Attention all grandmas and board housewives! There is a new phenomenon going on these days and it's called the shopping channel. Oh wait; this isn't new at all. Folks have been browsing for products galore on The Home Shopping Network, QVC and a few others for years now. I can't help but wonder where they get all the extra cash to do so. I know my mother is one of these individuals. As a retired single lady, she has plenty of time on her hands. This simply isn't good for her bank account. How can I stop this madness?

I may be sort of guilty when it comes to shopping in the living room. I too was flipping through the channels one late night, and suddenly came across the shopping channel. There was a set of bed sheets on there I knew my wife would love; therefore I ended up ordering them for her. But then all the sudden the shopping channel started ranting about 85 knives for 100 dollars. This is when I knew something was up. Being a knife nut, I know how much good knives cost. The custom folder I carry was around 500. And this is not a lot compared to what some blades sell for. I've seen knives for 7 grand. So basically if they're selling 85 knives for 100 bucks on the shopping channel, they're selling worthless junk. I guess you could buy the cheap knives and then sell them at a flea market for five bucks each. Kids and laymen would buy them and you'd make a nice profit.

Let me tell you about the woman who was addicted to the shopping channel. I met her while working as a bartender at the Marriott. She worked in the kitchen, chopping vegetables. One day I was chatting with her in the employee lunch room, and she informed me that she worked there for one sole purpose. Her husband told her to quit buying things off of the shopping channel, or get a job to fund her habit. Can you believe she actually got a job for it? That's insane! This woman should receive an award from the shopping channel as the most devoted customer or something. People sure are funny!