Sign up

Chris Aldrich

Not verified Updates instantly via WebSub Supports Webmention Valid

Musings of a Modern Day Cyberneticist

Generator
https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.9
Public lists
IndieWeb

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Most Collected Typewriters on the Typewriter Database

Two rows of four typewriters each lined up on opposite sides of a table.
In reflecting on my own typewriter collection, I thought I’d look through it to see how some of the models I gravitate toward compare to those others are collecting. As a potential proxy for this, I took a look at the most popularly collected typewriter models according to the Typewriter Database and compiled a list … Continue reading Most Collected Typewriters on the Typewriter Database

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

"Dodger Blue" 1957 Royal FP typewriter at the ready in front of a television featuring Dodger Stadium to score the baseball game. Next to the typewriter on its table are three baseballs and a blue Dodgers cap featuring the iconic LA logo.
From 1957, the year the Dodgers announced their move to Los Angeles, I’ve got my Dodger Blue Royal FPP typewriter ready to go to score the home opener! Blue ink at the ready, I can already hear a military bomber circling my neighborhood on the way to a flyover of the stadium.  ⚾🏟️

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Typewritten baseball scorecard for the Tampa Bay Rays vs. Atlanta Braves from 2026-03-24. It has a minimalist stance for ease of scoring on a typewriter
My typewritten baseball scorecard for Tampa Bay Rays at Atlanta Braves on 2026-03-24. I’m trying to work out the cobwebs of my scoring technique before opening day Thursday. I also filled in a card from my #22 Numbers Game scorebook as well. It’s been ages since I tracked pitches. I’m thinking that this would be … Continue reading

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Paperback book Index to Murder by Jo Dereske sitting on a library card catalog. The cover of the book features a cat on the second story of a library playing with some index cards with bloody paw prints and knocking them past a railing to the floor below.
I’m really hoping this book Index to Murder is a gift of thoughtfulness and not some perverse, veiled threat. 

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Typewriter Plates for Collectors?

Rear of a green crinkle painted Olympia SG1. The bottom of the machine has a panel with a metal Olympia manufacturer's plate showing the company name, place of manufacture, and location of the dealer ship in New York. On either side is a wide rectangle where other identifiers could be similarly placed.
Lately I’ve been talking to a few people about book plates for book collectors who occasionally loan out their books. After the owner has died, these also become a part of the material culture and are used as provenance for future book collectors, librarians, and researchers. These discussions have overlapped in some recent typosphere events … Continue reading Typewriter Plates for Collectors?

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Interesting to see u/joe_skidiachi_irl‘s experiments in baseball score cards with typewriters show up on Joe Van Cleave’s YouTube Channel. Links to past experiments that appear in the video:   https://www.reddit.com/r/BaseballScorecards/comments/1l9alpy/experiment_with_typewriter_scorecards_also_rays_1/     https://www.reddit.com/r/BaseballScorecards/comments/1lflsw8/end_of_tickertape_typewriter_scorecard_experiment/ https://www.reddit.com/r/BaseballScorecards/comments/1lp0m9y/typewriter_experiment_2_also_cin_6_bos_13_6302025/   https://www.reddit.com/r/BaseballScorecards/comments/1m4p6ih/typewriter_experiment_3_the_codex_also_bos_1_chc/   https://www.reddit.com/r/BaseballScorecards/comments/1mt1cuz/typewriter_experiment_4_the_index_card_multiple/ cc: u/lou_sprito, u/Informal-Writer-1140, u/oogieball

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Light blue paneled Royal FP typewriter with it's hood off for restoration. We can see blue and green bichrome ribbon in the background.
Opening day of baseball is coming. ⚾ I’m finishing the adjustments and final coats of polish to my 1957 Royal FP standard typewriter in Dodger Blue. It was manufactured the same year that the Brooklyn Dodgers announced their move to Los Angeles, so it will be a fantastic machine to score the 68th Los Angeles … Continue reading

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Book Club: Yuval Noah Harari’s Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

A copy of Harari's book Nexus standing next to a sandstone yellow Royal FP typewriter with index cards sitting in front of it with several pencils and a pen. They all sit on top of an oak library card catalog.
Coming up for the next few weeks, the Dan Allosso Book Club will focus on Harari, Yuval Noah. Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI. New York: Random House, 2024. The first session will be on Saturday, March 14, 2026, and will recur weekly from 8:00 AM – 10:00 Pacific. … Continue reading Book Club: Yuval Noah Harari’s Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Replaced the old, crushed rubber body panel grommets on my 1956 Remington Standard typewriter with new ones.

