var json_comments = new Array("
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32ndnote
July 15, 2009 1:44 AM
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A spray bottle and some water are so much cheaper and quicker than an iron in this modern business-casual world, though!


The \"no books\" one hit me right in the left aorta though. I'm going to need to rethink my life for a little while.

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17 replies
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The_Red_Monkey
July 15, 2009 6:40 PM
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@32ndnote: Sorry but not having a crisp color even on a business casual shirt should get you fired. An iron is a necessity. I use mine every morning. Spray with water and throw in the dryer is for college students, not professionals.

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TouchMyMonkey
July 15, 2009 2:11 PM
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@32ndnote: Books are like DVDs, only they take up more shelf space, and that's why you should get a library card instead. You should come over and see our bookshelf. Overflowing would be a mild way of putting it. We will never, EVER read any of those books again, and if it were entirely up to me, the whole lot would be packed up in boxes and taken to the library for donation.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 2:53 PM
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@HurtsSoGood: BookSHELF? I have six 8-foot shelving units just for me. My husband has at least as many for him!

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mizike
July 15, 2009 1:49 PM
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@32ndnote: You can either buy an iron once, or spend ~$3.00 at a dry cleaners every time you need a shirt pressed, the choice is up to you. As someone who has to wear business attire five days a week, my iron paid for itself pretty quickly.

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Starfury
July 15, 2009 1:13 PM
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@32ndnote:

The list is fairly accurate but I disagree on books and the Iron.

I like holding a book...I don't want to read on some b/w tablet screen thing.

Iron: some of my clothing even though it is wash and wear...still gets wrinkles. A quick hit with the iron and the buttons/collar are nice and crisp.

We used to have a breadmaker...it's pretty useless. We do have 2 ice cream makers. One is a hand crank one (which is going out at the garage sale this summer) and one that's electrical. I use it every once in a while because the home made ice cream is better than the store stuff.

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Brent Woodle
July 15, 2009 1:41 PM
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Who actually irons in today's world? I guess I wouldn't know if my wife irons any of my clothes, maybe I should ask her.

I'm business casual at work and if I have wrinkles in my shirt I hang it up in the bathroom and take a hot shower :)

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 1:03 PM
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@32ndnote: Yep, when you live in a business casual world. My husband's a litigator. He irons a LOT. (He irons my shirts too, I hate ironing clothes.)

I also sew. I'm in the process of making over my couch for about $100 -- slipcover from Target, bunch of fabric from the remnants table to cover throw pillows -- and the iron gets constant use for that. (Plus now all couch surfaces can be removed and thrown in the washing machine when the baby barfs on them!)

We even have a nifty iron station that holds the iron, the board, and a spray bottle hanging on the wall next to the washer and dryer.

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techstar25
July 15, 2009 12:37 PM
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@32ndnote: A decent iron is $5. Looking good at a job interview: Priceless.

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David in Brasil
July 15, 2009 12:29 PM
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@32ndnote: Like anything, the utility of this list depends on your activities and your lifestyle. I've practiced martial arts for a good portion of my life; my uniforms are heavy canvas cotton and must be ironed every day. Also, here in Brasil, everyone dries their clothes on a line and irons them. I don't know of anyone with an American-style dryer.

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Snakeophelia
July 15, 2009 2:32 AM
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@32ndnote: I remember visiting my boyfriend's family on an island off the coast of Maine, and finding out that no one on the island (that he knew) owned an iron. There was no reason to. Everyone wore cotton, denim, flannel, and wool almost every day, and looking rumpled was perfectly fine.

I don't know why that detail stuck with me, but it did.

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The Porkchop Express
July 15, 2009 12:52 PM
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@Snakeophelia: I would love that island, other than its proabably cold as all get out.

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varro
July 15, 2009 3:47 AM
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@Snakeophelia: Substitute [Portland, Oregon] for [an island off the coast of Maine] and you have Portland's fashion sense (sorry, Leanne Marshall...)

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FangDoc
July 15, 2009 2:11 AM
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@32ndnote: I'm a quilter, so I use my iron almost every day. However, having it out all the time in my sewing studio means that when I do need to touch up a hem, it takes no time. When I kept it on the top shelf of the closet and had to struggle with the noisy rusty guillotine of an ironing board I had, it was easier to stay wrinkled.

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MostlyHarmless
July 15, 2009 1:47 AM
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@32ndnote: I have to disagree. There are clothes and materials which you absolutely totally HAVE to iron with a firm hand. I use mine barely once a month, i'll admit that, but still at like 25 bucks or something, its not all that expensive. (you can find cheaper ones, i think i remember seeing one for 15 bucks once)

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Cyco
July 15, 2009 11:51 AM
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@MostlyHarmless: I use my iron maybe twice a month. I have a lot of shirts I wash and then air dry b/c I don't want the dryer to shrink or fade the shirts. After they are washed, I take an iron to them to get the wrinkles out and then hang them up to dry. Doesn't take a whole lot of time and it saves on having to take a bunch of shirts to the cleaners.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
July 15, 2009 2:33 AM
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@MostlyHarmless: i got an iron once for $7, new, basic model. after using it twice in three years, i gave it to a thrift store and just borrow my sister's if i need to iron that badly.
to be fair - i don't need to wear anything to work that often that needs to be pressed and the one time a year i need my suit for the annual meeting with vice presidents [who don't notice me in a crowd of 300] i just send it to the cleaners and have it done.

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brettbee
July 15, 2009 2:07 PM
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@catastrophegirl - minus one kitten: I stopped reading after \"to be fair - i don't need to wear anything to work that often.\"

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
July 15, 2009 6:06 PM
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@brettbee: aw, it does sound much more interesting if you don't finish the line as it was written. hehe

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OneTrickPony
July 15, 2009 2:48 PM
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@brettbee: Perhaps if she saw more value in books, she'd have a job where she actually had to wear clothes.

Ba-dum-dum-ching!

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MostlyHarmless
July 15, 2009 2:37 AM
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@catastrophegirl - minus one kitten: Why do you need to hang out with Cheney and Biden to start with? That too with the spartans no less. Also, I doubt if the spandex shorts and the red cape need too much maintenance.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
July 15, 2009 2:54 AM
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@MostlyHarmless: i wouldn't iron for THEM - but the VP's of the company who come tell me and my coworkers that we still have jobs and the company didn't piss off the FDA this year, yeah, for them i'll get the suit pressed.
[i'm not one of those people who can wear spandex well, and the cape is black. red is much too bright for me]

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mmmsoap
July 15, 2009 1:56 AM
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@MostlyHarmless: An iron is one of those things where, when you need it, you need it, and there's really no faking it. Yes, much of what I wear is wash-and-wear, but there'd be big trouble if I showed up in court/corporate-meeting/interview wearing un-ironed clothing.

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MostlyHarmless
July 15, 2009 1:58 AM
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@mmmsoap: Exactly. Kinda like ties and condoms. I very very very rarely if ever need them, but i always keep one, just in case.

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betatron
July 15, 2009 1:52 AM
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OI! rice cookers are not junk. rice cookers rock.

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20 replies
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Benjamin Waite
July 18, 2009 12:49 AM
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One word: Zojirushi.

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bunt
July 15, 2009 4:45 PM
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@betatron: exactly. this whole article is crap. you can tell just by reading the first one listed, the rice cooker.

hm, so, considering the majority of the world (as 'Asians') thinks that the rice cooker is useful; doesn't that statistically make the author wrong?

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calquist
July 15, 2009 2:23 PM
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@betatron: I was talking about getting a rice cooker and my boyfriend told me : \"We have one, it is called a pot\".

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dosdelon
July 15, 2009 2:27 PM
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@edosan: Never tell an Asian that a rice cooker is junk, unless you want them to go all Jet Li & Jackie Chan on you.

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Julia789
July 15, 2009 1:18 PM
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@betatron: Love our Zojirushi, the fuzzy logic rice maker. We have rice a few times a week. I love how I can hit the button and walk away, and it keeps warm until the rest of the dinner is finished cooking. No more over cooked rice stuck to the bottom of the pot, or getting cold before dinner is ready. Even my kid can use the rice maker to help me with dinner and I don't worry about stove burns. \"Mom it's so easy! Two scoops water and one scoop rice!\"

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Stephmo
July 15, 2009 11:50 AM
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@betatron: Ditto. The rice cooker rocks.

And like others, it isn't just for plain rice. I use it for dumplings and buns and I do have some pretty awesome one-pot recipes for it as well that you really couldn't pull off on the stove-top. Plus, ruined stove top rice is awful and makes people depend on over-priced boxed rices.

Someone at WalletPop just hasn't seen the awesomeness of the rice cooker. If I saw more small appliance hatred, I might get it - but they don't call out slow cookers, waffle makers, electric skillets, George Foreman grills, juicers or ice tea makers. These are all appliances that could easily be dismissed. But I'm guessing someone at WalletPop loves the mini-sausages in grape jelly that's brought to the office pot-luck, so the slow cooker gets a pass...

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theblackdog
July 15, 2009 2:15 PM
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@Stephmo: I disagree about a slow cooker being dismissed. I am single and work most of the day so a slow cooker rocks for being able to come home to a dinner that is all ready to go.

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mizike
July 15, 2009 1:57 PM
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@Stephmo: \"Plus, ruined stove top rice is awful and makes people depend on over-priced boxed rices.\"


I'm confused, are you saying that rice is too easy to ruin on the stove so people end up buying minute rice instead of real rice, or that the only rice which tastes good when cooked on the stove is some sort of specialty rice which comes in a box? Either way, there's likely a couple billion people in Asia who disagree with you. Any kind of rice can be made equally well on the stovetop or in a cooker, the cooker is just alot more convenient.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 1:07 PM
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@Stephmo: Probably just depends on what you use and what you like. My George Foreman turned out to be pretty useless (I got TWO as wedding gifts!) but I dig my slow cooker (although franks in grape jelly? EWWWWW) for jambolaya, chili, roasts, etc. I make a lot of rice but it's all brown rice and I'm content to do it on the stove, so for me there's no need for a rice cooker, but I have friends who use them CONSTANTLY.

I used to worship my bread machine and use it constantly, but now I've learned to make bread and the bread machine only comes out at holidays, so now it could vanish.

But I've heard people say a stand mixer is a useless appliance and YOU CAN PRY MY KITCHEN AID FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS.

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theblackdog
July 15, 2009 2:13 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): I *love* my Kitchen Aid mixer, especially for mashed potatoes. Like you, they'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands.

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh
July 15, 2009 3:10 PM
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@theblackdog: Oh man.. my KitchenAid mixer is the favorite wedding gift we got.


I have to also say that I love my rice cooker.. I got one that does more than just rice.. it even has a CAKE button.. and it makes the most delicious moist cakes EVER and being in Texas it means we don't have to heat up the whole house with the oven. And we get CAKE.


CAKE!! Not a lie.

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theblackdog
July 15, 2009 4:42 PM
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@Kimaroo: I thought my bread maker with a cake setting rocked, but you totally win.

What brand and model is your rice cooker?

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh
July 16, 2009 4:35 AM
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@theblackdog: It looks like this one: [www.amazon.com] is the newer version of mine.. One of the reviews mentioned cake.. It costs almost twice as much as I paid for mine though.

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Kimaroo - 100% Pure Natural Kitteh
July 15, 2009 5:44 PM
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@theblackdog: I think it's Panasonic SR-TMB10, it looks the same anyway.


I got it off Amazon a year or so ago..

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stanhubrio
July 15, 2009 6:07 PM
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Our rice cooker is without question the best gift we got from our wedding--and we got a lot of cool stuff.

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OprahBabb
July 15, 2009 10:08 AM
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@betatron: I was about to say! I don't remember a day without the rice cooker being used in my house. My mom is Korean, and being the main cook in the house, nearly every dish contained rice.

Sure the same thing could be done with a pan, some water and whatever you want to put in the rice, but it's not as \"set it and forget it\" as it seems.

The rice cooker has a \"cook\" and \"warm\" setting. You can pretty much leave it alone all day; you can't do that with a stove.

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VOIDMunashii
July 15, 2009 2:49 AM
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@betatron:
I love my rice cooker, it's faster and less messy than doing it on the stove top.My rice cooker doesn't take much longer for white rice than Minute Rice takes, and the results are soooo much better too.
Oh, and I'm not giving up books.

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Hil-fish
July 15, 2009 2:47 AM
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@betatron: Depends on how much rice you cook....In our house the rice cooker is used at least four times a week, so no, it's not junk.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
July 15, 2009 2:35 AM
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@betatron: mine is great - i lived for a couple of years without a microwave and used mine to reheat leftovers too. fortunately, the insert on mine comes out and is dishwasher safe. and it's not a fancy computerized model so it doesn't know if i put rice in it or not, just when the water is evaporated, it's done.
sometimes i steam chinese buns in it too!

