The mystery of the shoelaces… knots untied!

When I asked my friends on Twitter and Facebook how they tied their shoelaces, many got confused and some even asked me if I was serious Well, think about it for a second: It’s something you learned at a very young age that you now do without looking at your shoes! It feels as normal as eating, breathing and sleeping.

If you are/were a scout, into boat/fishing related activities, a climber, into search and rescue, a designer, or just trying to tie a tie or a scarf you already know that there are many kinds of knots. So what about shoelacing? Is what we learned when we were young the only way? Is it even the right way?

Let’s start with the regular technique. There are actually more than one but the correct end result will look the same.

At the end, after shaking the shoe a bit, what does your shoe look like?

The second one is the “Granny Knot”, the incorrect weak knot that is certain to fail you.

For Ian, most people will find it easier to re-learn the starting knot than to re-learn the finishing bow, the best way is to reverse the starting knot whereas for Terry Moore, it’s about reversing the ending knot.

Why do we even tie our shoelaces in the first place? Obviously, if we ever thought about it, it ‘s to keep our foot secure inside the shoe. OK, then, safety! How do we measure it? In the shoe lacing world, safety is measured by the number of units of tension required to pull it undone. Since the regular technique gets undone with only one unit of tension (one pull), it’s not exactly safe. The safest knot is the Mega Ian Knot which has a triple-wrap of shoelace around the middle and requires 3 units of tension to untie.

But this extra safety comes at the expense of being more difficult than other knots. The solution is to perform a knot which has a doubl-wrap of sholace around the middle. There are several way to do it:

Ian’s Secure Shoelace Knot and Better Bow Shoelace Knot. They look the same at the end:
FreedomKnot™ Shoelace Knot
Two Stage Shoelace Knot
Loop the Loop Shoelace Knot

There are several more, but I think that the rest is either too bulky and not so pretty to wear on a shoe, difficult etc.. One particular technique is used by the military: the “Spiralacing” or the Double Helix Shoe Lacing Process. It even got a patent!

People with limited capacity, who are unable to use both hands to tie their shoelaces can use the One Handed Shoelace Knot.

FinishedOneHandedKnot The mystery of the shoelaces... knots untied!

Besides safety, it’s also important to talk about comfort: Different lacing techniques are also available for people who want a right fit. They may (not all of them) be combined with several of the above mentionned knots for more safety.

Lacing to Prevent Heel Slippage
Lacing for a Narrow Foot
Lacing for a Wide Foot and High Instep
Lacing for a Narrow Heel and Wide Forefoot
Lacing for Slip On if you don’t feel like tying shoelaces anymore.

For people who suffer pain from their feet, lacing differently can help tremendously:

3 methods for tying shoelaces to help keep pressure off the top of the foot.
Solutions for the ones who have a shoe rubbing one spot on the top of the foot or a big toenail turned black or a tight fit along the top of the foot or cramped toes or slidding heels.

Shoe lacing has also got itself an application that can be downloaded from iTunes for $0.99!

If you have been tying your shoelaces incorrectly all this time, do not despair. Learning will take a while, but as soon as you grasp it, it will turn into second nature just like when you first learned how to tie your shoelaces when you were young!

Sources:

World IPv6 Day

289 organisations so far will offer their content in IPv6 in addition to IPv4 for a 24-hour “test flight” on the 8th of June, 2011. The goal is to motivate organizations across the industry – Internet service providers, hardware makers, operating system vendors and web companies – to prepare their services for IPv6 to ensure a successful transition as IPv4 addresses are expected to run out by the end of 2011. This is being led by the Internet Society (ISOC).

Without action, we risk increased costs and limited functionality online for Internet users everywhere. The only long-term solution to this problem is adoption of IPv6, which provides over 4 billion times more space. IPv6 is used extensively in many large networks, but it has never been enabled at a global scale yet.

All major Internet industry players will need to take action to ensure a successful transition:

Internet service providers need to make IPv6 connectivity available to their users
Web companies need to offer their services over IPv6
Operating system makers may need to implement specific software updates
Backbone providers may need to establish IPv6 peering with each other
Hardware and home gateway manufacturers may need to update firmware

In rare cases, we may experience connectivity issues when visiting participating Websites. Users can visit an IPv6 test site to check if their connectivity will be impacted. If the test indicates a problem, they can disable IPv6 or ask their ISPs to help fix it for them.

Are we ready?

Sources:

Love…under construction!

