everything but the girl

One of the Chilean miners is aboveground!

Originally posted by neo_prodigy at Spirit Day

This morning, I found out that the wonderful people at NOW! That's What I Call Music rereleased the absolutely adorable original "NOW! That's What I Call Music, which I first purchased in LP form at the record store at Aventura Mall circa December, 1983. I bought it for Duran Duran and Tracey Ullman, but it may've been the first time I heard The Cure and Simple Minds outside of the occasional glimpse on Mtv.

If you’re on NOW That’s What I Call Music!, you’re a hitmaker. You performed a song that resonated with the public; that’s all that matters.
Then! That's What They Called Music (The AV Club)

One of the things that's never really bothered me about the HP films, but that I've always been aware of, is that while the films are "set" in this millennium, the books themselves actually take place in the 1990s. It's rarely relevant - maybe when Dudley gets his playstation (months before it's actually released in the UK but whatever) but it's Something Of Note, at least to me.

I've wanted to do some sort of wrap-up project as we approach the release of the last HP films in the next few months, and since I've done so few HP vids, that's what I feel compelled to do - a set of eight vids - one for each film - using a song from the year each book begins: 1991 for PS/SS, 1992 for CoS, etc. (Yes, I know that PS/SS really begins in 1981 but still.)

So I spent this morning talking with jlh and looking back at the original NOW! compilations for each year in the '90s, then the "Millennium Collection" that the released later in the decade which had some of the same songs, and some different ones, and for most of the years, I can't decide on which song to use!

( So please, help me pick! )

In other news, I managed to (a) submit FictionAlley in the Pepsi Get Refreshed! Challenge and we'll find out in about four weeks if we're able to be included in the November voting, and (b) get a reservation at the Marriott for Dragon*Con next September, so I can go and be all PR-ish for Ascendio, and see people and have fun and hang out, yay!

Also, tonight? SHOW!

Off to take my sister to the airport....

Copied from the OTO Call for Fair Use Curriculum Development Team Members:

So how many teens in the United States do you think are familiar with the concept of fair use? How many are exposed instead solely to the message that copyright infringement is always a crime?

Between warnings on DVDs, television PSAs, movie theater anti-piracy ads, and print advertising, kids are usually pretty familiar with a vague idea that copyright is that law that means you can't copy stuff, and that in particular, any commercially produced entertainment or cultural property is sacrosanct.

The message is that remix, criticism, reinterpretation, and transformation are legally transgressive. Missing from this message is both the actual aim of copyright law and the idea that there are legitimate artistic and critical reasons to use copyrighted material, and that such use is legal. The OTW believes that education about the principles of fair use and similar rights around the world are an important part of the defense and preservation of fanworks -- our rights to create, share, and enjoy our work. To that end, we are developing resources for schools, teachers, and students that will allow students to learn about their rights, and how to exercise those rights.

Copyright is intended to protect the creator's right to profit from her work for a period of time to encourage creative endeavor and the widespread sharing of knowledge. But this does not preclude the right of others to respond to the original work, either with critical commentary, parody, or, we believe, transformative works.( Read more about the project & how to volunteer/help! )

How to Volunteer
Please use our contact form to tell us:

* Your name
* Your email address
* Applicable experience and what you believe you can contribute to the project

All volunteers will receive an email confirming their information has been received; please give us up to a week to reply. You are welcome to send us a resume at that point if you wish.

Now, me speaking personally...
This has been a project I've wanted to do since probably 2000 or 2001, and I think now is the right time for something like this, because of the state of the law, and the state, frankly, of fandoms and fannishness. We're also planning to do versions of the curriculum in countries other than the US, so we are interested in hearing from people who are/would be interested in getting on board for such a project.
I can't wait to get stared!

Copied from the OTO Call for Fair Use Curriculum Development Team Members:

So how many teens in the United States do you think are familiar with the concept of fair use? How many are exposed instead solely to the message that copyright infringement is always a crime?

Between warnings on DVDs, television PSAs, movie theater anti-piracy ads, and print advertising, kids are usually pretty familiar with a vague idea that copyright is that law that means you can't copy stuff, and that in particular, any commercially produced entertainment or cultural property is sacrosanct.

The message is that remix, criticism, reinterpretation, and transformation are legally transgressive. Missing from this message is both the actual aim of copyright law and the idea that there are legitimate artistic and critical reasons to use copyrighted material, and that such use is legal. The OTW believes that education about the principles of fair use and similar rights around the world are an important part of the defense and preservation of fanworks -- our rights to create, share, and enjoy our work. To that end, we are developing resources for schools, teachers, and students that will allow students to learn about their rights, and how to exercise those rights.

Copyright is intended to protect the creator's right to profit from her work for a period of time to encourage creative endeavor and the widespread sharing of knowledge. But this does not preclude the right of others to respond to the original work, either with critical commentary, parody, or, we believe, transformative works.( Read more about the project & how to volunteer/help! )

How to Volunteer
Please use our contact form to tell us:

* Your name
* Your email address
* Applicable experience and what you believe you can contribute to the project

All volunteers will receive an email confirming their information has been received; please give us up to a week to reply. You are welcome to send us a resume at that point if you wish.

Now, me speaking personally...
This has been a project I've wanted to do since probably 2000 or 2001, and I think now is the right time for something like this, because of the state of the law, and the state, frankly, of fandoms and fannishness. We're also planning to do versions of the curriculum in countries other than the US, so we are interested in hearing from people who are/would be interested in getting on board for such a project.
I can't wait to get stared!

FictionAlley has been a longtime member of iGive, a program that gives a percentage of purchases from stores like VistaPrint, The Gap and more to FictionAlley.

They just made a nifty offer for us - but there's only six hours left for us to take advantage of it.

For each person who joins iGive using the special link below and does just one qualified web search on our site between now and noon. Thursday, September 30, 2010 (Chicago time), we'll give FA a dollar.

No purchase necessary.

If these new members search more (or buy something at an iGive store) they'll earn even more money for FAWC. Right now, we're donating a $.01 per search and a bonus $5 for that first purchase plus the usual percentage.

LINK: http://www.igive.com/welcome/warm_reg_promo.cfm?m=476021

As you know, FictionAlley has server expenses this year for the first time in over five years, and they came out of the blue - there's more info at http://tinyurl.com/FAServer - so if you could do this today, that dollar would be merged with the other dollars from other FA users, and could be a massive amount of support for the site.

Thanks in advance for your time and your help!
(Please, crosspost if you can.)

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Harry Potter's world. Not The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, although it's nice to visit, but the actual wizarding world itself. Rationally, I should want to go sometime in the post-Voldemort era.

Of course, some think we do live in Harry Potter's world - but we Muggles just can't see their daily magic.

Related question: is Misha Collins' world a fictional one? Sometimes I think it is. He's such a tulpa.

If this is true, I'm so excited for him! Mike Ausiello from EW just tweeted that Darren Criss, who adorably played Harry Potter in A Very Potter Musical & A Very Potter Sequel has been cast on Glee, and may be playing Kurt's boyfriend-to-be! If you haven't seen the musicals, they were a fan project by a bunch of students at and recent grads of UMich, and this summer, Darren was also on the panel I put together for Comic Ckn (which I unfortunately wasn't able to be at, but Melissa modded in my stead) and a clip from one of the songs is here.