Here’s the Latest on What Paul’s Been Doing on Substack

Hello! I’ve been very busy with my new Inconspicuous Consumption project. In the nine days since my last update, I’ve published a bunch of new stuff, including:

• A close look at state-border welcome signs. (This was a follow-up to my earlier piece about what does and doesn’t count as “being in” a U.S. State.)
• A deep dive on the various ways J.D. Vance’s name has appeared in print.
• A story about how I completely misunderstood the meaning of a sign I saw at a gas station during my youth, and how my father set me straight.
• A guestwritten “Show and Tell” entry about a museum-quality potato masher.
• A look at food packages featuring photos that are supposedly “Enlarged to Show Texture,” even though the photos are no bigger — and in some cases are actually smaller — than the actual product.
• A look at how the pretzel industry is playing fast and loose with a very important word. (This piece also includes some cool pretzel factory video!)
• A chronicle of the inspiring rise and tragic fall of a speed “bomp.”

I’m having a blast with all this minutiae and arcana, and so are a lot of Uni Watch readers — including some folks who were skeptical about my new direction. Here are some comments that have been posted on these Inconspicuous Consumption articles:

• From reader Doug: “Loving Inconspicuous Consumption. I was concerned when you announced you were leaving uniforms behind, because my interests often gravitate to sports and I was unsure if that would translate to Brannock Devices and such. I’m understanding now that it’s your way of seeing the world that always brought me back to Uni Watch, not just the discussion of sports attire.”
• From reader Tyson: “As a Uni Watch subscriber, I must admit I was hesitant as to your new direction. I must say you’ve hooked me with these wonderful articles and I will stay on as a paid subscriber. I can’t wait for all the twists and turns of your future musings. Thanks for making my day a little brighter and for providing some good food for thought.”
• From reader Jeff: “I have to admit I wasn’t sure of your rebrand, because I really like uniforms, but I am really really enjoying these posts.”
• From reader Dan M: “Paul’s still got his fastball.”

If you haven’t yet checked out IC, I hope you’ll sample some of the links included in this post, or just explore my IC home page.

Everything I’ve published so far on IC is freely available to everyone, but that “free trial” period is now coming to a close. Going forward, the IC articles will be paywalled after the first couple of paragraphs. If you enjoy this content, I hope you’ll consider supporting my work by becoming a paid subscriber. Thanks!

Also: In case you missed it earlier this week, I’m selling a few jerseys and other items on eBay — you can see them here. If you’re interested in purchasing any of them, don’t buy them on eBay; instead, shoot me a note and I can arrange a small discount for Uni Watch readers. Cheers!