Is Blogging The Future of Marketing?

I don't know about the future, but it's doing fairly well in the present. The trend does tell me that blogs have gained momentum and are often taken seriously.

Wwd Brand Blogger Linkups Produce Controversial Ads - Executive Style - Portfolio.com: "Forget about just display ads. Increasingly, the future of advertising online seems to be through sponsorships, contests, giveaways, product placement, widgets, and games—often with bloggers. Barneys New York, Gap, Coach and other big brands are collaborating with bloggers to create new and controversial forms of advertising for a more social age. They might invite a blogger to guest blog, sponsor a series of daily outfit posts featuring their product, create or request a video of the blogger talking about the brand or wearing the product, or even ask the blogger to design for the brand."

The Backstory of Ethanol Is Quite Ugly ...

Another gem from the world of ethanol.This article is an absolute must-read. I think this is a far far better use for corn than ethanol production. (Corn Cob Bob is from our friends at the CRFA)

If you're learning about economics and want a primer on the concept of rent-seeking, you could do no better than this.

The American Spectator : Corny Capitalism: "Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency issued another one of those announcements read exclusively by government bureaucrats and green policy wonks. The EPA decided to delay a decision to increase the concentration of ethanol legal in gasoline from 10% to 15%. So-called E15 fuel would have to wait for approval until November. It was a little-read regulatory decision that barely made a splash in the media. But it was also a rock thrown at Washington's hornets' nest of food and agricultural lobbyists. 'We are disappointed,' warned food giant Archer Daniels Midland. 'We find this further delay unacceptable' and a 'dereliction of duty,' harrumphed ethanol lobbying group Growth Energy."

Additional links:
Mechanics see ethanol damaging small engines
Biofuels Backlash - At What Price Ethanol?
Mexican Coke, Corn Syrup, Ethanol, and Government

Fountain Pens & Writing Updates: Ballpoints, Nakaya, Ohto, & More

Glad I discovered the Pencils & Music blog. The Nakaya pics are amazing. (pic via Dizzy Pen)

Iroshizuku Tsukushi v Mont Blanc Toffee Brown - The Dizzy Pen: "I actually stumbled upon TB as a Tsukushi substitute while at lunch with an FPN friend of mine. She had a pen filled with IT and I had one filled with TB. It was actually a bit difficult to tell the two apart. There are some differences though."

French Ballpoint Pen Art – Simple and… - Bit Rebels: "I can see the appeal for an artist. A ballpoint pen is cheap, it’s ultimately portable and it requires no preparation. Just take the top off and you are ready to create a masterpiece. Although black and blue are the most popular ballpoint pen colors, they also come in a variety of different colors, which make them even more versatile."

Pen Review: Schneider iD Fountain Pen - Rants of The Archer: "Did I say this pen is huge? I didn't? But it is! Look at that cap. It is huuuuuge! With a huuuuuge, oversized, wide shiny chrome clip and huuuuuge top cap."

Whatever: Inky Monday - It's Not Easy Being Green: "For your enjoyment today, please find a virtual garden of greens. ... The paper is Uni Blank Block Rhodia No 19."

Notebook Stories: Moleskine Monday: Juan Rayos: "This is one of the most gorgeous examples of notebook art I’ve ever seen ..."

Review: Ohto Pieni Wooden Body Mini Needle-Point Ballpoint Pen: "Similar to the Sharpie Liquid Pencil in the fact that it is not a completely unique idea, the Ohto Pieni is still the first pen I have used where the barrel is made in the traditional wood case pencil style."

Nakaya Urushi - Cigar Piccolo - The Fountain Pen Network: "From the Nakaya Urushi range, I chose the Kuro-Tamenuri Cigar in the Piccolo size. Kuro-Tamenuri is a traditional finish which involves the layering of black urushi over scarlet-red urushi to achieve a lustrous Blackish-Red lacquer finish."

Flown space collectibles - Writing Instruments: "The issue of writing in space is complicated for several reasons. The absence of gravity makes the use of regular pens difficult since most rely on a gravity-feed effect to make ink flow down to the nib. A zero-g environment also means that a loose pen or pencil can drift around the spacecraft cabin, either getting lost, or worse, interfering with vital equipment in the spacecraft. A further complication of the spacecraft environment is that the astronauts often need to wear pressure suit gloves, making gripping and manipulating a writing instrument a challenge."

Montblanc 342G - Peaceable Writer: "Today these pens can be found for $80-$200 or more. Reason this pen was brought into the fountain pen herd: It’s a basic black piston-filling pen with a vintage nib."

Nakaya Flowers Of All Seasons (maki-e) - The Fountain Pen Network: "The maki-e work depicts different flowers on a canvas of gold. The size of the pen is the larger long cigar model (167mm long, no clip) but it is very light because it is made of ebonite. The gold dust on the surface is thinner on the top of the barrel, giving it a somewhat understated appearance."

Tulsa father, son restore fountain pens - Tulsa World: "Before the ballpoint pen, there was a time when fountain pens were elegant tools that made a wide line down the back of an L and a thin one as it slashed across its bottom. 'The power of the pen,' said Tulsa fountain pen restorer Chris Thompson, 'it's the power of the expression one can get in the flexible writing point called a nib. It's just that it's something you have control over by the pressure you put on a writing instrument. There's some artistic expression that goes along with what you're wanting to say from your soul.'"

Meisterstuck Hommage -W.A. Mozart - The Fountain Pen Network: "The Rhodium plated 14K nib is comparitively longer as compared to the size of the pen and contributes a lot to a good finger position. The nib-feed unit has the same sleeve with section lip arrangement as in the bigger Meisterstucks, but does not have the corresponding removal slots."

Visconti Homo Sapiens M Nib - The Fountain Pen Network: "I know little about fp nibs but I know that I like the Homo Sapiens Dreamtouch nib. I opted for the medium nib (all my other pens have F nibs) and I think I chose well. When compared to the nib of my Pelikan 800, it is obviously wider (being an M) and feels wetter."

Scriblets: Montblanc 167: "The first thing that must be said about the Montblanc 167 mechanical pencil is that it is large and heavy."

Additional links:
Pencils and Music
My problem with J. Herbin’s inks - : silviasblog :
Letters & Journals: Typewriter $4
Daily Journals - Letters & Journals
I Just Go Crazy When I'm At Office Depot
Everyday Correspondence: Collection Inspiration: Wahl Ring Top
pencil talk - Ohto 9000 pencil
One Of Those New Noodler’s Pens - An Inkophile’s Blog
moleskinerie: Testing the new Blackwing pencil

Today's Quotes: Bastiat, Mencken, Burroughs, & More

Thanks to Libertarian Mike for reminding me of a couple of these.

Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
-- H.L. Mencken

"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the name
of liberalism, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program until
one day America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it
happened. ... I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the
Socialist Party. The Democratic Party has adopted our platform."
-- Norman Thomas (1884-1968), leading American Socialist, pacifist,
and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America

Socialism, like the ancient ideas from which it springs, confuses the
distinction between government and society. As a result of this, every time
we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that
we object to its being done at all.
-- Frederic Bastiat

After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the
people who didn't do it. I sure as hell wouldn't want to live in a society
where the only people allowed guns are the police and the military.
-- William S. Burroughs

"[R]eal charity doesn’t mean giving away someone else’s money."
-- Doug Bandow

Why Do They Hate On For-Profit Schools?

Mr. Duncan's quote here is quite telling, as well as unsettling.

"Some proprietary schools have profited and prospered, and this is a disservice to students and to taxpayers."

It clearly illustrates two things.

1. His open hostility to the private (also known as the voluntary and productive) sector.
2. His inability to grasp what profit is, means, and how it comes to be.

There is prevalent and deep distrust among many on the left of anything they regard as "private" or "for-profit." I don't really understand why, but I suspect it's the result of some fundamental misunderstandings. This attitude can be frequently seen at the HuffPo college site.

Scapegoating For-Profit Colleges - WSJ.com: "Obama tees up another private industry for punishment. President Obama says he wants the U.S. to have the world's highest percentage of college graduates by 2020, yet his Administration is slapping new regulations on for-profit colleges that would make reaching that goal more difficult. Last month, the Department of Education proposed new "gainful employment" rules that would cut off federal student aid to for-profit institutions, such as DeVry and the University of Phoenix, if a certain percentage of their students default on loans or don't earn enough after graduation to repay them. "Some proprietary schools have profited and prospered, and this is a disservice to students and to taxpayers," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan in justifying the new rules. The politically operative words in that sentence are "profited and prospered," not students and taxpayers."

Book Review: Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw's Adventures in Moonshine

A WSJ review of this book from this past spring caught my eye. The author, Max Watman, walks the reader through his journey across the U.S. South and West as he learns about Moonshine: it's legality, history, most especially, how to make it himself in his kitchen.

The author goes deep into the moonshine culture of the South and it reads like a classic fish-out-of-water sketch. The book at various points mentions Moleskine journals (p. 122) and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top; so you know you're in good company. ;-)

A few basic details (and avg. 4.5/5 Stars at Amazon):
# Hardcover: 292 pages
# Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1 edition (February 16, 2010)
# ISBN-10: 1416571787

The book also makes several mentions of jury nullification, which is the subject in my queue for the near future. Mr. Watman also shows how NASCAR got its true roots via Moonshine, the human toll of the government's crackdown on unlicensed distilling, and the technical and artisanal aspects of the craft. There are many peculiar characters in the story.

The book begins with a background on the legendary moonshine folk hero, Popcorn Sutton. He committed suicide in 2009 after being hounded and harasshed by government officials. You can decide for yourself who is culpable. Ramsey helms faced the same end. Though note that this is definitely not a political book. It's really just an interesting bit of light reading by a talented author.



Here's how Publisher's Weekly describes the book:

"Journalist Watman chronicles America's longstanding love affair with distilled spirits, a love that he shares. As long as people have been making booze, the government has wanted to control it, and Watman colorfully illustrates a conflict that stretches from the Whiskey Rebellion through Prohibition. Watman travels from Colorado to Virginia to cover the current battles between moonshine producers and government agents, a journey that takes him from nip houses to NASCAR events. Watman also details his own complicated, and comical, attempts to manufacture hard liquor at home."

In addition to the mention of nullification which interests me, there were also a couple brief mentions of the philisophical conflicts conflict between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. p. 32

Some items of note from the book that interested me:
1. Popcorn's life and death. pp. 1-8 (also see Ramsey Helms, p. 169)
2. The Alaskan Bootlegger's Bible. p. 16
3. Jefferson vs. Hamilton, and the Whiskey Rebellion. pp. 32-38
4. Jefferson responsible for the begging of bourbon? p. 37

5. A brief sidebar on the War Between The States. p. 64
6. in 1862 the tax on liquor was $0.20/proof gallon. By the end of the war it was $2/proof gallon!
7. The Whiskey Ring of St. Louis and U.S. Grant, biggest moonshine outfit ever? And deep into funding GOP elections? p. 71

8. Washington State went dry in 1916, but you could still get an Rx for whiskey from a doctor. One month after Spokane went dry there were 34,000 issued Rxs for whiskey, in a city of only 44,000 registered voters! p. 102

9. Where did the term "speakeasy" come from? p. 112
10. Prohibition and the rise of organized crime. p. 113
11. Watman's detailed description of one of his first batches of moonshine is both legendary and horrific. p. 134.

12. Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, the Master of Sparks story. p. 136
13. What is the Angel's Share? And how does it differ between Scotland and Kentucky? p. 190
14. Pot stills? Submarine stills? Columns stills? What's the difference?

You can also read the first chapter for free which will give you a good feel for the tone of the book and the writing style. Again, this isn't a political book. I found it to be a nice break from some of the usual economics and political titles that I read. A good book to wrap-up the summer and learn some things along the way. Recommended! I'm looking forward to more titles from Max Watman.

Read the First Chapter Free:
Excerpt - Chasing the White Dog - An Amateur Outlaw’s Adventures in Moonshine by Max Watman - First Chapter

Additional links:
Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw's Adventures in Moonshine at Amazon
Chasing the White Dog with Max Watman - Forbes
Author Max Watman Talks Hooch, Cocktologists & the Metaphysical Hangover
Okrent on Prohibition and His Book, Last Call - EconTalk
Bootleggers, Baptists, and Minorities, Arnold Kling - EconLog
A Sober Conversation with Max Watman, Author of Chasing the White Dog, on the Rise of White Whiskey
Kings County Whiskey, Bourbon & Moonshine
Stranahans Colorado Whiskey
Obituary Of Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton, A Tennessee Moonshiner

Monday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via Republic of Less)
Contemporary Extension to Old Farmhouse in Austria
Paraty House / Marcio Kogan - ArchDaily
John Lautner's Shusett House
Portuguese architects - the republic of less
Open Air Sculpture House by Marek Rytych
Mosman House / Corben Architects - ArchDaily
Red Nest, an Incredible 23 Square Meter Apartment in Paris
Larry Dean's Mansion Finally Sold After 16 Years
The East Windsor Residence by Alterstudio
Eye Catching Victorian Duplex in San Francisco

History.
Howard Hughes - Wings of Desire

Cars.
Mini Cooper S [John Cooper Works] – Spring Street, NYC
Volkswagen 2011 Jetta - Wired.com Product Reviews
10 Cars That Damaged GM's Reputation (With Video)
11foot8 videos

Style.
Natty & Trad - A Properly Plaid Party
A Few Words on the Bow Tie
An Affordable Wardrobe: Non-Compulsory Suits
The Most Awesome Petrolhead Birthday Gift Ever
Made in Chicago - Oxxford Clothes - A Continuous Lean

