Serenity Knits

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

What does SOPA/PIPA mean to you...

http://keepthewebopen.com/sopa-vs-open

SOPA - The Stop Online Piracy Act , also known as House Bill 3261 or H.R. 3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, by House Judiciary Committee Chair Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill, if made law, would expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods.
PIPA - The PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011), also known as Senate Bill 968 or S. 968, is a proposed law with the stated goal of giving the US government and copyright holders additional tools to curb access to "rogue websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeit goods", especially those registered outside the U.S.
OPEN - The Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN Act) is a draft text for legislation proposed as an alternative to the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act by United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and United States Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA)

SOPA and PIPA are two pieces of proposed legislation that will be debated and voted on, on the floors of the House and Senate respectively, beginning on Jan 24th. The purported purpose of these bills is to limit/discourage/stop online piracy. On the face of it, that sounds great. I, as a diligent supporter of copyright, should be thrilled. The problem, however, it that neither of these bills will actually achieve it's stated purpose. Instead, they will catch us all in their overly broad net.

I could try to explain to you the legal ins and outs of these two bills but there are others who will do that much better than I (Stick with me to the end. There will be links). What I want to do, instead, is to explain what the success of either of these pieces of legislation will mean to us. By us, I mean, bloggers, crafters, friends, family, small business owners, anyone with an online presence be it business or pleasure.

The following actions would put us at risk of losing our blogs, our PayPal accounts, or even, in the extreme, spending as much as five years in prison (I really, really want to believe that things will not get that bad but the entertainment industry does have a history of insisting on maximum penalties for grandma, et al).

That cute photo of your toddler hugging Mickey Mouse at Disney? Don't post it. (Mickey, after all, is a trademarked symbol).
A well meaning comment on your blog, with a link to a YouTube clip of a Fox News segment. You had better hope not. The only way to protect yourself will be to very carefully moderate all comments or not allow them at all.
Have a video of yourself singing New York, New York at a family party? Nope, you can't show that off, either. (no royalties = copyright infringement).
A stock photo of a book you are reviewing? Bad!
A video of your family singing Happy Birthday? Don't even think about it!
Do you like YouTube? I don't see how they can continue under the constant threat of legal action.
Ravelry? Twitter? Facebook? G+? Reddit? It's not looking good for social media either.

I am not unaware that entertainment companies are taking a financial hit from pirates and the unscrupulous people who keep them in business. Not for a moment am I suggesting that nothing be done to help alleviate the problem and punish the participants. However, there is a more reasonable, more effective, option. Congressional Republicans and Democrats came together to write the OPEN Act (Online Protection & Enforcement of Digital Trade Act). Follow the link under the chart at the top of this post and you will see that the OPEN Act would give relief to the entertainment companies, while not sinking to the level of censorship, black lists, and other draconian measures.

At the end of this post (which is coming soon, I promise) there will be a list of links you can visit for more and better information. Please visit some or all of these sites. Please do not lament how unfortunate this is, but do nothing to stop it. You can help by donating, by blacking out your blog in protest, by writing letters, sending emails, posting information, registering your objection with your senator or congressman/woman. Any or all of these things would help to raise awareness. Most of all, you can make a difference by talking about this, by spreading the word, and by encouraging others to do the same. We have to fight this. As of this morning, SOPA is on hold but Harry Reid insists that PIPA will move forward. When these same measures are used in China and Iran we feel outrage on their behalf and the comfort of knowing that it can't happen here. Are we to be proven wrong? Are we not better than this?

Monday, January 9, 2012

2011 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.

It is so hard to write when it feels like there is nothing good to say. I was going to entitle this post "Annus Horribilis" and then explain why that phrase applies to life at Chez Serenity. You will be glad to know, that I decided against that little bit of self indulgence. My next thought was to list 10 things I am grateful for from the past year (if for no other reason than to prove to myself that there are at least that many). However, I am really struggling, right now, against the feeling that everything is awful (when I know very well that, that is not the case) and my heart just isn't in it.

On to idea #3. This is a knitting blog and even though I am hanging on by a thread, I am still knitting (Some days I think that knitting is the thread by which I hang). So here it is ladies and gentlemen, my knitting:

Summer Wrap (Mac & Me)

Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton

Photo taken at Panera

I promise you that this baby looks quite a bit more inviting in person. I love this pattern and yarn. They are both soft and soothing to work with. This and a secret knitting project are all that I have been working on. I am a little more than half way done with the Summer Wrap, but still at the cast-on, hate it, rip out stage of the secret project.

Ow, now that I am on a roll, let me show you my new knitting bag:

I bought this at Starbucks.com. It is made from an old *$'s billboard. How cool is that? It is the perfect size for my knitting, and netbook, along with various and sundry magazines and papers. I love it! It comes with a picture of the billboard, which I carry with me because you can see just what part my bag came from.

