Content with my content

So – here’s the dilemma.

I am writing the blog in the context of childcare resources in Vancouver. So what do you do when your start point content changes?

The website that I started with kinda ended… Now, I’m no Woodward or Bernstein, but the has “shank-the-public” written all over it…
Come for a journey on this particular yellow brick road!

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:
Oct 22, 2007 – 24 Hrs (Commuter magazine)

“Big-box child care for B.C.?”
“Controversial big-box child-care could be a reality in B.C. if an Australian company has its way.”

Child-care advocates are sounding the alarm since learning an investment firm called Adroit Investments LLC has contacted local child-care operators in a bid to buy them out.
The coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C. traced the company back to 123-Global and A.B.C. Learning Centres, a private Australian child-care corporation that’s gotten flak in several countries for monopolizing child-care and providing minimal services to cut costs. … (Rita) Chudnovsky says child-care operators began receiving takeover bids in mid-September, just before the provincial government announced it would begin to subsidize private child-care providers. ‘We have trouble believing this is a coincidence,” she said (Chudnovsky). (Rita Chudnovsky is the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C. spokesperson).”

According to the website I was working on (Westcoast Childcare Resource Centre)

“On March 16, 2007, Westcoast received notice that Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) was canceling our long-standing contract for provincial early childhood and child care support services.

The contract officially ended April 30, 2007. The end of this contract represented an $800,000 cut in funding. At the same time, the Westcoast contract for the Vancouver Child Care Resource and Referral program was also reduced by $450,000. This resulted in a total reduction of $1.35 million dollars. Obviously this significant funding loss has had a severe impact on services.”

… and this leaves my content where? In the realm of the fictional I do believe… Ah – but think of the creative potential when the laws of internet physics no longer apply!

Too legit

Ok – so I am writing this blog for my New Media Communications class.

Therefore, I am responsible for the content. Thus, if I want to post the little video clip I made I should know what the rules on copyright for web usage are.

… the conversation went something like this…

I called my friend (he works in the film industry – producer kinda level):

Me: “Hey, I am working on a blog for class and I need to get some info on how copyright on the web works out”

Him: <you’re too young to read this part>

Me: “…lovely story – so how do I get the info?”

Him: “Is it for educational use?”

Me: “Yup”

Him: “Is it Disney?”

Me: “Nope”.

Him: “Go for it.”

Now, as you might notice, this doesn’t actually answer my question on video usage and copyright on the web — further research (and no doubt blogging) required I do believe…

From Wikipedia:

Copyright is a set of exclusive rights that regulate the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. At its most general, it is literally “the rights to copy” an original creation. In most cases, these rights are of limited duration. The symbol for copyright is “©”, and in some jurisdictions may alternatively be written as either (c) or (C).

Copyright may subsist in a wide range of creative, intellectual, or artistic forms or “works”. These include poems, theses, plays, and other literary works, movies, choreographic works (dances, ballets, etc.), musical compositions, audio recordings, paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, software, radio and television broadcasts of live and other performances, and, in some jurisdictions, industrial designs. Designs or industrial designs may have separate or overlapping laws applied to them in some jurisdictions. Copyright is one of the laws covered by the umbrella term intellectual property.

Copyright law covers only the form or manner in which ideas or information have been manifested, the “form of material expression”. It is not designed or intended to cover the actual idea, concepts, facts, styles, or techniques which may be embodied in or represented by the copyright work. For example, the copyright which subsists in relation to a Mickey Mouse cartoon prohibits unauthorized parties from distributing copies of the cartoon or creating derivative works which copy or mimic Disney’s particular anthropomorphic mouse, but does not prohibit the creation of artistic works about anthropomorphic mice in general, so long as they are sufficiently different to not be deemed imitative of the original. In some jurisdictions, copyright law provides scope for satirical or interpretive works which themselves may be copyrighted. Other laws may impose legal restrictions on reproduction or use where copyright does not – such as trademarks and patents.

Copyright laws are standardized through international conventions such as the Berne Convention in some countries and are required by international organizations such as European Union or World Trade Organization from their member states.

What George W. did to me…

Damn you George W! Because of you I have….

… I can hardly say it …

.. I have .. o m g ..

– I have listened to the “Dixie Chicks” –

… there are some stains that simply don’t wipe clean …

Snot – How To Cope

Welcome to cold and flu season!

With all the recalls on infant/children’s cold medicines – I thought I might share this lil ditty with you (keep in mind – I have a 2.5 year old boy):

as per a lovely pharmacist: children’s allergy medicine (eg: Allegra liquid) and standard cough syrup. The allergy med will dry up the snot and the cough syrup aids the cough! A bit ‘o’ the Vicks – and perhaps a good night sleep (instead of watching Treehouse ALL night long… we’ve all been there… anyone else horrified by “Wee Three”??)

note: add on usual caveats of “consult your local physician … this is not medical advice.”

tgif’s dreams…

So – this is it. My class blog shall also be my forum!

Randomness eloquently blended into critical thought!

… cause isn’t that life folks?

In theory, my goal is to give my POV of a working (but back in school) mom. And all the crap and delights that go with it. As well, provide some reference for “useful-stuff-that-isn’t-in-the manual”. Again, only my pov…