musicmark

Saw several things in the posted ad that I wanted, so I signed up for the email list on two different addresses, one of them several days ago. Both received the welcome email, and then nothing at all. Not in inbox, not in spam, nothing. I assume the sale is live now for those who actually have codes, but I'm sorry I wasted my time on Frys. We don't have them here, so the online deals were my only shot. --Mark

Do you redeem the cartridges for a discount right at the register, or do you get coupons to use later? I just want to know if I should have them in my pocket Friday morning. And whether they have to be name brand, or just compatible. Thanks!

I'm not a frequent Staples shopper, but I know they've given some in-store credit for empty inkjet cartridges. I also know that they've narrowed the program recently. But what I can't scare up easily around here, OR on the Staples website, is what the current policy is. Can anyone in the know please summarize it for the rest of us? I could use a few extra bucks off on BF.... Thanks!

It will definitely hold 10-12 songs, even on the little 32MB memory card that comes with it. If you set the compression to a lower quality than 128K, it will hold more than that still. If you buy a bigger SD card (you can get 512MB, the largest the JuiceBox will handle, for $10-$20 on BF) it will hold a TON more. The thing is, it might be a little awkward to change those 10-12 songs frequently. The software isn't hard to use, but you'd want to keep all the potential songs in the right place on your hard drive so it wouldn't be a pain to swap them on and off the memory card.

Not so fast, people. How about providing some actual INFORMATION. First, if I recall the ad correctly, it's a JuiceBox player, AND three cartridges, AND the mp3 kit (software, small SD memory card--you can upgrade to <=512MB if you like) for that $25. The JuiceBox is discontinued. Getting the cartridges to play in it will take some effort, and the player is probably not worth having as a video player. The compression is awful on the videos, and they don't even SOUND good. The MP3 software is easy to use. It will only play mp3's up to 128K bitrate, but it sounds pretty good. It has a graphical interface for playing the songs back, and it will also display pictures. The provided software turns them into a proprietary format, but that format looks fine on the limited-capability screen of the player, and the photos take practially NO storage space. Your kid could store a TON of photos to carry around. It doesn't seem to be too much of a battery hog, either. Maybe it's for you, maybe it's not. But compare what it does to what it costs before you jump to conclusions.

Dunno what she likes to drink, but if it's beer, she's probably drinking cheap swill at that age. In which case a 12-pack sampler of different styles of REAL BEER is a perfect gift. You may even open her eyes to a whole new world :) Saranac, Goose Island, and even Michelob have samplers readily available for $10-$15 at your local grocer that usually include types like Pale Ale, Hefeweizen, India Pale Ale, Oktoberfest, etc. I love getting these things for Christmas because I might find a new beer I like, and if not, well, it's not that hard to fight your way through 12 ounces just to get the 6% alcohol :) Not that I'm a serious homebrewer, what with my starter set from mrbeer.com (Target clearance after Xmas 2 years ago--75% off!) but I'm really pleased with the two gallons of hard cider I just bottled. Four dollars worth of cider, 75 cents worth of ale yeast, add two weeks, and get schnockered :) Maybe I need to warm up a thermos-ful to take to BB on Friday, huh?

Krispy Kreme!!!!!! Gotta love the "Hot Now" sign lit up in the window! --Mark

I haven't noticed a great deal yet. The drives are finally coming down ($50 at CompUSA) but media is still high. I don't have a drive yet, so I can be a little patient. --Mark

I think that because it's more or less a "regular" Target ad, with 2-day prices, that you can rain check anything in it unless it specifically says "no rain checks" in the ad. If you put off your Target trip, the danger is that they'll be out of the item you want. Not a problem for very many items, and if you're willing to take a rain check, no problem at all. The one counterexample would be something like a $18 DVD boxed set. Sure, you can get a rain check and use it for that set or another set at the same discount later. BUT--what if they never restock that particular set? It happens sometimes; Target has limited floor space for those sorts of things, and only carries what's selling right now. The $18 sets are likely the ones they want to dump because they aren't moving, and they might not be back. And the $90 Lego Millennium Falcon that they're suddenly willing to let go for $50--you think they'll be restocking that? Or are they cutting their losses and using a clearance price as a 'doorbuster' deal? If you do choose to hit Target early, like I have the past couple years, you can get in and out in a big hurry if you (1) avoid the toy section, and (2) know exactly what you're getting and where it is. Target BF seems to attract a lot of newbies, and a lot of people who linger to fill up a cart and get ALL their Xmas shopping done. If you want DVDs, you can be at the back of the line when the door opens, get in, get 'em, and get out in 15 minutes. If the doors open at 6AM, you'll still have some cashiers waiting for customers at 6:30. Just don't get caught against the back wall in the toy section--unless you can fly over the shopping cart traffic jam. -- Now, does anyone know how well Target will do a price adjustment? I'll probably buy the Millennium Falcon online before I even leave the house. But if I bought it Wednesday, do you think they'd adjust my price on Friday or Saturday? Anyone know the policy?

From the looks of this thread, maybe I don't have to get to Best Buy very early to get my hands on Arrested Development seasons 1 and 2 :)

Both the Columbus Dispatch and Newark Advocate came with the $15per$100 front page instead of doorbusters. Some family members speculated today that it's punishment for the role Ohio played in electing Bush --Mark

From another thread here, it looks like San Diego also got the gift cards instead of doorbusters. --Mark

I saw the same thing. Looks like BB is screwing Columbus this time around! It wasn't in my plans, but I was going to find a friend to get me that 24 Season One box set, I hoped. Now??? This really throws a monkey wrench into things. I guess I can hope that there are still tons of people lined up at Best Buy for the $500 laptop lottery and whatnot...just so they're out of my way :)

Not quite all of the IKEAs are like that. The Chicago store is of the new, 3-story sort. It's arranged in rings, with escalators and elevators in the center. It's actually much less user-friendly, though. To see everything, you have to walk the center ring, the outer ring, and every spoke of walkway connecting them, on each floor. There's no efficient way to do it. You'll see most of the store 2 or 3 times, and most likely realize that you missed one area you needed to visit--when you're one floor down and kitty-corner across the building from it. The old-style blue-box IKEA rules! --Mark

I think in the last three years, I've averaged 3 hours of sleep. My wife and I have a deal--I do the crazy shopping to save us the money, and she's a single parent the rest of the day while I sleep it off. This year we may take it a step further. She'll likely keep the kids overnight at Grandma's house, while I head back for the stupidity. --Mark