no.72 - Prop 8

Proposition 8, and several others across these United States, seeks to protect "traditional" marriage by banning same sex couples from getting married.

Whose tradition is being protected? It isn't mine. As a straight man who has been happily married for twelve years, I find the ban on gay marriage offensive.

But if you want to protect "traditional" marriage — the idealized marriage as defined by the various churches, then you need to ban more than just the gays. You need to ban people who have been divorced. People who have cheated. People who do not have children. People who do not have enough children. If you want to be "traditional" you especially should ban interracial marriage (illegal in the U.S. until 1967) and marriage for love (a relatively modern concept).

If you want to take away people's civil rights, I suggest that we place a ban on the intolerant from marrying. As far as I am concerned, as a group, people with a narrow and selfish view of the world make lousy spouses and poor parents.

no.71 - The Blog Reaper

Grim though he may be, the Blog Reaper is kind of a dick. In response to demon no.69, I received the following pronouncement from "anonymous":

"Your blog is dead."

I know most blogs are visited by the Blog Reaper. The interweb is littered with blog corpses. Few last more than a few months, which means the reaper likes to take them young.

I had hoped that if this moment came, I would be able to speak to him — perhaps strike some kind of a bargain. I spent my formative years watching shadowy reruns of the Twilight Zone and it left me with the strong impression I'd have a chance to make a pitch.
But no.

"Your blog is dead." with no return address. This powerful demon who decides which blogs live and which blogs die made his decision and swiped his scythe, or clicked his mouse or banged on the delete button with his bony finger.

Either that or it was some jackass with no social skills.

no.70 - The Toothbrush Dilema

For those of you who have stuck around during the lean last two months of this blog, I should explain that the problem with postings appears to be my toothbrush.

According to Parenting magazine, a publication I have come to detest, when you are sick you should toss your old toothbrush so you don't reinfect yourself. After recovering from Beaver Fever my family and I have been afflicted with the worst cold I can ever remember and it just won't go away.

It must be the toothbrush. I have not followed Parenting's advice because, well, it is impossible.

Think about it, when do you trash the toothbrush? When you first get sick? That makes no sense, you're sick, you'll infect yourself! No, obviously you need to replace your toothbrush when you stop being sick. But I won't stop being sick until I can use a toothbrush that won't re-infect me. If I change toothbrushes in the middle of being sick, I'll just spread the illness to my new toothbrush.

What the hell?

The only logical solution would be to buy a new toothbrush every single day until I am better and I refuse to do that.

*cough*

Dammit!

no.69 - Mickey Mouse Copyright Law

80 years ago this week, when Mickey Mouse made his rodental debut in Steamboat Willie, a copyright term lasted a maximum of 75 years. For my math challenged friends, this means Mickey should have entered the public domain at least five years ago. But he did not, because copyright law in the United States is driven by a cartoon mouse.

You may have had a vague sensation that the movie and music industry firmly holds the reigns of copyright law, but you may not appreciate just how much legislation is controlled by the "mouse house."

The reasons are simple. Disney can't let that mouse go. Day care center's across this nation may not paint friendly portraits of Mickey and Minnie on their walls because that would be infringement. It would lead to confusion! Thousands would line up out in front of the local Presbyterian church waiting for their turn for a ride on space mountain having naturally confused it for Disneyland!

When the current copyright is ready to lapse in 2012, you can bet your doughnuts that new legislation will appear to extend that copyright. If Disney has it's way, and in all likelihood it will, no copyright younger than, or equal in age to Steamboat Willie will ever expire. Never. Not while Disney draws breath. And by Disney, I mean the giant, princess porn spewing, conglomerate, not Walt and not his family. Walt is long dead and Roy Disney left the company in disgust several years ago.

Meanwhile, Ub Iwerks, who actually created and animated the character? Funny thing - he never held the copyright. He was working for his friend Walt and recieved little, if any credit for his work.

Ask Disney, or the Motion Picture Association, or the RIAA why they fight these copyrights so crazy hard and they will tell you the same thing...

Artists rights.