The Worst, Most Useless, Obsolete, Addictive, and Annoying Inventions

Trebuchet, Considered Obsolete, but Is It?

2011-11-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

Trebuchet

Supposedly this is considered obsolete. It is a mechanical weaponry that can throw projectiles hundreds of feet. It was very popular during use in the Middle Ages. I wouldn't mind having one of these in case of an intruder, if the projectile throwing distance is adjustable.

Rotary Telephones

2011-11-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have never seen one of these, but I have. It had a round dial, and you would have place your finger into a number slot in order to move the Dial in a rotary fashion. Thus, the name rotary phone.

Some of them hang on walls. I remember one of my grandmas used to have one that hung on the wall, and she would answer, "Yello!" I don't remember if you can get call waiting on these phones.

However, it is possible that you can. However, as you look at this phone, it is very attractive and most of the rotary phones were. I wouldn't mind one of these divine collectibles for decorative sake, but for calling? Not so much any more.

2011-11-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

Analogue Televisions: These were so 2007-ish! Remember the old ones with the rabbit ear antennas? I myself had a see-through prison TV that I bought at a pawn shop a few years back.

But seriously, even though I am not always thrilled with the way digital TVs sometimes pixelize, analogue is soon forever to be passe. Only people who have local television converter boxes use them now if they do not have a paid cable or satellite TV service.

I myself just watch all my favorite sit-com episodes approximately two years late. I now view them on my flat screen LCD computer monitor.

2011-10-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

AM/FM headset: One of my closest friends from high school whom I roomed with for awhile owned one of these. It is a radio that fits over your ears like earmuffs. It can look slightly dorky but if the headphones are stereo you can get excellent sound. However, with the rise of portable music players that are the size of your thumb, it is safe to say this is useless, and even nearing obsoleteness.

2011-10-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hard Candy: It's my least favorite Halloween candy. I am surprise the government even allows people to buy this on food stamps. Can it be really considered food?

2011-10-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Walkman: I used to own one of these when I was about seven-maybe eight. That was about the time I stopped getting cassettes as well. No, that's not true. I did purchase a few cassettes on up until my early 20s. However, I haven't used a Walkman in over two decades.

For those if you who don't know what a "Walkman" is: It is a portable AM/FM radio that you would carry on your belt clip or in your pocket, and it came with headphones. Sometimes it had a cassette player in it and sometimes it did not. The more advanced ones even had a "record" function.

2011-10-29T21:59:00.000-07:00

CD burner (standalone): Can you believe people used to have to pay hundreds of dollars just to burn CDs or DVDs? Now I think they sell for about 50 dollars. I have one of these already installed in my computer that has over a TB of hard drive space. Can you see my point? Not necessary any more. Totally obsolete.

2011-10-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

CD/DVD Players: I haven't used a CD player in about four or five years, and I haven't owned one in over ten years. I don't need it because I have a DVD/CD player and burner on my computer now.

2011-10-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Boombox: My mom actually bought my (not so little any more) brother one of these for about ten dollars at a rummage sale a few years back. It had a CD player and even a cassette deck. What does that tell you? Are they popular anymore? The cheap rummage sale of this device tells you...not so much.

2011-10-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Stereo Receiver: This is a equalizer that is often used in home theatre stereo systems-or should I say was used? What I am mostly referring to is the amplifier and/or one or dual cassette players that in some cases served as a recorder.

Some musicians use these in their home recording, but they are not often used on a large scale. Digitalized home theatre units are replacing many of the older stereo receiving devices.

2011-10-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

VHS Recorder (VHS Camcorder): The tape recorders that came after the VHS recorder are practically obsolete now. Therefore, I cannot imagine many people having these in their homes anymore.

For one thing, the video quality is so...approximately...lemme think here...1989 to 1999-ish? I am just guessing. HD digital recording is “what's up” now.

