The Chronic Consumer

With as much time as I spend watching TV shows and movies here at home, I think investing in some nice home theater furniture would be well worth it in the long run. Well, I made the first step last week by purchasing a nice leather recliner for the living room, and am now thinking about what I should buy next. A popcorn machine? A sound system? Or maybe a real theater-style chair?

Whichever new product I decide to go with, I’m just happy that I’m making progress with my dream entertainment room!

The Fourth Season of the teen drama The O.C. was its shortest, as the program was canceled midyear due to a significant decline in viewership. This was an unfortunate turn of events, as I really thought the show was returning to Season One form after an admittedly poor second season. The first half of the third season wasn’t anything to brag about either, but the last few episodes were good.

But the Powers That Be at Fox apparently decided enough was enough, and pulled the plug after just 16 episodes. At least the producers, writers, cast, and crew knew the end was coming, which meant they had ample time to wrap up ongoing storylines and tie up loose ends.

The O.C. — The Complete Fourth Season is a five-disc set that contains all 16 eps that aired from November 2, 2006 to February 22, 2007. Some of the memorable episodes from this block include “The Metamorphosis” (where Taylor starts to fall for Ryan), “The Chrismukk-huh?” (that showed what everyone’s lives would be like without Ryan), “The Shake Up” (when Ryan finally admits that he loves Taylor), and of course “The End’s Not Near, It’s Here” (the series finale).

There are only three special features in this box set, which was pretty disappointing given the fact that it’s the final one. They are:

• Unaired Scenes (not very many, actually)
• The Magic That Is Chrismukkah (about the annual holiday episodes)
• Summer Roberts — Beauty Meets Brown: The Creation and Evolution of One of the Show’s Most Lovable Characters
• Commentary from Josh Schwartz on the finale

My favorite bonus feature was the one about Summer, as she was indeed my favorite character of the show. It was cool to see how she developed over the years, and how much of the development was in direct response to fan reaction to Bilson. She was just supposed to be a minor character, but fans loved her so much that she became a regular with a much bigger part.

Overall, The O.C. — The Complete Fourth Season is an absolute must-have for any fan of the TV series. I paid $16.99 for my brand-new copy, and think that’s a very fair price. Heck, I would have paid that much just for the finale alone, as that’s my favorite episode of the entire series (one that I’ve watched numerous times already). If you enjoyed The O.C. and came to love Seth, Summer, Ryan, and Taylor in your own special way, then you MUST buy this box set!

After watching the first two seasons of The O.C. on DVD, I was hooked on the show. Sure, the second season storylines dropped off significantly in terms of quality and believability from Season 1, but that didn’t seem to matter too much for this particular show. I was already fully invested in the characters, and just had to see how their lives played out. That’s why I continued on and bought S3 on DVD.

The O.C. — The Complete Third Season contains all 25 episodes from Season 3, as well as some nice extra features. These eps aired on FOX from September 8, 2005 - May 18, 2006, and included “The End of the Innocence” (where Ryan and Marissa FINALLY consummate their relationship), “The Day After Tomorrow” (the whole sweatshirt bonfire/Seth college angst storyline), and “The Graduates” (where Marissa dies). Yes, there were only three memorable eps for me in the entire season. What can I say, S3 was terrible!

But, I would never leave an entire season out of a DVD collection, so I purchased this one. At least I got my box set on sale for just $16.99 a couple months ago, which is far more palatable than the current $46.99 list price at Amazon.com.

Oh, before I forget, some of the bonus features include:

• The Party Favor: From Script to Screen
• Making of The Subways Video
• What’s in a Name?
• Pass the Remote: Selected Scene-Surfing Commentary
• Gags and Goofs

“The Party Favor” featurette is about how an episode of The O.C. (in this case, the prom ep) goes from concept to screen in a couple of weeks, and was actually very interesting. “What’s in a Name?” was also fun, as it tells about how producer Josh Schwartz used the names of a lot of his friends for characters on the show.

