Ponderance

The Guardian reports that Rowling has named book six in the Potter series:

Following a day of rumours concerning the title of the upcoming sixth book in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, the author herself finally settled the question on her official website today. The next volume is to be called Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The disclosure came after a fan posted a message on the 'Rumours' section of JK Rowling's site saying that the sixth book would be called Harry Potter and the Pillar of Storgé, (a reference to a Greek word, storg, meaning the affection of parents for their offspring). Rowling responded to the rumour by posting the actual title of the book on the front page of her site under the heading 'Title of Book Six: The Truth'.

An odd title which, apparently, refers neither to Harry or He Who Must Not Be Named. Not surprisingly either given the gap between four and five, no release date has been set as Rowling is still writing.

For those interested, a transcript of the first half of Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 is available here since we in Australian don't get to see it for another month. (Although, Perthies, I believe Luna Cinemas are having preview screenings on the weekend of the 15th and 16th if you want to get in early). [via Waxy]

Update: Here's part 2 of the transcript.

A.O. Scott's review of Spider-Man 2 in the New York Times has me very, very excited about this upcoming filmic experience. Scott's take:

Directed by Sam Raimi from a story whose many begetters include the novelist Michael Chabon (the sole screenwriting credit belongs to Alvin Sargent, who wrote "Ordinary People" and "Paper Moon"), "Spider-Man 2" is full of bright colors, emphatic noises and elaborate special effects. That much is to be expected. But its distinguishing features, I'm happy to report, are strong characters and honest feelings. Like its Marvel Comics cousin "X-Men 2," this sequel, freed from the dreary burden of exposition, is better than its predecessor, and also superior to most other comic-book-based movies. It has a more credible (and more frightening) villain, a more capacious and original story and a self-confidence based not only on the huge success of the first "Spider-Man" but also on Mr. Raimi's intuitive and enthusiastic grasp of the material.

Sounds like the superhero genre is maturing to me (even if my childish enthusiasm suggests I might not be!).

For a minute there, I thought that The Age was being naive enough to suggest that blogging was brand new. Then, as I continued reading Mike Barton's "Blog, baby, blog" article, I realised it was the longest advertisement I'd read in a long time. After comparing three blog engines (Blogger, LiveJournal and Moveable Type), Barton then adds a hosting service to the mix and concludes that it's a better deal! An excerpt:

Google Blogger
Price: Free (for ad-supported hosting)
Rating: ***½
Website: blogger.com
Blogger is making a clear pitch to the beginners. It doesn't get any easier than this, and Audioblogger is cool, but it still trails TypePad in features. Google has also cleverly added a Blogger button to its Internet Explorer toolbar, making posting as you surf a snap. Finding and meeting friends using profiles is an interesting new feature. If you want to get rid of the ads and be able to upload images, Blogger's hosting upgrade option starts at $US5 a month.

Platform Networks' Power-Weblogger plan
Price: $20 setup, $10 per month.
Rating: ****½
Website: platformnetworks.net
MovableType 3.0 installed ($20) and hosted for $10 per month is a bargain. For that price, you get 100MB of disk space and 2000MB of bandwidth per month, as well as unlimited email addresses for your domain. Movable Type is powerful but easy to use and won't take a lot of time to get rolling, especially given the good basic templates. If you need more than one person to contribute to the blog, you will need to upgrade Movable Type, which will cost $69 and includes web-based support.

And ...

The verdict

With unlimited email accounts, your own web server space, your choice of Movable Type or WordPress installed, and domain registration all in one place, Platform Networks's Power-Weblogger hosting package offers the most bang for the Aussie buck. Movable Type is the best choice for your installation if you're just getting started and want to get running with sharp looking default templates. Platform also offers domain registration (required), but cheaper options such as GoDaddy.com are available.

I hope The Age was paid impressively by Platform Networks, because the credibility of this article and technology section in general is laughable after this "effort"!

