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Post by urbino on Jan 19, 2021 21:17:18 GMT -5
Welcome aboard, sir. I have a fountain pen or two. I'm far from an expert, but maybe we'll have the occasional chat about them. I'm also a reader (though less than I used to be) and was headed for academia but grad school just wore me down to a nub. As a newb, myself, I can attest that this is a friendly bunch who are ready to help and have the knowledge and experience to do so. Academia is designed to do that, especially doctoral programs. I maintain that people with advanced degrees aren't necessarily the smartest; they're just the ones who were too stupid to give up when they kept getting knocked back and beat down. I have a Noodler's Neponset in plain black ebonite that is my favorite and EDC pen, but I also have a 100 year-old Waterman Ideal 55 in BHCR that I like to write with occasionally The one I keep with me is a Platinum Century. Low maintenance, doesn't draw tons of attention to itself, and a pleasure to use. Grad school is definitely more a test of endurance than of intelligence. You can't do it if you aren't reasonably intelligent, but you may not be able to do it even if you are. It's an absolute grind. And too many programs simply don't care about their students, how long it takes them to finish, or even if they ever finish. |
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Post by Professor S. on Jan 19, 2021 21:18:00 GMT -5
Welcome. I assume you have the herringbone/tweed/corduroy jackets with the leather elbow patches to go along with the pipe? Just kidding you a bit. I am now retired, so I am no longer a "professor." But I spent a huge chunk of my life as a professor at a state university. My specialty is/was the 19th century British novel. My doctoral dissertation involved the Gothic tradition and its influence on the "mainstream" Victorian novel. So although I am not a HPL fan, I have partaken liberally of the gothic literature on both sides of the pond. Anyway--welcome to the forum. You might enjoy it here. Actually, I do. I wear a Harris tweed or corduroy jacket (with elbow patches), suspenders, and a bow tie to class every day. My wife (AKA The Princess) calls it my "old man fashion." At GenCon a couple years back, someone asked me if I was in cosplay or if that was really how I dressed. "It's the same thing," I replied, "if you're committed enough." That sounds like a great dissertation topic! I'd love to read it if you don't mind. My own was on the difference in Christian worldview (based upon the 3-dimensional worldview scale of cognitive, affective, and behavioral activities) between adults who had/ had not taken a particular theological curriculum. |
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Post by Professor S. on Jan 19, 2021 21:21:17 GMT -5
I’m a college professor but have discovered that working as an English Literature/ Language Arts teacher at a private academy is more enjoyable (and steadier) work. I’ve been smoking cigars, but recently decided to follow in my father and grandfather’s footsteps and take up a pipe as well. I’m fortunate to have an outstanding local tobacconist who set me up with a decent starter-grade briar and a couple ounces of his Golden Harvest Extra. This looked like a friendly enough place to stop in and learn some tips and tricks. For now, I'll settle on learning how to get a consistently-good fill! I’m a life member of the HPLHS and enjoy writing to pen pals with my fountain pens, studying ancient history, and literature (obviously); particularly 19th-early 20th century American horror, metaphysics proper, Hemingway, and Zelazny. Sounds like the Pipe Puffer. We're fortunate to have them locally. That's the place! Ed is a wealth of useful information. When I worked as an EMT, my partner and I used to hang out there and smoke cigars until we got called into service. I don't get by there nearly as often anymore. |
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Post by Professor S. on Jan 19, 2021 21:27:00 GMT -5
Academia is designed to do that, especially doctoral programs. I maintain that people with advanced degrees aren't necessarily the smartest; they're just the ones who were too stupid to give up when they kept getting knocked back and beat down. I have a Noodler's Neponset in plain black ebonite that is my favorite and EDC pen, but I also have a 100 year-old Waterman Ideal 55 in BHCR that I like to write with occasionally The one I keep with me is a Platinum Century. Low maintenance, doesn't draw tons of attention to itself, and a pleasure to use. Grad school is definitely more a test of endurance than of intelligence. You can't do it if you aren't reasonably intelligent, but you may not be able to do it even if you are. It's an absolute grind. And too many programs simply don't care about their students, how long it takes them to finish, or even if they ever finish. That's the Gospel truth. Once they have your money (federal or otherwise) they don't care if you finish. There's a reason only 1.6% of the population have a terminal degree. There are a couple other folks who started the doctoral program the same time I did who still haven't finished their dissertations--and probably won't format least another year. One lady I know spent 11 years (at $2200/CR) struggling through the process. A pen you like and enjoy writing with is all that matters. I have a couple pen pals with collections of $300+ pens that give them nothing but problems, or just sit in drawers. It makes no sense to me. Another couple have only one or two inexpensive pens, but enjoy using them. Fountain pens, like pipes, are a very subjective experience. At some point, the $$ you shell out does not correlate with an increase in appreciable quality or experience. Every person has to find their own "sweet spot." One thing I like about the Neponset is that it is very understated. It's definitely a function over form proposition. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Jan 20, 2021 11:48:17 GMT -5
