So far, I've managed to explain to very few people why I adore using a fountain pen. It's the equivalent of the 'slow food' movement for writing. While I don't see myself going back to iron gall ink and dip pens, there's a tactile pleasure in using a fountain pen that I just don't get with ballpoints.

Ballpoints are blunt instruments. Not getting the ink flow you want? Scrub the point of the pen against the paper as fast and as hard as you can. You'll either get ink, and go on with your life, or you'll throw away the pen and uncap a new one that will be just like the old one.

My friends have teased me about my Small Spiral Notebooks for ages, but I've never gotten around to showing some of you the little treasure that my notebook contains. I'd watched my friends rave about their fountain pens and decided that I'd look into saving up the money to get a good one for myself as well.

I'm addicted. Horribly addicted.

This New York Times article has been making the rounds at work: 'A Hipper Crowd of Shushers'

"How did such a nerdy profession become cool — aside from the fact that a certain amount of nerdiness is now cool? Many young librarians and library professors said that the work is no longer just about books but also about organizing and connecting people with information, including music and movies."

I've been thinking about this for a while, and finally decided to do the jump today. Which, of course, meant there were immediate and nasty repercussions.

I've imported all my users, entries, comments, and categories into drupal. Why is a long story, and one that's likely to come out over the course of the next few days, but it's been brewing for a few months. It has had no small influence on my hesitation to post here.

Some days you know early on that you've lost your mind and it just isn't coming back. Some days you also know early on that you have beaten on too much code that week, and that it's time to walk away, unplug for a weekend, and not look back until Monday.Today is that day.

How do I know?

Ever had a favorite artist?