Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Movie Monday

OK, I admit it! I ordered something online today, Cyber Monday. I'm not proud that I succumbed to the siren call of capitalism. I'm not even sure I really wanted my purchase (hued lace yarn.) But it's done. I will be knitting till I die and beyond (neat trick for an atheist.) But, at least, I'll be using good yarn - and it was on sale!

Spent Saturday working on my newsletter. For some reason it was a 7 hour project which was spent in the kitchen on the laptop and the TV turned to the weekend marathon of The Lord of the Ring. (Could this be why it took so long?) I started watching at 8 pm Friday night and continued into the wee hours of today. Since this its 10th anniversary, they also showed the extended version of the trilogy (I think about 3 times total.)

What do they call LOTR junkies? I'm one for sure. But even after 10 years, the damn thing holds up. Not so much the CGI, which Jackson once said would one day become dated, but the acting out of the story. The little vignettes which suck you into the characters' lives. I'm happy Jackson didn't go for star power (rumor is that Sean Connery was offered the part of Gandalf - not a good match.) Instead, by using good, solid actors, Jackson made what may be the best ensemble epic of all time. Think about it: most epics pivot around one character and his/her interactions with secondary players. Gandhi, Lawrence of Arabia, Ben Hur, Avatar, the list is endless. With LOTR, there is hero's journey but both Frodo and Aragon are making equally important ones. There are "sidekicks" but they are all unique: Sam with Frodo, Pippin and Merry with Theoden and Gandalf and Legolas and Gimli with Aragon. There are the "waiting women" but both have unique personalities: Arwen who watches and protects and Eowyn who chafes that she can't fight as her men do. And there's so much more but this is not the my movie for Monday. That honor, or perhaps dishonor goes to, The American with George Clooney.

If the world were going to end today and you had never seen any movie in your entire life and The American was the only movie available, I would say: Read a book instead.

The American lacks everything except gorgeous scenery. The acting is bad, the plot is wacky, and apparently from IMDb reviews, the mechanics of building an assassin's rifle were all wrong. It seems obvious this film was going for the ennui of the over-the-hill assassin which European films have a knack for nailing. Clooney doesn't.

Clooney is an American actor through and through. It's not a bad thing but the closest he ever came to the weary pessimism found in European films was Michael Clayton. Being talented with a comedic spark, Clooney is able to "phone in" some roles, as he does in The American. Never is the audience engaged in this man's life. We start with a mystery. He and his girlfriend are in Sweden. They walk into a snow covered field. Someone is following them. Clooney shoots the man, send his girlfriend to call the police and as she walks away, calmly shoots her. Wow!

Next scene, he flees to Italy, calls his boss, says he wants out. OK, says the boss just one last job. It's to make the gun for the killer, not to be the killer. There's a lot in this setup but it goes nowhere. It's established that he frequents prostitutes but then, bingo, he falls in love with one. Of course, he still has this gun to make which he does and then the movie engages in the longest, most boring sequence of "taking the gun out for a test run." Remember the tautness of The Day of the Jackal where the gun is made and tested. It all done tautly with a minimum of talking and in the back of the audience's mind is the question: Will the Jackal kill the kindly gun maker has he done with other helpers? Perhaps the director was trying to repeat that scene. He doesn't. And so The American just goes boringly along. Even twists and betrayals fall flat.

At first, I thought the movie was based on the Henry James novel of the same name. It isn't. But I always remember James as being so boring. I know he was supposed to be deep but I could only go so far with a James novel (he was better with the short story) before I felt like I was swimming in the molasses of triviality. Sort of how I felt by the closing credits of The American.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

I was an absolute waste this week re: blogging since family health issues, school half-days and gobble-gobble day took up all my time. So I thought: Let's not make the week a total waste. Let's blog on Black Friday when the whole nation is sitting home, drinking coffee and reading my blog.

But before I get to my very, very short knitting blog, if you have Verizon cable TV, this weekend you get Starz and Encore free (channels 340 to 362 in NJ) and tonight you get to see LOTR, all three movies, without commercial interruption (that means you don't pee for 9+ hours.) I'm sure there will be other noteworthy but all three LOTR!!!! Wow!'

On to knitting. Hubby wants a second scarf and he decided on the color and the pattern (deep brown and a flat stockinette stitch with twisted stitches throughout.) It's coming along very nicely and I'm using the needles recommended on the yarn, US 6. So I'm getting a chance to try out my US 6 in the Harmony from the Knit Picks sampler pack (US 6, 7, 8 in wood, plastic and nickel, 2 different-sized cables for $20.) and I'm loving these wood needles. Really sharp.

But I wasn't that happy with my cast on so I thought: What about an I Cord CO? Which brought me to the following Berroco site which I want to recommend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl550vquOCY

After practicing with the video and using her cast on of 4 stitches, I wasn't pleased with the thickness of the I Cord. You really don't want an I Cord that's "in your face" at the bottom of a scarf. So, still following her directions I only cast on 2 stitches. And, when I got to the required stitches (the pattern CO stitch number) I only made one extra stitch (the video says make 3 extra stitches.) Then I took that extra stitch and the last required stitch back to the left needle and knitted them together (the video has you taking 4 stitches back to the LN and K2tog two times.) The video's bind off gave the I Cord a bump I didn't like.

