A Virtual Mystery in the Midlands - Writers Who Kill

As Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere he heard clapping and cheering coming from outside. Following all the hullabaloo took our inquisitive kitty boy to the Writers Who Kill site. There he found a post about the Mystery in the Midlands writers conference.

It was virtual and they didn't invite me?

The post by Paula Gail Benson is about the third annual Mystery in the Midlands writers conference. This year because of the coronavirus (Covid-19) the conference was virtual. The post includes screen shots of the participants and descriptions of the writers panels. Also included is a link to the replay of the panels. There are five panel videos and a Welcome session video.

Panzer says, "No travel involved and you can watch the conference sessions for free."

Note: Because of all the screen shots included, this is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin to read today's selection. If you plan to watch the replays, bring a thermos of tea, five apple cinnamon muffins, four chocolate chip cookies (biscuits) and three pieces of fudge.

To read the post tootle over to Mystery in the Midlands

Internet Archive Answers Publishers' Copyright Lawsuit - Publishers Weekly

Today Panzer made a stop at the Publishers Weekly site. With no digging in the posts at all he found one about the Internet Archive. Our investigative kitty reporter has posted about the Internet Archive a couple of times over the past two months because of the recent lawsuit against it.

According to the post by Andrew Albanese, the Internet Archive's (IA) attorneys in the court case filed a response to the the copyright infringement lawsuit against IA.  The lawsuit was filed by publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, John Wiley and Sons, and Penguin Random House. The publishers allege in the lawsuit the Internet Archive (IA) is a piracy site performing copyright infringement by scanning the publishers' books and allowing the downloading of the scans.The IA doesn't have the publishers' or the authors' permission to scan their books and makes no payments to either the publishers or the authors. In the attorneys' response to the claims, they say the IA is a library and all libraries can allow their patrons to download digital books. The attorneys say because IA has a purchased copy of the book they can scan it and let people download it.

Ebook is legal. Scanned book is illegal.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... My local library doesn't scan hardback and paperback books to loan out to patrons. My local library buys ebooks from the publishers to loan out to patrons. There is a difference."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin and a chocolate chip cookie (biscuit) for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Internet Archive

To read Panzer's previous post tootle over to publishers' lawsuit

No Post Today

We'll be back tomorrow.

Panzer here.

Mom is doing a Zoom class, so no post today.

Heard of VUDU for Streaming Movies and TV Series?

Today as Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere, he remembered something Mom said. Our inquisitive kitty boy heard Mom telling What's His Name about this streaming site she found online called VUDU and he wanted to check it out. About a week ago Panzer told you about another site Mom found called Peacock TV.

Mom says, "When in doubt, go with free."

Mom said the VUDU site has two memberships. One is paid and one is free. Mom signed up for the free one so she could test how it works and what's offered. With the right equipment and cables the site can be streamed on to your TV. Rather than do that, Mom just watched some of the offerings on her laptop. The site has movies and TV series. Mom didn't check everything there, but in the free section it doesn't look like there's current movies or TV series, but there are some interesting mystery movies and TV shows. The paid section where you "rent movies" has the newer selections.

Panzer says, "This little kitty isn't sure if this is available outside the U.S., because Mom only found U.S. movies and shows there."

To try it out tootle over to VUDU
To read Panzer's previous post about Peacock TV tootle over to Peacock TV

A New Panzerism

Panzer on the use of the proper word:

Today I was looking at the Kitten Book Mom made when I was born.
It said: Name, Breed, Age, and Microchip Number.
All filled out correctly.

Then ...

It said: Owner ...
And had Mom's name.

Owner? Owner!

I was shocked! What an outrage!

You all know Nobody owns a cat, right?

Owner? Ha! Not of this cat. *

I might be willing to accept that Mom is my Feeder.

Sounds regal and appropriate, doesn't it?

That would be okay.

But owner? No!




* From Cat Wisdom for humans

Internet Archive to Publishers: Drop 'Needless' Copyright Lawsuit and Work With Us - Publishers Weekly

As Panzer was tootling around the Catosphere, he heard laughing and giggling coming from outside the Panzermobile. Following all the noise took our fun-loving kitty boy to the Publishers Weekly site. There he found a post about the lawsuit against the Internet Archive for copyright infringement. Panzer told you about the publishers' lawsuit last month.

According to the post by Andrew Albanese, Internet Archive (IA) founder Brewster Kahle held an internet 'press conference' on July 22. In it he implored publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley and Penuin Random House, who are suing IA for copyright infringement, to drop their lawsuit. During the Zoom conference, he and other speakers explained why IA's book scanning program is good for preserving knowledge and books. Kahle's arguments haven't changed over the years. The arguments are simple. It's okay for IA to scan hard copies of books and let people download them. And it's okay this is done without the publishers' or authors' permission. And it's okay neither is given any payment for their books. And it's okay because he says IA is a library. There are several links to other posts included in this post.

