Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Once again, a fast post since I'm in PNS (pre-newsletter syndrome) since this is really the absolutely last, drop-dead day I have to punch up this baby. Plus, I am so addicted to blocking, I'm going to have to get my fix of blocking another shawl today or I will be a mess.

My website pick:

http://nedhardy.com/2011/03/10/34-cleverly-designed-inventions/

Cute site. Love his cat logo. This Ned Hardy's site. Ned bills himself as "the self-anointed curator of the internet." Sounds like it fits him and we all know that the internet could sure use one! Right now, as of 3/10/11, he has 34 Cleverly Designed Inventions (with 73 comments, I might add.) Take a look at them. Many are really very cleverly designed. A lot of them, I wish I had. Hit the "Tags in the right column for archival stuff. Click on the Blogroll on the right for other blogs Ned recommends.

An interesting read and look since it's basically picture and video heavy (and pictures done well are always a plus for me.) As always, approach with caution with little kids standing around.

Enjoy.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Movie Monday: Mildred Pierce HBO (only the first 2 parts; continues next Sunday on HBO)

Watching the HBO Mildred Pierce as I type, I'm wondering why is this movie mini-series so not connecting to me? Oh, there are moments, especially when Mildred interacts with her next-door, worldly-wise neighbor, that the characters come alive and do more than just walk through well-researched, but Hollywood stage set scenes.

It's funny that the opening shot with Mildred preparing a birthday cake sets the metaphor of the movie. During this scene, we meet Mildred, Veda, and Ray. Dialogue happens. The scene advances. But the whole time, I'm watching that damn chocolate cake because I'm waiting for something to crash it to the ground. (And this reaction is anticipated by the director since Ray dangles her skates over the cake - needless to do but she had to be directed to do it.) So, when I should be engrossed in the scene, I'm distracted by a cake, which is not even a McGuffin (as Hitchcock called a useless device which advances the plot) since it never advances the plot.

While the cake disappears, it set up my emotions for the rest of the movie: I watched but I didn't engage. I do think this may be the director's (Todd Haynes) style because he can pan a street in pre-Roosevelt depression USA showing men with placards looking for work, many men selling apples, and Mildred looking for employment and none of it feels real. It's, well, it's just too clean. This is Hollywood's view of the Great Depression. Or rather Hollywood's technicolor view of the Great Depression.

Then there is the movie's pace. So slow. Minutes pace the scene where seconds would work. Some critics have said that one or even two hours could be lobbed from the movie. I don't think even that would help; you would just have two fewer hours of a dully paced movie.

For me, the pace is doubly deadly because I think if makes you lose sight of some interesting themes. Like the similarity between the monster Veda and her mom, Mildred. Were they two sides of the same coin, ambitious women pursuing big dreams only with Veda, due to her mom's obsession with her, this dream turns nightmare for everyone? However, I think by the end of the 6 hours I'll be saying: Who cares? to this and all thematic questions.

Remakes are always a problem, especially when you're competing with the iconic 1945 Joan Crawford's Mildred Pierce. This 2011 version has been touted as much truer to the James Cain book and I don't doubt it. However, I've read Cain and he can be like reading paint dry. Hollywood may have tweaked and pushed and shoved and squashed many of his plots before (Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce) but these original film noirs were taut and tight. Perhaps this version does show the Great Depression as Cain wrote it but it still doesn't connect me to it. It's presented like an historical fact. Mildred isn't actually suffering; Mildred doesn't interact with depression-affected people either. So, my question is: Why does Haynes even include it? He's only paying lip service to it. Is it just a needed time filler? Six hours is a very long time.

Re the performances. They're definitely worth watching. Some pluses: Wally is fat. Wally has sex with Mildred. Fat people score with beautiful women! Mildred is not a goody-two-shoes. She doesn't shy from playing Wally like a violin. I liked that this Mildred shows feminist qualities without any of them feeling false. Winslet is able to nail Mildred without the bravado of Crawford. Some grousing: Well, see above. But why aren't Mildred and Wally naked in sex as Mildred and Monty are? Mildred and Monty look good naked, that's a given. But Mildred and Wally would have been real life.

