Do you have a Miley Cyrus fan in your house? I sure do. Mine loves her music, her style and her television show. She knows Cyrus' favorite color, the names of her pets and every word to all of her songs. What she doesn't know is that her idol has a very bad habit of behaving inappropriately in front of cameras, leading to embarrassing photos splashed across the Internet. She doesn't know this because I don't allow her to surf the Web on her own. She doesn't Google and she doesn't click anywhere without asking first.

Because she is only seven and completely unaware of what Miley is getting up to in her spare time, I haven't found it necessary to address the situation. I am not sure how she would react if I were to suddenly ban any and all things Miley from our house, but that is exactly what some moms are doing. According to Fox News, some British parents have had enough of the pop star's provocative posing and are boycotting her merchandise. Moms interviewed at a London Disney store say they "feel she is now of an unsuitable nature for a 15-year-old megastar."

I agree. Her behavior is unsuitable for her younger fans. But Miley herself is a teenager and kind of doing what teenagers do - physically maturing and dealing with her burgeoning sexuality. She just happens to be doing it in a very inappropriate and public way.

If banning her from my house would somehow make Miley realize the error of her ways, I would do it. But we all know that isn't going to happen. So I guess I will have to do the next best thing. If and when the time comes that I have to explain what Miley Cyrus is doing posing for the camera wearing nothing but a wet t-shirt and a come-hither look, I will just tell the truth: she's making a fool of herself.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 120,000 Cuddly Comfort Pillows. Due to a mechanical breakdown in the manufacturing process, some pillows contain metal fragments in the fiber-fill, which could cause abrasions to consumers.

These were made in China, imported by Sleep Innovations, and sold at certain Costco stores nationwide from February 2008 through June 2008 for about $20 each.

The Cuddly Comfort Pillows were sold in packs of two in white, violet, blue, pink and yellow. They measure 20" wide by 26" long and only those with Registration Number PA-27156(CA) are included in the recall. You can find the Registration Number and the words "Sleep Innovations" printed on the pillow's tag.

If you have these pillows, you should immediately stop using them and return them to any Costco store for a full refund. For more information, contact Sleep Innovations by calling (866) 656-0610 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or by visiting their Web site.

On the surface, 42-year-old Deborah Angilley probably looks like your typical soccer mom. Attending games and even coaching at one point, you could say she is very involved with her kid's athletic life. Maybe a little too involved.

The Edgewood, Washington mom is accused of embezzling $72,000 from the Fife-Milton-Edgewood Soccer Club. And she wasn't just feeding her Starbucks habit and gassing up her SUV with all that cash. It seems she had a little gambling problem. Police accuse her of spending a big chunk of the stolen money at the Emerald Queen Casino. In fact, she spent enough to become one of the casino's "preferred players." You don't earn that status playing quarter slots.

She is also accused of writing checks to her teen son as well as her landlord, who could also be in trouble if they had any inkling where the cash came from.

Her thieving ways nearly ruined the soccer league. "The club almost folded due to this theft, but has stayed in existence only through the generosity of those that have loaned us about $40,000," League president Jeff Flesner said.

While I am shocked and saddened that anyone would steal money from kids this way, I am also blown away by how much money she managed to pilfer. $72,000! It won't happen again, though. Flesner says the league has now taken steps to prevent future treasurers from having unchecked access to the league's money.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 115,000 It's My Binky Personalized Pacifiers. The pacifier can come apart and pose a choking hazard to infants. No injuries have been reported, but the company has received two reports of this happening.

Made in Malaysia for It's My Binky of Henderson, Nevada, the pacifiers were sold at Nordstrom and baby boutique retail stores nationwide and online from February 2006 through June 2008 for between $5 and $6.

The recalled pacifiers have the word "Japlo" imprinted on the front of the pacifier shield at the bottom center. They were sold in blue, white and pink with various words or designs printed on the button of the pacifier. Photos showing examples of some of the text and symbols on the recalled pacifiers can be found here.

If you have one of these pacifiers, you should immediately take it away from your child and return it to the store where purchased or contact It's My Binky to receive a free replacement pacifier. You can reach It's My Binky by calling (888) 689-9444 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday PT or by visiting their Website. You can also email Danielle Riiber at Danielle@itsmybinky.com.

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Playgrounds have changed a lot since I was a kid. Metal play equipment bolted onto hard concrete pads are a thing of the past. Today, playgrounds are made to be safe, with plastic equipment set atop cushioned surfaces designed to make sure nobody gets hurt while having a good time. For the most part, the changes are a good thing. But while kids may not be leaving layers of skin behind on the boiling hot slides or pavement, the sun can still heat a playground up to a dangerous level.

Anne Casson, a mom in Brooklyn, found this out when her toddler son's bare foot met the rubber safety mat covering a Brooklyn, New York playground. "He stepped onto the black mats and was screaming hysterically," Casson said. "When I picked him up, the skin was just hanging off his feet." That poor child spent four days in the hospital on morphine.

