I'm bringin blue back

I was extremely bummed when the pharma companies recently agreed to stop producing reminder items such as pens and mugs. It really was a sad, sad development. That was one of the best perks of my job (even sadder)... Well besides the constant paycheck. Some of my friends who work in other industries get free clothing or jewelry, free show or concert tickets, free dinners or spa days... I got free pens and post-it notes. And now I don’t even get that. Seriously, put yourself in my shoes. It’s not like I get free drugs! All I had to look forward to were those fun, useless trinkets. They say physicians can’t be swayed by tsochkes... Well then give them all to me instead! I have no problem admitting that I can fully be bought by stupid swag...

Here’s a quick way to win me over. Blue pens. Have you ever noticed that all of the mass produced product-logo pens write in black ink? What is up with that? Is blue ink more expensive? Less accepted? Does blue make us feel blue? I happen to wholeheartedly prefer writing in blue ink. In fact, I sorta hate black ink. Is that weird? Is blue ink going to go the way of the dinosaurs?

I went to a business fair at my office today, and collected three product pens. I then compiled those with the other pharma logo pens in my ridiculous pen collection. ALL of them write in black ink (and therefore I use none of them). WHY!!?? So I did some independent research on the matter. My friend Frank reminded me that ink comes from octopuses (I just thought it came from Bic) and that ink is black. I argued that it was Indigo, but he basically shut me down on that one. According to Wikipedia, and the entry that Frank probably wrote last night, octopus ink is indeed black. However, squid ink is blue-black! HA! I also uncovered that apparently black ink is seen as more professional, easier to copy, and slimming to your signature. As long as you are not writing in crayon... I think your professionalism is not in question. Screw black ink. I am starting a blue ink coup... Blue ink is going to take over the world...