Friday, April 29, 2005
YH in NY at LT
Proving that the internet and blogging have become a great place to acquire friends and acquaintances, a slew of knitters went to Lord & Taylor's in Manhattan yesterday evening and a great time was had by all. You'll be finding mentions and photos in lots of knitting blogs for the next few days since many of the attendees are also bloggers such as yours truly. Check out the photos at riverknitsmountainpearls to feel like you were there!

The occasion was a visit from long-time blogger, longer-time knitter, and recent book writer, Yarn Harlot (a/k/a Stephanie Pearl-McPhee). On her blog she's mastered several arts, neatly combining being chatty, informative, interesting, self-deprecating and pleased with what she's doing. In person, she's genuinely appreciative of her readers' admiration while being as funny as she is online. One wonders how she learned to write with humor without ever being mean or sarcastic about her family, her work or herself. (Try it sometime; it's almost impossible.) One of her true charms is how truly amazed and moved she is by knitting. Her laugh is infectious, especially when the microphone picked up her little chuckles in her light Canadian accent. She puts on no airs at all - either in her column or in person - despite her growing fame and success. Her spirited and charming talk was sometimes downright inspirational. Those daughters of hers have a terrific role model.

I'd guess a couple hundred people were in the room, and not all women either. Lord & Taylor went all-out, providing delicious snacks, wine and sparkling water (brought around by a bevy of quite the attractive young men, which certainly added to the pleasure of the event). When we left, Lord & Taylor handed out goodies bags with (a) a signed copy of Stephanie's super book (read more about the book here) and (b) a skein of bulky wool and a pair of 14" needles (courtesy of Lion Brand (bless them)) and (c) information about the Dulaan Project + a couple of patterns (which is an exceptionally cool inclusion). The evening was a lot of fun, and everyone was refreshingly upbeat and friendly. YH's influence felt great. I especially liked being there with T and C (who I already know I'm crazy about) and P (who I was meeting for the first time and seems terrific too).

Cheers to fiber arts, to creativity, to camaraderie, and to doing and being what you love.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 10:11 AM

Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Music effect
I'm quite the Mozart fan so even if a new (well, February) report is correct that "the Mozart effect is a fraud" (read the article from the news service of Stanford University), I don't care!

Clever people that they are, A Dog's Life and Reflections in D Minor started a great little game in reaction. Here's the deal: If hearing Mozart intra-utero and in early developing years boosts a child's intelligence and sense of joy, what would be the effect of listening to other composers? Below are some selections from their entries plus a couple of mine. Feel free to add your own.
Liszt effect: Child speaks rapidly and extravagantly, but never really says anything important.
Bruckner effect: Child speaks very slowly and repeats himself frequently. Gains reputation for profundity.
Wagner effect: Child becomes a megalomaniac. May eventually marry his sister.
Mahler effect: Child continually screams - at great length and volume - that he’s dying. (But is treated as if he's very imortant.)
Schoenberg effect: Child never repeats a word until he’s used all the other words in his vocabulary. Sometimes talks backwards. Eventually, people stop listening to him. Child blames them for their inability to understand him.
Beethoven effect: While young, child expresses himself in dramatic and extremely emotive ways, often shouting. Older, he becomes utterly withdrawn and lovelorn.
Bach effect: Child speaks with great precision and keeps his clothes in ever-descending size order. Probably becomes a statistician.
Babbitt effect: Child gibbers nonsense all the time. Eventually, people stop listening to him. Child doesn’t care because all his playmates think he’s cool.
Glass Effect: Child repeats himself incessantly. (Nonetheless, some adults tell him he's brilliant and wonderful.)
Cage Effect: Child will be completely silent for four and half minutes and then insist that he has just said something highly important.
Hovhaness Effect: Child grows to be very spiritual, attracted to Eastern religions. Also has pyromaniac tendencies.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 10:25 AM

Tuesday, April 26, 2005
The Panty Line Project
Do you think it's useful to shock people to get their attention about something they might otherwise ignore? Or do you think that causing consternation drives compassion even further away? I lean toward thinking it's useful to startle and upset people sometimes because being forced to think about something, even if it's unpleasant or upsetting, seems better than not thinking about it at all. But I'm not entirely sure.

