A few weeks ago in the nearby Kroger, I bought a small bottle-opening tool for my kitchen. By accident, I subsequently discovered an innovative, 21st-century method of drinking a can of beer or cola far more efficiently and effectively than the now-obsolete 20th-century method.
As you’ve probably noticed, this blog is mainly about economics. Consequently, one might be wondering what a beer-drinking article is doing in this blog. Well, innovation is arguably the most important driver of economic growth—and what good is new knowledge if we don’t bequeath it to subsequent generations? I’m just doing my duty: passing this new knowledge on to the kids, so they too can “stand on the shoulders of giants” (...as Isaac Newton used to say).
Back to my accidental discovery. I had just finished using my new kitchen tool to pry the cap off a bottle of beer (Corona) for a guest. After inserting the obligatory lime slice, my next task was to open a can of Bud Light for myself the usual way—by lifting its pop-top tab. But wait; there I was with the new tool in my hand, and it was shaped in a way that appeared to have potential for cans, too, not just bottles. So I gave it a try. Voila! It worked! Long story short: I’ve been using it that way for several weeks now. It works so well that I will never use a can’s pop top again, if I can help it.
If you drink cans of cola or beer, I heartily recommend giving this new method a try. Best way to pass on this new knowledge is with pictures. Here goes:
I guess I’ll have to procure another one of these tools and keep it in the glove compartment, in case I ever have to open a can of cola (not beer) while in my car. And I’ll have to think up a different name for it besides “can opener”; that’s already taken by that other kitchen tool (...the one that works its way around the whole can to slice the lid off).
What to call it? Well, this new thing almost looks like a large key, doesn’t it? Except its pointed end is kind of church-shaped. Hmm. I’ll have to ponder that for a while.
But while I’m thinking about that, I’m going to call my dad and tell him about the new tool. He’s one of the WW-II generation, and I like to needle him and his buddies every once in a while about all the innovative new stuff my generation has invented.
In any case: Give it a try yourself; you’ll never go back to pop-tops!