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Typewriter Guy Action figure packaging
This is coming out next week on the 11th, and totally unrelated: my birthday is coming up…   h/t to Joe Crawwford (#)

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Olympia SG1 Standard Typewriter Clean, Oil, and Adjust

A green crinkle painted 1956 Olympia SG1 standard typewriter sits at an angle on top of an oak library card catalog filing cabinet
Over the weekend I stripped down my 1956 Olympia SG1 and cleaned all the body panels thoroughly. I had taken out all the old foam, but I also removed the remaining loosened felt pieces. I flushed the internals out with lacquer thinner and blew everything out with the air compressor the following day. I replaced … Continue reading Olympia SG1 Standard Typewriter Clean, Oil, and Adjust

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Replacing the Body Shell Rubber Bushings on an Olympia SG1 Typewriter

Mechanical diagram of the parts pertaining to the body shell of the Olympia SG1. The rubber washer part number is highlighted in yellow.
Over the weekend I made a major push on beginning restoration of the Olympia SG1 standard typewriter I picked up this past month.  One of the small issues I encountered was finding four crushed rubber bushings between the exterior typewriter shell and the main chassis at the four corners on the bottom of the machine. … Continue reading Replacing the Body Shell Rubber Bushings on an Olympia SG1 Typewriter

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

The Deluxe Steelcase Field Notes Notebooks Archive 

A few dozen Field Notes notebooks lined up in a metal drawer of a larger filing cabinet
This nearly indestructible black and gray powder-coated 20 gauge steel constructed 8 drawer cabinet with art deco flourishes has 36 linear feet of storage space for over 2,000 Field Notes notebooks. This is enough space for over 83 years’ worth of subscription to the quarterly notebooks. Literally enough space for a lifetime of notes. Staple … Continue reading The Deluxe Steelcase Field Notes Notebooks Archive 

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Rubber Grommet Repair on Remington Super-Riters and Standards

Shadows and sunshine play across the sparkling front of a gray Remington Standard typewriter with green keys
As rubber replacement is one of the necessary and sometimes more finnicky parts of typewriter restoration, I thought it would be useful to write up the details of a small recent repair for others as well as my future self. Late last May, I did a full clean, oil, and adjust (COA) on my 1951 … Continue reading Rubber Grommet Repair on Remington Super-Riters and Standards

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Close up of an index card in a typewriter carriage which reads: "Kathleen, you are a lone reed, standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce." -Frank Navasky | You've Got Mail (Warner Bros., 1998) | as typed on his Olympia Report De Luxe Electric. In the background is a wooden dresser with a large screen television which has a somewhat blurry image of Greg Kinnear sitting at his typewriter from the movie.

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Lego Snoopy with Woodstock sitting on his red doghouse as he types on a blue typewriter
My birthday is in July, just after this new LEGO set is released…

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Book Club: César Hidalgo’s The Infinite Alphabet and the Laws of Knowledge

Book Club: César Hidalgo’s The Infinite Alphabet and the Laws of Knowledge
Coming up for the next few weeks, the Dan Allosso Book Club will focus on Cesar Hidalgo’s new book, out this month in the United States: Hidalgo, César A. 2026. The Infinite Alphabet: And the Laws of Knowledge. New York: Penguin.   The first session will be on Saturday, February 21, 2026, and will recur … Continue reading Book Club: César Hidalgo’s The Infinite Alphabet and the Laws of Knowledge

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

My website has been hobbling along for about two weeks now. Sadly I’ve either been away or too under the weather to clean things up. Hopefully a bit of work this morning has improved things. We’ll see how stable things are going forward.

