Frank Caico's Blog

Well, Alex's "Nerdfest" bachelor party was a big success this weekend.  The goal was to provide Alex with a weekend's worth of wholesome geek fun.

Among the nerdy and geekful milestones acheived this weekend:

• WizardWorld convention tickets purchased over the internet while at a Thruway rest stop
• Successfully got a Nintendo Wii working and playable in an automobile with no previous multimedia capabilities
• Attended WizardWorld's Philadelphia comic book convention
• Got Multiple autographs from and photographs with Heroes' Hayden Panettiere
• Used a wireless router in our hotel room in order to bypass the "two computers per hotel room" limitation imposed by our hotel
• Had a 4 node Duke Nukem 3D deathmatch in our network enabled hotel room while at the same time running a Wii AND watching a bootleg DVD of deleted scenes from the Star Wars movies
• Overclocked all manner of devices including, but not limited to the window of our hotel room

Pictures will be posted soon.

A Texas student was forced to switch schools when it was found out that he was playing counter-strike at home with a map he designed to look like his high-school  (link). 

Isn't this a little crazy?  I remember making maps like this of familiar places (and I know some of you guys do exactly the same thing).  I mean, being careful is one thing - but this seems like out of control paranoia to me.

Okay you guys.  Time is running out for entries into the next JPEG magazine.   If you guys haven't voted for me yet then what are you waiting for?

Seriously, the registration for JPEG magazine is like 4 lines of entry!  You can't even take 30 seconds to help a brutha out?

Some dance studio by the name of Viva Dance Studio decided to use one of my best photos from the Rochester Steven & Virginie '05 workshop to promote their upcoming S & V workshop.   They didn't bother to ask me for permission, they didn't even link back to the web page where they found my picture.  And on top of it, they reproduced the image in print to use on their flyers!  (not to mention the fact that they made it look awful to boot).  You can see what their lousy reproduction of my picture turned out like Here.

This is the first time I've found someone blatantly ripping off my stuff and it bothers me a little bit.  Especially since I probably would have granted them permission if they had just asked.  It also makes me mad that this isn't some not-for-profit dance group - its a commercial dance studio.

I sent them this letter:

To Viva Dance Studio:

Its come to my attention that you are using one of my photographs in your advertising for the Steven & Virginie workshop without any permission from me. The image I am speaking of is this one:

This is essentially stealing and I am not happy that you did it without making the slightest overture of asking my permission. I gave Steven & virgine permission to use my pictures on THEIR website, but I gave no such permission to anyone else. I retain all rights to my images and they have not been marked as "creative commons" or any other rights usable without my explicit permission.

I sell my own images, and I'm sure my customers wouldn't appreciate the fact that artwork they have purchased as limited is being reproduced in unlicensed, uncontrolled prints.

I would ask that you add a credit on your website indicating that the picture was taken by me; Frank Caico and point a link back to the original web page you found it at. If you don't comply with that request, then I would ask that you remove the image from your website and discontinue its use altogether.

Thank you for your compliance in this matter.

Frank Caico

I think I'm being more than generous here.  Lets see if these guys honor my wishes.

JPEG Magazine's next issue is being prepared and they have 3 themes for which they are taking entries.

They are Entropy, Breakthrough, and Beauty Redefined.

I've entered a picture in each of the 3 categories and would really appreciate it if you guys could vote for me!

Here are the 3 pictures I've entered:

http://jpgmag.com/photos/77199
http://jpgmag.com/photos/77186
http://jpgmag.com/photos/77183

If I get in, I'll be published in the magazine, *and* I'll get $100!

Thansk!