mutual decision on the part of the fund and the McCanns. They were happy to accept that their changed status meant they were no longer entitled to that assistance."

The money in this fund was donated by the public through a non-profit organization set up after Madeleine's disappearance. If I had donated to this fund, which I didn't, I don't think I would be pleased to know my money was going to pay for the McCann's house.

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Filed under: Health and Safety, Recalls, In the News

With the increasing number of toy recalls of late, you would think those in charge over at the US Consumer Product Safety Commission would be begging for more money, staff and resources to better ensure the safety of the American public. Not so, according to Speaker of the House Nancy Peolosi and her Democratic Party colleagues. In fact, Nancy Nord, who was appointed chairwoman of the CPSC by President George W. Bush, has steadfastly opposed legislation that would increase the agency's authority and staff, double its budget and increase penalties for safety violations.

Pelosi is now calling for Nord's resignation, saying, "Any commission chair who ..., in the face of the facts that are so clear, says we don't need any more authority or any more resources to do our job, does not understand the gravity of the situation and does not understand the concerns parents have for the safety of their children."

According to the Toy Industry Association, 80 percent of the toys purchased by Americans are made in China. And of all the product recalls made by the CPSC, more than half are of products originating in China. Congress is working to introduce new toy and child product safety legislation, the "Comprehensive Consumer Product Safety Bill", which would ban lead from children's products and paint, require mandatory testing of such products by independent third-party laboratories and ban unsafe and untested imported products. Another proposition would quadruple the penalties assessed against companies who are linked to tainted products.

I am generally not in favor of growing government, but an agency that relies on a toy tester "who drops toys on the floor in his office to see if they break" is clearly not up to the task of keeping our children safe.

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Filed under: Weird but True, In the News

Have you ever purchased a pumpkin for any purpose other than as a Halloween decoration? Although I sometimes save the seeds from a pumpkin to roast or plant, that has never been my main goal when bringing home a pumpkin. The powers-that-be in Iowa are on to this and have decided that because pumpkins are more likely to be used as a decoration than as a food, they are subject to a 5% sales tax.

"We made the change because we wanted the sales tax law to match what we thought the predominant use was," Renee Mulvey, a spokeswoman for the state tax office, says. "We thought the predominant use was for decorations or jack-o'-lanterns." The state expects to add about $70,000 in tax revenue from this little Halloween trick.

And for those of you who really are buying that pumpkin to eat, the state will accommodate you. Under penalty of perjury, buyers can fill out a "sales exemption certificate" and swear that they intend to eat the pumpkin.

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Filed under: Recalls

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Toys "R" Us have announced the voluntary recall of about 16,000 Elite Operations Toys due to excessive levels of lead paint.

The recall involves four military-style Elite Operations toys, which includes Super Rigs (#1004), Command Patrol Center (#1020), Barracuda Helicopter (#1023), and a 3 Pack of 8-inch Figures (#1024). Look for the product number on the toy's packaging.

These toys were sold exclusively at Toys "R" Us stores nationwide as well as through toysrus.com from July 2007 through October 2007 for between $10 and $30. Other Elite Operations brand play sets are not included in the recall.

If you have one of these, you should immediately take it away from your child and return it to any Toys "R" Us for a full refund or store credit. For more information, contact Toys "R" Us at (800) 869-7787 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, and between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, or visit their Web site.

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Filed under: Image of the Day

Halloween is finally here and small people everywhere are giddy with the thought of costumes and candy in their very near future. This little beauty certainly looks as though she is in the spirit of the day with her glittery rainbow wings perched upon her shoulders. Her au naturel attire under the wings is precious, as though she couldn't be bothered with the weight of clothing under those gorgeous appendages. Thank you to mil8 for sharing this with us at Image of the Day.

In keeping with the theme of seasonal change, we would like to see how the changing seasons are affecting you and your family right now. What are you doing with your days? Where are you going? Do you find beauty in your backyard? Or are you planning a costume for the upcoming excitement of Halloween? Please share your images with us! And remember to check out our new feature of Image of the Month, maybe you will be the next winner!

If you'd like your own picture featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr Pool - We'll select an image every day to highlight. Remember: we're on the lookout for shots with interesting backgrounds, cool angles, or original composition. Be sure to read the intro on the main Flickr page for more information and limit your uploading to 5 photos per day.

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Filed under: College, Weird but True

It wasn't all that long ago that I was a college student, scraping change together to get cheap second-hand stuff to furnish the dilapidated apartments I could afford to live in. The vast majority of that stuff ended up in the hands of some other semi-impoverished art student (or, unfortunately, in the dumpster). But maybe I should've been more careful about what I was giving away, as it might've been far more valuable than I could've ever imagined.

That was certainly true for this student in Berlin, who bought a used couch for €150 (about $216), only to discover a baroque painting concealed inside the sofa. That painting sold for €19,200 (about $27,660) -- which isn't bad for something you found wedged between thrift-store couch cushions.

So, students of the world, let this be a lesson to you. Who needs IKEA when you can buy perfectly good second-hand furniture from Goodwill and the Salvation Army? After all, if it ain't baroque, it'll make a comfy addition to your living room.

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Filed under: Recalls

Check your ugly teeth to make sure they aren't these, which are being recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Amscan, Inc. due to high levels of lead. About 43,000 of these packages of eight Ugly Teeth party favors were sold at various retailers nationwide from January 2006 to October 2997 for about $2.

The fake teeth are painted white, black and orange with brown gums. Printed on the packaging are the words: "Ugly Teeth," "Amscan," "Party Favors," "Value Pack Party Favors," UPC 0-48419-65002-7 and UPC 0-48419-61663-4.

If you have these teeth, which were manufactured in China, of course, you should immediately stop using them and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund. For more information, contact Amscan, Inc. at (800) 335-7585 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit their Web site.

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Filed under: High school, Sports

You always knew being a cheerleader was tough -- a real contact sport. This young lady's injuries go far beyond the usual twists and sprains, however. The prom queen was trying to fix a little dangling piece of paper on one of those big paper banners the players break through when...well...an accident happens.

Fortunately she wasn't hurt -- which means you can laugh at her without feeling totally horrible about yourself.

Click play above or watch the video on YouTube.

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Filed under: Gear, Crafts, Creative projects

It's probably too late for this year, but if you're into carving pumpkins, this might be worth picking up for next year. The Pumpkin Gutter attaches to a standard drill and, well, guts pumpkins. It's kind of like an egg beater but designed for quickly and efficiently removing the guts -- seeds, strings and so on -- from the walls of a pumpkin so you can get down to the important stuff -- carving the outside.

It can also be used to thin down the walls of the squash from the inside -- useful, I imagine, if you want light to be able to shine through without actually cutting all the way through the wall of the pumpkin. It also cleans up easily -- pumpkin guts just slide off the shaft (after you remove it from the drill.)

I came across a review of the Pumpkin Gutter which says it really does do the job, despite the significant potential to be one of those "looked good in the ad but sucked in real life" we've all encountered. At $12, this seems like a good buy if you do much carving.

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