Gaza

Yeah, so I'm guessing I wasn't the only one who thought Trump's proposal concerning Gaza an incredibly reckless idea. I mean, it may be one thing to raise something like this in a corporate board meeting where straw man arguments, I presume, are routinely tossed around and out. But it seems to me to be another thing altogether for world leaders to float such arguments, when they can and almost certainly will touch off eternal resentment. 

Light Box

 

 

Experimenting here with a light box.  Lots to learn. Ever used one? Tips?

By the way, what did you think of Trump' proposal for Gaza? Crazy? Unconventional? Dangerous?

 

 

Tariffs

Actually, the news about tariffs was just a good excuse to try out this Pilot Retro Pop ballpoint pen and to photograph it in the morning light streaming through my dining room window. A really smooth writer, with a nice wide .1mm tip. Like it much better than the Jetstream ballpoints. But, back to tariffs, I wonder if even ballpoint pens will cost more now. Sheesh! What a crazy world.

Pentel

Just bought this Pentel mechanical pencil. Crucially, it fits my choir folder. Choir members are forever marking up their music. First test will be later today for for both a performance and rehearsal.

Fountain vs. Gel

Gosh! I'm forever going back and forth on this. Which do I prefer, the the gel or fountain pen? Can't make up my mind. On the one hand, I like how the gel pen doesn't bleed through the page like the fountain pen. On the other hand, I really like how smoothly and easily the fountain pen nib glides across the page. 

So ,once again, I dragged out both pens and put them to the test. Can you guess which of the lines above were written with the gel pen and which were written with the fountain pen? Does it make any difference?

Noodler's

 

I've been "noodling" with this ink for quite a few months now. It was given to me as a gift by someone who knew of my fascination with fountain pens. So far, I will have to say that I've been impressed. Goulet Pens says, "This is an incredibly interesting ink with remarkable properties. In terms of its anti-feathering properties, it held up against even the dubious paper quality of the Moleskine notebook [my go-to paper]. It is still water based, so we can't guarantee that it won't ever feather, but it's your best bet if you are in a situation where you can't control the paper quality. It's an ink that could be good for any situation- work, school, journaling, art, you name it!"

Wove Finish

 

Looking forward to trying this Strathmore product. It's acid free and specifically made for use with calligraphy nibs, pen, and ink.

Here's a little info I found about this paper's so-called "wove finish":

"Wove finish is one of the most commonly used finishes for general printing. It’s the standard paper finish, so if your paper package doesn’t indicate a finish, it’s probably wove.

Wove paper is slightly textured but mostly smooth to the touch. It’s similar to laid paper, but without the textured patterns" -- The Paper Mill Blog

Handwriting

 

Speaking (or writing!) of handwriting. I bought this workbook a year or so ago and have really enjoyed practicing some of the author's suggestions. Published in 2021 by Simon & Schuster, it includes "dozens of practice pages to help you create beautiful cursive letters and distinctive hand printing." It also includes recommendations for such things as flourishes, loops, and letter variations. 

Practicing French