18,749 Matching Annotations
  1. Jun 2024
    1. In 1967, Samuel founded the History Workshop movement to democratise ‘the act of historical production, enlarging the constituency of historical writers, and bringing the experience of the present to bear upon the interpretation of the past’; it held huge, radical and ecumenical events, published pamphlets and books, and in 1976 founded its own journal, still running today.
    2. Each thought or reference to a source was written or pasted onto a single side of a loose sheet of paper. It might be the source itself – an advertisement, a jam-jar label or an extract from a Xerox – it mattered only that it was attributed and subheaded under a theme. Then the notes were filed in groups. Scholarly prestidigitation allowed the pages to be constantly reshuffled so that new combinations of ideas appeared, presuppositions might be overturned and surprising connections thereby generated ... All that was needed was reams of rough paper, scissors and a pot of glue, phalanxes of lever-arch files, and a hole-puncher.

      brief outline of Raphael Samuel's note taking tools and some scant description of the method.

      I love the phrase "scholarly prestiditation" to describe the "magic of note taking" along with the idea of combinatorial creativity.

      Presumably the quote comes from the Samuel piece quoted in the article.

    3. Raphael Samuel​ adopted his notetaking method from Beatrice and Sidney Webb

      Historian Raphael Samuel used a zettelkasten-like note taking method which he adopted from Beatrice and Sidney Webb.

    1. Joe Van Cleave makes the interesting observation that while a hobbyist will only take a typewriter apart as much as is necessary to fix the issue at hand, the professional repair person will strip it all down and clean everything out for the coming 50 years to prevent it from coming back to them for something else in the near future thus costing more time, effort, and potential damage to their reputation.

    2. Typewriter Line Lock Repair by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

    1. reply to u/Rabbits16 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1df7o2t/request_type_writer_suggestion_please/

      For that budget range, pick up something cleaned and fully serviced from a nearby shop https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html

      Too many resellers are pushing overpriced machines that say "works" or "may need servicing" on some online shops like ebay or Etsy for top end pricing when you can get something truly spectacular and ready for the next 50 years from a serious pro that needs the support for the same price.

      As for particular machines to look at, I can't find much to fault in Joe's advice here https://youtu.be/aKMt-aCHZZk?si=CGPduwA4A3HPDm3u

    1. Why can Luhmann manage information better than those who typing on obsidian?

      Too many people fetishize Luhmann and his system. Yes he wrote a lot and yes he was productive, but was he as influential as any of the thousands upon thousands of writers and academics who used broadly similar methods? A lot of Luhmann's productivity boils down to how one chooses to define productivity. As an example: Isaac Newton, John Locke, Taylor Swift, and even Eminem had broadly similar not taking methods and though their note corpuses are dramatically smaller than Luhmann, their influence on art, culture, and humanity dramatically exceeds that of Luhmann.

      I would posit that most serious note takers' productivity boils down to their utter simplicity and easy ability to replicate that method for decades. The largest part of Luhmann's productivity was that he not only had a simple system, but that he was privileged to use and practice at full time for the length of his academic career. (He also didn't face the scourge of peer-review that most academics are forced to run today.)

      As an example of someone whose methods were very similar to Luhmann's, but who was dramatically more productive (from a generic definition of it), take a look at S. D. Goitein who wrote out about 1/3 the number of slips that Luhmann did, but used them to write almost a 1/3 more articles and books! Luhmann: 90,000 slips, 550 articles, 50 books versus Goitein: 27,000 slips, 669 articles, 69 books. Interestingly Goitein's method of organization was much closer to the topical organization to the vast majority of zettelkasten/card index users (as well as Obsidian users) than to Luhmann's alpha-numeric organizational method. There isn't nearly enough scale in (psychology, cognitive psychology) research to reasonably compare analog versus digital methods, much less enough research to distinguish between methods at the scale of individual people. Everyone will respond differently to different modalities because the breadth of neurodiversity within the population. The psychology research you're citing is painfully, painfully thin and is far from reaching the level of replicability. As a result, the best practicable advice to any individual is to experiment for themselves and choose the method they feel works best for them from a sustainability perspective.

      reply to u/Quack_quack_22 at https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/1doqgar/why_can_luhmann_manage_information_better_than/

      I found that Luhmann's information management system is not more complicated, but it is more effective than the influencers talking about taking notes on Obsidian. Because he took notes by hand:

      Studies show that taking notes by hand has a positive impact on many different brain areas. Writing by hand is slower than typing: The slowness of handwriting helps Luhmann consider and select important words to write in literature notes. -> he will remember better the brain is relaxed -> the brain is more creative: when writing literature notes -> he will come up with more ideas so he can write permanent notes. To put it more simply. Luhmann takes notes to find as many ideas as possible to write in permanent notes, then these permanent notes will become a complete essay after Luhmann connects them together. And writing citations, summaries of content and citing sources in literature are just proof that his ideas are correct (ironically, people who make content about obsidian (also Tiago Forte) just encourage copy-paste).

      Thus, copying highlights from Kindle to Obsidian becomes useless if you don't understand anything about highlights and don't get any ideas from them. I don't claim that typing makes us stupid, because people who write on computers have a habit of carefully correcting spelling and arguments, which helps them think more deeply = more smart.

      Sources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyolson/2016/05/15/three-ways-that-writing-with-a-pen-positively-affects-your-brain/ https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/handwriting-shows-unexpected-benefits-over-typing/

      P/s: I think this guy is very precise about the zettelkasten method: he takes notes on paper like Luhmann to get ideas, then he just starts copying them into Obsidian. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrvKHFIHaeQ&t=0s)

    1. Five Fairly Fun Fixes For Free by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

      Advice for typewriter ribbon printing, especially as silk ribbons age and more quickly gunk up the loops or letters like "e" or "a". Nylon ribbon and a thin plastic backing sheet can be helpfu.

      Use of bookbinder's glue on fabric of typewriter cases, then layers of shoe polish.

      General advice for replacing feet on typewriter cases.

      Small incremental improvements to your typewriter can be easier and more sustainable than trying to do everything at once.

    1. I dont know if im hitting too hard or not. ( second image is the backup paper behind the actual one)

      If you've got heavy impressions going to the level of the backing sheet or things like your period cutting holes directly through your paper, then it's not really so much an issue of typing too hard, but your carriage is slightly out of alignment with respect to your type bars.

      Your typeface shouldn't actually hit the platen when pressed (or held forward), but should just kiss the ribbon which then places the imprint onto the paper. Holding your typeslug forward against the type guide you should have just enough space to slip a piece of paper between your slug and the platen. If there isn't a tiny bit of space, your typeface will chew up your ribbon and paper over time. The typing thunk sound that typewriters make isn't the slug hitting the platen (aka cylinder), but the typebar hitting the anvil (aka ring).

