Molding Project, continued...

     After the first half of the silicone molding cured and was ready to be removed, I pried it out of the clay outer molding and trimmed it up.  Then, I added some indentations to the first half molding so that when there is no hammer, the two halves of the mold will join seamlessly.  Next, I added a retaining wall around the upper half of the mold, to hold the second half of the silicone molding.  Then I mixed and poured the second half.  Ideally, a thin layer of soap should be sprayed on the mold to enhance their seperation, but I forgot (this is, after all the prototype). 

The Well Tempered Polymer

     After getting the outer mold together, I was anxious to get the first half of the silicone mold poured. I've never worked with this type of silicone, where a curing agent is used. I've worked with latex and a curing agent, but not anything as fun as pink silicone. I suppose that pink silicone has the potential to be a comedy goldmine. But not today! Instead, it's time to play with chemicals!

The Quotable Augustine, Vol. 1

     So, I finished reading reading Augustine's The City of God.  It was very, very good.  It is pretty clear that this is where a philosopher ran into the scriptures and their God.  Augustine reasons through idea and concept after idea.  Basing his understanding on God's word.  He clearly demonstrate many concepts and approaches that will later become mainstays of conservative Christianity.  He also uses interpretive methods that will fall out of vogue with later readers.  It is inciteful to read his comments about scripture interpreting scripture, the clearer illuminating the obscure, but even more interesting to see his use of unrestrained allegory almost alongside.
    Behind the cut there are several pages of quotes.  I'm actually going to post more, but these are the first main batch.  I think the second batch are better, from the latter half of the book.

Polymer Fun

I've had this project swirling around the mists of my mind for the last couple months. Since visiting the Philidelphia Museum of Art and stuff, actually. There was alot of Modern art there, and I really enjoyed it. Anyway, I had some thoughts on cool art things I would like to research. One of them was using Light Emitting Diodes in clear plastic/resin. LEDs cast some really cool colors, and I think it would be really cool to use them in a three dimensional sculpture. So I have a project in mind, but before I get to that one, I am going to do a prototype. That should help me get the hang of the medium, and help to iron out the major bumps.

words and other things you might read 11-14-5

     On my trip around the Northwest, I stopped in at Pilgrim Bookstore.  It's a great store and has a large selection of used Christian books, which also tend to be a good selection.  Some Christian bookstores are hideously stocked.  Anyway, I picked up some thick books:  The Cambridge Ancient History, Vol. 2, Part 1, The Middle East and the Aegean Region, c.1800-1380B.C.  That should be a fun read to broaden some historical perspective of ancient middle eastern cultures.  Another fun find was Will Durant's The Story of Civilization vol. 6. The Reformation.  Durant has a well read approach to history that is enjoyable to interact with.  Those two books should keep me rather busy.

Pacific Northwest Tour

     After driving around for over a week, i have finally concluded my tour of the northwest states, provinces, towns and villages.  I went to Yakima, Wa., Salem, Or., Vancouver, Wa.,  Canby, Or.  Then back to Salem, Or., and then to Seattle, Wa.  followed by a stop in Yakima on the way back to Idaho.  Overall, it was an excellent trip.  I visited with many friends, drank good coffee, played some videogames, read some books, and was in attendance at a Phil Keaggy concert.

Katamari Damacy

     I recently went galavanting around the northwest, and visited many old friends.  Many of my friends anjoy videogames, so there was much Halo, Halo2, Soul Calibre 2, and the like.  One friend had me playing several of his videogames, and one of the funnest™ was Katamari Damacy.  It is one of those games that is pure Japanese invention.  And it's pretty weird at that.  But, it's infectious fun, and we had a great time rolling over everything.  It has a smashing soundtrack, too.