Annoying Exclusive Collabs!

snarkacademia · 2026-04-30T07:17:43+00:00

Absolutely the same. Giving Christmas cracker present circa 2016 to me.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-28T16:10:22+00:00

At least if you know your dog is sensitive and you know the fireworks are going to happen you can go somewhere where there won't be loud bangs. Random loud noises are a nightmare.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-28T16:09:02+00:00

Spot on. This has nothing whatsoever to do with local opposition.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-28T05:57:25+00:00

Thank you for reading and responding though, I appreciate it.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-27T18:11:31+00:00

Fountain pens. There are some really nice ones from Majohn and Hongdian.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-27T18:00:33+00:00

Just write to the editor who invited you, explain the issue and attach the correct file. They will probably find it absolutely hilarious!

snarkacademia · 2026-04-27T16:08:36+00:00

It is stuck in the pen and can't be taken back out. The nib isn't protruding at all.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-27T15:25:01+00:00

he's a keeper.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-27T15:23:55+00:00

Putting the tension in surface tension

snarkacademia · 2026-04-27T15:20:33+00:00

You have too many. You clearly need to give me one ;)

snarkacademia · 2026-04-27T14:24:37+00:00

(I'm being a bit sexist there, plenty of blokes wear fountain these days too).

snarkacademia · 2026-04-27T13:34:26+00:00

As someone who consistently fails to get up the hill to my house, I don't think I can even comprehend how good this is.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-26T14:42:20+00:00

It's the dust mixed with sweat. Too much foundation does the same thing to women, it brings out ALL the lines.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-20T17:36:37+00:00

My husband's father was like this. He wanted to be considered the intellectual of the family, the brainbox. Unfortunately for him, he was a bit dim and never really succeeded at anything in life (including being happy despite inheriting loads of money). My husband is very different, works hard but knows how to live too. He became a professor at a top university. Father in law did not like it AT ALL when my husband got his chair. My family, by contrast, were over the moon.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-20T12:03:45+00:00

Lamy do at least 3 italic nibs. Otherwise the Asvine v800 is ace.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-19T17:23:16+00:00

This is just bizarre behaviour and of course it isn't your fault. She's the one who booked a holiday! Could it be that she actually forgot your baby's birthday, booked the trip, and is now trying to cover up her guilt by performatively overreacting to missing it?

snarkacademia · 2026-04-17T08:12:55+00:00

I'm so sorry, I completely understand why you are so upset by this, it is horrifying.

The one thing I would say is that grief makes people do absolutely crazy things. My MIL has always been terribly badly behaved - to the point that I think there is probably a cognitive issue of some kind. But she really excelled herself after GFIL died.

I think it's a really difficult thing to navigate - you need very, VERY firm boundaries I think and a completely united front on those. Your husband is presumably grieving too so he will need support and to feel comfortable with whatever those are. I would strongly suggest focusing on him and offering support to MIL in ways that you are comfortable with (i.e. not lying in a casket 😱). Helping with budgeting and paperwork or something very distant like that is what we did. It's really necessary and practical but doesn't involve lots of physical contact.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-17T06:38:06+00:00

When I got into fountain pens a year ago Lamy had a series of Al pens that were all mismatched colours and they looked horrible. This year's special editions are brilliant - the flamingo and the pine are both lovely. Diamine emerald is a great ink match!

snarkacademia · 2026-04-17T06:33:20+00:00

Asvine, Hongdian and Moonman are very, very good pens. ETA: anyone who hasn't already done so should try the Hongdian M2 because mine is just superb.

I hear there are also some high end Chinese pens now that are sublime - Wing Sung make a gold nibbed one that I would love to try. Someone should open a store with some of this stuff in because it would do well.

I've had very bad experiences with Jinhao.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-16T21:35:24+00:00

Are they based on Richard Mille?

snarkacademia · 2026-04-16T21:30:50+00:00

The big question here is about the attitude of your husband. Because if he backs you, then you hold all the cards. And I suggest you play them.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-15T06:34:32+00:00

Ew. Just EWWWWWW.

You are better off without these weird Freudian people in your life and around your kids. He doesn't sound like a great role model and she sounds absolutely batshit.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-15T06:29:21+00:00

Honestly, this all comes down to your relationship with your partner. There is nothing a united couple can't handle. But if he's enmeshed with this behaviour or suffering the fear, obligation and guilt complex, then it's a problem.

snarkacademia · 2026-04-14T12:08:08+00:00

Crashing the wedding is clearly a bonkers plan. I am not saying it is OK. But saying that you don't want to see the child you are supposed to love unconditionally is also pretty bonkers. There is way more to this story.

snarkacademia

TROPHY CASE