Am I really so old? The black back/front just does not work for me. I know I don't write on cards folks give me as much as I used to, but I still do at times and being able to is a big plus. Not being able to make a quick note because I forgot my white paint marker is just plain less smart then something I can write on with just about any pen/pencil/bloody finger/greasy stick I can find.
Regarding the NIH and NSF, they WERE good for pure-research money. Most such funds have dried up or been funneled to the war effort. It's ugly out there for "pure-research" money. If there isn't a practical application or promise of a new diagnosis to a well known and popular ailment, good luck getting funding from any, non-DARPA, government source.