Wiser Web Wednesday – a regular link to posts of interest from around the web by those far wiser than myself:

Three Staples
A great comparison post on three white Colors Editions of Field Notes notebooks (with a couple of white special editions thrown in the mix as well). I found this an interesting post as I do not own any of the editions featured here. Also worth a look for the images alone:
Field Notes Color Comparison: White

Design Observer
Although there are numerous posts around on why things such as books still matter, I’ve not seen some of those listed here. Not the least of which is the “social” function — that is, people can see what we are reading, rather than having to tweet about what we are reading. All in all though, some very compelling reasons for maintaining the physicality of the printed word, including leaflets, cartoons and the like:
Books Matter

Write Analog
Over at Write Analog, Mark has big plans for the site, and I for one am quite excited about them. Interviews, a newsletter, giveaways and more — head on over and sign up, or at least take a look at what’s coming.

Towards the end of the post Mark kindly takes the time to thank some fellow bloggers for their support during the early phases of getting the Write Analog site up and running. A nice touch, and again evidence of the great online pen and paper community. I am not sure what it makes me by linking to a post that I myself am linked in — why self-serving I guess! Or maybe that’s only if I click it – I didn’t — er…promise:
Some Site News & Special Thanks

Matt Gemmell
A nicely set up introduction to this post occurs before the big reveal, so no, I am not about to spill the beans on the exact item in question here. With so much being rolled into one universal gadget these days, every time we do, a little of the polished edges are taken away. This is a great reminder that not only do certain tools stand far better on their own, but also that it is okay to — and we should — still use them.¹
Dedicated

On Fountain Pens
As always there are so many great posts to link to for pen reviews it’s difficult to pick just one, or a few at that. Maybelline takes a look at a couple of Namiki’s with contrasting nibs:
Two Namiki Falcon fountain pens

Rolling Stone
Not a new article though an enjoyable read from last October. In particular, King’s views on elitism in reviews:

It was this assumption that if fiction was selling a lot of copies, it was bad. If something is accessible to a lot of people, it’s got to be dumb because most people are dumb. And that’s elitist. I don’t buy it.

Hear, hear. I acknowledge we are all a product of what we consume and learn, with reading a big part of that. I am all for literary classics — but believe me, that high-brow tome in your hands doesn’t automatically make you any better than me.
Stephen King: The Rolling Stone Interview

1. Footnoted to again hopefully avoid spoiling the piece – reading this post, I could not help but think of Louis Litt from Suits – a show I enjoy very much. Fake model numbers aside, there are times when we’ve all been Litt up. ↩