Failing the Absurd Test
The left blogosphere has been hanging its Memogate hopes on the notion that there was a typewriter - one - in 1973 that might have been able to produce a proportional-font memo with special typesetting characters.
This guy found one.
But the price tag? Oy:
I'm referring to the IBM Selectric Composer. This machine resembles a sophisticated electric typewriter in most respects, but is in fact a full-fledged cold-type typesetting machine. (Cold type as opposed to hot type, machines like the Linotype that would cast entire lines of type in molten lead as the typesetter worked. Ah, those were the days.)
Whenever the topic has turned to the Selectric Composer, it has been dismissed out-of-hand as being far too expensive an item to find in an office on an Air National Guard base: The machine sold for anywhere from $3,600 to $4,400, and fonts were extra and not cheap. Furthermore, the Composer was widely agreed to be far too complicated and slow a machine to use for typing up memoranda, especially ones that were destined to go into a file and not even be distributed.
Update: Many commenters have pointed out — and I'm trying to read 'em all, I promise! — that I'm talking about $3,600 to $4,400 in unadjusted 1973 dollars here. If you use one of the widely available deflation or purchasing-power calculators, you end up with an equivalent in 2004 dollars of between about $16,000 and about $22,000. Bottom line: despite its fairly innocuous appearance, the Selectric Composer was no ordinary office typewriter. It was a pricey little number.
The big question, though - could it - a typesetting typewriter that was
highly unlikely to have been found in a National Guard orderly room - have produced the memo?
No.
Read the whole thing.
Send a copy to Marcel Matley and Dan Rather.
Posted by Mitch at
September 12, 2004 02:25 PM
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The idiots holding down the curve at the other end of the blogosphere are yabbering about porportional spacing and are oblivios to kerning. Actually a few have mentioned it only to deny that they can see it. Its scary to think that I have to go and drive on highways with these people. This is the affect of a post-modernist education my friends. The truth is whatever they want it to be.
Posted by: rick at September 12, 2004 06:55 PMI'll say what I said on another blog post when some one said their dad bought one suplus from DuPont in '78. He didn't specify the composer but just said it was an IBM Selectric, and they had several type style balls. Nice but not relevant to the issue. Which is did a Texas Air Guard unit have such a machine.
Posted by: shawn at September 12, 2004 08:25 PMI can only speak as the son of an enlisted man who retired in '72. My dad was in SAC (Bomber command), at that time it and TAC(Fighter command) were the best technologicaly equipted of the US armed forces. I can not recall seeing many Selectrics around March Air Force base where we were last stationed. But I would bet there were a very few in the Base Commanders office. And I wouldn't be surprised to be told there were several in the Penatgon.
But an Air GUARD unit, even in Texas, having first tier equipment like this? Chances are slim.
Heck the local Army helicoper unit at Holman Field in St. Paul only just got promised that they would be getting upgraded to Blackhawks this decade. Yes they are still flying Huey's that are almost as old as you and I Mitch.
Guard and Reserve units even today are down the list of units getting first rate equipment.
In fact the only reason most Guard and Reserve units are as well equipted as they are today is that most got equipment from deactivated full time units or are units that got moved from full time to reserve status during the Clinton years.
Bottom line, is it possible that an air base had such equipment Barely, but yes. Is it likely that it was on a reserve base. Probably, no.
Just to give people something to compare the price to:
1972 Chevy El Camino (w/o the AstroTurf©)
http://www.geocities.com/elcamino_1972/elkyinfo.html
1972 Chevrolet El Camino Custom - Model 13680
Posted by: RBMN at September 12, 2004 08:59 PMBase Price for a Model 13680 - $2959.70
Engine - 165-hp(SAE-Net), Turbo-Fire 350 2bbl - L65 - $26.00
Transmission - 350 Turbo Hydra-matic - M40 - $210.00
Posi-traction rear axle w/ standard 2.73 rear axle ratio - G80 - $45.00
Power Brakes w/ disc/drum brakes - JL2 - $68.00
Power Steering - N40 - $113.00
Soft-Ray Tinted Glass, all windows - A01 - $42.00
AM Radio - U63 - $65.00
Vinyl Roof Cover, White - AA - $62.00
Rally Wheels - ZJ7 - $44.00
Total - $3634.70
I remember the '74 Mustang II was $2895 MSRP.
Picture spending 16,000 for a typesetter today...not even a computer...
Posted by: mitch at September 12, 2004 09:38 PMSomeone is the blogs has already typed a memo using an IBM Selectric Composer and while the type face looks similar, the spacing doesn't match at all. An expert in Microsoft Truetype (which is licensed to them by Apple) points out that the patents in Truetype make it different from the Composer. This expert has said 100% the documents are forged.
Posted by: Rachelins at September 12, 2004 10:20 PMI have spent the weekend trying to figure out why the MSM is giving CBS a hall pass on this. I have come up with the following:
Posted by: chris at September 12, 2004 11:32 PM1) The memogate story contradicts the MSM's chosen story line for September, which was to be "Kerry's Comeback." After a brutal August (despite the best efforts of the MSM to the contrary) new revelations about Bush's service record would help tighten the race. If there's one the the MSM hates it's facts that don't fit the chosen story arc.
2) While I can't imagine that anyone actually likes Dan Rather, there must be some sort of tacit agreement among MSM members: you don't dig too far into my shoddy reporting practices, and I won't dig too far into yours.
3) Rathers, Jennings, Evan "Sunshine Boys" Thomas (Newsweek), Raines et. al. believe they know what is best for the country, and see it as their sacred duty to report news in a manner that moves public opinion in the desired direction. Facts are useful and important only in pursuit of this goal.
4) If (er, WHEN) the documents are exposed as forgeries, the election will be OVER. A fait d'accompli (as Kerry would say). The MSM cannot STAND the idea of the horserace being over this soon.
5) The other networks have been kicking Rather's tail for so long they want to keep him there, for fear his replacement would boost ratings.
I’m no forensic expert, not even close. I am old enough to have used those IBM electric typewriters with the little balls as well as a large number of other typewriters. I now use word. The difference is profound, both in the way documents are drafted, and the finished product of todays printers. This "memo" is so amateurish that one look at it and the red lights begin to flash.
Posted by: sequel at September 13, 2004 04:22 PMMy original thinking was; how stupid is this forger? Of course now the big question is; how stupid is the newsroom at CBS.
Will they rally around the captain, and all ride the sinking ship to the bottom? Or will they scurry like the rats they are as she goes down.