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katstermonster
July 15, 2009 12:12 PM
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@catastrophegirl - minus one kitten: Wow, that's incredible. hmmmm Chinese buns...you're making me not want to eat this yogurt I have for breakfast...

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RogerTheAlien
July 15, 2009 2:35 AM
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@betatron: +1 Millions of Japanese can't be wrong. I live in Japan and they're EVERYWHERE! And these people know their rice!

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Ubik2501
July 15, 2009 2:48 PM
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@RogerTheAlien: Seriously, for $20 it's saved me enough time and effort that it's been more than worth it. Even the cheap ones make decent rice. Mine's the exact same one in the slideshow view, and it's never done me wrong in making rice or steaming vegetables at least once per week.

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perruptor
July 15, 2009 2:28 PM
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@RogerTheAlien: Same for Chinese people. I know a lot of Chinese families (in the US), and every single one of them has a rice cooker. Every house I visited in Beijing had one, too.

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Lani M. Nourse
July 15, 2009 6:05 AM
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@RogerTheAlien: Seriously... I am from an Asian family in Hawaii. I couldn't live without a ricecooker. My family eats rice a *Minimum* of once a day, 7 days a week. I'd shoot myself if I had to cook that much rice on the stove.

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Citron
July 15, 2009 4:48 AM
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@RogerTheAlien: @Snaptastic:
This is true. My mom's from rural Korea, and she taught me to make sticky rice on the stove, but neither of us hazards that unless we're camping without electricity.

The thing about a proper rice cooker -- like a nice zojirushi, is that you can cook a bunch of rice on Monday and then it will stay warm and sticky for days. So you just come back and have some rice with your lunch whenever you want it, rather than having to wait an hour to soak and dry, then another 45 minutes to cook the rice on the stove.

Even if you make a big pot of rice on the stove so you don't have to cook it later, sticky rice that's been microwave reheated is usually really miserable for anything but turning into stir-fry. It just doesn't fare well in the microwave.

I guess if you make rice once every now and then, it's a waste. But so is a set of nice steak knives if you're a vegetarian.

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YouDidWhatNow?
July 15, 2009 1:53 AM
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The rice cooker is one of the smartest buys we ever made...it gets used nearly as much as the microwave. We buy these pre-fab rice/rice-n-beans things in bags (Vigo is the brand name) and it's awesome. I can't even fathom not having one now.


Shoe inserts definitely depend on the shoe. In some shoes where there's room, they're great...if your shoes don't have room, you're just going to cramp your feet and become uncomfortable.


Tie rack? No way my closet could survive without it. Or my ties.


Take your Kindle and shove it. No. Thanks.


...and her arguement against having a nice home theater speaker system is the extra remote? Seriously. We're supposed to suffer along with the crappy speakers that TV makers put in their TVs fully expecting you not to use them because you don't want another remote in the house? Besides, virtually all remotes that come with anything are multi-use anyway - the one that came with oure reciever is the only one that needs to get used...for the reciever, DVD, DirecTV, and TV.


Radar detector...15 years ago I swore by them. But then I moved to MN where they are illegal, and I've developed a super power at being able to spot cops with my bare eyes at extreme distances...something that I had gotten too lazy to do with the radar detector.


...and as for the Ionic Breeze - they should have stores that sell only those things, Bose audio crap, Apple products, and Monster Cable. And tattoo everyone who shops there on the forehead so the rest of us can see them coming.

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11 replies
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tcolberg
July 15, 2009 6:01 AM
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@YouDidWhatNow?: Don't hang your ties. Loosely roll them instead and store them on their side. If you hang them, they stretch out and lose their shape.

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Lucky225
July 15, 2009 2:55 AM
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@YouDidWhatNow?:

Radar detectors are only illegal in VA, DC and military bases in the US, you sir fail. In MN it may be technically illegal to have on the windshield, however thats what in-dash units like the Passport 9500ci and Bel STi-R are for.

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YouDidWhatNow?
July 15, 2009 5:15 AM
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@Lucky225:


....huh. not sure why I thought they were illegal in MN. for some reason it did...

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32ndnote
July 15, 2009 3:08 AM
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@Lucky225: I'd imagine a police officer would be less forgiving if they saw that gawd-awful machine suction-cupped to your windshield though. Kind of like how you should alway sign the organ donor part of your license.

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Lucky225
July 15, 2009 3:20 AM
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@32ndnote:

Again, as stated in the same post you replied to, this is what IN-DASH detectors are for.

[www.escortradar.com]

[www.beltronics.com]

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Wombatish
July 15, 2009 11:13 AM
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@Lucky225: Google, 10 seconds: [www.afn.org]

You have to have a permit, otherwise, illegal.

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NeverLetMeDown
July 15, 2009 12:39 PM
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@Wombatish:


Google more carefully - _scanners_ are illegal, and that's the page you linked to. Radar detector law page is here, and they're legal: [www.afn.org]

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RogerTheAlien
July 15, 2009 2:36 AM
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@YouDidWhatNow?: They do have one for Apple products: The Apple Store.

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Posthaus
July 15, 2009 2:00 AM
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@YouDidWhatNow?: I bet the idea that home theater audio is useless came from the same idiot that still has their HDTV hooked up to a DVD player with composite cables.

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Traveshamockery
July 15, 2009 3:19 AM
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@Posthaus: It was a woman who wrote the article based on the numerous remotes that she can't make sense of. Apparently she and her spouse have never heard of a universal remote control.

She lost all credibility when she claimed that the TV's built in speakers sounded \"terrific\".

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mmmsoap
July 15, 2009 1:54 AM
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Ok, rice cookers and bread machines I understand...why buy an appliance (a uni-tasker in the words of Alton Brown) when you can do the same job with your stove/oven. I suppose if you're making copious amounts of rice and bread, it becomes worth it, but maybe not.

But an ice cream maker? If you're the homemade ice-cream type, is there a standard-kitchen-issue equivalent that will get the job done? You can't just stick a bunch of cream in your freezer and hope for the same result.

All in all, it was a weird list. I've never even heard of an ear candle before this, and I haven't owned a VCR in about 8 years (much less a VCR+ gizmo), but classifying books as equally useless as Happy Meal Toys is just wrong...

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12 replies
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MoreFunThanToast
July 15, 2009 6:45 PM
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@mmmsoap: If you don't need a rice cooker, you're not eating enough rice ;)
JK!

But seriously, every Asian family I know owns one. We live by it. Those $200 Japanese rice cookers make the best rice, its not something I can cook over the stove and expect it to turn out the same.

Also, rice cookers are easier to clean and doesn't take up a spot on the burners.

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CFinWV
July 16, 2009 2:04 PM
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So you find value in Polaroids but can't fathom why someone else may love their Kindle?

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chiieddy
July 15, 2009 12:37 PM
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@mmmsoap: If you have a Kitchen-Aid mixer (important cooking tool), you can get an ice cream maker attachment. The attachments are amazing because it makes your mixer a really multi-use appliance. You can use it as a meat grinder, slicer, pasta maker, etc.

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eelmonger
July 15, 2009 5:45 AM
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@mmmsoap: Alton Brown actually endorses rice cookers and ice cream makers, as long as you make enough of each to justify them.

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2 replies
July 15, 2009 5:33 AM
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@mmmsoap:
Actually, in his rice-cooker episode AB actually recommended buying a rice cooker...
just not a unitasker one. Get one that both cooks rice and steams veggies too.

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Bob Lu
July 15, 2009 4:40 AM
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@mmmsoap: Bah! US people think you can cook everything with your pathetic home stove/oven while the rice cooker can only cook rice. The fact is with a right rice cooker you can make virtually any dish ( which require heat) while your pathetic home stove/oven can't even make anything qualified as \"cooked\".

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Kogenta
July 15, 2009 5:44 AM
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@Bob Lu: You know, I saw a show where they showed you how to make bread in a rice cooker.

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Zyada
July 15, 2009 4:23 AM
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@mmmsoap:

I find that my microwave does a lovely job with rice, and I haven't used my rice cooker since I started using that.

However -
If you think that a breadmaker is just a substitute for an oven, you haven't made bread from scratch. I'm quite happy to let my breadmaker do all of the manual labor for me, while I cheerily tweak the recipe this way and that as my mood dictates.

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chiieddy
July 15, 2009 12:39 PM
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@Zyada: My breadmachine was the best $21.50 I ever spent (it was in a clearance area and a new box, but an older model). I can also use it to make pizza dough and butter.

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NoPornstar
July 15, 2009 2:22 AM
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@mmmsoap: \"Why buy an appliance when you can do the same job with your stove/oven?\" Um... dare I ask, are you single and childless?

I LIVE by my rice cooker and bread maker. Dump ingredients, push button, walk away. No stirring, no checking, no kneading, no standing next to the stove/oven... I have no time for that, and with my kids, I'd get interrupted about 20 times in the process, even if I did. Plus, speaking of kids, the rice cooker and bread maker are so easy that my kids can use them. Which, at ages 5 and 9, they are not exactly ready for hot stoves and ovens, yet.

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Ronald Riley
July 15, 2009 3:12 AM
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@JLHilton: Cooking rice on the stove has exactly one more step than the \"dump it and walk away\" method: stir, cover and reduce heat. (Okay, so that COULD be three steps, but the whole process takes all of about 5 seconds, so ...)

Not good for kids, admittedly, but adults who need a rice cooker ... I dunno. I can't fathom it.

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NoPornstar
July 20, 2009 6:56 PM
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@Ronald Riley: With kids you can't just \"walk away\" from a pot on a hot stove. At least with the rice cooker, I can push it far back from the edge of the counter, and I don't have to worry about a hot burner or a pot handle hanging over the edge.

I never did own a rice cooker until I had kids, so I can't speak to other adults who have one. But it is certainly helpful in that it will turn off automatically when done (not keep going and burn the rice, if you get busy). Plus, if you're cooking a big meal, it frees up one space on your stovetop.

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PeggyK
July 15, 2009 7:17 AM
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@Ronald Riley: Does your stove turn itself off when the rice is done? One of the nice things about a rice cooker is that it's truly set and forget. And since mine has steamer trays I can use it to cook more than just rice. Also, as a bonus, it doesn't heat up my kitchen the way my stove does, which is a serious plus this time of year.

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MeOhMy
July 15, 2009 3:10 PM
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@PeggyK: BINGO! One of you naysayers, got steam some rice in a pan and let me know how it turns out if you let it sit for 2 hours. The rice cooker holds the rice until you're ready to use it so that you no longer have to factor that in when trying to get everything else on the table at the right time.


It also frees a burner for use with other things.

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Claytons
July 15, 2009 6:34 AM
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@Ronald Riley: Rice cookers make cooking good rice well and often sooo much easier while simultaneously preparing complex dishes. Have any [adult] Asian friends? Ask them about rice cookers.

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baquwards
July 15, 2009 4:05 AM
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@Ronald Riley: I know some who just love their rice cooker, but I don't get it. Rice is so freakin' easy to cook and really takes no effort to make in a pot on the stove.

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Snaptastic
July 15, 2009 4:19 AM
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@baquwards: Rice cooked on the stove is usually the type that falls apart easily and is a bit hard. If you want the good sticky rice, then a rice cooker is a must. ^_^

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electrogeek77
July 15, 2009 1:57 AM
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@mmmsoap: Actually, there IS a way to make ice cream in a plastic bag, but it certainly doesn't yield a high amount.

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DanR2
July 15, 2009 1:55 AM
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This worthless article itself should be on the list.

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Paul Carr
July 15, 2009 4:11 PM
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@DanR2: Could not agree more

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korybing
July 15, 2009 2:51 PM
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@DanR2: This is the best comment in here.

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Riff Raff
July 15, 2009 12:42 PM
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@DanR2:

I couldn't even make it all the way through. That guy is a fucking idiot who is way to impulsive to be a blogger for a \"smart shopper\" website.

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speedwell (!)
July 15, 2009 9:58 AM
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@DanR2: Absolutely. We're quick to recognize a troll on comment threads, maybe not so quick to recognize one in real life. Ignore the ignorant.

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Billy-Austin
July 15, 2009 1:55 AM
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The ear candles aren't advertised to work as the article says they supposedly do. There was a time where companies said it would vacuum out the wax, but that isn't true. Now companies tell you that it doesn't do that at all and not to expect that to happen. What happens is that the heat and moisture from the wax causes your own natural ear wax to soften and allows it to come out of your ear. I use them all the time and they really help.

