Robert Brydon
@robertbrydon.bsky.social
D'oh, of course it's LLM slop.
Whatever this is supposed to be, it's nothing related to dial-up, internet, or anything known to actual humans. The other symbols scattered throughout have some real head scratchers too.
Whatever this is supposed to be, it's nothing related to dial-up, internet, or anything known to actual humans. The other symbols scattered throughout have some real head scratchers too.
November 8, 2025 at 10:18 PM
D'oh, of course it's LLM slop.
Whatever this is supposed to be, it's nothing related to dial-up, internet, or anything known to actual humans. The other symbols scattered throughout have some real head scratchers too.
Whatever this is supposed to be, it's nothing related to dial-up, internet, or anything known to actual humans. The other symbols scattered throughout have some real head scratchers too.
Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki and Sailor Manyo Yomogi (and some other inks) in this swatch sheet I did a while back when making samples for a friend.
October 28, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki and Sailor Manyo Yomogi (and some other inks) in this swatch sheet I did a while back when making samples for a friend.
I regret to inform you the italics predate the current nonsense. In my personal opinion, it doesn't look as bad because the word "Defense" is long enough to not look as visually unbalanced. And the spacing, kerning, and leading are better.
Screenshot from internet archive from Jan 10, 2024
Screenshot from internet archive from Jan 10, 2024
September 6, 2025 at 5:43 PM
I regret to inform you the italics predate the current nonsense. In my personal opinion, it doesn't look as bad because the word "Defense" is long enough to not look as visually unbalanced. And the spacing, kerning, and leading are better.
Screenshot from internet archive from Jan 10, 2024
Screenshot from internet archive from Jan 10, 2024
That particular style choice isn't new. It just was laid out with more visual balance.
If you dig into source, liiterally all that was changed was the word Defense to War -- and they didn't adjust size of elements for shorter name.
If you dig into source, liiterally all that was changed was the word Defense to War -- and they didn't adjust size of elements for shorter name.
September 6, 2025 at 1:00 AM
That particular style choice isn't new. It just was laid out with more visual balance.
If you dig into source, liiterally all that was changed was the word Defense to War -- and they didn't adjust size of elements for shorter name.
If you dig into source, liiterally all that was changed was the word Defense to War -- and they didn't adjust size of elements for shorter name.
There's only one good kind of bi-erasure.
And looking back, wow did they nail the bisexual lighting in the album art.
And looking back, wow did they nail the bisexual lighting in the album art.
September 4, 2025 at 6:41 AM
There's only one good kind of bi-erasure.
And looking back, wow did they nail the bisexual lighting in the album art.
And looking back, wow did they nail the bisexual lighting in the album art.
I am trying to think of products or services where preserving "the magic" is important to the appeal, and the ideal customers are the ones least informed about what they are getting.
Outside of pure entertainment, everything that comes to mind is morally suspect for producer or consumer, or both.
Outside of pure entertainment, everything that comes to mind is morally suspect for producer or consumer, or both.
September 2, 2025 at 11:20 PM
I am trying to think of products or services where preserving "the magic" is important to the appeal, and the ideal customers are the ones least informed about what they are getting.
Outside of pure entertainment, everything that comes to mind is morally suspect for producer or consumer, or both.
Outside of pure entertainment, everything that comes to mind is morally suspect for producer or consumer, or both.
It's like they said in Casablanca:
August 1, 2025 at 7:22 AM
It's like they said in Casablanca:
Your schtick is obvious, but taking the bait one last time...
Jesus horatio christ, being angry at white nationalists is not anger at the places they congregate, but at the nazis!
The (majority) good people in Idaho, OR & WA hate them too! If calling white nationalists trash offends you, why?
Jesus horatio christ, being angry at white nationalists is not anger at the places they congregate, but at the nazis!
The (majority) good people in Idaho, OR & WA hate them too! If calling white nationalists trash offends you, why?
June 30, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Your schtick is obvious, but taking the bait one last time...
Jesus horatio christ, being angry at white nationalists is not anger at the places they congregate, but at the nazis!
