Has the gov't really banned icicles???

[kimnat]

I had to do a little shopping tonight; 3 tubs vanilla icing for Elisa's class, 2 boxes candy canes for Andrew and a couple of packages of icicles for my tree.  But my mother in law said she was told that the gov't has banned them.  I couldn't find them at CVS (Nutley & 29).  Have y'all heard anything about this?

[natsfan1a]

I'd not heard anything like that. I've not really been looking for them so I haven't noticed what's out there and where. If you Google, there's something about a ban at a hospital in England.

[kimnat]

I did a google, I also looked on Snopes.  I see where they're telling us to use plastic or non-lead icicles. But I don't see anything about a US ban on the stuff.  But I didn't see them tonight.  Maybe that CVS was just sold out.  I'll check around tomorrow.

[natsfan1a]

I thought that they stopped making the lead ones years ago, but who knows anymore with all the stuff that's made in China.

[kimnat]

That's what I thought, too!

[Nat of the Living Dead]

I understand why our wonderful government would want to ban this dangerous substance.  The last time I tried inhaling the icicles I nearly choked to death.  But what a rush!

[kimnat]

I understand why our wonderful government would want to ban this dangerous substance.  The last time I tried inhaling the icicles I nearly choked to death.  But what a rush!

[CALSGR8]

I can't find anything except a general warning about how to decorate by the cpsc.

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml08/08104.html

Make sure your cat doesn't get into the icicles.  A friend's cat had to have an expensive operation just because it ingested some ribbon.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

You're wasting your stash there, bro...gotta cook it down with soda and pseudoephedrine and base your icicles. 

I understand why our wonderful government would want to ban this dangerous substance.  The last time I tried inhaling the icicles I nearly choked to death.  But what a rush!

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Seriously, I think that they are completely off the market, though I can't find out why...but the big apartment building across the street from my house has EVERY. ILLUMINATED. CHRISTMAS. DECORATION. EVERY. YEAR, and no icicles in 2007. 

I'll try to post a picture of this building...it's off the hook.  Probably the most flamboyant decor in D.C. other than the tree on the Ellipse.

Anyways, icicles are apparently gone.

[kimnat]

Seriously, I think that they are completely off the market, though I can't find out why...but the big apartment building across the street from my house has EVERY. ILLUMINATED. CHRISTMAS. DECORATION. EVERY. YEAR, and no icicles in 2007. 

I'll try to post a picture of this building...it's off the hook.  Probably the most flamboyant decor in D.C. other than the tree on the Ellipse.

Anyways, icicles are apparently gone.

Can't wait to see the pic! 

And CRAP about the icicles!

[natsfan1a]

Are you talking about the light strings that are made to resemble icicles and hang outside the house? Because I think that kimnat was talking about the individual metallic strands that hang on the tree inside the house?

Seriously, I think that they are completely off the market, though I can't find out why...but the big apartment building across the street from my house has EVERY. ILLUMINATED. CHRISTMAS. DECORATION. EVERY. YEAR, and no icicles in 2007. 

I'll try to post a picture of this building...it's off the hook.  Probably the most flamboyant decor in D.C. other than the tree on the Ellipse.

Anyways, icicles are apparently gone.

[kimnat]

Yeah, I meant the little silver things to hang on the tree.

[blue911]

I understand why our wonderful government would want to ban this dangerous substance.  The last time I tried inhaling the icicles I nearly choked to death.  But what a rush!

I have to admit that I tried this also. But only ONCE,when I didn't have the Christmas spirit and I thought I owed it to my family not to be a grinch and it wasn't banned then and my secret santa said it was okay and I didn't do it to make me a better caroler. 

[NatsAddict]

The only restriction I've heard of is that the Lion Country Safari in West Palm won't accept any tree that had icicles.  Otherwise, they come around early in the new year and pick up trees to feed to the elephants.

I couldn't find a local story, but here is one from National Geographic

January 4, 2007—Holiday leftovers aren't just for humans. Elephant calf Thabo-Umasai at Germany's Zoo Dresden joined camels, deer, and sheep in a traditional new-year feast of Christmas trees yesterday.

"Elephants around the country will enjoy a delicious lunch today consisting of about five Christmas trees each," Ragnar Kuehne of Zoo Berlin told the Reuters news service on January 3 (Germany map).

Unlike the pie, pudding, and honeyed ham that may be haunting your fridge, though, pine trees' unique oils may actually help some animals' digestion, Kuehne said.

People too might benefit from a little bark—but not necessarily in their bites. Some doctors are touting supplements with a pine bark extract called Pycnogenol. Supporters claim the antioxidant compound can reduce asthma attacks, thin blood, improve circulation, lower blood pressure, and relieve symptoms of diabetes.

[CALSGR8]

I may have found a "work around" this issue.  I was in a Dollar Tree today.  There, they had bags and bags of "FOIL SHREDS.  GREAT FOR GIFT BAGS, BOXES, BASKETS, AND CENTERPIECES"  It was called Decorative Filler.

They had them in Silver foil, gold foil and and red foil colors.  They looked like smooth strands.  I pulled out a strand, and they look about the length of a regular icicle.

Maybe this can be a work around.  Of course they're made in China but then so is nearly all the stuff at Dollar Tree!

[kimnat]

I think I'm gonna call the Vermont Old County Store catalog people.

Cute bit about the elephant.  I had NO idea they ate pine trees.

[LeonidasNats311]

I did not realize those icicles were so dangerous. Man! I even learn stuff when I am three hours away from school!

[kimnat]

Yeah, apparently so is transfat and sugar. 

I can't believe, but then again I can, that gov't is stepping over the limits and telling us what we can and can't eat.  I mean, banning transfat (yes, that's best for us, but it's not the goverment's place to decide what's best for us) and then the Mayor of San Fran is placing a special tax or something like that on sodas!

[LeonidasNats311]

That is ignorant. I mean if someone wants to be fat than, jeez, let them EAT. People can make there own decisions we dont need the government to tell us every thing we can and can't do in detail. It's insane.

[kimnat]

You got it!

[LeonidasNats311]

It's going to get to the point where they are going to make right and wrong ways to take showers, brush teeth, use the bathroom. I thought we had citizens overseas fighting, it would be nice if the gov't would get there priorities straight and make sure that car isn't rolling up to a young father's house and informing them that their father and/or husband/fiance/boyfriend wont be home for christmas and/or new years.

[natsfan1a]

I love their catalog!

I think I'm gonna call the Vermont Old County Store catalog people.

[kimnat]

Me too!  For the first time, I saw pics of Figgy Pudding and "realized" it isn't "Piggy Pudding" at all.    And there was plum pudding and all sorts of other neat stuff!

[natsfan1a]

That's like one of those misheard lyrics.

http://www.kissthisguy.com/funny.php