Introducing…

/ / General / 14 Comments

A new writer premieres at The Impulsive Buy and takes it to new heights…of lows, that is.

I realize this opening smacks of cliché, but I couldn’t think of any other way to introduce myself as the new writer to this fine site.

Hi, I’m Reprobate, a fan of the site since 2006, and for the past year or so, regular contributor to the comments section. By the way, those of you who are die hard fans of this site may also recognize me as one of two winners of the Blue Hawaii Pepsi that was offered by this site. Jealous? No? Argh! But I digress.

Anyhoo, with the addition of me, The Impulsive Buy has finally gone coast to coast!
Well, almost. I’ve been a Michigan resident for the last 16 years, and I graduated from Michigan State this year with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. No, it’s not as impressive as it sounds; the crowning achievement of my scholastic career was to build a bike that broke after 15 minutes. Before that, I was a pretty good student who was one of those quiet guys. No, nothing like the Trench Coat Mafia. Just one of those guys who you never noticed or just dismissed. I’ve been on radio before, both in high school and college, which was fun. I’ve also passed through the annals of special education in my earlier years, and riding the small bus was fantastic. We get the best seats! I’ve also shaken my jiggly butt on high school TV before and one of my physics teachers nearly got arrested for bringing a rifle to school (it turned out to be a BB gun). Anyways, I think that’s enough about my checkered past. I don’t want to destroy my sterling reputation quite yet.

I hope that you guys will enjoy my reviews and maybe chuckle a few times. Feel free to compliment me or bash me in the comments, and we’ll see how it goes. Until then, love and peace! Oh, and please try not to spay or neuter your pets. If you have to, just leave one of the nuts.

Product Poll: Japanese Product Edition

/ / General / 63 Comments

A few weeks ago, a Japanese grocery store popped up in my neighborhood. I was excited about this because I love exploring unusual Japanese products that have labels I can’t read, despite the 2 1/2 years of Japanese language I took in college. When I walked through its aisles for the first time and saw all the possible products to review, I almost blew a load, which would’ve needed a cleanup in aisle number five.

Over the past few weeks I’ve bought several products from the store, intending to review them. But I’ve bought too many products and can’t decide which to review, so I’m going to let TIB’s readers decide for me. I’ve chosen three of the products for you to vote on:

1. JT Super Haioku

2. Glico Beer Pretz

3. JT Senoby

The Japanese product with the most votes will be declared the winner. The winner will be eaten and reviewed, while the others will just have the pleasure of going through my digestive system.

To vote, just leave a comment with this post with your choice. Only one choice and vote per person.

I’ll be accepting votes until Friday, October 17th (11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time).

Now go and vote!

PRIZE DRAWING: Because I Want Someone Else To Experience My Pain

/ / General, Prize Drawing / 74 Comments

Recently, I reviewed the Twin Lotus Original Herbal Toothpaste. Although I’m using it on a regular basis (every third day or so), it took some time to get used to its taste, which is a nice way of saying something like, “Wooo! You dropped a bomb in here. But the more I smell it, the more I’m getting used to it.” The Southeast Asian toothpaste was sent to me by TIB reader LaneO, who apparently enjoys reading about my pain. Fortunately, he sent me two extra tubes of the toothpaste, which means two “lucky” readers get to experience what I experienced.

Now. Now. Now. Don’t be flooding the comments all at once to enter this prize drawing and cause TIB to bork. I know all of you want to win toothpaste that looks like shit, but read the rules first, which are below.

To enter this prize drawing, just leave a comment for THIS post with what you plan to do with your tube of Twin Lotus Original Herbal Toothpaste if you win or whatever else you’d like to say. Please fill out the email field, because I’ll be emailing the winner for their mailing address. The Impulsive Buy will stop accepting entries on Thursday, September 18, 2008 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Only one entry allowed per person. The drawing is open to almost everyone, except people in Thailand, because they can probably walk a block and pick some up.

Good luck!

