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July 8, 2007

The Dangerous Result of "Made in China"

Increasingly, it seems like almost everyday that we hear in the news of another hazardous product or poisonous food item being shipped into this country from China. There is a list on who-sucks.com of many of the recalls of Chinese-made products from just this year. It seemed scary to think of all the products that were made through dangerous or faulty materials being used on the Chinese side.

Here is just a sampling of some of the recalls from February:

  • Overheating Remote Controls: Best Buy recalled about 10,000 Isignia DVD Player remotes after it was found that improper battery placement in the remote could result in overheating and present a burn hazard.
  • Lead Poisoning Hazard: 115,000 Claudia Jublot children’s rings, which were sold at Big Lots stores, were recalled because they contained dangerous levels of lead.
  • Defective Lamps: Currey & Company of Georgia recalled about 2,600 Chinese-manufactured lamps that had defective light sockets, which could pose electrical shock and fire hazards.
  • Lead Accessories: Kidsite jewelry sets, which were sold at Kmart stores across America, were recalled for containing high levels of lead.
  • Toxic Jackets: Samara Brothers recalled thousands of its outwear jackets for children because the snap closures on the jackets contained excessive amounts of lead, which poses a lead poisoning hazard.

Of course, some of the blame goes to the U.S. companies who, through greed or poor management, let these sorts of things repeatedly happen. The list is much too long for these situations to be due to accident.

Posted by keg at 10:50 PM

July 4, 2007

The Vikings are on the Move: A Religious Rights Rally

As I mentioned earlier, there will be a religious rights rally today in Lafayette Square Park in our nation's capital.

With the backing of our Founding Fathers, Guest Voice to the Washington Post's On Faith column, noted author, and Steerswoman of the Troth Diana L. Paxson says:

America has always been noted for creativity, in religion as in all else. Each new faith, whether immigrant or homegrown, enriches our culture. Today, when Buddhist temples and Islamic mosques may be found in many parts of the U.S., one might wonder why the VA denied a Wiccan veteran the right to have a pentacle on his headstone for ten years, and the Army has still not hired a Pagan chaplain. Paganism does not seek to replace other religions, but Pagan perspectives can revitalize the ways in which we relate to our history, our ancestors, and especially, in this time of climate crisis, to the environment. Rather than resisting, America should welcome the Pagan contribution to our cultural diversity.

Diana Paxson will be speaking, in addition to representatives from Asatru Folk Assembly, Circle Sanctuary, The Troth, The Military Pagan Network, The ADF, Sacred Well Congregation, and the Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.


Have a Happy 4th of July!

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Posted by keg at 1:26 PM