May 31, 2008

Islam is not a Virus

I read yet another article today about Racheal Ray's Dunkin' Donuts commercial. This article stated Michelle Malkin's protest was partly responsible for Dunkin' Donuts removing the commercial from the airways.

“The keffiyeh, for the clueless, is the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad," Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin wrote in her syndicated column.

"Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant and not-so-ignorant fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons," Malkin wrote.

Dunkin’ Donuts denied the similarity, but decided to pull the ad.

“Absolutely no symbolism was intended. However, given the possibility of misperception, we are no longer using the commercial," the company said in a statement.

Malkin said she was pleased with the company’s response.

Dunkin' Donuts Yanks Rachael Ray Ad
The first thing I thought, how did she get so much power and secondly I thought why is there so much fear. Are things that look like Arab or Muslim to be feared, such that we adsorb in our brain the tenets of the Qur'an. Are we to be afraid of every Mediterranean looking person, black, Puerto Rican, or even Southeast Asian, which resemble Malkin, because we perceive them to be Muslim? Perhaps we should start to use Roman numbers again. Aren't the America people secure in their own beliefs that exposure to Islam should affect them? Hearing, seeing or touching anything Muslim only becomes an act of terror when the individual self induces it. It may be that Americans are not fearful, only the pundits that have begun to believe their own fear mongering rhetoric, which they chose in order to maintain their 15 minutes of fame. The disturbing problem is the influence these pundits have on the market and government.

May 26, 2008

Decoration Day

For many, an important part of the remembrance of our fallen soldiers is in the decorating of their graves. I have read several interesting stories this morning of citizens who have taken the task themselves.

Civil War vets honored anew
A warrior's dignity
Volunteers put flags in National Cemetary

May 22, 2008

Setting in a sleeve

This is my poor reproduction of a sleeve about to be set in a dress, coat, or a blouse. One of the hardest task in sewing, was to sew this so that the sleeve would lay smooth and flat on your shoulder. It would either come out puffed or wound up with pleats. This file shows the steps in how to get that flat look. I hope this isn't too confusing for those that do not sew.

The first thing I noticed about the FLDS women were that they looked like a 19th century version of the Steppford Wives. Each only distinguished by the height of their pompadour, color of their dress and their physical size.

When this group started, many women made their own clothes, so setting in a sleeve would have been known. Did the woman who determine the style of the dress and coat actually know how to sew, or was just to lazy to set in a sleeve. For whatever reason this has been duplicated thousands of times. The one thing I would have like to have asked the ladies, was it going against god if they had gathered the sleeve while sewing it on; or did they never think of it.

You see every one of these sleeves are pleated and so are their coats. This could be that style, but usually it is a way a novice copes with setting in a sleeve.
I do think this is just specific to this one church.