Shoes / Boots.
Alden Shoes – The Attorney Shoe : Leather Soul Hawaii
Leffot Blog - Interview With Alden’s Arthur Tarlow
The Truth about Custom Shoes

Travel.
5 Cool Artsy Berlin Hotels
45 Romantic Getaways In Europe
Recommended walks in Turkey - velvet escape's blog

Photography.
Kodak's 1975 Model Digital Camera - NYTimes.com
45 surreal Long Exposure Photography Inspirations
3Rs meant rations, roller skates...and real education: School pictures from the 1940s, 50s and 60s

Watches.
Why Wristwatches Are Still Worth Watching
Maurice de Mauriac Chronograph Modern Le Mans Watch
Prometheus Recon 5 Watch - Selectism.com
Update on Seiko 5 models in Singapore
Rafael Nadal’s $525,000 RM 027 Tourbillon Stolen? - The Watch Lounge
A Virtual Preview: Highlights, Including Affordable Picks, From Antiquorum NY

Fountain Pens / Writing.
One Of Those New Noodler’s Pens - An Inkophile’s Blog
Scriblets: The Lore of Wax
J Herbin Bleu Pervenche Ink Review
Woman who makes the alphabets speak
Top 13 Most Expensive Pens in The World
Önemli Yerlerin Altını Çizin - Tasarım

Computers.
Full List - 50 Best Websites 2010 - TIME
80 Of The Most Useful Mac Tools and Utilities
Google's new Gmail phone service makes calling anywhere from home cheap and crystal clear

Unions.
Eventually You Run Out of Other People’s Money
If You Think Your State is Broke Now, Just Wait Until The Public-Sector Pension Bomb Detonates!

Animals.
YouTube - Two Corgis on a Treadmill

Food.
10 Culinary Professionals's Favorite Tools & Tricks
Punch Drunk - Summit Sips
Jack Daniel's, Mr Jack 160th Birthday
Beer’s not to blame for weight gain - Telegraph
Dia and patrick’s sardinian blood orange mojito

Gadgets / Gear.
10 Trickiest Spy Gadgets Ever : Discovery News
Two-Man ‘Adventure’ Tent has Parking Garage
LightCap 300 Solar-Powered Lantern/Bottle
CASE-REAL - Works - EK AMP
Jetpacks For Sale - Popular Mechanics

Misc.
Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's
The Russian Woodpecker - Google Sightseeing

Liberty & Govt. At Work: Speed Limits, Eye-Rolling, Cleveland, & More

Warren Meyer's Forbes column is dead-on.

The New American Corporate State - Forbes.com: "In the United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was almost certainly an admirer of Mussolini's economic system, as he copied many of its salient features into the code authorities and commercial licensing requirements of the National Industrial Recovery Act (which eventually was struck down by the Supreme Court). Prices, wages, production quotas and, in effect, nearly every detail of business practices in an industry were to be set by small groups of government, labor and industry leaders. The president was given the power to unilaterally revoke the right to do business, without any further due process, of any enterprise in America if it refused to conform to this reincarnation of the Medieval guild system."

Expensive Jobs - OpenMarket.org: "Through June, the government spent about $620 billion of stimulus money. The Obama administration claims that the spending has saved or created 2.3 to 2.8 million jobs. For the sake of argument, let’s assume those job creation numbers are true. In fact, let’s pick the rosiest number — 2.8 million jobs. At a price of $620 billion, that comes out to $221,428.57 per job. Startlingly inefficient."

Dr. Thomas Sowell - "Moral Hazard" in Politics: "This was not a unique experience. More than 25,000 properties have received government flood insurance payments more than four times. Over a period of 28 years, more than 4,000 properties received government insurance payments exceeding the total value of the property. If you are located in a dangerous place, repeated damage can easily add up to more than the property is worth, especially if the property is damaged and then later wiped out completely ..."

Scrap the Minimum Wage - Forbes.com: "Do you want to get serious about expanding employment? Then it's time to realize that spending on jobs programs is the wrong approach. It would be much better to eliminate hurdles for people who want to find work. One of those hurdles is the minimum wage. The effect of a minimum wage is a classic example of the law of unintended consequences. Minimum wages create unemployment ..."

Government Insurance: Guaranteed to fail - OpenMarket.org: "Given that it sells insurance for less than any private company would, the program is a fiscal disaster. Although it theoretically, “borrows” money from the Treasury rather than actually raiding it, its fiscal state doesnt really make it possible for NFIP to pay back its debts. Right now, it owes the Treasury almost $18 billion and has no practical way to pay it back."

It pays to riot in Europe – Telegraph Blogs: "To add insult to injury Ireland is having SUBSIDIZE Greece to meet its share of the rescue fund. I am sure you can all see the absurdity of this. It has moral hazard written all over it, and shows what happens once a dysfunctional system twists itself into ever greater knots rather confronting the core issue."

And Then They Came for the Bagels - The Unbroken Window: "Kenneth Greene, the Rochester-based franchisee, said he was recently hit with a tax bill for not charging sales tax on any sliced bagel. Typically, he thought, sales tax is applied only when a bagel is sliced for a sandwich or for cream cheese and butter. Whole bagels are not taxed when they are eaten off the premises, state officials said."

More on the Green Police - The Unbroken Window: "The chips will allow city workers to monitor how often residents roll carts to the curb for collection. If a chip show a recyclable cart hasn’t been brought to the curb in weeks, a trash supervisor will sort through the trash for recyclables."

Additional links:
Budget Choices - Cato @ Liberty
Let’s Regulate Barney Frank’s Pay - Cato @ Liberty
CIA making secret payments to members of Karzai administration
Blacks in Montgomery Organize Against “Eminent Domain through the Back Door”

Wristwatch Updates: Dodane, Red Submariner, Star Trek, & More!

Love the look of the Linde Werdelin. And LOTS of many great watch photos here. I have a sweet spot for that Dodane.

Linde Werdelin Ti Oktopus: "Just received this one in trade. Same 46mm width, but a tad taller then 'The One'. Sweet lacquered bezel. Less dress and way more sport."

Rolex Red Submariner Ref: 1680 Unpolished Case and Amazing Story: "Rolex Forums has a great story on-line about the purchase of a red Submariner ref.1680 from its first owner. It seems that this Rolex Submariner has seen it all in over 30 years. As the writer of this story puts it: “This watch has been through it all. The cocaine-fueled parties of the 70′s 80′s, scuba diving around the world, racing his mini cooper in Southern California. Truly a fantastic watch that’s been through an amazing journey.”"

Panerai wristwatch photo blog: Linde Werdelin Oktopus photo essay: "According to the LW website, the Oktopus is the first LW watch to have different case dimensions in order to increase the water resistance to 1.111m and to withstand pressure of more than 110 ATM. The Oktopus also carries an integrated Helium Escape Valve at 9 o'clock to release pressure during resurface time."