Another observation I had: you have to use straight needles or two circs (trust me on this) and you seem to be able to make the I Cord on the same size needle as you need for the pattern. Maybe you could even go down one size but not up. I'm planning on making the I Cord bind off on two stitches to match the CO. I haven't even tried this process yet so if I get to 65" and discover it ain't goin' to work and my scarf ends aren't matching, you will hear my primal scream wherever you are.

Enjoy your shopping, eating leftovers, whatever, today. Happy Knitting.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Every once and a while, in order to maintain your sanity, you have to look beyond the dross humans create for other humans and see the patches of beauty and the patches of fun which exist all around us.

So, on a rainy, dank day in NJ, I present:

http://alligator-sunglasses.com/

Love the name: Alligator Sunglasses. Does he put them on himself? Get help? They are cool shades.

Currently, you get a picture of a baby polar bear with the heading: Just A Baby Polar Bear. But, being human, we anthropomorphically attribute to this infant mammal who will soon grow into a vicious killer all the smiles and chuckles we would heap on our own progeny. And, then the cute kitty one picture down. Oh, so cute. (And I'm NOT a cat person.) But AS then brings us back to reality with a printed monologue by Dave Chappelle where he talks about girls dressing like whores but not being them.

Alligator Glasses is part of the PBH Network and if you click on the top bar at AG, you'll be sent to other PGH sites.

Click on The World Around Us in the top bar for some stunning pictures. It's really 3-D in 2-D. Also, in this topic is a map of McDonald's around the country. (Tip: If you want to trip over a McDonald's, live on the east coast.) A click on Politics & Culture will bring you to the midnight raid on OWS in NYC. And also, Chapter 1 of The Mormon Diaries by the AS cultural correspondent.

I had to google to find out about PBH; here's what I got:

The original PBH Network began in 2005 with the launch of Prose Before Hos, Well Placed Pottery, and Disgraceful And Sexy. In 2009 and 2010, PBH2, Die Hipster Die, Alligator Sunglasses [Formerly PBH3], All That Is Interesting, Runt of the Web, and Die Guido Die were added to feature new content.

and more:

Prose Before Hos (PBH) is an open forum for news, humor, and writing. PBH features personalities, dailies, reviews, and a vast array of columns and updates from authors.Well Placed Pottery (WPP) is a website in expressionist effort, labeled by the creator as an ‘artistic endeavor’. The website is primarily centered around thought and abstract creations. Disgraceful And Sexy (D&S) is a media centered website. This site, as the title implies, is a humor driven focused on multimedia including pictures, movies, and miscellaneous internet humor.

Nothing about AS; but you get the picture. PBH is beautiful, funny, thoughtful, and...... well you fill in the rest. There's a lot of see and read here so plan to stay for a while. Oh, and much of it is not child friendly. Enjoy.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Movie Monday

I was thinking about what is systemically wrong with the US and I guess, if the essay says: Give only one reason, I would have to say it's that we made capitalism, which is only an economic system, into a code word for our representative government ("They are trying to destroy capitalism, the very fiber of our way of life."); and then we spun that wacky belief into the meme that capitalism is sacred like religion and you know we never disparage anyone's religion (Well, anyone we think is OK, that is.) in this county.

Not encouraging thoughts but I like to understand how everything works.

Which brings me to my movie review this Monday, which is not Dogville (as promised two Mondays ago) but it does involve Nicole Kidman (who stars in Dogville) and Lars von Trier (who directed Dogville), so I'm getting there.

I want to end up reviewing Melancholia but let's start with The Hours. For which, Nicole Kidman won Best Actress Oscar for her role as Virginia Wolf(!!!) Oh, the horror! She did wear a false nose and that's the equivalent of "losing yourself in a role" in Hollywood terms. But, what a depressing movie! Apparently, there's a book, The Hours, which won the Pulitizer Prize(!!!) which is the basis of this movie. The plot spans the time from the early 1900s to modern times and, using Woolf as the linchpin, traces the lives of three lesbian/bi-sexual women and their interactions with husbands and a past lover. What a drag! Meryl Streep plays her role with her usual acting smarts; Julianne Moore fights back tears throughout her extremely depressing turn as a pregnant mom of an adorable little boy who is fighting her desire to leave her family and kill herself.

And, then there's Kidman as Woolf. Oh, the angst! The only time she acts believably human is a short scene when she selfishly orders her hard-working cook to leave her preparations for lunch and travel to London to get a food she wants. The rest of the time she's angsting about. OK, I am on a tirade here and that's because I decided to revisit Woolf. I couldn't find her novels at the time but did find a book of essays. What a witty, bright, articulate woman. Nothing of this is in the movie however, and we come away with a gross misconception of a great, innovative female writer from the last century. What a waste.

OK, the above was just a mini-tirade; now to a review of Melancholia which is the story of the destruction of earth without any of the fanfare. It's centered on a dysfunctional family with Kristen Dunst as the clinically depressed sister (and she nails the depression) who fucks up her life royally almost immediately after the film starts and then we watch her, her sister, nephew and brother-in-law as they wait for the end of the world.

