Blogs wot I've been reading
I've started reading two, new (to me), widely divergent blogs!
The first is the blog for Reconstructing History, an etailer which sells historical patterns. Kass--the owner of RH--and Robin--who I think is one of her employees?--blog fairly regularly on topics of use to the sewist who does historical re-creation costuming. Some posts that caught my eye:
* Bodice construction: In which Robin recounts her adventures in making a bodice for Belvidere Victorian Days in NJ. Nothing too special about this post, but a) it did teach me a new method of doing princess seams, which are always a PITA, b) I loved this quote about sleeve construction:
Just let me say for the beginner sewers out there, SLEEVES SUCK no matter how experienced you are. Sleeves require easing, which really isn't easy at all, it's decidedly mis-marketed. It should be called harding, or cursing, or eviling.
"Evilling the sleeves" has become a new turn of phrase in our sewing room.
* Handstitching Basics: Getting Started - in which I learned a new method of tying a knot. The only drawback is, how do you hide a snarl like that? Haven't figured that part out yet...
* I've been perusing the Golden Age of Piracy tag for pointers when/if I make a costume when/if I play in Port Hidalgo.
***
Now, on to the second new blog. Occasionally I'll see what stuff is recommended to me by Google Reader. Yesterday, it happened to be an article called The Gospel According to Lady Gaga which caught my eye. A great quote from that article:
... for this post I'd like to a keep a tight focus on one particular aspect of Lady Gaga, her passionate engagement with the "little monsters" of society, her attempt to welcome them and show them warmth, understanding, and respect.
And in this, I can't help but wonder if Lady Gaga isn't shaming the church. Because here's the deal. If kids like Jamey [Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old boy from Williamsville, NY, who committed suicide over bullying because of his sexuality] aren't being welcomed by churches or by their schools where are they supposed to go?
This article traced back to a blog called Experimental Theology by Richard Beck. He has many intriguing articles in this vein--which examine pop culture tropes in a Christian light--across his blog, such as these:
* On the Moral Example of Jack Sparrow
* Jesus would be a Hufflepuff
These articles were so well thought-out that I was immediately fascinated by this author and wanted to know more about him. I don't consider myself a Christian--I'm a recovering-atheist-recovering-Catholic who currently attends a Unitarian-Universalist church--but like many UUs, I appreciate the teachings of Jesus while loathing the actions of the religious right in this country. So coming across a blog which was so articulate and compassionate and just refreshing--and yet so unabashedly Christian--I kind of wondered where the author was coming from.
As it turns out, Richard Beck is a psychology professor from Abilene Christian University. His personal religious tradition seems to be with the Church of Christ (UCC). He's written a book, Unclean, about the divide between hospitality and sanction in Christianity. I can't tell you much about his politics. Understandably, given the milieu he blogs in, he plays that pretty close to his chest. I imagine he's fairly socially liberal, but that could be my own bias coming into play there. He's a universalist--which I think means he believes in universal salvation? IANAT (theologist). But still. As Christian as they come, in an awesome hippie kind of way.
Finally, with usernamenumber's recent post about "secular tithing," I wanted to mention RBeck's (I can't just call him "Beck" without thinking of... that other Beck) posts on church giving: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4
So yes! Stuff. Um. I finished all the machine sewing on my pieces for Tombstone. And I got a raise at work. Huzzah!
The first is the blog for Reconstructing History, an etailer which sells historical patterns. Kass--the owner of RH--and Robin--who I think is one of her employees?--blog fairly regularly on topics of use to the sewist who does historical re-creation costuming. Some posts that caught my eye:
* Bodice construction: In which Robin recounts her adventures in making a bodice for Belvidere Victorian Days in NJ. Nothing too special about this post, but a) it did teach me a new method of doing princess seams, which are always a PITA, b) I loved this quote about sleeve construction:
Just let me say for the beginner sewers out there, SLEEVES SUCK no matter how experienced you are. Sleeves require easing, which really isn't easy at all, it's decidedly mis-marketed. It should be called harding, or cursing, or eviling.
"Evilling the sleeves" has become a new turn of phrase in our sewing room.
* Handstitching Basics: Getting Started - in which I learned a new method of tying a knot. The only drawback is, how do you hide a snarl like that? Haven't figured that part out yet...
* I've been perusing the Golden Age of Piracy tag for pointers when/if I make a costume when/if I play in Port Hidalgo.
***
Now, on to the second new blog. Occasionally I'll see what stuff is recommended to me by Google Reader. Yesterday, it happened to be an article called The Gospel According to Lady Gaga which caught my eye. A great quote from that article:
... for this post I'd like to a keep a tight focus on one particular aspect of Lady Gaga, her passionate engagement with the "little monsters" of society, her attempt to welcome them and show them warmth, understanding, and respect.
And in this, I can't help but wonder if Lady Gaga isn't shaming the church. Because here's the deal. If kids like Jamey [Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old boy from Williamsville, NY, who committed suicide over bullying because of his sexuality] aren't being welcomed by churches or by their schools where are they supposed to go?
This article traced back to a blog called Experimental Theology by Richard Beck. He has many intriguing articles in this vein--which examine pop culture tropes in a Christian light--across his blog, such as these:
* On the Moral Example of Jack Sparrow
* Jesus would be a Hufflepuff
These articles were so well thought-out that I was immediately fascinated by this author and wanted to know more about him. I don't consider myself a Christian--I'm a recovering-atheist-recovering-Catholic who currently attends a Unitarian-Universalist church--but like many UUs, I appreciate the teachings of Jesus while loathing the actions of the religious right in this country. So coming across a blog which was so articulate and compassionate and just refreshing--and yet so unabashedly Christian--I kind of wondered where the author was coming from.
As it turns out, Richard Beck is a psychology professor from Abilene Christian University. His personal religious tradition seems to be with the Church of Christ (UCC). He's written a book, Unclean, about the divide between hospitality and sanction in Christianity. I can't tell you much about his politics. Understandably, given the milieu he blogs in, he plays that pretty close to his chest. I imagine he's fairly socially liberal, but that could be my own bias coming into play there. He's a universalist--which I think means he believes in universal salvation? IANAT (theologist). But still. As Christian as they come, in an awesome hippie kind of way.
Finally, with usernamenumber's recent post about "secular tithing," I wanted to mention RBeck's (I can't just call him "Beck" without thinking of... that other Beck) posts on church giving: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4
So yes! Stuff. Um. I finished all the machine sewing on my pieces for Tombstone. And I got a raise at work. Huzzah!