Ruination & Despair

This morning we shipped an assortment of fine cards to Accipiter, a gallery for “lighting, crafts, and fun,” at the Cameron Village Shopping Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Any store named for a genus of birds of prey that includes various species of goshawks and sparrowhawks is likely to be a good outlet for our cards, so we are, obviously, very pleased and excited.

The ingredient list for Original Slim Jims includes “mechanically separated chicken.” Now, that sounds tasty!

Okay, so lately we’ve been been neglecting this blog for awhile. Some of us here at Archelaus have been a bit preoccupied with other weighty matters (never you mind what they were!).

Fortunately, the imperative of designing new cards has shocked us back to reality, and we will attempt to resume posting more reliably.

Or at least that’s how I see it working in theory.

In 1934 the small Russian fascist movement based in the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo declared Joseph Stalin to be a “concubine of American capitalists and Jews.”

Source: John J. Stephan, The Russian Fascists: Tragedy and Farce in Exile, 1925-1945 (New York, 1978), 58, citing a Japanese consular report.

This morning we dispatched another shipment of our fine cards to the great state of Wisconsin, this time to the Spring Green General Store, a large former cheese warehouse that now purveys “excellent coffees, exciting home-style ethnic cooking, micro brews, natural & gourmet groceries and an original selection of jewelry, cards, clothing, house wares, toys, vitamins, and natural cosmetics” to an astonished populace. Located about 35 miles west of Madison, the town of Spring Green is perhaps best known for its proximity to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin Estate, but it is also home to the American Players Theatre, which perpetrates a major outdoor Shakespeare festival every summer.

Should you happen to be in the area, by all means take the opportunity to stock up on your favorite cards.

Behold, another two exciting blank notecards for your pleasure and delight! Happy New Year from Archelaus!

When a garulous barber asked him how he would like his hair cut, King Archelaus of Macedonia (reigned 413-399 B.C.) replied: “In silence.”

Source: Plutarch, Morals, vol. 15: On Talkativeness.

Hey kids, be the first one on your block to get these new blank notecards from Archelaus!

“Two boys arrived yesterday with a pebble they said was the head of a dog until I pointed out that it was really a typewriter.”

  —  Pablo Picasso

On Saturday, December 12, 2009, Archelaus will be attending the Riverdale Park Holiday Market in Prince George’s County, Maryland. This will be the third year we will be selling our cards at this enjoyable event, and we highly recommend it to our customers (and prospective customers) in the area.

Today we dispatched a flunky with an order of fine cards to Distinctive Lifestyle, the Washington retail outlet of Distinctive Bookbinding. Founded in 1964, this fine firm does custom bookbinding, restoration, and related leatherwork. We are proud to have our products on display at their store, which is located near Dupont Circle at S Street and 18th.

The title just about covers it, really. In addition to Visa and MasterCard, we are now accepting American Express and Discover — because giving our customers more ways to drive themselves to the poorhouse is just good business!