Edge-Notched Cards and Speedy Answers

I feel like I am retreading old ground letting you know that Ollie is bad news, but just today one Mr. Clemens upped the game by throwing down the gauntlet with Mrs. Speegle.

The short version for those of you just tuning in: edge-notched cards have the entire typosphere abuzz, but there is some question as to the best tool for punching out the titular edge notches without falling victim to dangling chads.

I presented the conundrum to the Mrs., to which she immediately responded "Oh, you mean like a ribbon punch."

Yeah, sure, why not?

Anyway, presented below is a picture of the thing that may solve all of your new-found notching woes. You'll have to excuse the bad photography and hasty hole-punching, but the animus is there. The first pic is a demo, and the second is me trying to show you what the punch itself looks like. If you can't discern it, think of a sharp metal "pause" symbol.





The only issue that I can foresee is that the one I have is a tad big in bore, but you might be able to find them smaller. Personally, I like the larger ones, what with my BDHS (Big Dumb Hands Syndrome).

Hope this'll do the trick!

The Accidental Flier

We've all seen this post over on Strikethru's blog, haven't we? Well, the super-inked version of her logo was so totally reminiscent of an old-skool punk flier that I just had to expand on it a little.

Tune in later for my utter failure at crayoncasting.

Typefaces and YOU

Saw this in The Slate just today as well. Supposedly, this new Typekit software would allow a full spectrum of customizeable fonts to be displayed in any browser. This could be very tool for those of us who are just bored to tears with "oh-how-I-wish-I-was-Helvetica" Arial.

In fact, have you seen that film that they made about Helvetica? You know, the one called Helvetica? If not, and if you are in fact a person who is fascinated with things like typeface pedigrees (and let's face it, if you're reading this, you are that kind of person) give it a watch.

That's not a Luddite. THIS is a Luddite.

I found a couple of articles with the help of one Mr.D.K. that may interest you. The first one is quite new, the second, not so much. BUT! they both deal, in an oblique way, with our shared diversion.

There was one bit in the second article, a piece by one Ron Rosenbaum, that struck me as particularly amusing. In it he describes a scene from The Sot-Weed Factor, enclosed below.

In any case, to prepare himself for his poetic project, Ebenezer goes to Paternoster Row to buy a notebook.

"What sort of notebook had you in mind?" the proprietor asks him.

"What sort?" repeated Ebenezer. "Are there sorts of notebooks then?"

What follows is a descent into a hell of choice, option, and indecision.

"Long notes, sir, or short ones?"

"Both, I suppose."

"Ah. And will you take these long and short notes at home, sir, or while traveling?"

"I'faith what difference to you? Both I should think. A mere silly notebook is all my craving." ...

"Very well, sir. ... Only I must know another wee thing."

"I'faith, 'tis a Cambridge examination! What is't now?"

"Is't thy wont to make these notes always at a desk, whether at home or abroad, or do you jot 'em down as they strike you, whether strolling, riding, or resting? And if the latter, do you yet n'er open 'em in the public view, or is't public be damned, ye'll write where't please you? And if the latter, would you have 'em think you a man whose taste is evidenced by all he owns; who is, you might say, in love with the world? A Geoffrey Chaucer? A Will Shakespeare? Or would you rather they took you for a Stoical fellow, that cares not a fig for this vale of imperfections, but hath his eyes fixed always on the Everlasting Beauties of the Spirit; a Plato, I mean, or a Don John Donne? 'Tis most necessary I should know."

And he's only begun. He goes on to pose the further choices of folio or quarto, cardboard or leather, unruled or ruled sheets, "a thin book, easy to carry but soon filled, or a fat one, cumbersome to travel with but able to store years of thought 'twixt single covers."

He then lays out the 16 preliminary options so far:

"Sixteen, sir; sixteen, if I may," Bragg said proudly. "Ye may have

A thin plain cardboard folio,

A thin plain cardboard quarto,

A thin plain leather folio,

A thin ruled cardboard folio,

A fat plain cardboard folio,

A thin plain leather quarto,

A thin plain cardboard quarto,

A fat plain cardboard quarto,

A thin ruled leather folio,

A fat plain leather folio,

A thin ruled leather quarto,

A fat ruled cardboard quarto,

A fat plain leather quarto,

A fat ruled leather folio, or

A fat ruled leather quarto."

"Stop!" cried Ebenezer, shaking his head. ... " 'Tis the Pit!"

It is at this point that a choice-maddened Ebenezer lunges at the notebook seller with his sword, crying, " 'Tis thy life or mine, for another of thy evil options and I am lost!"


Now who hasn't been there?

Typecast: Back Outside, Makin' Friends

So the little dude who had been watching me finally sidled up close and asked me what I had here, and what I was doing. I told him that I was typing something and when met with a quizzical look, I popped the service panel off Signora Olivetti and shower him the typebars and the ink ribbon and how the whole process works.



Needless to say, the little fella was fascinated, and promptly asked if he could type something, which surprised me. Most folks, even the older ones who have actually seen a typewriter about, display trepidation when faced with an outmoded appliance. This kid, though, he was all about it. After a few minutes of experimenting (during which I only interrupted once to advise him not to hit more than one key at a time) he typed his name at the bottom there. Then, satisfied that his work was complete, brought a lady over who I could only assume was his grandmother to look at what he had wrought. She was very impressed, as Grandma's are.

It was about then that Jack got tired of climbing cargo nets and sliding down slides, and we headed off to get our food on, and then to Whole Foods to pick up some supplies. The very bohemian-looking register monkey asked me what I had in the case. I told him that it was an Olivetti typewriter. He looked pained for a moment, as if experiencing some cognitive dissonance, and said "Oh."

Obviously, the guy was no Joshua.

And so I dedicate this typecast to you out there, the next generation of typecasters. Keep your chins up, and your ribbons inked. Excelsior!

Do Me a Favor...*Fixed*

*Fixed* Forgot the "=" in my html. Link now works!

Disregarding the last post, I don't ask for a lot. Sure, I do try to get you to listen to bands that I am just now discovering, and sure I do occasionally have typewriter-related panics, and try to send your business my wife's way, and sure, I do propose things like JuSt and How-to's...

Man, I DO ask for a lot. BUT...I'm going to need you to pretend that I don't ask for a lot, and that you will do you a one-time solid and click on this link (I'd embed it, but it's rackum frackum disabled). Your clicky will bring you to a video by a band called Matt and Kim, and I kid you not when I say that their music makes me smile from ear to ear whenever I hear it. Seriously, their tunes are catchy and memorable and all that, but the best part of the M&K experience is how blasted happy they look whenever they are performing. And I guarantee that if you click on the provided link, it'll make you smile too, or your money back.








P.S. OK, fine, so the song is actually the one from the rum commercial, but I like the commercial, too. And I don't even like rum.

*Update* Pop Quiz, Hot Shot (Part II)

*Upadate* OK, so don't y'all go inundating me all at once, now.


The Good Lady Wife and I are celebrating our 8th anniversary in a month or so (where does the time go?). Annnnnnd I have been thinking of asking her to send one of my typewriters (I'm thinking June, the Quiet Riter) off to have a professional cleaning/restoration done as my gift. Now keeping in mind that I am one cheap sonnuvagun, where would you guys recommend a Nevadan send his baby off for some TLC? Bonus: How much do you think I should pay? Ballpark is fine.

Ready...go!