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.

PriceGrabber STINKS!!!!

I'm not a seller, only a customer. A very, VERY aggravated customer. What attracted me to PriceGrabber was the ability to set what they term, price alerts. Their FAQ defines this as, "You can add a Price Alert to make sure you know when it hits your target price." In better words, I can pick a price that I'm willing to pay. PriceGrabber is supposed to check this and email me if any of my saved alerts match the price I'm willing to pay. Sounds simple, yes? No!

Let's take a look at some of mine. As you can see, I have two DVDs that have alerts, which are met (the red blocks).

So why wasn't I notified? Obviously the alert exists, or it wouldn't be in red. I know! Let's check the settings.

Well I'll be! It looks like I DO have it set to email me when my price alert is met? So what's the problem? Let's find out. Let's go to the help section of the page.

Hmmm. I don't see my problem listed there, do you? I know. Let's see if there is a support forum for me to post my problem in. That's a great way for users to report issues and see if they're not alone.

Hmmm. Well that's obviously not it. Let's try the site map.

Hmmm. I don't see a forum for users, do you? Well there is the Feedback thingy. I guess I'll use that. Naturally I won't get a reply for ages, when all I want to know is WHY I'm not getting them. Also, all they're going to do is send me a form letter saying how price alerts work. How do I know this? Because I've been through this over a year ago. They still haven't fixed it!

Now do you see why I hate PriceGrabber? The only reason I'm there is to set price alerts, but I never get them. There is no point in having it then, is there?

Other Annoyances:

• You cannot Ctrl+click to open alerts in a new tab.
• The pages take absolutely way too long to load.
• The font is absolutely too small and there is no way to set a default setting.

I just hate that place. I don't know why I even bother trying it again and again only to see it's a failure.

FOXNews.com - L.A.: $111M in Stimulus Saved Just 55 Jobs

FOXNews.com - L.A.: $111M in Stimulus Saved Just 55 Jobs: "'I'm disappointed that we've only created or retained 55 jobs after receiving $111 million,' said Wendy Greuel, the city's controller. "

Excuse me?! That's 2 million per person! Are we to understand that they're paying 55 people 2 million each? WHERE THE FRICK IS THIS MONEY?!

Obamanomics is the worst in history.

Michelle Obama thinks life is 'Hell'.

FOXNews.com - Life is 'Hell' for Michelle Obama? So Reveals French First Lady: "Michelle Obama says life in the White House is 'hell' and she 'can't stand it,' dishes French first lady and former fashion model Carla Bruni in her new tell-all book"

Just more proof that the White House is loaded with idiots. The Obama household are a bunch of numskulls.

Checking online sellers, merchants or whatever you want to call them.

I buy a lot of stuff online these days. In fact, outside of groceries, cars and major appliances, I can say rather honestly that I buy everything else online. From auto parts to clothing to DVDs and books, they're all online to be had and you can comparison shop on prices. The web is just an amazing resource!

The only problem is whether or not you can trust these e-merchants that you find a great bargain on. The old adage, "If it's too good to be true, it probably is," applies here. While you can find good bargains, you risk getting ripped off. So the question is, how can you be fairly certain it is really a good bargain?

DIVISIONS WITHIN PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY: Further information

DIVISIONS WITHIN PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY: Further information: "One must first be 'saved' before the Holy Spirit will help you understand the Bible. Otherwise, the Bible is totally confusing."

I am always amazed to see what "scholars" believe Christians believe. Where do they come up with this stuff?! Of course there are "references" for the article, but no specific citations. Figures.

Obviously this person is no Christian, or at least, not a protestant. Clueless is the only word to describe the writer(s).

FOXNews.com - EXCLUSIVE: WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Fights Calls to Step Down

FOXNews.com - EXCLUSIVE: WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Fights Calls to Step Down: "'A provable outside smear campaign, a fraud from top to bottom, designed to destroy our effectiveness, by discrediting our leadership, splitting us off from our supporters and donation base -- the central pillars of any effective organization,' he told FoxNews.com."

What a freaking baby! Did he really believe that there wouldn't be mud slinging after what he did? Did he even think for a split second that the world would just slap him on the back and tell him what a good job he did?

This guy is crazy and has some screws loose. I call on all to continue the smear campaign. He opened the can of worms, now he must deal with it.

Liberals are losing it.

FOXNews.com - The Liberals Are Losing It: "Liberals have become hysterical. Who can blame them? Just when things were going so well, their beloved leader has done the unthinkable – he has flopped... Even more unsettling to those who still adhere to Obamanomics, the people—those unruly, pesky, ill-informed, racist, uncaring and misguided hordes who so recently embraced the message of unity and hope that swept an inexperienced youngster into office – have rejected policies that are for their own good."

Very well said! Too bad there isn't a poster big enough to carry this around, or a T-shirt.

What to do when you hate doing yard work?

Gardening can be fun, but also a hindrance. I love the way a nice manicured lawn looks, but I don't want to do the work myself. I mean seriously. Work? ME?! Get the heck outta here!

On a more serious point, it's not that I'm lazy, but I have rather serious neck and back problems. I'm not supposed to bend at all, but hey, life is full of don'ts. The thing is that if I do bending at all, I can really only tolerate it for short periods and when you have 2/3 acre of lawn that needs work, then it's impossible for me to keep up.

Additionally, I have plants that I hate. I have some cacti on each side of my driveway that refuses to go away. I've had a number of people actually ring my doorbell asking if they can take the blooms. "Blooms?!" I say. "Take the whole plant!" To my chagrin they never do.

I finally paid a drifter to dig them up and the following spring, I had new cacti growing. UGH! Those bad boys simply will not die.

Then I have the elephant ears and banana plants that I also hate. Yes, I live in a tropical area and yes they do well without any help, but I hate them. They also tend to be rather invasive.

You see, it is my belief that if it isn't beneficial in some way or another, then it's useless. They don't produce fruit (food), flowers (beauty, fragrance, etc.) and so forth so what is the point? They're not nice to look at, in my opinion either. I don't want them.

Cacti make weeding impossible. Why on earth does anyone want them as plants? Ours came with the house when we bought it, but really WHY?

Then don't even get me started on the bamboo that is taking over my yard. This one is at least beneficial, but spreads like wildfire and there is just no stopping it. It grows instantly overnight. Bam! A whole yard full of bamboo when the night before it was grass. I think that must by why it's called bamboo. Bam!

So for years I've tried different things to keep these things at bay and guess what? Nothing works. I've tried the sheets that you lay over which supposedly prevents weeds and things from growing; it doesn't. I've tried Roundup and while it does kill off the weeds, it doesn't do so for any length of time. Now when I just looked for a link to Roundup, I found one that is Extended Control which is different. Still, it only lasts 4 months. I guess I could try it.

Anyway the point is that I've tried digging up, sheets, weed killer and a variety of other things and I still have plants I hate. What does one do?!

Any advice out there? Whatever the answer is, it needs to involve no heavy lifting or bending. I cannot afford a landscaper either.