I didn't know all that about Mt.Gox.  Thanks for the heads up.  They seem to be listed in a lot of places as a reputable exchange... maybe that has changed.

I've only purchased through VirWox, buying SLL via PayPal, exchanging them for BTC, and withdrawing.  Is there a better way you'd recommend?  (Trying to find good info on the forum, but there's a lot to search through, and the 90sec search delay is painful).  Many of them either use questionable payment processors, or don't deal with US customers at all.