Lawful Defacement (?)
We had primary elections yesterday. Our mailboxes were full of flyers from many candidates. Our roadsides were not nearly as cluttered as last November, but some candidates did put signs out.
This sign was stickered after a few days – I’ve never seen this before, a sticker placed on the sign, but the sign left up. Was the sign in an illegal location? Probably, but the action of stickering the sign seems less effective than dumpstering. Sap heads call for the protection of the First Amendment!
The fine print of the sticker states: ”As per Rochester City Code Sec. 35 & Sec. 69” although this does not seem to be an official sticker placed by city code enforcement.
Miles of Ink
Running out of ink...
I have always used pens that I keep for as long as possible, the act of writing longhand helps me process and retain the information I consume and create.
Over the last few years, I have bought big fat pens, as they are more comfortable in my hands. I also demand ball point, as my writing and sketching always seams to smear or run with gel inks.
So, I’ll hold onto a special pen for a while, perhaps four to six months. This pen goes with me everywhere, (except when I’m in the woods or on the bike, where I take a more packable shorty pen), and I am vigilant in its proper location, my breast pocket (biz) or in the pocket of cargo pants (fun).
So, ultimately my favorite pen will die, run out of ink. These days, when a cheap giveaway pen ‘malfunctions’, it’s garbage time. But for my pens, the manufacturer actually makes replacement ink cartridges, they must know about the users’ penchant for holding on to them.
If I ever loan out the pen, it’s quick, maybe for someone to sign their name to a log book, and they will find my hand outstretched when they finish, an expression of ‘give me my pen back.’ If you want to see me lose my cool, put my pen in your mouth – after that gross out – you can keep it.
When the ink dries and no longer flows, I consider the places the pen has been, the papers I have written on and the long line of ink I have created. Ideas, places and time distilled into dark marks on paper.
A sense of accomplishment, progress and loss all wrapped up in a $2.99 writing instrument.