Rudolph

What, you thought I'd be all "bah, humbug!", eh? Not at all. It's Christmas Eve, so naturally it's time to wear Rudolph, confirming that I'm more of a sentimental soul than I'd normally care to admit.

I'm not a religious person, but that's no impediment to appreciating the Christmas spirit, especially the "peace and goodwill to all men" stuff: what a pity there isn't more of that about. But one example of (temporarily) beating swords into ploughshares has endured.

For fifty years, NORAD has provided a Santa tracking service, so you can follow Santa around the globe as he delivers all those gifts. This year, there's even a 3D version based on the stunning Google Earth. And don't miss the Kids' Countdown, even though it's over - there's still fun stuff to explore there.

Christmas is also a time when I remember (all too painfully) those I've loved and lost, most especially my Mum. This was always a special time for her, and she always made it a special time for my brother and me. Whatever your beliefs, hug your nearest and dearest: hold them close, show them that you care. Do it now. And do it often.

Merry Christmas, everyone - and a Happy New Year.

Repeat: Ladybug Scatter Pin

I wore this Thomas Mann pin for luck, the last time. Today I wore it for productivity (the ladybird is an industrious little creature), as I continued to clear out old email, and all the other no-longer-useful digital stuff that accumulates over the year. Much as ladybirds clear out aphids, and other pests, I suppose.

On the home front, Christy has been baking cookies with welcome gusto (six sticks of butter went into yesterday's batch), although our two boys have been more than a match for the output. Few things inspire them to shared enthusiasm, but home-baked cookies are always a safe bet. Not that I'm shy about tucking in myself, of course...

Repeat: Dragonfly Branch

On its previous outing, I wore this pin because it's just a great pin. Today it seemed the best match for my prevailing mood, which can be summarised as "calm". I knew I didn't have a single meeting scheduled today, so I planned to clear out my email and hard drive folders of all the stuff I've been storing, but almost certainly don't need.

It's one of those largely mechanical activities that's time-consuming, because I had to review a lot of stuff, but it's not difficult, and the results (especially of deletion) are immediate and satisfying. It's not enough fun to get excited about, but it's not onerous enough to dread: hence "calm". And, unusually for me, I actually stuck my nose to the grindstone and got it done. Well, most of it anyway...

Fisherman (third time)

Looking at the two previous posts, I noticed I was wearing the same shirt both times. Hmm. Different shirt today though: it's a bit brass, so I'm wearing a turtleneck sweater rather than a T-shirt.

I wore the Fisherman on an impulse today, with no particular reason in mind. He's relatively big and bold in relation to most of my other pins, so he just sort of leapt into my hand. It turned out that I had a lot of written work to do, so he serendipitously served as a role model again, prompting a meandering consideration of the nature of cause and effect. I really must learn to focus. But not yet.

Repeat: Angry Fish

I'm shocked that I haven't worn this pin since August: it felt good to pull him out of the box. Rather than setting him on my co-workers, I'll be setting him on my fellow travellers tonight when I fly home. They'd better behave themselves is all I have to say.

The unusually cold weather will hopefully reduce the incidence of appalling velour suits, but will do nothing to eliminate the "Holiday" muzak which also sets my teeth on edge. Far from broadening the mind, travel now serves to narrow the eyes as I wince my way to the sanctuary of my velour- and muzak-free home.

Repeat: Determined Dog

Another day full of meetings, so I needed a pin that would help me get stuck in. And Determined Dog was just the right pin for that, as I've said before. Some meetings were productive, some less so, but none required gritted teeth, which I always count as a win.

In other cheery news, I received a sympathetic comment on yesterday's moan from a delightful Angie's List person. I'm already a Promoter for the service, and only wish other companies were willing to be so responsive to their customers.

The icing on today's cake was having a few beers with Dave, before he moves to a new job with Nokia, in Cambridge, MA. It sounds like everybody wins with this deal, and I wish him well. Despite his cheeky tweets impugning my character.

Bee (third time)

The Bee returns for another outing. Last time, it was all about the bumble: the time before that, it was all about appearances. This time, I was genuinely busy: up at the crack to catch my flight to work, then meeting after meeting until the day was done. Little or no bumbling, certainly no pretence, but it turned out that being busy was the silver lining...

