Now Norma Knits

Do You Read Margaret and Helen?

I've been getting emails and comments asking if I'm OK, where I be at with the blog, and such. Well, thank you for your concern. I do miss you and miss the blog, but a) I've been very happily busy with work, and b) I've been spending probably way too much time in Facebook and Twitter, getting all het up about current affairs and such. Important things like honest rape. You know what that is, right? Right??

Today I'm off from work for a few days, and I come back to the blog with a bang. I hope it lives up to your wishes and expectations, because it's... well. It's me at my (almost) most fed up. 

I'm reprinting Margaret and Helen's latest blog post at the bottom of this post. I don't have their permission, but I'd like to think they'd give it to me if I asked. And I'm linking and giving attribution like a good blog neighbor, just because -- this week especially -- they have continued to make me feel just a little bit lighter, just about every day, when the news of those right-wing nutcases keeps on making my blood boil. 

I'd like to share their blog with you if you don't know about it. I subscribe to it and get notified by email when they post anew.

I apologize for this being such a link-to-outside-reading-material-heavy post, but I just had to get some of this off my chest. 

I'm very glad to see Rick Santorum, emboldened by his recent wins, start to truly reveal himself, what with his crazy talk about "in the Netherlands people have to wear 'do not euthanize' bracelets so they don't get put down when they go to the hospital E.R.," (Because yes, of course! What do we think when we think Netherlands? Tulips, windmills, and euthanizing the elderly -- am I right?!)  And President Obama is going to have Christians on the guillotine like during the French Revolution.

 

 

And don't even GET me started on his, "consider it a blessing that your rapist impregnated you" bullshit. And there is so much more. The shit he spews just never ends. He is the gift that keeps on giving.

I'd love to go into a psychological analysis of his poor wife. It doesn't take a licensed psychologist to see that she is either batshit crazy (and in need of lots of love) herself, or she is paying some sort of weird self-penance for, I don't know, maybe this?

Rick Santorum, the Church Candidate. Just exactly what we don't need. Note to Rick: Read the fucking U.S. Constitution, sir.

So I'm glad that he is on this self-destructive path of insanity, because even among the most right-wing, there are certainly many of those women who do not want to turn the clock back to 1899.

Aren't there? 

There is a poster going around online that says, "Choosing between the GOP candidates is like trying to decide which STD do I want." Thankfully, I don't have to choose from that rotten lot.

So here I give you Margaret and Helen. Go and subscribe to their blog here.

100,000 Gay Kids Secretly Watch Ellen

HELEN:

Margaret, I think that religious freedom means that we have freedom for religion as well as freedom from religion.  Now I know you don’t worry about this stuff.  You have never questioned your religion and you never worry about the day you will eventually meet your maker.  I question my religion regularly and worry all the time.  I guess that’s why I have a fat ass and you look like a zipper when you stick your tongue out.  Which reminds me, dear, did you check on that cake recipe I sent you? I am not sure about the ingredients and Betty’s daughter is kind of mad at me about that Komen stuff so I can’t ask her right now.

And speaking of being mad, I watched that sweet Ellen – like I do every day – and discovered that one million mothers are mad at JCPenney and they are trying to get Ellen fired because she is one of those lesbians.  That sweet little girl never did anything but make people laugh and dance a little.  Every time she comes on the TV I have to get up and do a little step doodle-ditty step with her.  I just love her.  Who are these million moms anyway?  Mothers should know better.  Statistically speaking a hundred thousand of those moms are raising a child who secretly watches Ellen and would one day make a fine spokesperson for JCPenney.

All of this hatred in the name of Jesus is alarming.  It’s alarming from a million moms and it is particularly alarming from presidential candidates like Rick Santorum. He was in Texas this week talking about his faith… which always leads him to talk about abortion and gay marriage.  I swear that man worries more about vaginas and who is sleeping with whom than any normal person should.   I don’t think he is right in the head.  He told his audience that his faith is a part of who he is and it will guide him in his presidency.  Well good for him.

