Review of Sewsteady Wish Table - Flat Bed Extension

A flat bed is pretty much a requirement for quilting a quilt on a domestic sewing machine. It keeps the quilt from creating drag, helps keep the stitches be more even, gives more control to the quilter, and spares some sore muscles.   You can try to prop up the space with books and other things but that is difficult since it is hard to find the right number of books to make the table level, and they do move out of position.  I did that for several years, before I was ready to admit I was a quilter.

I then bought a sewing table for my Kenmore - a real table made especially for sewing machines where the table sits inside a lowered space so the bed of the machine is level with the table, and that worked well for it.  Unfortunately, my new machine does not fit in that sewing table, so I knew I needed something for my Huskvarna Viking that gave me a flat bed.  I've been saving up for it.

One day, I found this at a good price, and decided to go for it. The Sewsteady Wish Table (affiliate link) comes up with the extension table (the flat bed), and has some bonus things, like the drawer, a table lock, a vinyl cling ruler, and a circle sewing tool.

Decision Making

Deciding on whether to get the table, and what kind to get took me a while.  There are different sizes, and there is an option to get the table without the accessories.  I wanted to get as big a table as I could get that would fit on my desk where my sewing machine lives.  My table is pretty small, but I read the reviews, and they told me how far apart the feet are, and it seemed like it would just barely fit.  I wasn't too worried though, because I would always put the sewing machine on a bigger table for quilting. Having it fit on the desk would be preferable though.

The Purchase

Buying the Sew Steady Extension Table was very easy. Just put it in the Amazon basket and buy it.  A day or two later, they sent me an email requesting the make and model of my sewing machine and then they shipped it.  It didn't take long, because they apparently make several kinds and give you the one that is the best fit for your machine.  You don't need to measure anything.

They sent several emails asking me how I liked it, and telling me they wanted me to be happy, and asking me to write a review on Amazon. The first one came the same day they shipped it. It was nice that they wanted me to be happy.

Some Assembly Required

It came pretty quickly.  It does need some minor assembly.  Those black table legs have to be put in the spaces. That part is pretty easy.

Here you can see that the table leg just barely fits over the edge of the desk I am using. All the feet fit firmly on the table. I can use the table right where it is. Yay!

 Here you can see that the back table leg just fits on the desk too.  The table itself goes past the desk, but this does not cause a problem. You probably won't be cutting it so close when choosing a size, but I thought I would show it to you just in case.

Then you turn the bottom to move the legs up or down until it is even with the bed of the machine. This part was not as easy, because some of the legs required me to turn left to move up and right to move down, while the others were the opposite. So first, I had to figure out which turn did what before I could get it to do what I wanted.  And of course, to get them to work together, this required several turns. Still, that part isn't that hard. We're quilters; we have patience.

There is a vinyl cling that gives you the guidelines for sewing. I was really excited about this part because I thought it might mean I could do half square triangles without marking  You have to put the cling on your machine so you can see exactly how it will fit on the machine, and cut out the part where the table is cut to fit  the machine. Then take out the backing and position it under the table. The cling is very thin though, and even though I tried to be careful because of that, it ripped right away as I was trying to position it.

I did ask them for another one, but they told me I could buy one.

To place the table on the sewing machine, you have to take out the storage compartment.  On the one hand, this isn't a big deal, because you wouldn't be able to get to the storage compartment anyway once the table was over it, but it does mean one more thing to keep track of. It does fit under the table so it isn't that big a deal. A bonus is that the table comes with a drawer and it is clear, so you can see exactly where everything is. Another unexpected bonus is that there is room under the table to store more things out of the way but handy.

Everything seems to fit pretty well on the table and it is ready to sew.

Here you can see that the table isn't really custom designed for the machine, since it doesn't go all the way to the edge of the bed.

Test Drive

I tried it out by quilting some small quilts on it.  Because they were small, they probably wouldn't have created much drag anyway, but it was really nice not to have to worry about the quilt weight. I did a couple of those.

Now I am trying it on a bigger quilt, starting with quilting in the ditch with the walking foot.  The table does a great job holding up the quilt and avoids drag.  The quilt does get stuck on the edges of the table - the rounded edge at the front of the picture.  You do have to watch to make sure a part of the quilt isn't stuck there or on the edge on the other side, which would cause a bigger problem than the drag would, making the quilt hard to maneuver, and keeping the needle going over the same space over and over again, or making very small stitches.

