Get a box of paperclips; paperclip papers together; file papers away in a file cabinet; run out of paperclips; get a new box of paperclips.
Hundreds of years from now, the paper will rot away to nothing. Archaeologists will discover scatterings of paperclips at the bottom of file cabinets, and will be left scratching their heads. Perhaps they're some sort of currency, they'll say; see, the ones at this desk have been made into a necklace.
One brave, lone wolf will posit that they held paper together; and his peers will scoff. Nonsense! they'll say, that's what *staplers* were for.
Posted by edgar at March 9, 2005 11:43 AM