The (majority) good people in Idaho, OR & WA hate them too! If calling white nationalists trash offends you, why?
Jesus horatio christ, being angry at white nationalists is not anger at the places they congregate, but at the nazis!
The (majority) good people in Idaho, OR & WA hate them too! If calling white nationalists trash offends you, why?
Not even that, really -- FWP at least on the ink side has a real identity and (as far as I know) is really a company in Canada that makes their inks.
Ellington pens has... well this is their "story". SBRE Brown had a review and said at one point their website was clear they were made in China.
Ellington pens has... well this is their "story". SBRE Brown had a review and said at one point their website was clear they were made in China.
June 22, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Not even that, really -- FWP at least on the ink side has a real identity and (as far as I know) is really a company in Canada that makes their inks.
Ellington pens has... well this is their "story". SBRE Brown had a review and said at one point their website was clear they were made in China.
Ellington pens has... well this is their "story". SBRE Brown had a review and said at one point their website was clear they were made in China.
Best investment if you're cleaning fountain pens you can imagine is a bulb syringe -- nothing fancy or expensive, just a rubber syringe that you use for suctioning ears/noses.
You can use this to force soapy water through the feed and nib and it will flush it faster than anything.
You can use this to force soapy water through the feed and nib and it will flush it faster than anything.
June 19, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Best investment if you're cleaning fountain pens you can imagine is a bulb syringe -- nothing fancy or expensive, just a rubber syringe that you use for suctioning ears/noses.
You can use this to force soapy water through the feed and nib and it will flush it faster than anything.
You can use this to force soapy water through the feed and nib and it will flush it faster than anything.
We all know LLMs love em dashes — something bugs the hell out of me as I hate moderating my punctuation usage so I don't look like a bot.
I notice that when talking about them though, most people say "em" refers to the width of the capital M glyph. I sure learned it that way. /1
I notice that when talking about them though, most people say "em" refers to the width of the capital M glyph. I sure learned it that way. /1
June 16, 2025 at 1:57 AM
We all know LLMs love em dashes — something bugs the hell out of me as I hate moderating my punctuation usage so I don't look like a bot.
I notice that when talking about them though, most people say "em" refers to the width of the capital M glyph. I sure learned it that way. /1
I notice that when talking about them though, most people say "em" refers to the width of the capital M glyph. I sure learned it that way. /1
Jesus Disingenuous Christ.
Claims RCV hurts minorities because they leave more candidates unranked than white people do. And implying that it's because they don't have time/knowledge to rank everyone. Gross.
Leaving out someone unacceptable isn't a mistake, it's quite reasonable!
Claims RCV hurts minorities because they leave more candidates unranked than white people do. And implying that it's because they don't have time/knowledge to rank everyone. Gross.
Leaving out someone unacceptable isn't a mistake, it's quite reasonable!
June 15, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Jesus Disingenuous Christ.
Claims RCV hurts minorities because they leave more candidates unranked than white people do. And implying that it's because they don't have time/knowledge to rank everyone. Gross.
Leaving out someone unacceptable isn't a mistake, it's quite reasonable!
Claims RCV hurts minorities because they leave more candidates unranked than white people do. And implying that it's because they don't have time/knowledge to rank everyone. Gross.
Leaving out someone unacceptable isn't a mistake, it's quite reasonable!
The subhead kind of says it all by begging the question (in the formal sense). Under the assumption that it is impossible to influence future events for the better, then yeah, I guess not taking risks in trying makes sense.
June 8, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The subhead kind of says it all by begging the question (in the formal sense). Under the assumption that it is impossible to influence future events for the better, then yeah, I guess not taking risks in trying makes sense.
I'm sure that this part of the transfer will help clear up any confusion
May 30, 2025 at 1:11 AM
I'm sure that this part of the transfer will help clear up any confusion
I'd also suspect they'd be inviting you back for tea...
May 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
I'd also suspect they'd be inviting you back for tea...
It's like they saw this slide but stopped after the first sentence and said "Bingo! That sounds great!"