There is nothing wrong with a little faith keeping you on the straight and narrow as they say.  But here’s the problem I have when it is the only consideration for a presidential candidate.  My faith guides me too.   And my church has no issue with contraception and understands that sometimes abortion is a moral and scared decision that a women might make in her life.  And every week when I go to my church there are these two women who are raising two beautiful little girls and nobody in my church has an issue with their little family.  I even heard that they all went up to Canada and got married.  Now I get that Rick Santorum's and Newt Gingrich's church, the Catholic Church, feels differently about these things.  And I respect that.  But which church should our government follow?  Your church or my church? What about Mitt Romney’s church?

My late husband, Harold, was a Catholic.  He went to mass every Sunday until the day he left this earth.  But I can promise you that he didn’t tell me what I could and couldn’t do with my lady parts and I’m sure as hell not going to let Newt and Rick start telling me now.

And while we are on the subject, let me say a few words about all those Catholic Bishops who say they would prefer to deny healthcare to everyone rather than include coverage for contraception.  That law does not force the church to give birth control to women.  Churches and houses of worship are exempt.  This is about hospitals and universities that serve and employ the broader public, not to mention they receive federal funding.  I am sure those Bishops are clueless about these things but the typical woman spends five years pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, and 30 years trying not to get pregnant.  So you’re telling me that  a bunch of nurses have to resort to the rhythm method for 30 years  just because the hospital they work at has some saint’s name above the door?   If those Bishops get their way a female professor at Notre Dame can’t get insurance coverage for her monthly birth control but her male counterpart can slap down a $15 co-pay and get all the Viagra he wants. Well that’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard all day.

I know you think I am over-reacting, Margaret, but you need to understand that it’s not just about the stupidity of some Bishops or the whining of a million clueless moms.  There are real dangers when religion gets into bed with politics.

Gingrich would outlaw all abortion with no exceptions. He signed the Republican candidate pledge which would give all human zygotes from the moment of conception the same rights and constitutional protections as human beings. He would oppose any legislative, judicial or bureaucratic efforts to define marriage as anything other than a relationship between a man and a woman… or in his case a man, a woman and another woman.

Santorum opposes all abortion including abortion for rape victims or for women who would die from continuing a pregnancy.  He considers contraception "dangerous" and favors allowing the states to ban it altogether.  According to Rick, gays are such second class citizens that they don’t deserve the privilege of marriage which is kind of odd considering those gay marriages reduce the number of abortions opting instead to adopt a lot of those unwanted kids.

Romney said Roe v. Wade should be reversed.  He says he would support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.   He would allow gays already married to remain married but would bar any new gay marriages.  Those gay marriages are kind of like his view on abortion – at one time they were fine.  Now they are not.

Those are alarming statements and positions because all of them are based on the candidate’s personal religious beliefs and yet all of them would have devastating effects on millions of American citizens who might not share those same beliefs.   I’m pretty sure  letting gay people get married isn’t going to stop Rick Santorum or any of those million moms from following their faith.  And it would be nice if those Bishops would realize having insurance coverage doesn’t mean you have to use birth control.

I wrote once that love is about the heart not the body.  Trust me, if it was about the body a lot of us would be in a world of trouble.  You can’t legislate love between two consenting adults.  You just can’t no matter how hard you try.  If you want to save marriage, marry someone you love.  And if you don’t believe in contraception, don’t use it – and please don’t date my granddaughter.

So to any of those million moms out there who might read this, I say:    Leave Ellen alone.  Ellen hasn’t done anything except bring a little happiness into my world every day at her new time slot of 3:00 now that Oprah is gone.  You would be lucky to have your child grow into such a wonderful young woman as Ellen DeGeneres.

What a week.  On Sunday I went to church. On Monday I made a donation to Planned Parenthood.  And today, I told my son to buy my granddaughter a cute new outfit at JCPenney so that Ellen won’t lose her job.   And, just like you Margaret, I am pretty sure that God and I are right with one another.  I mean it.  Really.

MARGARET:

Well I’ll let you worry about all that, dear.  I am working on that recipe you asked about for the cookbook.  Betty drinks so I question her notes about how much butter to use.  By the way, Ellen comes on at 4:00 here in Maine which makes it hard because Howard likes to eat dinner at 4:30.

