Modern life is filled with a myriad of products; many of them are useful, but many of them are junk. Unfortunately we so often buy into the idea that life is better with these junk products and billions of dollars are spent every year acquiring them. This is a list of the ten worst products in modern times.
It is becoming more and more common these days for people to use throw away cups, plates, and cutlery instead of glass, china, and metal. Not only is this a ridiculous waste of money (for the sake of saving a few minutes of dish-washing time) it places a burden on our natural environment. I am not an environmentalist but even I can’t see any benefit to using disposable eating equipment. There is no reason that children shouldn’t use glass like everyone else – they did in the old days and it didn’t kill them. Do yourself a favor, save some money and buy a real dinner set.
The razor companies have it made – they have a virtual monopoly on the shaving market and people have become so reliant on them that they no longer know how to shave without a throw-away razor. These razors use cheap blades which go blunt quickly and can’t be re-used. Prior to these razors becoming so popular, men would use a straight razor which could be sharpened as needed on a razor strop. The initial price of the razor and strop needed to be paid once in most men’s lifetimes. You can still buy straight razors (or as they are affectionately known: cutthroat razors) and it is well worth the investment.
There are two main types of diet products – the first are strong medications that can be very dangerous, and the others are powders, herbal pills, and drinks. At the worst end of the scale we have drinks that solidify in the stomach so you feel full without eating (anorexia anyone?) and at the safer end of the scale are protein drinks used as meal substitutes. The fact is, all of these products are bad because they perpetuate the myth that you need to “diet” to lose weight. The only diet that truly works is moderation – eat less. It saves you money and makes you feel better.
When you get a cold or a flu, there is virtually nothing you can do except keep warm and eat well. Cough medicines are marketed to people who are suffering and want respite – but it doesn’t come in a bottle. Instead of buying incredibly expensive mixtures (which do little or nothing to help), mix together a little beaten egg white, honey, and vinegar and take it by the spoonful – it is cheap and just as effective at clearing phlegm. If you have flu ache, take tylenol (or paracetamol) and lie down for the afternoon. The flu will run its course naturally and you won’t be out of pocket.
Self help books don’t help. They are merely a marketing gimmick to get people to part with their hard earned money. When was the last time you met a person who had become a property tycoon after reading “Rich Dad Poor Dad”? When was the last time you saw someone beat depression after reading a self help book? This huge market now has books for virtually everything you could need, and ultimately the only person being helped is the author who is slowly getting rich. If you really feel that you need advice on life, try searching the internet for examples from real people who really found a way out of their problems.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals is a company that produces sleeping tablets for pre-pubescent and pubescent children. They used loopholes in the US marketing laws to advertise their products without mentioning the fact that they had not been fully tested on children and without listing any of the potential side effects. While that is bad enough, it is even worse that there are people who would consider buying these for their children. In most cases, a child who is not sleeping well can have their insomnia cured by more vigorous activity during the day. You don’t get side effects from turning off the television and computer.
It is no secret that I despise microwaves. They have played a large part in the removal of decent cooking from so many of our homes and have helped the chemical laden “ready meal” market to blossom. In some supermarkets it is nearly impossible to find raw ingredients for cooking as the pre-cooked, pre-made meals now take up so much room. In most cases, there is nothing you can do in a microwave that can’t be done better on a regular stove and oven – and in many cases it can take as little time! Furthermore, oven cooking won’t give you food that is soggy, limp, and colorless – a microwave will. Every time, guaranteed.
Infomercials have been pumping out a variety of ab building machines for the last ten years. The fact is, these machines are used once or twice and then end up in the garage or a cupboard never to be used again. The machines do nothing that the human body can’t already do, and if you are earnest about building up good abs, you would be far better off doing regular sit ups and getting a gym membership. It will probably cost the same price and won’t clutter up your home!
It was a true genius that came up with the idea of taking something healthy and coating it with loads of sugar to appeal to children. Unfortunately this concept has now become so popular that many children will refuse to eat any cereal that is not sugary. All around the world governments are whining about fat children and trying to find a solution by banning all manner of things and trying to promote healthy living – but no one seems to be concerned about the fact that the majority of children start their day with a huge sugar rush followed by a crash and carbohydrate cravings.
