"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Knitting Friday

I guess I should be embarrassed to say that I have nada picture-wise for Knitting Friday. Oh, a lot got done this week but it is taking so long to finish things and the size of the projects at this time is really too small for interesting pictures. (I take interesting pictures?)

But there an interesting knitting tip I can mention re: casting on a few stitches and joining:

1. I don't know how many of you are part of the Yahoo Group for goddessknitsmystery2010 (membership closed 5/1/10) but the first clue came out last Saturday. This one is a circular shawl so you have the dreaded CO 9 sts and join. I read posts of "it took me all day to CO and work Clue 1" and I don't think the clue was the problem; the CO and join were.

Here's how I finally did it. The whole thing (CO and Clue 1) took me so little time (after a few false starts) that when I finished I was sure there were more rows I was missing - I wasn't.

1. Supplies: shawl yarn and DPN needles needed for the pattern; crochet hook sized as you would use for the shawl yarn (I used fingering and an F hook); shawl directions
2. Sit at a table where all your work fits without falling off the ends (not a snack table; you don't want DPNs slipping to the floor..)
3. With the hook, chain 5 and join. Work the CO number of sts minus 1 (9 - 1 = 8) as half-double crochets into the ring. You can use extended single crochets but I don't think I would use regular single crochets (too small) or double crochets (too big) - this is getting to sound like Goldilocks.
4 - Join the last hdc by slip stitch to the 1st hdc. You now should have one live stitch and eight oval tops of the hdcs in the ring (if you don't get 1 + 8, just add another hdc to the ring.)
5 - Using your dpns, put one through the live stitch and pick up 2 stitches thought both loops of the first 2 hdc oval tops.
6. Continue around so that you wind up with 3 stitches on each dpn.
7. Count this crocheting part as set-up and now start the pattern with a K 1 round being sure to do your work over the table to prevent dropped stitches and/or needles.
8. You will still feel that the first 10 rounds are awkward but you have eliminated the dreaded CO and join. The crochet CO will produce a very small "bump" at the center but it's very unobjectionable.
9. I have long DPNS so I was able to work with them until the pattern took some form. Then I was able to transfer them to very small circs I have. (I hate small circs but they are great for this type of project.)

That's it. Once you get the CO and join completed, this project is a breeze. For Clue 1, Renee, the shawl creator, gives you a 13 round, 6 stitch pattern to repeat. What could be easier?

Another tip:

1. The set-up rows in the pattern (not the crochet set-up) has you increase to 72 stitches and then you begin the pattern.
2. The number of stitches stays at 72 (so you work 6 pattern repeats across for Clue 1) until Row 13 when it doubles to 144 stitches, ready for Clue 2.
2. I cut a long piece of yarn of similar weight and wove it across the round after every 6 stitches as I worked.
3. That way I could check quickly if I have done the YO, SSK, K2tog, and/or DD correctly.
4. Short of dropping a stitch without a lifeline (which can be a disaster), this trick may prevent tinking, since I can't imagine working a lifeline easily (without that special needle which "carries" the lifeline as you work) on circular knitting as the rounds get bigger and bigger.

Oh, a one final thing I do with lace knitting: When I'm going to put it back in its bag, I move the stitches onto the cords and put a rubber band around the needle tops.

Well, that's it for today. Next week, I'll have two pattern repeats of the Mystery Shawl - more picture worthy and hopefully my summer cardi on US 6 needles (what was I thinking?) will also have developed some form, or be finished.

Happy knitting.

Note: Saturday, 5/1 is the last day to join the Yahoo Group for the Mystery Anniversary Shawl.
Go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=anniversary+shawl+2010
Click on the link and follow the instructions (real easy except reading the "Decipher This So We Know You Are A People, Not A Spam Machine" code - but they do give you multiple chances to find a scribble you can read.)

"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Website Wednesday

After listening to the US Senate hearings yesterday (and moving beyond grandstanding) I think my top banner is quite appropriate. Some day I'll explain why I think an analogy to capitalism as an economic system is an abusive relationship. But not today.

Today, I must electronically send my newsletter to our property manager for printing. Yes, another month and deadline has passed. Just minutes before my deadline yesterday (12 am) I got a long article for inclusion. Jesus H. Christ! What was this woman thinking? Of course, I didn't see the e-mail until early this a.m. I sent her a nice e-mail (well, it sounded nice to me) telling her she would have to wait for next month.

So with that done and I can concentrate on getting ready for a traveling day today. A traveling day with kids. This should be fun. I, who have been re-reading Breaking Dawn for Monday's posting (have you ever heard such a lame excuse to re-read that book?) am bringing it along because the girl has expressed interest in re-reading it. Don't quote me, but I have a feeling that when an 11 year old reads Breaking Dawn for the first time, she's skipping all but the "sex" (and even more on this Monday) so this is could really be considered a first, full reading.

