I drove to the Kmart the 90s forgot–on Manchester Avenue in St. Louis, if it matters–in search of a $70 Nook Simple Touch. I found it in the electronics section, in the very back of the store, in a glass case with a bunch of obsolete stuff. If you need VHS tapes, I know your [...]
All posts tagged kmart
Buying that Nook was more work than it needed to be
Posted by Dave Farquhar on July 19, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/07/buying-that-nook-was-more-work-than-it-needed-to-be/
I’m tempted by this Nook deal
Kmart is selling the Nook Simple Touch–the e-ink, black-and-white version–for $70, which is nearly 30% off. I’m tempted. Very tempted. Tempted even to buy one and just use it as–drum roll–an e-reader. Disappointed in me?
Posted by Dave Farquhar on July 19, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/07/im-tempted-by-this-nook-deal/
Review: The Utilitech Pro 430 lumen 7.5 watt LED bulb from Lowe’s
LED lighting is slowly getting cheaper. Home Depot has its 40W equivalent bulbs under $10 now, and Lowe’s countered with a $13 40W equivalent. The Lowe’s bulb uses less wattage, so I think that’s the better value. I bought some.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on October 13, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/10/review-the-utilitech-pro-430-lumen-7-5-watt-led-bulb-from-lowes/
The SSD Decoder Ring
I occasionally get a question about an SSD, usually when one goes on sale somewhere. Inevitably, I’ll get an e-mail message with a URL and the words “any good?” with it. Often I’ll know off the top of my head, but depending on whose name is on the drive, I may not. But here’s a [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 12, 2011
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2011/01/the-ssd-decoder-ring/
LED night lights
With two young kids, we find ourselves fumbling around in the kitchen at night more than just occasionally. At some point, we turned to flipping the microwave’s night light on.Which was fine, except I found that one of its settings uses 30 watts, the other 60, and more often than not, that light stays lit [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on November 6, 2010
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2010/11/led-night-lights/
Coming soon: Affordable LED lighting
Affordable is relative, of course. LED lights are a long way from costing less than CFLs, and of course, the old-fashioned incandescents are still cheaper. But the Ecosmart LED bulb that Home Depot is about to start selling for $20 costs half as much as competing offerings from GE and Philips.
They use 8-9 watts to provide equivalent light to a 40w incandescent, work in dimmers, are made in the USA, and have an estimated life expectancy of 17 years. So I think I could be persuaded to buy a couple.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 16, 2010
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2010/05/comign-soon-affordable-led-lighting/
The rise and fall of Shack, and how to fix it
Wired has a nostalgic piece on the not-quite-late, not-quite-great Radio Shack. I think it’s a good article, but it glosses over part of the reason for the store’s decline.
It blames computers.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 11, 2010
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2010/05/the-rise-and-fall-of-shack-and-how-to-fix-it/
Cars for trains
Vehicles are a frequent topic of discussion on the various O and S gauge train forms. At times these discussions can get rather heated.
Since use on train layouts is rarely the objective of the companies making various diecast vehicles, there’s no true right answer to what one should or shouldn’t use. This is my personal philosophy. Take it for what it’s worth.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on December 2, 2008
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2008/12/cars-for-trains/
So is a Costco membership worth it?
One gift my wife and I gave ourselves after paying off our mortgage was a Costco membership. We didn’t get one before we paid off that debt, just in case it wasn’t worth it. I’d carried a Sam’s membership for years but found I didn’t use it much.
I think Costco is worth it, with caveats.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on September 14, 2008
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2008/09/so-is-a-costco-membership-worth-it/
The Stingy Scottish Miser: Thermal Curtains
So the Stingy Scottish Miser Chronicles continue. Yesterday my wife and I went shopping for thermal (also known as blackout) curtains. I’d read about them in comments on financial blogs but never saw much else in the way of first-person testimony about them.
I figure one day’s worth of experience with them is better than no information at all.
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2009/06/the-stingy-scottish-miser-thermal-curtains/