This Complete Third Season box set comes in fold-out packaging with some nice shots of the main cast on the flaps, as well as individual portraits on each of the seven discs. When stored, a couple of the discs sit on top of each other, so you’ll have to remove the top ones to get to the bottom ones — no biggie for me, but I know some people find this annoying. There’s also a nice episode guide that gives a brief synopsis of and photo from each ep, making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Overall, despite the lack of quality in The O.C. — The Complete Third Season, this is a box set that every true fan of the show must have for their collection. I recommend waiting for another price drop at Amazon.com so you don’t end up paying more than $20 for it!

On a Kindle, that is! I’ve been reading ebooks on a PDA for 2 years now, but really wanted something easier on the eyes. So when the Kindle was announced, I followed the news very closely, read all the customer reviews, and waited to see how the product would fare in the market.

Here we are about 7 months later, and the Kindle seems to be a smashing success for the most part. Sure, there are a few detractors, but most people who actually own and use one absolutely love it.

The price dropped from an initial MSRP of $399 to a new list price of $359. That’s still quite expensive, so I thought I’d wait a bit more to see if the price would go down even further. Also, I was kind of waiting around to see if a second generation machine would be announced.

But from what I’ve read, the 2nd-gen is likely still a very long way off, and the price realistically isn’t going to go much lower in the foreseeable future. Yes, in two years the Kindle might retail for $259, but I certainly don’t want to wait that long!

So anyway, I took the plunge today and ordered my Kindle! I felt a bit guilty about spending so much money on a dedicated ebook reader, so I went with free shipping — which means I have to wait about 9 days for my Kindle to arrive. That’s okay though. After all, I’ve been on the sidelines for 7 months already, so what’s another two weeks?

Expect a detailed review in about a month or so. I want to use my Kindle for at least 2 weeks before trying to post my thoughts about it!

I’m very excited right now!!!!

I’ve had problem skin ever since I was a teenager, so it’s no surprise that I spend a lot of money on skincare products. Most of these products don’t help me, and in some cases even leave my face worse off than it was before. I end up tossing out a lot of skincare products because they’re ineffectual, but I occasionally do come across a keeper. Bioré Pore Strips happens to fall into this latter category.

I’m sure you’ve either seen a commercial for Bioré or have tried the product for yourself, so you probably have a good idea of how these strips work. Basically, they’re supposed to remove blackheads and dirt from your nose, leaving you with cleaner looking skin in that area. What you’re supposed to do is wash your face, leave your nose wet, and then stick a strip on. It takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes for the strip to dry, after which time you can remove it.

Then, as if by magic, all the blackheads and other gunk from your skin will cling to the strip and be pulled away.

Bioré pore strips actually do make my nose feel cleaner, and they make any blackheads I have far less visible. Plus, I always see a lot of nasty stuff stuck on the strip as I pull it away, so that’s another way I can tell that the product works.

However, I do have a couple of problems with the strips. First of all, the box promises that the product “helps reduce the appearance of pores with regular use”. This has not happened for me, as I’ve been using Bioré for years and my pores are still as large as ever.

Second, the strips sometimes stick to my skin so much that it hurts like hell to pull them off. Usually, I can remove them without incident, but every once in a while, I get a stubborn strip that’s extremely painful to take off. Heck, just the other day, I actually drew BLOOD after removing the the strip — gross!

Overall, though, I do like these Bioré strips. I use them about once a week and really do like the way my nose feels after a treatment. Try them out for yourself!

We’re thinking about cashing in our frequent flier miles for a couple of tickets to Vegas later this year. We’ve never been to Vegas, but have always wanted to go, so this would be a perfect way to get there. We’ve got enough miles for two free round-trip tickets, which means we’d just have to pay for the hotel and rental car.

So while I was out shopping today, I picked up a Las Vegas travel guide to help us plan our trip a little better. Of course we’re going to gamble a lot while we’re there, but we might as well see some sights and take in a few shows or museums as well. The guide I bought is pretty comprehensive and offers tons of suggestions, so we’re going to need a few days to go over everything and decide what we’d most like to do in Vegas.

Hopefully we’ll actually get to our intended destination this year! It seems that for the past couple of years, we’ve ended up landing in boring places like St. Louis and the Wisconsin Dells instead of where we really wanted to go….