On to my website pick:

http://www.utne.com/daily.aspx

Utne says of itself: Utne Reader and Utne.com are digests of independent ideas and alternative culture. Not right, not left, but forward thinking. We're most interested in creating a conversation about everything from the environment to the economy, politics to pop culture.

For more than 20 years, Utne has functioned as a guide to the alternative and independent press. That's because we've created our own library, which takes in 1,500 magazines, newsletters, journals, weeklies, zines, and other lively dispatches from the cultural front; the sorts of cutting-edge publications you won't find at the average bookstore or newsstand. Our editors glean this material for compelling, delightfully written stories, interviews, and cultural criticism, then edit and reprint the most essential. Instead of buying dozens of magazines to find a few good articles, you can buy one packed with the best of the best.

My first meeting with Utne Reader was where? Garage sale? No idea. But I do remember the article I read: Why Men Love War? It's pretty impressive after all this time that I can remember that title.

I was hooked on Utne after that. Their current on-line magazine has articles on US prisons, Iceland volcanic pictures, Facebook privacy, racism and a quiz on Iran - and, that's a partial look.

This is how Utne works and why it is so interesting: Take the article, Having An Honest Conversation About Racism. Click the link and you get a paragraph summary at Utne. Click the hyperlinked last line of the paragraph: Check out his simple tips for starting your own dialogue. and you are sent to the source article in Yes! You can read the entire article here

But here's the very neat part: Under each synopsis in Utne, you see: "Source:" followed by the hyperlink to the current issue of the source material. So, for racism, the source hyperlink sends you to the current issue of Yes! and this opens a whole new world of reading.

As you may know, I eat most home meals at the computer (OK, I'm an animal! But a high-tech one.) I eat, knit, read the computer screen, and watch TV, not all at the same time since that could be messy.

Utne.com is a great companion while I do this multi-tasking. Go take a look. You won't be disappointed.

"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Movie Monday and Miss M

Who is this dog? OK, maybe the angle is off but she's just two months and she looks ginormous. What are we feeding her?

Plus, she is obviously in the teen years. "Park time" now consists of removing stuff from her mouth - grass, leaves, rocks, you name it. And, she has decided that she should carry her leash. When I'm not busy removing plant and rock objects from her mouth, I'm trying to reposition the leash so she can't grab that in her mouth. It's become a game for her.

But she is soooooo cute; especially in this picture with her Minny Me.

Daily Kos http://www.dailykos.com/main/2 on Saturday, 5/24, had the first posting in a well-known blog re: "Buyers Remorse in New Jersey." I may have missed it, but I don't think Christie has made the radar of major liberal blogs yet. And that's a mistake. I know that NJ gets lost in the shadow of our big brother, NY, but it is a blue state, for now. National Democrats, at their peril and ours, had better wake up because right-to-work (the euphemism for union busting), anti-abortion legislation, super majorities needed for tax hikes (ala CA) are all possible from this conservative Gov. We may wake up to metaphorically see all the forests on fire and no means to extinguish them.

I spent the weekend punching up my monthly newsletter. We will be losing our Property Manager in a few weeks and we have a nice front page tribute to her. I was happy that the newsletter and the Board both put in a "Thank you" but that really had me jostling articles to fit them in.

For anyone who's interested, I took over newsletter editing - well, I really do the writing, formatting, and editing but I have a great staff for proofing and final prep - when a local publisher decided not to continue printing our news. for free (What did they get out of it? We gave them the copy and they laid it out around their advertisers. I guess as hard copy ad revenue decreased this venture became too expensive for them.) Anyway, our former editor moved and I was pressed into service. Now, the make-up of the former newsletter was a lot of fluff. Book reviews, recipes, trip news, etc. since that newsletter was 12 pages ( a lot of them all ads.) I decided on a front and back printed two page hard copy and electronic copy. While, I could easily add more pages on the electronic copy I didn't want the pagination problems if the hard copy expanded to more than the front and back printed copy.

I've kept that format for over 3 years and this May issue is the first one where I had to shrink font size for everything to fit. It's interesting that my major problem each month is not getting copy but formatting it. I look at it as a good mental exercise. If I ever have too much white space one month, I have a logic problem from Fermat's Room which I'm going to use. You think a lot about "What if I don't have news?" I've decided my solution is logic problems; they are definitely not fluff.

My movie review is going to be short one because I'm preparing for next Monday's posting (that is, unless I watch a great movie by next Monday) a piece on: How the hell are they going to film Breaking Dawn without inducing fits of riotous laughter in the audience? More on this next Monday.

Judy Berlin. A small, indie film with the title character played by Eddie Falco before her turn on The Sopranos and Nurse Jackie.