Then I moved on to free motion quilting.  It worked fine for me, although Amazon does recommend the Super Slider (affiliate link) to help make the quilting even smoother.

The table is strong enough to hold the weight of the quilt, but you do have to be careful to put too much weight on it.  I wouldn't lean on it to help me get up after a long afternoon of sewing, for example.

Another thing to note is that I do have to move the table in order to get the bobbin cover off.  It is an easy matter of sliding it away and back. I haven't tried the table lock so I'm not sure how it would work with that.

The Circle Tool

The Circle Tool is a nice bonus to have. It helps you sew circles.  I had a hard time understanding the directions, and found a YouTube video that explained how to use it. Looking back at the directions, I'm not sure how they could have explained it differently, but basically the blue thing (they call it a pinmoor) faces up, and you put the two feet into the holes in the table. Find the center of your desired circle on the fabric. Take off the blue pinmoor and put that center spot of your fabric onto the needle that the pinmoor covered, and sew.  The tricky part when using embroidery stitches is to fix your stitch width so that the join between the start and the finish is smooth.

Also the circle tool makes fairly big circles. I haven't tested it yet to see what size circles it makes normally.  I am thinking of quilting my circle 365 quilt with circles.

In the sample above, I was trying to see if I could make a smaller circle. Since the tool wasn't properly positioned, it must have moved a bit, which is why it isn't circular. I am sure that when used correctly, it will be circular. It did leave a noticeable tiny hole in the center, which may be due to my not following the rules. I haven't tried it out past this so I couldn't say for sure.

Overall Impression

The table does work to provide an extended flat bed on the machine, making it easier to quilt. I originally thought the table was okay, but nothing spectacular.  But while I am quilting each quilt, I am thinking about how I am going to quilt the next quilt, and not thinking about the next new project I want to make.  This is not  normal for me, so this table should get credit for that. I'm not sure what they could do to keep the quilt from getting stuck on the edges, and it pretty much does what it says it does.

The flimsy vinyl cling and the weird feet hopefully are one time issues, but they do cause some minor issues.  I am going to give this four out of five stars.

The Applique Handbook

I got a lovely package yesterday which had the book The Applique Book which is compiled by Casey York.  It was a giveaway  I won during a book blog hop from Sew How We Sew. Thank you to everyone involved for this great prize.

I normally do book reviews on my book review blog, but I haven't been updating it, even though I have a bunch of books I want to review.  So you don't have to go back and forth, I will tell you about the book here.

I really like this book, and not just because I got it for free.  The subtitle says 16 Quilt Projects; Learn from 21 innovative designers.  I really like that so many people were involved. It gives you a chance to learn a variety of styles and meet lots of new modern quilters.  It really shows the versatility of applique.  See the cover quilt - it is applique not pieced.

Anytime I sit on these steps, Zeus thinks it is time to get his belly rubbed. Be sure to rub his belly before you scroll down. Poor guy obviously doesn't get enough attention as he needs grooming.

 Most of the projects are really innovative.  They are not the same you see everywhere.  There are a couple of quilts that show the beauty of repetition and this is one of them.  The squirrel one on the cover is another. See how such a simple design can make such a big impact when it is repeated.

The quilts use different techniques too. You can try out a bunch and see what you like the best.  This one is reverse applique.   Just a pop of color adds so much to the quilt. The photographs are all gorgeous. You can see the quilting as well as the overall impact of the quilt.

 

This is one of my favorites.  It is more complicated to applique than some of the others, but the quilt is just gorgeous as is the setting for the photograph. The background is pieced and everything else is appliqued.

There is a little information about the designer in the gray box on the right.  There are also spreads of information about other designers who don't provide patterns, but do show lots of inspiring pictures.  When I first flipped through the book, this confused me, since I wanted to see how to make a particular quilt, but there was no pattern for it.  I looked forward and ahead to see what kind of pattern they did provide, and they didn't provide any pattern at all.  Now I see that these showcase designers have a gray bar around the page, but it isn't that obvious since there is gray throughout the book, including the profiles of the designers who did provide patterns.

The back cover does say there are projects from 12 designers and profiles of award-winning artists, and names them there.

I am glad that they did include these other designers, though, and the confusion is a minor issue that was readily remedied upon closer inspection.