2011-10-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

Menstrual Garters: I actually have witnessed a woman put this on when I was a child. I vaguely remember it, so it may be a bit hard to describe. For now I can tell you, it is a system similar to a garter belt or suspender with clips.

Only instead of holding up pants or stockings the menstrual garter/panties were made for holding menstrual pads and/or menstrual underwear in place. I am so grateful that by the time I got my first period I had the stick-on kind.

2011-10-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

Alcohol (unless in moderation): A beer or a shot or two every now and then is not a problem. The problem is when this substance overtakes your entire life. This is a substance that is actually useless for extensive self-medication purposes, though many people find it necessary.

2011-10-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Video games and Consoles (unless in moderation, or for education): Anything can become an addiction, even reading. However, I am talking about video games right now not books. This is something that should be partaken in moderation, and whenever possible it should only be used as a way to enhance skills. Many video games and consoles are obsolete now, though so learning with them is usually only possible for a limited time.

2011-10-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

Wal-Mart Can Openers (Non-electric): I hope I don't get sued for this, but I cannot stand most of the can openers they sell at Wal-Mart. If you choose any can opener than own for which you pay less than 10 dollars at this store, it generally speaking it is utterly useless.

2011-10-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

Vegetable Peeler: I have never been able to peel a potato, carrot, or other vegetable any faster with one. I've thrown mine away a long time ago.

2011-10-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

Imitation Cheese: Did you ever try the soy cheddar? Or did you ever accidentally grab the wrong package of generic cheese? If so you know what I'm talking about. That stuff is nasty-imitation cheese. Some of it you can roll up in a ball or cut into a cube, then throw it, and watch it bounce off the wall!

2011-10-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Waterbeds: Unless it is 75% waveless it will make me seasick-practically. The other problem is that the 100% waterbeds make it very tough to get out of bed in the morning-even if you're not depressed!

2011-10-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Fax Machine:

This was once the only form of electronic instant written communication that actually used real words versus coding. Nowadays, people often scan items to the computer and e-mail them to people. I don't even know why people even have fax numbers, or why fax numbers are even necessary any more.

2011-10-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

Film Projectors: Although watching them makes us laugh or cry, this is a slowly dying media form. Of course, models of these instruments will be found in attics or museums, if not already. I haven't seen one of these or a film reel since I was in grade school. I don't even know if they use these in movie theatres anymore.

2011-10-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

Fake Wool: The only advantage is that it is less likely to itch. I don't think it keeps the body as warm as the “real stuff” does.

2011-10-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

Throwaway Packaging: I've become accustomed to it, and justify the use of paper plates especially. At least they require the use of less water. Still, water is recyclable and Styrofoam in particular is not. Besides, it can be extremely difficult to process used paper plates into bright white printing paper.

2011-10-12T05:31:00.000-07:00

Convenience Foods: Unless you are a bachelor or severely anorexic you should not eat these. (And I mean no disrespect to people who have a serious disorder.) These foods have so many preservatives in them that it wouldn't have surprised me if a person could have a shelf life of over 1,000 years. These kinds of foods are more dangerous after awhile than useless, but can be considered useless in that they lack less nutritional value than freshly prepared or just-harvest raw foods.

2011-10-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Gas or Coal Grills: If you like the taste of petro or carbon on your food this is the way to go. I like charred food but gas and coal is not so good for your body, and the taste of it...not so good. I'd prefer a wood-burning device if I could get my hands on one.

2011-10-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

Legal Marriage: I think this is an institution that was created to trap or control people. However, without it the divorce industry wouldn't be booming. Spiritual marriage is different than being married on paper, in my opinion. After all, Sarah and Abraham “joined forces” in a tent, and who knows?

Maybe they even had a couple of beers and then all of the sudden they woke up married. As far as I know, they didn't need a piece of paper to tell others they were together. The institution of marriage is not passé, but I think the legal officiation of a marriage bond is becoming obsolete.