The Pleasures of Being a Luddite

[El Dude]

Okay being a lefty and writing with a ink pen is really not meant for writing in a world of right handers
Being brought up in a strict catholic school with nuns, marks were taken off my compositions for ink marks and smudges
My parents gave me a Mont Blanc pen when I graduated from school and I have it to this very day
My Nonna had the most beautiful hand writing, even at age 86 and we all used to get the most wonderful hand written letters from her, which I still have to this very day, I really looked forward to receiving them.
A pity in this day and age people do not write letters anymore, I know everyone is busy, still I love receiving them
I have friends that dont sent Christmas cards anymore, they just email.Pity!

I feel your pain about "being a lefty...in a world of right handers"...oh how I hate thee, ring binders!

But it also depends upon where your hand is - over, under, or to the side of the writing. Over and side writers have it it the worst, because of smudging. But under-writers, like myself, it isn't such a big deal.

 

[El Dude]

Question for the group: Who is fine point/medium point/bold?

I doubt anyone would be shocked that I go for the bold, or medium, both in pens and pencils. I need the instrument to grip the page, or it feels unsatisfying.

I tend towards the fine because I write smallish, but it really depends. But I also like a bit of flex for line variation. I started thinking I liked EF, but liked how thicker nibs brought out the shading, sheen and shimmer of different inks. So for me it is really a range, though towards the thinner side, and usually with a bit of flex.

And of course it should be noted that every brand is different. A Pelikan "fine" is more like a Pilot "medium." Japanese nibs tend to be thinner, presumably because of Kanji.

Have you tried a stub nib, Moxie? They're a lot of fun to write with - offering bold or thin, depending upon the direction of the stroke, sort of a natural and easy way to get a bit of a "calligraphic" style to your writing.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I feel your pain about "being a lefty...in a world of right handers"...oh how I hate thee, ring binders!

But it also depends upon where your hand is - over, under, or to the side of the writing. Over and side writers have it it the worst, because of smudging. But under-writers, like myself, it isn't such a big deal.

Sad to say am in the 'over group' of lefty writers' people look at me weird at times when I write, especially at work, I know it looks weird lol! do you know when I was in primary school the nuns tried to change me from a left handed writer to being a right handed writer, I used to have to stay back after school and practice with my right hand., I hated it, I am so left in everything I do, in the end the nuns gave up on me and let me be a left handed writer lol!

 

[El Dude]

Sad to say am in the 'over group' of lefty writers' people look at me weird at times when I write, especially at work, I know it looks weird lol! do you know when I was in primary school the nuns tried to change me from a left handed writer to being a right handed writer, I used to have to stay back after school and practice with my right hand., I hated it, I am so left in everything I do, in the end the nuns gave up on me and let me be a left handed writer lol!

Yeah, I heard of that...the Mark of the Beast, I guess! My father is also a lefty over-writer. His hand is all curled around and he has terrible handwriting. As I think I said upthread, one of the reasons I gave up on cursive is it kind of requires side-writing, and it just didn't work for me. So moved down south and never looked back

 

[tented]

I also wanted to say to @Kieran: OMG, my handwriting has gone to hell, too, since the age of the computer. Is it lack of practice? I do write longhand all the time. I think part of it is not writing at a desk as much, anymore. I scribble on my lap...at the computer, for work. Another part I think is lack of patience. My handwriting is the same, but bigger and sloppier. Maybe if I'd just take a breath, and write more slowly, my handwriting would be smaller and better...and perhaps my thoughts more well-formed. Hmm...

I wrote a check the other day. It looked like an arthritic monkey signed it. (Or is it supposed to be “Monkey who has arthritis and is willing to talk about it?”)

It’s a good idea to write more slowly. I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I channel an animal when signing something.

 

[Horsa]

Question for the group: Who is fine point/medium point/bold?

I go for medium point or bold because I'm heavy-handed & fine point pens tend to leak on me. I've had many fountain pens & tried to use them in the past but normally accidentally bend the nibs. (I hope there are no graphologists here.) I unsuccessfully attempted to write using a quill once.

(I'll give a proper answer to your O.P. tomorrow. I've been very busy the last few days.)