Jenny Caribbean 1000m - Twilightdivewatches: "The Jenny Caribbean is dive watch history: the very first diver which was waterproof up to 1000m! The watch has a very unique case disign as it is a monocoque and has no removeable case-back."

Rolex vs Omega at the Authorised service centre. Let's get ready to rumble...: "Hi Gang, I’ve now had my GMT-II serviced twice (2003 & 2010) and my Speedmaster Pro serviced once (2009) and repaired numerous times (2007-2009) and so rather than kick off yet another WSW picture thread or a discussion about why Hesalite or acrylic lenses are better than sapphire (no arguments here, they just are), I thought I’d post some musings about my Service experience with these two factory authorised service centres."

Bulova Astronaut - Twilightdivewatches: "We all know the Omega Speedmaster as the first watch on the moon, but the Bulova fanbase claim that without the Bulova Astronaut, they wouldn’t have gotten there in the first place, as this watch was worn in the commando centre here on earth."

The Start Trek Rolex GMT Master at NASA: "Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock are as iconic today as the Rolex Submariner and Rolex GMT Master. Somehow their personalities played perfectly off of each other, and how cool were these guys?!"

Tempus Fugit: Don't call it a comeback - DODANE TYPE 21: "The DODANE family started making watches all the way back in 1857. Like many watch companies of its day, it was a father in-law (Francois-Xavier Joubert) and his son (Alphonse Dodane) who put things in motion. The Dodanes developed a fly-back chronograph, and with the development of the airplane, shifted their focus to equipping planes with timing devices."

A Watch Company that Actually Make Its Own Gold - a Visit to Chopard Geneve: "During SIHH 2010, I took a short afternoon side trip to Chopard Geneve. Whereas the Chopard facility in Fleurier produces only the high-end LUC line, Chopard Geneve is the much bigger brother that produces everything from the standard Chopard watches (e.g. Mille Miglia) to jewelry pieces."

One of VC's rare unique bespoke pieces to be made public - Vacheron Constantin Forum: "In 2006 Vacheron Constantin set up a bespoke department called the Atelier Cabinotiers, a first for any watch brand - this specialised service enabled having abespoke watch made to the custommers specifications ..."

A Look Into The World of R.W. Smith: British Hand-Made Haute Horology At Its Finest(VIDEO) - Hodinkee: "Eight years later, Smith re-approached Daniels, this time with a new one-minute tourbillon pocket watch. Daniels was impressed, and invited Smith to join him in his studio on the Isle of Mann."

The Haldimann H8 Sculptura - The Watch Lounge: "Utterly mesmerizing the H8 Sculptura is not so much a tool for measuring the passage of time but rather a celebration of exquisite craftsmanship and an unwavering commitment to traditional techniques."

Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Watch 2010: "In addition to the sapphire crystal on the dial and caseback, there is a curved crystal on the side of the case with a nice view into the happenings of the tourbillon. Everything about the watch aside from looking at it head on involves the movement and its beauty."

OceanicTime: Jaeger-LeCoultre Extreme Watches (book): "This book is dedicated to all adventurers, explorers and other conquerors of the impossible. It tells the story of challenges, efforts and triumphs. It also tells of a key element in many such feats: time.' -- Jérôme Lambert, CEO, Jaeger-LeCoultre"

TAG Heuer Limited Editions- Singapore 2010 - Calibre 11: "The Monaco is based on the Calibre 12″Black McQueen“, but with Green hands and markings in place of the usual red. The watch comes with both a black leather strap (with Green stitching) and a rubber strap ."

Additional links:
Hyunsuk's Military Watch Gallery
Marlon Brando Rolex GMT Master From Apocalypse Now...
PhotoWatches.eu - Home
Dive Watches: Zixen DSR500 Arrival
Grand Seiko Fan Event 2010 - WatchingHorology
Wristwatch pictures: Rolex Submariner 16610LV - FLAT FOUR
Nicholas Hacko Watchmaker: Less than perfect ? Fantastic!!!
A clockwork life winds down - Bayside Leader
Eterna KonTiki Sonic - Twilightdivewatches
ROLEX: Don't mess with us Mr. Tran!
Panerai wristwatch photo blog: PAM26 Luminor Marina Left Handed SE 2008: "T"

Fountain Pens & Writing Updates: Stipula, Diamine, Montblanc, & More

Some pen stuff for the weekend. (pic via Whatever)

Whatever: Featured Pen - Stipula Passaporto Miami Sunset: "Renzo Salvadori started this company in 1973 in Florence, Italy. The first pens they produced were for other company brands, and in 1991 they started to produce pens under their own name.Today the company is a family business (run by Renzo Salvadori and daughter Elisabetta and son Giovanni and his son-in-law, Luca Viti."

Iroshizuku Fuyu Gaki v Diamine Vermillion - The Dizzy Pen: "Up today is Iroshizuku Fuyu Gaki (FG) and Diamine Vermillion (DV). Color-wise, these two inks are nearly identical. FG is a medium red-orange with a slight pinkish undertone. DV is the same color but a shade or so lighter and a touch less pink. But be forewarned, Vermillion is a very VERY dry writing ink."

Make a note of it… - A Continuous Lean: "Over the past few weeks a few different notebooks have come into my life. A few were sent to me, a few were acquired through eBay and one I have had for sometime. I’m a big fan of notebooks, owning them and using them. I’m also the type of person that needs to keep life organized with a list, so the relationship is a mutually beneficial. Notebooks need people and people need notebooks."

Putting pen to paper - Telegraph: "As someone who considers herself attentive to matters of style, how can Hannah Betts have been so shabby in her writing habits, she asks."

Leigh Reyes. My Life As a Verb - Moore 72 pen and matching pencil.: "In jewelry, this pair would be called a demi-parure. I am dusting off that word and putting it here because the Moore 72 belongs to a time when women had parures and reticules. And tiny hands."

Pencil talk - Stabilo Boss and Swing Cool highlighters: "The highlighter colours are rich and vibrant. The Boss comes in a traditional wedge form factor, which the Swing Cool’s dimensions are more similar to a pen. The Swing Cool also has a clip."

Inkyjournal: Montblanc Meisterstuck no 149 (fine) review: "The pen is a huge classic rounded pen design. They also call it big classic cigar shape. It is big but has great grip. I like big pens so this one was my choice for my birthday present. I wrote every day with it since I got it."

Review: iroshizuku fuyu-gaki – a winter persimmon perfect for summer - lady dandelion: "I seldom find it necessary to mention the bottle, but in this case I actually find it appropriate to do so since the bottle in itself is a exquisite combination of aesthetics and function. Unlike Caran d’Aches beautiful, but so very impractical bottles, these bottles are – in accordance with the Japanese tradition – made to be used as well as please the eye."

