Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings

Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Osama bin Laden is assassinated, killed in "cold blood" since he was apparently unarmed, not captured and brought to stand trial in the famous American justice system we tout about, and I'm supposed to be happy? This brings closure (whatever that is)?

This is just more violence and will bring more violence and hatred . And, as I discovered at a meeting on Monday, this killing also bubbles up the just-below-the-surface hatred of Muslims.

So, I've decided two things:
1) America does not have a loony fringe anymore; we have a loony core. It's logic that's moved to the fringe. And
2) We need so much more education in the US, especially education in logical thinking.

I decided to start with my website pick:

http://www.khanacademy.org/

The Khan of Khan Academy is Salman Khan, born in New Orleans in 1977. Wikipedia also tells us that: (he) is an American educator and founder of the Khan Academy, a free online education platform and not-for-profit organization. He has produced over 2200 videos elucidating a wide spectrum of concepts, mainly focusing on mathematics and the sciences, in his home.

From other sources, I discovered that he made his money in venture capital and he got the idea to go global with his educational system after tutoring relatives using internet resources.

I don't know if it's Khan who's explaining "Jack is 5 years younger than Bill. In 5 years he will be 2x Bill's age......" but the presentation is done so you watch the invisible teacher talking and solving the problem in pen on a board.

These are not college level courses, and some are not even on the high school level. And that's what makes it so valuable.

With my experience teaching Adult Basic Reading and with my lack of long term memory with math, I understand how important starting very basic with the basics is in education.

My website pick is more personal this week because I'm looking at the Khan Academy as another chance (and perhaps this time a successful chance) in learning beyond basic math and science.

I hear some of you scoffing: Why do I need this? At my age?

I guess I'd answer that you're going to live a long time and learning is a life-time process. Your teachers were wrong if they told you that learning was about testing. It's about expanding your knowledge and stretching your abilities. It really doesn't end with a diploma. And, I know it's trite to say but: learning is fun.

So take a look at this site. See if you can find areas for your kids to use. (There are basic math videos and I mean basic in 2 x 2 = 4.) See if you can find refresher stuff for yourself. I'm looking to finally understand the time, distance, rate puzzler of : If a train leaves NY at 5 am and a plane leaves CA at 7 am.........

Maybe if we all spend more time at the Khan Academy we can bring logic back from the fringe in the US. Enjoy.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings

Tax the Rich

Movie Monday - Remember Me

OK, I'll start off banal: I liked it. It's boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl - with originality. First, it has the usual modern touch: the boy (Robert Pattinson) is really fucked up. He's the son of an uber-powerful NY attorney, works in a bookstore, audits college courses, and lives in an apartment with a roommate, of which he says: We live like pigs. His demons include finding his hanged older brother and watching the negligence his divorced dad (Pierce Bronsan nails this thankless role, aptly stating: I know I'm a prick, but I have my uses.) visits on his young sister, Caroline. Tyler blames dad for a lot and, being fond of the Greek myths, he writes to his dead brother that he would like to metaphorically castrate dad.

The girl Ally (Emilie de Ravin) is traveling with her own demons after witnessing her mom's murder in the subway when she was eleven. As an adult, she takes cabs everywhere and eats dessert first.

This might all sound hackneyed and so, been there, done that, but director, screenwriter and actors jell this into a very fine film.

For example, the roommate Aidan (Tate Ellington.) Early on, Aidan and Tyler are picked up when the police (including Ally's father, Neil Craig) respond to a street fight. Although they are both released immediately, Tyler objects to Craig''s treatment of others rounded up, mouths off and winds up having his face smashed into a car. Both are then arrested. It's Aidan who gets the plot moving. He calls Tyler's dad to get them out and then, by chance, he sees Craig and Ally together and suggests a way for Tyler to get revenge. Tyler is reluctant, saying he doesn't want revenge but showing the driftlessness of his life at this stage, he's talked into approaching Ally for a very charming, first-meeting, hitting-on scene.