 

Small Business Saturday

Man. When I retweeted the "just shoot me" comment about Black Friday yesterday, little did I know that it might turn out to be true. 

Sigh. We are so fucked as a species. Don't even get me started about the idiots who are pissed off because President Obama didn't mention God in his Thanksgiving Address. Don't EVEN. Oh man, I have so much to say on that subject and so much to say about another religion-related incident that happened to me while I was in the hospital, but oh man.... just don't provoke me. Seriously. It won't be pretty. 

Speaking of pretty, let us make an abrupt cocktail-party-style change of subject right now. How about that?

Look at what is just flying off the needles!

And look at how nicely it's going to coordinate with the new jewelry!

My instincts were so right. I hope it turns out to be as nice as I hope it will, and since I'm sure it will be lovely, mostly I hope I'm knitting the right size. 

I'll take part in Small Business Saturday by eating at a local restaurant and maybe dipping into a couple other shops, but I'm still basically in anti-shop mode. Still, what shopping I do, as always I make every effort to keep it local. Exhibit A, the jewelry above, made of really local material and by a local jeweler. And Exhibit B, the yarn above, is from, well, a fairly local producer in Maine, and then again all the way across the world in Russia, since that is what Peace Fleece is all about.  

And I won't even try to shove my all-religions-are-creepy opinions deep down your throats at all. Nope, I won't say a word. 

 

Cookie Monster Explains OWS

Yes, there always going to be rich and poor. But we used to live in country where rich owned factory and make 30 times what factory worker make. Now we live in country where rich make money by lying about value of derivative bonds and make 3000 times what factory worker would make if factories hadn't all moved to China.

Capitalism great system. We won Cold War because people behind Iron Curtain look over wall, and see how much more plentiful and delicious cookies are in West, and how we have choice of different bakeries, not just state-owned one. It great system. It got us out of Depression, won WWII, built middle class, built country's infrastructure from highways to Hoover Dam to Oreo factory to electrifying rural South. It system that reward hard work and fair play, and everyone do fair share and everyone benefit. Rich get richer, poor get richer, everyone happy. It great system.

Then after Reagan, Republicans decide to make number one priority destroying that system. Now we have system where richest Americans ones who find ways to game system -- your friends on Wall Street -- and poorest Americans ones who thought working hard would get them American dream, when in fact it get them pink slip when job outsourced to 10-year-old in Mumbai slum. And corporations have more influence over government than people (or monsters).

It not about rich people having more money. It about how they got money. It about how they take opportunity away from rest of us, for sake of having more money. It how they willing to take risks that destroy economy -- knowing full well that what could and would happen -- putting millions out of work, while creating nothing of value, and all the while crowing that they John Galt, creating wealth for everyone.

That what the soul-searching about. When Liberals run country for 30 years following New Deal, American economy double in size, and wages double along with it. That fair. When Conservatives run country for 30 years following Reagan, American economy double again, and wages stay flat. What happen to our share of money? All of it go to richest 1%. That not "there always going to be rich people". That unfair system. That why we upset. That what Occupy Sesame Street about.

See the original comment here.

(There's also a great Cookie Monster follow up, in which he says "In theory, this country a democracy, where everyone who share resources also have say in how resources used. In practice, ordinary monster have very little say, and super-rich basically do whatever they want and make government do whatever they want.")

 

Shared from:  http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/10/guy_called_cookie_monster_offe.php

 

I Sent In My First Two Envelopes Today

This is the first time in my life I have actually looked FORWARD to getting more junk mail. Bring it on!

Just Another Story About Vermont's Awesomeness

"I walked through the woods and over a mountain to get to school."

This is in 2011, not 1911. 

NBD.

Will Blog For Food (And Cleaning Supplies and Pet Supplies and Clothing and... and...and.)

We aren't anywhere near getting things cleaned up and back to normal here in Vermont, and it just seems like we are suffering one insult after another. There have been more flash floods, a rescue of VTrans workers repairing a bridge, and now there is more rain in the forecast and flash flooding predicted for Sunday night. We can take a lot up here in Vermont, but man. The scope and magnitude of this is beyond my comprehension. I barely have the words or energy to describe my feelings, and I am one of the ones who is dry and comfortable and have food in my pantry and electricity, telephone, internet, clean vegetables in my garden, and clean water in my home.