Michael Moore's controversial Bush-bashing documentary has cleaned up at the US box office, breaking most established records for a documentary feature opening. The Hollywood Reporter notes:

As it led the charge at the boxoffice this weekend and if estimates hold up, "Fahrenheit" will have eclipsed the total domestic take of Moore's most recent film, United Artists' "Bowling for Columbine" ($21.6 million), which was the largest non-Imax, nonconcert documentary of all time. The highest-grossing documentary of all time is the large-format "Everest" ($128 million worldwide). Prior to "Fahrenheit," the biggest opening for a documentary was Paramount's "Tupac: Resurrection," which debuted with $4.6 million from 801 theaters and went on to take in $7.7 million.

As Gibson's The Passion of the Christ proved, while bad publicity is one thing, heatedly polemical publicity is much, much better!

Perth's only Independent Film Festival reaches its seventh year as it opens this Thursday. Revelation is in the process of seemingly rebranding as the "Perth International Film Festival" which seems appropriate given the multicultural flavour of a number of this year's offerings. Unlike the cash cow film festival within the Perth International Arts Festival, Revelation maintains a focus on films which might not appeal to a wide audience, but since most are only screen twice (once in Leederville, once in Fremantle), I'm sure Revelation will have a successful year. While there's too much on that I really want to see, here's the shortlist countdown:
[5] INTERSTELLA 5555 - The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem - Interstellar Japanese anime meets french funksters Daft Punk. Kewl.
[4] The Corporation - The history of big corporations and big business. The interviews with Noam Chomsky and Michael Moore might even get you ready for Fahrenheit 9/11 (opening July 29th @ Luna). [See The Corporation Trailer here.]
[3] THE CAT RETURNS (Neko No Ongaeshi) - Japanese anime master production house Studio Ghibli and director Hiroyuki Morita bring cats and fairy tales to the screen in a fantastical intertwining visual treat (well, that's what I expect after Spirited Away!).
[2] The Animation Showcase - Revelation always brings the best new short animations to Perth and this year is no exception. I'm particularly looking forward to After Dolly (where genetic engineering mets claymation), Generation (bizzara grayscale 3D animation) and The Olympiad's Lounge (where the Ancient Greek Gods do standup comedy!) (Luna Leederville: Tue 6 July, 7:00pm/Luna SX: Fri 9 July, 7:15pm).

[1] A Page of Madness - A black and white Japanese film from 1926 which was thought lost until a few years ago. Director Teinosuke Kinugasa explores the world of an insane asylum with artistic shots and cinematic effects which are decades ahead of the curve. The film's audio is provided by UK group In the Nursery with a blend of electronica and orchestral sounds. The only screening takes place at 9pm on July 10th @ Luna Leederville so Perth folk, I might just see you there!

Joss Whedon's Firefly film Serentiy is currently being shot. You can follow all the on-set drama at the all-new Serenity Blog!

Yesterday marked the beginning of the new SBS Movie Show without David and Margaret. The new team--Megan Spencer, Jaimie Leonarder, Fenella Kernebone & Marc Fennell--have big shoes to fill and, in all fairness, made a pretty average beginning. The new format has Megan, Jamie and Fenella reviewing films, supposedly bouncing off one another, while Marc Fennell does the DVD reviews. Fennell, I think, actually worked pretty well. However, the main film review trio lacked energy and, more to the point, seemed unwilling to really disagree with one another. (See The Age for a full rundown.) It was a pretty dull, 3 1/2 stars for everything type show. Don't get me wrong, reading the reviews shows that they were thought through and interesting. However, Megan and Jamie seem to have forgotten this isn't radio: the reviews are read well, but there is no personality to the onscreen image. Fenella has a bit more energy, but seemed to be trying to prop up two non-entities in the chairs behind her. The supposedly funked up set and opening really didn't excite me, either. I have high hopes, though, that after a month or two on TV they will ease into the roles a bit more and maybe find their TV groove. They do have big shoes to fill, after all, and speaking of which ...