 

[Horsa]

With biro-phobia, I mean those horrible plastic Bic Pens (or similar) - writing with one has the feeling of running nails down a blackboard. Minimum standard is at least a rollerball or gel pen for everyday use.

I hate biros too & prefer rollerballs & gel pens but have to write in biro when I have exams on courses I get sent on from work as rollerballs & gel pens aren't allowed in exams. (I even have to hand my pocket watch to the invigilator as watches aren't allowed in exams now because some are communication methods so they ask for all watches *to be fair*. I use pocket watches because I'm allergic to wrist watches. I love pocket watches.) Biros don't last long, always dry up & run out quickly for me. Gel & rollerball pens flow more freely for me.

 

[Moxie]

I'm jealous...I'll definitely go at some point, when I'm down there next (maybe during the summer). Any other good pen/stationery shops I should be aware of?

Yoseka has a pen-testing station, I believe. You can see some pictures of the shop here - just a lovely aesthetic, sort of a mix of Asian aesthetics and hipster vibe: https://www.penaddict.com/blog/2021/9/17/yoseka-stationery-a-quick-visit?rq=yoseka

If you come, you must look me up for a coffee or a beer! I've met a couple of TF friends. @Kieran will tell you I don't bite.

I think this one is a bit precious, but very near my place:

Japanese Craft Supplies, Gifts and More – niconeco zakkaya

Unique Craft Supplies & Gifts. Ship Worldwide from New York.

www.niconeco.com

I live in Little Ukraine, (which is another thing right now,) but with a microcosm of Little Tokyo. We've lost some of our good Japanese places recently, but there is still great sushi, and otherwise Japanese restaurants, etc.

Stevdan is a Village classic. It's been around for years. Nothing precious, no hipster-vibe, but it is nerd-central for pens and papers, around here. Very old-school.

Business of the Month: Stevdan Stationers, 473 Sixth Avenue - Village Preservation

Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with...

www.villagepreservation.org

There are lots of great art stores with great papers, though we've lost some of the best. If you come down, I promise to do more research.

 

[Moxie]

I tend towards the fine because I write smallish, but it really depends. But I also like a bit of flex for line variation. I started thinking I liked EF, but liked how thicker nibs brought out the shading, sheen and shimmer of different inks. So for me it is really a range, though towards the thinner side, and usually with a bit of flex.

And of course it should be noted that every brand is different. A Pelikan "fine" is more like a Pilot "medium." Japanese nibs tend to be thinner, presumably because of Kanji.

Have you tried a stub nib, Moxie? They're a lot of fun to write with - offering bold or thin, depending upon the direction of the stroke, sort of a natural and easy way to get a bit of a "calligraphic" style to your writing.

OMG, you are about to send me down a rabbit hole that I have left off. I have not fetishized my pens, inks, pencils and papers, at least overmuch, for quite a long time, though I'm still particular, and enjoy the ones I have. I'm going to think about the options, and where to go next. And what pens to revive. But this could be fun! More than pens, I have papers and lovely books that want writing in.

 

[Moxie]

Sad to say am in the 'over group' of lefty writers' people look at me weird at times when I write, especially at work, I know it looks weird lol! do you know when I was in primary school the nuns tried to change me from a left handed writer to being a right handed writer, I used to have to stay back after school and practice with my right hand., I hated it, I am so left in everything I do, in the end the nuns gave up on me and let me be a left handed writer lol!

You rarely see "over-writing" any more, so I have an affection for it. I'm a bit of a lefty that got changed. My mother said I always demonstrated left, like my aunt, whom I take after in SO many ways. But just at the moment I was starting school, I veered a bit right. My parents thought it would be easier to be right-handed, so they told the teacher to encourage it. I do remember her switching the big brown pencil a lot, and that being irritating. I still write right-handed, but do a lot of things left-handed, like eat and cook. True ambidexterity is rare, I think, but I'm pretty ambidextrous. To give this a tennis spin, this is why I understand Nadal. Just because you write right-handed, doesn't make you 100% right-handed. (BTW, the nuns gave up on my aunt, as well. LOL!)

 

[Moxie]

I wrote a check the other day. It looked like an arthritic monkey signed it. (Or is it supposed to be “Monkey who has arthritis and is willing to talk about it?”)

