Chinese toys turn into GHB when ingested.

[matty]

AWESOME.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21678196/

(It's AP, but funny anyway.)

[Soul Queen]

Its a little ridiculous how much crap is being recalled.
A few months ago I read an article on how Mattel apologized to the Chinese government about the recalls.

At this point, everything you buy is in fact poisonous. (or at least the news would have you believe).

Does anyone think this will lead to more manufacturing in the US or just years and years of recalls? What about individuals with kids? Are you leary about buying toys?

[mrjohnchimpo]

i think kids should go back to playing with dirt.

[slam]

i remember hearing that there is one, single, solitary person in our government that is charged with ensuring that children's toys are safe.

one person.

at least that guy wasn't executed, like the guy who was in charge of product safety in china...

[slam]

i think kids should go back to playing with dirt.

when our parents were doing some construction on our house when i was maybe 10 or so, we had this big pile of dirt outside our house for a few months.

it was the best toy i ever had!

[matty]

I posted this article more to celebrate GHB than to get started on the recalled toys fiasco, but since it's on the table, here are some of my favorite childhood toys.

Tonka Trucks--SOLID STEEL, BITCH. You can get the skin ripped off your finger here, you can have a thumbnail torn out there, and the lead-based paint would chip off and bubble up in the sun and look just like M&Ms. Yummy!

Dirt--of course, kids have been playing with dirt since there were children. But if parents today are going to freak out over every little thing (my coworker just yesterday freaked out because her little girl climbed a tree, which is apparently forbidden for kids these days), imagine how freaked they'll be the first time they discover their kid playing with some cat shit he found IN the dirt.

Which brings me to--Flora and fauna. Nobody makes a better toy than Mother Nature. Chasing rabbits, smashing spore-filled toadstools and looking for coyote dens were among my favorite passtimes as a child. No money needed, and only the occasional hospital bill. And don't even get me started on mowing the lawn during flood season: Toads + snakes + lawn mower = FUN.

[Soul Queen]

What about kids in the city?
Guess they can play with needles they find in the dirt!

That being aside, I like playing outside as a kid too. My friend Anita had a tree house that rocked. My nephew likes to climb trees. A month ago we climbed one together. My sister was freaking out. More because my nephew is prone to accidents and has been to the emergency room a couple of times. There's nothing like having no fear as a kid.

I loved playing in old barns too. All sorts of junk to play with.

[slam]

Nobody makes a better toy than Mother Nature.

yeah, i feel bad for these city kids. how much time did you and i spend just playing in the creek after school, matty? i don't even remember what we did all the time... talked about x-men a lot i guess.

it was nice being able to just walk out the back door and into the forest. such adventures could be hand within a mile radius!

[JVO]

Favorite toys:

Hot Wheels Cars (not Matchbox!)
Plastic Football helmets you get out of the gum machines

I used to set up all of the football helmets (they were the Broncos) in different crazy football formations and they would play against the Hot Wheels cars (they were the opponent, usually the Raiders) and coach/play an entire game of football just by moving the helmets/cars around. I even used crayons (black and white) for the officials. That is what we did before video games (a time you whipper snappers probably don't remember).

I played outside a lot too. There were 13 boys within 7 years of each other on the block that I lived in. We would have all night hide and seek games, blockwide smear the queer (sorry!) contests, and played every sport there was (in season of course). I think that must be why I am such a sports junky. I literally played sports with my friends just about every day for like 8 years. You would have thought that I would be a lot better for all of the practice! The skin on my arms and legs sure show the excessive amount of time I spent outside when I was a kid. I've got freckles the size of Rhode Island.

[bubz_bluez]

i grew up in the video and computer era but of course there was the hotwheels before i could really comprehend video games

bubs

[Diamond Vision]

Damn! I could have had date-rape drugs that easily? It takes forever for me to make them in my microwave!

I think it's very important that we recall dangerous toys and stop kids from dangerous activities like playing in trees, cricks and barns! If we lose a significant amount of our children who will populate the unemployment offices of tomorrow.

Seriously, tho... GHB! WOOT!

[Diamond Vision]

ps- 500 posts!!!! WOOT WOOT!