Sigh...

[rolanni]

The Google Settlement* makes it necessary for writers to jump through a bunch of hoops on Google's deadlines, whether said writer decides to opt-in, opt-out or Object. It's not like I don't have enough stupid paperwork-like tasks to fill up my hours, or that I might have a book to write. No, of course not. Doesn't everybody have extra hours in their day that they're anxious to fill up?

And! The Google Settlement has also made it necessary for us to do a bunch more paperwork. Meisha Merlin never copyrighted our books, as we belatedly discover, so that task now falls to us -- before Google's damned deadline, which is convenient for no one but itself -- and is time-consuming and expensive, for values of expensive illuminated by the lamp of low cash-flow.

Sigh.

In other news, the trees are still trying to kill me. Since Claritin makes me...extremely hyper and depressed when I have too much of it, I've been trying to ration myself and only take the stuff on days with really high pollen-counts. I'm not sure this strategy is working out as well as it could. On the other hand, I can breathe. Mostly.

I have Failed at the day-job by not producing the result desired by a faculty member who has a...rather peculiar idea of what "austerity budget" means. The thing I resent most about this is that I feel like I failed, even though I have no choice and no wiggle-room in this matter at all. (Well, OK. I could lie on the paperwork, get caught and lose my job, but yanno?)

I've been working, too slowly, on the rewrite of the chapter I got wrong last Sunday. This iteration is right, but I wanted to be past this bit and running down the story-road, racking up lots and lots of new words!

Ahem.

Hexapuma is sleeping with the teddy bears. I'd try to get a picture, but he's going to wake up the minute I shift from this desk. Take my word that it's almost Unbearably Cute.

And now...dinner.

Progress on Mouse and Dragon

58951 / 120000

-----------------
*One explanation of the Google Settlement and what it means to authors from a genre agent. Thanks to difrancis for the link.

Comments

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

For allergies, I find Nasalcrom indispensable. It's an over-the-counter nasal spray, and a mast cell inhibitor that stops the histamine reaction from starting. I use it four to five times a day, and my allergies are much less terrible than they are otherwise, even with clarinex and sudafed and mucinex and a ton of other meds.

On all the rest, I have nothing to offer but good wishes.

[debmats.livejournal.com]

For me, I've found zyrtec works better than claritin. It's been especially great these past two weeks - it's had to work against pollen and whatever stuff is in the air and THE CAT who insists on sleeping on my head.

I send good wishes too.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Tried Claritin. Only worked 2 days out of 4. Someone suggested Zyrtec. Much better. Works every day, and the generic is very cheap at CostCo.

[lagilman]

we hates, Google, we does. Except where my G1 phone is the best piece of office equipment I own... hates them yes we does, my precioussssss....

(and we REALLY hate MM for not doing the copyright for you. Grrrr)

[mardott.livejournal.com]

Unbelievable about the copyright issue. But thank you for the link and the condensed explanation. What a mess, eh?

Good luck!

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

So how much is this copyright going to set you back? Can the Patrons Of the Liaden Universe (r) kick in? (although I thought you had automatic copyright when the words are set down? This has to be the registration, which helps in court but doesn't add much else?)

[6-penny.livejournal.com]

An ear nose and throat specialist suggested that I try using mucinex. I stream a bit but it does improve the breathing and (so far) no side effects.

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Zyrtec and Allegra both work better for me than Claritin...

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

You know, I used to have some contacts in the Decatur, Georgia area in possession of military hardware. If you would like to place a contract on certain heads, let me know . . .

(Note to Homeland Security -- this is a jest.)

[grassrose.livejournal.com]

This looks like the SoundExchange of the literary world - agencies over whom the artist has no control, deciding what will be charged for / done with an artist's work. Some points:

1. SoundExchange will collect from digital broadcasters, regardless of the artist's wishes. You can write a song, record it, and offer it to broadcasters for free play. SE will still collect, unless the artist and the station have filled out a pile of paperwork.

2. It is the responsibility of the artist to make sure SoundExchange knows where to find them, to send their cut, whether the artist is a member of SE or not. Here's the list of artists that SE "hasn't been able to find"
http://63.236.111.137/jsp/unpaidArtistList.jsp
(I visited this page with scripting turned off, and it worked fine)

3. Every few years, SoundExchange declares a forfeiture date, after which unpaid/unfound artists lose the money that has been collected on their behalf. The money is paid to the recording industry, which, strangely enough, staffs the SoundExchange Board of Directors. Sweet... for them.

Some blog input:

http://www.azoz.com/topics/soundexchange.html

http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/07/polka-players-w.html (both the article and the comments are very interesting)

I am well aware that it's not an exact parallel, but I do see a pattern.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

The thing I resent most about this is that I feel like I failed, even though I have no choice and no wiggle-room

Sorry to hear about your work situation. I know how that is.

[filkferengi]

I sent y'all a goodish-sized box last week with lots of Meisha Merlin leftovers, so y'all could sell them on your website. It would be very fitting if Meisha Merlin leftovers were used to offset the expense occasioned by Meisha Merlin negligence.