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Angle on the segment of a 1954 Royal HH typewriter featuring Pica Double Gothic typeface
Acquired via thrift on 2026-02-06. This machine continues my typewriter collection theme for 2026: hunting for great machines with less common typefaces. Gothic was an older word meaning san-serif. The “double” portion means that it’s two sets of capital letter forms. (Sorry James…)

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

1936 Royal KHM standard typewriter sits on a gray felt typing pad which itself is sitting on an oak Gaylord library card catalog
After my note earlier about progress on restoring my 1936 Royal KHM typewriter, a colleague reminded me that a KHM makes an appearance in the Taylor Swift song Fortnight. Then they asked if I was just collecting machines from her videos? While I fully expect to pick up a Royal Ten one day, it’s a … Continue reading

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Yellow index card with red ruled lines featuring a type sample of a 1936 Royal KHM typewriter in Royal Pica typeface
Wiped off the worst of dust and grime on the exterior of my 1936 Royal KHM standard typewriter. Cleaned up the carriage a bit and did a light oiling. Cleaned out the paper tray and platen area. Spooled up some new ribbon. After a few quick tweaks, this typewriter is now at least minimally usable. … Continue reading

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Green crinkle painted Olympia SG1 standard typewriter sitting at an angle on a wooden library card catalog.
2026-01-31 Acquired at thrift for a very reasonable $70.  I was really hoping to get a Modern Elite No. 66 or an Elite No. 8 as my first SG1, but finding this with a Congress Elite No. 84 typeface was a reasonably acceptable alternative, particularly in usable condition. Initial condition assessment This 70 year old … Continue reading

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Grand Opening of Typewriter Muse

Typewriter Muse's typewriter showroom with 4 wire shelving units covered with about two dozen typewriters of various makes and models. Underneath the shelving is a row of typewriter cases. On the side of the room opposite the shelving is a table with space for three typewriters for typing tests.
For about 7 years Typewriter Muse has been operating out of a home-like space, but this weekend they opened a lovely brick and mortar location in Riverside, CA in a nice sized business park with plenty of Doris Day parking right out front.  Their Instagram account has been documenting some of the move and set … Continue reading Grand Opening of Typewriter Muse

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Rest in Peace: Typewriter Repair Legend Duane Jensen (August 21, 1961-January 25,2026)

Duane Jensen in a blue collared shirt sitting in his typewriter repair space in his garage
Just a few hours ago, Faye shared some sad news. Most of us might only be able to recognize his voice, his patient hands, and his preference for lacquer thinner, but all of us are richer in typewriter knowledge because of Duane Jensen’s kind sharing of his craft by way of his spectacularly helpful Phoenix … Continue reading Rest in Peace: Typewriter Repair Legend Duane Jensen (August 21, 1961-January 25,2026)

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Green metallic personal document file sits on a library card catalog next to a sandstone yellow Royal FP typewriter
Purchased at Acts Thrift for $2.20.  The green paint is almost an exact match for our vintage Stanley thermos and my 1958 Olympia SM3 typewriter.

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Typed index card that reads: On Which Typewriter is the "Best" | It's all subjective. Some days you want apples. Other days you prefer oranges. | This is why one has a collection of 50 or more typewriters—to have a machine that will suit your mood on any given day.

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Congratulations on getting this back to life. I’m a big fan of typing on index cards myself. If you need inexpensive, US-made typewriter ribbon, try Baco Ribbon or Fine Line which can be had for pennies on the dollar (and it’s usually where most shops or re-sellers of ribbon are sourcing theirs). https://boffosocko.com/research/typewriter-collection/#Typewriter%20Ribbon Most know … Continue reading

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

Typed index card that reads: REASON #58 FOR KEEPING A COMMONPLACE OR ZETTELKASTEN | THE OFFICE, "Performance Review", Season 2, Episode 8 | Context: Hapless branch manager Michael Scott is under the gun from corporate to demonstrate his value and show his work and share his ideas, which he hasn't done and can't provide. | MICHAEL: Pam, I have ideas on a daily basis. I know I do. I have a clear memory of telling people my ideas. Um, is there any chance that you wrote any of my ideas down in a folder---like an idea folder? PAM: Sorry. MICHAEL: That's unfortunate. How about the suggestion box? There's tons of ideas in there.

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

TIL: Moon+ Reader Pro has RSVP technology hiding in it’s settings! This is going to dramatically help my inspectional reading this year.

Chris Aldrich Updates instantly via WebSub Valid
• Chris Aldrich

I’ve just noticed that Zotero update 7.0.31 added specific fields for Original Place, Original Publisher, and Original Date for books. Even better, the books for which I had defined an “Original-date” in the Extra section automatically sucked in that data and updated my database! Good work development team!