I sort of liked this film. It was short; it looked like real life with real houses in the tacky floor plans of the 1950s; and it had real problems which don't find resolution. All the makings of an indie. But remember, I watch movies as I knit and that can cause two problems: I can tolerate a lot of dross because I'm not wasting my time and I have to watch films more than once because I sometimes miss stuff. Well, truth be told, I miss the most because I fall asleep!

Judy Berlin is a 30-something woman who is finally leaving home to go to Hollywood. The movie follows her last day in her home town and the people she touches as she says her farewells. There's a lot going on - early Alzheimer's, adulterous passion, neighborly bickering, but I just invested the time, not the feelings.

It may be because the whole movie looked like the actors were acting. Imagine that? But that is an important point with movies since all of them are phony. From the car chases to the sex scenes; all movies are fake (even documentaries in many ways but I'm not thinking about them here.)

The difference with a good movie is that you, the audience, invest your time and invest your feelings. If you don't invest both, you're just passing the time. Which isn't a bad thing but you might as well be at a baseball game or dinner at Burger King. (Has anyone tried their "chicken as slices of bread" specialty? And lived?)

An example of investing feeling for me (and, of course, this differs for everyone) was the scene in The English Patient where Almasy carries Katherine to the cave and promises to find help and return to her. We know she's going to die there alone; they know she's going to die there alone; but the actors reach into that reservoir of pain and communicate it to the audience.William Macy once said about acting (and I paraphrase): It's reading the lines until sometimes 10 minutes of magic happen.

I didn't get that magic in Judy Berlin; I just got the story. The actors told the story; it was a story with important human feelings but I always knew they were actors playing the characters.

But it's short and it's an indie. I like to support indies (real indies, that is, not studio-spinoff-indies.) It's not a bad waste of time. Enjoy.

"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Knitting Friday

This has been a week of frogging. "Ribbit!" could be heard all over the house. First, I started a summer shell in a heavy variegated cotton - Sugar n' Cream type. (Why? Because I had the yarn.) Then, I started a summer cardigan in a much finer cotton/acyclic blend. (Why? Because I have no sense of texture.)

A short way in on the cardigan and a long way in on the shell I realized that these garments should be switched - the cardigan should be heavier and the shell should be lighter. So, both are now in the frog pond as I search for new pattern ideas.

On the positive side, my Monday night knitting class was a great success. I had 6 dedicated knitters which was a good number since I had to spend a great amount of time with two of them. My next-door neighbor had bought the yarn and needles and was eager to start. Her enthusiasm was so great that I only offhandedly asked her: How long have you been knitting? And she answers: Oh, I don't knit. You could have fooled me!

She was a fast learner though. And I was also a fast learner because we realized immediately that her circs were too large for the joining of the pullover top so I quickly worked the magic loop for her - and it worked, amazingly I didn't get the dreaded mobius join. She picked that up quickly also and the evening ended with her busily working the magic loop.

Next month, we'll continue with this project and hopefully I will have restarted my frogged works by then.

I showed the group the cardi pictured here and they all thought it was crocheted but it's a simple 4-row lace. I'm pleased with this cardi and I think that the crab stitch around all the edges but the bottom hem adds a nice finishing touch.

The other picture here is Knitty's Summit:

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss10/PATTsummit.php

Now, you all know that I make a lot of shawls but most of them are utilitarian ones since I wear them for walking in very cold weather or as a light wrap in summer. None of that exquisite workmanship for me; though I really admire that.

But Summit was different. I, and over 200 Ravelers, have been smitten by this design. It's funky and it's fun. This is absolutely one of the easiest patterns to memorize. I posted a small sample picture some weeks ago but this picture is the "good copy." (Although the picture is shown width-wise.)

Some comments about this shawl:
1. For this project, I re-learned knitting backwards (a must when you are working stockinette on only 6 stitches.)
2. I need a row counter only on the edge loops where you do stockinette on 6 stitches for 16 rows each time. However, throughout the body, all you have to remember as you are working on your clusters of 11 stitches: you unravel the top stitch when this will produce 9 horizontal threads. (This is really quite obvious when you start.)
3. If you make a mistake in unraveling the stitch, use a crochet hook to work that stitch back to the needle and fix your mistake.
4. Do you see the "Right" on the white paper at the edge? Well, the other side says "Left." Before I made that reminder when ever I picked up the work in the middle of the row, I had no idea if I was making a right or left curved section. This paper clears that up and I haven't had a problem since.
5. If you check each curve cluster after you work it (an easy check) you will have no difficulty fixing a mistake since each cluster is a separate unit and can be fixed without involving the other shawl stitches.

I really recommend trying this project. I think blocked it will be 67" x 23+" - a good size. It's made of Knit Picks Palette so the wool will keep me warm and the holes will keep me cool.

That's it for today. I have to start working on my monthly newsletter so this will be a hectic day of typing, editing and proofing.

See you next Friday. Happy Knitting.

