Look, if one candidate could get the backing of the powerful porn lobby, well that’d candidate would have an easy…sticky…march to the white house…

And as an added bonus, there’s a new, special, Super Tuesday poll up for everyone to vote even more today!

Is an entire e-mail I just sent to exsulis which, I thought, sounded rather nice and I would share with all you Normalinauts out there…

Take, for instance, this incoming referrer link…

http://doctorwho.xooit.fr/t412-Dossier-Doctor-Who-et-les-USA.htm

from a French Doctor Who forum. I say thank you random French person, whoever you are, and I know that such a thing makes exsulis all warm and fuzzy inside!

In unrelated news, Terry Pratchett, as we all know, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. But it recently came to light that he has donated a “princely sum” to Alzheimer’s research, and asked that his fans do the same…

You can, of course, donate directly, or if you’re like me, or you like T-shirts, you can do this…

No, this isn’t a joke. He has, in fact, died.

Not sure who he is?

He directed, among other films, The English Patient, for which he won an Oscar, Cold Mountain, one of my all time favorite movies, and The Talented Mr. Ripley, one of the few films I’ve actually walked out of even though everyone else seemed to love it.

It is, I think, a big loss for Hollywood.

Well, the trial is “over” in that, no more evidence will be submitted or arguments made. Although, both sides will continue to file briefs, and the actual verdict isn’t expected for several weeks. So at least the crying on the stand parts of this story are done with.

Now I’m going to excerpt a bit of Neil Gaiman’s most recent journal post:

Lots of emails from people asking me to comment on the JK Rowling/ Steve Vander Ark copyright case. My main reaction is, having read as much as I can about it, given the copyright grey zone it seems to exist in, is a “Well, if it was me, I’d probably be flattered”, but that obviously isn’t how J.K. Rowling feels. I can’t imagine myself trying to stop any of the unauthorised books that have come out about me or about things I’ve created over the years, and where possible I’ve tried to help, and even when I haven’t liked them I’ve shrugged and let it go.

Given the messy area that “fair use” exists in in copyright law I can understand the judge not wanting to rule, and assume that whatever he says the case will head off to the court of appeal.

It goes on for a bit…I suggest that you read the whole thing.

Anyway, in a little while we’ll know which way the judge has ruled…and then whichever side loses will appeal, then we’ll wait a while for the appellate case, then that decision, then another appeal, then (I’m betting) the Supreme Court. My guess is that this will turn out to be one of the formative cases for Copyright law for the next 100 years.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - The Longest Time

You know The Sun, right? The British “paper” that’s a mishmash of news, sports, soft-core porn and just plain weird ass shit. Today, I read this story, about a man, wearing a blood stained night gown and slippers, who walked into a kebab shop, informed the workers that he killed someone, and then sat in the eatery with his head in his hands until the police arrived. But wait! It gets better. The man, it turns out, is Anthony Morley, the first winner of Mr Gay UK. Hold on…we’re not done yet. When the police go into the Morley’s apartment, they find that he had cut a chunk of leg “meat” off of the victim, and

They found flesh on the kitchen worktop. Tests proved it was human. A police source said: “It appears it was being prepared for cooking.”

Disturbingly well done Sun. Well done, indeed.