Desktop Wallpaper for Miniature Backdrops

(Image from WallpaperUp)

Yesterday I spent nearly four hours looking at pictures on Wallpaper Up. It's certainly easy for any writer to get distracted while "doing research" on the internet.

But I swear this wasn't the case--for the most part.

I've been on a quest for exotic miniature backdrops to add to my meagre collection, which can be seen here and here. Most of the stuff I found, like Ez Scenes are more suited for model railroading, depicting 1950s American and Europe than the "...galaxy far, far away."

After a couple of hours of fruitless trolling, I was about to give up in despair. Then I stumbled across Wallpaper Up. The site is actually designed to provide desktop wallpaper for computer screens. But that didn't stop me from spending an additional two hours downloading and printing various images to use as backdrops for upcoming chapters of Breakout from Bongolaan.

I focused my search on: Planets in Science Fiction, Futuristic Cityscapes, Futuristic Landscapes and was just taking my first peek at Battle Scenes and Star Wars, before calling it a night.

Of the 50 images I downloaded, I printed nine pieces of wallpaper art on standard 8" x 11" cardstock, that I felt would be large enough for close-up shots. There's at least two dozen photos and on-line artwork I'd like to enlarge and paste on 20" x 30" poster boards.

"I'd like to..." being the operative phrase. To accomplish this, I'll have to take these to a print or photography shop. I may trim this list down, once I get over the sticker shock of the cost per page.

In the meantime, it's back to trolling through Wallpaper Up for more images, like this...

The Studio's "Legal Entanglements"

(Image from: Lawyers by Sygnin on Deviant Art)

Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I managed to steer the "USS Stern Rake Studio" into legal tepid water.  The tempurature isn't "hot," at least not yet, anyway.  After a ten-month hiatus, due to attending a popular fiction course, amicable divorce and subsequent move into a new home, I finally got around to checking my YouTube account. 

To my surprise, I discovered GoDigital filed a copyright dispute against seven, out of twenty-one of my movies.  I never heard of these folks, let alone have any dealings with them--until now.  In response, I challenged their claim, because, I thought, I only used license-free music that I purchased from other sources.

Within hours of hitting send, the folks at YouTube sided with GoDigital and replied to my challenge:

All content owners have reviewed your video and confirmed their claims to some or all of its content.

Okay, so now what do I do?

No action is required on your part. Your video is still available worldwide. In some cases ads may appear next to your video.

Well, that's nice to know, but what does this mean about my movies' status?

Please note that the video's status can change, if the policies chosen by the content owners change. You may want to check back periodically to see if you have new options available to you.

While it doesn't sound like I'll be fined or sued, the following titles may one day be used as on-line billboards for GoDigital, or stricken from YouTube's roster:  Duel of the Demigods; Mayhem in Makassar Strait, Parts 4-6; Preparing for Battle at Enfilade 09; Impending Fury and my very first show, The Road to Eggmuehl.

Oh well.  At least three good things came out of all this:  I discovered Sygnin's work, joined Deviant Art and posted the link on to this site...