Bottled water is an utter waste of money and resources. To illustrate just how ridiculous a concept it is, I will demonstrate with Dasani Bottled Water. This product was created by Coca Cola and was marketed as superior bottled water. First of all, bottled water is a ridiculous concept in the western world where we all have easy access to tap water which is drinkable in most areas. Coca Cola wanted to be part of the ridiculous fad so they entered the bottled water market, but they simply filled their bottles with tap water! When the product was released in the UK it was a disaster. They used the slogan “bottled spunk” which may seem innocuous to the Americans who came up with the idea, but unfortunately in the UK “spunk” is a slang word for sperm. Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, scientific testing of the bottled water showed traces of bromate – a carcinogen. Coca Cola had to withdraw half a million bottles of the water and they pulled the product from the UK market.
Contributor: JFrater
Bottle water! I can vaguely understand bottling pristine natural ground water, but the tap water in a bottle from Dasani and others really kills me. What really pi**es me off about the fad, is the sinking impression I get that public (drinking) water fountains here in Montreal are on the decline since Coca-Cola started raping us silly by selling what used to be free and readily available in public spaces! Dasani costs more than gas (petrol) here in Montreal! Reminds me of when the American automobile industry conspired to kill the tramways so they could sell their buses.
Local governments should invest massively in public drinking fountains and put Dasani out of business. All public health studies in Canada have determined that the quality municipal tap water is greater than bottled and presents LESS of a health risk.
AAAArgh!
This seems like a very biased list. I mean I do agree with some of them but to say that they are the worst products is biased. They all do their job remarkable well and they are bought a lot. When I saw this list I assumed that it would contain products that we marketed that did not work or did not sell. Instead I found the opposite just a list of products you don’t like. Don’t get me wrong jfrater I love this site and I check it everyday when ever I get on my computer but a better title for this list would be products that people use that they usually don’t need to. This list does point out flaws in our consumerist ways but they are not the worst products ever. Also with the disposable razor blades if we didn’t have them what would women shave their legs with? A straight razor? That seems more difficult then shaving a face with one.
Nice list. People are a bit out of sorts today, it seems. I do agree with most everything.
Disposable Eating Implements – I use these for big parties. I try to stick with recyclable paper products, which makes me feel better.
Disposable Razors – I really have to use these. Being female I shutter at the thought of bringing a very sharp straight razor into the shower with me where the floor is soapy. I’m not the most coordinated person in the world and I’d hate to slip and find parts of me missing.
The rest of the things are really useless. My microwave sits unused for weeks at a time. I don’t think I’d miss it if it was gone.
Anyway, thanks for the list.
so basically..everyone one who disagrees with this list has been brainwashed by advertising companies.. nice!
the haterz are obviously not readers.
did you not see the ‘I’ pronoun used repeatedly? this is a biased list because it is J’s opinion…duh!
ya’ll really need to get a life. its a freaking entertainment website not the word of god!
okay…the word of Lord JFrater
but still..you know what i mean.
its supposed to be an entertaining and sometimes enlightening diversion from your day. not the answer to your prayers
and each and every hate filled commentor..i challenge you to submit a list of your own for consideration of publication. see if it will qualify. once it is published. then see how it feels to have your work so heartlessly critcized.
shame on all of you haterz!
Totally biased, worthless list.
To disposable plates: they have their place, at a big party you may not have 20 or 30 china plates, but a pack of disposables does the job. Plastic cups are a must-have for parties where alcohol will be served in quantity . Glass cups can become a hazard to public safety if they get dropped and no one wants to have to wash their cups between having different drinks.
Disposable razors don’t nick the way that even a safety razor does, I’ve never cut myself with one, ever.
Cough mixtures usually contain DXM: a drug that doesn’t work by coating your throat but by reducing the sensitivity of the cough reflex. Very useful especially if you have a cough to the point it’s making you nauseous.
Self help books aren’t a panacea, but they can give people new perspectives. Well-written ones introduce the same techniques that a trained psychologist might for dealing with interpersonal relationships.
Microwaves are a phenomenal cooking tool IF USED WELL. They allow you to cook without having to use oil or butter for greasing a pan, and you can reheat food more easily, encouraging the use of leftovers. Plus they more reliably get leftovers’ internal temperature up to a safe amount.
I don’t use those disposable plastic-handled razors, but I do use disposable razor blades. I shave my head twice a week, do you really want me to try that with a straight razor?
The worst is that Dasani Water is tap water from Mississauga, here in Ontario, Canada. I make sure everyone with a bottle of water in their hands knows that. What a rip off, taking our water from our taps and charging us for it.
JF,
You’ve really been cranking out a lot of list lately. Good job overall. I know this is just an opinion list so the fact I don’t agree with any of it doesn’t matter. I still enjoyed reading it.
