Dungannistan: 2012-02-26

The Medium is the Message

What can one not find in the trash or on the sidewalks of New York City? This week I stopped to check out a box of books on First Avenue. Most of the books were in French, by authors I've never heard of.

One book I noticed was by Marshall McLuhan, intellectual, critic and the person responsible for creating (more than anyone else), the field of media and (mass-) communication studies, and who (some argue) anticipated the Internet 30 years before its creation. Of his choice and memorable phrases, "the global village" and "the medium is the message" are two of the most memorable.

To my surprise, I find that the book is signed by McLuhan (see above)...

...and it is a first edition (see above). Who throws out signed first editions of books by the 20th century's greatest communications theorist?

A Savage Civility Slides By on Grease

Now I've seen it all. That is not an old Fifties jalopy from some distant Oklahoma farm... it just looks like it.

In fact, it's an example of the new 'Derelict' line of alternative classic vehicles by the Los Angeles-based company, Icon 4x4 (their usual metier is classic off-road 4x4 Toyota and Ford jeeps). The body of the above 'Derelict' is probably an original, but the chassis, engine and interior is all brand new, 21st century-standard engineering.

The full story is provided by Icon founder and boss, Jonathan Ward, in a rather slick Vimeo video below.

In keeping with the triumph of appearance over reality in our age, you can now drive one of these expensive custom-builds and look as if, as Will Rogers said during the Great Depression, you're a citizen of "the first nation in the history of the world to go to the poor house in an automobile."

Q: How can you spot a well-balanced Scotsman?

A: He has a chip on both shoulders.

This from the New York Times today, describes the very real possibility of Scotland 'leaving' the United Kingdom, becoming an independent state, a situation most Scots have desired while drunk, for centuries (especially future President of Scotland, Sean Connery).