The cloud (no pun intended) revealed itself when Christy emailed me to say that SoCal's heavy rain was pouring into our garage from the room above. We're not sure yet whether it's the roof or a window leaking, but either way it's grim: the garage ceiling is already disintegrating, so I have to assume we're in for an expensive repair. I should never have joined Angie's List - it was tantamount to saying "I laugh in the face of household repairs, because I know who the good contractors are". That'll teach me.

Repeat: Man Through Door

I showed you the front of this pin in the original post, so I thought I'd show you the back (and the front of the man) this time. The pic isn't as detailed as the real thing, unfortunately, but hopefully you can get the idea.

This is my favourite pin to wear when thinking about new things, and I was doing a lot of that today, in relation to work (changes and new projects are afoot) and home (Christmas stuff going on, another heat/air contractor coming, etc).

As always, the Man is a useful, physical reminder to cross every threshold and embrace change, because it's accompanied by opportunity, not only uncertainty. This kind of business-speak can be recited when you're living in interesting times, and don't know what else to do. Alternatively (and my prescription), you can pour yourself a cocktail and settle in with Despair. I suspect the options are equally effective.

Repeat: Running House

I had a lot of meetings today, of various kinds, so I needed a do-it-all kind of pin that'd lift my spirits. And, just as before, the Running House was a perfect choice. Gotta love that Thomas Mann - his pins almost always hit the spot.

I'm actually posting this from San Jose Airport, while waiting to board my flight home: isn't technology marvelous? But not because it allows me to write my blog while hanging around. The marvelousness comes from being able to escape from a relentlessly friendly fellow traveller (who simply HAD to share his entire itinerary with me) by claiming I had work to do on my Mac.

Naturally he understood: how could he not? We're in Silicon Valley, after all, where work comes first. So I escaped without causing offence, saving myself from imminent and inevitable tales of divorce, death in the family, or other disasters which so quickly follow after the opening trivia of social discourse.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all in favour of strangers being friendly to each other, so long as appropriate boundaries are set. For him, that meant "this English guy is polite, and won't hurt me, so I'll vomit my travelling tales all over him. That'll make me feel good". For me, the boundaries are: "we don't know each other. We're headed in different directions, so we're not going to know each other. So let's be civil, considerate and not get in each other's way. Oh, and by the way: silence is golden". I've got my earphones ready for the plane...

Steampunk Butterfly

I'm surprised it's the first time I've worn this pin since I started the blog, because it's a particularly good pin. Still, here it is at last.

I wear the Steampunk Butterfly when I need to strike a balance of analysis and synthesis, which was certainly the case at work today. I knew it wouldn't be enough to identify problems: I'd have to solve the bloody things too, or at least appear to be trying. I did the best I could, of course, but it's hard to say whether that was good enough. Time will tell, as it so often (ruthlessly) does.

This pin isn't made from clock parts, like the Clock Cow or Clock Bird, although all three share a somewhat mechanical look and feel: and it's not as purely decorative as the Butterfly. It's amazingly detailed though.

The steel wingtips are taken from some kind of measuring instrument, while the bronze head, wings and tail are very finely detailed, and anatomically correct. The copper heart (thorax) is stamped with "X"s on one side and "O"s on the other, which is a nice touch: and the centre 'tower' seems to be made from different sizes of brass washers, all held together with a steel pin. Thoroughly delightful: and anonymous, alas - there's no signature.

Lego Reware

Yesterday's estimate for replacing our heating and air conditioning came in under five figures, which was a huge relief, so I pulled out the Lego Reware this morning. This pin is pure fun, so I hoped it'd influence my day accordingly. I got a lot of work done and nothing bad happened, neither of which equates to "fun"... But they're not to be sneezed at in these troubled times. Let's call it a fair to middling performance.

Emiko Oye designed the pin, bringing together salvaged materials to create a vivid, graphical statement. The six Lego bricks (yes, they're real Lego bricks) are overlaid with an engraved, sterling silver strip, which I think was cut from another piece of jewelry. The bottom brick is pierced by a silver stud (bottom right).

