The idea of orphans as entertainment is certainly not new, but it's not often I see two stories on the theme in the same day.

The first was review of a horror flick called "The Orphanage" which takes place in Spain.

The review isn't great, but the film appears to deal with both old and new orphan themes.

At the same time, Daniel Radclliffe, who has played three orphans and little else in his almost-decade-long career, is interviewed about his various parent-less roles.

His latest film, "December Boys" casts him again as an orphan, and of course we're all more than passingly familiar with the world's most famous orphan since little Annie, Harry Potter ... whose relative placement didn't work out so well. (Although one must wonder what a homestudy of the Dursleys would have looked like. Would the cupboard under the stairs come over as cozy?)

Parental peace of mind is in the news, too, with childproofing at the top of many an agenda.

From my old hometown comes this story of people who've figured out a way to make a living off it.

Yes, professional child proofers can now be hired to install all the safety gates, outlet covers, door locks and baby monitors that modern family requires, and all at a price that keeps a guy from needing a night job.

He's not the only one seeking to compete in this emerging field. Whether it's Safe and Sound in King of Prussia, Pa.; Foresight Childproofing of Eden Prairie, Minn.; InfantHouse.com in Flower Mound, Texas; or Eric's Child Safety Services in Antelope, Calif., more people are seeking fortune and fulfillment by ensuring parents' peace of mind.

Good on 'em! Find a need and fill it, as I've often said. And at normal rates ranging from $700 to $1500 per home, it can't be a bad gig.

Problems arise, though, when stuff we buy our kids turns out to be potential killers.

With millions of children's toys recalled over the summer, parents are having to rethink product trust and they're not happy about it.

"It's so stupid that we have to think about this," said Gamble, 30, whose daughter, Alexandria, 10 months old. "We have enough to worry about."

Lead-coated Elmos, Big Birds and Doras is no joke, and people are scared. As they should be! But they should also be demanding that China stop with the slack oversight and sleazy corrupt practices and either get with the program of ethics and responsibility, or get out of business. Letting American companies know that consumers know that they're cheaping their way along while socking parents with big price tags isn't making them happy either.

Christmas is coming, you know, and boycotts of Chinese-made goods could make quite an impression.

And although it is the duty of parents to protect kids against poisonous toys and such, it is not a good thing to extend that protection to cover potential employers not hiring the precious darlings.

In another look at 'helicopter parents', this article describes how common the trend may be.

There's even a company in Toronto that advises companies on how to deal with having a combination of generations in the workplace and how to make them all happy. This includes hosting "information nights" for parents of employees.

"Generally, when we think of helicopter, we're thinking of baby boomers parenting a Gen Y offspring," Kovary said. "Part of the reason they hover is they're looking to provide opportunities and to protect children from the work world they have experienced, which included downsizing and recessions."

Hey! Good luck with that.