Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

Website Wednesday

 

Yesterday, getting my ducks in a row for my picks today I was checking them against my list of all the website picks I've ever used (don't say that I'm not compulsive) since I try not to repeat them. Well, one day in the not so distant past I must have clicked "Yes" for the question "Replace current file?" for I no longer have 4+ years of website picks but only about a few months' worth. However, always finding the rainbow under the pile of manure, I had the time to recopy them all yesterday. Well, recopying just the website picks was a bear but a Control-A, Control-C, Control-V for entire months of blogging went very, very fast. So today. I have over 800 pages of all my blogs together in one file. Minus the pictures that is; they don't copy easily. If I ever decide to write a book; it's already written. Now, I just have to figure out how to get people to read this opus. I heard sex sells.

 

Let's start with this:

 

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/12/new-trampled-snow-art-from-simon-beck/ 

 

How does he do that? That's like working a knitting pattern but not looking at your work until it's done. How does he remember the pattern? I am very impressed.

 

If you have any interest in art, design, photography...... be sure to explore all of the This is Colossal site at:

 

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/

 

OK, I'm still in the movie mode:

 

http://www.popcrunch.com/

 

Apparently this site celebrates "lustiness." (Which is a synonym for robustness.) A lot of interesting articles taking in current hot topics, politics, movies, etc. Looks like some long, thoughtful articles and a lot of fun fluff. It links to articles from other publications. And, they told me that DC Comics has killed Robin! Waaaaah!

 

I am fascinated by the visual currently on this website:

http://vimeo.com/6437816

 

It's titled: Visualizing empires decline and it's a fascinating concept to present in this manner. I don't know if it's completely successful but the commenters are very engaged in how this history is presented, offering their advice on making it better, and that's always good. It makes you want to learn more about the subject.

Vimeo is a place for creative people to put up their videos. It's worth it to click "Watch" at the top and then cruise around the categories. I like this kind of site; it's what the internet should promote.

And finally, I'll leave you with some thoughts:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7994.Jean_Jacques_Rousseau

 

Yes, it's that French guy, Jean Jacques Rousseau. You get his more recognizable quotes in the beginning but scroll down for his thoughts when he put on his very, very serious thinking hat. I especially like the last, pithy one: “Laws are always useful to those who possess and vexatious to those who have nothing.” This guy could really use his noggin'. Just shows you, time can't kill a good idea.

 

The website is Good Reads which I've picked before. You can always find worthwhile cruising here.

 

That's it for today. See you next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

Movie Monday - The Oscars

 

Once a year, with the Academy Awards, insiders put on a fabulous party for themselves in order to get us, outsiders, to pay for their products. With the Oscars, we, the movie-going public, are the outsiders and so many of us glob onto this industry love-fest where they decide who's the best in their profession, award them in lavish style and then say to us: Now we've told you what movies/actors you should like the most, please go and pay our outrageous ticket prices/DVD prices/cable prices to watch them again and again.

 

I do like movies. I watch them way too much and I think it would be nice to have lists with annotation of yearly superior/excellent movies and performances. But reducing everything to just one "best" for each category has always seemed a lousy idea to me, no matter what profession you're touting.

 

Since most of us, movie lovers, will be cruising the web for Oscar comments, I won't bother you with all of the insane "best" choices from the past. Just to cite one example: Luis Rainer won the first of her consecutive Best Actress awards for The Great Ziegfeld in 1936. Her role was very, very minor; even as a supporting actress nomination it would have been minor. (And she could have been nominated in that category since it had just been added as an award category that year.) Most movie historians agree that Rainer won for a two minute scene where she tearfully calls her ex-husband to congratulate him on his marriage to Billie Burke. OK, I get it; she was sad but she held back on the weeping until she hung up. What an acting stretch! IMDb does a good job describing the controversy back in 1936 over this nomination and how she won:  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, listed her as a lead player, then got out its block vote for her.

 

The 2013 Oscars walk the same flawed path: They honored an actor from the historically flawed movie, Lincoln, and then they gave the Best Picture nod to Argos, which portrays history as it didn't happen. (Argos gives us American heroes in a true-life rescue operation which was run by the Canadians.) But then, the movie industry from the get-go always twisted the truth to produce more palatable, more heroic, more profitable fiction.