Although a spokesperson for New York's Parks Department says there were no similar incidents reported at any of the city's other playgrounds, doctors say it isn't uncommon. Two city hospital burn units say they see 16-18 young patients each year suffering from playground burns, mostly from the mats placed under junglegyms and slides.

In the hot summer months, those rubber mats can heat up to 165 degrees or more - hot enough to burn the skin in seconds. The city of New York insists their playgrounds are safe and that they have no plans to remove the mats or replace them with the CPSC- recommended lighter-colored ones.

Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates is outraged. "It is unconscionable that the city continues to install products in playgrounds that hurt the most vulnerable park users - small children," he said. "How many more have to get hurt until someone is held accountable?"

President George Bush has signed into law the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act, which is designed to prevent kids from being burned or otherwise injured from gasoline. The Act requires portable gasoline containers to conform to child resistance safety requirements already in place for other flammable liquids. This new requirement applies to containers manufactured for sale in the United States on or after January 17, 2009.

"Families who purchase gasoline cans with child resistant gas caps and who keep all flammable liquids out of the sight and reach of children are improving the safety of their homes," said Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Acting Chairman Nancy Nord.

Keep your kids safe around gasoline by following this tips, courtesy of CPSC:

• Buy a gasoline container that is child resistant.
• Place a gasoline container in a well ventilated, cool area.
• Never store gasoline or other fuel inside the house, in the basement, or near a fuel-burning appliance, open flames, pilot lights, stoves, heaters, electric mowers, or any other sources of ignition.
• Never smoke near gasoline.
• Never carry gasoline in the trunk of the car. Escaping vapors can easily ignite.
• Keep gasoline, kerosene and other fuels out of the reach of children. Never permit children to play with matches or fuel.

The Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act was introduced to Congress by Dennis Moore, D-Kansas, after he learned of a tragic accident involving two children in his state. A four-year-old boy died and his younger brother was permanently scarred after they opened a gas can and spilled its contents near a hot water heater.

In most high schools, senior pranks are par for the course. Every year, graduating classes across the country try to top their predecessors with the most outrageous stunts they can come up with. Most pranks are harmless enough, but even those can get you in trouble.

19-year-old Calvin Morett had what I'm sure he thought was a great idea for a harmless prank for this year's Saratoga Springs High School graduation ceremony. He dressed up in a 6 foot tall penis costume and ran across the stage spraying Silly String on the audience. His prank was a hit on YouTube, but not so much with the attendees of the ceremony.

Earlier this week, a judge ordered Morett to write a formal apology to the city of Saratoga Springs. He must pay to have that apology printed in the local newspaper as well as perform 24 hours of community service to atone for his deed.

I watched the video and I thought it was pretty funny. But it wasn't the most important day of my kid's life, so I can see where some parents might not have seen the humor.

If you have ever seen a Reborn baby doll, then you know that they look for all the world like real babies. Reborns are popular with doll collectors as well as those who can't or don't want to have actual children. Some of these dolls come complete with beating hearts and an apparatus that makes them appear to breathe. Some of them, however, just lie there looking like real babies who aren't breathing. Like the one police in Australia saw when they peered into the window of an otherwise empty and locked automobile. Believing a child's life was in danger, the police smashed the window and rescued the doll.

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This isn't the only case of police being fooled by a Reborn. A similar incident in the United States cost a man a window out of his brand new Hummer after his wife left her Reborn in his car.

I think if you are going to have a fake baby that looks so lifelike that people will break out your windows to rescue it, you might want to add a blanket to your fake diaper bag. That way, you will have something to throw over it when you leave it alone in the car.

Lots of little boys dream of careers in law enforcement. In preparation, they spend hours playing cop, arresting their little friends and writing tickets. But this sort of pretend police work is just child's play for Landon Wilburn of Louisville, Kentucky. He found an effective way to actually enforce the law and has become a neighborhood hero because of it.

Like a lot of subdivisions, the one where 11-year-old Landon lives has a problem with cars speeding through the streets. Residents have complained to police and Landon and his friends regularly yell at drivers to slow down. But when these efforts failed, Landon came up with a better idea. He got out his Hot Wheels toy radar gun, donned a bright orange vest, and grabbed his siren-equipped flashlight. He set himself up on the side of the street and began tracking the speed of passing cars.

Yeah, it's a toy but it actually works! The speed limit in Landon's neighborhood is 25 mph, but he clocked some cars going close to 55 mph. At least they were until they spotted what they assumed was a police officer with a radar gun aimed at them. Neighbor George Ayers says, "When I saw it happening, I got the biggest kick out of it. People were locking up their brakes when they saw him."

Fortunately, Landon may soon find his radar gun is no longer needed. After commissioning a study on speeding in the area, speed humps are being installed in the neighborhood.

Sometimes all a kid needs to get a good night's sleep is a little noise.

