iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I think he is unaware some people listen to music on purpose, because they want to, not just as unobtrusive, pleasant background while doing something else. But the way many use infinite, autogenerated playlists of *real* music is similar. So he may have a point, but not the one he thinks he has.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

That's really it, isn't it? The person who provided the prompt may genuinely enjoy consuming the output. But that is because they are consuming it with all of their other context that led them to request it, and filling in all the gaps that anyone else doesn't know how to fill, nor care about.

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Reposted by Robert Brydon

Ian Scoogz @squizzla.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Personalised media is about as interesting on a social level as people telling you in detail about a dream they had.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

More precisely, a rule whose enforcement is at the discretion of the Senate Majority party. Which is currently the Republicans.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Political campaigns, historically an area where First Amendment protections are... weakest?

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

And even then, according to NYT another patient was arrested whose *total* owed was $114. So I think the "I wouldn't destroy a patients life for $50" is just because no bill was ever that small.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Almost like if an LLM is able to do <a thing> when it is correctly supposed to do that thing, it will *by design* occasionally, probabilistically, also do <incorrect thing that looks similar to correct thing> sometimes.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Bingo. She agreed to a $50 a month payment plan and got behind on payments. Per article... I think KC Star(?) that talked about her specific case. (the firm managing the plan was charging 18% interest by the way)

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

You are making a big assumption that they hired women at all

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Note: Before this, I have never fully exhausted the 2000 characters of an alt text box for an image other than when copying in a huge screenshot of pure text. Didn't *try* to get 0 characters remaining when describing this comic, but ended up there naturally. The comic is a teensy bit text dense.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Periodic punctuation reminder, courtesy of Bob. www.angryflower.com/247.html

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I, for one, think that as long the pettiness is adding some seasoning to an otherwise valid and important main dish, it only enhances things. (Overthinking it caveat, only when the pettiness concerns *behavior* that is wrong or embarrassing, but not itself a part of the reason this is important)

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

And their own anecdote shows that knowing these does matter!

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Man, I'd forgotten that. I have no bone deep hatred of Toronto to enjoy the fact it was them losing, but you don't need it to enjoy watching them lose that one.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Never been to Toronto, so hard to say. But if it did happen, we would see something like a 75% decrease in the number of new movies set in NYC... I think I sold myself on the proposal, I'm in.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

With all due respect to Tacoma, is it really what we, as a society, would choose to showcase for future archeologists?

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

It's like they say, can't make an omelet without obliterating a major metropolitan area.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

That sounds really neat, do you like have a a folder in your bag with them pre-taped down? Or now that I think about it in an urban sketching kit, one board and set them up as needed works easily enough too.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

New ttRPG group? I can make everyone a Fields Notes style notebook with character sheet, spell list, inventory, graph paper for maps, etc. for everyone! Into techo style planners, but find a 5mm dot grid claustrophobic? I get to practice Affinity layout tools and design a personalized 7mm version!

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Yeah, I think of all my creative expressions the making of notebooks is the one I get the most out of, to the extent of I think that sometimes my motivation in trying to get friends into fountain pens, journaling, analog planners, etc. so as to have more custom books I can justify making.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Temptation to express sympathy, "I'm so sorry when you went to select seats at booking there weren't any together. I was glad the paid upgrade to an aisle was still possible when I booked."

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

(I am so bad at remembering to take pictures of works in progress, but if I remember will try and do so when I'm able)

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

* Yes, doing that thing of completely discounting the cost of book board, waxed thread, book cloth, etc. that I already have, but everyone knows existing "stash" of crafting supplies are free. But it's still working out a lot less than anything comparable, and getting to make it exactly way I want.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

All of which is to say, even at full price buying a fullsize sheet of good art paper and cutting it down and making a sketchbook of it is a really good dollar (if not time/effort) value. Even without the discount, it would have been ~$15 for a 64 page 6x9 book*.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Ended up cutting it into 16 sheets that fold over to by ~6 x 9 inch landscape folios, and did some testing of some of my favorite types of media to see that it holds up pretty well for what I'd use in a sketchbook. Been waffling on specific binding to do but have an arty exposed spine one I like.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Turned out to be Legion Stonehenge, 100% cotton, 250 gsm. Not their watercolor specific Aqua paper, but one that was formulated for printmaking, and still takes wet media well. They offered us a big discount if we wanted any, so I grabbed what looked like one of the least scuffed ones.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I like paper, and mystery, so asked if I could take a look too, stuff didn't quite feel watercolor paper, but did feel like something for some kind of wet media, and similar weight. It was too big for their drawers and an unusual size, and eventually the associate went to see if anyone else knew.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

There were a bunch of oversized (38" x 50") heavy, slightly textured, white, deckled sheets that had clearly been there a while (some scuffs, grime on outer ones). Other person was looking for something to create a background for product photography.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I was at Blick the other day in the full size papers (decorative, drawing, watercolor, etc) department getting some papers for bookbinding (mulberry paper for bookcloth, some marbled art sheets for endpapers), and someone was going through the "random shit" shelf in the corner with a Blick worker.

