frank sinatra

My ring for the Haiti auction is now complete. I am pretty pleased with it:





The top part spins and is set with sapphires in groups of 1 - 6, so it can be used as a "dice". The name comes from the fact that every time I set to work on this, I could hear Frank himself singing Luck Be A Lady Tonight in my head!

haiti

One of the things I really like about metalsmiths as a group is that they seem to be especially inventive in terms of new ways of doing things. Perhaps it is something to do with the combination of malleability and intractability of their chosen materials which gives them this mindset. One of my colleagues, Tomi, has come up with this project to raise funds for the Haiti relief effort: everyone she knows is making a ring which will be auctioned to this end. I'll be starting one this week. Other details are here and the auction is here.

I'll post some pictures of my work as the week goes on.

surrogate morality

For all that I bitch and moan about the Scottish parliament, it has to be said that on social and moral legislation, it is doing a rather good job. We have some of the best child protection legislation in the world, we have a proper human rights agenda and that brings with is a commitment to equality. So far so good.
Yesterday, a woman for whom I have previously had little time - Margo MacDonald - presented a bill to the parliament, suggesting that it is time that Scotland has a properly thought-out policy on Assisted Suicide or Voluntary Euthanasia or what ever you care to call it.

Today, the catholic church in Scotland said that it would do everything in its power to prevent this bill from becoming law. Once more, a minority of religious fanatics think that they have the right to dictate morals to the majority... Worse, this is the same church which tries to defend priests who lie to the police when chopped up bodies are found under their church floors; which refuses to acknowledge or punish systemic child abuse; which advises people not to use condoms in the face of AIDS and other STIs; which condems homosexuality whilst ignoring the fact that enormous numbers of their priests are homosexual; which indoctrinates children and; which is headed up by an unapologetic ex-member of the Hitler Youth.

If the catholic church don't want Assisted Suicide, that is fine. They don't need to have it. Should I ever want it, however, I don't want some prissy frock-wearing hypocrite with dubious "morals" telling me that I can't.

acj conference

I've been invited to teach a workshop at the ACJ conference this year! Very pleased about that one... I'll be working with Bob Ebendorf again, which is great news.

Details here.