Wikipedia is on Strike!

I’m not sure about the details of the argument but it is interesting the tension between Information & Content being freely available via the web and copyright.

As a blogger I produce Free content myself.  Even though I don’t get paid for my words I would like to have control over them and I don’t want others to copy my work  and use it on their site without my permission or knowledge.

Actually, once I did find 1,000s of my words had been randomly copied and put on another site – across about 15 web pages.  I went through the google complaint about Plagiarism process and eventually the site was closed. It took almost a year, I think, and it is only applicable if the problem site carries google adverts.

Lots of people do not realise that it is a breach of copyright and it is plagiarism to just copy and paste huge chunks from someone else’s website and use it on your own with out any credit or permission from the author.

I think that people who want to make a living from creating art – such as films, music or books – should have control over their work and be paid for it if they want to be.

As I understand it, the Wikipedia protest is not about doing away with copyright but how to protect & enforce copyright in a fair way. You can read about the protest etc here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

There are 3 Friday 13ths in 2012 – and more interesting facts – QI take note!

Jut read a really interesting article about Friday 13th. T

There is at least 1 every year and at most 3.

Why it might turn out to be unlucky?

Interesting trivia, just read it:

http://jon-plotkin.suite101.com/friday-the-thirteenth-the-fearsome-the-common-and-the-unique-a400692

Are Tara Plumbing a Naturist Family of Ramsgate after all?

After watching My Naked Teenage Daughter on Channel 4, last night, I was in a lot of agreement with the naked people and discovered I might even be a naturist myself – and I didn’t even realise it!

Don’t get the wrong idea, it is very rare that Mr TP and I host naked cake cooking and tea drinking sessions and I would not dream of doing nude sun-bathing but I am quite happy in my skin and will often go naked about my house – when appropriate.

There was a discussion about a young child seeing naked adults and I was very much in agreement with the comments that children should be bought up to think of the naked body as normal – not something to be embarrassed about.

A few other points were made on the programme:

Does naked = sexy.  Quite obviously it can do, but people often look more sexy with clothes on. That seems obvious to me.

Should we be concerned about PERVERTS looking at naked naturists in a sexual way? I don’t think so. I think most of us (me included) look at other people in a sexual way at times – if we find them attractive. And most often that is when they have got clothes on.

If “perverts” want to look at naked people there is plenty of places for them to satisfy their desires – our media and the net is full of nudity.

One more thought. If only I had met a local photographer of naked women when I was younger, slimmer and so on, with the benefit of hindsight, I would recommend seizing the opportunity to capture images of naked beauty.

Films of Pirates & Treasure Island

I vaguely recall reading it as the class book when I was 11 years old but could really remember nothing of the story.

Then just watched the New 2 part TV film of it.  WOW it was gripping, exciting, twisty turny, unpredictable.  What a good story and what a great film of it – even if it doesn’ t sound like your sort of thing give it a go it you have the time.

In my mind I am mixing it up with Pirates of the Caribbean. Oldest son got the lego game at Christmas, which I have enjoyed playing with him. AND he also got the 4 DVDs. Now, I really didn’t get time to sit and watch all four films but I have seen the first and the last and snippets of the others.  So now all that pirate stuff is jumbled up in my head – with the rest of the rubbish!

Jimmy HendriX Performed at Hastings Pier 1967, Fri 22nd Oct, were you there?

hendrix in hastings poster by Chris A Steele

Not my kind of thing but my good friend at Idle Hands & Co has produced some retro T-shirts to remind people of the event at Hastings.
They can be bought via the website:
http://www.idlehandsandco.com/page2.htm
And you can see a clearer image on the home page but you have to scroll down past the Royal Wedding of 2011.

Xmas Baked Bean Jigsaw

This year we got off to a slow start. Beginning. With the edges proved impossible. So our eldest son began with cutlery whilst I tackled the edge of the plate. All done in about 30 mins.

B t w, still not found that well hidden present.

Should Mrs Tara Plumbing ask Santa for Bigger Breasts?

Today Mr TP sent me a txt to make sure I had heard the news about the cancer health scare related to some silicon implants.
To add that he is perfectly happy with my little ones!
Reminds me of Jim Royale saying he’d love to get Barbara an enhancement for Christmas!
I often wonder if those who have sculpted the shape of the artificial implants were inspired by Henry Matisse. When I first became familiar with his 1910 painting Dance ( see it here: http://www.henri-matisse.net/paintingssectiontwo.html) I was struck by the fact that the boobs were the wrong shape and in the wrong place.
Younger people who have grown up with the very modern image of women’s figures might not even know what I’m talking about!
Discuss.

Where Did I Hide Mr Tara Plumbing’s Xmas Pressy?

I got him a great gift – one of those things that he would never think about buying but will give him many hours of enjoyment.
It was also great cos it cost about £2!
But it is really tiny and I hid it somewhere and I can’t remember where?
I’ve been searching for a couple of weeks now…
And I think I just may never see it again.
I can get another – from ebay- but, of course, not in time for xmas.

Any one else have the same problem?
I’ll tell you what it is after I have managed to give him one….!

New Boiler Needed Urgently just Before Christmas when old one completely dies…

How can Tara plumbing & heating fit a new boiler at a days notice in the week before Xmas? Well, I don’t want to be sexist BUT it’s because the boiler installers are MEN!

As everyone knows, men leave all their Christmas preparations until just days before the 25th. They plan to have a day or two off this week and wander aimlessly around the shops (for 45 minutes or so). They then seek specialist advice on how to get through the festive holiday from their trusted mentors, also known as the guys in the pub.

This means if some last minute emergencies crop up the heating engineers will be available to install new boilers right up to and including Christmas eve. So long as they can get into Tesco and or Argos about 30 minutes before it is due to close, where they can buy up flowers, chocolates and other luxuries which are marked up by 100% especially because the store manager knew those men were coming.

On the other hand. If you asked a woman, especially a mother, if she is suddenly available for a days work this week….? I wouldn’t dare ask!

If you need one Mr TP & fellow MEN can fit a new boiler (emergency only) this week in Thanet, Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs, Whitstable, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Sandwich and surrounding area.

We’re Selling a Pile of Old Junk on Ebay if You want Some!

Dress it up in fancy terms if you like. Antique, salvaged, preloved, retro, vintage…
Do you know there is a reason they don’t still make those old 1970s-80s toys & games: because modern stuff is better.

If that old vintage/retro/ modern-antique game or toy of nostalia was all that good some company would still be making it and selling it new on Amazon & in Smyths for a nice profit.

Fortunately for me, sitting in my home surrounded by a pile of old junk, there are people out there with more money than sense! And with fond memories of childhood xmases. They are monitoring their WATCH LISTS and calculating their max bids. Fine for the over 40s but I hope they don’t expect to impress any young people with this stuff. Because it really is unimpressive by modern standards.
(I am guilty though – Later I will tell you what old games I remember)

Who wants a 1990s Nintendo Game Boy when you can have a 2011 Nintendo 3DS, infact even an old obsolite DS of 5 years ago is better than the Game Boy.
I loved tetris too but you can get it in modern formats…

My own childhood & teenage years memories are filled with the extended family sitting and playing the card game cheat. All you need are lots of people and two packs of cards (no good with a small number). Also Great Game Of Britain. A brilliant fun board game – which I believe is still in production – therefore – proves my point.