BE A HOUSEHOLD
MACGYVER

The TV character MacGyver famously uses everyday objects to escape dangerous situations—like a paper clip to diffuse a bomb, or wineglasses to play the notes to open a vault. Here are some clever tricks (or life hacks) to help you get out of some slightly more mundane situations.

Oh no! The blades of my ceiling fan haven’t been dusted for years, and I have a tall person coming to visit. I need a way to dust it fast without getting the dust all over the house!

MacGyver: Place an old pillowcase over one of the blades and slowly wipe off the dust. Take the pillowcase outside and shake it out. Repeat for each blade.

Oh no! I’ve been in a fender-bender, and it will cost a fortune to pull this dent out!

MacGyver: Get a plunger, wet the rim, and plunge it like you would a clogged toilet. You just might get that dent out for a lot cheaper.

Oh no! The little pull-tab on my zipper just broke off!

MacGyver: Get a paper clip and thread it through the little hole where the puller was, and then you can zip again. (And get me another paper clip, so I can diffuse this bomb.)

Oh no! I want to play my band’s new demo on my phone, but the tiny speaker isn’t loud enough for everyone to hear and be impressed by it!

MacGyver: Get a large glass—like a pint glass—and place your phone inside it. The glass will amplify the sound considerably.

Oh no! I have to weed an area full of jagged rocks, but I have no kneepads. (I’m a computer geek, Jim, not a gardener!)

MacGyver: If you’re really a computer geek, get two old mouse pads and some duct tape, and voilà! You have kneepads!

Oh no! My face feels really dry and I’m all out of moisturizer!

MacGyver: Make a face wrap by mashing up a banana and spreading it on your face. You’ll be moisturized in minutes, and the fruit’s vitamins and antioxidants can help reduce puffiness and redness.

Best Girl Scout Cookie customer ever: Bruce Willis. In 2002 he bought 12,000 boxes and sent them to American troops in the Middle East.

Oh no! I was screwing in a light bulb, and it broke! Now I can’t grab it and unscrew it!

MacGyver: Get a potato (or a similar fruit or vegetable) and press it firmly against the assembly. You should be able to grab the base enough to unscrew the threads.

Oh no! I’m trying to paint my windowsills, but I’m getting paint on the outside of the paint can every time I wipe off the brush after dipping it in the paint.

MacGyver: Get a rubber band large enough to go around the entire paint can from top to bottom. Now, when you refill the brush, wipe off the excess paint on the rubber band rather than on the edge of the can, and the drips will fall back into the can.

Oh no! I’m trying to wrap these presents, but I have so many rolls of ribbon that I can’t keep track of them all!

MacGyver: Get a shoebox and cut a hole in the center of each of the short sides. Then fashion a dowel out of a long stick (like a ruler) to make a convenient ribbon dispenser.

Oh no! My half-eaten containers of ice cream get little ice crystals all over the surface, so I have to eat the whole thing at once.

MacGyver: First, put down the spoon. Then secure the top of the container with plastic wrap, and put the lid on. That’ll keep your ice cream fresh and crystal-free.

A PHARMA FLOP

In 2006 the FDA approved Exubera, an insulin delivery system for diabetics, made by drug giant Pfizer. The drug was marketed as a game-changing alternative to the multiple insulin injections that diabetics had to take each day; the company estimated that by 2010, it would be making $1.5 billion annually on it. Exubera allowed insulin to be inhaled through the nose. But unlike the small inhalers used by asthmatics, the Exubera device was large and clunky—about the size of a can of Pringles. One other problem: Pfizer didn’t account for the fact that taking injections was no longer a big deal for diabetics, because insulin syringes had become super-fine and very short, meaning most users could barely feel them. One more problem: many diabetics were already using pain-free insulin delivery methods, such as insulin pens and insulin pumps. Result: just two years after Exubera became available, it had captured a grand total of 1 percent of the market.

Best-selling book in Japan in 1985: a Super Mario Bros. strategy guide.