Random things you think of at two in the morning

[cleolinda]

I seem to wake up at two or three in the morning pretty consistently these days. Ick.

>> You know, I wanted to do my own research rather than fire up Semagic and bother y'all every time I wanted to know some little thing, but I mention hay (thinking, "Hey, you know, if anyone else ever needs to look this stuff up, this might come in handy for them"), and not only have multiple commenters cut hay before, one of them was doing so that day. Screw this Wikipedia noise, I'm asking y'all from now on.

So... *checks notes* ...relatively slow-acting botanical poisons, what've you got? I need time for suffering and flailing about for antidotes. Belladonna? If you intend to poison someone today, I definitely need to hear from you.

>> Okay, I'm in a bit of a quandary. Someone is using the title for "Movies in Fifteen Minutes" for the first and the fourth Harry Potters--I have the link to them, but I'm not reading the texts, as I haven't actually finished "Goblet of Fire" yet, and I don't want an IM IN UR FANFIC, STEALIN UR JOKES situation on my hands. (Note: I actually did the first Potter in the book.) But I'm reading reviews left for her, and while there are a couple of comments that mention me, there's also a lot saying, "What are you going to do for your next Movies in Fifteen Minutes?" and "U should do [whatever] for your next Movies in Fifteen Minutes." I am extremely uncomfortable with what she's doing, but you, and by "you" I mean "I," can't copyright titles. And it's not like I chose the most unique title of all time in the first place. At the same time, I hear that she does seem to acknowledge obliquely that she "didn't come up with the title," so I think she has, in fact, seen my work. She may or may not be using some of my jokes; I can't look, but the reviews indicate that she may be funny on her own, which means that we are not dealing with actual plagiarism here. But here's another complicating factor: the site doesn't allow script format fics anyway. I'm not linking to any of this because I legitimately don't know what to do, and I don't want to call the flying monkeys down on her. Probably the most I could ask for is for her to put a disclaimer that says "This is not related to Cleolinda Jones' Movies in Fifteen Minutes," and I don't know that I even have the right to ask for that. She seems to be only fifteen anyway, and... I totally don't know what to do. Other than pour myself a tall glass of Let It the Hell Go, I guess.

>> Re: Last night's JonBenet entry: You know how the first thing out of my mouth, metaphorically speaking, was how this guy might be trying to get out of Thailand? Yeah. A lot of things aren't adding up, including the whole "No, my husband was with me in Alabama, the Center of the Universe, that Christmas" part. At the same time, the man is way creepy and at least now that he's been nationally exposed as a pedophile (what were the previous charges, again? Child porn in California and sex charges in Thailand?), maybe someone can put him away somewhere. God knows what he's been up to elsewhere.

(On the other hand: the details Karr allegedly knows that no one but the killer should know.)

>> ATTENTION, PEOPLE I ACTUALLY KNOW IN REAL LIFE: Holy crow, people are actually coming out of Snakes on a Plane saying they liked it. I was expecting the biggest hype letdown ever. (Sample comments start here. Also here.) "It's everything you could have hoped for" is a pretty damn good endorsement. Art on the Rocks is Friday, but what about Saturday?

>> Linkspam:

Jail for Haley Joel? It's a Shyamalan curse, I'm telling you--first Mel and now this.

The Stephen Colbert Threat Down Generator.

megmatthews20: "On a much happier subject, have you seen the following POTC 3 spoilerific pictures?" I think we've seen some of them before, but I think there's at least a couple of new ones, and they're laid out better here. Also, Chinese Pirate Jack lives!

Hilary Duff's new video, "Play with Fire." I am not proud that I have now downloaded the song, but Sister Girl actually came and said, "You need to listen to this, I think you would like this. No, I have no shame." She actually earbombed me, knowingly, with stupidcrackmusic. You understand, don't you? Don't you?!

carebearssparky: "I was wondering if you could pimp this - I know habibekindheart can use all the support she can get. She does not deserve any of the things that have happened to her, and neither does her family."

