arbutuswonk

tonight was rough...

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:13:39 GMT

well tonight was our third game of the Handsome Devils Football Club session. we are now 3-0. that is a great record. we are totally in line to win the trophy at the end of the session! woooooooo! awesome.

even though we played really well, tonight's game put a hurting on me and the team. first and foremost. i feel like i jinxed the team. i was just talking, i think with amanda, about how we haven't had a serious injury in a while. well tonight it all changed, while jeff was warming up for goal, dave fired off one of his usual hard shots at jeff. jeff didn't really get in front of it. he put out one arm, but not to punch away. when his hand got there it was whipped back and he was out of commission. after waiting around in the box for a bit, he decided to head off to the hospital. well when i got the update, i found out his wrist was broken!!!!

that wasn't all. i'm also pretty beaten up again. i fell really hard after colliding with the big guy with the knee pads! when i fell i kinda went back on my left wrist, which is clearly sprained. also i got kicked again outside of my shin guards. i of course have another hemotoma! DAMN! totally sucks. i was thinking about buying new shin guards today, because mine were all broken and beaten up from outdoor soccer. i totally need to get to soccer american this week!!! and get some big heavy duty shin guards.

i just want to relax in a hot tub/jacuzzi tub right now. who has a hot tub and wants to take care my old beaten up ass...no, seriously! :-p

Thu, 24 May 2007 13:15:54 GMT

i had to put aggie down today. she was pretty old, i'm not exactly sure how old since she was a stray when amanda got her. i never really was a cat person but she was an amazing friend and i loved her very very much. aggie's had a great life. she lived all over, including new orleans, arbutus, jacksonville, and hamden. fare thee well aggie.

Mon, 07 May 2007 14:57:18 GMT

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:25:33 GMT

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:58:17 GMT

is this me? i have been told i'm a typical scorpio.

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 02:16:24 GMT

Scorpios are the most intense, profound, powerful characters in the zodiac. Even when they appear self-controlled and calm there is a seething intensity of emotional energy under the placid exterior. They are like the volcano not far under the surface of a calm sea, it may burst into eruption at any moment. But those of us who are particularly perceptive will be aware of the harnessed aggression, the immense forcefulness, magnetic intensity, and often strangely hypnotic personality under the tranquil, but watchful composure of Scorpio. In conventional social gatherings they are pleasant to be with, thoughtful in conversation, dignified, and reserved, yet affable and courteous; they sometimes possess penetrating eyes which make their shyer companions feel naked and defenseless before them.

In their everyday behavior they give the appearance of being withdrawn from the center of activity, yet those who know them will recognize the watchfulness that is part of their character. They need great self-discipline, because they are able to recognize the qualities in themselves that make them different from other humans, and to know their utterly conventional natures can be used for great good, or great evil. Their tenacity and willpower are immense, their depth of character and passionate conviction overwhelming, yet they are deeply sensitive and easily moved by their emotions. Their sensitivity, together with a propensity for extreme likes and dislikes make them easily hurt, quick to detect insult or injury to themselves (often when none is intended) and easily aroused to ferocious anger. This may express itself in such destructive speech or action that they make lifelong enemies by their outspokenness, for they find it difficult not to be overly critical of anything or anyone to whom they take a dislike.

They can harness their abundant energy constructively, tempering their self-confidence with shrewdness and their ambition with magnanimity toward others provided they like them. They relate to fellow workers only as leaders and can be blunt to those they dislike to the point of cruelty. In fact they are not above expressing vindictiveness in deliberate cruelty. They are too demanding, too unforgiving of faults in others, perhaps because they are not aware of the shortcomings within themselves, and extravagantly express their self-disgust in unreasonable resentment against their fellows. They do, however, make excellent friends, provided that their companions do nothing to impugn the honor of which Scorpios are very jealous. Part of the negative side of the scorpio nature is a tendency to discard friends once they cease to be useful, but the decent native is aware of, and fights this tendency.

They are fortunate in that their strong reasoning powers are tempered with imagination and intuition, and these gifts, together with critical perception and analytical capacity, can enable the Scorpions to penetrate to profundities beyond the average. They have a better chance of becoming geniuses than the natives of any other sign.But charismatic "twice-born" characters such as they can sink into the extremes of depravity if they take the wrong path, and the intensity of their nature exaggerates their harmful tendencies into vices far greater than the normal.

