2011-06-28

The Sun is shining, it's a beautiful day.

And I am the luckiest girl in the world!

It is wonderful out today. I spent some time in my back yard with Beverly, my spinning wheel. Listening to music and noise and spinning in the back yard.

I said Hi to Sampson who lives next door and is the most energetic dog ever.

Mostly just taking in the sunlight because it finally feels like summer.

Remember how I got my spinning wheel? It was from a kind and wonderful woman named Beverly. And now less than a year later (just shy of a month to be a year apart) I was given a wonderful new present.

Why yes that is a new sewing machine. This time from a kind and wonderful woman named Kay. I just got to sew on it today and it runs really well. And is head and shoulders nicer than my old machine. She was also nice enough to spend me bobbins and a shank separately from bringing the machine over. I met Kay over in the MOHS group on Ravelry along with her mother and her daughter. Three generations of crafters, amazing. And they are all nice and sweet as can be.

I think the name of my new machine is going to be Kay. I hope she doesn't mind.

It also came in what I think is the cutest bag ever.

2011-06-27

Media Monday: Pair of What?

I am going to preface this with a disclosure. I like watching kids shows. I don't know why, but I do. I realize that I am too old to watch kids shows and too young (and kid-less) to have an excuse to be "forced" to watch them. I find them funny and amusing and a good time.

A few weeks ago a show called "Pair of Kings" showed up on Netflix and I decided to watch it. This is the main cast.

The premise of the show is that two teenage twins from Chicago are actually the Kings of a small Polynesian island. And when they turn 16 are brought to the island to become Kings where they previously did not know they were Kings. Hilarity insues. It's a kids show, stick with me. There should be an argument about nativism here. But I am not informed enough about the show or Polynesian cultures to make that argument. At times though this show does make me uncomfortable with their scary savages... I am saying I recognize it but I am here to make a different argument.

Now take a look at the Cast photo? Which two are the twins? They're played by Mitchel Musso and Doc Shaw.

There is a passing reference in the pilot episode of the series that basically goes, "You don't think we look like twins? No one else does either! Our dad was white our mom was Black. This is what happens!" And they make jokes about the fact that they look different, and frequently reference their parents.

I can't find a picture of their parents. But I will say that their dad Doesn't look very white to me. Or at least not as White as Mitchel Musso does. Furthermore, if there dad was the King of a Polynesian Island. Shouldn't he be I don't know, Polynesian? In the brief shots the show of him, he does look indeed Polynesian to me.

The other teenage boy in the main cast is Ryan Ochoa (he plays the cousin of the twins. According to IMDB, he is white. According to his little brother's IMDB page he is part Latino. They don't say what side of the family he is related to the Kings on, but since he is on the Island so we can assume the Fathers.

To recap we have a family two brothers and a cousin who are black, white and Latino.

The other two in the main Cast are Geno Segers, and Kelsey Chow. In the show they are father and daughter. Geno identifies as Black. Kelsey is Half Chinese. I think they do look Black and half Chinese. Or at least Black and half Asian. Kelsey's "mother" has yet to be shown.

I read a study once that said that Kids programming has the greatest diversity amongst TV shows. In the show there will be a wider variety of skin colors, body types, etc. Of all the different types of programming Childrens TV is the most inclusive. And with good reason, kids want to watch characters that they identify with, that look like them. But live wild lives. It is essentially the formula to make a kids show work (or at least Disney thinks it is).

There are two ways to look at this. One is sort of positive. One is very negative.

Either Disney is trying to be color-blind in it's casting. After all Doc Shaw and Mitchel Musso were already established Disney actors transplanted from other shows. And casting agents legally aren't allowed to ask about an actor's racial background. But the thing is. Color-Blind casting doesn't work. Instead of creating a complex identity they have essentially made one twin Black and one twin White.

They supposedly grew up with their Black aunt in a big city. It is an interesting idea that he is "white" he looks white for sure, but probably grew up in a community that was black. This is never mentioned. I know as a child of an immigrant I question my self identity daily I still don't know how to answer that question. And try to balance my internal culture clash.