I'm tired of people putting them down when they don't even know what they do! I stopped reading the article at that point and won't be going back to that crappy site again!

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CumaeanSibyl
July 15, 2009 2:06 PM
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@Billy-Austin: Get an ear bulb, mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water, squirt into ear. Swab out resulting mess with Q-tip.

Works fine, and a huge bottle of H202 is like fifty cents.

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shepd
July 15, 2009 2:20 PM
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@CumaeanSibyl:

+1!

Seriously, I have to get my ears cleaned at the doctor every few years due to earwax buildup. Hydrogen peroxide does just as good a job without the pain. Although I use it straight and lie on my side for 15 minutes while it froths. :)

Oh, and an ear syringe helps, too.

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CumaeanSibyl
July 16, 2009 11:12 PM
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@shepd: Right, I forgot to mention the lying down part, that's important. The foaming screws with my inner ear. :D

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TheStateOnDVD2Day_GitEmSteveDave
July 15, 2009 2:52 AM
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@Billy-Austin: So the heat from your body isn't enough? By the time the heat gets close enough to your inner ear, you've already burned your outer ear.

But seriously, your post contained a logical fallacy called \"Moving the Goalposts\". The comapnies calimed at one time they removed ear wax through suction. They called them on this, and even showed that a \"ear candle\" burned in a glass jar would show \"removed wax\". So they then moved the goalpost, and said it loosens the wax through heat and moisture?

I don't have the time to search them out now, but there are COUNTLESS stories about people doing HARM with ear candles. What happens if this helpful wax goes down your ear canal and gets stuck. How do you get a flame IN your ear to melt the wax that was melted by burning. Please, think about this.

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ChuckECheese
July 15, 2009 3:02 AM
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@TheStateOnDVD2Day_GitEmSteveDave: They make little blowtorches - like for creme brulee, or crack - you could stick one in your ear to melt the wax. That might get it out.

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Anonymous
July 15, 2009 2:39 AM
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@Billy-Austin: \"The ear candles aren't advertised to work as the article says they supposedly do. There was a time where companies said it would vacuum out the wax, but that isn't true. Now companies tell you that it doesn't do that at all and not to expect that to happen. What happens is that the heat and moisture from the wax causes your own natural ear wax to soften and allows it to come out of your ear. I use them all the time and they really help.\"

So in other words, they lied. Now, they have a new line that's untrue (any more than a warm q-tip would be.)

It's at worst dangerous, at best ineffective. I'm personally sick of people suggesting that anyone try out quack health products.

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YouDidWhatNow?
July 15, 2009 2:03 AM
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@Billy-Austin:


...heat rises, so unless you've got your head over the flame, that heat isn't going into your ear. As for moisture from the candle wax...well, if you think there's significant moisture in wax then I don't know what else to tell you. Maybe if you poured some homeopathic pee-water through it...

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backbroken
July 15, 2009 2:31 AM
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@YouDidWhatNow?: You beat me to it.


You could fill an entire list of 20 most useless pieces of junk with all homeopathic products.

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Eldritch
July 15, 2009 1:58 AM
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WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK?

Books are some of the most important things in the world, and to just throw them away because some stupid device comes along?

::screams in booklover rage:: MAY HE BE FUCKED SIDEWAYS WITH A GUTENBERG PRESS!

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halothane
July 15, 2009 6:30 PM
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@Eldritch: Hmm... let's see.

Kindle- $300 + cost of e-books, which are rarely more than a few bucks cheaper than their paper versions. Doesn't survive my extremely clumsiness. DRMed.

Paperback books- Around $5-15 each. Survive puddles, drops down stairs, and my dog fetching it from the nightstand (it's hella cute.) Can lend out, swap for other books on bookmooch, etc. Can borrow FOR FREE at any public library!

Plus I simply LOVE the idea of adding a Kindle to my iPod and wallet to create a trifecta of HEY STEAL MY PURSE!

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amuro98
July 15, 2009 4:03 PM
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@Eldritch:

Ah, yes. Books. Very wasteful. Why pay $10-25 for an actual book, when I can spend $300 on a battery operated gadget to buy text files for $10-25 apiece?

Yes, that makes perfect sense...

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Brunette Bookworm
July 15, 2009 3:47 PM
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@Eldritch: They will have to pry my hundreds of books out of my cold, dead hands. As someone who relaxes in the tub, electronic devices to read on aren't good for me.


Also, home theater systems? Sorry, but if you've put the money into an HD TV and other devices, surround sound really adds to the experience. I love my sound system.

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Ubik2501
July 15, 2009 2:59 PM
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@Eldritch: Seriously. As pervasive as technology and gadgets have become in my life, NOTHING will ever replace actual books for me. It's just more viscerally appealing and satisfying.

And there are a bunch of practical reasons books won't be replaced for a very long time: The DRM issues with the Kindle and other devices, its inability to properly replicate things like college textbooks with color diagrams and photographs, the inability to annotate, underline or otherwise mark passages, and the fact that so many books just aren't in digital format yet. And anybody who says, \"But it'll save trees!\" has no concept of how huge a carbon footprint most modern gadgets have in terms of manufacturing and materials.

Besides, a Kindle wouldn't give me the feeling of having a book so beloved and beat up that it looks like a \"lopsided old softball,\" to quote Kurt Vonnegut (from Breakfast of Champions). That's how books should be loved. :)

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korybing
July 15, 2009 2:55 PM
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@Eldritch: Hell, I don't even read that much (it's one of my most embarrassing qualities), but I can't imagine a house not full of books. The Kindle has a LONG way to go before it can replace a book. There's something really special about books that machinery can't duplicate yet, and until they do I will be sticking with my shelves full of books that I don't even read. Hell, I get antsy when I see people use books for art projects, it just seems wrong to treat a book poorly.

When the Kindle turns into something that looks and feels like a book, maybe I will feel differently. But for now, books are about the ONLY thing that I don't feel bad for hoarding.

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Tallanvor
July 15, 2009 2:47 PM
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@Eldritch: I love real books too, but my parents just got me a Kindle for my birthday, and it will be a lifesaver for me.

As an English speaker living in Norway (I'm learning Norwegian, but I'm nowhere near being fluent enough to read a book casually), it's expensive to buy books! English books here (well, even Norwegian books for that matter) can cost twice as much as what I'd pay in the States, so this means I can buy more books.

I rarely sell and/or give away the books I have, so not being able to do so with the Kindle isn't a big deal. And let's be honest, people will break the encryption if they haven't already, and people will be able to share ebooks just like others.

There are some books I've read so much that I've had to replace them, so having them in a format that doesn't wear out is quite nice.

Having a number of books to choose from on the Kindle when I'm traveling will be quite nice. And hopefully it will cut down on the impulse book purchases in insanely expensive airport bookstores.

Having a Kindle doesn't mean I'm going to stop reading or buying physical books, but it does mean I can be a bit more discerning about what books I want to spend money on to have in physical form.

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kateblack
July 15, 2009 1:23 PM
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@Eldritch: As a book lover, book designer & bookbinder, I commend you on your passion for books.

That said, I partially agree with the article. I think Kindle is a big fat ripoff for anyone who doesn't have poor eyesight (adjustable type sizes + speech to text are great for visually impaired people) or who doesn't travel extensively (books take up a lot of baggage space). But most of us don't need to buy all the books we buy. It's been hard to break myself from purchasing all the books I like, but I use the library more and more frequently. I only buy copies of books when the library doesn't have them, when I know I'll need to reference them frequently, or when my friends have authored/illustrated/published them and I want an autographed copy in my home library.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 1:57 PM
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@kateblack: I had an interesting discussion with a friend about this recently. In addition to two bookcases I teach from, and one of reference material, I have three bookcases that are 2 1/2 cases full of books I read every year (or at least every other). My friend has books she rereads, but not every year, and certainly not 2 1/2 bookcases worth. Me, I can't imagine not reading Little Women and Anne of Green Gables and The Satanic Verses year in and year out. Those are the bulk of the \"non-working\" books that I own. The others that I buy and don't reread over and over end up going to the library donation bin.

Now that I have a kid I\"m more alert to the kinds of books that create Bibliophibians -- atlases. Books with full-color plates of ancient ruins. Foreign language textbooks from decades past. Random encyclopedia volumes. Tantalizing hints of awesomeness, in other words, in addition to childhood and adult classics.

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TouchMyMonkey
July 15, 2009 2:15 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): And none of the titles you mention cannot be obtained at the public library at a moment's notice.

As stated upthread, I wish I could just box up our books and donate them, kick the shelves they sit on to the curb, and put a nice recliner chair in that space.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 3:55 PM
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@HurtsSoGood: Also? You assume my public library is decent. Not so much the case. And not open so often due to budget cuts, so \"moment's notice\" on Saturday is like, \"Tuesday during banker's hours, if you are able to get away from work to drop by ...\"

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lim
July 15, 2009 5:36 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): Same with our local library. Plus they close for lunch. It's still one of my favorite places, just not convenient.

@HurtsSoGood: If I can't get to sleep I can go browse my collection for something familiar. If I want to relax in a tub or on a floatie in the pond I don't have to worry about damaging the town's property.

Right now I have one book in my desk to read during lunch, one by the couch, one in the car (you know, in case of long waits due to poorly managed road work, long trains, accidents, etc) AND I can still loan others out.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 2:55 PM
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@HurtsSoGood: Yes, but the library's copy of Little Women doesn't have the page where Beth dies all wrinkled from the tears I've been crying on it SINCE I WAS EIGHT.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 1:16 PM
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@Eldritch: I dig my mom's Kindle, it's a neat tool for the right people and the right uses, but A LIFE WITHOUT PHYSICAL BOOKS? FOR SHAME, SIR.

Also, I don't think Kindle will ever turn children into Bibliophibians the way a house full to the rafters of books will:

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Etoiles
July 15, 2009 12:44 PM
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@Eldritch: A-freaking-men.

I admit, I'd actually like a Kindle for commuting with; dragging 1200-page tomes back and forth on the Metro for 10-15 days is not good for them, for my back, or for the people I stand near. But I'll never give up paper books!

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katstermonster
July 15, 2009 12:18 PM
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@Eldritch: WTELF is now my new favorite phrase, thank you for that.


And I agree entirely...um...Kindle is just not my thing. I don't like reading off a screen. I don't like scrolling through. I like holding a book. The end. They can pry my books from my cold, dead hands at the apocalypse, thanks.


Giveaway thumb drives make my world go 'round! Keep a few in your desk drawer, you NEVER know when you're randomly going to need another USB storage device for one-time use, or to give someone a file. I'd be totally screwed without them...

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Megalomania
July 15, 2009 3:26 AM
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@Eldritch: many people buy books then read them once, if ever (\"coffee table books\" especially - how many people actually read the unpolished turd that was the Da Vinci Code?). Your local library is far more economical in most cases.

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Wombatish
July 15, 2009 11:18 AM
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@Megalomania: I think you misunderstand the notion of Coffee Table books.

Think a book of pictures of shoes or Ansel Adams photography.

And the DaVinchi Code was a nicely polished turd. I spent half the time lamenting the writing and the other half going \"I know what happens!\" and reading to find out if I was right. But it was still enjoyable, for that purpose.

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MostlyHarmless
July 15, 2009 4:44 AM
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@Megalomania: Actually Da Vinci code is a page turner, if you dont take it too seriously. Ayn Rand on the other hand....

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EarlNowak
July 15, 2009 3:14 AM
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@Eldritch: I can buy used books. Beautifully hardbound for a fraction of the cover price, paperbacks for pennies.

I can't buy used e-books. It's new or nothing. As a young man, it would have destroyed my enthusiasm for reading if I had to spend the same amount of money on books as I did albums.

(With the advent of the internet, I buy used CDs, as well. I have a wonderful musical and literary collection.)

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bluewyvern
July 15, 2009 3:14 AM
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@Eldritch: I don't care what you digitize, you're never getting my books.

I've just accepted that moving house will now always be a very tiresome, and very expensive, proposition. Shh, don't tell the landlady. I have to have some edge when renegotiating the lease.

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Hil-fish
July 15, 2009 2:49 AM
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@Eldritch: THIS. I'm wiping tears from my eyes. I am so totally stealing what you posted - it's going to be my new curse. Oh, that's beautiful...

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booboolee
July 15, 2009 2:40 AM
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@Eldritch: I agree. I have trouble trusting machines, and I'm no old fogey... just 23! Books are awesome, and I can't concentrate for long periods of time reading on a screen. I will NEVER be converted to a Kindle, and neither will my children.

