My generation was probably the last in American history to enjoy toys that could have killed us. Even as late as the mid-80s, Sears catalogs contained displays of youngsters playing with air rifles and bow and arrows. Lawn dart sets could still be found in the garages of just about every US household. Nowadays you can't even buy a plastic Star Wars blaster that isn't painted florescent orange to distinguish it from...real lazer blasters, I guess.

That said, ninja stars are selling for a quarter apiece at the Safeway in Burlingame. Sure, they're sticky ninja stars but they still pose a potential choking hazard. That has to count for something.

And their 21st century design is a drastic improvement over similar toys heralding back to the Reagan administration. I bought one, brought it home and just flung it at the wall about an hour ago. It hasn't budged. What a wonderful time to be a child.

This photo is the first I've taken with my fancy-schmancy new RAZR phone. I knew that thing was gonna come in handy. Now if I could only figure out how to create and download homemade ringtones. I do a terrible Ricardo Montalban impersonation. A Kahn-era Ricardo yelling "pick up your telephone, jackass" could lead to any number of awkward moments.