Posted by: Tim Marshall in Untagged on
Jun 9, 2010
Mark Thomson is renowned for his books “Blokes and their Sheds” and other activities of the Institute of Backyard Studies.
I recently attended his most recent exhibition at the South Australian Maritime Museum, on The Lost Tools of Henry Hoke. Thomson has undertaken considerable historical and archaeological investigation to uncover the almost forgotten work of this almost great tinkerer.
At first I found the aspects of the exhibition almost unbelievable. Clearly there had to be some great value and gravity to the display, especially as it was located in an important museum, but it certainly stretched my credibility. Then I found a glass museum cabinet with a container of Hoke’s Dogma Powder, “hermetically sealed against the intrusion of doubt (also used to treat fleas on dogs)”. Just a whiff of this stuff and the entire exhibition came together for me. The same cabinet contained a can of “Willing’s Suspension of Disbelief”. I could hardly believe my luck! I moved quickly between the displays, marvelling over the Befuddling Tool, the Giant Windup Key, Hoke’s Refined Bulldust, the Load of Old Balls and the wall full of Hoke’s Leg Pulls.
I was fascinated by Hoke’s many successful and almost successful inventions, such as his attempts to create a manual chain saw, and the Sub-atomic Sound Machine, otherwise known as the Quack of Doom, and the De-magnifying glass, and optical tool that claims to show reality exactly as it is. Other fascinating products included striped paint (must be shaken not stirred), tartan paint, spirit level bubbles, decompressed air, a can of spots (for spot welders), spark plug sparks and the rope hammer – used for hammering around corners. This last device reportedly takes some skill to use.
Also fascinating was Hoke’s original correspondence with other great inventors, such as Alexander Graham Bell and Albert (Bert) Einstein.
For anyone who cannot get to see the exhibition at the museum, I recommend that you visit the
Institute of Backyard Studies website here you can see some of the remarkable achievements of Henry Hoke, including a video of the Random Excuse Generator, with its many functions, such as the platitude accumulator, the credibility gap normaliser and the blame shifter.
Posted by: Tim Marshall in Untagged on
Apr 22, 2010
I was a fanatical dog owner until just over ten years ago. In 2000 I started travelling the world in my IFOAM job, and was unable to have a dog. I also had an unfenced peri-urban property, which made dog ownership difficult.
I consoled myself by having many doggy friends, some that would come to stay with me when their owner was away, or I could visit and take for a walk. Finally it got too much; I had to at least have a look at the local pound. Now I, or anyone familiar with my enthusiasm for dogs, could have guessed that I was going to return with a new pet, but my excuse to myself was to just have a look, see what was available, and consider my options.
I visited the Hahndorf pound, a private establishment with an excellent reputation. They don’t put dogs down there either. They keep them until they find a home.
The first dog I met was Ace, and eighteen month old black Labrador kelpie cross. He is jet black, with a very shiny coat. The sign said he was too boisterous for his elderly owner. Well he is not boisterous, but he is big and he can pull hard on the lead, and we don’t know how frail the owner was. It would have been a sad parting, as Ace is a lovely dog loaded with personality. I did not realize at first how traumatised Ace was, but as the weeks go by and his personality comes to the fore, I realise that he was actually quite disturbed.
Ace and I took to each other in the first minute. He is a cross between two reliable, intelligent breeds. Crossing is good for robust health. He had no obvious behaviour problems and is of a most trainable age and disposition.
Ace has become, like all the dogs I have owned, a ‘right by my side’ dog. He comes everywhere. In order to do this, he has to be very bright, patient, well behaved and calm. Ace fits the bill very well. In the four weeks I have owned him he has become a favourite at the Stirling Organic Market, where I have a coffee most mornings when in Adelaide. He is obviously devoted to me, and so smart it is scary.