Aidan will continue to play a big role in the film and I'm honing in on him because this is a major side-kick role which if played or written poorly can sink the movie. Neither happens here. All the supporting actors, support well; down to the scene where Les, Tyler's step-dad, takes a step back and puts his hands in his pockets; a minor gesture which "talks."

The movie flows well. Watch the scene where Tyler walks across the room to Ally, just before they have sex for the first time. It's a long walk for an actor but Pattinson takes us across the room seamlessly. Then watch Pattinson trying to get Ally to stay after she learns about the "bet." The screenwriter keeps him clueless with responses which are sure to make her move out. There's no: But I love you moment here. And there shouldn't be.

There are other small subtle moments: when Janine, Hawkin, Sr.'s assistant, sees Tyler at the coffee shop or when both of them are looking at the photo gallery on his father's computer and Tyler realizes his prick of a dad has surrounded himself with family memories. The movie is filled with such vignette moments which work through their subtlety and good acting.

So much of this movie flows by without the usual Hollywood trumpet. You come into it where so many scenes have played out before you arrived. In a flash, you know who knows whom and who hates whom that it can chock itself full of a lot of story and themes in what seems like a very short time. You're in the middle of the story, waiting for this fairy tale to end. And then, a chance recognition on a train explodes everything. And you think: OK, the lovers split, what now?

Caroline's bullying by classmates provides the catalyst which reunites the lovers but with this reunion any discerning viewer has to be thinking: What's next for our lovers? Are they now both going to live off the rich prick, dad in that messy apartment? (With Aidan, I might add, since it's his apartment.)

Spoiler Alert: Stop reading if you don't want to know the ending.

I think it happens about the same time, the teacher in Caroline''s school walks past the chalk board and you see the date and the music changes into a softly pounding one-note beat. That's all.

But, of course, that's not all for Tyler has biked to Wall Street to meet with his dad and his dad is delayed because he's driving Caroline to school. You see the smile on Tyler's face as he gets that call; you see him happy as he takes the elevator up to his dad's office. And finally, you see him dwarfed in the window of a World Trade Center Tower as he looks out at that gorgeous late summer morning. For, of course, the date on the chalkboard was 9/11/2001.

I've watched this movie four times now and I, cynic that I am, have teared up every time at this ending as I watch Tyler become one of the victims in NYC on 9/11. For the first time, the human emotional toll of those deaths hit me. So often 9/11 has been draped in symbolism but real people's lives ended that day; dreams died, promises stopped, glass and lives shattered.

And I remembered from Cymbeline:

Golden lads and girls all must,

As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.

Hug those you love and eat dessert first, if you want.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

Busy day so a short posting.

This is a fun but challenging physics game:

http://www.onlyfungames.com/playgame/1436/in-the-bucket.html

(Click the link "In The Bucket" to get to the playing screen.) You have to get 10 balls into a bucket using various props on each level. You may want to turn down the sound since after about 20 replays, the music grates.

I've never been on Only Fun Games before,

http://www.onlyfungames.com/

but it looks like you click the game once and then again in a separate screen before you get to play it Unfortunately, you get the annoying commercial first though turning down your speakers solves the sound part of them.

Planning, physics and logic seem to be involved with most (all?) of the games. Tiger and Monster I get; Escape the Musical Hall (room escape) I've played elsewhere ; Eva - Rescue Tom seems to have controls problems.

Only Fun Games seems to be a middle man site in that clicking their games connects you to games off site. Which, of course, leads to even more games when you hit "More Games" at the new site.

I didn't get any virus alerts as I cruised; always a good sign. So while I can't promise good quality on all the games, take a look. I bet you could kill hours this way.

And speaking about killing hours; gotta go. Enjoy.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Movie Monday

Things, they are a changin'.

Now, I realize that successful capitalism is a Ponzi scheme; you have to convince a vast amount of people that they need and want stuff, a lot of stuff.

Movies are no different. You have to convince millions of people that they want to get in their cars, drive to a movie theater, perhaps gorge at the concession stands on more calories than they should have in a week and then sit for up to 3+ hours, perhaps in a climatically uncomfortable room filled with squeals, shouts and chatter and watch a movie.

Movie PR people have to do a lot of fancy tap dancing to convince the public that week after week, year after year, this is all worth it.

