Ramblin' with Roger

Interesting Copyright News

I’m forever fascinated with copyright law. Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the US Constitution empowers Congress “to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.” Note the words useful, exclusive and especially, limited. I’m not going to go into a dissertation about how the changes in copyright law in the United States I believe is contrary to the original intent.

I can’t find it presently, but there was a recent story about a guy who played on the original sessions for the Beatles’ album Revolver (1966) and that his payments would end soon because British copyright law’s term will have ended. It was suggested that Britain might seek a copyright law similar to that currently employed by the United States. To which I only have five words to say: NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!

Other interesting recent stories from New Media Law & E-Commerce News, Vol. 13, No. 1, January 5, 2009, ISSN 1489-954X, which can be found in detail here include:

Music Industry Set to Abandon Mass Piracy Lawsuits – RIAA stops pursuing legal action against ISPs

Harry Potter Lexicon Decision Analyzed – by the ARL and the ALAs. The article, by Jonathan Band, is entitled How Fair Use Prevailed in the Harry Potter Case (PDF).

Judge Rules Facts Are Not Copyright-Protected – this re: two movies about the 1970 plane crash that killed the Marshall University football team.

Hasbro Drops Lawsuit Against Makers of Scrabulous – R.J. Softwares won’t use the term “Scrabulous” and made changes to the game after the lawsuit had been filed.

Canadian Copyright Board Increases Tax on Blank Compact Disks- from 21 cents to 29 cents.

In each of these cases, I feel that common sense has won out.

Then there was this situation: $900 Million Copyright Suit Filed Over Illegal Use of Subscription Web Site
I don’t want to say it’s a frivolous lawsuit, since clearly harm was done to the copyright holder, about $5000 in fees. But to get from $5K to nearly a billion dollars is a circuitous argument that practically begs for tort reform, something I generally think an overstated argument.

ROG

My 20 Favorite Actresses

Everyone who has done this meme, Tom the Dog and SamauraiFrog and the person who tagged him and the person who tagged that person has explained what they mean by “favorite” actress differently, or not at all. So I’ll define it for me. These are actresses that I’ve seen large numbers of their movies; not necessarily the best actresses, but ones who, for whatever reason, I end up seeing, and for the most part, enjoying.

Since I don’t know how to do that clever little box of photos, instead I’ll be listing the first, most recent, and favorite movie I saw them in. I’m only considering theatrical movies, not TV.

Joan Allen – Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Upside of Anger (2005), Nixon (1995)
Cate Blanchett – Oscar and Lucinda (1997), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Elizabeth (1998). She’s been in so many movies I’ve seen, I thought she’d been around even longer.
Ellen Burstyn (pictured) – The Last Picture Show (1971), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), Requiem for a Dream (2000). She should have won the Oscar for Requiem, which she lost to Julia Roberts.
Hope Davis – Flatliners (1990), Synecdoche, New York (2008), American Splendor (2003). I don’t remember her in Flatliners, TTTT, but I’ve seen the first and last movie listed for her in IMDB.
Judi Dench – Mrs. Brown (1997), Notes on a Scandal (2006), Iris (2001). I would have thought I had seen her in films earlier.

Jane Fonda (pictured) – Barefoot in the Park (1967), Stanley & Iris (1990), They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969). An actress who I saw a lot in the day, but not much recently. But then she hasn’t done much recently.
Jodie Foster – Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), Contact (1997), The Accused (1988). Also haven’t seen her much lately, but saw her quite often in the day.
Katharine Hepburn – Bringing Up Baby (1938), Love Affair (1994), The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Barbara Hershey – Last Summer (1969), Lantana (2001), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Holly Hunter – Raising Arizona (1987) The Incredibles (2004), Broadcast News (1987)
Diane Keaton – The Godfather (1972), Something’s Gotta Give (2003), Annie Hall (1977). At least 5 Woody Allen movies on the list.
Laura Linney – Dave (1993) The Savages (2007), You Can Count on Me (2000). When I decided to do the list, one of the two automatic choices.
Shirley MacLaine – Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), Mrs. Winterbourne (1996), Being There (1979)
Julianne Moore – Benny & Joon (1993), The Hours (2002), Boogie Nights (1997)
Helen Mirren – O Lucky Man! (1973), The Queen (2006), Gosford Park (2001)
Susan Sarandon – The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Enchanted (2007), Dead Man Walking (1995)

Mary Steenburgen – Time After Time (1979), Sunshine State (2002), Philadelphia (1993). Early in her career, it seemed as though every other movie I saw, she was in. Remember when Jude Law seemed to be in every other film a couple years ago? Well, it was like that.
Meryl Streep – Julia (1977) The Devil Wears Prada (2006) Sophie’s Choice (1982). The other automatic choice.
Emma Thompson – Dead Again (1991), Stranger Than Fiction (2006), Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Sigourney Weaver – Annie Hall (1977), Holes (2003), Working Girl (1988)

As everyone mentioned, this was tougher than it seemed. I tried Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway, Keira Knightley, Sissy Spacek, and Kate Winslet, but they didn’t quite meet the criteria I set, though I suspect if I get back into movie-watching mode Hathaway and Knightley might make the list.

