So did you hear about the news from El Segundo, Calif.? It seems Mattel has decided to recall a high number of toys because of fears of high lead paint levels on the toys thanks to a factory in China.  The investgation is continuing as to whether the act was done intentionally or not.

Mattel has profusely apologized and stressed that it will get to the bottom of the problem so that it doesn't happen again. Here is what I don't understand. Are these toys tested before they hit the market? Some of these toys were available in April. It's August. Is testing done on the toys after they appear on shelves? Is there no self-testing done at Mattel? Are the factories free to produce them how they want and make the manufacturers check their safety levels? I have so many questions.

I would also like to know how much a kid would have to suck on these toys before the "high" lead content actually had an adverse effect. A lot of toys used lead paint in the past (not to mention paint used in homes) — was there a jump in health problems then? I'm not saying eating lead paint is a good thing, and I feel for those who have been affected. However, if the levels are small enough that it would take eight weeks of sucking on a toy for two hours a day to notice anything different, I wonder why that isn't mentioned in the news stories so people don't start a mad dash to the overreaction clinic.

Will my opinion change when I have kids? Probably. But right now, I see a lot of these recalls as a way to stay ultra-safe in an at-times unsafe world.