No Square Root Button

The Windows calculator has one glaring flaw (and many other minor ones). Even in 'scientific mode' it has no square root button. Sure, sure, you say, you can just take the number to the 1/2-power, that is, to the power of .5, but the square root operand is so common the calculator should have one. It's a real irritant for square root to not have its very own button.

Tangent: meanwhile, I discovered that shift-Insert inserts the value of pi into the calculator. Pretty neat accidental find.

Tripping On My Vacuum

How run of the mill vacuums have failed me:

1. Most vacuums suck!...err not very well.


2. Accessories are mounted loosely on the unit and inevitably fall off during use.


3. There are three nozzle attachments, two of which are there to make you think they are useful, one of which is actually useful.


4. Using the hose will likely yank the vacuum enough to fall over once or twice during use.


5. Opening the vacuum bag cover panels are almost as much of a pain in the ass as putting them back on.

Fail Box Cutters

Jiggly, janky, just-about-cut-myself mount quality is how the blades are attached to the cheap plastic. The plastic doesn't hold the blade firm enough at times. Ever set the blade length to an inch only to see 5 inches slide out on your first cutting attempt? Or have you ever broken the locking mechanism forcing you to hold what's left of the plastic mount with your thumb? BOXTACULAR!

If I squeezed hard enough I think I could crush the plastic with my hand.

Quartet magnetic kitchen dry erase board

My wife bought this dry erase board made by Quartet to be able to write quick messages or lists in the kitchen. Zillions of people have these, but here's what is problematic:

Pulling the marker from its holder takes about the same amount of torque to pull the board off of the refrigerator, because the board's magnets are so flimsy. Every time it falls (4 out of 5 times I've used it), it is aggravating and wastes time (why make it?). Also, the brand label was adhered to the board itself with adhesive that is very difficult to clean off, so upon first use, the residual adhesive made some of the black ink stick to it, leaving ungainly spots.

Social Security Disability Benefits

Seriously, why bother. Someone I know is currently applying for early social security benefits due to injury, a requirement by this person's long-term disability insurer. It's a frustrating situation, because the insurer will ultimately reduce benefits dollar for dollar based on how much this person receives from the SSA. They are using government benefits to offset their responsibility, forcing her to apply for benefits she would rather not (she's not the type to want government assistance on principle).

Meanwhile, the SSA is requesting a work history. WHAT?! The Social Security Administration, administrator of benefits ostensibly paid for by employment taxes, has no idea what a person's work history is? Seriously. Government programs are wasteful and stupid, and this is a behemoth example.

Congress, please repeal it. Please satisfy your obligations to the current elderly generation and others and then gut the program. You won't, though, because you're too interested in accruing power via taxation, and the entitlement programs give you too much power. Meanwhile, they also provide a basis (by contract that specifies the requirement for the beneficiary to rely on the government as a primary form of benefit income) for a private insurer to not pay on what would be its full obligations.