It’s a good idea to write more slowly. I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I channel an animal when signing something.

I think we get so out-of-practice. This thread is inspiring me to work on my penmanship. One last gasp for the old-guard!

 

[El Dude]

If you come, you must look me up for a coffee or a beer! I've met a couple of TF friends. @Kieran will tell you I don't bite.

I think this one is a bit precious, but very near my place:

Japanese Craft Supplies, Gifts and More – niconeco zakkaya

Unique Craft Supplies & Gifts. Ship Worldwide from New York.

www.niconeco.com

I live in Little Ukraine, (which is another thing right now,) but with a microcosm of Little Tokyo. We've lost some of our good Japanese places recently, but there is still great sushi, and otherwise Japanese restaurants, etc.

Stevdan is a Village classic. It's been around for years. Nothing precious, no hipster-vibe, but it is nerd-central for pens and papers, around here. Very old-school.

Business of the Month: Stevdan Stationers, 473 Sixth Avenue - Village Preservation

Your input is needed! Today we feature our latest Business of the Month — help us to select the next. Tell us which independent store you love in Greenwich Village, the East Village, or NoHo: click here to nominate your favorite. Want to help support small businesses? Share this post with...

www.villagepreservation.org

There are lots of great art stores with great papers, though we've lost some of the best. If you come down, I promise to do more research.

I'd definitely love to have a coffee or beer! I might go down in the summer...would be convinced by USO tickets! ;-)

That first shop looks even too cutesy for me! But nice. Stevdan looks a bit more my speed.

 

[El Dude]

OMG, you are about to send me down a rabbit hole that I have left off. I have not fetishized my pens, inks, pencils and papers, at least overmuch, for quite a long time, though I'm still particular, and enjoy the ones I have. I'm going to think about the options, and where to go next. And what pens to revive. But this could be fun! More than pens, I have papers and lovely books that want writing in.

Haha, embrace it. It isn't a bad thing to fetishize, but it can burn a whole in your bank account. I've probably spent over $5K on pencils, pens and ink over the last year or so...and I'm not a wealthy man! But at least that isn't as bad as, say, watches, where $5K is one nice watch. At least that $5K yielded 180 bottles of ink, two dozen fountain pens, and a bunch of mechanical pencils.

Anyhow, my girlfriend and I semi-frequently plan on having "luddite" evenings where we don't allow ourselves on screens, with only pen and paper, books, and vinyl for entertainment. But then we get lost on the internet and forget...

I used to read a ton in my youth, but it diminished once the internet showed up back in the 90s. I still read a fair amount, and am almost always working on a book or two, but it is fraction of my internet usage. But I was just searching for a movie the other night and thinking about how much more satisfying getting lost in a book is. It just requires a bit more effort - not only to get started, but the "muscle" of the imagination. But it is so much more deeply satisfying, I find.

Of course it isn't either/or and really about finding balance. But I don't think I'm alone in feeling that I'm out of balance, in terms of my digital/screen time and activities vs. my organic/luddite time and activities. Who knows, maybe I'll use this (digital/screen) thread as inspiration.

 

[Horsa]

My hand-writing was messy until a few years back although I practised & practised like mad. (I was born with 1 eye that did a lot more work than the other & 1 of my eyes was a wandering eye. I had squint surgery to rectify this that only partially worked. *Mother got told I had to have the operation because I'd go blind without it & I might go blind with it.* This only affects my reading when I'm due for new spectacles. It has, however, affected my co-ordination *which is the reason why it took me so long to learn to write neatly* & balance/ After printing, I learnt joined up writing at school. My parents got me a nice old book on penmanship which classified the writing I learnt at school as Copperplate. Nowadays, I write mainly in foundational hand-writing with Roman Capitals & use italic hand-writing for quotations. I've tried extended italics, uncial & half uncial writing styles but I'm not good at extended italics & don't like uncial & half uncial writing styles. My hand-writing takes a long time because of the style. (On courses I got sent on from work I got told that I had to do written exams on a computer because of the eye problems & how long it took me to write unless it was 1 requiring mostly mathematical calculations. I felt a real idiot because of it.) My managers & some older people love my hand-writing. Younger people normally hate my hand-writing because they can't read it. I can write better in gel pen or rollerball pen. I'm a bit heavy-handed. (I learnt to type on a type-writer but ended up giving my type-writer to the museum at work as I couldn't get hold of ribbons for it anymore.)

