How to Create a Stained Glass Piece

I enrolled in a stained glass class this Fall. Here is how I put my piece together:
I started by picking out a design; because this is a beginning class, we didn't have enough experience to create our own. The designs were traced onto thick paper, and the pieces of the design were cut out with two-bladed scissors.
Next, we picked out the glass we wanted to use, traced the outlines of the component pieces onto the glass, and used our glass cutting tools. The tools included a glass cutter (which was oiled before being used), and a few different tools which were used to break the glass once the original cut had been made. Some glass was more textured, and was therefore harder to cut.

Once the basic cuts had been made, the pieces were refined and made to fit together with the help of a grinder. A grinder is a spinning piece of hard metal (with a sponge attached to keep it from getting dry and causing damage). It allows you to wear down a piece of glass in a controlled manner.
Starting from the bottom corner, each piece is smoothed out, and made to fit relatively closely with the other pieces. It is an arduous process, but, as the grinding process continues, the piece begins to resemble its final form.

After the glass has been cut and fitted together, I started lining the individual pieces with a flat strip of copper.
Using the specialized device, I placed the edge of a piece of glass in the center of the wire, and moved the glass around until the entire edge was coated with the copper.
I took a roller to flatten the copper, and used an X-acto knife to cut the pieces of copper that stuck out. Once I was done, I placed each piece in its proper place in the design.
Finally, I was ready to solder the pieces of glass. Solder is a mixture of tin and lead which binds to the copper, but not the glass itself.
I started by soldering the 'joints' on one side of the piece. I covered the areas with flux (a mild acid which allows the copper to bind to the solder). Then, I took a spool of solder, pressed a hot iron against the metal, and allowed the molten metal to fuse to the piece.
Then, I soldered all of the 'lines' on one side of the piece (except for the edges, where the frame would go). After waiting for the side to cool off, I did the same on the other side. I cleaned up the piece, added a frame, and added a copper finish on top of the solder.
To add some final polish, I wiped the piece off with a waxy cleanser.

More than Kindle, and Less than Kind

I've been curious about e-readers for a while. Since I have a trip coming up, and didn't want to pack a lot of travel books, a reader became an increasingly attractive prospect. So, once I heard about the new Kindle, I figured that "it was time" and snapped one up.
I've spent the last week getting a handle on the device, and, while it won't completely replace traditional books, it has many advantages. I'm glad I have a Kindle to carry around, and I expect to read many more books on it.
Pros:

• It's easier to carry around, and easier to read on a whim. This is especially true with respect to larger books. I can make a point of carrying the Kindle around with me where I go, and can decide to start a new book at any time. If I wanted to start reading a given printed book, I'd have to be more deliberate about it.
• E-books are searchable, which is a valuable feature with certain kinds of books, like reference books.
• It is easy to get cheap, or even free, versions of out-of-copyright classics.
• Books in general are cheaper.
• The Kindle encourages reading; when I have a small library at my fingertips, I'm more likely to read when I have a free minute, and less likely to do something less edifying with my time.
• There are some books I don't want to keep around forever, and I don't have to feel guilty about deleting them. (and I can get them back for free if I want to)
• There are costs to owning a physical object (like a DVD, CD, or book), and it's nice to "own" a book, and have access to it at any time, without having to carve out space for it, organize it, or move it around.
• I like being able to underline texts or make notes without "defacing" the book.
• I like the e-ink technology used by Kindle. It more or less mimics a printed page, and it's nicer to read than a backlit screen (especially since I spend way too much time in front of backlit screens).

Cons:

• Traditional books engage the spatial part of my mind in a way that an e-book simply couldn't. After reading a printed book, I can flip through, and remember the place where a favorite passage was, or where a certain plot development occurred. I can, of course, perform a search on an e-book and find what I need, but I can't interact with the book as an object. 
• It is easy to share paper books. I'm not sure that it's possible to share your e-books without lending your reader.

Ultimately, I think I'll rely more and more on the Kindle for my everyday reading, but I would still like to get "traditional" paper copies of the books I deem special. If nothing else, I'm glad that the Kindle is getting me more engaged in books and reading, and I hope that I can maintain my level of interest.

Prepared for 2010

Although there were definite highlights, 2009 was a challenging and stressful year. I am excited for the "clean slate" that the new year represents, and I definitely have a few goals (I hesitate to use the term "resolutions") for the coming months. Here are the things I would like to do:

• Get my Apartment in Order: I've been at my apartment for over two years, but it's still not fully furnished and decorated. In part, this is because I have been hesitant to buy furniture or artwork that is generic, or that I don't like. It's also easy to put decorating on the backburner when you don't have roommates. I am hoping to get the final pieces of furniture in place (I just got a new lamp yesterday!), and I'm going to make more of an effort to decorate the walls and make the space more livable.
• Draw More Regularly: Drawing is one of the few things I can always count on to make me happy, and I want to make sure that I'm always drawing something. Fortunately, I got copies of Photoshop and Illustrator for Christmas, so I'll have a lot to work with.
• Consume Less Caffeine: I'll see if I can do this. I tend to drink too much caffeine (especially tea), and I don't think it's good for me. I'd like to scale back a bit.
• Read More/Watch More Movies: It's easy to get consumed by work, and to miss out on the interesting movies that are coming out, or on the important books that I should have read by now.
• Keep Doing the Positive Things I've Been Doing: I have to keep in mind that I've accomplished (or at least working towards) many good things, and I don't want to let them fall by the wayside as I try to improve myself.

Anyhow, Happy New Year, everyone!