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Hey everyone, 

I just wanted to remind everyone that you have now 18 days left to vote on my poll, located on the right side of my page telling me what content you would like to see more here on this blog. You may choose multiple answers, heck you can even choose all *lol*! Just choose something please, I have more votes on the do you like my blog poll then the other which is much more important! So please vote away, and thank you for reading/voting♥

  

Despite Promises, Toys R Us Still Selling 'Toxic Toys'....

Looking for chemical-free toys this Christmas season? A group of advocates warns that Toys "R" Us is not the place to shop.
A recent report, commissioned by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice in conjunction with the Teamsters Office of Consumers Affairs finds high levels of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other chemicals in toys sold at the store. Although two years ago Toys "R" Us promised to reduce the use of PVC in the toys they sell and to offer more PVC-free products, the store has "not kept its promise."
Their investigation found that 72 percent of the toys tested contained high levels of chlorine, which indicates they were most likely made of PVC. Toys testing positive for PVC were not labeled as such.
A widely used type of plastic, PVC is often a harbinger of harmful chemicals. During production of the plastic, workers can be exposed to vinyl chloride and dioxin, both known carcinogens. Normally rigid, PVC requires the addition of plasticizers and stabilizers, like phthalates, lead and organotins. Phthalates are linked to a wide range of health problems, including asthma, allergies and reproductive problems. Most childcare products and kid's toys containing greater than 0.1 percent of certain phthalates are considered banned hazardous substances, according to healthystuff.org, a group that researches chemicals in consumer products.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is reviewing phthalates in children's toys, including a two-day meeting this week to study the effect on children's health of all phthalates and phthalate alternatives used in children's toys and products. Some states and the EU have already banned the use of the chemicals in toys.
The CHEJ report also found that 20 percent of the toys in the study contained tin, indicating the presence of organotins in the toys.
"Two years ago, millions of toys were recalled because they were contaminated with lead. This new investigation found that Toys R Us and their suppliers have replaced one toxic hazard, lead, with another, organotins. Toys R Us need to finish the job and get PVC and organotins out of the toys they sell once and for all," said Jeff Gearhart, Research Director at the Ecology Center, in the CHEJ press release.
Since the report found Toys "R" Us had not kept their promise to phase out PVC, a coalition of environmental justice, parents and children's health groups launched a new website,"Toxic Toys R Us," in an effort to hold them accountable this holiday season and to encourage them to phase out toxic plastics. On Black Friday, they launched a Facebook campaign and had supporters use the "Toxic Toys R Us" logo as their Facebook picture. As the holidays approach, it's likely the pressure will mount for Toys "R" Us to go PVC-free.
Tell Toys "R" Us to stand up to their promise of phasing out PVC products and offering PVC-free products by signing the Center for Environment, Health and Justice's petition.

Penn hospital seeks public's help to identify an unconscious patient .......Do you recognize this woman?

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania released photos of an unidentified patient, unconscious for nearly four months, in hopes that someone will recognize her.

Penn hospital seeks public's help to identify an unconscious patient...

She has lain in a hospital bed for nearly four months, unconscious, unresponsive and unidentified. Police have sent her fingerprints nationwide.

Social workers at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania have spent days sifting through missing person web sites, inviting in social service workers who might recognize her, calling community and health agencies.

Jane Doe — white, 5-feet, 5-inches tall and 140 to 150 pounds, probably in her 40s, with salt-and-pepper hair — went into cardiac arrest on a park bench in Kensington on the evening of Aug. 13. Although she was treated quickly — first by Philadelphia paramedics, then emergency room doctors at Aria Health’s Frankford campus, and, a few hours later, by the cardiac intensive care team at HUP — her heart did not regain a normal beat for at least 43 minutes, depriving her brain of oxygen.

The paramedics who tried to resuscitate her found nothing in her pockets, no slogans on her green T-shirt, nothing notable about her windbreaker, jeans shorts and white sneakers.

She has no scars, no indication of drug use. About the only thing social workers have to go on are three names on three tattoos: “Bruce” (in a ribbon surrounded by a heart) on her left arm; “Dave” on her right arm; “David” on her left calf.

Jane and John Does arrive often in emergency rooms. But most are identified within hours. Queries to dozens of hospitals around the region turned up no memories of any that took more than a week or so.

“The longest was probably maybe close to four or five days,” recalled Edythe Shapiro, a social worker at Methodist Hospital. It was a couple of years ago, she said, when she managed to identify an uncouscious man on her unit by comparing a tattoo (the name turned out to be his mother’s), car registrations pulled by police (a small number of cars were parked in a lot near where he was found), and newspaper obituaries (his mother had died, and he was listed as a survivor). She located relatives, and he actually woke up a few days later.

So far there are fewer clues to the current Jane Doe, and her future is less positive. Although technically not in a coma — she sleeps at night, is awake during the day, and reacts to pain — she has not responded to commands or movement for four months.

Her eyes flutter open — sometimes wide — and closed according to no pattern, and she has little brain activity. Her condition, a persistent vegetative state, is similar that of Terri Schiavo, whose life support was removed amid national controversy in Florida five years ago.

“There is no chance of recovery or cognitive function,” Charles Baillie, her attending physician, said Friday. Nevertheless, the patient is stable, on only minor medications, and breathing on her own. She could be transferred to a longterm care facility that is capable of dealing with the tube in her neck that is mainly helping to humidify her throat.

The problem is, nursing homes will not accept a patient without guarantee of payment, which requires a social security number, which requires a name.

IF anyone has ANY info on this woman!  Please contact ANY of these contact numbers for the University of Penn........

Office/Person	Phone Number
Admissions Office	(215) 662-2335
Appointments	1-800-789-PENN (7366)
Business Office	(215) 662-2672
Environment (Housekeeping)	(215) 662-2585
Gift Shop	(215) 662-2701
Main Hospital Number (Operator)	(215) 662-4000 or (0)
Chaplain	(215) 662-2591
Patient and Guest Relations	(215) 662-2575
Hospice Central Intake	1-866-888-8598
Hospice General Information	(610) 617-2400
Notary	(215) 662-2575
Outpatient Pharmacy	(215) 662-2920
Outpatient Pharmacy Fax	(215) 349-8340
Patient Information	(215) 662-3308
Social Work	(215) 662-3161
Security	(215) 662-2677
Surgical Family Lounge	(215) 662-3320
TV/Telephone Services	(215) 662-4700