looks safe to me

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From the, maybe things really are starting to look up, department, Public Citizen reports that Michael Baroody, the worst possible choice for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, has withdrawn from consideration

Of course, the White House defended him:

"Obviously we feel that he was a strong candidate who would have done a wonderful job at the Consumer Product Safety Commission,"? said Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman. "After some in the Senate rushed to judgment about Mr. Baroody and his qualifications, it became evident to Mr. Baroody that he would not be confirmed."?

And as always, it's a load of hooey. For the complete list of new articles in this story, head to the Consumerist.

Is it supposed to do that?

(Image used under: Creative Commons 2.0 [SRC])

Public Citizen reports that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has begun a service that will notify consumers by e-mail of any product safety recalls. While some manufacturers will do this voluntarily, some won't and even if they do, they usually ask for you to register all your products (including loads of personal information you don't want to give).

For example, Selina Patten, of Manassas, Va., had a close call when the recalled plastic nail from a Playskool toy tool bench became lodged in the throat of her 3-year-old daughter. She was able to remove the nail before serious injury occurred. She later discovered the product had been recalled after the death of two toddlers, though she did not hear about it.

Here are some of the common recalled product lines:

* Outdoor products: such as grills and outdoor furniture for porch or patio * Outdoor power equipment: air compressors and gas pool heaters * Children’s products: outerwear with drawstrings, necklaces that contain lead, battery packs for toy vehicles, and flashing pacifiers * Power tools: cut-out tools, nailers, circular saws and pressure washers * Household products: fans, candles * Electronics: computer batteries, remote controls

Note: This requires no registration of any kind! You do not have to tell them what products you have and the only personal information (if you can call it that) that they ask for is an e-mail address. There's also very little chance of them spamming you since they are a government agency.