What I told VougeKnitting

I recently learned, via Annie Modesitt’s blog, Modekint / Knitting Heretic, that VougeKnitting isn’t exactly treating designers fairly (see her post dated Friday, February 06, 2009, “Valuing Our Work”). This distressed me.

It distressed me because I am a graphic designer / freelance writer and I live by the wits of my brain just like a knitting designer does. Well, perhaps not quite “just like” because there is something truly magical about envisioning a 3-D wearable item — or not-wearable item as the case may be — making it, and then describing it in a 2-D format in sufficient detail for someone else to make it too. But, I digress.

A few months ago I received a great offer from VougeKnitting, or so it seemed. Four issues for $15. Wow. That’s good. So I subscribed. The first issue of the subscription came and even though I was somewhat bored with the vast majority of designs in that issue (it’s OK Jared, I liked the gloves) I figured every magazine has a dud now and then. No big deal. Then, I learned of Annie M’s post.

What to do? Well, this is what I did. I didn’t tear off the “letter” from the invoice. This gave me a whole bunch of room to write on the back. Then, I made a note on the invoice saying “Please see reverse side.” And this is what I wrote:

Dear Soho Publishing,
I recently learned that you are only offering designers 10 percent of online pattern sales. I understand that your original contract with these designers did not include any discussion of online sales; although, it did give you rights to resell patterns. In light of the changes the internet has made in the knitting world, your refusal to renegotiate fair terms (I do not see 10 percent as fair) has caused me to reconsider my subscription to your publication. I am a graphic designer / freelance writer and I understand the situation far better than these hastily jotted words may convey. Please cancel my subscription!
Sincerely,
Ruth

In this case, feel free to use any part of my message to VougeKnitting without any compensation.

Three in a row

Theoretically, it’s not. Three in a row that is. There was this weekend-thingy that got in the way. However, as far as I’m concerned, a post on Thursday, Monday and Tuesday counts as three in a row.

What has prompted my sudden urge to communicate — frantically, I might add — with the world? I’m in a mess over this election. The resident non-knitter just called to tell me that he spoke with another customer today who is voting McCain-Palin. Why? He doesn’t want that Muslim in office. “But,” the resident non-knitter pointed out, “Obama is not a Muslim. He’s a Christian. Besides, what would be wrong with having a Muslim in office?” “Never mind,” the old buzzard grumbled. “I wouldn’t consider a non-American as president.”

“But,” the RNK pointed out, “he is an American citizen. In fact, he must be an American citizen to run for such an office. It is confirmed at the highest level. Obama is American.”

Where do these people get these ideas!? RKN pondered the same thing. So he asked, “Did you hear these things on Fox News?” “Nope,” the man replied, “I don’t watch that stuff.” What does he watch? Or read? Or does he?

Are we a nation of dimwits? Is the unspoken message here that this old geezer does not trust an educated black man over an aging white man? I don’t get it. I just don’t get it.

On one hand we have a candidate offering more of the same. I don’t know how all of you out there in cyberspace feel about our economy; but, I for one, shudder when I check my 401K.

WAKE UP AMERICA! What’s good for corporate USA may not be good for all us average people who like to have a little extra cash on hand for a good yarn sale now and then. Please, someone tell me it’s going to be OK!

Edited this afternoon to add the following:
I went out to get the mail, and there were two political flyers from the Colorado Republican Committee. I’ve been throwing these lying garbage sheets out; but, it occurred to me that this might be the source of the untruths people are spouting this election season.

Indeed. I picked one item from one flyer at random and researched it on the web. Here’s the quote from the flyer:

Against tougher penalties for street Gangs. Obama voted against making gang members eligible for the death penalty if they kill someone to help their gang. (H.B. 1812, 2/15/01)

I looked into that. It is true, Obama voted against H.B. 1812. That bill “up-ed” the penalty for any crime committed by gang members. In other words, in a description of the bill offered by the Justice Coalition of Greater Chicago, that bill “Enhances the sentence for murder, assault, and battery, using the status of the defendant – i.e. that he is a gang member or commits the crime by reason of his allegiance to a gang.”

Hmm. To me that doesn’t sound right. Let’s say I am a member of a knitting gang and I commit a crime. Should I really get a harsher sentence in the courts, possibly even the death penalty, just because I belong to that gang? Is my affiliation with the gang more important than the nature of the crime?

You may scoff at my knitting gang reference; but, who defines gang? In fact the Illinois Republican Governor George Ryan vetoed this very bill. The State Journal-Register editorialized that the Governor’s veto was warranted. Among other comments, they said:

“[H.B. 1812] adds a fuzzy extension of the most serious punishment — a punishment that cannot be reversed. Exactly what is ‘furtherance of gang activity?’ Chances are it will vary from case to case, jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Illinois is in the process of trying to clean up its capital punishment system. That task must be completed before any more laws are passed adding people to death row — especially laws as ambiguous as this one. We urge the General Assembly not to override the governor’s veto on this bill.”

Tough on crime? Here’s a quote from Obama regarding capital punishment from “The Audacity of Hope.”

“While the evidence tells me that the death penalty does little to deter crime, I believe there are some crimes — mass murder, the rape and murder of a child — so heinous that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment.”

Gosh, doesn’t that sound reasonable?

I know this isn’t the most exciting blog reading. I appreciate those of you who have hung in here to this — and I promise it will be — final paragraph. I am just so OUTRAGED by these political manipulations and lies!!!