Screwdrivers

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 87

Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

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Best multiple-bit screwdriver

Picquic Sixpac

The Picquic Sixpac may be the last multi-bit screwdriver I’ll ever need to buy, but it wasn’t the first. I’ve gone through a dozen less successful attempts at this kind of tool, always losing at least half the bits in the first month or so of use. When I try to use the few bits I haven’t lost, they invariably fall out of the bitholder, which weakens over time.

The Picquic Sixpac fixes both problems. Each bit is stored in a separate compartment in the screwdriver handle. You remove the bit you need by pushing it out of the handle with the bit you are finished with. Since there’s no other easy way to get at the bit you need, you always put bits away as you finish with them. I’ve had mine for three years and it still has all its bits!

Additional features include a solid, spring-lock bitholder that holds as tightly now as it did the day I bought it, and a stainless steel shank that has stood up to everything I’ve thrown at it. It comes with six bits: two flathead, three Phillips head, and one Torx T15. Other bits are available in Bitpacs from Picquic. — James Home

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4:1 Hyperdriver

Klenk Ratcheting Screwdriver

I found this Klenk 4:1 Multi-ratio driver. It is a basic ratcheting screwdriver with two big advantages over the Sears model.

First, it has a black knob on the shaft that when held, allows the bit to turn four times for every one handle turn. It’s phenomenally fast and rivals drill drivers on small to medium jobs, where you don’t want to drag out the heavy equipment. It’s best suited for long screws, where the 4:1 gearing can really speed them in or out. However, since it is essentially high gear, you can’t put a lot of torque on it.

The second improvement is the bit storage and retrieval. The Sears version has these clips to stick the single-sided bits in. Getting them in or out isn’t smooth. The Klenk has a system with a hole in the top and you sort of lift to disengage the lock and dial the hole to the bit you want, which you can see through the side of the handle. The bits are also double-ended. It holds 8 double-ended bits for a total of 16 heads.

One improvement I’d like to see on this tool is for the ratchet mechanism to be tighter, since in narrow spaces where you can’t turn your hand much, the play in the ratchet can result in not getting much of a turn. Also, the 4:1 knob prevents it from reaching in narrow places to begin with. Overall, though, the 4:1 gearing is worth the $20 even if you already have a Snap-on or Sears model. — Mike Numamoto

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Easier hex key

Ball End Hex Wrenches

When you buy a hex key (Allen wrench) set, get them with ball ends. The advantage is that their ball end make it easier to slide the wrench into the receiving slot. You can reach in at an angle and feel your way to the needed drop-in position faster. Good for blind or inaccessible places. It’s a small thing, not worth replacing other hex wrenches for, but if you need to buy some hex wrenches, these ball ends are better. Different brands make them in many varieties, format, and handles. — KK

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Pocket-size driver

Teeny Turner

The small size and stubby shape of this cheap driver allows me to reach tight spaces and still apply considerable torque. I’ve used it to adjust tension on folding knives and my SOG PowerLock multi-tool, and to open cases on remote controls, my PDA and cell phones. I have a set of jeweler’s screwdrivers, Wiha Precision Tech screwdrivers and a Craftsman All-in-One screwdriver (overall length: 8.75 inches) with captive bits that store in the handle. The 2.5-inch Teeny Turner fits easily in a pocket; it’s made of aircraft alloy shank, has a magnetic bit holder and the included bits (Phillips 00, Phillips 0, Torx 5,6 & 8, Flat 2mm and 3mm) are generally smaller and much easier to change out than my Craftsman. One small negative is the Teeny Turner has one more bit than storage positions, so you have to choose the least pointy bit to keep in the drive shaft if you carry it in your pocket. That said, the portability really is key. Plus, I do like the name. — Chris Jacobs

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Cadillac of screwdrivers

Ratcheting Screwdriver

Although it will never replace a cordless drill in terms of speed of driving/removing screws, my trusty Snap-On ratcheting screwdriver requires no batteries and is far less cumbersome in both weight and size. And for a 1- or 2-screw job is actually faster.

