Broken Light Bulbs #*@%*@#$$$

Everyone that has kids knows that sooner or later something is going to get broken around the house. Kids will be kids...how many times have you heard that saying? I have 3 sons and a daughter, all tall and athletic, and if I haven't told them a million times not to throw the football, basketball, baseball, or softball around inside the house, then it's been a million and one times.
On one such occasion, my rambunctious youngsters were tossing a basketball inside the living room, and sure as I am writing this, they knock a lamp over with it. Bang, zap, pow, smoked, the light bulb is shattered in the lamp. Nothing is left but the base that you screw into the socket.
After I get done doing my fatherly duty of yelling and disciplining the culprits I don my home repair hat to replace the bulb. As with any home repair safety is the first priority. I unplug the lamp and take it to my work bench. I lay the lamp on it's side after removing the lamp shade and lamp shade bracket. I take a needle nosed pliers and expand it inside the light bulb base. The two needle nose jaws stay in place with enough pressure being applied that the light bulb base will turn when you turn the pliers counter clockwise unscrewing the base from the socket.
Another method is to use a rubber coated handle screwdriver. Force the handle inside the light bulb base and begin to turn it counter clockwise. The rubber handle will grip the base sides and it should unscrew it. However, I am not particularly fond of this method. I don't like marring up my screwdriver handle if the filament tower in the light bulb base is still intact. You will end up breaking it by shoving the handle into the base, thus gouging your handle. You can break the filament tower in the middle of the base first, or avoid it all together and use the needle nosed pliers method.
Now to complete the job screw a new light bulb into the lamp socket, replace the lamp shade bracket, and the lamp shade. Take the lamp back to the living room, plug the lamp back in, and look sternly at any youngster sitting there. The home repair is complete.