"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Website Wednesday

Yesterday was school board election and voting on the school budget day in NJ. It looks like a lot of school budgets passed. Our Murphy Law's Gov (that is, he's in a job above his capabilities) on day before the election bashed teachers for using students as "drug mules."

WTF? Drug mules! Go look it up the story in The Record and The Star-Ledger. Drug mules! What an obscene, vile description of our kids. He explained that teachers were urging the kids to tell their parents to vote for the budget.; carrying the message like drug mules. First, he's factually wrong. Teachers tell kids to tell their parents to vote - that's democracy, Gov.

I asked my mom what she thought a drug mule was and she said: Someone who carries drugs. Then I explained just what a drug mule really was (And yes, the Gov knew, after all he touted his creds as a federal prosecutor all through the campaign.) and she went: Eww! (If you, like mom, are unfamiliar with this term, just goggle.)

Nick Acocella from NJN's Reporters Roundtable said last Friday that this Gov was not out to compromise with the teachers' union; he was out to destroy it. Like the time in LOTR when Aragon had to explain to Theoden that that Orcs were fighting for the total annihilation of men. I've never seen such tactics in NJ politics before.

Noam Chomsky has stated that he has never seen people as angry in the US in his lifetime. Well, he has to be forgetting the Vietnam War protest (he's old enough to remember) among other events but I agree with him in that people are just so angry today. They are so aggrieved. They are even delusional since they can spout nonsense like: Get the government's hands off my Medicare without a blink.

We seem to be living in the Wild West of rational thought. That is, as in the Wild West where there was very little law, today there is very little rational thought.

But on to the website pick. I'm going legal today. Perhaps because I feel we may all need a dose of what the law really states and not what we think, want it to state; especially here in the US.

Cornell University has this legal site:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/

which is a rather lame-looking site but get beyond the lack of bells and whistles and you'll find an excellent resource.

This site is an important legal information site. It's work more than fun in reading but it's worth it. What can you do here? Read US Supreme Court cases. Go through state law for many US states (not all.) Get detailed overviews on hundreds of topics like: adoption, ERISA, health statues of most US states, workers compensation, and how to prepare a legal citation.

Link into a topic, for example, workers comp, and see a list of attorneys in your area. (How do they know where I live? Magic!)

They have a presence on Twittter and Facebook. And, they have an Ask A Lawyer section where they say: Questions asked here are answered promptly and efficiently by experts at our commercial partner, JustAnswer.com.

OK, enough of me palavering. Take a look at this site. Bookmark it so you can visit it again easily. Today, we all live in a legal world. This is a good resource to have handy.

"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Movie Monday and Miss M

I think Miss M is playing with her lion here, another real object she better not meet in real life (Remember? No toys of actual objects allowed.) She sleeps the night and seems housebroken. At this point, only the gate into the hall works in the kitchen; the one into the dining room just leans there. Which means she'll be out of the kitchen in a flash if left alone. I can't see the purpose is buying another working gate. Jenny, another, earlier, lab, didn't allow you to trap her in the kitchen as she got bigger. How do I know this? Did you ever see a door frame after a dog eats it? Or window blinds? Miss M and I play "peek-a-boo" around the kitchen island. In time, she'll just look over the island to find me.

And now, a movie: State of Play. The more I see Russell Crowe, the more I admire him as an actor. I think L.A. Confidential was my first view of Crowe and I didn't like him (that is, his character.) During the 1940s, for all you film buffs, there was a "bad guy" actor named Lawrence Tierney. He had star roles in B movies and had the reputation of being a real life bad boy.

I thought I was watching a reincarnation of Tierney in Crowe's L.A.C. role and Crowe's real life arrest for assault (threw a phone) against a hotel worker just reinforced this. However, there's a fine actor behind whatever Crowe's real life personality is.

He didn't win an Oscar for The Insider, when he deserved it but did win one the next year for Gladiator. It was a typical Hollywood "making up for a mistake"award for an angst-filled swashbuckling role they have no qualms rewarding.

I really haven't followed his movies as a look at the list on IMDb shows me. I forgot he was in Proof of Life, which I did see and forgot. I missed Cinderella Man - don't like boxing - and A Beautiful Mind. Ron Howard lacks the cutting edge as a director which I like, but, hey!, he's Opie after all.

Once again, I picked up State of Play about 1/4 through the first time but did return to watch it twice straight through.

Crowe plays a newspaper reporter on a paper which is bleeding red and to staunch the hemorrhage has introduced a blog presence. And this problem and conflict (thoughtful worked-out stories vs. instant blogging) is one of the many themes which run almost sub rosa through the plot; which is basically a murder mystery who-dun-it.

