Author Archives: Shark

Staedtler Integrity 9505 Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm Lead

I’m a pretty easy-going fellow, I don’t obsess about things and I’m quite modest…  Just ask my wife.  All things considered, I do have some standards when it comes to writing instruments however.  For example, if you are looking for a cheap, unpretentious pen, you can do no wrong with a ubiquitous Mont Blanc Meisterstück.

Whenever I look for fine writing instruments, I prefer to buy pens and pencils made in either Germany or Japan.  The attention to detail and excellent manufacturing mechanisms in place in those two countries mean that you get a superior product every time.  When you buy a pencil from a German company, manufactured in Japan, it’s pretty much guaranteed that writing bliss is only moments away:  the Staedtler Integrity 9505 mechanical pencil is a case in point.

Now Dave on his blog, Dave’s Mechanical Pencils, did not give the Staedtler high marks, much in part because he had a breakage factor.  He did however write up a very thorough review, so I’m not going to elaborate on this pencil by doing my own.  But, I will mention that during my own testing I had very few breakage issues, less so than with other pencils, so I guess it all depends upon how you prefer to write.  My touch is light as a feather.  Until next time my friends…

Making a custom pencil case

I love pencils.  And I love pens.  Let’s just say that I love all methods of putting words to paper, or perhaps words to screen, if you will.  Needing something new to carry my pencils around in, I decided to construct my own Miss Kitten-inspired, custom pencil case from things around me.  I’m a big proponent of the “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” movement.

Here’s what you will need:

  • Some thin cardboard
  • Packing tape
  • Scissors

Cut the cardboard to the desired length, wrap some packing tape around it, sealing one end, and you are good to go!  Not complicated at all…  Enjoy the photos.

The morning routine

Apart from the usual waking up, shit, shower and shave routine, I do love a cup of Sunny D, a Hot Pocket, and a morning paper.  Yeah, Sunny D isn’t really orange juice, but you get your 100% daily dose of Vitamin C, along with your high fructose corn syrup.   What’s not to like?  The Hot Pocket is a wonderful, portable meal that ties you over nicely till lunch time.  As for the morning paper, I get the local rag at work and since my favorite newspapers: The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, etc., don’t home deliver to Central Illinois, I’m stuck with going to the local newspaper stand for my fix.  I wish I could do a subscription, not only would it save money, but it would be nice to wake up to a paper every morning.  I suppose I could do mail order, but that would mean I would get the paper one or two days behind all the time.  What’s the fun in that?  Anyhow, what is your morning routine?

Hot Pocket, Sunny D, Newspaper

Creativity and Conformity by Clark E. Moustakas

I’m thinking we should start a new series.  Here are the rules:

  • Take a book off your shelves.
  • Post the name of the book and author(s) in the title.
  • Open it up and post an excerpt.
  • Repeat as often as you like.
  • Feel free to take a picture of the cover.

I’ll start.

Experience is true to the person when he is himself alone⎯and not any other person or thing.  Every individual embodies and contains a uniqueness, a reality, that makes him unlike any other person or thing.  To maintain this uniqueness in the face of threats and pressures, in times of shifting patterns and moods, is the ultimate challenge and responsibility of every man.  In true experience, perception is unique and undifferentiated; there is a sense of wholeness, unity, and centeredness.  In such moments, a man is immersed in the world, exploring, spontaneously expressing himself, and finding satisfaction in being rooted to life as a whole person. (p.1)

Oh, and just for Miss Kitten, I’ll post a picture of the cover I did for the book out of an old FedEx envelope somebody sent me.  hahaha

 

Just for Kang, Kebabs!

Everybody knows that Sweden has the best, authentic kebabs.  In fact, I can’t think of anything more uniquely Swedish and worthy of a Michelin Star in itself, than a kebab.  I took this photo a few years ago, it’s me sitting at Malmö Kebab in Saluhallen, Malmö, Sweden.  Sadly the place has since closed down, much to the detriment of the Swedish culinary establishment.  If anybody knows of another good kebab place in Malmö, let me know!

Save America’s Public Broadcasting!

Sorry, that’s just how I feel folks.  I’d rather invest in public broadcasting, libraries, museums, and education than giving money to bail out banks and corporations that then give huge bonuses to the people who landed us in this mess.  Hmm, would you rather give a $1 million dollars to a Goldman Sachs executive or to a program on PBS that entertains your children?  Which choice gives the most “bang-for-the-bucks?”  Feel free to disagree, but that’s my 2 cents.

