Somehow two of my favorite authors ended up on Slashdot today, in back-to-back stories:
A Slashdot call for questions for a Neil Gaiman Interview
and
A review of Neal Stephenson's newest book Quicksilver, the first book of the Baroque Cycle (for the budding cryptologists out there, no fair cheating and looking at this page to figure out the encryption)
We should have seen this coming…
Hotel Being Sued for Using the Dewey Decimal System [Slashdot]
cbull writes “Did you know the Dewey Decimal System isn't in the public domain? The rights are owned by the Online Computer Library Center. They are suing the Library Hotel in New York for trademark infringement. In addition, according to the article, libraries pay at least $500/year to use the system.”
Ok…IANAL, but I am significantly interested in law. This is some of the worst reporting I've ever seen on a legal matter:
'Spirit of Satan' may be considered by U. S. Supreme Court
“What is “the spirit of Satan?” The U.S. Supreme Court may have to answer that question if it accepts a recently appealed Iowa case in which an Iowa woman claimed a pastor defamed her by calling her “the spirit of Satan.” “
Now…first off….the Court has to decide no such thing. This is a libel case, compounded by a bit of church/state stuff. But in no instance does this have to touch on the actual existence of supernatural beings. To me, it looks like the court could simply find that libel is a tort that stands outside seperation of church and state for the purposes of determining if a statement itself is libelous. If someone within a religious denomination wants to insult someone in the same (or a different) denomination with language that offends, I see no reason why that can not be construed as libel. One quick definition of libel found online is: “Libel and slander are legal claims for false statements of fact about a person that are printed, broadcast, spoken or otherwise communicated to others.” Libel being the written instance, slander being the spoken.
NOW…if the Court is going to be forced to consider the truth/falsity of the statements in question, rather than the “intent to harm”….well….they may be in trouble. My guess is that in a case like this, where the language is religious in nature it is the belief of the injured party that will matter. That is, the injured party believes the statement to be true (as well as the defendant, I suppose), so the court could rule that those facts are enough to find libel in this case.
On the other hand, nothing would make me jump around in joy more to see the Supreme Court offer a ruling that said “Can't be libel. No such thing as Satan.” Hahahahahahahaha….
From Wired, an odd little piece of history, combined with copyright issues that librarians should take note of.
********
Old Hitler Article Stirs Debate. A blogger finds an old article in a Homes & Gardens magazine that lionizes Hitler and his manse. He posts the piece on his blog — and unleashes a debate about copyright issues and public interest on the Web. By Chris Ulbrich. [Wired News]
Arrr, in case you warn't aware, today (Sept 19th) is Talk like a Pirate Day.
Aye, me parrot concurs.
Savvy?
Have you seen this bike?
Giant Sedona 2003
Maroon and White
Seat and wheels have quick releases
Front shock, as well as shock on the seat
It currently has an Aluminum water bottle holder
If you see this bike around Chapel Hill or Carrboro, let me know.
It was stolen from me on Sept. 16th
griffey@email.unc.edu
Fuck.
Some fucking assface stole my fucking bike last night.
FUCKER.
As always….Bruce rocked. Just freaking amazing show. The fact that he's been rockin' with the E-Street band for over 30 years and can still feel and emote and put on a show like he did last night.
Highlight: opening with “I Walk the Line” from Johnny Cash.
 |
Just in case anyone was making plans for later in the week….keep your eyes on this. |
This is from Neil Gaiman's blog, after seeing an exerpt on Librarian.net.
I'd LOVE to have a Lucien figure…I'd keep him on my desk, to help me be a good librarian. đŸ™‚
********
Speaking as a librarian who is surrounded by librarians at work who are offended by this new librarian action figure, I can only say that perhaps it's time librarians across the board discovered the value of a good custom repaint on an action figure….
Hoping to make mine look rather delirious and get a Shakespeare one to go with so the two of them can have interesting conversations,
Anita
I wonder if they ever had this trouble when they did the Diskworld Librarian statues. (“We are not all orang-utans.”) It certainly makes me wish that DC would do a Lucien the Librarian Action figure for librarians everywhere.
Of course, if the whole point of the offended librarians is that librarians can, and, wisely, do, look like anyone, then any action figure would do. (“Isn't that a Gandalf toy?” “Nope it's a librarian. One with a hat and a beard.” “And he's next to a… Bettie Page toy?” “Nope. Just a cute, half-naked librarian with a big smile and a Bettie Page haircut.”)