FAO Quotables

"But being right, even morally right, isn't everything. It is also important to be competent, to be consistent, and to be knowledgeable. It's important for your soldiers and diplomats to speak the language of the people you want to influence. It's important to understand the ethnic and tribal divisions of the place you hope to assist."
-Anne Applebaum

Monday, January 12, 2015

FAO Pro Tip #3 There's a reason NASA missions pack duct tape

I am tearing my way through book The Martian by Andy Weir.  Don't worry, it's not about aliens--it's about an astronaut--so cool your jets all you sci-fi haters...look I will spare you a description--just click the book below and buy yourself a copy--it's SO good.





Anyway, in the book the stranded astronaut finds myriad creative uses for duct tape on Mars. Sometimes traveling abroad and working as a Foreign Area Officer (FAO), one feels is if he IS on
Mars.  I never know what I might encounter that just doesn't work...or rips...or breaks...or cuts or falls--that's why I always carry a roll of duct tape in my carry-on.  Unfortunately, I only have a jumbo sized grey roll, but once that runs out, I think I will pick up once of these travel rolls below.

During my most recent family vacation to Ft. Dauphin I found yet another use for duct tape--entertaining a whining 9 month baby.  He fruitlessly tried removing a small strip of duct tape off of various body parts for about 15 minutes!  Additionally, my daughters got in on the action and we all made 'duct tape fingers.'    The moral of the story is "duct tape--don't leave home without it"




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