Remix: Lawrence Lessig’s Book for Free Download

remix_cover_lSome of the most interesting writing about copyright and remix culture comes from attorney Lawrence Lessig.  His latest book, Remix, is available as a Creative Commons licensed download.  In a world where kids can download everything for free, how do you make commerce thrive and how do you avoid criminalizing an entire generation?  These are the primary questions Lessig asks in this book.  If you make a baby video that happens to have Prince playing on the radio in the background and you upload it to YouTube, have you broken a copyright law?  Prince thinks you have.  But Prince is an idiot with a guitar.  I seriously doubt that the guy can even read.  Lessig is much smarter than Prince.  Read his book with Prince playing on the stereo in your room.  Film yourself.  Then upload to YouTube.  That will make Prince go insane.

I found this book via BoingBoing.

And by the way, you have our permission to film yourself with our audio playing on your stereo in the background.  We’re much smarter than Prince too!

Roald Dahl’s Writing Hut Virtual Tour

This makes me laugh every time I see it.  It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen on the web related to a famous writer.  So, it would seem that the great children’s author, Roald Dahl, wrote all of his books, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, James and the Giant Peach, and Danny the Champion of the World, in a tiny, dilapidated, filthy old shack in his backyard.  Here’s a picture of his ratty worn-out armchair.  Imagine what went on in this tiny room!  His brain was exploding with all those stories and fantastic characters and he was probably fighting the drafts and killing bugs the whole time.  I can totally understand what he must have loved about his little ‘writing hut.’  It was probably his perfect little creative world.

You can look all around Mr. Dahl’s hut with the online virtual tour at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Center web site.

Workspace and Desk Photos for Inspiration

Here’s a flickr set of workspaces without computers.  I like all the pencils and brushes in jars.  Messy art studios are always fascinating and inspiring.  This set of pictures covers everything from art studios to garages full of tools.

Here’s another set of pictures of bloggers’ desks.  Ever wonder how the person you’re reading works or what their view is like while they come up with those brilliant posts?  Here’s your answer.