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FangDoc
July 15, 2009 2:18 AM
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@Eldritch: Not to mention: Kindle is still so screwed up with DRM. I know that, short of burning down my house, no one can make my books suddenly broken, obsolete, unreadable, etc. with a few clicks of a mouse somewhere. We've seen it happen already with Tivo deleting episodes of shows that are about to come out on DVD, and with MSN Music shutting down and locking people out of their purchased music collections.

I'm not saying I would never switch to a digital reader; heaven knows I've shifted away from CDs now that I've ripped them all onto my iPod. But I still have the CDs in the basement. Just. In. Case.

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moozicmon
July 15, 2009 1:59 AM
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This article sucked. It was based on nothing but opinions of uneducated individuals.
\"A home theater is a waste because it is too much work to operate? Seriously?

This was a waste of my time. Shame on you Consumerist.

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5 replies
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plutonyum
July 15, 2009 2:24 PM
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@moozicmon: Yeah, just seems like a link to some idiot's crappy blog. Though I guess it did get everyone talking.

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TouchMyMonkey
July 15, 2009 2:17 PM
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@moozicmon: I used to have a home theater. Used to. I am in full agreement that it's more trouble than it's worth, not to mention the expense and the required floor space.

TVs should fit the room. 32 inches is plenty for most people's living rooms. Any more than that is a waste of money.

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Shadowman615
July 15, 2009 2:43 AM
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@moozicmon: Not only that, but the \"too much work to operate\" consists entirely of pushing a few extra remote buttons.

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Traveshamockery
July 15, 2009 3:22 AM
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@Shadowman615: ...or just buying a universal remote and paying some money to have a pro program it (since they clearly can't tackle that themselves).

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edicius
July 15, 2009 3:57 AM
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@Travishamockery: Exactly. I have my universal remote set to turn on my TV, DVR and receiver with one push of the button. The volume buttons always control the receiver, since I never use my TV's speakers. Then it's just a matter of hitting buttons to change devices for their respective functionalities.

If it wasn't for the fact that this article eschews books in favor of the Kindle (I love my Kindle, but I still love books), I'd think the writer was a tech dinosaur, especially with the VCR+ reference. I had totally forgotten about that never-used technology and I friggin' WORK in A/V. Bleh.

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DanR2
July 15, 2009 2:06 AM
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@moozicmon: Sadly, it could have been an interesting, informative list--there's certainly plenty of worthless shit out there. (the Ab Roller would probably remain on a more thoughtful list.)

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Shadowfire
July 15, 2009 1:59 AM
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An iron is essential for many pieces of clothing. This depends on where you work of course.

Some people need shoe inserts because they have oddly shaped feet. Some of us would love them, but no one makes a size 15 insert. :P

Books? Hah.

It sounds like the blogger didn't set up his home theater correctly. If it's right, the sound on the TV is off, and the surround is pumping out all the awesome. The same could be said for his bread recipes.

It sounds like \"some people may find these useless, and some people may not know how to use them properly...\" :|

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frari489
July 15, 2009 4:01 AM
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@Shadowfire: I agree with your comment on the iron.

So what do I do when I have a wrinkled shirt? I go to the dry cleaners, of course. I live in New York, so that's easy, and inexpensive. But I have taken random polls of people across the country over the last few weeks and have come across only one person who has an iron and regularly uses it -- my boss.

Sorry, but I can not take this guy seriously. Does he honesty believe that taking shirts to the dry cleaners is cheaper than cleaning and ironing them himself?! What a lazy ****

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schernoff
July 15, 2009 1:26 PM
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@frari489: Uh, yeah. My time is worth more than the $1.50 the cleaner charges to launder, press, and return the shirt. And oh yeah, they also come to my house to pick up and drop off whatever needs cleaning.

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corellia40
July 15, 2009 5:10 PM
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@schernoff: We don't all live in areas where cleaners will pick up and deliver. For me, the time spent dropping something off would be more than the time spent just ironing the shirt. The way I see it, I save money and time doing it myself because I don't iron extremely often, but I still do it often enough to have paid for the iron. If I needed it more, I MIGHT save time by going to the cleaners - but in the 25 minutes it takes to get there, I'm sure I could have ironed a week's worth of shirts.

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Etoiles
July 15, 2009 1:50 PM
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@schernoff: My time is worth more than the $1.50 the cleaner charges to launder, press, and return the shirt.

Despite it not strictly being legal in many states, women's shirts generally cost 2x - 4x what men's shirts do for cleaning and pressing. My dad or my ex-boyfriend can spend $10 or less on their week's worth of shirts (my fiancé works in an informal end of the media industry) but for the few months that I had a job that required me to dress the same way, it cost me more like $25.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 1:19 PM
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@frari489: Yeah, that sort-of stunned me too ... I live in a cheap-ass part of the country and three or four shirts to the cleaners for pressing would make up the cost of a midrange iron!

If you lived on the space station where every inch counts, okay, take your space suit to the cleaner instead of owning the iron, but an iron is so small, and you can even get those \"ironing boards\" that roll up and lay out on tables, so you don't have to store a board ... or an in-wall flip down one ...

Now if you don't ever need to iron, more power to you and I envy your clothes. :)

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NeverLetMeDown
July 15, 2009 12:45 PM
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@frari489:


Well, I used to do that, but then I discovered the newer non-iron shirts. 100% cotton (not some godawful blend), but treated with something so you just toss them in the wash, put them on hangers when they come out of the dryer, and they look perfect. Saves me serious coin too - I was spending $400+ per year on getting shirts done, but no more.


[www.brooksbrothers.com]

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bubbledumpster
July 15, 2009 4:11 AM
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@frari489: listing an iron is one of the most ignorant things i've ever read.

this person is obviously a die-hard consumer in the worst way. dropping off clothes at a dry cleaner any time they need to be ironed?

and they've obviously never even heard of PATCHING clothes. sewing without an iron is a b.

why do for yourself, when you can just throw money at it?

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Wombatish
July 15, 2009 11:22 AM
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@bubbledumpster: Complicated stuff goes to the cleaners (Ruched skirt? Hell no I am not trying to iron that) but say, shirt? Suit jacket? I do those myself.

Granted I don't work in an enviroment that requires even business casual, but for the few times I've needed my iron, it was worth... getting it for free 2 years ago. Now I just need to find some way to get rid of my ironing board, it's bulky... but the iron itself? Worth it.

My mum also has a nice fancy steam(er) iron so I can borrow it if needed, but it's a bit of a drive.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 1:22 PM
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@Wombatish: \"ow I just need to find some way to get rid of my ironing board, it's bulky\"

You need something like this:

[www.amazon.com]

Stores in a drawer or closet, then provides the heat-resistant ironing surface on a counter or table.

They also make ironing boards that store in a wall cabinet and flip down (little more expensive and a little more work, but if you're living somewhere long term, might be worth it) and they make \"dorm room\" boards that are much smaller and often attach to a table or counter.

But the ironing pad is definitely your lowest-cost and most-portable option!

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Wombatish
July 16, 2009 5:45 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): I rent, so the in wall one isn't an option, as much as I would like it (my mom has one in her laundry room, it's nice).

I have a little dorm board, it's terrible. Most of the ones I've seen are shoddy and it's just too small.

But the table top thing is perfect. I've honestly thought about making my own with some foam and fabric because I didn't see any reason it wouldn't work, but a premade one is great.

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Wombatish
July 16, 2009 5:46 PM
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@Wombatish: I might make my own, however, to be elastic over the edges of the table... ooo damn, now I have a project.

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Hil-fish
July 15, 2009 2:50 AM
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@Shadowfire: Quilting without an iron would be a nightmare. But that's just me. :-)

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balthisar
July 15, 2009 2:00 AM
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There's a difference between my clothes (that my dear wife irons) and those of the people at work that haven't iron. It's the wrinkles! Even \"wash and wear\" looks much sharper when ironed.

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TouchMyMonkey
July 15, 2009 2:19 PM
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@balthisar: There is no such thing as \"wash and wear.\"

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Julia789
July 15, 2009 1:23 PM
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@balthisar: Ironing can make a big difference in presentation. It also makes older cotton clothes look newer.

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veronykah
July 15, 2009 2:01 AM
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What? Polaroid Cameras? As a photographer, polaroids are definitely NOT worthless.
Rice cookers? Yes, sure you can cook rice on the stove but some of us SUCK at cooking rice on the stove. I have a plastic cooker that works in my microwave, I think of it as invaluable.
The iron, I agree with wholeheartedly though, I've never understood the point of having clothes that need to be ironed.
The kindle thing? I admittedly haven't used a kindle but I can't imagine it feels better to sit and look at it than read a REAL book.
Not to mention, taking the kindle to the beach or the pool? On a backpacking vacation to the tropics? Yeah, no thanks.

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korybing
July 15, 2009 3:00 PM
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@veronykah: The problem with polaroids these days is the growing impossibility to buy film, and how expensive it is when you find some. It's sad. I love polaroids.

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2 replies
July 15, 2009 2:02 AM
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@#9
FTA: \"my sisters-in-law chipped in and got us an external sound system for our TV one holiday for a present. It came with four speakers, two boxy units that sat near the TV, and its very own remote. Just what I needed.\" (emphasis mine)

Wow, what a ungrateful bitch.
It's even worse that she's basically announcing it to the entire world with her article.

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Rectilinear Propagation
July 15, 2009 6:13 PM
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@Coop:
...Wow.

Next holiday the sister-in-law should just give the author a $10 gift card.

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MostlyHarmless
July 15, 2009 2:27 AM
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@Coop: LOL exactly what i was thinking. I'm like seriously?

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LordofthePing
July 15, 2009 2:06 AM
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Should be retitled \"20 Things That I Think Are Worthless Pieces of Junk\"

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edosan
July 15, 2009 2:02 PM
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@LordofthePing: Or \"Please click through our twenty pages of ads in search of an article.\"

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icantreplyright
July 15, 2009 3:08 AM
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@LordofthePing: Or \"20 things some idiot thinks are worthless\"

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Traveshamockery
July 15, 2009 3:23 AM
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@icantreplyright: \"20 Things I'm Too Much of an Idiot to Operate\"

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MTVAH
July 15, 2009 2:20 AM
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I found the list to be pretty obnoxious. Correct me if I'm wrong, but his entire rational against tie racks seemed to be \"I don't enjoy wearing ties.\" I expected some clever substitute for the tie rack, but he doesn't offer any alternative (Not that there aren't any). I can understand that it isn't supposed to be some axiomatic list, and it is necessarily based on personal opinion, but \"I don't like the objects that this product is intended to be used with\" is a really horrible rationale for a list.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 1:26 PM
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@MTVAH: I found the tie rack hate weird too. My husband has a plain, non-motorized tie rack that attaches with two screws to the inside of the closet door that cost all of $7 and organizes his ties AND HIS BELTS. It's so full he kind-of needs a second one (the man likes his tie fashion), though for now he's jettisoning old ties he doesn't like to make room for new ones, but he's pretty close to \"NOTHING BUT AWESOME\" in his tie wardrobe.

He used to hang them on hangers but then he married me and I am a) so clumsy I knocked them all to the floor ALL THE TIME in our shared closet and b) so awesome I know about things like tie racks and coupons to get tie racks 20% off.

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SexWaxin'_GitEmSteveDave
July 16, 2009 11:06 AM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): Might I suggest checking out WildTies.com. Consumerist featured them about two years ago, and they occasionally have a $1 tie sale that is pretty sweet. I got a hand made Italian necktie for $1!

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TheStateOnDVD2Day_GitEmSteveDave
July 15, 2009 2:54 AM
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@MTVAH: I own a tie rack because I own ~50 ties, and there's no better way to hang them. My motorized tie rack was $5 after Christmas, and the metal tie hanger in my bathroom that helps me use the steam and humidity from my showers to get out any wrinkles cost me $4.

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MTVAH
July 15, 2009 3:19 AM
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@TheStateOnDVD2Day_GitEmSteveDave:

I agree. I could imagine using hangers in a pinch, but I don't see why anyone would single out something that has a very specific and good use. Particularly when, as I said, his argument against them is that he does not like owning ties (Perhaps having shabby-looking ties is his way of \"sticking it to the man\"?).

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amuro98
July 15, 2009 4:07 PM
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@MTVAH:
I just use a hanger. I don't own very many ties, and maybe have to wear one once a year to a wedding.

I suppose if you owned a lot of ties, then sure. But most guys I know only own 3 or 4 ties.

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Smashville
July 15, 2009 3:51 AM
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@MTVAH: People without jobs tend not to wear ties.