May 10, 2025 at 4:06 PM
It's like they saw this slide but stopped after the first sentence and said "Bingo! That sounds great!"
I am not a lawyer, and do not pretend to be one, but I am skeptical anyone who has been through law school would think this is a novel joke, worth skeeting repeatedly. As opposed to something that they was already tired the first seventeen thousand times they heard it.
May 5, 2025 at 5:05 AM
I am not a lawyer, and do not pretend to be one, but I am skeptical anyone who has been through law school would think this is a novel joke, worth skeeting repeatedly. As opposed to something that they was already tired the first seventeen thousand times they heard it.
And just if you zoom in... nope. Even pretending for a second that the nib had a slit, or that its engraving is something realistic...
The nib is touching the page, but there's a gap between the line and tip. Even if you could write with that nib, look at the 't', that's stub nib variation!
The nib is touching the page, but there's a gap between the line and tip. Even if you could write with that nib, look at the 't', that's stub nib variation!
April 2, 2025 at 9:32 AM
And just if you zoom in... nope. Even pretending for a second that the nib had a slit, or that its engraving is something realistic...
The nib is touching the page, but there's a gap between the line and tip. Even if you could write with that nib, look at the 't', that's stub nib variation!
The nib is touching the page, but there's a gap between the line and tip. Even if you could write with that nib, look at the 't', that's stub nib variation!
But given shipping costs, and the price of the pen to start with, it's probably not that practical, and I wouldn't be super confident it would work anyway.
One thing useful item for effective and safe cleaning is a bulb syringe, like from a drug store.
www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2022/5/...
One thing useful item for effective and safe cleaning is a bulb syringe, like from a drug store.
www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2022/5/...
February 21, 2025 at 1:41 AM
But given shipping costs, and the price of the pen to start with, it's probably not that practical, and I wouldn't be super confident it would work anyway.
One thing useful item for effective and safe cleaning is a bulb syringe, like from a drug store.
www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2022/5/...
One thing useful item for effective and safe cleaning is a bulb syringe, like from a drug store.
www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2022/5/...
Hongdian is a standout to me in most of their offerings -- they primarily make pena with metal bodies, but they are light and their nibs are more consistent out of the box than Jinhao (in my experience).
The N11 has neat geometrical designs, and writes great.
The N11 has neat geometrical designs, and writes great.
January 21, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Hongdian is a standout to me in most of their offerings -- they primarily make pena with metal bodies, but they are light and their nibs are more consistent out of the box than Jinhao (in my experience).
The N11 has neat geometrical designs, and writes great.
The N11 has neat geometrical designs, and writes great.
I agree, the Hongdian N1 is quite pretty
January 19, 2025 at 12:24 AM
I agree, the Hongdian N1 is quite pretty
I use the back pages as an ink log, and even when I do the swatch of lots of ink in one spot it rarely bleeds through.
That said, Leuchtterm1917 isn't coated/sized the way some fountain pen friendly paper is, and some inks really are notorious for soaking through.
That said, Leuchtterm1917 isn't coated/sized the way some fountain pen friendly paper is, and some inks really are notorious for soaking through.
December 30, 2024 at 5:04 PM
I use the back pages as an ink log, and even when I do the swatch of lots of ink in one spot it rarely bleeds through.
That said, Leuchtterm1917 isn't coated/sized the way some fountain pen friendly paper is, and some inks really are notorious for soaking through.
That said, Leuchtterm1917 isn't coated/sized the way some fountain pen friendly paper is, and some inks really are notorious for soaking through.
This is my weekly planner I made using Midori MD Cotton paper -- which is probably my favorite paper for something like this and they don't sell in anything but fully blank notebooks. Close up of some wet inks and pens in my ink log section (my layout, I can prioritize an ink log!) /2
November 25, 2024 at 6:26 PM
This is my weekly planner I made using Midori MD Cotton paper -- which is probably my favorite paper for something like this and they don't sell in anything but fully blank notebooks. Close up of some wet inks and pens in my ink log section (my layout, I can prioritize an ink log!) /2