I'm afraid I disagree with Emiko's assertion that "...reware bestows upon the wearer a sense of uniqueness and self-assurdness [sic] in our fast-forward culture": but I admire her own uniqueness and self-assuredness in making it. My pins don't define me: I define my pins, as regular readers know.

Repeat: Sash Window

The last time I wore this pin, I wrote about my aversion to 'self baring', and how you can see only a little of me behind the net curtains - which is just how I like it. I'm wearing the Sash Window today from the other side, so to speak: it represents me looking through the window to the future, but I can't see enough to feel comfortable.

We're getting an estimate for replacing our heating and air conditioning today, which is bound to be in the five-figures realm of pain, and might entail a lot of disruption while the work's done. It'll take a couple of hours for the contractor to figure out what's needed, and to suggest what our options are: and we'll have to get three or four estimates before deciding which contractor to go with.

The system's 20+ years old, so we don't have much choice in this. But it's certainly one occasion when I wish the curtains were pulled back a little. Bugger it.

Rocket

I haven't worn the Rocket much in the past, because it resides in my second box of pins, and I don't look in that one very often. But it's a really appealing pin, with an optimistic, '50s sci-fi feel to it. I'm wearing it today because it nicely represents my imminent flight home and the end of the countdown to the four-day Thanksgiving weekend.

Like some of my other pins, this one's meaning can be varied by changing whether it's ascending, in level flight or descending. Today's steep climb reflects how cheerfully I'm marching towards home, four days of leisure, cocktails and too much to eat, of course.

The Rocket is made of hand-cast pewter, and was designed by Jim Clift, who does lots of things with pewter (though not all of them are to my taste). He has a site dedicated to pins, and there's a keychain version of the Rocket there, but nothing about my pin. Lots of his stuff is cheap and cheerful, which is handy at this time of year...

Repeat: Owl in the Tree

You've seen this little beauty before, so I won't get into the details again: but surely nobody could tire of this pin. It always attracts attention, and people always ask what it represents. I should get Daily Pin cards printed, so I don't have to repeat myself: but I suspect that would be churlish.

I was running a design workshop and reviewing a lot of stuff today, so I picked the Owl in the Tree to help me out. Call me old-fashioned, but the "tree of knowledge" and "wise owl" metaphors worked for me, let alone all those other tree metaphors involving roots, branches, growing, and all that stuff. And privately, as I dealt with the hordes of people, I could picture myself taking the owl's place: and closing the curtains.

Angry Dog

I love this pin. Christy bought it for me when we were living in Eindhoven, NL (1990-94). We were spending the day in s'Hertogenbosch, and saw jewelry being made in a small store: we popped in to watch the craftsfolk at work, and walked out with the Angry Dog.

I'm wearing him today to signify my how fed up I am of my bronchitis, which has stopped the presses at The Daily Pin for the last few weeks. The cough has pretty much gone, but my feelings of malaise and fatigue linger on: they're improving, but oh so slowly. "Grrrr", as the Angry Dog would say. Or rather growl.

The Angry Dog is a hefty, solid silver pin, with lots of sharp edges, and a powerfully skewed perspective to him that I like very much. I particularly like his bulging eyes and sharp, gritted teeth - features I'm sure many of us can identify with, depending on how our days are going. I can't remember who made him, unfortunately, but he remains one of my all time favourites. "Geweldig!", as the Dutch would say.

Service Interrupted

I have to apologize for the break in posting (and not for the first time). I've had the flu for nearly 3 weeks now, and my doctor tells me it's evolved into bronchitis. There's a lot of it about, apparently, so if you're worried you might have it too, diagnose your condition here. I have all of the listed symptoms.

I'm still wearing pins every day (use Cooliris to view all my posted pins simultaneously), but I'm rarely in a condition to photograph or write about them by day's end. I started a course of antibiotics, and hope to resume normal service soon.

Les Bon Mots

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight... change has come to America."
--
President Elect, Barack Obama

Ladybug Scatter Pin

According to (the seemingly ever-present designer) Thomas Mann, this ladybug (ladybird) should bring good luck. I could certainly use some of that, which is why I wore him today. Having been fogged in at the airport for 3 hours on Monday, I got to work late only to have my flu return with a vengeance. I could hardly turn round and fly home, so I stuck it out as best I could, greatly aided by Alka-Seltzer (that stuff's a miracle, I tell you). I don't know whether the Ladybug worked, but nothing bad has happened, at least at the time of writing.