I love old, well-bound, leather books with gilded drop-letters on the front cover & spine. They smell lovely & are often interesting. (They get dusty a lot & I have to dust them with a feather duster because if I read dusty books they make me cough & I become breathless.) I love the smell of new books too. I prefer physical books to ebooks as the batteries on ebooks don't last long enough & lose my page.

I prefer the old method of research to the new method though it's harder & more time-consuming. It's also more interesting to me. I have to use the new method of research at work when archiving. I also have to catalogue archives using both the old & new methods (cataloguing sheets & then uploading the information onto the cloud).

I got sent on both manual book-keeping & computerised accounts courses from work & prefer the manual system to the computerised system. I also prefer the old way of calculating bills to the new way.

I love old clocks especially those which chime every 1/2 an hour though I prefer those with Westminster chimes. I love to be able to do anything & be reminded of the time by the clock's chime. I time my baking & everything else by listening for the chime. I also love pocket watches.

I love my gramophone. I have a modern record-player as well. What record-player I use depends on what records I'm playing. Gramophone records get played on the gramophone, 33's & 45's get played on the modern record-player.

I prefer rhyming poetry to free-verse but learnt to appreciate free-verse better after conversing with a friend of mine from a poetry forum I'm on. It was hard work. He wouldn't tell me what pieces of free-verse he found beautiful to convert me. He advised me to do a couple of online poetry courses. 1 of these had a task where I had a load of poems of all different types to read so I could choose 1 to analyse. I found some of them beautiful. He also got me to take a poem of mine & take all the rhyme out of it. I tried to leave 4 rhyming lines in but he wouldn't have it. It was hard as I thought I'd completely destroyed it. He showed me the beauty of other parts of the poem. Then he got me to create a poem that didn't rhyme with him.

I also prefer realistic art to modern art but learnt to appreciate modern art better through art appreciation classes at work which I enjoyed.

I prefer sewing by hand to using a sewing machine. (I prefer embroidery best but also like dress-making. I prefer mending clothes by hand than getting the sewing machine out though.) I find sewing relaxing at times. (Funnily enough, although I'm right-handed I both knit & sew left-handed.)

I also prefer old phones to mobiles. I don't have a mobile phone & it's lovely to be able to go out & about without having your phone ringing at the most inconvenient time. It's nice to not be at everyone's beck & call all the time & just be able to catch up with your phone calls when you come back & it's convenient for you.

Oops! I'm very sorry for the ramble. I think I've included everything.

 

[Horsa]

What a beautiful description of those old typing books! Ah, and I know what you mean about the smell of books, especially old ones, (if they're not too musty.) There is a great used book store near me, Strand Books, which is a New York institution. They had wood floors and 4 stories, and no air-conditioning, and the smell of the place was glorious. It smelled like my elementary school library, or basically every library. They renovated a couple of years ago, put in A/C, and the place has never smelled the same. I know the people who work there were really glad to get the air-conditioning, but a little something special got lost, IMO.

Speaking of smells, and memories of smells: in sad news, the barn that belonged to our grandparents, across the road from our country house now, burned to the ground a couple of weeks ago. It was over 200 years old, and had once been a blacksmith's shop. And our grandfather's workshop. Even when the neighbors let us visit, we all (siblings, cousins, my dad, my aunt,) commented on how it still smelled the same. Of oil and kreosote and hay and old wood...and basically, our grandfather. It looks like they'll rebuild. It's a locally historic barn and there is lots of information to go from. But we all agreed...it will never smell the same again.

Thank you very much. I was trying to show my love of them through imagery. (I dust my old books with a feather duster so I solve that problem.) Your book shop sounded lovely. (I'd agree with you.)

I'm very sorry to hear that. I'm very passionate about preserving our heritage which is 1 of the reasons why I love my job. (Other reasons are that's it's very varied & I learn a lot, my colleagues are very friendly & helpful & some of the things I get the chance to do here I wouldn't elsewhere.