      The proper adjustment for fixing this is thus commonly called a ring and cylinder adjustment and how it's effected depends on whether you have a segment shift or a carriage shift machine. On many machines it requires adjusting two screws on either side of the machine. It changes the distance of platen from typeface and can prevent your making holes in the paper and/or ribbon, which isn't good. Sometimes using a simple backing sheet can remedy a bit of this distance problem, especially on platens which have hardened or shrunk slightly over time. Searching YouTube for your make/model (or similar models) will usually show you the adjustment you'll need to make to remedy these problems.

      See also: https://hypothes.is/a/AegRziHnEe-Ud_stVcPQLA

      Reply to u/Bitter_Rent_141 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1dnnh2n/is_this_normal/

    1. (1962) Pale Fire

      Based on the 1962 publication date of Pale Fire, it's a leading contender for the project Nabokov might have been working on during his photo session with Carl Mydans for LIFE Magazine in 1958.

    1. Test typing and adjustments

      • Ring and Cylinder adjustment (distance of platen from typeface; the type shouldn't touch the platen or you'll find you're imprinting on your paper, making holes in the paper and/or ribbon, which isn't good) [Interestingly Dul doesn't mention this particular adjustment]
      • evenness of the letters (on feet)
      • alignment between capital and lower case (motion)
      • margin consistency
      • line scale height
      • adjust escapement "so that it's moving the proper distance both up and down to prevent skipping or missing spaces"
      • adjust the height of the ribbon, this is done to make sure the entire letter is printed (and presumably so the bichrome is properly usable when available)
    2. How A Rusty 1930s Royal Typewriter Is Professionally Restored | Refurbished | Insider

      Done by Lucas Dul. Some particularly interesting portions on adjustments after restoration. He generally touches on the order of adjustments he makes, but in brief rather than completely.

    1. https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/nabokov.jpeg via https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/typers.html

      This photo, similar to others in the Carl Mydans series for LIFE Magazine is surely from his September 1958 photo series, though I couldn't find an original from the LIFE archive.

      Nabokov, reading off of index cards in his zettelkasten, dictates to his wife Vera who is typing on what appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Henry Dreyfuss Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

      Notice metal strip on the back of the typewriter with small rectangular blocks. This is the Royal's tabulator set up which distinguishes the Quiet De Luxe model from the Arrow model.

      The body styling of this typewriter changed in 1950 from Dreyfuss' original 1948 design. Because it's light gray it has to be from '49 or '50 as the '48 original was a black body with dark gray highlights and didn't have chrome across the front as this one does in an alternate angle.

    1. https://images.google.com/hosted/life/2bff56953d14c9d9.html

      Nabokov, reflected in a mirror off camera, dictating his writing from index cards to his wife Vera who is typing on what appears to be a 1949 or 1950 Henry Dreyfuss Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter.

      Notice the chrome on the front of the machine which is sitting in its bottom case shell.

    1. Links to Typeface Resources- Olympia- https://munk.org/typecast/2011/04/23/... Royal- https://munk.org/typecast/2011/04/24/... Smith Corona- https://munk.org/typecast/2020/06/15/... Adler- https://munk.org/typecast/2023/02/04/... Story of vertical script- https://munk.org/typecast/2022/02/26/... Typewriter Database Typefaces- https://typewriterdatabase.com/typefa... Typographica.org- https://typographica.org/on-typograph... Type Slug Specs- https://munk.org/typecast/2023/02/05/...
    2. Typewriter 101: The ULTIMATE TYPEFACE Guide (ft. Typewriter Chicago) by [[Just My Typewriter]]

      featuring Typewriter Chicago's Lucas Dul

  2. www.phillytypewriter.com www.phillytypewriter.com
    1. James Norris is the owner and operator of Ex Nihilo 3D Print and Design in Spring, Texas. He has always had a fascination with figuring out how things work and seeing if there was a way it could be better. In late 2016 his wife, a burgeoning writer, purchased their first typewriter. He soon became obsessed with all the amazing parts and mechanisms. From there the typewriter collecting began.​From the first Olympia, to an inherited Olivetti, to his first Selectric, and so on.While repairing these machines he realized that there where a few setbacks. The most immediate being parts availability. So armed with his 3d printer he designed and printed his first part. A Selectric cycle clutch pulley in mid 2021. After showing the 3d printed part to some like minded individuals he was happy to learn that they were as excited as he was. He loves to design new parts and accessories to bring these typewriters back to life.James is thrilled to be working with Philly Typewriter, and looks forward to helping with your current and future parts needs. James lives in Texas, is married with two children.

      https://www.phillytypewriter.com/parts-mfg.html#/

      James Norris does 3D printing of replacement parts for typewriter restoration projects.

    1. Sundberg’s first typewriter design was for IBM in 1955. This was for what we generally call the IBM Executive (Model C/Model 41);

      If Sundberg's first design was for IBM in 1955, how is he influential to Dreyfuss' 1948 typewriter design for Royal?

    1. Luhmann uses his joker card as an example of the fact that every autonomous system must contain its own negation. (This may be a reference to Hegel's dialectic, where the developmemt of thought is based on the negation within the system.) So we have a German professor who has built a disciplined note taking system in which each card has its precise address. Except for the joker, which negates all other notecards, moves freely within the system and cannot be found.

      I've always wondered if Luhmann's jokerzettel was inspired by Claude Shannon's Ultimate Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5rJJgt_5mg

      Luhmann couldn't have worked in systems theory and information for so long without being intimately familiar with Shannon's work. There's direct evidence that he read at least his seminal work: https://niklas-luhmann-archiv.de/bestand/literatur/item/shannon_weaver_1949_communication

      While we're on about the "Cargo Cult of Zettelkasten" and Claude Shannon, his short essay "The Bandwagon" is an infamous article he wrote about the cargo cult of information theory applications in 1956.

      Shannon, Claude Elwood. “The Bandwagon.” IEEE Transactions on Information Theory 2, no. 1 (March 1956): 3. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIT.1956.1056774. .pdf copy at https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=1056774

      Finally, too many Zettelkasten adherents of the Luhmann-artig sort seem to want to forget that Luhmann's system was far from new and that thousands upon thousands had used similar systems for several hundreds of years before him. Many thousands of them also wrote huge amounts of material, many of them producing work far more consequential than anything Luhman wrote.

      reply to u/taurusnoises and u/Filion_Alexandrian at I've always wondered if Luhmann's jokerzettel was inspired by Claude Shannon's Ultimate Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5rJJgt_5mg

      Luhmann couldn't have worked in systems theory and information for so long without being intimately familiar with Shannon's work. There's direct evidence that he read at least his seminal work: https://niklas-luhmann-archiv.de/bestand/literatur/item/shannon_weaver_1949_communication

      While we're on about the "Cargo Cult of Zettelkasten" and Claude Shannon, his short essay "The Bandwagon" is an infamous article he wrote about the cargo cult of information theory applications in 1956.