Of course I had to show the circle quilt! Besides the beauty shot, there is a full spread picture of the quilt so you can see the whole thing. This one isn't innovative, except to make a large circle on an even larger background, but it is pretty, and is a great way to beautifully showcase your favorite fabric.

The book has 159 pages an there is a full size pattern sheet in the back.  You don't have to reduce or enlarge anything unless you want to change something.  The suggested retail price is $26.95 which I think is worth it to learn about a variety of techniques and a variety of different styles of quilting.

2015 Calendar

Last year, I received a coupon to get a free calendar from Shutterfly.  I gathered a bunch of photos of my quilts and threw them together into a calendar and got it printed.

This year, I received another coupon to get a free calendar from Shutterfly.  I still haven't gotten things planned enough to make a decent planned calendar, but I thought that last year's strategy worked well, so I copied it.  I grabbed some images of quilts I have made - both finished and unfinished.

I didn't want to use the same template I used last year, because I didn't want it to look the same.  Last year's template had quotes on it, and I really liked that idea. Since the template I chose this year didn't have any quotes, I needed to find my own quotes to add to the calendar.  I chose story quote as the word to search. I was planning on finding different topics for inspirational quotes, but I liked so many that I kept with the same theme for the whole year.

Some of these story quotes are about living life, and some of them are about telling a story. I felt that both kinds are applicable to me.

I didn't include names of quilts this time. I probably should have recorded them, but I don't remember the names of all of them, and since many are unfinished, I wanted the flexibility to come up with new names.

I initially thought I had more images of finished quilts than unfinished quilts this year, but it is pretty much half and half.

I added the pictures to the month that it seemed to fit best in.  When I went to the actual page, I was pleased to see that the background color of the template worked well with all of the selected quilt images.

I especially like this purple one with this quilt, although I'm not sure why, since there is very little purple in the quilt.

If you haven't done this before, I highly recommend it.  Seeing the images of these quilts professionally printed makes me feel like a real quilter!

Most of these quilts have not been shown in last year's calendar. In fact, I think there is only one repeat. It is purely accidental; if I had remembered it was on last year's, I would have used a different image.

I had to take the pictures at an angle this year, so you can't see the calendar at its best.  Trust me that it is a high quality calendar and it makes my quilts look very good.

Review of Husqvarna Viking Opal 650

My sewing machine broke earlier this year, and although I did manage to fix it, I didn't have time to sew much to verify that it was indeed back to its normal state.  I haven't been able to do any sewing for a long time due to tight deadlines at work and massive amounts of overtime.  I have been looking at blogs and magazines during my "spare time," like when I am eating breakfast, which has created a pent up demand for sewing.


When the deadline was met and the cleanup started, I brought out my African Crazy quilt, thinking that I could do some handwork on it.  But as the cleanup at work happened, my house was also screaming for cleanup, so the box sat unopened.

Eventually the pent up demand for sewing got too strong, and I rushed out to buy a new sewing machine.  I went to the Viking store that is inside the Joann store. I went straight for the Husqvarna Viking Opal 650  which I had decided I wanted earlier in the year. They had simpler models which had smaller throats and bigger models with more stitches and embroidery features, but this model had what I needed, and a few extra bells and whistles without too much of the stuff I didn't need.   I was able to get it for a great price, and am very happy with my purchase thus far.

See the built in needle threader, the clear bobbin cover and the supply box in the back. The organizer (sold separately) does make it easier to find things.

The many stitches available, the needle up and down button, the fix button, the cover that keeps your thread clean and out of the way.

The guide tells you what pressure foot to use, what stitch you are using, and lets you adjust your stitch length and move your needle over.

What I like About the Husqvarna Viking Opal 650

• It feels like a nice sturdy machine.  It has metal parts!
• The machine has many, many more stitches than my Kenmore 16, which has 16 stitches. It has 160. I haven't tried them all yet, but don't worry, I will use all of them at one point or another.  I  like using them for quilting.
• Larger storage space means more space to put those odds and ends supplies.
• Larger throat means more space to quilt big quilts.
• The reverse button works!
• It has a needle down position.
• You can see when you are running out of bobbin thread.
• You can wind the bobbin with the needle still threaded.
• It secures the stitches when it starts - they call it "fix"  and you can also secure the stitches at the end without reversing.
• The nice big storage space is behind the needle, so there is lots of place to put all your feet. 
• You can move your needle over to get a scant quarter inch seam. 
  

