ritual

Went to the Pickle Barrel with Jodi and Allison last night. Allison decided to be a rebel and opted for a strawberry-banana smoothie instead of our usual coconut mambo. Some of the waitstaff recognize us on sight now...not surprising, since we've been eating there regularly on Thursdays for years now. It's become a ritual for us on Urban Tapestry "practice" nights (in quotes because we tend to do more just hanging out than actual practising these days :-))...Jodi picks me up at Finch subway station, we pick up Allison, dinner at the Pickle Barrel, then mall browsing or a movie after.


I know some would say we're in a rut, that we should opt for a different restaurant every time. Personally, I find certain rituals comforting. They help ground me, giving me something to hold onto when everything else in my life might be in flux. The ritual of getting together every week even if we don't have an upcoming gig has helped cement the friendship between Jodi, Allison and me over the years.


We tend to only do serious practising together when we have a concrete reason, such as a guest spot at a convention, or some recording (we'll be practising "Alien Jellyfish" a lot for Chris Conway's recording project, for example). In terms of improving our own musicianship and songwriting abilities, we tend to do that independently rather than as a group.


Urban Tapestry doesn't tend to do improvisational jam sessions, something I used to enjoy (it's what attracted me to filk in the first place), but I get my "jam" fixes at conventions. The satisfaction I get from my involvement with UT is more about friendship, and the ability to work on music with like-minded people. It's wonderful to be able to write out a three-part counterpoint on paper, take it to a UT practice, and come away with a rough recording of the vocals. Allison and Jodi always seem to pick up their parts like magic, and can suggest improvement tweaks.


We support each other through difficult personal times as well as musically. Yes, there are minor squabbles, but they never last very long. In the end, we all look out for each other. And we all know what a rare thing it is for a musical group to settle on a chemistry (musically and personally) that works in the longterm. I'd like to think this comes across in our music. :-)


Today's Blatherpic:

Urban Tapestry in concert in the UK at Didgeri-Douze last year. Photo by Godfrey Joseph.


Today's Poll Question:

When you come across an unfamiliar word in a book, do you usually look it up in a dictionary?

copyright

Comic updated




A recent entry in one of the online journals I check on a regular basis inspired the topic for today's Blathering. While I was involved with Inkspot, online copyright was an issue frequently misunderstood, resulting in much heated debate.


It's easy to forget that basic rules about intellectual property apply as much online as they do offline. I am guilty of this myself. About a month ago in Blatherchat, John O'Halloran posted a link to a photo of me that he took at Consonance. I actually liked this photo (I usually hate how I look in pictures), and posted the photo at the top of my Blatherings the next day, making sure to credit John. I had assumed that he wouldn't mind, and had gotten too used to asking filker friends for permission to use their photos and having their surprised reaction be, "Of COURSE you can, I can't believe you even asked!"


This was an incorrect assumption. I -should- have asked John for permission first, and he was justified in being upset. I removed the photo and apologized to John as soon as I saw his angry posting on Blatherchat (he also e-mailed me privately). I was deeply embarrassed at having forgotten one of the most basic rules of online copyright, one that I had been so vocal in advocating while working on Inkspot...just because it's online doesn't mean it's free for the taking.


Inkspot and Inklings were plagiarized several times. In all cases, the perpetrators claimed ignorance, that they hadn't realized they were doing anything wrong. Some -were- innocent mistakes. Others not so innocent, like the person who included the entire writers' marketing listing section from each issue of Inklings in his own newsletter without credit, or the writer who basically copied an Inklings article, tweaked the phrasing, then sold the article as one of her own.


Because pretty much everything online is free, people tend to assume that no one would mind if content is redistributed without permission. Even the jokes and funny stories that are constantly recirculated by e-mail could be a breach of copyright laws. It's so easy to cut and paste text (and images) online that most people don't think about the copyright implications.


They also don't think about the amount of effort that might have gone into the content they are ripping off. This online journal entry by Yen of "Shinkansen" gives a great example of this (check out her entry page, by the way...she uses a Mac laptop, woohoo!). I was blown away when I first saw her online journal...the layout, photos, and writing are all wonderful. She obviously put a ton of time into planning the design as well as the look and feel of the site. Recently, Yen discovered that someone else had copied her HTML...they had even forgotten to remove code that made it obvious that the code had been taken from Yen's site. When confronted, the author denied any wrongdoing (and also quietly removed the telltale HTML "tracks').


