Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.

Please pass this on even IF you've read it before. It's a reminder.

Turn Signal Neglect Causes 2 Million Crashes Annually: Study

This is one of my pet peeves (just ask my husband): READ MORE

Calphalon blender recalled due to injury hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of 22,000 Calphalon XL 9-speed blenders. An additional 400 blenders are being recalled in Canada. A fragment of the blender’s blade unit can break off during operation, posing an injury hazard. The announcement comes three months after Consumer Reports rated this Calphalon blender a Don't Buy: Safety Problem due to the same blade-related risk of injury.

READ MORE

How not to kill yourself when you BBQ

Woman dies. Husband severely injured. Guests injured.

Fillmore Woman Dies After Handheld Propane Torch Explodes At Family Cookout

Chief Rigo Landeros of the Fillmore Fire Department responded to the scene and explained what he believed happened.

“They lit the charcoal barbeque with the device. They set it on the side of the barbeque, right on the shelf. The container was getting heated by the radiant heat from the actual barbeque itself. The canister actually exploded,” he said.

Landeros said the gas inside the propane tank expanded and ultimately caused the explosion.

He said people should read the instructions on the canister to avoid a similar occurrence.

“Store (the propane torch) in a cool place. When you’re using it, do not expose it to radiant heat,” said Landeros.

40,000 American pets die each year in fires!

I can always tell when there is a fire victim in the hospital by the burnt smell in the hall. It’s heartbreaking to watch the family comfort their singed pet by talking through the Plexiglas door of the animal’s oxygen tent.

Advanced planning is critical to saving every member of the family, including your pets.

Here are a few tips to keep your pets safe this Halloween:

* Keep pets indoors in a secure, comfortable area with a radio or television playing in the background.  Many pets fear the noises of trick-or-treaters.

* Always keep your pet’s license current. A current license and ID tags securely affixed to your pet’s collar.  A license tag and a microchip is the only voice a pet has if he or she becomes lost.

* Do not leave pets outside unattended.  Loud noises frighten pets and they may panic, become confused, and go through great lengths to escape their enclosures.

* Keep pets away from all candy. Chocolate, which contains theobromine, can be poisonous to pets, causing nerve damage and even death.

* Properly dispose of all candy wrappers. Tinfoil and cellophane candy wrappers are tempting treats for pets and can cause pets to choke or to have intestinal blocks.

* Keep pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns away from pets.  Pets can easily knock them over, which could result in a burn.

* Halloween pet costumes can pose safety hazards for pets.  Do not dress your pet up unless he or she is used to it.  Make sure the costume does not restrict their movement, vision, hearing, or the ability to breathe or bark. Pet costumes should not have small or dangling accessories that can be swallowed by your pet.

* If your pet does become lost, it is critical that you physically visit the animal shelters surrounding your area. Be sure to bring a photograph of your missing pet to post at your local shelter.

For more information, contact your local animal shelter!

SCV NEWS

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GRAPHIC

Consumer Product Safety Commission

Starting in March 2011, safety incident reports about all products regulated by the CPSC are scheduled to become publicly viewable online in a new CPSC database at www.SaferProducts.gov.

Consumers will be able to report safety hazards they have experienced, and to research the safety records of products they may own or consider purchasing. The agency describes it as “a critical tool that allows us to partner with consumers, manufacturers, and retailers to keep American families safe.”

FOIA requests examine glass bakeware that shatters

Protect your kids against dog bites

Young children and dog bites

June 15, 2010

Each year 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites, half of them children. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about 16 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children 5 to 9 years old are the most vulnerable. Not surprisingly, having a dog in the home results in a higher incidence of dog bites. The more dogs, the more likelihood of bad encounters. Adults with two or more dogs in the household are five times more likely to be bitten than those living without dogs at home, says the CDC.

It's important to take precautions if you are considering getting a dog as a pet. Because so many dog bites happen to young children, the ASPCA recommends waiting until your child is at least 10 years old before getting a dog. When you do, the main safety lesson for children is to not chase or tease dogs they know and to avoid dogs they don’t know. (See more child safety tips around animals.)

More tips:

•Don't approach an unfamiliar dog
•If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still
•Avoid direct eye contact with a dog
•Do not pet a dog without allowing it to see and sniff you first
•Don't disturb a dog while she's sleeping, eating, chewing on a toy, or caring for puppies
•Don't run from a dog, its natural instinct is to chase you

For more news about and safety tips for avoiding dog bites, read the full Safety blog post.

Prepare!

Can you and your family and your pets survive an emergency?

THE LIST OF LISTS

[Recommended on the Glenn Beck tv show]

The most beautiful advertisement I've ever seen

Short...and sweet