An urban N.Z. baby-boomer and a Jack Russell terrier
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POPULAR MECHANIX 1936 - HANDY HINTS FOR 2013

23/10/2013

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In 1936 women are mostly employed applauding their men or demonstrating domestic bliss. “Oh Tom!” swoons one ecstatic wife “I’m so proud of you, you've gone ahead so fast in Radio!” Another kneels helpfully at her husband’s feet demonstrating the effectiveness of a purse-sized trouser press. 
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I arrive back from my search for Motel El Dorado to discover that the trellis in the back yard is now dangling by a thread. As my minimalist toolbox contains just a hammer and a bread knife, I seek a low tech solution to the trellis problem by unearthing the March 1936 issue of Popular Mechanix & Inventions magazine bought at a long ago garage sale.  

Sixty-seven years after publication it seems both dated and strangely current: the world is struggling to recover from a world-wide depression; U.S. unemployment hovers at 20%; the President (Roosevelt) is about to announce a $5 billion rescue package; nasty dictators (Hitler and Mussolini) are on the rise; new technologies are threatening old industries while giving birth to new. In spite of it all, this issue of Popular Mechanix is ablaze with optimism: “the future is the brightest that ever beckoned a man!” 


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DEAR MOTEL OWNER - A PLEA ON BEHALF OF HOLIDAY-MAKERS

22/10/2013

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After a day of dangling by the ankles and buying commemorative T-shirts visitors to New Zealand need somewhere welcoming to rest and recuperate. The search for the perfect motel can be more challenging and nerve-wracking than bungee-jumping .  On behalf of all those of you who will hit the road this summer in search of motel Shangri-La, I've forwarded the following guidelines to every motelier in N.Z.
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Dear Motel Owner

1. Building a motel to look like a Swiss chalet or a Tudor manor (especially if it’s beside the beach and in N.Z.) just doesn't make sense. Neither does naming it El Dorado or Lorna Doone. 

2. Concrete block might be cheap and stain resistant but it’s ugly. Painting it peach or operating-theatre green doesn’t make it beautiful. Not even a framed photo of a kitten in a basket prettifies it. Better to aim for industrial chic and leave it unadorned.

3. Please emerge from your lair when guests ring the reception bell. A motel seemingly devoid of human habitation is unnerving.


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GUEST COLUMNIST - THE DOG'S TALE

8/10/2013

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The SPCA recently launched HOWL, a helpline for abused dogs which integrates Google Translate with the latest in Canine Voice Recognition software. Dogs can now report ill-treatment, and access rescue services by telephone.  The Dog used this technology to compose his first contribution to The Grey Urbanist.
PictureGuest Columnist
I’m guest contributor to the Grey Urbanist column this week so I should start by introducing myself. I’m Pete, the grey and white fox terrier who until now has had existence on these pages only as the canine companion of your usual columnist Ro Cambridge. She and I tossed around ideas for the column and thought it would be fun to reverse our roles. 
You may be wondering how, as a dog, I am able to translate my thoughts into a form which you find intelligible. If so, you are obviously not aware of the rapid advancements in dog-friendly technology. 


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    THE GREY URBANIST
    Ro Cambridge, is a freelance writer, 
    arts worker & columnist Here she reports on the oddities & serendipities of  urban life.  She roams Nelson city , NZ 
    with a tan & white Jack Russell. (Her original canine side-kick, Pete, who features in many of these posts died in 2015.

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