Proper salutation?

[Roland Deschain]

D***it Roland! You just HAD to go and make me blow Diet Dr. Pepper out my nose!!! (IT BURNSES, IT BURNSES!!!)

This is just too funny.. It will have to be quarantined for the protection of soda-free nostrils everywhere.

Or maybe I'll just go ahead and post it to my facebook

I aim to please. Or is that please to aim? Anyway, glad you liked it. Should have some templates up in the next few days for you all to peruse.

[Roland Deschain]

Ok, I now have four templates for you to peruse. I've filled in all the details on them to show you what they will look like, but all pertinent information can be removed and replaced with whatever is needed. I have named the fonts used in order. Let me know what you think of them and what can be improved:-

Template 1 - Wacky Calligraphic, Rothenberg Decorative



Template 2 - Sylfaen, Script MT Bold



Template 3 - Baby Pirate, Blackadder ITC



Template 4 - Av Quest, Edwardian Script ITC


Template 4a - Av Quest, Edwardian Script ITC

[Tigger_the_Wing]

Wow! Good work!

One small gripe: Number three (the one in Piratese) would really benefit from not being in all-caps. The fonts used are just about unreadable due to the extra floweriness of the capital letters which should, therefore, be restricted to the beginnings of sentences and appropriate words (one of the first rules of calligraphy, dontchaknow )

Otherwise - I want one!

Number three, please (once you have fixed the caps problem).

My treatise on "Piratical Grandparenting from a distance; the difficulties imposed by dwelling in a land-locked state" will be in the mail just as soon as I can be bothered.

[Roland Deschain]

How dare you criticise my hard work!!!!!

Seriously, though, thanks for the constructive criticism, Tig. I wasn't completely happy with the look of that one when I made it, but wasn't sure what to do at the time, other than changing the font completely. I'll change the caps situation and see what that looks like before changing the font if need be. I also sent you and RRR a message about this asking for assistance, although I realise you are now a lot closer to me geographically than you usually are lol, so are most likely unavailable until you return home.

[Rev. Rowan Redbeard]

Great idea, but there's several questions to be answered first, methinks.


Should this look official?

Should it be outright humor, plain officialese, or half-believable satire?

Does there need to be a place for an official seal?

Will this be valid? (Probably not an accredited institution, but would be very cool if it was at least legally a doctorate.)


My vote is for legally valid, slightly satirical officialese, based on the doctorate certificates of major institutions, with the FSM hidden in the engraved-looking border.

[Roland Deschain]

Great idea, but there's several questions to be answered first, methinks.

Should this look official?

Should it be outright humor, plain officialese, or half-believable satire?

Does there need to be a place for an official seal?

Will this be valid? (Probably not an accredited institution, but would be very cool if it was at least legally a doctorate.)

My vote is for legally valid, slightly satirical officialese, based on the doctorate certificates of major institutions, with the FSM hidden in the engraved-looking border.

This is why i've gone for different designs and included FSM/Pirate Fish watermarks on a couple of them, and also put the same images in the margins. I did actually look at some official and not-so-official doctorates for inspiration.

Maybe we could have a number of different designs with the wording to match, rather than limit it to one particular one. Or maybe, as was suggested previously (I think), have both serious and non-serious diplomas, with an official doctorate being attached to the serious one. This would, of course, then bring in the subject of a real, yet light-hearted, doctoral thesis needing to be submitted, which could then be placed onto a website for 'reference'. I think Edd went into detail about this on the previous page. It would be an interesting project to undertake.

[pieces o'nine]

I agree with Tig's suggestion on controlling the caps; otherwise, they all look great!

[Tigger_the_Wing]

How dare you criticise my hard work!!!!!

Seriously, though, thanks for the constructive criticism, Tig. I wasn't completely happy with the look of that one when I made it, but wasn't sure what to do at the time, other than changing the font completely. I'll change the caps situation and see what that looks like before changing the font if need be. I also sent you and RRR a message about this asking for assistance, although I realise you are now a lot closer to me geographically than you usually are lol, so are most likely unavailable until you return home.

You're welcome to the criticism!

You have baffled me with the last part of your post, though.

I'm 'a lot closer'?

I am worried that you have set up a webcam in my room somewhere and have noticed the furniture moving that means I'm now sleeping (and posting, when I have the laptop) six inches further north…

Or is this a Facebook misunderstanding? Hubby has gone to Ireland for our Number One Son's wedding. Due to my heart conditions I'm on the 'no fly' list, so I'm stuck here in Canberra.

[Roland Deschain]

I have a we...er...I mean I thought you'd gone back to Ireland. My mistake there.

P.S. - The dressing table needs to be turned 3-4 degrees westward. Your Feng Shui is upset, as the chi doesn't flow through the room properly and has to swirl around the mirror twice. This is worse when Mercury rises in the age of Aquarius and Pluto gets a haircut. Or so Mystic Meg says.

[Tigger_the_Wing]

I have a we...er...I mean I thought you'd gone back to Ireland. My mistake there.

P.S. - The dressing table needs to be turned 3-4 degrees westward. Your Feng Shui is upset, as the chi doesn't flow through the room properly and has to swirl around the mirror twice. This is worse when Mercury rises in the age of Aquarius and Pluto gets a haircut. Or so Mystic Meg says.

Keep out of my room!

P.S. - Is Mystic Meg going to pay for a carpenter and negotiate with my landlady? The dressing table is part of the built-in wardrobes (you know that, of course, from the we…er…).

[Ham Nox]

Found a way to possibly fund the theoretical Diploma Mill, but only if it's stationed in the USA: http://www.refresheverything.com