Cyn,
Didn’t you make a resolution this year not to beat people up for their comments? Ok, maybe you didn’t after all.
http://listverse.com/about
http://listverse.com/submissions
scroll up to the navbar..if you do not know what a navbar is, you need to either Google it or have someone w/ computer and internet knowledge tutor you in how to read a website..
under about..you’ll find all you need to know about this website and JFrater.
under submissions..you’ll find all you need to know on how to submit your own list for consideration of publication.
i strongly recommend you read both w/ care. like each word. not just the parts you want to complain about…
130. MT -
i do not beat people in comments…only IRL and w/ their permission and a safe word.
‘sides somebody has to keep folks in line.
well I guess I agree with some of these, like children’s sleeping pills and stupid diet pills. However I disagree with other things. First off disposable dishes, most the time that they are used is usually at a party or some other event where just throwing them out is way easer. Plus who wants to sit there washing dirty dishes when they could be visiting with people they haven’t seen in forever. Disposable razer’s well lets put it this way you ever tried to shave your legs with a straight razor? Least if you slip in the tub with a disposable razor you wont slice something vital. With the cough medicine, its more easier at work to pull out a bottle of the stuff rather mix it yourself.I know people will probably say ‘well you should not be at work when you are sick’ well not everyone has the option to take a day off and customers really don’t want you hacking on them. Yeah some self health books are worthless like get rich schemes but other self help books actually do give you good advice. cereal, well if you ever look some of these ‘sugery no good brands’ actually have fewer calories then the other none surgery stuff. Microwaves are good because they can defrost stuff quickly or reheat left overs, even then they actually have decent meals out there that can be cooked in the microwave, I guess it is silly buying bottled water in some cases, but what if you do not have good tap water? or on a long tripe and get thirsty? isent bottled water better then bottled soft drinks? yeah in some ways these things are bad but there is also many other positive things to them too( except the diet pills and children’s sleeping pills), some people do not of the luxury and time in life to cook a good meal or make their on home remedies.
Well, about all i can say for this is that it’s a good “my view” list. Although personally I agree with a few things on the list. For instance bottled water, my son buys it, I don’t understand why since it comes free from the tap, but he prefers the taste. But I could not live without my microwave, and it has nothing to do with laziness or advertising. It is essential do to the fact that everyone in the household works, so when i make a big supper, it is very handy for everyone to be able to just heat up a plate when they get home, also when it takes minutes to defrost meat instead of hours on the counter or in the fridge. But i would think that everything on this list has value to some people except for the diet pills, cough medicines and sleeping pills for children..wtf. Anyway, I say if we want to reduce garbage going to the landfill, companies have to quit overpackaging products.
Personally, Jamie, I have no problem with you sounding off — but who would’ve thought you could generate such a controversy storm by writing about consumer products? It was an opinionated list — but EVERY list IS opinionated, because the criteria you use to create a list are opinions. Duh! Nothing wrong with that. The microwave is a useful tool, but I don’t think anyone any longer really uses it to attempt real cooking — which plenty of us still do. Disposable razors, yes, bad idea, though I’ll bet you’ll find few women in the world who’ve ever tried to shave their legs with a straight razor. Bottled water has been a hoax from the start, and I think by now most people are aware that it’s a scam; on the other hand, in our area the water purification (source: Lake Erie) has now been privatized, and frankly I have little faith in a service like that being handled by a government-chosen bottom bidder. But I don’t use bottled water, and my spouse has stopped buying it as well; we use a Brita filter.
Sleep aids for kids? Those pander to overworked parents who don’t have the energy to keep telling their kids to go back to bed and stay there, or they’ll get (GASP — dare I even suggest) a spanking. Plastic eating ware? Possibly the most onerous items on the list? Sugary cereals? Yup, also bad. Most of this stuff is on the market from American producers, because in America’s business sector: A) The customer is always right; B) Give the public what it wants; C) There’s a sucker born every minute. These great mottos are the cornerstones of consumer culture, along with: D) Greed is good. Someday the world will wake up and turn its back on this garbage we crank out, and learn how to effectively recycle the remaining inventory, and then my country will have to learn how to do something other than chase the fast buck. But for now, those big-box stores are still there, packed to the ceiling with this garbage, sold to people who don’t have the time and money to demand better, and are too overworked for anything but cheap laborsaving gimcracks.
And by the way, Cyn @ 131: good on you.
47. Morono – January 10th, 2009 at 6:17 am
Well it depends on where you live, of course if you live near a mineral water spring you will have better quality in the water from your tap, but thats if you are lucky to live near one.
