weapons of massdistraction

As a photographer I am a fan of Intellectual Property protections, to an extent, and understand the need and desire for them. I try to both share and safeguard my work using Creative Commons and am licensing some of my photos through Getty Images. But fuck SOPA and PIPA. Yesterday’s “internet blackout” protest was interesting. I saw a lot of well-written pieces about this poorly thought out legislation. But hands down the best came from Matthew Inman / The Oatmeal who boiled it down to it’s “like dealing with a lion that has escaped from the zoo by blasting some kittens with a flame thrower” - well put.

Moving right along. I was SO excited about the fifth annual Diorama-Rama in Duluth. I gathered some materials to create my own diorama and had planned to drive up with a friend or two. And then. I realized my company’s big 10th anniversary celebration / cocktail party is the very same night. Clockwork will always win.

Five hot, bothered or otherwise interesting things:

• “The Actors Inside Big Bird, Chewbacca, Barney, and More“
• I feel like I’m not that easily surprised. But still. When I started reading about a short film called The Meaning of Robots I wasn’t expecting it to be about robot sex. “The benevolent Mike Sullivan, age 65, has been shooting an epic stop-motion robot sex film in his apartment for the last 10 years.” Huh. I sort of want to see it but I also know I wouldn’t be able to un-see it. The documentary premieres at Sundance tomorrow night.
• Also weird but oddly intriguing, a co-worker was talking about humorist A. J. Jacobs, and one of his books, The Year of Living Biblically, about his quest to “live the ultimate biblical life. To follow every single rule in the Bible – as literally as possible.” The audio book version read by the author himself comes highly recommended.
• My son is still on a huge Sculpey clay kick. And a friend just pointed out this great idea, for DIY snow globes, with Sculpey clay. GENIUS!
• A brand spanking new MacBook Air arrived at work today JUST FOR ME. I see much data transfer and rejoicing in my immediate future.

So far 2012 has involved an awful lot of reading. In the last week alone I’ve devoured Dan O’Malley’s The Rook, that in one sitting, before doing nearly the same with Alice in Deadland. And then I got sucked into Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series - I’m on book two - with a main character who is a cross between Shadow from American Gods and Harry Dresden from The Dresden Files. But raunchier and more fun, and in Los Angeles. And yes, this is all the intellectual equivalent of junk food. But I require satisfaction! Especially considering I’ve been eating super healthily as of late. Also satisfying? Not staying in to read (tempting though it may be) but going out with friends tonight and pretty much all weekend ahead of me to some happy-making events and gatherings. I do need my people.