Lawrence, Kansas is a really wonderful town. Lots of energy as befits a college community and chock full of coffee shops, many (and good) bookstores, fantastic and unusual grocery stores, restaurants, super fantastic yarn stores (Stitch On and The Yarn Barn), etc., etc. I visited a friend there a couple of summers ago, en route from west coast to east. As a dyed-in-the-wool northeasterner, I assumed it would be hayseedy and ultraconservative. I have rarely been more wrong and I frequently urge people to go see for themselves.

All that said, an enterprise there may be taking things too far - or maybe isn't - it's certainly got everyone talking about a topic they usually avoid only slightly less than the plague. (Besides, going too far is often how we decide where "too far" is, right?) Three bookstores have front-window displays for April in which "pieces of thick blue ribbon hold up about a dozen pieces of women's undergarments. Most are pairs of panties, painted with messages like: 'This is Mine' and 'By Invitation Only'." The point being that "no" means "no", even if the declarer is wearing alluring clothing. Some people find this absurd and feel that a woman dressed to attract is pretty much out of luck. If she wanted to reel men in when she was getting dressed, then that's what she gets whether they come to her in the way she wants or not. This sounds exactly like "boys will be boys" and the decades-ago assertions of the nuns to my classmates and me that "the base you get to is in your control because boys aren't able to stop themselves past a given point". I'd like to think we've moved beyond that but maybe we haven't.

Anyway, I refer you to the Lawrence Journal-World newspaper report (here) and Nykola (here) and rosenblog.com for more details. It's interesting fodder for thought and discussions.

Are the displays too heavy-handed?? Are they provocative but effective? What do you think?

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 10:44 AM

Monday, April 25, 2005
Reflecting
Walt Whitman is quoted all over the place so I usually avoid him in order to be more unique (hah). River Knits Mountain Purls included these lines from Leaves of Grass recently, however, and I mention her and post them ~ with thanks.
I exist as I am, that is enough,
If no other in the world be aware
I sit content,
And if each and all be aware
I sit content.
One world is aware,
and by far the largest to me,
and that is myself,
And whether I come to my own today
or in ten thousand or ten million years,
I can cheerfully take it now,
or with equal cheerfulness,
I can wait.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 1:15 AM

Sunday, April 24, 2005
Minor doldrums
Mostly I'm a person who's upbeat and eager to do things. Lots of things. With interest and enthusiasm. Then there are the occasional times when I feel desultory, sort of draggy. I suppose it's 'down time' but I hate the feeling. It's nothing close to feeling depressed - and I'm sure it would be completely beaten if I'd take a brisk walk but of course my impulse is more along the lines of getting comfy in a corner of my sofa among some pillows and with a cup of mango tea nearby and a book in my lap. Ok, so it all comes from (a) I failed to solve a problem at work on Friday and I'm usually The Solver To End All Solvers and then (b) yesterday I had a sinus headache that would not go away and kept me ssssslllllooooowwwww all day until I broke down and took Advil at dinner and then (c) today I was determined to get rid of all the paper accumulations - where DO they all come from??!! and now it's Sunday night and back to work tomorrow . . . to face the unsolved. Boy I sound grousy. Ick.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 7:48 PM

Thursday, April 21, 2005
Poem in your pocket day
Today is "poem in your pocket day" according to an ad in the NY Times sponsored by the City of New York, Scholastic Books, Borders, HarperCollins and the NYTimes The ad quotes the following poem:

Don't be polite
Bite in
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that may run down your chin
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are
You do not need a knife or fork or spoon or plate or napkin or tablecloth
For there is no core
Or stem
Or rind
Or pit
Or seed
Or skin
To throw away
--How to eat a poem by Eve Merriam

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 10:48 AM

Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Interesting issues and questions
I'm reading a 'best seller' at the moment, Jeff Deaver's Garden of Beasts. Usually I rip right through, eager to find out who did what and why and how. No need to savor language or mull over literary twists or much of anything else, as opposed to 'good' literature which often requires pausing and considering. This case is different and interesting because of the situations and issues he raises. It seems that Deaver does lots of research and writes detailed outlines (he says his outlines are ninety-five percent of bis books) which explains what I'm experiencing. I didn't realize it but today is the anniversary of Hitler's birthday in 1889 so this is a particularly good day to be mulling this over.

