What Cheap Stuff Really Costs Us

What Cheap Stuff Really Costs Us

A viscous cycle is occurring today. We buy cheap because our wages are low, but when buying cheap, we keep others wages low as well. Add in the fact that we don't live in a bubble but instead in a world wide economy, and the implications of buying purely based on price will start to make you think.

The impulse buyer has really taken hold. In Ellen Ruppel Shell's book, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture, we read how spending on almost every aspect of our lives have gone down, with inflation factored in. BUT, we are spending more on things we don't need and the so called "sales" are driving the impulse industry we live in today.

Shell even challenges us to think about outlet stores and the products they sell. Does Puma or Tommy Hilfiger make merchandise that actually will be sold at outlet stores to in fact use the brand to sell you the item, or are you buying a generally great product? Isn't the fact that it is on sale, at a seemingly great price, the major factor in many of our purchasing decisions?

She covers this and more in this thought provoking book. My interest has been piqued, so I'm probably going to skim the book a bit and see if this is worth a purchase, perhaps even at, GASP, full price...

How and What to Read

How and What to Read

I'm going to pick this book up soon. Sometimes it is hard to read a book for pleasure when constantly thinking of reading it critically. But like one of my professors said, "The first time you read a book is like the first date. There is so much more to be had from great works, just like why we go on that second date".

I hardly ever read a piece or even watch a movie more than once, but I'm probably going to start revisiting some works. If you really like a book, why not read it critically the second time, and see if there is even more enjoyment to be had?

Germany\'s Bright Idea: Street Lighting on Demand

Germany\'s Bright Idea: Street Lighting on Demand

Pretty smart idea. I can see older residents having a hard time with figuring out the technology to make this work, but besides a few short falls like that, in a small village, why keep the light on all night long?

I applaud this village for coming up with an intelligent use of our current technology to solve issues. If only this idea was feasible for bigger communities.

Fox and WB agree to terms over 'Watchmen'.

That's right. If you have been keeping up, WB and Fox have had a very large lawsuit since last February and have officially ended the dispute according to Variety. This means the March 6th release date is concrete, and the troubled pic will be finally seen on screen.

Now, as a fan of Watchmen, I have mixed feelings about it being made into a feature film, let alone one under three hours, but I am generally optimistic about the way in which Zack Snyder has handled himself and the material.

The terms are not public yet, but according to the article by Variety:

Fox, on the other hand, will emerge with an upfront cash payment that sources pegged between $5 million and $10 million.

Fox will get a gross participation in "Watchmen" that scales between 5% and 8.5%, depending on the film’s worldwide revenues.

So, Fox is making out fairly well according to sources, and still retains the right to take in a gross from any sequels or spin offs, which would probably be widely ridiculed by the numerous Watchmen faithful.

However, Hollywood does have a tendency to bastardized any and all things sacred to make a buck, and if this becomes the hot property that many believe, I wouldn't be surprised to hear another film being planned.

Looking for something to do this week? After Dark Horrorfest

After Dark Horrorfest is a film festival that showcases 8 small budget horror films at various theaters across the US.


There are two films that id like to point out. The first is "The Broken" which stars Lena Heady (300) and Richard Jenkins (Owner of Hard Bodies in Burn After Reading). I was pointed to this film via Cinematical, which i follow closely. The initial positive review and a shout out to the film fest and "The Broken" specifically made me jump. I already have two peeps going with me to see it Wednesday night. I was told not to watch the trailer as it gives too much away, and was told this is a mainly atmospheric film and not a jump thriller. Big fan of this kinda film.

The other film is called "From Within". It features the direction of Phedon Papamichael who is a widely known cinematographer (most recently did W and 3:10 To Yuma). Id suggest looking at the movies he has worked on in the past if you have any doubts about him as a cinematographer. While i realize this doesnt mean he is an excellent director, working with good directors can only benefit his 3rd feature film.

He got a great television cast to star in his film and the main actress (Elizabeth Rice) is garnering very good reviews.


Both of these films clock in at roughly 1.5 hours, so its not like they are long commitments. The After Dark link has some trailers and links to find out if its playing in your area. I found two AMC theaters playing the features in Houston and I saw 2 in Dallas as well.