Palimpsest: Gandhi, his Pencil and Mont Blanc: "This is not the first time that Mont Blanc honours a famous personage by issuing a writing instrument of choice. It is also not the first time that the instrument of choice does anything but reflect the writing habits of the famous user it is supposed to represent."

Noodler's V-mail Midway Blue Ink Review - Without Ink: "The ink has a very nice shade and tone. Very pretty. I only have the Noodler's V-mail Midway Blue inked in one pen. From what I can see, the ink seems very dry. This could also be due to the choice of nibs I used."

Additional links:
Lamy Pen Tutorial - :: silviasblog ::
My tiny ink collection - :: silviasblog ::
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
Sanford Sharpie Couleurs Cafe – Earl Grey, Blueberry, Pomegranate, Hibiscus Tea, and Mocha
The Blackwing Pages - The Once and Future Pencil
Notebook Stories: Notebook Addict of the Week: Mónica
Aug 17, 1859: U.S. Airmail Carried by Balloon
MSK Templates - Moleskine
For love and idleness: Rhodia Webnotebook version 3
SOUTHERN GENT: The Written Word
Sharbo X Thoughts, Stationery, Webbie, & More
Moleskinerie: Found: "Weekly Moleskine"
Review: teNeues cool notes – tested with 18 inks - lady dandelion

Saturday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via Contemporist)
The Bowen Mountain House by CplusC
Virtual Tour Steampunk House in Sharon MA
Stairs House in Japan
Glamorous Glass Pavilion Residence in California
The Vesu Restaurant by Arcsine Architecture
W.H. Stark House Is A Restored Victorian Landmark

Green.
Is Hauling Your Own Trash Green? - TreeHugger

Food.
Hot Stuff in a Squeeze Bottle - NYTimes.com
New Restaurants for Meatheads on Cool Hunting
Slice, Dice & Spice New York
Starbucks new Reserve line caters to coffee geeks
Ho Chiak: Crystal Jade Golden Palace
5 Quick and Delicious Lunches Under 400 Calories

Unions.
Teachers Unions Concerned Kids Might Get Bored ...
Guess which special interest is number one in campaign donations?

Travel.
20 Eye-Opening Cultural Norms in Japan
Best Towns To Live In 2010 - OutsideOnline
World's Strangest Vending Machines - Travel Leisure
You Paid What for That Flight? - WSJ
Commemorating 100 Years of the RV
Visit Spain (Espana) Through Stunning Photographs

Entertainment.
The Top 50 Movie Endings of All Time
YouTube Now Has Movies (here)

Engineering.
The World's 18 Strangest Bridges: Gallery - Popular Mechanics

Cars.
The definitive modern American muscle car: Cadillac CTS-V
Dark Roasted Blend: World's Smallest Cars
Quick Drive: 2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited
Michael Stoschek's Wild Child: the New Lancia Stratos
1959 Porsche on Sale at Hamburg Airport
Volkswagen split-window logo buses

Photography.
The Frame: Hurricane Katrina five years later
1922 Kodachrome Film Test by Kodak

Style.
All American Style
Tie Week: Affordable Mini Tie Clips
Permanent style: Graham Browne, W Bill cashmere blazer
Ed Heald, Dartmouth '68, on his "Take Ivy" Photo and 1965 Ivy Style

Shoes / Boots.
The Engineered Garments x Mark McNairy Boots

Watches.
Bugatti Super Sport Watch - Parmigiani Fleurier

Gadgets / Gear.
Netflix app now available for iPhone and iPod touch (more)
Physical Touchscreen Knobs [iPhone, iPad]
Record Dragons' Den investment for Harry Potter-style magic wand
Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Knife
Survival 101: How to Survive in the Wilderness
ATV Comparo: John Deere Gator XUV vs. Polaris Ranger RZR, Tomcar TM5, Yamaha Rhino
Eight Clever Ways to Take Advantage of Free Calling in Gmail

Animals.
Three Patagonian Cavy Pups - ZooBorns
Frog the size of a pea discovered in Borneo
Shadeaux the Mixed Breed - Daily Puppy
Fossa Pups! - ZooBorns
Many Mongooses for Fort Wayne Children's Zoo
Jesse James the Dachshund - Daily Puppy
Octopus Evades Predators by Mimicking Toxic Sea Creatures

Computers.
10 Of The Coolest Map Apps For Use On Bing Maps
Free Software Alternatives - Popular Mechanics

Misc.
Tiny Cardboard People Appear All Over Singapore
The New Coffee Bars - Unplug, Drink Up - NYTimes.com
10 Reading Revolutions Before E-Books - The Atlantic
Beautiful Timelapse of the 2010 Perseid Meteor Shower
Anyway you slice it, doesn't a six-blade razor feel excessive?

Blanche Lincoln & What's Wrong With Government

Here we have the problem in a nutshell. This brief piece from the WSJ is a must-read. How can these actions be considered anything short of despicable? They are clearly immoral and unconstitutional. Blanche Lincoln would like to steal from all Americans in order to buy votes in her home state.

This is what we get when we allow politicians, mountebanks, and crooks of all strips to stray from the Constitution.

Lincoln's Last Earmark - WSJ.com: "Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln is down 20 points in the polls, but the Democrat is apparently going to go down swinging—with $1.5 billion of your money. She is the spending problem, in profile. Last year heavy rain damaged cotton and rice crops across the South. The 2008 farm bill, passed by a Democratic Congress, created the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) to aid farmers hit by such weather-related disasters. The admirable intent was to stop farm-state Senators from looting the Treasury after every early frost or the like. To qualify for SURE funds, farmers are now required to buy crop insurance (federally subsidized to the tune of about $6 billion a year) and to have lost more than 30% of their crop value. Mrs. Lincoln wants to pull an end run around this law and make Arkansas farmers eligible for retroactive taxpayer payments. The payments would be made even if the recipients didn't buy crop insurance and even if their damages were as little as 5%. Most small businesses in America suffered far more than a 5% fall in revenues during the recession, but few are getting six-figure handouts from Uncle Sam. ... Enter the White House. In an August 6 letter, deputy budget director Robert L. Nabors II pledged that “the Administration is committed to providing [the disaster] assistance consistent with your legislative proposal by the end of the month.” The White House says it can do so under a Depression-era law allowing tariff funds to be used for farm emergency payments. ... Much of the money will go to some of the largest farms or plantations. According to an analysis by the liberal-leaning Environmental Working Group, Ratio Farms in Helena, Arkansas is in line to get $787,000, and that is on top of the $874,000 the agribusiness giant received in farm payments in 2009. Nearly 200 Arkansas farms and 100 Louisiana farms will get a check for $100,000 or more, and the 10% richest farmers will get almost two-thirds of the money. One of the few federal programs the Obama administration has said it wants to eliminate is farm subsidies to wealthy farmers — unless, apparently, the money goes to the state of an endangered Democratic Senator. Coincidentally—or not—the USDA has chosen this moment to stop publishing the names of farm subsidy recipients and how much they receive."