But I don’t think people will buy the same exactly brand of water that comes from their pipes, just because its in a bottle. In portugal there is a town called Luso and in that town there is one of the best mineral water springs in the country, people there don’t buy the LUSO bottled water that is available all over the country, they just use their tap.
Now for the rest of the country you get bad tap water that tastes bad, so everyone buys bottled water which is healthier.
I don’t understand why you say thats wrong, when Mineral Water is like Wine, no bottle of a diferent brand is the same.
What i understand is that people in the US drink BOTTLED TAP WATER which is dumb and doesnt make any sense. Some people even say that bottled water isnt regulated. I mean, have you looked at the label? They make regular *****ysis during the year.
I don’t care what environmentalists say. Tap water tastes HORRIBLE, no matter how much filtering or boiling I try to do at home.
I waste NOTHING by filling jugs of clean, bottled water to use on the water cooler in my home.
135. MartinL -
I was a little disappointed to see that all of the products were modern. With “Worst Products Ever” I was expecting to see some of the older things people used to market, like X-ray shoe fitting machines and radioactive water.
On the other hand a lot of these are wasteful and silly products. As much as I like Lucky Charms, there’s no way that’s nutritional. It should be served as a candy treat, not a whole meal.
Bottled water I don’t mind, mostly because all of the bottled water I get is free from road races I do. I reuse the bottles by filling them with tap and take them to work and such. As for razors, I’m a woman, and I would feel a little uneasy about using a straight razor to shave all the places I need to. Some of those are kind of close to major arteries…
Good list nonetheless.
Oh thank you for making bottle water #1. This above any other product *****es me off. I see the above poster from Mississauga and agree. Recently here in Ontario and mass testing of all municipal water supplies was conducted and Hamilton ON got the best rating of cities in the province.
Yet people are still paying for water driven down the highway from Mississauga and Toronto.
I actually wondered if I could make money by bottling water from Walkerton and selling it on the internet. I’d advertise, “Walkerton Springs water, from the famous wells of Walkerton Ontario.” To other Canadians this will be funny.
Very nice list. I agree with most of it but at the same time I can disagree with some of it.
1. Bottled water is stupid. If you are so concerned about it, buy a brita filter system and a water bottle. You can save soooo much money that way compaired to buying bottled water and you can have your clean water.
2. Sugar cereal was a horrible idea and the companies are starting to realize it. They are trying to take most of the sugar out of the cereal and make it whole grained. Unfortunately you don’t know how they are producing the sweet taste replacements.
3. Ab machines! Friggin lazy wast of money and space. Like you mentioned there are other ways about working out that will help with more than just your abs. Get the whole body experience for crimminy sakes. Having a six pack is not that impressive if your arms are flapping in the wind and you theighs look like they could substitute the ham on the thanksgiving table.
4. Microwaves are evil but useful sometimes. I try to do everything on the stove but sometimes I need a little assistance from the mic.
5. Sleeping pills for kids is purely lazy. It just gives parents an incentive to not deal with the way children are. This makes parents of children with real problems look bad. There are children who have a problem producing melitonin (sp-the natural hormone in the body that induces sleep). These children can carry out the most active days that would exhaust anyone and they still can not fall asleep easily nor stay asleep for a healthy length of time. This is something that continues into adult hood.
6. Self-help books started off being very useful as they demonstrated things that people really needed help with, then they saw how much money they could make off them and started coming out with the worst crap you could possibly think of without any thought put into it.
7. Cough mixtures are nice but the effect doesn’t last long enough to be worth while. A non caffinated hot tea is so much better and healthier.
8. Diet products are a waste. They don’t do anything except make the person feel like they are doing something to help them loose weight. It also fuels the people who think they weight too much when they are at a healthy weight.
9. Disposable razors. Does this include the ones you have to replace the blades on or is it just the cheapy plastic sticks? Yes for a man it is safer and better to use a cut-throat but for us ladies, we can’t exactly use those for out legs and under arms without mutilations.
10. Disposable plates. Don’t use them unless you are planning a huge party. And then use the plastic ones that can be washed and stored away for the next party.
hmmm, when I microwave popcorn, they don´t come out soggy. You must be doing something wrong with your microwave oven.
Wow I feel like such a glutton after reading this list. I do agree with some of these however especially the ab machine. The picture (# 3) looks just like the one I saw when I was putting away my Christmas decorations in the attic.
I think the worst product ever should be obvious to everybody and that’s cigarettes. Clargnblost mentioned this also (# 49) By the way Clargnblost, I also mentioned Jarts like you did in the What is the worst human invention? list as kind of a joke.
