Danger: buy products at your own risk

I want to do something that isn't often done and pay homage to a government agency for a moment.

I'll say right off the bat, that I really have no deep understanding of the inner workings of this agency. For all I know, we'll read a few hours from now some scandal emitting from this department. But almost every day, for the last six years or so, I've been getting their emails, giving me an appreciation for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Some time ago -- and I'm not sure if it was for journalistic reasons or that I was about to become a parent and was suddenly worried about recalls of cribs, baby toys and the like-- but I signed up to get daily emails from the CPSC. If there's a recall on any product in the United States, I know about it. Well, unless I forget to look at the email. When you get approximately, I dunno, 250 a year, it happens.

I don't know what it says about the state of global commerce, but almost every day, there's a recall from some manufacturer in some part of the world, far more than the children's toys with lead that made headlines last year. Tuesday, for instance, it was dune buggies. If you own a Twister Hammerhead Dune Buggy, you'll probably be interested to know that TJ. Power Sports, of Irving, Texas, has recalled them. Seems that the seat belt adjustment for the shoulder buckle can break if there's an impact or stress. That's important because when you drive a dune buggy, that's supposed to happen. It's a DUNE BUGGY. Anyway, should that adjustment break, you might be ejected. Just so you know.