All posts by Govvy

I could be talking about anything!
Current Events

IS destruction of Palmyra saddens me.

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I love history and ancient architecture but what IS has done to Palmyra truly saddens me. It’s not the first time that civilizations have wiped out other civilizations to leave only whispers of an unknown past. You have conquest, you have destruction, but this is true obliteration.

What I am confused at is that IS are destroying Islamic-Syrian-Persian identity. These places were used as places of worship by ancient Islam, so were blessed as sacred ground. There is also destruction of what IS call idols but are in fact most likely busts or full statues representing real people from the past. Ancient art destroyed, looted and sold.

I am truly sorry that the majority of the Syrian people have to leave the country they love because of this war. I just wish for IS to understand that they are not destroying our history but more likely their future.

obituary

R.I.P Wes

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I was sad to hear today that Wes Craven had died. I considered him to be an innovator in the world of cinema on horror films.

I am not a big fan of horror films myself, but Craven was probably one of the few horror directors I was impressed with. His story telling, ability to shock along with comedy, was a combination that worked very well where few other directors came close to this style and format. 

Craven has left us a legacy and I hope that we give him the respect he deserves.

Football, TV

Is BT going to kill football?

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I just realised that unless BT Sport goes bankrupt for heavily over paying for Champions League football I might not ever watch it live on TV again. At least I got some highlights on ITV. However I feel rather upset by the outcome. 

I don’t want to pay for Sky Sports as I think it’s far too much, then unless you’re a BT Internet customer, and extra £12.99 a month from BT to add it too Sky! Ugg, these companies are just ripping off the customers!!

Art

Spanish Government employs 1-10th of the law on a Picasso!

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In a follow up to my previous post about the Picasso family taking back by force some of Picasso’s paintings. It seems to me that Spanish government is now following a similar pattern.

First I like to say, if you own a painting you should be able to display it where ever you like. Just as long as you give it the right respect.

But if you have been keeping an eye on the news this happened.

From BBC News: Picasso ‘national treasure’ seized by French customs
So 9-10ths of the law of ownership. And a powerful Spanish family fall fowl to the French and Spanish governments requesting a painting worth £17m (€25m). 

Well is saves the nation of Spain millions to aquire the painting but how about those legal bills? That could in the end run up to a few million. 

I also wonder if they even asked Jamie Botin the owner If he could loan it to the nation. Or maybe they had and he rejected!! Which might explain a few things, nevertheless in my view this is art theft at the heighest level.

Art

Did the Picasso family steal the paintings back?

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So you’re given a gift of some painting 40 years ago which are now worth a fortune. Then you decide it’s time to sell them, but wait a minute what happened here?

BBC News: Picasso electrician must return piecess to artist’s family
It seems to me that the Picasso family can afford the better lawyers and take back with force and no consiquence, effectively stealing from this poor couple.

Websites

Pinterest are you stealing peoples property and violating copyright law?

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I would just like to browse, but I can’t for every time I visit Pinterest this happens.

Pinterest

I don’t want to signup, I don’t want to login with facebook. The other reason why I refuse to signup to pinterest is simply the first part of their ToS.

a. Who can use Pinterest
 You may use our Products only if you can form a binding contract with Pinterest,
Why would I want a binding contract with you? Who are you to enforce this on me?
b. How Pinterest and other users can use your content
 You grant Pinterest and its users a non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable, worldwide license to use, store, display, reproduce, re-pin, modify, create derivative works, perform, and distribute your User Content on Pinterest solely for the purposes of operating, developing, providing, and using the Pinterest Products. Nothing in these Terms shall restrict other legal rights Pinterest may have to User Content, for example under other licenses. We reserve the right to remove or modify User Content for any reason, including User Content that we believe violates these Terms or our policies.
So effectively you are using your site to steal peoples work, lovely, maybe I should boycott and blacklist the website! I hate the idea of this website now.
c. How long we keep your content
 Following termination or deactivation of your account, or if you remove any User Content from Pinterest, we may retain your User Content for a commercially reasonable period of time for backup, archival, or audit purposes. Furthermore, Pinterest and its users may retain and continue to use, store, display, reproduce, re-pin, modify, create derivative works, perform, and distribute any of your User Content that other users have stored or shared through Pinterest.
So effectively deleting your work wont stop them from stealing from you, they will do it anyway. Which brings me back to the first part. How do you browse the site if you don’t login or signup to their binding contract. There seems to be some contradiction and they could be doing this type of sign in feature as they know they are breaking copyright laws.