All of them are memories not of better times, but better hopes not marred by the view of the Grinch spirit dominating today the landscape of North Pool (pardon North America).
Regardless of whom you voted for, everybody has to eat.
The HOPE I had created a company designing glass Christmas Ornaments, and subsequently dealt with an economic downturn during our last Great Depression, in 2008, which led to its closure and the start of a new business.
This hope is not gone, lingering somewhere in my mind, not willing at any price to give up. A parade of Grinch-like figures decorating this nation’s prominent display doesn’t pay attention to ants like me and you. I have the hope, but you?
Sedition is the only word that comes to mind when I watch reports about tariffs imposed by an unstable individual who has already declared six bankruptcies and who is supposedly supposed to fix our economy.
Why we bother with Binders? Regardless of the digitizing effort, we see around, paper documents are irreplaceable. No iPad will last for decades. We went already through the CD-era, and most of the discs you still store are inaccessible. Same with hard drives. People recognize the drawbacks of new technologies.
Let’s compare: Ring Binder. Heap of vinyl combined with a complicated metal mechanism vs. Ringless Binder, a sheet of paper with a simple arrangement of flexible ties.
In the below illustration, the Ring Binder is empty but still takes more space than full ringless binders using adjustable ties instead of rings. Who needs the Rings?
Ring binder vs. Spineless Bind Books
Ring Binder
Ringless Binder
Misaligned Rings
Ties replace rings
Rings are always in the way of the hand trying to reach the opposite page,
Hard to notice Ties. Ties are flexible and low profile.
No way to flip through the pages quickly,
A breeze to Flip through the pages
Hard to store. Empty or full, Big Spine takes the same space.
Never exceeds the thickness of the bonded documents more than the thickness of the paper it is made from.
Brick-like handling comfort
Flexible
Hard inflexible covers
Cut from a sheet of paper.
You must specify the thickness and choose one from several sizes.
A basic Bind-book takes up to 350 pages, or you use a Spineless bind book to bind any amount of pages from 0 to 800.
In the Bindbook, You may divide your paperwork into separate sections.
Replacing the vinyl cover with a craft paper finish doesn’t make the product eco-friendly.
Eco-friendly. Requires only 20% of the weight of material needed to produce a comparable ring binder.
Please notice sets of ties by the left edges of the respective covers. You may divide the papers.
Can you imagine a simpler binder? A plain sheet of paper with few invisible cuts. Cut imaginatively. No rings. No complicated metal mechanism, and it binds hole-punched documents anyway. Of course, we do not show detail in this illustration for obvious reasons.
A quick search on the internet reveals a few Kraft paper-finished Binders with the Eco description attached to them.
I wonder why we call them ECO.
Because of lack of better option?
The Vinyl or other Plastic covers are replaced with paper. But the complicated metal mechanism presenting the sharp tooths of metal rings is still there— and the heavy covers and the mechanism weigh a lot. Plus, there is a never-ending headache: What size should I buy?
0.5″?
1″?
1.5″?
2″?
3″?
What would you do presented with a binder without all the above headaches?
Ringless binders with tabs
Same Ring-less Multi-binder with two sets of paperwork inside. UP to 350 pages.
This Binder reduces 80% of the materials and waste used for the Ring Binders.
No Spine and NO Rings still perform the same function and are much more pleasing because of their flexibility.
They come in two Flavors.
0-2″ Multi-binder. Two sets of ties bind two sets of paperwork.
0-3″ up to 6″ Spineless binder
ringless multi-binder with one set of paperwork
Both weigh around 2 ounces and are cut from a flexible sheet of tear-resistant paper.
Spineless Binder Covers with two tagsCompare Sizes. Black three-ring Binder with a ringless binder on topStack of Spineless Binders with visible tags
Over a year ago (2019) Prompted by my family’s desire to see the newest indie-independent art we went to Chicago’s “Printed Matter Book Fair”. After finding parking on Wabash Ave short stroll brought us to the Michigan location of this glorious event. Old buildings on Michigan Ave destinations by themselves showing to the visitor quite an interesting 19-century approach to architectural design. There is a certain charm preserved in the old interior decoration. A crowd of mostly young people filled the stairs and walkways on 3floors of the building.
Crowded Floors filled with exhibitors and viewers with little space in between on the first sight offered plenty of interesting things to see. But after a while searching for the new, beautiful, and unexpected there was a sort of disappointment. Clearly, we expected more. The first thing which struck my practical mind was a discovery that no independent bookseller present on these 3 floors was offering something I would purchase, read and cherish for at least for a while.
Books exist not only in their physical form but at least to me as the frame for an interesting message. The message was the ingredients missing. The main message emerging from seeing the fair was a message of the author’s loss and confusion. Focusing on form, printed pages without a clear intellectual path produced nothing memorable. Even a few pop-ups I saw, did not bring to me this kind of satisfaction or curiosity to prompt me to purchase one since they are bound to sit on the shelves forgotten because of the sin of not carrying a message.
Message It is the ingredient missing from contemporary US American art. That’s why Manga Books and similar foreign inventions dominate the U.S. market. They bring the message – excitement.
In a culture focused on the financial aspect, simple seeds of imagination and creativity have no chance to flourish. The young generation of makers is trying but since there were born and raised in this environment there are trying, but falling short.
Coming back to my family we came to the conclusion that our time could be better spent.
Unfortunately.
But I think we should keep watching. true art comes unexpectedly and in small portions.
This February 2021 Printed Matter will launch its first Virtual Art Book Fair (PMVABF)
https://pmvabf.org/
Few of us ever noticed that time we measure in relative units. Of course, hours, days, etc but they have different measurements depends on the place we live. Traveling outside of the United States US tourists tend to do things most of the world looks at with AWE. 5 countries in 3 days. The whole of Italy in 30 minutes including the treasures of the Vatican. No wonder our nation is first in speed to the Moon. Leaving the confinements of US borders, we encounter a world so different than ours. We hardly notice the difference wrapped in our bubble. Unfortunately, it takes plenty of time to cool off and start appreciating things we can not see from the windows of our cars on US highways. So if you have an opportunity go out, stay down, and cool off. You may discover what life is actually about far away from the assembly line. Flowers that actually smells. Days and weather you enjoy and many other things you never dreamed about.
Have you noticed people’s unusual fascination with pop-ups? Grown men and women long past their teenage years are attracted to small paper buildups opening another world up the front of their eyes.
I think their attraction to such toys shows that everybody caresses a playful Child inside regardless of age. Our normally shown outside is Knight’s armor to defend ourselves from intolerant people without imagination and low self-esteem. This playfulness makes unbearable days easier and brings unquestionable benefits because people with smiles live longer, healthier, and happier lives. So Do not limit your happiness regardless of how silly the reason may appear to others.
Because of the health benefits a smile brings shouldn’t I consider myself a Healthcare provider? And charge people accordingly. I mean out of the blue and sky-high. If U.S. Congress a few years ago recognized pizza as a vegetable… in our country anything is possible.