Fine Print: The Impulsive Buy promises your email address will not be used to send you emails about cheap iPod parts from a Southeastern Asian country. The Impulsive Buy also promises your mailing address will not be used to send you information about how you can save hundreds of dollars by switching to GEICO auto insurance. Bribes will not be accepted. The Impulsive Buy will not be responsible for lost mail, damaged mail, or gagging caused by the toothpaste.

Fourth Anniversary Winners Announced!!!

/ / General, Prize Drawing / 2 Comments

Before I announce the winners, I have to say that I couldn’t come up with a creative way to pick the winners. In previous years, I’ve used condoms, whipped cream pies, and my naked body to pick winning entries, but this prize drawing was pretty uneventful and not very messy. So if you have a creative way for me to pick the winners for the next prize drawing, which is coming very soon, please let me know in the comments.

As for this prize drawing, the names of entrants were thrown into brown paper bag, which was shaken, and then I pulled out the winners. (I know. That was so lame.) So without further ado, here are the four winners of the Fourth Anniversary TIB Prize Drawing:

Comment #40 – Jessica
Comment #69 – Bill Boggs
Comment #163 – woot woot
Comment #230 – Becca

Each winner will receive a Mystery Box filled with products that The Impulsive Buy has reviewed over the years. Maybe they’ll be some Pop-Tarts or maybe they’ll be some weird Japanese products, who knows because it’s a mystery.

Wooooo! ::waves hands in air::

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Happy Fourth Birthday!!! + PRIZE DRAWING

/ / General, Prize Drawing / 284 Comments

Dear TIB,

Today, you turned four years old. Pretty soon you won’t be wetting your bed on a regular basis, your teeth will start falling out, and I’ll take you out for trick-or-treating, dressing you up in a ridiculous costume for Halloween that you’ll be embarrassed about when you’re significantly older. I’ll probably turn you into Yoda, a koala, or put you in a mini Hot Dog on a Stick uniform. Thankfully, you’re not big enough to kick my ass, because I would if our roles were reversed.

You’ve grown well over the past four years, but I wish I could say the same for myself. Raising you has been a rewarding, but demanding process that I wish didn’t involve so much consumption of fast food and energy drinks. However, it’s what you want and as your guardian I need to provide it to you because if I don’t, you’re going to whine as loud as an air raid siren. But I just want you to remember that you can’t get everything in life by just whining, because eventually the only thing that your whining will get you is a hard spank on your rear end.

So what does the future hold? Well I’m hoping to give you a brother or a sister to play with, but I’m not sure when that’s going to happen. Dealing with two of you would be a big responsibility and I don’t know if I’m ready for it yet, but when I do decide I’ll let you know.

We’re going to celebrate your birthday the same way we’ve celebrated your past birthdays by holding a prize drawing. For your fourth birthday, we’re going to give away four (4) mystery boxes, filled with items that we’ve reviewed over the past four years. The contents of each mystery box will be different.

To enter the drawing, TIB readers will have to leave a comment for this post with the words, “Happy Birthday TIB” and whatever else they would like to say. They should fill out the email field, because I’ll be emailing the winners for their mailing address.

We will start accepting entries for the drawing on Saturday, August 9, 2008 and stop accepting entries on Saturday, August 16, 2008 (11:59 Hawaii Standard Time). Only one entry allowed per person. The drawing is open to EVERYONE (Thank goodness for USPS Flat Rate boxes).

The winners will be determined in a way that has not been decided. It will probably be lame.

Fine Print: The Impulsive Buy promises your email address will not be used to send you spam about getting a free iPhone. The Impulsive Buy also promises your mailing address will not be used to send you information about how you can apply for a Disney credit card with your favorite character on it. Bribes will not be accepted. The Impulsive Buy will not be responsible for lost mail, the results of the upcoming US presidential election, or your iPhone freezing.

Anyhoo, TIB, you’re the best thing that’s happened in my life…okay, I’m lying about that, but you’re probably in the top 5…okay, definitely in the top 10.

Love,
Papa

Scroll to Top