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valthun
July 15, 2009 5:05 PM
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@Smashville: I actually have a really good job and I never wear a tie to work. In fact I never wear a collared shirt to work. I hate ties and suits. I understand their need, and when I wear ties and a nice collared shirt I make sure they look good. However I don't use a tie rack, they are rolled up and in tins the ties came in. Along with the cuff links.

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MTVAH
July 15, 2009 2:22 AM
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@MTVAH:

I was going to accuse you of not knowing the correct spelling of \"rationale,\" but then I saw that you spelled it correctly the second time. Also, you're cute.

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The Porkchop Express
July 15, 2009 1:19 PM
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@MTVAH: I don't know why but that may be the funniest thing I read all day.


Ok I know why, because what i read for work is not funny. but still.

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jamiesue
July 15, 2009 2:24 AM
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I craft a lot. I find it cathartic. Hobby kits (everyting in the box, limited time looking for bits and peices) are great, and iron is a must for both cloths and cloth related crafts, and BOOKS? BOOKS??? Have you gone mad! I'll never abandon the tactile pleasure of a good book.

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Sarah Black
July 15, 2009 2:26 AM
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Kindle? Really...... Kindle?

A netbook costs a bit less than the kindle and it can also ready PDF files - and do so much more!

I like physical books, since if I loan one (you cannot do that with kindle content) or if I loose a book or it gets wet, I can just inexpensively repurchase that book, if needed.

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Brent Woodle
July 15, 2009 1:43 PM
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I totally disagree with the Kindle promotion. I'll keep my books in a format that:

(1) I can't get locked out of in the case of an error or new device.
(2) All my books won't have a single point of failure.
(3) Isn't expensive and proprietary.@SnowingCookies:

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edosan
July 15, 2009 2:03 PM
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@Brent Woodle: When some DRM issue makes everyone's Kindle books unavailable, I'll be the first to laugh at them.

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kabuk1
July 15, 2009 12:24 PM
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@SnowingCookies:
Yeah. I just bought an Acer netbook from walmart for $270. Full-fledged computer, plus I can read my Twilight ebooks on it. I cannot believe anyone would actually spend hundreds of dollars on a device that does nothing but display text. But I guess when you have more money than brains...

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edicius
July 15, 2009 4:01 AM
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@SnowingCookies: I've got nothing against books, nor netbooks, but reading on the Kindle is much closer to the former than the latter. No strain on the eyes, etc. Will I ever stop reading paperbacks? Maybe on the day that Amazon actually has, very literally, every book in print, but until then, it's a mixture of both for me.

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Grrrrrrr, now with two buns made of bacon.
July 15, 2009 3:16 AM
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@SnowingCookies: Plus losing a $5 paperback on the bus isn't going to ruin your week.

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Thraxamer
July 15, 2009 2:31 AM
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Sheesh. What a maroon. Really.

Until the Kindle:
* is in color
* loses the DRM
* lets me make my own data backups
* lets me annotate (audio & text)
* lets me print pages/text annotations at will
I am not buyin' it. No way, no how.

My books don't crash, I can mark 'em up, most thieves aren't interested in them, and if they get wet... I can still read them.

As far as irons go, hey... some of us -like- to look nice.

And then there's the comment about the surround sound system and other -possibly- useful objects... my goodness. Yeah, I agree with the majority here. Unfortunately, this blogger has made the mistake of thinking that these things -must- be useless because he _personally_ finds them to be so.

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Stephmo
July 15, 2009 12:00 PM
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@Thraxamer: So, to recap -

We can buy a $400 Kindle (I'm assuming we want the new one) and pay to download books when we want them. Because buying used books would suck?

AND

A $30 iron is bad and paying to have someone else iron shirts every time I need them is a good idea?

Remind me not to let them near my wallet...

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kateblack
July 15, 2009 1:26 PM
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@Stephmo: My iron was $10.

The drycleaner nearest us is about $3/per shirt, and they melted all the buttons on my partner's favorite shirts last time we used them.

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EarlNowak
July 15, 2009 3:16 AM
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@Thraxamer:
* Lets me buy used ebooks from other people for a fraction of the cover price.

Oh, with DRM it will never happen? Then I guess I'll stick to modern 400 year old \"ink\" technology, instead of 4 year old \"e-ink\" technology.

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krispykrink
July 15, 2009 2:35 AM
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20. Up yours. A good rice cooker is essential.
17. If I gave up my Iron, I may as well give up my job.
10. Take your Kindle and shove it. I'm not retarded enough to pay $300+ for a device just so I can read a book. Buy used paperback's, trade with your neighbors and friends.
9. Stick an Ice Pick in your left ear. Carry on.
8. An Ice Cream maker is a mandatory must have if you like to eat ice cream. Especially when you host a BBQ and friends with kids come over on hot summer days.

I'm done ranting. ;-P

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chiieddy
July 15, 2009 12:44 PM
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@krispykrink: You also can't take your Kindle to the beach without risking getting sand and water on it. It is not a book replacement.

I also trade my used books using Paperbackswap.com

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amandakerik
July 15, 2009 11:13 AM
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@krispykrink: @icecream maker / breadmaker: especially if you want to eat stuff that doesn't have a lot of chemicals.

Most of the \"ice cream\" I've seen in stores doesn't even have cream in it and the list sounds like a locker from a science lab.
Bread with no yeast in it just tastes wrong. Blech.

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Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!)
July 15, 2009 1:31 PM
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@amandakerik: I like my bread machine and we use it at Christmas when we make a ton of loaves for gifts, but making homemade bread from scratch really ISN'T that hard (and I am not that talented in the kitchen). I have a stand mixer that does the kneading for me, but I have friends who even knead by hand. If no-chemical bread is what you're after, it's worth a try ... it's a very satisfying thing to tell people, \"Oh, I made that from scratch\" because people think (like I used to) that bread is freaking MAGIC FOOD and must be really hard to make!

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NatalieErin
July 15, 2009 6:55 PM
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): Incredibly satisfying. The only other person I know who bakes is my cousin, so no one messes with my perk of easily impressing people with my baking.


I will never give up my KitchenAid. We are living in a small apartment ATM so it lives in a cupboard, but I just like to know it's there when I need it.

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korybing
July 15, 2009 7:10 PM
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@NatalieErin: Oh god KitchenAids. My mom has always had one and it's what she uses to make her (delicious delicious delicious) bread. My fiance and I are trying to make a wedding registry and honestly the only thing I really want is a KitchenAid.

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kateblack
July 15, 2009 1:31 PM
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@amandakerik: I totally agree. I have a stand mixer w/ bread hook, and an ice cream maker attachment.

I don't use them every day, but having that equipment has paid for itself and produced much healthier & better tasting food for my household. We live in a food desert, where stores are expensive and frequently sell low-quality, even spoiled foods. I can make my own bread for pennies, and frozen yogurt or sorbets for slightly more.

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korybing
July 15, 2009 3:29 PM
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@kateblack: I have yet to buy bread that comes even close to home-made bread. I'd prefer a mixer with a bread hook over a bread-machine, but I still prefer a bread-machine over a crappy loaf of wonderbread.

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umbriago
July 15, 2009 2:35 AM
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So what do I do when I have a wrinkled shirt? I go to the dry cleaners, of course.

And when I run out of toilet paper? I just use money, of course. Or just tear pages out of my worthless books.

sheesh

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madanthony
July 15, 2009 2:06 PM
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@umbriago:

You know what I do when I have a wrinkled shirt? Wear it anyway. Which is why I usually look like I just rolled out of bed.

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Traveshamockery
July 15, 2009 3:25 AM
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@umbriago: The poll shows that 97% of the blog's readers disagreed with the \"Iron is a worthless piece of junk\" statement.

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catnapped
July 15, 2009 11:12 AM
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@Travishamockery: Well it's OBVIOUS they're outside the mainstream of America!

(snark)

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Michael Belisle
July 15, 2009 2:39 AM
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@umbriago: You know what do I do when I have a wrinkled shirt? I iron it. You know, with an iron.

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NoPornstar
July 15, 2009 2:36 AM
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Just because some ungrateful jackass gets a crappy, made-in-China balloon kit and is too lazy to return it to the store, then ALL hobby kits are suddenly \"worthless pieces of junk\"?

And I happen to love my shoe inserts. Honest to Baby Jesus, when I started using them I suddenly stopped having back problems (after 8+ years of back problems, thank you very much). And when I stop using them, for whatever reasons, my back problems come back. You've got to buy the good ones, though, not just odor eaters. Better yet, Birkenstockers. Those shoes rock. I couldn't bring myself to pay so much for shoes, but once I did... my knee and joint pain disappeared. No lie. I'm not a paid spokesperson. Those shoes are just awesome.

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Wombatish
July 15, 2009 11:28 AM
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@JLHilton: The author also completely disregards prescription shoe inserts.

Yeah, let's see.. I had two surgeries on each of my feet over the course of a year and a half, I was in a wheelchair and a full leg cast for 5 months following each surgery, and I did physical therapy for 3 months (each leg), and then my doctor writes me a prescription for shoe inserts to wear for the next two years, minimum.

What do I do? Clearly throw it out. Shoe inserts are useless.

Now, that being said, mine are semi-uncomfortable, but my feet are also just in constant pain because they're not put together completely correctly.

And while I realize he's talking about the drugstore type ones, he doesn't say that. Also, it's kind of a \"you get what you pay for\".

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floraposte
July 15, 2009 1:30 PM
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@Wombatish: I think that's true of a lot of what's on the list--there are crap rice-cookers, and crap breadmakers, and crap ice-cream makers. Actually, the quality isn't necessarily correlated with the cost, but you're going to find an appliance that works well much more useful than one that works like crap, and they seem to be judging on the ones that work like crap.

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baquwards
July 15, 2009 4:12 AM
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@JLHilton: I have some shoe inserts that I got off the internet and they have relieved my plantar fasciitis about 95% they are truly one of the best purchases that I have ever made. I have a pair of birkenstock sandals and after they are broken in they are phenomenal (the break in period was hell though).

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Grrrrrrr, now with two buns made of bacon.
July 15, 2009 2:41 AM
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Rice cookers are great, especially genuine Japanese ones. Best rice ever. There is a good chance that you'll get sick of eating rice every day, but that's not the cooker's fault, is it?

Polaroid cameras were, for their time, absolutely indispensable for producing quick images. Fifteen years ago, if you wanted quick pictures, it was Polaroid or nothing.

Screw the Kindle. Give me an old fashioned book anyday. The batteries won't go dead, the publisher can't suddenly decided that I've read it too many times, and if I leave a $5 paperback on the bus, who cares?. I think the Kindle should be a definite \"useless item.\"

I also happen to like Happy-Meal toys. I have several on my desk at home and at work.

One person's trash is another person's treasure, and vice versa.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
July 15, 2009 2:56 AM
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@☠Grяrяrяrяrя sings the doom song now!:
my argument for real books? they don't need to be recharged and you can read them by candle light. i live in a hurricane zone.
oh, and i love my books and i'll cut the hands off anyone who tries to take them away. all 2000+ of them.

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El_Fez
July 15, 2009 2:41 AM
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* Home Theater Sound Systems
What kind of idiot wrote this list? I'm going to get a television and have to put up with the crappy on-board speakers? Why not take it a step further - get rid of the television all together. Seriously, you dont actually *NEED* a television to survive day to day. That's a thousand bucks you could have saved right there.

* Bread Machines
Um, some of us LIKE knowing what the hell is going in our bread instead of a long list of chemicals. Besiudes the bread machine SAVES money - the cost of the flour and ingredients are pennies compared to 2 bucks for a store bought loaf.

* Books
And now we come to the most utterly moronic thing on the list. Sorry, but I refuse to touch a DRM ridden piece of crap that Amazon can turn off on a whim. My copy of Conan here on my nightstand? I'll be able to read that in a 100 years - you think a Kindle will be able to do the same thing?

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JulesNoctambule
July 15, 2009 3:36 AM
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@El_Fez: A thousand bucks for a tv?? Hell no! My $30 thrift score works just dandy.

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Powerlurker
July 15, 2009 4:12 AM
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@JulesNoctambule:

If you actually care at all about image quality, there is no way a $30 thrift store TV will be remotely adequate.

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floraposte
July 15, 2009 1:33 PM
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@Powerlurker: I care about plot and language. If you can't convey it through a cathode ray, I don't much care about it. (Though I will note that I selected my last TV largely on the fact that its speakers are fabulous.)

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macinjosh
July 15, 2009 2:43 AM
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What a shit article. I read only 3 items:
1) tie rack - i have about 10-15 ties, and was hoping for some magical replacement that could be better than the spinny one i just got for $6. his reason is he doesn't really wear ties. Oh OK, thanks. That's helpful.

