WIPs Jan 18, 2011 - And "End Piracy, Not Liberty"

So, has anyone else had that "Oh, Yeah" moment when you go to look something up and hit the protest blackout by Wikipedia and other sites?


(a shout out before all the fun quilting show and tell below)

I love Google's campaign to help spread the word about the imminent legislation. I have never mixed politics with my blog, but this one affects our daily lives profoundly and will put an undue burden on U.S. businesses - especially the little ones like all the personally-owned quilt shops online that I love.

Won't you take a moment to consider this and at the very least "sign" Google's petition to Congress? It's fast and easy. If Facebook can help bring down a government in Egypt, social media can get Congress to realize some things are just too much.

Go to google.com and click on their Blackout image. Then, on the right you simply sign the petition electronically.

Here is what it is talking about:

More about SOPA and PIPA

Members of Congress are trying to do the right thing by going after pirates and counterfeiters but SOPA and PIPA are the wrong way to do it.

1. SOPA and PIPA would censor the Web

The U.S. government could order the blocking of sites using methods similar to those employed by China. Among other things, search engines could be forced to delete entire websites from their search results. That’s why 41 human rights organizations and 110 prominent law professors have expressed grave concerns about the bills.

2. SOPA and PIPA would be job-killers because they would create a new era of uncertainty for American business

Law-abiding U.S. internet companies would have to monitor everything users link to or upload or face the risk of time-consuming litigation. That’s why AOL, EBay, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Mozilla, Twitter, Yahoo and Zynga wrote a letter to Congress saying these bills “pose a serious risk to our industry’s continued track record of innovation and job-creation.” It’s also why 55 of America’s most successful venture capitalists expressed concern that PIPA “would stifle investment in Internet services, throttle innovation, and hurt American competitiveness”. More than 204 entrepreneurs told Congress that PIPA and SOPA would “hurt economic growth and chill innovation”.

3. SOPA and PIPA wouldn’t stop piracy

To make matters worse, SOPA and PIPA won’t even work. The censorship regulations written into these bills won’t shut down pirate sites. These sites will just change their addresses and continue their criminal activities, while law-abiding companies will suffer high penalties for breaches they can’t possibly control.

There are effective ways to combat foreign “rogue” websites dedicated to copyright infringement and trademark counterfeiting, while preserving the innovation and dynamism that have made the Internet such an important driver of American economic growth and job creation. Congress should consider alternatives like the OPEN Act, which takes targeted and focused steps to cut off the money supply from foreign pirate sites without making US companies censor the Web.

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So, here are my WIPs for the week:

FOUR flimsies going to the quilter right away - 

"Three Sisters" set. These were all a family collaboration over Christmas Break. Even Dad (my hubby) seriously worked on them! (and he's proud of his contribution)

Heather's Geometric, which has an *awesome* back of floating mitered squares in solid Bella black (used every last bit of the border leftovers to make those squares). She made this top herself during college breaks over the last two years. It was a fairly complicated paper piecing project, and we need closeups of those sections!  They're very cool!

The black on this is absolute. In real life, it looks like the shadowy part. Really stunning effect. 

Marissa's Moment is being quilted. The pillow sham's quilting is finished and the guides on the top are marked. Just 2 or so seams left on the fancy back and I can sandwich that for some serious attention this weekend.

I'm getting more and more comfortable with free motion work.  :)  

And I'm **almost** finished quilting Snowy Day!!

The back is a really pretty powder blue minkee that the camera can't capture. I'm trying out the washable Tuscany wool batt on this one. It's much plusher - like poly batting loft. Combined with the minkee, it makes for one very snuggly blanket-style quilt!

BOM work is also happening, but that's the subject of BOMs Away Mondays.  ;D