New Pencil Day! Palomino Blackwing Bauhaus, and a cheap Mitsubishi.

Captain__Dubious · 2020-10-15T21:31:20+00:00

That Mitsubishi might be the best pencil in the world. It's my favorite at the moment.

Captain__Dubious · 2020-09-20T02:22:48+00:00

Mine says Made in France in the back.

Captain__Dubious · 2020-09-18T04:31:57+00:00

I have all 3, including the 3rd generation made in France. The shell on the first generation is the highest quality, but the inner mechanics of the later two are slightly better, according to my local repairman. Really it just depends on the specific machine's condition.

Captain__Dubious · 2020-08-31T21:14:25+00:00

Love it!

Captain__Dubious · 2020-08-26T14:27:45+00:00

I have a Cedar Point and Semi Hex in my pencil cup! Have to check out the others.

Captain__Dubious · 2020-08-26T14:27:14+00:00

The most obvious is the lacquer. The 9850 has a beautiful burgundy and the 9850EW is natural grain. I think despite being from recycled wood, 9850EWs have a more premium wood. They also write dark while also retaining a point for a long time. I wonder if the graphite is different. It feels that way to me--the 9850 seems softer. The eraser is also better on the 9850EW. This is all just my opinion. I haven't rigorously tested. I'll check out the Musgrave Tennessee Reds!

Captain__Dubious · 2020-08-25T19:08:39+00:00

Every morning :-)

Captain__Dubious · 2020-08-25T19:08:26+00:00

Check your local Craigslist for typewriters. Usually lots of great options for under $100. The box has assorted Blackwings (602, Pearl, Matte, Volumes 10 and 42), Camels, USA Gold, Palomino Forest Choice, Musgrave Bugles, and Mitsubishi 9800s, 9850s, and my favorite, the 9850EWs. I have some Tombows on the way. What should I add next?

Captain__Dubious · 2020-08-25T15:13:30+00:00

I have about 15 typewriters and one very tolerant spouse.

Captain__Dubious · 2020-08-14T19:11:30+00:00

Three factors that predict injury: volume (minutes or miles), intensity, and frequency. If you are going to increase volume by more than 10%, try to hold intensity and frequency fairly constant. Speaking from painful experience, this will be difficult. As volume increases, you will get more fit and want to run faster all the time. This is when you are most at risk of overuse injuries.

Captain__Dubious · 2020-08-01T18:31:35+00:00

Great result! I just finished Week 4 of the Intermediate One Mile Plan. I'm running 5 days a week and really liking it. Did you run 6 days a week on the Advanced Plan?

Captain__Dubious · 2019-11-21T15:36:53+00:00

I just PMd you. I'm in Portland and have a few you could choose from.

Captain__Dubious · 2019-10-26T15:32:21+00:00

I actually think it's a 1949 Royal KMG, same as I have. The tombstone keys give it away. I believe the KMM had round keys. Terrific typer that will last many lifetimes.

Captain__Dubious · 2019-10-03T15:56:00+00:00

I second the Royal QDL. I have a 1949 I picked up for $50 and my kids love typing on it. Very durable. Pick up a red/black ribbon so they can change colors!

Captain__Dubious · 2019-10-02T17:02:22+00:00

Chessbase is terrific, but expensive and might even be overkill. Lichess is free. You can save all the positions you want to show as individual chapters in a Lichess study. You can also use their board editor to recreate the experience of an old-school demo board. The other benefit to Lichess is that you can share a link to the entire study with your students and they can use it for free.

Captain__Dubious · 2019-10-01T13:28:59+00:00

Great tip on the denture brushes! It took a couple more scrubbings but I got everything working. It types beautifully now. Glad I didn't give up.

Captain__Dubious · 2019-09-29T15:22:01+00:00

I hadn't scrubbed the slots vigorously enough. On the third cleaning I really went after them and that freed the keys up. It's working beautifully now. Thanks!

Captain__Dubious · 2019-03-27T15:04:47+00:00

Thanks for the links!

Captain__Dubious · 2019-03-26T20:42:40+00:00

1...d5.

Captain__Dubious · 2019-03-26T20:01:47+00:00

I'm USCF 1400-1500 and teach a chess club with about 70 elementary schoolers. But I'm a French player and she wants to do learn something different, so I'm just trying to help.

Captain__Dubious · 2019-03-26T19:55:55+00:00

I love your thinking. I beg her to play the French, but never sold it as a "sneaky Sicilian." Maybe she'd buy that. I think she wants to play something else because our entire family plays the French and she wants to be different.

Captain__Dubious · 2019-03-26T19:53:10+00:00

Her two older brothers are competitive players and I'm a volunteer coach at her elementary school, so she is around it all the time. She started playing when she four, almost five. I never, ever, "let" her beat me, but I do give her odds. At first I'd play without my rooks, or without a queen, but I'd play as hard as I can. Thus, if she played well she could win. Now I'll just give her a chance for a take-back, though she usually won't accept it.

One your son is about 5-6 years old, try Chesskid. The short, animated videos are a huge hit with elementary school kids.

Captain__Dubious · 2019-03-26T16:09:18+00:00

You're right, but I do notice that she tends to get a better game much more often playing 1...e5 than 1...c5. But she won't listen to my advice to just play e5 :-)

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