Articles about Israel
Managing
Good Glue

Some people claim that Israel does not have enough good, strong glue.

I'd like to stick up for the country on this important issue. It's my obligation to show dvaykut, if you get my drift.

True, Israeli envelopes may not stay sealed after you lick and press. The self-sealing ones do just that - but only before you touch them. However, this situation only applies to your own envelopes. Envelopes that you receive from others are sealed very well indeed. Unfortunately, the stores do not sell the envelopes with the good glue that others use. Good glue is only available for special people - probably those with protektzia.

Before you give up, it is important to clarify that Israel does have good glue. Did you ever try to start a new roll of Israeli toilet paper? That doesn't include the glue-less American toilet paper available in those posh hotels. It means the stuff real people buy in stores.

Don't try to use the first sheets of Israeli toilet paper. The glue seeped through, effectively creating a single 17-ply sheet. It's followed by a shredded single-ply sheet that is backed by another single ply sheet.

By the time you're through removing the first, unusable third of the roll, you can create your own style of toilet paper. That's right - if it isn't thick enough for you, then ply, ply again. However, don't expect those plies to line up.

Children's glue comes in little plastic bottles with a tiny sponge on top. The sponge dries out after the first application, but you can still press, squeeze, and apply glue through the stiff applicator top. A good squeeze will help the glue bypass the applicator, so you can apply the glue directly through the hole you just made in the thin plastic bottle.

White glue

Now, for a household tip. Those tiles that keep coming off the wall (why do so many things seem to be off the wall?) or that loosen in the floor can be replaced and held in place with plain white glue. That white glue is much better than the stuff they used in the first place.

Yes, you're probably wondering why they don't use white glue for their initial installation of the tiles. Come back to that question when you figure out why they don't make the entire airplane from the same stuff they use to make those black boxes.

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