Here are some words I found in various Facebook pages and around the web:

• Cavendish Town Hall are in need of feminine products, toiletries,pet food and towels(for the National Guard to take showers) Please put the word out if possible. Anyone can drop off right at the town hall at 37 High St Cavendish or call them at 802-226-7291 or if anyone is in Springfield I am taking donations at my home and I have volunteers ready to come pick up from me. I can be reached at 802-885-1171 Thanks! June Sumner
• From the Governor's Facebook Page:  CALL 1-800-VERMONT TO VOLUNTEER OR DONATE TO FLOOD RELIEF!!
  
• Black River Good Neighbor Services:  We can use Diapers, Wipes, Tuna, Canned Meats, Rice Mixes, Dry Milk, Jelly, Peanut Butter, Pasta, Canned Fruit, Baked Beans, Toilet Paper, Juice, and Cereal. A $20.00 cash donation will buy four times the amount of food from the Vermont Food bank than at your local supermarket. Donate Now to help you flooded neighbors using PayPal.com Our email is brgnsdonation@tds.net . Or  you may send your donation to: BRGNS, 37B Main Street, Ludlow VT 05149
  

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If you have any spare change, will you consider donating to one of the many causes that have sprung up? Here are just a few more (I love the synergy here) ideas that might be of interest to my readers:

I Am Vermont Strong: (From their Facebook posting just a few minutes ago:  Well, the tshirts we brought with us to The Downtown Rutland's Farmer's Market were gone in less than 30 minutes! We are still here taking orders and makin' friends - online sales are still jumpin' too! It may be a Holiday weekend but VERMONT STRONG does not rest!- Eric & Lyz)  

Vermont Foodbank

Kaleidoscope Yarns is donating 25% of all online and in-store sales through September 7th to the Vermont Foodbank. BUY YARN for a GOOD CAUSE.  And maybe make a hat to donate to:

Hats for Hunger.  (From their Facebook posting: The news in Vermont keeps getting worse and worse. If you would like to help, please buy a hat and we will donate all proceeds to the Vermont Foodbank. Better yet, sponsor a hat. We'll give the money to the VT foodbank AND someone who lost everything will get a hat. Please put Irene in the note section of your order. Thank you for helping Vermont one hat at a time.)

Gorgeous Patterns from Savory Knitting 9/1/11 through 9/5/11 100% proceeds from the sales of her Ravelry patterns will be donated to Vermont NOFA’s Farmer Emergency Fund.

And from my friend India of WARM HATS, WARM HEARTS:

 

On August 28, Hurricane Irene visited Vermont. Although my town was spared the worst, many towns throughout the state suffered devastating flooding. My husband’s brother, sister, and mother narrowly escaped the rising waters of the Mad River, which inundated their home and their village, soaking everything in its path, taking out roads and bridges, and leaving behind inches of muck and piles of debris.

My family was lucky. Many of their things, including their clothing, are salvageable. But many others are not so fortunate. Though it is still quite warm here, we all know that soon the weather will turn much colder, and people will reach for that favorite sweater or scarf, only to remember that it’s gone.

I’m collecting donations of handknit hats, scarves, mittens, sweaters, socks, blankets, baby items, and knitted toys, items for anyone from babies through adults, to distribute to flood survivors in Vermont and upstate New York. If you would like to ply your needles for people in need, please contact me, India Tresselt, at warmhearts2@gmail.com. Thank you!

 

Vermont Is a State of Mind

I'm in Massachusetts for work again, and on my drive through Vermont on I-89 yesterday, I could hardly tell that something awful had happened just a few days ago, and was continuing to happen, just out of my sight off the highway. Except, that is, for the Vermont Edition program I was listening to all the way down, that kept on reminding me. 