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Reposted by Robert Brydon

K.B. Spangler @kbspangler.com · 20/09/2026

Hey team I’m gonna need you to stop everything and look at the sewing machine my husband just brought home.

The most gorgeous handpainted Singer sewing machine I’ve ever seen

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

A TSWBI Swipe, their cheaper snap cap, cartridge/converter model. The cap finial cracked and tilted in. Barrel and nib are still okay, but it dries out as fast as if it was uncapped entirely. I think my mistake was assuming the clip could handle pen case elastic, and that weakened the plastic.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

But oh how it can accessorize! (So many inks, shimmer, sheen, chromoshading...)

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I won't say they are amazing, or that everyone who already enjoys fountain pens needs to try them. But they are a totally legit "first pen" option, better than some recs I've seen elsewhere.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

They are actually quite good, pilot steel nibs are consistent, to the extent people have worked out how to open and refill them. I've used them to help show someone curious but anxious about mess that writing with fountain pens isn't a constant mess and how pleasant the writing experience can be.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I often agree with her, but I think most users would prefer neither humans *nor* robots reviewed their logs outside of the chat itself. One's nputs are necessarily being saved and analyzed. But the feeling of a one-on-one, private, conversation with *your* bot makes that feel different (by design).

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I will also add that I really like the tuning they do on their nibs. Every one I've got was tuned to have a generously wet flow and their fine nibs have written thinner than other JoWos. The #5 fine nib on my Koloro is one of my favorites to write with, with a slight feedback similar to a Sailor.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I've used two of them on airplanes with no issue (waited until at cruising altitude first, though). I've written with the cutoff valve open, but also just opened it long enough to saturate the feed then closed it while writing for a few pages. Not sure if Mini can post with the valve open, though.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I have four Opus 88 pens, and cannot recommend them enough. I've not use the Mini, however. Eyedropper filled pens *generally* I find inconsistent, especially eyedropper converting one made for cartridge/converter. The shutoff valve in the Opus 88 models totally solves every problem I've had though.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Honestly their only model I know of that is a clone competing with a similarly priced original is their titanium version Sport clone they put out *after* Kaweco did the trademark shenanigans (and before Kaweco had a Titanium model). Even then, they arguably improved on it, adding a real roll stop.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Moonman/Majohn definitely has straight up copies of other well known designs, although usually it's a steel nib version of a very expensive gold nib only model, and often with options/tweaks the real one doesn't have, like the resin versions of Pilot Capless (with a better converter than PIlot too)

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Will add the specific reason for the change was that Kaweco got upset that one of Moonman's models had an octagonal cap similar to that of a Sport (otherwise totally distinct, barrel was a clear piston filler) and trademarked the name "Moonman" in Europe to mess with their ability to sell there.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

If they are a drop shipper, they are one that is very closely integrated with a distributor. Specific colorways go in and out of stock in their storefront, and shipments have always been within a day or two of order and packaged the same way. Definitely the way I go for most Chinese pen brands now.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

That seller has worked with multiple fountain pen youtubers (complimentary), and I've ordered from them five times over the last three years and gotten exactly what I ordered quickly for free shipping from China. I'm hesitant as well on aliexpress but they've been quite reliable for me.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

But most modern "flex" FP nibs are still far stiffer than what a calligrapher would consider adequate. Then you have nibs for East Asian calligraphy, where the line variation depends on angle of the pen to the page, like a brush... (Search for "fude" nibs if interested, but high rabbit hole risk)

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Generally fountain pen nibs sold as "cursive", "italic", or "stub" get their line variation by being flat and wide, so that all downstrokes are wide, all horizontal are thin, and sensitive to rotation of the pen in the hand. For ones that widen under pressure, they'll be called flex or elastic.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Diplomat Magnum has a bouncy nib for an inexpensive steel nib, but if you've used a dip calligraphy pen or any vintage fountain pen with really flexible nibs it's nowhere near that. www.penaddict.com/blog/2018/2/...

Blue ink on a dot grid paper. Some writing, then some loops and horizontal and vertical lines showing wider down strokes with pressure.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

One nice thing about Lamy is that their nibs are easily swapped by design, with spare nibs sold. That potentially make trying out different nib sizes or styles (like stub) cheaper. I have enough Safaris and Lamy nibs that I usually match the nib and body I want for a given ink.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Explorer is a great first pen. Diplomat Magnum I am huge fan of, but that nib is far softer/bouncier than most other entry level steel nib pens. Which I absolutely love about it, but isn't necessarily the best intro to what to expect from most similar pens.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I have an Opus 88 Minty, and had its nib turned from a stock medium to a crisp cursive italic, that is still just a medium width on the downstroke, but a hairline going perpendicular. Had it done by Gena Salorino (www.customnibstudio.com) at a pen show, and they made it into one of top favorites.

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Robert Brydon @robertbrydon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

They have a lot of large pens I find comfortable, and the nibs (JoWo #6 or #5) are common and interchangeable with a lot of other pens from individual makers. And Opus 88 tunes the nibs to my liking, a bit finer than usual for JoWo, and with a bit of feedback on the page.

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