      Shannon, Claude Elwood. “The Bandwagon.” IEEE Transactions on Information Theory 2, no. 1 (March 1956): 3. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIT.1956.1056774. .pdf copy at https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=1056774

      Finally, too many Zettelkasten adherents of the Luhmann-artig sort seem to want to forget that Luhmann's system was far from new and that thousands upon thousands had used similar systems for several hundreds of years before him. Many thousands of them also wrote huge amounts of material, many of them producing work far more consequential than anything Luhman wrote.

  3. www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
    1. This might be a weird question, but does anyone keep memes in your ZK? I'm realizing I download a lot of memes that I particularly appreciate -- but then I usually can't fnd them again if I want them. Anyone have a method for this?

      I only have a few very specific memes indexed in my box: https://boffosocko.com/tag/zettelkasten-memes/ and a few more at https://hypothes.is/users/chrisaldrich?q=zettelkasten+meme

      Historically, Aby Warburg had a large image-based zettelkasten for his work on art which predated Richard Dawkins' conception of meme, but I think qualifies. See: https://boffosocko.com/tag/aby-warburg/ or his Bilderatlas Mnemosyne project: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/archive/bilderatlas-mnemosyne

      It's digital in nature, but Shawn Gilmore has a large collection of images of string walls, Anacapa charts, walls and floors littered with paperwork by obsessives, etc. for his cultural research. It also includes some popular memes. https://www.vaultofculture.com/nst


      replyy to u/a2jc4life at https://www.reddit.com/r/Zettelkasten/comments/1ddhn9n/memes/

    1. Success histories? 4 years into Zettelkasten and not being fruitful

      Let's turn your question around: What exactly are you hoping to get out of it for yourself? Do you have specific goals for your own use?

      You may like the idea of having and using a hammer, but if you don't have a project that requires a hammer, then owning and trying to hammer on random things in an unfocused way is probably not the right tool for your needs.

      reply to u/arealnamestakenreal at https://www.reddit.com/r/Zettelkasten/comments/1dko10r/success_histories_4_years_into_zettelkasten_and/

    1. Skyriter

      These have been selling at auction sites over the past several months for $45-$75 plus shipping based only on pictures and without any information at all about their working condition, so all-in you probably got a great deal. I'm just finishing up work on cleaning up a 1951 2Y series Skyriter myself, and I really like its typing action. Don't throw away the spools if it came with them as they're non-standard and slightly smaller than the ubiquitous universal spools. This being said you can buy the standard 1/2" ribbon and manually spool new ribbon onto your existing spools. Mine didn't have spools at all, but I found some replacements (with ribbon) at https://www.ribbonsunlimited.com/. Take note that it's not a bichrome machine, so you can buy a single color ribbon.

      There are two screws that hold the chassis of these into the bottom of their case. They're hiding just underneath the carriage. Once removed, the typewriter lifts back and up and out of the base. You'll find the serial number on the right hand side of the frame underneath the platen and can use it to date your machine with the database: https://typewriterdatabase.com/smithcorona.86.typewriter-serial-number-database. Based on appearance alone, I'd place it as a 1960 3Y series based on the color, the badging and the white keys. You can look at others' individual models and notes at https://typewriterdatabase.com/Smith+Corona.Skyriter.86.bmys. If I'm right about the date, Richard Polt has online manuals available for the 1960 as well as others at: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-manuals.html.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjumGF9NFE8 is a pretty solid cleaning primer. Searching YouTube will uncover some potential additional advice in addition to what you can find at https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-restoration.html or in his book. I will say that in cleaning mine, the mineral spirits dissolved the glue holding the felt on underneath the typebars, but it was in terrible shape anyway and needed replacing. The foam strip underneath that felt came out unscathed without much effort on my part to be careful with it.

      Most of the mechanics are pretty basic and easy to clean/service. Unless there's something dramatically wrong with it, you could very likely clean and service it yourself. (As an example, I had to re-slot the mechanism for the margin release which was almost too easy.) Even the mid-level repair issues for it can be easily found on YouTube if you're handy with a screwdriver (Joe Van Cleave and Phoenix Typewriter in particular have several model specific videos on the Skyriter). The platen and rollers come out fairly easy with a small screwdriver and removing one half of a spring on the back of the paper tray. This gives you great access to clean the escapement from above as well as to potentially send them off to JJ Short Associates for replacement via https://www.jjshort.com/typewriter-platen-repair.php. If you're less handy, Polt's website has a list of repair shops around the world that could clean/repair it for you.

      Good luck with it. I hope you like yours as much as I like mine. They're one of the most solid and sought after ultra-portables out there.

    1. How to display Typewriters properly?

      You can certainly keep them out on shelves and rely on occasional dusting.

      If they're in a dustier-than-typical room or you have compounding factors, like the presence of cats or dogs (like my German Shedder, I meant German Shepherd), and don't want to go the route of traditional fabric-like dust covers, you might consider doing a thicker plastic/acrylic cover which will give you a clear plastic layer of protection, but still show off your machines.

      I live in Los Angeles and there are half a dozen places that do this sort of custom plastic work all the time for very reasonable rates. Searching for "plastic fabricator memorabilia case" along with variations of plastics (acrylic, lucite, plexiglass) should get you what you want locally. (Here's a few examples I've used in Los Angeles before to give you an idea: https://solterplastics.com/, https://www.plasticfactoryinc.com/, https://www.customacrylicproducts.com/, https://plexidisplays.com/). Search for something similar in your area for easier communication and cheaper pick up/shipping.

      If you search around for companies that make plastic displays, particularly for memorabilia (baseball bats, baseball cards, etc.), you can have them design and make a custom sized clear plastic box/enclosure that will keep the dust and dirt out, but still allow you to see the machine inside. If done well it may actually make them appear more precious because you've taken the additional precaution.

      Enclosed glass shelving is also a potential solution as well, but requires a larger investment and also requires more work to rotate machines out for regular use.

      Most of my machines get daily use, so I'm not really using them for display or presentation purposes (except for one machine which sits on our library card catalog, but even then, it is frequently used as a standing desk, for occasional poetry by everyone in the family, or for guests who want to try their hand). I go through lots of index cards, so I'll usually temporarily protect against dust, dirt, and fur by slipping an index card on top of the hood or slightly into it to protect the segment.

      But at the end of the day, as long as you haven't used WD-40 or some other lubricant on your segment and typebars (and what typewriter monster would do such barbaric things?), you should easily be able to go long periods between dustings and still have a highly functional machine. After all, who hasn't bought a machine full of dirt, dust, White Out, and eraser shavings/crumbs that still works like a dream?

      It may bear brief mention for those who display their machines and forget, that you might also disengage the paper lock/paper release lever which will release the tension on your rubber rollers against the platen so that they don't go "flat" or become misshapen when not in use for long periods.