Being only 7/8", the Ladybug is small but perfectly formed. There's some interesting detail in his silver legs, head and antennae, but his red acrylic body is appropriately simple (and a nice choice of material). The brass studs set in black acrylic remind you of the spots, rather than being too literal about them, which was a smart design choice, I think. All in all, another great Mann creation.

Did you expect me to pick something ghoulish for Halloween? It crossed my mind, but I grew up with the Irish version thanks to my late Mother, which emphasized fear as much as fun. Some things shouldn't be messed with, no matter how much money gets made (cue Satanic and maniacal baritone laughter)...

Little Cat

Here's the Little Cat I mentioned when describing the Little Dog - they're stylistic siblings, so to speak. There's a subtle tilt to his head that makes you believe he's listening or watching intently: if he had eyebrows, I suspect that one of them would be raised. That made him a perfect match for my day of design reviews and planning.

Like the Little Dog, the Little Cat is made of silver, is evocatively simple, yet still expressive, which appears to be a hallmark (sorry) of Annie Kajiya's work. And no, Anne - you can't have him.

In retrospect, the Little Dog completely failed as a talisman, because I was sick for a week after that post, which is why there's been a gap. Whoever asked why I wasn't posting is clearly a "look at the pictures" person, having ignored both my words and my Twitter feed...

Repeat: Dragonfly

I know I wore this only a couple of days ago, but it's really an outstanding pin. And besides, the Piglet stud I planned to wear turned out to have a broken clasp. So here's the Dragonfly again, with a slightly better picture.

Though I've had it only a few days, I'm already thinking that this pin will come out whenever I'm seeking inspiration. The woman in the photo has an air of wonder about her, presumably inspired by the swarming dragonflies: entrancing beauty in chaos, it seems to me. Readers of the Butterfly post might recall my affinity for such things...

Little Dog

I fell asleep early last night (bad sign), overslept this morning (bad sign) and now have enough gravel in my voice to rival Barry White (good sound, bad sign). Rather than shuffle around muttering "woe is me", I opted to believe that it's an allergy rather than something dreadful, and donned the Little Dog as a talisman. I'm not feeling worse, so he's doing a pretty good job - and he's less intimidating than Determined Dog.

The Little Dog is made of silver, and is another great example of evocative simplicity. I also like his slightly skewed perspective and asymmetry, of course - especially his raised eyebrows. In a recent post about Starman, I mentioned that there would be more works out there by the designer Annie Kajiya: and I was right - the Little Dog is one of them! And I own a third pin by her, which is a Little Cat, but you haven't seen that pin yet.

Dragonfly

Here's the pin that Christy got me for our 15th wedding anniversary, front and back. It was totally worth the wait, and I'm really delighted with it - these photos don't come close to doing it justice, unfortunately. Since it's brand new, I haven't decided what the pin will mean yet, although romance must surely figure in there somewhere...

The pin is made of silver, with citrine crystal and topaz accents, but the main attraction is the 'found image', of course, which lies beneath a polycarbonate window. The designers are Dawn Estrin and George Wilson: that's their photo in the textured back of the pin, also protected beneath a polycarbonate window (a particularly delightful way to sign their work). Having glanced at their other works, I suspect my collection will be growing soon....

Starman

Come on. Admit it. He's irresistible, right? Technically a stud rather than a pin, the Starman is my choice when it's time to march joyfully into the future, regardless of knowing what that future holds. After a full day of company strategy yesterday (my excuse for failing to post), the future of my work is theoretically less uncertain: and in these troubled times, having a future - even a theoretical one - is not to be sneezed at. As a natural-born cynic, I sometimes need to be reminded that optimism is not synonymous with lunacy - and that's when I sport the Starman.

Starman is solid silver, has the rounded forms we associate with children and small animals (aaaaah), a little tuft of hair to die for, and the hint of a button-up shirt or jacket: another example of extreme simplicity being highly evocative. He was designed by Annie Kajiya, the founder of "Anni & Co" (which is stamped on his back). According to one retailer, the company was retired eight years ago, but I bet there are more Kajiya works to be found...

