I had to special order pencil lead...from Illinois..(Big Box rant)

[SoCalDem]

When we moved here 31 years ago, there were at least 6 Stationery/Office Supply stores. All of them were local businesses that had been here for DECADES. They delivered to the local businesses, and had a nice supply of "gift-y" items for the walk in customers too.

My husband's an architect, and uses ONLY Pentel .09 RED lead for one of his drawing pencils... yes SOME oldtimers still do not use CAD, and prefer to take pencil-pen to paper.

OfficeMax/ CompUSA/ OfficeDepot/ CircuitCity/ Staples/ Target/ Walmart/ BestBuy came to town a while back, EVERY ONE of the local stationers were put out of business , and now every one of them that "offered" the more mundane of supplies, has decided that "no one USES" that particular size/color of lead, so they all discontinued it from even their catalogues.

I found it online from a place in Chicago, and ordered 12 packages (at his age, probably a lifetime supply :P: )..

I can no longer even FIND anyone to work on my old Monroe Calculator..and NO I do NOT want a "new" one.. I had to go online and hunt for a refurbished one, and was happy to pay $40 for a 20 year old calculator becasuse I do not want ANOTHER junky plastic one that cannot "keep up" with this old bookkeepers "fast fingers".. I have had at least three that just have a permanent "ERROR" in the display window..

[canetoad]

1. First they came for the little sesame breadsticks.....

Then the Earl Grey green tea.

It's driving me mad at the supermarket. Favourite products are vanishing and the spaces filled with yet another brand of instant cook-in-the-sauce or two-minute noodles. We would all be eating the same thing if it was up to them.

I hear you about the red pencil leads though. I work in an architectural practice and although we use CAD for drafting, red is used for markup. I have a couple of old friends who still prefer to sit at the drawing board and produce the most exquisite hand renderings.

[AndyA]

2. I used to work for a developer, and was responsible for red lining blueprints

and I have to say, the hand drawn prints were truly works of art. It was easy to spot the ones that certain architects had worked on, as they had character and were truly wonderful to behold. Others seemed sterile in comparison.

So tell your husband that there are those who truly appreciate the work of those who take pencil to paper! :thumbsup: