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Lloyd Penney
1706-24 Eva Rd.
Etobicoke, ON
Canada M9C 2B2
December 15, 2007
Dear Petréa:
Some quick comments on Picofarad #11 follow this quick plea to get this loc in quickly before the big storm hits. I think there'll be plenty of writing time in the next while...
There must be something that Steve Vander Ark or RDR Books failed to do... There are various Harry Potter books outside of the ones Rowling wrote, and I haven't seen anything about suing or anything. I think Dave Langford has written one, and there seems to be enough HP money for everyone. Some of Warner's toes may have been stepped on in this process, and the opportunities for money are there, and the lawyers smell blood.
NASA's record of success is continuing, but still can't get proper funding. Meanwhile, the US military is getting almost a trillion dollars in its budget. Something is definitely wrong here...
My loc... The Canadian dollar rose in value to an unprecedented $1.10 US... now it has dropped back to about 98 cents US, and it seems to be hovering around parity. And, I lasted at the CNIB for just less than three months, in spite of efforts to stay. I suspect they hire someone to fill the position for three months, and then let them go. Saves on salary, and on benefits. Swine... gotta go and jobhunt yet again.
Didn't go to the Japanese Worldcon, and have no plans to go to Denver. We thought that the LA Worldcon in 2006 was our last one, so Montreal is an unexpected surprise. We will be going to that one, but I think no more after that one. I may be one of the few people around here with no real fascination for Japanese culture. I would have liked to have gone to a British Worldcon at some point, but each time they've been held, I've had no money.
I am certain the Fantasy Worldwide Film Festival took place...however, I saw no advertising for it whatsoever. Ad Astra in March is my next convention, followed by Eeriecon in Niagara Falls, NY, and then Corflu Silver in Las Vegas.
The storm is here, and it should be snowing hard all night. We are ready for a power outage, which may come, and there should a foot or more of snow on the ground by morning. We're going to watch the Weather Network to see what's happening, and I think we may hit the sack early tonight. Take care, and see you next issue. We hope you and Chris have the best Christmas and New Year's ever.
Yours, Lloyd Penney.
Yes, Dave Langford wrote The End of Harry Potter?, which has been mentioned among copious other reference works in defense of RDR. WB maintains that it doesn't count because it's more speculative than reference. WB also maintains that the Lexicon book should be specifically banned because Vander Ark is so well-known that having his name attached would make too many people want to buy it. Let's not ask Langford how he feels about that.
The thing that RDR did differently from every other supplemental book publisher is that all the others let WB's or Rowling's lawyers vet their books beforehand, whereas RDR told the lawyers they had no right to demand any such thing. Who started being rude to whom first and exactly when are under dispute, but that appears to have been the main trigger for the lawsuit.
Phooey on the CNIB, and I hope you have better luck in the new search.
I promise to be interested in whatever French culture I run into in Montréal. I was forced to learn some French in grade school, and Anticipation will give me an excuse to brush up on it.
Christmas was very nice, by which I mean quiet. I hope the holidays worked out well for you as well. I've experienced Canadian winter weather once--a business trip to a small town in Alberta the middle of last winter--and I don't envy you it.
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