The film has a very European in flavor, in that good European films usually play out very slowly and the denouncement is more a whimper than a bang. Same here is some ways for (SPOILER ahead) the world does end but very quietly and beautifully. No CGI, only minor hysterics; it's sad but it's also soooo quiet.

But then, it lacks the length which good European films need since they explore subjects so much more quietly (there's that word again) and philosophically than their American counterparts. I would have liked a longer movie. More exploration of Dunst's relationship with her parents; more exploration of her relationship with the husband she dumps on her wedding night; more exploration of the depression which defined her life. Von Trier likes streamline metaphor (Dogville) so perhaps this is the cut he wanted or perhaps this is the cut which he knew would be the money shot (they loved Melancholia at Cannes.)

Bottom line: Go see Melancholia. It's beautiful to the eye; it has stuff to say; it has stuff we all can think about (example: why are men so peripheral in this movie?) Be warned, it has a slow European pace, not American freneticism. Surprisingly, it's less depressing than The Hours.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

Pretty much nothing new, except: my man's scarf is practically done (the man just has to try it on for length); the pink lace small shawl I was knitting in the pattern I posted last Friday has been frogged, and Wolkistchen from Ravelry has started another Advent Calendar Scarf KAl, this time for 2011. Website below:

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/advent-calender-scarf-2011

First the man's scarf: hubby asked for it and I love it when someone asks for a knitted project (the last being the boy's requests for a Mario blanket and a Mario pillow) so I decided on a *K3, P3* row and a *K1, P1* row pattern. It's a very simple pattern and it probably has a nice name. All I know, it's reversible and looks like ribbing with design.

Second, the pink lace shawl. Well, I looked at it last night and for some reason the pattern meandered. That's usually OK, but it was for just about 5 rows about 2" into the shawl. Something I did wrong, I'm sure. It did frog nicely, however and I'm now working with a J hook on the crochet version of my shawl (scroll back a few Fridays for the pattern.) I know this one comes out big and airy after blocking and I'm using long threads on each side in the last loop to be worked since it's just too easy go around the neck edge and work another loop.

And finally, the Advent Calendar Scarf. If you're religious, go for it; if not, don't be put off by the word "advent." I made the 2010 version last year (one clue on each of the 24 days of Advent) with some modifications since I was at 100" in length on the 18th day. Wolkistchen does excellent charts (plus written instructions) and the KAL members are very helpful. 2010 was when I first worked crocheted nupps, (what an easy variation); and, I first worked only from charts (how did I only read the directions all these years?)

I think you must join Ravelry for this KAL, (which I'm assuming is free as last year's [Ravelers can be so generous]), but the easy registration is sooooo worth it. Now, I have to search for the right wool, probably purple, because, well, because I have it! But I do have three pairs of Chia Goo Red Lace needles, US 6, US 8 and US 10, (did I tell you how much I love my lace Chia Goo?) so I think I'm ready in the needle department. I'm assuming since it's a scarf, it'll be a rectangle so I'm thinking another shawl since that is usually an easy stretch.

OK, enough typing. I've got to start finishing some WIP since on December 1, we start getting one clue a day.

But finally before I forget, we heard from Seeing Eye and Miss M made the cut and is entering her final training. We will be able to see her before she's placed but, of course, there will be no contact. I'm missing her more now than when she first left. Go figure. But some happy news, a new batch of puppies are coming in for placement. Though no one can replace Miss M, just as no one will be able to replace the second pup.

Happy knitting.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Sorry for no Movie Monday but I entered the third stage of my dental implant (they cut the gum and insert another piece of the titanium rod) and I was whipped. Surprisingly, because stage one and two were the proverbial breeze. But two days of ibuprofen have me back in action.

Now, I don't like to go into metaphor too much (insert a big guffaw here) but reading the comments to the Paterno/Penn State football/"let's cover up the raping of little boys" scandal, I find the metaphor for the USA staring me down like the deer in the headlights.

For those who know nothing about this scandal: In 2002, a graduate assistant at Penn State, PA entered the shower room of the football building and saw a naked football coach (Jerry Sandusky) in the shower raping a 10-year-old boy (listed as Victim 2 in the grand jury report.) He reports this incident to his dad who advises him not to go to the police but to report it to the legendary Coach Paterno (don't know the guy but apparently he's legendary, that is, he wins football games.) Well, the legendary coach reports the incident to his superior at Penn State and that seems to be the end of it. Apparently, the rapist loses his keys to the locker room as punishment.

Fast forward to 2011 and a PA grand jury issues a report of the horrible, graphic incidents of child sexual abuse/rape perpetrated by Sandusky before and after the shower room rape incident.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/11/06/sports/ncaafootball/20111106-pennstate-document.html

So America has produced another monster, you say. Surprised? No, but I'm surprised at the reaction. First, the reaction of the graduate assistant. He told his father? His father said don't go to the police? (What, do we treat young boys as the play thing of sick men in this country? This was not a horrible crime?) Then the legendary Paterno (after reading in the Penn State faculty handbook, I assume, on "What to do when you hear something really, really bad") reports the incident to his superior and just walks away from it. Jesus H Christ! The GA saw the child being raped. It wasn't a second or third hand account told to him in a town bar after a night of drinking.