My apologies if I’ve repeated something a previous poster has already said, but here are some of my thoughts:
10. I don’t really enjoy plastic dishware…even as a very small child I would refuse to eat on plastic…BUT…there are many times these are very useful, especially when you are someone like me who travels for a living. Not every hotel or studio suite is stocked with dishware or cleaning liquid and sponges. I’ve begun relying on plastic-ware when I travel so that I don’t waste dish-soap like I have unfortunately had to in the past. It is far more cost effective and less wasteful to use disposable dishware than buy even a small bottle of soap which you invariably cannot use up in just a few weeks!
9. Not for nothing, but who has TIME to shave (or learn to) with a straight razor?! And what about those of us that travel? That’s all anyone needs is to be detained at an airport even longer because you’re carrying a knife in your luggage.
7. For the most part, I agree with this. Most of those products are bull*****. My father, who is a physician, almost never allowed us to take any of those things. But like a previous poster mentioned about the suggested remedy, I would not advise consuming raw egg whites.
4. Sorry, but it’s a necessity at this point. I agree that people shouldn’t rely on them to do all their cooking…but to steam veggies, bake potatoes, popcorn, reheat food, melt butter and chocolate, even make canned soup (because let’s face it, who wants to stand over the stove when you are sick!)…there are many benefits to having a microwave. Sadly, there are MANY apartments in Italy that don’t even have real ovens and friends of mine have had to resort to using only microwaves as a replacement.
2. Sorry, but generic cereal is simply nasty. I also enjoy many of the healthy cereals, but I was a cereal fiend as a child and adored so many of the sugary types as well. In fact, I could NOT consume Rice Crispy’s, or Crispix, or plain Cheerios without actually dumping spoonfuls of sugar over them…and then I would scrape up the sugar and milk suspension at the bottom…it was SOOO good!
1. So very sorry…and even though I’m from NYC which has the BEST tap water in the world…bottled water is a GREAT thing to have available. When you are on a road trip, going to the gym, traveling on foot through a city or hiking or whatever else you might be doing. I have a preference for Aquafina and Poland Spring…I have NEVER liked Dasani which I think tastes like crap. However, when I travel in Europe, for example, it’s very much helpful to purchase bottles of water. In some places, local friends of mine won’t even use their tap water to boil pasta! And mineral water is VERY healthy to consume! So, as far as I’m concerned, don’t mess with my bottled water!
“Those pander to overworked parents who don’t have the energy to keep telling their kids to go back to bed and stay there, or they’ll get (GASP — dare I even suggest) a spanking.” -MartinL
Haha, be careful now, big brother’s watching. You might just get hit with a case of child abuse now lol
Jesus Christ, what a smug list. Whats wrong with bottled water? It’s more convenient and cheaper than having drinking fountains everywhere. Microwaves? Give me a break with this ‘proper meals’ crap. What a conservative, self-satisfied attitude you have.
I like most of your lists, I just hate these.
I was quite looking forward to reading this list when I saw the title. Now I feel cheated. This list sucks.
frater, ut looks like you are due to be vilified about once a week in this new year. Tough break, man. I, for one, am diurnally grateful for the thought and energy that makes listverse work for so many of us. But I juess you have to pay the price for having an opinion and the knowledge of how to disperse it.
OK, I didn’t agree with everything, either, but when have I ever?
Water people: you can cure overchlorination easily by letting a jug or pitcher of tap water sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Sunlight is not necessary.(Folks who keep tropical fish don’t want to use chemicals to de-chlorinate their tank water if they can avoid it…this is how they do that.)A comtainer that offers the most surface area of water/air interface works best, better that say, an old milk jug.
Is there no woman out there to testify about dipilitories? Or have I been mislead by the dreaded ADVERTISERS?1
Nice work JFrater, although you must have known that you would spark off a comment epidemic! Personally I don’t agree with most of these, but I agree with Cyn in addressing the really critical commenters: if you don’t like it, try making your own list, List Universe accepts submissions. It’s much easier to criticize the quarterback than to strap on the pads and go play football. Great list Jamie.
The only one of these that i use refularly is a microwave, especially at work, where a half-hour isnt long enough to cook and eat a hot meal, imho. and wtf?….sleeping pills for kids?…whats next?….bed belts to strap in the ones that dont want to sleep?..sheesh
I agrre with most of the items on this list (particularly the sleeping pills for children), but I have to defend the microwave.
This is because my family has almost forbidden me to use the cooker, as the two times I have tried to use it I managed to set the meal I was cooking alight (I don’t know how I burnt the pasta water, BUT I DID!!)
