As seen on TV!

How many of you have ever ordered any of those products advertised on TV? You know the ones I'm talking about . . . The ones that usually cost $19.95 and the commercial says, "But wait! Order now and you'll get a second one free!"

Okay. Show of hands. How many of you have called that toll-free number?

(My hand, sheepishly, is raised)

A few years ago, I ordered the automatic egg peeler. I don't know why. Of course, it was a piece of crap. You had to boil the eggs a certain way, cool them a certain way for it to work and then, only about half the time. The other eggs ended up smashed into a pile of mush.

The thing is, if you boil an egg the way they tell you to, the shell will practically slip off by itself anyway.

I've also ordered the Juiceman which cost 99 bucks. It works fine, except I've broken the same plastic piece on it twice and it won't work without it. I replaced that piece once and it cost $24.00 to do so. Mister Juiceman is going down the trash chute. Now, I buy my carrot juice in a plastic container at the market the way God intended.

A friend of mine's mother falls for ALL those products. She gets 'em all. Of course, they come with a "free" one so John, my friend, ends up with a LOT of this free crap. Tongs that double for a whisk (which don't pick up anything), Ginsu knives, vegetable slicers and dicers, you name it, his mom buys it. The minute those commercials come on, her eyes glaze over and she's got the phone in hand.

Here's the thing. If you feel you MUST buy a certain product, go to the internet and look up some reviews on it. Just google the name of the product and "reviews" and you'll probably save yourself $19.95. Plus shipping and handling.

Also, when they're giving away an additional one "free" that usually translates to: "We've got huge warehouses of this worthless crap that we need to get rid of."

Again, go to the internet and order ONE for $9.95. It's always available that way.

And look out for those that will send you free replacements for a lifetime. Look and the shipping and handling fees. They're huge. Again, the product is worthless and they're just making money off the S&H fees.

Okay, Billy Mays is screaming at me to buy some Oxy-Clean. I gotta have it. . . .