Another "peaceful" muslim murders his own daughter in the name of "honor".

Thank goodness this guy was convicted. Notice that this article is from the Associated Press? Where does it say his religious belief? Were he Christian, they'd have it stamped all over.

The AP should not be allowed to publish articles at Foxnews.

Backyard Bird Watching

I'm no bird watcher, but in the spring all the birds return. When I go outside I'm amazed at the noise that I've not yet re-adjusted to hearing.

There are a few birds that I hear often and are quite unique so they're easy to pick out. That being the White-winged Dove and the Mourning Dove. I hear them all the time.

Yesterday though, I saw a bird. It wasn't the first time I noticed it, but usually I was in a spot where I didn't have time to look the bird up. Memory fades, so when I finally had time to look up the bird, I'd forgotten important details. Anyway, yesterday one perched itself on my fence and sat a good while. I now know they are Eastern Bluebirds and this was a male. A very attractive male that is likely a real ladies man. ;)

Arabs, liberty and government systems.

Yes, I'm getting older and my mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. Sad, that. I've found myself confusing government systems lately and this really bothers me. I've always been very clear on the differences. I'm not saying I couldn't remember the important parts, but there were some minor details I was getting mixed up.

Because of this, I decided to look something up yesterday and found this wonderful web page. I was completely drawn in by it and really enjoyed reading it. To many of you it may be boring, but it shouldn't be. We all need to be fully aware of what is the best system and fight for it, to the death if necessary and I say that from the bottom of my heart. Give me liberty or give me death.

In recent weeks, we've seen so-called "democracy" spilling forth in Arab nations, or at least trying to. I fully support that, but I remain highly skeptical that a true Republic will ever prevail there. We'll see.

My heart goes out to the women of Islam. They are trapped slaves and Obama doesn't care at all. He makes me sick and is the most pathetic president in my nation's history. A close second would be Jimmy Carter, but I digress.

Gimp: Removing Solid Backgrounds

I bookmarked a tutorial that has since disappeared from the web. Don't you hate it when that happens? Anyway, this is really a tutorial for myself because it is something I do occasionally, but not frequently. Because of this, I always miss at least one step. It's not an in-depth for beginners tutorial, just a fast reminder of the procedure that I use. Again, this is geared as a reminder for me and isn't necessarily for the entire web. I'm putting it here so I can find it easily.

This is only for solid backgrounds.

In the news: Walmart Grapples With Its Worst Sales Slump Ever

It's a sad, sad day for me. Walmart totally does not get why it has a sales slump. Their analysis is completely off. My "list of grievances" with Walmart outlines the problems they have quite clearly. Obviously they missed my post. ;)

Anyway, the article I'm speaking of says

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in the midst of its worst U.S. sales slump ever.

When it reports earnings on Tuesday, the retailer is widely expected to post its second straight year of declining domestic same-store sales.

Wal-Mart's struggles are the result of a misstep: To jump-start lethargic growth and counter the rise of competitors such as cheap-chic rival Target Corp., executives veered away from the winning formula of late founder Sam Walton to provide "every day low prices" to the American working class. Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer by sales, instead raised prices on some items while promoting deals on others.

Company executives acknowledge having miscalculated and are adjusting their strategy again. The big question is how quickly the mammoth chain can turn itself around. [Read more.]

The list of things they believe have caused this is in the article, but I read it in total disbelief. It's really very sad that they are as clueless as they are. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

My other post(s) you may be interested in:

• Walmart is falsely advertising products.
• How many Walmart employees does it take to answer a question?
• Why I hate Walmart

Tara Grinstead: Blood evidence and more.

Still talking about the show I saw last night (it aired earlier but I recorded it and only had time to watch it last night).

After doing some online reading, I have to wonder why additional evidence was not mentioned on the show. According to WALB news, the following evidence was collected by an investigator hired by the family:

• Two blood stains (the location was not disclosed).
• In the bedroom, a broken nail with a dot on it.
• Under her bed, pieces of a broken lamp.
• A bent metal piece on her bed.
• A reddish brown stain in her carport.

So why was this not addressed in the show? This article was posted in 2006, but the show was originally broadcast well after. According to CBS it originally aired July 1, 2008. Why was that evidence never mentioned?

I've actually followed the Grinstead case since she disappeared. I lived in Atlanta at the time and this was big news. It's just so very sad.

----------

February 24, 2017
Update, there has finally, after all this time, been an arrest! Please see Tara Grinstead: Finally an arrest!

Another thought on Tara Grinstead

As I went to bed another thought struck me that I forgot to mention. Isn't it such a coincidence that three local police officers were "involved" with her around the night of her disappearance?

1. You have her ex-boyfriend who is a former police officer.
2. You have ex-boyfriend's so-called "alibi," who is also a police officer.
3. You have another married police officer who left a business card stuck on her door, between the frame.