If any of yall go see any of these 8 films, let me know.

Upset with the BCS? Time shift another program!

According to a Variety article, the ratings for the BCS National Championship Game last night saw a large jump in overall viewers and ratings while people continue to question the merits of a big-time college football post-season without a playoff format.

Beginning at 8:20 p.m. and stretching to 11:49 p.m. when the game ended, Fox's 9.5 rating was up 16% versus last year's BCS championship contest when LSU defeated Ohio State. Total viewers also took a 16% jump: 26.8 million against 23.1 million. The game took each hour handily.

They complain, and complain some more. Yet, they watch.

So, what is an angry fan to do? Well, in order to hit them where it hurts, you need to go after advertisers. That doesn't mean egging the nearest Coca-Cola truck you see. It means effecting ratings.

Nielsen is the major company that polls a large sample of Americans and their viewing habits every day and it's the most commonly used ratings company out there.

Ratings effect how much a television network can realistically charge advertisers for a 30-60 second advertisement during a program. We have all heard about the incredible prices that advertisers pay for Super Bowl ads every year, and that is because of their huge pull in the ratings department. When an average of 97.5 million people tune into last year's Super Bowl, those ads have a high chance of reaching a huge and diverse market. And this is almost always the case.

But, if you aren't directly polled by Nielsen in any of their various ways, you aren't left with many options to let your voice be heard. And let's face it, who can name one person that you know that IS being monitored by Nielsen? Exactly.

So, enough with the background, here is what you can do. Got a Digital Video Recorder (DVR)? If so, you are in luck. You see, Nielsen uses their voluntary polling systems, but data is also collected by those people with DVRs when you actually use them to time-shift a program.

So, what you can do is time-shift a program in the same time slot as the game or program that you despise and this data will be recorded and passed on. Make sure to actually watch that program within the three days of it airing, and I'd even go as far as not skipping the commercials. It may not be the most ethical thing you can do, but as a consumer that doesn't have a direct voice, it's at least SOMETHING.

However, advertisers are reluctant to let time-shifting directly influence the price they pay for ads, but you can be sure that they keep track of it as well as television networks, so it's highly likely this will at the very least have a sub-conscious effect.

Just remember, they also monitor things online. And you can always watch the game in a regular fashion even if you have a DVR, just make sure not to use the pause button or any other time-shifting feature.

The Straight Dope... hilarious website of random questions finally answered.

If this article alone doesn't convert you, I don't know what will.

Basically, it boils down to this singular guy (Cecil) who responds to some of the weirdest questions that most people WANT to ask but never do. He then answers them in a generally funny way but takes great lengths to actually explain it and give some of the sources he used. He isn't the only contributor, but he is the main one and the other contributors (from the few articles i have read) aren't quite as humorous but still do a good job (often better) of answering the questions.

Here is a snippet of the above article, as he gets called out and hilarity ensues:

Why do pigeons bob their heads?
April 13, 1979

Dear Cecil:

Can you in your infinite yet magnanimous wisdom explain something that's been troubling me for years? When pigeons bob their heads as they walk is it because their legs are connected to their necks or what?

— Dennis A., Highland Park, Illinois

Dear Dennis:

Of course not. As any fool can see, a pigeon's legs are connected to its body--and it's a good thing, because the pigeon would look mighty funny if it were assembled according to the offhand anatomy you describe.

Basically the pigeon's back-and-forth head motion--not exactly a bob--helps it keep its balance when walking. The pigeon's legs are located pretty far astern, and if it kept its head forward all the time it would probably tip over. This would expose the pigeon to the ridicule of the community. Instead, what it does is move its chest forward in time with one leg, and its head forward in time with the other leg. Thus some weight is always trailing a little abaft the port beam, as we say. Many fowl have similarly peculiar gaits, because they cannot afford orthopedic shoes.

I had a similar question for one of my professors in Biology. It went a little something like, "if bats can see somewhat, but STILL use sonar, what do they actually see in their heads?" The idea in my head was that sonar is used to detect their prey, and if they have poor vision, do they just close their eyes and rely on the sonar images to guide them? Does their vision combine with the sonar images? Unfortunately, I cant remember his answer. Maybe ill throw it at Cecil...