      Expansion of https://hypothes.is/a/NjoVMA1REe-f47d0T4ZOkg

      Reply to u/Styr0foam at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1djgjv2/how_to_display_typewriters_properly/

    1. What enabled these high aspirations in the 1940s?

      also, what impact did these programs in the late 40s and early 50s have on subsequent events in the 60s and 70s as these cohorts continued to age?

    2. In Chicago, one catalyst for that growth—as a kind of public sym-bol and tacit approval from the business community—was “the FatMan’s Class,” which had begun meeting in 1942–1943 at Chicago’sUniversity Club. The moniker derived, according to some, from thegroup’s “affluence rather than the girth of its members.” Membersof this class included Chicago notables such as Harold and CharlesSwift, Marshall Field, Jr., Walter Paepcke, Hermon Dunlap Smith,William Benton, Hughston McBain (president of Marshall Field andCompany), and Laird Bell. This group caught the “fancy” of thepopulace, causing the University of Chicago’s University College topartner with the Chicago Public Library in 1944 to set up great bookscourses around the city.43
    3. An anonymous review in The Atlantic touched on the samesnobbish fear addressed by Barzun:Mr. Adler’s notion that “almost all of the great books in every fieldare within the grasp of all normally intelligent men” seems to usto need a deal of sifting. We do not know what he means by “nor-mally intelligent,” but if he means the average run of intelligencein our population, or in the student body of our schools and col-leges, we believe he is deplorably wrong. So also . . . the book’s sub-title, “The Art of Getting a Liberal Education,” savors strongly ofquackery. 39

      Compare this with the ideas of intelligence and eugenics of the time as well as that of class in Isenberg's White Trash.

      Presumably this anonymous author would have been seeing things from a more dominant eugenics viewpoint at this time period of 1940.

      See also: The Eugenics War (American Experience) https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/eugenics-crusade/

    4. McNeill does not specify whether he believed thatcontent or process was more important.

      I can't help of thinking about the debate on nature vs. nurture here. How might we extend it to the idea of content vs. process with respect to cultural anthropology.

      How does a culture vary based on the content they use and produce with respect to the process by which they transmit and use that same content?

      In colonialized cultures the process has been bastardized which then leads to changes in the content as well. Ultimately both switch and are changed from their original. How could a culture hold onto their past which makes it the culture that it was?

      There's some fun stuff going on at these junctures.

    5. Dr. Harry McNeill’s June 1940 assessment in Interracial Review

      Interesting commentary here on conversion of African-Americans to Catholicism as well as self-help nature of reading for improvement. Analogizes African-Americans without Catholicism to Mortimer J. Adler as a Jew.

      Possible tone of colonialism to assimilate African-Americans into Western Culture here? Though still somehow some space for movement and growth.

    6. acques Barzun, “Review of How to Read a Book, by Mortimer Adler,”Saturday Review (March 9, 1940): 6–7; Adler, Philosopher at Large, 67.

      available at: https://www.unz.com/print/SaturdayRev-1940mar09-00006/

      Barzun, Jacques. "Read, Do Not Run" Review of How to Read a Book, by Mortimer J. Adler. The Saturday Review, March 9, 1940.

    7. To extend thisa bit using a term not present in Barzun’s review, the lesson was thateven if by superior reading skills “culture” became attainable by all,uniform conclusions by enlightened readers would not necessarilyresult.35 A democratic culture did not mean homogeneity necessarily,nor conformity.

      How does culture tie us all together? Does shared culture necessarily mean a regression to some mean?

      Compare this with the cultural pressure of religious identity in America which does seem to press toward a particular way of thinking, living, and being.

    8. After publication in February 1940, How to Read a Book propelledAdler to the forefront of the Great Books Movement and into a posi-tion now referred to as a “public intellectual.”
    9. After graduation Fadiman engaged in various book-related ven-tures. He served as “top editor” for Simon and Schuster’s fledglingpublishing house until 1933, and then as The New Yorker’s book edi-tor for the next ten years. He acquired his greatest name recognition,however, by hosting the Information, Please! radio program, whichbegan in 1938. Fadiman’s work with the Book-of-the-Month Club hasbeen ably traced by historians. Beginning with his appointment toits board in 1944, Fadiman would serve as a senior judge for over 50years. At Adler’s behest his relationship with Britannica began in the1940s, deepened in the 1950s, and lasted through the 1990s. 20
    10. How to Read a Book providedrules for reading. The rules constituted the book’s heart: (1) readingfrom the whole to the parts, designated as the “structural or analyticreading”; (2) reading from parts to the whole, or an “interpretive orsynthetic” reading; and (3) deciding to agree or disagree, the “criticalor evaluative” reading.

      An interesting synopsis of the rules of reading from Adler's text.

    11. Philip Gleason, who has written on the history of Catholichigher education, argued that neoscholasticism formed the “centralelement” in a 1930s Catholic revival.
    12. A great deal of descriptive and analytical scholarship exists on thecontroversy, known as “The Chicago Fight,” that surrounded the cur-ricular changes proposed and implemented by Hutchins and Adler atthe University of Chicago.
    13. Hutchins compiled those ideas in a few books, most nota-bly Higher Learning in America (1936).
    14. The School of the People’s Institute,
    15. To Martin a liberal education meant “the kind of education which setsthe mind free from the servitude of the crowd and from vulgar self-interests.”

      He didn't have the framework to describe it in behavioral economic terms, but Everett Dean Martin's idea of a liberal education in 1926 was to encourage the use of Kahneman & Tversky's system two over system one. It takes more work, but system two thinking can generally beat out system one gut reactions for building a better life.

    16. In his 1926 work, The Meaning of a Liberal Education, heargued that education’s task is to “reorient the individual, to enablehim to take a richer and more significant view of his experiences, toplace him above and not within the system of his beliefs and ideals.”

      Is it possible to be above one's own system of beliefs and ideas? Doesn't the system make them a product of it? Evolving from a base at best?

      The idea sounds lovely, but is it possible anthropologically?

    17. As Leon Fink wrote of that period,“education ranked . . . high on the agenda” of Progressive intellectu-als and reformers. Considering the logic of reformers he added: “Ifthe people were to seize their democratic birthright for the greatergood . . . they must engage their higher faculties of reason” and be“schooled in sense of civic duty.” This would make them a “demo-cratic public.”8

      Check Fink to see where the seeds of this idea of linking education and democracy sprouted...

      TL's references for this:<br /> Leon Fink, Progressive Intellectuals and the Dilemmas of Democratic Commitment (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997), 13–14; Robert B. Fisher, “The People’s Institute of New York City, 1897–1934: Culture, Progressive Democracy, and the People” (Ph.D. diss., New York University, 1974), 1, 9; Hugh S. Moorhead, “The Great Books Movement,” (PhD diss. University of Chicago, 1964), 110–111.

    18. Adler first came into contact with the great books idea whenhe took John Erskine’s General Honors course at Columbia Universityin 1920.
    19. inflicted

      ha!