Bottom line: Slow, draggy. Good performances. It's a TV movie so you can do something else while watching. You can even skip scenes. HBO is very good with hype and this will probably get another Emperor's New Clothes reaction from most critics. But if you have HBO, watch it. Lately, HBO has had much, much worse on their schedule.

Final Note: Is Mildred Pierce's central theme (which I assume will be explored more fully with the grown-up Veda next Sunday; hoping Veda is finally grown by then) of a mother's obsessive love for a hateful daughter going to resonate today?

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

Late and fast today. it's been a crazy week but I'm going to end it (and begin it since this is my one and only posting for the week; mea culpas to come later) with pictures.

The first picture is the cotton and silk yarn I got in Carlisle, PA. I hope you can see the size of that yarn ball. I know, I should have used a coin for scale but take my word for it; this baby is big. And, it's very soft and fine so you really don't want any mistakes and have to rewind. This is going to be one of my simple shawls since I don't think the yarn has enough structure for a garment. At this point, the project has its own canvas bag and I'm very deliberate with my knitting since, as I just said, I don't want any rewinding. Worse than that, I don't want any yarn breakage.

This is one of those WHY? projects. I really don't need this shawl. I really didn't need this purchase but it's a reminder of Carlisle. Once I dig it out, I'll post of a picture of the scarf I made from wool I got in the LYS in the town of Carlisle. Now that I have my blocking wires, I'm realizing that I may be able to stretch this baby big time.

The picture on the right is variegated cotton from Mill Ends at AC Moore. Right now, Ravelry is having a lively forum question: What do you think about mill ends? I commented that I'm happy with Moore's mill ends as long as I stick to cottons or wacky acrylics. Most of the time, you're getting Sugar N Cream DK weight so it's pretty bulky; though I have knitted a sport weight shawl in black cotton. I'm using this top-down shell to wear over short sleeve tees in the summer and I'm at the stage where I have to try it on to see if I "stick a fork in it"; that is, I'm done. It was a quick knit and the second project I made from the same pound of cotton. Plus, I still have one skein left from the pound.

That's it. Short and sweet. Happy knitting.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

I wasn't going to post today because I don't have pictures and I thought you really didn't need me to blather on about knitting without pictures. Then I got my Berroco free pattern (you get them and some other stuff every Friday if you give them your e-mail) and I thought that this really shows what I was talking about last week re: bulky, useless sweaters:

http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/buckland/buckland.html

(You might not be able to access the pattern without giving your e-mail but I think you'll be able to see the picture.) It's big, bulky and so V-necked that you have to wear a tee under it. This model looks happy, but why is she wearing a deep V-neck with a lot of bare skin while wearing a bulky, winter sweater? She's going to freeze going outside. I figured out that you could make these and wear them indoors when you have friends over. I can just imagine having a "bulky sweaters-to-be-wore-only-when-I-have-company collection." Perhaps, I'll start a feature of "bulky sweaters - what good are they?"

OTN: Right now, I'm working on a basketball sized skein of cotton and silk yarn. About two years ago, on the way to Pittsburgh, we stopped outside Carlisle, PA at a LYS. (And I should add that we stopped JIT because the woman was in the process of moving out and leaving the place [a converted church] to its new owners whom, she said, may or may not continue the yarn shop.)

Anyway, she had a tremendous spool of this yarn which I bought and then proceeded over the course of almost a month to roll it into the basketball it now is. Then I starred at it for about a year when I opened the basket it lived in. I really didn't have a use for this impulse purchase (as if all yarn purchases have purpose) but I finally got out US 10 needles last week and very gingerly (it is fragile) started to make one on my simple lace shawls.

And.....I love it! The yarn is so soft and the simple pattern with the white cotton thread with a strand of black silk weaved around it works well. Of course, this isn't a portable project (it's one heavy basketball.)