What's The Difference Between Recyclables & Garbage?

Dr. Mike Munger explains.

In defense of Starbucks - Washington Examiner: "Economist Michael Munger suggests we take price signals seriously: 'There is a simple test for determining whether something is a resource (something valuable) or just garbage (something you want to dispose of at the lowest possible cost, including costs to the environment). If someone will pay you for the item, it's a resource. Or, if you can use the item to make something else people want, and do it at lower price or higher quality than you could without that item, then the item is also a resource. But if you have to pay someone to take the item away, or if other things made with that item cost more or have lower quality, then the item is garbage. [...] 'Recycle, regardless of cost!' doesn't solve a problem; it creates one. Laws requiring recycling harm me, the environment, and everyone else. We have to take prices into account, because prices are telling us that we can't save resources by wasting resources.'"

Fountain Pens & Writing Updates: Sharbo X Thoughts, Stationery, Webbie, & More

Still loving the Zebra Sharbo X LT3. I had an epiphany this morning. Wouldn't it be great if Zebra worked with Fisher to create Fisher Space Pen refills for it? And don't miss the huge list from a few days ago. ;-)

Pennington-on-the-paper: Review: The Large Japanese Moleskine: "However, the Japanese albums are an acquired taste which tend to confuse people. When I offered my boyfriend a blank Moleskine from my stash and showed him the large Japanese album, he couldn't think of why it would be useful for writers."

SOUTHERN GENT: The Written Word: "A few weeks ago I received an email from ASC of Virginia, asking my opinion on what kind of stationary he should get - monogrammed, bordered, lined envelopes, font styles etc."

Stainless Steel Zebra M-701 Mechanical Pencil :: OfficeSupplyGeek: "The nice folks over at Zebra offered me a few items to take a look at recently, and one of them was this really cool .7mm stainless steel Zebra M-701 mechanical pencil. I think I’ve made it clear that I’m not a big fan of writing with a pencil, so I’ll keep this focused on the pencil itself and my feelings about pencils in general."

Pencil talk - Stabilo bionic worker: "This is a pencil blog, not a marker blog, but I’m still happy that Quo Vadis Canada sent some samples of the Stabilo bionic worker this way. Well, I’m calling it a marker, but it is officially a “liquid ink roller ball”."

Origin of the Webbie :: Rhodia Drive: "Earlier this year we were approached by TED to donate Rhodia notebooks for their famous gift bag. At our request, Clairefontaine Rhodia, our parent company in France, arranged for 800 Webbies to be shipped to TEDGlobal 2010 at Oxford University."

The Pen Addict: Review: Pentel Oh! 0.7mm Gel: "I didn't mean for it to be Pentel week here at The Pen Addict, but it looks like it is shaping up that way so far. Monday brought a pleasant surprise in the Pentel Selfit ballpoint, and today brings the somewhat disappointing Pentel Oh! gel ink pen."

Conklin Mark Twain Crescent - The Fountain Pen Network: "The steel nib was perhaps the best surprise. My other Conklin pens, a Glider and a Nozac, are really good looking pens that are not very good writers."

This is one of my favorite notebooks. The...: "This is one of my favorite notebooks. The Hand*Book Journal Co. blank books are beautiful. They are covered in hardback book cloth with blank pages inside. The paper is heavier weight and toothier than a standard Moleskine (and much cheaper) and ..."

Ink Nouveau: BRAND NEW- Private Reserve Invincible Black: "I did an initial writing test with the ink, and I have to say WOW! It writes incredibly smooth, I mean, really impressive. I said an audible 'wow' when I tried it for the first time!"

The return of the Blackwing pencil - Boing Boing: "In 2007 I reported that Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602 pencils were selling for $30 each on eBay. The manufacturer stopped making them in 1998 (the retail price at that time was 50 cents). Since then, the price has gone up to about $40 per unsharpened pencil."

pencil talk - Back to school with Rhodia: "Quo Vadis Canada has kindly sent pencil talk a few back to school themed items. Let’s take a look at them over the rest of the week. First, we have the Rhodia Leatherette Holder."

Writing Down the Ink #1 - Peaceable Writer: "As I make my way through 33 bottles of ink, I offer the first in an irregular personal feature documenting what’s discovered about my relationship to these inks and how the using-up-ink process fares."

Ink Review: J. Herbin Larmes de Cassis - Rants of The Archer: "Larmes de Cassis will definitely stay in my rotation of non-blue and non-black inks. My nieces love it and wrote and drew on their small Rhodia Bloc No. 10s using the four pens that I filled with it."

Additional links:
Pocket Blonde: Y&C Gel Xtreme Pen
Notebook Stories: Book: From Old Notebooks
Lots of Links Moleskine in the Mix - An Inkophile’s Blog
Journal 21...a planner review!
June 10, 1943: Biro Brothers Patent Ballpoint Pen
Dave's Mechanical Pencils: Pentel Sharp Kerry P1035
Ink Review: J. Herbin Terre de Feu - Rants of The Archer
Pocket Blonde: Prefer Fountain Pens? So Does Inspector Morse
League of extraordinary fountain pens
The Underrated Preppy - The Sign Pen
Lots of Links Moleskine in the Mix - An Inkophile’s Blog
Spiritual Evolution of the Bean: I'd like the Sailor Sapporo so much better if only....

Today's Quotes: Gandhi, Nietzsche, Williams, & More

Charter schools are just public schools on a slightly longer leash.
-- Walter Williams

Socialism is the fantastic younger brother of despotism,
which it wants to inherit. Socialism wants to have the fullness
of state force which before only existed in despotism. ...
However, it goes further than anything in the past because it aims
at the formal destruction of the individual ... who ... can be used
to improve communities by an expedient organ of government.
-- Friedrich Nietzsche

The state represents violence in a concentrated and organized form.
The individual has a soul, but as the state is a soulless machine,
it can never be weaned from violence to which it owes its very existence.
-- Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi

How strangely will the Tools of a Tyrant pervert the plain
Meaning of Words!
-- Samuel Adams

We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes non-work.
-- Milton Friedman

Liberty & Govt. At Work: Speed Limits, Eye-Rolling, Cleveland, & More

Does this bagel tax business sound like the work of a free society or a free people? (pic: Will Yurman for WSJ)

Sliced Bagels, Taxes on Top - WSJ.com: "What's the tax on a bagel? It depends how you slice it—or in the case of New York, if you slice it. State tax officials, under orders from cash-strapped Albany to ramp up their audit and compliance efforts, have begun to enforce one of the more obscure distinctions within the state's sales tax law. In New York, the sale of whole bagels isn't subject to sales tax. But the tax does apply to 'sliced or prepared bagels (with cream cheese or other toppings),' according to the state Department of Taxation and Finance. And if the bagel is eaten in the store, even if it's never been touched by a knife, it's also taxed."

