Lazy Blogging: biographies, bomb scares, and braving hurricanes

A couple of items off the typewriter news feed:

• Why does it not surprise me that this local author still drafts by longhand and typewriter? Considering his colorful life, I'd be a little disappointed to find out that he switched to Word.
  
• Sounds like a collector or an eBay'er might have left a precious item at the gas station at their last fill-up. Interested parties should contact the Town of Ulster police and be prepared to do some splainin'. Typewriters as weapons of mass-hysteria.
  
• Please take a few moments to read this very interesting article by a Cuban author singing the praises of her old East German-made "Robotron" typewriter, described as "crude, heavy and indestructible."

Play "Misty" For Me

Typewriter Day 2009

June 23, 2009

That's tomorrow, folks. Any plans for some public typing? How about finally sitting down and working on that thing for Strikethru's type journal? Me? Looks like I may be celebrating with jury duty. No cell phones or cameras or doodads allowed... wonder what they would think about a Corsair Deluxe?

Update: Decided not to tempt fate and upset the deputies and left the typer at home, and wouldn'tchaknowit, I sat today. I've got a typecast in mind when the case is over in a day or two, kindly raise a type-bar for me in the meantime, everyone!

Big Value, Small Package

Sorry for the half-letters. This is the ribbon found with the machine, and the vibrator and some of the keys still require some de-gunking. I'd also like to note that the iPhone comes with no user-serviceable parts.

Lazy blogging: Typestracts

I've got a longer entry planned for later, but for now enjoy this article on a piece of contemporary typewriter art that is not made by machine disassembly. Reading art analysis always makes my brain feel swimmy, but if nothing else this has given us a new word to use in our retro-loving arsenal. I don't see much on the 'tubes about the artist/poet, Dom Sylvester Houédard, perhaps one of you better-read types can provide more information?

Update: Here is a selection of his works.

Surviving the Mouse

We're back.

The grand expedition southward to the Land of the Eternal Mickey was a success, despite the soul-deadening drive that is the central valley portion of I-5 and its near-complete dearth of interesting landmarks. The kids are well-exhausted, and the parents are little better, but we've a mighty stack of photos and autographs and princess-related paraphernalia to sift through. I'll be fully back online in a few days, and I'm looking forward to catching up with y'all.