I was listening to NPR yesterday while I was running errands, this edition of All Things Considered in fact, and it's a show I normally enjoy. You know, interesting talk, out of the ordinary approaches to news of the day, etc. Some one of their reporters, a woman, was interviewing a French reporter about French First Lady Carla Bruni's new album. They played a few selections -- it's kind of jazzy, smoky music -- better, quite frankly, than I expected given the lead in.
The NPR reporter began with a question about how the French people are taking all this. You know, having a First Lady release a cd in which she refers to having other lovers (I think the number was 30...) and then there's something about a chrysanthemum which might or might not be a thinly veiled sexual reference. The French reporter paused and chuckled and said that, well, this woman had greatly softened Sarkozy's image as a workaholic, and how she's poised in public, and how she's well, 40, and she's had a life and well no one resents that.
And the NPR gal asked again whether anyone is up in arms about all of the SEX on the cd, and the French reporter chuckled again and said that the French like their women of a certain age to have a past, that it makes them interesting.
And the NPR gal asked AGAIN if there wasn't some objection, somewhere, please, to all this? And the French lady said no that the French are more mature about this stuff... Sheesh! Ok? No, they don't care already! And a 3 minute piece on a prime drive time serious news show about a the wife of an elected European official's new cd? Really? And we care ALOT about that why? And it was an annoying piece about all of that to boot. I was yelling in the car... glad I was alone.
And then, of course, on Ravelry, there's been a lovely, nasty bit about a well-known Canadian blogger who posted on Canada Day (July 1) about loving her country. And she even prefaced the piece with a little "I know you Americans think that when I post about Canada, it's some kind of swipe about you, but this is not! This post is about me! blah blah blah". Which still didn't stop the vitriol. I was appalled. I read the thread with mounting disgust -- it was in a McCain for president group I think -- and sat on my hands. Post after post with jealous, snarky, xenophobic, conjured nonsense. Actually, I'll admit to reading only the first several pages of like 17. And some of it was something about how she's a public figure so none of the Rav etiquette applies -- she likes any kind of attention, even this nastiness. I turned off the computer and rinsed my eyes with Clorox.
Ok, so no computer, no radio... I'll read the paper. WHAT WAS I THINKING?! Excommunications, arrests of immigrants for working in a slaughter house (nothing about the boss!) etc. Gadzooks, I think I'll knit.
That's better.
Filey is coming right along. I'm on the neck decreases in the front. The Rowan Denim is lovely to work with, even though (I know Rachel!) it's cotton. You can't tell but these are two 30 inch long pieces of knitting... remember how it's supposed to shrink in the wash? Like jeans? Let's just hope.
Oh, wait. That's a pattern based on an Irish sweater. By a Brit designer, with British yarn. Quick, I'll change the subject to something else...
Bought some Dyeabolical yarn yesterday. It's too staid to have a name written on it's label. **grin** (And this is a better representation of the true color of Filey of which we shall not speak again.) This yarn is Amanda's socks. Some assembly required. But, yikes! This yarn's been dyed by someone of Chinese American descent, the the recipient's gone and married a Korean American! Hang on...
We bought this small (about 5 inches tall) piece last night at a Native American Art show last night at Cahokia Mounds. It's by an artist named Keith Yazzie Jay and he wins this adjudicated show every year. Hubster's been wanting a Yazzie Jay piece for a few years and last night we caved. This man throws the pots, coats them with multiple layers of colored clay and then carves down into the layers with an Exacto knife to create his designs. And they are stunning.
There, American enough for you?
You know, there's lots of national anthems and none of them go, "We're number two!"
What a bunch of idiots on ravelry.
Posted by: Bridgett | July 12, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Two thumbs up! Lenora
Posted by: | July 12, 2008 at 06:19 PM
AHA! That is where all his pots went. We had prior plans last night and couldn't go to the show until today. Yazzie Jay apologized and said everyone gobbled up his pots the night before. He had one little pot and the awesome big pot left, that was it. We did buy two prints,the one was the wolves with the contary poodle in the center and the protector birds from the guy when you first walk in. It was a great art show with alot of affordable pieces.
Posted by: Tempesttea | July 12, 2008 at 10:56 PM
Hear, hear!
Posted by: Ruth | July 13, 2008 at 06:46 AM
This reminds me of a story. Once upon a sometime last year, my mother was sitting at the local Department of Revenue. A young Caucasian man was complaining loudly about all the damned immigrants, the foreigners and the other minorities occupying the same space as him. He went on and on, taking the silence of the others as confirmation that his tirade was welcome if not actually righteous. Finally my mother turns and says to him "Your ancestors were once immigrants". "HELL NO," he says, "We're white. We're Americans. We have always been in America!" My mother raises and eyebrow. "Oh, always been in America? So you are native American," she asks hoping to detour the conversation. This young man does not seem to get the hint. "Damn right, I am an American." My mother raises and eyebrow and says "Huh. Funny, you don't look like an Indian." He stammered, loudly, and then shut up knowing he had just been pwnd.
Posted by: Rachel | July 13, 2008 at 09:35 PM
The ostrich thing is working for me in regards to the "news" and to Ravelry. That pot is stunning.
Posted by: margene | July 14, 2008 at 07:00 AM