Within 48 hours of returning home to our stick house for the summer, we had used a blender, bread machine, waffle iron, food processor and panini grill – all appliances we left behind when hitting the road six months ago.
With limited space in our 24′ fifth wheel, the only kitchen gadget we take with us when we head south for the winter is a toaster. We survived with a camp stove toaster when we first left, but that novelty wore off long ago, along with a lot of burnt crumbs.
Every RVer has that one gotta-have gizmo they just can’t live without, right? What’s yours?
During the first NüRver Bartender Wars, we discovered Kevin’s is a Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker. Those Technomads had a soda maker, the Happy Jansens had an industrial strength juicer, and Ben had one of the finest commercial grade espresso machines I had seen since my busboy days at Graziano’s.
For those of us without a basement in our rig, storage space comes at a premium. We keep our toaster in the oven when we roll. Kinda gives new meaning to the term toaster oven, eh? Too bad a margarita machine won’t fit inside our Magic Chef oven! Guess we’ll stick to making Republic Texas Tea.
Here’s that informative post I promised before i got distracted by those great steaks and cocktails at the AA. I hope at least, that anyone who publishes an RV blog – or any website for that matter – will find this information, well… informative!
A while back, fellow Nü RVers those tech nomads informed us that a certain website was repurposing blog posts, not only from this site, but theirs and those of a number of other RVers.
Sure enough, a simple search revealed that entire posts of ours, including photos, were being republished in their entirely without our permission. Furthermore, we discovered that the site in question was a paid membership site, so it was using our content for profit!
The infringing website’s owner argued that because we make our posts available via rss feed, that the content was free to use as he wished. A bogus claim from someone who hadn’t done his homework, but a slightly grey area nonetheless.
TIP: To search a specific website for something you wrote, use Google and enter a distinct phrase followed by “site:” and the domain, like this…
Replace domain.com and the phrase or keywords to meet your needs.
While we were able to remove all existing and future content of ours from the website in question with one request, it got me thinking. I decided to do my own homework regarding the rights of web publishers, and gladly share what I found out here.
Ownership Rights of Web Content Publishers
According to the The Berne Copyright Convention, everything on the internet is considered copyrighted the moment it is written. Under the Berne Convention, copyright is automatic upon publication and does not require formal registration. When the United States joined the Convention in 1988, however, statutory damages and attorney’s fees continued to be available available only for registered works.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty of 1996, “compilations of data or other material (databases), in any form, which by reason of the selection or arrangement of their contents constitute intellectual creations.” All blog content is stored in a database and is therefore an intellectual creation.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (title 17, U. S. Code) states that “Copyright protection subsists, in accordance with this title, in original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.”
Finally, by republishing our copyrighted content on a for-profit website I confirmed that the infringing site was in violation of the federal copyright fair use doctrine, as described in sections 107 through 118 of the copyright law (title 17, U. S. Code)
Please note that I am by no means a lawyer, not even close, in any way. So I consulted one. I visited the free legal advice website LawGuru.com and asked:
What law can be cited when notifying someone who has republished original website content without permission, when they insist syndicated content (rss) is in the public domain?
My research proved me correct. Here is the answer I received:
You can cite 17 USC 106 which defines your exclusive rights, including a right of attribution, and 17 USC 501-506 which define your remedies. 505 authorizes recovery of attorneys fees and expenses and 506 may make it a criminal offense, particularly when done via the web.
However, you need to know that for the Court to have jurisdiction to enforce a copyright in the US, you must first apply to register it. It is a simple process for a copyright attorney to do that online. You should use an attorney, so that the attorney can simultaneously write a CDL (cease and desist letter) to this apparent infringer. A letter from you is not likely to have the same effect and not likely to be worded for optimum impact. In fact, most do-it-yourself non-lawyer CDLs are a disaster and some even create grounds for countersuit.
There are numerous blog aggregators on the interwebs that legally republish copyrighted content. They do this by only publishing an excerpt, assigning attribution, and including a link to the original source. But there may be times when one might wish to republish content from another source in its entirety, when it is appropriate to do so. Like when said person owns the copyright to the original content, or has explicit written permission to do so.
I’ve been considering doing just that with a new Tripawds Blog that will republish posts from our five featured blogs, giving readers one location to find all the best news, gear, gifts and nutrition advice for three legged dogs in one convenient site. Just how would I go about doing this?
To republish our own content and consolidate posts from multiple different blogs in one site, I plan to use the Autoblog plugin from WPMU Dev. Should you choose to do the same, of course, we know you’ll be certain you have the rights to do so.
My dad once told me a similar joke where an immigrant gave up on learning the English language after reading that headline. But yet again, I digress.
Though I have said it before, whenever I go AWOL around here you can rest assured it has something to do with three legged dogs. This time was a big deal.
Suffice it to say, however, that this undertaking was a crash course in php and css. And so far, it has paid off. Speaking figuratively, not literally. My prime directive for overhauling the Tripawds site was to improve performance in the discussion forums.