Saxophone

I married my sweetie fifteen years ago today, so it's a special day indeed. Unfortunately, I'm at work, 464 miles away: so we celebrated last Sunday, and one of my gifts was a pin. But not this one.

The artist is still working on the anniversary pin, but Christy showed me a picture, and it promises to be an absolute beauty - just like her. Given the two absences (mine and the pin's), I was hoping for an otherwise harmonious day, so I naturally turned to the Sax. If music be the food of love, play on - and calm the savage breast while you're at it, if you get my drift.

This little beauty was a birthday present from my friend Anne, who also wears pins on a regular basis. If memory serves, she found it in an antique shop, so it's very realistic, as things often were back in the day. It's finely detailed and artfully combines silver and resin: it's also fully three-dimensional, which you might have deduced from the shadow it casts. There's no room for a name, but I'm guessing the designer's long gone in any case.

Many Hands

I don't know whether this pin's derived from South American mythology, but it certainly looks like it might be. I like to wear this pin when there are too many things going on in my head at once, but I don't feel I can jettison any of them. As a lifelong procrastinator, I'm no stranger to having stuff build up: I've even tried to persuade myself that imminent deadlines help me prioritize. But that's delusional, of course.

Many Hands is etched into a hefty block of steel, and has a lot of fine detail. In addition to his interesting, stylized form, I like that he's holding everything together with six hands and even his feet. He's doing a fine job, and it's good to have such a worthy role model pinned to my chest. The only missing feature is the designer's signature: but I can live without that.

Love this: Cooliris

If you use Firefox, you need the Cooliris add-on. It's a great way to browse sites like Amazon and YouTube - even The Daily Pin - through their pictures. It's free, so install it, explore with it and marvel at how it sets you free.

Repeat: Fisherman

When I posted the Fisherman for the first time, he was new and that was reason enough: I hadn't figured out what he represents. I chose him today because I needed a role model (and this pin is just so unspeakably cool). He's caught his fish, he's got his bucket, and he's purposefully walking somewhere.

That was in stark contrast to my own state of mind when I woke up, so I figured I should have a constant reminder that I had work to do, and should bloody well get on with it. I definitely got quite a bit done today, in no small measure due to the Fisherman's eyeless gaze: but was it enough? Is it ever enough? Aye, there's the rub.

Angry Dragon

I've been attending a training course and had no time to post in the last few days, but hopefully normal service will be resumed now. Though dated Wednesday, this is a Thursday post.

Today's pin is currently the angriest in my collection, and represents another "let the pin do the talking" choice. I'll be watching my eldest son play water polo tonight: you might remember that he was bullied out of the Junior Varsity team, but chose to join the Novice team rather than stop playing. For his sake, I'll remain civil towards the coaches and players concerned, but the Angry Dragon will represent the real me.

Despite (or perhaps because of) his hostile intent, I think the Dragon's a terrific pin. His stainless steel form is delightfully spiky yet organic - an excellent combination of form and material which the flat finish accentuates. There's no signature, I'm afraid: but that might be just as well. If I knew who designed him, I'd shop 'til I dropped.

Rockhopper Penguin

There's something odd about this penguin, which I can't quite put my finger on. It might be that he's kinda cute and cuddly, but simultaneously knowing, even sinister, like a dwarf from Lord of the Rings. Whatever it is, the duality made him a good choice for today's mixture of thinking and doing.

As you know, I like thinking, but I'm not keen on doing. For a working stiff, this would be a crippling handicap: but as a privileged knowledge worker, it's not quite as serious. Nonetheless, even knowledge workers have to get shit done sometimes, so I did the thinking then got on with the doing while the Rockhopper looked on.

The pin's made of silver, and has a subtle level of dimensionality to him. He's not fully 3D, but he's not 2D either, a very pleasing result which speaks well of the designer. The initials "BPMW" are stamped on his back, but a quick search revealed that a marketing agency called BrandPimps uses those initials: as you might expect, they don't design pins.

Warrior

I had a lot of meetings today, some of which I could have done without. Rather than be combative, or play the "poor me" card, I grasped the nettle and made the best of them, allowing my Warrior pin to brandish the spear of resistance on my behalf. And doesn't he do it well?