Margaret Pomerancz and David Stratton's new movie show called At The Movies commences Thursday, July 1st at 9.30pm and I'm excited to have them back. The Age notes that it will have a similar feel, setup and format as the old Movie Show, but in a later timeslot which, amongst other things, will mean no more editing out the saucy bits and swear words in film clips. And they're in fine form:

The slot also takes them into a different censorship zone, moving from the PG of 8pm to an MA at 9.30pm. Pomeranz, with an ear still tuned to the responsibilities of a producer, notes that the first show features a film clip that includes the word "f-k". It's a clip that couldn't have been used at SBS.

When asked if the later timeslot might affect the new show in other ways, Pomeranz emits her squawk of a laugh and exclaims, "Well, I've been dying to say 'f-k you' to David for years and I've never been able to!"

Stratton rolls his eyes and smiles. "You see what I have to put up with?"

It'll be so good to have them back!

[X] Google plans to release some of its underlying software code.
[X] Wired looks at Asimov's legacy before the I, Robot film is released. (Alex Proyas claims to have made "the most faithful cinematic reworking of Asimov's stories to date, true to the spirit and ideas, yet reenvisioned." That's not the preview I saw!)
[X] The NYTimes' review of Fahrenheit 9/11 is out and calls the film uneven and populist and thus "an authentic and indispensable document of its time"! (A.O. Scott argues it " is many things: a partisan rallying cry, an angry polemic, a muckraking inquisition into the use and abuse of power. But one thing it is not is a fair and nuanced picture of the president and his policies.")
[X] Download Aborted! has a provocative piece asking "Should life be Open Source?".
[X] Download GMail to a POP3 account with GMail to.
[X] Play the addictively simplistic ALife game MicroLife. (Why do I always get addicted to games which are pitched at primary school aged children?!?)

The latest Dreamworks Animation film Shrek 2 is definitely funnier that the first Shrek, but it is also a lot more uneven. The opening montage looking at Shrek and Fiona's honeymoon is one of the funniest 5 minutes of film ever. The animation is, unsurprisingly, top notch and very, very pretty. The original ensemble of Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Princes Fiona) and Eddie Murphy (Donkey) are as funny as last time, and the new additions are well voiced also, including Julie Andrews as the Queen of Far, Far Away; John Cleese as her antagonistic farther-in-law-type and King; Rupert Everett as the delightfully vain Prince Charming; and Jennifer Saunders as a delectably evil Fairy Godmother. The standout new voice, though, has to be Antonio Banderas' effort as Puss In Boots, who goes from cute to cannonball in the time it takes to hack up a furball:


While the jokes are plentiful, the musical choices for are awkward and poorly chosen, except for those in the last half hour. These numbers tend to interrupt the flow of the film, breaking the otherwise breakneck laugh-a-minute pace. That said, for film buff's I don't think there is a single scene which isn't nodding at a past cinematic effort. Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the LA shopping strips are all marvellous parodied and medievalised, while the re-working of the Oscar's red-carpet commentary with fairy tale characters is to die for. Shrek 2 is definitely worth viewing and has layers of humour of keep both the kiddies and adults pleased as an Orge in a mudhole!

This Friday in the US, Michael Moore's scaldingly controversial documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 opens and the US news media is warming up for one hell of a paper-selling debate over Moore, Bush, the political utility of the documentary style itself and, of course, the possible re-election of Dubyah.

Film critic extraordinaire Roger Ebert has a great article which argues documentaries always have strong political points of view, but Moore's biggest problem is that in sensationalising issues, he sometimes muddies his facts. This is based on Bowling for Columbine, not Fahrenheit 9/11, I should add.

The NY Times has an even better article which looks suggests that Fahrenheit 9/11 appears to be factually correct, but Moore is preparing for the kind of muck-raking campaign (on both sides) which makes a presidential election look polite. For example:

Mr. Moore is readying for a conservative counterattack, saying he has created a political-style "war room" to offer an instant response to any assault on the film's credibility. He has retained Chris Lehane, a Democratic Party strategist known as a master of the black art of "oppo," or opposition research, used to discredit detractors. He also hired outside fact-checkers, led by a former general counsel of The New Yorker and a veteran member of that magazine's legendary fact-checking team, to vet the film. And he is threatening to go one step further, saying he has consulted with lawyers who can bring defamation suits against anyone who maligns the film or damages his reputation.

