Zhu Zhu Pets

Good Guide

Good Guide was started by University of California-Berkeley professor ('nuff said?) who learned that the sunscreen he'd been putting on his daughter contained a "toxic ingredient." Long story short Good Guide is a "new" type of company it calls "for benefit" company. It's a startup "at the forefront of integrating science and technology, working to fill a huge information gap in the marketplace."

Good Guide says that you through it you can "find safe, healthy, and green products that product you and your family." That's all very sweet and commendable. However, why trust Good Guide anymore than the companies that make the products and the government agencies that oversee them? I know of no good reason at this point.

In case you don't know, every company operates "for profit." Companies that don't make a profit don't last. A "non-profit" "for-benefit" and "for profit" all make profit. The "non-profits" merely spend all their money on their operating costs and whatever cause or causes they serve. A "for profit" shares the profits with stockholders, employees, and the government.

Good Guide may be good at heart but it's still a company that must make money, hire and pay employees. In fact it has available jobs posted on its website.

Good Guide and Zhu Zhu Pets

Try to find the rating for Zhu Zhu Pets on the Good Guide website and at first you'll be a little confused. It's not under the "TOYS" category, nope, it's under "ARTS & MUSIC" "KIDS ELECTRONICS." (What the???!)

Okay, I found the rating, and it's a 5.2 for Mr. Squiggles, one of four of the Zhu Zhu pets. Okay, get this, there are eight "KIDS ELECTRONICS" rated worse than Mr. Squiggles (Hear of any of them?) and nine rated better (Hear of any of those?). I'm still trying to figure out the ARTS & MUSIC category.

Supposedly some Mr. Squiggles were found to have some amounts of Antimony on them. By its own admission Good Guide says...

While most tested toys were found to have no antimony, some toys had low levels (Less than 500 parts per million) and a few had over 1000 parts per million.

Did you get that? "most...no anitimony"

It is true that the "some" and "few" reportedly tested positive for antimony were above the EPA's Maximum Containment Level of 6 parts per billion but with most "found to have no antimony" there doesn't seems to be any cause for alarm.

Antimony

Antimony is common to electronics and is used in batteries, semi-conductors, ceramics, and paint.
The EPA states...

Short-term: EPA has found antimony to potentially cause the following health effects when people are exposed to it at levels above the MCL for relatively short periods of time: nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Long-term: Antimony has the potential to cause the following effects from a lifetime exposure at levels above the MCL: AND/OR- Antimony is a (known/potential drinking water) human carcinogen. OR- No reliable data are available concerning health effects from long-term exposure to antimony in drinking water.

The Rub

Do you know that you can purchase Zhu Zhu pets from online retailers via links on Good Guide's web site?
It's called "Associates Program" and it's a way for Good Guide to make a little extra coin. Mr. Squiggles mustn't be all that dangerous after all.

Don't Blame Good Guide

Good Guide just doles out ratings, it doesn't issue warnings or recall notices.

Someone caught wind of the rating-possibly even a Zhu Zhu competitor or POd momma who didn't get one saw the rating and because the Zhu Zhu are such hot items (why???!) decided to pick on them. Why aren't the other "KIDS ELECTRONICS" or "TOYS" with poor ratings? I don't know.

Our data overloaded online society is a little out of hand at times.

Too Funny

By the way, in researching this article I ran across a website entitle People for Clean Beds.Org.

Read what one of its banner statements says...

As of July 1 2007 all mattresses nationwide, including cribs, must be flameproof and contain toxic chemicals. Please help get the word out

Get the word out! All mattresses must "CONTAIN TOXIC CHEMICALS"

Everyone makes typos (I make a million) but you'd think an organizations main focus would get it right.

My point; don't believe everything you read; especially on the www.

No, I'm not being paid by Mr. Squiggles or his company.

Zhu Zhu Pets are Trade Marks of the Cepia Company