Rebelliousness against all conventions, political extremism to the point where hatred of the Establishment makes them utterly unscrupulous terrorists. Brooding resentment, aggressive and sadistic brutality, total arrogance, morbid jealousy, extreme volatility of temperament, these are some of their vices. At the other extreme is the procrastinator, the man or woman who is capable of so much that they do nothing and become indolent and self-indulgent, requiring extravagant praise and flattery from those whom they make their cronies.

Being so gifted, they can find fulfillment in many employments. Their inner intensity can result in the ice-cold self-control and detachment of the surgeon, the concentration of the research scientist, and the heroism of the soldier. Any profession in which analysis, investigation, research, dealing with practicalities, and the solving of mysteries are relevant, can appeal to them. So police and detective work, espionage and counterespionage, the law, physics or psychology may attract them, and they can become masters of the written and spoken word. They may be most persuasive orators and find fulfillment as diplomats or preachers and, if they make the Church their profession, their inner intensity can express itself in the spiritual fervor of the mystic or the thaumaturgy.

Scorpio is the symbol of sex and Scorpios are passionate lovers, the most sensually energetic of all the signs. For them, union with the beloved is a sacrament, an "outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.". Their overriding urge in loving is to use their power to penetrate beyond themselves and to lose themselves sexually in their partners in an almost mystical ecstasy, thus discovering the meaning of that union which is greater than individuality, and is a marriage of the spirits well as of flesh. They are thus capable of the greatest heights of passionate transport, but debauchery and perversion are always dangers, and Scorpios can become sadistic monsters of sensuality and eroticism. Their feelings are so intense that even when their love is of the highest, and most idealistic kind, they are nevertheless frequently protagonists in tragic, even violent romances, "star-crossed lovers"

2006, a few thoughts.

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 01:23:59 GMT

well it is nearly the end of 2006. i haven't really participated in any of those end of year surveys or written anything about 2006, but i feel like i could do some rambling about my end of year thoughts. while i was driving back from towson today i was really thinking about this past year and all its ups and downs.

all in all i would say 2006 was a good year.

the handsome devils went from all time biggest loser to a force to be reckoned with!!! world cup was exciting, super exciting. i can't wait until the next one. the washington capitals totally blew it last year, but now they are turning around and look good this season.

i met a lot of really great new friends. i was able to get really close to a lot of other friends, too! there were definitely quite a few personal ups and downs. the ups were super high, and the downs really fucking sucked. i may have lost a friend or two as well. which is absolutely miserable. i still haven't figured out what to do about that.

work of course has been steadily growing and i have been pretty damned pleased.

there are some really amazing new developments in more than one aspect of my life lately!!! i really can't wait for 2007 to get here so i can see how it shapes up.

things that terrify me.

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 20:28:26 GMT

Sat, 18 Nov 2006 23:37:41 GMT

ok so does anyone want to play outdoor soccer this winter in the uber cold. it is the only winter league i could find. it is saturday, the game time starts run from 8:30 in the am to 5:30 p.m. they can accommodate up to 12 teams. this might be the first winter session they have done in howard county. it is pretty cheap.

it is in elkridge at the rockburn park. it is the only fully high-end synthetic turf rec field in maryland.

just to let you know their are six games. they start january 13th. and every saturday through february. just to let you know the average daily temperature in for january and febuary tends to be in the mid 20's. that is pretty damn cold. so we'll have to dress appropriate.

call me or message me if your interested. if there is enough interest i will pay the fee this week to ensure our spot.

rough morning!