But back to the comments. Of course, there is outrage. That's to be expected. But there is also a good amount of: Well, Paterno reported it. Why are you complaining? attitude.

And that's where it gets so typically American; so typically and hypocritically American. We sure do love our sports; we sure do love our heroes; we sure do love our values. So whether it's applauding the assassination of people without due process, the dropping of drone bombs on innocents, or the raping of children, we can dig into our vast top hat of moral justifications and pull out a plum. What a country!

My website pick is: http://www.openculture.com/

Have you ever thought: What book(s) would I bring with me to a desert island? Well, Open Culture is the only website you need to bring as long as you're wired for WiFi. Open Culture has audio books, audio and video courses, movies. What more could you want? There are language lessons, free e-books, and links to cultural icons you should know about. I see good cheese, good bread, grapes, good wine and Open Culture on this island. It sounds like heaven to me. Enjoy!

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Sorry for no Movie Monday but I entered the third stage of my dental implant (they cut the gum and insert another piece of the titanium rod) and I was whipped. Surprisingly, because stage one and two were the proverbial breeze. But two days of ibuprofen have me back in action.

Now, I don't like to go into metaphor too much (insert a big guffaw here) but reading the comments to the Paterno/Penn State football/"let's cover up the raping of little boys" scandal, I find the metaphor for the USA staring me down like the deer in the headlights.

For those who know nothing about this scandal: Earlier in the 2000s, a graduate assistant at Penn State, PA entered the shower room and saw a naked man in the shower raping a 10-year-old boy. He reported this incident to his dad who advised him not to go to the police but to report it to the legendary Coach Paterno (don't know the guy but apparently he's legendary, that is, he wins football games.) Well, the legendary coach reports the incident to his superior at Penn State and that seems to be the end of it. Apparently, the rapist lost his keys to the locker room as punishment.

Fast forward to 2011 and a PA grand jury issues a report of the horrible, graphic incidents of child rape perpetrated by this man (Jerry Sandusky) long after the shower room rape incident.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/11/06/sports/ncaafootball/20111106-pennstate-document.html

So America has produced another monster, you say? Surprised? No, I'm surprised at the reaction. First, the reaction of the graduate assistant. He told his father? His father said don't go to the police? (What, do we treat young boys as the play thing of sick men in this country? It's not a horrible crime?) Then the legendary Paterno (after reading in the Penn State faculty handbook, I assume, on "What to do when you hear something really, really bad") reports the incident to his superior and then just walks away from it. Jesus H Christ! The GA saw the child being raped. It wasn't a second or third hand account told to him in a town bar after a night of drinking.

But back to the comments. Of course, there is outrage. That's to be expected. But there is also a good amount of: Well, Paterno reported it. Why are you complaining? attitude.

And that's where it gets so typically American; so typically and hypocritically American. We sure do love our sports; we sure do love our heroes; we sure do love our values. So whether it's applauding the assassination of people without due process, the dropping of drone bombs on innocents, or the raping of children, we can dig into our vast top hat of moral justifications and pull out a plum. What a country!

My website pick is:

http://www.openculture.com/

Have you ever thought: What book(s) would I bring with me to a desert island? Well, Open Culture is the only website you need to bring as long as you're wired for WiFi. Open Culture has audio books, audio and video courses, movies. What more could you want? There are language lessons, free e-books, and links to cultural icons you should know about. I see good cheese, good bread, grapes, good wine and Open Culture on this island. It sounds like heaven to me. Enjoy!

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings

Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

In my determination to get this posting up, I've even putting down my knitting to type. First, here's a picture, finally:

Some specs: 75" x 20", Wool-Ease doubled, US 15 needles, before blocking
This is the first shawl I've made with the modification of my pattern. The pattern uses the Wisp pattern: http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer07/PATTwisp.html but you can use any 2 stitch pattern (right now, I'm working with Row 1: *YO, K2tog*
Row 2: *K*.) It's the ends of the rows which matter to get the shape.
The pattern with modified increases:
Row 1: K1 front and back (fb), 2xs *work pattern* K1 fb, 2x
Row 2: K1fb, 1x *work pattern* K1fb, 1x
Work to length.

That's all there is to it. You can work a 90 row pattern but you must repeat the increases as written until you get to your length. And what do you do at length? The beginnings and ends of every row become K2 as in: K2 *work pattern* K2.
It's that simple. Once your shawl is wide enough, bind off. What you see in the picture at the long ends of the shawl is the area you work without any increases.

I'm wearing the shawl as I type in a cold house. Sitting, it covers down to my thighs (fastened with a chopstick shawl pin) and I'm cozy warm. Originally, I had increased so it fell down to my knees (not good for sitting or standing) so I ripped back and I even could have ripped back more.

Re the change I made in the increases: You get a crescent shaped shawl with original Kfb, 2xs at the beginning and end of every row. Which is great for summer shawls that I want to wear around my shoulders and not my neck. However, you can see from the picture you get a very tiny triangle area (from a CO 4; I'm sure a larger CO would eliminate this) with the pattern modification. The shape is much more rectangular which allows inside wear as a shawl and outside wear as a thick scarf.