Café Bustelo Espresso is some damned good coffee!

Ever since I got one of those Keurig K-cup, single serving coffee machines, I’ve been on a coffee drinking kick. I used to hate brewing coffee in a traditional coffee machine, I always made too much or too little coffee. You know how that goes, you brew a whole pot of coffee and you only end up drinking half of it. You then feel guilty about throwing it away. I guess you could save it for ice coffee, but I don’t drink ice coffee, so there you go.

Anyhow, the Keurig Elite Brewing System has been a real sweet ride, and it got even better after I splurged and bought the My K-Cup Reusable Filter. No longer was I dependent on Keurig and their partners for my pre-packaged coffee needs.

Today, Sharkette sent me to Kroger’s to buy some more butter.  As I went by the coffee aisle a bright yellow coffee can caught my eye.  Café Bustelo Espresso!

Intrigued by the Spanish I decided to stop and take a look.  Reading the side of the can, I was impressed at my Spanish comprehension.  I guess I did learn some Spanish during my freshman year at high school after all.  Of course the fact that the English translation was right next to the Spanish had nothing to do with my language prowess. Ha ha ha…

Okay, so I picked up the can and took it home.  I put a couple of scoops into the reusable filter and got my brew on.  A few seconds later I had a steaming hot cup of Joe at my disposal.  The aroma itself was enough to launch me into the stratosphere.  I’ve never had my taste buds tingle for coffee before, but there’s a first time for everything I guess.  Boy, were they tingling, I was salivating like the dog in that dog food commercial screaming, “bacon, bacon, BACON!”

That Café Bustelo Espresso is good coffee is an understatement.  This is fucking great coffee.  The best coffee I’ve ever had in fact, and I’ve had some damned good coffee in my time.  I spent a year in Paris drinking espresso at local bistros, and this coffee definitely took me back in time.  Do yourself a favor, mi amigo, get in your car, get on your bike, take the bus, or just plain run to your local store and pick up a can of this dope.  You will not be disappointed sipping this sweet elixir in the morning, and that’s no bullshit!

Danes in Afghanistan

When I first read that there were Danish soldiers fighting in Afghanistan I imagined them looking like the toy soldiers at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.  At first I didn’t believe that Denmark would send soldiers to Afghanistan, partly because Afghanistan is far away from Denmark, and secondly, what does Afghanistan have to do with Denmark?  I can understand the United States involvement in Afghanistan to a certain degree, with Osama bin Laden hanging out with the Taliban, the U.S. did have a hand to play at that table, but Denmark?

Maybe it’s the fact that I grew up in Skåne, Sweden, and often visited Denmark as a child, that I have some affinity for the Danish people and culture.  Skåne actually used to be part of Denmark at one time, and with the Øresund Bridge now linking Denmark with Sweden, the region and people are closer than ever.  It’s actually neat to see Danes speaking Danish with Swedes and Swedes speaking Swedish with Danes and both sets of people understanding each other.  My appreciation for Danish people is why I am so concerned with their involvement in Afghanistan.  I recognize that their membership in NATO means that they might feel an obligation to do their part for the treaty organization, but in the past such things usually meant a field hospital or a tent or two, not a contingent of combat troops fighting a grueling and exhausting ground campaign.


I first stumbled across this film when I read about it winning the grand prize at the Cannes’ International Critics Week.  Just like Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s documentary Restrepo, Janus Metz’s film Armadillo will leave you breathless, bruised and battered.  Armadillo “… follows a platoon of Danish soldiers on a six-month tour of Afghanistan in 2009.  An intimate, visually stunning account of both the horror and growing cynicism of modern warfare, the film premiered at the top of the box office in Denmark, provoking a national debate over government policy and the rules of engagement.”  I highly suggest you see the movie for yourself.

We are now on Twitter! Follow us or doom on you!

Punch me in the face, Tweeter!!!

Kang World is now on Twitter so you better follow us!  Not only do we have excellent bloggers, but we keep it fresh, like a lake-caught trout.  BTW, the graphic above was stolen borrowed from Elementary Writing’s blog, a fine writing resource.  Word, bitches!