A football timeout

Posted on September 26, 2008
Filed Under Blather, Pennsylvania, sports in general | 2 Comments

Since, as John Stewart reminds us, there are timeouts in football, let’s take one for a moment to note that last night Oregon State beat number one ranked USC, 27-21.  For those of you who don’t know, my very own Penn State Nittany Lions handed Oregon State their helmets in a 45-14 win on September 6th.

Thanks, I needed that.


Obama Everywhere in the USA!

Posted on September 25, 2008
Filed Under Blather, friends, music, politics | 3 Comments

I have to post this fine video.  My old high school friend Jessie Yamas is in it!


I swear this is not a political blog!

Posted on September 17, 2008
Filed Under Blather, politics | Leave a Comment

There are just some things lately that need to be shared.  Thanks to my fabulous friend Sarah for pointing out this bit from The Zoo:

Been Foreclosed On?  Sorry, Your Vote Doesn’t Count!

In the comments, Iolair writes:

There was discussion at the founding of this country to limit the vote to white males who owned property. Ultimately, that gave way to allowing all free males to vote. Now it looks like Republicans would like to resurrect that concept.


More Political Gib-Gab

Posted on September 16, 2008
Filed Under Blather, politics, the written word | Leave a Comment

Thank (or blame) our old neighbor Ed for directing me to this Op-Ed piece by Frank Rich from the New York Times.

[...] Aligning herself with “a young farmer and a haberdasher from Missouri” who “followed an unlikely path to the vice presidency,” [Palin] read a quote from an unidentified writer who, she claimed, had praised Truman: “We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty and sincerity and dignity.” Then Palin added a snide observation of her own: Such small-town Americans, she said, “run our factories” and “fight our wars” and are “always proud” of their country. As opposed to those lazy, shiftless, unproud Americans — she didn’t have to name names — who are none of the above.

You know… the lazy, shiftless, unproud Americans in so-called Blue states who actually provide the lion’s share of the tax revenues to pay for government policies? And what happened to that basic tenet of American democracy that says you can and should criticize your government when it goes astray–that, in fact, it’s your responsibility to do so?

While I am hesitant to get into the issue of racism with regard to the election, this bit from the Op-Ed is worth noting:

[At the Republican convention in St. Paul,] Americans saw a virtually all-white audience yuk it up when Giuliani ridiculed Barack Obama’s “only in America” success as an affirmative-action fairy tale — and when he and Palin mocked Obama’s history as a community organizer in Chicago. Neither party has had so few black delegates (1.5 percent) in the 40 years since the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies started keeping a record.

And…

Byron York of National Review, a [...] conservative who acknowledges the double standard, captured it best: “If the Obamas had a 17-year-old daughter who was unmarried and pregnant by a tough-talking black kid, my guess is if they all appeared onstage at a Democratic convention and the delegates were cheering wildly, a number of conservatives might be discussing the issue of dysfunctional black families.”

Rich addresses Obama’s response to the recent surge of activity from the McCain-Palin camp, and this is maybe the most important part.

Obama’s one break last week was the McCain camp’s indication that it’s likely to minimize its candidate’s solo appearances by joining him at the hip with Palin. There’s a political price to be paid for this blatant admission that he needs her to draw crowds.

And finally…

This election is still about the fierce urgency of change before it’s too late. But in framing this debate, it isn’t enough for Obama to keep presenting McCain as simply a third Bush term. Any invocation of the despised president — like Iraq — invites voters to stop listening. Meanwhile, before our eyes, McCain is turning over the keys to his administration to ideologues and a running mate to Bush’s right.


For My Peeps in the ‘Burgh (in mind or in body)

Posted on September 12, 2008
Filed Under Pennsylvania, politics, sports in general | 4 Comments


What a Community Organizer Does–From Time Online

Posted on September 8, 2008
Filed Under Blather, politics, the written word | 4 Comments

There have been loads of pieces worth reading since the presidential conventions. Here’s one of the many: What a Community Organizer Does.

here is what Giuliani and Palin didn’t know: Obama was working for a group of churches that were concerned about their parishioners, many of whom had been laid off when the steel mills closed on the south side of Chicago. They hired Obama to help those stunned people recover and get the services they needed–job training, help with housing and so forth–from the local government. It was, dare I say it, the Lord’s work–the sort of mission Jesus preached (as opposed to the war in Iraq, which Palin described as a “task from God.”)

After reading the Time piece, you might want to check out Community Organizers Fight Back.

“I have ‘actual responsibilities,’” said Jacqueline del Valle, a community organizer in the Bronx. “If Mayor Giuliani and President Bush cared more about working people instead of just people who can hire high-powered lobbyists, maybe I wouldn’t have so much responsibility. Maybe working people would have an easier time in America today. But that’s not our reality, and they don’t have to mock us while we’re trying to clean up their mess.”

But don’t miss the comments section at the bottom of the Time article. It’s full of tidbits like this:

What Cindy McCain wore last night - from the rings on her fingers to the dress to the shoes on her feet - cost $300,000 according to Vanity Fair.

Now that is elitism you can believe in, my friends!

How many of you reading this put down a fraction of that (or are saving up to do so) to buy your (one and only) home? How many Americans won’t see that much money in a decade?

And this:

Giuliani’s idea of community organizing is starting the wave at a Yankees game.

And then there’s a comment from a member of an Elks lodge in San Jose that has a membership larger than the population of the town of which Palin was mayor.

Maybe one of the most important points of all comes in this:

I hate to harp on this (not really) but this sad state of American politics has been brought to us, in part, by your friend, Frank Luntz. Luntz taught a generation of Republicans how to lie with impunity. It is quite easy, really. Say whatever you need to say to win elections, i.e. refer to the Estate Tax as the Death Tax (which Palin did last night). When anyone in the media questions you, just say “there goes that liberal media again.” When Democrats call you on it, well, now you’ve got Democrats talking about taxes. Everyone hates taxes. Republicans win!

