Dancing in My Dreams

It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer. ~Shanna LaFleur

I had very odd dreams last night, but the one I remember most was one where I was dancing with Gene Kelly to "I Can't Smile Without You" by Barry Manilow.

I idolize Gene Kelly. No offense to Mr. Astaire, I think Gene Kelly was the greatest dancer ever -- though this was probably in great part due to his animation when he danced.

For a little fun this fine Sunday, have a gander at this:



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In other news... I've gotten half a dozen google alerts about my books and stories being uploaded to illegal piracy sites. It's demoralizing, to say the least. Since being published, I've become a bit of a maniac when it comes to copyright protection -- something I can't get through to certain people I know, who are otherwise law-abiding citizens.

Mind-boggling.

The other day, I stumbled across a YouTube video from Kid Rock about this. It's an absolutely perfect illustration of why what people are doing is wrong, even when they don't think it is. I will warn you that, it IS Kid Rock, so there is a bit of profanity here, but it's well worth a watch if you have folks in your life (like I do) who think nothing of burning an entire 12 season set of DVDs for everyone in their family (having BOUGHT the set from someone who had done the same thing first) and who don't think they've done anything wrong. I liked having the ammo to fight back.



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And, on that note I'm going to listen to my "Singing in the Rain" soundtrack and do some writing.

Have an awesome day.

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You Think Objectively

Your brain works best when you are able to think in steps. You like procedures and routines. You are good at staying focused and on task. You are excel at developing workable solutions to difficult problems. You simply look at the facts. You have an excellent memory, and you are a quick thinker. You can sort out what's important from what's not.

How Do You Think?

Absolutely correct.

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Warning: Saturday Snippiness

“PLUNDER, v. To take the property of another without observing the decent and customary reticences of theft. To effect a change of ownership with the candid concomitance of a brass band. To wrest the wealth of A from B and leave C lamenting a vanishing opportunity.” - Ambrose Bierce

I'm feeling a little snippy this morning. Fact is, one of the things that has made me snippy is something that shouldn't surprise me. So, warning... rant ahead.

[begin rant]

It started about two weeks ago when my SIL told me she'd bought the ENTIRE series of "Little House on the Prairie" and would I like her to copy it for my DD? Then, I found out that the series she'd "bought" off of eBay was a bootlegged copy to start with.

Hello? Bad enough to copy and GIVE away stuff. Highly illegal to copy and SELL stuff.

I told her no. DD will have to do without. And when I commented on copyright violations, and that it's theft, etc., my SIL -- who is a very God-fearing person -- basically shrugged and said, so what?

Then, all week long, I've been reading about sites online that offer eBooks for free -- one message board has folks requesting specific ones and folks sending them out. When one of the Samhain authors pointed out that this was illegal and why she had a problem with it, the basic response was: you don't complain about the library, do you?

Well... no. BUT... the library only has ONE paper copy to share. You can send out thousands... millions... of the same eBook. And, when the library's ONE copy wears out, they can buy a new one. AND, you don't get to KEEP the library's ONE copy in your own personal collection. Do you? But, you surely do keep the eBooks you like, right? You don't read them and delete them after two weeks if you like them, do you?

I'm a library patron myself. I read too much to buy everything. BUT... when I read a book I love, I run out and buy a copy for myself to keep.

And, folks, fact is -- most authors make next to nothing on their work. My royalties barely keep me in printer ink.

What amazes me is that people who would NEVER reach into your purse and take out a dollar would think nothing of doing basically the same thing by sharing eBooks.

When I give away a copy of my eStories as a promotion -- I buy a copy. Do I have one on my hard drive? Absolutely. That's not the point. If it was a paper book, I'd have to buy one to give away. It's the SAME THING.

I hear people say they can't afford to buy all the books they read... well, prior to eBooks, what did you do? Did you walk into WalMart or Barnes and Noble and shoplift?

Give it some thought the next time you "borrow" an eBook from someone. Or share one with a friend. It's not the same as a library.

[/end rant]

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It's sunny today. Blindingly so because of all the white stuff on the ground. Boy, oh boy, does that reflect the light!!! No worries, though. We have another Nor'easter coming in tonight that will take care of that pesky sunlight.

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Worked on my writing again yesterday! How is that possible?? Two days in a row? Woot! I'm loving layering in the little touches, and innuendos. Still haven't layered in a puppy. Think I will. Maybe today, as I am shooting for THREE days in a row *G*.

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You Communicate With Your Body

This isn't as bad as it sounds, it just means that you're a "touchy-feely" person. You need a lot of affection in your life. And for you, this means both giving and receiving little touches. Warm hearted, you bond with people easily. In fact, you often feel a little sad when you're not in the company of others. A little moody, you tend to be controlled by your emotions. But a bit hug always comforts you!

How Do You Communicate?

Um. NO. Except maybe the "moody" part. *G*