The Chronic Consumer

If you’re anything like me, then you can’t leave the house in the morning before dabbing on at least a bit of concealer under your eyes. I’m one of those unfortunate people who look like I haven’t slept in ages even after the most restful nights imaginable. I don’t know what the underlying problem is, but it’s been plaguing me since college. I need to get out there and buy a truck full of the best eye cream for dark circles. Maybe that would attack the root cause instead of just covering things up.

Until I find a solution, however, I just have to make sure I’m always stocked up on concealer. Fortunately I can get away with using the cheap stuff, so at least my dark circles aren’t affecting my pocketbook as well.

One of the best appetizers ever, IMHO, is the Bloomin’ Onion at Outback Steakhouse. I love those things, and simply have to order one whenever we go there. Heck, I sometimes even order one to pick up at the takeout window if I get a craving. I know those things are packed with calories and after eating one I get all paranoid and spend an hour on the Internet looking for how to reduce cholesterol, but whatever. I still can’t get enough.

But it’s expensive to buy bloomin’ onions all the time, so I am intrigued by this little device I saw on an As Seen On TV site. It’s a bloomin’ onion maker — or at least a holder for the onion so you can cut it crosswise to get that open flower look. You’d still have to dip the onion in batter and deep fry it yourself. Oh, and there’s the matter of the sauce, of course. Can’t have a bloomin’ onion without the dipping sauce!

I don’t know… This thing probably would save a ton of money in the long run, but I honestly can’t see myself going to all this time and trouble to make my own bloomin’ onion. I think I’m going to pass on this.

I’m not a big cookie person, but I like to eat them once in a while. My favorites are Oreos, which I never seem to get sick of. I’ve been eating those things since I was a kid, and they’re still the first brand I reach for when I go to the store. I just limit myself to getting maybe one package a month, otherwise I’m I’d have to stock up on weight loss pills too!

Anyway, I finally got around to trying Oreo Cakesters the other day. Though these look like giant, overstuffed Oreos, they are billed as “soft snack cakes”, so they are not at all the same texture. They don’t even taste faintly like Oreos either, which is kind of what I was expecting. They reminded me of Ding Dongs more than anything else.

Still, they were quite good, and for less than $4 for six “twin-wrapped” packages, not too expensive. I’m sure I’ll be buying them again!

I just read that an Australia man who bought an early copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, hacked the game, and then uploaded it on the Internet was fined $1 million for his actions. James Burt, 24, also has to pay Nintendo’s legal fees, which fall somewhere in the $100,000 range.

It sounds like the illegal uploader is just a regular guy, so I don’t know that he’ll actually be able to pay back those fines, but Nintendo is probably more concerned with the message at this point. Video game companies, just like movie studios and musicians, are seeing their bottom line damaged by illegal downloads of game titles. By showing that they’ll file suit and go after 7-figure judgments, Nintendo is probably deterring at least a couple of folks from uploading games.

Have you seen the new Heinz ketchup packets yet? They’re now able to open in two different ways, depending on whether you want to squeeze the contents onto something or whether you want to dip stuff in it. Plus, each packet now holds about three times the volume of the old school packets.

I haven’t come across these yet, but all I can say is it’s about damn time!

(AP Photo/H.J. Heinz Co.)

Have you seen the new Monopoly: Revolution Edition that’s currently on sale? I haven’t come across it in stores (I rarely venture into the board game aisle), but I read an article about it. Instead of a square board, the playing surface is round; instead of paper money and a banker’s tray, there’s an ATM system; and instead of the metal tokens, there are now clear plastic ones.

Frankly, from looking at the picture, I don’t understand how the money thing would work. Is every player’s total simply a number instead of cash? Is the total kept track of in the middle section there? I have no idea.

As I said, I’m not a big Monopoly fan, so I probably won’t be buying this version anytime soon. Still, if you have it, I’d be interested in hearing how it stacks up against the old-school game.

After 10 short years, my dishwasher is already on its last legs. I thought a major appliance like this would last a bit longer, but I guess not. I’m not really sure what’s wrong with the thing, but sometimes it simply shuts down about 5-10 minutes into the cycle. I might call in a repairman to take a look at it, or I might just bite the bullet and buy a new machine.

I’ve heard some good things about LG Steam Dishwashers. I’m not familiar with the brand itself, but these steam dishwashers apparently have separate cycle settings for the top and bottom racks, allowing you to attack stubborn pots and pans in one section while running a gentler cycle for your delicate dinnerware. There’s also a quick steam cleaning mode for when you want to shine up your dusty china for a dinner party or whatever.

Sounds great!

I don’t wear much jewelry, but I’m starting to develop a hankering for diamonds for some reason! The only diamond I have is in my engagement ring, and that’s just a tiny half-carat thing. It’s nice, but it’s not enough!

Recently I’ve been looking at certified diamonds from different online wholesalers and am thinking of buying a bunch of loose diamonds and have them set in a tennis bracelet or some kind of necklace. This might be cheaper than buying a pre-set piece, plus I can be sure of getting the setting I want.

My hankering for diamonds will probably just remain a pipe dream, however. At this point my finances simply won’t allow me such an extravagant purchase — at least not yet!