    20. Thosebarren times caused A. J. Liebling to designate Chicago “The SecondCity” for its lesser achievements in relation to New York City.
    21. Alice Schreyer started me on the right track withthe Mortimer J. Adler Papers (149 total record boxes!)

      Contact Schreyer about existence of archived version of Syntopicon...

    22. This book, in contrast to Beam and in spite of Adler’s known flaws,is revisionary in that it rescues Adler from what E. P. Thompson called“the enormous condescension of posterity.” 3

      ref: E. P. Thompson, The Making of the English Working Class (New York: Pantheon Books, 1964), 12.

    23. Lawrence Levine’s The Opening of the AmericanMind (1996). Levine’s Culture Wars intervention is part history andpart polemic, as evident in the title’s refutation of Allan Bloom’s 1987sensation. Levine defended the evolution of multicultural college cur-ricula and was also concerned with the “larger struggle over how ourpast should be conserved, how our memory should function, andwhere the focus of our attention should be.”30

      Lawrence Levine<br /> The Opening of the American Mind (1996)<br /> note the coverage of "how our memory should function"

    24. It is Woodberry who bringsus to Columbia University and John Erskine.27
    25. Overall, this alternate cri-teria of assessment (in relation to Rubin) is indeed tenable because,as Menand noted, by the mid-1960s “the whole high-low paradigm”would “end up in the dustbin of history,” replaced by a “culture ofsophisticated entertainment.”25

      This would seem to be refuted by the thesis of Poor White Trash in which there was still low brow entertainment which only intensified over time into the social media era.

    26. Those larger goals highlighted edu-cation for good citizenship; to them great books were more of anantidote than a contributor to that bland, conformist mass culturefeared by mid-century critics (left and liberal and conservative) anddescribed by cultural historians.

      How, if at all, did the great books idea contribute to the idea of Manufacturing Consent for the 20th century?

    27. By prioritiz-ing a full longitudinal approach to Adler’s life, his intellectual cir-cle, and iterations of the great books idea, one can the see humanweaknesses of great books advocates even while acknowledging theirdreams, goals, and motivations.

      the word "dreams" here along with great books and classical education reminds me of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s education on the classics as seen in his zettelkasten.

      Surely his cultural up brining along with his religious training and his great books education empowered him to critically eye and change the culture around him.

    28. Middlebrow Culture

      this nudges me to ask the question: what sort of culture was John Waters creating in the early 1970s onward?

      He was juxtaposing queer culture with that of the prurient, the comedic and the ideas of "trash" and counter-culture to subtly shift the cultural milieu in which he was living and participating. His satire and subversiveness made his content more palatable for the masses which also allowed him to make more mainstream material which still pressed the boundaries while allowing him greater access to audience.

    29. Joan Shelley Rubin made a sincere attempt to avoid that condem-nation, as well as “disregard and oversimplification,” in her formi-dable 1992 study, The Making of Middlebrow Culture.
    30. Louis Menand summarized the mid-centurysituation and Macdonald’s thinking as follows: “There was a majormiddle-class culture of earnest aspiration in the 1950s, the productof a strange alliance of the democratic (culture for everyone) and theelitist (culture can make you better than other people).

      note here, again, the idea of culture as "capital":

      culture can make you better than other people

    31. Human dignity and freedom were subverted with thesereproductions, leaving behind mere conformity, the perverted twinof democratic equality.

      great phrasing here:

      mere conformity, the perverted twin of democratic equality

    32. To understand elitism in relation to the great books idea, one mustconsider the meaning and existence of cultural hierarchies in litera-ture.
    33. Advocating for the great booksidea, then, could mean fighting against anti-intellectualism, antira-tionalism (i.e., the reliance on ideology), and “agnotology.”

      definition of agnotology:

      Within the sociology of knowledge, agnotology (formerly agnatology) is the study of deliberate, culturally induced ignorance or doubt, typically to sell a product, influence opinion, or win favour, particularly through the publication of inaccurate or misleading scientific data (disinformation). More generally, the term includes the condition where more knowledge of a subject creates greater uncertainty. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnotology

    34. cultural democratization as a sometimes contentious process.

      some of the cultural democratization at that time presumed free time as well as conscious choice to make the effort... what about those who have patience for neither?

      what about the economic choices to participate or not?

    35. Teaching necessarilyinvolves some level of hierarchy and paternalism; teachers pass onknowledge and skills to another group lacking both.

      compare the dominance forms of education to to guides by the side

      ideas of John Taylor Gatto and unschooling...

      also indigenous teaching methods which also pass down culture as part of an overall "package"

    36. . On the one hand, thisincrease placed books in more people’s hands, effecting a democrati-zation of book ownership. On the other hand, the proliferation wassuch that the average person could not, without intense study, moni-tor the quality or quantity of new books published—estimated byone 1881 source at 25,000 annually. Even if incorrect, the estimateconveys a sense of despair felt about keeping up.20

      ref: Charles F. Richardson, The Choice of Books (New York: American Book Exchange, 1881), 6. The publication estimate came from a librarian, F. B. Perkins.

    37. (Habermas called books “the bourgeois means of educationpar excellence”).19

      fn: Habermas, Structural, 168.

    38. Notions such as the common good, commonsense, and common culture could sometimes cause as many prob-lems as they purported to solve.

      Are the commons (common good, common sense, and common culture) anathema in an uber-capitalist society where everyone is generally out for themselves and often only "covering" when their needs align with societies' needs?

    39. Democratic culture is always at risk because itinvolves arguments, consensus, and compromises.

      It's certainly at risk now in part because of lack of both consensus and compromise. Even the arguments aren't broadly accepted by either side.

    40. democratic culture is always at risk. It requires an engaged citi-zenry full of informed, critical voters

      evidence?

      We hear this regularly, and it seems intuitive, but... where is the proof of this...

      Just how "informed" ought a person to be? How critical? Everyone is "critical", the internet is full of criticism, but not necessarily in the sense meant here.

      He and others are usually talking about some perceived "perfect democracy" which doesn't really exist in actuality.

    41. By acknowledging individuals, a democratic culture respects differ-ence. As a collective lived experience, it distributes cultural capitalto those individuals via educational institutions (broadly conceived,public, and private).
    42. “democratic” portion of democratic culture?

      How is he defining the idea of "democratic" here and throughout the piece?

      I find it interesting that in common parlance there's a subtle (hidden?) meaning of "individual ownership over" which ties in with "the commons".

    43. Adler’s communityof discourse is a crucial part of this story about the great books idea
    44. Daniel Boorstin’s contemporaneous idea of “consumption commu-nities,”
    45. David Hollinger’s notion of“communities of discourse.” First forwarded at the 1977 WingspreadConference, he emphasized this mechanism as a way to wrest thefocus from singular individuals (great men) identified as intellectu-als and situate them among specific social and cultural contexts
    46. does the consumer’s integration, by choice, into largermass communities ironically tie the person to new and larger bonds

      of conformity, or create new forms of class stratification?

