Lead Alert 1.

[Guest]

When purchasing any item with a cord at a discounter or big box store that carries China produced items, exercise caution. I had to replace an old blender I use to whirl up raw veggie dinner scraps that I mix with water and then pour on container plants.

My new purchase - from Wal-mart - had a cord with an outer coating of lead. A plug tag cautions the consumer to wash their hands after each contact with the cord. I immediately returned the item and learned that Wal-Mart consumers have been returning garden power tools, power cords, irons, lamps and extension cords for the same reason - lead coating on the cord. This info is not printed on the outside of the box and the warning tag on the cord is hidden on store display items. One must open any packaging and specifically notice the warning. As cords tend to stiffen over time how much of that lead is going to flake off? All boxed items were stamped: Produced in China and Distributed by Wal-Mart.

Lead exposure is unacceptable at any level.

[grandpasrose]

Thanks alot for the warning! Everyone thinks these big box stores are such a great thing - til things like this come out! Great tip
VAL

[Grey]

Oh how scary!

Personally, I avoid Wal-Mart as much as possible - for reasons ranging from how they treat their employees, not wanting to deal with crowds and long lines, to just liking the mom-and-pop stores better.

But while on the subject of buying things from other countries (specifically, 3rd-world countries): someone I know started doing some research on the countries where our fruits and vegetables get shipped in from off-season. In some countries like Mexico, DDT and other pesticides/fungicides are still legal and can be used on the produce they export.

Someone else who visited China told me she will never buy produce from China ever again after seeing the living conditions and how things are raised there.

I found out that 70% of our food that has either soy or wheat is genetically engineered and it does not have to be marked. Genetically engineered food has no labeling requirement! I then found out that Kraft foods uses GE products and after calling the company and asking them what products they were in, I found out that they have no idea. They don't track what they put it in and said it is most likely in everything because the wheat and soy they buy is GE.

Good thing we here are gardeners, and if we don't grow it, I bet we know someone who does and buy locally!

[grandpasrose]

Totally Grey! And it's almost like you can't avoid it! At some point, this stuff touches you life in one way or another! You can be the most health conscious and aware person earth, and there is still going to be so much you are exposed to that is totally out of your control.
Make you want to hibernate in your own little eden if you think too much about it!
Walmart came to our city about three years ago, and has basically destroyed the rest of the city. There are very few alternative places to shop left, and the ones that are left, are barely hanging on. I have refused to shop there since it arrrived, but it is becoming more and more difficult since all the other stores are closing.
The other thing to consider when we are buying products from other countries is who made it. Was it someone who was seven years old? I really hate to think about what those poor children go through.
Anyway, that's my little addition - I guess we're not really supposed to go into these touchy subjects!
VAL

[The Helpful Gardener]

Sam Walton wrapped himself in the flag to help sell stuff and now his company is in the process of shipping jobs overseas and destroying the American Dream for a lot of good entrepreneurs. Nice

HG

[opabinia51]

I personally love mom and pop stores Grey! And you never get freebees from Walmart or Homedepot. Wow, if I had a nickel for every free item that I have recieved over the years from all the mom and pop places that I go to, I have a lot of nickels!

Not to mention all the friends and gardening buddies I've made.

[Grey]

It is awful how the mom and pops wind up closing and the folks who used to work there now have to don that awful blue vest. The health care package, I am told, is basically nonexistant unless you are in management.

As for China, I don't think everything we buy and put in our homes needs to come from China! They aren't so nice to their people (I had a Chinese roomie for a year in college) and we shouldn't be supporting that.

Our money should stay here, as much as possible. We need jobs HERE.

Around me, a cotton mill just closed a few months ago. The workers were asking what they could do to keep their jobs - the answer was "are you willing to work for $2 a day?"

So more fabric will be coming from China. And a lot of those millworkers moved - the town north of me where the mill was has about 1/4 of its houses for sale now. The folks that stayed went to Wal-Mart or have a long drive to go to for work now.

It is just sad. And it only contributes to the decline of the middle class.

Mom and Pops are great - we have two little hardware stores in my town, and you never get such help in a box store... But the funny part is, they know your history, the house's history from 50 years ago... lol. I live in a small town now.