First, a black kid and a pizza delivery man are shot (we see the shooter.) Then, a Congressional researcher is pushed?, jumps? in front of a subway. Within minutes, we learn that the Congressman was having a affair with this researcher and that he is investigating a Blackwater-type Iraqi contractor. If you have lived on Mars, you may not realize that all these plot points are going to converge. They do, of course and amazingly for this type of movie, the explanations in the end are plausible, though perhaps not emotionally satisfying.

I'm not going to give away the ending since this is a 2009 movie but you won't come away with a "Ah, the good guys won." feeling. You will come away with thinking and talking points since this movie touches on important current events and important timeless moral dilemmas.

What I liked:
1. Almost no extra scenes except some short red herrings as in a lot of mysteries. It told a basically linear story without fluff.
2. No sex. No, I'm not a prude but this was a mystery. I knew people were "doing the naughty" I didn't need to see this distraction.
3. Good professional relationships: among reporters, bloggers, editors, cops, Congressmen.
4. No car chases. OK, Crowe jumps on a car to escape but this scene happens within a short distance in a parking garage.
5. People call the cops! What a novel concept.
6. Excellent performances. From stars like Affleck, Crowe and Mirren but also side roles like Bateman's sleazy cameo and Daniels' unctuous Congressman.
7. Crowe's appearance. That's an actor's presence not a star's posturing.

And a final big like: "Put a candle in the window" from the song, Long As I Can See The Light, by John Fogerty and sung by Credence Clearwater Revival. Wow! This song plays at the end of the movie as the paper is being printed (great real printing scene) and the credits roll. Just wow!

I'm listening to the song as I type. So, I'll end with: see this movie. And, stay for the credits and the song.

"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Knitting Friday

It was one of those shining moments last evening when you have a moral decision to make in a split second and this decision may cause you some social discomfort.

We were at a dinner/lecture on nanotechnology. The speaker was a nice guy: knew his stuff, affable, relaxed. Everything was going well until he got to the section where he was explaining how different countries had laws controlling the use of this technology. His approach was: Canada enacted a law......Britain enacted a law....Japan enacted a law....and in the US (pause) we got a health care bill.

What followed was his throw away line: Which apparently no one wanted.

At which point, immediately, instinctively, and forcefully, I call out: No!

And he looks up surprised (and I'm sitting right in front of him) and says: Oh, someone wanted it.

And I say forcefully: Yes!

He says good-naturedly: Well, I guess I shouldn't go there. And everything ended affably.

Not really a big deal but how could I, after months of blogging in favor of a Medicare health package for all in the US just sit there and allow this off-handed comment to go unanswered? This subject has never been a cocktail party joke to me, folks, as you all must know by now.

On Monday, I teach my knitting class so I spent today: shopping. I still have the cuff to finish on my final knitting sample for this class but I went shopping.

I got the cutest clothespin octopus from Ikea. You hang it over a rod and put light wash on his clothespin legs (more than eight) which revolve out from his body. I got another wooden Lazy Susan (and just who was Susan and why was she lazy?) [Edit: Lazy Susans date from the 1700s - thank you Wikipedia.] The first one holds the computer by my bed so I can listen to Libri Vox. I got 6 bars of Ikea dark chocolate which was 21 ounces for $5 - a bargain.

Then I went to Marshalls and discovered that skirts are back! I got two which promised to suck in my butt. In fact, they even came with pictures of a butt being sucked in (OK, I know that sounds vile but I'm too tired to figure out the nice way of saying this.) However, I didn't notice any difference in the size of my butt once the skirts were zipped up. I also discovered size 4 and size 6 felt exactly the same so I think this skirt really comes in S, M or L. I did put back the Carole Little black skirt. That fit was horrid. But I did buy a summer skirt in deep brown, yellow/orange and cranberry. Unbelievably, it works and I have three cranberry tops. How is that for luck?

So for me, this was a shopping marathon. But I do have a picture of the last variation of the top-down shell to show you, minus the second cuff.

The color is darker black, but in that picture you can't see the detail on the cuff ribbing.

Who would have thought that such simple directions as: CO 80 sts, join, *K1bl, P1* for 4". K, front and back in every stitch for 160 sts...... would be the start of so many shell, pullover and cardigan variations?

I'm gotten to the point where I just pull out the needles and yarn and start another top.

Next week, I'll show you the lone shawl (and who would have thought that would have happened?) I'm working on. Now it's time to go and finish all these samples. See you next Friday.

Happy knitting.

"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Website Wednesday

I guess I might as well talk about some random thoughts today, as if I've never done that before.