While Philip Shenon thinks Moore is on safe ground:

After a year spent covering the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, I was recently allowed to attend a Hollywood screening. Based on that single viewing, and after separating out what is clearly presented as Mr. Moore's opinion from what is stated as fact, it seems safe to say that central assertions of fact in "Fahrenheit 9/11" are supported by the public record (indeed, many of them will be familiar to those who have closely followed Mr. Bush's political career).

On the Australian Dubyah-bashing front the Weekend Australian contains a Phillip Adams' fabulous ficticious interview with George W. in which all of his seemingly idiotic answers coming from actual Bush archives.

The Australian release date for Fahrenheit 9/11 is July 29th, but media previews are scheduled earlier. I think I'm seeing it on July 10th, so check back for an opinion informed by the actual documentary (and not just the hype) a day or two thereafter.

Update: Check out the Fahrenheit 9/11 Movie Community for a forum to discuss all things Michael Moore and F911ish.

Update 2: Check out The George W. Bush Public Domain Audio Archive for all the samples you could ever need to create your own Bush audio doco or remix! (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

Soon there will be enough of the Yeti Sports events to hold a Yeti OIympics! For now, check out the fifth installment: Flamingo Drive.

Those darn elephants keep getting in my way!

The new version of the world's most promising browser, FireFox (0.9), is out and it's marvellous!

Check out Neil's Tour of 0.9 for all the improvements!

Well, it had to happen eventually: the first mobile phone virus has struck, but only effecting people with Bluetooth enabled phones. The ABC reports:

The first computer virus that can infect mobile phones has been discovered by researchers in France. Anti-virus software developers say the virus, called Cabir, appears to have been developed by an international group to show that no technology is safe from attack. Cabir infects the Symbian operating system that is used in several makes of mobiles, notably the Nokia brand, and propagates through the new bluetooth wireless technology that is in some new mobile phones. If the virus succeeds in penetrating a mobile, it writes the inscription 'Caribe' on the screen and is then activated every time the phone is turned on. It is able to scan for phones that are also using the Bluetooth technology and is able to send a copy of itself to the first handset that it finds.

The rundown at Symmantec suggests the virus is pretty weak and not very harmful, but I suspect it is the harbinger of a whole new realm of digital viruses!

[*] Slayerverse reports that the Buffy: Animated Series has cast voice talent for Buffy (not Sarah Michelle Gellar).
[*] The NY Times reports that Yahoo! Mail will increase to 100MB and offer a paid 2GB service (but why would I pay for something that Google offers for free ... even if I used a whole Gig, I could just get a second free GMail account).
[*] The NY Times also suggests that the DVD release of the original Stepford Wives film shows that it wasn't too hot, either! (They lie!)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the first of the Potter films which is actually a film in its own right rather than a predictable book-as-script adaptation. Director Alfonso Cuarón (of Y tu mamá también fame) has brought his own magic to Rowling's tale and created a cinematic experience worthy of the best of the Potter series to date (at least in my humble opinion!). While purists may be appalled at Cuarón's lack of fidelity to the book, his alterations make the story far more cinematic while remaining faithful to the tone and feel of the tale. Simple changes see the Weasley twins producing sweets which make the recipient sound like an animal, as opposed to the unfilmability of different tastes. More dramatic changes see Malfoy's race-hatred relegated to a couple of lines, and the backstory of Azkaban prison completely omitted, and that's just the beginning. These changes, however, make Azkaban a far better spectacle. Cuarón has brought an almost gothic sensibility to the project, with haunting shots, terrifying Dementers and a generally darker feel to the whole story. Of equal importance is Cuarón's own take on magic and muggle lore; the set and prop design suggest a relationship between magic and technology, positing magic as having some sort of origins in Copernican science. Lupin's study harks back to early ideas of astrology, but also manages to draw in elements of alchemy. Professor Lupin, played by David Thewlis and Professor Trelawney played by Emma Thompson are both perfect additions to the cast. Lupin's relationship to Harry becomes even more fatherly in the film, while Thompson has minimal screen time, but makes the most of every second (it should be added that her annoying classes and the portents of Harry's demise are only just included in the film). The Marauder's Map provides bookends for the film, and is fantastically brought to the screen! I must admit, I like Harry less and less as the story continues (in both book and film), so I might be being a bit harsh when I find Daniel Radcliffe's acting a bit cardboardy at times. On the other hand, Rupert Grint's Ron is funnier than ever and Emma Watson's portrayal of Hermione Granger is brilliant; Hermione really gets to star in Azkaban and she makes the most of it (she is, after all, the most talented witch of her age!). So, if you haven't guess by now, I think Alfonso Cuarón has done a brilliant job with this third installment of the Potter series; the film is joy to watch and the only one (so far) worthy of re-watching!

