Have you heard, cellphones are deadly. Science told us so this week when Dr. Ronald B. Herberman of the esteemed University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute realized that cellphones emit death rays that fry your brain and turn you into a baby-eating Communist, or give you cancer or whatever. Dr. Despair isn’t a downer though! Inside, 10 practical ways to keep your precious little brain safe from those ubiquitous chirping cancer slabs…
Quality & Safety
New Jersey Man Blows Up Apartment While Spraying For Bugs
By 7.26.08
Don’t call Isias Vidal Maceda for advice if you see a creepy critter crawling across your apartment. While spraying for bugs, the New Jersey resident blew out his kitchen windows and started a fire that destroyed 80% of his apartment. Sound outlandish? According to TV, it’s entirely plausible…
McDonald's Takes Baking Metal Screws Into Their Apple Pies "Very Seriously"
By 7.25.08
THE QUOTE: “Nothing is more important to me than the safety and well-being of my employees and customers,” [McDonald’s franchise holder Michael Giunta] said. “We take these matters very seriously.”
Health Officials: We Finally Found Salmonella In A Jalapeño!
By 7.23.08
Government inspectors finally stumbled across a jalapeño which contains the same salmonella strain (Salmonella Saintpaul) that has been responsible for the recent salmonella outbreak in the United States. Health officials found the offending Mexican-grown jalapeño in a Texas plant. However, there are still many questions which need to be answered.
Aquadots, The Infamous "GHB-Laced Toys," Are Back With A New Name, "Pixos"!
By 7.18.08
Reader Maya noticed that those GHB-laced toys (distributed in North America by Spin Master) that were recalled last year are back, and they’ve got a brand new name. Pixos!
FDA Warns Of Tendon-Rupturing Antibiotics
By 7.18.08
The FDA slapped a black box warning on a group of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones for their link to tendonitis and tendon rupture in patients. Drugs in this group include Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox, Oscient, Factive, Proquin XR, Floxin Noroxin. Ruptures associated with the drug have included the achilles tendon, thumbs, shoulder, bicep and hand. Public interest group Public Citizen has been petitioned the FDA in 1996, 2005 and 2006 to add greater warnings to the drug. Only after Public Citizen sued the FDA for not responding to the petitions were the warnings added. One patient described what happened after he was hospitalized for an infection and treated with Cipro…
FDA: Go Ahead And Eat Tomatoes, We Give Up
By 7.17.08
Well, the FDA isn’t sure what caused that salmonella outbreak, but they’re lifting the tomato warning anyway, according to the Associated Press. They’d still appreciate it if you tried not to eat raw jalapeno and serrano peppers, because, well, they have to tell you not to eat something, I guess.
L.L. Bean Backpacks Are For Trusting Souls
By 7.17.08
Reader j. sent us the above scan of a page from an L.L. Bean catalog. j. says:
Police Officer Awarded $40,000 Over KFC's Urine-Tainted Food
By 7.15.08
A police officer and his family from Sydney, Nebraska have been awarded $40,000 from their lawsuit which alleged that a KFC/Taco Bell store had served them food contaminated with an employee’s spit and urine in 2005. The lawsuit stated that fellow workers actually saw the employee taint the food and told management who failed to alert the family, according to the AP. Consequently, the officer’s two sons became violently ill. His 4-year-old was hospitalized and treated for gastroenteritis and dehydration. Details, inside…
6 Common Food-Safety Misconceptions
By 7.14.08
Since health officials seem to have very little idea about the source of the recent salmonella outbreak, perhaps it’s wise to educate ourselves a little more on the basics of food safety. Test your knowledge with Forbes’ list of some common food-safety misconceptions. The list, inside…
By 7.11.08
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In Mass. a new law has gone into effect requiring all children under 8 years old or shorter than 4′ 9″ use a booster seat when riding in a car. Picturing our parents trying to make us do this when we were 7 is hilarious. [Boston Herald]
Angry, Intoxicated 1st Class Passenger Uses Emergency Slide So He Doesn't Have To Wait For Coach
By 7.9.08
An intoxicated first class passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Guyana became so angry that coach passengers were allowed to exit before him that he “yanked open an emergency hatch and slid down the chute,” says the AP.
Confusing: Paint Mask Should Not Be Used With Paint?
By 7.8.08
Reader Mike is confused by this 3M Latex Paint and Odor Respirator with Valve. The front of the package lists “disposable aerosol spray paint cans” as something the mask “helps provide relief” from. However, the instructions seem to say that you shouldn’t use it with paint spray. What should he do?
Pizza Hut Is Sorry It Baked A Cockroach Into Your Pizza, Got Fined $35,000
By 7.7.08
Here’s a lovely little story from our friends down in Bellbowrie, Australia. It seems that they have a Pizza Hut in Bellbowrie, and that Pizza Hut has cockroaches. Lots of cockroaches. So many cockroaches, in fact, that it baked one alive into a meatlovers pizza.
Want Safe Skies? Strap This Remote-Controlled Stun Device To Yourself!
By 7.7.08
Make of this what you will, as the story comes from the Reverend Sun Myung Moon’s church-owned Washington Times and may be more fiction than fact, but “a senior government official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expressed great interest in a so-called safety bracelet that would serve as a stun device, similar to that of a police Taser.” Yes, the EMD Safety Bracelet from Lamperd Less Lethal is designed to make flying a fun experience once again. Just check out everything it can do:
- Take the place of an airline boarding pass.
- Contain personal information about the traveler.
- Be able to monitor the whereabouts of each passenger and his/her luggage.
- Shock the wearer on command, completely immobilizing him/her for several minutes.
Health Officials: Did We Say Tomatoes? We Meant Jalapeño Peppers
By 7.7.08
After causing the tomato industry to lose an estimated $100 million, health investigators have essentially recanted their contaminated tomato theory and have focused their attention on jalapeño peppers. The Baltimore Sun reports that new interviews with salmonella victims have revealed that many of them ate salsa containing jalepeños. Other common Mexican food ingredients such as cilantro are also being investigated, however, no new samples have tested positive for salmonella. Details, inside…
This Partially Filled Half-Gallon Of Milk Is Reasonably Priced
By 7.6.08
Pretend you’re a manager at Ralph’s and you notice two-inches of milk missing from one of your half-gallon milk containers. What do you do?
Video: Fireworks Are Fun Until They Blow Up In Your Pants
By 7.4.08
Enjoy yourselves out there this 4th, folks, but do remember to be careful with those fireworks, as seen in this edited version of the CPSC fireworks safety video set to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. It’s funny when mannequins blow up. Your hands, jeans, or the desk in front of your face, not so much.
