Millimeters, that is.  Yep, we're only talking about a difference of .2 millimeters.  But if you're an accountant and you're talking about .5MM lead versus .7MM lead, the difference is huge. 

If you're a .5MM Pentel lead aficionado, it has to be .5, it has to be from Pentel, and it has to be used in a Pentel black pencil.  You would not be caught dead in the middle of tax season filling out a 1040 with a .7MM  lead pencil, even if it is provided free by your friendly Paychex vendor along with donuts.  Although you will eat donuts of any size - with no concern for either internal or external  circumference.  We're not picky about that. 

There are a few rogue accountants like me, who have to find a way to break the mold. That's why I put my .5MM lead in the Pentel "Sharp Kerry" model which comes in cool feminine colors and features a cap.  I have had two of these in the past, one blue and one green.  I can't seem to find either of them and am tempted to order a pink version immediately.  I hope no one thinks I am the accountant for Mary Kay. 

This is how you spend your time when you are an accountant. Let's see do I want it to be HB, H, or B hardness?  I might need to create a spreadsheet to decide.

I think the negative publicity around this number started when an Egyptian first hit this age and discovered puberty.  What could be worse luck than suddenly becoming interested in members of the opposite sex and having your first pimple both at the same time?

Here's something to ponder.  There are approximately 600,000 elevators in the US.  Due to superstitions surrounding the number 13, most of them have opted to skip the 13th floor. Now I ask you, by simply failing to display that number on the elevator panel, have we somehow eliminated the number from existence?  Isn't the floor labeled 14 really the 13 th floor?  Does that fool anyone?