 

[Moxie]

I'd definitely love to have a coffee or beer! I might go down in the summer...would be convinced by USO tickets! ;-)

That first shop looks even too cutesy for me! But nice. Stevdan looks a bit more my speed.

Excellent! Sometimes I get comped USO tix, and no one will go with me. I prefer the early days. You could come scout young talent with me!

Yes, the one near me IS too cutesy. Rather better for cunning little gifts. Glad you like the look of Stevdan...my go-to since forever, and super old-school. Right near C.O. Bigelow's, the oldest apothecary in the US, since we're talking OG stuff on this thread:

https://www.bigelowchemists.com/our-history

 

[Moxie]

My hand-writing was messy until a few years back although I practised & practised like mad. (I was born with 1 eye that did a lot more work than the other & 1 of my eyes was a wandering eye. I had squint surgery to rectify this that only partially worked. *Mother got told I had to have the operation because I'd go blind without it & I might go blind with it.* This only affects my reading when I'm due for new spectacles. It has, however, affected my co-ordination *which is the reason why it took me so long to learn to write neatly* & balance/ After printing, I learnt joined up writing at school. My parents got me a nice old book on penmanship which classified the writing I learnt at school as Copperplate. Nowadays, I write mainly in foundational hand-writing with Roman Capitals & use italic hand-writing for quotations. I've tried extended italics, uncial & half uncial writing styles but I'm not good at extended italics & don't like uncial & half uncial writing styles. My hand-writing takes a long time because of the style. (On courses I got sent on from work I got told that I had to do written exams on a computer because of the eye problems & how long it took me to write unless it was 1 requiring mostly mathematical calculations. I felt a real idiot because of it.) My managers & some older people love my hand-writing. Younger people normally hate my hand-writing because they can't read it. I can write better in gel pen or rollerball pen. I'm a bit heavy-handed. (I learnt to type on a type-writer but ended up giving my type-writer to the museum at work as I couldn't get hold of ribbons for it anymore.)

Good stuff in here, Horsa! I had to do a lot of googling on it. Most everyone gives up there typewriters for how hard it is to get ribbons. I think the only people that stay dedicated to them are professional writers who can't live without them. I actually still have one, but should get rid of it.

I love old, well-bound, leather books with gilded drop-letters on the front cover & spine. They smell lovely & are often interesting. (They get dusty a lot & I have to dust them with a feather duster because if I read dusty books they make me cough & I become breathless.) I love the smell of new books too. I prefer physical books to ebooks as the batteries on ebooks don't last long enough & lose my page.

TBH, I have yet to read an ebook. Not trying to impress, I'm just too lame.

I prefer the old method of research to the new method though it's harder & more time-consuming. It's also more interesting to me. I have to use the new method of research at work when archiving. I also have to catalogue archives using both the old & new methods (cataloguing sheets & then uploading the information onto the cloud).

Sometimes, there is no substitute for the old methods of research. My sister-in-law recently contributed research, with a small group of women, to a book that has to do with history, and the only answer was to dig into physical archives. I have another friend who is an Italian Renaissance scholar. She goes to Italy and roots around in old manuscripts. There's no internet for this stuff.

I love old clocks especially those which chime every 1/2 an hour though I prefer those with Westminster chimes. I love to be able to do anything & be reminded of the time by the clock's chime. I time my baking & everything else by listening for the chime. I also love pocket watches.

Analog clocks are very old-school! Did you know that some young people don't know how to read them? I just read that 75% can't. I do love a clock chime. I have some clocktowers near me, and when you hear it toll the hour, I guess I just find it, well...orienting.

I love my gramophone. I have a modern record-player as well. What record-player I use depends on what records I'm playing. Gramophone records get played on the gramophone, 33's & 45's get played on the modern record-player.

Seriously?! OMG. We did have a gramophone at my grandparents, and it was really fun, but it got stored in the basement, and finally succumbed to mold and rot. Hipsters would be impressed...they think they're cool with just vinyl! LOL.

