Celebrity endorsers are being held to new standards that should help consumers avoid being swayed when hearing a pitch from a familiar face or voice.

The new standards affect actors, radio talk show hosts, DJs and bloggers, among others.

When it comes to blogs, many of these sites are just hidden advertising sites. Bloggers will now be required to disclose whether or not they receive compensation for their posts.

In addition, actors, talk show hosts and DJs will be required to have working knowledge of what they're pitching. In essence, they've got to get very familiar with the product. That's going to trip up a lot of people in Clark's line of business!

There are monetary fines for running afoul of the new laws. The fines will be prohibitively large for bloggers. But they'll be relatively small for talk show hosts and actors -- relative to their usual high level of income.

So the bloggers will go out of business if they run afoul of the new laws. But it will just be more of a blow to the reputation for actors, hosts, DJs and other celebrities.

Remember, Clark does not do endorsements. An endorsement is where somebody pays you to say something. It's always been his policy for 22 years in radio and 18 years in TV to not do commercials.

He believes it's essential with his format that you know he's speaking about a product or service because he believes in it, not because he's paid to do so.

Clark does not do endorsements, which is very unusual in the world of talk radio. He believes it's a conflict of interest to voice commercials for advertisers considering the type of show he does. In his mind, his credibility is worth more than what he can earn by being a company spokesman.

But in the web world, a lot of people who pretend to be independent voices may not actually be. Some bloggers are secret shills being paid by companies to review their goods or services.

This is a problem particularly in the world of electronics blogging and travel service blogging, among other areas. But under newly proposed rules from the Federal Trade Commission, bloggers may have to disclose if they're on the take and what compensation they have accepted to write their blogs.

Clark recalls a few years ago when a car company tried to launch a model by paying bloggers to drive the car and then write about it. Can you really get objective opinions that way? No way.

Know that a blog is not fact. It is based on opinion. Understand the difference and know that most of what passes as fact in the blogosphere is simply opinion.

Clark has a special warning concerning toy safety just in time for your last-minute holiday shopping.

The consumer champ has long railed against the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) failure to truly protect children from unsafe toys. Now The Wall Street Journal reports that consumer vigilantes affiliated with the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) are taking matters into their own hands.

CEH members are going into stores armed with handheld X-ray guns that detect unsafe levels of lead in children's toys. These vigilantes are able to find violations that the CPSC can't seem to find.

Meanwhile, the CPSC is belatedly getting on the ball and starting to arm its agents with the X-ray guns as well.

In related news, which type of toy typically has the highest concentrations of lead? Jewelry trinkets. The Wall Street Journal article reports the CEH found a frog jewelry charm with high lead content at Wal-Mart that the CPSC missed.

The CEH brought it to the CPSC's attention, but they ultimately had to go to a state regulatory board to have it removed from shelves in California.

Is it reckless for you to buy a very small car?

Clark used to drive a 3-wheeled car made of fiberglass. If he got hit by a bicycle, he would have probably been in trouble! That was back in 1979 when car safety wasn't a top issue on people's minds.

Today, however, cars and roads are so much safer. Vehicles routinely have side-curtain airbags, ABS brakes, adaptive cruise control and more.

But you can't defeat physics. Clark now drives a Toyota Scion that would be crushed by an SUV in an accident.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has released new safety findings on small cars. Your typical small car has a good rating in front-impact crashes, but a very poor rating when it comes to rear-impact crashes.

One small vehicle that was singled out for good rear-crash protection? The Toyota Corolla. The Mitsubishi Lancer and the Honda Civic (4 door) were also mentioned as top choices. Other vehicles that got positive reviews were the new Toyota Scion, the Subaru Impreza and the VW Rabbit (4 door).

In addition, the IIHS' report also highlights the importance of electronic stability control. From his own experience, Clark also recommends paying extra for this feature.

Finally, one small vehicle to stay away from when it comes to safety is the PT Cruiser.

It's a very odd time in Washington, D.C., right now with the Democratic elected officials skewing too far left of most Democratic voters; and the Republican elected official leaning too far right for most GOP voters. Independent voters, meanwhile, are completely disenfranchised from both parties' elected leaders. There's a huge gulf, and it's almost like nobody is speaking the same language anymore! While there's paralysis on the federal level, the states have become the new center of action. Just look at healthcare, the airline industry or the credit reporting arena and you'll see states taking action, not the feds.

The latest example is toy safety. The feds haven't been able to get their act together on this simple issue. So the states have stepped in again. Toy makers are going berserk over a bill in Washington state that would set strict standards for lead and cadmium in toys. There are similar initiatives being considered in about a dozen other states. And, picture this: Toy manufacturers and retailers are even considering a boycott of Washington state to get the state to back down. Who wants to be grinch who stole Christmas in Washington state?!

