Duct Tape – We Can't Live Without It

Duct tape is a durable fabric-based tape. It has rubber adhesive on one side and polyethylene coating on the other side making it waterproof. Originally it was called Duck tape due to the waterproof nature. It was designed for the military in 1942 during World War II for use as a sealing tape for ammunition cases. Originally it was green.

Soon the military realized that due to its strength, flexibility and waterproof nature it can be used to repair various equipments. Besides the military applications NASA was using it during the Apollo spaceflights. I wouldn't be surprised if there are a couple of rolls of duct tape on the Space Station too.

After World War II when the housing industry was booming, someone discovered that the tape works great in joining heating and air conditioning duct work. Today there are better tapes for this application and the use of duct tape is against building codes in many states. The color changed from green to silver, but there are other colors too.

Duct tape can be used to fix many things although often you only want to use it as a temporary fix in an emergency situation for example. You can use it to temporarily patch up holes to keep the moisture out like a broken window. You can repair a broken objects with it or just to tie things together. It could be used as a temporary fix for a leaking pipe or hose.

Today the use of duct tape goes far beyond this. There are duct tape costumes. Since duct tape comes in many different colors, not only silver, these costumes are very colorful. Duct tape can be used to make a valet, purse and various artistic objects.

It's a good idea to keep some duct tape at home and maybe in your car. If all else fails try the duct tape.

How Do We Manage to Survive in This Complex World?

As soon as we are born we start to experience life and we start to "survive". Our senses are filled with whatever surrounds us. These experiences are pleasant or unpleasant. By nature we are the kind of creatures who don't like to suffer, so we are constantly looking for pleasant experiences and trying to avoid unpleasant experiences. To be able to do that we carefully observe our environment.

There are certain things we can already observe in our environment from a very young age. To simplify things here I just talk about people and objects.

There are millions of people and objects surround us. We can notice that some of them are almost permanent or just slowly change. Think about your family or your neighborhood. Some of them constantly change. Think about what you see on television or passengers on a train. By recognizing this we learn to trust in those things which are more permanent. This gives a sense of security in "space".

Another thing we learn that we can "predict" the future to a certain level. This is because things don't change, at least most of the time suddenly. This gives a sense of security in time. If our environment would constantly and rapidly change that would be unbearable.

We also notice that there are many similar objects we don't have to learn about each individual person or object which belongs to a group. Think about a nation, or cars.

It also helps that we learn to imitate others around us. That's how we learn how to use a spoon. Sometimes we don't even know why we do things, we just follow others.

Since pleasant experiences give happiness and satisfaction we use our knowledge to get more of these experiences. We learn early that they don't come easy, it takes certain effort to get satisfied. Think about when you go to the gym or when you finish a project. At a very early age we also find out that there is always help you just have to learn how to ask for it. Think about a crying baby or visiting your doctor.

Why Is It So Hard To Do The Second Time?

I bought a desk for my son last year. The kind of desk which comes in parts and you have to assemble it. I enjoy doing things like this and we did it together with my son. When I do it the first time I carefully follow instructions. I organize all the parts and the tools I need for the task. Being organized and following every step in the instructions makes it much simpler.

I bought the same desk for my younger son this year. I thought that since I put it together a year ago this time it'll be a lot easier and faster too. I didn't spend that much time organizing the parts and later on I found out that some of the tools were missing too. I also tried to remember the step-by-step instructions without looking at the instructions. It turned out that it was a bad idea. I ended up putting together parts in the wrong order and had to take them apart. I realized that doing it the second time was much harder. I thought I would remember everything after a year but I didn't. We finally put the desk together, but it took longer and it was a real headache.

I head the same experience with directions too. When I drive somewhere I've never been I carefully plan the trip. I Google it and I print it out for reference. There is no problem if I have to go back the next day but a year later could be a problem. The second time I just try to remember the trip and on the way to my destination I realize that most of the details are pretty foggy.

It happens to me all the time with the computer too. When I have to fix a problem the first time I gather all the information I need and then I just follow instructions. The second time a few months later I just try to use my memory which very often fails. Many times I even forget where to start and I just remember bits and pieces.

I learnt my lesson in the past so when I do something now the second time I try to do exactly the same way I did it the very first time. No more frustration.

Is Risk-Taking Good or Bad?

Taking risks has been part of our daily life since the early evolutionary times. Back than without risk there was no survival or reproduction. Risk-taking lead mankind to our sophisticated society we live now. These days behind risk taking besides survival and reproduction there is money, love and power.

Risk-taking is a very positive behavior if it's used properly. Without risk life would be very boring, everything would be predictable. When we talk about risk we always imply that there is a possibility of danger, tension and loss.

Each risk has two sides, an upside and downside. If the downside is much higher than the upside the risk is considered a "stupid" risk. Why would you spend your paycheck on lottery tickets? You could lose everything and win nothing.

Calculated risk or intelligent risk is when the downside or loss is limited and the reward far outweighs the downside. When you apply for a job there is risk, you might be rejected but on the upside you could land in a great carrier. When you try to date someone you could also be rejected but you could also find some who will be with you for the rest of your life. When you start a business there is risk, with unlimited potentials on the upside.

People, businesses, governments take risks all the time. We do things all the time where we are not sure about the outcome. Risk with a limited downside is always welcome but unlimited downside or "gambling" can turn against us. 

You Need to Escape from Multitasking to Relax Your Brain

It’s hard to imagine our lives without computers, cell phones, television, computer games. The use of technology is part of our daily life. We constantly check our emails surf the web, check the news, and watch our favorite shows or movies often in the same time. It’s only possible if we teach our brain how to multitask.

There are benefits of multitasking. We are more productive. Multitasking also gives a chance to escape from the present while doing something else. Sometimes multitasking can be dangerous for example driving and using your cell phone in the same time. On the other hand multitasking doesn’t teach us to focus. When you multitask you try to pay attention several things in the same time. But is it good if you really have to focus only on one thing?

With new technologies we are addicted to multitasking. We think that without those gadgets our life would be very boring. There was a time when none of these gadgets existed and people were not bored at all and they could accomplish great things in history.

We need to escape sometimes from multitasking and just do one thing to relax our eyes and brain. Even if it lasts only 10-15 minutes a day it could make a big difference. Take a walk, listen to soft music without doing anything else, read a book or just sit back in a quiet room closing your eyes for a few minutes.

There is Something About Rain…

Rain has a personality and rain is moody, every time it's different especially in different seasons. Rain is different when it's dark and when it's bright out there. Rain is different when it' cold outside or when it's warm. Rain is different from inside of your living room and from outside.

It's early November, Thursday morning and it's raining. I'm driving early morning to work and it's still dark out there. The temperature is about 45 degrees but it feels much colder when it rains. I can't wait until my car warms up. I'm listening to my usual music station and the soft music, the familiar voices and even some commercials warm me up somewhat.

Rain is not just rain, there is nothing good about the one today. I love rain especially in the springtime it's so rejuvenating. In summertime it could be very refreshing on a hot day. It can be very relaxing to listen to the raindrops hitting the windowpane. But in the middle of autumn it's slightly depressing especially in the morning when it's still dark and cold.

The only good thing I can think about is a fresh, hot cup of coffee when I get to the office.