So, be careful what you get talked into.


Political rant–first of the season

Posted on September 2, 2008
Filed Under Blather, me and my brain, politics, rant | 9 Comments

Anyone who knows me knows that I would LOVE to see a female president in my lifetime. BUT, just like I wouldn’t want just any man to be president, the fact that someone happens to be a woman does not make me want to vote for her. The McCain campaign’s pick for VP wasn’t going to sway my vote–even before either candidate’s campaign announced a VP pick I knew how I felt about Obama and McCain and their stances on the issues, but the pick did initially raise my eyebrows a little. I’d barely heard of Sarah Palin. McCain has never seemed like a particularly pro-woman candidate; I wouldn’t have expected him to have much faith in a woman’s ability to successfully hold a position of power. Picking her was gutsy, yeah. It pulled the spotlight over to their campaign a bit, which is something they needed to do. But her resume is extraordinarily–almost shockingly–flimsy, and an investigation of her possible abuse of power and illegal activities in her home state of Alaska is looking fairly damning.

In case you haven’t seen this already, here’s a rundown of her experience and track record:

She served for 4-5 years on the Wasilla, AK (a town of less than 7000 people) city council. She then served for 6 years as the mayor of that town. She’s been the governor of Alaska for a year and 8 months. Before starting her career in public service she was a sportscaster for a couple of years. She’s a lifetime member of the NRA, is pro-life, and has deep connections to the oil industry.

In terms of her worldview, political positions, and legislative experience, Mike Doogan of the Anchorage Daily News puts it this way, “If Palin has two thoughts about foreign policy, she’s managed to keep them to herself. Ditto health care. National energy policy. Fiscal policy. You could make a long, long list, but I’ll stop there.[...] There’s no way on God’s green earth that she’s prepared to be president of the United States.” CNN’s Paul Begala writes that “For a man who is 72 years old and has had four bouts with cancer to have chosen someone so completely unqualified to become president is shockingly irresponsible.” I have to agree with Begala, especially after seeing the now oft-shown video clip of Palin asking, “What is it exactly that the VP does every day?” Oh boy.

Before her election as a Republican, she was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, whose members aim to secure a vote on seceding from the U.S. The AIP motto is “Alaska First, Alaska Always.” As the BBC points out, “that may cause the most trouble for McCain. The Republican’s campaign slogan this year is “Country First”.” (*EDIT:  Okay, so the reports on this are now conflicting.  The McCain campaign is denying that Palin was ever registered with the party, though her husband definitely was and she addressed the party’s convention earlier this year.)

Palin’s selection and the surrounding hubbub seems to be having the effect of taking the heat off of Joe Biden. I don’t really hear anybody talking about him… maybe because he’s actually fairly well qualified?? Biden has a law degree and has been serving in the U.S. Senate since 1973. He’s served as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is the current chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Biden has promoted the idea of partitioning as a possible resolution in Iraq. His son Beau, who spoke at the DNC, is set to be deployed to Iraq soon. Joe Biden helped write the Violence Against Women Act and has promoted college financial aid programs. Prior to his service in the Senate, he served on the New Castle County Council (New Castle County in Delaware currently has a population of over 500,000) from 1970-1972. Biden has been more qualified than Palin for the last 30+ years.

Yeah, Biden has made a few verbal gaffes in the past, and I’m not impressed by those, but a few verbal gaffes pale in comparison for me to the alternative Palin presents–a near complete lack of relevant experience or understanding of the scope of what is one of the most important jobs in the world today.

End of rant (for now).


The First Signs of Fall!

Posted on July 30, 2008
Filed Under Blather, craft, knitting, me and my brain | 5 Comments

Okay, I can almost hear most of you saying, “Fall? Girlfriend, it’s just barely summer.” But then, you all probably also know how I think. So yeah, FALL!!

Vogue Knitting Fall 2008

I have taken up my knitting needles again (now you keep hush if you know what I’m working on), AND I got the fall issue of Vogue Knitting in the mail today. Hip. Hip. Hip. Hoooo-ray!!!


© Copyright 2004 - 2008

Song of the Day

Ella Fitzgerald-Blue Skies 

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The Knitting Turnip

On My Needles

Rhapsody in Tweed cabled pullover for Ezra! using Tahki Donegal Tweed in Forest, from Fall 2004 Interweave Knits. I've just picked this one up again, so it's moving up in the queue!

Sweater with Cable Patterns pullover using Araucania Nature Wool Chunky in Mauve, from Rebecca Magazine Number 28

Heather Pullover using Classic Elite Wings in Larkspur, from Rowan’s A Season’s Tale... This needs the knit doctor. I'm going to have to frog back a little bit and redo the shoulder area. Long story.

Hush Pullover using Jo Sharp DK wool in Wine, from Rowan’s Calmer Collection

Recently Finished Projects

In the Groove boatneck pullover using Manos del Uruguay in Black and Cheek (pale pink), from Fall 2006 issue of knitscene. SWEATER IS DONE!

Stash Stealer Scarf for me, using delicious yarn that darling Amy let me raid from her stash. I made up the pattern--a couple of wide ribs rimmed in moss stitch. It's soft and fuzzy and DONE!

Moss Stitch Jacket with Collar for Hope using Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo in Ivy, from Quick Baby Knits by Debbie Bliss. JACKET IS DONE!

Next in line

Brompton cardigan using Noro Cash Iroha in Jewel Green (my name for shade #100)

Eyelet Yoke Pullover using Debbie Bliss Merino Aran

Under consideration

Loads!

More scoop on my knitting endeavors can be found at my home on Ravelry (clicky here).

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