There is a small village in Japan that invented the practice of rice paddy art whereby 4 different strains of rice are planted in a pattern so that they form a picture once the rice matures.
from Crazy Facts http://ift.tt/1zzdWkh
Thursday, 27 November 2014
There is a small village in Japan that invented the practice…
from Crazy Facts http://ift.tt/1zzdWkh
A man unearthed a hoard of Roman gold coins worth $156,000 within…
A man unearthed a hoard of Roman gold coins worth $156,000 within 20 minutes of his first time using a metal detector.
from Crazy Facts http://ift.tt/1zzdTVJ
British Comedy Gets the Last Laugh Following Parody Law Reform
The new Intellectual Property Act 2014 which came into effect last month has effectively legalised the art of parody, a comedic genre which, believe it or not, has until now been classed as illegal.
Previously, those using copyrighted content for parody purposes did so under the risk of being sued under the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. This may come as a surprise to those of us who may already have believed parody to be legal, seeing as the comedic medium is already widely utilised in Britain, its caustic tone, fitting in well with our dry sense of humour as a nation. However, despite our long history of parody, it has always been considered illegal under UK law.
Parody laws were once much easier to enforce, as prior to the advent of the internet it was only possible for people to publish their creative work via traditional channels such as television, radio, or print, which must comply with industry guidelines and regulations. However, in the internet age these rules no longer apply and when it comes to publishing creative content, it's pretty much no holds barred. The legalities seem to matter very little indeed. At the click of a button, would-be parodists are able to upload their work to a potential audience of millions.
Fortunately the new laws relating to parody seem to understand this seismic shift in the way we consume our media and creative content and so under the new rules, copyrighted material such as video and audio clips can be re-used for parody purposes as long as the new project is sufficiently different to the original, and does not intend to copy it.
Sounds like a pretty good deal for comedians who use parody as a medium, right? Well, there's a catch. Under the new rules parody makers can still be sued, but only if their work is deemed to be discriminatory. In itself, this seems perfectly fair, but if a parody is accused of being discriminatory, things get a bit weird. In this instance, it will be up to the judge presiding over the case to decide whether or not it's funny, a facet of the law that has attracted some confusion. Comedian and former barrister Clive Anderson told the BBC that he has concerns over "whether a judge who's spent years and years in the courtroom is going to be able to judge that very carefully," suggesting they may need to bring in external "experts," to help them with this particular detail.
Despite this bizarre aspect of the Act, it has been greeted with widespread support by the comedic community. Cassetteboy, the creator of parodies that cut together various clips from certain TV shows, had previously likened the plight of the British parodist to a "painter in a country where paint is illegal." On October 1st, the day the new law effectively legalised the practice, the anonymous video editor posted a mashup of clips of David Cameron to create a 'rap,' which had the words "Seriously though, Dave, thanks for legalising parody videos," in its description.
Graham Linehan, the writer behind a number of UK sitcoms including Father Ted, said that the new law is "brilliant," and that it replaces laws that were "restrictive."
Prior to the new laws being introduced there have been several incidents of high profile parodies falling foul of the law, with a number of videos being removed from YouTube overnight after claims by copyright holders who failed to see the funny side. In August 2010 a parody of Jay Z and Alicia Keys' 'Empire State of Mind' called 'Newport State of Mind' - which re-wrote the original lyrics to be about the Welsh city of Newport, rather than New York City - was taken down after a copyright claim by EMI. Prior to its removal, the song had attracted 2.5 million views, and had even been featured on BBC News.
Another parody which fell afoul of the old copyright laws in the late noughties was the oft-recreated parody of Downfall, a German film depicting the final days of Adolf Hitler. The clip, of Hitler's angry reaction to the discovery that the war had been lost, is re-subtitled by parodists to imply that he was angry about something else, such as him finding out that Santa Claus isn't real and that his Xbox Live account had been cancelled. Constantin Films, the movie's production company took issue with this and began getting videos removed en masse, but the joke was too widespread, and they were eventually forced to give up.
In March this year, author Miriam Elia attracted the wrath of Penguin, when her spoof of the 'Peter and Jane' series, which have been used to help teach children how to read, fell foul of parody laws. Elia's version humorously dealt with topics that would be controversial in a childrens' book, such as transvestism, sex, and death. Penguin issued the author with a cease-and-desist letter, asking her to destroy all copies of the book once she'd sold enough to cover production costs, even going so far as offering to destroy them for her. Elia faced a legal battle with Penguin, but at present the book is still available for sale on her website.