Last year, former Family Ties actor Brian Bonsall made headlines when he was arrested and convicted of third degree assault. You may remember Bonsall as Michael J. Fox's little brother, Andy, on the popular 1980's sitcom. After his conviction last year, the now 26-year-old Boulder, Colorado resident was sentenced to two years' probation for pouring a drink on his girlfriend, grabbing her in a choke-hold and throwing her down on the bed when she tried to leave. Nice.

Today, he's back in the headlines for failing to abide by the terms of his probation. He is accused of not paying for his court-ordered domestic-violence classes, missing his daily alcohol checks and testing positive for at least one breathalyzer test that he did take. But it gets worse. He was due in court yesterday to face those charges and failed to show. The judge in the case is expected to issue a warrant for his arrest today.

Sadly, a former child star getting in trouble isn't all that unusual. But what really gets me is the photos that accompany the article. From sweet-faced little boy to rough-looking criminal, it is enough to break any parent's heart.

When answering machines first became affordable, I ran right out and got one. How great to be able to communicate with others without having to actually talk to them! These days, of course, our options for impersonal communication have increased. With the advent of email, instant messaging and text-messaging, one could conceivably go for days without actually having to speak to another person. According to this article, such non-verbal communication has big-time appeal for the average teenager.

Stephen Saiz, manager of consumer insight and strategy of the Walt Disney Internet Group's North American mobile division, says that text-messaging has become a handy parent-avoidance device for many teens. "Teens are pushing their parents to go on mobile because they don't really want to communicate with them directly," he said.

Because of this, more and more parents are jumping on the texting bandwagon. Saiz says that most of the older people using their cell phone mobile applications are mothers who were pushed into the world of texting by their kids. And why don't kids want to talk to mom on the phone? Saiz believes it is due to the fact that they are busy pursuing much more important activities: playing video games and hanging with their friends.

Does this happen to you? Do you call your child's phone only to end up in voice mail? Does your kid respond to you with a text message? Is this okay with you?

Barbie has always provoked strong emotions in some, but with the introduction of Bratz dolls, she seemed downright quaint. Well, she is quaint no more. With Mattel's September release of a doll based on the DC comic superhero Black Canary, Barbie is going to find herself back on the naughty girl list.

Clad in black thigh-high leather boots and gloves, fishnet stockings and a motorcycle jacket, this S&M Barbie is stirring more than little girls' imaginations. A spokesman for the religious group Christian Voice finds this sexed-up plaything to be just too much. "Barbie has always been on the tarty side and this is taking it too far. A children's doll in sexually suggestive clothing is irresponsible – it's filth."

I agree that perhaps this isn't Barbie's best look and wouldn't buy it for my kid. But that won't be a problem because she doesn't want Black Canary. When I showed her this photo and asked for her opinion, she looked aghast. "She's not wearing any pants!" she exclaimed. Good girl.

In the left corner, wearing a garden hat and gloves, we have 77-year-old Avis Blakeslee. In the right corner, we have a crazy, rabid fox. Ding ding.

That's not exactly how it went down in Avis Blakelee's Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania garden last week, but the result was the same. She was out in her yard, tending her petunias, when she was attacked by what she thought was a dog. After the animal bit her, she held its mouth shut and pinned it to the ground with one arm, while using her free arm to flag down a passing car. She got the attention of a motorist, whose cries alerted her teenage grandson next door to her predicament. He ran for help while his dad, Blakeslee's son, put what turned out to be a fox down for the count with a well-placed bullet.

Blakeslee is recovering after a four-day stay in the hospital where she underwent surgery to clean out seven wounds in her arm and one in her leg. The fox, who was determined to be rabid, has gone to that big boxing ring in the sky.

It guess it sounded like a good idea on paper: a national campaign to collect clothing donations for homeless youth featuring non-homeless, fully-clothed youth. Except for the part where the clothed youth are supposed to take their clothes off. Sponsored by cell-phone company Virgin Mobile and National Network For Youth (NN4Y), the Strip2Clothe campaign asks young people to make a video of themselves stripping and post it online. Clothing companies then donate new clothes based on the number of times the video is viewed.

This strip-tease idea doesn't sit well with some of the organizations the campaign is intended to benefit. Catholic Charities, among other groups, has complained saying the effort is inappropriate and that it exploits young people. Rebecca Lentz, a spokeswoman for Catholic Charities, is especially horrified because she says that it isn't uncommon for kids who find themselves on the streets to be sexually exploited within days of becoming homeless.

Victoria Wagner, chief executive of NN4Y, says the program is now being re-evaluated. "It's unfortunate it's become so explosive," she said. Unfortunate, indeed, since many of those who are complaining are members of NN4Y and were not informed of the campaign before it kicked off.

To be fair, the rules for video submission stipulate that there is to be no full nudity and the videos I viewed were in no way risque. Like it or not, the campaign appears to be going quite well - the site reports close to 150,000 donations so far.
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