Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part 2

[MissMcVayp]

I could go on and on about reading ... Game of Thrones books will keep you busy for YEARS ... and then we could talk about - Kafka!

But also, I would like to just randomly insert here that WRITING is soooo good, and so hard to do these days ... during the days when I had a major career, I was in IT, a UNIX SysAdmin, and database management .. so I've been on keyboards since before McDonalds. But ohhh I love my fountain pens and the actual process of WRITING THINGS ON GOOD PAPER! Almost nobody knows anything about this anymore, and it makes me sad. Schools, I hear, are not even teaching script anymore? I am in love with writing, and still cannot find much of a way to do it. Who wants to wait for a 10-page handwritten-with-fountain-pen-in-some-beautiful-color-ink letter when they can communicate instantly the same words in an email???

I agree. The art of letter-writing and storytelling is becoming lost. Mum is an excellent storyteller both over a cuppa and in a letter. With today's text-message phones, stories are getting cut down to as little words as possible. People think we communicate more these days, I think we communicate less. With text-to-speech and speech-to-text programs, how long will it be until reading and writing also become lost arts? I can still remember owning personal stationary and pretty little note cards with matching envelopes. My handwriting has always been a bit scraggly, lol, but I can still tell a good story when the opportunity arises... Art has been dropped from the curriculum, reading and writing will be next then only arithmetic will be left - the language of computers. Gets rather Stephen King-ish when you think about it, lol. Day-care centers concentrate on advertising they will teach your child to read prior to kindergarten. What about teaching how to play? How to be creative and have an imagination? How to interact with other children in group social settings? We're becoming a lonely and isolated world...

 

[MissMcVayp]

And communication is suffering horribly... I work with clients all day and so many times after about 5 minutes of patient listening I have to interrupt and say "Yes, I hear everything you have said, but I am not understanding what your question is?" And I actually have to push them into making a point, or just guess at their point if they can't make it. And I work in a law office, lol. People are becoming incapable of effective communication.

 

[MikeE3]

Hey. A geezer thread. Can anyone tell me where I can get Bengay in e-juice format?

Hmmm - no but I did run across someone crushing his 'little blue pills' and dissolving them in his e-juice. He thought he noticed his batteries holding a charger longer, but no so much himself.

I could go on and on about reading ... Game of Thrones books will keep you busy for YEARS ... and then we could talk about - Kafka!

But also, I would like to just randomly insert here that WRITING is soooo good, and so hard to do these days ... during the days when I had a major career, I was in IT, a UNIX SysAdmin, and database management .. so I've been on keyboards since before McDonalds. But ohhh I love my fountain pens and the actual process of WRITING THINGS ON GOOD PAPER! Almost nobody knows anything about this anymore, and it makes me sad. Schools, I hear, are not even teaching script anymore? I am in love with writing, and still cannot find much of a way to do it. Who wants to wait for a 10-page handwritten-with-fountain-pen-in-some-beautiful-color-ink letter when they can communicate instantly the same words in an email???

Yepper - I can appreciate what you're saying. I too was in the computer field for 45 years. I enjoyed using fountain pens. It was a break from all the techie stuff. I often laughed at myself when making the comparison to a monk in his cubicle in the monastery illustrating the pages of some holy book way back when we still did flow charts by hand.

 

[DavidOck]

Still have my classic Parker fountains, and the best ball-points I've found are the zebra F series. Although I've been given a few Cross over the years, I find them a bit thin to hold comfortably.

Yes, I too saw the news items a while back about some schools dropping cursive... so those kids, if without a keyboard, won't be able to write! (Do they still teach block letters??)

 

[umanbean]

[driveby]

Ahhh yes, the back porch... reminds me of Lake Wobegon

"Where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average."

Thanks Garrison

[/driveby]

 

[DancingHeretik]

I often laughed at myself when making the comparison to a monk in his cubicle in the monastery illustrating the pages of some holy book way back when we still did flow charts by hand.

So, I'm not the only one!

 

[Janet H]

Okay - considering this is the "senior" group so most of you grew up prior to cable TV and actually learned to read, lol.... I need some good book suggestions. I like mysteries, historical fiction (NOT historical romance), LoTR type books.... any ideas? My recent enjoyments:

Bloodletter's Daughter
Daughter's of Witching Hill
Game of Thrones (series)
Most things by Dan Brown
Irish Country Doctor
the James Herriot books

Some kick-back-in-the-recliner with a glass of wine and a vape and a good book type stuff....