Comments

[kittenscurious.livejournal.com]

omg...snakes on a plane was amazing. the theater was full of people super excited to see it, there was yelling and chanting. somebody brought a water jug along and they were throwing it around the theater, someone else had a samuel l jackson cardboard cutout he was waving around (From star wars). there was yelling and cheering and clapping and screaming. if you don't like movies where shit pops out at you, this is not the movie for you; i screamed every time one of the snakes struck and attacked someone, but the atmosphere was so much fun that it made it worthwhile. it was great. i really really enjoyed it.

[kittenscurious.livejournal.com]

my roommate saw it with me; here's (http://callie-girl.livejournal.com/205879.html?style=mine#cutid1) what she had to say, said much better and more thoroughly than i have or could.

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Sorry to add to your linkspam, but ... Would anyone like to get Narnia (and other) stuff for free, thus conning Focus on the Family out of money? The Stranger tells you how ().

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

The link's not working for me, but I am definitely interested.

[bubonicplague.livejournal.com]

I myself would contact her privately and nicely and explain why you are uncomfortable with the title. Perhaps she is indeed a reasonable person and, if she is truly talented at mocking in her own right, she would probably not like her work to be confused with yours or vice-versa.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I don't have an account on the site, which you need to leave comments or send emails, and I feel kind of weird getting an account that I would never post anything to... but other than that, yeah, it sounds like a plan.

[stillxmyxheart.livejournal.com]

So... *checks notes* ...relatively slow-acting botanical poisons, what've you got? I need time for suffering and flailing about for antidotes. Belladonna? If you intend to poison someone today, I definitely need to hear from you.

Well, I'm not intending to poison anybody today, but I do have a handy dandy book on poisons. According to this, Belladonna takes 6-12 hours to act, as do Elderberry, Hydrangea, Jimsonweed, Moonseed (I assume that's a plant... heh), and Tansy. If you want something that takes more/less time, let me know and I'll look up a few others :D

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

*Awesome.* What's the book called?

[sexion8.livejournal.com]

You'll never know how repulsed I feel for even saying this, but I can't get rid of this niggling thought that his memories of events may be confused with memories of...other events. Like, is JonBenet even his first victim? That we know of? It just really bothers me that he allegedly knows details not publicized if he didn't do it.

[juushika.livejournal.com]

Chinese Pirate Jack really, honestly, does not live. The outfit was a costume designed by this guy (http://images.cosplay.com/gallery.php?cat=48047&member=25136), recently revealed at the San Diego Comic Con 2006. He's very, very good, but the pictures of Jack in the Chinese costume are still photoshopped—even if we end up seeing a similar costume in the film.

[juushika.livejournal.com]

Finally—here (http://community.livejournal.com/potc_discussion/41809.html#cutid1) is the link to an explanation of the Chinese Jack Sparrow photo manips.

[i-amthecosmos.livejournal.com]

Did you see the Birmingham News article about the alledged Jon Benet killer? The headline called him an "ex" Alabamaian. Heh, I like that. Do good, and everyone says you're from Alabama. Get involved in a sex murder case of a young child, and it's "Colorado can have you".

I enjoyed Snakes on a Plane. I had a good time. It does have every plane disaster cliche and every horror cliche known to man, but it's done well.

[wirrrn.livejournal.com]

Hey,

Name your Poison:

If you're looking for an American plant that'll kill you (fairly) slowly, then you just can't go past Belladonna aka Wolfsbane aka Foxglove aka Monkshood aka Deadly Nightshade. *All* parts of the plant cause fatal cardiac slowing 5-8 hours after ingesting the plant, or just handling it and then handling other food, as is what (probably) happened last year to late young actor Andre Noble on a camping trip.

