Hot Nerd Friday: Mayim Bialik

Hey look! It's the only actually nerdy person on "The Big Bang Theory!" Mayim Bialik is known from her starring role on the early 90s hit, "Blossom," and her lively role as the eccentric, sexually frustrated scientist, Amy Farrah Fowler on the current hit show, "The Big Bang Theory," but she is so much more than a pretty face. This girl has brains! This lovely lady has a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA. I think it is so incredibly great that there are smart, beautiful professional women in the spotlight today for young girls to see and aspire to be like. What a great role model!

The Problem with Cover aka Glee vs. JoCo

I was hoping I wasn't going to feel the need to weigh in on this but I feel like this story has gotten way more bad coverage than is necessary and I'm realizing that people in general don't know a whole lot about copyright law. *sigh*

The Situation: Jonathan Coulton aka JoCo is internet famous. He is known for songs such as, "Re: Your Brains," "Code Monkey," and a whimsical, slow-jams cover of Sir Mixalot's "Baby Got Back." The song in question for this situation is that last song, "Baby Got Back." This is a cover of a song that someone else wrote so at some point in time before JoCo released the album in which this cover first appeared, JoCo payed a specific sum of money to Sir Mixalot because he wrote the song and owns the copyright. By doing so, Sir Mixalot granted JoCo permission to make money off of a song created by Sir Mixalot. JoCo then took this song all over America and the internet and the children smiled and were happy.

Sir Mixalot still owns the copyright to this song which protects the melody of the song and the lyrics, not the arrangement.

Enter "Glee." The production team on "Glee" hear JoCo's version of the song and say, "Hey that sounds like fun. Kids will like that." Production team calls up Sir Mixalot, asks for permission to use his song, he says yes, "Glee," gives him money and washes their hands clean of the incident.

The song hits iTunes and the internet is FURIOUS!!!!

Unfortunately the internet is also not entirely up on Copyright laws and starts making accusations about "Glee" going after some of JoCo's original songs next. Well, no they aren't going to do that, JoCo would be notified and they'd have to pay him loyalties first.

What was stolen here was an arrangement of a song and arrangements are not covered under U.S. copyright laws. All JoCo can do is pretty much what he's already done: express his unhappiness at the fact that "Glee," didn't ask to use his arrangement, alert media outlets that "Glee," has previously "borrowed" arrangements from other people and try to make a little money off of the situation.

(JoCo is currently selling his cover of a cover on the iTunes store and says that he plans to donate the proceeds to charity. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/baby-got-back-in-style-glee/id596893770 He has not stated which charity.)

No, he doesn't have any legal grounds to sue "Glee." His copyright was not infringed upon.

I think the biggest problem I have with this whole thing is that it could have been solved really easily!
Allow me to demonstrate:

*ring, ring*
JoCo: "Hello? Jonathan Coulton speaking."
Glee: "Hello Jonathan! We are the production team over at "Glee." Perhaps you have heard of this show!"
JoCo: "Oh yes! I don't personally watch it but yes, I have heard of it. How can I help you?"
Glee: "In a new episode this season we are considering performing a rendition of Sir Mixalot's "Baby Got Back," and we were wondering if you were cool with us using your arrangement."
JoCo: "How kind of you to ask! I would be flattered to see my rendition of this classic song on your program! Would you mind listing me in the closing credits of the show?"
Glee: "Would a "Special Thanks" suffice?"
JoCo: "Absolutely! Thank you for calling."
Glee: "Thank you, Jonathan and have a Gleeful day!"
JoCo: "You too! Goodbye!"
*hangs up phone*

Boom! That's it! The End. All they had to do. How hard is that?

Hopefully this unfortunate experience will be enough to teach the "Glee" production team to ask nicely next time... Though probably not.

Star Wars: Hopity, Hope Hope

It is no longer a rumor!

JJ Abrams will be directing Star Wars: Episode VII

I guess he DOES get to put his fingers in all the sci-fi pies.

Mr. Abrams, please don't fuck it up.

Love,

Everyone

http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/26/16713684-jj-abrams-to-direct-new-star-wars-fans-rejoice?lite

Trek Director to Direct Next Star Wars?

Rumor! Rumor, Rumor!

JJ Abrams may be the dude directing the next Star Wars movie? What the WHAT?! Of course, after he finishes directing all the Trek movies. Is Hollywood trying to FORCE the Trek and Wars crowds to get along?! That's awful! What the heck?!

Again, this is a RUMOR.

Yell as you see fit.

io9.com/5978817/jj-abrams-will-direct-the-next-star-wars-movie

also:

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/jj-abrams-set-direct-next-star-wars-film-exclusive-74596

Here's to 2013!

It is a new year and I already feel really great about it. One big reason being I got engaged last night!!! I'm so happy! Don't worry, I'll put all the mushy stuff on a different blog. Although, there may be some cross-contamination. ;) The following is a list of things I am excited about for the coming year. Some of these things may turn out to suck but it doesn't matter. I'm excited now!

Television:

The return of Community!!!

February 7th, 2013 "Community" will be back on the air!! Unfortunately, it is returning only to begin the countdown until the end but I will enjoy every moment of it!

Mad Men: Season 6

Betty and Megan catfights are in our future! Woo hoo! The new season begins April 7th with a two-hour premiere! Very exciting.

The rest of Season 7 of Doctor Who!

March 30th we will discover the mysteries of the new TARDIS and also a Miss Clara Ozwin Oswald! Also, 50th anniversary!

BBC Produced animated series based on "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell"

Please see this little article. http://www.hypable.com/2012/11/30/bbc-announces-jonathan-strange-mr-norrell-miniseries/
This should be most fun!

