Giving over to broadcasting

Type-In at MECCA, May 24

What normally would be blogging time in the mornings I’ve been giving over to broadcasting on my fake pirate radio station, either from Studio A (upstairs in the Chamber of Randomness) or Studio B (downstairs in the Library). The former now has two new “Stanton C.402 2U Rackmount DJ CD/MP3 Player w/ Pitch Control & Seamless Loop” units—well, they were made in 2007, but they’re new in the sense that they were unopened, sealed from the factory: “new old stock” is the term, I believe. They’re very similar to the CD players in use at KWVA when I was a volunteer community DJ back in 2000-7. Other new gear: brand new webcams for both studios. Now my listeners can watch me in stunning 1080p video quality.

On Saturday I attended what I believe was the first public Type-In ever held in Eugene. The venue was a classroom in the rear of the MECCA shop across from 5th Street Public Market. When I got there, I was blown away, expecting only a small handful people. The room was crowded and I counted at least 14 typewriters in use. The enthusiasm and excitement were obvious and palpable. A young man named Zach was the organizer. I chatted with him for a bit and learned that he’s been “into” typewriters for only one year but has already collected 53 machines! His knowledge, repair savvy, and ability to explain typewriters to novices are very impressive! He wants to do more type-ins, and people were volunteering to help. Eugene may very well become the next urban center for The Typewriter Revolution! Big hat-tip to Zach!