CONTENTS
Editorial: PD and editorial independence.
Travel: Holiday in Hel. Take bus 666.
Technology: Boom Supersonic halves travel time.
Stationery: ystudio Letter Paper Set with carbonless copy.
Gadgets and Gear: Pelican Ruck Case.
Books and Writing: The War With Cataline.
Your Health: Skin cancer in a nutshell.
PD: Store
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EDITORIAL: PD and editorial independence.
PD firmly believes in editorial independence. He has recently turned down an offer for the site to be linked to another site that could have generated a lot of traffic to PD, however PD found the stipulation that he had to delete certain things from an article unacceptable.
Once a site, blog or magazine becomes beholden to vested interests it loses its integrity. Readers of PD can be assured that PD adheres to strict guidelines of editorial independence and that all opinions expressed are not influenced by those with vested interests.
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TRAVEL: Holiday in Hel. Take bus 666.
This is not a typo, pun or other play on words. You could certainly do a lot worse than have a holiday in beautiful Hel.
[Photograph: Stay Poland]
The name derives form the word for an empty, exposed place. It is a sand peninsula in Poland that juts out into the Baltic Sea and is a strategic asset, with fortifications that have played roles during wartime.
[Above: Satellite image]
Today it is a fishing port and a great tourist destination renowned for its beautiful beaches. There are great restaurants as well as museums.
[Photograph: Local Life Gdansk]
So what's this about bus 666 to Hel? It does exist however the route number is co-incidental. The bureacrat who numbered bus routes obviously did not speak English.
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TECHNOLOGY: Boom Supersonic halves travel time.
PD was sad to see the end of the Concorde, the most graceful plane in our skies. Well, now Boom Supersonic has taken up the challenge and promises to halve flight times when it starts flying passengers in the mid 2020s for around the price of a business class fare.
How about New York to London in 3 hrs 15 mins, Sydney to Los Angeles in 6 hrs 45 mins (what a boon to MOTS)?
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STATIONERY: ystudio Letter Paper Set with carbonless copy.
ystudio is the Taiwanese stationery company that produces interesting quality products, including its Weight of Words range. The company has been featured several times before in these pages (links below).
The Letter Paper Set has 10 sets of paper for carbonless copies and 3 ordinary sheets. When you write your letter you have a copy for yourself as a keepsake. Cool.
https://products.ystudiostyle.com/products/brassing-letter-paper-set-carbonless-copy
Previous articles on ystudio:
GHOST_URL/weight-of-words/
GHOST_URL/prowling-dog-issue-108/
GHOST_URL/prowling-dog-cool-things-issue-133/
GHOST_URL/prowling-dog-cool-things-issue-153/
Contact Prowling Dog at prowlingdog@protonmail.com
GADGETS AND GEAR: Pelican Ruck Case.
Pelican has been making protective cases for years. Its latest is the Ruck Case, a handy case for your delicate gadgets and accessories when you are out and about.
These cases are water and dust proof. The Ruck Case has handy organisers.
Pelican cases are tough. PD has been using one for many years, and it is still in good condition. The Ruck Case is available in 3 sizes and several colours.
https://www.pelican.com/us/en/discover/personal-utility-case/
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BOOKS AND WRITING: The War With Cataline.
Those familiar with classical history will know these two Roman names: Cataline (Lucius Sergius Catilina, 108–62 BC) and Sallust (Gaius Sallustius Crispus, 86–C. 35 BC). The first was a Roman Senator. A successful military commander, he was unsuccessful in social and political life, as portrayed by Sallust, a historian and Consul.
[Above: Cesare Maccari, Cicero Denounces Cataline, 1889, fresco Maccari Hall]
Cataline tried to overthrow the republic. He was exposed by Cicero. In the Second Conspiracy he fled Rome with an army of 10.000 men, which was reduced to 3.000 men through desertion. He eventually was forced to make a brave stand against Roman legions.
[Above: Alcide Segoni, The Discovery of the Body of Catiline, 1871, Gallery of Modern Art, Florence]
The story as told by Sallust is translated into English.
[Above: Rambler Press edition, letterpress, limitation 10]
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YOUR HEALTH: Skin cancer in a nutshell.
You probably have heard of skin cancer but what is it exactly? In reality there are dozens of different types of skin growths. Some are benign (will not kill you) while others are cancers. By definition, a cancer is tissue that grows out of control. The skin is a very complicated structure with many types of cells and potentially any one may mutate and become a cancer.
[Above: Human skin structure, Charles Dessalines D' Orbigny (1806-1876)].
Some skin cancers are slow growing while others are very aggressive and may kill very quickly, such as melanoma. Because there are many different types of skin cancers, there are different types of treatment and the effectiveness of treatment will differ. When a skin cancer is discovered the first step is usually to find out what type of cancer it is. This is usually done by taking a biopsy, i.e. removing part or all of it so that a specialist doctor, a dermatopathologist, can look at it under a microscope and do extra tests on it if needed.
Should you have any concerns about skin cancer, ask your physician.
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PD: Store
X90 Planner
The X90 Planner has been thoroughly tested by PD and featured in PD: Cool Things 178: https://www.prowlingdog.com/prowling-dog-cool-things-issue-178/
The planner is hard back but opens flat. It is clearly laid out and uses quality paper. It is undated, so you can start working on your goals immediately. There are 90 days in the planner, the ideal length of time to achieve goals.
From US $31.95 plus shipping. Local taxes may apply in your country.
BUY HERE: https://90xgoalplanner.com/?ref=107
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Important disclaimer: Remember that crowd funding 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.
© 2018 Prowling Dog