A while ago now I read an article, found here at Pop Sugar's LilSugar site, about Vespas for children. I didn't react to it right away because I wasn't sure I had an opinion on the subject. Still not sure that I do!

A Vespa, for those of you unfamiliar, is like a motorized bike. They run on gas and come with helmets and are in the same vein as motorcycles, only not as fast. They also tend to come in pastel colors and aren't ridden around on by Hell's Angels clad in black leather (most of the time). Vespas are great for city driving where they can get through narrow, crowded streets and the like. They are not designed for the highway.

Now the Vespa folks have come out with a mini-version for kids. At $450, the mini-Vespa ain't cheap. Sure, it's less expensive than a regular, adult-sized Vespa, but I don't think you could pull buying one for your kids and then riding it yourself. The minis really are smaller, designed for kids ages three to seven (not the kid in you).

Would you buy one of these for your child? Are they no harm, no foul and all in fun or are they unsafe and do they promote the possibility of them riding around on motorcycles when they're older (black leather optional)?

Hysterical pic of God creating a Vespa by giopuo.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 9,350 LaJolla Boat Bed and Pirates of the Caribbean Twin Trundle Beds due to an entrapment and strangulation hazard. The lid supports on the toy chests can fail to prevent the lid from closing too quickly. Sadly, a 22-month-old boy in California strangled to death when a lid fell on to the back of his head, trapping his neck on the edge of the LaJolla Boat Bed.

These beds were made in China and imported by Bayside Furnishings (a division of Whalen), of San Diego, California. They were sold at Costco and furniture retail stores nationwide as well as at Costco.com from January through May 2008 for between $700 and $1,400.

The recall involves two styles of youth beds: the LaJolla Boat Bed and the Pirates of the Caribbean Twin Trundle Bed. The preassembled toy chests are part of the beds' "bow" and are attached as a foot board. The LaJolla Boat Bed toy chest has a hardwood top and white wood base with a blue stripe. The Pirates Boat Bed toy chest has a hardwood top, wheel shape and brown wood base with decorative carvings.

If you have one of these beds, you should immediately stop your children from using the toy chests and contact Bayside Furnishings for instructions on receiving a free repair kit with replacement lid supports. You can reach them by calling (877) 494-2536 anytime, or by visiting their Web site, where you can register online to receive the free repair kit.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 13,000 "It's a Girl Thing" necklaces, bracelets and phone charms due to the presence of lead paint.

Made in China and distributed by Bead Bazaar USA Inc., of Rockville, Maryland, the recalled jewelry features a variety of charms including flowers, shoes, letters and butterflies. The words "It's a Girl Thing" can be found printed on the packaging along with the UPC numbers 633870018419 (bracelet), 633870018426 (necklace), and 633870018433 (phone charm).

These were sold at retailers nationwide from February 2006 through June 2008 for about $6.

If you have any of these jewelry pieces, you should immediately take it away from your child and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, contact Bead Bazaar USA by calling (800) 838-1769 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or by visiting their Web site.

I admit that I am not all that familiar with Angelina Jolie's body of work. I know plenty about her body, her humanitarian work and her personal life, but I don't see many movies that aren't rated "G". I do know that Jolie gets a lot of positive press and that the only real criticism I've heard concerning her film work is that maybe she shouldn't be doing any with all those kids at home.

But someone has found something to complain about regarding Jolie in her new film, Wanted. Dr. Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist in Los Angeles, thinks Jolie is too thin to be an action hero and worries that she presents an unrealistic image of what a strong woman looks like. "A super-thin, super-cool female action hero undoubtedly influences female moviegoers to emulate her," she said. "The underlying message is that being thin gives you power over men: physical and psychological."

Dr. George Pratt, another psychologist, prefers his action figures a little bulkier, like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 and Carrie-Ann Moss in the Matrix films. "There women were represented in a way that displays strength, balance and a healthier body," he says.