• I was so smug about today's website pick since I had picked two beauties for today over a week ago. I was so organized because I sent them both to my mailbox. However, when, in total smugness, I checked to see if I had posted either before (I am thorough, if not too smart) I found I had posted both already. Talk about a balloon popping.
• I don't know if any of you have been following the battle royale between the NJ Gov, who's a bully, and the NJEA, which got to be the most powerful teachers' union in the US by also being a bully. If it weren't that this conflict is really only the first battle in an attempt to move NJ from Blue state to Red state, it would be a hoot. Why? Because, the NJEA needs some very serious reform. It represents professional workers in good, old-fashioned unskilled worker union fashion. However, they did not become a nightmare alone. During the time they were demanding and getting out-of-line raises and benefits, they were negotiating with mostly private sector employees/employers (Boards of Education) for these benefits. Neither side wanted to understand the consequences of these contracts. It's obvious now, with an anti-union Gov, that resentments were sub rosa against this union for a long time. (Just read some of the comments to articles on this topic.) What I find amusing (in a wry, cynical way) is that if this Gov had an ounce of savvy, he could perform a slam dunk against the unions. But he doesn't. He's just antagonized all but a rabid base with his stumbling loudly into areas which are not the purview of a Governor - telling voters to reject school budgets in towns which don't accept a pay freeze and, off the subject but related, telling Bergen County voters to overturn their Blue Laws. Who could have imagined that the NJEA bully would be pitted against another bully? Who would have thought this might be their salvation?
• As I type, I'm watching Angels and Demons. It's really better than The DaVinci Code; which is really faint praise but I can sit through it more than once and I love that theme music.
  

OK, I know you must be thinking: She has nada for a website pick and she's stalling. But you would be wrong. Here it is:

http://www.onlineschools.org

You know that I'm a sucker for lists. They make for easy reading and fast learning (when they are accurate, of course.)

Online Schools says of itself (on this site; you'll see why I'm saying this in a minute):

Our goal is simple - to create a series of curated schools by producing, collecting and cataloging the vast array of visually stunning academic content circulating throughout the Internet.

This is a labor of love - we hope you enjoy it.

On this site, you have a list of "Schools of" sites to click for things like: How 3-D works; Facts about the IRS; The Facts about Poop (that one is very interesting), etc.

This is pretty light reading. But then click "contents from our old site" at the bottom for:

http://www.onlineschools.org/content.html

and you enter a different web world. It seems that Online Schools started out helping people decide if online learning was right for them. On their original site (much less glitzy than their current one) they hyperlink over 50 informative sites. Just a few: 100 Best Book Blogs for History Buffs; 100 Must-Read Blog Posts on the Future of Learning; 100 Blogs Every New Teacher Should Read; or 50 Best Blogs to Learn All About China. You can see you that you now have 350 sites to peruse.

My only caveat is: I can't tell if this is a current website; no date listings except a copyright in 2009. But take a look at Online Schools; it's worth a long visit.

"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Movie Monday & Miss M

Miss M spent most of the week sleeping so I thought this picture would be appropriate. She's gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks and except for her play times, she spend a lot of time asleep. If it's like kids, I'm expecting a really big growth spurt.

She's been to outdoor dining at restaurants and has been welcomed into retail stores (carried at this age) wearing her Service Dog in Training bandanna. One task in this first year is to acclimate her to as many out-of-the-house settings as possible.

I, when I act as alpha dog, wind up being "walked" by her from the back lawn to the front lawn. She likes to walk me by grabbing my skirt hem and pulling it as a leash. Oh, I can see Ceasar Millan (the great Dog Whisperer) shaking his head in disapproval.

And now, on to Movie Monday.

Watching State of Play (Crowe, Affleck, Mirren) in the very early hours of Sunday, I thought that would be my review today but I'm going to stay with my first choice: New Moon.

First, as the movie world probably knows, Catherine Hardwicke was replaced by Chris Weitz as director on this second movie in the saga. And, I found out late that Twilight editor, Nancy Richardson, was replaced by Peter Lambert.

Not only did I watch New Moon last week, but the girl and I then found time to sit through the director and editor commentary on movie. You know, when they replay the entire movie with voice-over how-it-was-done comments but no movie dialogue.

Weitz, who directed The Golden Compass, and Lambert seem like OK guys, but did any see Weitz's Golden Compass before hiring him?

Visually, TGC is stunning but its theme is seriously lacking a soul (and no pun intended in that Pullman [the author of the book] is an atheist.) Things happen in TGC but you are never drawn into the angst.

Weitz brings the same failing to New Moon.

When I first encountered Twilight, as I've said, I knew very little about the story yet Hardwicke and Richardson carried me through the plot and made me care about the protagonists.

Weitz and Lambert carry me through the plot (and carry me on and on and on through the plot) but I just don't care, except when.........

Fellows, the story belongs to Edward and Bella. OK, I know that Jacob plays a crucial role in the saga but the fanstsy romance is not his. Yes, I know that Pattinson and Stewart are too young to have the acting chops to carry this fantasy but they seem to have a physical chemistry (hey, guys, don't start on sexual orientation rumors; that's why they call it acting) which makes their presence together riveting.

