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Duct Tape Goes Minature

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the semper-paratus dept.

metal_llama writes "There is a story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about a man, Christopher Blummel, who "has a vision for a better world - one where every man would carry in his wallet a small cellophane packet containing a product that can come in handy in an emergency. Duct tape." This is exactly what I've always wanted: an ever-handy supply of duct tape."

10 of 293 comments (clear)

  1. Wait a minute. by mikeophile · · Score: 5, Insightful
    This guy wraps a business card with 18" of duct tape and got a patent?

    I'm not sure what I'm more speechless about. That this guy got a patent, or that this made Slashdot.

    1. Re:Wait a minute. by Wakkow · · Score: 5, Informative

      He hasn't officially gotten it yet. It's patent pending.

    2. Re:Wait a minute. by standsolid · · Score: 5, Funny

      what's so suprising?

      This is a pretty interesting story (what geek doesn't splooge for duct tape?)
      This is new news... I haven't even read it before
      The summary was pretty well written without typos
      People seem to be reading the article before posting... i'ts just another day at slashdot

      wait...

      --
      WTPOUAWYHTTOTWPA
      What's the point of using acronyms when you have to type out the whole phrase anyways?
    3. Re:Wait a minute. by kaltkalt · · Score: 5, Interesting

      No it's not. He'll get the patent. Nobody doesn't get a patent. "Patent pending" just means "waiting for the rubber stamp." As long as you pay the filing fee, you'll get the patent. Even if it an unpatentable type of creation, even if it's already been done, even if it's already been patented, and even if it violates the laws of thermodynamics. The patent office will take the money, hand out a patent, and let the federal courts handle the lawsuits that result. If a court throws out a patent, the patent office doesn't have to give the money back. Everyone wins except those not in the government.

      --

      Stupid people make stupid things profitable.
  2. while being quite geeky... by mernisse · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...is there really a need for this? I keep a roll or two of the regular stuff in my car in case something falls off and I need to re-affix it, but do I really need to carry this stuff around like a condom? (obligatory geek remark: not that most of slashdot's readers need condoms, mind you, but still.)

    --
    Rushing toward Entropy one iteration at a time.
    1. Re:while being quite geeky... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I keep a roll or two of the regular stuff in my car in case something falls off and I need to re-affix it, but do I really need to carry this stuff around...?

      No, but it sounds like you need a new car.

  3. Now all we need is some miniature plastic sheeting by God!+Awful+2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    So if the terrorists attack when you're on the go, you can simply duct-tape yourself into the nearest phone booth.

    -a

    --
    /. users can't
  4. As a handyman, you only need two tools. by Feztaa · · Score: 5, Funny

    Duct tape and WD-40.

    If it does move, but it shouldn't, you use the duct tape. If it doesn't move, but it should, you use the WD-40.

    What's this guy going to come up with next, a miniature spray can of WD-40?

  5. Duct tape can be very useful by Aceticon · · Score: 5, Funny

    You never know when you need to gag someone.

    I mean some people, just talk and talk and they can't shut up. It's not like everybody has the time and patience to listen to someone just rumble about something or other of no interest. It's even worse when they start detouring from the subject of the whole thing like some 1950's valvule computer with one too many holes in the punch-card, i mean those things must have been a pain to program and all. Not to mention they were big. And hot. Which reminds me of that time i is was driving my van on the highway and *shraaap* *oooo* *oooo*

  6. I was really, really, really, geeky. by LiberalApplication · · Score: 5, Funny
    In the 9th grade, some many long-n-odd years ago, I started working at a molecular biology laboratory, as a lab-tech. There, I met Parafilm, and fell in love. It was like thick, translucent Saran Wrap, but so much more bad-ass (as far as a geek like myself could perceive bad-ass-ness).

    It was stretchy, self-sealing, could form sterility-preserving seals. It was acid/base/alcohol/corrosive-resistant, we used it to wrap bottletops before placing them in the autoclave, and god knows how hot it got in there. Heck, we used it to seal unfinished beers.

    I actually took to carrying around a few sheets of it with me everywhere, and I undoubtedly found uses for them. I took a few sheets with me to summer camp, and on the night of the big bonfire, the bigger (and less geeky) children swooped down upon the field and managed to snag all of the long sticks for marshmallow-toasting. After 20 minutes of scavenging, all I could find were a small pile of 6-inch-ish twigs. Parafilm to the rescue! I bound these twigs together into a trifurcated, flame-resistant monstrosity that noone could argue with. Sadly enough, my popularity was not much improved by this feat.