Therefore anything I need reheating/cooking has to be done in the microwave – as even I can’t screw up!
I couldn’t agree more with this list!! Also, I bought a bit of cast-iron cookware a couple months ago. While it took a couple of weeks to get it properly ‘broken in’, the results are amazing! Everything tastes better after being cooked in it, and it’s healthier since there’re no trace amounts of things like teflon in it. Plus, it heats quicker and more evenly than aluminum pans with teflon. It also adds small amounts of iron to your food. My girlfriend has had much reduced symptoms of anemia each month since we started using it. She even threw out the old cookware after about a month – and she usually hates all of my healthier living ideas.
I personally recommend to everyone to own at least a skillet to cook with. You just need to break it in properly. Oh, did I mention that once it’s broken in properly, nothing sticks to it, as long as you cook properly – no high heat. I clean mine every night with a sponge dampened with nothing but hot water, no soaps, then rinse with hot water, warm it up to dry it, and oil it down again. This means it’s also good for the environment, especially since you really only need to buy one set for your entire life.
I say throw another “Prepared meal” into the “Microwave”. Open another “Bottled water”. Get a “Disposable Eating Implement” for my Sugared Cereal. Shave using as many “Disposable Razors” as possible. Take many “Diet Products” washed down with some “Cough Mixtures” and take some “Children Sleeping Pills” While reading a “Self Help Book” on a “Ab Machines”.
If for no other reason just to ***** off this JFrater guy as much as possible.
I agree with everything on this list being among the worst inventions ever!
My kids got sugar-coated cereal once a year, under the tree at christmas, and could have it for dessert only. In fact, if sugar was anywhere on the ingredients list, they could not add any. As for micro-waves…we were given one at some point, and i put it in the laundry room. It was used to defrost the occasional bit that i’d forgotten to take out of the freezer, or sometimes my kids would cook up a yam for an after school snack if I was late getting in…safer than them using the stove unsupervised. I’ve never purchased one, and left that one behind when I moved out.
a bonus note might be pre-cooked, pre-packaged, chemical and salt laden ‘meals’.
And, if I were a guy, I would be ashamed to use a disposable razor. Safety razors are still available, offer a closer shave, blades that are pennies a piece and longer lasting, and the opportunity to start each day with a much classier ritual than scraping a dull quartet of throw-away blades over your face. Check this link for the caddilac experience http://www.merkur-razor.co.uk/
well this list has caused quite a stir! as a list made based on the creator’s own perspective it is going to be opinion based, so people should not be so quick to jump all over him, but on the opposite side of the coin jfrater sounded he was talking down to the people who do/might use such things which is not opinion but being rude.
now cyn has already posted a comment stating people should take it easy, and relax, which is good advice (although he also sounded a bit arrogant, as already stated people can have opinions when its done in a reasonable intelligent manner), and also posted a how to find the spot to submit lists which is a good thing to, if you can do better prove it!
all that aside i read the list, agreed with some disagreed with others and i think i will take up the challenage to make a list as well, might be fun to make the internet people get mad at me!
Can’t agree about the straight razors, try shaving your legs or under the arms with one.
I would add SSRIs to the list. Last year an article was published on PLOS showing SSRIs worked no better than placebos. The drug companies with held this information. It’s really no small wonder that there have been several studies showing that people recieving psychotherapy did as well as, or better than, people taking SSRIs alone.
150. Darren: …whats next?….bed belts to strap in the ones that dont want to sleep?..sheesh
****
Hey Darren, they exist. When my children were very young, 3, 2 & 1, a woman down the block from us had a little boy a few months older than my oldest child. When it was bedtime, she strapped him into bed. Every night. Every naptime. It was a little medieval torture device; it came up around the mattress and circled his waist, there were wrist bands and ankle bands. That kid was *NOT* getting out of bed.
If he cried, or called out, he got a whipping (not a spanking, a whipping).
When they had a second child (why, in heavens name?!), they put up a huge banner on the house “It’s a Girl, DAMMIT!”
Gee, they were a fun couple.
155. cory
“..he also sounded a bit arrogant..”
Cyn is a she. and i’m an admin, so the word ‘arrogant’ is not applicable.
and really folks, you should familiarize yourself w/ a list and its comments before beating the ‘women and straight razors’ crap to death.
course if you’d familiarize yourself w/ the website in general..then you’d not make such lame errors as not knowing who ‘Cyn’ is… *where is the rolls eyes smilie when you need it*
the site’s been around a while. lotta history. lotta personalities involved. check out the site bit more thoroughly..might learn something. find more interesting stuff to read. oooh..even vids. and oodles of wonderful stuff to buy!