On the subject of that business card, I'm very curious about this. The show deliberately avoided revealing what type of business card it actually was. I don't believe it was an official police officer's card (they all have cards to hand out with their names) because of what they said on the show. I don't remember the exact words, but they said that they had trouble figuring out who left the card. It couldn't have been the police officer's personal official card because then it would have had his full name stamped on it, wouldn't it?

The way I see it these are the only two real possibilities:

1. If it was not his official card and some other business, then it could be used to spy on her. If it was stuck between the door and the frame, then I can only conclude he may watch to see if anyone opens that door, since it would either fall or be confiscated if they did. This is doubtful though because she had a carport, which is the main informal entry, and not the front door. If she were to leave, she'd leave through the carport (unless it was blocked, and it may have been).
2. Still with the some other business theory, the back of the business card could have simply had, "Call me, Jim" scrawled on it or something along those lines. This is probably the most likely scenario, which then doesn't mean anything.

I'm leaning toward option 2, but I really don't know. They did say that when they found this married police officer he said she had not returned his calls for a couple of weeks.

Anyway, those were my thoughts on the subject.

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February 24, 2017
Update, there has finally, after all this time, been an arrest! Please see Tara Grinstead: Finally an arrest!

The Tara Grinstead and Jennifer Kesse cases.

I just finished watching the 48 Hours on ID episode "Stolen Beauty". I'm not going to say a lot about it right now, because it's late. I just wanted to get a few of ideas out.

1. Why did Marcus Harper (Grinstead's ex-boyfriend) lawyer up if he were truly innocent?
2. Why would Harper tell Greta Van Susteren that Tara threatened suicide? Clearly that is an outrageous thing to say. Only an angry person would do that and why would he be angry with her if she is missing? Unless he knows something.

NFL History: Not so boring as you would think.

Did you know that the Cardinals are the oldest team in American football history? They belonged to Chicago, were originally called the Morgan Athletic Club and were formed in 1898 by Chris O'Brien. Okay so if you're asking, "How can you say they're the oldest team if they weren't even the Cardinals?" Because the team has never been disbanded, only renamed and moved, so it's still the same team. Think of it like this; let us say you change your name and move to Scotland. You're still the same person.

Oh and by the way, that same year (1898) the rules were changed and a touchdown went from 4 points to 5. Just so you know. ;)

I'm not really a football fan, but I am a history nut. I find that very interesting. If you're like me, then I recommend downloading the NFL's official historic timeline, which is a free pdf. You can get it by clicking here.

A real substitute for cream of anything soup.

I have tried more cream of anything soup substitutes than you can shake a stick at. No, really I have. Of them all, I have found this one to be the perfect solution. It measures properly, that is that it is precisely the same volume as one can of Campbell's. It tastes divine and is not loaded with preservatives or sodium. As I tend to so often say, it does have a problem though. That being the bouillon powder. I have yet to find a good alternative to bouillon powder. The flavor simply cannot be substituted for a price that I am willing to pay. That is not to say that there are not good recipes for making your own. There are. For prices that make me cringe.

OAMC/Freezer Meals Tip: Keeping go-to meals ready for any moment.

As I said in an earlier post, the goal behind OAMC and Freezer Meals is to have a dinner ready to go in a flash. For those with freezer space issues, the whole OAMC thing is impossible.

That said, so long as you have at least a standard sized freezer, you can still have go-to meals waiting for the just in case moments.

How to make your own stock, for cheap.

I once was online looking at how people make their own stock at home. There is something to be said that most recipes these days require broth, and though I've found there really is no flavor difference in stock or broth, the price is still too much. I once made a grocery list and was shocked when I realized I needed something like 6-8 cups of broth. That's just outrageous! So as I said, I was looking online to see how people made stock and was very disappointed in the result. Once I did the math, I found it would be cheaper to just buy broth.

Then one day I read a post by what I thought was a pure genius. I read it again and again, then decided that THIS was the answer I was looking for and I couldn't help but wonder why I never thought about it myself!

Solving a Few Once a Month Cooking (OAMC) or Freezer Meal Issues

At the time of this writing, you will not find these tips on the web elsewhere or at the very least I can't find them. I don't know why. Maybe people are too germaphobic or paranoid, but these are strictly tips resulting from my own trial and error. I see all kinds of tips that are repeated everywhere on the web and in the end, they are really no help at all but common sense. Hopefully these tips will give you newer insights in how to approach common problems. Now let's get to it!

On the subject of the supposed United Nations.

Taking Aim at U.N.

All I can say is, it's about time! The U.N. is nothing but a headache. What started out as a good idea has turned into a sad example of finger pointing and bad decisions.

Get rid of it, it's no longer working.

Should you even bother trying to diet?

Live a healthier you, eat right! That is the health claim that we most often see. We are told that by eating right, we will live longer. Besides the fact that it is a lie, because it only is a probability and no guarantee, it also doesn't tell us the rest of the story.

Let us pretend for a moment that it is true, and that I personally will live to a ripe 90-year-old. Why would I even want to do that? Today I live on a fixed income, I live paycheck to paycheck. There is nothing left after I pay the bills and buy groceries. If I want to eat right, then I need to add a higher percentage to my grocery bill. That much is an absolute fact. Ground beef is considerably cheaper than fish and chicken, as just only one example.