2) Home theater sound system - because it comes with a remote. I have a Harmony Remote. No big deal.

3) VCRPlus+ - It was pretty cool when it was came out. Nowadays, it's just obsolete. Why not add Walkman or Edsel to teh list?

I'm not going to read any more.

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NatalieErin
July 15, 2009 6:59 PM
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@macinjosh: He does seem to have an issue with older technology, judging from the inclusion of books. Hello, idiot, most of the things you've mentioned wouldn't ever have been invented if humans hadn't figured out how to write things down and keep them around - i.e. books.

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thepassenger
July 15, 2009 2:45 AM
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I don't see how one can survive without an iron. I honestly don't think anyone in my office cares whether or not my clothing is pressed, but my own dignity prohibits me from leaving the house in wrinkled clothes.

Dry cleaning is a waste of money and is too harsh on cotton shirts. I don't want my shirts coming back shiny. If I wanted shiny shirts I'd buy them that way.

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linkura
July 15, 2009 2:48 AM
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Try telling any Asian (like my fiance) that a quality rice cooker is a worthless piece of junk and you'll get a nice punch to the jaw....

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
July 15, 2009 2:52 AM
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bargain DVDs? aside from the fact that i keep finding $1 DVDs of classic movies that i love, sometimes getting a super cheesy B movie to put on with some friends and play kung fu soundtrack with is a great, inexpensive way to spend an evening.
[everybody picks a character, you turn the sound off, and make up lines when your character is speaking.]

when i worked a stand-on-my-feet-all-day job, gel shoe inserts actually really helped with lower back pain. to the point where i could sleep at night again!

i am really wishing i could find the link to the article i read a couple of weeks ago about someone doing something important with polaroid instant prints and separating the layers of the prints... but, alas, i can't recall enough details to find it. but it was something that couldn't be done any other way.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
July 20, 2009 2:31 AM
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@catastrophegirl - sometimes makes typos and doesn't care: i remembered... it wasn't IMPORTANT but really neat - the opening title sequence for a tv show:
[en.wikipedia.org]

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citizensmith: I may be stupid but:
July 15, 2009 2:52 AM
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Wow, the person that pulled that list together is a real idiot. And seemingly a real idiot that still lives with their parents.

A few pieces of junk, a couple of outdated items nobody would buy anyway, and a bunch of stuff the author doesn't understand well enough to use.

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Lucky225
July 15, 2009 2:53 AM
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Radardetector.net -- #3 is based on someone who knows nothing about them and probably bought some crappy Cobra @ ratshack. *rolls eyes*

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jamesdenver
July 15, 2009 2:56 AM
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My mom got us a rice cooker. I didn't remember if it was a gift or one of the many items from her house that is slowly migrated to our house hidden away it multiple suitcases.

It sat in the cupboard for a year and I finally gave it to the Goodwill during one of my visits.

About six months later she was looking for it - and I was forced to confess I gave it away. She was surprised but not terribly offended (she knows I hate clutter.)

I was explaining this to another relative with her and we had a good laugh at our differing memories. I thought it was a piece of junk item from her basement. She remembers it as an actual gift she picked out.

Hopefully another family it using it to its full rice making potential. Meanwhile I've never had a problem with a pot, rice, water, and some butter.

James | [www.futuregringo.com]

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ChuckECheese
July 15, 2009 3:07 AM
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There's something in this article to offend nearly anyone: Asians, geeks, dorks, tekkies, new agers, book-hounds, even little babies, who are now required to be dirty, cold and toyless.

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thanq
July 15, 2009 3:07 AM
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The list missed one:

#21 - ...buy most of the \"reasons\" what author used in the article.

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mamalicious
July 15, 2009 3:08 AM
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Well, here's the thing: if you use something on a regular basis, then it's not a piece of junk, is it? I used my bread maker, ice cream maker and iron.

I COULD live without the breadmaker and ice cream maker, but not my iron. Here's what the person who wrote the article does when he needs something ironed:

\"So what do I do when I have a wrinkled shirt? I go to the dry cleaners, of course.\"

That made me laugh. It's not really feasible or cost effective for me. I think I'll stick with the iron. An inexpensive iron can run as little as $9.99 on sale. Hardly seems like a huge expense to have this handy item around the house for when you need it.

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jstonemo
July 15, 2009 3:14 AM
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Ear candles? I still use the old fashioned Q-tip.

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latkadog
July 15, 2009 3:20 AM
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Phew... I was worried my DVD rewinder would make that list.

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spongebue
July 15, 2009 3:28 AM
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@YouDidWhatNow?: I'm from Minnesota, and my dad is a cop out there. Radar detectors are legal. Radar JAMMERS (which send back a signal to screw up the radar signals) are not. Although, like others mentioned, they may not be allowed on the windshield (like any object) and cops are less likely to let you off with a warning if they see one.

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Ilovegnomes
July 15, 2009 3:28 AM
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Rice cookers are way more useful than fondue sets.

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morganlh85
July 15, 2009 3:34 AM
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My evaluation
20: Rice Cookers - Agreed...yummy rice but they take up soooo much space for something you eat only once a week, if even.
19: Shoe Inserts - I work retail and food service, disagree.
18: Polaroid Camera - Polaroids are awesome.
17: The Iron - Definitely disagree here.
16: Hobby Kits - Yeah, pretty much
15: The Tie Rack - Probably. My husband only has like 4 ties.
14: Giveaway Thumb Drives - Good for things you might lose, like giving software to friends, taking files to Kinko's, etc.
13: Trade Show Swag - No way!!! I get the COOLEST totebags from Neocon and I use them a lot!
12: Bargain DVDs - Yeah....I still haven't even opened \"The Boy in the Plastic Bubble\"
11: Ear Candles - I don't even know what this is...
10: Books in a Kindle World - WRONG WRONG WRONG. It's FAR from a \"Kindle World\" right now.
9: Home Theater Sound Systems - Wish I had one so I could find out.
8: Ice Cream Makers & Bread Machines - Yes, absolutely
7: VCRPlus Gizmos - What's that?
6: Ionic Breeze - haha! yep
5: Single-Slot Piggy Banks - what? I've saved tons of money with those.
4: Ab Rollers - ha! yes
3: Radar Detectors - I dunno about that one.
2: Wipe Warmers - Don't have this exactly, but I do have a lotion warmer that never got used, ever.
1: Happy Meal Toys - My mom collects these for some reason.

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JulesNoctambule
July 15, 2009 3:35 AM
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My large collection of 19th and early 20th century manuscripts is inclined to take issue with #10. Not only do they lack the rental status of a e-'book' with DRM, but they also are not and never will be digital, seeing as I own the only known examples. So yeah, the 'Kindle world' can kiss my collection's ink-stained paper ass.

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Skin Art Squared
July 15, 2009 3:35 AM
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Clearly the author is a drooling waterhead.

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I Love New Jersey
July 15, 2009 3:46 AM
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This seems pretty useless, as many of the things mentioned are free giveaway items and the guy seems to suggest blowing money on a Kindle when that sort of money could buy hundreds of regular books and then goes to justify getting one using the carbon footprint nonsense.

An iron is quite useful than wasting the time and money of getting something pressed at a cleaners.

Really, was this list compiled by some sort of person who loves to waste money?

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outlulz
July 15, 2009 3:49 AM
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I love my Kindle. I have next to no storage space in my room to store books and being able to read almost anything I want whenever I want without carrying or storing different books is awesome. Plus I can read my Kindle wherever I am since I have the Kindle app on my iPhone. But it's a luxury item and not a necessity. I hope all of you wear $5 Swatches since they do the same thing as a nice watch.

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catnapped
July 15, 2009 11:24 AM
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@outlulz: $5 Swatch? Have you priced those lately?

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varro
July 15, 2009 3:54 AM
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The Segway has to be on the list - it's for rich twits who think \"walking\" is *so 20th Century*...

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morlo
July 15, 2009 4:00 AM
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@varro: I think the PUMA will bump the Segway off

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slickdealer
July 15, 2009 4:11 AM
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That list sucked

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egoods
July 15, 2009 4:11 AM
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Radar Detectors have most certainly saved me from tickets. The problem most people have is improper mounting, or they buy a cheap unit. Go with a Valentine 1, also, if you're a habitual speeder, a laser jamming system may be worth the $600 investment. Not that I ever speed, I'm a good driver and obey all laws all the time.

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zentex
July 15, 2009 4:21 AM
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Ice cream Maker? Really?

And while it tastes better than store-bought ice cream immediately after being made, within an hour of putting it in the freezer the creaminess has solidified into ice.

That guy has NO idea how to make ice cream, it is painfully obvious. I have some Peach Ice Cream I made on the 4th in the freezer and it's as creamy as it was when I made it.

When you use 2% non-fat milk, soy, or straight up milk you get CRAP Cream. Be a man and use Heavy Cream!! What do you think makes Ice Cream so smooth? FAT!

Everyone else has covered the Rice Cooker, so I wont bother.

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floraposte
July 15, 2009 1:37 PM
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@zentex: I also can attest to the merits of the Cooks Illustrated approach of adding a touch of vodka--lowers the freezing point without adding flavor. And with any ice cream you expect to keep for a while, but especially homemade, it's worth covering the surface directly with plastic wrap so it's not exposed to air.

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ReverendBrown
July 15, 2009 4:33 AM
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I will have to disagree about rice cookers and bread machines. They are useful time savers. Heck, bread machines knead dough efficiently, and with less mess. You can still bake it in the oven.

The best part is that they can be had for almost nothing from garage sales. (Or perhaps your parents' cupboard.)

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Robobot
July 15, 2009 4:37 AM
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Another rice cooker fan here. Usually I'm no fan of gimmicky kitchen gadgets, but rice cookers are awesome. (Especially when you live with a bunch of people who always hog the stove. As long as there is a free outlet somewhere in the kitchen you're good to go!)

And, uh, I just don't know if I could ever give up books and print media. I'm not an old fart or a technophobe, I just love the rustle of newspaper in the morning and the feeling of turning pages in a book. Most of all, I love researching actual texts in actual libraries instead of in online databases. Maybe I'm just crazy, but Kindles and ebooks just don't do it for me.

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gman863
July 15, 2009 4:42 AM
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My List:


1. Monster Cables for home theater.
2. Bargain bin PC software (a.k.a. \"Freeware\" with a price tag attached).
3. Name brand pain reliever (Tylenol, Advil, etc) - store brands have the identical active igredients at up to 75% lower prices.
4. Anything with \"Tommy Hilfinger\" on it.
5. Anything pitched in late night infomercials.

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Zyada
July 15, 2009 4:52 AM
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On scanning this list, I noticed that the authors need to learn a couple of lessons:

1. Just because it doesn't fit into your lifestyle doesn't make it worthless for everyone.

2. If you have an appliance in your house that doesn't work, get it fixed or throw it out. Don't leave it to take up space in the hope that some miraculous day it might fix itself.

3. If you don't get the results you were expecting, try learning a little more about what's going on before giving up.

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Levi Martin
July 15, 2009 5:40 AM
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I'm sorry but most of her reasons were flat out wrong. A rice cooker is a great investment, as well as a bread machine. And her logic for not buying a Home Theater is ridiculous at best. She says no because its another remote? Has she ever heard of Harmony remotes? HDTV speakers absolutely suck and a $199.99 sound system is pure crap as well. I've spent nearly $1k on a budget sound system, buying the receiver and speakers separately and it completely blows the crap out of any HDTV sound speakers.

lol what a terrible article

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Anonymous
July 15, 2009 6:02 AM
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Rice Cooker = perfect rice without all that scummy rice water that overflows on the stove.

without an iron, how would I ever heatset dye and paint on my art projects?

I have 2 Polaroid cameras - they make the best gel print art work.

I love love love my Kindle but could not survive without my more than 1000 art books.

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Ichiro51
July 15, 2009 6:10 AM
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This may be the worst post I've seen on Consumerist to date.

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FLConsumer
July 15, 2009 6:41 AM
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The vast majority of home theatre systems ARE a waste of money. For the same price you could get a quality 2-channel system that will give far better soundstaging than 5-7 different speakers and better sound.

For all of my professional mastering & remastering work I use a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 801D speakers. Most of my mastering is done in 5.1 or 7.1, but I've yet to come across a situation where the 2 B&Ws haven't faithfully reproduced the surround information. I have a pairs of B&W 803D and B&W 602DM speakers at home. No surround there either.

and Rice cookers rock!!! My Zojirushi rice cooker gets used a few times a week, definitely more than my oven.

