moleskinerie:

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Featured Artist: Joyce Cole

"I have always sketched, but usually I would put off drawing in order to do the more "urgent" everyday stuff. Sometimes months would pass with no drawing. Not anymore. I started by joining in the challenges at Danny Gregory's "Everyday Matters" yahoo group. Now after about 8 months, sketching the everyday stuff is an almost daily habit. I take my Moleskine everywhere....draw in waiting rooms, in boats, on trains. I just take my little black book, a Faber-Castell PITT artist pen (S), and sometimes a waterbrush and a little set of pan watercolors. It's amazing...the freedom to mess up in my sketchbook has allowed me to try to draw all kinds of things. After all, it's never going to have to hang on a wall as a finished piece...it's just another sketch among many. I love the plainess of my Moleskine. I feel like I can take it out and sketch without drawing alot of attention. I'm filling these little books up with bits and pieces of my life. In the process, I'm seeing my life a little more clearly and appreciating it more along the way."

Joyce Cole

View her works @ FLICKR.
More at her website, drawdaily.com
© 2006 JC All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

Submissions or nominations for featured artists, writers, poets et alii are welcome.

Paperitif.com, Official Sponsor of the Wandering Moleskine Project.
Thanks to Jen Leo, Pencil World Creativity Store, Frances Mai-Ling, C.M. Mayo and Dave Gray of XPlane.

Wanmx_4

Discover and join the Moleskine communities at MYSPACE, FLICKR, ORKUT, SQUIDOO, LIVEJOURNAL & GOOGLEGROUPS.Visit the newest Moleskine-centric blog on the block, Robert Strohmeyer's Moleskinner.com.

I leave you with this thought via JC in Wien:

"Writing has ... been to me like a bath from which I have risen feeling cleaner, healthier, and freer."

Henrik Ibsen

Have a nice weekend everyone. Get out, have a life - and write about it! Be back on Monday.

March 31, 2006 in My Moleskine | Permalink | Comments (2)

Essay on Daylight Saving

"I took for the basis of my calculation the supposition that there are one hundred thousand families in Paris, and that these families consume in the night half a pound of bougies, or candles, per hour. I think this is a moderate allowance, taking one family with another; for though I believe some consume less, I know that many consume a great deal more. Then estimating seven hours per day as the medium quantity between the time of the sun's rising and ours, he rising during the six following months from six to eight hours before noon, and there being seven hours of course per night in which we burn candles, the account will stand thus;--

In the six months between the 20th of March and the 20th of September, there are
Nights    183
Hours of each night in which we burn candles    7
Multiplication gives for the total number of hours    1,281
These 1,281 hours multiplied by 100,000, the number of inhabitants, give    128,100,000
One hundred twenty-eight millions and one hundred thousand hours, spent at Paris by candle-light, which, at half a pound of wax and tallow per hour, gives the weight of    64,050,000
Sixty-four millions and fifty thousand of pounds, which, estimating the whole at-the medium price of thirty sols the pound, makes the sum of ninety-six millions and seventy-five thousand livres tournois    96,075,000

An immense sum! that the city of Paris might save every year, by the economy of using sunshine instead of candles. If it should be said, that people are apt to be obstinately attached to old customs, and that it will be difficult to induce them to rise before noon, consequently my discovery can be of little use; I answer, Nil desperandum. I believe all who have common sense, as soon as they have learnt from this paper that it is daylight when the sun rises, will contrive to rise with him; and, to compel the rest, I would propose the following regulations; First. Let a tax be laid of a louis per window, on every window that is provided with shutters to keep out the light of the sun..."

Benjamin Franklin's "Essay on Daylight Saving"
Letter to the Editor of the Journal of Paris, 1784

LINK

Remember: DST begins on April 2nd at 2 A.M.

Pictured:
Benjamin Franklin Clock
Eight-day time & strike movement
White metal case with rosewood base
Excellent condition
Available at Kenneth Sposato's

March 31, 2006 in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meet Geoff C. and Lady Bracknell

Fbl1_2 "I here neyther that ne this, for when my labor doon al ys and have made al my rekenynges I goon hom to my hous anoon and, also domb as any stoon, I sitte at another book tyl fully daswed ys myn look. Certes, I oghte to get outte more."

Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog

"It has recently come to Lady Bracknell's attention that there exists a blog suitable for those readers who find her ladyship's own prose style to be somewhat too modern and avant garde for their linguistic tastes: Geoffrey Chaucer has joined the blogosphere!

There has, perforce, been a considerable gap between the publication of the Canterbury Tales and Mr Chaucer's current work, but Lady Bracknell is pleased to note that the gentleman in question has lost none of his wit or sense of mischief during the intervening centuries. Indeed, she would go so far as to say that Mr Chaucer demonstrates an admirably sprightly intellect for one of his advanced years...."

The Perorations of Lady Bracknell
....
Spring greetings!

Our pal, Danny Gregory is home and posting again *whew*. Visit.

March 31, 2006 in Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

Love is a Many Moleskine Thing

“Hello, my name is Gary, and I am a journal addict.” Or so I might introduce myself at the local chapter meeting of MA (Moleskine Anonymous)…if there were such a group.

Packing my briefcase on Monday for yet-another-office-trudge, I noticed the pile of Moleskines on the coffee table next to my shoulder bag I use on weekends for carrying all my crap from café to café. (The life of a nomadic writer is all about creative pack-n-tote.) So there I was, doing the usual Monday-morning chore of gathering up the appropriate office-necessary Moleskines, when I realized (admittedly for the first time) that I am rather dependent on Modo e Modo’s famous product line...

So is therapy in order? Intervention? A bigger briefcase?

Nah. Each Moleskine I use fulfills a distinct function, and while I could consolidate (and may when current versions fill up), part of the joy of journaling comes from the tools. Just like selecting the right pen is important for paper and occasion, choosing the right Moleskine is necessary for the utility desired. I do hope the creative ones at Modo e Modo only release new, clever versions slowly, so I am not tempted to further complex an already somewhat confusing array of notebooks. If that happens, then I may just have to get one of those small, sexy buff cahiers to keep track of my Moleskine bad boys."

"Love is a Many Moleskine Thing"
By Gary Varner
Visit his site, "inkmusings"

March 30, 2006 in My Moleskine | Permalink | Comments (3)

Sheaffer’s Snorkel

Stephen Lehman sent us this wonderful Pentrace link:

"During World War II, the German navy adopted a device called a Schnorchel (often spelled “Schnorkel” in English-language writings), which was a tube that could be extended above the ocean’s surface by a submerged submarine, allowing the submarine to draw in fresh air without surfacing. In 1952, Sheaffer’s Snorkel TM appeared on the market, superseding the very successful Touchdown TM line. The design of the Snorkel is virtually identical to that of the Touchdown, elongated a small amount to accommodate the additional Snorkel filling mechanism. The pen uses a tube like a Schnorchel, but in reverse; the pen’s tube allows the pen to draw in ink without being immersed in the bottle. The most complex filling system ever applied to a fountain pen, the Touchdown-derived Snorkel system was a last-ditch attempt to fight the onslaught of the ballpoint pen, whose great advantage lay in its convenience: no “dunk” filling, reliable writing, and a long write-out. The system works remarkably well, and Snorkels are considered very reliable pens....

...Most pens have Snorkel tubes made of stainless steel (silver or gray colored metal), but some Snorkel tubes were made of a gold-colored metal that appears to be phosphor bronze. The Snorkel tube for a Triumph nib is cut diagonally across its end and oriented so that the open surface aligns with the under surface of the feed. This alignment automatically places the slits in the tube‘s end properly. The Snorkel tube for an open nib is cut straight across its end, but it is still aligned to place its slits correctly. (The lengthwise slit at the end of the tube is nearest the nib, and the two transverse slits are therefore at the sides.) The following illustration shows a Triumph nib with its Snorkel tube extended. You can see the diagonal slits at the sides of the tube’s tip, and you can see the end of the secondary feed that runs the length of the Snorkel tube."

Profile: Sheaffer’s Snorkel
by Richard Binder
Read on at Pentrace
[Thanks Steve!]

March 30, 2006 in Product Updates | Permalink | Comments (2)

Moleskine in Korea

Moleskine "Written by hand" is a new blog in Korea.

