Ponderings of a Single Dad

Laundry detergent and fabric softener bottles come with a cap you're supposed to use to measure the amount of liquid you're adding to the wash, but the spout appears to be designed to simultaneously pour a small stream of Tide directly down the side of the bottle, or the front of your pants, or along the top of the washer (depending on where you began pouring). Who's the genius who came up with this?

Why can't we just create a clothes dryer that incinerates lint as it's collected without causing a fire hazard?

If the little bamboo plant I was given by a co-worker when I moved into this house five years ago was to bring me good luck, how long should I try to re-root what's left of it? Has my luck finally run out? Will I have more if someone else gives me another bamboo plant, or can I just buy one for myself?

Why don't refrigerator magnets stick to the door of my "stainless steel" refrigerator?

The tar-like crud I fish out of the ears of my dog, Barney, smells like decaying corn chips. Is he stashing snacks in his ear canal, or is there another explanation for this?