In Word 2003, there's a "Keep Text Only" dropdown from the clipboard icon.

I actually reprogram a shortcut key in Word for Paste Special. (Usually Ctrl-Q, I think.)

I do what Dana does. It's even more annoying in Excel, because if you do too much fiddling between cutting in Excel and pasting in same, your clipboard empties.

Not sure of the rationale behind that.

I think I need to book a one-way ticket to Timbuktu. Or maybe not Timbuktu since Mali isn't a vacation destination I've ever had in mind, but someplace remote where I can insist that there's no wireless.

Today did not begin auspiciously.

That's a trick I use fairly often. I wish there was a "cut as plain text" or "paste as plain text" option.

The thing is, they often need formatting (books in APA format etc).

I wish there was a "type your own damn thing into Blackboard if you are going to type it" function, but I think that is my own crankiness. I have issues against double work-- like, if you are going to go through the trouble of typing and formatting it the way you want it, why not do it in the program you will be using.

In the grand old tradition of school bureaucracy, I need to have already turned in the tests I plan to give three weeks from now, apparently because once five years ago someone didn't give a test at all. Yes, that makes perfect sense.

Edited because "the tests I plan to give three weeks ago" doesn't make a lot of sense, and also wouldn't be worth complaining about.

someplace remote where I can insist that there's no wireless.

Avoid Africa. On the whole, they have marvellous wireless coverage. For crap coverage, here's a good place to stay, or maybe somewhere really really underpopulated.

You can come live on the mountain with me, shrift.

Dude, it's like, the only thing not making me want to run for the hills right now is my job. The job where the company cancelled employee appreciation day after moving me to the sub-basement next to the vault and the Christmas decorations.