The book takes place in Berlin in 1936 during the Jesse Owens Olympics. Owens appears as do several other 'real' people. The plot is relatively irrelevant, however, since we all know what's coming. The next years hover over the story, which is interesting in itself, but what consumes the characters and, by extension, the reader (me), are the moral dilemmas and quandaries. A police officer doing his job (familiar...but wait) who thinks "the leader" is nuts and is trying to keep his son from joining the Hitler Youth because he sees that they will be the long-term terror and danger. A woman who runs a boarding house with a flag displayed because everyone must display a flag but hers is different from the others...because a Jewish man owns the house. A taxi driver unable to describe a man he drove somewhere because he didn't actually see him clearly and if the man is caught he will be severely punished...but if the driver provides no description he will be severely punished himself.

What would I be willing to do in situations I deemed wrong or incorrect? Would it have to be a major issue? What would I be willing to risk? How bad does the situation have to be vs what risk would I take? Would I work behind the scenes? Would it be more effective to sabotage evil from within or bluntly and openly? Could so much evil take power again? Since so many people including his own officers and advisers knew that he was off-balance, could Hitler have been stopped? Did it require that more people had been willing to risk disapproval, shunning and even death? At what point was it too late? We live in such a relatively comfortable world now that we run the risk of becoming complacent and forgetting that we need to be willing to risk being called eccentric or wrong or out of line. Would we do it? What would make us?

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 10:26 AM

Friday, April 15, 2005
San Francisco
Today is the anniversary of San Francisco's official establishment. It's such a great place. There are so many great black & white movies that take place there (Clark Gable's San Francisco and Out of the Past chief among them) and tons of newer ones (Vertigo, of course, and Bullitt which is to SF like forsythia are to spring). There is so much that's fun and relaxing and interesting to do there. Go. Now! Okay, I'll go too. Meet you in Golden Gate Park in a few hours.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 12:17 PM

McDonald's
Hey it's McDonald's 50th anniversary! And did you know they have a museum(!!?) in Des Plaines, Illinois (website: here). I assume it isn't full of old french fries and Big Macs. I hope. But looking at their site has definitely made me hungry. I'll have to go get some coffee (and not put it between my thighs) and breakfast (and not sue my cafeteria). Anyway, eat your favorite food today - of your choice but not too expensive - in honor of Ray Kroc!!

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 10:23 AM

Thursday, April 14, 2005
Phantasmagorical words
Today in 1828 the 1st edition of Noah Webster's dictionary was published. Which provides me the opportunity to mention three of my favorite words: specious and languor and acuity. I have no idea why I like them so much, but they make my heart go pitter-patter. What are yours?

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Permalink | 1 comment(s) | posted by jau at 4:21 PM

Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Another farewell
It bothers me a little from a p.r. point of view that Just Muttering by Myself doesn't seem to fit into a pre-ordained category (political commentary, literary blog, cultural observation, etc.) but it concerns me more that I seem unwittingly to be gestating an 'obituary' category what with feeling compelled to note the many deaths around me of late. I'm not crazy about the idea but what can I do? Again, last Friday, the mother of a former employer of mine died, at 93, after a long, full and interesting life, gracing nearly everyone who met her. She was a lovely woman with personal style and character, and a whole bunch of distinctive and wonderful descendents. She taught art for nearly thirty years and cared passionately about her family (children and spouses, many grandchildren, several great-grandchildren), painting, literature, travel, Scotland, gardening.... but even 93 years is too few.

I feel loss. Partly because of all the others (see my comments on April 8th). Partly because my father's birthday was Sunday and he died in 2001. And partly because today someone sent me George Carlin's reflections that he wrote soon after his wife's death. He urged readers to spend time and attention on "those we love, while we can, before we can't." He wrote:

Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. . . . Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. And always remember: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 2:55 PM

Monday, April 11, 2005
What goes around comes around
On Saturday, what happened in one kind of middle ages (the historical kind) came to roost for two glitterati in their middle ages (the personal kind).