Why do I like this pattern? You can easily modify this shawl to match the amount of yarn you have. Unlike the diagonally knitted rectangular shawl where you must have enough yarn to fill in the top part of the rectangle, here, you can end any time once you are knitting the pattern without increases. So, with every project I attempt with this pattern, I know I'm going to have enough yarn. I might have to increase my needle size to get more "mileage", I might only get a scarf size and not a shawl size; but I know I going to be complete the project.

Observant pattern readers will see that working to length (with the modification), I'm using 2 beginning and end stitches on row 1 for increases and only 1 beginning and end stitch on row 2. On row 2, I start the pattern with the second stitch and all works well. Could I work: Row 2: K1fb, K1 *work pattern* K1, K1fb? Probably but I haven't tried it. Could this change allow me to work patterns with different stitch counts? Maybe. As I've said before, this is a work in progress.

So I hope you take this template pattern and run with it. One day I may post it on Ravelry. I hope I don't get snark because I have eliminated the traditional middle of the shawl increases.

Happy knitting.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

I keep waiting for Obama to do the one thing that might justify my voting for him in 2012. But nada. This week we removed our funding from UNESCO because it seated the Palestinians as a member. Jesus H Christ! Yes, I know that US had to do this because Congress in the 1990s in honor of the dead Tom Lantos decided what the world needed for world peace was a law saying the US could not belong to any UN group the Palestinians were a part of. Great thinking, guys, as usual.

So Obama pulled the US plug on the group, quietly of course, without announcing: Hey, folks, I know this is stupid but my hands are tied (and don't expect me to do anything to untie them.)

But, I think the nail in the coffin was the White House's rejection this week of a petition to legalize medical marijuana. The mind boggles at the stupidity in high places.

Which leads me to my pick this week: People of Influence

http://cliptank.com/ab/PeopleofInfluencePainting2.htm

First, this is one big picture so you may need to refresh the screen before it all appears. Then you may want to scroll around identifying all the famous faces. And finally, the fun begins. Click on each person and get sent to his/her biography. It seems that Wikipedia is the only source for these biographies but all throughout the bios are links to more secondary source material.

The people pictured range through the centuries with the important (Stalin, Da Vinci) to the entertaining (Shirley Temple. Bruce Lee.) There's a real Asian influence since the painter are Chinese: Dai Dudu, Li Tiezi, and Zhang An and can be found in the upper right by Dante. Which is probably the most appropriate spot for them since the title of this painting is Discussing The Divine Comedy with Dante.

It's interesting to see whom the artists allowed to make the cut. Examples: Arafat and Sharon, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Bill Gates and Marlon Brando in his Godfather garb. I bet you don't know Norman Bethune. Here, you can read about this Scot Canadian's medical care journey which finally led him to China.

So let me stop typing so you can start reading. It's not a one-stop visit this time. And don't forget to click on the non-human and inanimate objects; most of them have interesting stories to tell.

Enjoy.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Movie Monday

Now, I totally punked out on Knitting Friday in spite of the lie I spewed the Friday before that I would have pictures. Liar! Liar! Pants on fire! But Friday morning I had a tooth pulled; a front tooth pulled. Unbelievable in this age of Save Everything but it had received a bad injury when I was a child, had had two root canals and now was causing abscesses every time I stopped my regimen of antibiotics. So on Friday, I started the long process to repair that section of my mouth. Right now, I'm sporting the tiniest little tooth on a bridge. Easy to use but I'm not eating with that in so I'll check back with you on weight loss in a month.

As you know, lately I've been thinking too much about the human species (maybe 24/7 news coverage is a bad thing) and I'm coming up empty. That is, empty of any reason for the species' existence except that evolutionarily species develop and species die off. We human just happened and then we globbed onto the fact of: Boy, ain't we special. And that's when the wackiness began. I would start the wackiness meter on zero at the time religion developed. Because at this time the species got a higher purpose and unlike the zebra who looked over the horizon at a pack of raging lions and said: Shit! Good bye world, we looked over the horizon at the shit coming at us and said: Oh, God will provide.

But this posting isn't about my angst, it's about the movie, Red.

Red is a caper movie with a twist. It's wacky, it's editorially inconsistent (just how did Urban and Willis wind up in the same room at the CIA?) but it's unbelievability hits you at such a speed that you just gallop along with it.

The cast sports your uber-tough guy, Bruce Willis but he's matched with the wit of Mary Louise Parker, the easy charm of Morgan Freeman, the always solid performance of Helen Mirrin and the virtuoso crazy man turn of John Malkovich.

For whatever reason, Hollywood suits made this a movie about CIA retirees with not a teeny-bopper to be seen. The youngsters, Urban and Parker (though in real life she's only 9 years younger than Willis) work well with the old-timers and you get to see a meshing of generations, not a clash.

The stunts are wild and crazy. In fact, one of those reality TV shows tried the stunt where Malkovich's bullet stops a rocket launcher missile (don't try this at home, kids) and they proved it wouldn't work. But while the stunts punch up this movie, it's the human relationships (Willis and Parker, Willis and Freeman, Urban and his family, and finally Willis and Urban) which allow the film to cross genres.

Good acting from all though I though Rebecca Pidgeon was wasted. She has a distinctive acting style more suitable to a Mamet production. Brian Cox, Ernest Borgnine and Richard Dreyfuss occupy smaller roles but play them seamlessly.