Enter the movie infomercial. Perhaps I was asleep at the switch before but, as I said last week, it was during a Water for Elephants half-hour TV program that I realized all the show was missing was George Foreman hawking his grill (which really wasn't that bad, BTW.)

I heard how great the screen writer, directors, actors......everybody involved with this project was. Geniuses all! Working on this film was one big MENSA party. Great brains, great fun, great product.

And then, like the heroine in Working Girl, I read another blurb about the movies (watch WG and you'll see what I mean): Peter Jackson and others were protesting a new plan to send movies to DVDs about a week after their release. No more lead time so build word of mouth; if you flop at the box office on opening weekend, you're shipped off in a jewel case.

And all this got me thinking: I'm a pretty fair critic of movies but I'm watching them in an ideal setting. No squirming in my seat for 3 hours. No missing a section for a bathroom break. No inability to multitask while watching.

Perhaps, that's why I, unlike so many professional critics can give Robert Pattinson a break. I liked Remember Me. I really like How To Be. (In fact, I think the 2nd movie is his genre: laconic, confused, 1960's rebel, dry wit, fucked-up, messy.)

When I look at movies, I'm comfortable and happy like a warm puppy. Perhaps, that's why I would rate Cassandra's Dream much higher than the 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and How To Be higher than the audience reaction (not enough critics saw it for their rating to be recorded) of 54%.

Which all brings me back to capitalism, the Ponzi scheme and the movies. Decry though I may, for the foreseeable future, capitalism is here to stay. And with it, that very profitable, very large industry called the movies is also.

But perhaps, it's time for the means of distribution to change. Perhaps it's time for only a few movies to land in the movie houses. Perhaps most should be made for near-immediate DVD release. Perhaps, the home viewer should become the movie critic.

Just an idea. Enjoy.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

There was no Movie Monday because I started to think about the whole medium of movies after I saw a show on ReelZ TV promoting Water for Elephants and I thought: I'm watching a bloody infomercial! The only difference being George Foreman is not going to step out and ask me to buy his grill. More on this next Monday.

I've listened to an entire course on the US Civil War and Reconstruction from the open courses program from Yale. Not my favorite university but then I have a problem with elitism in anything. But, I do think they have excellent free online courses. Here's the link to all the Yale courses, which I think I may have posted before with a list of other free online courses:

http://oyc.yale.edu/ just click on "History" in the left column.

Right now, I'm listening to John Merriman's course on European Civilization, 1648 - 1945. He speaks faster than I do but if you want a great explanation of what capitalism is all about and the damage it can do without government restraints, listen to him.

My website pick this Wednesday is:

http://aggsliterature.wordpress.com/

I must be in the learning mode but i love english literature is worth the view, and then some. I'm not going to spoil the trip so just click around. For example, you can learn The Observer's top 100 novel picks or read letters from WWI soldiers.

It's a current blog; the latest entry was April 2. Don't forget to scroll way down to the bottom for the Archives and Blog Roll.

Got to go now and see if I can squeeze out 50+ minutes for another Merriman lecture.

Enjoy.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday

OK, I wasn't going to post today because I've been nursing the beginnings of a dental implant with some bone grafting so my whole week has been planning three good meals a day so the antibiotic doesn't rip out my GI tract. I like to eat on the run with a minimum of fats or carbohydrates so this is hard.

But less than an hour ago I had to call Knit Picks to tell them that my nickel-plated steel T-pins had rusted. And I mean big time. It was a slow process or else, wherever you were in the world, you would have heard my scream when I discovered rust spots on my Mystery Advent Shawl. But that was my first blocking project so that one was OK. However, today as I'm unpinning a cotton white shawl I see the rust spots big time. For some reasons, I blocked this one upside down and I only have two stains on the right side.

Now looking at the pins, I see major scaly-feeling rust spots. Very discouraging.

Knit Picks has an excellent customer service and they'll send me new pins. (We both agreed that the wet-blocking I do is exactly what they advertise.) However, I''m pretty gun-shy thinking that I may be starting this rusting cycle again. So I've been scouring the Internet for knitting T-pins in pure stainless steel. I wonder if a place like Home Depot would have an equivalent? I really thought my quest was over when I got Knit Picks blocking wires and T-pins. But the hunt continues.