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 15:19:48 GMT

wooo! today has started off a little rough. i felt a little hung over this morning and couldn't get out of bed. the rainy dreariness wasn't helping much either.

so i finally go to take a much awaited shower and damn if the shower isn't broken! just like everything else in my house, the problems is rooted in the fact that it was installed all g-fab in the first place. a hole drilled in the faucet under and behind the diverter switch with a homemade pvc connector attaching the metal hose of the shower head to the tub spout, held together by uber epoxy. the uber epoxy that was easily holding it together for the last 20 years and it has finally given way and fallen apart with no hope of genuine repair. the plumbing is modern but not right! I did know this was coming, too, because it broke a bit the other day, but i was able to rig it back together.

so i have been trying hard to figure out how to fix it. i had a few ideas, but none really seemed that good to me. so i was freaking out, i thougth i might have to tear apart my bathroom wall to fix it correctly.

fortunately the interweb rules, alsons makes this great diverter spout, which is exactly what i need!!! i checked a bunch of local places but no one stocks it. it is readily availble on the interweb, though. i ordered it and will likely take 1-7 days to get it, even with next day air shipping. damn you faucet.com wherehousing! hopefully it will come very fast! i paid the 11 bucks for next day air.

here it is:

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 22:35:23 GMT

i will agree with karin...these are really quite loaded questions with no real easy answer! wooo! but clearly i am a raging liberal maniac.

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Social Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

HDFC...

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:19:43 GMT

our play was awesome

the enemy was shut out

we found victory

celtic v. d.c. united.

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 13:34:43 GMT

well i rounded up a ticket to go see celtic play at r.f.k. tonight. i don't even have to drive! i'm hoping this is going to be fun. this really had better be fun. i love watching international teams play great football! the keeper for celtic and one of their strikers are polish players who are top notch, just watched two of their games in the world cup. they also have recently signed nakamura. one of the best japanese players in the game right now. he should have been a bigger force for japan in the world cup. he did score japan's goal against austrailia, it was a beauty. d.c. united is really doing well this year. they are dominating the MLS. i am hoping for a good game! i would like to see freddy adu and ben olsen play. olsen looked good in the U.S.'s final game against ghana.

i would be more excited for this match, but i broke previously agreed upon plans at the last minute to go see this game and it had the unfortunate side effect of getting that her upset and mad at me. i really didn't want to hurt her feelings. it sucks.

some of my world cup highlights...

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 19:04:26 GMT

camaraderie

1. slainte: although i didn't go too much, i tried to make most of the england games at slainte. this was awesome. it reminded me so much of being in overseas for the last world cup. england fans crowded into the bar for every england game. that was the largest number of st. george's crosses i have seen in one place out side of england. there was singing, there was chanting, there was cheering, there was jeering, there was fighting there was drinking, and there was eating. if i am not able to make it south africa i will definitely be going to places like slainte more often.

2. cooking out: i really enjoyed having people over to watch the games. whether it was just one person or quite a few. we had the whole spectrum. it was fun to have people over to drink and cheer. we usually supported the same teams and same players. it is nice to have a group of friends who appriciate and know the game; or are at least willing to learn more about it.

3. the sparking and evolution of relationships: i have been able to use my world cup experience to spark new relationship and expand existing ones. some are directly related to world cup, others just happened to occur at this time, but it adds to the memorable nature of the world cup 2006! these new and different relationships have made me quite happy. :) i hope they continue to flourish.

soccer generally

1. i think the handsome devils play has improved. everyone more or less seems energized by watching the games. i think we are passing better, trying fancier moves and just generally looking a little better. hopefully we can bring that individual play up a notch and be a little more team oriented.

2. i am excited to for pro-soccer generally! it totally rules. i have always been excited for it, but i think this world cup was a good shot in the arm. i feel a little better about MLS and other leagues! wooo!

the underdogs

1. trindad and tobago: these guys put on quite a show. they came out hard in every game. they played their all. shaka hislop was on fire. i would argue that he was clearly the goalie of the world cup!!! i couldn't help but cheer for these guys. they are the smallest nation to ever qualify for a world cup and really gave it their all. i hope that they can keep their program together and continue growing over time. see you in 2010 trinidad and tobago!

2. socceroos! the aussies also looked great. the played a solid defensive style. i was quite impressed that they made it to the second round to face off against italy! when they lost to italy i was dissapointed. now in retrospect i think italy winning on a bum call at the very end of the game was a solid sign of how strong the aussies were. with italy going through to win, who knows if the socceroos came on top of that match they might be celebrating a victory now! they might not make it back for a while. many of the pro players that play in europe may not come back to play for austrailia because the commute can be really tough.

