Creators vs Pirates

Why are the hours of writing and experimenting reduced to “worthless” when the out come is works of art such as books, music, paintings, etc? But if they form a bottle, television, or computer it is priceless? How can a book be priced by the number of pages not the hours of writing, editing, illustrating, printing, marketing, and distribution? Why does the value decrease even more when it is available online?

I hear stealing a VCR is stealing something “real”. Does that mean only the weight of the plastic and metal make it real and valuable? Does only that deem its price? A lump of plastic can represent a sale and carry a price tag but it is only a sale when it is purchased. If it is stolen, destroyed, or discarded it is not a sale. It is a waste of resources. There is no money to pay the shop keeper, truck driver, manufacture, nor the designer who figured out how plastic and metal could play music or show a movie.

Stealing the copyrights – shoplifting CDs; illegal movie, music or book downloads; using music without permission; etc – dose the same. If the writers, creators, experimenters don’t get paid to have a roof over their heads, food on their tables, clothes on their backs and the tools they need, how can they continue to create the things we use everyday or the things that make each day more enjoyable? Illegal downloads, counterfeiters, pirates, p2p (pier to pier), and others steal from the people we need and pays the leaches of the world who would rather steal then contribute to the world. It is wrong when the pirates our taking island vacations and the most of the world’s writers, artist and inventors are working hard at one or more jobs to pay their bills.

Copyright Education

Before the digital age only authors, creators and the print shops needed to know about the rules surrounding copyrights. Now when we all have the ability to get and use information and images through physical and electronic forms we ALL need to know about copyrights.

When anyone writes, composes, or creates they are making a work that can be copyrighted and THEY own the rights to that work. The creator or owner of the work may allow someone else to use their work for a set purpose or unlimited use for free or for a fee. It is their work and their right to determine how it is used. They are the ones that toiled to create their work from nothing and they are the ones that need to pay for the roof over their heads and food on their plates. Now they may work with someone like a royalty collection group or an agency to represent, market, and collect fees on their behalf. How much of their rights they give to these groups and how much they collect is up to the creator and their ‘partners’. The money they earn supports them, their family and their ability to create more works.

Intellectual property laws have been developed to protect these creative people, their works, and to allow new creations to continue to flow for our enjoyment and to improve our lives. It was intellectual creativity that figured out how to changes metal into the Statue of Liberty, plastic and metal into computers, rock into The Thinker, paint and canvas into the Mona Lisa, note into the Twelfth Overture, and so much more. It was once side that you can bang a broken pipe but you pay a plumber to know where to bang it. Yes you might be able to paint, sculpt, write or design but you should value those who have the touch to create something new and wonderful. The laws have been set up so those people can provide for themselves and their families.

Many how have created some of the most beautiful music, art, and literature find it is amazing that there are people out there who feel it is not stealing to just take their work without permission to redistribute or to use. These are the same people who would not think of stealing from a store. The person who wrote the book still spent hours, days, weeks, or years writing, editing, marketing and trying to sell their work. When you buy counterfeits or get illegal downloads you are stealing from the very person how you should be thanking and reimbursing for all of their work for your enjoyment. It is heart breaking to learn that many of the people responsible for the things we enjoy will never see a royalty check for their work.

As a granddaughter of an artist (Ben Wolf of Philadelphia), I want to see his work used as he wanted it to be and for it to live on to influence generations to come.

As a blogger I use only MY photos. If I use anyone else's I will ask permission first. I hope anyone who wants to use mine will ask me for permission. I only post my own writing (typos and all). I try to link to official sites for products and services I mention. They know how they want to present their stuff and legalize far better then I do. The images I use I created, commissioned and/or have permission to use.

