Today’s going to be a little unusual. The blog is scheduled for cosmetic surgery today and will be under from noon to 4 p.m., which, I realize, is the hot part of the day here. I’ve been advised not to post anything in that time, so I’ll get it all out of the way beforehand with a few items to digest and discuss.

Additionally, the people behind the change here are committed to fixing all the glitches involved with getting to the blog. I’ve received emails from many of you in the past about busted links in ads. We think those have been fixed, but if you ever see one, please email me to let me know and I’ll pass it along so it gets fixed for good.