Thread for things that dont deserve threads

[Heather]

I need a little bit of help and advice.

I am looking to obtain copyright (in the UK) for one of the plays I have written before I send it off. The place I am sending it to asks that I exclusively own and control this myself. I'm not sure how to go about it and a web search has proved confusing. I'm pretty sure that it was discussed on here at some point but again a search has come up with nothing.

I know there are writer's who come on here and your help would be very much appreciated.

Heather, if I'm talking to authors professionally about this I'd always advise them to put a copyright notice on their work, just to make sure they've established it's theirs. There's some useful (and not too technical) info about the issues on the website of the UK Copyright Service, specifically here:
http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p03_copyright_notices
and here:
http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/protect/p12_writers_copyright

Good luck!

Thanks for the links Firehazard. I will definitely check them out.

[NewJerseyRich]

Sooooo a little tidbit for those interested......

A few moinths back the wife sent in for studio tickets and last night the Mrs and I went to see in studio the one and only ...... Glenn Beck show. ......I know I know, I can hear the gasps all the way out here in NJ. Anyway, It gets worse. I'm actually called on to ask a question on camera for the show (unless i'm edited out). They only ask 3 audience members for questions. You have the topic in advance via email and you have to fill out a questionaire. They also ask that you submit a question on the shows topic.
Slightly sureal moment. Totally unexpected. I had an out of body experience when the camera is in my face and GB asks for me to ask my question. I remember my mouth moving but I don't know what came out. Mrs said everything went well. Well I sorta know I'm just not sure it came out as I wanted. Anyway you can see the whole mess on Friday's show. For those that don't know, I'll be the chunky bastard in the yellow tie he calls Rich.

[firehazard]

... I'll be the chunky bastard in the yellow tie he calls Rich.

Well to be honest (and with all due respect) I'm unlikely to be watching the Glenn Beck show unless by then I've been sent to a circle of Hell that is deeper than my most fevered nightmares can imagine. Which is always possible, I suppose.

But I'd be interested to learn why Mr Beck calls your tie Rich.

[O'Blivion]

As it is unlikely that I will be watching either, what question did you ask? And what conspiracy theory did Glennie uncover during the taping? What evil cabal is George Soros connected to via chalkdust? Ah, heck...I guess I better watch...can you get it online? I don't watch TV.

[Sportin' Life]

Sooooo a little tidbit for those interested......

A few moinths back the wife sent in for studio tickets and last night the Mrs and I went to see in studio the one and only ...... Glenn Beck show. ......I know I know, I can hear the gasps all the way out here in NJ. Anyway, It gets worse. I'm actually called on to ask a question on camera for the show (unless i'm edited out). They only ask 3 audience members for questions. You have the topic in advance via email and you have to fill out a questionaire. They also ask that you submit a question on the shows topic.
Slightly sureal moment. Totally unexpected. I had an out of body experience when the camera is in my face and GB asks for me to ask my question. I remember my mouth moving but I don't know what came out. Mrs said everything went well. Well I sorta know I'm just not sure it came out as I wanted. Anyway you can see the whole mess on Friday's show. For those that don't know, I'll be the chunky bastard in the yellow tie he calls Rich.

Its really rather funny that when I went to an Obama town-hall meeting full of people that waited in line overnight to see him, you were the one who said that the audience was selected and questions were all screened, none of which was true. But it is no wonder folks like you and Glen Beck might think so, hmm?

[N J R]

Sorry had to get out on the road so I'm on the blackberry.

Just a few quick replies...

1) C'mon FH live a little!

2) The topic is Sharia Law and attempts on infiltrating the US.
My question was really ment to be play devils advocate.from what I remember I asked about the differences of Sharia and say allowances in the law made for the Amish.

3) Well GB is the host of a TV show and not an elected official. The question submitted by the audience are about the shows topic are pointed at the guests. I'd assume they're ment to get the audience involved in the show. They only take 3 near the end of the show.

Some elected officials especially the weaker ones have been known to set up softball questioners in the crowd at their townhalls to highlight what they want to discuss instead of leaving it to chance.
Not to split hairs but I'm sure you didn't know everyone in the audience that day. : )

[DzM]

Probably going a bit afield here, but I'm curious about the topic you asked about.

How is the Islamic community's desire to have laws based on their religious texts any more offensive than the Christian community's efforts to have their religion more directly involved in the influence and direction of our laws? I find the idea of the Ten Commandments being in courtrooms repugnant (and don't get me started on the whole hand-on-a-bible thing).

On the other hand, what's wrong with private communities choosing to live with laws and rules that are more restrictive than our public institution's laws? As long as the private community's rules are legal within the civil framework, who cares? If a community of Seventh Day Adventists wants to have all their members baptized and all their stores closed on Saturday, that's not a problem for me as long as they don't extend it to "and we want the whole country to live like this."

So please do fill me in on how the Islamic community (or at least parts of it) are somehow trying to impose sharia law on the rest of us, and why it's any more repugnant than the Christian right trying to do the same thing.

[soulfinger]

I had a long conversation with a member of the Islamic community in a Plumbers Merchants today. He was selling me stuff very slowly and I was buying stuff equally slowly while we both watched the India v Pakistan game on his satellite link. He didn't try to impose any of hs beliefs on me nor want to have me stoned for being what he smilingly described as a "cocky English bastard", I feel a bit cheated.

[NewJerseyRich]

How is the Islamic community's desire to have laws based on their religious texts any more offensive than the Christian community's efforts to have their religion more directly involved in the influence and direction of our laws? I find the idea of the Ten Commandments being in courtrooms repugnant (and don't get me started on the whole hand-on-a-bible thing).

