What Is Your Plan For Acquiring Writing Supplies After The Zombie/nuclear Apocalypse?

[BT_Summers]

Come the Apocalypse, the last thing that I am going to be thinking about is writing letters telling my nearest and dearest how naughty the Zombies have been.

[ParkerDuofold]

  On 2/14/2018 at 2:31 PM, JakobS said:

...I don't know why everyone is so afraid of zombies, they just want to be "friends with "brain"efits".......

 

This is why zombies don't scare me... I've got nothing they want.

 

 

Also I think a poll should be started asking how many of us have used the possibility of a zombie apocalypse as justification for the massive amounts of pens, inks, or paper we have already.....

 

It's probably around 95%... this crowd will use any excuse they can find to buy more kit.

 

Be well... or as close to it as you can get.

 

 

- Anthony

Typo.

Edited February 14, 2018 by ParkerDuofold

[3nding]

  On 2/14/2018 at 2:42 PM, Ron Z said:

 

...which, from the couple of times I've been in the mall, is where I would expect to find zombies. I don't think that you would find it easy to discern which are customers and which are zombies, which could be a problem.

 

I think you might be onto something. The malls might be ground zero for this thing. OKAY PEOPLE, IT'S HAPPENING!

[inkstainedruth]

  On 2/14/2018 at 2:42 PM, Ron Z said:

 

...which, from the couple of times I've been in the mall, is where I would expect to find zombies. I don't think that you would find it easy to discern which are customers and which are zombies, which could be a problem.

 

Yeah, Monroeville Mall has really gone downhill (although not as badly as some others -- the one up Rt. 28 (Pittsburgh Mills) was pretty much a zombie apocalypse from the day it opened (and losing Borders as one of their anchors hurt a lot). Part of the problem was that it was really badly laid out, but part of the problem was that while the people in that area had been crying for years ago "We need a mall" the entire concept of "malls" was dying in favor of discrete big box stores sharing a common parking lot.

Back on topic. It just occurred to me that some former neighbor planted running bamboo in their yard (badly) and it's now not only crossed the property line into our back yard, but apparently has crossed the remains of the driveway in places. So I should learn how to make bamboo paper (although it will probably take the chainsaw to cut it down at this point...). The woman who lives in that house now has been going crazy trying to get rid of it too.... (The problem with running bamboo is that the only way to *contain* it to where you want it is to start by digging a 2' deep trench, lining it with heavy plastic panels supported by steel rebar, and fill in around the trench. Then plant the bamboo ONLY inside that section..... Clearly in this instance, this did NOT happen....). So recently we've been trying to figure out what to DO with all that bamboo -- not living close enough to DC to feed the pandas at the Washington Zoo, and making paper might well be one of those things (there's only so much bamboo shoots I can eat at any given time...). So, I think I'm set for any sort of apocalypse. Except for maybe planting flax and hoping it rains a lot and that the deer won't eat it or tramp it down....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[dogpoet]

I dunno, Ruth: you'll be saying the Monroeville mall doesn't have it's own nuke plant next...

Maybe you could dry some of the bamboo canes out and then use them upon your former neighbour to make your displeasure with his lack of containment methods clear?

[amberleadavis]

  On 2/12/2018 at 10:57 PM, katerchen said:

Assuming I don't lose what I have right now, I think I'll be fine.

 

Along with about 90% of the readers here

 

And so long as you have the addresses of your fellow Pen Lovers, you will be okay.

[keto]

Hmmm, zombie parchment?

[Moonshae]

I have to answer seriously. In the event of this type of disaster, survival would be my primary concern, and pens, ink, and paper wouldn't play any part in that. Frankly, as I'm not particularly skilled with survival techniques, I'd assume I'll die quickly, which also eliminates the issues around pens, ink, and paper.

 

This question makes me think of people who hoard gold for the same reason, because paper money will be worthless. What they don't realize is that gold will also be worthless, as it's heavy, bulky, and basically useless for survival, so no one will trade precious food for a hunk of metal, regardless of how pretty it is or valuable it once was. Canned goods will be worth more than gold ever could be until society recovers enough to have more resources than those necessary for basic survival.

[Amory]

I find myself amazed and I must admit somewhat saddened by the way some speak of Monroeville Mall. How could anyone possibly think that any self respecting fountain pen oriented zombie hoard would descend en-masse on a mall that has not a single worthy stationary or pen emporium. Any sensible pennist would know that the wonderful Fountain Pen Revolution with their wide range of wonderful Indian pens would be the place where all zombies would head.