As I got close to the border of VT/NH, I stopped at the "last rest area on I-89 in VT," as its signage said, only to find that it was closed, probably due to the flood damage. Its parking area was filled with heavy equipment and a few National Guardsmen were walking around. So I took the next exit off the highway and stopped at a gas station that was right off the exit to use their facilities, then buy a drink.

The guy in front of me in the checkout line was a young guy probably my daughter's age, who asked for a pack of Marlboros, and then proceeded to ask the woman behind the counter how to get to Rochester. Rochester is one of the communities on the official list of 13 Vermont towns that are cut off from the rest of the world due to the storm.

And take a look at that picture.

The woman behind the counter, in typical Vermont fashion, began listing off all the roads he COULDN'T take because they were washed out or closed or the bridge had floated away. The real answer, of course, was, "Ya can't get theyah from heyah," and this time it was not meant in that wry New England way, but straight-up for realz.

The young guy said, "Because I heard they are completely isolated, and I have a four-wheel-drive Jeep filled with food and water...."

Of course the sentiment is beautiful, and it nearly brought me to tears. A young guy wanted to help. I did not say anything, only took it in silently, but I had just heard many stories on the radio of, for example, the woman who said she had hiked three miles in and three miles out of a particularly far-flung and easily forgotten town, and she wanted to remind the powers that be not to forget them. And I heard over and over on the radio program that people should probably try their best not to get in the way of the hardworking utility crews and rescue personnel and relief agencies by attempting their own relief and rescue efforts, however well-meaning. This was spiced up with the cautionary message that some people are doing things and being in places that are dangerous, moving barriers and driving where the ground is unsafe, and standing in places that could give way, and they really oughtn't to do that.

I joked with my lovely Sandy later, as sweet and goodhearted as this young man is, the next thing we'll probably hear is that he is the subject of a many-thousand-dollar rescue effort himself. But still...

Sigh.

It's hard.  

But being a Vermonter is the most amazingly wonderful thing. Take a look at this blog that was set up:

#VTResponse

Going down through the Helping Hands and the Temporary Shelter tabs got me all choked up.  

Watch, people:  Vermonters will show you the way.

 

Vermont Was Hit Hard, But I Am Fine

If you are watching the news, I'm sure you've all seen many of the photos and videos of the raging waters, downed bridges, flooded historic towns, cars and 1,000-gallon propane tanks floating down the rivers. 

We're all shaking our heads up here. Who would have thought we'd have taken much of the brunt of this storm? 

Once again, the location of our house and the genius choice to construct French drains under our basement when we built, has served us well. We came out of the whole thing with no more than an almost imperceptible light-flickering. A little soggy, yes, but nothing more than that.

The rest of my state, not so much. Jim Cantore rather sums up the feelings here:

 

 

 

Terrier Tuesday -- ADA 21st Anniversary Edition

Dear Readers,

My Alpha would like me to tell you that today is the 21st anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The ADA was signed into law in 1990 by (bet you wouldn't have guessed this) President George H.W. Bush. 

It is a law that has made positive differences for millions of disabled Americans. It still has a long, long way to go, and often those who are interpreting the law in the trenches, so to speak, choose to read things in the light most favorable to themselves, which might not be at all in the spirit in which this thing was intended. So in recognition of that fact, some amendments were written and passed into law in 2008 under the -- HOLD THE PHONE! -- the administration of that other Bush president. Will the surprises never stop coming on this?!

The amendments "emphasize that the definition of disability should be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals to the maximum extent permitted by the terms of the ADA and generally shall not require extensive analysis." [source]

Back when the elder Bush signed the original, he said, "Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down."

Why, then, two full decades after the law was passed, and a couple of years after the clarifying amendments were passed, Alpha wants to know, would a medical school have the choots-pah* to deny a deaf student CART? WHY?! she asks incredulously.

Anyway, perhaps my badger terrier sarcasm is slightly misplaced. This is a day to celebrate the Act -- which may have been the very last law in American history, ever, to have passed in an intelligent, bipartisan manner -- and not a day to get bogged down in all that politics stuff.

Was that still sarcasm? I dunno. I am only a terrier; what do I know about sarcasm? 