Following the overhaul of the parody laws, industry commentators have predicted an online "explosion of creativity". For the first time in the UK, creators of online parody will be able to practice their craft, free from the worry of legal action.
Wayne Beynon is an IP lawyer at Cardiff and London based law firm Capital Law: http://ift.tt/1dY8L2a http://ift.tt/eA8V8J
from UK Comedy - The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1tmDayN
Previously, those using copyrighted content for parody purposes did so under the risk of being sued under the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. This may come as a surprise to those of us who may already have believed parody to be legal, seeing as the comedic medium is already widely utilised in Britain, its caustic tone, fitting in well with our dry sense of humour as a nation. However, despite our long history of parody, it has always been considered illegal under UK law.
Parody laws were once much easier to enforce, as prior to the advent of the internet it was only possible for people to publish their creative work via traditional channels such as television, radio, or print, which must comply with industry guidelines and regulations. However, in the internet age these rules no longer apply and when it comes to publishing creative content, it's pretty much no holds barred. The legalities seem to matter very little indeed. At the click of a button, would-be parodists are able to upload their work to a potential audience of millions.
Fortunately the new laws relating to parody seem to understand this seismic shift in the way we consume our media and creative content and so under the new rules, copyrighted material such as video and audio clips can be re-used for parody purposes as long as the new project is sufficiently different to the original, and does not intend to copy it.
Sounds like a pretty good deal for comedians who use parody as a medium, right? Well, there's a catch. Under the new rules parody makers can still be sued, but only if their work is deemed to be discriminatory. In itself, this seems perfectly fair, but if a parody is accused of being discriminatory, things get a bit weird. In this instance, it will be up to the judge presiding over the case to decide whether or not it's funny, a facet of the law that has attracted some confusion. Comedian and former barrister Clive Anderson told the BBC that he has concerns over "whether a judge who's spent years and years in the courtroom is going to be able to judge that very carefully," suggesting they may need to bring in external "experts," to help them with this particular detail.
Despite this bizarre aspect of the Act, it has been greeted with widespread support by the comedic community. Cassetteboy, the creator of parodies that cut together various clips from certain TV shows, had previously likened the plight of the British parodist to a "painter in a country where paint is illegal." On October 1st, the day the new law effectively legalised the practice, the anonymous video editor posted a mashup of clips of David Cameron to create a 'rap,' which had the words "Seriously though, Dave, thanks for legalising parody videos," in its description.
Graham Linehan, the writer behind a number of UK sitcoms including Father Ted, said that the new law is "brilliant," and that it replaces laws that were "restrictive."
Prior to the new laws being introduced there have been several incidents of high profile parodies falling foul of the law, with a number of videos being removed from YouTube overnight after claims by copyright holders who failed to see the funny side. In August 2010 a parody of Jay Z and Alicia Keys' 'Empire State of Mind' called 'Newport State of Mind' - which re-wrote the original lyrics to be about the Welsh city of Newport, rather than New York City - was taken down after a copyright claim by EMI. Prior to its removal, the song had attracted 2.5 million views, and had even been featured on BBC News.
Another parody which fell afoul of the old copyright laws in the late noughties was the oft-recreated parody of Downfall, a German film depicting the final days of Adolf Hitler. The clip, of Hitler's angry reaction to the discovery that the war had been lost, is re-subtitled by parodists to imply that he was angry about something else, such as him finding out that Santa Claus isn't real and that his Xbox Live account had been cancelled. Constantin Films, the movie's production company took issue with this and began getting videos removed en masse, but the joke was too widespread, and they were eventually forced to give up.
In March this year, author Miriam Elia attracted the wrath of Penguin, when her spoof of the 'Peter and Jane' series, which have been used to help teach children how to read, fell foul of parody laws. Elia's version humorously dealt with topics that would be controversial in a childrens' book, such as transvestism, sex, and death. Penguin issued the author with a cease-and-desist letter, asking her to destroy all copies of the book once she'd sold enough to cover production costs, even going so far as offering to destroy them for her. Elia faced a legal battle with Penguin, but at present the book is still available for sale on her website.