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redkamel
July 15, 2009 7:01 AM
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This makes the Walletpop staff look like a bunch of lazy morons.

-4: Ab roller: An ab roller is actually sometimes useful if you work out, and you can do some really hard workouts with them. Of course, they are NOT neccesary. But they are also only 20 dollars and add some variety to ab workouts. The electrostim things, are not effective, and its pretty obvious unless you are a late night TV sucker (or lazy).
-5. The piggy bank: what is wrong with it again? oh, one slot for saving and children \"dont understand it\". I understood it, your kids must be stupid.
-8. Ice Cream maker and bread machine: Some people prefer to make their own food, not buy pre-made overpriced junk. I sadly do not own a bread machine yet, nor an ice cream maker.
-9. Home theater sound system: The main complaint is \"too many remotes\" and \"too complicated\". Wow. Sounds more like \"I am too dumb to set up a home theater or remember, let alone label if I have to, what my remotes are for\". I am sure a computer barely missed the list...it has a lot of buttons and wires too.
-10. Books: the kindle is inferior for many reasons. It is not cheaper than a real book, although it costs the publisher nothing to make an ebook. It needs energy. You can't write in it. You can't drop it. If you ruin it/spill on it, you are out 100s of dollars. I actually appreciate my books and would like to have them as individual works, not just data bits. I also have no need to carry a library with me, and I doubt many others do either. Space saver is a valid, but very rare reason to own a kindle. I used to live in a 250 sq foot studio, and I had room for a bookshelf. One more thing...kindle world? I have seen ONE, ever. I have heard two people mention it, EVER. I know not one person with an interest in e-books.
-12. Bargain DVDs: I would think most prefer to buying classic movies (Young Frankenstein) or cheeseball flicks for 5-10 bucks than paying 20 bucks for the latest piece of Hollywood trash that will be in the bargain bin in a few years anyways. Transformers, anyone?
-13.Consumer trade show swag/free thumb drives: most IS trash, but some is good. \"Worthless piece of junk\" is extreme, I like my squishy brain and free thumb drives. They save me the cost/time of CDs when I need to deliver large files, and give my friends a bonus.
-15.The tie rack: obviously, the writer does not have a job requiring him to wear a tie every day. Nor does he care about his ties anyways. In the real world, many men wear ties to work, or to look nice, and they like the ties to be unwrinkled, well kept, and accessible.
-17. The iron: I iron my own clothes. Why? well, its cheaper than paying 7 bucks to go to the dry cleaners, and I can do it whenever I want in minutes. An iron also only costs 20 dollars...the cost of 3 dry cleanings. Why pay 100s a year for dry cleaning? I also like my clothes not-wrinkly/pants, and some of them never ever go to the dry cleaners because its a t-shirt.
-18. Polaroid cameras: The author clearly has never used one, nor enjoys photography. NEXT.
-20. rice cooker: I own the rice cooker in that picture. It is the last thing I would give up in my (very nice) kitchen. My rice comes out PERFECT every time. I can make sushi rice. I can wake up with oatmeal ready to go. I can set it to have rice ready at 8, go out, then come back and start chicken at 7:45 and dinner is ready. And it doesn't use up space on my burner when making large meals.

Basically, the staff of Walletpop sounds like the people that bug the ever-loving shit out of me. Too lazy to iron their own clothes, don't care about their work appearance or diet, buy \"New Release\" DVDs, use lame expensive gadgets for no reason (kindle), and can't figure out the gadgets they DO own (sound system).

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Thraxamer
July 15, 2009 8:00 AM
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@EarlNowak

Or, gee... I can buy plain 'ol paper & ink used books for a fraction of the cover price. Or I could go to a library!

That's especially useful when the books I want and/or need are out of print or unavailable in ebook format.

Yeah, DRM is a deal-breaker for me. DRM keeps me from doing the things I wish to do with -my- purchased property (such as I listed). It's also only -one- of -my- reasons for not purchasing an ebook, not one of -your- reasons for avoiding that consumer choice.

Heck, if -you- want a Kindle, have at it. It's your money. Whatever floats your boat, man.

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spindle
July 15, 2009 8:02 AM
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VCR plus? seriously? Complaining about functionality on a product that is not widely sold anymore?

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impetus
July 15, 2009 8:25 AM
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Worthless Piece of Junk #21: a functional brain?

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catnapped
July 15, 2009 11:32 AM
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@impetus: No no no...brain of the person who wrote the article. Definite contender for #1

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alexanderpink
July 15, 2009 10:35 AM
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Stupid post, ton's of these things are useful. A home theater system is so much more enjoyable than the crapy TV speakers, and her argument against it is an extra remote? WTF. And my gf is Chinese, no way she would give up the Rice cooker, but I guess for many Americans it isn't worth it to own one. She should realize just because something is junk and useless TO HER doesn't mean it has no usefulness to anyone. Except the tie rack.

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meechybee
July 15, 2009 10:55 AM
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Well, a CHEAP rice cooker is instant garbage.

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Anonymous
July 15, 2009 10:56 AM
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This guy is clearly working at a job that doesn't require dress clothing. No iron shirts are great until you forget to take them out of the dryer instantly, or hang them a little to close together. And no matter what I've found that collars (in shirts with removable collar stays) always need a little bit of touching up to look decent. His hatred of the tie rack doesn't even make sense. Where exactly should one store their ties if not on a tie rack? He complains about them being slippery, maybe he should invest in a decent one instead of some garbage one purchased at a garage sale. Although I will grant him that most people probably don't need as many ties as they put on a tie rack, I wear the same 5 or 6 ties over and over even though I probably have over 30. But I'd still need a tie rack to store my 6 ties.

If he had to wear a shirt and tie every day he'd be singing a different tune. A good iron and tie rack can make the morning routine so much easier.

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Bruce Landwaster
July 15, 2009 11:04 AM
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List makers almost always should spend time away from the crack pipe before they write stuff.

Rice cookers are multitaskers. They cook rice better than most humans, use a folding steamer basket and they are a great steamer, they can heat sauce and then keep it warm, boil water... I use mine at least 10 times week; and not for rice most of the time.

And not everything is wash and wear. Iron your collars for crying out loud.

Ice Cream makers work just fine, shut up. Problem? Most ppl dont use them very often. Bread Machines? They make great bread, this guys failures with it are his problem.

Books? Seriously, shut up. Kindle is a DRM restricted device that isnt going to replace books anytime soon. Who the hell buys a book with the understanding the rights to use it might randomly disappear?

A quality shoe insert feels good standing or walking. WTF is this guy talking about? Maybe if he lost some wght he'd notice the difference.

To lump all kits together and then all people together... Seriously, the crack pipe, put it down.

No tie rack? Yeah, from the same idiot who thinks you dont need to iron your shirts once in a while. Grunge is over.

Home theater... seriously stfu.

This idiot can diaf.

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LightningUsagi
July 15, 2009 11:22 AM
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I disagree with several of those.


I love my rice cooker. My family eats a lot of Asian meals, so it is very useful when you already have several other pots on the stovetop. It gets used at least once a week, so it was well worth the investment.


Bargain DVDs. We don't have a huge DVD collection in my house because we normally only buy ones that we know we'll watch over and over. And if I get 3 viewings out of a $5 movie, that's a good deal.


Books. There's just something about being able to hold the book in my hands. I feel the same way about comic books. I download some here and there to try out series, but I'd much rather sit on the couch and be able to flip thru the pages.


Iron...kinda. My husband loves a certain type of shirt for work, and they wrinkle even if you take them out of the dryer right away. He used to spend quite a bit of time each week ironing all of them, but after months of prodding, I finally talked him into trying a steamer. It was almost as cheap as an iron, and cut the time in half. And for those mornings when you pull something out of the closet that has a hanger crease or has gotten wrinkled from being smooshed beween other items, an iron is so much quicker and efficient than having to toss it in the dryer.

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Matthew Berkhan
July 15, 2009 11:26 AM
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Why would you think that the kindle making books more convenient would \"save reading\"? I have never met any person, ever, who read or didn't based on the convenience of it. The ability to carry 200 books doesn't really matter if you don't actually like reading in the first place.

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edosan
July 15, 2009 2:07 PM
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@Matthew Berkhan: Agreed. The Kindle isn't going to make someone read that doesn't read now. Duh.

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JonThomasDesigns
July 15, 2009 11:39 AM
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9: Home Theater Sound Systems is a joke ..

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jgodsey
July 15, 2009 11:50 AM
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I think we can pretty much agree that this list was made by some twentysomething child. Ovbiously dvds from the dollar store and trade show swag are trash items. and the Ear candles and Ionic breeze are just quackery. But there was no thought no consideration put into making the list at all. a rice cooker is a godsend to help people eat better and not waste food by burning it. It can't be a waste of money if most people in Japan have one. it's as useful as a microwave or tea kettle. and the animosity towards books?

just another unhelpful trollish internet list designed to inspire debate.

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kabuk1
July 15, 2009 11:56 AM
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Rice cookers- I grew up around filipinos, and in any asian culture, rice cookers are a staple appliance. Rice is filling and nutricious, and can be cooked a million ways. Definitely NOT a waste of money.

Irons- they have other uses besides flattening clothes. I burn a lot of candles(its a goth thing, don't ask), and when one drips on the carpet, all I have to do is scrape up the excess, stick a paper towel on the rest, and iron it & it comes right out!

Thumb drives- these come in very handy. I recently had to reformat one of my computers, and did not have an external drive to backup to. But I did have a ton of little memory cards and old thumb drives lying around! I got several gigs of data backed up this way & was able to reformat.

Bargain DVDs- Jeez what a snob! Are they insinuating that we should all buy blu-ray dvds cause we're too good for $1.00 walmart dvds? Screw you, buddy. I once found a dvd of the original Nosferatu with a Type O Negative soundtrack at walmart for a buck!!!

Piggy banks- how are these a waste? God forbid we still deal with real money, right? Yeesh. I have a piggy bank & its full of emergency quarters.

BOOKS?! Books are a waste of money?! WTF. OK, sure, lets all go out & spend $400 on a Kindle, when we can just go to the damn LIBRARY FOR FREE. good grief! This person is crazy.

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Winteridge2
July 15, 2009 1:05 PM
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WAIT! Don't throw out your books yet.
Why do I not see the leaf blower on that list? Most useless tool ever.

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Anonymous
July 15, 2009 1:18 PM
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My wife loves our rice cooker, and I guess it does an okay job of cooking rice. But I consider it junk for another reason. In our household we split the kitchen chores -- if she cooks, I clean -- and vice-versa. In my opinion rice cookers -- and other gadgets like George Forman grills, pizza stones, etc. -- just make an extra special mess that has to be cleaned. They're cumbersome to handle, often hard to get clean, and take up large space in the drain board. Basic pots and pans are much easier to deal with.

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Mary Marsala with Fries
July 15, 2009 1:18 PM
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Yeah, not a good article...no real research here, and not very good justifications for their choices.

Every single person who knows the book industry is certain that electronic books will not replace paper books anytime soon. Every single person I know who likes to read backs this up (though I'm sure some don't, here and there). Their claim that books are \"junk\" is massively lacking support, which makes the authors come off as just stupid.

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littlemisslondon
July 15, 2009 1:25 PM
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Just another +1 to the fact that a rice cooker (which, incidentally, also steams vegetables, cooks soup, and does all sorts of other neat things) is essential for my house.

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bishophicks
July 15, 2009 1:36 PM
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In my opinion the measure of whether something is worthless is if it gets used and/or if you would miss it if it were suddenly gone.


That being said, I cannot agree with rice cooker being on the list. And by rice cooker I mean a REAL rice cooker, not a $20 \"rice cooker/steamer\" (those ARE worthless). Rice cookers have several benefits:


Saves stovetop space
Set it and forget it
You can store cooked rice in it
Always makes perfect rice. Always.


We also use ours to cook steel-cut oats for the BEST oatmeal: 1 part oats, 1 part light cream, 3 parts water, pinch of salt. Toast the oats in melted butter until nutty before adding to the cooker. Serve with sweetener of choice (br. sugar, maple syrup, etc). This is my 8 yr. old's favorite breakfast.


We have used our rice cooker multiple times per week for about 8 years. To us, it's the opposite of worthless.

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duffman13
July 15, 2009 1:40 PM
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I take issue with quite a bit of this list.


20: Rice Cookers - I can't cook rice well on a stove. Many other uses. Ever try making sushi with stove-cooked rice? Author is an idiot


19: Shoe Inserts - Try having a pronation issue that requires orthotics. I got a stress fracture from running and not wearing proper inserts


17: The Iron - I have a job that requires i look presentable. Use it at least twice a week. Sorry you don't know what a real job feels like?


