Catsumer Reports. Thought I'd give out some props/referrals to companies/products that I use and think are great. Word-of-mouth advertising is the most informative kind, I think, but it isn't as prevalent in the post-television/post-internet age.

HSBC Direct online savings: kick-ass yield for a savings account. Since it's all online, they save money on personnel and pass the extra on to you. The current rate is 5.05% APY. If you have any appreciable amount of money sitting in a normal savings account at 1% or so, you're actually losing wealth because inflation is around 3%. I only recently persuaded Ryan to get an account, but I just know he'll be thanking me as soon as he gets his first interest payment.

American Express Blue Cash: There are plenty of rewards credit cards out there, and I haven't tested them all, but have been all smiles with my AmEx. After Ryan's exasperation with the poor customer support at Chase, I persuaded him to get a Blue Cash in 2004. No problems after the switch, and his reward last year was $170. It pays to have a money-grubbing girlfriend.

Geico: I haven't had to submit a claim, so I can't speak for that, but their rates are excellent. No complaints here. And pretty much everything can be done online. Avoiding human interaction is a plus for me. And of course I referred Ryan to Geico as well and he's been satisfied, too.

Nikon Coolpix Digital Camera: I love my camera. It's very easy to use, I just wish the kitten would hold still long enough to get more cute shots.

Ryan Dickerson: Ryan is very dependable and I rarely have problems with him. He has been known to cheer me up, endure long stretches of irrational moods, and value my input concerning decisions such as cell phone use, car purchase, bank accounts, credit cards, car insurance, and kitten purchase. He also gave me the above camera and the laptop I'm on right now for Christmas. I remain a loyal customer.

Softpaws: They're little rubber nail caps that you glue onto the kitten's claws. They last about 6-8 weeks, and we only put them on the front paws so he can still scratch himself with the hind ones. They've greatly reduced the damage he does to the carpet and our skin.

Future installment: things to avoid (ahem, Dodge Neon).