      Where does Chomsky's Manufactured Consent fit in here?

    47. Daniel Boorstin
    48. Albert Muniz and Thomas O’Guinn’s more recentnotion of a “brand community.”
    49. Pierre Bourdieu’s idea of “cultural capital”

      note that the use of "capital" with respect to culture commodifies it and frames it in an economic context here.

      How is one to earn and then later spend this capital? How might it be quantified?

    50. It begins with Clifford Geertz,who, in Interpretation of Cultures (1973), defined culture as follows:“an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in sym-bols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic formsby means of which [people] communicate, perpetuate, and developtheir knowledge about and attitudes towards life.”11
    51. what do I mean by democratic culture
    52. John Birch Society
    53. Jacques Barzun

      Jacques Barzun wrote a review of of the Great Books when they came out in 1952.

      Barzun, Jacques. “The Great Books.” The Atlantic, December 1952. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1952/12/the-great-books/642341/.

      See notes at: https://hypothes.is/a/8o-z3DHLEe6_PMtDOvwCmg

    54. still building the Culture Wars politicalteleology.

      did the tension inherent in the cultural evolution of the great books idea versus vocational and other forms of education set up the culture wars of the late 1900s/early 2000s?

    55. angels

    Tags

    Annotators

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    1. Removing rust from typewriters

      Steel wool can be useful for removing rust from keylevers and other parts on typewriters, but can leave dust/slag behind which can be a bear to clean up especially when used on typebars.

      De-rusters like Evaporust can be useful, but should be tested against causing harm to other parts of a machine. Some rust removal chemicals can strip galvanization from machine parts. Olympia typewriters in particular are infamous for galvanized steel parts.

      Another option can be to use a rotary tool (like a Dremel) with a wire brush head to remove rust.

      Take care and be sure to use proper eye protection against dirt, dust, and chemicals when doing this sort of work. Also make sure you have proper ventilation and/or a mask to avoid breathing in dust and toxic chemicals.

      Richard Polt's site has additional resources for typewriter restoration: https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-restoration.html

      Reply to https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1da2zg6/how_do_i_remove_rust/

    1. Hahaha you’re going to have to start slipping the UPS guy a $20 to keep it on the hush hush. “Don’t worry honey, I am getting them to fix up and sell”

      reply to u/baxter1207 at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1da0voq/repairsclean_ups/l7jg8nl/

      I'm pretty sure those exact words have escaped my lips...

      Her: "I know you've got five typewriters already, and I'm not counting the one I know you're hiding underneath the bed. Which ones are you going to sell??"

      Me (in my head): Where am I going to stash the 12th machine when it arrives later today? At least it's an ultraportable, so it won't take up as much space. Why is my least favorite machine that I want to sell her favorite machine? Will selling it upset the delicate typewriter balance in the house? I can always say that the typewriter coming on Tuesday is a parts machine that I'm using to repair two of the others so I can sell them. Is this how all typewriter repair shops began?

      Me: I'm trying to finish up refinishing the two executive tanker desks and the filing cabinet in the garage first so I can get them out and make some space.

      😁

    1. Not sure if it may help your Typewriter Typefaces Bible project or not, but I'll mention that Marcin Wichary used the Internet Archive to collect a lot of the materials for his massive 3 volume 2023 book "Shift Happens: A Book About Keyboards": https://archive.org/details/wicharytypewriter

      In addition to lots of material which he found and collected on the Archive, he added a huge number of resources, catalogs, and books which are either rare or incredibly difficult to find by uploading them to the Archive for others to potentially find and use. You and others may find it valuable and or useful to follow his pattern of uploading and storage there.

      syndication link

    1. You should not have much trouble finding a cubist (aka techno, square, robotic, futuristic, etc.) font or even Vogue; but good luck finding an italic. Of course, if you want to use them instead of collecting typewriters, get an IBM Selectric and a collection of balls.

      colloquial advice

    1. Swiss-made Hermes (3000, Media 3) seems to top the list of the most sought after vintage manuals with script fontAnother popular choice among collectors is the script typewriter debuted by Olivetti Lettera in 1963.Other typewriter manufacturers that offered the script font were Olympia (SM3, SM7, SM8), Adler (Tippa, J4, J5), Royal (Safari, Sahara), Remington (Deluxe 5, Personal Riter), Smith-Corona (Classic 12, Sterling 5A, Galaxie Deluxe 10, Galaxie 11, Galaxie 12, Silent Super), Torpedo 18, Blickensderfer (with cylinder) and IBM (Selectric with typeball)

      unreferenced here, so treat as colloquial

  4. illuminate.withgoogle.com illuminate.withgoogle.com
    1. https://illuminate.withgoogle.com/

      via

      Interesting experiment from Google that creates an NPR-like discussion about any academic paper.<br><br>It definitely suggests some cool possibilities for science communication. And the voices, pauses, and breaths really scream public radio. Listen to at least the first 30 seconds. pic.twitter.com/r4ScqenF1d

      — Ethan Mollick (@emollick) June 1, 2024
      <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

    1. I don't see the relevance of @chrisaldrich's mention of how "people are slowly adding small atomic pieces of information" to Wikipedia: that is about text editing, not about text structure and purpose. People do the same with any document in Google Docs, for example!

      @Andy

      Perhaps Wikipedia's underlying zettelkasten nature is hiding in the more narrative nature of the ultimate pages, but it's definitely there. The "standard" web user interface view of Wikipedia pages makes it less obvious that the added pieces are atomic in nature, and that Wikipedia in fact is a group zettelkasten being built in the public/commons. However, if you've customized your own specific view of Wikipedia; are using an Atom Subscription (and yes, it's actually called this!); watching recent changes; or are using the history functionality (example: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zettelkasten&action=history), then you're getting closer to the sorts of views of atomic additions I was speaking of. Some of this is also the reason that there is a checkbox for "minor edits" to take account of typos and minutiae which are sub-atomic and filters out or cleans up the stream of the updates one could receive.

      Viewed from this perspective, Wikipedia is a distributed zettelkasten of the highest order. Intellectually all this traces back to the original zettelkasten of Konrad Gessner, who uncoincidentally is one of the most famous and prolific encyclopedists in history.

      One could easily take small notes made in their own zettelkasten and add them on a 1-1 corresponding basis (including the note, the references, and even a unique identifier chosen and applied by Wikipedia; here's an example with the identifier 1118181304 as a demonstration) to a variety of Wikipedia articles. For certain topics I'm interested in watching, this can be a great boon to my own zettelkasten as I can reverse this process and subscribe to/watch additions at the smallest level and not only excerpt them directly into my zettelkasten, but I can usually locate the original source and excerpt directly from it as a means of verification/fact checking. As a result this zettelkasten being built in the commons on a daily basis can be imminently more useful to me. (Sadly, I don't think that many others are using it the same way or if they are, they're not doing so at the rate/speed/facility that I am.)