This unit has a smooth-action, incredibly durable RATCHET action that will send the shaft merrily cranking in whichever direction you desire with a flick of the easily rotated ring. It can also be set in the fixed, non-ratcheting position. I have tried another ratchet screwdriver and found the action laughably rough with plenty of slop. The stainless shaft on the Snap-On is magnetized and bored out in the end to accept the standard hex-shaped bit tips. A durable plastic cap screws into the butt of the hollowed-out handle and has a gasket to keep the interchangeable bit tips that rest inside moisture- (and therefore rust-) free. — Carolyn Branson

05/20/24

Collage/Silence/Thickest Sharpie

Recomendo - issue #410

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Explore the world of contemporary collage

Collé is a weekly email that explores the world of contemporary collage. Each issue highlights a new artist, showcasing their work and creative process. I’ve always viewed collage as the most accessible art medium, yet I am consistently astounded, inspired, and humbled by the creations featured in this newsletter. Check out their archive of past issues. — CD 

Moses in full

Moses stars in all three monotheistic faiths believed by “people of the book”: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Netflix special, Testament: The Story of Moses, is a surprisingly good retelling of his story in full. Half Hollywood biopic, half documentary commentary, it enlivens this mythical character with more depth. Everyone has heard part of his life, but the full story is far more interesting. Setting aside the immense degree that the character of Moses has shaped western civilization, this is a dramatic story well told. – KK

Practice the art of contemplation

I’ve been using the Triple Flame app (free, available on Android)for reminders to take a pause. Every three hours, I receive a reminder to pause whatever I’m doing for at least three minutes. You can choose between a silent pause or a guided one, accompanied by music or reflections. I appreciate being able to see how many other people are pausing at the same time. The contemplative quotes that pop up also encourage me to look inward. — CD 

Search engine for podcasts and videos

Dexa is a new AI-powered search engine that indexes content from prominent podcasts and videos, making it easy to find the information you need. When you search on Dexa, it provides a text summary of the relevant information and allows you to listen to or watch the specific portions of the media containing the information you’re looking for, saving you time and effort. – MF

Feel good family rock

When I watch this home video of a Filipino family jamming a rock song together, it makes me feel that humanity is okay and everything will turn out fine. The family band calls themselves Missioned Souls and play rock covers like Hysteria by Muse. There is hope. Humans are great. – KK

Thickest Sharpie

When I needed to label some cardboard boxes and my regular Sharpie ran out of ink, I discovered a Magnum Sharpie in my daughter’s art supplies. This oversized marker features a 5/8″ wide chisel tip, perfect for writing large, bold letters. Plus, its larger barrel holds twice as much ink as a standard Sharpie. – MF

05/19/24

Travel Keyboard/Baja Ferry/Best U.S. Airlines

Nomadico issue #104 (Two-year birthday!)

Bluetooth Keyboard for Better Posture

Most of us with a home office or regular co-working space have a better ergonomic set-up there than when we take our laptop on the road. It’s easy to get slumped and hunched in a bad posture situation. You can set your laptop on two stacks of books or food storage containers to get the screen level with your eyes, but then how do you type? The solution is a portable Bluetooth keyboard that folds up small for travel. I use this one that’s currently 30 bucks and it goes for days between charges.

Taking the Ferry to/from Baja

Three days a week you can fly direct from mainland Mexico to the Baja Peninsula, but there’s another option where you can go on an overnight ferry ride instead. I took it between Mazatlan and La Paz a few weeks ago. It’s a vehicle ferry, which could save you more than 3,000 kilometers of driving. Here’s a detailed post I wrote about it if you’re interested, with a video tour to show what the experience was like. (Or go to YouTube here for the video only.)

A $35 Billion New Airport in Dubai

Dubai’s airport is reportedly the world’s busiest in terms of passengers, with 87 million coming and going last year. The ruling family thinks that’s too small, so they’re going to spend $35 billion (if they keep to the budget) to build a brand new airport with 5 parallel runways, 400 gates, and a capacity of 250 million annual passengers. It is scheduled to take a decade. “As we build an entire city around the airport in Dubai South, demand for housing for a million people will follow,” Dubai’s ruler said. “It will host the world’s leading companies in the logistics and air transport sectors.”

The Best of the Worst: U.S. Airlines Survey

Apparently the way to please customers is… be nice to them. And take care of your employees. Southwest Airlines came out on top a third year in a row in the latest J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction survey on 9 U.S. and 2 Canadian airlines, despite some rough patches they had last year with canceled flights. That was for economy class, where Delta came in second and the other legacy airlines were beat out by budget carrier Allegiant. Delta topped the business class category and JetBlue was second. Air Canada was last in two of three categories: business and premium economy. Frontier was last in economy (472 out of 1,000), where even Spirit topped them.

