I’d like to introduce you to Mouf and Miff. Mouf was originally created in 2D by our friend and artist b.d. eek.  I was later asked to bring this little being to life in a more lovable, huggable form.  At the time I had begun to knit more often so a version of Mouf made out of yarn seemed like the natural choice.  Even after Mouf was finished he did not seem quite complete, he needed a lady friend to share in his knitted world of plushness. So b. d. eek went back to work and a short time later he created Miff.

Before the creation of Mouf and Miff my knitting skills only included products that used straight lines, like scarves and headbands. These odd creatures opened up a world of circular knitting I had not yet ventured into. Using simple acrylic yarn found at any craft store most body parts were knit with two size three (U.S.) circular knitting needles. Initially I was not sure how to go about making such small knitted tubes to create the body parts. After some internet research I found that most knitters prefer using two circular needles rather than the older method of using double-pointed needles. For more help knitting with two circular needles check out this video by Cat Bordhi.

The finishing touches on Mouf and Miff used felt, embroidery floss and fabric scraps. They are stuffed with fiberfill and all clothes are hand sewn. I worked with no pattern, making things up as I went along through the process of trial and error. Besides their bodies, which I was very lucky with, not a single other part was made correctly on the first try.  However, knowing that I did it all on my own is very satisfying. I hope you enjoy the happy couple and if you have any questions please email me at tricia@therathaus.com

by: Tricia Rock

As people continue to live longer we see that the fashion forward do not cease their style obsession with growing age. This may be best expressed in the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens, which made a fashion icon of Little Edie at the ripe age of 57. Her unmistakable clothing combinations and endless supply of turbans showcased a sophisticated yet often silly style, common amongst many grannies. This look is a welcome relief from the fast-paced, trendsetting world of contemporary fashion. Advanced Style is a blog dedicated to finding people in their golden years who continue to express themselves through their choice of clothing. After reading about the site on Liebemarlene Vintage, a girl who shares my love of all things vintage…even people, I was relieved to find some grannies whose fashion footsteps I would love to follow in.

by: Tricia Rock

I don’t want to be viewed as a conspiracy theorist, I can’t afford to be called unpatriotic, and I definitely don’t want to be a nag. We are taught to trust that secrecy is just a necessary step in protecting the country, and I suppose I am meant to also accept that in order to get what you want in this country you have to lie, cheat, and steal.

Consider for a moment how much power the president of the United States of America actually wields. The selection of our president is not something to be taken lightly as it involves one of the most influential countries in the world. But can you imagine that two people get to duke it out in fair fight to see comes out on top? Honestly, who wouldn’t take brass knuckles to a fight with those stakes?

So take those campaign signs out of your yards, take those buttons off your shirts. This is just like every romantic comedy produced by Hollywood, the ending is chosen for you. In a eight part interview Stephen Spoonamore, the former CEO of Cybrinth, a data management company that helps protect electronic transactions in ATMs and electronic voting machines, explains in layman’s terms the process of rigging American elections. A process eerily similar to the efforts of dictators like Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein. American leaders are just clever enough to keep it a close race.

A majority of the United State’s voting machines used in our elections are made by Diebold, the nations largest producer of ATMs. Premier Election Solutions, a subsidiary of Diebold, is ultimately responsible for coding the machines to make them tamper proof, however, they are not required to submit their work to third party inspections nor is there any Congressional oversight. Apparently Washington is not too worried about the security of our ballots being entrusted to a corporation.

If you want evidence of election fraud, best selling author and investigative journalist Greg Palast has it. Palast’s writing is often dismissed by the mainstream media perhaps because of his smugness, but the proof of election fraud in America is difficult to ignore. Full of facts and insight into the process, Palast was working for the BBC when he first exposed the corruption in Florida that caused the 2000 presidential race to become such a debacle. The information he provides illustrates how Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, and Florida Elections Unit Chief Clay Roberts worked together to defeat Democratic nominee John Kerry.

If you don’t believe Greg Palast’s exposure of fraud in the presidential elections, you may respond better to the documentary “Hacking Democracy.” The film follows Bev Harris, director of Black Box Voting, as she unmistakably proves that Diebold’s voting machines are not only hackable, but that the tampering can be untraceable. Harris was able to access the Premier Elections Solutions FTP server through a basic Google search and upload the coding software GEMS used in the voting machines encoded by the company. This film has also been ignored by the mainstream despite being produced by HBO and exposing the general ease in which our democracy can be taken from us.

