Toxic Toys and Lipstick: Europe thinks it's dangerous, US says "Prove it" ... now Prove it again and again ...

Terry Gross, host of the popular radio show Fresh Air, has a really interesting (and scary) interview with Mark Schapiro about the difference in regulations and philosophy between Europe and the U.S. when it comes to toxic substances in our everyday goods like toys or cosmetics. I urge you to listen to it.

Here's what Fresh Air's website says about it:

Mark Schapiro, Exposing a Toxic U.S. Policy

Fresh Air from WHYY, November 26, 2007 · Investigative reporter Mark Schapiro explains in a new book that toxic chemicals exist in many of the products we handle every day — agents that can cause cancer, genetic damage and birth defects, lacing everything from our gadgets to our toys to our beauty products.

And unlike the European Union, the U.S. doesn't require businesses to minimize them — or even to list them, so consumers can evaluate the risks. Schapiro argues that that policy isn't just bad for public health: In an increasingly green economy, he says, American businesses stand to get shut out of a huge market.

Schapiro, editorial director of the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting, has written for Harper's, The Nation, Mother Jones and The Atlantic Monthly. His book is called Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products, and What's at Stake for American Power.

One of the things that they talk about is how the European Union is a much bigger market than the U.S. This is starting to have a significant impact on businesses here in the U.S. Because if we sell something that doesn't live up to the standards set by the EU, it won't sell in the EU. So, from a purely capitalistic practical point of view ... why don't we change?

Some of the products that have toxic chemicals in them are cell phones and computers.

Really, the show is very interesting. I learned a lot.

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Science - Anatomy Of A Black Hole

I'm not sure where I found this, but it sure is cool.

It's a demo of the current theory of black holes, although I believe the wormhole time-travel aspect of the theory has been very recently debunked. Enjoy.

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Media Giants Take On YouTube

These people just don't get it, do they? Media giants planning a rival to YouTube. Someone should tell them that YouTube's popularity is largely based on the perception that it is a guerilla site, and that mass media will predict freezing sleet in Hell before they'll keep their greasy fingers out of the content bowl.

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Embarrasment in Connecticut

If you haven't read about the miscarriage of justice in the case of Connecticut teacher Julie Amero, hie thee to MyLeftNutmeg for details. Forthwith.

Basically, Julie Amero, a substitute teacher, was given a boat anchor running Win 98 and IE, and malware on the machine caused an endless loop of pop-up porn.

Now, this happened to me nearly a decade ago, when I was taking a training class with my manager, and I work in hi-tech, and our IT department is excellent. Somehow one of the training room computers had become infected, and we could not kill the pop-ups until we cold-booted the wretched machine. Something Ms. Amero's IT department advised her never to do.

My manager was more embarrassed than I, I think, being as he was a gay man not used to viewing het porn. I was merely mildly amused at the porn but disgusted at the hijacking of the machine and interruption of the lesson.

Ms. Amero, however, is possibly looking at a 40-year jail term. For details on what to do to prevent this hideousness, click the above link. There are names, addresses, and phone numbers of folk to whom you may address a polite email or letter informing them that they are dumber than a termite-eaten post. Well, no, strike that. But call or write the goblocks, anyway.

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