I prefer rhyming poetry to free-verse but learnt to appreciate free-verse better after conversing with a friend of mine from a poetry forum I'm on. It was hard work. He wouldn't tell me what pieces of free-verse he found beautiful to convert me. He advised me to do a couple of online poetry courses. 1 of these had a task where I had a load of poems of all different types to read so I could choose 1 to analyse. I found some of them beautiful. He also got me to take a poem of mine & take all the rhyme out of it. I tried to leave 4 rhyming lines in but he wouldn't have it. It was hard as I thought I'd completely destroyed it. He showed me the beauty of other parts of the poem. Then he got me to create a poem that didn't rhyme with him.

I find too much ABAB rhyme to be boring. I'm glad if your friend has been helping you explore various rhyme schemes. Internal rhyme can be so satisfying, or otherwise rhyme when it hits where you least expect it. It's when it trips you up that it affects you, emotionally. IMO. I'm no poetry expert, but I do love it. I've got a song for you, but will send it in a PM, so as not to distract here. It's very rhyming, but then it just breaks at the right moments, which makes it really emotional.

I also prefer realistic art to modern art but learnt to appreciate modern art better through art appreciation classes at work which I enjoyed.

"Modern art" is many things, but can take some getting used to. One thing I like about it is that it can make you realize what representational art is about. Even in early artworks, I think the artists were working in blocks of color, line, and a certain harmony of composition. Sometimes "modern art" just takes out the figures, and leaves the harmony of color and line.

I prefer sewing by hand to using a sewing machine. (I prefer embroidery best but also like dress-making. I prefer mending clothes by hand than getting the sewing machine out though.) I find sewing relaxing at times. (Funnily enough, although I'm right-handed I both knit & sew left-handed.)

I like hand sewing. I have recently discovered Sashiko as a way of repairing or converting old things. Google it.

I also prefer old phones to mobiles. I don't have a mobile phone & it's lovely to be able to go out & about without having your phone ringing at the most inconvenient time. It's nice to not be at everyone's beck & call all the time & just be able to catch up with your phone calls when you come back & it's convenient for you.

Yeah, there are folks like you. Nice for you, but not possible for most of us. We have touched on mobile phone etiquette here, or maybe that was another thread. Anyway, for another day.

Oops! I'm very sorry for the ramble. I think I've included everything.

No problem! You put a lot on the table.

 

[Moxie]

I wrote a check the other day. It looked like an arthritic monkey signed it. (Or is it supposed to be “Monkey who has arthritis and is willing to talk about it?”)

It’s a good idea to write more slowly. I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I channel an animal when signing something.

This one made me laugh. Let's see if I can take my own advice. Right now, I can take up an entire page with a few sentences. Which makes me basically the equivalent of a toddler. I may as well be writing with a crayon. As El Dude said above, maybe take some inspiration from the thread and reassess, slow down, step away from the computer...

 

[Horsa]

Good stuff in here, Horsa! I had to do a lot of googling on it. Most everyone gives up there typewriters for how hard it is to get ribbons. I think the only people that stay dedicated to them are professional writers who can't live without them. I actually still have one, but should get rid of it.

TBH, I have yet to read an ebook. Not trying to impress, I'm just too lame.

Sometimes, there is no substitute for the old methods of research.

Analog clocks are very old-school! Did you know that some young people don't know how to read them? I just read that 75% can't. I do love a clock chime. I have some clocktowers near me, and when you hear it toll the hour, I guess I just find it, well...orienting.

Seriously?! OMG. We did have a gramophone at my grandparents, and it was really fun, but it got stored in the basement, and finally succumbed to mold and rot. Hipsters would be impressed...they think they're cool with just vinyl! LOL.

I find too much ABAB rhyme to be boring. I'm glad if your friend has been helping you explore various rhyme schemes. Internal rhyme can be so satisfying, or otherwise rhyme when it hits where you least expect it. It's when it trips you up that it affects you, emotionally. IMO. I'm no poetry expert, but I do love it. I've got a song for you, but will send it in a PM, so as not to distract here. It's very rhyming, but then it just breaks at the right moments, which makes it really emotional.

"Modern art" is many things, but can take some getting used to. One thing I like about it is that it can make you realize what representational art is about. Even in early artworks, I think the artists were working in blocks of color, line, and a certain harmony of composition. Sometimes "modern art" just takes out the figures, and leaves the harmony of color and line.

I like hand sewing. I have recently discovered Sashiko as a way of repairing or converting old things. Google it.

