Archive for February, 2011

44 items.

I don’t even like Arianna Huffington’s hair anymore

by Colleen Doran on February 16th, 2011
Posted In: Blog, Creator Resources, copyright/trademark, Creator Resources, Creator Resources, Legal, Creator Resources, Money Management, Creator Resources, Publishing

She was way more attractive as a redhead. No, really that great do she had about ten years ago. Totally loved it. I almost did my hair just like that. I admired her. But now she has broken my heart.

Arianna Huffington, the rich lady who created the blog The Huffington Post with a team of investors and $1 million in seed money, said website content provided by a bunch of unpaid volunteer bloggers, has just sold the whole enchilada to AOL for a whopping $315 million.

Say, how’s that “Information Wants to be Free” thing working out for ya?

This is how it works, folks. Tech and freeloader gurus wind you up with pep talks about how they’re going to make you faaaaaaamous, while they get you to do all the labor. Then they make the bucks. And then they laugh at you. Ha ha.

Andrew Sullivan comments:

Ka-ching! For me, the most telling part is that of the $315 million, Arianna and her investors only took $15 million in AOL stock. More an act of cashing out than digging in. But, hey, it’s a model and it’s working. And no-one is forced to write for free. If you can make a fortune off people’s vanity and desire to express themselves, why not?

Ow.

Debra Saunders at SF Gate:

Huffington is an entrepreneurial genius at self-promotion. She fiercely surfed the left’s discontent with mainstream – read: corporate – journalism by promising to keep mainstream – read: paid – news media “honest.”

Then she rode that left-wing discontent all the way to the bank. Now she writes like a corporate flack, lauding the “merger of visions” made possible after business-savvy CEO Eric Hippeau “monetized” the Huffington Post.

I’d write more, but I can’t afford to work for free for Ms Huffington, or even for me.

So, enjoy some LULZ.

Cartoonist Jen Sorensen.

And a little pep talk from Arianna Huffington herself!


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Legal & Business Bootcamp for Arts Professionals

by Colleen Doran on February 16th, 2011
Posted In: Blog, Creator Resources, Creator Resources, Education, Creator Resources, Legal

When: Friday, March 11, 2011, 10 – 5pm
Where: Herrick, Feinstein LLP. 2 Park Ave, New York, NY 10016
(Continental Breakfast and Lunch will be Provided)

VLA is pleased to announce this intensive program, a modified version of VLA’s Legal & Business Bootcamp for Arts Professionals, our signature educational program. This Bootcamp will cover the legal and business issues that affect individual artists of all arts disciplines and individuals within arts institutions.

Sessions will include:
Intellectual Property
Contract Essentials and Negotiation Skills
For-Profit, Non-Profit, Fiscal Sponsorship Models
Considerations for Documentary and Fact-Based Projects
Who Should Attend:
Individual artists of all arts disciplines and individuals within arts institutions. Cultural organizations, recently admitted attorneys, and other professionals who represent artists should also benefit from this program.

Note: There will be no registrations taken the day of the event. You must be registered before March 11, 2011 to attend this event.

VLA Staff:

Elena M. Paul, Esq.
Executive Director

Sergio Muñoz Sarmiento, Esq.
Associate Director

Benjamin J. Brandow, Esq.
Assistant Director of Legal Services

Special Guests:

Amy J. Goldrich Esq.
Law Offices of Amy J. Goldrich

Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq.
The Arts and Entertainment Division Fettmann, Tolchin & Majors, PC.

Peter Rienecker, Esq.
Vice President and Senior Counsel
Original Programming, HBO, Inc.

Fees:
Artists and Arts Organization Representatives
$149 Artists and Students
$250 Arts Organizations
Lawyers
$325 All Lawyers

For our financial aid policy and application, please visit:

http://www.vlany.org/education/financialaid.php

* 7.0 CLE Credits Available, Professional Practice (Transitional: 3 Professional, 2 Skills, 2 Ethics)
Due to the limited number of attendees, you must register for the program in advance and receive confirmation of your registration and location details from VLA. Registration fees are non-refundable. Space is limited. Please register early as the program tends to sell out. You will receive a confirmation email one week prior to the scheduled workshop.

Questions? Call Ben Brandow at 212.319.2787 ext. 14

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02/16/2011

by Colleen Doran on February 16th, 2011
Posted In: A Distant Soil Webcomic
02/16/2011

Thank you to our noble patron Josh Justic! Your sponsorship keeps this free access webcomic online!

One of the many advantages to reading A Distant Soil in print is that the very nice full bleed pages look better. This page appears in Volume III. Reads good, and so good for you!

A Distant Soil Volume III: The Aria

Volume 3: The Aria (collects A Distant Soil #26-31, 164 pages, Image Comics 2nd printing

A Distant Soil Volume III

We still have a few A Distant Soil Sampler Sets left! Get ‘em while they last!

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

by Colleen Doran on February 14th, 2011
Posted In: Culture, Comics, Humor

ROFL!

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Process Wonk blogging

by Colleen Doran on February 14th, 2011
Posted In: Blog

More like process whine, I guess. So nervy this week. Want to go out.

I must clean up the office. It looks like a freelancer on deadline works in here.

I have been without a car for an entire month. The great thing about having a twenty-year-old car is, well, the thing is paid off. The bad thing about a twenty-year-old car is that when a part needs replacing, you will wait. My pristine condition twenty-year-old Honda has very valuable parts. The parts are so valuable that when I lived in the city, someone stole the door. The entire door. The parts of my car are worth more than the book value of the car. I am not sure how that works. Right now, I am waiting for a new dashboard because the speedometer doesn’t work. Makes driving exciting, though.

I was able to secure some more books for the A Distant Soil Sampler Packs, so big relief. Old books like these are hard to get unless you buy in quantity. Otherwise, they cost $5 a piece, and we couldn’t can’t offer the packs at a low price. So, fingers crossed on more orders.

I had to write contrite letters to people who had to wait for orders. I grovel with grovellingness. No way to ship books and no car. Curse the fates.

Oh, well, at least I am stuck at home where I will be forced to draw for many hours. My life in glamour, glamour 24-7!

We’re having a warm spell here, and I am anxious to get out and do the garden thing. My hothouse has been good to me, and one of my sheltered rose bushes has a couple of buds. The herbs look very healthy, and I planted a flat of cabbages and lettuce which are sprouting nicely.

I’m not going to plant as wide a variety of veggies this year. I have too many assignments to properly attend to a veggie garden, so half will be devoted to easy care flowers, like zinnias.

Even though we’ve placed bird deterrents on the windows, occasionally the little buggers slam themselves against the panes. This little fellow recovered his wits in due time.

Frost eventually got the better of these camellias.

Here’s something I don’t want for Christmas.

Lots of pages to turn in this week. Run run run.

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