That Mouse Still Roars - 16 October 2021 - Plague Journal Day 583

Micah 6:8
Ephesians 4:28
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Walt and Roy (before eating)

On this date in 1923 The Walt Disney company was founded as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio by brothers Walt and Roy Disney. Shortly after creating Micky Mouse, Walt killed and ate Roy in order to keep all the rights for himself. That's not true - I just made it up.

Still, the Disney company (especially since Walt's passing) has continually lobbied to change US copyright laws to keep anything from ever passing into the public domain, thus turning on its head the entire purpose of those laws.

You may recall this post from nearly a year ago where I railed against the blatant hypocrisy of this once-family-friendly entertainment behemoth.


Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Disney Must Pay - 21 November 2020 - Plague Journal Day 254

Micah 6:8
Matthew 18:23-34
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

https://www.sfwa.org/2020/11/18/disney-must-pay/

As you may know, the Disney corporation is the main reason that our copyright laws keep getting revised. They lobby to extend the length of protection to avoid letting anything go into the public domain. Somehow, this zeal to protect the rights of copyright holders seems only to apply to themselves. They are currently in a dispute with an author whose books they're publishing, but are refusing to pay him his contractually owed royalties on the sales. Their bizarre, indefensible claim is that they bought the rights to his books when they bought Lucasfilm, but somehow they managed not to buy the responsibilities that go along with those rights. This despite a contract that specifies that it applies to all successors and assigns of the rights.
Their goal is to hold out long enough that he will die and the problem goes away, Since corporations tend not to die, their view is that means they win.

Rather, it seems to me, it means they are basically thieves, pirates, and scum. Hardly the image that company tries to project.
Good grief the Mouse sucks. #DisneyMustPay

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

17 May 2020 - Plague Journal Day 66

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?


Hey, folks, today is Stepmothers Day! How does one celebrate that occasion? Perhaps watch a Disney film together? Read a fairy tale? OK, maybe not.

If you're out in the woods hunting mushrooms (today is National Mushroom Hunting Day), you might want to watch out for huntsmen sent by an evil stepmother. That makes me wonder if perhaps Walt Disney had too many 'shrooms and that's why he was so hard on stepmothers. It could be. It's just a hypothesis, mind you, but still ....

Today I'm going back to one of the prayers in the back of the Methodist Hymnal (the 1964/66 one). I just read it again and it seems more than appropriate to our times.

#742 - FOR ALL CONDITIONS OF MEN
O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind: we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially, we pray for thy holy Church universal, that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are in any way afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their suffering, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.


Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.