Yen nicely summarizes the non-legal aspect of copyright in her journal entry:



"I don't think copyright rules have to be on a marquee or framed with stagelights to be stressed clearly enough. All the average sensible person ever needs is to be fairly cognizant about certain rules of ethics. How difficult is it to practice Internet etiquette? It surely is not as complicated as guessing the right spoon at a dinner party. All that is asked of you is to respect other people's work. It is only common sense."



For those interested, Moira Allen (used to be Associate Editor of Inkspot/Inklings) has some great articles about copyright on her site, Writing World (go to her article index and search for the keyword "copyright").


Today's Blatherpic:

My old cubicle at Xlibris. I don't miss it.


Today's Poll Question:

Do you have any commercial software (normally sold for a fee) on your computer right now that you didn't pay for, and that you don't plan to pay for?

david gray concert

New Filk Forte topic by Allison:
How would you describe your perfect filk circle?




Felt old last night. After a thoroughly enjoyable dinner with some friends at C'est What, we went to a David Gray concert at the Warehouse. I really like his music, but last night I finally realized that I'm just not cut out for this type of smoke-hazed, beer-on-the-cement-floor, everyone standing straining to see over the people in front of you (except for tall people like Jeff, of course) concert venue anymore. I ended up sitting on the floor near the exit (better air circulation there) with Kate and Luisa. I have could have handled it ok were it not for the smoke. I got double-whammied with pleurisy and bronchitis years ago, and since then have had real problems with cigarette smoke. None of my close friends smoke so I've gotten somewhat spoiled, I think. :-)


So as I sat cross-legged on the cement floor, unable to see the stage, unable to distinguish any lyrics (bad acoustics where we were sitting), having to yell at the top of my lungs to have any sort of conversation, desperately trying not to throw up on Kate and Luisa, I couldn't help but wonder if I wouldn't be better off being home listening to a David Gray CD. Luisa and I ended up cutting out early, both of us feeling a little old-fogeyish but secretly relieved. I had a long bath and read about cross-under fingering technique in Harp Column.


Jeff came home about an hour later, raving about how great the concert was. I tried very hard to stay awake, but realized it was a losing battle when I started to sleep-talk. Jodi and Allison have both heard me sleep-talking...sometimes when I get very, very sleepy but am trying very, very hard to stay awake, I start babbling non-sequiturs. This time, however, I became aware of what I was doing.


"Did I just say, 'Madeleine Machine Thingies'?" I asked Jeff suddenly.


"Yes, you did." He sounded highly amused.


"Why? What were we just talking about?"


"I have no idea why you said it. I think you should go to sleep now."


Allison and Jodi claim that late one night at a filk convention, after we had gone to bed and turned the lights out, I told them a story about Xena and Allison's Tamagochi (remember them?!) creature. I would have accused them of making the whole thing up were it not for the fact that I had the vaguest recollection, almost like the wisps of a dream that remain for a few seconds after you wake in the morning.


I'm up to an average of receiving 80 e-mail messages a day now, according to the Eudora stats program. Hm. Some of this is spam, of course, as well as being on a few mailing lists. I am determined not to approach my Inkspot-levels, must figure out how to ensure that. Recent electricpenguin.com stats, for those interested: daily average 360 visits, 7500 hits, 1600 pages. Lowest traffic on the weekends, highest midweek. Most popular visit times: 10 am EST, then 3-4 pm EST. Most popular page is my Blatherings, followed by the message boards, main Electric Penguin page, Blatherchat, Dandelion Report, and then my Harp Resource. Popular search strings: "anabukin-chan", "blatherchat", "pregnant women photos", "debbiecam", "algonquin ice out", "litterbox font", and "UK Photos of my sister naked" (?!?).


Today's Blatherpic:

Amanda Snyder, Beckett Gladney, and me. This photo was taken several years ago, when I went to visit the West coast. Amanda and Beckett took me to some fairgrounds (can't recall the name...Amanda? Beckett?)


Today's Link:

CartoonKate. Parki's super-talented sister! She came to the concert last night and we talked about Greymatter and Shockwave Flash.


Today's Poll Question:

Have you ever given money to a street musician?

first crush

Hey, my sister Ruth has been shortlisted for the Amelia Francis Howard Gibbons award! (award for children's illustrators, chosen by the Canadian Librarians' Assocation), for Two So Small (written by Hazel Hutchins). I have such a cool sister.









My only memorable childhood crush was in Grade 8, a boy named Norm Brown. Norm was the class clown, but a charming one. He was a big Beatles fan, the teachers all loved him, he was cute as a button and knew it. All the little girls in the class harboured secret crushes on him, including me.