(Just a disclaimer, none of these answer are from the show or at all related).
I would assume all non religiousy peoples would feel this way even though the country was founded on those ideals

On the other hand, what's wrong with private communities choosing to live with laws and rules that are more restrictive than our public institution's laws? As long as the private community's rules are legal within the civil framework, who cares? If a community of Seventh Day Adventists wants to have all their members baptized and all their stores closed on Saturday, that's not a problem for me as long as they don't extend it to "and we want the whole country to live like this."

And there in lies the problem. Try askin a few of the Christians living in Islamic countries how they're treated....if they're alive. Of course I'm refering to multiple stories in the media about Christian massacres.

So please do fill me in on how the Islamic community (or at least parts of it) are somehow trying to impose sharia law on the rest of us, and why it's any more repugnant than the Christian right trying to do the same thing.

I believe the track record goes something like, first it applies to just the community, some ideals are inane, most of the controversial are unconstitutional here. Then the attempt is to broaden the scope of those covered to include everyone... because ya know if you ain't with em, yer agin'st em.

[DzM]

Well OK. Extremism tends to spread. I still don't understand why Islamic Extremism is any worse than Christian Extremism. Especially when it's related to the legislative process (as opposed to blowing things up).

As an atheist I'm frankly annoyed at ANY religion whose extreme wing wants to tell me how to live. I don't care if it's Shintoists or Calvinists or Muslims. The fact of the matter is that I know how I like to be treated by my fellow humans-kind, and I get cranky when ANYONE says "hey, my sky-friend's rules of etiquette take precedence." I'm astounded that Bill & Ted's "Be Excellent to Each Other" is one of the more non-infuriating dogma-laden stances I've heard in my 40ish years.

And let's face it - Christian, Jewish, and Islamic tradition all stem from the Abrahamic origin. They're all flavors of the SAME religion. They all have some good rules to live by, and they all have some batshit-insane rules. Any moderate of any one of them will come up with "hey, let's all help out our fellow man" and any extremist of any one of them will come up with "screw everyone else, let's throw rocks at 'em."

I have trouble distinguishing between the dismay I feel at the "teach the controversy of creationism vs evolution" and the "stone adulterers" camps. They're both nuts. And I've got a never-ending-pool of anger at the "Leviticus says" people that is just as great and deep as the pool of anger I have at the "Mohammed says the infidels must pay" people. At the same time I have a huge pool of disgust with the people that use one or the other to be xenophobic. As though, somehow, Iran would be TOTALLY DIFFERENT if it were governed by extremist nut-job Christian nuts instead of extremist nut-job Muslim nuts. Honestly, extremist nut-jobs of ANY religion will run a country badly if left to their own devices.

But of course, I've been drinking (I hear this is not allowed in some forms of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and probably some others). I'll probably disavow all of this tomorrow unless, in a sober re-reading, it still makes sense.

[NewJerseyRich]

I would love to delve into a good reparte' tonight but I'm beat. I agree that most are variations of the original wheel and all have had their time being run by groups that decided killin was in the best interest. Then the short answer to your first paragraph is... The radicals in this religion are different in that they today don't want you to live, period.

[kmurray105]

Anyway you can see the whole mess on Friday's show.

what channel is it on?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[DzM]

I would love to delve into a good reparte' tonight but I'm beat. I agree that most are variations of the original wheel and all have had their time being run by groups that decided killin was in the best interest. Then the short answer to your first paragraph is... The radicals in this religion are different in that they today don't want you to live, period.

I think the radicals in most religions don't want me to live if I choose to live differently than they do. Honestly, my position on most believers is "live and let live." If having faith ins a deity of some form makes a person happy, good for them. Where I get all cranky is when they say that their deity says that I can't drink, or eat what I want, or live my life in a way that seems ethical and just. I have trouble distinguishing between one religion that says "we want to tell you how to live" and another that says "we want to tell you how to live."

Also, to recreate the bad writing buzz I've got going start with a 1:1 mix of a can 350ml of coke and rye whiskey, then move on to several classes of pinot gregio. Repeat until ranting on the Internetwebs seems like a good idea.

[firehazard]

1) C'mon FH live a little!

If the definition of living a little is watching the Glenn Beck show, then perhaps there's something in the euthanasia argument after all.

I had a long conversation with a member of the Islamic community in a Plumbers Merchants today. He was selling me stuff very slowly and I was buying stuff equally slowly while we both watched the India v Pakistan game on his satellite link. He didn't try to impose any of hs beliefs on me nor want to have me stoned for being what he smilingly described as a "cocky English bastard", I feel a bit cheated.

A fair few years ago now, I used to go to an dentist of Indian descent. In the summer, he'd invariably be listening to Test Match Special on the radio in his surgery as he worked, and he got quite excited about it, especially if the Indian cricket team were touring. You really didn't want a wicket to fall while he had any sharp instruments in your mouth.

I don't think the guys from the local curry house have ever tried to convert me or kill me. Not that I've noticed, anyway. Although now I think about it, they did send us a rather dodgy King Prawn Jalfrezi a while ago. Hmm.

Anyway, I guess it must be a good thing that it's another sort of "live and let live" moderate guy like Mr Beck that's talking about these things. Just think how bad it would be if there was some hysterical xenophobic scaremonger trying to whip up tensions to a gullible audience instead. Hmm.

[KathleenwithaK]

WooHoo!!!!!! We've just added our 3647th member, jnwork!!! Didn't we used to have massive celebrations when we met milestones? Wasn't there always a promise of a date with Miss Walshy? Good times, good times...