We started Tripawds using Mandigo, the same theme behind this blog and the RVblogz community. It has served us well. Mandigo is massively configurable, with lots of java and many files. Over the past few years, Jerry’s blog infrastructure had become bloated.
Too many hacks, scripts and widgets were bogging down the site.
It’s also where I got the lean and mean WPMU-Nelo. Hacking this slick WordPress theme to bits was relatively easy, even for me due to it’s code simplicity and parent/child theme structure.
Did someone say digress? We’re in Quartzite now with the Nü Crew, and I haven’t even written about Walla Walla. As much as I hate reading blogs that bemoan infrequent updates, we gots some catchin’ up to do!
Dare I say it? I miss my Spirulina. Wait, let me clarify… I miss my breakfast smoothies, even the green ones.
Back at the stick house, we made fruit smoothies for breakfast just about every morning. But we don’t bring a blender with us on the road.
While I prefer my smoothies more berry in color, I got to liking the green variety we started making. I didn’t need a green smoothie challenge to acquire the taste either. All it took was one batch we made with spinach to discover there had to be a better way – better tasting at least.
Leave it to the wannabe vegan wife to come up with the Spirulina idea. But now that we are blenderless, I sure miss the smoothies – taking the stuff in a shot is like taking medicine. But I digress once again.
When looking up my Nü Hawaiin drink recipe in the NüRVers forums, I realized it was Sarah to whom I owe for turning us on to the green smoothie idea. But I will pass on the spinach and celery. Spirulina Powder does the trick, with just a couple teaspoons.
Having operated a print shop or two, I can tell you the stuff is identical to cyan ink toner. Don’t get it wet! But when handled with care, it delivers a potent mix of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Spirulina has been found to strengthen the body’s defense mechanism. After all, it is the richest source of vegetable protein available (over 60%). Rich in beta carotene, iron, vitamin B-12 and the rare essential fatty acid GLA, it really is the super green food health nuts will lead you to believe it is.
Did I mention it tastes much better hidden in a fruit smoothie than taken in a shot glass of apple juice!? Both methods deliver the same healthy benefits, the former is just actually enjoyable.
And for the record, I prefer to add Spirulina to light colored smoothies. It tends to turn dark berry smoothies black. Here’s a suggestion for a vibrant bright green smoothie that will help you start your day feeling good about what you had for breakfast. (Shown above topped with Rene’s scrumptious homemade granola.)
Super Healthy Green Muck Smoothie
Serves two. (Not vegan, modify at will!) Blend together in blender until smooth:
Two Ripe Bananas
1 Orange
1/4 Honeydew Melon
1/2 Cup Vanilla Yogurt
1 Cup Soy Milk
2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
2 Teaspoons Spirulina
Please note that I don’t “do” recipes, preferring much rather to wing it – to taste – by trial and error. Results may vary.
If I have my way, I’ll never have to use my connections to land a job working for somebody else ever again. But LinkedIn is one social business network that makes a nice little safety net, if I ever had to dust of my résumé that is.
Its also a great way to keep in touch with old coworkers and colleagues. And I get a kick out of updating my status with things like “gone fishing” or “Heading South for the Winter” while others talk about provisioning servers or recontextualizing some brand paradigm to maximize market penetration.
Done that thanks. I’ll take my mobile lifestyle and workamping anyday. That’s why I started the LinkedIn Workampers Group. I also stumbled upon the RV Enthusiasts LinkedIn Group. If you’re LinkedIn, check ‘em out. You won’t find me on Facebook.
They came. They got to know each other. They made cocktails.
I’m speaking of the Nü Rvers of course, at their recent get-together in Gonzales, Texas for Days of the Nü II. One highlight from this year’s gathering was the first Bartender Wars.
Ben and Karen took first place with their Blazing Bloody Mary, and we brought home the Best Presentation award thanks to our Nü Hawaiian, complete with theme music and little umbrellas. (Thanks to Sam and Tracy!)
But as we promised the fine folks from Republic Tequila – who we met at the first Luckenbach Hat Festival, which they sponsored – we brought along a bottle of their new Reposado for the Nü Crew to try out.
Enjoy this video of us preparing a batch of Republic Texas Tea and getting feedback from a few true tequila afficionados …
After making this batch of Republic Texas Tea, and passing around a few straight shots, the votes were unanimous – well, almost. Among actual tequila drinkers the consensus was; Republic Tequila rocks! It is aromatic and mellow, ultra-smooth and easy drinking – fine to sip, and most excellent mixed.
Here’s the topper, Republic Tequila is made with 100% certified organic blue agave at La Quemada, one of Mexico’s only organic distilleries. Even better, Republic uses recycled Jack Daniels charred American Oak barrels for aging their tequilas – 8 months for the Reposado and 20 months for the Añejo. And best yet, the people behind the brand are good-hearted, fun-loving folks who share a common goal; to create and market the world’s perfect tequila.