Next week: pictures. Happy knitting.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

OK I’ll bring a note from my mom, but I really, really did try to post a movie review on Monday. I was even logging into this site when the shit hit the fan - figuratively. You see I wasn’t at home, nor was I on my computer; and I forgot the damn password. Well, I remembered the password, just not the order of the words. I gave it three tries before I quit because I know that come computers “freeze” if you take too many potshots (what does that word mean?) in password tries. It’s probably a good security measure since the computer starts thinking: Just who is this bozo trying to access this site?, but I didn’t want to mess up a friend's computer. Which was probably a good idea because I spent the hour watching Jerry and Tom before the kids got home early from school. Unfortunately, I had to leave it before the ending (definitely not suitable for kids) but that’s one good movie.

Today, I’m about to prepare a “cheat” sheet for the boy’s social studies test on the southern US states. No, he’s not going to write the answers on his palm. He’s having an extensive test on these states on Friday and the study guide came home yesterday. It’s a half page sheet of topics; beauties like: explain the significance of the Missouri Compromise and discuss the origin of jazz. JHC! Now remember that this kid is in 4th grade. The significance of the Missouri Compromise! The origin of jazz! Even got the hubby to say this time: His teacher’s a moron! We have been studying for this test for about a month now; identifying the states, going over the pages in the text (I question, he answers.) As with the last states test, when the study guide finally gets home, I prepare all the information in short paragraphs and we repeat the question/answer sessions for the next three days.

As the girl pointed out at the last such test: We were making poster boards for those topics when I was in the 4th grade. I wonder if teachers in NJ even know or care that 9-year-olds are not high schoolers or even middle school kids. There cognitive skills are developing. This is the time to teach them how to learn; not zing them into frustration.

Enough said. But I’m typing really fast because this task looms large. What did we do before the Internet?

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-civilizations-that-mysteriously-disappeared.php

In keeping with my “the world is going to hell” ennui (Those poor people in Japan!), the above site is another one of my favorite of favorites: lists. This selection gives you civilizations which have disappeared and what’s really neat is that clicking on the hyperlinks within the sections brings you to more related lists. Now, I haven’t done any research to see if all their facts and conclusions are right but I do recognize these peoples who have disappeared. Well, most of them since I never heard of the Aksumite Empire in Ethiopia. Wow! Take a look at the edifice they left.

Of course, this site is not only known for erudition, so click on the main site:

http://www.toptenz.net/

and be greeted by the current first entry: Top 10 Beautiful Athletes Who Posed for Playboy or, just two down from this one: Top 10 Reformed Porn Stars. But don’t be put off by frivolity; there's a lot more on this site dealing with educating and entertaining.

So go take a look. I bet it'll produce more learning that this stupid social studies test will. Got to go, the Missouri Compromise awaits me. See you next Wednesday.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings

Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

Just some grousing today (Hey, you kids, get off my lawn!) because I forgot to take pictures and also I don't have any wow knitting pictures. I hope to be starting on the body of my brown (Why do I knit with brown? I look lousy in brown!) shell by next Friday and I think that's a pattern worth listing. But to the grousing, in no particular order:

1. Why, whenever someone comments on Ravelry about the great yarn bargains they got at a big box store, other commenters have to chime in: But don't forget check out your LYS. JHC! The original poster doesn't say: What do you think about my shopping at a big box store? but others seem to think that every mention of those stores necessities a response of: Oh, but you must support your LYS. No people, I mustn't. (This time, other commenters said the same time and I had a good time clicking the "Agree" button.)

2. What is it with all the beautiful shawls being made? I mean the lace shawls with exquisite designs. Now, as you know, I love shawls. I wear them every day. In fact, I have made two exquisite shawls (no mistakes miraculously and one the girl says she wants to wear at her wedding) but they are packed away, wrapped in a white linen cloth. I just don't get where people wear all their beautiful shawls. Obviously, they travel in different circles from me. But also, I guess I would feel uncomfortable wearing these beauties. I would look at it as I'm fishing for a compliment. OK, I got that off my chest, on to:

