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Staying afloat is key in the boating industry but some manufacturers and dealers are close to being capsized by the stormy economy.

The problems at Genmar Holdings Inc. in Minneapolis, which owns 13 brands and is the nation's second largest boat manufacturer, is typical in the industry these days.

Jeans for $29, the sign reads.

What's a mother to do if she has two daughters about to go back to school?

"The sales are really enticing," said Janet Weeks, who has a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old. "That's a pretty good deal for jeans."

The 2010 Lexus IS C is at once both familiar and strange.

It is familiar as the entry-level car in the lineup of the Japanese luxury manufacturer, which is part of Toyota.

It is strange because it is a hardtop convertible that shares almost nothing visually with its sedan counterpart, although they have common mechanical components.

Car buyers who don't like choosing options one by one tend to jump to the top of the line.

In the world of crossover vehicles, the Pilot Touring holds that prestigious position for Honda.

Specifications for the 2010 Lexus IS 250C two-door hardtop convertible.

Engine: 2.5-liter V6, 204 horsepower.

Transmission: Six-speed automatic.

Overall length: 15 feet 3 inches.

EPA passenger volume: 88 cubic feet.

EPA top up/top down trunk volume: 11/2 cubic feet.

Weight: 3,814 pounds.

Less than one in 50 mortgage modifications includes debt forgiveness, which is considered the surest way to prevent foreclosure.

For every troubled homeowner whose mortgage principal is reduced in a modification, 39 others end up with more housing debt as lenders tack on missed payments, late charges and even attorney fees to the loan balance.

2010 HONDA PILOT TOURING

TYPE: Four-wheel-drive, four-door, eight-passenger, mid-size SUV.

PRICE: $40,245 base, $40,995 as tested.

WHERE BUILT: Lincoln, Ala.

KEY RIVALS: Toyota Highlander, Nissan Murano, Hyundai Santa Fe.

POWER: 3.5-liter, 250-horsepower, i-VTEC V6; five-speed auto transmission.

Dear Mr. Walberg:

Dear Professor Bruce: It's difficult to keep my small business going when customers are telling me they can buy for less elsewhere. Do customers care about anything other than getting the best price in a recession?

On an improbably perfect summer Monday morning, Vic Vatalaro is puttering along on the Monongehala River in his Ranger Z-21 Comanche, peering at an oblong blob on his Lowrance HDS-5 GPS fish-finder.