Just how lazy can we get?

[James "Cubby" Culbertson]

Hiya Folks, So I'm in line at the local Borg (the blue one) picking up some tubing when I notice a kid playing with ata a Black and Decker display. I figured it was a sander or something and didn't really pay much attention. Low and behold, the kid moves and I realize it's a Power Tape Measure. No shit, press the button and it pushes the tape out for you. Press another, and it retracts. And for only $24.95 you too can save yourself around 2 calories of effort avoiding the use of a "manual" tape measure..... I couldn't believe it to be honest. It's no wonder this country is so obese!!!! Cheers, cc

[Upscale]

The TV ad, (up here in Canada at least) has been going around for six months or so. As far as I'm concerned, the tape measure is for newbie woodworkers without the experience to realize that it's just a gimmick to take their money.

As far as being obese goes, I fall into that category but for a perfectly valid reason. I like my beer. If I could buy a device for $24.95 that fetched me a beer at the push of a button, I'd probably buy it. If I'm gonna be fat, it's going to be accomplished the proper way. :)

[Prometheus]

It's even worse than that.... I noticed that the local grocery store now sells pre-made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the crusts cut off. I mean really, how much effort does it take to make a sandwich of any type, much less one that just involves scooping some goop out of a jar and spreading it on bread?

[George]

Or maybe it's for those times when you don't have a hookable object or a person to hold the other end, and instead can push it out against what you're measuring?

I know that doesn't fit the theory, but it certainly would come in handy sometimes.

I use a folding rule, so I already have that capability.

[Leon]

I guess you have not seen the sonar measuring devices yet. Promotes laziness AND inaccurate measurements.

[stoutman]

I am even lazier than that. I don't even measure stuff. I just eye-ball it! Who needs a tape measure? :)

(The tongue sits firmly in the cheek area)

[loutent]

I'm partial to the frozen toast....you know, you just pop it in the toaster and voila!

Lou

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You cut stuff? I just buy pre-cut lumber. You do get some odd configurations on furniture, but it save a lot of labor. Everything in my house is 4' or 6' or 8'.

[Morris Dovey]

These days, many of my shop made tools and accessories are built that way! See

(interesting that no one has noticed :-)

-- Morris

[Gerald Ross]

I missed the OP but it seems to me that if you had to get along with only one working arm, a self-extending tape measure would be very nice. I'm not sure how many woodworkers out there who are impaired that way, but my shop teacher in high school had only one good arm. He did have a little withered hand on the other side which could pull out a tape.

[CW]

[James "Cubby" Culbertson]

[D. J. MCBRIDE]

Ah-HA! A woman using it! How many female types do we all know that will pay any amount for the smallest return in convenience? Form over function. Now we know the target market.

[Robatoy]

A customer of mine has one...the damned thing is too slow to be useful...what a PITA...

[Mark & Juanita]

Saw the ad for it on HGTV. Now, something with the stiffness to extend

12 or more feet -- *that's* useful. Something that rolls itself out at a slow crawl -- that's useless. MHO +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Andy Dingley]

Stanley "Fat Max" I love mine for big timber framing jobs. Used carefully, you can get about 10' of horizontal stick out before the tape collapses. I used it just this morning to measure the length of my plastic workshop roof - 24' and it would have been hard going to push a floppier tape that far from up a ladder.

[Leon]

Yeah I see it's value for close but not for cutting.

[HMFIC-1369]

I got that beat I paid a grand for a toilet seat. (Toto) You don't even wipe your ass anymore.....

We went to Europe, and the wife demanded a Bidet. I certainly wasn't going to add another one. I got tired of spending money on presents for the Wife that she never or used once. So I got one SHE HAS TO USE!

I think now America is desperate to make money anyway it can and in many cases quality and common sense take second and third! I will add though, I recently had a ceramic tile floor installed and the Installers laughed at all my toys. I told them here use this (Straight-Line 90 degree laser level) and the laughed out loud! Until they had problems squaring out the room, the room shifted .75 inch East and 1.5 inches South, so the room was skewed enough to be a pain in the ass, after about a half an hour of trying to get the Tile laid out right, I brought out the laser again and they were done in about 5 minutes.

[mac davis]

I think it[s excellent marketing of a less-than-useless product... Wives probably flocked to the borgs to buy one for hubby last week...

mac

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[mac davis]

I think there's a sale on dehydrated water next week...

mac

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