Reach for the brass ring...

We generally use that phrase to mean go for the goal, or strive for success. But did you know it originated with carousels? Riders on brass ring carousels can reach up once a rotation to grab a ring from a ring holder (like this dragon). If they are lucky it will be the brass ring for a free ride.

There were once thousands of carousels in the U.S.  but now that number down to only hundreds nationwide. Only a handful of those are brass ring carousels and one of them is in Missoula, Montana. While visiting my nephew there recently, we got a great chance to get a behind the scenes looks. We were disappointed to find out that they were closed, but the staff saw my nephew peering through the window and let us in anyway. The were doing repairs to the carousel animals and in the process of carving news ones. It was very cool for a 9 year old to see. 

They showed us their designs and how the build the hollow wooden box to card the main bodies of the creatures. If they weren't hollow they would be far too heavy to be on a carousel. Then they hand paint them. It can take quite awhile to finish one. Some of the new carousel animals are replacements for the Missoula carousel, others get shipped to various places around the country.

We also got a chance to wander around the carousel itself and get a better look at all the animals and the inner workings. 

Here's my nephew in front of his favorite.

If you are ever in Missoula, definitely check out the carousel (except on Tuesdays). It is a treasure.

Why I'm against SOPA/PIPA

This may be a little behind the ball as it now looks like both SOPA and PIPA, the internet copyright protection bills hanging out in the Senate and House, are dead in the water. With all the outrage over this legislation the past few months have had a chance to read numerous arguments against them. Here's a good one published recently by Forbes. Most revolve around the infringement of free speech, and essentially boil down to an understanding that any website, like Google, Twitter, Wikipedia, etc., could be effectively shut down if they are perceived to have any connection, i.e. links, to unauthorized copyrighted materials. The major fears are the loss of access to information, and the possibility that if a site simply contained content that someone didn't like it could be shut down under the context of copyright infringement. And while these are incredibly valid arguments that I agree with fully, one piece has been majorly missing from my reading (though I did come across this blog piece will writing).


The websites that are on the potential chopping block are ones that provide platforms and distribution for millions of creative people worldwide. Plenty of these people are sharing their mostly uncopyrighted, generally unoffensive, hardly contentious talents and getting some recognition. In fact, there is whole alternative to copyrighting set up to foster this group of people, the Creative Commons, whose "vision is nothing less than realizing the full potential of the Internet — universal access to research and education, full participation in culture — to drive a new era of development, growth, and productivity." What will happen to this culture and community of extrordinarily creative people out there, when access to platforms and distribution is limited to those with massive amounts of money, a record deal, or a hollywood agent? (I can't imagine a major label allowing one of their artist to put a "cc" on their work.) What will our lives be like without knowing the voices, ideas, creations of all those people who would be unheard if not for their access to websites like YouTube?


While this might be a bit overstated and dramatic, it's worth remembering that before the revelation of today's internet, these people where relegated to the local underground waiting to be discovered by a hollywood agent. And I realize that in the miasma of an overwhelming amount of content many of these people are still waiting to be discovered, at least it is there, available to us when ever we might happen to stumble upon it. They are waiting to be discovered by us, not by the former gate keepers who are still grasping at the power they once had.