 

 Of course, I will, at some point, be watching these movies. I'll grouse about a lot of them and like/maybe love others. But I will understand that I'm just watching a finished product which was produced by a company. (Have you ever sat through all the ending credits? There are more people listed there than many US medium-sized businesses!) And like other such-created products (cigarettes, prescription drugs, cars), movies are made so you will like them enough, get caught in their advertising push enough, to buy them, again and again and again.

 

But remember, as Michael Moore said in regard to the movies today: We live in fictitious times. Movies entertain or educate. Right now, main stream movies are a lousy place to get an education. But in the rocky times we live in, we can always use their entertainment. See you next week.

    

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

Knitting Friday

 

#1 in the frog pond

Between the time I took the pictures for today's blog and now, this beginning shawl pattern (#1) is no more. The pattern is found on Ravelry at:

 

 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lacy-feather-and-fan-pattern

 

It's a crocheted feather and fan shawl and I thought it would work well for summer wear. It's charted and while crochet charts are not my favorite, this one was a breeze to read. However, it uses triple crochets and, I'm working with crochet thread which has no spring and a G hook. Everything looked a little droopy. The pattern is great,  though I think you should mark the top of the end turning chains. (Using that cotton yarn, I placed strands of yarn to mark every ch2-space also but I think that's "overkill" unless you are working with cotton thread.)

 

I have no picture of what #1 is now morphing into because I knitted that up in the middle of last night. It's the same pattern as I posted last week; another Ravelry pattern which you can see in picture #2:

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/three-triangles-shawl 

#2 3-Triangles Shawl

 

Originally, I did not want to use this Three Triangle pattern with cotton thread because I felt it wouldn't produce a lacy shawl. (In DK weight, it looks like picture #2.) I was wrong. While, it is producing a denser lace, it still has the look of lace and, with edging, I think it's going to be a winner.

 

Back to Pic #2 for a second. I have two big balls of yellow yarn and I'm destashing by making this shawl (which I will use.) I plan to make a ruffled edging so that will use up a chunk of yarn. A tip I just learned on crocheted ruffled edgings: Not a tremendous amount of yarn left for it: *Ch 8, sc in edge stitch, ch 8, sc in next edge stitch* around or: A mother lode of yarn left: *1DC, Ch1* 5xs in every edge stitch; more at the corners, if desired.

Some final pictures now to show a long term project I'm starting. Once and a while, I like to make legacy projects. I don't think I invented that term but to me it means projects I make that will stay in the family - to the kids, grand-kids, great grand-kids (you get the picture.) Like the Mario blanket I made for the boy and the swan shawl the girl saw and put in her claim for. 

 

I have been eying the monthly squares Marin Melchoir creates for Woolen Collectibles like this one from Ravelry:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/november-aran-afghan-square-woolen-collectibles

 

It seems they are available free for the current year, which is very generous. However, when I started to arrange the months and take a close look at the charts, I had a huge user error melt down. My stitch count was way off, and, though I knew the fault was with me, I could not figure out my mistake.

 

And then, AranPaint came to my rescue:

 

http://members.iinet.net.au/~coolhoun/patterns/patterns.html

# 3 Cable Sampler

This is a site which sells knitting software but also, most generously, provides you with sampler patterns, charted and written, with a fantastic symbol key. It was the combination of these three items: word, chart and key which caused my "Euraka" moment and I can now read the monthly Aran squares with ease. (It was a really stupid user error.)

Picture #3 is a prototype of a cabled scarf using acrylic yarn and various patterns from AranPaint. I stopped at about cowl size and it fits nicely under a coat and is warm. I cast on 40 stitches and worked a K5 edge on each side (too much, I'll go down to a K3 edge.) This gave me 30 stitches for the different patterns and knitted up all the AranPaint patterns up to their 28-stitch pattern one. Since I had more stitches than I needed with all the patterns, I fudged it. Like with the 28 stitch pattern. There I had one extra stitch on each side so I worked that by knitting and purling in its back loop. For the 8 stitch patterns, I worked three repeats of the pattern (24 stitches) and then used the 6 extra stitches this way: On the right side: Edge stitches, K1 back loop (bl), K2tog, YO --work pattern ---- YO, SSK, K1 bl, edge stitches. On the wrong side: I purled those 6 stitches normally except for the K1 bl, that I purled in the back loop.