Negative Features of the Husqvarna Viking Opal 650

• The biggest negative is that it doesn't come with quilting feet.  You have to buy the quarter inch foot, the walking foot, and the darning foot separately.  They do have a quilter's package that has these three feet for less than the price of buying them individually, but I'm waiting for the sale.
• The feet don't work with other machines, so I can't mix and match and use the ones I already have.
• The big storage space is behind the needle so you have to reach around to find things.  On my Kenmore, it is in front of the needle and much easier to access.  The big space also means that things get lost in there.  There is an organizer (pictured) that is sold separately separate that will help make things easier.
• Since the machine is bigger than the Kenmore, it doesn't fit in my sewing table.  I am going to have to find another arrangement, which may finding someone to make the space bigger, or buying an extension so I can have a flat bed.
• The accessories are expensive! 

Overall, I am really happy with the machine so far. 

2021 Update

I wrote this review in 2013 and have owned the Opal for a long while now. Here are my updated thoughts on the machine.

• I stand by my opinion about the positive and negative features listed above.
• I don't have to change anything, but I do have information to add.
• My store offered free classes to help you learn how to use the machine. This was helpful, but it depended greatly on the knowledge of the instructor.
  
• The company recommends annual servicing and cleaning to maintain the warranty. This costs about $100 per year, maybe a little less. This type of servicing is probably recommended for all sewing machines, so it isn't specific to the Opal, but it is something for new sewing machine owners to know and keep in mind.
• I bought a flat bed extension. It has been a life changer. Having a flat bed makes quilting so much easier since it helps reduce drag. The flat bed also had a cling which had guiding marks so I no longer have to mark sewing lines for half square triangles.
• Last year, I had a problem with the machine. I found out something about the servicing and maintenance of the machine. I, Shasta Matova at High Road Quilter, live in Ohio, and the servicing is done in Michigan. The dealer (the Viking store that is inside a Joann store) couldn't find anyone they liked in Ohio to do the servicing, so they ship to Michigan. They repair it there and then ship it back. This means it will take more than a week to get your machine back.  If there is a problem with the repair, it will have to be sent back to Michigan for a second look. Your takeaway is to ask your dealer about where the servicing will take place and the timing when considering buying a machine. 

Overall, I am still happy with the machine. 

Fuse-and-Tell Journal Quilts

I promised Paula that I would review Fuse-and-Tell Journal Quilts first, so here goes.

Fuse-and-Tell Journal Quilts is a book by Laura Wasilowski, who has since published Fanciful Stitches Colorful Quilts which I have previously reviewed on HubPages.

The information is only from Fuse-And Tell Journal Quilts, although a lot of  the information probably applies to both.  The quilts were made using the technique of fusible applique.  They also use Fast2Fuse instead of or in addition to batting.  As Laura says, "Fusing is a fast, easy way to assemble a wall quilt without sewing seams, using templates, or following a pattern."

A journal quilt is like a small diary in cloth.  "Whether geometric or pictorial, they tell of happy memories, sad events, funny anecdotes or flights of fancy."  There are many ideas in the book on how to find inspiration for journal quilts.

The book shows you how to make six colorful and fun journal quilts, and has many other examples scattered throughout. These are journal quilts in that they allow you to journal the stories of your life.  These quilts are not limited to the size of a piece of paper that another journal quilt project used. This makes it much easier for me, since I have difficulty following size constraints.  Some of the quilts do have stitches on them.

The first section discusses Fascinating Fusing Facts, materials and tools for the fusible journal quilt. Then it goes into the six journal quilts, with facts about the inspiration of the quilt, and step by step directions (with lots of photos) on how to make them.  You are not limited to making just these six quilts, of course.  There are lots of other quilts that serve as inspiration throughout the book.  The final chapter explains how to finish a fused journal quilt.  There are ideas about how to quilt these journal quilts and three different ideas about how to bind them.  I am going to try the Wrapped Binding method for the quilt I am making now, just as soon as I finish adding the photos to this post.  There are also instructions on how to add hanging loops.  The final section has some templates to make the six featured quilts.

Amazon is offering a preview of other pages of Fuse-and Tell Journal Quilts. Click on the link and see many other pages of the book, or buy it there.  I will get a small percentage of Amazon's share of the price if you do.

