CPSIA Goes Into Effect Today, RIP Handmade Toys

It is ironic that the same day the Senate is poised to sign the Economic Stimulus Bill is the same day that the day the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act takes effect. While I'm very much in favor of the intent behind this legislation, this act is unfortunately shutting down independent US (and Canadian) made children's toys and clothing manufactures as we speak. We’ll still have Mattel and all that crap from China but we won’t have handcrafted toys, like my daughter’s wooden play kitchen, which was made in New Hampshire by a honest-to-God cabinet-maker and sealed with a hand-rubbed all-natural beeswax finish, because apparently we can’t write a bill that offers exemptions to these types of toy manufacturers. You know, the toys that have stood the test of time, the toys that we all claim we wish kids still played with, well there has been an explosion of these types of toy producers on the internet through websites like Etsy and Hyena Cart and other handmade sites over the last 5 years. Unfortunately, these sellers tend to be small (like one employee small) and in business both because they love to make things with their hands and also because they need to make ends meet. Sometimes they work other jobs, sometimes they are lucky enough to make a product that has captured the attention of enough people to support themselves and their families from their efforts. These are the same folks who can’t afford to pay the thousands of dollars worth of lead testing that the act requires. However they are also the same manufactures who do the research to make sure the products they use are safe and since they are making them in their homes primarily from natural, non-toxic raw materials, they are safe. While there was a last minute dispensation for libraries and used clothing stores to give Congress a year to figure out if the act should apply to them (and I don’t think it should), Congress did not make that same dispensation cover the thousands of small business people who use non-toxic, natural materials to make quality children's toys and clothes. The big toy importers who pay sweatshop rates to impoverished adults and children over seas will be able to pay for the testing of all the plastic junk they import, but already, shops are closing on the handmade sites and the rest of us are struggling to find the black market where we can continue to buy the toys and clothes we love or we’ll have to make it ourselves. When are we going to get something right in this country?

Welcome to the second half of the 20th century

The transition from broadcast to digital television and our invasion of their home has forced some hard decisions on the parental units. While most of you have been enjoying having more than 5 television channels for the past 30 years, there are some who find it a new and confusing world and don't even bring up this new fangled internet thing. Mostly, Jason and I have been trying to serve as the buffer with those technology pushers, otherwise known as our phone service providers (and I agree that dealing with them has not been a relaxing or fun process and I will be happy if I do not have to call them tomorrow for the 5th day in a row) but still the changes are apparent. The toaster oven and lunch boxes were bad enough, but this satellite television may be the end. We are shocked, shocked and dismayed at the size of this receiver box, but it is the price one has to pay if one wants to watch the news while cooking. I can only hope that the kitchen will not be irrevocably harmed. Please think of us in this difficult time and hope that we can all get through this period of decreased counter space.

Doomsday Vault

Today was the grand opening of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault otherwise known as the doomsday vault. This project is harvesting and preserving as many seeds as possible before they become extinct and will serve as a botanical Noah's Ark in the event of a global disaster. You can see pictures and watch the opening ceremony here.

Techfrustration

Okay, I know that the world has changed dramatically since I was daisychaining Macs together with telephone cord back at the ACORN office in the 90's, but how did it happen that I now have NO IDEA about how anything works with my computer.

Backstory: Our music & audio files are getting to big and at the same time our stereo has about bit the dust (it's only 5-6 years old - my last one was still working when we downsized and I got it in '89, but that's another rant). I'm thinking it's time to get a big i-pod (we've somehow managed to figure out this Nano thing) and digitize all of our CD's. Great, but then I need an external hard drive and the reality is that I have no idea what to look for.

Upshot: Every time I try to figure out what's what I realize I don't even have the proper vocabulary anymore. And then there are the mind-numbing details that lead into wormholes of paranoia ( Don't get me started on net-neutrality and privacy concerns with internet access not to mention the googlization of our lives). Can someone point me in the direction of a resource that is a step above: "this is a mouse, here's how to use it" but will not lead me into a spiral of technospeak that results in me: 1. screaming 2. curling up into a ball and wondering how old have I really gotten and where did all this grey hair come from 3. ready to move to the hills and live off the grid?

Counting down

Peter Russell was "Eco-Philosopher Extraordinaire" of the year in 1993. And this is his World Clock. Already today there are 48 species extinct, 192,578 bicycles produced and 236,988 babies born. The clock on the left is not his World Clock, it's Prague's. It was built somewhere around 1490.

SSTTTTUUUKKKKKK!

Many things are stuck at our house. Playdough lids, bear clothes, blocks inside airplanes, feet in footed pajamas, babies on top of potties next to sinks, hands inside elephant trunks. What's stuck in your house?

Week of Troubles

Since I've last posted it seems like we've had one thing after another. First I was sick (again!), and Nora had the croup (again), which evolved into the stomach flu last weekend, which resulted in me not cleaning (again). But the worst day was Monday. Just as Nora was getting over the flu (no barfing in almost 24 hours), we were rushing off to our Monday morning routine, and Jason slipped on the ice and fell down the front steps with Nora. I was right behind them and in my haste to help, I hurried after them and fell on top of them. Jason and I were fine, but Nora to a nasty konk on the head and we rushed her to the emergency room in possibly the most panic-frenzied state of our lives. After several hours there and a CAT scan, we found out she's fine, but we're still a little shaken and guilt-ridden. Fortunately her bruise isn't as horrible as I feared it would be and she's back to her normal self. But between the croup. flu, and concussion she lost 2 pounds, which wouldn't be a big deal for adults but it's quite a bit for a already-light-for-her age 24 now 22 lbs little girl.

The one upside to Nora's flu was that last Saturday we did watch an entire day of Rankin and Bass stop action animation holiday features and Nora learned a whole new vocabulary - "Rudolph", "Santa", "Reindeer", "Vixen", "snowman", "Heat Miser/Snow Miser", and most unfortunately, "barf", which punctuated our day of TV excess. For those of you who may only be familiar with Rankin & Bass's "Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer", I can highly recommend several of their other features, most notably, the surreal "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" based on a Frank Baum book, the historically laughable "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" which features Ben Franklin and Caveman Ug helping Rudolf save Baby New Year, the biographical "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" or as Todd calls it "Glen Cambell Claus" showing the early years of of a very red haired Santa and his efforts to thwart the toy-destroying Burgermeister Meisterburger. But best of all was my personal favorite " A Year Without Santa Claus" featuring those trouble-making siblings - Heat Miser and Snow Miser. There were also several less thrilling features - Nestor the Long Eared Donkey and Pinocchio's Christmas. For those of you who missed it, I understand the Family Channel does this every year and that they will also show them throughout the month of December as well. All this Family Channel watching also resulted in me having to tune in on Sunday to the much advertised and anticipated Family Channel Holiday Special, Holiday in Handcuffs, featuring Melissa Joan Hart (Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina) and Mario Lopez of Dancing with the Stars fame (but I know him from Pet Star on Animal Planet). Jason commented that it was much better than expected.

The other event of note is that my aunt has bought Nora yet another pink pony that she can sit on and it neighs and plays music. This one has wheels instead of a rocker. It was supposed to be out at my parents but somehow it made it's way here, and now there are TWO singing pink ponies in my living room. I need a stable.