As a prudent consumer, I observed this a long time ago.  But last night it became a personal matter when my 9 year old son’s windpipe was almost crushed by the power window in my family’s 2000 Ford Excursion.

The problem is that the rocker switches installed in the flat switch panels of many American cars such as Fords and Chevrolets are ready to roll up the window when any pressure is indiscriminately applied to the switch.  That means when a child or a family pet puts their head out of a window, as children and pets do, and they support their weight on the arm rest containing the switch and they inadvertently push down on the switch, the window rolls up on the loved-one’s neck.  This is what happened last night when we were parked at the store and my son went to spit out some candy.  Fortunately he was able to make enough sound to get the attention of the other family members to alert me of the situation.  At first I did not understand what was going on, but when I finally did I fumbled with the switches on the driver’s panel to roll down the correct window, though my son was still pushing down on his which was still trying to roll up the window.  We got lucky – or blessed.  But many others are not so fortunate.

The cause of the problem is, in my opinion, lack of leadership in the management ranks of US Automobile manufacturers.  Speaking from personal experience, my 1994 Lexus sedan had many standard expected features that my ’99 Suburban and 2000 Excursion failed to provide:

1. Positive pull roll-up window switches: the passenger had to intentionally pull up on the switch in order to roll it up; there was no way that putting one’s weight on the switch could crush someone’s neck in the window.  1994 and earlier saw imports with it, and 2000 and later the American car companies were still putting faulty technology into their new cars.
2. Rear door child safety locks:  My old 1994 Lexus had them, but the ‘Suburban did not.
3. SUV rear window wipers: My 1995 Toyota 4Runner had one, but the 1999 Suburban did not.
4. Designed to drive like new to 150k miles and beyond:  My 1994 Lexus drove like new with minimal maintenance needs to 176k miles, While my 1999 Suburban was beginning to have tons of costly minor and major problems at 100k miles (A/C, Power Steering, Fuel Pump, Door Locks, Stereo Failure, Interior lighting and wiring problems, and more).  My 1997 Lexus is at 175k miles and runs and drives like new with no major repair expenditures and few-if-any minor ones (actually, no repairs – just maintenance such as battery, wipers, headlight bulbs, etc…).  And my 2000 Excursion already has the door lock solenoids going out, CD Player problems, 4WD mechanism problems even though it has only about 92 miles and looks like it is in great shape.

OK, thanks for listening to my rant.  But if the US Car companies want to do business, then they need to do it well.  And if the US government is going to tax American car drivers to make laws and bail out US Auto Manufacturers, then it needs to make the latter do things well and do them safely.  In this case, the US should have long-ago mandated a recall to replace all such faultily-designed (“irresponsibly-designed” in my opinion) switches with recessed-pullup ones.

Just my two cents!

Michael

These are just a few of the questions that are frequently asked when shopping for seafood – or at least they should be.  The good news is that the answers are just a few clicks away.  Below are a few websites that are loaded with information that can help you be informed and ready for making the best seafood-purchasing decisions for you and your family.

Seafood Watch at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector.

Blue Ocean Institute’s Guide To Ocean Friendly Seafood.

There are potential health hazards you may not have known of before.

Did you know people have died from excessive video gaming?

Yes, it’s true, unfortunately people have died or can get very unpleasant experiences from playing video games excessively.

Or did you know people actually get addicted to video games?

There are even specialized clinics in China where people can recover from their video gaming addiction.

Be very aware that you’re potentially placing yourself at risk if you don’t keep an eye out for yourself and even more importantly your children.

Some excerpts from guidelines issued by one of the biggest giants in the video game industry:

WARNING – Seizures

Some people (about 1 in 4000) may have seizures or blackouts triggered by light flashes or patterns, and this may occur while they are watching TV or playing video games, even if they have never had a seizure before.

Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptom linked to an epileptic condition should consult a doctor before playing a video game.

Parents should watch their children play video games. Stop playing and consult a doctor if you or your child has any of the following symptoms:

• Convulsions
• Altered vision
• Eye or muscle twitching
• Involuntary movements
• Loss of awareness
• Disorientation

To reduce the likelihood of a seizure when playing video games:

• Sit or stand as far from the screen as possible.
• Play video games on the smallest available television screen.
• Do not play if you are tired or need sleep.
• Play in a well-lit room.
• Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour.

WARNING – Repetitive Motion Injuries and Eyestrain

Playing video games can make your muscles, joints, skin or eyes hurt. Follow these instructions to avoid problems such as tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, skin irritation or eyestrain:

• Avoid excessive play. Parents should monitor their children for appropriate play.
• Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour, even if you don’t think you need it.
• If your hands, wrists, arms or eyes become tired or sore while playing, or if you feel symptoms such as tingling, numbness, burning or stiffness, stop and rest for several hours before playing again.
• If you continue to have any of the above symptoms or other discomfort during or after play, stop playing and see a doctor.

Source: Nintendo WII Safety

As reported by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Small magnets, like those found in magnetic building sets and other toys, can kill children if two or more are swallowed. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is aware of at least 33 cases of children being injured from ingesting magnets. A 20 month-old died, and at least 19 other children from 10 months to 11 years old required surgery to remove ingested magnets.

In many cases, magnets had fallen out of larger components of toys. Some children swallowed intact toy components containing magnets.

If two or more magnets or magnetic components or a magnet and another metal object (such as a small metal ball) are swallowed separately, they can attract to one another through intestinal walls. This traps the magnets in place and can cause holes (perforations), twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning (sepsis), and death. When multiple magnets are ingested surgery is required to remove the magnets and sometimes sections of the intestines need to be removed.

PSC cautions the public that small magnets found in other non-toy products may present the same hazard. To help prevent serious magnet ingestion injuries:

• Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect your child may have swallowed a magnet.
• Look for non-specific abdominal symptoms – abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, etc.
• Note that objects in x-rays may appear as a single object that could actually be multiple magnetic pieces separated by trapped intestinal walls.
• Keep small magnets and small pieces containing magnets away from young children who might mistakenly, or intentionally, swallow them.
• Look out for loose magnetic pieces – regularly inspect toys and children’s play areas for missing or dislodged magnets.
• Check www.cpsc.gov to make sure your children’s magnetic toys are not recalled products.