I seem to be a joiner this last couple of weeks:

It’s not quite exact but close enough for government work.
11:18:47 PM  #  comment []

One wants to live without fear, to act boldly; then again, one would prefer not to have it said of oneself, “He died as he lived, boldly changing lanes.”
6:22:10 PM  #  comment []

Speaking of A&E, Benedict Arnold—“Love turned him into a traitor”?

The man was brought up to the Continental Congress on charges of malfeasance, um, I forget how many times. Greed and vainglory—the idea that his self-perceived superiority to others put him above morals: that turned him into a traitor. Invidious worm turning within his breast, not love, of which he was incapable.

This ought to have been the plot: The one to weep for in the story is Major mumblety-peg Andre, the ol’ comical fop. Driven to war by a broken heart, doing his duty as best he could, the snappily-dressed schmuck was never cut out to be a spymaster, or a scout, or whatever he was. A man of integrity, forced by the exigencies of war to do things he despised—looting Benjamin Franklin’s house, etc. That ought to have been the plot.

The only way to make that arrogant bastard Arnold seem sympathetic is to play up the love story. Romanticizing a traitor, now frozen in the ninth circle of Hell. Scum.
1:04:47 AM  #  comment []

Neverwhere DVD
Yay!

Hello Mr. Gaiman,

My name is Pamela Kipnes and I am the Marketing Manager for A&E Home Video/New Video. Through our deal with the BBC, A&E Home Video will release Neverwhere on DVD in a 2 pack set in June 2003. We are all very excited about this project, and I was hoping that you might want to be involved. If you were interested, I'd love to hear your thoughts on potential DVD bonus features, plus any other marketing or promotional ideas you might have.

I'll look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Pamela Kipnes

So I've replied, and we're starting to talk...

It’s coming to America, it’s coming to Ammerrrrrica! [by way of Neil Gaiman’s Journal]

Unfortunately, Neil seems to be misinformed about the Sonny Bono CTE Act limits being upheld by Eldred v Ashcroft: 95, not 70, not 50 years. Ninety-five years. [update: whoops, 70 is right for an individual; 95 for a corporation work-for-hire, such as Zelazny’s Amber Corporation’s acquisitions]

Entities are granted limited monopolies to reward creativity. The public provides this incentive in order to encourage more people to be creative. Entities are granted limited monopolies to ensure that the benefits of that creativity can be spread. The reason pharmaceutical companies have limited patents is to allow those in need to benefit from the widespread production and distribution of drugs. The same holds true for authors and copyrights: knowledge begets knowledge, and the public benefits from creativity in many ways.
12:48:19 AM  #  comment []