Wow, so many ignorant, lazy people read this site. I not only fully agree with every single thing on this list (in fact, as a civil engineer I know that tap water in western countries is ALWAYS safer than bottled water and as for the taste I know a ton of people who switched to tap water who hated the taste and within a week they had gotten used to it and didn’t notice it anymore).
I actually want to add one thing that gets on my nerves all the time. Leaf and snow blowers. So you don’t have the time to rake or shovel or are too old to do that, but seriously, are there no kids in your neighbourhood? Do you have some of your own that sit on their asses everyday playing video games? And adding to that, do you really need the huge driveway and/or lawn at your house? hint: a local park is just as good as a huge lawn and going there gets you out in the community and you never have to worry about clearing the leaves.
I have been reading this site for a couple months now, and this is my first comment.
It is kinda slanted and is a bit ranting, but truth be told, there is a problem with our disposable society. There is a mass of plastic bigger than texas in the pacific ocean, and it gets bigger every year.
Fish eat get, plastic in their flesh and we eat it.
Plastic breaks up in the ocean and washes up on shores not only looking like muti-colored nasty flakes, but killing plenty of animals in the process.
There has to be a better way.
Dan – The dosage available otc of DM or DXM if you prefer is inadequate for the task at hand. My doctor told me years ago and recently the Canadian Medical Association has come out and said they are ineffective. As I said before, there are narcotics available that do depress the cough centers in the brain but they are not for self medication. Decongestants can be helpful, and are available, for a cough triggered by post nasal drip.
Mom424 (120): you can still get those razors – they are more expensive and unfortunately the razor manufacturers now charge almost the same price for the replacement blades as they do for their latest multi-blade disposables.
if cinnamon toast crunch is ever banned, i will stop believing in breakfast.
For all the raw egg haters, you might want to remember that next time you have chocolate mousse – which is made with melted chocolate and raw beaten egg whites. Restaurants serve raw eggs all the time. If you get a steak tartare they put a raw egg on top. If your eggs are sourced from a clean environment, there is no risk of getting ill, and furthermore, most people who are healthy would not suffer too much if they did get a bad egg.
I have to strongly agree with Cyn here. I love coming here to read everyones opinions, but it gets annoying when the same thing is repeated over and over and over and over…ya. Why is it so hard to READ THE OTHER COMMENTS before going off on a tantrum that has already been posted 5+ times??? It gets sorta boring. Just say you agree with someone and go with that. I really HATE reiteration. -_-
Some things on this list I agree and some not.
10.Disposable Eating Implements – I reuse the thicker plastic spoons/forks/sporks/knives I get at food places. I use paper plates sometimes. It’s okay sometimes.
9.Disposable Razors – A safety razor might work to shave my legs, but not a straight razor! I’m loving my Venus anyway. I don’t cut myself nearly as often.
8.Diet Products – Agree; huge scam.
7.Cough Mixtures – No way, man. When I have a cold, I reach for the Nyquil. 10% alcohol; knocks me right out!
6.Self Help Books – Depends on the book. Some are ok. Some, not so much. You have to take what works for you.
5.Sleeping Pills for Children – WTF!!!! Agree!
4.Microwave Ovens. Dude! I live alone and cooking for myself is a PAIN. I love my microwave. It will also cook a half spaghetti squash MUCH faster than the oven.
3.Ab Machines – Agree; I don’t see it.
2.Sugared Cereals – Agree, but yum!
1.Bottled Water – TOTALLY AGREE!!!
Check out Amazon for a whole selection of Safety Razors – surprisingly they have a ton. Other places ae Lee’s Safety Razors or Classic Shaving
what about chewing gum, that isnt entirely necessary either, and can be messy to clean up if it isnt disposed of properly.
Very petty list. I’m not overweight, but if diet shakes work for someone, who are you to say they’re a waste of money? “Eat less”…yeah, easier said than done.
And microwaves…sheesh. Some people don’t have time to boil water for their oatmeal every morning. There’s definitely a place for them.
My grandmother used to give me honey, lemon and whiskey for coughs and sore throats. Just a little whiskey, of course. Much preferable to egg whites. Of course, I am now an alcoholic
Well, Bottled watter isn’t stupid if you live in Mexico or other countries.
there in the US tap watter is 100% drinkable, but here is not since the water system is completelly polluted.
Drinking tap water would be as dangerous as licking the streets; that’s why those who can buy bottled watter and those who don’t have to boil the watter before they can drink it.
