Happy Easter

and what could be cuter than a puppy Easter?

Click the above image for the YouTube video.

See more progress on: be entertained

Lawyers win again

A Calvin and Hobbes fan put together some images overlaying Calvin and Hobbes onto real photos. The lawyers told him (nicely) to take down the images because they violated Bill Watterson’s “unwavering” wishes that Calvin and Hobbes only exist in specific formats as he created them.

There is a clause in the copyright law for “fair use”. From wikipedia:

Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders…

The first factor is regarding whether the use in question helps … stimulate creativity for the enrichment of the general public, or whether it aims to only … for reasons of personal profit.

As a side note, the creator of the images did put up a “donate” button to which he netted about $85. However, as someone who did something out of his love for Calvin and Hobbes, there’s no way he could have afforded a lawyer to go to court, so in the end, he complied with the request to take down the images.

This marks a sad day for Calvin and Hobbes…

We may have to worry if David Hasselhoff’s lawyers ever get wind of 43T.

Reference:

• http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130225/16405822102/copyright-strikes-again-real-calvin-hobbes-shut-down-copyright-claim.shtml
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use

See more progress on: fight for truth, justice, and the American way

Even the miracle pine has died...

In the city of Rikuzentakata, Japan, out of 70,000 trees in the coastal area, a lone pine was able to withstand the tsunami.

Eventually, the tree succumbed to all the salt water in the soil and died. It was estimated the tree was about 173 years old (actually not as old as the original estimates). The city has rebuilt the pine as a memorial. The cost for restoration was enormous, though, exceeding $1.5 million. You can find many people on the Internet criticizing the decision for the restoration, saying that the money could have been better spent elsewhere… True, but sometimes you need to have something to help build hope, and remembering the tree’s amazing survival is something which local people can use to help give themselves strength to rebuild the community and their own lives.

References:

• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304569504576403883779887702.html
• http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/quake_tsunami/AJ201303070010

See more progress on: PRAY FOR JAPAN

Some people have all the fun...

Canyon cliff jumping.

Click on the image for the video.

I am wondering what happens when they get to the other side. I think this is the part where Wile E Coyote slams into the canyon wall.

See more progress on: be entertained

I would have been more impressed

if all 3 things he was juggling were Rubik’s Cubes.

but you can click the above image to see Ravi Fernando solve a Rubik’s Cube while juggling.

Actually, the following video is even better because it shows him juggling from his point of view by use of a head cam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYjgwfV84TE

And if that’s not impressive enough, here’s an unrelated video of an unrelated person doing something equally impressive… or maybe not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFRKHp49FvI

Warning: Don’t try this at home.

See more progress on: be entertained