Brand Loyalty

I've recently had some thoughts about brand loyalty. There are a whole bunch of things that I do not have loyalty too. For instance, I've driven cars by different companies (Ford Taurus and Aerostar, GEO Metro, Pontiac Grand Am, Cadillac DeVille, and a Dodge Intrepid). My clothes and shoes come from all sorts of manufacturers. I've had a wide variety of electronics from many makers. On a side note, I do have a preference for Sony, but by no means a loyalty to it (hence my Microsoft Xbox and RCA DVD player). So, I've decided to discuss 5 items that I have absolute brand loyalty toward...that is to say, I will buy these regardless of whether other similar products are on sale.

Without further ado...

Charmin - Ultra Strong
This is without a doubt the best toilet paper ever produced. Easily one of my biggest peeves about toilet paper is rolling up while in use. This doesn't roll up or tear at all. Great. Additionally, it is quite soft and comfortable. The only TP I'll be picking up.

Tide w/ Bleach Alternative
It's not the scent that matters much here (Spring Rain, Mountain fresh, Original, whatever), but I will exclusively use Tide w/ Bleach alternative. I'm a big fan of the 2x Ultra, as well. In fact, I don't really even know many other options out there in the realm of detergents (Era...right, that's one?).

Old Spice Red Zone Pure Sport
Quite the complicated title, but it can also be referred to as "The Official Scent of Kyle Johnson." I claim it as such because, I use the stick deodorant, the spray deodorant, and the body wash. I love the scent, and the relative effectiveness of the anti-persperant component of the deodorant. Kicks the crap out of Degree (my previous deodorant choice....a long, long time ago).

Jif Peanut Butter - Extra Crunchy
This one is not exclusively of my decision (unlike the above options). This is a family (more specifically, the padre) preference that has carried over. In fact, I might get disowned if my dad ever found another brand of peanut butter in my pantry. Regardless of the origin, I do love my Jif PB...and extra crunchy is the only way to roll. Essential for pancakes or Eggo's (another brand I'm loyal too). Remember..."Choosy moms, choose Jif!"

And finally....

Dr. Pepper
Hands down the best cola (or soda, or pop, or coke...note the lower case...whichever term you chose to use) available on the market. And note: the Diet version doesn't really count, I've tried, and it is not the same. I'll order Dr. Pepper at restaurants, and when the waitress says, "We have Mr. Pibb. Is that okay?" I always say, "No!" and promptly order a Coke (note the capital, referring to the actual brand Coca-Cola classic). Anyway, I could propably survive on Dr. Pepper, Lemonade, and Orange Juice (no brand preference on those final two). There is simply no substitute for Dr. Pepper..."I'm a Pepper."


And as honorable mention: Cascade dish detergent

Alright, there you have some of my brand loyalty's. What about you? What products do you use exclusively?

In Need of a Post

I'm well past due with my need for posting. I've had a few ideas to post about, but just haven't gotten around to putting them down on paper...or rather on the screen...or whatever it is you would call a post. Anyway, mostly because I need to post, I'll just give a quick highlight of these recent thoughts and they might warrant a full post in the days to come.

A) Return to small town life...the pros and cons. I'm back to living in a small country based town in Indiana. This is not really new to me, but it has been a while for me. High school (in Ramsey, IN) was about as country as could be...not even a stop-light in town. However, New Albany/Clarksville and Lousiville, KY were not very far away, so it wasn't awful. Also, I spent some time in Washington, IN, and that is very similar to my most recent location. It is quite different than my 6 years in Indy for school and the past few years in Denver, CO. It comes with some adjustment, but I'm pretty settled (there's a bowling alley and some good pizza...aka, the necessities of civilization).

B) Jesus Camp. I watched this doucmentary the other night and certainly have some strong views on the material presented. I did like how the documentary was fairly hands off and unbiased, but the subject matter is simply controversial. I'm never quite sure I want to discuss some of the things presented in this forum. Regardless, it had topics that really got me boiling a bit (such as: science and home schooling, what it really means to be pro-life). Simply put, I can't understand how some people can adopt some beliefs so blindly.

C) Zombies. This is mostly brought on in response to my brother's most recent post. I greatly enjoy many things zombies, and have contemplated a top 10 zombie movie list. I'm sure I've thought of it before, and who knows, I might have even done it before. Regardless, I like lists, I like movies, and I like zombies...so this post seems like an obvious thing.

and finally...

D) Anything else. It is really funny how I'll think of something to post about at random times during the day, but never quite get around to posting about it. I really need to work on actually getting around to posting more regularly about whatever topic hits me.

and as always (clearly I lied about that finally thing a moment ago)...

E) Movie reviews. Recent viewings include: Angels and Demons, The Hangover, Bedtime Stories, and Yes Man. Giving a review is always an easy post, so I should probably at least default to that on a weekly basis.

Ok, well, that meets the requirements of a post...almost...I still need a visual aide. Let's see....how about this...

If you didn't quite look hard enough. It is a normal set of stairs with the railings of escalators...I wonder how many people got confused and stopped at the base for a second?