3. the swiss: they were getting ready to dazzle in euro 2008, since they are a cohost. however, the put on the show this world cup. their defense was so solid no one scored on them! good show chaps, a pocket knife for all of you!

4. ghana: what the hell, the beat the u.s.a. seriously.

the disapointments:

1. the USA! dear god. i am a fan of u.s. soccer. i think we have a good team with good players. we were ranked number 5 in the world going into this cup. i know the rankings have all those coeffcients and what not but still the rankings are looked at by lots of people around the world, and although they aren't 100% accurate they are good approximations. we were blown out by the sub-par czech team. we did injure koller though. we also were beaten by ghana. if we just beat them we could have moved on! the only bright spot is that we drew italy, and played most of that game a man down.

2. the lads in red: england my second team. they couldn't have played worse. i don't think it is possible. the only reason they did as well as they did is that they have some of the best talent in the world. the should have anhilated nearly every team they played until they got up the ladder. there is no reason they should have lost to portugal, and least of all on pentalty kicks, seriously. why did they only bring 4 strikers, two who weren't match fit, and one who was totally untested?

3. Korea: the red devils are fun to watch. they are my favorite asian team. they worked hard. they couldn't score on the mammoth swiss defence. if they could have done it, it may have shaped up to be a different group, especially considering they drew france! oh well, see you in 2010 devils.

the heros:

1. zinedane zidane: he had a great world cup. all but the headbutt at the end of the final, i was very happy for the man. he played most of the tournement with grace and class. he looked like a young player again. i enjoyed watching him end his career on seemingly a high note up until the notorious headbutt. the headbutt clearly was one of the plays that we soccer fans will collectively remember for years to come!

2. miroslav klose: he scored 5. he scored 5 last world cup. if he can play again next world cup he has the opportunity to tie or exceed ronaldo! he was getting inside and putting the ball into the back of the net with ease!

3. shaka hislop: unbelievable saves. he stopped so many goals it was unbelievable. he carried trinidad and tobago. i was so impressed. i don't think they would have done anywhere near as well with someone else in goal.

4. john terry: he isn't a goal tender but i give him the save of the tournement! in the game against t&t the keeper was off his line, and the ball was heading into the net. terry ran as hard as he could leaped up and kicked the ball clear while jumping in the air. at that point the game was locked 0-0. if t&t scored here it could have potentially led to one of the biggest upsets of the cup!

5. oswaldo sanchez: his dad died suddenly right before the cup. they seriously buried him days before mexico's first match. yet he mustard the ability to play. the iranian team gave him flowers at the start of the first game. he came out strong in that game. lots of good saves. he was playing the cup for his dad. at the end of his first game he ended up in tears, it was moving. go oswaldo!

the villians:

1. cristiano ronaldo: seriously quit fucking crying. what the hell. i have never seen someone dive so fucking much in my entire life! i hope to god man u. really does trade you. i can't stand to even look at your face. i could go on and on about the evil that is c. ronaldo. but most of all he was instrumental in having rooney sent off and scored the winning pk against england.

2. marco materazzi: we don't really know what he said. but he said something fucked up to zidane. it resulted in the foul of the cup. additionally he scored the goal to even italy with france!

3. ronaldo: your fat! what else is there for me to say!

4. jan koller: he is a monster and he is scary. i wouldn't want to tangle with koller. he scored the first goal against the u.s.a., before we injured him. i think he was instrumental in the czech's beating the u.s. his picture on the fifa site even makes me shake a little.

5. eveyone on argentina who looks and plays like maradona: the era of the hand of god is over. quit trying to bring it back. 'nuff said.

germany v. italy...

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 16:58:15 GMT

whats everyone doing for the game tomorrow???

let me know. we can always cookout at my house again, if nothing is going on.

nothing too exciting.

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 14:33:19 GMT

-world cup, so far has been super exciting and has been keeping my attention. apparently all month i'm going to be making world cup reference to everything!!! i can't stop thinking about stats, mathmatical combniations that will make teams advance or get eliminated.

-yesterday the england game ruled. i love england, but they looked lackluster again. rooney's sorry ass came on but didn't seem to make a difference. it was john terry, joe cole, ashley cole, peter crouch and steven gerrad. everyone else seemed asleep at the wheel. john terry had a save which i believe may be one of the greatest saves in this world cup. you can't really get much better than that!

