Well, folks, this week’s Monday morning Sunday Reading is brought to you by my having to work yesterday (with a totally awesome student, so no big deal there) and also the project that involved turning the entire basement upside down to make room for a new workspace. I came into possession of a shiny MasterCraft workbench on Friday night and couldn’t go another day without setting it up.
Anyway, how about we gather some reading from some beautiful people and read it together over coffee?
Diary of a Prop Maker, Episode 8 – Bill Doran, Punished Props
Bill Doran is a brilliant propmaker. If you’ve seen spectacular photos of Mass Effect cosplay online, chances are you’ve seen his work. Punished Props has been featured everywhere geeks hang out, and now I’ve discovered that HE HAS A PODCAST. There was an article on Kotaku recently that talked about the “dark side” of the cosplay community, the general culture of paradoxically simultaneous slut-shaming and sexual harassment that pervades cons and online communities, and Bill, as a seasoned maker, responds. He’s a clever guy and it’s interesting to hear his thoughts. He talks about body type, gender perceptions, and more in this episode. Again, not reading, per se, but enjoyable all the same. Read more
You’re Alright, Pop. – Since the Radio Was On
Marco of the Temple Radio crew is not only a rad dude, but also my cousin, and stumbling across this blog from December wherein he talks real talk about his relationship with his dad is awesome. It’s touching and heartfelt and honest and the best part of it is that it showcases how Marco is developing into a good blogger and a good writer and I am incredibly excited for him. Go give this dapper lad’s stuff a read and enjoy. Read More
Creationism – Conspiracy Road Trip
More NOT-READING for you to do! If you know Bill Maher’s Religulous, this is like that but British and far more interesting. Comedian Andrew Maxwell takes a group of British creationists, biblical literalists, and young-earth claimants on a bus tour across the American west to challenge some of the less tenable aspects of their faith. As someone who isn’t of any particular faith tradition (I prefer to straddle the agnostic line, where I can feel safely right in claiming there’s no way to know), it’s eye-opening to see how people require all the minutiae of a thing to substantiate the bigger picture. It’s a testament to the human psyche that there can be such strong lines drawn in the sand, and a testament to human fallacy that people can disregard anything they want. I came away from this not really knowing how I felt. Maybe you can help me out on that one. Watch on YouTube
Why *make*? To affect quality of life – Megan Smith, Apartment 613
This is great–an examination of maker culture through the lens of improving the human condition. Not all makers are DIY-style scratchbuilders like Adam Savage or Bill Doran (or the Stafleet Corps of Tiny Engineers–more on them Tuesday!). There are the problem-solvers, the hackers, the ones who aim to improve the bigger picture one make at a time. This Apt613 article examines how medical prosthetic alternatives are being developed by those passionate folks using the same collaborative ground-up ethic that makers the world over use. I’m not doing it justice–just go check it out. Read More
Have you seen something that should show up in Sunday Reading? Email us at sunday@spillway.ca or tweet us @spillwayca!