Season 3 of "Sherlock" Hopefully....

Well, they're starting to film in March... or so they say. It could be awhile. I guess I will have to listen to my mom yell, "But I have theories!!!" for several more months.

Season 3 of "Game of Thrones":


Top Ten Movies I'm looking forward to:
1. The Great Gatsby
2. Iron Man 3
3. After Earth
4. Thor: The Dark World
5. Hunger Games: Catching Fire
6. The Wolverine
7. Pacific Rim
8. Monster University
9. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
10. Red 2

See the trailers here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuKSJjt2V1g9Z-t_KqZaO3NaS0Uva4l-G

Now there are plenty of things that are coming out that I don't know about or don't know enough about. I looked at a list of books coming out this year and for the most part, it didn't mean anything to me. *shrug*

To all of you, I hope 2013 is a wonderful year full of great things! I know I'm already loving this year and very excited for things to come!

EVERYBODY GETS A DOCTOR!

This is me! This is my face right now. I'm Oprah-ing. At work even.

As any good Whovian knows, the 50th Anniversary of "Doctor Who" is this year. Guess what? All of the Doctors are coming back! All of them! Wired.com and the Geek Moms says so!!!!

Please lick this article profusely. http://www.wired.com/geekmom/2013/01/doctor-who-all-eleven-doctors/

AHHHHHH!!!!!

Top of 2012

Greetings and salutations, my nerds! I hope you will please excuse my absence for the last couple of weeks, I'm just starting to recover from holiday madness, four days at home and then driving my but from Northern California to Vegas and back for the Consumer Electronics Show. I think that's a pretty good excuse for falling off the face of the planet for half of a month, right? Maybe not... Oh well! What I have realized in the last two weeks is that I never did a "Favorite Things," post for this year and darn it, I think this sort of thing is entirely necessary. So here it is! My favorite things!

Favorite Movie Seen in 2012: "Midnight in Paris"

This is a movie I haven't talked about yet on the blog but I found it to be absolutely enchanting. Anytime I can't find something at the video store (yes, I still go to one of those), I suggest this movie again. Love it!

Favorite Book Read in 2012: "How to Live Safely in a Science Fiction Universe" by Charles Yu

This may not be the BEST book I've read but it is absolutely my favorite. This book made me squeal with delight and mourn the day when it was over and I could never again read it for the first time. Most science fiction involving time travel spends more time showing you it working and less time explaining how it works and how it gets fixed. I loved getting to see this alternative to the norm. It isn't a very long book and it is a disappointingly short read but I still fully endorse it.

Favorite Comic Book of 2012: "Fairest"

Specifically, I would like to call attention to issues 8 and 9 in which we go to Japan with Rapunzel to find bits of her past and meet up with a beautiful Firefox with whom she had once been lovers. I love this comic book. I love the way it delves into the unexplored pasts of some of the female characters who tend to not get a ton of attention in the regular "Fables," comics. I love how daring they can be. If you haven't started reading "Fairest," we're only about 11 issues in, you should get on this.

Favorite New-to-Me Podcast of 2012: "Ask Me Another" and "This American Life"

It is a tie on this. I listen to A LOT of podcasts all day, just about every day at work. "This American Life," is a podcast that I look forward to every Monday morning when I get in. It is usually the first thing I put on after I get caught up on the the news. I love feeling like I'm learning something unusual while I am being entertained.

"Ask Me Another," is a pop culture puzzle show hosted by Ophira Eisenberg with Jonathan Coulton as the house band. Oh my gawd, right? This show is so much fun that I often can't listen to it at work because out of seemingly nowhere, it makes me yell things like, "King Kong!" or "V for Vendetta!" and then everyone in the office stares at me, I get embarrassed and we go on with our day. I have actually applied to be a contestant on this show. If it weren't for the fact that they film in New York, I'd be on it in a heartbeat! I told the people who run the show that if they ever make it within a six hour drive of me, I will BE THERE!

Favorite TV Show of 2012: "Sherlock"

Yeah, I know what you're thinking, "Not Doctor Who?!" I adore Doctor Who but I discovered Sherlock this year. This is such a fantastically smart and suspenseful show. I am absolutely in love. My mother had surgery over the summer and she was bedridden for a short while during her recovery. I lent her the dvds of this show and one Sunday afternoon I got a phone call. When I answered she said, "So where's the rest? I need to know what happens. I have THEORIES." Sorry Mom, there isn't any more right now. Benedict Cumberbatch is highly in demand and they haven't even started filming season 3 yet. "But... but I have theories! I think I know how they did it! I need to know if I'm right!" Sorry Mom, you have to wait like the rest of us. If you haven't watched this show yet, give me a call. I will watch it with you. You may want to wait until the Season 3 air date has been released to save yourself some pain.

I hope you all had a beautiful 2012 and I'm looking forward to 2013!

Hot Nerd Friday: Ira Glass

Some of you may know Ira Glass as the voice of "This American Life." The rest of you are probably asking yourself, who the hell is Ira Glass? If you fall into that second category, please do yourself a favor and go to the iTunes store and subscribe to the "This American Life" podcast right freaking now.

This man has a fantastic radio voice. He doesn't sound like he's over-selling anything, you can tell he cares about the things he's telling you and he always sounds genuinely interested in the subjects he's reporting on. I look forward to this podcast every week. I love feeling like I'm learning something as well as being entertained. I also appreciate that he's not one of those radio guys where you hear and think, "He sounds kind of cute," and then you do an image search and go, "Whoa! Nevermind!" and then you're whole listening experience is tainted... Am I the only person who does that? Hmmm....

Ira Glass. Smart hottie of NPR.