05/16/24

What’s in my NOW? — Larissa Fernandes

issue #179

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The most consistent and successful thing I have been in my life has been a mother. With my 14-year-old, we respect each other, we have fun together, and we talk about the important things. At work, however, I have never been very consistent. From copywriter to recruiter to artist to professor to consultant and, now, to Account Executive. Yes, I sell things. When I’m not selling things, I’m attempting to play the piano or drums, trying to become a writer, learning to cook, and nurturing this special kid, so that he becomes a decent and kind human being who can bring more joy into the world. — Larissa Fernandes

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PHYSICAL

• My hammock — You have never really rested or felt truly at peace if you haven’t rocked yourself gently while laying in a hammock. I cannot fathom living in an apartment or house where I could not have one. In the most comfortable hammocks, you feel nestled by the soft fabric, almost as if you were being hugged by someone you love. The best place to set up a hammock is parallel to and near a wall, so that you can rock yourself gently by pushing against the wall with your foot. I’ll give you a tip: don’t buy the flat ones, by the ones that adjust to your body. You’re welcome.
• Figuring by Maria Popova — I bought this book over a year ago and was excited to start reading it, having been a “Marginalian” reader for ten years. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past the second page due to the writing style, which I found to be verbose and too decorative. A year later, I tried it again and, to my surprise, I devoured it over the course of three weeks. I have never read such a beautifully written non-fiction book. Once I got used to the embroidered style, I fell in love with all kinds of real-life characters; some scientists, some writers, some philosophers, most women, most queer, all genius. It’s sad how we have forgotten the very people whose struggles and battles made it possible for us to be here today. This is a book to take in slowly, to research on the side to learn more, and then reread over the years. I miss it as I would miss a friend.
• Victrola/Record Player — Even though I have never owned a record player, a few years ago my dad passed down to me his entire vinyl collection. He knew how much I valued the power of music and thought I would be the right protector of his musical legacy (also, my mom made him get rid of it). When my sister lent me her record player recently, I was eager to try my records for the first time. As I rummaged through the collection, looking for one to play, I stumbled upon a record with the cover so damaged, you couldn’t tell who the artist was. When I looked inside, the tag on the vinyl read “The Beatles”. I was stunned; it was the “White Album”. I set the first disc (side 1) onto the turntable, moved the needle to the first song and, as “Back to the USSR” started playing, I burst into tears. It was impossible to not feel emotional throughout all of the songs. It was like listening to history; a different kind of feeling. Unexplainable, incomparable. If you have never heard vinyl records, they are the real deal. Get one and listen to real music.

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DIGITAL

• Reddit — Reddit can be the black hole of doom for humanity, or it can be a worthy community for healthy discussions. I joined Reddit on the same day that I left Instagram. I didn’t know what to expect, but my son gave me several warnings and some great tips. So, I joined a few communities and I have been having fun talking with people about the books I read, the movies I watch, and things that interest me such as philosophy, psychology, music, writing, science and math. I have found communities where people have had the same difficulty I had to finish Walden by Thoreau, the same love for Snatch, and the same favorite songs by AJR. If you know where to look (and from where to keep out), Reddit can be a great place to learn and have fun.
• Year Compass — This is a digital journal (which you can also print out) that helps you close the year behind you and plan for the year ahead. It is meant to be worked on once a year and I have completed it three times already. I love looking back at my year and seeing how I am always able to accomplish more than I thought. You begin to realize that some goals take longer to accomplish, while others don’t really matter as much. You can keep track of dreams, objectives and activities, and how they evolve and change over time. You learn to plan and create a better life for yourself and your community. It’s especially handy for those who don’t keep a daily journal, like me.

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INVISIBLE

“I don’t know where I’m going, but I know exactly how to get there.”

I recently heard this quote from Boyd Varty. It spoke to me, because one of my greatest fears is not getting to where I want to be. Not because I don’t think I’ll get there, but because I don’t know where “there” is. I don’t know what I want to be, do or accomplish. I don’t know what my purpose is. Is there really such a thing? There are so many things that I enjoy doing outside of my day job, but none that gets enough attention. It also doesn’t help that I change interests every six months. At 38, I feel like I will never accomplish anything real. But, that quote helped me to understand that you have to keep on doing what feels right and for as long as it feels right. Eventually, if you keep working on it, that feeling will manifest itself as the “there” that you are looking for.

