On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 01:56:08 -0600, wrote:

There are quite a few irritating products on the market for home
repair and use. But there are seven inventors/ producers I want to
kill.

1. The idiot that started producing plastic snow shovels

When you are a little sweet old lady or a man who no longer has the
strength a lightweight plastic snow shovel is heaven sent. The cost
of replacing one frequently is cheap compared to a shovelling job not
done or getting a heart attack.

2. The idiot that decided that America needs metric nuts and bolts

To each his own. I prefer metric.

3. The idiot that invented the keyless drill chuck

Don't have one. I still have exscellent tools that predate keyless
chucks.

4. The idiot that started putting backstab terminals on outlets and
switches

I am with you here. Electrical contractors love them though as they
are very easy to install, neat and fast. No need to strip an extra
length of wire and leave exposed wire tails in the box. No time
wasted with wrapping a wire around a screw and tightening the screw.

5. The idiot that made the sealed auto battery

The average motorist does not want to look under the hood. Old style
batteries need topping up regularly. Loss of electrolyte from
evaporation reduces battery power and life. The sealed battery is a
big step forward in low maintenance.

6. The idiot that made oilless electric motor bearings.

Same thing. Low maintenance. Idiotproof. A properly sized motor (to
its load) should last just about forever.

7. The idiot that replaced the auto window crank with a motor

Don't own a car anymore. I still like manual gear shift and the
precomputer cars one can fix with bailing wire and duct tape.

If you know any of these idiots, please post their name and address !

There are a lot more people who pay good money for the things you
dislike. The majority wins.