-the u.s. is down but not out. they must beat italy on saturday! if they lose they are eliminated. if they draw they are essentially eliminated. bah.

-tomorrow its supposed to be in the mid 90's. ugh. to hot!

-i am getting in the habit of not working full days because of world cup. that is really bad.

last night...

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 15:23:10 GMT

we totally won.

there is a game sumation written by charles on my myspace blog. check it out.

GO DEVILS!

a win was awesome, especially on the heels of a good weekend.

well it is finally time....

Wed, 31 May 2006 17:14:28 GMT

world cup is here. june 9 is the first day of it. i am so excited. one of the things that is really getting on my nerves is how everyone is hating on the U.S. i don't think the U.S. is a bad team. we have a few good players. i really like our coach, bruce arena. tim howard is a great keeper and if he is on his game will help the U.S. rise above its group and go deep.

our group matchs are:

Monday June 12 at 11:55 U.S. v. Czech Republic
Saturday June 17 at 2:30 v. Italy
Thursday June 22 at 9:55 v. Ghana

lets watch them. June 12, i don't know where i will watch that. Saturday the 17 we can do it at my house. Thursday i'll probably just go to work late.

i am excited about lots of other teams. this world cup season is going to be spectacular.

win or loss, my perspective.

Fri, 05 May 2006 00:51:02 GMT

well, here we are. its may 2006 and a 'big step' in the 'war on terror' has come and gone. Zacarias Moussaoui has been convicted as a 9/11/2001 conspirator, of some unknown type. is it a win or a loss? what does it mean for america, for the 'war on terror', for the world?

well this little rant is my perspective. i have been mulling it over in the shower and while laying around complaining about my ribs over the last couple of days. i am not really sure what to make of it, honestly. i have very mixed feelings, for many different reasons.

i will work backwards in my thoughts.

to execute or not to execute

for those of you who know me, probably know that i am not too excited about a full jury system. juries are often crazy and do strange things! it bothers me. they are far from fair. on a good day you can convince a jury of nearly anything. here, however, the jury seems to have worked well and does not appear to have been influenced by any outside influence.

i was personally convinced that the jury would have fallen victim to the neo-nationalism that is rampant in america. the jury heard lots of testimony from various witnesses, victims of 9/11/2001 and from the defendant himself. they were able to wade through the testimony and consider all federal mitigting circumstances succesfully. the jury came back to find that the defendant should not be put to death!!! this should make many people around the world quite happy considering the USA is one few countries in the world with the death penalty. It is quite important for our world image to change for the positive. i look forward to the public relations coup this will be for americans. Zacarias Moussaoui will not be made a martyr for the cause. he will live a long life confined in supermax. perhaps as time passes, and society changes, we may view him differntly and have the opportunity to adjust our penalty imposed upon him.

the bush administration seemed quite disappointed. as if this was a loss. the presidents comments seemed indignent and immature. as if the system failed. this was the wrong view. the ultimate verdict should have been considered a win, the system played its course, the law was followed to an equitable result, as far as the penalty phase is considered. honestly, i am disapointed at any pundit who attacks this jury verdict!

well. my thumb is tired. i'll finnish this later or tomorrow...

once again i must reiterate

Mon, 01 May 2006 14:09:35 GMT

if it is none of your business it is none of your business. whether it was said, implied or express; or not said at all! just fucking stay out of it. why must you feel the need to stir the pot of drama. seriously, we are all getting too old for that shit. it is not high school. leave well enough alone. if people have problems with each other let them work it out among themselves. there is enough drama in this world to go around. if you don't have anything going on in your world now, you will. remember what goes around comes around.

well anyway like i said. it is none of our business.

j.