So now that I'm eating what the "experts" believe I should be eating, my funding is even worse. In fact, I may even be in the hole, but let's pretend that I am at least breaking even (however doubtful that would be). How exactly am I supposed to live after 65 then? There is absolutely NO money to put into any retirement. What I have spent on food to make me more healthy, now matters not. I will die of starvation instead.

Foxnews Glitches (NOT news)

Today's complaint stems, sadly, from the only big trustworthy news source. It's not about the articles, but how the site is run.

Foxnews.com is the most difficult pain in the ass, I've just about ever seen. I must again make it clear that I'm not talking about their content or news stories. Liberals hate them for that, but they're narrow minded anyway, so don't count. I'm talking about how many glitches the web site has and all its little "features" that do NOT work.

Collards

I went to the grocery store today and thought for a change I'd make some collards. I found that at my Walmart, they had some prepackaged pre-sliced collards (UPC 6-88962-00100-8)
made by a company called Rawl's. It was a full 2-lb. package and I said to myself, "Self, you should try this it might save you a lot of time, but be sure to look around in the package first." I know too well how pre-packaged green anything comes usually with a lump of rotten in it. Especially when you're dealing with the dreaded Walmart. So! I searched the bag and I saw no rotten bits. I also looked to see if I could see any stems, which would be cheating. The bag had a lot of print on it, but I felt confident enough that all was well.

So I get home, smack some pork bones in the pot with a lot of other yummy spices then go to open the collards and low and behold. I was met with quite a few, very thick, stems. I was very upset to say the least. It's almost as if Rawl's planned to deceive you because they were inside all the greens, so hidden from the outside.

This is very disappointing. I wanted to post a "review" at the Walmart site, but no fresh vegetables or vegetable companies are listed. That's too bad.

Anyway the lesson learned: Do it myself next time.

Lost Pet Prevention

Lately I've been a worry wart. We're taking a trip in the next few months and taking our beloved dog with us. I always have near panic attacks when I think about losing her, or any of the pets I've had over the years. Thankfully this has never happened, but it could. I never forget that just because I've never lost a pet means that I never will.

I don't want to, EVER. It will be like losing a child and things do happen.

So! I've been doing some research. There are a number of ways that you can fix it so that pets can be recovered, but there is no full proof way. The best way, from what I can tell, is actually several ways.

Gimp Review

One thing I love about the web are its amazing free resources. In this day, there is really no need to pay for most software because there is almost always a free alternative that is just as good, if not better.

I'm going to compile a list of my favorite free software, but for now I want to focus on one piece. It's called the Gimp.

Gimp is your free alternative to Photoshop (PS) or Paint Shop Pro (PSP), although I will admit that I did use PSP for many years. I finally made the switch to Gimp and what it can do is really amazing. It is a powerful piece and though professionals would still claim that it's not as good as PS, the average user wouldn't know the difference.

Now before I get to the glowing review of Gimp, and even the cons of using Gimp. I must say that I am a very nit-picky person. This can be a good thing though, because it makes me a great reviewer in that I point out all the things that bother me. It also may be a bad thing because a lot of what bothers me is usually quite trivial. My point is, just because I list annoyances does not mean I don't like it. I understand that there is nothing in the world that is perfect.

Fred's like false advertising.

Last week I saw an ad for a Bissell Power Steamer in the Fred's sale paper. I went down there and guess what? No Bissell Power Steamer. What I should have asked, but never imagined that I should have asked, is if this was something that they actually carry. Instead I asked the manager if I could get a rain check for the sale price. "Sure!" he said and directed an employee to write me one.

She was very nice and explained that the trucks deliver on Wednesdays. "Just call after 1:00 to find out if our delivery arrived."

For me, that sounded like, "... it WILL come, I'm just not sure if it'll be before 1:00 or not." How silly of me to have believed that.

So I call today, figuring that the delivery is definitely there. I speak to a girl who said that they don't have any. "That's not something we normally carry," she explained. "Maybe it'll be on the next truck."

I seriously hoped that the "next truck" would not be another week, but my hopes were dashed when she told me it would be next Wednesday. "We don't always carry what is in the ad," she tried to explain.

Excuse me? Then what is the point of the ad and the rain check? My understanding is that the ad IS what you carry and it IS supposed to be on sale, except for "disclaimers" which I address below. I am reminded of the Jerry Seinfeld rental car.



My rain check is sort of the reservation. I have reserved this Power Steamer, but this is even worse. What if Jerry went up there and though he made a reservation for a mid-size car, he was told that they don't even HAVE mid-size cars at this rental place? How is this any different?

In any case, when you publish an ad for a product at a price and you don't have that product at that price, does this make it false advertising? You are advertising something that is false. Right? There was no "disclaimer" saying that it was only "participating stores" written anywhere. I checked. It's not there.

Add this to the list of stores with terrible customer service.