Hwangyong-hamnida!

Visit: moleskine.co.kr

March 30, 2006 in Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (3)

Why I Moleskine

We welcome one of the newest Moleskine-centric blogs on the block, Moleskinner.com by Robert Strohmeyer.

"Within seconds of laying my hands on my first Moleskine, I knew I had found the notebook for which I'd been searching. While I'm not sure I share quite the same level of quasi-religious fanaticism for these little bundles of paper that some other bloggers have expressed, the fact that I've gone to the trouble of starting this blog should suggest that I was not disappointed, either. With their handsome oilskin covers and sleek lines, Moleskine notebooks are the ultimate notebook for the serious journaler. Their precisely stitched bindings lay almost perfectly flat when open to just about any page, and the built-in closure strap keeps the notebook tidy in a pocket, protecting the pages from damage while not in use. And while it's not exactly an essential feature for my own use, the little integrated bookmark is a nice touch, too.

Since adopting my first Moleskine, I've become a devoted convert. And while I still test and review all sorts of PDA's, smart phones, and organizer apps in the course of my daily work, at the end of the day, I'm a pen-and-paper man. Sure, I could use any old notepad to jot down the stuff I need to remember from day to day, but as long as I can get my hands on a Moleskine, I suspect it'll always be my first choice...."

"Why I Moleskine"
Robert Strohmeyer
Check out Moleskinner.com.

Robert Strohmeyer is a writer and editor based in San Francisco. His work has appeared in such publications as Wired, MacAddict, Maximum PC, Mobile, PC Computing, Smart Business, and Official Xbox Magazine. He also writes a regular bimonthly technology column for Executive Travel magazine, review movies for the acclaimed website Filmcritic.com and run a gadget blog called Gear Factor for Wired News. To learn more, visit his website.

March 29, 2006 in My Moleskine | Permalink | Comments (0)

Law professor bans laptops in class

One more reason to use a notebook:

Photo: memphis.edu

"MEMPHIS (AP) — A group of University of Memphis law students are passing a petition against a professor who banned laptop computers from her classroom because she considers them a distraction in lectures.

On March 6, Professor June Entman warned her first-year law students by e-mail to bring pens and paper to take notes in class.

"My main concern was they were focusing on trying to transcribe every word that was I saying, rather than thinking and analyzing," Entman said Monday. "The computers interfere with making eye contact. You've got this picket fence between you and the students."

The move didn't sit well with the students, who have begun collecting signatures against the move and tried to file a complaint with the American Bar Association. The complaint, based on an ABA rule for technology at law schools, was dismissed...."

USA Today/ Tech
March 21, 2006

LINK

March 29, 2006 in Writing | Permalink | Comments (6)

Moleskine in the Medford Mail Tribune

" What’s the attraction?

"It’s the feel and the look. They’re classy and basic black. The cover and the paper feel good," says Karen Chapman, co-owner of Bloomsbury Books in Ashland. "We can’t keep them in stock. They just keep going out of here."

..."They (the smaller ones) go right in your back pocket," says Laramore, an Eagle Point resident. "I love them and use them all the time.

"I do a lot of journaling in them — also collages. They’re very popular in Europe and catching on fast here."

With Moleskines, Mullowney says he has found the perfect solution to all gift problems. He doesn’t just give one, he fills the multi-pocket versions with all manner of keepsakes, letters (from the person), newspaper articles, a poem or postcard, tickets to that special play. "It becomes kind of a mini-museum," he says..."

"THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK: Moleskine notebooks are back in vogue, re-igniting a centuries-old love affair"
By John Darling
for the Mail Tribune

LINK

[via Adam Machado's Hackerati]

March 29, 2006 in PRESS | Permalink | Comments (3)

Reminder: Solar eclipse of Wednesday, March 29, 2006

"If you could move freely on the globe, you could enjoy the awesome spectacle of a total eclipse of the sun pretty often. The next one is scheduled to darken the daytime skies on Wednesday, March 29, 2006.

This week, you might be in Africa or Turkey. You might be cruising on the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas right now, waiting for Wednesday's eclipse. Your big concern would be the weather.

This total solar eclipse will rank as the top astronomical event for the year, for those in the right place to see it..."