Hey, can you pick up 1.5 quarts of ice cream on your way home?

Just doesn't have the same ring as 'half-gallon', does it?

Remember when the 6oz cat food cans mysteriously downsized to 5.5oz?  "Hey," you thought.  "They look shorter."  Congratulations, you were right!  Of course, most people probably didn't notice due to the lack of a price decrease.  Again, perhaps you noticed the more recent decline in size of our beloved family-pack frozen dessert: the traditional half-gallon ice cream container.  They went on a diet and downsized to 1.75 quarts.

But wait- with people crying about the economy going down the tubes, apparently big corporations have to save money somehow...which must be why Breyers slashed their size yet again to a meager 1.5 quarts!  The traditional half-gallon of ice cream just isn't what it used to be.  Fortunately, Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's have not yet succumbed to peer pressure...hopefully they'll be able to hold out for a while.

On another note, apparently there are certain corporations that would rather have you use their websites or favor their competitors. I went to Sears to pick up a new regulator for the grill.  Well, the gentleman at Sears kindly looked up the part and quoted me $32.99 plus $10.99 shipping, with an estimated arrival time in approximately ten days.  What is this, the Pony Express?  And hang on a second- isn't this a retail store? I thought one major selling point of retail stores was instant gratification, not to mention the whole "no shipping" thing! Fortunately, he seemed to understand my frustration with his employer, as he recommended that I check Home Depot instead. Voila- for $16 and change, I had a new regulator. Thanks Home Depot!