Well, I feel better now than I did when I began this post. Thank you all for that. :-)

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas Wishes...

Merry Christmas!!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Take me away....

Yay! I made it After several months of planning and canceling, I finally made it back to Atlanta for one of Hubby's monthly trips North.

Once again, Atlanta did not disappoint. Let me just tell you knitters out there that Atlanta is akin to heaven. Tuesdays, in particular, are just wonderful. Lovin'Knit Yarn Shop and Studio hosts a lovely, welcoming, group of knitters in the morning. I finally cast on for the vest that I bought the yarn & pattern for during my last trip. Cast-on Cottage has a charity knitting group that meets there in the afternoon. Although perfectly civil, this is not a warm nor welcoming bunch. They are their own little group and there is not much room for someone new. However, I did thouroughly enjoy a long, interesting, and thought provoking, conversation with the only male knitter in the group (the only one who recognized me from my last visit). Although, sitting on the other side of the fence politically, this young man is thoughtful and issue oriented. I really admire that. I brought with me, three finished hats for a local homeless shelter and worked on the Noro scarf that will be my BIL Xmas gift.

This trip I extended my prime day of yarn, to include the evening knitting group at The Whole Nine Yards in Woodstock, GA. Again, I had the pleasure of knitting, and conversing with a really nice, welcoming group of women. I have to say, I really liked this shop. It is a bit further from our hotel than the others but was totally worth the trip. They even have a book group that meets on Wednesday mornings. I think I will try one next time (mostly so that I can spread out my yarn joy a bit). While there I bought a skein of Kid Silk Haze Stripes along with the relevant Knitter's Pride needles and cast on for a the one skein scarf on the ball band.

Also new to my very own yarn crawl, was Yarning for Ewe. This is a new shop just down the road from our hotel. I stopped in for their Wednesday evening knitting group and spent a pleasent couple of hours talking to the owner and her husband (noone else showed up). This shop is only a few weeks old and has not yet built a following. The selection is a bit thin, however, everything is really nice. The owner is a self-professed yarn snob and it shows (in a good way). I was especially impressed by her silk yarns (& fiber for the spinners amoung us) that she imports from India, and was absolutely thrilled to find Habu and Jade Sapphire (both almost impossible to find in NE FL). At this point, much of what she stocks qualifys as luxury but she does have some Berroco yarns for those looking for something more utilitarian. I actually did not knit while there but did grab enough of a beautiful fingering wt yarn (forgot the name) for the Mie shawl.

Believe it or not, there are even more yarn shops in the Atlanta area. However, we are heading home later today so the others will have to wait until next time.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Dear Mr. Bezos: May I have some more Google, please.

I was so excited when I heard that Amazon was coming out with a Kindle tablet. While Mr. Bezos was saying that he would not confirm or deny its release, before it even had a name, before I knew what it would cost, I was telling anyone who would listen that I was getting one. I could have blown my budget on an iPad or one of the other perfectly serviceable tablets that were already out. However, I have a lot of faith in Amazon and I felt sure that if Amazon was making it, it would be worth the wait. It would not be rushed to release before it was ready. This would be my third Kindle (I gave my first one to my mom) and I did not expect to love it any less than the other two.

But, and you knew that would be one, all has not worked out as I might have wished. First let me point out that there is much to love about the Fire (as it is now known). The color touch screen is a thing of beauty. It is lovely to behold, and responsive (but not too much) to the touch. Reading knitting magazines on it is a real treat. My sons (14 &19) find the Amazon App market limited. I, on the other hand have found (mostly for free) all but one app that I wanted. Storage is limited but free access to the Amazon cloud negates that. And let’s face it, at $199, for a color, touch screen, tablet, the price just can not be beat. It is less comfortable to snuggle up and read on than my earlier Kindles. I am an avid reader and can fall into a good book for hours at a time. The Fire is heavier than my Kindle3, and the color screen, while awesome for games & magazines, is a bit of and strain for long term reading. The thing is that this would be true of any other tablet, regardless of manufacture or price. As someone who returned the Nook in favor of the Kindle2, I can tell you that nothing beats Kindle’s e-ink for reading comfort.

Prepare yourself because here comes the kicker. You can not access any of your Google apps on your Kindle Fire. From what I have read (and I will include links at the bottom), Amazon is blocking access to any Google product that requires signing in. That covers everything but your basic Google search engine. For me, this is bad, very bad, maybe even a deal breaker. Like so many of us, I have multiple computer devices, a desk top, a net-book, a smart phone, an iPod Touch and, now a tablet. Using Google mail, calendar, contacts, & docs, allows me to access necessary information from anywhere. As a mom who runs her own home based business, simple, cross-platform; access, is an absolute must have.

