Blog Updates

I started making some blog updates this week. During this time, you may find weird behavior, such as posts not being accessible, or the site completely down. Please bear with me. I will make an announcement when everything is back to normal; however, you are always welcome to send me an email if you have…

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America the Beautiful

Katharine Lee Bates, an English professor at Wellesley College, wrote a poem titled Pikes Peak as she was traveling to Colorado Springs by rail to teach a summer course at Colorado College in 1893. The poem was published two years later commemorating the 4th of July, and Bates edited it at various times until arriving…

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The Star-Spangled Banner

Written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he had witnessed the bombing of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, MD, here is the original version of the national anthem of the United States, as he penned it, transcribed by me in Anniversary Gregg for the blog. Set to the melody to The…

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New shorthander

Hi, I just recently finished the pre-anni 1916 manual and I’m hoping to learn a lot more! I found this place while looking for reading/writing exercises. Because I’ve only been writing words in isolation, my reading is slow and I have no idea what my writing speed is, but I’m hoping to get up to…

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Gregg Shorthand Web Tools

As a retired programmer and Gregg shorthand enthusiast, I created some web-based tools for Pre-Anniversary and Anniversary Gregg (public domain versions), building on open-source resources and ideas from the shorthand community. Access: https://halplatt.github.io/GreggDictionary/GreggDictionarypd.html Fast Dictionary Search Type a word, press Enter, and instantly see the shorthand outline and page image. Switch between available dictionaries with…

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Information about plate writers?

A question came up in the Facebook group “Gregg Shorthand Readers, Writers and Fans” about who wrote the plates in The Gregg Writer in 1905.  Someone posted a copy of material from the February, 1905 issue, and it is really clear, lovely penmanship. I don’t remember reading anything acknowledging the plate writers for The Gregg…

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Un souvenir de mon enfance

Pierre Loti, nom de plume of French Navy Captain Louis Marie-Julien Viaud, was not only an officer but a writer as well. Born in Rochefort on the west coast France in 1850, his house located on a street there that bears his name, is currently a museum noted for its exotic and original style décor…

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Proclamation 1335 – Flag Day

June 14 marks the celebration of Flag Day in the United States, and while it is not an official federal holiday, it is still recognized and celebrated across the land, especially since June 14 is also the birthday of the U.S. Army, which was established in 1775. Here is the official proclamation of Flag Day,…

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