Mischief Managed.

Finally, after the UK and US versions have been out for ages, there is a release date for Joss Whedon's cancelled space-Western cum feature film!

The first and only season of FireFly comes to Australia (region 4) DVD on Wednesday, 4th August, 2004! Finally.

Studio_W and Laser Music have created possibly the coolest flash video ever: Breakdancing Transformers! More than meets the eye, alright!

For the past three years I've been part of an Editorial Collective which produces the refereed academic journal Limina. This year I was also the Book Reviews Editor and submitted an article entitled 'Rationality, Representation and the Holocaust in Life is Beautiful', which is a paper I wrote a couple of years ago and finally got around to editting up for publication. The Editorial Collective is entirely peopled by postgraduates in the disciplines of History and English, Communication and Cultural Studies at my uni (UWA), so to reach its tenth edition and tenth year was a pretty big deal. Last night we celebrated the release of the tenth edition with a well-attended launch party which for some of us continued rather late into the night! Limina is becoming an online only journal next year, and to usher that decision in, number 10's release online and in print was simultaneous. The launch of this edition also marks the end of my time as an editor as I've got to buckle down, finished the PhD, and have a course to teach in semester two. So, with a tenth anniversary and a big goodbye for me, it was an emotional night!

Our spiffy minimalist cover designed by the always-stylish Marianne was a fitting end to print, I thought:

(Click to enlarge).

Also, in the reviews section, I had three review, two of which I've posted in this blog before (reviews of The Video Game Theory Reader and Artificial Life and Cyberfeminism). I thought I'd finaly getting around to posting the final review here now as the last vestage of Limina-related activity. So, my last Limina review:

Lisa Nakamura. Cybertypes: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity on the Internet. London and New York: Routledge, 2002; pp.192; RRP $44.00 paperback.

Within the field of cybercultural studies no single writer is as widely recognised for exploring the oft-ignored categories of race and ethnicity in cyberspace(s) as Lisa Nakamura. Her writing is mandatory for any undergraduate course exploring identity online and her new book Cybertypes: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity on the Internet finally collects all of her articles under one cover. Of the five main chapters, each is based upon one or two previously published articles or chapters, although most have been reworked to some (usually minimal) extent. The additional framing elements of the introduction and conclusion, while brief, do contextualise and historicise Nakamura's work in important ways and provide important signposts for future work.

The first chapter, 'Cybertyping and the work of race in the age of digital reproduction', opens with an introduction of the term 'cybertype', built upon the nineteenth century word stereotype, which originally referred to a machine which could easily mass reproduce specific images. Nakamura uses cybertype since 'identity online is still typed, still mired in oppressive roles', and expands the term 'to describe the distinctive ways that the Internet propagates, disseminates, and commodifies images of race and racism' (3-4). The chapter then deals with a number of cybertypes-including Indian Silicon Valley workers (cybertyped as efficient and cheap immigrants)-and also examines the theory that access to the internet equals equality online, a theory touted in much of the US government's 'digital divide' rhetoric. Nakamura also reworks and deploys some provocative terminology: for example, she uses the term 'remastered', which in technical terms describes the process of converting analogue media into digital, to mean the transference of previous racial stereotypes from the offline world into online contexts.