Crankiness

In my last post, I asked my readers to read a variety of books in order to get perspective and form your own reasoned opinion.  This book is one I would recommend to get a different perspective .A World Without Islam by Graham Fuller shows the history of the religions, and shows how some of the things that are attributed to Islam may not necessarily be accurate. It shows how the current war against terrorism really should not be a war against Islam. I haven't read very much of this book yet, because I am not a fan of politics or religious debate, and need some time to recover from the last book.  I got it from the library, so I don't need to review it.

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All right, enough religion and politics.  In quilting news, I have sewn on the binding to my simply squares quilt, and need to hand stitch it down.  I have also made a list of the next few Jane blocks I want to make.  When I first started, I worked on a few at a time, assembly style, making sure they all used a different fabric.  By doing them assembly style, each of the steps in the process - the cutting, sewing, pressing, logging onto spreadsheet, scanning - was much more efficient, and it made it easier to do several blocks at a time in one "project" instead of making each block its own project.

I haven't focused a lot on quilting.  Taking care of the dog, dealing with books that need to be reviewed, and doing general cleaning (shedding!) inside and outside is taking up my non-working time.


I bought some lawn furniture online, on sale and with a coupon, and the next day it was substantially cheaper at the same store.  I called the company which purports to have a price guarantee, and a no hassle return guarantee.  They said that since my new coupon is only for this week, they could not simply give me the price difference.  I would have to return the first order and rebuy the product.  I thought they could do that without them actually physically having to ship me a whole new package, but they (the representative and his supervisor) said they could not. They would have to ship me a whole new package.  Shipping is free, so they have to pay for additional shipping, and I have to return a 60 pound box to the store. This is a lose-lose proposition.  I explained to him that I am unwilling to carry 60 pounds, depending on whether it comes in one box or several, so I may have to open the box, and return the parts and pieces separately. He was fine with that.  Since the price difference is substantial, I decided to go ahead and process the order as they recommended.  When the UPS man came, he brought one big box.  I asked him to put it directly in my car, but it doesn't fit.

I was in a cranky mood the next day, and thought I should work from home and stay away from people.  I had two telemarketing people come to the door(one came twice), and one by phone,  and a relative came to inform me that she has involved me in a fight she was having with another relative.  I think I must have some magnet that radiates negative energy towards me. At least that day it was in full force.

I am fine now.  I have assembled the ottomans and the table of the lawn furniture and one of the two chairs, and I am happy with the set. I think I can get someone with a larger vehicle to help me take the other box back to the store.  The weather is getting better, and the house and the yard are slowly looking nicer. 

Radical Islam

The Fight of Our Lives: Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth, and Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam by William J. Bennett and Seth Liebsohn talks about the bombings on 9/11 and the Fort Hood attack as examples of the way the United States has been soft and apologetic against the war on Radical Islam.

While I agree with some of the viewpoints, this book scares me, because I don't think the authors really distinguish the difference between the Muslims in general and the few radicals who are committing terrorists acts and justifying them in the name of a religion. There are lots of people of all religions who have committed terrorist acts in the name of a religion, i.e. the Ku Klux Klan.

Personally, I think that by calling this a war against a religion (or even the extremists in the religion), we are diluting what we are trying to set out to do. If a person who says he is a KKK member shoots an important person or a big group of people, we should absolutely go against that person. Also anyone who aided him/her, so maybe let's go after the gang. But if we go after that group, and all KKK groups in the state or the country, then it is going to be harder on our resources to take care of the original problem. I think we should have dealt with the original problem, and then expanded out to other problems.

And then if we go after all people in the town, state or , the U.S. or the entire world, who might have even stepped on the same sidewalk with any KKK member anywhere, then we are infringing on the rights of all those residents. Of course you have to interrogate even the ones who did not know the existence of any of the terrorists, just to be sure. Calling it a war against Radical Christianity will help you justify your cause, but somewhere along the line, it will become very easy to forget that just because they are from the same town or state or religion does not mean they are KKK members or have anything to do with that terrorist group.

I hope that we still remember the lessons we learned about the animosity against the Jews from World War II.  And the way we treated our Japanese residents after the war.

I was telling my SIL about this book, and she was surprised that I was willing to have anything to do with this book.  She thought that if I was opposed to a viewpoint, then I shouldn't be reading the book, and I certainly shouldn't be blogging about it and making others aware of the existence of the book.