On another note, I'm teaching Russian joining and splicing to my needlework group on Monday. I finished a 20 color shawl to show that by using these methods you can knit with only two yarn ends. I'll post a picture next week.

Happy knitting.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Movie Monday

About a half hour into last night''s installment of the Mildred Pierce saga, I'm thinking: Can I just turn it off now and bitch-blog about this installment? But I didn't and as the poets have said: That made all the difference.

Because at this half hour point, like magic, Mildred Pierce took off. OK, it was still a lackluster tale of a frumpy housewife with a bitchy, selfish daughter but, like, it just jelled and for the rest of show to the final credits I sorta, kinda, cared.

Helping it along was the fact that Evan Rachel Wood arrived to play the grown-up Veda and she can act. She's a match for her mom and the scenes between the two become more emotionally charged. Wood plays a much, more evil Veda almost as a gentler, kinder Veda and I was surprised at my surprise (got that?) at the ending. I really didn't see it coming. I thought I had already looked into the depth of Veda's cunning, but I hadn't.

At the 1/2 hour point, the film editor seemed to have arrived. The pace picked up; not that important things start happening but everything seems to twirl just a bit faster.

Minuses?
1. Still no sexual chemistry between Winslet and Pearce. I realized last night that though Winslet is the Oscar winner and occupies the lead role; Pearce is much the better actor here. I see acting seams with Winslet. With Pearce, I'm watching a dissolute, insouciant Monty but with insights and understanding. I get Monty by fade-out and Pearce brings some redemptive qualities to his persona.
2. This movie does not have the look of the 1930s. From the street scenes to the clothes, it's crying out at least 10 years later. For example, while I'm not an expert on '30s clothes, I do know vintage knitting. Mildred wears an attractive green cardigan in one scene. You can see some of the interesting stitch work but it hangs open and loosely. 30s cardigans had a very fitted look - that's the reason I never make these patterns. Later, I noticed Letty in a Hooverette apron, definitely from the '30s, but that was an anomaly.
4. Veda has a great voice. Did I have to hear more than one song? Small point but it reminded me that I really don't like opera.
5. Winslet played this role in a dowdy fashion. No way can I believe, Monty is describing her when he talks about her great legs. With Joan Crawford as Mildred, you "feel" those legs.

Pluses?
1. As above, much better editing.
2. Also above, Pearce nailed Monty last night.
3. The exposition scene where Veda, Monty, Bert, Mildred, and many others are sitting around and Veda explains how she went from pianist to singer. It was pure talking but you, as unseen audience, are as interested in the story as the assembled cast.
4. Based on last night, with some expert trimming and use of witty dialogue (remember Eve Arden in the original?) to move the story along (so maybe it's dialogue not exactly from the book; how about the spirit of the book?) this might have been a top-notch movie.

And what I really learned but also already knew: With a well-run publicity machine, the Emperor's new clothes can still be found and admired in movie land.

Watch Parts 4 and 5 of Mildred Pierce. You'll get your money's worth.

See you next Monday.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday: On Shawls

No pictures again today (Sorry!) but rather a discussion of shawls. Every once and a while Ravelry has a question on: Do you wear shawls? or Am I too young to wear shawls? I read the answers but don't post. Probably because, except for 2 winter shawls and my summer shawls, I wear all my shawls as big scarfs. In fact, now that I'm getting compliments on my work (Some of it done a few years ago but now blocked. Oh, does blocking make a difference!), no one has ever said: Oh, what a lovely shawl. Everyone thinks they're big scarfs.

I think I mentioned this before but I really would not be comfortable wearing a gorgeous Estonian lace shawl or any of that type. To me, I would feel like I'm looking for compliments: See! Look at my handiwork! But I know this is just I, because gorgeous lace patterns are given free (and I so admire the generosity of these designers) or up for purchase all over the web.

