Foo - Ballpoint pens and post-it notes (Rant)

So today was one of those days where nothing in particular was going wrong at work, but it was a bit of a drag. No biggy. I've still got a little joy left in me until...

I $(#$0 HATE BALLPOINT PENS AND POST-IT NOTES!!!

I was trying to copy a bunch of numbers from a PLC so they don't get lost when I upload a new program to the processor. No biggy. Maybe 6-8 numbers is all.

But little did I suspect, there is some little magic interaction between the exact stiffness and roughness of the surface of a post-it note, and the diameter of the ball in a medium ball-point pen dictates that there is insufficient Van der Waals force to rotate the ball around to bring fresh ink to the paper.

I press firm. No ink.
I press soft. No ink.

I scribble circles at the top of the post-it. Look! Ink! Now to write the number. No ink.
I Scribble more circles. Ink! Try coherent writing again. No ink.
Why does it taunt me?

I write directly on the pad. No ink.
I write on a lone post-it over a hard surface. No ink.
I try varying thickness of post-its sitting on various surfaces. No ink.

I shake the pen gingerly to settle any air bubbles. No ink.
I shake the pen vigorously. No ink.
I bang the pen on metal objects and swear at it. No ink.

I Scribble more circles. Look ink! I try to write a number. No ink.
I throw the pen to the ground and threaten its children. No ink.
I point out the die grinders, drills, bandsaws and other implements of torture to the pen. No ink.

I stare in wonder at the little tiny ball on the tip of the pen. The ink glistens on its surface.
I lower the pen in contact with the post-it note. A tiny dot of ink appears...and nothing more.

I search the room for a pencil. Nothing.
I consider just going with the impressions of numbers I've worn into multiple mutilated post-its. They're illegible.

In the end my only choice is to admit defeat at the hands of a $0.10 PaperMate medium black ballpoint pen, and trudge dejectedly back to the office to find some other writing tool. Never trust a ballpoint to do a felt-tip's job.

That's what you get for going to the dollar store.

Nah...these were standard issue at work, bought in bulk from who knows where. I've had trouble on post-its with all sorts of different ballpoint pens. Plain paper is no problem. It has a courser grain and is heavier. The ball sticks to it and rolls properly. With too fine of grain you're sunk if you don't have exactly the right amount of cushion under the paper. I think post-it's might also have some kind of wax to give them a "friendlier" feel.

It took a serious amount of self-control to not violently destroy that pen, though.

Don't even get me started on how much I hate ballpoint pens and post it notes. Working in a metal shop with them was a ****ing joke, at first I usually managed to calm down and not destroy them.

Then one day I snapped, and put it in the lathe.
The next day one went into the forge.
The day after into the step sheer, lots.
Then the box and pan break.

Almost every day I destroyed a dis-obedient pen. Eventually I started to carry a pencil with me...

Thank goodness I'm not the only one!

I've always been taught to keep lab notes and records in ink so you aren't tempted to erase any "errors" that may later turn out to be useful information and so you know that nothing has been tampered with. Plus pencils, even mechanical ones, are always breaking, so I almost never have one in my pocket.

Post-its are so handy except for that stinkin' ball-point incompatibility.

What are youse guys talking about? I have no problem with ball points & post-its. Sheesh!

That's why I carry my own pen...Parker Jotter. Whoever tries to take it from me is losing a frickin finger.

I may upgrade to a Parker Vector though...Roller balls are more versatile, especially when writing on color laser documents. With a ballpoint, you usually need to scrape the ink off the paper first before the pen ink will actually dispense.

- i know exactly what you're talking about here... there is some combination of ballpoint and post-it paper that just won't work...

- OTOH, i have one ballpoint that seems to work on just about any surface...

<sigh> i will mourn its loss when it passes onto the big Pen in the Sky...

:-)

What are youse guys talking about? I have no problem with ball points & post-its. Sheesh!

No kidding!! I'm tellin' ya, someone's been goin' to the dollar store. Or WalMart.

how bout a Bic, works fine for me.

At work, I use Pilot Precise V7 pens on Post-It notes all the time. Never an issue.

I'm going to have to add a vote to you having crappy pens, sticky notes, or both. :)

Almost every day I destroyed a dis-obedient pen. Eventually I started to carry a pencil with me...

WTP FTW!!!!!!

WTP could also stand for Went To Pencils!

Almost every day I destroyed a dis-obedient pen. Eventually I started to carry a pencil with me...


LOL "Dis-obedient" pen.

I collect pens, pens are my friends. Odd pens: wriggly eyed, feathered, day-glow orange, light up pens with sparkles, ahhhh ... I love pens.

But I hate fine tip pens - they are the boogers of the pen world that don't seem to like post-it notes (oh I love neon/day glow post-it notes too). Medium points are the way to go :)

I swear by this pen

http://www.pilotpen.us/images/pens/g2_000000.jpg

Yea like Hobart I just use gel pens. My boss hates em and loves Ballpoint pens though :P

Buying gel pens is an investment in one's sanity.

I swear by this pen

http://www.pilotpen.us/images/pens/g2_000000.jpg

So you stand next to that pen and cuss? Bet people stare at you and say things like "look at that foul mouthed hippie!";)

No kidding!! I'm tellin' ya, someone's been goin' to the dollar store. Or Fall-Apart.

Fixed it for ya! :p

That's why I carry my own pen...Parker Jotter. Whoever tries to take it from me is losing a frickin finger.



+1 I keep a Parker in my pocket all the time, and have for years. I've never had a problem writing on anything with it.

So you stand next to that pen and cuss? Bet people stare at you and say things like "look at that foul mouthed hippie!";)

So that was you yelling at me?

So that was you yelling at me?

No that was my wife, I was steering the car with one hand and flipping you off with the other!:D

I work at my college bookstore, so yes, I feel your pain.

No that was my wife, I was steering the car with one hand and flipping you off with the other!:D

Youre just mad cause she thought I was more handsome than you! :D

Youre just mad cause she thought I was more handsome than you! :D

ouch! the truth can hurt!:D

Yea like Hobart I just use gel pens. My boss hates em and loves Ballpoint pens though :P


One cannot have too many gel pens - and when you have 5 shades of red :o you know you have a problem

I work at my college bookstore, so yes, I feel your pain.


The man who runs our college bookstore is much like me - he likes candy and pens.

And he's also the one who supplies my pen habit :mad:, I do believe he got a new shipment of neon mini gel pens in .....

<be right back> :D

I don't believe in ballpoints.

Roller ball, gel, felt tip, fountain, give me anything but that greasy "ink."

I also avoid pencils whenever possible. Scritch scratch, *shudders*

I correct all sorts of papers and I only use GEL PENS, the G2 is my absolute favorite, so
+1 on gel pens.

I also think you're using dollar store knock offs. They're cheaper. :)
Steven

Pens make me mad in general. I'm left handed so I drag my hand across whatever I just wrote. Parker Jotter ink dries almost fast enough that it won't smear. Gel pens--forget about it. I look like I was finger painting across the lines.