Harsanyi: Gridlock: our greatest hope - Denver Post: "Get ready for the most productive and decent political condition known to man: sweet gridlock. You get nothing. And, after what you've been through these past few years, you deserve it."

Who cares about our future? - Dr. Walter Williams: "Washington — My column titled “What Handouts to Cut?” created a number of angry responses, and for the first time in my life, I had some, not much, sympathy for political cowardice. Most letters were from senior citizens angered by my suggestion that they were receiving handouts and those handouts be cut."

RealClearPolitics - Medical Care Facts and Fables: "We hear a lot about how wonderful it is that the Canadians or the British or the Swedes get free medical treatment because the government runs the system. But we don't hear much about the quality of that medical care."

Sen. Baucus [author of Obamacare] admits to not reading bill!: "“I don’t think you want me to waste my time to read every page of the health care bill. You know why? It’s statutory language,” Baucus said. “We hire experts.”"

Pentagon computers attacked with flash drive: "WASHINGTON -- A foreign spy agency pulled off the most serious breach of Pentagon computer networks ever by inserting a flash drive into a U.S. military laptop, a top defense official said Wednesday."

John Stossel - Where Are the New Jobs? : "Why isn't the economy recovering? After previous recessions, unemployment didn't get stuck at close to 10 percent. If left alone, the economy can and does heal itself, as the mistakes of the previous inflationary boom are corrected. The problem today is that the economy is not being left alone. Instead, it is haunted by uncertainty on a hundred fronts. When rules are unintelligible and unpredictable, when new workers are potential threats because of Labor Department regulations, businesses have little confidence to hire. President Obama's vaunted legislative record not only left entrepreneurs with the burden of bigger government, it also makes it impossible for them to accurately estimate the new burden. In at least three big areas -- health insurance, financial regulation and taxes -- no one can know what will happen."

Alan Simpson under fire for remarks on Social Security - Aug. 25, 2010: "NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- An advocacy group is calling for the ouster of former Sen. Alan Simpson, the co-chairman of President Obama's bipartisan debt commission, who described Social Security as a 'milk cow with 310 million tits!' in an email."

Additional links:
The Recovery Is Artificial- MoneyShow.com
The Government's New Right to Track Your Every Move With GPS - Yahoo! News
Full-Body Scan Technology Deployed In Street-Roving Vans - Forbes
It is Still Amazing This Was Once Law in This Country

So Here's My Ground-Zero Mosque Take

With respect to the so-called ground-zero mosque, I think the answer is simple. Whomever owns the property gets to decide what is built on it. Period. I guess this view of private property rights is partly what makes me a libertarian and not a conservative? (pic via Wiki)

Updates [I agree w/ Russell Simmons & Art Carden!]

What I do have a big problem with however is this business of U.S. taxpayer money being used to build mosques in other countries. The problem is not mosques per se, it's simply the fact that stolen money is being used for anything. As usual, Dr. Ron Paul is right on this.

U.S. government funds mosque renovation and rehabilitation around the world - The Daily Caller: "While much attention has been focused on questions surrounding the Ground Zero mosque and the appropriateness of the State Department funding Ground Zero mosque imam Feisal Abdul Rauf’s trip to the Middle East, little attention has been given to the fact that U.S. taxpayer money is funding mosque development around the world. Just a cursory search of the term “mosque” on the State Department’s list of “projects” reveals 26 examples of federal funds going to fund construction, renovation, and rehabilitation of various mosques abroad. The benefiting countries include Bulgaria, Pakistan, Mali, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Benin, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Egypt, Tunisia, the Maldives, Yemen, Turkmenistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Azerbaijan, Sudan, Serbia and Montenegro."

Additional links:
Ron Paul Takes the Right Postition on the Mosque

Did The FDA Drop The Ball Here?

Dr. Rizzo absolutely nails it with this quote.

Stacked Deck - The Unbroken Window: "... the egg contamination happened on the FDA’s watch, just as the Gulf Oil spill happened under the eye of the regulatory authorities, just as the financial crisis took place under the eye of the SEC, Fed and other regulatory bodies, just as the 9-11 attacks took place under the nose of our defense agencies, etc. And in every single case, all we see are calls for increased government involvement. Not only do we get “calls” we get massive intrusions and a ratcheting up of the power of government. Tell me one other institution were the buck is passed and failure is rewarded more regularly?"

Additional links:
Egg Recall Hatches More Regulations - Reason Magazine

Wednesday Grab Bag of Links ...

Architecture. (pic via Contemporist)
The Syncline House by Arch11
Inspiring Contemporary Home in Venice Beach
Devoto House - Fubiz™
Stunning Oakland Residence with Dramatic Views
Modern Hill House in California

History.
Edmund & Tenzing - A Continuous Lean

Photography.
70 Beautiful Examples Of Tilt Shift Photography
When day meets night and we see stars
Sony outs two new alpha-series cameras: the A55 and A33
Review: Eye-Fi Pro X2 Wireless Camera Card
40 Amazing Lomography wallpaper and Tutorials
25 Amazing CityScape Photography – Designzzz
20 Exhilarating Examples of HDR Photography
Bullet Photography (12 pics) - My Modern Metropolis
HDR Photos of Tokyo

Finance.
20 Savings Mistakes People Make - Yahoo! Finance

Cars.
Honda CL350
Test Drive: Audi’s R8 V10 Spyder
His Bond With 007 Is His Car Collection
BaT Exclusive: 1963 Cadillac Convertible
Video: Insane 100-mph Crash Caught On Tape
MotArt: Vincent's 1970 Triton

Education.
L.A.'s 'Taj Mahal' School's Real Cost - IBD (more)
How Americans Pay for College - NYTimes.com

Food.
Places to eat in Valencia: five restaurant recommendations
Mutsumi Hashi on Cool Hunting
A Cookie For the Lunchbox: 20 Favorite Cookie Recipes
World's biggest BBQ can cook 1,000 sausages

Computers.
5 Free Operating Systems You Maybe Never Realized Existed

Gadgets / Gear.
EDC - Victorinox Swiss Card Lite in Onyx
Ciclotte Stationary Bicycle - Wired.com
Roundup: Hot Pots - Wired.com Product Reviews

Style.
Archival DIY: Reproofing Waxed Cotto
The Trad: The Kent CR8
Perfect Gentleman: A Case For Pleats
J.Crew Goes Uptown: The GQ Eye
Eddie Bauer and Seattle as the birthplace of quilted down parkas

Shoes / Boots.
Permanent style: Berluti repatination - the after shots
Leffot Blog - Alfred Sargent Handgrade

Fountain Pens / Writing.
penmanship - the republic of less
Career Junction: Skills - Creative Criminals
Topical Stamp Collecting: Mailboxes from World Wide Countries
League of extraordinary fountain pens

Unions.
Irony and the law of unintended consequences visit the UAW

Watches.
URWERK's UR-202 "White Shark" [HD]
A Prodigal beater from Greenwich? Hamilton’s Navy GMT
Blog My Watch - Anteus
Patek Philippe: My latest addition....
At what point does a timepiece become a work of art ?
First visits of Monochrome’s tour de Suisse
Yema Sous Marine (FE Cal. 4611)… - The Watch Spot
Rolex celebrates 50 years of underwater heritage
Classic French Aviator’s Flyback Chronograph with Over a Quarter Century of (Proven) Military Service

Misc.
Clever Dad Punishes Daughter With 'Free Babysitting' Advertisement
Plenty to Watch Online, but Viewers Prefer to Pay for Cable
Anne Frank tree falls over in heavy wind and rain
17 alternative uses for toothpaste, from bee stings to cleaning rings
10 Websites For Free Audio Books

Why Has No On Gotten Rich Off Of This Yet?

If the allegedly lower wages of women are due to sexual discrimination rather than true market forces and productivity ... there's a massive profit opportunity out there.

Consider that in a competitive business only a few % points in margin can make all the difference at times. The last numbers are read claimed that women only make about $0.75 for every $1 that men make, ceteris paribus, allegedly. If this was true, an entrepreneur could buy or start a business that used at least an average amount of human labor (manufacturing, sales, office staff, whatever), hire only woman, and pay them say 87% of what men make. They would quickly attract the very best female talent. They would also have a huge advantage against their discriminating competition.

It defies logic that not a single (at least not that I'm aware of) greedy entrepreneur, male or female, has taken advantage of this and become rich.

I was very glad to see that Dr. Boudreaux made the same points this morning.

An Hypothesis Easily Tested, Daily: "And that’s not all. Being benighted male chauvinists, your competitors will not follow your example; they will stubbornly refuse to offer female employees wages commensurate with these women’s productivity. You’ll expand your operations by easily hiring highly productive, formerly underpaid workers while your competitors – made stupid by prejudice – will shrivel into bankruptcy as they lose productive employee after productive employee. You’ll simultaneously corner your industry’s market, earn handsome profits, and raise women’s wages. If you’re correct that sex discrimination is rampant in today’s labor market, you can’t lose! So get to work!" (more)

Fountain Pens & Writing Updates: Sailor, Moleskine, Nib Grinders, & More

Another HUGE list of links today! ;-) I like the look of that CoolNotes journal. (Note that the FT requires you to be logged in to read it, but it's free)

Also be sure not to miss all of the great archived reviews of journals at Black Cover.

And how great does this bookshelf/personal library look?! (pic via BP)

Review: Pentel Selfit 0.7mm Ballpoint: "It isn't very often that I get caught offguard by a pen, but the perfomance of the Pentel Selfit really took my by surprise."

FT.com - The job: Nib Grinder and Tester: "I am a dental technician by qualification and came to this job by accident 14 years ago when the laboratory I was working with ran into trouble. Before long, I fell in love with the work. Montblanc is the only company in the world that employs nib grinders and testers. My job is to weld the iridium tip on to the golden fountain-pen nibs. Then it takes up to 35 different steps, including the nib grinding, so that the pen does not scratch."

Pocket Blonde: CoolNotes Journals by teNeues: "The CoolNotes product line by teNeues is a Moleskine-like journal that comes in various sizes and color schemes, including colored elastic bands to complement the solid color of the journal--a detail I quite like as it acts as an accessory to my little black notebook and gives it a bit more style."

6 Reasons Why I’d Choose Pen And Paper Every Time - Organize IT: "Last week I was asked on Twitter what my favorite GTD tools were for getting organized. Did I prefer the hifi or lofi approach? What was my favorite app? My answer was unequivocally that I prefered good ol’ pen and paper."

Notebook Stories: Moleskine Monday: One Hundred (and three) Notebooks: "One Hundred (and three) Moleskine Notebooks. I have just finished writing my book on Moleskine notebooks titled “Moleskine: How to make use of the “legendary” notebook”."

Moleskine Folio Professional Printable Paper for Inkjet and Laser Printers :: OfficeSupplyGeek: "Back in May when I attended the National Stationery Show, I came across lots of new products from Moleskine, including this Moleskine Folio Professional Printable Paper (via Amazon) for Inkjet and Laser Printers."

Ink Nouveau: Private Reserve Highlighter Ink: "You may have heard that Pelikan is coming out with the m205 duo highlighter pen/ink combo. Well, Private Reserve has just revived an old formula of their own highlighter ink called Chartreuse. An old formula? That's right..."

The Manly Tradition of the Pocket Notebook - The Art of Manliness: "No matter what profession you find yourself in, the most essential function of the pocket notebook is to provide a place to capture the ideas that spring to mind throughout the day. You may get a business idea, an insight into something you or a loved one has been struggling with, or hear a quote you wish to record."

Delfonics Striped Notebook Band with Pen Holder - Gear Patrol: "When it comes to notebooks, we’ll always love our Moleskins. Japanese made Delfonics diaries have often caught our eye though and spotting these striped elastic notebook bands ($17) has renewed our interest."

How to Improve Your Handwriting: "Don’t let your bad handwriting keep you from the thoughtful gesture of sending a handwritten note. Remember that it’s the act of sending a note that’s most important. There are handwriting coaches that you can pay $75 an hour to, or you can work on your handwriting yourself. Here are a few tips for having your handwritten notes look better"

Sailor Recruit: The Newest Addition - The PenUltimate Ink Blog: "Like all Sailors, the nib is very very fine. And sometimes, as I’m writing quickly, I have this weird sensation that the letters are just appearing by themselves. This pen is so inconspicuous that it seems that words just happen on the page."

Lost: Daniel Faraday’s Journal.
Daniel Faraday’s Journal Images (from Lost)
Daniel Faraday's Journal and Map - Sledgeweb's LOST
Daniel's journal - Lostpedia

Additional links:
Black Cover
Horror Stationery
jocundist: andrew bush
Whatever: Essential tools
The return of the Blackwing pencil - Boing Boing
Write a letter? :: Rhodia Drive
Moleskinerie: Moleskine Pen Holder
J Herbin Vert Olive Ink Review - Without Ink
Inkthusiasm!: J. Herbin delights!
How I Use My Knockoff Moleskine - Happenchance
Zebra SK-Sharbo 1 Multi-Pen Pencil – Black, Red, and Lead
Leuchtturm 1917 – review of a pleasant aquaintance
Tutorial : turn a moleskine into a travel journal (more)
Dr. Moleskine, or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love My Journal
Ink Review: Diamine Woodland Green - Rants of The Archer
pencil talk - Ninoy and Cory Aquino Mongol pencils
Want to save money? Take notes. Seriously. - CSMonitor