And speaking about patterns; mine are almost always my same 4 row simple lace:

CO a multiple of 2 sts + 2 K sts ES for edging.
Row 1 RS: K
Row 2: K2 *P* K2
Row 3: K2, *YO, K2tog* K2
Row 4: K2 *YO, P2tog* K2

That's it; except, of course, I knit on the diagonal so always staying in pattern, I start with 2 sts and increasing Kfb each side to my width. At width, I Kfb one side and K2tog on the other. At length, I K2tog on each side. What a boring pattern! I can hear your yawns as I type. Oh, she is so unoriginal, you're saying. I get it. However, I would like to have a hundred dollars for each shawl pattern I have printed off the web. I must have a thousand. However, except for two mystery lace shawls (which are wrapped in white linen cloth so you can imagine how much wear they get), I always come back to my ho-hum 4-row lace.

I know that the major reason is that I want a carry-along project and I am just not capable of carrying along complicated lace. Second, I want a diagonal knit project. I know this is not good for yarn conservation since with a straight knit project you can eyeball it and say: I have enough (or not enough) for one more row. While with a diagonal knit, it's very difficult to predict when to stop for the length and being the "filling in" of the rectangle. Best case scenario: you have enough or too much yarn left; worst case: you'll tinking way back to shorten the length. However, the stretch of this bias knitting makes all this worthwhile for me.

Time is also a problem. I would say that I have enough time to knit but obviously, based on projects on Ravelry, time must stretch for other knitters. They can start a big project and finish in a few days. I think I'm doing good with my cut-off of two weeks (Done or almost done by then, or frogged.) With my lace pattern above, I finish fast.

There are lace patterns I do like. For example, the Appalachian Shawl:

http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/pdf/AlpacaSoxAppalachianShawl.pdf

It's got a feather and fan pattern and a star cluster pattern (which adds to the amount of yarn needed) mixed in a shawl that is CO for length and knitted to width. I think I might make it in one color with thin yarn and larger needles. Both the patterns are easy to remember so this would be a carry-along.

The second pattern is Sun (superscript 2):

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sun2

Which is only available through Ravelry so it's another reason for joining. The shawl bills itself as summer wear and it works up looking a lot like roping - very light and open. But a warning: while the pattern row gets easy to remember (there is a counter-intuitive step) it is a bear to unravel. You can't slip stitches over others and off the needle without getting an almost "permanent" design.

And a final tip: the Horai Scarf (no longer free from Ravelry) which is a basic K3tog, YO, K same 3 sts tog again pattern versus the Trinity Stitch which is P3tog, Kfbf. After knitting swatches of both, I wound up with about 9 inches more yarn needed for the Trinity Stitch. So does Trinity take more yarn? Probably not since it stretches much more than the Horai so you could probably cast on fewer stitches with the Trinity and knit fewer rows.

That's it for this week. OTN: A sample shawl with zillions of yarn pieces spliced or Russian joined together for a mini lesson I'm teaching on how to get rid of pesky yarn ends. The pattern? Yes, my Old Faithful lace one. Pictures next week.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Website Wednesday

I'm sitting at my regular computer but with an older monitor, keyboard and mouse, in a new place. Yes, I have been relegated to my own desk; no more sharing. How's that for change? Boy, is the keyboard old! All it's wrinkles are showing in that I feel like I'm pounding the keys. No touch typing on this beauty.

But I do have a neat website:

http://www.activedad.co.uk/

The other night, I saw the sneak peek at Game of Thrones on HBO. I think it was a 15 preview which basically showed the scenes from the trailers they've been running. it looked OK. I won't be watching, except in desperation. Also, I thought Sean Bean looked much more stocky as this character than he did as Boromir but then 10+ years can do that to you.

However, they did have the mandatory feminist slant (and, yes, to repeat, I am a feminist; I just don't think that entitles you to wear a log-sized chip on your shoulder) where the daughter is working on her needlework (and pretty pissed because she is not the one getting praised for her finished product) and her brother is outside clumsily practicing archery. Not to overuse the phrase, but Wait for It!; sure enough the daughter slips away from her lesson, sneaks behind her brother and nails a bulls eye on the target. Isn't that precious?

