Lately, I've been painting my apartment. When I paint a room, I don't just paint a room. I usually add stripes, diagonals, half-tone walls. Why? Because I deserve punishment. Fortunately, there's a nifty tool for creating super-straight lines: the Irwin chalk line reel with blue chalk. Place the string taut against the wall, snap it, and voilà--an erasable line of blue chalk. This takes two people, mind you. But hey, at least the neighbors are good for something.