July 17, 2011

• I'm reading a book called Extreme Money: Masters of the Universe and the Cult of Risk. I'm not going to say that this is the ideal summer reading book. In fact, if I had a trashy novel on hand, then I might not be reading it at all. Nonetheless, it's an interesting book. It begins with the idea that wealth used to be based on real things, like land and gold (which, while it may not be useful, is rare and has a physical presence) but has now become a matter of faith.

  That is, stock in AOL was only valuable in that people believed that other people might, in the future, be willing to pay more for it than the current people.

  The book is giving numerous examples of cases throughout history in which people treated money as an object of faith rather than as actual wealth, and the bad ends to which those people came. It's early on, so I don't know what will happen next, but I'll keep you posted.

  Summer top #10 of the Summer Top Project is coming along nicely. In the picture above you can see the yards of bias binding I cut from the fabric, and at the right you can see the top with some of the binding completed. I plan to wear it to a party on Friday night.

  This is yet another top made with Butterick 5470. This is in fact the fourth such top I've made. They're cool and summery without showing any bra straps, and they're floaty and therefore don't cling, and they look respectable under a jacket, too, which isn't true of T-shirts, however much we wish it were.

  But I probably can't make any more of them. I'm thinking about making the pants or jacket from that pattern, though. Once this top is finished, I will have made 10 summer tops for the STP, and that's enough. It's time to move on.

  Accordingly, I went to Jo Anne Fabrics and looked around. I was surprised to discover that they have a really nice selection of fabrics.  Since I don't have a proper plan yet, I resisted the urge to buy yardage and instead bought some 99 cent fat quarters in all sorts of colors and patterns. I think I can use them for a gift for #2 daughter, whose birthday is coming up.

  While doing the handwork on summer top #10 and contemplating both #2 daughter's birthday gift and what I should make next, I watched a TV show called Dirt. Netflix has raised their prices, so I feel that I should use their services as much as possible in order to continue feeling as though I'm getting my money's worth. This could mean that I both pay almost $24/month and also use up lots of time watching TV. Still, it is over 100 degrees outside, so what would I be doing instead? Cleaning house? Shopping? Reading about the financialization of finance and the influence of the Chicago school of economics?

  Exactly.

  Today I will of course go to church and I must blog for my Aussies, but then I wouldn't be at all surprised if I didn't watch the remaining episodes of Dirt while binding and hemming.

  • 9:30 am
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