Bask In The Incredible Glow

The Day The Earth Stood Still

Okay, I'm a big fan of the original movie, so going out to see the new one was kind of important to me. Let me ad that I also saw it in IMAX.  

The previews capture much of the story outline, the movie itself gives the viewer the details in getting there.  Though there were many nods to the original, the new movie is in many ways its own.  I, as a viewer, never felt peril, making the message in the movie muddled. It was left to the main character's [Helen Benson; Jennifer Connelly] emotions to lead me through. Her moment to shine seemed like a preplanned event, scheduled in the movie, with out enough to build to it, as good as it was. 

The effects were wonderfully detailed. My observations would lead me to believe that Weta did most of the environment dissolve shots, and Cinesite doing the sphere shots[Can someone confirm this?], based on their technical strengths. 

As for the message in the movie, being a child of the 70's, the be kind to the environment message was nothing new. With the media doing a mish mash, up and down job of conveying the same message over the last decade or so. As a kid, it was very much about don't be a litter bug, pick up after yourself, etc... without the cause of why I had something to throw away in the first place. I may have enjoyed the treat, but at what price?

So, yes, I liked it, but I have other movies I still want to see, and see again.

Bettie Page Has Left Us.

In a piece of sad news, Bettie Page passed away today in a Los Angeles area hospital.  She was 85.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7778963.stm

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bettie-Page/28668330314

For such a short time in the public eye, she left an indelible impression.

Working on Art Today!

Today was a day for me to work on art.  I had a successful day at the craft show Sunday, 100% increase from the train shows I have attended.  

I have several large projects going for me right now. Well, I say 'large' mainly because I'm still trying to get a lot of hours at the job that provides health insurance for us as well.  I have noted the 'Steam Punk' piece that I am working on, or rather haven't, in almost three weeks. So I'm trying to get back into a 'get-things-done' mode, as opposed to the 'no motivation' I have had lately.  I have thought about the 'Steam Punk' piece quite a lot, and been jotting down notes, researching the ancient cultures of ancient central America.

  

However I have been making large strides on a poster/invite for my mom's 60th birthday this summer.  I assembled most of the imagery a few months back, and then let it sit.  Not today, it's been progress, progress, progress.  I have set in the bottom of the image and been working my way up.  There may yet be a hint of a border tossed in, but the details of that haven't come together in my head yet[See the image below].

I also have been thinking a lot about a story idea that came to me one night at work, just from looking at some one's t-shirt.  For a single image, it's turning into a large story with a plethora of fun and interesting characters, environments, and worlds.  I have explained the concept to only two people, each with a positive reaction. Of course, that was after they had me break it down a second time.  There's a lot to it. So I've been filling a notebook with the tidbits that occur to me throughout the day, I progress a bit at a time, and keep telling myself, 'I want to know more about this universe of characters'. 

I haven't really written any stories since high school, but have rather only put to paper [or rather, put to processor], story outlines. Something I'd like to take on later. 'Later' being the bit I need to get past.  If I don't do it as soon as I can, I may not do it, having found any number of excuses. 

I love to create, both visually and with words.  Making the time happen is a habit in current state of chrysalis. 

Craft Show At St. Petronille

Well it's time for another show!

I'll be at the craft show at St. Petronille till about 1pm today. Stop by and say 'Hi', get a great piece of unique art before thet're gone.

See you shortly!

Orphan Works : Lame Duck Countdown

Orphan Works: A Lame Duck Countdown

Part III: 215 Letters

Nearly 300 million people live in the US. How many of them does it take to make an “orphan works problem”? Apparently 215 (give or take a few). That’s the only conclusion we can draw from the Report on Orphan Works released by the Copyright Office in 2006.

In their testimony to Congress, the Copyright Office stated they had received “over 850 letters” to their Orphan Works Study. Yet they failed to note that 600 of those letters had to be dismissed as irrelevant or too vague to determine their relevance to orphaned work.

That information can be found, if you look for it, in their own Report on Orphan Works. http://www.copyright.gov/orphan/orphan-report.pdf:

“The Office received an overwhelming response (by comparison to past studies), receiving 721 initial comments, and 146 reply comments.” - Page 17

Or a total of 867 letters. So much for the talking point. But read on to page 21:

“A large portion of the comments (about 40%) did not identify a specific instance where a copyright owner could not be identified or located. Another portion (10%) presented enough specific information for us to conclude that the problem presented was not in fact an orphan works situation. (Italics in original.)

“Still, approximately 50% of comments did contain information that could fairly be construed as presenting an orphan works situation, and a significant number of those comments (about 45%, or about 24% of all comments) provided enough information about a specific situation for us to conclude that it presented an orphan works situation.” (Emphasis added)

In other words, 24% of 867, or about 215 letters.

On the basis of these letters - out of a country of nearly 300 million people, Copyright Office attorneys have deduced an orphan works “problem” so serious that US copyright law must be be rewritten behind closed doors and rushed through Congress without an open and transparent public debate.

And remember:

• Many who responded to the Orphan Works Study no doubt thought they were contributing to a study of true orphaned works – not promoting a bill that would legalize the commercial infringement of new work from the moment it was created.

• The “interested parties” who worked with the law students in drafting the bill’s “legislative blueprint” were well aware of the Copyright Office study and filed comments supporting the recommendations they had worked on.

• But individual artists, design firms, and other small businesses never knew the study was being conducted and therefore had no voice in the study.

• An exception was the statement submitted by the Illustrators’ Partnership, signed by two thousand artists and endorsed by 42 national and international visual arts organizations. It spelled out the need for maintaining existing copyright protections and warned that a bill drafted too broadly would undermine intellectual property rights and spread uncertainty in commercial markets. Yet although the Orphan Works Report was 127 pages long, the Copyright Office never found space to mention that statement. http://www.copyright.gov/orphan/comments/OW0660-Holland-Turner.pdf

- Brad Holland and Cynthia Turner, for the Board of the Illustrators’ Partnership

Tomorrow: “Meow” or Moving the Cats’ Food

The Orphan Works Act of 2008 (H.R. 5889) has not been passed by the House of Representatives, but could be placed on the Suspensions calendar and passed by the lame duck session of Congress scheduled to re-convene next week. The Illustrators’ Partnership is asking lawmakers to hold the bill over to the next session of Congress, when rightsholders can have an opportunity to have their case heard before the full Judiciary Committee. 

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Next Art Show!

Okay, I know I have been attending the Great Midwest Train show to sell my art work, but this Sunday I will be at the St Petronille annual Christmas Craft sale, in Glen Ellyn.  

I hope to see you there!

Find my Art on the web all the time

www.buckaroobazaar.com