Jolie is thin and not exactly what we are used to seeing when it comes to tough chicks in the movies. But it seems to me that there is another way to look at it. Like maybe skinny girls can kick butt, too? Or, it's just a movie and we all know Angelina Jolie isn't really an assassin?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 1,400 remote controlled toy vehicles made by Redcat Racing Co., of Phoenix, Arizona. The remote control unit can lose its signal, causing the toy to go out of control and possibly injure someone. Redcat has received about 15 reports of this happening with no injuries so far.

The faulty remote controls were sold with four different Redcat Racing FM Remote Controlled Vehicles models. Detailed descriptions and photos of the recalled toys can be found here. Look for the model numbers on the body of the vehicle or on the retail packaging.

These were made in China and sold by authorized dealers nationwide from March 2007 through April 2008 for between $260 and $400.

If you have one, you are advised to stop using it immediately and contact Redcat Racing for a replacement remote control. You can reach them by calling collect at (602) 454-6445 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday or through their Website.

When he was younger, my nephew managed to shove a pea so far up his nostril that he ended up spending several hours in the emergency room while the doctors and nurses tried to get it out. Eventually, they did. Not long after, however, he did it again. Luckily, this time, his mom was able to get it out and avoid another trip to the ER.

Apparently, my nephew isn't the only one to have tried this stunt. MomLogic has a list of the top ten things kids stick up their noses, along with the dangers and what to do about them. French fries are not one I would have expected to see on the list, but Crayons -- the same shape and size -- certainly are. Scarily, Kleenex is on the list, since young children may not quite get it that the tissue is supposed to stay on the outside.

Of course, the classic pea is there, along with its cousin the bean. Interestingly, jelly beans are not on the list -- I know my sister once came to the revelation that jelly beans would fit perfectly in her dog's nostrils; luckily she never actually tested her theory. The important thing here, I guess, is that you always have to keep a close eye on your kids -- and their noses.

Diplomats in Geneva recently set new limits on the amount of certain kinds of bacteria allowable in baby formula as well as the level of natural toxins in some types of nuts. They also tackled the amount of gluten permissible in products labeled 'gluten-free.' The safety standards will apply to all internationally shipped foods.

The outcome of the standards is to hopefully affect hygiene practices and therefore reduce the amount of contamination of two kinds of bacteria in powdered formulas which have been known to cause illness and death in infants. Foods labeled gluten-free would not be able to contain more than 20 milligrams of gluten per kilogram, nor could they contain wheat, rye, barley or oats. Regulations were also set for the amounts of aflotoxins in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios. Aflotoxins are known carcinogens in lab animals.

Over 170 countries claim membership to The Codex Alimentarius Commission responsible for making these decision, which also includes the European Union. Other topics for consideration are frozen foods, flavoring, tomatoes (no surprise there given the United States' recent issues with them) and mineral water.

Sleep is an issue for any new parent. Not only are they not getting any, but where in the world is the baby supposed to sleep? Co-sleeping is either ideal or dangerous, depending on who you talk to. Putting the baby in a crib in their own room just adds distance between you and a crying baby in the middle of the night, meaning you have a much greater chance of crashing into doorways in your sleepless stupor.

The AAP has changed their recommendations over the last few years. Though they still don't support co-sleeping, citing the fact that half of all infant deaths catergorized as sudden and unexpected happen when babies share a sleeping surface with adults, they do recommend room sharing, where parents and baby share a room, but not a bed.

According to Drug Free America, summer can mean more than swimming, sunning and shopping for some teenagers. June, July and August are also the months in which teens are more likely to try marijuana for the first time. And as much as parents might want their kids get a job and do something useful with themselves, working actually increases the chances that they will experiment with drugs. Not only does a summer job expose them to older - but not old enough to know better - coworkers, they also have all that extra cash to spread around.