Here are few funny exercises, all inspired from scientific studies that you can use to create emotional intimacy with your partner, even if you barely know him/her:

Two in one
Hug slowly, feel the breathing of your partner and gradually try to synchronize your own breathing with his/hers. A few minutes later you may feel that you both have merged.
Looking into the soul
Stay seated or stand up a little less than a meter from your partner, look deep into their eyes. Do it for about two minutes, then talk about what you “saw”.
Imitation
Stay seated or stand up relatively close to one another. Start moving your hands, arms and legs the way you wish imitating perfectly the movements of your partner. It’s amusing but also challenging. You will feel that you are moving voluntary but in reality your moves are linked to your partner’s.
Falling in love
It’s a trust exercise. One of those that increase feelings of vulnerability. From the standing position, let yourself fall back in the arms of your partner then switch roles. Repeat the exercise several times then talk about how it felt. Strangers who do this exercise sometimes feel connected for years.
Exchange of secrets
Write down a secret and ask your partner to do the same. Exchange the papers and talk about what you read. You can continue until there are no more secrets left.
Mind reading game
Write down a thought that you wish to communicate to your partner. Stay a few minutes without speaking trying to transmit the thought to your partner while he/she’s trying to guess it. If he/she doesn’t, show him/her what your thought was then exchange roles.
Let me guess you
Stand up more than one meter further from each and focus on your partner. Every 10 seconds get a little bit closer to each other. After several times, you will be invading his/her personal space. Get as close as you can without touching each other. (Most of those who tried this exercise reported that it often ends with a kiss.)
Aura of love
Place the palm of your hand as close as possible to the palm of your partner without touching. Stay still for several minutes. You will feel the warmth but also, sometimes, strange sparkles.

Source: Cerveau & Psycho, No. 39, P. 43 May-June 2010 (I took the liberty to translate in English “bitasarrof”)

Spreading virus: Viral Conjunctivitis

My dear friends,

This is an alert concerning the spread of the viral conjunctivitis latetly noticed to have increased in Lebanon.

What is conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the white of the eyeball. Symptoms of conjunctivitis include redness, discharge, burning, and sometimes itching and light sensitivity. It can occur in one eye or both.

What causes conjunctivitis?
The most common cause of conjunctivitis is a viral infection. Other causes include seasonal allergies, allergies like dust, pollen, or a special type of allergy that affects some contact lens wearers, bacterial infection, reactions to eye medications and irritants such as shampoos, dirt, smoke, and pool chlorine.

How is conjunctivitis transmitted?
Viral conjunctivitis can be transmitted FROM one person to another by casual contact, sharing towels or pillow cases, facial contact, or sharing of cosmetics. It can occur before, during, or after a cold or upper respiratory infection because the same virus which causes the cold can cause a conjunctivitis. Viral conjunctivitis is very contagious in the first 10-12 days and may last up to 2-3 weeks.

Allergic conjunctivitis usually occurs in the spring and summer and is not contagious. It causes itching in addition to redness and tearing. It is caused by allergies to pollens FROM plants.

Bacterial conjunctivitis, like viral conjunctivitis, is contagious. Most people who develop bacterial conjunctivitis, also have other eye conditions such as dry eyes or inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis). There is a sexually transmitted type of conjunctivitis, called chlamydial conjunctivitis, which often produces symptoms of long duration (>4 weeks).

Pinkeye in newborn babies, however, should be reported to a doctor immediately.

What are the symtoms of is conjunctivitis?
The symptoms differ based on the cause of the inflammation, but may include:

Redness in the white of the eye or inner eyelid.
Increased amount of tears.
Thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, especially after sleep.
Green or white discharge from the eye.
Itchy eyes.
Burning eyes.
Blurred vision.
Increased sensitivity to light.

If you have pain, decreased vision, or a strong light sensitivity associated with your symptoms of a red eye, you are likely to have a condition more serious than conjunctivitis. In this circumstance you should see an ophthalmologist immediately.

What precautions should I take when I have conjunctivitis?
The most important precaution is to be extremely strict with handwashing. Always wash hands with soap and water before and after touching the eyes. Avoid any facial contact with others while you are HAVING symptoms. Don’t let others use your personal articles such as towels, pillows, or cosmetics. If you are a contact lens wearer, you should not wear contact lenses while you have any symptoms. People who provide healthcare, food services, or education should not work until their eyes feel and look normal because of the risk of spreading the infection to others.

What is the basic therapy and treatment?
Treatment varies depending on the specific cause of conjunctivitis. For viral conjunctivitis using a cool wet cloth 3-4 times a day and applying artificial tears will relieve the symptoms. If there is a suspcicion of bacterial conjunctivitis antibiotic drops or ointment are usually given. Allergic conjunctivitis may be relieved by over the counter medications such as Naphcon A or by prescription medications such as Livostin or Patanol.

Be safe and don’t ignore symptoms should they occur!