There is also the fact that I believe the Twins would be judged differently in the real world. And not in inclusive-Disney-topia. Color-Blind casting in theory is a great idea. But people already see races. It is too late to live in a color-blind world. There is too much race history now the best we can do is utilize it as a tool. And maybe that is what they're trying to do.

The other argument of what Disney is trying to do. Is that they are taking just a bunch of people that look vaguely "ethnic". They picked two actors they liked and have worked with before, and then created a story and built a cast around them. And since it is an island they wanted them to look "exotic" But not too exotic now. We still want kids to watch our show.

I'm giving the show a pass (except on the natavism stuff) and going to say that it is an interesting experiment in color-blind casting. Probably one of the only instances of it I can think of that this has occured on a TV show. The only thing this experiment has proved to me though, is that color-blind casting doesn't work. And furthermore, really makes me cock my head and go "WHAT?"

My big question now is, if it is a Polynesian Island... Where are the Asian actors? Couldn't find any? Like V magazine couldn't find any Asian models for the cover of their "Asian Issue"?

Sorry if this is rambles, I haven't fully formed my thoughts. I don't just knit all the time you know XD

2011-06-24

FO: Friday Rainbow makin


My first FO since the last FO. I really haven't been finishing too many projects. I currently have Second Sock Syndrome and I have it bad. Good thing about shawlettes though. When one is done that is it. No pesky second shawl to knit before it is actually done. Most of them though are knit flat rather than in the round. I am a die hard in-the-round type of girl, but the little shawls (or as I like to call them Hipster Scarves) are just so dang cute.


Take this one for example, miles and miles of garter stitch. Now I am not one of those that find garter stitch comforting. More than anything I find it annoying. But for rainbows the miles of annoying garter stitch are kind of worth it. Because just look. Isn't it pretty?


I am a sucker for rainbow yarn. Especially when it turns out to look like this.

I'm showing it off unblocked because it is Friday and I am impatient. Blocking won't do this piece that much good anyways. It'll even out the stitches but ultimately there is no lace to stretch out. I was planning on finishing casting off last night, but then I got sleepy. And then I got in a twitter argument with a friend. Have you ever tried to argue back and forth in 140 characters? It's actually kind of hard.

But enough of me blabbing. And more to me knitting more rainbows (after I do my dishes, clean my room, and other responsible adult-like things)

2011-06-19

Sunday Stash: A different kind of Stash

I am attempting to Stash down my yarn. Too much yarn not enough time. We'll see about fabric when I finally get a working sewing machine again (I am so close! more on that later)


But I am just going to share a little bit of a new Stash I got. My sister was just visiting me and I went to the Electric Fetus for the first time. A very famous record store in Minneapolis. And it is awesome. Seriously. I had a little fun browsing the used CD collection and came away with a bit more than I intended, as what usually happens in stores like that.

Yes that is the Hannah Montana soundtrack CD. And the Darker one you can't read as well is Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, by Bright Eyes. I have wide and varying tastes in music. What can I say? I will blog more on the Hannah Montana stuff soon (tomorrow I already have a post planned). But until then yes I realize its target demographic is like 10 years younger than me. Will it help if I say that I was 17 when it started? No? Okay...

2011-06-15

WIP Wednesday: Clockwork Rainbow



You can't quite tell yet but this is going to be a rainbow scarf/shawlette/ Hipster Scarf I'm really excited because I'm a little less than half way done and I can already tell that it is going to be a visual stunner (I hope)

It's for the MOHS June KAL- Let's Hear it for the Boy. Which is actually being hosted by yours truly. The Pattern is Clockwork by the immensely talented Stephen West.

I have a big blog project coming up soon that I just decided to do today so I'm making a quick update post and then I'm going to get planning!

The rainbow yarn is Kauni which is famous for its long color changes and for being quite a visual stunner. I don't actually like the yarn that much it's a bit scratchy for my taste. But the colors might just make it worth it.