If you’re an avid hockey fan like me, you may be interested in reading Slap Shot, the hockey blog from the NY Times.

Slap Shot  is made up of a handful of bloggers who’ve been covering hockey, some since the 70’s, for a long time. A lot of the coverage is around the Rangers, Devils and Islanders, with the other NHL clubs getting fair coverage as well.

I’ve added to my daily feed consumption, maybe you should too.

As a kid growing up in the south, winter weather essentials (hats and gloves) weren’t really popular. Sure, we had to break them out once in a while, but they are by no means as vital as they are here in the north. I’ve grown to depend on a couple of these key elements and thought I’d share my favorites.

First off, the hat. I prefer this little gem by Carhartt. It’s cheap ($6.99) and works well whether I’m coming in or out the office, or if I’m working around the house. It’s available in a variety of colors and most importantly, it’s warm.

Second item, gloves. A good pair of gloves goes a long way in surviving long winters. I’ve come to love this pair from Mountain Hardware. They’re thin, yet warm enough to still provide access to pockets and the such without having to remove them.

What essentials do you depend on to get you through the winter? Hats, gloves, overcoats? What does it take for you to survive a cold, northern winter?

We’ve all seen those cards retailers give out to reward you for continuous purchases. You know, buy 10 sub sandwiches and the 11th one is free or purchase 5 coffees at regular price and the 6th one is free.

I have to admit, I’ve used a few of these, but it wasn’t until recently that I begin to notice what I’ve labeled as the ’stink eye’. It’s the sour look you get when you cash in your card and get your free item. I’ve done some minor research here (3 to be exact) and I’ve noticed that all three establishments have given me the ’stink eye’ upon redemption. I’ve followed all the terms and conditions of the card, paid for all my purchases, and suffered through some really bad coffee and sandwiches to get the free one.

My question is, should these consumers be treated differently? Aren’t these your loyal customers? Aren’t these the customers that keep buying your product? I’m not expecting some grand treatment for cashing in a sub sandwich card, but shouldn’t I at least get a smile and a thank you?

What’s your take on this? Do retailers see these as loyal customers or are they just another buck in the drawer? Is this the type of customer service we’ve become accustomed to?