There are a total of 35,372 different products on offer in a typical grocery store, according to a study published several years ago.

Today? Not so much.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed many of us from choosy shoppers who gaze upon shelves full of items, pondering the different varieties and flavors, into mission-focused shoppers who will grab whatever kind of toilet paper and canned foods we can find. As a result, there’s a renewed focus on the basics. Many manufacturers have drastically reduced the variety of items they’re producing, and many retailers have dramatically reducing the number of items they’re stocking.  Here’s the Coupons in the News article.  Jewel has started carrying giant cans of Heinz soup and those haven’t been on their shelves since buggy whips were in fashion.  My take – pah, don’t believe it.

No pix, ’cause it’s embarrassing for any family to have, frankly.  Made one trip with dog stuff to A.D.O.P.T., a trip to Goodwill (donation only, thank you very much) and then a second trip to A.D.O.P.T.

Stuff with tags, a Fendi purse with dust bag, new earrings & pin set (PITA received as a gift but never even took out of the box) and an entire collection of SpongeBob DVDs. More books that made the trip because spending month after month in lockdown makes you nuts.  Or should I say makes you appreciate how much stuff you have and don’t need and that’s what’s nuts …

If you’ve ever complained that there aren’t enough cashiers staffing the checkout lanes at your local Walmart, then a Walmart with no cashiers and no traditional checkout lanes at all might be just the solution.

It sounds counterintuitive, but it might turn out to be the very future of the in-store checkout experience.  Here’s a full look inside the Walmart test kitchen, so to speak, and the article I posted about it last month.

Get free coffee every two hours and free refills with this subscription program from Panera.  Any size, any flavor!  Sign up was originally through the 4th, but has been extended through the 13th; if you have a current subscription, the $8.99 fee is waived through September 7th, the end of the free program.  You must enter a credit card, but cancel at any time online, via their APP or phone, so get yourself some freebies.  Iced coffee sure sounds good over the next couple of weeks 🙂

Just dropped Poor Deplorable Troll a few minutes ago, for all you Little Mermaid fans.  gawd, i love this guy!

If you want to laugh your ass off, here’s a compilation of clips from the Hamilton movie performed in quicktime to Weird Al’s version.  Link to YouTube here.

In Congress, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Here’s the entire transcription – see how close we’re coming to what they faced.

Get free coffee every two hours and free refills with this subscription program from Panera.  Any size, any flavor!  Sign up is through July 4th, but if you have a current subscription, the $8.99 fee is waived through September 7th, the end of the free program.  You must enter a credit card, but cancel at any time online, via their APP or phone, so get yourself some freebies.  Iced coffee sure sounds good over the next couple of weeks 🙂

Fascinating how messed up facial recognition programs can be – but the underlying programs seem to be so old and sloppy (in computer time) that women with children or wearing bikinis are labeled whores, while monkeys are … well, fill in the racist term of your choice. As a side note, Detroit’s Chief of Police said the facial recognition software they use (almost exclusively on Blacks) appears to misidentify faces 96% of the time.  Fun read if you’re a white male – otherwise, better not leave the house.

We’re supposed to get two inserts in this Sunday’s paper (7/5), a RetailMeNot and the July P&G most sites said we’d see last weekend; I’m listing them again. Some papers may divide them differently, not carry the same coupons or have different values.

RetailMeNot

Boost Drink Multipacks or Canisters $4/2 (8/29)
Burts Bees Adult Toothpaste $2/1 (7/18)
Nestle Pure Life + 20oz 4pk $1.50/1 (9/3)
Nestle Pure Life + Bottles 20oz $1.25/2 (9/3)
Purina Cat Chow Dry Cat Food 3.15lb $2/1 (9/5)
Purina Friskies Dry Cat Food $1/1 (9/5)
Right Guard Sport Item $1/1 (7/19)
Right Guard Xtreme Defense and/or Dry Idea Items – Buy TWO, Get ONE FREE up to $5.49 B2G1 (7/19)
Runa Can 12oz $1/1 (12/31)
Runa Product – Buy ONE, Get ONE FREE up to $2.99 B1G1 (12/31)

P&G

Align Probiotic Supplement $2/1 (7/18)
Always Radiant, Infinity, Pure Ultra or Maxi Pads 10ct+ $4/2 (7/25)
Cascade ActionPacs Dishwasher Detergent Tub 30ct $1/1 (7/18)
Cascade Rinse Aid $1/1 (7/18)
Cascade Dishwasher Detergent .50/1 (7/18)
Crest 3D White Whitestrips $5/1 (7/18)
Crest Toothpaste or Liquid Gel $1/1 (7/18)
Crest or Oral B Mouthwash 473ml $1/1 (7/18)
Dawn Liquid Spray or Foam 10.1oz .50/1 (7/18)
Febreze Product – Buy 1, Get 1 FREE B1G1 (7/25)
Fixodent Adhesive Twin or Triple Pack 1.4oz $2.50/1 (7/18)
Gain Dishwashing Liquid 21.6oz .50/1 (7/18)
Gillette Disposable or Venus or Daisy Disposable 2ct $3/1 (7/25)
Gillette Disposable or Venus or Daisy Disposable 6ct $5/1 (7/25)
Gillette Antiperspirant Deodorant 2.6oz $2/2 (7/18)
Head & Shoulders Shampoo $3/2 (7/18)
Head & Shoulders Men’s Styling $2/1 (7/18)
Herbal Essences Bio:renew Shampoo Conditioner or Styling $4/2 (7/18)
Luvs Diapers $1.50/1 (7/18)
Metamucil Fiber Supplement $2/1 (7/18)
Mr Clean Reusable Gloves .50/1 (8/1)
Mr Clean Any Product $1/2 (7/18)
Olay Eyes $2/1 (7/25)
Olay Facial Cleanser $1/1 (7/25)
Olay Facial Moisturizer $3/1 (7/25)
Olay Serum $3/1 (7/25)
Olay Bar 4ct, Body Wash or Hand and Body Lotion $1.50/1 (7/18)
Old Spice Dry Spray or Body Spray $2/1 (7/18)
Old Spice Anti Perspirant Deodorant $1/2 (7/25)
Pampers Easy Ups Training Underwear or Splashers $2/1 (7/18)
Pampers Wipes 56ct .50/2 (7/18)
Pampers Diapers box or Easy Ups Training Underwear $3/1 (7/18)
Pantene Nutrient Blends, Non Wash Day Products, Pro V $5/2 (7/18)
Pantene Products $5/3 (7/18)
Pantene Products $1/1 (7/18)
Pepto Bismol Product .50/1 (7/18)
Prilosec OTC Product $2/1 (7/18)
Safeguard Liquid Hand Soap or 8ct Bar $2/2 (7/25)
Secret Essential Oils or Gillette Clinical Antiperspirant Deodorant $2/1 (7/18)
Secret Outlast or Fresh Antiperspirant Deodorant $2/2 (7/18)
Secret Dry Spray Antiperspirant or Aluminun Free Deodorant 2.4oz $2/1 (7/18)
Stressballs Product $2/1 (7/18)
Swiffer Product $2/1 (7/18)
Tampax Pearl, Pocket Pearl, Radiant, or Pure Tampons $4/2 (7/25)
Venus Razor $4/1 (7/25)
Waterless Products $4/2 (7/18)
Zzzquil or Pure Zzzs .50/1 (7/18)