Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Harry Potter fans abandon pet owls



Sad news, really sad news. Owning a pet is not just like buying accessories or a bag, it is a responsibility. Some Harry Potter fans was not contented on toys, cheesy customes, and posters they even adopted pet owls after seeing or reading about them in Harry Potter. Now, with the series all but completely old news, fans have apparently lost interest in their feathered friends and released them into the wild — or, apparently, anywhere in the United Kingdom.

According to The Mirror, hundreds of the predatory birds have been flooding owl rescue organizations since the end of the Potter movie series, and an untold number are still cruising around the country. Many breeds of owl make life tough for other birds, and the sudden influx may have a damaging effect on local ecosystems and other bird populations, not to mention the numbers of native wild owls.

But it's not just the owls that are paying the price; Anyone caught releasing an owl into the wild can face up to six months in jail and a fine of over $7,000. Potter fans who need to give up their pets are encouraged to take them to a wildlife sanctuary where they can be cared for, rather than letting them "accidentally" fly out the window.

*Harry Potter: The Complete 8-Film Collection (2011)

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Trampolines, unsafe crib tents

Children's trampolines with a dangerous defect and a line of crib tents that have already proved deadly for one child are among this week's recalled products. Others include defective safety locks meant to keep children out of cabinets and climbing ropes with a dangerous flaw.

Here's a closer look at the specific products:

TRAMPOLINES

DETAILS: Aqua-Leisure Industries Inc. First Fitness Kid's First trampolines with handlebars sold at Toys R Us from September 2010 through April 2012. The child-size toy trampolines have "First Fitness" embossed on the jumping deck in white letters and can be identified by model number FF-6902TR and Toys R Us SKN 491463.

WHY: Metal fatigue can cause the handlebar to break away during use, posing a risk of laceration from exposed metal surfaces or other injury from a fall.

INCIDENTS: Four reports of handlebars breaking from the metal connection joint during use, but no reported injuries.

HOW MANY: About 40,000.

FOR MORE: Call Aqua-Leisure at 888-912-7087 or visit www.aqualeisure.com

CRIB TENTS

DETAILS: Various models of Tots in Mind Inc. crib and play yard tents that were originally recalled in 2010. The company originally offered a repair kit, but has since gone out of business. The crib tents were sold at Amazon.com, Burlington Coat Factory, Toys R Us and Babies R Us, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and Bed Bath & Beyond, which also sold it through the website Buy Buy Baby. The tents included Portable Playard Tent, Original Cozy Crib Tent, Cozy Crib Tent II, Crib Tent for Convertible Cribs, Portable Playard Tent Plus Cabana Kit. The tents have a label with the Tots In Mind logo, several inches wide and long, located on the non-mesh portion near the top of the tent.

WHY: They pose a strangulation risk.

INCIDENTS: Twenty seven tent failures, including a two-year old boy who died in 2008 after getting trapped between the frame and the metal rod at the base of the tent. Another child had a catastrophic brain injury in 2007 when the tent on his crib inverted and the product's broken rod trapped him by the neck.

HOW MANY: About 330,000.

FOR MORE: Photos of the tents involved in the recall can be found at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12179.html

Consumers should contact the store where the item was purchased.

HOODED JACKETS

DETAILS: SX and QH boys' zip-front hooded jackets imported by Bonded Apparel Inc. of Los Angeles and sold at dd's Discount stores from August 2011 through December 2011.

WHY: The jackets have a drawstring through the hood which poses a strangulation hazard to children.

INCIDENTS: None reported.

HOW MANY: About 720.

FOR MORE: Call Bonded Apparel at 888-974-1555 or visit http://ddsdiscounts.com/cu.aspx .

TOILET LOCKS

DETAILS: Dorel Juvenile Group Inc. Safety 1st Sure Fit toilet locks with model numbers 48003 and 48103. The toilet lock is attached to the tank behind the lid and is intended to prevent a child's access to the toilet bowl. They were sold at Bed, Bath and Beyond, Burlington Coat Factory, Great Beginnings, Home Depot, Target and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. from January 2005 through April 2010 and at Amazon.com through April 2012.

WHY: Young children can unexpectedly disengage the toilet locks and gain access to water in the toilet, posing the risk of drowning.

INCIDENTS: 110 reports of toilet locks that did not adequately secure the lid, including eight reports of children, under the age of two, who were able to disengage or break the lock.

HOW MANY: About 183,000.

FOR MORE: Call DJG at 877-416-8105 or visit www.djgusa.com .

CABINET LOCKS

DETAILS: Dorel Juvenile Group Inc. Safety 1st Sure Fit cabinet locks with model numbers 12013 and 12014. The cabinet slide lock is attached to cabinet knobs or handles to prevent access. They were sold at Bed, Bath and Beyond, Burlington Coat Factory, Great Beginnings, Home Depot, Target and Wal-Mart from January 2000 through March 2009 and at Amazon.com through April 2012.

WHY: The cabinet locks are being recalled because young children can disengage the lock, posing the risk of injury from dangerous or unsafe items stored in the cabinet.

INCIDENTS: Two hundred seventy eight reports of cabinet locks that did not adequately secure the cabinet, including 71 reports of children between the ages of 8 months and 5 years who were able to disengage the cabinet locks. In one of the reported incidents, a 13-month-old boy swallowed small, toxic beads from a craft kit. The child was hospitalized, observed overnight, and released the next day.

HOW MANY: About 685,000.

FOR MORE: Call DJG at 877-416-8105 or visit www.djgusa.com

COOKWARE LIDS

DETAILS: Meyer Corp. U.S 13-piece Circulon Cookware set. The recall is specifically for the defective 11-inch lid with a rubber and stainless steel handle and a metal rim that goes with the 5-quart saute pan. The code "IMCP1108" is stamped on the outside of the metal rim.

WHY: The lid can crack, break or shatter, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.

INCIDENTS: Sixty five reported incidents, but no injuries.

HOW MANY: About 4,600.

FOR MORE: Call Circulon at 800-326-3933 or visit www.circulon.com

CLIMBING ROPES

DETAILS: Litania Sports Group Inc.'s Porter Athletic climbing ropes. The models include numbers 00118 and 00119.

WHY: The climbing rope can slip through the clamp that connects at the top, posing a fall hazard for climbers.

INCIDENTS: Three reports of the rope slipping through the clamp, including one that resulted in back and wrist injuries.

HOW MANY: About 44.

source: CBS News

FOR MORE: Call Porter Athletic at 888-277-7778 or visit www.porterathletic.com

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Hasbro Selling Super Heroes



Marvel-related toys, such as Thor hammers and Hulk fists, are expected to generate a record $400 million in revenue this year for licensee Hasbro Inc., according to Drew Crum, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

“We expect Disney to push the Marvel franchise more aggressively across international markets,” Crum wrote in an April 27 report.

“The Avengers” is the first Marvel film Disney has marketed since purchasing the business for $4.2 billion in 2009. The movie has broken international box office records, grossing more than $281 million overseas as of May 2, Disney said in a release.