The big picture here is that our federal government should not be paralyzed because the parties can't get along. We've got a country to run here. McCain and Obama both have spoken about opening dialogue among all elected officials. After all, Newt Gingrich talks to Hillary Clinton! Crazier things could happen!

It's a very odd time in Washington, D.C., right now with the Democratic elected officials skewing too far left of most Democratic voters; and the Republican elected official leaning too far right for most GOP voters. Independent voters, meanwhile, are completely disenfranchised from both parties' elected leaders. There's a huge gulf, and it's almost like nobody is speaking the same language anymore! While there's paralysis on the federal level, the states have become the new center of action. Just look at healthcare, the airline industry or the credit reporting arena and you'll see states taking action, not the feds.

The latest example is toy safety. The feds haven't been able to get their act together on this simple issue. So the states have stepped in again. Toy makers are going berserk over a bill in Washington state that would set strict standards for lead and cadmium in toys. There are similar initiatives being considered in about a dozen other states. And, picture this: Toy manufacturers and retailers are even considering a boycott of Washington state to get the state to back down. Who wants to be grinch who stole Christmas in Washington state?!

The big picture here is that our federal government should not be paralyzed because the parties can't get along. We've got a country to run here. McCain and Obama both have spoken about opening dialogue among all elected officials. After all, Newt Gingrich talks to Hillary Clinton! Crazier things could happen!

RECALL WARNING: Can your stove kill you? Imagine dying because it tips over and crushes you or scalds you badly. That may sound impossible, but Sears ranges are now being recalled for that very reason. These ranges are front heavy and were not anchored properly during installation. Sears has now agreed (after a lawsuit settlement) to properly bolt ranges that have been sold since 2000. Go online to SearsRangeSettlement.com for complete details. They'll also be bolting all ranges as part of installation through 2011. This settlement will cost Sears untold millions as an estimated 4 million homes have improperly installed stoves. But how many of the 4 million homeowners will actually do anything about the problem? Historically, recalls don't yield high results.

Meanwhile, there's been another recall of cribs with faulty railing. Make sure your child is not in danger if you have a crib sold under any of the following names: Majestic Curved Top and Flat Top Cribs, Essex Cribs, Brighton/Sussex Cribs and Captiva Cribs. If you're in doubt, contact the importers at Munire Furniture or call 866-586-9639.

As a parent, Clark is sick over the fact that the Consumer Product Safety Commission is not doing its job of ensuring that toys are made and sold in a safe manner. CPSC honcho Nancy Nord instead sees her job as protecting manufacturers who have unsafe products on the market. Congress recently gave her the authority to ban lead-filled toys and children's trinkets. But she refused to do so and continues to allow the toys to be sold. If you have young girls, you need to be especially cautious about cheap jewelry and trinkets that are made to look like real silver. Clark advises parents to quietly dispose of these potentially lead-filled trinkets.

It's just insane that Nord has worked to put kids in harm's way in order to protect manufacturers. Clark is beyond anger over her activities; at this point, he's just deeply saddened. The whole thing becomes even more incomprehensible when you consider that Nord is a mother herself. The policy on her watch has been to keep things hush-hush when there's an unsafe product out there. Manufacturers get to sell off their dangerous inventory with the understanding that they'll have to comply with safety standards in future production. Visit SafeKids.org for the latest news. There is no cop on the beat, so you've got to be extra vigilant.

With the holiday season upon us, parents are freaked out about the safety of children's toys. There's a new website called HealthyToys.org that's done research into which toys are safe and which ones are not. You may notice this website loads up slowly. That's because it's getting so many hits after a lot of media exposure -- which just goes to show how important this issue is to people. When it does load, you'll see a picture of a child with a rubber ducky in her mouth. Manufacturers use lead in rubberized toys to give them more consistency. Clark recently caught the ire of Neal Boortz -- a syndicated radio host and one of his friends -- for saying that government should have a role in enforcing toy safety. Be that as it may, you have to err on the side of safety when you're a parent. One thing HealthyToys.org definitely says you should stay away from is jewelry for kids. More than 1 in 3 pieces of kid's jewelry that was tested contained so much lead that it could decrease your child's IQ.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and its current head, Nancy Nord, have emerged as villains for Clark in recent weeks. The job of a safety regulator is to ensure that safe products are on the market, right? So do you think it's a good idea for regulators to be wined and dined by the very people they're supposed to be monitoring? "No way not any day," as Clark says. But Nord has been taking all kinds of freebies from the companies she regulates. Clark issued a recent call for Nord to appear on the show and defend herself, but so far her press people haven't been receptive to the idea.