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05/15/24

Zonzo / Stuck in the Middle

Books That Belong On Paper Issue No. 14

Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

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ZONZO CONTINUES THE TRADITION OF MOX NOX WITH 50 ALL-NEW STRIPS OF SMILING PSYCHOPATHS

Zonzo
by Joan Cornellà
Fantagraphics
2017, 56 pages, 6.7 x 0.4 x 9.2 inches, Hardcover

Buy on Amazon

I don’t think there’s going to be any middle ground here. You’re either going to love Joan Cornellá’s comics, or you’re going to despise them. I’d first seen his work popping up here, and there, on the internet; and immediately fell in love. His comics are evocative, disturbing, and deviously funny.

I remember seeing a Robert Crumb comic for the first time, I was shocked. The very act of reading the comic felt obscene. I’ve read some pretty controversial comics since then, but none of them came close to giving me that same feeling, none of them except Zonzo. Without using any words, Cornellá pushes the boundaries and makes you uncomfortable, in the best way.

This is a small book, but there’s a lot of cringe inducing panels packed in. I also think that it might be best to experience Cornellá’s work in small doses, reading too many in one sitting might bring on some sort of psychosis. Like a good stand-up comedian, after finishing the book you definitely ask yourself, “why am I laughing at this?” The work makes you reflect on yourself, or you might just appreciate how dark the humor gets. Either way if you’re a fan of Cornellá or looking to see how provocative comics can get, I’d recommend picking this up.

– JP LeRoux

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STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: 17 COMICS FROM AN UNPLEASANT AGE

Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age
by Ariel Schrag (Editor)
Viking Juvenile
2017, 224 pages, 8.5 x 0.7 x 11.0 inches, Paperback

Buy on Amazon

Can we all just agree that middle school and censorship are the worst? Stuck in the Middle wasn’t out when I was in jr. high, but I sure wish it was. This is an anthology that tells different stories from a challenging time. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear about this book until I heard that parents were trying to get it banned from school libraries, and that people were attacking it on Amazon by giving it unjustified 1-star reviews.

Read the book for yourself, and you’ll see it deserves a lot more than 1-star. It’s an excellent collection of comics, and does a wonderful job telling difficult stories, that most people can relate to. Being an anthology, some stories will strike more of a chord than others, but all the stories are worthwhile. My only wish was that there was an update, a Vol. 2 filled with even more tales from the depths of middle school.

I know the type of people who would find this book obscene, because they’re the type who will find anything obscene. But they’re kidding themselves if they think kids aren’t already exposed to far worse than what you’ll find in Stuck in the Middle. When I was in jr. high, South Park was gaining in popularity, Eminem just released the Slim Shady LP, and parents, teachers, and students were trying to cope with the Columbine Massacre. The world’s only gotten crazier, so I can’t imagine what kids today are dealing with.

Parents want to ban this book because it has some adult situations and curse words? Fuck them. The issues presented in the book are the issues kids are dealing with. A thoughtful parent would want to share this with their child, to show them that they’re not alone. Fight censorship. Support artists. Buy this book, and leave a review on Amazon.

– JP LeRoux

05/14/24

Puzzle

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 86

Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

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Brilliant 3D maze

Perplexus

This is a cool 3-dimensional maze that is easy to get started and hard to finish. You need to steer a small metal ball along an ingenious obstacle course by rotating the clear plastic globe. There are 100 stations along the way, including some difficult topsy-turvy turns. All ages can get into it. We’ve found the puzzle to be extremely addictive to anyone who gets started. Because it’s like a 3D video game without the electronics, the very physical nature of playing — turning it this way and that — is very satisfying. In addition, the maze is like a sculpture, the design of the route is geekily brilliant, and the elegance of the eternal return of the steel ball within the sphere is a stroke of genius. Perplexus has the glow of a work of art. It makes me happy just to pick it up. — KK

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Classic puzzle in great package

Tangoes

Simple games are the best. Tangrams are an old puzzle based on a set of elemental shapes that can be arranged in thousands of different patterns. To recreate a given picture is challenging, yet not too daunting even for kids. Playing gently encourages lateral thinking. It exercises a geometrical logic, rather than words or numbers. The puzzles are almost like peanuts; you keep wanting just one more.