Norm gave me my first kiss. Don't get excited...on that Valentine's Day, he kissed -every- girl on the cheek. But I still remember that kiss, or perhaps I imagine that I remember it. Soft yet determined, slightly damp.


My next brush with romance didn't come until near the end of high school. I wasn't really interested in the opposite sex in those years. They all seemed to be obsessed with dances and football and necking in the shadowy corners of the courtyard at lunchtime. Or perhaps that's what I convinced myself, since none of them were particularly interested in me. :-)


Anyway, it was the last day, and I was cleaning out my locker before going home to celebrate the beginning of the summer vacation. A boy named Mark asked if I wanted to go for a walk. Mark was a quiet sort. I don't remember much about him except that he occasionally fell asleep during the morning announcements. He and I sometimes exchanged a few words during class, but never anything approaching a personal level. He had come up beside me, and seemed nervous but somewhat eager when he pseudo-casually asked me if I'd be interested in going for a walk. I was flabbergasted and tongue-tied with panic. I remember mumbling some excuse about needing to get home to do something, and left Mark standing in the hallway.


I deeply regret my act of monumental tactlessness now, of course. And can't help wondering what would have happened if I had said yes.


I sometimes wonder what became of Mark and of Norm Brown. It's strange what small events leave such a lasting childhood memory, isn't it? I'm sure neither of them remembers me at all, but I can't help but be curious. Did Norm grow up to be a comedian, for example? Truck driver? Technonerdboy? Gigolo? Teacher? Is he still cute as a button?


Part of me is afraid to find out, and would almost prefer to leave Norm on his pedestal.


Norm? Are you out there?









Today's Blatherpic:

My eighth grade public school photo (Earnscliffe Public School, just in case anyone like Norm or Mark is doing a search on that name :-)). Norm Brown is highlighted in blue, I'm highlighted in red. Small world phenomenon: See the guy in the row above Norm, with the glasses? Allison's husband John hangs out with this guy's younger brother.


Today's Link:

Lileks (especially his Gallery of Regrettable Food).


Today's Poll Question:

You're driving a car at 2 a.m. in a deserted neighbourhood and come to a red light at an intersection. You look both ways; no other cars are in sight. Would you ignore the red light and drive through?

soker

Another filk baby! From a Blatherchat posting by John O'Halloran: "More Filk Expansion! Received this morning: Aminda Rose Capp was born at 3:28 am at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, California. The vital stats are healthy (a perfect 10) 7Lbs 5oz, 19.5 inches. Daughter of Fred Capp and Robin Baylor cadreamer@earthlink.net." Many congrats, Fred and Robin!


Went to my sister's last night for dinner. I showed her how to use a news board I set up on her site through Greymatter (I set one up on my mom-in-law's site as well - I am a Greymatter Junkie, thanks to my friend Josh). While we were at the computer, Sara watches intently and then asks if she can post something online. I show her Blatherchat, and am thrilled when she says she'd like to add a posting. Sara typed the whole thing herself:

"i have a speshell dolly named well dolly my favret sport is soker fysgfiewyhfiusyrfhdufhsliurshfigs eirhfeifheiuhrueihrduhturheu sara {name removed for privacy reasons}."

Yay, my niece's first Blatherchat posting! I am going to save it so I can embarrass her with it when she's older. I am such a thoughtful aunt.


After dinner, Sara asked if I could play soccer with her in the backyard. Eek, I thought. I only had open-toed Birkenstocks. But how could I say no? And wow, she's actually pretty good. I was huffing and puffing, trying not to trip over my sandals, while Sara darted around me, laughing. It reminded me of how I felt as an awkward teenager, feeling all gangly (what a great word, that) and uncoordinated.


Were any of you jock-types back in high school? I know Rand was (Ookla The Mok's album is now officially available, by the way...see Rand's Ookla Says column). I was pretty much an anti-jock...I was in the school band and the Library Club (we put away returned books for the librarians, woohoo!). I hated Phys.Ed., except for the class study topics, like Health and Sex Ed., which we all pretended to find dull but secretly found fascinating.


Even as grown-up, I still tend to see myself as an uncoordinated couch potato type (or "mouse potato", a term Jeff came up with which I quite like), even though I work out at the gym 3-5 times a week and survived -and actually enjoyed- a gruelling canoe trip on the Nahanni River. It's sometimes pretty tough to break out of the box you help other people build for you in childhood.


Today's Blatherpic:

Parki and Jeff at the cottage, years ago.


Link of the Day:

How To Get Even With Your Bank


Today's Poll Question:

Do you like to sing in the shower?