Regarding the zero pull for scaling graph axes, it is sometimes considered misleading to expand the y-axis. Relative changes are easier to see if the axis minimum is set (pulled) to zero. However, sometimes the axis needs to be expanded. In my chemistry lab recently the students graphed temperature vs. time (for a freezing point depression lab). The temperature data ranged from 26°C to 12°C. If the y-axis minimum is set to "auto" in Excel, the axis starts at zero. This makes it awkward to expand the scale, so the min and max were set to 26 and 15, respectively. Students with better data suffer because their data is expanded more than necessary, making it harder to pick out the temperatures on their best-fit lines.
For me, the best solution would be to be able to LINK THE AXIS MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM VALUES TO WORKSHEET CELLS. I've often wished for that feature in Excel. I could then easily write a formula to give axis limits appropriate to the task at hand.
Chris