PROWLING DOG: COOL THINGS ISSUE 131

CONTENTS

Editorial: Teasing with concepts.
Travel: Assessed Bushcraft & Survival.
Technology: D. Throne.
Stationery: Embossing.
Gadgets and Gear: ODT Flipper.
Books and Writing: Badtime stories.
Project of the week: Tuauto classic racer cars.

Contact Prowling Dog at prowlingdog@protonmail.com


EDITORIAL: Teasing with concepts never meant for us to enjoy

Last week in PD's technology section he lamented that the fun Toyota FT-4X would never see the light of day as a production car, as it was only a concept. PD has seen this far too often - companies teasing us with wonderful designs and then hitting them with the proverbial "ugly stick" before selling them to us. Take the Renault Wind for example. This is the concept car that had PD drooling:

And this is what was delivered to the shops:

Any resemblance between the two is purely co-incidental.

However, P.W., an automotive enthusiast, wrote to PD with some hope, "... [remember] that the original Toyota RAV4 was a 'concept car' that supposedly was put into production in response to public demand. So was the FJ Cruiser. So there's hope for the FT-4X."

That would be nice. Toyota, please produce it as shown, including that interesting interior and in the same colours.


TRAVEL: Assessed Bushcraft & Survival

Here is an interesting YouTube channel that PD came across and recommends it to those who like to hike and camp. Bushcraft and Survival are the screen names of two experts who share and convey knowledge on bushcraft and survival. They provide advice, demonstrate how to do things and test equipment free of commercial pressure. The channel is filmed on location in the harsh Australian wilderness and on the Assessed Bushcraft & Survival homestead, in a country where survival conditions can be tough, ranging from desert to snow to rainforest and jungle.


Survival (left) and Bushcraft (right).


Bush "tucker" (food).


Survival explaining things.


Bushcraft testing a "swag".

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUQO_GYW4kjzmJaeAnu-zfQ/


TECHNOLOGY: D. Throne

Looking for an over-engineered, old fashioned-looking but modern car for your little ones? Look no further than the marvelous D. Throne from Korea.

Made of steel, wood and leather, this car for tots not only looks classy, but it can handle the elements, with proper rear suspension and even a differential.

Did PD mention that it is an electric car with a range of up to 67km?

And when the little driver gets tired, he or she can hitch a ride back home.

Ah, wouldn't it be great to be a puppy again?

Even the store is classy.

http://dthrone.com/wp2/d-throne


STATIONERY: Embossing

As PD has stated before, there is nothing like receiving a nicely hand written letter on quality paper. To add real class to your correspondence why not invest in an embosser. The look and feel of a logo placed either centrally at the top or in a corner at the bottom of the page will delight the person receiving your letter.

Ask your stationery supplier.


GADGETS AND GEAR: ODT Flipper

PD could not go past this dog-tag knife by Curtiss knives (not that PD wears a dog-tag - he is his own dog). It just looks so good. This is the latest evolution from the company which created the original dog-tag knife, which has the exact dimensions of a military dog-tag.

The blade is only 1" (25.4mm for us on this side of the Atlantic Ocean). The body is titanium with a CTS-XHP steel blade. Note that the blade has both horitonal and vertical cutting edges. The blade pivots on caged bearings. Not cheap but definitely a beautifully engineered top quality knife. Available in several colours.

http://curtissknives.com/products/odt-flipper


BOOKS AND WRITING: Badtime stories

No, that is not a typo in the heading. These are stories to give your children and you vivid dreams. The book is, in the author's words, "deliciously dark but never gruesome or disturbing and always with a wicked sense of humour". Writer Dom Conlon and illustrator Carl Pugh have come up with these fifty short stories about twins Jacob and Jacob, and other characters such as a father made entirely of ash and who lives in an urn.

Excerpt: Don’t Cry Out

'And both children were swallowed up whole and the ruby path was never seen again. The End.'

Nurse Mariam slammed the book shut, snapped to her feet and clicked her heels.

'Now sleep well, both of you. And don't cry out in the night.'

The elderly lady turned away, and then stopped as though a memory from her younger days had come loose in that dark mind of hers. She turned back to where the twins, Jacob and Jacob, lay wide-eyed and silent in their bed. Bending like a broken deck chair, Mariam managed to come within a few inches of the children in order to send an awkward air kiss in their direction. The twins did not blink.

She tightened the already taut white sheet over the boys and scraped out of the room. 'Not a cry,' she said, pressing the door shut behind her.

Minutes passed. Outside, the moon gave up trying to enter through the slender crack of curtain and hid itself behind a cloud.

Nothing could be seen, barely a breath could be heard. Minutes more crept past.

'Do you,' began Jacob.

'NOT A CRY,' shouted Mariam from somewhere on the third floor.

They both waited. Then Jacob nudged Jacob and Jacob wriggled. At first his shoulders could hardly move but after a while he managed to free himself enough to manoeuvre a hand out from beneath the sheet. He was holding a short, squat cylinder.

With a soft click, the cylinder spat out a bright beam of light at the exact moment a fierce crack of thunder shook the house. Shadows leapt from behind every toy in the room and the tall cupboard doors sprang open, spilling out clothes and wooden blocks and at least eight clowns which had been stuffed there years before.

Jacob and Jacob broke free of their bedding and, each choosing a different side, dived under the metal bed. A cat, eighteen spiders and three mice darted out from the darkness, closely followed by the twins who tripped over the nightshirts and fell flat onto the wooden floor.

Then they lay still. Jacob opened his mouth but Jacob quickly covered it.

And there they lay until morning, never once crying.

Because that would have been far, far worse.

Goodnight.

You can pre-order the book here: https://unbound.com/books/badtime-stories


PROJECT OF THE WEEK: Tuauto classic racer cars

Cars seem to be a bit of a theme this week. These toys will take you back to your puppyhood. Made of wood and with aluminium wheels, these beautiful CNC-cut and hand-assembled models are reminiscent of racing car toys of old.

There are four different models, each available in either black or white.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/761088862/classic-racer-cars-tuauto?ref=category


Contact Prowling Dog at prowlingdog@protonmail.com


Important disclaimer: Remember that crowdfunding sites are not stores. You may decide to back this project and provide funds, however there is no guarantee that any project will be delivered - the rate of failure is about 10%. PD is in no way accountable for the success or otherwise of any project and writes in this column purely for entertainment purposes, and will in no way be held liable for any failure or money lost by anyone. It is a case of "buyer beware". It is a sad reflection on the era we live in that PD must resort to this type of disclaimer.

Note: Photographs and illustrations are from the relevant websites and are the copyright of the respective owners.

© 2017 Prowling Dog