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#OTD 5 October

It is the irony of the modern era that Malcolm McLuhan’s thesis – “the medium is the message” – waned during his life and waxes as his collateral thesis “the global village” unfolds around us. These ideas gained traction with the 1962 publication of McLuhan’s “The Gutenberg galaxy : the making of typographic man”. The… Continue reading #OTD 5 October

#OTD 4 October

Our national identity depends. There’s a consequence in being the less populous neighbour, and the New Zealand or the Canadian traveller may have a badge of their flag sewn on their backpack to avoid being taken for an Australian or an American. It’s more complex when nationalities live in a nation. Whether Taiwan is or… Continue reading #OTD 4 October

#OTD 3 October

In history class I well remember a student asking our teacher “Why are we learning about German reunification?” and our teacher answering “Who knows, it may again.” We all laughed wholeheartedly at the naivete of the old. A few years later, 3 October 1990, Germany reunited. How do we know our history? One well-known OTD… Continue reading #OTD 3 October

#OTD 1 October

Cannabis arrived in Mexico from Spain, this much is agreed. Whence sprang the Mexican word marijuana / marihuana, is not. One narrative calls on mallihuan, the Nahuatl word for prisoner. This explanation, clearly enough, may be a useful piece of propaganda for opponents of the drug; the self-imprisonment afforded by misuse was widely publicised by Harry… Continue reading #OTD 1 October

#OTD 4 September

When we invent something, we go to the patent office. When we work out how to sell it, we go to the trademark office. We may even do the second, first. Not so George Eastman. On 4 September 1888, he made two applications. The first was to patent his camera. The second was to trademark… Continue reading #OTD 4 September

#OTD 3 September

3 September offers something for the republic and something for the realm. While Richard the Lionheart had been crowned on 3 September 1189, Oliver Cromwell had major victories at the Battles of Dunbar and Worcester, on, respectively, 3 September 1650 and 3 September 1651. Sic gloria; on 3 September 1658, Oliver died and son Richard… Continue reading #OTD 3 September

#OTD 26 August

Times change. Back in the day, a dictator was an entirely legitimate state of affairs; in an emergency the senate gave you full power for a limited term to get things done. It was Julius Caesar who upped the ante by wrangling the appointment dictator perpetuo. Not a great move; he was assassinated a month… Continue reading #OTD 26 August

#OTD 25 August

Law is to liberty as Sisyphus is to rock. So lawyer and slaveowner Francis Scott Key is largely left to history as author of the anthemic “land of the free”. A half century and civil war on, the law was tolerably clear; the US Constitution was amended to address slavery, citizenship and voting. Inevitably, white… Continue reading #OTD 25 August