Chapter two, 'Head-hunting on the Internet' looks at three specific online environments: the text-based LambdaMOO and graphically oriented chat spaces The Palace and Club Connect. Nakamura examines how race is represented in these spaces, and specifically how racial identities are maintained or performed both by those people who are portraying their 'real' identity and those who are presenting their digital selves differently to their material lives. Nakamura discusses two main features of online identity: 'passing', whereby netizens can pass as having a different racial (or gender or class) identity online via avatars and textual descriptions; and 'identity tourism' which specifically looks at white users who 'try out' other racial identities online, thinking they have experienced being 'other', but have really done nothing of the sort due to the different ways race operates online and in the material world. While Nakamura's points are well made, she makes the unfortunate choice of comparing avataristic identity online with the television programmes Fantasy Island and Quantum Leap. This unproblematised cross-medium referencing detracts from Nakamura's very medium-specific insights about race online, and is hampered more so by an erroneous summary, explanation and thus analogies drawn from Quantum Leap (58-59; for example, describing Sam Beckett's body leaping as a purposeful 'quest' when it was actually caused by an error during scientific experiments).

Chapter three, 'Race in the construct and the construction of race: the "consensual hallucination" of multiculturalism in the fictions of cyberspace' examines four cyberpunk works-Blade Runner, Neuromancer, Snow Crash and The Matrix-and the racial politics of these cyberspace-related works. Nakamura argues that in the first two works from the 1980s there is an evident 'techno-orientalism', whereby figures from the Japanese past become signifiers for a supposedly hip multicultural future. However, Japanese and other Asian characters still end up in peripheral or supporting roles, suggesting that cultural appropriation by no means ensures equality. The latter two texts are analysed as presenting more complex ideas of race and Nakamura's analysis of The Matrix, which still ultimately installs a white messiah above all else, is particularly strong. However, Nakamura's readings of Neuromancer and Blade Runner are both very straight forward, offering little new to readers familiar with cyberpunk criticism, making this the least inspired chapter of the collection. In direct contrast, the following chapter '"Where do you want to go today?" Cybernetic tourism, the Internet and transnationality' contains a much more focused reading of advertising campaigns for software and technology during the mid-nineties. Nakamura's argument for the paradoxical nature of these advertisements, which presented an image of digital boundlessness where race no longer matters while simultaneously using the exoticised other as something Western computer uses could digitally visit, is made precisely and powerfully. With some disappointment, it is also the shortest chapter in the book.

The final chapter, 'Menu-driven identities: making race happen online' looks at specific ways that race happens on the web and then compares these findings with certain emailing practices. The drop-down menus and clickable boxes that are all too often used to categorically define 'race' online are traced back to the fact that race is a key marketing category. Along with gender, age and income, information about race is sought by websites in order to target advertising. Commerce is rapidly becoming the main regulatory backbone of life online. Moreover, Nakamura argues, rather than becoming more complex, these categories either perpetuate the status quo or try to simplify 'race' even further to establish an easily manageable and database-driven identity for marketing efficiency. In contrast, email is argued to still allow the greatest flexibility online. Email still facilitates flexible communication and rhizomatic formations, such as group emails and even email forwarding (which Nakamura focuses upon).

Cybertypes is not a perfect collection. Some of the material examined, especially secondary popular culture texts, is not mastered allowing poor analogies to occur. Also, some of the material reads as slightly dated, mainly due to the original publication dates of some of the article being in the mid-nineties. However, as an introductory text on race and racism online, Cybertypes is still strongly argued and easily accessible. A plethora of cyberspaces are examined, and a host of useful ideas and concepts are deployed. While Nakamura argues against simplistic menu-driven identities, it is safe to say that in Cybertypes she has provided a smorgasbord of tools and perspectives with which to further examine race online.

