The Chronic Consumer

I just received my heating bill for the month of November (the first month I used the heat nearly every day), and it’s not pretty. I’m not even extravagant about my thermostat settings or anything like that. I have a friend whose husband keeps the house at 72 degrees in the winter because he “wants to be able to wear shorts and a t-shirt” in there, but ours is set at a far more reasonable 62. And it’s still barely affordable.

I wish that utilities were deregulated here like they are in Pennsylvania. I’ve heard that you can comparison shop among several different pa electricity providers to find a deal that’s right for you and your family. That’s precisely what I want to be able to do, but I probably shouldn’t hold my breath.

Until then, I guess I’ll have to buy more sweaters and Under Armour gear to wear inside the house!

If you’re in your late 30s like I am, then your Saturday mornings were probably remarkably similar to mine. You likely woke up early to watch cartoons, and between cartoons, there would occasionally be more educational fare in the form of Schoolhouse Rock videos. I loved those videos, so when I saw this 30th anniversary DVD, I just had to have it.

The two DVDs in the box feature all the Schoolhouse Rock videos that were ever made, plus a couple of bonus songs (I’m Gonna Send Your Vote to College and The Weather Song). I honestly had no idea there were 46 songs because I only remembered a handful of the most famous ones (I’m Just a Bill, Conjunction Junction, Electricity, Get Your Adverbs Here, etc.), so it was GREAT to have all this music on the DVDs.

You can play the DVDs straight through, play a specific category (Grammar Rock, Science Rock, etc.) or shuffle the songs which was kinda nice. There’s also some hidden artwork and photos to look at.

Overall, I’m very pleased with this purchase. For $15, I was able to relive a significant part of my childhood and share these songs with my own son. Even though he doesn’t appreciate them nearly as much as I did/do, it was still fun to watch them together!

Well, continuing with the end-of-the-year top 10 lists, I came across this one while surfing the net today. Have you ever wondered what the 10 busiest malls in America are? Wonder no more, because here is the data! (My nearest mall happens to be No. 3 on the list. I can’t figure out if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.)

1. Mall of America, Bloomington, MN (40 million annual visitors)
2. Del Amo Fashion Center, Torrance, CA (27.6 million)
3. Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL (27 million)
4. Sawgrass Mills, Sunrise, FL (26 million)
5. King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia, PA (25 million)
6. Houston Galleria, Houston, TX (24 million)
7. Aventura Mall, Aventura, FL (24 million)
8. Palisades Center, West Nyack, NY (24 million)
9. Gurnee Mills, Gurnee, IL (23 million)
10. Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA (22.1 million)

One of the great things about being a sports fan in the modern era is that we can buy the exact same stuff that players wear in the locker room, during practices, or during games. From authentic jerseys to practice tees, fans have access to it all.

Yes, some people might complain about the commercialization of sports, but come on. While I agree that prices for some merchandise is pretty outrageous, I like to at least have to option to buy or not.

That’s my long-winded way of saying that I recently purchased this Jonathan Toews name and number tee from the local big box sporting goods store. It’s made by Reebok, and I’ve seen players wearing this style while giving post-game or post-practice interviews in the locker room.

So far, I have no complaints about this shirt. The sizes run a little small, so I ended up having to go back and exchange my first purchase for a larger one, but other than that I like it. It’s comfortable, it looks cool, and the screenprinted logo and lettering have held up after being in the washer and dryer.

Have you ever wondered what the most shoplifted items are? Shine magazine recently published an article detailing the top 10 for the holiday season. There are some definite surprises on it, so take a look:

1. Filet mignon
2. Jameson
3. Electric tools
4. iPhone 4
5. Gillette Mach 4
6. Axe
7. Polo Ralph Lauren
8. Let’s Rock Elmo
9. Chanel No. 5
10. Nikes

This list is disturbing because every single thing on it is nonessential. We’re not exactly talking about Jean Valjean stealing a loaf of bread, ya know? Why would people risk jail time for a bottle of liquor or perfume? It makes no sense to me.

Also, you can tell that most of these items were stolen by employees. At every single store I’ve ever been at, I’ve had to ask to see things like perfume or iPhones. They don’t just leave those things out on the counter. They’re under lock and key, so it doesn’t take a genius to figure out whose doing the stealing.

When people take stupid shit like this, it just makes prices higher for the rest of us.

Consumers are a finicky bunch, aren’t they? Coca-Cola announced that they will be pulling their white “winter” cans off of store shelves because of various complaints by customers. The white design, which features polar bears and other winter scenes, apparently are too confusing to some people. According to the article I read, there were complaints about the can looking too similar to Diet Coke cans, and complaints about the beverage “tasting different” in white cans.

Pretty damn ridiculous, if you ask me!