3: Bulky sweaters. Now I know this is probably climate related but I don't think I wear a sweater over a tee without a heavy/fairly heavy jacket for more than a handful of days in the year. First, bulky sweaters are not warm in cold weather unless you cover them with a shawl and I don't like that look; or that look doesn't like me. I would rather wear a shawl (and I'm talking warm shawl, not fancy, lacy shawl) over a blazer in such weather. Second, bulky sweaters don't work under today's warmer winter jackets. (With them, you can usually just wear a tee and a light pull-over.) And, bulky sweaters don't work with the "out-fashioned winter jackets either (Navy pea jackets) since you look like your mom has bundled you up to go out and build a snow man. I just look at the underarms on some of the bulky garments put out in Vogue Knitting and think: That is never going to fit under any winter jacket I own.

So that's it. My three grouses for the day. I'm sure I could think of more but I'd rather be knitting. See you next Friday.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings

Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

I’m noticing that the comments to articles in liberal blogs (I don’t think I’m including The Huffington Post in this category anymore since it’s gone from glitzy progressive to glitzy tabloid - big time.) are getting darker and darker: No future for the U.S. Our economy is doomed. Obama sold out.

It makes me pretty discouraged to read that. I may be an existentialist but I guess, like Dumbo and his crazy feather, I always thought some human would come up with a good idea. Silly me. I really did know that when Obama spoke on National Prayer Day saying he wakes each morning and thinks about Jesus that it was all over. Christ on a crutch! The POTUS should awaken each day and if he thinks about anything, it should be the Constitution. The P is POTUS means president, not pastor.

So as the thinking in the heartland gets darker, my website picks get lighter. No writings of Kierkegaard today.

First, a YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY1Lr-yGtd8

Once again, a painter, but watch this guy. At first, I thought he was a local graffiti artist but the finished picture belies that thought. Like that crazy cooking show where the contestants were given a pear, a salmon and lima beans and told to make a meal (I miss that show!), here the artist uses common objects, trash objects and produces art that’s a Wow.

Then:

http://irinawerning.com/back-to-the-fut/back-to-the-future/

You know the pictures of “separated at birth”? We all get a chuckle from them. Here, the photographer takes the same person at childhood and then at adulthood in the same pose and the same clothes. It’s extremely interesting and gives me the wacky thought that with enough time to shop for vintage clothes, I could photography such pictures of my family. (Well, I couldn’t be the photographer since I’m world famous for my unintended photos of ceilings.) Now that would be an interesting family album. Hats off to photographer, Irina Werning. Be sure to click the links in the right column. This is a photographer with panache.

I’ll leave you now, I hope in a happy mood. See you next Wednesday.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings

Tax the Rich

Movie Monday

Robin Hood with Russell Crowe and a lot of other good actors reminds me of the "feudalism" in my banner, for you can't say "Robin Hood" without thinking "feudalism." Or, at least, you shouldn't. Mythical Robin Hood existed as England was coming out of the Middle Ages and the opening explanatory posters tell us that he lived in the 1200's. Though I know that directors and screenwriters play fast and loose with history, I'm saying this is all happening before 1215 when King John is forced by his nobles to give them some powers in the Magna Carta.

We first meet Robin fighting with John's older brother, Richard, who, while the king at the time, has been away from England for many years fighting in the Crusades. Ah, the Crusades! Don't get me started on that coconut. In fact, Richard and Robin when we first meet them aren't in the Holy Lands but rather storming French castles. Just let me say, I liked the look Ridley Scott gives to the Middle Ages. I like the depth of his royal characters. Although, Richard, John, Eleanor (queen mom) and Isabella (John's French tart and wanta-be future queen) are minor players, they do play important roles and Scott fleshes them out so you're interested.

For example, when we first meet Richard we see immediately that he may have the appellation Lion-Hearted but he should have the one: Foolishly Stupid. But he is regal and knows his powers. He asks Robin about a recent capture of a town and is told that it was a genocide and placed the king on the side of evil. Does Robin get a reward for his honesty? Does the king have an epiphany with this criticism? No way; the next scene shows Robin and his men in the stockades awaiting further punishment for insolence which will come after Richard captures another castle.