The Warrior's another fine example of "less is more". His dynamic form and stance are all that's needed to evoke strength, purpose and a "don't mess with me" attitude. Additional details (like a face) would only detract from the statement, I suspect.

He's cut from a single piece of steel, which could easily have made him flat. But the enamelling definitely adds dimension: I particularly like its asymmetry, and the way it makes his hair almost flame-like. There's also a richness and depth to the colours which the iSight couldn't capture (as usual). There's no signature on the back but, for once, I don't mind. The anonymity seems to add to the Warrior's force.

Crow

This is a cheery pin which I haven't worn for a long time. I think it's because I stored it in my OTHER box of pins - out of sight, out of mind. I chose the Crow because I was going to be busy in a directed, resolute way, as opposed to the meandering busyness of the Bee, or slightly more directed busyness of the Native Biker. And busy I was, although some of the direction had to be rescued along the way...

The Crow was one of several items designed by Michael Bedard for the Acme Studio, where it resides in the "For Collectors Only" section. Bedard's most famous work is the painting "Sitting Ducks", although I recognized some of his other work more readily. Regardless, the Crow is a tiny masterpiece of simplicity. With a minimum of form and line, his marching legs, lifted wing and bowed head say "don't bother me, I'm busy". If he wasn't pinned to my T-shirt, you'd swear he'd be marching down my arm. Glorious, as so many 'cartoon' characters are.

Native Biker

Our good friends Charles + Joy bought me this pin soon after we first met (they're generous and thoughtful that way). They quickly realised that I had a pin collection, and decided to add to it by getting me the Native Biker while on a trip to Arizona.

I don't have many Southwestern-style pins, because they're usually too 'primitive' for my taste - all that ostentatious turquoise and so on. But this one's a fun, modern take on the genre, and a good one to wear when I plan to be busy in a more directed way than when I choose the Bee.

The Native Biker is signed with a mark rather than a name, so I can't tell you who designed it. But it's beautifully made in silver, opal and onyx - it's a pity my iSight can't do it justice.

Walking Trio

Sunday's typically a super-lazy day, and this Sunday's no exception. A glance online confirmed that far too many of my friends were out running, planning to run, or otherwise being healthy: "bugger that", was my response.

Rather than contemplate something - anything - energetic, I rounded up my Walking Trio to march across my T-shirt, so Jack and I could drive to breakfast. Living in the 'burbs means you have to drive pretty much everywhere to get anywhere, but even if I didn't have to drive, I'd delegate to the Trio in any case. Isn't that what Sunday's for?

The Trio's comprised of three characters by Mariscal, who's a famous Spanish artist and designer (though web design is clearly NOT his forte). I think they're members of the Cobi Troupe, but was too lazy to do much research on this - sorry. The characters are studs rather than pins/badges, and are made of stainless steel. And each is delicious in its evocative simplicity - especially the little dog.

Fisherman

Today's choice was super easy. You might remember me mentioning that I placed a bid on ebay for another Anne Harvey pin: well, I won the auction and this pin arrived yesterday, courtesy of mtnpearl. How could I not wear it today? I'll figure out a deeper reason for choosing the Fisherman when I've had him a while, but for now, novelty and beauty are the only reasons I need.

I'm delighted by this pin in several ways. I like the proportions of the three forms (man, fish and bucket) and how they relate to each other. I like that each form is stylized. I like the judicious use of contrasting materials (silver and black stone). And the fish and the bucket swing freely, thereby qualifying as desirable dangly bits.

Sadly, Anne Harvey has moved on to more commercial work, but if the Fisherman is representative of her Mexico work, I'm sure there'll be more examples out there. And I will find them.

Les Bon Mots

Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.
--
Oscar Wilde

Dog And Ball

If I'm in the mood for striving, this is the pin I choose. Today was mostly about striving to understand things, and striving to get round or over the things I don't understand. A fool's errand, some would say, but a routine part of the job in my case.

The delightful thing about this pin is that it's actually in two separate parts: the dog, which is a 'normal' pin in silver and gold; and the ball, which is a red glass stud. The possibilities are thus endless, since I can vary the leap angle of the dog (depending on how hard I think I'm likely to strive), and I can vary the distance of the ball from the dog (depending on how likely I think I am to succeed or fail). Genius!