I know a lot of reviewers have gimmicky review meters like how many times did I look at my watch. I guess I have one of sorts too. First, there are the thematically worth-while movies like The Road, Dogville, or The Human Stain. Those are in a special category because they discuss the human condition and should be watched. They're the education part of the film craft.

Then there's all the rest, the entertainment which many times forms the background noise in my life, and, as with all noises, some you just want to shut off.

Red doesn't fit into in the shut-off category. Judging it on its knit ability score (that is, I can watch it again and again as I knit), it ranks very high. Unlike Prince of Persia which while just as wacky, is always a pass for me when it appears in my movie package.

Next week: Dogville. I think I should start practicing my angst mood again.

Happy watching.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Sorry for no Movie Monday. There I was in a strange hotel room looking at the internet connection plug (which I had pulled out the night before) and having no idea where it fit into the doodads on the side of the laptop. So, rather than fry the whole system (can you still do that?), I didn't post. But I did "X mark the spot" when I was shown where to plug in so here I am today

Being in Rockville, MD is an experience. A lot of sidewalks. Many of them bordering, crowded highways with fast moving cars. I see it as really walking in the shoulder of a major highway except your walking area is very slightly raised from road level. One distracted driver, cell phoning, reading the paper, putting on make-up, the list is endless, and you could have a pedestrian disaster.

Half a block away, there is what I thought was a Metro entrance. But the stairs just go down one level (way to short for the DC metro.) There's another identical "Metro entrance" opposite it across the highway. So I'm thinking its an underground walkway under the highway. But I don't see any people going in or out (they instead run across the highway usually ignoring the little man signal which tells you when it's your turn to cross) so I'm not taking any chances and I'm treating it like the roach motel. You know: roach go in but don't come out.

TV is better here than Arlington, VA. There are 2 HBO channels and the RT channel. What's RT? Well, that's Russian Television. An interesting, liberal, social-conscious channel. Nothing like our lazy MMM. I look at RT's extensive coverage of the Occupy protests and think: I wonder how this plays to the world? For this channel obviously is not guided by our domestic mantra, America uber alles.

A little history about my choice for today, A Don's Life:

http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/

Anyone who studies US history should have heard of Charles and Mary Beard, husband and wife historians from the first half of the 1900s who fostered the view that American history was guided by economic principles not moralistic ideals. For example, they traced the causes of the American Civil War to a clash of economic cultures rather than a desire by the Union to end slavery. I've collected a few of their books at book sales and they're quite readable, telling history without the modern day historian's approach of: Washington awakened to a grey dawn. (Talk about chalk scratching a blackboard!)

As I understand it, Beard was a liberal and vehemently opposed the US entry into WWII. The opposition ended his career. And, something I didn't know: he is a co-founder of The New School in NYC.

So when I saw the name Mary Beard as a reviewer for The New York Review of Books, I thought: Daughter? Grand-daughter? Then I found the tidbit that she was one of people asked by TNYROB after 9/11/01 to comment. To paraphrase, she said something like: After the first wave of disbelief, I think most people think that America got what she deserved. Because a bully, even a well-meaning one, is still a bully. Wow! What a gutsy lady.

And that's how I got to her blog, A Don's Life. This Mary Beard is English and seems to be no relation to my Charles Beard. She teaches the classics at Cambridge and she blogs (40,000 hits a week) about them and her life and thoughts.

I like reading about the past. I especially like her links to primary documents. Right now, she's talking about the collapsing walls of Pompeii but scroll down to a posting about what first assignment she gives to her first year students. Click the links there to read the account of an ancient Greek's courtroom defense as to why he was justified in killing his wife's lover. Or go back to 8/26/11 for a discussion of Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, it's Roman ruins and more.

Beard's blog is hosted by The Times Literary Supplement, and a right column entry clicks you to another TLS blog by Peter Stothard, one of their editors. Scroll down his postings to the one on the writer/"historian" Robert Hughes (Robert Hughes: a reply?, 10/21). Double wow! I haven't seen Hughes' book but if Stothard is correct, it's a piece of unbelievably sloppy history.

Well, I guess it's time for me to go and for you to start reading. Enjoy!

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

Not much today because I'm packing for a small trip (sometimes more difficult than a big trip) and dinner room table is suitcase laden; so no pictures, nuthin'.

Except for all you knitting addicts out there (as I am), I've reworked the knitted shawl (pictured last Friday) so that 2 stitches are increased each side on the first row and 1 stitch is increased each side of the second row. If you remember, I originally said that you should increase two stitches each side until you get to your length. Now, I think it looks better with 6 stitches increased every two rows, not 8 stitches increased every two rows.

These new increases limit your pattern for the body of the shawl since with four stitches increased every row you could work a 4 stitch pattern in the body. Now you can only work a 2 stitch body pattern and perhaps a 6 stitch (and multiple of 6 stitches) pattern but I haven't worked this out yet.

I decided on this increase change as I was blocking the shawl pictured last week. (It really is a wide scarf because I just got bored with the simple pattern. But I did add a corkscrew stitch crocheted fringe to the short ends. Pictures next week.) The curved area (neck area) was much tighter than the crocheted version. That's when I realized I wasn't really crocheting two extra loops each side every row for 8 increases every two rows; I was working 6 increases every two rows. So I was working the crocheted version looser than I thought. I'm knitting a lace weight pink shawl this way right now and I can feel there is more ease in the neck area.