It's a nice touch and it happens again and again when Scott deals with the royals. When Eleanor confronts John back in England about his whoring with Isabella (who is the French king's sister, by the way) while he has a wife. John successfully counters her criticisms ending with: She's (Isabella) is my Eleanor. A witty swipe at his mom's sullied past. When Eleanor is later told John will lose England if he doesn't shape up, she's astute enough to approach Isabella as her messenger of bad news and Isabella catches on immediately.

Again and again, Scott shows character arcs in the royals. He is able to make them multi-dimensional; they may show villainy but it's with panache.

I wish I could say the same about Robin, Marion, and Walter (I won't even mention William Hurt's character. What a waste of a good actor!) Unfortunately, with them we get the Hollywood story of man and maid which is such an old, old chestnut. Robin, after his adventure returning Richard's crown to the John, sets off to return the sword of Marian's husband to his father, Walter.

Faster than you can say: Let the cat out, I can't stand its howling, Walter suggests that Robin pretends to be Marian's husband. Sweet, howling banshees! Why? OK, he has a feeble reason but we all know this gets Robin into Marian's bed chamber and they begin to play the courting dance which I assume leads to the after-movie (you just get a passionate movie kiss) "roll in the hay".

WTF? This movie was made in 2010. Not only could this movie have sex between principals without Code violations, it would have so been in keeping with the Middle Ages when forcible sex was still more common than courtly love. Even passionate foreplay without consummation because Marian says: Hey, if I get pregnant, we're in for big trouble, would have given more authenticity.

Don't present Marian as a "modern" woman (She even joins Robin in battle in armor near the end of the movie.) and then pull back to the innocent titillation which substituted for sex in the time of the Code in Hollywood.

I guess what gets me pissed is that this movie had a lot of promise in character development, just not enough daring.

But with all my grousing, watch it. Even disappointments are good time fillers.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings

Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

I didn't so much forget Website Wednesday (and I did have good picks) as much as I was just too tired to blog when I got in at noon from my "gig" which began at 4 am that morning. OK, it really wasn't that bad; just long. But I realized that I really don't like to blog after the early morning hours since those hours are my laziest of the day.

But I'm not going forget knitting today. What you see on the right is my fingering weight Knit Picks yarn (Palette) which was the sky for my Super Mario projects. I obviously "saw" much too much sky in those creations for I still have enough of that color left for another shawl and probably a shell.

I'm showing this picture because I have been wearing this shawl for about a month before I blocked it yesterday with blocking wires. Yes, it had been blocked before I wore it blocked for a month; but it had only been wet blocked and then stretched using glass rocks to hold it taut.

Let me tell you that this method is NG. I was hoping that I had posted an earlier picture of this shawl but I didn't and I forgot to take a picture of it before this second blocking so you just have to take my word for it that blocking wires are fantastic.

I went from a shawl which could be stretched by hand to momentarily show a wider lace but which would immediately bounce back to a closed looking stitch. Now, the lace is wide open and the measurements went from 65" x 19" to 82" x 27". This is one wide baby. And, I walked into Sam's Club today and got a: That's a gorgeous scarf. First time that even happened.

To recap the simple, simple pattern: Row 1: K; Row 2: P; Row 3: *YO, K2tog*; Row 4: *YO, P2tog* Of course, that's the bare bones. Remember, I knit all the shawls I can on the diagonal so I have a stretchy bias. You can knit any 2-stitch pattern on the diagonal; working the increases, then increase and decrease (in the straight middle section); then decreases on Row 1 and 2.

But I really wanted to show this shawl, not for the simple pattern, but for the look that blocking wires produce. They are worth the investment and while I'd like to offer a cheap, generic solution when buying them, I do think that Knit Picks' price of of $20 for 15, 32" wires and 15 blocking pins (you will need more, trust me) is probably one of the most reasonable prices. If you're a lace maker, buy them. I think you'll be as happy as I am with them.

Next Friday: 100 skeins of yarn. What to do? There is a light at the end of the tunnel.