It's not a library.

Panzer says, "This little kitty doesn't understand how anybody can say it's okay to take away your stuff without your permission and without paying you. No wonder people are laughing at the joke."

Note: This is a humongous post. Bring a thermos of tea and a dozen muffins for today's reading selection. If you follow the links, bring another thermos of tea and another two dozen muffins.

To read the post tootle over to Internet Archive
To read Panzer's previous post about the lawsuit, tootle over to Internet Archive lawsuit

J.K. Rowling's 'The Ickabog' Coming in Fall - Publishers Weekly

Today Panzer has been having trouble with his tablet computer, so his trip into the Catosphere was a quick one to the Publishers Weekly site. There our distracted kitty found a short post about J.K. Rowling.

According to a press release from J.K. Rowling's publisher Scholastic, she has written a new book. Scholastic announced her new book will be available in the U.S. and Canada on November 10. The book is a fairy tale titled, The Ickabog. The post includes a link to an earlier Publishers Weekly post with more information about the book.

A cat's mantra: Don't worry. Just sleep.

Panzer says, "I hope my tablet can be fixed. It's just the right size for watching cat videos in bed."

Note: This is a short post. You won't need any refreshments for today's reading selection; but, if you decide to follow the link in the post, you'll need a cup of tea.

To read the post tootle over to J.K. Rowling

Barnes & Noble Regroups and Looks Ahead - Publishers Weekly

Today as Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere, he heard clapping and cheering coming from outside the Panzermobile. Following all the noise took our adventuresome kitty boy to the Publishers Weekly site. With a little digging in the posts, he discovered one about Barnes and Noble's bookstores re-opening.

Sanitize? Doesn't the book get wet?

According to Jim Milliot's post, Barnes and Noble CEO James Daunt says the company has re-opened all their bookstores except one. The stores have re-opened following anti-Covid-19 protections such as customer social distancing measures are in place and books which have been handled by customers are sanitized and returned to the shelves. Also covered in the post are Barnes and Noble's bookstore upgrades while the stores were in lockdown. Panzer posted about this a few days ago.

Panzer says, "This little kitty had a lot of sales during the lockdown through Barnes and Noble's online store."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a glass of ice tea and two chocolate chip cookies (biscuits) for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Barnes and Noble

To read Panzer previous post tootle over to Barnes and Noble redecoarating

Kobo Nia Replaces the Aura 2 as Kobo's Entry-Level eReader - The Digital Reader

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to The Digital Reader site. With a little digging in the posts, our inquisitive kitty pilot found one about Kobo's Nia ereader.

Looks like an old-style Kindle to me.

According to the post by The Digital Reader site owner Nate Hoffelder, the new Kobo Nia ereader is replacing the older Aura 2 ereader. The post includes a list of the specifications for the new Nia, including the fact it has 8 GB of storage. The post also has images of the Nia to illustrate the specs. The Nia is available for sale today (July 21) in stores and online. The post includes links to earlier posts on the site about the Nia and the Aura 2.

Panzer says, "8 GB of storage is just about right for my TBR (To Be Read) ebooks."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Kobo Nia

A New Panzerism

Panzer on the division of intelligence:

After watching What's His Name for a while ...

I have decided ...

You understand my logic, right?.

that ...

brains are often wasted on stupid people.

Cats, of course, don't have to worry about that.

There's no such thing as a stupid cat.

Heard of Peacock TV?

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard clapping and cheering outside the Panzermobile. Following all the hullabaloo took our brave kitty to the Peacock TV site.

This isn't a regular stop for publishing news; instead, it's a site for tv shows and movies. The site has two memberships. One is free and the other is paid. The paid membership is $4.99 per month. With the proper equipment or certain cable TV boxes  you can steam shows and movies to your television. You can also stream to your computer or tablet. Mom signed up for the free membership and is streaming it to her laptop to see how it works and what's offered. So far, she's found shows from the 1950's all the way up to today in the free section. If you move the cursor over the show icon, it tells you how many episodes are available to watch. There's a bunch of movies there too.

Bored? It's worth checking out.

Panzer says, "This little kitty doesn't know if Peacock TV is available outside the U.S. because Mom only found U.S. shows and movies there."

To try it out tootle over to Peacock TV

Eason to close its seven Northern Ireland stores - The Bookseller

Panzer hasn't been to The Bookseller site for a while, so he decided to make a quick stop there today. With no digging at all our adventuresome kitty found a post about the Eason bookstore chain.

