A few links to share today as well as comments on each. Hmm.. three I think.
First up, check out this eraser:
I just came across this. Looks like as you use it, it gives the illusion of the over stressed salaryman going bald. Fun! This kind of toy eraser is not uncommon in Japan actually. I haven't seen this specific one before, but I have seen similar ones.
It's a bit expensive here, around $8 bucks, so I wouldn't buy it if I were overseas (then again, if you really like the look of it, buy it here) but I'm going to guess it is around a less insane ¥500 here. Next time I go to a bigger stationery shop, I'll have to look for it.
Speaking of Japanese stationery, while Japan does have a lot of silly and frankly wasteful things like the eraser above, in general the quality of their more serious stationery is top-notch. I can't say best in the world since I am not qualified to make that comparison, but I can say even very cheap stationery here blows away anything America produces. Is is just a another level.
Paper fanatics often rave about Japanese paper, pencil people swear up and down that Japanese pencils are light years beyond US pencils. Every store in this country has a giant stationery section full of tons of this stuff.
And fountain pens... Well, those are harder to compare, because at the luxury level many American and European companies charge a lot of cash, up to $1000 and beyond, so you are buying quality. Once you get past a few hundred dollars, I think most of the quality of all pens is similarly excellent, so it becomes more about feature and design preferences.
Anyway, that's on my mind, because I came across this guide from Jet pens last night. Not a bad one: check it out
Warning, don't look at the prices unless you want to be shocked. Yes, a good fountain pen is expensive. If you were interested, I'd say the Custom 823 is a nice balance between price and quality. It goes for around $200 used (much more new, but as most people take care of their pens, you are ok buying used), writes just as well as the Emperor (which is over $1000) or the Izumo (which is around $800), and you won't be afraid to use it
That jetpens website is a nice one, by the way, if you like stationery. They import mainly Japanese stationery but also Korean, to sell in America. That doesn't do me much good since I am in Japan, but they also create great guides and videos about everything they carry. Well worth adding to your RSS reader.
On a completely different subject: Lyndon Johnson.
Hey hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?
Yeah, that guy. Vietnam sunk him. He knew it was sinking him and he desperately wanted out of it, but he couldn't figure out how to do that. It's why he didn't run for a second term, though he likely would have won if he had.
He may have been the last strong democrat the US ever had. Carter was a nice guy, a compassionate leader, a Mr Rogers figure, and being a nice guy got him far, but he wasn't strong. Bill was wily as he sucked up to corporation and dragged the Democrats to the center, but he wasn't strong. Obama was bold and inspiring, but he wasn't strong: he may have been the weakest of the three, in fact, constantly bending over and trying to be kind to Republicans and work with them no matter how many terrible names they called him and no matter how many times they told him straight to his face that they would never work with him; but still he tried, and it cost him much.
LBJ, by contrast, was a jackass, an asshole, a bully. But he knew how to get things done. The Civil Rights Act never could have been pushed through by anyone else. He knew how to play politics as smoothly as an Olympic swimmer glides across the pool. He ruled Washington in a way that few politicians ever did.
Too bad Vietnam. That cost him his presidency and cost us many more even bolder progressive bills he wanted passed. Medicare and Medicaid were only a first step in his Great Society. He intended to push for healthcare for all, something even FDR hadn't been able to push through. But, yeah...
Hey hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?
Anyway, my reflections about him are brought to you by some great quotes I found in this piece from his Presidential Library website. On the difference between Republicans and Democrats:
"We’re for something, and they are against everything."
"Any jackass can kick a barn down. But it takes a carpenter to build one."
Heh. Maybe @bozz and @meno can enjoy those quotes.
And with that, I'm off to get on with my day. Have a good one y'all!
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David is an American teacher and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Mastodon. |