Now, I would not take that bit of information and decide that my teen isn't leaving the house until September, but any parent of a teen should be aware of the warning signs of drug use. Some are easy to spot (red, glassy eyes), while others are hard to distinguish from regular teen behavior (mood swings). Parents, The Anti Drug has great information with detailed signs and symptoms of drug use.

Perhaps the best advice I ever got for raising a drug-free teen was this: don't take your eyes off of them until they are 21. Seriously, the teen years are not the time to relax and assume your work is done. As grown up as they seem and as ready as you may be for them to actually be grown up, they are still kids. Most teens are far from ready to face the challenges of peer pressure, curiosity and plain old rebellion on their own. Arm yourself with knowledge and stay close at hand.

Would you use the new milk jug? Or, are you wedded to the cardboard cartons of what is soon to be the past? I remember when I was a kid and we got milk delivered to our house every week in a glass bottle. Nothing tasted more refreshing. By the time I was a teen those days were gone and we got cartons. Now, those cartons are being replaced by something less expensive to produce and more environmentally sound.

Sound good? It is. Still, the new concept has some consumers fuming, or at least perplexed. The problem with the new milk jug is that it SPILLS. Kids drink more milk than anybody, and this new design, being favored by places like Wal-Mart and Costco, which is becoming more available by the day, is not easy to use.

Kids have trouble pouring anyway, but the new milk jug, so foreign in its design to many, makes that simple task more manageable. Some sellers have taken it upon themselves to educate consumers on the how-to, to make pouring from the jug easier. Folks still are a little unnerved by the square shape of the jug--and they're not convinced the same old milk is in there. I had the same problem with Parmalat. Now I love it, but it was hard getting used to it at first.

What about you? Had any experience with the new milk? And???

This chilling incident luckily had a (mostly) happy ending. A fourteen-year-old girl was attacked by a bear during a bike race in Alaska but was saved by her 911 phone call. The teenager, who remains unnamed as of press-time, was participating in a 24-hour long mountain bike race in Anchorage when she was mauled.

The girl was able to make a call to 911, wherein all she was able to say was the word "bear." She later underwent surgery at a local hospital. Experts say the bear was probably a sow grizzly, and some speculate it was the same bear that went after two joggers earlier thew past week.

Dispatchers called the girl back as part of regular procedure, and another biker heard the ringing and went onto the darkened trail to investigate, discovering the teenager. Another biker remained with her until help arrived, despite the knowledge of the bear attack. Although little information has been released about the teen's condition, Police Lieutenant. Paul Honeman said the girl was in a fight for her life.

Grizzly pic by Ber'Zophus.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of about 6,000 Arctic Cat Youth ATV's due to a problem with the speed controller. Now, they are adding about 1,700 KYMCO ATV's and 6,000 Kawasaki ATV's to the recall list for essentially the same issue.

The KYMCO recall involves the 2008 Model Year Mongoose Youth ATV's. A manufacturing defect in the carburetor can cause the throttle to stick in the open position. Made in Taiwan for KYMCO USA, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, the recalled ATV's include the 2008 Mongoose 50cc, 70cc and 90cc Youth ATVs. You can find KYMCO printed on a label located on the front of the vehicle, and the model name on a label located on each side of the fuel tank.

The recalled ATV's were sold by KYMCO dealers nationwide from August 2007 through June 2008 for between $1,700 and $2,100. If you have one, you should immediately stop using it and contact any authorized KYMCO dealer to schedule a free repair. If you are a registered owner, you should have received notification of this recall via direct mail. For more information, contact KYMCO USA by calling (888) 235-3417 anytime, or by visiting their Web site.

The Kawasaki recall involves 2008 Model Year KFX 50 and KFX 90 Youth ATV's. On these, the throttle can fail to return to the idle position when released or could fail to be at idle on startup. The recall includes 2008 model year KFX 50 (50cc) and KFX 90 (90cc) youth ATV's. The affected models are green or white with black trim and the model name can be found on either side below the handlebars.