We use tangrams as an after dinner parlor game. Everyone gets a set and we compete to find the solution first. Since the shapes can be contained in one large square, you can easily cut your own version from cardboard or plastic (and we have). But I’ve found that this Tangoes model is precise, won’t wear out, and crates up easily and tidily. Each Tangoes case contains two sets of tangrams (in two different colors) and a nifty set of puzzle pattern cards, all of which slide into a plastic case with instructions on the inside. It’s a very nice package. We have several sets, to fill all the seats at a table. — KK

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3D Tangrams

Wedgits

I first saw this toy construction set at a front-door exhibit in the San Francisco-based Exploratorium. You arrange the rectangular plastic pieces in endless formations, limited only by your geometrical imagination. The squares interlock loosely, cleverly. A baby can do it. Every time you come to the set, you see new possibilities. But unlike other complicated construction sets, this ingenious one has just four simple sizes of one shape. I think of Wedgits as a 3D version of the ancient Tangram game. In fact you can get a booklet with profiles of shapes which you can try to build, in Tangram mode. Wedgits will challenge an adult, yet are easily manipulated by the small hands of an infant.

I’d get the Deluxe Set version with 30 pieces. — KK

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Personalized photo jigsaw

Photo Jigsaw Puzzles

My family is addicted to jigsaw puzzles. When a special birthday came up for one of my daughters, I prepared a photo collage using paint.net and ordered a photo jigsaw puzzle from Venus Puzzle.

The puzzle comes in a custom box, shrink wrapped and with a copy of the submitted photo on the cover, commercial quality. Puzzle pieces and printing was of excellent quality.

Since you can submit any image with the suggested proportions and dpi, this service can replace or improve upon the previously reviewed hometown puzzle.

The advantage to this site is that it ships internationally with the same DHL charges for anywhere in the world.

For my next daughter I didn’t want to use DHL, and Venus Puzzle referred me to their sister site Piczzle, which has the same product range and quality, also shipping worldwide (but with regular post instead of DHL).

Base prices are a little cheaper on the Venus Puzzle site, but for my country, DHL added customs service charges that made it unattractive. The order from Piczzle arrived in about a week, instead of in 4 days.
Note that both sites are slightly clunky, and only the Venus Puzzle site has the necessary information on the recommended proportions and resolution: In my case I purchased the 550 piece puzzle which uses a 1:1.25 ration and minimum dpi of 150. — Aryeh Abramovitz

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Personalized map puzzle

Hometown Puzzle

For Christmas this year I gave my parents a personalized puzzle featuring a custom map of the area around their lake cabin. “From any starting point, we’ll create a 400-piece puzzle of a six-by-four-mile area using U.S. Geological Survey maps. A house-shaped piece in the center represents the address you choose. Shows main roads, contour lines, water features, vegetation, and notable buildings. Arrives in a presentation box with space for a personal message.” If you search for a promo code, you can save 20%. — Jason Palmiter

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Lease premium puzzles

ELMS Hand Cut Puzzle Rental Club

Dedicated jigsaw puzzlers know nothing matches the quality (or challenge) of a hand-cut wooden puzzle. But at about $2.00 or so per piece they are outrageously expensive (a 20″ x 24″ 1000-piece puzzle can cost $3,000). ELMS Puzzles solves the dilemma by offering a rental program that lets you keep a puzzle for three months, by which time you should either be done or realize you’ve met your match.

The wooden pieces (unlike cardboard) are very exact in their fitting so you have to be very certain about having the right piece. Also, many are cut with straight lines inside the puzzle — i.e. a piece in the middle won’t have interlocking pieces. Those who do puzzles by putting together the border and working their way in will really be challenged; and many of the pieces are cut in shapes appropriate for the puzzle. For example, a Christmas puzzle will have a piece the shape of a Christmas tree, the shape of a sleigh, the shape of an angel, etc. Oh, and no picture comes with the puzzle for those who “cheat” by looking at the top of the box.

While still not cheap, at $40 – $225 depending on the number of pieces, renting these puzzles becomes affordable for special occasions like family vacations with other puzzle fanatics. There are other companies that sell puzzles (Stave comes to mind from having seen their advertisements in The New Yorker), but ELMS are the only people I know who rent. I like the idea of renting 15 – 20 puzzles for the price of buying one.

I recognize this is not something everyone thinks is sane. Our family members are divided on it, some love them, others think it’s the biggest waste of time known to man. You either like jigsaw puzzles or are bored silly by them, but if you’re a fan you should enjoy the pleasure of a quality hand cut puzzle at least once. — Julee Bode

05/13/24

What’s in my NOW? — Larissa Fernandes