Resources

US Copyright Office http://www.copyright.gov/ (not very user friendly)

Copyright Clearance Center about copyrights http://www.copyright.com/ccc/viewPage.do?pageCode=cr10-n (very user friendly)

The No Cookie Cookie

The No Cookie Cookie from The No Bakery

www.nocookie.com

Vegan, wheat-free

No Dairy, no egg, no refined sugar

Quick take a picture before it is gone… These cookies are sooo good. These are not gluten-free, but they are wheat-free. This barley cookie is a fantastic tasting soft cookie. I especially like their chocolate chip, ginger, and oatmeal raisin cookies.

Naked Watermelon

On a hot afternoon running errands with the kids and I toss out a bribe to them. One more store and you can get a drink while we are there. They had no idea that I was heading to one of the My Organic Market, commonly known as MOM's. My daughter announces she wants watermelon juice. Watermelon juice? Who knows what is going to come out of the imagination or mouth of babes? Well we were going to a health food store so there might be watermelon juice but just in case I suggested we might get a watermelon instead. We did pick up a cute little seedless melon when we first arrived. We walked around picking up the things I needed. This is one of my regular gluten-free shopping stop. The kids searched through the chilled drinks for something that they wanted. Low and behold they found and picked the new Naked Bare Breeze Watermelon Chill juice. They loved it and both bottles were dry by the time we got home. They raved so much about how good it was I might need to get one for myself next trip to MOM's.

Airplane Food

The airlines now nickel and dime you for everything from leg room that would not pass any animal cruelty laws, to luggage of any kind, to you formally complementary bag of 14 nuts. Then the airports are now stocked with $3 bottles of water and food prices to rival the expensive professional ball parks. But what can you possibly get through the ever changing rules of the USA TSA and even worse the airport by airport decisions as to what to enforce. Okay it is obvious that metal silverware of any kind could cause problems. But a Beatle spoon in its travel case is completely non threatening and easy to tuck in your carry on. The existing 3 ounce fluid rule is probably here to stay. Therefore anything you pack shouldn't be fluid bases. These folks are not known for having a sense of humor, don't push your luck. My last trip I packed packs of pre-cooked rice dishes. The two I packed from Trader Joe's 90 second pre-cooked rice dishes for under $3 each. One was Indian Biryani rice and the other was a Vegetable Jambalaya. Both are gluten-free and come in an easy to open pouch. Both pouches and my spoon made it easily through security. I had the Indian rice on one flight. It was quite tasty straight out the pouch and filing. Much better than any of the things they were offering for $6-9.

Roadside America

We recently stopped by Roadside America (http://www.roadsideamericainc.com ). Considering all of the places I have been to in the south east and south center of Pennsylvania, I had never been to this roadside stop before. It was definately an enjoyable and amazing place for a short visit. The one room interactive museum of model trains, houses and much more could keep you busy for an hour or two.

It definitely has that 1960’s cold war feeling. They run a “God Bless America” show every 30 minutes definitely shows the era it was made. The painted walls and detailed models are fascinating. There are several buttons for the kids to push to make some of the trains and other parts of the display move. The kids had blast.

Pennsylvania's Cabela's Outdoor Sore

I recently went to the Pennsylvania Cabela's outdoor store (http://www.cabelas.com) for the first time. I've done some mail order through them but this was the first time I actually went to one of their stores. Cabela’s store has an incredible display of stuffed wildlife and large fish tanks of regional fresh water fish. The kids loved it. They got very excited watching all the fish in the tanks and trying to find all of the catfish including an albino one. They couldn’t get enough of the taxidermy critters displayed through the store. There was a very well done display of numerous African animals. It looked like an action snap shot made into a 3-D presentation. There is also a mountain in the middle of store with animals from 2 climates displayed up and down its sides. Lastly there was a room full of different kinds of deer, typical and atypical. I have to say I have seen smaller zoos and museum than what was on display at this commercial retail store.

While we were there I picked up 2 adult cots for the kids. They are out growing their toddler travel beds. Selena might have another year or so but William is already too big for his. I wanted ones that we could slide duffel bags and suitcases under so we have SOME floor space in the hotel rooms and the tent.