Your Opinions on File Sharing

[muckshifter]

just an idle query as I know copyright laws have jumped through all sorts of hoops over the last few years, but back when I used to write fiction copyright used to expire after 50years?

Nope!

Well not for us in UK and I beleive it is near enough the same the World over.

70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author of the work dies.

http://copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law

 

[cirianz]

Nope!

Well not for us in UK and I beleive it is near enough the same the World over.


http://copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law

Thanks mucks, yes I did mean post mortem sorry, poor communication on my behalf, but i had obviously gotten the time wrong (you can tell i never got anything published)

By the way, I know it's off topic but I did want to say thank you to you, I've started teaching my little boy to type as you suggested and he is loving it. He is fascinated that, even though he can't read (or write with a pencil) he can write things that other people can read & that he wrote personally. He ususally manages about two lines at a time (of his own story) & it is still quite slow & labourious for him, but his typing speed AND letter recognition have increased dramatically! It is wonderful! After so much trying and so many 'techniques' (including home made ones) he is at last making progress. Another step towards independance . Thank you .

 

[floppybootstomp]

By the way, I know it's off topic but I did want to say thank you to you, I've started teaching my little boy to type as you suggested and he is loving it. He is fascinated that, even though he can't read (or write with a pencil) he can write things that other people can read & that he wrote personally. He ususally manages about two lines at a time (of his own story) & it is still quite slow & labourious for him, but his typing speed AND letter recognition have increased dramatically! It is wonderful! After so much trying and so many 'techniques' (including home made ones) he is at last making progress. Another step towards independance . Thank you .

That is really good news. Cheers me up, hearing that. Excellent

 

[muckshifter]

Well, I'm pleased to see it working for you ... now you'll need one of these Keyboards for him ... it has an added advantage of teaching the Alphabet at the same time.

Shame that one isn't USB ... but you may find a USB version. If you can find a USB one, you can use it at the same time as your keyboard.


Another link ...
http://abckeyboard.co.uk/

 

[cirianz]

Don't have a list of the cassettes, it would take me too long to catalogue them.

I'll probably record a few, the rarities, but don't quite know what to do with them all, to be honest. I may make some storage for them and use them, most sound good, they're all on Maxell XLII & TDK SA.

In the meantime, have a rummage through CD list, in MS Excel 2003 format: CD List. It's zipped, right click and select 'Save target As'.

Flops you just got yourself a new best friend!!! After this home ed inspector's been & gone I might just take you out, get you 'tipsy' & raid your collection


Speaking of which... another little 'bone' to throw into this debate. You remember how I told you that the average cost of a CD over here is about $39? Well I was neglecting one type of CD... The classics. Now obviously If I'm after some Andrea Bocelli or the like then I will pay the same as for any 'pop' star. But if I'm after classical music in general then the price range is fron $2 - $10 NZ. & these are not half A*sed crappy 'copy-cat' recordings played by artists who can't tell one end of a cello from the other. They are exelent quallity, often the names of the artists are European & I don't recognise them, but, having heard them, I would never debate their excellence. And many include items by the London Symphony Orchestra &/or the London Philharmonic, both of which posses considerable international standing.
So... If they can produce CD's so cheaply...?

Methinks I smell a rat... Or maybe a whole damn nest of rats including extended family & going back 10 generations!

And then there's a local Dunedin band I know, they recently produced their own CD. None of the 'big' NZ studios were interested in them, they didn't think there was a market for this band's brand of customised (they write their own material) irish folk music. So they did it themselves, hiring the technicians & studio etc. It sells for about $10. And it does sell! It may not be "Top of the pops" but there definitely is a market. And the band may not be raking it in like the music companies do, but they do make a reasonable profit off these CD's. I think it's the word 'reasonable' that sticks in the music industries craw!

 

[cirianz]

Flops & mucks I do apologise, after spending some time chasing children it took me so long to get my 2nd post up yesturday that I never saw your responses. I guess I'm so used to no-one being around when I'm on that I never thought to scroll back. You must've thought me very rude, I'm sorry.