Yeah, there are folks like you. Nice for you, but not possible for most of us. We have touched on mobile phone etiquette here, or maybe that was another thread. Anyway, for another day.

No problem! You put a lot on the table.

I'm glad you enjoyed reading my post & hope that the information you uncovered through research was either helpful or fascinating. (I'm very sorry I didn't respond yesterday. I gave you time in case the information you researched was writing style based & you wanted to try it out.) Getting type-writer ribbons was very easy for me when I was younger then they became obsolete where I am. If you need to get rid of your old typewriter, please don't throw it away. Please donate it to your local museum instead. That way children (or indeed children of the future) can learn about their soc. history through it.

There are good sides to ebooks. They can store hundreds of books in much less space than physical books. If you run out of books that are new to you, you can download new ones anytime of the day & delete books you're not bothered about. You can also increase the font size if you're struggling to read the book because of sight issues. There is also an inbuilt dictionary so you don't have to get out a physical copy. How quickly they lose battery life & pages just puts me off them.

I agree & think modern methods of research make us a bit lazy at times although they're good for productivity at times. Modern methods of researching don't always engage us as much as old methods of research. As a result, we don't always remember the information as easily as we don't always read the information & use it as actively. (I can concentrate better when reading physical books & researching the old way though I don't normally have problems with concentration.) Modern methods of research are quicker though.

I especially love the polished wood analogue clocks with the Westminster chimes. (I'd love a cuckoo clock but never got a chance to get 1.) I got told by my book-keeping tutor that most youngsters can't tell the time using analogue clocks (When she'd done all the explanations for that day, we'd done all our work & she was supposed to be reminding us of safeguarding, preventing terrorism & British values. Some of our class find safeguarding & preventing terrorism upsetting. I'm in an intelligent class so we do the safeguarding, preventing terrorism & British values by reading, writing, crossword, wordsearch & computer work except for the odd reminder & Q & A session. This means sometimes we all socialise & talk about other things & on content-heavy days we get through a lot more without having extra homework.

I do. I haven't got the gramophone I wanted. I've still got a gramophone though & use it. (I wanted an old polished wood 1 with a shiny, brass horn. I got a portable, 1920s/30s Columbia Grafonola with detachable winding handle.)

I could always appreciate different rhyme schemes though I didn't always write in them. My friend helped me appreciate poems with no rhyme in them at all. (Thank you for the music. I enjoyed it & got your point.)

I like realistic art best though I can appreciate some modern art & now realise the skill involved in some modern art. I guess I like to see what the artwork is supposed to be without really thinking about it & using my imagination. (Optical illusions send my eyes funny but I can normally see everything at once. I normally get a headache after seeing them. *The optician said it was because of 1 of my eyes working much better than the other.*)

Thank you very much for the information about sewing. I'll give it a go when I get time.

I didn't see that thread on mobile phones.

 

[Horsa]

Your thread inspired me to write this:

Smelling the leather of a well-bound book
Marbled fly-leafs & gilded drop-letters on the front & spine.
Reading books on history & animals & classic books & poetry that rhymes.
The sound & look of a polished wooden clock with Westminster chimes
Grandfather clock on the wall goes "tick tock"
Then "Ding Dong, Ding Dong, Ding Dong, Ding Dong, Dong Dong!"
Pendulum swinging to and fro.
Tap, tap, tapping of the typewriter keys.
Ringing of the bell when you go onto the next line.
Having a pocket watch in your pocket.
Not feeling the tightness of the watch on your wrist.
Being able to listen to music when you're not singing
or listening to live music.
with no batteries wasted.
The beauty of a gramophone playing records.
People singing along and dancing.
Fountain pens or quills scratching paper.
Writing as a work of art.
Elegant calligraphy styles.
Marble-fronted fire-places.
Realistic paintings.
Sewing glamourous embroideries.
Knitting scarves and dish-cloths.
Weaving through warp & weft
to make a table-mat.

I think it's the worst thing I ever wrote though I thought you'd like to see it & hope you enjoy. I also think my normal style would be more suitable for the topic but this is what I came up with & I was experimenting. (I might have to get my head down & play about with rhyme at some point. That would be fun though as I love the elegance of rhyme & I find writing rhyming poetry fun.)