If you're talking international plants, then Australia is the place to go. Much like our snakes, spiders and fish, practically *all* our plants will kill you dead for looking at them funny:

OLEANDER (Nerium species) is a very pretty flowering shrub found all over Aussie gardens, in white, pink and yellow forms- all parts of the plant contain a deadly Cardiotoxin that causes fatal spastic heart convulsions 10-24 hours after eating. You don't even have to eat it- people have died after building a fire from Oleander branches and inhaling the
toxic smoke, or using oleander twigs as skewers when making shish-kebabs.
MOTHER OF MILLIONS (Bryophyllum tubiflorum) commonly poisons cattle in Oz, but a person who eats it would also die in about 24 hours from Heart Poisoning. It gets its name because it springs up *everywhere* once one plant is established.
LANTANA (Lantana camara) -two to five hours after eating the berries of this very pretty little garden shrub/weed) you can expect to be dead from circulatory collapse.
HEMLOCK Conium maculatum) -is the plant Socrates was forced to committ suicide with. Several hours after ingestion, you suffer fatal respiratory failure. This plant is implicated in many accidental poisonings worldwide, as it's in the same family as parsnips, carrots and celery-which is closely resembles.
POTATOES will kill you stone dead in about 24 hours if you eat them when they've been exposed to the sun long enough to turn green. If the Potato starts to photosynthesize, it produces the deadly toxin Solenium.
POINSETTIA- should really not be used as a Xmas table centrepiece, as the sap can kill a child in a few hours and cause extreme dermatitis in an adult.
The world's two most lethally poisonous mushrooms, found in both Australia and the US, are the Death Cap Mushroom, which is a pallid white-brown, and the Fly Agaric, which is red with white spots. Death results in 3-8 hours after eating, from a gradual paralysis that eventually effects the lungs. Generally, a poisonous mushroom can be recognized by a ring or flesh cap around the base of the stalk.

Hope this helps!

[tabbyclaw.livejournal.com]

POINSETTIA- should really not be used as a Xmas table centrepiece, as the sap can kill a child in a few hours and cause extreme dermatitis in an adult.

Not true at all. (http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/poinsettia.asp)

[lilgoala.livejournal.com]

It's always weird when you see child actors growing up and doing the stupid stuff you associate with people you knew in high school.

At least Haley's only being a stupid teenager. Mel is just batshit.

[ex-dovil323.livejournal.com]

Hey, lets be best friends! So I can climb the social totem pole and be famous! I am joking, but I was thinking about the social dicotamys that exist in LJ and how you can be alone bar the few people you can bond with given LJ time and the rest you talk to, and yet the expectations that you feel you must provide for the hungry crowd. Am I talking out of my arse? Seriously I'm reaching here. But I'm thinking my experiences here at 200 and something friends probably isn't that different at you with 2,000 and something friends. You know, obviously I'm nervous not talking to a person here but rather than a social construct that can make or break me and I'll just be here in the corner rolling my eyes so much they fall all over the floor. And by the way hello, and thank you for making me laugh. :D

[3hours.livejournal.com]

Again with the I don't have this confirmed, but apparantly the ex-wife said first that she 'could not defend him', then after that the whole 'oh he was with me the whole christmas' came. Didn't you link to and quote the place that quoted her as saying she could not defend him? It's funny how her story changed so violently, unless she made the first comment about his childporn/non-JBR antics. Which is also entirely possible of course. Just something to keep in mind.

[3hours.livejournal.com]

Nevermind, I read the article linked above more thoroughly and it's mentioned there: "Karr's ex-wife told TV reporters she cannot defend him, then insisted he was with her in Alabama during Christmas 1996 (...)"

[altiloquent.livejournal.com]

I went into SOAP with expectations of a bad-good movie, what I got was an incredibly exciting and hilarious movie that didn't take itself seriously with one of the GREATEST crowds ever. It was totally Rocky Horror instead of MST3K like I thought it would be. I'd PAY to see it again, no problem.

[squirrelgirl22.livejournal.com]

I also went in with "horribly good" expectations, but for me the movie was even worse than I could have expected (script- and acting-wise). In my theater it was definitely more MST3K than R.H.--more mocking and laaghing at the unintentionally humorous parts...but that all aside, that doesn't mean that I didn't have fun seeing. It's a good horror/action film--which made me put my hands over my eyes more than once--but there's no way in hell I'm seeing it again.

