Swag the Dog
After a bout of self-analysis, Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Tals Diaz concedes that the freebies showered on handpicked lifestyle journalists are intoxicating. It’s a taste of the High Life—but just a bite, because the disposable income required for such a lifestyle would swallow the meager paychecks of the members of the VIP (“Very Important Press”).
The Penman’s Picks
I suppose my fountain pen collection began with hand-me-downs from my father, who was a clerk in a government office and who also loved to write; I remember seeing a Sheaffer and a Wearever in his drawer. I was fascinated by ink and its effects on paper—especially when the paper got wet and the black blots bloomed into purple flowers. I can still smell the blue-black Quink and see its telltale stains on my fingers.