Ironically, in some places, it is more easy to buy a bottle of coke than a bottle of water
jfrater (164), I bet they use pasteurized eggs to make mousse and to make mousse you have to combine the eggs with a slightly hot mixture. I would rather get cough mixtures than actually spending more on pasteurized eggs and such.
Also: Coca Cola company distributes a lot of bottled watter products here in mexico, some of them:
-Ciel
-Agua delos angeles
-Agua arcoiris
-Agua Victoria
Apart from the microwave and the bottled water, I completely agree with all of them – and there’re reasons for this.
The microwave’s essential when you take your previously cooked meal to work and want to eat it nice and warm.
Also, it saves some water and soap to wash a metallic container you would have to use to heat up liquids – one example is a mug of delicious warm milk.
It certainly doesn’t make it ok to cook in a microwave, because almost every kind of food really DOES taste like crap if you cook it that way.
EVERYONE who says it’s not right to criticize pre-cooked food should get slapped in the back of the head – very harshly. If you can’t make some soup with fresh vegetables, if you rely on pre-cooked rice or buy pre-made salad, you’re missing one of the greater pleasures in life. All the crap mixed in pre-prepared food to make it last on those supermarket shelves takes away most of the flavour or alters it tremendously. Plus, you’ll always have to eat food prepared by someone or something that won’t have your personal tastes in mind.
The water, well, unless it’s actually mineral water, there is no excuse, except if you’re going somewhere where water isn’t safe to drink.
In my mother’s home district tap water is so tasty you could bottle it and sell it. And they do exactly that. There’s a brand of bottled water in our market which is taken from natural springs over there, as is tap water for the surrounding areas. So people drink, bathe and cook with this same water. Its influence is such that even local food (fresh produce and meat especially) tastes better – so much so that often you don’t even have to season it too much because it tastes so great.
The pipes in different areas of the world, or even within a city, make tap water taste different. An example is the water going through traditional terracotta pipes – which are being replaced quickly- always tasted much better than water circulating inside plastic pipes. So it’s not all the same.
On a personal note, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop mentioning Evian as quality mineral water – it is by far the most disgusting water I’ve ever tasted, and that includes tap water from areas rich in limestone (which make the taste similar to something a large, sweaty rat has been swimming in). It’s crap and it should be banned for eternity. Or until I get stuck in a scorching desert somewhere and have no choice but to drink it.
Also – and many people don’t know this – you must NEVER re-use a plastic bottle after it’s been used once.
Plastics release harmful substances linked to various forms of cancer that contaminate the liquids stored inside.
A WARNIG to parents with small children: buy glass milk bottles, never plastic ones. The harmful substances’ effects are multiplied when the bottles are heated to sterilize them. And whenever possible, prefer the mother’s breast – it has obvious multiple advantages.
BTW, water bottles are so convenient when you are “out” and thirsty. Why drink soda if you want water? I wouldnt trust drinking from a public restroom. oh and theres no water fountains everywhere.
As a full-time, off-campus college student with a part-time job, I can tell you that microwaves are NECESSARY! It’s simply the pace of our world today. I need to make and re-heat things quickly. Screw ovens.
But I will wholeheartedly agree with sugary cereal. I HATE sugary cereals, but cereal is my favorite food. Unfortunately, it is very hard to find any cereal that is not loaded with sugar. Even “healthy” cereals like granola are always slathered with sugar.
And a few years ago, my favorite cereal in the history of the world was made “New and Improved”. Translation: tons of sugar added. I couldn’t even stomach it.
“The razor companies have it made – they have a virtual monopoly on the shaving market”
Wow thanks captain obvious.
You forgot to add video games and fast food restaurants.
Sleeping pills for children?!? Wow. If kids got more exercise and sat in front of the TV/computer less, they would have no trouble sleeping.
Agree with pretty much everything on this list. I do own a microwave, but I don’t use it for cooking. It is good for making popcorn, reheating leftovers, and defrosting meat quickly (although unevenly).
If you *must* use disposable plates (for a party or function), at least use paper ones. They will eventually biodegrade.
I don’t use cough mixtures at all. Lozenges are good for sore throats, and if I am in really bad shape I might use a nasal spray. The effects are short-term, but give relief. Ultimately, though, nothing really helps except for bed-rest and an *****gesic.
I don’t know about straight-edge razors, but whatever happened to safety razors with disposable blades? My dad used one of those, and there used to be blade-dispensing machines in men’s washrooms (before condom machines!).
Wow. Didn’t think I’d see so much flak on an opinion list. Personally, I agree with much of this list. JFrater? You’re my hero.