Yep. Some had retired from the district and this was a late life job. But many haven't. One is 8 months pregnant. For sure, all of their benefits will continue until July. But after that, they're on their own.

Mom'd been just trying to get to retirement being useful (and lord knows, she'll be the best volunteer ever once she retires!) and the PDT thing fit that well. Now she's gearing up for classroom again (and psyching herself up for it by pitching in with sessions with new teachers, which is making her fond of the classroom again, so that's good.) But I do worry about her, cause she will tell you she just doesn't have the stamina she used to.

My parents are lucky in that their retirement looks financially ok, but I worry about their functionality. They aren't retiring people. Gotta keep busy!

From my understanding, as the copyright owner, she has first right to make money off the subsidiary works. They are making subsidiary works without her permission, and therefore she can't make money off a lexicon.

Ah! Jeez. Thanks for the sum up. I can't figure out why it is going to court, though. I read a few arguments about how if she wins it will have a chilling effect on academic works, but the argument seems thin.

The thing with the Lexicon is kind of dual: (1) somebody trying to publish a subsidiary work without doing any of the legal background to check whether that's legal and (2) somebody trying to do same without telling the copyright holder till it was in print.

The whole thing went to court because the plaintiff (JKR) had to file a restraining order to make the defendant stop the presses. Unless the defendant subsequently abased himself before a third grade class and allowed them to trample on his head, it was basically doomed to go all the way to trial.

OMG People did you know that MTV had a reality show about a HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER?! It's pretty much exactly like my life in high school, and I'm willing to bet, like most of the buffistas'. When I saw the commercial for this on the same channel that makes bank off The Hills, I thought it was an April Fools joke. But NO! It is all true. It is NERDTASTIC. AND AWESOME. AND UNFORTUNATE.

Ticket prices on Amtrak are currently no cheaper than airfar and yet the travel will take you much much longer for most travel.

It costs just under or the same as gas and I can read, write, catchy up on anything and generally not have to deal with traffic. I tend to take it for about half of my trips to Seattle.

Trip lengths for which flying isn't useful but I don't want to drive that long either? Train!

Kat, that's appalling. The financial fuckovers you've had to deal with in the past twelve months are insane.

I read a few arguments about how if she wins it will have a chilling effect on academic works, but the argument seems thin.

Well, the site is here. I assume it started as a pure lexicon, but at this point it's more of an encylopedia, with a timeline of events, lists of places, essays on lord knows what. So it depends on what exactly is in the book, but it does seem like if she wins, it could dramatically change what is considered fair use.

I'm scared of the chinese buses, which are probably the best deal all around. Except when they are asshats.

I've taken them to Boston, DC, and Connecticut. They've been late about half the time, but I never felt unsafe.

I've taken them to Boston, DC, and Connecticut.

Toting a clandestine canine!