I'm a software developer, designing productivity enhancing databases for businesses large and small. I live in South Florida, and in my spare time, I enjoy fountain pens, photography, cooking, and technology and home roast my own coffee
The database I designed for the fountain pen community is available on the Downloads page. I estimate that 3,000 - 4,000 fountain pen collectors in thirty countries are using my database to track their collections.
-Jon
Miami Pen Show
Well known fountain pen authorities Gary Lehrer and Paul Erano discuss a pen
I attended the Miami Pen Show last weekend. It's great to have a show that I can drive to in half an hour, even if it isn't the biggest show in the country. Maybe it's not the biggest, but it is growing. There were significantly more dealers this year. For example, Swisher was there, as well as Bertram's Inkwell, the show's promoter.
The venue has changed. For the last few years, it was held at the Biltmore Hotel, in Coral Gables. The Biltmore is a beautiful old hotel and a national landmark, but may not have the best venue for a show like this. …
Why I Canceled XM/Sirius
I've been a Sirius/XM customer for about six years, but canceled my service last month. Why did I cancel after all of this time? There wasn't a single reason, but the most important is that satellite radio is quickly becoming less relevant as a music delivery system.
With an iPhone and an iPod, I have a practically unlimited library of music that I can take with me. These days, most of my driving is local. The longest trip I'm likely to take is about 90 minutes, and most of the time, no more than 30. …
How Not to Gain A Customer
The other day, I couldn't find the remote for my garage door opener. I don't normally have a need for it because my car has a built-in remote with the Homelink system. I probably haven't looked for the remote in a year. Now I need it (to reprogram a new car), but it's nowhere to be found. I went to Home Depot and to Lowes, but none of their remotes were compatible with my garage door. So, I called a local Genie dealer. They had the remote in stock. Great! No so great. They want $45 for a remote that has a retail price of $25. …
Fed Up with FedEx
FedEx claims to run "the tightest ship in the shipping business." From my perspective, it is staffed by incompetents, unable to provide anything beyond empty promises. On February 6th I ordered an espresso tamper. Due to a PayPal error (that's another story) it was shipped to an old address of mine in another state. I called FedEx to correct the address, but was told that it would have to be corrected by the shipper. I sent an email to the shipper, who called FedEx. Too late. The package was on route to the wrong address. …