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 17:28:17 GMT

the internet is boring today!

wow, why didn't my law school want to do stuff like this...(duke sucks)

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 14:46:09 GMT

I should put a cut in here, but i really want you guys to see this. i could have done it better, but they did it first. perhaps i should do one about a villian who steals copyrights? hahaha. god i'm a nerd.

http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/zoomcomic.html

the ever creeping neo-american fascism

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 15:48:21 GMT

this is actually rather scary...especially because it is so subtle and that most people will not know its implications unless they are taken away in the middle of the night by the government.

the supreme court in Padilla v. Hanft, (http://arbutuswonk.livejournal.com/1877.html) 05-533, has declined to hear mr. padilla's appeal. this is a brilliant win for the bush administration and for all those people who would use the american government to supress individual rights. i am almost always pegged as an anti-government left wing nut job when i say that the government can essentially lock you away for ever, by labeling you an 'enemy combatant'. however, this ability has been tacitly accepted by the supreme court, i am ready for the shouts of jason hates america, because he hates the war on terror.

well in an early lj entry i did explain what i felt the holding of tht 4th circuit's opinion was what it was. when reading the opinion, in conjuction with other opinions on related topics it is pretty clear that the government can essentially label anyone an 'enemy combatant' with out anyone looking over your shoulder. sure the supreme court has vaguely defined what an 'enemy combatant' is and should be in an effort to protect americans. however, the supreme court, along with several circuit courts have essentially taken away any ability to challange such a designation. if the government says you are one, thats it you are one, until the executive says you are not any more.

the 4th circuit has also now, in mr. padilla's case, stated that essentially once you are labled an enemy combatant that you can essentially be held indefinitely without review! EVEN IF YOU ARE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN!!! this is rather scary. the bush adminstration, liking this result quickly took several actions to ensure that the case would not get before the supreme court. well the supremes decided not to hear it. i'm sure administration officals are cheering up and down the halls of the whitehouse right now. essentially if they arrest anyone toss an EC tag on them and lock them away in maryland, virginia, west virginia or north caraolina and thats it, you are done!!!

be aware. this is your government.

some crap

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 21:27:26 GMT

it is really nice out today and totally do not feel like working any more. so i figure i am going to write some sort of rant about some sort of crap...

something in pop culture

apparently the movie hairspray is being remade. this is pretty annoying. hairspray is one of my favorite movies and has been for sometime. i love its take on race and baltimore! it gets worse. john travolta, who has not been good in anything except welcome back kotter is going to be in it, playing edna turnblad. that is crazy, he certainly is no divine. john waters is not going to be directing this, nor will be doing the new script for it. but if your interested they are holding open auditions on saturday at the hippodrome...

seriously hollywood you need to get some original ideas! (or at least continue to make movies out of comics!)

something political

immigration is a very hot topic right now and i would love to discuss this with people. i don’t think i can rattle off enough of my opinions before i leave work, so i am going to just talk about an interestingly obvious survey from the pew research center. (poll results http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=274)

from the school of the obvious...

the poll cited that 65% of people thought that illegals were primarily working in jobs that normal american citizens would not take anyway.

also shockingly more than one poll found that the views on immigration were split on socio-economic lines. those people who are poorer, and/or less educated tend to be more anti-immigrant while those people who are more educated and/or well off tended to be pro-immigrant. also, there is geographic factor as well. those people who tended live in immigrant free areas also tended to anti-immigrant in contrast to the people who live in areas where there are lots of immigrants.

this is a very contentious debate and there are a great number of people diametrically opposed to each other. i feel that this could be a crazy development in american politics. the media, both liberal and conservative are fueling this debate, often in negative ways. i worry about america becoming xenophobic and isolated!

lets not take a step back. lets not begin to isolate america from the world. lets institute sensible changes, allow guest workers, en masse. lets crack down on people smugglers, and those who employ illegals, rather than illegals themselves...

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 19:26:32 GMT

Some fun facts about Intellectual Property gone nuts.

VENICE INTRODUCED the patent concept in 1474. Infringers were fined 100 ducats.

IN 1982, Motion Picture Association of America head Jack Valenti told Congress that “the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston Strangler is to the woman home alone.”

A DAY AFTER Senator Orrin Hatch said “destroying their machines” might be the only way to stop illegal downloaders, unlicensed software was discovered on his website.

BILL GATES had the 11-million-image Bettmann Archive buried 220 feet underground. Archivists can access only the 2% that was first digitized.

AMONG THE 16,000 people thus far sued for sharing music files was a 65-year-old woman who, though she didn’t own downloading software, was accused of sharing 2,000 songs, including Trick Daddy’s “I’m a Thug.” She was sued for up to $150,000 per song.