I hate it.

According to Mark Chandler's post, Eason is closing all seven of its Northern Ireland bookstores. The stores have been closed since March because of Covid-19 and will not re-open. The company blames sagging store sales worsened by the coronavirus (Covid-19) for the closures. Eason's 53 bookstores in Ireland have already re-opened and won't be affected by the Northern Ireland closures.

Panzer says, "That virus thingy is still causing trouble."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a chocolate chip cookie (biscuit) for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Eason Northern Ireland bookstores

Coronavirus Update: AAP StatShot Shows US Book Market in May - Publishing Perspectives

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to the Publishing Perspectives site. With a little digging in the posts, our traveling kitty boy found one about book sales in May.

The post by Porter Anderson quotes extensively from the Association of American Publisher's (AAP) StatShot report. According to the StatShot report a comparison of May 2020 to May 2019 shows a 12.1 percent decline in retail bookstore sales. Not surprisingly, both audio and ebook increased in sales of 20 percent for audio books and 39.2 percent for ebooks. The post includes several charts and graphs showing hardback, paperback, ebook and audio book sales and comparisons for different time periods. Of note, is the fact book returns are down by 45.2 percent over the same time period last year. Bookstores can return the unsold books to the publishers. It's also not surprising, the returns are down as bookstores are closed and there's no one to package and return the books to the publishers. Once bookstores re-open the returns will begin.

It's not a surprise, human. They're closed.

Panzer says, "It doesn't surprise this little kitty that, if the bookstores are in lockdown, book sales are down."

Note: Because of all the charts and graphs, this is a huge post. Bring a thermos of tea and six muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to AAP StatShot

With Stores Closed Barnes and Noble Does Some Redecorating - The New York Times

Today, since Panzer hasn't been to The New York Times site for a while, he decided to make a stop there. With no digging at all he found a post about bookstore chain Barnes and Noble.

According to the post by Elizabeth A. Harris, Barnes and Noble has been taking advantage of the Covid-19 lockdown. During the lockdown the company has been making changes to 350 of its U.S. stores. The stores have been painted inside, new books have been added, books have been rearranged, and some shelves and furniture have been moved or discarded. This has all been done to give the stores a more open appearance without spending large amounts of money during the pandemic. Also new, is the fact each store manager will now have more control over their store's book inventory.

It's simple. Yes or No?

Panzer says, "This little kitty wants to know, if they will still have the restaurants and bars in the book stores."

Note: This is a humongous post. Bring a thermos of tea, three muffins and six chocolate chip cookies (biscuits) for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Barnes and Noble redecorating

A New Panzerism

Panzer on statistical analysis:

It's pretty easy to tell when information supplied as fact is incorrect.

Now take for example, Mom's statement, "The average cat sheds his body weight in loose hair each month."

Average? You maybe. Not me.

Obviously ...

This is not true.

There is no such thing as an average cat.

All cats are way, way above average.



*From Cat Wisdom for humans

Gary Larson and The Far Side

Today, Panzer decided to hunt around in the Catosphere to find something that wasn't as serious as the coronapocalypse.*  Something with a little humor. Something that might bring a little smile.

After several false starts and dead ends, our brave kitty adventurer found cartoonist Gary Larson's website. Gary Larson was known in the 1980s and 90s for his syndicated cartoon strip The Far Side. He retired the strip in the 1990s. Now, he's back with The Far Side online. There are new cartoons, old cartoon favorites and a store. Mom showed me some cartoons in a book he wrote about The Far Side.

I'm sick of this virus. How about you?

Panzer says, "The site is a little hard to find your way around at first, but the cartoons are worth the effort."

To visit Gary Larson's site tootle over to The Far Side



*Try to say that word fast three times.

Oral Arguments Set in B&N's Bid to Knock Out Former CEO's Defamation Claim - Publishers Weekly

As Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere, he was greeted by groaning and sighing coming from outside the Panzermobile. Following all the noise, took our brave kitty pilot to the Publishers Weekly site. There he found a post about the Demos Parneros lawsuit against Barnes and Noble. This lawsuit (and counter-suit) have been dragging on for two years.

It's been going on for years.

According to the post by Andrew Albanese, Barnes and Noble's arguments to get portions of  Parneros' lawsuit dismissed will be heard in court in August. Barnes and Noble ex-CEO Parneros filed the lawsuit in 2018 after he was fired. In his lawsuit he says he is unemployable because the press release announcing his termination ruined his reputation and led others to believe he was fired for sexual harassment. Barnes and Noble counters that all the press release said was that he was terminated for "violating company policy." Due to the direct wording of the press release the company is asking the court to dismiss the defamation portion of the lawsuit. There are links included in the post to previous posts about the lawsuit and to copies of the court filings.