Even though I’ve had my cell phone for about a year and a half now, I haven’t purchased any of the accessories that I usually buy for my devices. For example, I always get a screen protector for my digital cameras, iPods, handheld gaming systems (Nintendo DS, PSP), and phones, but for some reason, I didn’t do it this time. No, scratch that… I did buy a screen protector, but it came off after a couple of months and I never bothered to replace it.

Anyway, I finally went out today and bought two new accessories for my phone since I still have a good 8 months left on my contract. The first item I purchased was a micro sd card so I can transfer my photos from my phone to my computer, and the second was another screen protector to prevent any further scratches.

Having these accessories has revitalized my interest in my phone somewhat. I was seriously thinking about ditching my current contract and paying the early cancellation penalties in order to be able to get a new phone, but now I think I can stick it out for the rest of the term!

I’m not much of a golfer, but I do have to say that I buy golf apparel all the time! I especially love golf hats and visors because they’re much more suited to my tastes than other headwear. Whereas most other companies produce flexfit hats, which I absolutely hate, golf companies still manufacture adjustable baseball-style hats — something I need so I can slip my ponytail through the opening in the back.

Recently, I decided I wanted a new hat for this summer, so I went to the local sporting goods store and came back with this white Mizuno golf hat. It comes with an adjustable velcro strap in the back, a sturdy bill, and an embroidered logo on the front.

Another thing that I particularly like about this hat is the the way that it keeps its shape in the front area and doesn’t slope too much — which is a problem with softer, floppier hats on the market. I hate the way those soft hats look on my head, so I always try to find a sturdier one like this Mizuno.

The hat also came with a logo clip and magnetic golf ball marker. The clip snaps onto the bill of the cap, and the magnetic marker can be removed and replaced easily when you’re on the putting green. I doubt that I’ll ever have to use this accessory, but it was kind of neat that the hat came with it anyway.

Overall, this Mizuno golf hat is a good-looking cap that will keep my head and eyes protected from the harsh sun all summer long. At a retail price of about $25, it was a bit on the expensive side as far as baseball-style hats go, but I’m willing to pay extra to avoid the flexfit trend!

A couple months ago, I mentioned that my husband was interested in buying this 2008 Rockstar Pipestar Hoody from One Industries. We hesitated back then because of the price ($58), but since Father’s Day is coming up anyway, I figured this would be as good a time as any to splurge a bit. Yes, I consider this particular $58 purchase a splurge — because normally, we’d never dream of paying that much for a sweatshirt!

Fortunately, this Pipestar hoody is of surprisingly good quality. The fleece is thick enough to provide warmth on cool days and nights, but not so thick that it makes the sweatshirt big and bulky. The design is great, as the red piping around the hood and shoulders provides a nice contrast to the black and yellow elsewhere in the material. And the embroidered logos ensure that the sweatshirt will retain its sharp looks no matter how many times it goes through the washer and dryer.

Other noticeable features include rivets at the ends of the hood drawstrings to prevent unraveling; a leather “One” logo tag on the left pocket; zip-up front with “One” logo on the zipper pull; and ribbed cuffs and waist to provide a better fit.

Overall, the 2008 Rockstar Pipestar Hoody is one of the best sweatshirts I’ve ever purchased. Yes, it’s expensive, but I have the feeling my husband will get our money’s worth out of this product. Check it out for yourself!

I like to be “connected” at all times, even when I’m away from home. Although my cell phone comes with a web browser that allows me to check emails, it doesn’t have a full QWERTY keyboard, making any real tasks next to impossible to complete. So I end up taking my PDA with me just about everywhere.

The problem with this method is that I never know if there’s a WiFi hotspot nearby. That’s why I thought the Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter (HS-20) would be a good investment. This is a compact device (it’s smaller than a pack of cigarettes) that quickly scans the immediate area to detect hotspots. The Digital Hotspotter also lets me know the name of the access point (AP), how strong the network’s signal is, whether the AP is secure or unlocked,

I’ve been using the Digital Hotspotter for about a week now, and am completely in love with it! This device has truly made getting online a lot easier when I’m away from home. I’ve found the Hotspotter to be accurate, fast, and efficient — everything I could possibly expect from it! The best feature has to be the portability, as I can simply slip the Hotspotter into my pocket, purse, or laptop bag without even noticing the addition.