These were made in Taiwan for Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A., of Irvine, California and sold by Kawasaki dealerships nationwide from August 2007 through June 2008 for about $1,750 (KFX 50) and $2,200 (KFX 90).

If you have a recalled ATV, you should immediately stop using it and contact any authorized Kawasaki dealer to schedule a free repair. If you are a registered owner, you should have received notification of the recall via direct mail. For more information, contact Kawasaki by calling (866) 802-9381 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or by visiting their Web site.

Back in the days before Eve Ensler, the word 'vagina' was the verboten V-word. Now, it seems, there is another V-word on the horizon that people -- well, guys -- refuse to discuss, let alone think about: the vasectomy. Women have long-regarded the vasectomy as an easier, safer way toward permanent birth-control. Well, it's semi-permanent, actually, because it is a reversible procedure. Men regard it as little more than butchery. Women could get their tubes tied, the men say. Men could wear a condom, the women say. Men say that would reduce their feeling. Women say, well, tough!

But what about the vasectomy, really? Modern medicine would say it is a simpler and safer procedure than tubal ligation. It's also cheaper. There's also a new non-scalpel version on the market (my husband says don't even think of mentioning the words 'scalpel' and 'penis' in the same sentence; it turns him green). The result of unwanted pregnancy after a vasectomy is also low at 1 in 1,000.

It's also a procedure no one is really using. Why? Well, there is the obvious concern that my husband put so well. Then there are the myths that having a vasectomy reduces testosterone, etc. that still float around us like so much hot air. There's also the fear of having a needle stuck in one's weewee, which has been replaced by jet-powered anesthesia.

What about your family? Once you reached the optimal number of children (or no children!) what method of birth control did you or are you employing? Was vasectomy an option, or was it verboten?

Pic by Marshall Astor-Food Pornographer.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 102,000 "Thunder Wolf" Remote Controlled Indoor Helicopters. The rechargeable battery in the helicopter can overheat and cause the helicopter to melt, burn or otherwise cause some unwanted indoor destruction.

The manufacturer, Westminster Inc., of Atlanta, Georgia, has received seven reports of overheating and/or melting helicopters, including one where there were actual flames.

The "Thunder Wolf" remote-controlled indoor helicopter is made of foam and plastic, and measures about 7 inches by 3 inches. They were sold in multiple accent colors and come with a controller and a separate charger. "TW0996" is printed on the tail of the helicopter. Only helicopters that do not have "Made in China" stamped on the underside of the helicopter are included in this recall.

These were sold at retail stores nationwide from June 2007 through December 2007 for about $20 each.

If you have one, stop playing with it now before you burn your house down and contact Westminster Inc. for a refund. You can reach them by calling (800) 618-0023 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET Friday, by visiting their Web site, or by sending an email to info@thunderwolfhelicopter.com.

A teen girl in Kansas has found herself in a waking nightmare, charged with rape of a thirteen-year-old boy. The girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, was fourteen at the time of the alleged crime and she claims she was the one violated, not the other way around.

She tells a local news channel that she and three friends were spending a Saturday night together, watching movies and just hanging out. When two of her friends left the room, she says the thirteen year old boy forced himself on her. About a month later, she visited her school counselor to talk about what happened. "I wanted help because it was my first time and I was scared," she says.

The counselor went to the police and here's where things get even more messed up: the cops charged the girl with rape and criminal sodomy. No, it wasn't a paperwork error. Under Kansas law, sex with anyone under the age of fourteen is considered rape, even if it is consensual. Obviously the boy consented to the sex, but because he was under fourteen and the girl was over fourteen, he was raped.

The girl is telling her story because she wants people to know what is happening to her. Her lawyer, Sean Shores, is so outraged that he is defending her free of charge. "She went to her counselor, she asked for help, reached out for help and the message they sent her was--she should have kept her mouth shut," says Shores.

The message I am getting here is that common sense is dead. And buried in a steel box in the center of the earth. Let's hope they can dig it up before this girl's trial begins next month.