Howdy folks. Ben Popken here, back from vacation. Thanks to Brownlee for steering the blog in my absence. It seems to be free of scratches or dings, a step up from other things he’s borrowed. A certain mail-order Russian bride comes to mind. Big ups to Mark and Meghann for doing a great job of filling in. It inflates my already ballooning ego to know it takes two bloggers to make up for one Popken. I kid, I jest, I’m happy to be back.

Cheerio, on with the show!

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.