Overall, though the product is a bit pricey at $70, I would gladly have paid twice that. The Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter is a must for anyone looking to connect to the Internet while out and about.

I recently upgraded my 2G iPod Nano for a 3G version, and since the sizes and shapes of the two models are completely different, I had to purchase all new accessories for my new MP3 player. One of the items I bought was a Belkin Sport Armband Plus to help keep my iPod out of the way during my workouts.

I’ve never used an armband for any of my iPods before, preferring instead to use a simple silicone case/lanyard combination. But I don’t like the way the iPod bounces around on my neck while I’m on the treadmill or whatever, so I finally decided that an armband was in order.

I went with the Belkin over other brands because it looked sturdy, was priced favorably compared to similar products, and received decent customer reviews. It turns out that I made a pretty good decision.

The Belkin Sport Armband Plus for 3G iPod Nano comes with the following features right out of the box:

• Made from hand-washable, water-wicking material
• Detachable Cable Capsule for managing earphone cord
• Adjustable hook-fastening system to secure product on arm
• Clear screen that allows access to iPod clickwheel
• Reflective material on face for use in the dark

I’ve used this armband for a few workouts already, and am happy to report that it seems to suit my purposes rather well thus far. There are, however, a couple of things that I don’t like about it. For instance, the hook fastener isn’t all that easy to use. It takes me forever to get the thing on (though taking it off is pretty simple). Also, because of the positioning of the Cable Capsule, I can’t get the armband on as tight as I would like it.

In addition, I’ve found that it’s a bit difficult to use the clickwheel through the protective screen. I think the product would be much better if there were a hole around the clickwheel so I could actually touch the iPod instead of trying to manipulate the thing through plastic.

Overall, however, I’m pretty happy with my purchase. I use this armband when I go to the gym for workouts or when I take my dogs on long walks, and I use a silicone case at all other times. I know some people might balk at paying $29.99 for this Belkin Sport Armband Plus, but I think it’s worth the price.

I didn’t start watching The O.C. until the show was well into its fourth — and final — season. I had watched maybe one or two episodes from Season 1 on DVD, but wasn’t particularly impressed with the characters or any of the storylines. Sure, I liked Seth and Summer almost immediately, and Kirsten and Sandy were interesting too. However, back then the spotlight was squarely on Ryan (Ben McKenzie) and Marisa (Mischa Barton), and I didn’t think either of those two were terribly great actors.

But I kept watching every now and then, and when I finally got to around the halfway point of Season 1, I was completely hooked. I borrowed the DVDs from my friends, sat through marathons where I would watch four or five eps in a single day, and finished out the series in record time. Once it was over, I realized that I truly liked the show and would miss the characters a lot — so much so that I immediately purchased all four seasons on DVD for my own collection!

The Complete Second Season box set contains all 24 episodes that aired on FOX from November 4, 2004 to May 19, 2005, including some of my favorites like “The Rainy Day Women” (where Seth and Summer finally get back together), “The Chrismukkah That Almost Wasn’t” (where Summer saves the day by decorating Lindsay and Renee’s house), and “The Dearly Beloved” (where Ryan finally finds out about Trey and Marisa).

As with the Season One box set, the episodes are contained on six discs, while all the bonus features (except for commentary) appear on a seventh disc. The bonuses in The Complete Second Season include:

• Extended creator’s cut of “The Rainy Day Women”
• Commentary on “The Rainy Day Women” and “The Chrismukkah That Almost Wasn’t”
• A piece on how O.C. fashion is made
• A retrospective TV special called The O.C. — Obsess Completely
• A gag reel from Seasons 1 & 2

I particularly liked the commentary about two of my favorite episodes, and the gag reel as well. I just wish the gag reel had been a little longer because it’s a lot of fun seeing actors let their guard down like that.

Overall, I love my copy of The O.C. — The Complete Second Season DVD box set. I nabbed it from Amazon.com when it was on sale for just $16.99, which is about as low as the price would ever go for a brand-new set. If you were a fan of The O.C., then you simply must add this box set to your collection!