Now the White House is stepping in with new initiatives to keep kids and adults safe in the wake of some highly publicized food and product recalls. Most capitalists would not want to knowingly harm another human being through their business practices. But we still need a cop on the beat to ensure safety. Clark thinks Nord has such resentment toward government that now that she's in power she's trying to curtail government at every step. That's why Clark thinks she's been so lax in her duties. Once again, Clark wants to reiterate that he doesn't think Nord gets up in the morning and says, "How can I harm people today?" But wouldn't you want to know that toys you buy for your child are safe? Of course you would -- and the same goes for the food you give to your family. These are only reasonable expectations.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been front and center in Clark's mind over the whole issue of unsafe Chinese toys getting into our marketplace and harming children. This is a federal agency that's charged with seeing that dangerous products get pulled. But the CPSC really isn't doing that at all, thanks to the actions of chairwoman Nancy Nord. By law, the CPSC is prohibited from issuing public reports about unsafe items until after a multiyear investigation. Nord has been lobbying to not have additional authority to deliver reports in a quicker manner. She's also fighting a move in Congress to fine manufacturers who make unsafe products. So what gives? Clark would love for Nord to come on the show and explain her position. Perhaps she's the ultimate libertarian who believes that capitalism is the best way to deal with products that kill children. Clark is just shocked that a woman whose job it is to protect consumers is actively campaigning to undermine efforts that would allow her to do so. But Clark doesn't want to jump to conclusions. After all, he doesn't personally know Nord and has no idea if it's her goal to harm children everyday. In addition, he does know what it's like to be on the receiving end of completely off-base attacks on the Clark Stinks message board. So he wants to hear right from Nord herself why it's a bad idea for government to ensure the safety of toys.

Clark's reputation for being cheap is so intense that sometimes people come up to him and ask him if he's found any good Chinese toys (with lead paint) for his kids lately. While the intention is humorous, the point is no laughing matter. Right now there's fear in the land because several government agencies have obviously failed in their duty to keep the American consumer safe. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has for a long time been perceived as an anti-consumer agency hijacked by people who wanted to protect industry giants making unsafe products from evil consumers. That belief was confirmed during recent Senate hearings when the CPSC's acting chairwoman basically said it is a bad idea to let consumers know about defects in items. Clark is also upset that the CPSC helped a crib-maker keep secret that their product was unsafe. Several children died as a direct result of the agency not recommending a recall.

Clark loves capitalism, but he knows that there need to be some referees in place for it to work optimally. When there's not a cop on the beat, the marketplace suffers because parents can't have confidence that the feds are on the case to make sure imported toys are safe. Another recent episode also shows the government's unwillingness to protect consumers. There was a recent scandal with unsafe ground beef, and it turns out that the Department of Agriculture knew about E.Coli contamination for nearly five weeks before issuing a recall. The DoA obviously felt its responsibility was to protect the processing plant, which later went bust when the government recall was finally issued.

For years Clark has taken issue with eBay because it's enabled counterfeiters by creating an unmonitored marketplace where they can peddle their bogus goods. Now he's saluting the company because of its coordinated effort to crack down on people selling recalled toys that have lead paint. Clark's executive producer Christa -- a frequent eBay seller and buyer -- usually takes a very libertarian view of things. But in this case she too salutes the company's efforts since the products in question have already been recalled by the government. Meanwhile, Clark has a market-based solution to the counterfeiting problem. He believes eBay should have bonded sellers. People would pay for a bond and the company would reimburse buyers if they were sold bogus goods. Sellers would then be able to command higher dollars for their legitimate goods under Clark's plan.

There's a new recall of children's cribs that parents need to know about. One million cribs sold under the Graco and Simplicity brands between 1998 and this past May pose a structural danger to babies. Following is a list of the affected cribs. There's more information available online or by calling 1-888-593-9274. The recalled Simplicity crib models include: Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1, Nursery in a Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Pooh 4 in 1, Chelsea and the following cribs with the Graco logo: Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in 1, Ultra 5 in 1, Trio and Whitney. The model numbers are: 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8324, 8800, 8740, 8910, 8994, 8050, 8750, 8760 and 8996.

Sometimes a recall is not what you think -- you may not just simply return the item and get your money back. In the instance of this recall, you'll be sent a kit to make repairs yourself to bring the product up to code. Clark says there needs to be laws in place to make sure our kids are safe. Libertarians will argue that the market will punish those who make unsafe products, but how do you replace a vulnerable child who is injured or killed because of a manufacturer's negligence?? The Chicago Tribune recently reported how the feds sometimes look the other way when it comes to recalls. One retailer that's handling recalls the right way is Target, which has recalled its Cool Toyz play-set. Target is offering a full refund for the roughly 200,000 play-sets out there with lead paint. But how many have been returned so far? The Washington Post reports only 766, even though the paint in the play-set has 15 times the lead allowed by law. Meanwhile, the recent Thomas the Train recall must have received more media attention because the return rate there is about 40 percent. The responsibility must not fall on just the government, the media, the retailers or the manufacturers; it's one that should be shared jointly with parents. The safety of your children is important and you must protect it.