I should have put HPL instead just HP. Also a member of the HPLHS. Very cool. #1570. You? I don't know. My card is packed away with half my other stuff. It's been a busy year. |
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Post by sperrytops on Jan 20, 2021 12:54:30 GMT -5
Welcome to the Patch from Northern California. It's nice meet a fellow HPL enthusiast and HPLHS member. Enjoy your stay. Thank you! How do you like their Dark Adventure Radio Theatre story adaptations? I've used a couple of them in the classroom. My students have really enjoyed hearing the stories acted out as radio dramas after they've read the story for themselves I have them all. The digital version. They are very well done. May I recommend another extremely well done Lovecraft dramatization: the Lovecraft Investigations on BBC Radio 4. Available for free. |
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Post by Professor S. on Jan 20, 2021 19:30:54 GMT -5
Thank you! How do you like their Dark Adventure Radio Theatre story adaptations? I've used a couple of them in the classroom. My students have really enjoyed hearing the stories acted out as radio dramas after they've read the story for themselves I have them all. The digital version. They are very well done. May I recommend another extremely well done Lovecraft dramatization: the Lovecraft Investigations on BBC Radio 4. Available for free. Paul over at YSDC recommended the Lovecraft Investigations a while back. If it's free and available here in the States, I'm going to have to look it up. Thanks! I was hooked on the HPLHS prop documents and stuff before I heard my first DART. I still think At The Mountains of Madness is my favorite adaptation, with The Dunwich Horror a close second. Some years back, I was fortunate enough to help out by doing handwriting for a couple of their props. |
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Post by sperrytops on Jan 21, 2021 14:10:33 GMT -5
I have them all. The digital version. They are very well done. May I recommend another extremely well done Lovecraft dramatization: the Lovecraft Investigations on BBC Radio 4. Available for free. Paul over at YSDC recommended the Lovecraft Investigations a while back. If it's free and available here in the States, I'm going to have to look it up. Thanks! I was hooked on the HPLHS prop documents and stuff before I heard my first DART. I still think At The Mountains of Madness is my favorite adaptation, with The Dunwich Horror a close second. Some years back, I was fortunate enough to help out by doing handwriting for a couple of their props. MoM is definitely a great one. I really liked their adaptation of Masks of Nyarlathotep. That was quite a romp. I don't have any of the props, but would have loved the CoC Angell box, just out of my price range. Congratulations on contributing to the props. That had to be fun. I attended the HPL Film Festival in San Pedro several years ago, and as it turned out, that was the last one to be held at that location. Participated in the virtual film festival this past year held from Portland Oregon and really enjoyed that. Not been able to get to a Necronomicon yet, but that is the holy grail of HPL conventions. Maybe one day I'll get there. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Jan 21, 2021 18:04:41 GMT -5
MoM is as good a smoke as it is a story.
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Post by urbino on Jan 21, 2021 19:25:05 GMT -5
Now you guys have me checking out Lovecraft stuff on YT. Currently "The Shadow Over Innsmouth."
I had the LoA Lovecraft collection, but never got around to reading much of it before it went into a library donation box.
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Post by Professor S. on Jan 21, 2021 20:17:19 GMT -5
MoM is as good a smoke as it is a story. Someone does Lovecraft-themed tobacco blends? I'm making a trip to the Pipe Puffer tomorrow morning. Chances are good that I'm going to end up posting some sort of confession in the "How Much Do You Keep On Hand/ how much is too much?" thread. |
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Post by pepesdad1 on Jan 21, 2021 20:48:55 GMT -5
Welcome from central north Florida.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jan 21, 2021 20:56:22 GMT -5
MoM is as good a smoke as it is a story. Someone does Lovecraft-themed tobacco blends? I'm making a trip to the Pipe Puffer tomorrow morning. Chances are good that I'm going to end up posting some sort of confession in the "How Much Do You Keep On Hand/ how much is too much?" thread. Ken Byron Ventures. |
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Post by Professor S. on Jan 21, 2021 20:58:25 GMT -5
Someone does Lovecraft-themed tobacco blends? I'm making a trip to the Pipe Puffer tomorrow morning. Chances are good that I'm going to end up posting some sort of confession in the "How Much Do You Keep On Hand/ how much is too much?" thread. Ken Byron Ventures. Yeah, I just bought a couple ounces of Plateau of Leng. If I like the way the smoke progresses as much as I enjoy the progression of the story, I'll be getting more. A lot more. |
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Post by urbino on Jan 21, 2021 21:15:13 GMT -5
Someone does Lovecraft-themed tobacco blends? I'm making a trip to the Pipe Puffer tomorrow morning. Chances are good that I'm going to end up posting some sort of confession in the "How Much Do You Keep On Hand/ how much is too much?" thread. Ken Byron Ventures. C&D, too, right? |
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Post by Professor S. on Jan 22, 2021 8:49:11 GMT -5
Oooohhhh....... Definitely making a trip to ask Ed to order a tin of "Visions of Cephelais." I can see that this place is full of enablers  |
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