If you are searching for a way to take action against this manipulation and secrecy visit Common Cause and email your representatives. Sending a few emails will only help make this an issue of greater precedence. You can also visit StealBackYourVote to read about the steps needed to secure our elections and ultimately our democracy.

Common Cause promotes:

Voter-Verified Paper Ballots. A major priority is passage of legislation at the federal and state levels is to protect citizens’ votes in the event of electronic voting machine malfunction or hacking. Such legislation would require all voting systems to use paper ballots or produce paper records that would be subject to random mandatory audits. The fact that voters would mark the ballots themselves, or at least verify physical paper records of their votes, would assure there could be a check on the electronic count. Additionally, if a recount were needed – there would be paper records or ballots that the voters have reviewed that can be recounted.

Fair and Effective Voter Database Management Protocols. A number of states have developed fair and effective voter database management protocols so that voters are not inadvertently purged from the rolls.
These ‘best practices’ should be adopted nationwide. (commoncause.org)

Velvet Revolution Interview with Stephen Spoonamore: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Greg Palast video on stealing elections

by: Scott Starrett

Ever feel like you want to help the world? You have all the ideas, you know they’re better than what’s out there, but how is little old you going to fund a project that will really have an impact on the global community?

Google announced Wednesday the launch of its 10^100 Project (pronounced “10 to the 100th”) in which they will be giving out $10 million to help with just these sorts of ideas. And according to CNN.com, the internet mogul will be taking submissions through October 20th from YOU. “By opening the project to anyone — not just laboratories or universities — Google is embracing “crowdsourcing,” the Internet-age notion that the collective wisdom of mass audiences can be leveraged to find solutions to design tasks” (CNN.com).

Google has put no limits on the types of ideas they are looking for, however, submissions should focus on issues that affect the well-being of the global community such as food, shelter, clean energy, health, and education. One example cited by Google and supported by The Rathaus is the Hippo Water Roller, a device designed to ease the weight of carrying water for villagers in need of transporting from water sources to their homes.

Worried your idea is just not there yet, that you may need more expertise to bring it to fruition? No need, because Google is willing to take care of this for you. Just let them know what’s on your mind.

Entries will be narrowed down to 100 by Google and an advisory board, and between January 27 and February 2 the public will have a chance to participate in the voting process. The chosen 20 finalists will then be reviewed by a panel of experts and in mid February between one and five winners will be announced with the $10 million being spread among the selected winners.

For more information on the 10^100 Project go to www.project10tothehundred.com.To read a call to action for humanity based product design (including the Hippo Roller) read Project H Design on Core 77

by: Tricia Rock and Scott Starrett

Wonder Fair presents: “In A Stranger’s House”

New works from Ilenia Madelaire, the unrevealing artist who keeps sparse information about her artwork on the web except for this mysterious but nonetheless excellent image. We don’t even know the title or if the work is a painting or a print, we just know we want to see more of Madelaire’s surreal imagery. The opening reception is Friday, September 26th from 6 to 9 pm followed by the music of Emperor Moth.  If you cannot make it to Lawrence, Kansas don’t worry because The Rathaus will be covering the event, so check back for images from the show.

posted by: Harold Johns III

Say hello to Munny. Munny  is a seven-inch, blank white, vinyl toy-figure with an over-sized head and movable joints made by KidRobot, a creator and retailer of limited edition toys. From September 30th to October 11th the Lawrence Arts Center will display 100 interpretations of the figure created by of some of the best artists  and designers working in Kansas including our friends Jouvelt, Yuri Zupancic, Eric Dobbins, Scott Starrett, b. d. eek, Gabriel Dorsey, and Scott Stewart. The showcase, entitled “Munnys That Bring Happiness”, will join together artists of all backgrounds and mediums through the use of the same 3-D canvas, which should yield some interesting results.

The strange little creature has been customizable since the limited edition toys exploded into pop culture in the early 2000s. Several respected artists have already left their mark on Munny including : Shepard Fairy (OBEY), Gary Baseman, Frank Kozik, Tara McPherson, Michael Sieben and designer Marc Jacobs. The Museum of Modern Art in New York added some of the figures to its permanent collection and the upper crust have even fought over them at Christie’s auction house. The highest price paid for a Munny is $20,000.

So in summary, toys are now art and the opening reception for “Munnys That Bring You Happiness” is Saturday October 4th from 7 to 9 pm in Lawrence, Kansas at the Lawrence Arts Center. See you there.

posted by: Harold Johns III