With out access to Google, the Fire is just a really nifty toy. Please Mr. Bezos, stop blocking Google and bring the Fire into the realm of useful technology.

NOTE: Here are those links I mentioned.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/19/kindle_fire_google_apps/

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile/thread?tid=41fb5bb64b8891c8&hl=en

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2011/11/kindle-fires-app-problems-google-and-apple/45203/

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Apps/thread?tid=3a6fcef68c57a9f1&hl=en

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Apps/thread?tid=38fd26ffa3c41a93&hl=en

http://blogs.computerworld.com/19014/amazon_kindle_fire_tablet

ETA: An email to Amazon tech support revealed that I should be able to get the various Google Apps via the Fire's web browser (Silk). I had tried that and it did not work. In searching for an answer to this problem, I came across this web site. I made the changes suggested to make Silk run faster and now Google & friends loads like a dream. I still hope that Amazon gets the message and lets Google Apps in, however, I don't hate having to access them via a faster running Silk.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

But wait, there's more...

Emma

As soon as I found out that Penguin Classics was going to reprint Emma, The Secret Garden, & Black Beauty, as part of a line known as Penguin Threads I knew that I would have to have them. What makes them unique, is that the covers are seemingly embroidered. While the on-line photos are lovely, they really do not do them justice. In person, each of these books is really something special.

Emma

The Secret Garden

Not only do they look embroidered, they "stitches" are raised so that they feel embroidered. It is not only the front cover either. The spines & back covers are equally well done. Even then, I did not fully appreciate the attention to detail until I showed them to my mother. She was much more thorough in her examination than I had been. Thanks to her deft exploration, we discovered inside flaps, in the front and back, that were every bit as gorgeous as the outside covers. Next she pointed out the piece de resistance, the inside covers are done to look like the back of an embroidered piece! How is that for attention to detail?

The Secret Garden

Black Beauty

These stories are what they are. You either like these authors or you do not. However, if you, like me, appreciate fine workmanship, attention to detail, and a, long overdue, nod to our craft community, then these books would make a terrific addition to your bookshelves whether you actually read them or not. I loaded each of these on my Kindle, but have no regrets over buying the "real" books.

Black Beauty

Does anyone know if there are patterns for these? I would love to re-create them for myself. As it is, I have been thinking about how cool it would be to embroider the cover of a favorite book. With that in mind, I was thrilled to come across this blog where some extraordinary needle-workers are doing just that. I am so impressed and inspired.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Reemerging...

Turn a Square

by Jared Flood

Cascade 220 Superwash &

Cascade Superwash Paints

I knit three of these for a homeless shelter in Atlanta.

Simple Baby Hat

by Lisa Santoni Cromar

KnitPicks Comfy Sport

I don't remember what I used to edge the socks :-(

Fruit Cap

by Ann Norling

Martha Stewart Extra Soft Wool Blend

Crocheted Washcloths

(my own pattern)

Sugar & Cream Stripes Cotton

For the life of me, I can't remember the name of this pattern. It was a free Ravelry download that a friend was making for her daughter. I liked it so much that I decided to make one for myself.

Mission Falls 1924 Cotton

These are three of the four scarves that I think of these as my Quilt Fest scarves

(I went to Quiltfest and came home with a pretty basket and some yarn).

These are all variations of a single very simple pattern that are available free from the yarn company.

Lisa Knits Basic Toe-up Socks SK020

Claudia Hand-painted yarn (fingering)

All blogging evidence to the contrary, a lot has been happening at Chez Serenity of late. There have been projects finished (above), and others begun (below). T1 has been having some mysterious health problems, and, in an unrelated event, totaled his car last Friday (he is recovering nicely from a very minor concussion). Hubby is still loving his new job but it does keep him traveling and, even when he is home, working long hours. I miss him and, luckily for us, it is mutual. Two friends are due any minute and another is going through an ugly divorce. Having my family nearby is lovely in terms of companionship but, does put yet another demand on me (Some days being the "good one" just plain sucks). After talking about it for years, I finally signed up for a quilting class. I made one of the scheduled six classes. The teacher had to postpone the second one. Then T1 had his accident, which means he will be using my car for school for the foreseeable future (The shop owner was lovely and says that I can just pick right back up the next time she offers a beginner class). T2 is feeling neglected and rightfully so. I have had two very timely business opportunities emerge in the last couple of weeks. One I just plain forgot and the other is, frankly, not looking good. If only I could pull an extra day out of each week, I might stand a chance. So that's it, I think. I am exhausted and slowly losing my mind.