Ugh, I’m so frustrated with my skin problems right now that I could just scream! I’ve been following a pretty good skincare regimen for the past few months that included taking DIM for acne, using toner on a daily basis, exfoliating weekly, and using benzoyl peroxide cream on existing pimples. That system worked well for a while, and my face was actually clear for about a month or so.

But now I can see a whole new crop of clogged pores, blackheads, and pimples coming up all over my face! It just makes me sick and depressed to think about it. I mean, seriously… I’m 34 years old. When will my skin problems end?

I’ve tried all of the most popular acne treatments out there. Some work great for a while, but then my face goes back to the way it was. I can’t stand it!!

I usually don’t write about economic issues beyond my household budget, but I think this warrants mentioning. The Federal Reserve has announced that they’re cutting the federal funds rate by a quarter point, down to 2 percent — the lowest it has been since 2004. This marks the seventh rate cut since September 2007, but experts believe that the size of this latest cut shows that Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke isn’t likely to continue his policy of slashing rates.

After the Federal Reserve announcement was made public, banks wasted no time in cutting the prime lending rate to 5 percent. This means consumers and businesses will have cheaper credit at their disposal, which could help ease some of the problems caused by the housing crisis and general cash shortages.

In all honesty, I have no idea how the Fed’s rate cuts will affect me. I don’t have any loans tied to the prime rate, and I don’t really have any investments to speak of. Will this rate cut impact prices at, say, the grocery store? Again, no idea. Maybe I should have paid more attention in Econ 101!

I recently purchased a TV tuner card for my computer so I’d be able to watch shows on my monitor instead of having to turn the television on as well. Why would I want to watch something on my 15″ monitor instead of my beautiful 37″ LCD TV?

Well, for one thing, it makes me more productive. I can keep the TV show playing in the background while I continue blogging, emailing, or doing other tasks at my desk.

Second, having a TV tuner card allows me to do neat things like screen grabs so I can post relevant images in the various recaps that I write over at Reviews and More. I’ve received several positive emails from readers who have noticed (and appreciated) the difference, so that makes the change worth it. Take a look at an example from last night’s episode of House:

Now I’m trying to figure out whether or not an HDMI cable for my computer would be worth looking into. This would allow me to watch in high-def, but I’m not sure how much trouble it would be to set this up.

I’ll probably just ask my husband to check it out later!

Today is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s. I forgot all about this annual “event” until I read about it on a community newspaper website, so it’s probably too late for me to go out and get one. There’s no Ben & Jerry’s near me; the closest one is about 20 miles away in Oak Park, and that’s just too far to go for a free cone — especially with gas prices where they are now. Plus, even though I like several Ben & Jerry’s flavors, I’m not absolutely wild about them, ya know? Baskin Robbins is good enough for me, lol!

Cold Case has been one of my favorite TV shows for years now, but I’m sad to say that I’m not finding it very enjoyable anymore. One problem is that everything has become so formulaic that it’s easy to predict what will happen next. I guess that’s always a risk with police procedurals, as there always have to be investigation and interrogation scenes, but still… it’s getting really old on this show.

Another thing that’s beginning to bug me about Cold Case is how quickly some of the witnesses fold and confess. I mean, they’ve gotten away with murder for several decades, and then a couple of cops come snooping around again and the suspects don’t even bother lawyering up? That’s a stretch for sure.

Take last night’s episode, for instance. A man was suspected of murdering his wife back in 1962 and staging things to make it look like a suicide. The only evidence Lily and Scotty had was one of those marketing pens with a hospital name on it, nothing conclusive. But they showed the pen to the suspect and he caved instantly. Give me a break!

I just don’t know about this show anymore. The season finale is next week, and I’m definitely going to watch it, but I’m not sure if I’m going to bother tuning in for Season 6. Cold Case has just become far too repetitive for my tastes!

Jerry had the day off from work, but since we didn’t feel like going out, we decided to continue our spring cleaning efforts in the house. We’ve hauled out a bunch of junk so far, like old baby furniture that my son hasn’t used in years, broken toys, and anything else that we haven’t used in a long time. I hate the pack rat mentality that compels people to hold onto stuff just because it’s still in working condition. If you don’t use it, then either sell it or dump it!

We worked most of the morning, took a break to go out to New China Buffet for lunch, and then got right back to work again. Now at 4:30pm, the house feels clean, uncluttered, and ready for the fresh air of summer! I love it!

I just read on Twitter that Ted and Travis from IZEA were jumped over the weekend while they were at a bar in New Orleans. I’m not too sure about all the details, but Ted’s twitters made it sound like he was dragged from a urinal by eight guys who immediately started kicking and punching him. He was bloodied up pretty badly, and his wallet was stolen.

What happened to Travis is even more unclear, as I couldn’t find too much information about him. But Ted made it sound like Travis saved him (saying he probably owes his life to Travis) before getting beaten up as well.

The two were taken to the hospital and then eventually made their way back to Florida where they’re now recovering from their injuries.

Wow, that was just horrible. I’m so glad Ted and Travis are ok, and wish them a very speedy recovery .