      A similar example can be seen in the topically arranged group zettelkasten created for The Great Books of the Western World which was lightly edited into the book form of The Syntopicon (volumes 2 and 3 of the 54 book series). One could certainly try to argue that The Syntopicon isn't a zettelkasten because it is in edited book form, but in fact, it's just an easier published and more portable form for me to have a copy of Adler and Company's physical zettelkasten as the end product is a 1-1 version of their card index with some introductory material added for readability and direction. The sad part here is that Adler's zettelkasten has ceased updating in 1952 while Wikipedia continues apace.

      For the "fans", one might say Wikipedia is even more closely related to Luhmann's variation of a zettelkasten as the user adding a particular idea doesn't need to add explicit links to other external ideas (though they certainly could), but by placing it on a particular page in a particular paragraph, they're juxtaposing it to a specific location that closely relates it to nearby ideas which already exist in that particular page (train of though/folgezettel).

      Certainly Wikipedia has a hypertextual nature as well as a text and document editing capabilities and dozens of other interesting and useful affordances, but at it's core, it's true soul is that of a (digital) zettelkasten.

      Reply to @andy at https://forum.zettelkasten.de/discussion/comment/20462/#Comment_20462

    1. Probably not. But it would do us good to remember that machines are supposed to make our lives better, not faster. Perhaps we should unplug just a little before we become undone. Such decompression is why we think so many Levenger customers savor the pensive pause of the fountain pen (which David McCullough also uses).
    2. And David McCullough is not typing on a computer. He’s using the pre-digital dinosaur that requires a considerable force of those digits called fingers: the typewriter. Not even a zippy electric version, but a 1940s vintage Royal manual typewriter that he bought second-hand in the 1960s. So if you want to know how it is that David McCullough’s books always hit the New York Times bestseller lists, capture Pulitzers, and have never gone out of print, it just may be this old machine.

      too many people want to attribute the accolades stemming from the work of a person and their process to the tools they use....

    3. The sound of typewriters—the tappety-tap and the tiny bell signaling need for a carriage return— became part of America’s soundscape in offices and late-night garrets.

      I love the setting of a "late-night garret"....

    1. Also are the key caps supposed to be that yellow or is that from cigarettes.

      For yellowed glass keys on typewriters, there's usually a key top covered by a piece of paper with the key glyph on it which is sandwiched in with a small piece of glass and a metal ring that holds it down with several metal tabs underneath the key to hold it all in place. There are custom keyring pliers for quickly removing and replacing the papers which needs care not to crack the glass. Otherwise you can manually bend the metal tabs on all your key rings to remove them and replace the papers. (This is generally a LOT of work either way.) See: https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1csni4d/neat_find_on_clients_kmg/

      I prefer the yellowed patina of the older key papers, so I tend to leave them versus spending the time and effort to replace them.

    2. I’ve currently only fixed the platen and reconnected the space bar. Issue I’m having is the letters are really faint and cut off almost half way through.

      Often after you resurface a platen, it slightly changes the configuration of the platen with respect to the typeface. As a result one usually may need to do three adjustments in a specific order to get things to align properly again. These can definitely be done at home with some patience.

      Usually the order for tweaking is: * Ring and Cylinder adjustment (distance of platen from typeface; the type shouldn't touch the platen or you'll find you're imprinting on your paper, making holes in the paper and/or ribbon, which isn't good). Sometimes using a simple backing sheet can remedy a bit of this distance problem, especially on platens which have hardened or shrunk slightly over time. * On Feet adjustment (vertical adjustment so that letters are bright and clear and neither top or bottom of characters are too light/faint) * Motion adjustment (the lower and upper case letters are at the same level with respect to each other) You can search YouTube videos for your model (or related models) and these words which may uncover someone doing a similar repair, so you have a better idea of what you're doing and where to make the adjustments.

      Here's Joe Van Cleave describing some of it in one of his early videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0AozF2Jfo0 The general principles for most typewriters are roughly the same with slight variations depending on whether your machine is a segment shift or a carriage shift. You should roughly be able to puzzle out which screws to adjust on your particular model to get the general outcome you want.

      Related blogposts: * https://munk.org/typecast/2022/01/23/adjusting-ring-cylinder-on-a-brother-jp-1/<br /> * https://munk.org/typecast/2013/07/30/typewriter-repair-101-adjusting-vertical-typeface-alignment-segmentbasket-shift-typewriters/

      You might find a related repair manual for your machine with more detail and diagrams for these adjustments via the Typewriter Database or on Richard Polt's typewriter site.

      For those not mechanically inclined you may be better off taking it onto a repair shop for a quick adjustment. https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-repair.html 

      Reply to u/Acethease at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1d76ygx/got_a_as_a_gift_corona_3_recentlyish_and_i_need/

    1. The Four Hobbies, and Apparent Expertise by [[Marc Brooker]]

      Most hobbies, sports, and areas of interest can be split into four quadrants by an individual's particular sub-interest along the lines of doing/discussing versus the activity/gear for the activity. Many people will self-select into one of the four at the expense of the other three and this can affect the type and tenor of communities around that particular activity.

      Excellence in one area doesn't imply excellence in the others. "True" fanatics ought to attempt to excel in all four quadrants.

    1. While the ratio of wine to water is up to the drinker, when sold by an establishment, by law, schorle (pronounced “SHORE-luh”) must be at least 51 percent wine. “But we also have customers who say they want less wine,” he said. With lunch earlier that day, he’d made one with 10 percent wine, “just to give the water some aroma.”

      Schorle is a minimum of 51% wine (or juice) and sparkling mineral water

    2. The wine should be fruity, acidic and aged in stainless steel tanks, not wood (mineral water can bring out off flavors when mixed with wood barrel-aged wine), and they should be relatively low in alcohol content. “Not a wine with 13 or 14 percent alcohol, this is not the wine for Schorle,” Wegner said. Also important: temperature. “Schorle has to be cold, refrigerated,” he said.
    1. Time, Work-Discipline, and Industrial Capitalism - Author(s): E. P. Thompson - Source: Past & Present, No. 38 (Dec., 1967), pp. 56-97 - Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of The Past and Present Society - Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/649749

      <small><cite class='h-cite via'> <span class='p-author h-card'>Dan Allosso (@danallosso)</span> in Howard Zinn's A People's History, Part 1 (YouTube) (<time class='dt-published'>09/16/2021 09:28:56</time>)</cite></small>