In the interest of fairness, I have to admit that I like it that not-stunningly-beautiful middle-aged people can find love. (It gives us all hope.) And I appreciate that Charles' and Camilla's feelings have proven themselves to the nines (even if they did step on a few people to get here). However, I am amused (more accurately, bemused) that they had to postpone their wedding because of the Pope's funeral. Look at it this way: it took four hundred and seventy-one years but, once again, what went around came around. Some ethereal chuckling must have been going on. (Is that what those 'thunder' storms were??)

Way back in 1534, Henry VIII established the Church of England (remember the Act of Supremacy?), supposedly because neither Pope Clement VII nor Bishop Wolsey would issue a dispensation for Henry to marry his wife's sister. Actually lots of other issues were the point (the Church's willingness/eagerness to allow the purchase of spiritual favors, power disputes among Italy France and England, Cranmer and Cromwell's disputes and influence and control, etc. etc.), but the result was that Henry made himself the head of the (now) Church of England. Which meant that he could marry whomever he darn well pleased.

Many centuries later, several years after Princess Diana died, what with time apocryphally healing all kinds of wounds, Prince Charles must have thought he'd have the same leeway. But public relations is vital these days and when the immediate heir to the throne of the England is divorced (argh) as is his beloved (yikes) and they've fooled around semi-publicly for years, even the so-reformed C. of E. balked. Eventually it said what-the-heck, of course, and plans got underway. And then, just then, the Pope died. Imagine. Which meant that important personages would be unable to attend the wedding (royalty who do attend funerals, the UK prime minister, etc., etc.) and, to top it off, mom (a.k.a the Queen) doesn't do funerals, so Charles had to attend on her behalf on the very day he was to wed. (There were other huge problems to surmount such as rescheduling tacky buses to take guests up the (steep and exhausting) hill from the ceremony to the reception, too.) But love managed to triumph, as it's wont to do, thank goodness. But it also seems like poetic/historic justice in a completely irrelevant and trivial - and nonetheless amusing - way.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 2:53 PM

Sunday, April 10, 2005
Yeeha!
Wouldn't it be snazzy to make sweaters or shawls or whatever for people AND make them a matching scrunchie (assuming they wear their hair in pony tails, of course)! A few weeks ago, a friend had me mend her very nice crocheted scrunchie, done in a thread-like yarn and looking really nice on her hair. I wanted to mimic it but everything I tried looked sort of limp and amateurish. This morning, all of a sudden, it came to me and I worked it right up in the same yarn I used for the scarf I made for Easter (shown here around a pretty neck and also shown here by itself). If you would like a copy of the pattern, let me know and I'll let you have a copy as long as you're willing to say you got it here.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 6:17 PM

Saturday, April 9, 2005
Two topics revisited
At lunch yesterday, a friend mentioned that Orson Scott Card is not only a science fiction writer but also a serious writer about topical subjects. (Which isn't to suggest that science fiction isn't serious, of course, witness both the Ender Wiggin and Alvin Maker series.) It turns out that Card's columns appear in various newspapers around the country - around the web, anyway - and on his own website, The Ornery American. There I found recent pieces on the lives and deaths of Terri Schiavo and the Pope. Well worth reading. Not surprisingly, both are acerbic and funny as well as detailed, thoughtful and very interesting.

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Permalink | 4 comment(s) | posted by jau at 11:59 AM

Friday, April 8, 2005
Respect and honor to them all
I didn't know that there's an apocryphal sense that deaths come in clusters, but apparently there is (read about it here) and it definitely makes me feel (only a little bit) better to know it's not just a huge hovering cloud near me. (Yeah, yeah, I know: it's not about me.) What a couple of weeks, though. From the famous (Johnny Cochran, Teresa Schiavo, the Pope, Prince Rainier, Frank Perdue (hey, he changed food distribution), to the middle/literary famous (Frank Conroy, Saul Bellow, Robert Creeley), to two acquaintances (J.M. and S.K. - names abbreviated because they can't voice their willingness to be included), and a terminally ill friend. I've always loved obituaries because they convey so vividly that history is made entirely by people doing what they do. But it's too darn much all at once. May they all rest in peace and may they put in good words for us too.