OK, got to go and pack.

Happy knitting.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Owing to the fact that two, obscenely monster-large hospital complexes are almost completed in my area. (Screw you, America for thinking health costs will be controlled, love, the medical - pharmaceutical industry.) Add to this the fact that I must visit my MD tomorrow for a semi-annual BP check-up. (I despise going to MDs!) My mood is rather foul.

So, I thought: What better website pick than one on fashion.

Now, I like fashion. I'm not a slave to fashion and things like In Style magazine which I started reading when it really had some good fashion tips and stopped reading when it became a showcase for red carpet events throughout the world really piss me off. I love Joe Zee from Elle and his show All On The Line. He's helped me think "out of the box" in my approach to knitting. But I don't need fashion leaders telling me (especially in a worldwide recession) that pink is the new black. No, pink is pink and like all vibrant colors, it tires you quickly. Good for the fashion business; not good for the consumer dollar.

Then I started a google search for fashion sites. Wow! That was an eye-opener. Almost all the sites were hyping designers and expensive trends. What's with these new high heeled shoe? Are women really supposed to wear those things with their 5 inch stiletto heels? Orthopedists and cobblers must be ecstatic.

After a long search, I wound up with a very old stand-by, Glamour magazine:

http://www.glamour.com/

Now, Glamour is also in business to get the consumer to buy into fashion trends but their articles are much more sensible. For example on the shoe question: the article, 10 Shoes Every Woman Should Own, does recommend the wacky high heels but also it suggests flats, boots and sneakers.

The site is full of sensible fashion articles like: Are You An Over-Powderer?, one on healthy afternoon snacks, and Women In Tech: We Really Do Need More.

Of course, you're not getting articles written for Nature or Science nor are many of the topics more than fluff. But there's a lot there for a fast read and/or a fun read. For example, the article on women in tech gives mini bios of tech women and their accomplishments and the healthy snacks piece comes with doable recipes. (Note: Some of the ingredients look pretty exotic but they may be mundane to Glamour readers.)

So go and read about some fashion and don't forget to scroll down to Visit our sister sites. That must be one wacky family! Enjoy.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Movie Monday

As I look at the Occupy protests in the US, I really don't see much hope for the rise of economic progressive policies without an economic regime change. And that ain't goin' happen without a lot of violence. Just how do you rid the US of its oppressive capitalist system? A system which has been falsely but cleverly tied to our political system so that so, so many Americans believe that a blow to capitalism is a blow to representative government.

Occupy protests are not like the Vietnam War protests (which were also met with police brutality and government indifference) in that the VW protests were largely eliminated when the draft was ended; which basically removed the affluent college-aged student out of the killing equation which war always is. The poor became the military recruiting pool and the rich went on for advanced degrees - no blow to capitalism there.

Today however the Occupy protests are gnawing at the clay feet of capitalism. They dare to raise voices against banks and the financial markets. While capitalism will throw some of their sacred babies to the wolves in order to keep their status quo, I think they see the Occupy threat as a possible fatal body blow to their brand of capitalism, which it may be, and, to their dying breath, they won't let this happen.

Movies may show us that the little guy does win in the end (Meet John Doe); reality shows us differently.

Which is a long way to bring me to my movie pick: Even the Water and again, it's a foreign (Spanish) film. A film crew goes to Bolivia to make a realistic movie of Columbus' enslavement of the native population he found in the new world and they get caught in violent anti-government, anti-US protests when Bolivia sells water rights to American corporations and the corporations decree that the natives can no longer collect rain water. (This is based on a true event.) It's obvious that the film crew wants nothing to do with the protests but when their lead native actor becomes the lead native activist in the protests, they find they must protect him in order to protect their project.

We, the audience, get the Columbus inhumanity/corporation inhumanity comparison early on but it wasn't the message of the rich and powerful are bastards down through the centuries which hooked me. It was the fact that the "hero" who emerged from the film crew was your least likely candidate. Even the Water allows one character to verbalize progressive, humanitarian ideas but when the going gets tough (and it does get tough); he bails and the least likely person takes on the hero mantle.

Which, for me, makes this a realistic morality tale. It's not the crescendo music, Hollywood ending of the average-man hero walking forward into a bright future, arm around the woman he loves. It's a tale which tells me people can make changes if they are willing to endure perhaps savage hardships. It tells me that the least unlikely people will do the right thing sometimes. It gives me a faint hope, a very faint hope, that America can change.

But don't see this movie because I got some message of hope from it. See it because it's well-acted, realistic and adult. It's definitely worth a viewing.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

This has been a week of finishing knitting projects. Three shells are done and three shawls. It's so bad that I have a brief trip in a week with no substantial bring-along knitting.

This a.m., I pulled the weed whacker cord (excellent for blocking crescent shaped/round shawls) from my white wool crescent shawl (see 9/16/11 post for the pattern) which measures 100" x 32". That is one big mother! I was always planning on wearing it as a very large open scarf since with make-up (including lipstick) no way can I wrap a white shawl around my face as I do with my dead-of-winter shawls.

