Noir Noir

Because I often have the mentality of a common raven and am hopelessly attracted to shiny things, I am happy to have stumbled across Dixon Ticonderoga Noir pencils. They are black wooden pencils (I am glad that mechanical pencils have not caused the death of the basic wooden pencil, just as e-readers will not strangle the paper book industry), but with a shiny, holographic exterior. They're pretty nifty:

I suppose this appeals most to younger kids and female adults but I like the fact that they're actually wood (though it's terrible for the environment, I like the way they write) and not that weird plasticy feel of those old black Sanford Eagle pencils. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? The ELITE ones, they were black but not made of wood? I don't know, it made writing really smooth though but it was very light. I couldn't find a picture of it, sadly. Probably one of the few times Google Images has failed me.

This is how the Noir pencils look, sharpened (courtesy of penciltalk.org):



For those of you who are interested in the environment, these particular pencils are made from sustainable yield wood. There is no rainforest wood in these pencils.

Staples VS Office Max

Staples and Office Max are the two office supply stores I frequent the most. Of the two, I prefer Staples. I find Staples to be a bit cheaper, with better sales, more diverse selections, and better Staples-brand products (like their paper and pens). Office Max on the other hand has a pretty kick-ass clearance section, but their store brand products kind of suck. Of course, service can be a little spotty but I've generally had better customer service at Staples over Office Max. Then again, at some Office Max stores I've had really good service (though maybe it's because one of my friends used to work at an Office Max, which makes me biased for one store in particular). So really, customer service is really subjective.

I think the interior of a store and layout makes a big difference too. And the lighting. Which may be another reason why I prefer Staples over Office Max. It's like how people say Target is classier than Walmart. They're comparative stores, with comparative prices, but what really sets Target apart (aside from the clothing sections) is that Target is fancier on the inside, with better lighting and generally customer service. I think I may have lost my point. Anyway, I do shop at both Walmart and Target. Which are also really good places to get pens, pencils, and notebooks by the way. Especially during back-to-school season

I try not to let my Staples bias stop me from going to Office Max though. Well first of all, going to an office supply store really does clear my head and makes me happy and calm. So yes, I do have a problem. I do like their clearance section at Office Max and let's face it, those actual "That was easy" Staples buttons are really cheesy. It would be cool if it like dispensed post-its or was smaller and a magnet or a paper clip or a binder clip. Unfortunately, it's a super cheesy and large novelty item that doesn't have much novelty. It gives me second-hand embarrassment. But I still love Staples.