One of the reasons this book bothers me, just like the other political books I have shown on this blog, is that it is such an extreme, biased point of view.  I don't think we should be fighting extremism with extremism. Some things the government did not catch before a terrorist act is due to the fact that hindsight makes them appear more serious and more clearly terrorist.  There are lots of facts in the book that I didn't know, and I am glad to know them now.  In fact, a lot of other book reviewers loved the book because of the facts they didn't know. I am wondering how many of the facts were spun out of recognition, and I know for sure that the other point of view was hidden. There were lots of important facts that I knew that weren't mentioned at all.

And speculations that were listed as clear facts. It isn't clear that the attack on Fort Hood was a terrorist attack and not by a lone gunman who had psychological problems. Wikipedia says " A year after the Fort Hood shooting, however, questions still lingered as to whether the incident was caused by mental health issues, and government agencies still had not officially linked Hasan to any radical terrorist groups." But the book uses it as a clear justification of why we can't let up on our war against Radical Islam.

But on the other hand, that is exactly why I do want to read it.  I want to know what people with varying viewpoints think, and hearing if from their own point of view is helpful.  I want to make sure that I know all sides of the story, and that the biased thinking I am hearing is offset by the biased thinking of the other side.  Yes, that leaves me more confused and not having a clear answer, but politics is never as clean as it is presented in these books.

It doesn't bother me that I am reading the book.  It bothers me that others might read the book and solely form their opinion based on it.  I say read the book, but only if you also read other viewpoints too so that eventually you can get a balanced view of what really happened.

I got this book for free from Thomas Nelson so  I could review it.

Review: Lies the Government Told You

Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano talks about government and politics, and how things aren't as always as he thinks they should be.   The book jacket says it:

reveals how America's freedom, as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, has been forfeited by a government more protective of its own power than its obligations to preserve our individual liberties.

The book is broken down into 17 chapters and goes through a wide range of issues.
Lie #1 All Men are Created Equal
Lie #4 Every Vote Counts
Lie #15 We Don't Torture 

It reminds us that laws are created by a group of diverse people, who find ways to negotiate, and laws and beliefs that aren't always consistent with each other. It is a very opinionated book, and I don't know enough about all the topics to know if important information is being left out or spun in a way that it doesn't reflect reality. Although I did not agree with all of it, and didn't know whether to agree with some of it, I found it to be an informative and interesting read.

I got this book for free from Thomas Nelson in exchange for this review.

Review: Blind Hope

Blind Hope: An Unwanted Dog and the Woman She Rescued by Kim Meeder and Laurie Sacher is about a worker at the Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon who adopeds a dog from a shelter who winds up having more problems than originally imagined.  The dog was blind.  The veterinarian recommended and Laurie decided to keep the dog.  This story is about their relationship, and the Christian lessons Laurie (and presumably Kim) learned from it.

I personally had a hard time reading this short book.  There is a forward by Kim Meeder, and her style of writing is completely different from the writing in the main part of the book, even though the story is told from her viewpoint.  I imagine that Laurie is the one who did a lot of the editing. It just felt awkward reading someone describing themselves in the third person. Also I imagine that Laurie took writing classes, and did thorough editing to make sure the book followed all the rules that teachers tell you to do - choosing vivid words, showing detail, etc.   I think the writing classes were taken overboard and I found the writing awkward to read. Here's a random excerpt:

From atop my trusted horse, Ele, I looked over at Laurie, mounted on Lightfoot, a gray Arabian gelding. Lightfoot is the most balanced combination of what I like to call "gentle fire" - he'd become one of our most beloved horses on the ranch. The ease with which Laurie sat on him divulged that they were dear friends. Laurie's dark blue helmet drew out and deepened the color of her eyes, already framed by her sweeping eyelashes. The combination was simply lovely.

I got this book for free from Multnomah Books in exchange of this review.

Review: The Upside of Irrationality

The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home
 by Dan Ariely

The Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely has been moved to Millionaire Tips.

Review: Love at Last Sight

Love at Last Sight: Thirty Days to Grow and Deepen Your Closest Relationships by Kerry and Chris Shook reminds us that while love at first sight is important, it is really the ongoing relationships that matter. What you do with and for your loved ones on a day to day basis is more important.  In 30 chapters, this book outlines steps to take in 30 days to develop a closer relationship with the people you care about. What I loved about this book is that it isn't just about romantic relationships. You don't even have to be having a problem with the other person, you just have to want to get closer to them. You can develop a closer relationship with a parent, a child, a friend, a sibling, or anyone else that you want to get closer.