Alas, the designer of this stellar combination didn't sign the dog, so I don't know whether there are more pin/stud combinations like this one. I'll get round to some serious searching for them one day - but not today.

Cicada

I pick this pin whenever I feel like making mischief, as I did today. The Cicada is big enough and real enough to startle people who aren't paying full attention to me, prompting nervous laughter and lame 'jokes' like "there's a bug on your chest!" Very droll...

The mischief here is not that I startled them, though there's some satisfaction in that. It's that I stirred otherwise bright people to try covering their social lapse with humour they themselves find cringe-worthy. I think this naughtiness stems from deciding to re-read "The Complete Saki" which, despite its age, is still a seminal collection of satire, and is my favourite book. Saki beats even Oscar Wilde for my money.

Being the consummate professional that I pretend to be, I mostly confined myself to gentle sarcasm and irony today, because I suspect that's what Saki would do if he'd lived to work in a corporation. And there'll be no jolly japes at the airport: the TSA does not have a sense of humour. But I feel it's my duty as an Englishman to think the thoughts, even if I'm unable to do the deeds.

The Cicada is another Thomas Mann pin, this time from his "Insectarium" Collection, which was part of a touring exhibition. It's made of silver, bronze and laminated acrylic, but the tour de force is that the thorax glows in the dark. Yes, it glows in the dark! I love stuff that glows in the dark. Well done, Tom - well done indeed.

Techno.texture Frog

This is a big-ass pin, so I don't wear it very often. But today seemed like the kind of day where one or more leaps of faith were going to be needed, so out came Techno.texture Frog.

He's fully articulated, so I can pose him how I like. I went for the "just leapt" look, reflecting my developing trajectory of conflict with my son's water polo coaches: having started the journey, I'm powerless to alter its course. All that remains to find out is where we'll all land. I fear it will end badly.

The Frog's another Thomas Mann design, made of nickel, brass, bronze and acrylic. I'd normally pick him for happier reasons than I did today. C'est la vie. Or in this case, c'est la guerre.

Reaching For Freedom

It's been a long time since I wore this Amnesty International pin. I wish it didn't need to exist. But it does need to exist. While we're throwing billions of dollars at greedy people to ensure more greed can ensue, I thought I'd mention that a generous donor will match any donation you make to Amnesty, dollar-for-tax-deductible-dollar.

I've been a member of Amnesty since I was a teenager, and would recommend it to anyone. Taking action is optional, and there are real successes to celebrate in relation to human rights. There's also cool stuff to buy for this excellent cause, if you'd rather contribute that way. Today's pin is made of pewter, and its subject is deliberately evocative, of course. As usual, there's a lot of detail lost in the photo, but that matters less this time: the big picture, and being part of something bigger than ourselves is what matters.

Heart Mask

On days when I'm not necessarily ready to face the world, this is the face I reach for. It's big, bold and a little bit strange, which suits my purpose just fine. Those who like pins tend to like this one a lot: those who think grown men should shave before they decorate themselves tend to be confused, or start to edge away slowly.

This is another Thomas Mann pin, in steel, copper, brass, bronze and acrylic. The poor quality of the photo obscures some of its many details, but that can't be helped. Suffice it to say that I like its somewhat haphazard composition (what's that bent arrow at the top for?), and the enigmatic expression. Definitely a winner.

Crab

I don't like phones in general, and I dislike phone conferences in particular. But Cisco's MeetingPlace plumbs new depths in the telecommunications experience, creating its own Circle of Hell for you to share with colleagues. I had five hours of MeetingPlace scheduled today, so my pin choice was both obvious and understandable.

The Crab isn't only associated with low expectations though. He's a natural choice for a beach trip of course, or for any day when I'm feeling feisty. I think it's got something to do with how three-dimensional and shiny he is, and how my perception of him changes depending on how I position him on my T-shirt. I had him at a jaunty angle today, which took the edge of my Cisco-induced glumness. The Crab is solid silver and surprisingly detailed - but unsigned, so I can't say more about him.

Grating Heart

Here's a winged heart that's NOT by Thomas Mann for a change. I'm flying home today, so the choice was pretty literal: no elaborate or allegorical justification for once.