In view of this I would, with due respect, suggest that fellow nibnerds lay in suitable stocks of these fine pens and a selection of nibs from extra fine right through to flex.

 

 

I have no connection with this company nor any other, however I do consider bribery to be a commendable quality. Amory

[tadas]

  On 2/14/2018 at 4:36 AM, max dog said:

I'll be ready for anything apocalyptic cometh this way!

 

Talk about a nail!

[Astronymus]

The real question you will ask yourself when the apocalypse comes will be: "Does that pen fit into my 12 gauge???"

[Cordovian]

Was I the only one that thought, while watching I am Legend; "Man, I'd be living at Fountain Pen Hospital"?

[inkstainedruth]

  On 2/14/2018 at 6:58 PM, dogpoet said:

I dunno, Ruth: you'll be saying the Monroeville mall doesn't have it's own nuke plant next...

Maybe you could dry some of the bamboo canes out and then use them upon your former neighbour to make your displeasure with his lack of containment methods clear?

 

Sadly, I don't know who planted it (that homeowner is before my time), and I LIKE the current owner and would not want to chastise her -- the editor of the local weekly paper she publishes is another story, though because it's badly edited at times....

As for the Mall? Nope. The closest atomic power plant is in the next county and another 30 miles away from from my house (and in the wrong direction; I just checked Google for what type of reactor it was and the distance between it and the Mall... ).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Wahl]

I have enough pens, ink and paper to last for my entire lifetime, so no worries there.

[dogpoet]

  On 2/15/2018 at 7:11 PM, inkstainedruth said:

 

Sadly, I don't know who planted it (that homeowner is before my time), and I LIKE the current owner and would not want to chastise her -- the editor of the local weekly paper she publishes is another story, though because it's badly edited at times....

As for the Mall? Nope. The closest atomic power plant is in the next county and another 30 miles away from from my house (and in the wrong direction; I just checked Google for what type of reactor it was and the distance between it and the Mall... ).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

To be honest, I've never been sure whether the talk about the mall having it's own nuclear plant was just to explain away why it still had power after the electricity grid went down or whether that stuff was meant to be satirical. Romero's of the generation who read those very pro-nuke futurology texts that were published more to enthuse people about nuclear power than for any other reason and which insisted that nuclear power plants were bound to make electricity so cheap to provide that it would effectively be free once their use became more widespread. A shopping mall having it's own nuclear powered generator seems a nice little dig at that notion.

[ParkerDuofold]

  On 2/16/2018 at 1:22 PM, dogpoet said:

...which insisted that nuclear power plants were bound to make electricity so cheap to provide that it would effectively be free once their use became more widespread.

Hi all,

 

Yup. I still remember the tagline... "Electricity that's too cheap to meter."

 

Then in '79 or '80, you had Three Mile Island and the movie, The China Syndrome, occur within weeks of each other.

 

...and the dream died... ...but at least it does still have a radiant glow.

 

 

- Anthony

[dogpoet]

Hi, Anthony.

Nothing like a dream that glows in the dark, is there?

[inkstainedruth]

Well, you know what they say: "Nuke 'em till they glow in the dark and then shoot 'em!"

I'm not a big horror movie fan so I never saw DotD (just the original, back in college). So I didn't know the bit about the nuclear power plant.

OTOH, I did see a thing a few years ago where there were serious considerations to have small household sized systems so everyone could have their own personal atomic power plant in their yard.... There was also an essay written for some SF magazine years ago (late 60s or early 70s) where the author looked at ALL factors in energy generation (including building the infrastructure and dealing with transportation as well as environmental costs) and concluded that nuclear power was the most cost efficient in the long run.

I grew up near the Indian Point Power plant (which serves NYC as well as Westchester County). And I remember the summer where a lightning strike during a freak thunderstorm knocked out one of the reactors and NYC had no power for something like 3 days -- in the middle of July.... (There was a blue glow off in the distance which was Indian Point, which I think was about 20-25 miles away; years later, I had a summer job in college and a co-worker grew up down the road (as in a couple of miles at most) from Indian Point; and SHE said that where she lived the glow wasn't blue -- it was RED....

It had been a weird bad storm (the really bad storms all come out of the Northwest in that part of the country), and I remember this HUGE and very low dark cloud going over my house. Don't remember if our power was out for as long as the city's (I grew up about 50 north of Manhattan). Just that the radio station I listened to went and set up temporary digs in the Empire State building to get back on air, and the first couple of songs they were able to play....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Noihvo]

[marcelo]

Easy. Like anything else after a zombie/nuclear apocalypse: using a powerful gun. 😁🔫

Edited February 17, 2018 by marcelo