The New York Times reports on one of the funniest and largest fan edits ever:

On the screen "The Sorcerer's Stone" [or Philsopher's Stone for us non-American types] played as it was released by Warner Brothers. But the original soundtrack, dialogue and all, was turned down and replaced by an alternate version created by a 27-year-old comic book artist from Austin, Tex., named Brad Neely. He calls his soundtrack "Wizard People, Dear Reader," and it is one more breach of the media industry's control of its products. With Mr. Neely's gravelly narration, the movie's tone shifts into darkly comic, pop-culture-savvy territory. Hagrid, Harry Potter's giant, hairy friend, becomes Hagar, the Horrible, and Harry's fat cousin becomes Roast Beefy. As imagined by Mr. Neely, the three main characters are child alcoholics with a penchant for cognac, the magical ballgame Quidditch takes on homoerotic overtones, and Harry is prone to delivering hyper-dramatic monologues. "I am a destroyer of worlds," bellows Mr. Neely at one point, sending laughter reverberating through the warehouse Friday night. "I am Harry" expletive "Potter!"

The article carries on to compare Wizard People, Dear Reader with the (in)famous Phantom Edit (Episode I without Jar Jar, re-edited by fans) and other "classic" media poaching. As always, copyright is on the table: should J.K. Rowling be making money off this? Well, you have to play the DVD or video of the first Potter film for the audio fan-dub to work, so I guess she already does okay. The article continues along this line, in slightly more academic tones:

It is not clear that Mr. Neely's soundtrack violates the studio's copyright. Jonathan Zittrain, co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School, said that while the copyright holder retains the rights to derivative works, it was possible "Wizard People" was protected under the rules that allow "fair use" of copyrighted works for purposes like criticism, comment and news reporting. "The long-term strategic threat to the entertainment industry is that people will get in the habit of creating and making as much as watching and listening, and all of a sudden the label applied to people at leisure, 50 years in the making ? consumer ? could wither away," he said. "But it would be a shame if Hollywood just said no. It could very possibly be in the interest of publishers to see a market in providing raw material along with finished product."

Regardless of the market-value, the idea of consumers becoming active is something that media fans have advocated and practiced for decades (see, of course, Henry Jenkins' book Textual Poachers). Active engagement, from the standpoint of developing a critical and aware audience, is always preferable. And it doesn't hurt one little bit that Wizard People, Dear Reader is so funny you'll hurt yourself laughing. (It is downloadable as MP3s from the fabulous Illegal-Art.Org here).

There have been some pretty funny 404 error messages at times (you know, the 404 'this page doesn't exist' type things that you see on the web). This has to be my favourite, though:

Found here.

I've been playing with the new Hello PhotoBlogging Tool which allows those of us using Blogger to post and host pictures (albeit within in fairly specific size parameters). Here's a quick test, capturing the storm-tossed Sunday I can see from my back window:

Although Blogger still doesn't officially host files other than the text and templates of blogs, this new service has no obvious limits in terms of photos, so it's certainly a step toward Blogger freely hosting a lot more than just text!

Some days, Australian politics and conservatism just makes me sad. The ABC is currently being hauled over the flames of 'family values' for airing an episode of Play School which featured a girl with two mothers. The Australian reports:

Speaking "on behalf of the majority of Australian parents", Children's Minister Larry Anthony said he was concerned the ABC was "putting out this kind of content". "When it comes to my children, when I want to explain about same-sex couples, it should be up to parents, it should be up to me, not the Australian broadcaster," Mr Anthony said. Health Minister Tony Abbott called the episode "shocking" and Communications Minister Daryl Williams has told ABC managing director Russell Balding Play School should deal only with issues "appropriate for the age of its audience". The footage, screened during the regular Through the Windows segment, showed Brenna's two mums waving and smiling while she played on a merry-go-round with her friend. According to the ABC and the show's presenters, Jay Laga'aia and Leah Vandenburg, the segment reflected part of the community, and was not about promoting lesbian families. "It's about two girls who are on a fun outing -- that's it, there is no statement," a bemused Ms Vandenberg said. Head of Children's Television Claire Henderson said the film showed one of the many types of family groups that exist in Australia today.

*sigh* Anthony and Abbott, isn't is about time some sued *you* for preventing representative numbers of single and gay & lesbian parents in children's programming?

