CONTENTS
Editorial: Negative people.
Travel: Attaché Guide to Travel.
Technology: Ki ecobe.
Stationery: Tør Pen.
Gadgets and Gear: Tuls tools.
Books and Writing: Science Abridged Beyond the Point of Usefulness.
Project of the week: PD regrets that this week there is no Project of the Week.
Contact Prowling Dog at prowlingdog@protonmail.com
NOTA BENE: Issue 140 will appear two weeks from today, on July 17th. PD is taking a break next week.
For the curious: Nota bene is the Latin for "note well" or "pay attention to this point", often abbreviated as "NB". The plural is "notate bene".
EDITORIAL: Negative people
Most of us have come across negative people. You know, the ones for whom nothing is right. They criticise everything you say or show them. No idea is any good and nothing will work. They will put a damper on any conversation. They are emotional vampires, sucking the joy out of every situation. These are pessimistic people. This is not to say that complaining should be entirely avoided, as it is sometimes warranted, but it needs to be balanced with a positive side, namely how you are coping with the problem or what you are doing to overcome it. Remember that often-repeated quote about bringing solutions, not problems.
PD Notice: When writing this PD did not have any particular person in mind. Also note that PD wrote this as a lay dog, with no qualification in psychology or psychiatry and that this editorial should not be used as advice regarding any diagnosis or therapy. Should you feel that you may require either, please seek professional advice.
TRAVEL: Attaché Guide to Travel
No, this is not another guidebook full of tourist attractions and restaurants. This is a book of practical advice that you need in a new city.
Information provided includes how to use the public transport system, how to pay for things, local etiquette and customs, advice on food and other tips for having a stress-free stay from the moment you arrive.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alexhunter/attache-guide-to-travel?ref=category
TECHNOLOGY: Ki ecobe
Advances in shoe technology have centred on improved materials, better shock absorption to protect joints and more precision in fitting footwear, however Ki ecobe totally revolutionises the shoe.
Ki ecobe has broken down the shoe into various modules, namely the inboot, which is like a slipper, the outsole that you walk on outdoors, the insole which gives your foot support, the strap that holds everything together and of course the lace which holds the shoe onto your foot.
You buy the parts and assemble the shoe, which takes a claimed five minutes. Not only does this offer a huge range of colour combinations, you can replace worn out parts, prolonging the life of the shoe. This not only saves money on buying completely new shoes but also means less waste. For the fashion conscious it allows you to change the colours of the shoe to match your outfit.
Simply brilliant. This shoe has won several prestigious design awards including a coveted Red Dot Award.
Check it out here: http://www.kiecobe.com/
STATIONERY: Tør Pen
Small EDC pens are often very thin and unconformble to use. The Tør gets the dimensions just right.
It is a great looking pen and has the now popular bolt action. It is made of aluminium with a stainless steel mechanism. The Tør uses common Parker refills.
For the curious: Tør is Norwegian for "dare".
GADGETS AND GEAR: Tuls tools
Yes, there seem to be plenty of key ring and credit card tools. Some have a great design, others have flaws such as parts that can get hooked. Tuls tools were originally released in 2013. The design of the the cards was great then (there were two designs at the time) and despite the intervening years PD does not think that they have been bettered.
Rather than try to compete with the more-is-better brigade, Tuls limits what each card can do to ensure quality. The tools come in either steel or titanium. PD is particularly partial to the Roul, which would be useful in the workshop.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/onehundred/tuls-the-tool-box-for-your-wallet/description
BOOKS AND WRITING: Science Abridged Beyond the Point of Usefulness
This little book contains all of science, every field known to humans. For each discipline you get history, major insights, specific subdisciplines and recent developments, all tongue-in-cheek fun and of little other value.
Like science this book has created its own controversy: it comes in two versions, editions with either American or British spelling, with only one version being available in any particular country. Needless to say, this has upset the Canadians, the Australians and New Zealanders, who seem to prefer using British spelling but have to buy the American version. The writer states that he is looking into ways to resolve this before all out war starts.
If PD was involved in the peace negotiations he would suggest one of two ways out of this morass:
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Have separate rewards for each version and allow people to choose the one they want irrespective of where they live.
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At the end of the campaign (no pun intended) have a Backerkit survey to allow people to choose the version that they want.
Either way, the book sounds like a good read.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weiner/kickstarter-gold-science-abridged/description
PROJECT OF THE WEEK:
PD regrets that this week there is no Project of the Week.
NOTA BENE: Issue 140 will appear two weeks from today, on July 17th. PD is taking a break next week.
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