It was a fun project and not boring. I only worked the patterns as written. If they only gave you 8 rows, I didn't add more. I just wanted a sampling for the patterns; not a masterpiece. Once I work my final scarf, I'll decide on about 20+ rows for each pattern. 

 

Also, I created only a one garter ridge between each pattern since I wanted the patterns to flow together. Starting on the right side, you must knit two rows to get one garter ridge of the right side. A garter ridge looks like a bumpy purl row. Your first row of K produces these bumps (purls) on the WS. It's when you turn and K on the WS that you get your first row of garter ridge (purl bumps) on the right side. However, I got creative with making this ridge and I'll explain, with pictures, how I did it next week. After all, I wasn't trying to get a Master Knitter certificate; just trying get one garter ridge between each pattern. 

 

#4 More complicated cable

On the right is a more complicated cable I tried (I don't think this one came from AranPaint) and you can see the small 8-row pattern just above it. It looks like that small pattern has three separate sections. 

Well, that's it for today. The other night, I was knitting in bed in the wee hours and I couldn't see the stitches! What? I need glasses? Then I got to my computer desk later in the morning and knitted perfectly. Which is why I'm shopping for a better bed lamp today. My desk has your typical office light with the swing arm. Now, I want a bed lamp like that. Wish me luck.

See you next Friday. Happy knitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

 Website Wednesday

 

Lately, I find that I have less interest in politics. Perhaps because Obama has been a disappointment. (No, I never would have voted for Romney!) He governs on the principle that his job is to save capitalism; and that he's done. Only problem, he campaigns with progressive, liberal phrases. So what you see and hear during his two presidential campaigns is not what you get during his tenure in the White House. 

 

Others can write so much more eloquently than I about the collapse of governmental concern for the less fortunate in this country. It looks like the bastards really did win, as we progressives/liberals wait, holding our breath, for criminal prosecution of the crimes committed by our centers of wealth (banks, Wall Street.) Cripes! Obama couldn't even make a whistle-stop visit to an Occupy Wall Street site during that movement's heyday!

 

The treacles of capitalism, made bolder and richer by the industrial and  the technological revolutions, have spread into all the workings of our politics and governance. By now, it's a Gordian Knot. And remember the only way that sticky knot was finally unraveled? Alexander the Great slashed his sword through the middle of it. Not a pretty thought.

 

Wow! Reading above, I realize that I woke up quite pissy this morning. 

 

On to websites:

 

http://www.splicetoday.com/ 

 

Which says of itself: Splice Today is a website featuring idiosyncratic writing and visual presentation on topics of interest and concern to an audience that values perspective over popularity. We depend on contributors who aren't getting their voices heard anywhere else. Our emphasis is weighted toward politics and the arts — music, film and books—but also includes essays and interviews about sports and the nuances of today's popular culture.

 

A lot of reading on this one and I started reading about a dad on a prayer walk to school with this child. And I read to the end, because the tangent taken by the writer was unexpected but very interesting. So, I'm sticking a label of "Feature articles you should read." on this site. Take a look.

 

Ok, let's go visual, but creative:

 

http://manmadediy.com/ 

 

Which says:  ManMade features original how-to content, videos, and design inspiration created by both women and men. It’s for anyone that says “Hey, I can do that”, and believes that sewing machines and tablesaws alike belong in the workshop. Our current era allows for an entire new spin on what it means to live the handmade life, and ManMade wants everyone to know they’re invited!

 

I love this site! Like when you're holding a plastic grocery bag, a used hairspray bottle and a straw. Go here, and I bet you'll find out how to make a lamp with these items - and maybe even the light bulb! It's a great, fun, "how-to" site.

