Little raves that don't deserve their own thread

[MoneyJungle]

I just discovered these Uniball Kuru Toga pencils; though I might be using pens instead of pencils, I still am surprised that these have been out for close to a year. I've been needing to start writing again and got into fountain pens, which still requires me to step away from the computer (in fact part of the reason I stopped writing was due to being distracted by an internet connection.)

Interesting! I'd be curious to try a mechanical pencil with a lead-twisting feature. I have a Rotring 600 in .5mm which always feels a little dull but is built like a tank. I think there's mechanical pencil that are a little wider because they're designed with fountain pen enthusiasts in mind. My favorites are good old fashioned wood cased pencils. They're light and you can put a really fine point on them. I also feel a small sense of accomplishment as I wear them down. The Mitsubishi 9000 is my go-to.

[Catoptric]

Interesting! I'd be curious to try a mechanical pencil with a lead-twisting feature. I have a Rotring 600 in .5mm which always feels a little dull but is built like a tank. I think there's mechanical pencil that are a little wider because they're designed with fountain pen enthusiasts in mind. My favorites are good old fashioned wood cased pencils. They're light and you can put a really fine point on them. I also feel a small sense of accomplishment as I wear them down. The Mitsubishi 9000 is my go-to.

I've mostly only got into using a Zebra mechanical pencil, other than still having Mirado Woodtones pencils (which now appear to have been bought out by Papermates.) I've often been intrigued with Ticonderoga pencils though had no apparent need at the time to ever see what was good (other than noticing that many pencils simply weren't keeping the lead in or were getting sharpened at odd angles, and became problematic.)

And when looking into fountain pens noticed some really fancy ($200+) wooden pencils with special sharpener by Faber-Castell (Amazon). In some ways the appeal is due to it's novelty though I would probably stop at a $20- mechanical pencil, and the whole idea of having a large wooden case for something as basic as pencils, really brings to mind how much of it is overhyped marketing.

The biggest problem I have with mechanical pencils are the erasers, which are seemingly overpriced or impossible to find, and often fall out. Also I always noticed the lead breaking or retreating into the pencil. Wooden pencils have the advantage still, or have always been relied upon.

[MoneyJungle]

I've mostly only got into using a Zebra mechanical pencil, other than still having Mirado Woodtones pencils (which now appear to have been bought out by Papermates.) I've often been intrigued with Ticonderoga pencils though had no apparent need at the time to ever see what was good (other than noticing that many pencils simply weren't keeping the lead in or were getting sharpened at odd angles, and became problematic.)

And when looking into fountain pens noticed some really fancy ($200+) wooden pencils with special sharpener by Faber-Castell (Amazon). In some ways the appeal is due to it's novelty though I would probably stop at a $20- mechanical pencil, and the whole idea of having a large wooden case for something as basic as pencils, really brings to mind how much of it is overhyped marketing.

The biggest problem I have with mechanical pencils are the erasers, which are seemingly overpriced or impossible to find, and often fall out. Also I always noticed the lead breaking or retreating into the pencil. Wooden pencils have the advantage still, or have always been relied upon.

It's my understanding that the Palomino Blackwing 602 is generally regarded among enthusiasts as the Cadillac of pencils that aren't novelty-expensive. You can buy them a la carte at a lot of art and stationary stores for around three bucks. Three bucks is too much for a wood-cased pencil but I've bought one just to try out. The incense cedar smells great and the eraser is fantastic but it's not good enough to justify the price for me. The Palomino is a tribute to a discontinued pencil that Chuck Jones used to draw Bugs Bunny and John Steinbeck used to write rough drafts. You can buy one of the originals for sixty dollary-doos. I generally slap one of these Pentel polymer eraser caps onto whichever pencil I'm using. I'll just cross stuff out before I use the eraser on my mechanical pencil.

[Sinny]

Ahh... When the coke hits the back of your throat.

[Hephaestus]

Awww Yeah!

Did I mention my Occulus Rift DK1 came with three pairs of fresnel lenses? It came with three pairs of fresnel lenses!

Shenzhen... I think I love you.

[Sinny]

Checked the entry requirements for the Univeristy's IT Degree Apprenticeships.
I'm lacking my A-Level in Maths.

So I looked outside the University for somebody who doesn't require the A-Level, and it's not looking good.
There are options- but they are all with banks - and I really can't see myself working for a bank.

But I sent them the equivalent of a decent covering letter asking if this will definitely preclude me from applying for their course, and if it wouldn't, that I'd be an enthusiastic candidate. I suppose it might boil down to how easy they find 40 other female recruits.

Now I'm just waiting on a reply.

[Revenant]

Entry requirements don't always apply to mature students. The students who were over 25 back when I applied for University had unconditional offers.
It may be different for the degree apprenticeships.

[Sinny]

Started buying size 8's again.. my tens became too baggy, despite my Grebo propensity.

Gonna go capture me some foreign portals tomorrow, when I leave town to go see my bit on the side.

[Hephaestus]

I think I figured out how to describe one of the stumbling blocks coders face when they try their hand at FPGA programming. The branching is "when" not "if".

[Makers!*]

I got a job on wildland firefighting handcrew this summer that I'm pretty stoked about. Remote local, lots of hiking in the mountains.