Following the overhaul of the parody laws, industry commentators have predicted an online "explosion of creativity". For the first time in the UK, creators of online parody will be able to practice their craft, free from the worry of legal action.
Wayne Beynon is an IP lawyer at Cardiff and London based law firm Capital Law: http://ift.tt/1dY8L2a http://ift.tt/eA8V8J
from UK Comedy - The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1tmDayN
Brain Teaser 11/27/2014
Eight and five, last name and given,
We are one six six six even;
The first in cow, the last in oxen
Three in damsel, three in vixen.
What are we called?
Hint:
One of five, I the only one,
One in cat, two in mitten,
Two are odd, five are even
Seven in all, one in seven.
Solution
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We all love food - Check This Out!
from A Daily Brain Teaser http://ift.tt/1vnAVyk
3d wooden brain teasers from craftypuzzles.com
We are one six six six even;
The first in cow, the last in oxen
Three in damsel, three in vixen.
What are we called?
Hint:
One of five, I the only one,
One in cat, two in mitten,
Two are odd, five are even
Seven in all, one in seven.
Solution
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We all love food - Check This Out!
from A Daily Brain Teaser http://ift.tt/1vnAVyk
3d wooden brain teasers from craftypuzzles.com
Ukip Mistake Cathedral For Mosque, Twitter Gleefully Responds
After Ukip managed to mix-up Westminster Cathedral with a mosque whilst attempting to make a jibe at the BBC, Twitter leapt in to help out the confused Eurosceptic party.
Ukip's South Thanet branch - which recently hurtled to the forefront of British politics after Nigel Farage was selected to be the constituency's general election candidate - was left red-faced after making a social media fail of epic proportions after mistakenly thinking the BBC was guilty of some gross "liberal bias".
It all started when the BBC's Daily Politics tweeted out a planned experiment on the general public to see whether Farage has what it takes to become Prime Minister.
Ukip icily responded by trying to accuse the BBC of being "selective" in its location shot before, their error was highlighted and the person tweeting for the South Thanet branch slumped into a pit of humiliation, it is assumed.
The link goes to this page:
Twitter, meanwhile, gleefully responded to the mix-up by helpfully pointing out other things that could be mistaken for mosques to Ukip.
Ukip admitted their mistake in the end, but firmly stood by their "random vote remark."
http://ift.tt/1Fv6SaC
from UK Comedy - The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1pqvv67
Ukip's South Thanet branch - which recently hurtled to the forefront of British politics after Nigel Farage was selected to be the constituency's general election candidate - was left red-faced after making a social media fail of epic proportions after mistakenly thinking the BBC was guilty of some gross "liberal bias".
It all started when the BBC's Daily Politics tweeted out a planned experiment on the general public to see whether Farage has what it takes to become Prime Minister.
Has @Nigel_Farage got what it takes to be PM?
See how the balls fall in @reporterboy film on Tue #bbcdp after 1200 http://ift.tt/1rpOnU6
— DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) November 25, 2014 Ukip icily responded by trying to accuse the BBC of being "selective" in its location shot before, their error was highlighted and the person tweeting for the South Thanet branch slumped into a pit of humiliation, it is assumed.
The link goes to this page:
Twitter, meanwhile, gleefully responded to the mix-up by helpfully pointing out other things that could be mistaken for mosques to Ukip.