 

Let's go all visual:

 

http://nethugs.com/interesting/america-1870-1920/ 

 

This site is Net Hugs, not Ne Thugs as I first read it. It's part of a greeting card site which, to me, touts some pretty sappy sayings. But the pictures of this page should be seen. And, if you're a nature lover, from this site you can work your way back to:

 

http://www.nature.org/ 

 

for a lot of nature stuff.

 

And, finally, even more pics:

 

http://www.yesemails.com/canadausa/rarephotos/ 

 

It looks like you can subscribe and get picture e-mails. (Not something I'm interested in.) However, there are loads of picture "e-mails" here to see. Just click all the links (top and bottom of the page) and you'll get to see some amazing photos. I can't find an "About" for this site but just click around and enjoy.

 

OK, got to go. I just got an e-mail whose subject is: 23 Magical Knitting Patterns. Bliss is only a click away. See you next week. 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

Movie Monday (Edit below)

OK, I'm going to play hooky today. And I don't even have a forged note from my mom. Let my excuse be that it's President's Day so it's vacation time. But, the real excuse is that I'm at a location where the internet speed is worse than dial up and I'm typing about four letters before one letter even appears on the screen. Plus, I can't even see a cursor so I don' even know where I'm typing till the letters appear. Waaah!!

Later: OK, forget the paragraph above because the problem seems to have been fixed (DH says it was my fault.) However, by now, the household is up and my blog time is over.

So, I really am going to play hooky. Here's a documentary film website site which I hope will keep you interested until we meet again.

http://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/film/the-50-best-documentaries-of-all-time

It's a LA Times feature (Edit: It's not a feature of the LA Times. Sorry.) and the "More Info" link is just a loop and clicking it will return you to this page. But the "Buy on Amazon" link does work and it may be interesting to read verified buyer reviews since documentaries can be controversial and opinions may be all over the map. Of the entries from 50 to 41, I've seen all or part of 7 of them.

That's it for today. Cripes! The sun is coming up. I am soooooo late. See you Wednesday.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings   Tax the Rich 

Knitting Friday 

Fast and furious today because I must leave soon, I woke up late, and I don't type that fast.

Remember the piece of shawl which I showed last week (#1):

#1 What is was

#2 What is

I had started it from the curlicue scarf. That little, little piece of shawl in #1 did become a shawl but then I realized it was just not going to work. It's one thing to make a garment which you know is only for house use. It's other thing to make one you don't even want to wear in the house. So, using the power of the google, I found this:

 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/three-triangles-shawl

#3 Won't rotate

And I made the shawl on the right (#2), which I love. Picture #3, which won't rotate, shows the back of the shawl. It was such a fast and easy crochet. You work from the top down and you make two triangles on the bottom, neither of which stands out with the ruffles I made; and I'm happy with that. Some tips:

1. Be sure to count your stitches on the first 3 rows (They're given to you.)

2. Be sure to crochet into the double crochet before the Ch-2 space since you can miss that one. The one after the space is easier to see.

3. One new thing I learned with crocheting. As you are working a row, the horizontal top of your stitch (which you will be working in) comes before the vertical post of the same stitch.

    _  (this is the top of your stitch you will work into)

   l   (this is its vertical post)
Crocheting towards the left you reach the horizontal top post first 
Sounds too simple to be important but, knowing that, helped me.

4. Put a long strand of yarn in the top of the beginning and ending Ch-3 since that top gets 2 DCs at the end of every row.

#4 Right side

Finally, remember I said that I didn't like the look when you had color changes in garter. So I worked up this swatch (#4) and it reads: 1. picot CO, 2. garter, 3. seed, 4 & 5. lace, 6. seed (I think), and 7 & 8 are garter. I changed the colors in every section. Here's the wrong side (#5):

# 5 Wrong side

I think the color changes work in every section except from 7 to 8, both of which are garter. For me, that extra line of blue in the coral takes away from the reversibility of the shawl, especially if you have a lot of color changes. As I said last week, if you plan to work your increases at the edges, you can incorporate any 2 stitch pattern (K1, P1 or YO, K2tog) for the two rows where you make your color changes.
 Got to go. It's almost 7 am. I am soooo late. See you next week.