Tool Use

[ysabetwordsmith]

Today my partner Doug asked me to remove a bunch of staples for him.  I first looked for my staple remover but couldn't find it.  Instead I grabbed the tiny screwdriver that I got from Power Plus at the Home and Garden Expo.  It actually worked better.  Because it's swag, the screwdriver tip is very thin and narrow.  That made it a lot easier to slide under the ends of the staples to open them, then slide under the wide part of the wire to twist it loose.  Staple removers typically have very thick teeth that can be difficult to get under the wire.  So this is now my staple remover of choice, and will live in my office drawer.  :D

What most people call luck or opportunity is, in my observation, largely situational awareness.  I needed a tool; I thought about what would work; I used what I had.  And then I noticed that it worked better than a dedicated tool from the past.  A small discovery, but it makes my primate brain very happy. 

Comments

[pattrose]

Staple removers can be the worst experience. I'm going to tell Hubby to see if he has one. He was just complaining about it the other day.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

I'm happy I could help!

Basically, look for a small flathead screwdriver with a thin, narrow head and a decent handle. You need to be able to pry and twist effectively. Some tiny screwdrivers don't have a handle well suited to that.

[alatefeline]

Thank you!

[barbaratp]

Como nunca tenho a mão um removedor de grampos ou uma chave de fenda aprendi a quebrar com as mãos os grampos, ainda me ajuda hoje em dia. É um ótimo método para quando não se tem nada na mão disponível para retirar eles.

[see_also_friend]

I've used one of those dull stubby little knives on a mini-multitool for the same purpose.

[thatjustwontbreak]

Well done! The situational awareness thing so so interesting. I wonder if characterizing it as "luck" is also a humility thing- like where it's not socially appropriate to recognize one's own problem-solving as such and instead we characterize it as something much more fantastical.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Well done! <<

:D

>> The situational awareness thing so so interesting.<<

Think about someone finding a dollar, or spotting a job add. It's something they noticed.

>> I wonder if characterizing it as "luck" is also a humility thing- like where it's not socially appropriate to recognize one's own problem-solving as such and instead we characterize it as something much more fantastical.<<

That's possible.