IN WHICH WE WAX INDIGNANT OVER RUN-FLAT TIRES

Theoretically? Great idea.


Reality? They go bald after 30,000 miles or less, they're insanely expensive, you almost always have to replace at least two tires at a time, they can't be repaired like regular tires, they've got lousy road feel, they stink in winter conditions, and there's no way to tell which tire your car's low-tire-pressure indicator light is talking about, or whether the warning is real or fake, or whether the tire is going to suddenly give out altogether at an ungodly early hour of the morning, in the rain.


Since we attempt to make this something of a family-friendly blog, you will have to imagine for yourselves the Anglo-Saxon fricative curse words now queuing up in my brain.


Yes, there are class-action suits pending against the tire manufacturers.


In the meantime, it's our considered but non-expert opinion that regular tires plus a spare and a jack are the way to roll. If your tires go flat and you find yourself unable to change the tire yourself, you can get a Triple-A Plus membership that'll get you towed pretty much wherever you need to go.

THE MAN IS KEEPING US DOWN

Here come the diaper price hikes, as warned:

Last week we started seeing higher shelf prices on both Huggies and Pampers, and today we're seeing a "sale"price of $9.99 per jumbo that used to be $8.99. For size 3, that dollar increase amounts to an increase of just less than three cents per diaper--about 13%! Most families will need to add between $5 and $10 per month to their diaper budgets, or $60 to $100 for the year.

Click the link to find out ways to get around this fiendish diaper-industrial complex plot. The comments are particularly interesting, with several commenters claiming that Wal-Mart is refusing to honor manufacturers' coupons from customers who stock up on diapers and use multiple coupons. I vaguely recall a Target clerk mentioning this policy to me while stocking up for Beast a few weeks ago, but I will have to test the claims for myself when I head out to buy another couple packages of GoodNites and Pull-ups later today. I'll report back...but if you know anything in the meantime, feel free to drop a comment!

UPDATE: No coupon hassles at Target. Wal-Mart to follow after the snow/ice/rain/muckstorm moves through.