They might have done just that. Everyone has that one liquor they just can’t drink anymore. And while I make a mean margarita, I haven’t been able to sip straight tequila for years due to circumstances I care to not divulge, or can’t remember. But once I tasted the Republic Reposado, my aversion might just be cured.
Republic Tequila – “Born in Mexico, Raised in Texas” – was launched last August and is already in four states. Look for Republic throughout Texas at Spec’s Fine Spirits. I’m just glad it’s available in Colorado now! By the time of this writing you should also be able to buy it in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona.
If your favorite liquor store doesn’t carry Republic Tequila, tell them they should! If they do, you can’t miss it on the shelf. It’s the one in the Texas shaped bottle. But this is much more than just a gimmick. It symbolizes the spirit of this spirit, its big hand-crafted taste, and the freedom you’ll feel after sipping some … responsibly of course.
Some stores may also have Republic in the “tall” bottle. But what fun is that considering this tale Jack told about how the Republic bottle came to be… “We started drinking in Amarillo,” he said pointing to the neck of the bottle. “By lunch we had reached Abilene,” he adds and points to middle of bottle. “It was so good, we kept on drinking until we reached South Padre Island!” Or something like that, but anyone who knows their Texas geography understands that means it’s time for a new bottle.
NuRVers is a group of young, non-retired RVers living the dream life now, instead of waiting for a someday that may never happen. We come from a variety of backgrounds but all share one thing in common; the desire to live an adventurous life on the open road.
Come join us in Gonzales, Texas in April for good times and great people! Last year’s inaugural gathering was a blast, we know this year’s will be even better.
During the first “official” NüRVers get-together at the Lazy L & L, we had the chance to interview a handful of young fulltime RVers and share how they make a living on the road.
We ended up only making one movie.
Basically, because we were headed back to Landa where most of the Nü Crew was saying for a while. Or, it might have been the Mai Tais.
We’ll try to catch some of them with videos to come, but I digress.
Emmy and the lexmachine travel fulltime while writing and photographing, respectively. And while enjoying the cross country club scene, together .
No, that sweet ride is not their toad. It’s a test car he will write about for his automotive review column at their elepent blog. Then he has to give it back.
Bummer, but I’m sure he’ll have some another classy chassis lined up to test drive, somewhere down the road. Sweet ride. Sweet gig. Sweet people.
So, what’s an elepent? If you ask me it’s great name with a cute history. Stay tuned for more insight on how others live life on the road. How do you do it?
That NüRVers Rally at the Lazy L&L was an opportunity to attend the first real rally of sorts for full-timing hipsters. And by real, I mean rally-goes actually registered. But if you didn’t go because of the registration fee, you missed out. Our gracious hosts used those fees well.
Yes, throughout the Days of the Nü we were priveliged to have at our disposal a full bar of only the best bottles. Many of which I’m pretty certain got emptied, all of which I’m sure cost more than those reg fees would cover on top of the campground cost and commemoritive apparel.
Which reminds me of some important words of advice for anyone who plans to hook up with the Nü Crew down the road: Pace yourself. The morning after René and I arrived at the Lazy L&L, we weren’t feeling so hot. And that’s putting it politely. It might have been the gin, or maybe the wine, quite possibly the rum; but most likely all of the above. With a few days to go, we intended to take it easy. But then came Luau night, and I am not one to pass up free mai tais. Especially excellent ones in a big bowl! Besides, it gave us a chance to use our coconut cups again.
It was hard to top each previous night when it came to the food and fanfare for this fun crowd. Somehow we managed to though. Our pot luck meals were tasty smorgasborgs, with plenty of variety. From Damian’s grilled Spam for The Luau to Brian’s Thai noodles for Fiesta Night – give ‘em a break, he’s Canadian eh – there was plenty for all tastes and diet preferences.
For those who helped plan this party by editing the online worksheets, thank you for your time but it was all for naught. “Rally” organizers decided to eschew the itinerary, which worked out for the best. Six cool RV couples got to know each other, in person if you can believe that. And a fun time was had by all. We skipped the intended seminar schedule, togetherness outing and door prize games to focus on having a good time. That, and getting pretty trashed.
But René did host her stitch and bitch crochet lesson, and I hear Angie is keeping it up. Us guys got a lesson on keeping rigs clean, talked shop, and geeked out on my hitch. You see, the ol’ Superglide had a hard time unhitching when we pulled in. Hence the mass quantities of Bombay Saphire upon our arrival. But we need not go there. Nor do we need ask about the NuRVers thong.
We should, however, ask if “Rally” is really appropriate nomenclature for this portable partay. What would you call it? I for one, like that whole Days of the Nü idea.
Finally, by republishing our copyrighted content on a for-profit website I confirmed that the infringing site was in violation of the federal copyright 
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