And that got me thinking: OK, I get that the message is we only value male tasks and some women are just as good at them as men. However, by doing this we also devalue "female" tasks. The clip didn't show the brother sneaking in to work on needlecraft. So, instead of saying to kids: Achieve your potential as human beings to the best of your abilities, once again we're (they're) saying: Only boy stuff is valuable.

So, it keeping with this trend, the above link is to Active Dads. However, this site should be used by parents for all kids. its About says: ActiveDad.co.uk is a different kind of parenting blog. You won't find any advice here about potty training or how to deal with temper tantrums. Written by dads for dads, it's about helping you spend quality time with your kids and to give them an exciting childhood. It's about having FUN.

Now, I have a soft spot for UK stuff (which this is) after spending countless hours with kids on my lap working through BBC educational sites. (Hours, I might add, when questioned about yesterday, both kids had no memory of. How could they forget Digger and the Gang, The Little Animals Activity Centre, or Barnaby Bear?)

Take a look at Active Dads. It looks like it's sponsored by Microsoft so it probably has oodles of money behind it. This is a good resource for moms, teachers, scout leaders..... the list could be very long. I want to make to read the current article on making an animated movie from Microsoft PowerPoint (see 3/1/2011). Now, that's an important piece of knowledge; if it works.

Enjoy.

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings
Tax the Rich

Movie Monday

Today is newsletter printing day and kids-home-all-day-because-of-spring-break day so time is tight. But I wanted to post because I just can't carry the second episode of Mildred Pierce around for another week.

First, I asked a woman who had been a child during the Depression and had grown up in NY and NYC to watch the first part (No, I didn't have to pay her.) Some of her comments were: 1. For what Mildred charged for the birthday cake, she could have bought the bakery. 2. There were not as many cars around at the time. (She remembers she and her step-mom driving into NYC and parking in front of Macy's well after Mildred's time period.) 3. She didn't think that hot dogs came in packages as shown in Mildred's grocery scene and she knows they wouldn't have been wrapped in plastic. 4. Women didn't dress in the morning around the house. They wore Hooverette aprons over house dresses (I guess because they didn't get worn outside) and then "dressed up" in the afternoon." On my own, I noticed the Great Books collection in Mildred's den. I don't think that iconic collection was around that early (early 1930s.) I think it was the also iconic Harvard Classics which occupied that time period and the Great Books "look" shown in the movie was its later face lift.

But while I find such incongruities fascinating, let me get to Mildred Part 2. A summary: Ray, the delightful, younger daughter has died, Mildred new restaurant is a success, Monty really becomes the freeloader, and Veda is still soooo obnoxious.

I'll keep this short: the movie is still way too long and now it's become just silly. First, an example of the length: We don't need the long shot of Mildred driving to the polo club and the pan of the rich people in contrast to Mildred's "sensible Republican" suit as prelude to the "Mildred picks up Veda who is with Monty and his rich friends" scene. Two examples of silly: Why would a mother allow her lover to babysit her pubescent daughter regularly? (One thing even I know: labor was cheap to hire during the Depression. There wasn't another woman like Letty around?) and why didn't Mildred drown in her mad car dash from Monty's house in hurricane-like rain, in the dark, on flooded roads she was unfamiliar with?

Finally, in a "kids get off my lawn" grouch mode, I am getting tired of the naked sex. It's not really advancing any plot or theme. We know she has the hots for Monty. Do we need to see them pinned naked against the wall? Do their contracts state "one horizontal and one vertical naked sex scene?" It's getting to be just another time filler; this one geared to the current movie sex scene climate. (And no, I'm not a prude. Perhaps Mildred is just making me grouchy.)

I know I own the novel, Mildred Pierce, bought during my "Oh, look, there's a book sale, let's stop" days and I'm going to search my zillions of books for it so I can make a comparison. This movie analysis has become a sick obsession I fear.

Bottom line for this week's section: Good acting, dull dialogue. I would say it also needs a cruel editor but I don't think even a top-notch editor can cut through molasses.

Next week: Last section, I think. We get to see Veda played still so obnoxiously but by another actor. See you then.

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.