Random Access Memories

So let’s start off with facts.

In the USA the current Copyright “Law of the Land” is the “The Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) of 1998”

Under this act as a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first.

Let’s think about this for a minute. The life of the author, plus 70 years.

Why, should it extend past the life of the author? I mean we’re protecting someone’s work, why should their heirs be able to rake in cash just because they got lucky about who their parents are?

Often we might hear statements like:

Current U.S. Copyright Law represents an attempt by Congress to balance the rights of creators and copyright proprietors with the rights of copyright users.”

But how can this be more of a lie? There is no “balance” here, the copyright holder has total rights over almost every single aspect of their work.

Now you might be saying “Well, do you think we should just screw anyone that creates anything?

And to that I ask, do you know how long copyright is in the constitution?

The copyright act of 1790 set a copyright on books maps and charts for a period of 14 years. Paintings, drawings and music were not even included until 1891.

Since Congress has steadily raised the term limit on copyright from the original 14 years to something around 150 years, copyright holders are being given what amounts to a property right on an installment plan. This is a straightforward plundering of the public domain in order to benefit a handful of large, copyright-rich corporations such as Disney and AOL Time Warner

Can you give me any logical reason to NOT go back to 14 years?

If you’re going to tell me “People would lose money”. Frankly, I don’t care, that’s like saying “Someone will not be as rich”, i’m not going to shed any tears because a creator’s children doesn’t get paid.

If people are only going to create things because they get paid endless streams of money to do so, maybe they should stop making things and leave that work up to the artists that do it because of an internal drive and desire to create their art.

So, a recent blog post I read by Kate Harding taught me about a childrens book I had never heard of before titled “The Story of Ferdinand”.

As one reviewer summed it up:

“Ferdinand is a little bull who much prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree just smelling the flowers to jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls.”

Now it seems to me this is the complete opposite of what Capitalists would want to teach their children. Their choice would be “Give Uncle Ringo Your Money, Now!” by Ringo Starr.

Personally I think it’s perfectly normal to not want to? be confrontational and competitive. However in modern US society,you’re either climbing the corporate ladder as fast as you can stepping on everyone else, or you’re a total slacker.

Then I guess i’m a slacker, because i’ll never be happy fighting my way anywhere, much less to the top.

Is there something truly wrong with wanting to just break even at the end of the day and enjoy yourself?

So, I have a few options of where to move available, the best one would be Seattle.

Wherever I end up it would be nice if the seas of life would calm a little so I can stop puking over the gunwale.

Found out this morning that my landlady is going to sell her house before her ARM mortgage goes up too high and she ends up in foreclosure.

So, i’m back to looking for a new place to move the yurt.

Hopefully that won’t be too terribly difficult. I checked the zoning regs and it’s classified as a “Temporary Structure” since it has no plumbing or permanent power. This means I can set it up almost anywhere.

Hopefully I’ll find a nice place in Seattle where i can put it up in someone’s backyard. What would be REALLY nice would be to find a smallish group of people that’ll help turn me into the extrovert I want to become.

Well, we’ll see what happens.

So I hear a report that people in a small texas town:

“Saw something flying in the air, and it might have been a UFO”

Well, if it’s a flying object you cannot identify then it is by definition a UFO isn’t it?

Well, I went out tonight to try and get in a swordfight.

First off I couldn’t find the place, they were meeting at a church, but when I found the location it appeared to be more of a tavern.

After the usual strained “hello newcomer / outsider” they all got suited up in their makeshift heavy armor and stood in pairs bashing each other.

“Where are the light weapons?” I asked the man I think was the Marshal, “Oh, only heavy weapons tonight, light weapons in 2 weeks”.

TWO WEEKS?!? I hope I hid my slack-jawed shock well.

From what I believe I overheard they have their business meetings on the first Tuesday of the month,? heavy weapons on the second and third, and rapier (Nobody mentioned Shinai unfortunately, which is my favorite type of combat. Tho I think the SCA has outlawed it entirely.) on the 4th Tuesday.

The rest stood around talking internal politics & drama.

I was also surprised to see no crafting or vendors. The space was less than 1000sq ft. so I have no idea where they would have setup.

So I headed out and went home.

I guess i’ll lookup the Seattle-based group and see if they’re any better.

I’d love to know why i’m so damned moody lately, i’m sure the world thinks talking to me right now is like being around a rabid wolverine.

So, tonight Dale (Renee’s Boyfriend. Renee being one of the tenants in the house i’m staying at) comes and bangs on my door, at 11:45pm.

I open the door to see who it is and he proceeds to wander right in without saying a word, with a big shit-eating grin on his face. He was sloppily drunk and made almost no sense. I’m rather stunned and have no idea WTF is going on.

He asked if I knew where Renee was, when I said I didn’t know he asked for my phone to call her. Figuring he was going to call her one way or the other I let him call her. No idea what was going on with the two of them, but Dale finished the call, got up and turned to the door.

He looked down into the chair he was sitting in, picked up his wallet and an empty case for a pair of glasses and said “what it this? Who’s is it?”.

I stuffed the items in his hand and showed him the door.

Oh, what a night, I wonder if he’ll even remember any of this in the morning.

Internet was down here for most of the day, but things are back to normal now.

At about 10pm last night I would have sworn I was in the middle of Iraq.

From tiny firecrackers to major shells it seems that fireworks are either not illegal here in Kitsap County, WA or the authorities look away.

It’s quieted down now, maybe I can get some sleep. Seems i’m sleeping better since I stopped taking any sleep-aid pills, who would have thought.