That absolutely wonderful moment when the EDL thought Brighton Pavilion was a Mosque. #ThingsThatAreNotMosques http://ift.tt/1yizeo3
— J. Ali (@junayed_) November 26, 2014
Mosque-oh! #ThingsThatAreNotMosques @Nigel_Farage http://ift.tt/1Fv6Q2y
— Adrian Clark (@adrianclark) November 26, 2014
@sturdyAlex @Nigel_Farage
Moccasins
#ThingsThatAreNotMosques http://ift.tt/1rpOqiQ
— Scott Taylor (@SCO_77) November 26, 2014
This is not a Mosque, but those gentlemen look decidedly 'Foreign' don't they?#ThingsThatAreNotMosques http://ift.tt/1rpOqiX
— Steven Moore (@MrStevenMoore) November 26, 2014
Musk ox...@Nigel_Farage http:http://ift.tt/1Fv6QiT #ThingsThatAreNotMosques
— cronsey jones (@cronsey) November 26, 2014
#thingsthatarenotmosques Are you sure this is isn't a Mosque #ukip? Looks foreign to me. http://ift.tt/1Fv6Qj2
— David Joseph Brady (@WolfPenguined) November 26, 2014
#ThingsThatAreNotMosques Mosquito http://ift.tt/1Fv6Qzi
— Keir Shiels (@keirshiels) November 26, 2014
#ThingsThatAreNotMosques But it's got a dome, it must be a mosque?! http://ift.tt/1Fv6Qzk
— Edward James (@edwardajames) November 26, 2014
The Jedi Temple on Coruscant #ThingsThatAreNotMosques http://ift.tt/1yZwESo
— Alan (@AlanLewis05) November 26, 2014
#ThingsThatAreNotMosques
Moss http://ift.tt/1Fv6Qzo
— Simon Hoyle (@iskibar14) November 26, 2014
Moosques? ;) #ThingsThatAreNotMosques http://ift.tt/1Fv6Qzu
— Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) November 26, 2014
#thingsthatarenotmosques It was the name that got me http://ift.tt/1rpOoHR
— Grilling Kippers (@GrillingKippers) November 26, 2014
#ThingsThatAreNotMosques Moss, K. http://ift.tt/1Fv6SHr
— Keir Shiels (@keirshiels) November 26, 2014
#ThingsThatAreNotMosques Masks http://ift.tt/1Fv6Qzy
— Keir Shiels (@keirshiels) November 26, 2014 Ukip admitted their mistake in the end, but firmly stood by their "random vote remark."
@reporterboy I have got it wrong about the building as was wrongly advised and apologise. The random vote remark still stands
— Ukip South Thanet (@ukip_sththanet) November 25, 2014 http://ift.tt/1Fv6SaC
from UK Comedy - The Huffington Post http://ift.tt/1pqvv67
Today in History for 27th November 2014
Historical Events
1926 - 110,000 watch US Army and Navy play a 21-all tie
1971 - Two Customs officials are shot by an Irish Republican Army sniper firinge upon a British Army patrol investigating a bomb attack on a Customs Post near Newry, County Armagh
1980 - Soyuz T-3 carries 3 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station, launched
1985 - Republic of Ireland gains consultative role in Northern Ireland
1990 - British Conservative Party chooses John Major to succeed Margaret Thatcher as leader ( and hence as Prime Minister)
2012 - 29 people are killed and 126 are wounded by 8 car bombings across Iraq
Famous Birthdays
1127 - Emperor Xiaozong of China (d. 1194)
1746 - Robert R. Livingston, US Founding Father, delivered oath of office to George Washington
1930 - Joe DeNardo, Pittsburgh Meteorologist
1935 - Verity A Lambert, film producer (Clockwise, Link, Sweeney)
1968 - Michael Vartan, French actor
1970 - Patrick Bates, NFL safety (Atlanta Falcons)
Famous Deaths
511 - Clovis, 1st King of France, dies at about 45
1749 - Balthasar Schmid, composer, dies at 44
1934 - "Baby Face" Nelson, [Lester Gillis], gangster, shot by FBI at 26
1960 - Dirk J de Geer, Dutch premier (1926-29, 39-40), dies at 89
1967 - Cameron Prud'Homme, actor (Rainmaker), dies after long illness at 75
1981 - Lotte Lenya, Austrian singer/actress (From Russia With Love), dies of cancer at 83
from Today in History | HistoryOrb.com http://ift.tt/V3SLS2
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Today's Daily Brain Teaser (Nov 27, 2014)
Trance, Stain, Chime...
TRANCE, STAIN, CHIME, TUBA and PERK. These words all belong to the same logical family. Which of the following words also belongs to that family?
GERMANE, EMBARGO, BANANA and NIGHTMARE
Check Braingle.com for the answer.
from Braingle's Teasers http://ift.tt/1fYO2jw
via 3d wooden brain teasers from craftypuzzles.com
TRANCE, STAIN, CHIME, TUBA and PERK. These words all belong to the same logical family. Which of the following words also belongs to that family?
GERMANE, EMBARGO, BANANA and NIGHTMARE
Check Braingle.com for the answer.
from Braingle's Teasers http://ift.tt/1fYO2jw
via 3d wooden brain teasers from craftypuzzles.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)