Thursday, March 10, 2005
Why start a blog, NOW?
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Welcome home, Martha. And, happy blog-birthday to me.I love the internet. My first post should have been a blurb about me, why I think I'm so important that I had to have some personal diary out there that people could read and somehow gain something from my exercise in ego-ism, but I can't start that now. Because I am in love with the internet. The barest background about me necessary to continue: I am a knitter. Not necessarily an expert, or even a good one (your grandma could crocket skeins around me), but I love knitting. I love stashing yarn for projects I don't even have yet, lusting over those german farfegnugen addis like a man who loves foreign cars and chrome, squeezing a new hank of superwash that will make delightful socks and hats and delicious multicolored wonders for friends and family... And reading about knitting. Of course, on the internet. So my cultural hero, Miss Martha, returned home decked in a handknit poncho... our post post POST feminist's cape minus the S. By the way, stfu if you don't like Martha. This is my space and I'll say what I like about her, despite how many lesbo/feminist comments may be lobbed at me like so much primate feces. She has done more for the ART of craft, homemaking, self creation, beauty and functionality of the home than anyone. She kicks those masculine-only world feminists collective asses-- those "wavy" ones that think that eschewing making homemade mac and cheese in order to kick in the glass ceiling is necessary. Martha showed me how to make a perfect mac and cheese (minus a blue box, the nutmeg is the secret!) and *at the same time* destroyed those unforgiving tilted glass panels by spinning her image into a brand. I don't care she's a felon-- she's brilliant, makes great hot chocolate, and kicks sand in the wavy feminist ozymandias' eyes who say we have to live by "men's" rules in order to be successful and succeed (sans cookies, of course). And I can't live without my handmade cookies. Meanwhile, back on the farm... So Martha (can I call you Martha?) jumps on a plane that whisks her away from prison... in a handknit poncho. Now, I'm not a poncho fan. I've never had the urge to knit one, buy one, have one within a few feet of my exposed shoulders. But wowee if Miss Martha didn't cause a bunch of ruckus among my knitty friends about that poncho. One of my favorite forums, Knitter's Review, had pages about that poncho! Over five thousand (!!!) views, all of them having the same idea in their heads as they read along: "I knew I couldn't have been the only one wanting to know the pattern/yarn/crochet or knit etc about that poncho!" Five thousand reads, five thousand souls. Brought together by the internet. And Martha, and her poncho. Which is why I love the internet. I know *no one* in real life who could give a flying fart about that poncho. I even don't know anyone in real life who would give a flying fart about knitting at all (except my own grandma, but she lives a billion miles away and wants more to talk about "when am I going to settle down" than knitting...) But I can immerse myself in this knitting thing, or this (insert anything thing)... and I have a home! I'm not a freak for staying up til 330am to bid on some handpainted skeins of yarn-- because I'm likely going to get sniped by someone who's doing the same thing! And maybe this is a little insight into *me*-- why I do the things I do (besides knitting): why I have the job I have. I'm working for a software vendor (I'm not a proggoddess) who is putting the final touches on some badass software. Online poker software. And no, I have no experience with online poker, either. So what the hell am I? How did I get so lucky to land this job? I think it's because I love the internet. (Not sure, you'd have to ask Boss to be certain). They were looking for someone to be an odds and ends internet freak, researching online poker news, changes in the law, what people talk about when they talk about online poker. Oh, and fetch proverbial virtual coffee and donuts for the higher ups (which, by the way is *everyone*). Which is what I love to do anyway. It's weird to try and put together all of the different online groups and communities I belong to on one page, because they just seem so disparate. But I can find an expert in anything if I look hard enough (please don't ask me about the time I read about furries for five hours one day)... I'm not good at the hardware part, but I love the search. (I guess my practical experience with research and writing didn't hurt: I graduated Cal in 1998 with a BA in English lit-- with an emphasis on tragedy, Shakespeare and Greek.) I love hearing these thousand voices raise up in praise of a delicious new yarn. I love reading about people complaining that their local Target employees had wiped out their clearance section and there were no 75% printers or cameras to be found (which, hey if I worked at Target, I'd buy it all too). I will stay up for an extra hour just to find out if there is a better way to set up my ATI AIW's remote capture. So, I guess that's enough now for me, I guess enough of an intro for now. :) Thanks for sticking around for joy, aK gamesgrid www.gamesgrid.com PS, for those interested: An MSN article on the furor of Miss Martha's poncho, and a link to Lion Brand who is promising to post a free pattern within days of receiving "the largest number of requests ever" asking for Martha's poncho pattern.
10:54:36 AM |
Last update: 4/3/2005; 3:00:09 AM .