15: The Tie Rack - Again the job and looking presentable thing. Where do I hang my 30+ ties without a rack?


12: Bargain DVDs - at under $5 it's cheaper than renting from blockbuster. what's so bad about that? Granted, good movies will almost always cost more than a rental, and unless you rewatch movies alot it's a waste.


10: Books in a Kindle World - unless you don't read enough to justify $400 up-front. Just saying.


9: Home Theater Sound Systems - The remote is a non-issue. I got the bottom-end harmony for $50 and it has replaced 4 remotes without any snags. Everything is 1-touch and now my wife can even use everything when she feels like it where before she was hopelessly lost at anything beyond just TV. And TV speakers sound just as good? Show me a TV pushing out 100 wattsx5 channels plus good low (25hz)frequency sound and then I'll say it's \"as good.\" Sound is half the experience and the main reason I really got blu-ray last spring.


3: Radar Detectors - I used to swear by mine, but most places use laser now. Detection these days means you're already caught.

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passionflower
July 15, 2009 1:45 PM
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I agree about the Kindle and DRM. Also: the entry on the Kindle claims owning one shrinks your carbon footprint. True, it's paperless, but what about all the materials--and toxic chemicals--involved in the manufacturing process? What happens to all those electronic devices that too quickly become obsolete? What about the energy required to run devices like the Kindle?

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James Richard
July 15, 2009 2:29 PM
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This article is !@#$ing obnoxious. Let me count the ways...

17. Irons - Are you kidding me? I'm a college student and I rarely use my iron, but when I need to iron a shirt and pants before an interview it saves me 2 hours plus an expensive trip to the dry cleaner! Definitely worth the $30 entry price for a decent iron. What are they smoking? I need some of that!

14. Giveaway Thumb Drives - I thought this was about stuff you could PURCHASE (buy)? Why should I not take a free 128mb or 256mb thumbdrive and throw it in my desk? Their perfect for giving a few documents to a friend, coworker, or classmate and you don't need to worry about getting it back! Why should I give my friend my 8GB SanDisk to move a couple of word documents? Geeze...

9. Home Theater Sound Systems - If your gonna go bitch-out over another remote shell out $99 and get yourself a harmony remote! You plug it into your computer and it asks you a series of questions about your equipment and how it is plugged in, my mom can program it! You then can control all of your equipment with one remote. Works great, I wouldn't have a home theater without one. I love my big speakers, its great.

7. VCRPlus Gizmos - This doesn't include a DVR does it? I thought DVRs and DVDs made VCRs obsolete?

3. Radar Detectors - I guess it depends on where you are in the country, but my Escort 8500 X50 has saved my butt from getting a ticket all around the northeast numerous times. I hate driving without it. Of course there are many cheap radar detectors which aren't worth the PCBs they are assembled out of. But a good detector like an Escort or a Valentine One is completely worth it. Read reviews before buying one.

I think this article should be titled \"Don't buy these things I think are useless pieces of junk\". This article is so narrow-minded.

-Jamie

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Baccus83
July 15, 2009 2:53 PM
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Any publication that starts calling corporeal books \"junk,\" loses all credibility to me. Some people enjoy actual books and hate the thought of reading on an electronic medium. Seriously, what a worthless piece of crap this article is.

Also, we use our ice-cream maker all the time. And who in their right mind doesn't have an iron and use it?

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WB
July 15, 2009 2:59 PM
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What a ridiculous list. Yeah some of them really are worthless, but come on, home theater sound systems are worthless because you can't figure out the remote? BULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLSHIT.

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dwasifar
July 15, 2009 3:10 PM
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In an open source world, where all books are available electronically and without DRM, perhaps printed books will be dinosaurs. But that day's not here yet and won't be for a long time. I wouldn't want to pare my reading list down to just what has been released for Kindles.

As for shoe inserts - I need more arch support than most shoes provide. If I don't have it, I wind up with tendon injuries. That used to mean custom orthotics until I discovered that Dr. Scholl's sport gel insoles happen to have the proper support. So every time I get a new pair of gym shoes, the thin foam insoles they come with go in the trash and a new pair of gel insoles go in. They're not worthless junk to me; they're essential.

Tie racks: If you have more than two or three ties, you need a tie rack. What else are you going to do with them? It doesn't have to be fancy.

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vladthepaler
July 15, 2009 3:14 PM
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Twenty years ago I was saving data onto 5 1/4\" floppies. Try reading them today.

I have books that were printed more than two hundred years ago. They still work.

Now, someone tell me why a Kindle is a good idea?

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Mike8813
July 15, 2009 11:40 PM
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@vladthepaler: While I'm not a big book guy myself, you raise a very good point. Kudos!

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pupu
July 15, 2009 3:17 PM
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Rice cookers make it easier to cook rice because they shut off at the proper time. You don't have to sit there watching the rice, just listen for the beep. The only crappy thing is that those non-stick bowl insert things won't survive the dish washer so they have to be hand washed. Still - worth the $15.


Home theater systems are worthless? The author must have never owned anything better than the bottom of the line $100 crap system.


Tie racks are also very useful. Ties are sort of easy to ruin, and a good silk tie can respond badly to ironing. Tie racks help keep them from getting folds in them.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
July 15, 2009 6:43 PM
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@pupu: depends on the model - my rice cooker insert is dishwasher safe. it's aluminum, not non stick though.

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rte148
July 15, 2009 3:35 PM
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Add this list to make it 21 worthless pieces of junk. This was about the dumbest thing I've read in a week - and that includes Malkin's blog.

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coolteamblt
July 15, 2009 4:00 PM
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I don't get the author of the article. She's afraid of a home theater system, but thinks the Kindle is made of awesome? I'm confused and a little frightened.

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Cybrczch
July 15, 2009 4:18 PM
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My take on the Top 20
20 - roommate uses his rice cooker weekly - its banged up and the outside is stained but he wouldn't give it up for anything
19 - don't use em, my posture is so bad I tear up shoe inserts
18 - had one, it was only good for 'art' pictures, ie. the ones you didn't want Kodak to develop. Replaced by digital
17 - have it, some of use still wear dress shirts on occasion and don't have access to a cheap dry cleaner
16 - disagree, inexpensive way to see if you actually have an interest in a hobby (rockets yes, calligraphy no)
15 - have one, goes with #17
14 - are you kidding? that's where I keep my portable passwords, always with me no matter what computer I'm on
13 - agree mostly, but when it became 'green' to buy and bring your own cloth bags for shopping, I pulled out a half dozen bags I received at various conferences, a lot stronger than the store bags, and a lot cheaper too.
12 - very selective on my DVD collection - no more than 50 titles - but sadly the only ones that get regular play are the \"Family Guy\" ones
11 - huh? can you speak up? I have candle wax in my ear
10 - add color, remove DRM and allow text to speech, then we'll talk
9 - roommate had to have one, but doesn't turn up the sound above 12 (0 to 100)
8 - got the bread maker - the first, and last, time I did the 5 am post-Thanksgiving sales, but yeah I like handmade better.
7 through 1 - never had or needed them. I had a *real* bank account when I was growing up.

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amuro98
July 15, 2009 4:22 PM
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This article was just full of fail.

A 20 page article, where the actual content on the page is maybe 4\"x2\" with the rest of the page full of ads and links to other stories? FAIL. Only 1 item per page? FAIL. Making my browser reload the first page before redirecting to the link I actually linked DOUBLE FAIL.

Claiming rice cookers are a waste of money when over 50% of the Earth's population EATS RICE ON A DAILY BASIS - Utter Fail.

Suggesting people spend $300 on an overpriced gadget that can display overpriced text files as a way to replace books - ECONOMIC FAIL.

Bargain DVDs? This one sort of confused me. Considering how expensive it is to go to the movies, I'd think staying at home and watching a DVD would be the preferable thing to do. OK, BUY the DVD? Maybe not - especially since you've got rental places, and many libraries now rent DVDs (for free even). Of course it's a bit hard to watch a DVD movie if you've gotten rid of your home theater system...

I guess the theme of the article is \"anything you buy, but don't use on a regular basis is a waste of money.\" Well, that's insightful. It's as if this website is being written by the love child of Mr. Knowitall and Ric Romero. What's next? \"Spending money means you have less money to spend\"?

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impudence
July 15, 2009 5:14 PM
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This is the worst post I have ever seen on consumerist. Nothing but uneducated rambling about products the author knows nothing about. Home Theater? Books? Really? Consumerist just lost a bit of credibility in my book.

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catastrophegirl chooses not to fly
July 15, 2009 7:44 PM
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@impudence: why did consumerist lose credibility with you? Laura said she didn't agree with all of them either, and was posting this to get the opinions of the consumerist readers.

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ktspaz
July 15, 2009 5:40 PM
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I have to disagree with the rice cooker one. As a korean family we have rice all the time and a rice cooker not only cooks rice but it also stores for later consumption. We could not live without one.

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philpem
July 15, 2009 5:41 PM
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No books?! Seriously?!

I do a lot of electronics design/assembly stuff as a hobby. There are tons of books (mostly published between 1970 and 1999) that just aren't available in any format a Kindle or Sony PRS-505 e-Reader can display.

As soon as the \"CRT Controller Handbook\" by Gerry Kane, \"Designing with Programmable Array Logic\" by \"the Technical Staff of Monolithic Memories, Inc.\", and \"The Art of Electronics\" by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill are available in PDF or BBEB format, then I'll reconsider. As long as they're hyperlinked and/or keyword-searchable and not DRM'ed to the hilt.

But for now, my bookshelf stays where it is.

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Rectilinear Propagation
July 15, 2009 7:06 PM
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@philpem: The writer must never read anything instructional.

What about cookbooks or books on car maintenance? Who in their right mind is putting a Kindle near a stove or taking it underneath the car with them?

Unless the Kindle becomes ridiculously cheap or destruction proof some books just need to be printed on paper.

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QrazyQat
July 15, 2009 5:41 PM
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The rice cooker is a terrific piece of equipment. Sure, if you don't cook rice more than once or twice a year you don't need one, but for anyone who likes rice at all it's a must have.


Makes me think the rest of the list is idiocy too, so why bother even looking.

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Anonymous
July 15, 2009 6:19 PM
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On the Home Theater System, looks like I did the wrong thing. I replaced my multiple remotes with a universal remote. Instead of spening $150 on the remote, I coulda just thrown away the Home Theater System. (I still woulda have more than one remote though, so maybe--just maybe--this article is a little off base.)

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illtron
July 15, 2009 6:27 PM
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What a dumb article. VCRPlus? What the hell? Nobody even makes standalone VCRS anymore. The only ones out there are in combo units.

Irons? Are you serious? What is wrong with the person who wrote this article?

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The_Red_Monkey
July 15, 2009 6:43 PM
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This article must have been written by an illiterate Cee U Next Tuesday.

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Pal
July 16, 2009 7:25 AM
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Saw the rice cooker at #20 and labeled this article as worthless. I use my cooker every week, freezing the rice to eat during the week.

They even claimed that modern HDTVs have terrific speakers already built in, when in fact speakers are getting smaller as the displays get thinner. They're clearly misinformed.

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Cupajo
July 16, 2009 1:57 PM
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The second i saw books on the list, the entire thing became suspect. And as far as ice cream makers go, store-bought is fine if all you want is that Breyer's shit. If you want -real- ingredients though, an ice-cream maker is key. Every summer, I whip up a mean honey and cinnamon ice cream that my friend's would probably fist-fight each other naked for.

Hmm...

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Mr.Gawn
July 16, 2009 5:47 PM
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RICE COOKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BS... BS I SAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if thats the case, then toasters should be on the list

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Mr.Gawn
July 16, 2009 5:52 PM
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and the home theater system.... i have 2...

1 for my PC, 1 for my TV...
i COULDNT live without one.. i went from having one, then didnt have one................. drove me mad so i bought another one...

i think no tv experience is complete without it

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Cafezinha
July 16, 2009 7:53 PM
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Books > Happy Meal Toys. I'm joining in the righteous anger of booklovers, shocked that they'd be classified together in that manner.

*stares back at overflowing bookshelf*

Not that I'm biased or anything...

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Cafezinha
July 16, 2009 7:55 PM
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@Cafezinha: And if we're going to talk about how rice cookers are redundant, you might as well throw toasters in that pile as well. Hell, many of the useful kitchen appliances we all love could be sorted in there--after all, you can do just about anything with your stove/oven and a pot.

I call shenanigans on you, pal!

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