You might like some of these. I go to Amazon and read reviews and then order books for my Kindle.
Winter Garden by Hannah Kristin, Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah, anything by Lisa Scottoline, The Help by Kathryn Stocket, Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus by O'Reilly, the Hunger Game Trilogy, anything by Tess Gerritson, anything by Sally Berneathy (Chocolate series), anything by Diane Mott Davidson, anything by G.M. Ford

 

[Uncle Willie]

As an admitted Neanderthal throw back to an earlier, simpler time (and proud of it) .. I continue to use a fountain pen to this day .. I am particularly fond of a cheap black Sheaffer that I've had for probably 40 years now .. broad nib, with a nice calligraphic line to it ..

Book wise .. Mark Helprin, Bernard Cornwell, George R. R. Martin, Raymond Khoury .. it's a long, long list .. I cannot fall a sleep without reading first, as a child, I snuck Edgar Rice Burroughs, Poe and many others under the blanket after mandantory bedtime with a cheap flashlight and was transported to another place and another time .. books were my refuge .. my safest companions ..

And on other nights, my transistor radio with the beige plastic mono earpiece .. trying to tune in Alan Freed, Jocko Henderson, WLS, WIBG and an occasional The World Tomorrow ..

And here you all thought I was just another shallow Face in the Crowd ..

 

[Iffy]

And on other nights, my transistor radio with the beige plastic mono earpiece .. trying to tune in Alan Freed, Jocko Henderson, WLS, WIBG and an occasional The World Tomorrow ..

Fond memories of my SIX transistor Sears Silvertone leather cased radio that I'd go to sleep with under my pillow. Mowed many a yard to buy all da six C cell batts fer that 'hungry' puppy! Thank goodness for the atmospheric skip from WLS Chi- town down to Florida!!! Our local stations were at least two weeks behind da pop charts.

BTW, that radio was my only Christmas gift that year. It was all I really wanted!

 

[Uncle Willie]

Fond memories of my SIX transistor Sears Silvertone leather cased radio that I'd go to sleep with under my pillow. Mowed many a yard to buy all da six C cell batts fer that 'hungry' puppy! Thank goodness for the atmospheric skip from WLS Chi- town down to Florida!!! Our local stations were at least two weeks behind da pop charts.

BTW, that radio was my only Christmas gift that year. It was all I really wanted!

 

[Uncle Willie]

 

[Uncle Willie]

 

[Uncle Willie]

 

[Gadd]

I love historical novels as well. My all time favorite is the Jack Aubry series by Patrick O'Brian. Twenty volumes and still wanted more. Start with Master and Commander. I love stories of wooden ships and iron men, as you can see from my avatar.

Okay - considering this is the "senior" group so most of you grew up prior to cable TV and actually learned to read, lol.... I need some good book suggestions. I like mysteries, historical fiction (NOT historical romance), LoTR type books.... any ideas? My recent enjoyments:

Bloodletter's Daughter
Daughter's of Witching Hill
Game of Thrones (series)
Most things by Dan Brown
Irish Country Doctor
the James Herriot books

Some kick-back-in-the-recliner with a glass of wine and a vape and a good book type stuff....

 

[MikeE3]

So, I'm not the only one!

You too - and I though I was nutz thinking like that. I'm sooo relieved!

And guess what - almost better than vape mail. I just got a 'Privite Preview Party' invitation to the new Container Store opening soon. Yippee!

And no Janet - please don't hide the car keys - else wise I'll have to blow up the tires on the bicycle and pedal my way there.

Ahh - my mood was just right for this one - double like

 

[mattiem]

If ya haven't been dere yet, day-um near anything by JAMES A. MICHENER!

I love everything by Michener except "Chesapeake". That, to me, was a long boring book but I did finish it. My favorite had to be "The Source". I love the way he basically begins his book at the beginning of time.

 

[mattiem]

Yes - I've read a lot of Michener and really enjoyed him (damn I need to learn how to multi-quote, lol)

See that little "+ down there on the bottom right of each post. Click on that for each post you want to quote. After you have marked each one, click on the "reply to thread" located at both the top and bottom of each page.

 

[Slots]

I haven't read a complete book since I joined ecf. Although I have read volumes on ecf.......

Ohh that cracks me up
DITTO here, and I was just thinking about that the other day when I looked at my stack of books.
I used to read several hours a night ... now silch
I keep telling myself there are other things besides ECF ... but ... here I am

 

[Slots]

Hey. A geezer thread. Can anyone tell me where I can get Bengay in e-juice format?

Yep, that's us
Welcome .. we talk about stuff these kids nowdays don't understand, ..and I like our world better
Pick a seat and hang around.

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

I love everything by Michener except "Chesapeake". That, to me, was a long boring book but I did finish it. My favorite had to be "The Source". I love the way he basically begins his book at the beginning of time.

I have read everything by Michener. I would curl up with James while in college every night for 6 months I think (Uh, figuratively speaking of course). I'm going to start him over again. Thanks for the reminder! The nice thing about getting old is you can reread books and watch the same movie over and over again. I just watched Disney's new release, "The Lion King" with my granddaughter the other night. You guys should see it!