If there is a heaven, they must be having one helluva party right now. Here's an idea - you know the idea that you get to draw up the "guest list" for your welcoming reception when you go to heaven? Who would be on yours?

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Permalink | 1 comment(s) | posted by jau at 11:49 AM

Wednesday, April 6, 2005
National mathematics month!
Who'd know there's a national math month, but April is it!! Click here to learn more details.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 5:53 PM

Couldn't resist
More (needed) silliness. Edward Gorey rocks, as I'm sure you know, so try this quiz and enjoy.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 1:34 PM

Tuesday, April 5, 2005
The Rosenbergs & Prince Charles
Today is the 54th anniversary of the Rosenberg's death (execution), a difficult, confusing and awful moment in our history. So how about lightening your reading fare from that and from the morally charged and mortality-reminding last few weeks with this fairly trivial but highly amusing piece by Mark Steyn. It'll also serve to begin your preparations for Saturday's nuptials. (Did you get your invitation yet? Mine must be lost in the mail.) Enjoy.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 3:29 PM

Sunday, April 3, 2005
Who says gauge matters? Who?


Check this out. Two students in a crochet class I taught used the identical weight cotton mercerized thread and identical size crochet hooks. They followed the same instructions and worked the same number of stitches across. Look at the difference in the width! Cool, huh? Who says gauge matters if you need something to fit or want a specific size? Who??!!

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 6:25 PM

Daylight savings time is back!
I live in the hope that some day I'll see sunshine again. As it happens, however, I live in the northeast, so I think I should hedge my bets and build an ark.

Anyway, daylight savings time began today, thank goodness, so for the next seven months I won't spend most of my outside time in the dark. Even when it's raining (how long does an ark take to build anyway?) at least it'll be light.

In honor of all this good feeling, I added a button to my sidebar called 'random acts of kindness'. Here's how a r.a.o.k. is explained on its site:

An act that positively influences the life of both the giver and the receiver is a kindness. It doesn't have to cost money or be difficult to perform. It can be spontaneous (random) or premeditated. It can be as simple as a smile or a thank you, and as complicated as starting a non-profit organization to benefit those in need. Kindness has four working parts: dignity, respect, compassion, and humility, If you have all of these things for yourself, then you will be able to share them with others. If we reach out with dignity, respect, compassion, and humility, we are likely to feel it being returned.

Actively seeking out opportunities to assist others will naturally bring a certain amount of warmth and feeling of self-worth to each of us. It feels good to help others and others feel good knowing someone wants them to help.

"Consideration" and "helpful" are words often used to describe a kind deed. Kindness is what you define it as, rather than what someone else thinks you should believe it is....

Today I will commit one random act of senseless kindness. Will You?
Hey, it's worth a try.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 11:45 AM

The penultimate word
Read Mark Steyn's article on the Schiavo situation which pretty much summarizes and says it all, as only he can. (The Spectator magazine's site requires registration so I saved the article in an archival post on this blog.) Steyn's always worth reading anyway (his site is here).

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 10:47 AM

Saturday, April 2, 2005
Interesting thread
There's a long thoughtful exchange about talking with an aging and difficult parent, here at Fresh Bilge. Feel free to weigh in on the subject here.

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 9:41 AM

Friday, April 1, 2005
Papa Haydn
Surprise!!!!!
Today is Josef Haydn's 273rd birthday. Enjoy this lovely paean and/or go here for a listen or download. Papa Haydn's dead and gone but his mem'ry lingers on;
when his mood was one of bliss, he wrote jolly tunes like this!!!!
(Thanks to Reflections in d minor for the reminder and the links.)

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 1:34 PM

April 2005
It's National Poetry Month again. The 10th.
It is the right weather for poems: gentle drizzle spins the morning grey and no sun glints will strike the monofilament we cast across chill water.
Some days poems lie deep and will not rise to the lure no matter the artful cast and skill of retrieve, no matter that we hold our breath and will the sudden rush of poem to line.
Today I am archetypal fisherman, intent on the moment, alert to signals from below the surface. The rod bends, a poem has taken hold.
-- Glen Sorestad

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Permalink | 0 comment(s) | posted by jau at 1:21 AM