The increase in product availability by a single brand (or multiple brands owned by the same company) is an interesting phenomenon, with a curious logic behind it (I think). So why does Tampax have multiple products if they all serve basically the same function?
I think its this: Having different items gives the appearance of choice to the consumers, but in reality, it doesn't matter which item they buy - the same company owns them all. It allows the company to price items at different price points (i.e. product A at the low-end of the price spectrum, product B in the middle, and product C at the high end of the price point). It also makes the marketplace seem crowded, and that would deter competitors from coming up with competing products.

I didn't know that about Fiji, but I tasted Fiji water a while ago and didn't like the taste.

As bad as the criminal justice system can be nowadays, it's a vast improvement over medieval justice!

My kids watch shows over and over again - but sometimes they don't actively watch the show. Instead, they use the show as background noise.

@Booga - I think you're right: there's a difference between owning a couple of cats and a couple dozen cats :)

I suspect that it'll take a few generations for the problem to work itself out. For example, it took *decades* for female labor participation to reach 50%.

It's interesting to see how these immigrants, once they (or their descendant) consider themselves as native-born Americans, turn against the next wave of immigrants.

By Population Research Institute, a non-profit research group that, to date, hasn't published a single peer-reviewed research paper yet.

Indeed you are right!

I'm with you about Pluto's status as a planet! I have a soft heart for that lil dude :)
Thank you for sharing your blog!

Is this you Colin?

Ah, that makes sense. The water may have been perfectly good when it leaves the water treatment plant but over miles of old and rusty pipes, the taste would've been made bad.
I suppose it's now just a matter of time for the rest of the USA. Those water and sewer pipes won't last forever (and I don't think there's ever any political will to preemptively replace them to maintain their quality).