Well, as you know, my Alpha gets a bit of a bug up her nose about certain parts of the ADA that are ignored, flat-out violated, or honored only in the breach when it comes to the hard of hearing in particular, but we won't get into that today. Because this blog is all about me, after all, and we should talk about MY disabilities.

I am fortunate. I really don't have any serious disabilities, but I can sure relate!

Some people say that I am hard to understand. If I didn't have my Alpha to be my translator, maybe they could be right. To the untrained ear, a bark is a bark is a bark. Wimpy delivery guys can't seem to tell that I'm just asking them to play, and not warning them that I am going to bite. And a whine is a whine is a whine. If it weren't for the patient (right now Abigail is reading this and saying "Patient?! Who?!" HAHA!) and almost prescient way that Alpha listens to me, I might not be able to get everything I want. I'm very lucky that way.

I'm also very small. We talked about that size discrimination thing just the other day, didn't we?

If it weren't for the fact that she always helps me to get what I....WAIT.

I want THAT! SQUIRL!!

Alpha? Squirl, please.

Want. Want. Wantwantwantwantwant. Uhh, uhh, uh. Can't....reach....WANT.

Squirrel?

Want.

 

Uh, uhhh. *sniff* WANT.

Ehhh?

Mmmm. Wannnnnnnnt.

WHAT.THE.FUUUUHHHH? How did I get up here?

Owwwwww. Too hiiiiiiiiigh. And slipperyyyyyyyyy.

HALP?

Also, BARK BARK BARK BARKBARKBARKbarkbarkBARK! which translated in this instance means: If you are hard of hearing or late deafened, if you have tinnitus, or if you have any other disability that calls for a need for instant speech-to-text translation (ALSO KNOWN AS CAPTIONS or CART), make your voice heard! Ask for -- no, demand -- captions and CART. You are entitled to it, and you shouldn't take no for an answer. Stop letting those conference organizers and college disability benefits adminstrators play coy and like they don't know what it is  -- although some of them really DON'T -- in which case, EDUCATE THEM! And stop letting them hide behind dollar signs. Yes, it costs money, but so does every other accommodation, and there are creative ways to get it paid for. Alpha talked about one example here.

And shame on some of them for hiding their knowledge of its availability, and for not telling people that the service is available of their own volition -- or the very tippy-top of the worst violation of all -- for denying it when it's legitimately requested. Shame, shame, shame.

Highly skilled, well-trained people like Alpha are sitting around a lot of the time waiting for the phone to ring and their skills are being wasted, because not enough people ask for CART and captioning. They are ready, willing, and able to serve you.

Join the CCAC and get active. And ASK FOR CART so that you can take part in society and grow and learn and enjoy life! It's not outside your reach, like my little squirrel sometimes is. It's right there for the asking!

Tell them My Alpha said so. RrrrUFF! 

Love,

 

Mr. Jefferies

----

*choots-pah

 

Worldwide Knit In Public Day -- The BTV Edition

The turnout was tiny, due no doubt to the soggy weather. The original meeting-up place was in City Hall Park, alongside the Farmer's Market, and that would have been so much fun. But we could not sit out there in the pouring rain, so we had to move our knitting to the mall. What it lacked in Farmer's Market ambiance, it gained in amazing lighting and comfortable seating. We all decided this was The New Great Place to go to knit.

We attracted the attention and questions of a wide variety of people who were interested in what we were doing -- some knitters, and some people who you could just read in their faces they want to be knitters. 

I want to give a huge shout out of thanks to our wonderful Kaleidoscope Yarn Shop, which sent a 15% off coupon to each of the attendees. Thanks, Kaleidoscope!

Here are a few photos I shot while there:

My "Yarn Goddess" project bag. You can get one here.

Some madelinetosh yarn. The first time I've seen this in person, and I just have one word: WOW. OK, two words: GORGEOUS.

Clear Converse sneaks, to show off your handknit socks.

A project on the iPhone.

Knitters.

Decoding a frustratingly-written and charted pattern.

Everyody had cool bags. (And green was definitely The Color of the Day.)

Beautiful beaded cuffs from Knitty.

Another awesome knitting bag.

And of course, the baby sweater came out for show and tell.