30 March 2018

Serger Shopping in the USA

Serger/ overlock machine.  Image from wikipedia.
In terms of what most of the world has to live on per day, I actually have a lot of money to spend on a new serger.  It's just sitting there in the bank waiting to be spent. But I might just wind up buying something cheap I know I will throw away later.

I don't want to be the way I am, really, I don't.  What I'd generally like to do is to go and buy machines that are made here in the USA, use my stuff practically forever, save the environment and so on.  Sure, I'm willing to spend twice or even three times as much for a machine if I know it's going to support real working families etc etc.  But more than that, I like buying well-made stuff.

But here's the problem.  If I buy the American-made stuff, I can expect to spend about ten times as much as the cheap China stuff. At those prices?  I think I'm pretty reasonable when I say I'd sure like to be able to repair my machine when it breaks somewhere locally, not be charged an arm and leg for repairs.  I also shouldn't have to wait weeks for my machine to be returned.  It just doesn't work that way in real life, though.

Here's an example: in the past I've bought Riccar vacuums.  I bought locally so my "authorised repair center" was just up the street from me for a while.  Which you'd think would be a great thing, but the quality of the workmanship was not so hot.

Since I'm looking at sergers, the nearest authorised repair center for the model I realllly want is in UTAH.  That's an 18-hour drive one way if I (somehow) were committed to going to a brand-specific repair center and didn't need to stop on the drive.  I could not imagine how severely upset I would be if I encountered shoddy workmanship after a trek like that!!

Past a certain point, I don't care how well-made your machine is, I'm not going to bother with it.  I'll buy some cheap made in China thing and in a couple of years when it busts, I'll know the repair bill and the hassle is higher than the cost of a new machine and into the trash it goes.

I hate being like this.  I hate it.  I've been watching youtube videos on how to use the most nifty sergers and I love all the super-expensive/ handy features.   But I just can't buy something that amazing, knowing that the slightest problem with the machine will mean an unending hassle.


18 March 2018

Happy Day After St. Patrick's Day!



Here's a photo of my great-great-great-grandfather, John Barron (the young fellow with the mutton chops).  He was born in 1831 in Wexford, Ireland, and immigrated to the US in 1849.  Shown below his photo are his immigration papers in which he renounces all allegiance to Queen Victoria.

09 March 2018

Review: The Prayer Bible


"The Lord spoke his word to me.  He said:  'Human being, speak to the elders of Israel.'" - Ezekiel 20:3, International Children's Bible translation.

The Prayer Bible from Tommy Nelson is a nicely-designed book with a positively gorgeous royal blue and gold cover.  It comes with a little prayer journal and it contains cute prayers and notes for the younger set.  It's easy to understand and to read.  There are words bolded throughout with definitions for words like synagogue or the various Jewish feasts and so on that children mightn't know.

But there are some major problems with this book insofaras it's being presented as the Bible.  Mind you, I haven't read this entire version of the Bible, but I did spend a fair bit of time reading through various passages.  It's pretty problematic in its wording and nowhere near so strong as the King James Version in denouncing various sexual practices and so on.  If one isn't reading carefully and/ or knows what the Bible says to begin with, many things will be missed. 

This is an introduction to the Bible I would avoid.  It may be an excellent companion resource for a person who is strong in the faith but has reading or vocabulary difficulties.  But that's about it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Bringing Garbage Home

Some people up the street were throwing this table away. It was in pretty bad shape and one of the legs was off. I've glued the leg back...