How Copyright Killed Santa Claus

[melannen]

I never really believed in Santa, because little fanbrat that I was, I always wanted specific books, or Grinch puzzles, or Ranger Rick subscriptions, or Disney soundtracks, which led to the conclusion that either Santa was the worst copyright pirate in the world, or my presents were being bought in stores and not made at the North Pole. (I have been pirating music since before I was old enough to read; that is what libraries had cassette tapes for, right? But I knew it was illegal, so Santa wouldn't do it! Because he was good. Too good for this world of grasping media barons and draconian intellectual property laws.)

This has been your pro-Creative Commons touching Christmas tale for today.

So I have never sent anything to the North Pole. Today, however, I did send a package to Kadath In The Cold Waste. So here's some songs about Christmas wishes!

John Barrowman - Grown Up Christmas List.mp3
All I want for Christmas is John Barrowman. Actually.
Spike Jones and His City Slickers - All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.mp3
Okay, I have a confession to make, which will probably disqualify me as a fan of novelty music, but I really can't stand Spike Jones' little boy voice. (I love the rest of his stuff!) But this song is a classic, so I couldn't not.
The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping.mp3
There've been years where all I wanted was Christmas by myself. (Usually, in fact, about this time of month I start wishing for it every year.) A good book, a batch of warm Christmas cookies all to myself, some wine and music and a fire, a tree with nothing on it but lights, maybe a midnight service if I feel like leaving the house, and a lot of quiet.
I'd never actually do it, because I love all the people and things in a busy Christmas, but oh it would be nice.
Cyndi Lauper - Minnie And Santa.mp3
You know that song "Santa Baby"? You know, the incredibly annoying and vaguely offensive one? Yeah, that one. "Minnie And Santa" is that song, only done kind of adorable instead grating.


In other deeply, deeply important news, Agnostica.com is back up! Just in time for the solstice and the end of the holiday. My agnostica website is back up too! It is very sad and years out of date, but the tiling moebius paper chains are still kind of cool.

Also, I seem to be watching Naruto while I work on Christmas presents; somebody stop me.

Comments

[b_jellybean [journalfen.net]]

John Barrowman doing "Grown-Up Christmas List"?!?!?!!? Is this a version of the cheesy Amy Grant one that I nevertheless love?

[b_jellybean [journalfen.net]]

it IS! Joy!

[melannen [journalfen.net]]

Yes!

Because John Barrowman!

[sepiamagpie [journalfen.net]]

You know, just yesterday my sister and I were talking about how it would have made more sense if as a culture we had a tradition of Santa giving out handmade gifts instead of storebought ones.

Then we got distracted.

[melannen [journalfen.net]]

You actually can get generic toys this time of year that are "Santa's Workshop" brand, but they usually say "Made In China" on them, so it's still not quite right. (We did once get some home-made dolls that were labelled from "Mrs. Santa Claus". I actually halfway suspended disbelief on those. Though I think Mom has since confessed they were bought at a craft fair.)

I think if I have kids I will tell them that the Supreme Court has ruled that because Santa a) is not a for-profit venture and b) is Santa, he does not have to obey copyright law, so he makes things himself, and then the artists get fat royalty checks straight from him in their stockings. (Oooh, Boston Legal fic bunny!)

[kadath [journalfen.net]]

Today, however, I did send a package to Kadath In The Cold Waste.

Hee! I just got your email. Thanks! :*

[melannen [journalfen.net]]

Hopefully the post office will figure out where to send it! (I figure if they can manage Santa's Workshop, they should be able to send things in Nyarlathotep's messenger bag, right? :D )

[kadath [journalfen.net]]

As long as the rest of the stuff in the messenger back doesn't eat it. I cannot tell you how sick I am of getting Amazon packages half torn apart and covered in green-black ichor.

[stellar_dust [journalfen.net]]

SO DID YOU MAKE THE DEADLINE?????

[melannen [journalfen.net]]

YES. With a couple hours to spare, even without the extension!

...last year I got it in about the same time, and was in the first half of uploaders. O.o

And now I'm officially not a defaulter, so I have until Christmas to actually write the /rest/ of the story and upload it. ...

[stellar_dust [journalfen.net]]

Yay! \o/! (Can you make edits to the story after upload? If we can I might be tempted to poke mine.)

Oh and speaking of John Barrowman for Christmas, if we make it to a library in OH, I very much doubt I will be able to resist attempting to torrent the Christmas special. FYI.

[melannen [journalfen.net]]

You can request that the admins make changes to your story, only the admins have called a moratorium on it until reveals, because it is annoying.

However you can keep uploading more and more stories as much as you want! For whatever people you want! Forever!