http://www.RobertDevereux.com/ en-us Copyright 2007, Robert Devereux webmaster-rss@robertdevereux.com Mon, 6 Sep 2010 05:00 GMT Mon, 6 Sep 2010 05:00 GMT Wed, 1 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100901http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100901I recently worked with toe puff material for the first time. It was an interesting experiment, and it helped me solidify what I want to make for future shoes. Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100827http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100827In theory, the treadle sewing machine should work, but I can't get it to stitch. I don't think it's a mechanical problem, I think it's user error. I believe that I'm doing something wrong with the threading or tension. The needle goes through the leather, it catches the bobbin, yet whatever stitches appear end up unraveling immediately. Fri, 6 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100806http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100806It's been too long since my last through hike, the Abel Tasman Trail in New Zealand. I was there in 2004. That's nearly six years with only taking day hikes. Tue, 3 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100803http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100803In the past year, I started delving into genealogy, in part to find where my grandmother's family came from. Notes from my uncle John indicated that my great great grandfather was Antonio Rogers. Aside from being told he was from the Azores and lived in the town of Truro, Massachusetts, I knew little about him. Mon, 28 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100628http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100628I searched for a long time to find a sewing machine that would be suitable for stitching leather. I had little luck finding an affordable option, but I eventually remembered an antique Singer sewing machine that my mother had. It was made in 1908, and before my mother had it, it belonged to one of her aunts. It wasn't pretty to look at anymore, since it had rusted a bit and the wood had deteriorated, but the mechanical parts still worked. It seemed like an ideal option, since it was a family heirloom that could be put to good use. Also, it could handle heavy fabrics and leather due to sturdy construction and working under manual power. Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100614http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100614I recently got the chance to watch a BBC nature documentary, Unexpected Wilderness, also known as The Wild Places of Essex. Instead of focusing on huge expanses and "untamed" wilderness, it focuses on small wild areas. There are forests sandwiched between highways, mud flats, and overgrown areas. When people envision wild places, they often overlook areas like this that are right under their noses. Programs like this are helpful to remind us that nature and beauty can be found in urban areas. Tue, 11 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100511http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100511I spent the weekend in Toronto, and one of the attractions that I visited was the Bata Shoe Musuem. There were some good exhibits and some less impressive ones. I don't care what shoes Mike Meyers wore in Austin Powers, so the celebrity shoe gallery was of no interest to me. The exhibit on socks was not adequately fact checked, they labeled Coraline as a Tim Burton Movie. It makes me sad when museums present obviously incorrect information. Mon, 10 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100510http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100510In recent years, research has been showing that supportive running shoes are bad for our feet. You can read some of this here, here, here, here, and here. Even if you don't run, another study found that supportive shoes can lead to lead to arthritis in the knees. Fri, 7 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100507http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100507The shoes that I made on my trip to Virginia are quite good. However, without the supervision of a teacher, I have made some mis-steps. Thu, 6 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100506http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100506I headed to Lexington, Virginia to take a class with Glenn Leisure of Healthy Handmade Shoes. I stayed with him and his wife, Peggy, while learning to make shoes. He primarily uses stitch down construction, where the shoe upper is glued and then stitched to a leather mid-sole. It is not aimed at elegant dress shoes, instead it aims for simplicity and comfort. It gives the shoes a rustic charm. Wed, 5 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100505http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100505Every foot is unique. Many people have one foot slightly smaller than the other, or perhaps with a slightly different shape. In many cases, the differences are minor enough that a standard size can work for both feet. However, some people have feet that are too different to work in a standard size. I fall into the this category. My left foot is easy to fit, but my right will not fit into any standard shoe size. When measured in a Brannock Device, my feet are size 7.5 US. However, no 7.5 shoe is wide enough for the toes on my right foot. To get the proper width, I have to size up to 9, and this is too long. Trying 7.5 in wide sizes, like E or EE leaves too much room around the heel. Tue, 4 May 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100504http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100504The old website was oriented completely around my music. In recent years, making music has become less important to me. I no longer find happiness in producing music designed to unsettle, and my drive to record other types of music is not as strong as my previous musical drives. I am still working on music, albeit very slowly. Sat, 3 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100403http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20100403Some photos of my trip to the Cleveland Zoo are up on my Flickr Page. Sat, 1 Nov 2003 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20031101http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20031101Reviews for Fungicide Fri, 31 Oct 2003 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20031031http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20031031 1. Albumuth Boulevard 2. The Exchange 3. The Transformation of Martin Lake 4. Uzumaki I 5. Dradin, In Love (Part I) 6. Festival of the Squid 7. Dradin, In Love (Part II) 8. Flooded Streets 9. Uzumaki II10. The Cage11. The Man Who Had No Eyes12. The Exchange (Reading by Jeff VanderMeer)Non Album TracksSecond Groove: Quail Note Records' Traditional Moroccan Music, Volume II was the original source for Festival of the Squid. That record had a second groove. I recorded an excerpt of music from that second groove. I found a quite interesting surprise when I listened to it in mono. Fungicide: This song was composed by taking from pieces of other songs on Fungicide and remixing them. It was left off of the CD due to time constraints. Read press about FungicideFungicide is a collection of music to accompany City of Saints & Madmen, by Jeff VanderMeer, However, the music can be enjoyed even if you are not familiar with his work.The CD is a gate-fold package with 20 pages of notes, artwork and an excerpt from Jeff VanderMeer's novel, Shriek: An Afterword.See sample pages -> Thu, 30 Oct 2003 05:00:00 GMThttp://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20031030http://www.RobertDevereux.com?day=20031030Strange Travelers Demo1. Dust Devil2. Dejahheerna3. Haunting Memories4. Drown5. RiseOther DemosMarionettes: This is one of my oldest songs. The melody found it's way into Dradin, In Love as tuned percussion. Pale Wings: This is also one of my older songs, I recorded in a new version to have as a hidden download that people could find by searching my previous Web site. I decided to make things easier to find in the new site. Short Film ScoresThese short films were directed by Elizabeth Cromwell.GilnoStreetKittyNew Weird and Squid BlizzardListen to Squid Blizzard at the New Weird page at MySpace. City of Saints and Madmen TrailerWindows Screensaver Trailer