Panzer says, "When this little kitty read the press release sexual harassment didn't even enter his mind until Demos Parneros filed the lawsuit and said he wasn't fired for sexual harassment."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow all the links, bring two thermoses of tea and twelve muffins and twelve cookies (biscuits) because those court papers are really long.

To read the post tootle over to Barnes and Noble Ex-CEO Parneros lawsuit

Authors Guild, Amazon, PRH File Suit Against E-book Pirate Site - Publishers Weekly

Today Panzer decided to make a stop at the Publishers Weekly site. With hardly any digging in the posts our traveling kitty boy discovered one about an effort by Amazon, the Authors Guild and publisher Penguin Random House (PRH) to close down the piracy ebook site KISS Library.

Stealing is stealing.

According to the Publishers Weekly Staff post, the Authors Guild, Amazon and Penguin Random House have filed a lawsuit against the ebook piracy site KISS Library. The KISS Library is located in Ukraine. The KISS Library uses other sites such as Kissly.net, Libly.net and others to sell illegal, pirated ebooks to buyers in the U.S. The post includes a link to the Authors Guild's announcement about the the lawsuit and also included is a link to the court filing.

Panzer says, "Don't they realize that by stealing my ebooks they're taking the food right out of my kitty dish?"

Note: This is a long-short length post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the links included in the post, bring another cup of tea and a muffin.

To read the post tootle over to  Authors Guild, Amazon, PRH

Ingram Touts Print-on-Demand Capacity Boost: UK, Australia, US - Publishing Perspectives

Today as Panzer entered the Catosphere his delicate little kitty ears were assailed by clapping and cheering. Following all the noise took him to the Publishing Perspectives site. With no digging at all in the posts he found one about Ingram's Lightning Source.

Always have a backup plan.

According to the post by Porter Anderson, Ingram's Lightning Source has been taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic's spread in China has caused serious problems with the printing of books and, therefore, the distribution of books. Since books and their distribution are considered essential businesses during the pandemic, Ingram has begun business expansions in Australia, the UK and the US. In order to double its printing and shipping capabilities in Australia, the company is building a 50,000 square foot facility in Melbourne.The company is also continuing its upgrading of the facilities in the UK and the US. There are links to other information about Ingram's expansion included in the post.

Panzer says,  "That's a smart move on Ingram's part to expand printing locations now."

Note: This is a long-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a large muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Ingram

A New Panzerism

Panzer on tranquility:

I believe in the universal chaos theory.

You know ...

Or ... I can fix it for you.

that theory when you humans say everything should be in chaos.

So ...

If things aren't chaotic in your life ...

You should try harder to be like everyone else.



From Cat Wisdom for humans

4th of July

  Happy 4th of July  

  From Panzer, Mom and What's His Name

Authors in the Coronavirus Crisis: The European Writers' Council Report - Publishing Perspectives

As Panzer was taking his afternoon nap he shaken from his kitty bed by crying and shouting coming from the Catosphere. Our brave kitty boy hopped in the Panzermobile to discover the source of the trouble. Following all the noise took him to the Publishing Perspectives site. There he found a post about the plight of writers in the European Union (EU).

According to Porter Anderson's post, writers and translators in the the EU are suffering large uncompensated financial losses. The European Writers' Council just released a report about the financial situation of the 150,000 writers and translators the group represents.

I'm glad I have a second job as a cat.

The financial losses are due to several factors, including changed or cancelled book publication dates, postponed translations, cancelled prizes and grants, cancelled or moved online speaking engagements and other related writing activities from which writers and translators gain financial payments. Unlike other "businesses," freelance writers and translators are not receiving any type of government compensation to replace these losses. Several links to other writing and publishing information are included in the post as well as a link to download a pdf copy of the European Writers' Council's report.

Panzer says, "It's not any different here in the U.S."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a large cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the links, bring a thermos of tea and seven muffins.

To read the post tootle over to authors and Coronavirus

26 Writing Contests in July 2020 - No entry fees - Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity

Today Panzer made a short trip into the Catosphere. Our traveling kitty made a quick stop at the Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity site. There he found a post about writing contests in the month of July. None of these contests have an entry fee. While the post isn't directly about the publishing industry, he thought you might like to take the opportunity to submit to a writing contest. These all have July end dates so you need to be quick with your submissions.

Barbecue is one of my favorite holidays.

Panzer says, "Saturday July 4 is a holiday in the U.S. celebrating the country's independence. The company where What's His Name works will be closed on Friday too. Things are kind of mixed up around here right now with Saturday visitors and barbecue plans."

Note: This is a long-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a large muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Writing Contests in July