That's why the beginning and end of New Moon work. Edward and Bella meet only at these sections of the movie; in the middle Bella and Jacob interact and does that middle section drag. (Even the girl, who is Team Jacob, agreed - so using Republican statistics that one person who dislikes Obama is equal to 5 million people who like him, you've got your proof.)

Now, I understand after reading Eclipse and Breaking Dawn that really not much happens in the entire 2000+ page saga. Action-wise, in Twilight you have James stalking Bella; in New Moon, you have Laurent threatening Bella and Edward at the Volturi; in Eclipse, you have the battle with Victoria and the newborns; and in Breaking Dawn, you have Bella's pregnancy (OK, I'm including this because of its oddity) and the non-battle with the Volturi when they come to the US for a visit.

Outside of that, for plot/theme, you have Edward's lips on Bella's and the saga's continual cliff-hanger of: Will she seduce him before she marries him?

I'm not going to go into the logistics of how Bella maintains her virginity through three novels especially since she 's eager to lose it but I think you'll agree that with such a plot/theme you need Edward and Bella together because you need SEXUAL TENSION.

Let me tell you the few things I really liked about New Moon:

1. Edward and Bella together.
2. The room pans to show the months passing after Edward leaves and Bella sits catatonic in her room.
3. The shots of the wolf's eye (really Jacob) after the morphing. First, when Edward is away, you see only the reflection of Bella. In the end, the eye reflects both Bella and Edward. That was a great touch.
4. The Volturi scene. Michael Sheen (with no trace of his David Frost role) ate up the scenery. (Dakota Fanning was adequate; I can't see the praise for such a small role.)
5. The disturbing scene when the tourists are led in for the Volturi's lunch. It reinforced the fact that these vampires were in no way Carlisle's "vegetarian" types. But fellows, there were kids in that happy meal - not funny.
6. Jacob's first morph into a wolf.
7. Jessica. Anna Kendrick is such a natural and a scene-stealer.
8. The Cullens.

And now, what I disliked: the "watching paint dry" middle of the movie when Edward does the noble thing (when doesn't he always knowingly do the noble thing?) and leaves Bella so he won't hurt her except unknown to him this gives her a whooper of a nervous breakdown.

That middle section really needed a good editor. Take a look back at Twilight. Hardwicke/Richardson didn't have an extra scene yet they were able to avoid the tableau-style scene progression; the story flowed. In New Moon, the Jacob/Bella/biker-danger seeking/back to school/werewolf/Laurent/etc. section was soooooooo long.

And that's sad because I really think it only needed a faster pace. As I said, the room pan scene was right-on so the ideas were there but not their execution.

So, in case, you're still confused about my reaction to New Moon - I think I'll only be watching this movie again while using the scene selection feature on the menu.

I'll leave you with some, perhaps, good news: Nancy Richardson is returning as an editor for Eclipse. Chris Weitz has been replaced by David Slade (30 Days of Night) and Howard Shore (LOTR!!!!) is scoring Eclipse.

That's it for the Twilight Saga until Eclipse opens this summer. Though I think I'll tackle Breaking Dawn, the final novel, soon from the angle: How do you present sexual intercourse to pre-teens? Obviously, not in the way you would present it to adults, I think. Though to be sure about that I may have to finally crack the spine on Nora Roberts novel.

See you next week.

Oh, me bad!

This is not so much a posting as an apology for not posting either Website Wednesday or Knitting Friday, because......because.....wait for it.....I just finished reading Eclipse and Breaking Dawn starting Wednesday and ending at midnight Thursday. And, I saw New Moon on on Tuesday!

What a Twilight saga week!

I'll talk about the movie and the books on Monday but right now I'm decompressing and about two, three paragraphs are all I can manage typing right now.

On top of all this, I have to get ready to teach my knitting lesson (top down shell with variations) a week from Monday. I seem to be knitting every variation possible. I think I have enough samples now but I also seem compelled to knit more.

I'm past my three paragraphs. Have a good weekend. Back Monday.

"Capitalism is the Predatory Stage of Human Evolution"

Movie Monday and Miss M

Since Miss M's last picture, I think we've been giving her "big" pills because in this picture she looks twice the size. I'm happy to report that in two weeks she seems completely housebroken - we're at the stage when she barks (well, it's still little dog soft in sound) when she needs "park time." I'm also well trained in always stroking her haunches as she "delivers."

Bad news in that the girl is exhausted. As you know, she is the alpha dog (ha!) here and she's fantastic with Miss M - and completely wiped-out. Two weeks ago, pictures show her as a carefree child; now, this kid needs some serious R & R!

And now, on to the Movie part of this Monday. I know, you thought I would make my feeble excuses again.

On Friday, I got to see the beginning of New Moon and I've blocked time to see it all straight through tomorrow. And yes, I'm hooked. I know I'm the salmon swimming the wrong way when it comes to most moms' opinions about this vampire series. You know the feminist line: girl dangerously chooses a potentially abusive partner, etc. And you know my line: Chill!

