I spent some time today doing surgery on my Brother Charger 11 Correction typewriter. It was quite relaxing to tinker around for a bit and appreciate the sparse, but clever and solid internals of this late model JP-1 machine that the serial number dates to January 1985. I managed … | Continue reading
In the past year, I’ve re-acquired an old manual typewriter from my youth and begun using it again for first drafts of some writing work as well as some notes. In the past few months I’ve added a few new (to me) machines to the collection and have been continuing to use them in m … | Continue reading
A photo of the burgeoning typewriter collection so far. | Continue reading
I’ve seen many references comparing the use of typewriters in an overstimulating technology space to the slow food movement. Since one regularly pairs wine with their meals, it only seems right to extend the typewriter analogy to liquor as well. Today, I’m pairing this smooth 10 … | Continue reading
I’m terribly tempted by this and even have a planned trip to Boston in June. Sadly, I don’t think my wife would approve the career change or the move from Los Angeles… | Continue reading
My office for the afternoon Published by Chris Aldrich I'm a biomedical and electrical engineer with interests in information theory, complexity, evolution, genetics, signal processing, IndieWeb, theoretical mathematics, and big history. I'm also a talent manager-producer-publish … | Continue reading
A while back, I recorded an episode of The Informed Life with Jorge Arango, and it’s just been released. We had hoped to cover a couple of specific topics, but just as we hit record, our topic agenda took a left turn into some of my recent interests in intellectual history. Jorge … | Continue reading
Published by Chris Aldrich I'm a biomedical and electrical engineer with interests in information theory, complexity, evolution, genetics, signal processing, IndieWeb, theoretical mathematics, and big history. I'm also a talent manager-producer-publisher in the entertainment indu … | Continue reading
Published by Chris Aldrich I'm a biomedical and electrical engineer with interests in information theory, complexity, evolution, genetics, signal processing, IndieWeb, theoretical mathematics, and big history. I'm also a talent manager-producer-publisher in the entertainment indu … | Continue reading
If you’re doing a lot of typing on index cards for your zettelkasten, recipes, or other uses, this may be a useful typewriter hack: | Continue reading
Published by Chris Aldrich I'm a biomedical and electrical engineer with interests in information theory, complexity, evolution, genetics, signal processing, IndieWeb, theoretical mathematics, and big history. I'm also a talent manager-producer-publisher in the entertainment indu … | Continue reading
Digging into some typewriter pricing history, I found a copy of the 1949 Sears Spring/Summer Catalog, which lists a version of my 1949 Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter (Sears SKU: 3 NM 4584T with Pica Type) for $95.08 on page 285. Converting 1949 dollars to 2024 using an inflation … | Continue reading
Published by Chris Aldrich I'm a biomedical and electrical engineer with interests in information theory, complexity, evolution, genetics, signal processing, IndieWeb, theoretical mathematics, and big history. I'm also a talent manager-producer-publisher in the entertainment indu … | Continue reading
I was seeing this issue on my 1949 Royal QDL. I figured it’d be an easy fix. Turns out, it was exactly my issue and the pieces had “frozen up”. A quick clean out and we’re back in business in under 20 minutes. | Continue reading
Some how it felt sacrilegious to post it to Goodreads.com and not to type my status update for Richard Polt’s poetic paean to typewriters. | Continue reading
For the rapidly decreasing amount of space I’ve got for storing and actively using the handful of machines I’ve got in my burgeoning typewriter collection, I’ve begun to become a bit more discerning of new acquisitions. I had yet to add a Royal the fleet, and I’ve had my eye on a … | Continue reading
Tortured poets Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith both used typewriters. I still use several too. | Continue reading
Given that George Eliot had her own commonplace book, it’s fascinating but not surprising to see a section of prose about note taking and indexing practices in Middlemarch (set in 1829 to 1832 and published in 1871-1872) literally as the romance story is just beginning to brew. [ … | Continue reading
Given that George Eliot had her own commonplace book, it’s fascinating but not surprising to see a section of prose about note taking and indexing practices in Middlemarch (set in 1829 to 1832 and published in 1871-1872) literally as the romance story is just beginning to brew. [ … | Continue reading
I saw hundreds of images of the eclipse today, but none remotely similar to mine. While thinking back on how I imaged the eclipse with my “pinhole colander camera”, I realize that so much of my life is informed not only by science, but the science of cooking. | Continue reading
If you’re an analog zettelkasten fan, I just bought a few bricks of 500 index cards for $6.08 each at my local Amazon Fresh. Most brands list for $12-$16 for this many; even Amazon.com is currently listing them for $10.50. Sadly it doesn’t match my all-time-best of $2.06. What’s … | Continue reading
I’d mentioned that my Steelcase card index came without the traditional card stops/follower blocks at the back of the drawers. Needing a solution for this, I’ve discovered that my local Daiso sells small, simple bookends for $1.75 for a pair and they’re the perfect size (7 x 8.9 … | Continue reading
Published by Chris Aldrich I'm a biomedical and electrical engineer with interests in information theory, complexity, evolution, genetics, signal processing, IndieWeb, theoretical mathematics, and big history. I'm also a talent manager-producer-publisher in the entertainment indu … | Continue reading