  5. May 2024
    1. After leaving the University of Chicago in 1952, Adler enteredthe public intellectual phase of his life as the Cold War heated up
    2. The “great books idea” becomes, then, a singular theoretical tool fordealing with change over time.
    3. The phrase “great books idea” arose to capture the evident diversityin thinking about the topic—the who, what, where, when, and howassociated with the notion of a great book and great books. The word“idea” allows for the abstraction from material circumstances: lists,institutions, book production, particular debates, people, et cetera.
    4. In his renowned essay,“Battle of the Books” (1698), Jonathan Swift celebrated these texts asmore excellent than moderns realized—and he bequeathed a phraseto describe the honey of the ancients that Matthew Arnold wouldlater make infamous: “sweetness and light.”

      note the "honey of the ancients" description here with a tangential nod to the commonplace tradition

      see: <br /> - https://hypothes.is/a/mCsl9voQEeuP3t8jNOyAvw<br /> - https://hypothes.is/users/chrisaldrich?q=tag%3A%22jonathan+swift%22+tag%3A%22commonplace+books%22

    5. Jane Austen’s own great book, Emma(1815), contains a reference to the “handsome, clever, and rich”English protagonist Emma Woodhouse drawing up “a great manylists . . . of books that she meant to read . . . well-chosen and very neatlyarranged”
    6. Open questions:

      Is education and/or critical thought actually required for a strong democracy?

    7. Lacy, Tim. The Dream of a Democratic Culture: Mortimer J. Adler and the Great Books Idea. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. https://amzn.to/3R2rCox.

    1. A really nice example of a model from the birth of Remington's Quiet-Riter line. The bulbous styling bears some resemblance to Henry Dreyfuss' Mercury steam locomotive engine from 1938, but the typewriter itself includes modern conveniences such as segment shift and tab set and clear at the keyboard.
    1. Now I just need to persuade my organisation that reverse digitisation (analogy – the art of making everything analogue) should be part of our green agenda!
    2. However, the two additions I’ve made to the collection (what is the collective noun? A carriage of typewriters, perhaps?), have both been a bit special in their own way and both have taught me something new.
    1. Typewriter Backing Sheets by [[Joe Van Cleave]]

      Backing sheets for typewriters on Meade standard typing paper.

      • Construction paper - Joe's favorite
      • 4 mil thick polyethylene film
      • Thin typing paper
      • 20lb resume paper
      • 1/64" synthetic rubber sheet
      • 168gsm Evolon (polyester and nylon) paper
    1. To be more specific on solvents for beginners, potentially try mineral spirits (white spirit in UK), paint thinner, naphtha (lighter fluid), kerosene, varnish remover, PB B'laster, or carburetor or brake cleaner. Be careful as many of these are flammable and some can remove paint or decals; use all of them in a well ventilated area. You may see some recommend household variations of alcohol, but these do contain water and generally aren't very effective solvents for the types of oil/grease/dust you'll probably want to remove; professional typewriter repair shops would not use alcohol on a machine. And for those in the back, no one but a psychopath would use WD-40 on a machine's internals.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjumGF9NFE8 is a pretty solid cleaning primer. Searching YouTube will uncover some potential additional advice in addition to what you can find at https://site.xavier.edu/polt/typewriters/tw-restoration.html

      Good luck. That's a lovely machine!

    1. Don't feel bad. Your not the only one. This misconception has been going on for years simply because no typewriter repairman has stood up and said " Now wait a minute! " The collectors have done all the talking and publishing while the typewriter man isn't heard. Consequently, it's the big typewriter collectors that are heard. They never talk about how many times they had to reclean a machine. They often have several and may only use 1 or 2. Also there isn't that many of us real typewriter repairman left to do the talking.

      Due to the nature of online communication, it may often be the case that typewriter collectors and their colloquial advice may drown out the more experienced and professional typewriter repair people.

    2. Most typewriter shops did not use alcohol as it was ineffective and contained water. Industrial alcohols contained keytones and acetones that will melt plastic and remove paint.

      Solvents for typewriters used in repair shops: - White mineral spirits with a squeeze bottle. (Sometimes also called Varsol, Stoddard's Formula, and possibly Inhibisol) - Naphtha (aka lighter fluid; used in Zippo lighters, and frequently seen in Europe). PB B'laster is essentially pressurized naphtha in a can. - Auto carb and brake cleaners, usually pressurized in a can. These usually have acetone in them and will melt plastic. Will remove WD-40 if accidentally used on a typewriter.

      For cleaning typeslugs, one can use naphtha or mineral spirits with a brass bristle brush.

      For platen cleaning try mineral spirits or fedron.

      Only oil the carriage rails for the bearings or trucks.

      (This is all colloquial advice, albeit with experience, so check specific facts about what certain products contain.)

    3. You will notice that manual was printed in 1920. Gas was the only cleaner available then. In just one more year in 1921 Stoddards Formula was invented (Varsol) for the dry cleaning business. Everything changed then and Varsol was the cleaner of choice.

      should find a better reference

    1. I’m certainly happy they decided to trust us to service this delightful QDL. According to the serial number RA-2961306 this machine is from the year 1954.

      The anniversary gold plated Royal QDLs included gold plated type points, levers, and even set screws on the platens.

    2. I’ve seen plenty Royal Dreyfuss Quiet DeLuxe typewriters that are the gold metal plated anniversary edition.

      Example of a typewriter repairman calling a 1954 model a Royal Dreyfuss Quiet De Luxe.

      While they did have some of the general design elements of Henry Dreyfuss' 1948 redesign, would one really still call them a Dreyfuss?

    1. Everyone mentioned most of the usual tricks, but one.

      To get your sticky typewriter keys working again, while you're flushing out the segment with your solvent of choice (lacquer thinner, paint thinner, mineral spirits, alcohol, etc.), actually move the typebars using the keys or by other means. This will help to get them moving and allow the solvent and subsequently compressed air to help flush the oil, dust, hair, etc. out of your machine. You've already got a mechanical cleaning device of sorts (the typebar itself) inside the segment, so move it while you're flushing it out!

      It may take a few repeated treatments/attempts to get it all clear for all the keys, but it's far easier than taking everything apart.

      reply to u/nogaesallowed at https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1cp75ln/how_do_you_clean_a_1mm_gap/


      People were recommending all sorts of ideas and solvents here, including folded card stock, tooth brushes, floss, toothpicks, interdental brushes, wood cuticle sticks, Swiss Army knife tweezers, microbrushes, and even an ultrasonic cleaner.

    1. Holacracy Meaning, Origins, How It Works by [[ Marshall Hargrave]] for Investopedia

    2. Arthur Koestler, author of the 1967 Book “The Ghost in the Machine,” coined the term holarchy as the organizational connections between holons (from the Greek word for "whole"), which describes units that act independently but would not exist without the organization they operate within.
    3. Holacracy is a system of corporate governance whereby members of a team or business form distinct, autonomous, yet symbiotic, teams to accomplish tasks and company goals. The concept of a corporate hierarchy is discarded in favor of a fluid organizational structure where employees have the ability to make key decisions within their own area of authority.