As I've said before: be sure to get in unobtrusive "lessons" re: the danger in such relations . But then just look at this series as a rite of passage event. I'll discuss the movie in a minute but first the books. I've only read Twilight and I've only read 100 pages of it. After 30 pages it became like looking for that proverbial pony. Meyer starts out with a universal teen problem: shy kid in a new high school and community. Wow! I thought, let's see what she does with this. Well, she put me to sleep.

When Stephanie Meyer started this series she had a fundamental problem based on her religious beliefs (she's Mormon): she did not want sex before marriage between her protagonists. However, I think she was savvy enough to realize that she would be hooted and booted out of the publisher's office with such a premise unless she was only aiming at a very narrow audience.

So, she came up with vampires. I know it's a hooky and hackneyed premise but I think it works well with her intended audience. OK, on first viewing of Twilight, I'm silently laughing myself to death when Edward spouts such lines as: I can never lose control...... But getting beyond my cynical, liberal scorn I think this "If I allow my carnal desires to succeed, my vampire lust for blood will be triggered and I'll kill you." works.

Shoot me now, but I can even see a metaphor here (well, I can see a metaphor anywhere): We all have desires that will give immediate pleasure but can lead to unfortunate consequences.

OK, let me move on to the movie, Twilight, which I think is far superior to the book. I know that's damning with faint praise but here's the deal: I walked in that movie with the only this background: I knew Edward was a vampire and Bella was a human and they were (or soon would be) in love.

It was going to be up to the director, screenwriter and editor to present a story I would be interested in and be able to follow or present a story like Identity (2003) where I'm still wondering: what the hell happened in that movie?

I think that Hartwicke (director), Rosenberg (writer) and Richardson (editor) tell the story very well. And (shoot me now, again), I think there is some very good acting in this movie. Hartwicke (and I'll only use her name since it's faster) seems to be a vignette type of director. As an example, take the scene where Edward is introduced. Forget the music cue as he enters telling us: this guy is important but look at Jessica and Angela's reaction when Bella asks: Who's that? Watch how they turn their heads to see and then answer. It's completely natural.

Or go back one scene where Mike sits down at the lunch table between Jessica and Bella. After he runs off to chase Tyler, Jessica moves closer and takes his seat; he's not coming back and sitting next to Bella.

Or, much later in the film when Bella and Edward are in the truck fleeing from James and she passes her friends laughing and enjoying themselves. Nothing is said but you get the message: Bella's future with Edward demands a lot of unpleasant changes.

Now, I'm sure most people have not watched this movie a zillion times as I have unless they are in love with Edward and/or Bella and then they probably are not interested in any of this stuff anyway. However, "white noise" movies (that accompany my knitting) get a lot of viewing and analysis from me and unlike other white noise movies, like The Other Boleyn Girl (pretty, but nothing there), there's a lot to catch in Twilight.

Another theme is the portent mini-scenes.

Just two examples: Edward's first appearance in the movie in the school lunch room. You move from his walking silently to Jessica's explaining about him. When she says something like: No one here is good enough for him, you get a shoot of his face with a slight smile. Later, this all makes sense when you learn that Edward can read minds.

Or, when Laurent says to James: James, don't play with your food, when James taunts Waylon. Small point but important because logically James should kill Bella immediately in the ballet studio but he "plays" with her giving Edward time to rescue her.

I guess my appreciation of Hartwicke increased after reading those 100 pages of the book. Meyer has Jacob tell Bella the complete story about the Cullens immediately thus destroying any dramatic suspense. (That tells me never give Jacob a secret to keep.)

Hartwicke fleshes out the vampire theme and the movie by having Bella make this discovery on her own. And then, the next scene, when Bella walks past Edward into the woods with its' "right-on" musical accompaniment and the looks on his face that he knows she's figured it out, works. As does the revelation in the woods scene which immediately follows.

Finally, just a bit about the acting. I've already said that I liked the supporting acting. This can be a real movie maker or breaker when the story just revolves around two actors. And, start throwing the tomatoes but I also liked Stewart and Pattinson. Vampires have been interpreted in so many ways and I think that Pattinson with his height and skin coloring captures the look. Also, I think for his age (21 - 22) at the time of shooting, he captures the mood of this undead creature who is 108 year old vampire captured in a 17 year old's body finding love for the first time. Stewart acts awkwardly and it works (if this continues into New Moon, I might react differently) for a young, shy girl who captures the heart of Edward Cullen. I know, I know, this is such old fashioned and pre-feminist thinking. But, again, chill. If I had married my first love, it would have been a disaster. I get it. But I still needed that first love. And no, he wasn't a vampire - or abusive.

That's it. I started this post in the dark and now the sun is shining. Like a good vampire of old, with the sun it's time to move on.

See you next week.