Right now, I'm soaking the knitted crescent shawl I talked about on 9/23/11. However, from then till now, a lot has changed.

First, I learned that P3tog can get tricky with lace yarn and no lace needles. P2togs, K2tog, seem to work OK, but that extra stitch w/o lace needles can prove a disaster. And an disaster is what happened. I was tooling along with my trinity stitch (*P3tog, K-P-K in one stitch*) happy as a lark until I did a look-see and saw and one of the stitches in the P3tog running free, many rows down.

Bad news: I sent the shawl to the frog pond. Good news: I ordered three Chiagoo Red Lace needles in US 6, 8 and 10. (Side note: I've read a lot about lace needles on Ravelry and the consensus seems to be that Chiagoo lace needles are the pointiest. But if you want Chiagoo lace, make sure it's the Red Lace needles, not the Red needles.)

So there I was with two skeins of Knit Pick lace in a variegated green and no pattern. I stumbled on a Vogue shawl pattern which was only a basic pattern I use all the time. Three rows of K and one row of *YO, K2tog*. I usually make my shells with this pattern but I thought: The picture is pretty. Why don't I try this as a shawl?

I started my ubiquitous crescent shaped shawl but, wouldn't you know it, pretty soon I noticed a free roaming slipped stitch about 4 rows down. I did a lot of grumbling but finally decided to visit the frog pond again with this yarn.

And then the miracle happened. With all the stitches pulled from the needle and my hand ready to start ripping, I put the shawl on my shoulders and looked in the mirror. Talk about a last minute reprieve! This simple pattern looked great! Here's a picture of it, early on in the knitting. It was not much to look at then and even soaking right now, I can't imagine what size I'm going to get. However, no way did I ever expect that white shawl to get so huge.

I decided to block first and then add a border of crab stitch. I'll let you know how that works.

Right now, I'm waiting for a weather change so I can wear some of these beauties. I sorted my winter clothes from summer about two weeks ago but the weather didn't get the hint. I find I never have the right outerwear for that short period when spring just hasn't moved into summer or fall hasn't gotten the memo to let winter in. My dream is to find the perfect spring and fall coats that look hot with shawls. Maybe I should go shopping.........

Happy knitting.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Not feeling optimistic. Obama is cracking down on medical marijuana? What? Just where does this guy stand? Only with the healthy and the rich?

My mom got a call from Obama headquarters asking for money. They told her that she could pay by credit card right away. She told them to have Obama ask Wall Street for the money since he had done so much for them. They didn't like that. Feisty mom.

But then I found this website:

http://www.good.is/

which has been around since 2006 and says of itself: GOOD is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward. Since 2006 we've been making a magazine, videos, and events for people who give a damn.

It's nice to find people who give a damn about the world. They may be naive and be trying to turn us into Martin Buber's ultimate human relationship, I and thou, and away from the cold human contact of I and it. (Google Martin Buber I and thou and it'll all become clear.)

But I'd rather have people listening to the Robert Kennedy quote (traceable to Shaw) of: Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say why not? than listening to the line from the Miniver Cheevy poem: Miniver sighed for what was not,/And dreamed, and rested from his labors; (Edwin Arlington)

GOOD is informative and fun to read. You'll learn about current stuff like that black lab who helps his deaf sister, or why Occupy Wall Street needs friends among Democrats, or last nights' GOP debate.

There are community feedback articles like What would you have on your bucket list? or Where do you want to see America in 10 years?

They have a lot of informational charts (ex., women's health) with sources, slide shows (ex., marginalized religions) - I LOVE slide shows, and videos (ex., Khan Academy) - and I love KA also.

So take a walk around GOOD. There's a lot to see and read. After all, we all need some good in our lives. Enjoy.

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Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Not feeling optimistic. Obama is cracking down on medical marijuana? What? Just where does this guy stand? Only with the healthy and the rich?

My mom got a call from Obama headquarters asking for money. They told her that she could pay by credit card right away. She told them to have Obama ask Wall Street for the money since he had done so much for them. They didn't like that. Feisty mom.

But then I found this website:

http://www.good.is/

which has been around since 2006 and says of itself: GOOD is a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward. Since 2006 we've been making a magazine, videos, and events for people who give a damn.

It's nice to find people who give a damn about the world. They may be naive and be trying to turn us into Martin Buber's ultimate human relationship, I and thou, and away from the cold human contact of I and it. (Google Martin Buber I and thou and it'll all become clear.)

But I'd rather have people listening to the Robert Kennedy quote (traceable to Shaw) of: Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say why not? than listening to the line from the Miniver Cheevy poem: Miniver sighed for what was not,/And dreamed, and rested from his labors; (Edwin Arlington)

GOOD is informative and fun to read. You'll learn about current stuff like that black lab who helps his deaf sister, or why Occupy Wall Street needs friends among Democrats, or last nights' GOP debate.

There are community feedback articles like What would you have on your bucket list? or Where do you want to see America in 10 years?

They have a lot of informational charts (ex., women's health) with sources, slide shows (ex., marginalized religions) - I LOVE slide shows, and videos (ex., Khan Academy) - and I love KA also.

So take a walk around GOOD. There's a lot to see and read. After all, we all need some good in our lives. Enjoy.