07.19.08
Posted in Anecdotes, Copyright at 12:23 pm by Administrator
In an antiques store this past week, I picked up a little booklet that contains a play that was published in 1924. I haven’t gotten beyond the lengthy copyright page. Since this was published before 1929, I can share it with you.
“The Patchwork Quilt”
Reprinted by permission of the author and the publisher, Charles Scribner’s Sons, from the volume, Six Plays.
COPYRIGHT, 1924, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Especial notice should be taken that the possession of this book without a valid contract for production first having been obtained from the publisher, confers no right or license to professionals or amateurs to produce the play publicly or in private for gain or charity.
In its present form this play is dedicated to the reading public only, and no performance, representation, production, recitation, or public reading, or radio broadcasting may be given except by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, 25 West 45th Street, New York, one week before the date when the play is given.
Whenever the play is produced the following notice must appear on all programs, printing and advertising for the play: “Produced by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH of New York.”
Attention is called to the penalty provided by law for any infringement of the author’s rights, as follows :
“SECTION 4966: - Any person publicly performing or representing any dramatic or musical composition for which copyright has been obtained, without the consent of the proprietor of said dramatic or musical composition, or his heirs and assigns, shall be liable for damages thereof, such damages, in all cases to be assessed at such sum, not less than one hundred dollars for the first and fifty dollars for every subsequent performance, as to the court shall appear to be just. If the unlawful performance and representation be wilful for profit, such person or persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be imprisoned for a period not exceeding one year.” - U.S. Revised Statutes : Title 60, Chap. 3.
Ed. Note: I was waiting to hear that said offenders would have one ear cut off and be put in the stocks for two weeks, followed by a jail term. I guess the people who decide such legalities were feeling particularly benevolent that day.
To tell you the truth, after reading the whole disclaimer, I have not had the time or energy to go back to this small pamphlet, to read the play. I’m sure many people today would be pleased, if only a fifty dollar penalty were required for violating copyright.
Patricia Cummings
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06.08.08
Posted in Anecdotes at 11:54 pm by Administrator
When I was younger, say twenty years ago, I used to dread going out to eat with my mother. She’d act a little strange. For starters, she would insist that very little ice be put into her soft drink. She didn’t want to be “cheated.” Only, she’d make matters worse by explaining that too much ice upset her stomach, and she’d explain the “problem” to the waitress, without batting an eyelash. I can’t bring myself to tell you what she said exactly. You are just glad you weren’t there to be embarrassed, too.
One day, I took her out for Chinese food. Well, it seems that she had picked up the habits of the senior van folks she’d been hanging out with. Anything that wasn’t nailed down, went into the pocketbook. They all carried pocketbooks as large as suitcases. After completely terrifying the Chinamen that day, while I was paying the bill, she was scarfing up all the “free” matches, take-out menus, and toothpicks. At that point, only I knew that she was not in her right mind. They just thought she was a thief!
I know another senior who always insists on ordering from the kiddie menu. This person has been told repeatedly that her childhood is long past.
Then, there are the senior discounts. My husband customarily wears a hat. If you see a fat lady, poking her husband, and pointing to his hat in McDonald’s, she could be me! I always figure that if they see his lovely, bald head (that I adore), they will figure we are old foggies and give us a break. They usually do.
Of course, we get the occasional questions as to whether or not we are really seniors. How does one define a senior? Someone at age 50? 55? 60? 62? 65? Hey, does it count that I’m a grandmother, and that some days, I feel like I’m a banana peel away from slipping from view? Personally, I think that the gray hair should be an automatic qualification.
One thing I’ll not be doing is investing in a pile of large baggies into which to slip the extra rolls, and maybe the salt and pepper shakers, to add to my collection. I’ll not buy the super-duper plastic bags that are guaranteed to be leak-proof, and go to an eat-as-much-as-you-want buffet and stock up! There is a limit!
Just take my advice and watch out for those little old ladies who smile a lot. You just never know what they are going to do next. In closing, I have to tell you that, every day, I fight the thought that a dear friend shared with me, years ago:
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, I am my mother, after all.”
You just never know.
Patricia Cummings
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06.01.08
Posted in Anecdotes at 5:09 pm by Administrator
We have all heard the expression: “I’ll do it, when I get around to it.” Somehow, no matter what we plan to do, we often do not get around to just doing it. What is “it”? “It” can be making a new quilt, or washing the kitchen floor, or taking a stroll, or a myriad of other things. We all have too much to do in our daily lives. We should concentrate on those activities that are the most beneficial to us, even if finishing even one task makes us feel good.
When my brother, Jack, lived in Vermont, near a company that made and sold wood products, he bought some wooden coins with the words, “Round Tuit.” He gave some of these to family members, saying, “Now, you have no excuse. You can do whatever you’d like because you now have a “round tuit.”
Sadly, I’ve misplaced my round tuit, which probably accounts for the fact that, no matter how hard I work, I never get around to doing everything I’d like. Lately, I forget birthdays, and don’t mail greeting cards, or stay in contact with friends as much I would, were I not so totally consumed in my current project.
To be easy on myself, I have to realize that I have only limited hours, every day, just like anyone else. I have to hope that my work is appreciated and that it will have some longevity. That would be the best case scenario. However, on the chance of being able to do more, I’ll have to look for that “round tuit” enabler. I’ll seek it where it hides, “when I get around to it.”
Patricia Cummings
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