In regards to static, this year I decided I had tired of the static around my house and invested in a couple of humidifiers. The reduction in static has been a fantastic treat and I no longer have the constant worry of getting up from my chair and sitting back down and hearing the Spark of Imminent Doom as I touch something important.
Of course, it is not a complete exorcism of static but a massive reduction, thus vastly reducing the pucker factor of moving about my room.