I appreciate very much both of your comments. Sometimes it is very hard not to get frustrated & all encouragement & help is always appreciated. Thank you both

I checked out both of those keyboard sites, it looks a good idea although no one seems to be shipping down this way yet. I have only skimmed the first site so far but have registereds & will go back later & check out those downloads, see if any of them are mac compatible. It is very hard to find support or resources for dyslexia down here as so far the govt has refused to officialy recognise that dyslexia exists. Mostly, I suspect, because they would then have to provide funding to schools etc to assist dyslexic children, not to mention to train teachers in how best to teach dyslexic children. Not to mention the money they would have to fork over to aid Adult dyslexics!
My Doctor used to work in Brittain & he tells me that there is all sorts of systems, support & funding etc set up over there, but here, there is nothing. He was quite angry about it.
When I phoned up the ministry of education about it they got all in a dither & insisted that they did provide all sorts of funding & resources to schools for the assistance of dyslexic children. So I phoned up a number of local principals and asked them. They just laughed & said that if the dept. was providing this then they had never seen it. One principal who had had a number of dyslexic children through her school over the years was able to give me the title of a few books on the subject but said that any 'resources' they had they had either had to make or to buy themselves. None of the other schools even admitted that they might've had dyslexic children through their system.
But then, my sister got so good at faking it that she was 10 years old before anyone discovered that she could not read.

With this Home Ed inspector comming through tomorrow to evaluate us & say wether I can keep my home schooling licence I am very afraid that he will take my licence away & Morgan will have to go to school. My daughter would handle it alright, she is well ahead of her age group in all subjects & although I think she will continue to learn quicker & develop better socially in the much more varied environment that she inhabits now, I do believe that she would adapt well enough to the school system & be able to function within it.
But Morgan? He would have to attend the local school where, at 8yo (as he will be next year) the teacher will expect him to be able to read & write & is unlikely to have any idea as to how to deal & educate someone who can't & who, even if s/he is sympathetic, simply will not have the time to teach him individually. & at worst he might end up with someone like John's youngest son had who would send him out of class periodically because he was "too stupid to be worth teaching".
The fact that he is severely hyperactive is unlikely to help. I suspect that any Doctor with half a brain would class him as ADHD but, since I can teach him on a one to one basis I am able to teach around that, learning how to catch & maintain his interest, & when to stop just before the boredom sets in & the 'activity' become a chore. But given that the only times I've known him to sit still for more than 5 minutes are when he's watching TV... & it better be an interesting program! (He remained glued to his seat for every episode of "Battlefleet: The Royal Navy at sea") or when he's playing a computer game.
I expect that any teacher would be insisting that he be assessed & medicated within a week.

I am really scared.

I've spent the whole of this last week running around like a mad thing trying to get everything tidy, sorted & organised for when this guy comes. But I'm supposed to be providing evidence that I am teaching my children... but they aren't going to be finding any exercise books full of sums or writing for Morgan. Almost all of his maths is done through number games & computergames. Atempts at writing were always done on bits of looseleaf refill (disguised as 'spontaeneous' games or 'writing leters' to his nana etc), not exercise books, & thrown out afterwards (our house is very small, there just isn't room for clutter.) Almost all of the rest of his education is done through activities, drawings/illustrations, reading/activity books & conversational learning. Just about the only evidence I have is the little bits of Typing he's been doing. Everything else is just hearsay.
I hope this guy has got enough common sense & flexibility to actually pay attention & listen.
Back to chewing my nails. I've been rabbiting on sorry. I had better go & get back to cleaning & sorting. Right now I am at that stage of tidying where everything looks messier than before you started. & this guy comes at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning.
Bye, & wish me luck.

 

[muckshifter]

Hey! ... no apologies needed.

You need a break ... don't get so worked up, easy to say, but you'll end up a nervous wreck.

Make sure you have a fresh pot of coffee on the go and bake some real bread ... what 'bloke' can resist that.

If you need the keyboard and they don't do 'down-under' give us a shout and I see what the postage will come to.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Blimey. Good luck. Sincerely.

Let's hope the assessor is a sensitive type of person.

Let us know how you get on.

I've mentioned it before, but I've known several dyslexic people. In their time of schooling, they had no support and were dismissed as 'stupid'. It hasn't stopped any of them making money though.