MICROSOFT UK held a contest for the best film on “intellectual property theft”; finalists had to sign away “all intellectual property rights” on “terms acceptable to Microsoft.”

ONLY ABOUT 5% of patents end up having any real commercial value.

IN 2002, Valenti described Hollywood’s antipiracy campaign as “our own terrorist war.”

THE CLASSIC civil rights documentary Eyes on the Prize can’t be aired or sold because much of its archival footage is copyrighted.

TO PREVENT PIRACY of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, a Montreal cineplex monitored audiences with metal detectors and night-vision goggles and checked popcornfor video cameras.

U.S. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY is valued at $5.5 trillion, equal to 47% of our GDP and greater than the GDP of any other nation but China.

BY PASSING the memorial Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act, Congress added 20 years to copyrights. “I Got You Babe” now won’t enter the public domain until 2061.

NINETY-ONE pending trademarks bear Donald Trump’s name, including “Donald J. Trump the Fragrance” and “Trump’s Golden Lager.” He failed to trademark the phrase “You're fired.”

NEARLY 20% of the 23,688 known human genes are patented in the United States. Private companies hold 63% of those patents.

HUEY NEWTON’S widow is trademarking the phrase “Burn, Baby, Burn” for use as a BBQ sauce slogan.

IN THE LATEST ROUND of a 13-year battle over the title “Surf City USA,” Huntington Beach, Calif., filed for a trademark last year. A state senator from Santa Cruz retorted, “You can’t trademark a state of mind” and proposed a Senate resolution declaring his city to be the real Surf City.

GEORGE FOREMAN has earned $113 million by lending his name to a grill.

LAST YEAR Mister Softee spent $170,000 to track down and sue 45 competitors for copying its blue-and-white trucks and playing its copyrighted jingle.

“SENSORY TRADEMARKS” include a duck quacking (AFLAC), a lion roaring (MGM), yodelling (Yahoo!), giggling (Pillsbury), and a “pre-programmed rotating sequence of a plurality of high intensity columns of light projected into the sky to locate a source at the base thereof” (Ballantyne of Omaha).

FOR INCLUDING a 60-second piece of silence on their album, the Planets were threatened with a lawsuit by the estate of composer John Cage, which said they’d ripped off his silent work 4’33”. The Planets countered that the estate failed to specify which 60 of the 273 seconds in Cage’s piece had been pilfered.

A FRENCH DIRECTOR had to pay $1,300 after a character in his film whistled the communist anthem, “The Internationale,” without permission.

AFTER INTEL was sued for libel for calling someone a “patent extortionist,” one of its lawyers coined the term “patent troll.”

THE WORLD WRESTLING Federation changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment after the World Wildlife Fund sued over the rights to “WWF.”

HOOTERS SUED a competitor for stealing its “trade dress,” i.e., the packaging of its waitresses.

THE PUBLISHER of Super Hero Happy Hour removed “Super” from the comic book title after Marvel and DC Comics stated they own the phrase “super heroes and variations thereof.”

42% OF ALL VIDEO files shared online are pornographic. No porn-sharing cases have yet been tried in the U.S.

LAST YEAR Disney and other media companies sued two small L.A. shops for selling $15 piñatas of Winnie the Pooh, The Incredibles, and Nemo.

THE ROCK AND ROLL Hall of Fame sued several journalists for naming their website “The Jewish Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.” They renamed it Jewsrock.org.

AFTER ROSA PARKS sued OutKast for using her name as a song title, the group and their label settled by paying for a Parks tribute CD and TV special.

PATENT LAWSUITS have more than doubled since 1992.

RENTAMARK.COM makes money by claiming ownership of 10,000 phrases, including “chutzpah,” “casual Fridays,” “.com,” “fraud investigation,” and “big breasts.”

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’s estate charges academic authors $50 for each sentence of the “I Have a Dream” speech that they reprint.

THE VILLAGE PEOPLE refused to let their songs be used for a documentary called Gay Sex in the ’70s because they want to be thought of as “mainstream.”

http://www.motherjones.com/news/exhibit/2006/03/intellectual_property.html