It's one of those one-and-done things--it's about the right mix of people in the theater, opening weekend, all-about-the-experience. If it didn't have the title and the premise and the buzz (i.e. if the same level of script writing and acting was transplanted to another film) that movie would end up on MST3K in ten years. Terrible film, really fun experience.

[levi.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting that.

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

Not legal advice but a thought. You ought to check with your publisher, but you have probably established trademark rights in and to your title, as it's both a book series and a website, and any use of an infinging title by an unauthorized third party could damage your rights and/or your publisher's.

[silverhill.livejournal.com]

can't copyright titles.

But you can TRADEMARK titles. I suggest you do that, especially if you're going to do a second book.

[natmerc.livejournal.com]

I know I went to a couple of different "Shakespeare in 15 minutes" mini-plays about 5 years ago, and it had been going on for a while. It's not a new concept or title framework, but if they're using your material from your book w/o asking (for Potter #1), then I think you've got a case.

As to whether you can trademark it, at least in the USA, that's for better legal minds than mine to know.

[bluinkalchemist.livejournal.com]

I think you are well within your rights to call on whats-her-face to disassociate from you. A little blurb in front of her fics isn't going to hurt her at all, not to mention she might get spurred to make a less derivative title.

I also think telling her you have a real book in print and she's languishing in the world of fanficdom is a good hole card to have if she starts being a hoe.

Don't let it go. You've worked too hard to let someone even attempt to steal the rug out from under you.

[iczer6.livejournal.com]

I also think telling her you have a real book in print and she's languishing in the world of fanficdom is a good hole card to have if she starts being a hoe.

Yes because it's not like Cleo did this for fun or because people liked it and asked her to do more.

And she invented the whole parody-summary thing, all those sites that did funny recaps years before the first 'movie in 15 minutes' was even written were obviously stealing from Cleo, ya know by using their time machine.

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

The people on my flist who mentioned seeing SOAP have all been ecstatic over it.

[itshardtosay.livejournal.com]

That Hillary Duff scares me. The song is 80's pop, the video is, well, I don't know what it is, but it should have been cheap to make since they looped the same three scenes throughout. AND OMG THE HORSE TEETH ARE STILL THERE. I really liked Hillary Duff before she lost weight and grew horse teeth. Now I can barely stand to look at her. *sigh* Poor Hillary.

Poor Hillary

[promise19.livejournal.com]

I don't hate her or anything, but it is really hard to look at her now. I feel bad when I think that a perfectly lovely young woman is told by whoever-- her agent, her mom, the industry-- that she needs to lose weight to the point that her cheeks are sunken in, and get godawful caps over perfectly beautiful teeth. Glad I'm not a "Hollywood teen queen." I'm insecure enough as it is! ;-)

Snakes on a Plane

[kdorian.livejournal.com]

The good reviews are the best news I've heard in months! When I heard they didn't give critics an advanced screening, I cringed - you KNOW what that usually means about a movie.

WOOT! I know what I'll be going to see this weekend!

[lumaria.livejournal.com]

Woot! First one to post that Haley Joel has grown up to become semi-hot!

And probably the only to ever post such a thing.

[grnarmadillo.livejournal.com]

IMO, Snakes on a Plane delivers just as promised. If you're planning to see it, I'd try to find an opening weekend crowd. I don't think I've ever been present for a theater reaction quite like last night's midnight opener as the countdown clock on the snake box ticked down to zero.

[valkyrie79.livejournal.com]

Greg and I are headed to a dinner party thingie Saturday night and are also the weirdos who tend to be ambivalent about seeing movies in a theatre since we don't like dealing with a lot of strange sounds and odors other random people seem to have going on.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

That's okay--I've spent the last couple of weeks carefully converting Brett to the cause. MOOHAHA.

[guinevere33.livejournal.com]

As a starting point for your natural poisons Googling, try Agatha Christie. She killed off an astounding number of characters using little-known toxins, many of them biological. Looks like there's a book on them (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/330/15/1095) too.

[arielchan.livejournal.com]

Wow, Hilary Duff has grown up in the last year, hasn't she?