I don't wear this pin as often as I should. It's smaller than most of my other pins, so maybe it just doesn't stand out in the box. I like it for the layering of the various metals: copper, bronze, brass, silver and steel. It's a pleasing composition, nicely accented by the painted back layer beneath the copper grating. There's no signature though, so that's all I can tell you.

Les Bon Mots

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.
--
Edgar Alan Poe

Man Through Door

This is the pin that shifted my collection away from political pins towards designer/art pins, and is still one of my absolute favourites. I usually wear this pin when facing something new, but I wore it today because times are busier than I want them to be, and I needed a tonic.

Who is that man? What's in his briefcase? Is he arriving or leaving? Is that a warehouse door, or some other door? There are many elements to love in addition to the mystery. The man is 3-dimensional, so you see his (stylized) face and front if you turn the pin over. He's actually crossing the threshold, ie he's going through the pin. You can see my T-shirt through the door. The rectangular forms are evocative, not only enclosing and descriptive. The material (silver) complements the industrial feel of the tableau. It's just brilliant in every respect.

The pin is stamped on the back with "925 Jacob". The 925 refers to the pin being sterling silver, but Jacob, tragically, is as much a mystery as the man going through the door.

Baby

Having enjoyed one of the laziest weekends in a long time (didn't even blog), today's 6am start was particularly brutal, and today's pin reflects that harsh reality. I choose this pin whenever I want to be a baby about something, but I'm not in a position to indulge myself. Of course, that means I could wear it every day, but I try to be judicious.

This cheery little pin was given to me by Martin + Caroline to celebrate the birth of my youngest son: it's a delight in solid silver. It was designed by Anne Harvey during her stint in Mexico in the eighties, although she's since teamed up with her sister Jane. Anne's Mexico stuff is pretty interesting, ranging from the whimsical to the strikingly tribal: I placed a bid on ebay for another of her pins. Her newer stuff is a little too commercial for me, though it's still charming.

Propellor Head

In some ways, this pin is a natural follow-up to yesterday's choice. While my mind is wandering less randomly, it's still far from its typically zen-like state, and Propellor Head represents that well. The propellor, hat, head and collar all rotate freely, producing a decidedly disjointed air: which is unfortunately rather apt. Even the wheel (replacing the feet) rotates sideways rather than forwards.

I don't wear this pin very often, because it's pretty big and heavy and needs a sturdy T-shirt to support it. But I like the overall form, it's always cool to have moving parts, and I like that the head has two faces which are similar, but not the same. The server at Peets liked it too.

The pin was designed by Beth Piver, and might be an early piece since it's not one of the seven pins shown on her website. There's a variant called Unicycle which she sells as a pendant though. She describes her materials as "mixed metals", which in this case means silver, steel, iron, brass and copper.

Repeat: Bee

Regular visitors have seen this bee before, but I picked him for a different reason than last time. Today he - or rather his flight pattern - is representing my mental state. There's a vague sense of direction, but nothing particularly specific, and a readiness to deviate from any chosen path that nullifies any effort to be productive.

If you think of the Bee as a bumble bee, I woke up as more bumble than bee - and matters haven't improved over the course of the day. The Bee is a smashing pin though, made from silver and laminate. He's another exhibit from my collection of Thomas Mann pins.

Cityscape

Here's another pin by ND TA, the designer(s?) of Riverscape: the streetlamp is an element common to both. I chose it today because it's depth is more apparent than real, so it's a good analogy for some of the thinking I've been doing for a presentation. Fortunately, I haven't finished that thinking yet, so there's still hope for achieving something substantive...

I love this pin's use of materials and perspective to paint the picture of a street corner and skyline. The sidewalk (pavement), background skyscrapers and streetlamp are all silver, the foreground skyscrapers are copper, and the globe of the streetlamp is a pearl. The grey ground beneath the foreground skyscrapers is some kind of ceramic or ground stone, which subtly glitters like certain kinds of concrete - a very nice touch.

I still haven't found out anything about KD TA, which is a bummer. I'd like to know whether a lot of his/her/their work contains streetlamps, and whether he/she/they are into other styles or subjects. I'd buy more for sure.