My new Remington Streamliner is now finally in solid fighting shape. Type on! | Continue reading
On March 11, 2023, I’d gotten a nice deal on a Remington Streamline portable typewriter in a generally uncontested online auction. I was certainly taking a small chance on a typewriter only by a few photos and the label “untested”, but I couldn’t resist the mint blue color which … | Continue reading
Here’s a version of the timeline of some of the intellectual history I presented today at the PKM Summit in Utrecht. I’m happy to answer any questions, or if you’re impatient, you can also search my online digital repository of notes for any of the people or topics mentioned. It … | Continue reading
This book from 1908 by J. Kaiser seems like a fantastic instruction manual for how to use Obsidian, Logseq, Notion, Evernote, OneNote, and most other note taking tools for just about any application. | Continue reading
I think I’ve bought yet another typewriter: a late 60s/early 70s Remington Streamliner. I bought it in part because it looks beautiful, but also (I’m not going to lie here) because it’s very similar in color to my mint blue TWSBI Eco-T fountain pen and my General Fireproofing Co. … | Continue reading
In my recent typewriter collecting spree, I’ve received what may be the best of the group so far. Immaculately wrapped and boxed, the portable Remington Quiet-Riter arrived on my doorstep yesterday afternoon. With it’s incredibly smooth, quiet action and crisp elite typeface, I c … | Continue reading
Having the best tools does you absolutely no good unless you’re going to use them. Collecting notebooks, fountain pens, or even typewriters is useless (other than their inherent beauty) without their use. | Continue reading
I purchased this SCM typewriter through an online auction on 2024-03-02 and received it this morning on 2024-03-07 at 10:00 AM. The seller stated this was a 1969, but the Typewriter Database doesn’t seem to have serial number dating for this range of typewriters which were manufa … | Continue reading
The Europe PKM Summit 2024 coming up on March 22 – 23 looks like a who’s-who of the tools for thought crowd. I’m putting together a few ideas myself… https://pkmsummit.com/ | Continue reading
I’ve added my 1948 Smith-Corona Clipper to the Typewriter Database https://typewriterdatabase.com/1948-smith-corona-clipper.22304.typewriter | Continue reading
Irked by the overinflated prices on Ebay for typewriters, I’ve been casting about for other sources of reasonably priced machines to purchase. Today I purchased two I saw at auction: Smith-Corona Classic 12 in metallic green for $18.00 1969 Smith-Corona Galaxie Deluxe in steel bl … | Continue reading
On a quick front-of-the-index card calculation, I realize that with the recent Steelcase cabinet acquisition, I now have 8 boxes comprising 61 drawers and 103.25 feet of storage space for approximately 172,296 index cards. Having spent a total of $786.52 on them over the past yea … | Continue reading
One of the drawers on the Steelcase card cabinet was sticking. After 10 minutes of comparison and troubleshooting, it turns out one of the rails on the chassis was bent enough to jam the ball bearing from rolling. Unsticking it and then a quick hammer to put the rail back in plac … | Continue reading
Maybe I didn’t have enough filing space for index cards yet? Maybe it was because the price was too alluring to resist? Maybe it was because of the stunning black and grey powder coat? Maybe it was because I didn’t have any serious Steelcase in my atomic era furniture collection … | Continue reading
I may have just purchased a really hot, two-tone black and silver powder coated Steelcase card index with space for 60,000 cards…. | Continue reading
On average, the typical A5 sized notebook (Leuchtturm, Hobonichi, Stalogy, Moleskine, Midori, Clairefontaine, Apica, Kleid, etc. ranging from 192 to 368 pages) has an equivalent square footage of writing surface to the front (only) of about 420 4 x 6 inch index cards. On a cost b … | Continue reading
As part of my reading process, particularly for book club related reading, I’ve lately settled on what seems to be a particularly productive method of reading for my needs. Generally I’ll pull up a short review or two to see what the topic broadly covers as well as to see how oth … | Continue reading
Dan Allosso has been hosting a regular book club for a few years centered around sense making, note taking, and topics like economics, history, and anthropology. Our next iteration over the coming month or so will focus on two relatively recent books in the area of intellectual h … | Continue reading
Surfing around with respect to library card catalogs, I ran across John Blyberg‘s Library Card Generator this afternoon. Anyone who’s playing at the intersection of analog and digital zettelkasten is sure to love the possibilities here. Incidentally, if you’re still into the old- … | Continue reading
I saw a bumper sticker on a car this afternoon that read “Ask Me About My Rich Inner Life”. I think I’m going to have to buy one to put on my zettelkasten. 🗃️ | Continue reading
It looks like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was using several Weis No. 35 card index boxes, of which a very similar version is still commercially available on Amazon from Globe-Weis/Pendaflex. I’ve tracked down where most of his card index is hiding at Morehouse College, b … | Continue reading
Micro.blog Analog Tools Meetup January 2024. 🖊️🗃️📓☕ | Continue reading
David L. Solin passed away this morning after several trying days in hospice care. We spent most of the day with him yesterday as he struggled to hold on, but his body ultimately gave out. I was just a few blocks from the nursing home going to see him when I got the call that … C … | Continue reading