ROG

It’s Black History Month Again, and I’ve Got Nothin’

It’s that time of year again. Somehow, I’ve become the unofficial leader of the group of people to put this thing together in my church this year – again – and I’m not sure what new angle I can come up with.

Oh, it not as though we have absolutely zero planned. We have a speaker for one Sunday. There will be a kente cloth presentation. And I expect there will a luncheon after church one week.

More at issue are three weeks of adult education. I think one Sunday the topic will be related to race relations in the era of an Obama presidency. How does he change the conversation? Some think this means the black community has arrived, and such things as B H Month are no longer needed!

To that last point, I would disagree. A Swahili aphorism states: “You are what you make of yourself, and not what others make you.” A positive self-concept is important, and so an awareness of the richness of Black history becomes important. This is one of the reasons we continue to celebrate Black History Month, first celebrated in 1926.

Another thought is to use the class would to show film clips – 15 to 20 minutes – and then discuss for remainder of class. One white person suggested segments from White Man’s Burden, a 1995 movie I was unfamiliar with. (Anyone out there seen it? ) He said this film is always an eye opener for white audiences, and it does a good job of showing unnoticed race-based behaviors and norms in our society.

I will be participating in “The 3 Biggest Diversity Blunders Your Organization Could Be Making Right Now (And How to Avoid Them)” workshop in a couple weeks, and that might have some help. But that won’t be for a couple weeks, and I need to put something together for the church newsletter this Friday.

Any thoughts about resources you would use?
ROG

The CRANKY question

It’s a brand-new year. Everything is shiny and fresh. Yet I feel a tad, oh, let’s say, not 100% positive.

I sorta kinda understand what Obama was trying to do picking Rick Warren – my local newspaper, back on December 19, editorialized in favor. But the letters – here’s one example – definitely disagreed, rightly.

FBI Warns of Inauguration Terror Threat. Swell. I’ve been nervous since the open-air conclusion to the Denver convention.

That blonde conservative woman has managed a faux insult into more self-serving promotion: “After NBC canceled me ‘for life’ on Monday — until seven or eight hours later when the ban was splashed across the top of The [Sludge] Report, forcing a red-faced NBC to withdraw the ban.” As Col. Potter used to say on M*A*S*H, “horse hockey!”

This week, after CNN did a story on the Gaza war, teased with the next story about “Oprah’s war”. It turns out it’s with her weight! Not only is it an unfortunate segue, Oprah’s weight – who cares! – was so last week.

Joe the Plumber Heading to Middle East To Be Correspondent for Conservative Media Outlet. Joe, who I’ve NEVER heard say anything approaching coherent, has officially reached minute 16 of his 15 minutes of fame.

The whole Roland Burris thing. I never thought Congress really had to right to not seat him, unless he were under 30 (he’s over 70) or didn’t live in Illinois. More than that, Evans-Novak play it as sport: “Burris and Richardson Flaps and Panetta Pick Enliven Washington”. I’d link to the story except that it seems to be attached to some computer virus.

And it’s cold, it’s going to snow again tonight and by Friday, it’ll even be colder, with highs in the low teens.

I need something to lift my spirits. How about Obama and Spider-Man appearing in a comic together?

Spider-Man IS my favorite character. And Obama, while not a superhero…

…or maybe he is?!

Anyway, how are YOU this cold winter? What’s bugging you? Or pleasing you? (Note to Nik and Arthur: careful about telling me too much about the New Zealand summer!)

ROG

The Cream of the Crop

I received my Collectors’ Choice Music catalog for January 2009 this week, and what should appear on the cover but the woman in this photograph:
(Actually, it was more like the March 31 photo here.)

Naturally, I owned this item in vinyl. That was because I was a big fan of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Really, I owned The Lonely Bull (A&M 101, the first item in the catalog; the stereo equivalent was 4101), the second album, Going Places, as well as Whipped Cream, and perhaps others.

Unfortunately, when a bunch of my albums I had left at my grandmother’s house were stolen in 1972, they took all of my albums with the artist name A, B, many of the S range, and the T-Z. (This included my Capitol Beatles albums, though my Apple Beatles albums were with me at college.) So the TJB (as I used to abbreviate the group) was gone too.

So I was thrilled in the mid-1980s to find a used copy of Whipped Cream on sale for a buck. I was less thrilled that while the cover was Whipped Cream, the album was Going Places. Not so disappointed, though to buy the LP again (on sale for $21.98) but maybe the CD ($10.98). After all, I already have the 12 X 12 cover.

This album cover was heavily parodied:

The last album cover above was for a tribute album to that original classic. You can find many variations of covers of this album at Album covers spoofing album covers. Presently, the original album cover is at #66, with the spoofs following, but as the contributions to the site are added, it will invariably move.

One last thing; as attractive as the woman on the left is, she’ll never be iconic like the lady on the right is.

ROG