Not to be outdone, the Office of Film and Literature Classification in Australia has given the third Harry Potter film an M15+ rating. The SMH reports:

The Australian distributor has appealed against a rating that makes Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban not recommended for anyone under 15. The M15+ rating, with advice that the movie contains horror elements, is potentially damaging for its box office compared with the PG - for Parental Guidance - for the first two movies. Managing director of Roadshow Film Distributors Joel Pearlman said yesterday that the third instalment also deserved a PG. He described the M as the toughest rating for the movie in the world.

So now parents across Australia will have to decide whether to take the Office of Film and Literature rating seriously. But if the similarly conservative US and UK ratings systems both give the film a PG rating, why on earth does our censorship board think Aussie kids are more fragile? Hmmm?

Michael Gunn, a student at the University of Kent at Canterbury in the UK was told he wouldn't graduate since he committed plagiarism in his final essays. Gunn, however, is planning to sue his university, not to prove he didn't plagiarise, but rather to prove he did all the time, and he thus claims his university should have disciplined him earlier in his degree, not at the end. The BBC Education section reports Gunn's lament:

"I can see there is evidence I have gone against the rules, but they have taken all my money for three years and pulled me up the day before I finished. [...] If they had pulled me up with my first essay at the beginning and warned me of the problems and consequences, it would be fair enough. [...] But all my essays were handed back with good marks and no one spotted it."

I'm sorry, but plagiarism is plagiarism. Yes, it's sad that a university missed three solid years of it, but if Kent is anything like Western Australian universities, there are warnings against plagiarism everywhere. What the hell is the point of a university degree which is mainly plagiarised anyway?!? [Via Neil Gaiman]

I wish I could afford to head to the US in November, because the first dedicated conference analysing Neil Gamain's Sandman is happening then. Details:

Fiddler's Green will be a Sandman-focused literary convention at the Millennium Hotel, Minneapolis, 12-14 November 2004. All proceeds, after the con is over and the bills are paid, will be donated to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Neil Gaiman will, of course, be the principal Guest of Honor. For more details see: http://www.fiddlersgreencon.org.

Academics: If you've written (thesis, dissertation, or articles) on some aspect of Sandman, comics, or another topic related to our program, and you're interested in engaging in informal discussion of your premises and conclusions, please send us an email with a brief summary, to program@fiddlersgreencon.org, so we may consider what panels to seat you on.

Educators & Librarians: If you're interested in participating in an open workshop on some topic(s) related to using Sandman and other comics in the classroom, or supporting graphic novels in school or community libraries, please send us an email to program@fiddlersgreencon.org. We're looking for workshop topics that are relevant to current situations, and to know how many people might be interested in participating.

For more details click here. I wish I could go ...

The BBC reports that the on-again off-again Buffy Animated Series is finally and definitely ON:

Like any great Buffy story it's all about resurrection. We have the same great crew, the same commitment from the actors and the same scripts we had in the drawer. It just needed the stake taken out of it so it could rise again. ... We're thrilled to have Alyson (Willow), Nick (Xander) and Tony (Giles) on board so far. ... Don't you know? Joss has cloned himself so he can take care of all parts of his empire. Trust us, there ain't gonna be no Buffy Animated without Joss getting ink and paint all over his hands.

So, with Angel's recent demise in the US, it seemed the Buffyverse might get very cold, but it's coming back and seemingly headed back to the earlier Buffy days of teen angst and high school when just one vampire was enough to cause problems! Sounds promising!

Ren Reynolds over at Terra Nova has an interesting piece on 'Synthespians' which has provoked some discussion as to the cost and practicality of using real human 'actors' or, indeed, amateurs, to voice and control game characters in realtime. While the discussion as to ecomomics provides reason to doubt that MMPORGs will have realistic actor-based game characters (other than other game players) any time soon, I was reminded of Neil Stephenson's The Diamond Age in which the most expensive and elite games and virtual experiences (since you couldn't quite call the Young Lady's Illustrated Primer a game, more an edu-simulation) feature 'ractors' who are 'real actors' behind virtual charcters. Stephenson creates a divide between the more elite/expensive games (or virtual experiences) and more run-of-the-mill games which only have algorithm based characters. From the sounds of things, this might be a relatively accurate portrayal of the near future of gaming ...