Editing The Pen Addict 396/transcript (section)

== New Book Announcement ==


'''Myke Hurley:''' So, yeah. Yep. It's good, though. I'm anxious to get it. It's on the way. So, something that did arrive yesterday, Myke, which I knew it was coming, I just didn't know when, is the new Pencils You Should Know book from Caroline Weaver. It's so good. Like, this is, like, a fun, it's like your coffee table book, but, like, in miniature, like, pencil size. Like, it's a full-size book, but it's not like people think a coffee table book look like a giant art, huge clunking book. But the way it's presented on the inside with, you know, each two-page spread has a big picture of the pencil being discussed, and then a bunch of notes on the pencils being discussed. I sat down with it for about an hour last night and was just reading through. I got it, like, through the first 20 or so pencils. There's 75 pencils in the book. I just love it. You know, it's like 16, 17 bucks. It's beautifully bound. The binding on it is really neat. And Caroline's on the Erasable podcast this week, so y'all should go listen to that. I just saw it downloaded in my queue, so I'm sure she talks about this book.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' What I like about it, I don't have this book yet. I am going to buy it, though, because it looks beautiful. It's just like a great coffee table book, something good for the office. But what I like about it is the format is like a very peculiar format, right? Like it's long. I like it. It looks like a traveler's notebook.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Just wait until you see the binding on it. It's like it's a hardcover book, but the spine binding is soft. It's really neat. I really like it. I keep fidgeting with the spine and the binding, so it's like kind of flexible on there. It's cool. Really well done. Caroline's the best. She's just really damn good at her job, and I appreciate her very much and all the things that she creates for us. Powerhouse. Us fans. She is a powerhouse.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' That woman is a powerhouse. She is. All right. I just ordered it in Amazon UK. Okay. Cool. All right. Should we wrap up this episode with some Ask TPA?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yes. But to start the Ask TPA, I have a handwritten letter. Ask TPA. Well, not really an Ask TPA, but a most interesting letter. Maybe the most interesting letter I've ever received related to this show. And I want to read it to you because it's to you too. I think I will leave the person unnamed. I did not tell them I was doing this, but I feel like I have it mostly under control here. But I would like to thank him for saying Brad and Myke, and the and Myke was in parentheses. So you were a little bit of an afterthought in this, even though it's kind of related to you.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' That's an interesting one. All right.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Hey, Brad. Thanks again for the Studio Note and Pilot Custom 74. Okay. So this was a previous giveaway winner of mine. So the Pilot is an exceptional pen and amazing writer. It looks better when paired with my favorite red ink, Robert Oster Rubine. I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to gold nib pens. And now I'm finally hooked. And gratitude for the gifts and also hundreds of hours of enjoyment in your podcast and blog have brought me over the years. I've included a couple of pens for you and Myke.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Is the and Myke in parentheses again?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Not, but I might just go in and edit it.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' You're going to add those in? Mm-hmm.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Okay. These won't be the finest or fanciest pens you own, but they might be the fastest. I'm a Navy fighter pilot by training. And though I aged out of the cockpit a few years ago, a kind friend took these on a flight in a supersonic F-18F Super Hornet on my behalf. The lovely Bic four-color pen is a favorite among fighter pilots who often need to quickly sketch out key snapshots of a dogfight in the few moments before setting up for their next engagement.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' What?

'''Myke Hurley:''' Just wait. Wait. What?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' They drool? Is that how they do that?

'''Myke Hurley:''' There's an image that goes along with this that I've taken. I was sent a photograph and a diagram on this letter. I see the diagram now.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Now, that is absolute madness.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Wow. The ballpoint ink writes anywhere, and we tie a string through the lanyard hole so the pen can't come loose from our kneeboard and get stuck in the flight controls.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I am so uncomfortable with learning all of this antique technology that's going on here.

'''Myke Hurley:''' The colors come in handy for drawing our standard engagement arrows, known colloquially as spaghetti. With blue and green used for friendly jets and red and black for adversaries. While I've since switched to the high-tech C-Colito, it says, at the suggestion of a couple of guys I heard on a pen podcast once, many Navy squadrons regularly order custom Bic quad pens. I just want to take another pause just to stop.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Because I am uncomfortable about the idea of this individual taking a recommendation from us, right? And then, like, potentially taking it into the skies only to find out it doesn't work. And they're, like, in a dogfight. Like, oh, this pen doesn't work. Because Brad parentheses and Myke close parentheses suggested it to me. That is a very uncomfortable thing to think about.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I love it. So our Navy squadrons regularly order custom Bic quad pens with their unit patch printed on the side. These pens, being the specific ones I have in my hand, bear the lightning bolt of Strike University, which joins the much better known Top Gun at the Naval Air Warfighting Development Center based in Nevada. So this is part of, this is at the location of Top Gun. Strike trains aircrew to execute large force strikes where 16 or more carrier aircraft attacked well-defended targets and training exercises that can involve up to 50 friendly and adversary jets battling in the skies over northern Nevada. Since Strike and Top Gun share jets, there's a chance these pens flew in an aircraft used to film next year's sequel to the movie that shall not be named. No, really. If you reference it at work, you have to pay a fine.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I'm not surprised, actually.

'''Myke Hurley:''' My wife thoroughly enjoyed that part. I hope you don't mind passing Myke's pen along when you see him again. Way back in the 70 decibel days, he was welcoming and patient to his newest host as I stumbled through my second show as co-host of Gabe Weatherhead's. Oh, so maybe I can say this. Gabe Weatherhead's and Generational. Myke is still my favorite. Do you know who this is now? Yes. Myke is still my favorite podcaster, and I'm thrilled with the penaticus carrying on the 70 decibels banners into the 2020s. Wow. So I guess I just gave it up. This is Eric Hess. So how cool is that?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Eric. Wow.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I forgot about that part at the end until I reread it.

'''Myke Hurley:''' How cool is that? He's been really involved in the pen community, so I appreciate this. And I hope I don't get in trouble for just reading this, but I thought it was too special to not share with everybody. Because it just goes to show the wide-ranging community we have.

'''Myke Hurley:''' So yeah. So shout out to Eric. I'll go tag him in my Instagram now since he comes up all the time. So very cool, huh? That is amazing. Yep.