Some of the steps are common sense, but when we get frustrated in a relationship, we have a tendency to forget the tools we already have to solve some of our relationship problems. And sometimes we don't make the effort to do the things we know we should be doing. This step-by-step program makes sure we don't skip the steps we think are "too hard." And the chapters convinced me that each step was worth doing.

This is a Christian book, and there are quotes from the Bible, as well as quotes from other sources in it.

I think 30 days is fast, especially with someone you don't see everyday. Some chapters may take you more time to digest and implement, but any step you take towards getting closer to a loved one is bound to reap rewards for both you and your loved one.


I really liked this book, and would recommend it.

I received this book for free from the publisher, Waterbrook Press, in exchange for an unbiased review.

Reading

I am really good at procrastinating, and when we had a snow "storm", I sat down and read a couple of books instead of following the to-do list.  It felt so good, and both of these books were wonderful.

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The book review of Shaking the Family Tree by Buzzy Jackson has been moved to Millionaire Tips on Hubpages.

Acts of Faith is written by Eboo Patel book review has been moved to Millionaire Tips.

Reading: Uncle Sam's Plantation

The welfare system has problems.  There are policies that are made to help, but wind up hurting the situation. They lose the incentive to solve their own problems.  And people use the system to what they think is their best advantage.  If you only get help if your electricity is shut off, there are people who will deliberately not pay their bill until their electricity is shut off, so that they can get the help.  There are cutoffs for certain programs.  I have experienced and know several people who, by making an effort to help themselves, have wound up ever so slightly over the cutoff for lots of help.  There are moral and ethical issues about which is better, so we decided that we are better off in helping ourselves, but not everybody makes that decision.

On the other hand, there are people who did wind up getting into situations where they need temporary help.  If you got laid off, or had a major health crisis, then it seems like a little help is appropriate.  Chances are, that if you are financially disadvantaged, your friends and family members are also living on a shoestring, and would be less able to help you.  It is a complex, sticky situation. While there is a lot people can do to help themselves, there are some conditions that some people are born with that are beyond their control.  How do you help people that need help without making them dependent or tempt them to work the system to get the most they can?

In my view, there aren't any clear, simple solutions.  But we do need to find solutions, so a book that purports to provide them sounds like a worthy read.

I got the book Uncle Sam's Plantation: How Big Government Enslaves America's Poor and What We Can Do About It by Star Parker from Booksneeze. It is about how the "government manipulates, controls and ultimately devastates the lives of the poor."  The title was very intriguing.  I was expecting to learn more about what was wrong with the welfare system, and what she thought were plausible solutions.  I was trying to imagine what life would be like if there was no welfare.

A book that talks about different aspects of the system, and explains what is wrong with it, and suggests a better alternative for that aspect would have been nice.

I am having a hard time figuring out how to discuss this book without talking about politics.  This book obviously espouses the Republican philosophy, and is anti-Democrats.   I personally don't choose between either Democratic or Republican philosophy - I like parts of both.  The world isn't black and white, and it seems like you have to see it as such when you choose one.

It was a rambling book - talking about the difficulties of defining poverty, stating that raising the minimum wage meant either raising prices or laying off people, problems with her mother working while on social security, education, health insurance, etc.  I was struck by the fact that there were some facts that were pointed out without any citations, and but mostly it was conjectures that were purported to be facts without any evidence. There are no footnotes or bibliography.  There were also Republican philosophies that had nothing to do with the subject of the book.

She talks about the changing face of America, with fewer people getting married, more out-of-wedlock babies, etc., but doesn't state how this should affect policies.  I think the implication is that all of these things are a result of Democrat philosophies, and somehow going back to the old ways would be best, although she doesn't say how that could be accomplished.

I was looking forward to the "What We Can Do About It" part of the book, which was at the very end, but it seems like the only recommendation was "A bold Republican agenda." 

The book was interesting enough, but it is basically an Anti-Democrat book, and there were no realistic solutions. It spent so much time complaining and not enough time explaining how her way would be better.

I received this book for free from Booksneeze in exchange for my review. You can click on the link to read more reviews on this book.