It's recognised and there is support now. In one aspect, it seems as though Australia is in the sixties still.

 

[phicksus]

Good luck tomorrow.

 

[cirianz]

Thanks guy's, the inspector will be here in about 15 mins. I'm busy chewing my nails. Only got 4 hours sleep last night I was so busy tidying & researching. I'll probably not be able to find anything for months lol.

 

[muckshifter]

Thanks guy's, the inspector will be here in about 15 mins. I'm busy chewing my nails. Only got 4 hours sleep last night I was so busy tidying & researching. I'll probably not be able to find anything for months lol.

And you know what ... I bet I ain't the only one either, chewing my nails for you. Well, I would if I had any.

You take your time ...

 

[cirianz]

And you know what ... I bet I ain't the only one either, chewing my nails for you. Well, I would if I had any.

You take your time ...

Thanks mucks. Well, he's been & gone & phoned back for clarification and discussion of several issues, & so far things look... ok I think.

The actual interview was unbelievable. When he was talking with me I couldn't get my thoughts together
& present them in any sort of cohesive fashion, my mind was just all over the place. When he was interviewing Morgan (who normally moves around at about 100mph & talks constantly) he sat there fidgeting & barely said a word, even when the guy was asking questions about things he knows well & has looked at within the last 48 hours. Normally one question on a subject & Morgan would've been happily rabbiting on about it at great length. Today he gave monosylabilic answers to the exact question & added no additional info whatsoever (ie. if the interviewer didn't ask the exact right question then it looked like Morgan knew nothing about the subject) My daughter, when describing her interview said that she had a complete case of "goldfish brain" & couldn't remember anything when asked. When he asked her what science she had been doing, for example, she was able to tell him of a couple of things she had done a 'while ago' but couldn't think of anything in the last month. She was able to talk better when they got on to her pixel art but overall we came across as a bunch of total scatterbrains & airheads.

So all in all I think it went pretty well... don't'cha think?

Now we just wait, he's writing up his report, which goes up to Christchurc & (as he said) sit's on a guys desk for about a week b4 he gets it done & then copies are sent to Wellington; to the head of the ERO (education Review Office) for homeschooling who will evaluate it & decide if we get to keep our homeschooling licence, and to me. In other words, chances are it won't even have left Christchurch b4 the guy there goes on his christmas break. A long time waiting before we know the result. Altho there's really nothing more that we can do about it now so there is no point chewing our nails for now. Our part's over for the time being. Fk I'm exhausted. I hate it when other people have that sort of power over me & my children.

Ah well, back to real life I suppose & just try not to think about it too much.
Thank you all of you for your support & encouragement. I've been going quietly (?) insane here. It helped. Thank you

 

[muckshifter]

Sods Law, init ...

I hope you have come down off the roof now, and are relaxing a little ... really do hope all turns out well and you can carry on as 'normal' ... now concentrate on Xmas.

 

[cirianz]

Sods Law, init ...

I hope you have come down off the roof now, and are relaxing a little ... really do hope all turns out well and you can carry on as 'normal' ... now concentrate on Xmas.

LOL, yeah, exactly. We'll be able to put our xmas tree up now at least. Our house is so small that we couldn't put the tree up b4 or the guy wouldn't've been able to eyeball one of the kids main bookcases of 'educational' books & videos as there's nowhere else in the house where the tree will fit. The kids are off to their father's place tonight so we'll be putting the tree up on monday when they get back. A bit late perhaps but it'll be fun at least & the kids are at least glad to have their (somewhat belated) Xmas holidays start at last. So like you said, we'll just hope all goes well & concentrate on xmas. I've still got xmas shopping to do... Doing xmas shopping in the week leading up to xmas... now that's terror !!!

 

[Becky]

Flops' proposed media pricing:

New Release DVD's, priced for one year: £7.50
Back catalogue DVD's: £4.50
Special edition back catalogue DVD's with extra content: £6.00
New release CD's, priced for 18 months: £7.50
Back Catalogue CD's, from £3.00 to £5.00
CD Singles: £1.00
CD Singles with extra content, 2nd disc etc: £2.00

Excellent plan! You should replace Gordon Brown