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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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As multiple work stoppages continued across the United States, Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania on Thursday introduced legislation that would enable striking workers to qualify for federal food aid.

Called the Food Secure Strikers Act of 2023, Fetterman's bill would amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to ensure that striking workers aren't excluded from receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In addition, the bill would preserve food stamp eligibility for public sector workers who are fired for striking and clarify that any income-eligible household is entitled to SNAP benefits even if a member of that household is on strike.

"Every union worker who is walking the picket line this summer needs to know that we have their back here in Washington," Fetterman said in a statement. "The union way of life is sacred. It's what built Pennsylvania and this nation. It is critical for us to protect workers' right to organize, and that includes making sure they and their families have the resources to support themselves while on strike."

"As chair of the Nutrition Subcommittee and an advocate for the union way of life, this bill is just plain common sense," he added. "I'm proud to introduce this bill that will eliminate the need for workers to choose between fighting for fair working conditions and putting food on the table for their families."

Workers typically forgo pay when they exercise their right to walk off the job in pursuit of higher wages and better conditions. Although union strike funds sometimes provide workers on the picket line with a stipend, it is less than their regular income.

Under existing law, striking workers and their households are ineligible to receive SNAP benefits unless they already qualified for food stamps prior to withholding their labor. This gives employers significant leverage over employees who can only endure economic hardship for so long. By repealing the current restriction on striking workers securing SNAP benefits, Fetterman's bill would help restore some balance to the struggle between capital and labor.

"It's good to see lawmakers attempting to correct the wrongs of the past by reinstating a benefit for striking workers that never should have been taken away in the first place," said International Brotherhood of Teamsters president Sean O'Brien. "Congress should never pass laws that punish American workers and hopefully this amendment is a repudiation of that practice."

O'Brien spent the past several weeks preparing 340,000 United Parcel Service (UPS) warehouse workers and delivery drivers for what would have been the second-largest work stoppage at a single employer in U.S. history, trailing only a 1970 strike of 400,000 General Motors workers. Although a UPS strike has likely been averted after the logistics giant and the Teamsters reached a tentative five-year contract agreement on Tuesday, Fetterman's proposal comes amid a nationwide wave of ongoing and potential labor actions.

"The United Auto Workers have mirrored the Teamsters' militant stance, blasting CEOs ahead of their own contract negotiations slated for later this year," The Intercept reported Thursday. "And the truckers union has staged trainings in dozens of cities for a strike that could shut down shipping from coast to coast. In California, meanwhile, thousands of hotel workers organized with Unite Here are already on strike, along with tens of thousands of Hollywood writers and actors belonging to the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, respectively."

The walkout of 160,000 writers and actors, who are fighting for improved remuneration and attempting to safeguard unionized jobs threatened by artificial intelligence-induced automation, is perhaps the most well-known of the current strikes.

Earlier this month, an anonymous studio executive admitted to Deadline that "the endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses," drawing widespread condemnation, including from star actor Ron Perlman.

The Food Secure Strikers Act is designed to counteract the delay tactics that bosses rely on to crush workers.

"Workers who make the difficult decision to go on strike are coming together to lift the standard of living and gain more respect for all working people," said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association (NEA). "They are prepared to make sacrifices—but going hungry should not be one of them. The Food Secure Strikers Act of 2023 will help ensure that when striking workers stand in solidarity for better working conditions and wages they can receive SNAP benefits so they don't put themselves and their families at risk."

The legislation is co-sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and 10 Senate Democrats, including Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Ron Wyden (Ore.). A companion bill was unveiled in the House by Democratic Reps. Alma Adams (N.C.) and Greg Casar (Texas).

It is also endorsed by numerous unions and anti-hunger organizations, including the Teamsters, NEA, the United Food and Commercial Workers, the Communications Workers of America, the Food Research Action Center, and Hunger-Free America.

"We need to get rid of the anti-union provisions in our code that starve striking workers," said Casar. "We're seeing workers exercise their rights across the country by going on strike to demand better wages and working conditions. That's why our bill, the Food Secure Strikers Act, is more important now than ever. We need to stop starving strikers, and ensure all working families are able to make ends meet."

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macmanx · 1 year

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"Y'all are losing profits, hand over fist. And I know that there are meetings happening in backrooms all over this town," Burton said, adding "greed isn't good for any of us. So let's get real. Let's come back to the table. Let's make a fair and equitable deal and let's get back to work."

Takei said actors are struggling to make a living in the changing entertainment industry. "We're here to ensure that the young actors coming up, building their careers, will have the incentive to keep on keeping on, rather than giving up and opening up a restaurant or something," he said. "We want them to be able to survive on their art of acting. We're here in solidarity to support their careers so that they can enjoy the career that LeVar and I have enjoyed."

Hurd said the fight going on in Hollywood is a microcosm of the labor movements around the world. "We've been ready since July 13th to negotiate. We've asked every week for them to come back to the table," she said. "I have faith and hope that they will come to a respectful contract and then come to the table and bring it to us too, because we are ready to get back to work. Writers and actors are at the table. Where are they?"

#star trek #sag-aftra strike #wga strike #levar burton #george takei #michelle hurd #solidarity forever

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ghostherlig · 1 year

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johnnshi swap au drabble

this is just a small concept piece, but i've been thinking about it a LOT- something short and sweet just to help make some space in my brain - enjoy <3

Kenshi Takahashi was a household name.

A popular and well off actor, always starring in the newest thrillers, his tattooed skin and mysterious eyes and albatross hair making him the perfect candidate for serial killer casting.

He had the dark and intimidating look down, and Johnny was surprised to find that some of it wasn't acting.

Kenshi was just like that. Somewhat of a brooding figure, yet his words always took on more a teasing tone, a mischievous tongue hidden behind pearly white teeth like poison.

Johnathan Carlton was a professional. He'd been doing this for years, had the list of contracts to prove it, but this was a case that The Cage had never faced.

It made it interesting and exciting and so much more fun.

He was nestled into a quieter corner of the bar, the after party for this premiere lasting far longer than he had expected. He had been eyeing Takahashi all night, watched him wander from table to table, stool to stool, watched him dance his way through crowds and charm a few casting directors.

He was in his element.

Johnny wasn't one to dance around his paycheck, but something about Kenshi Takahashi made him want to.

It was unnerving.

"Enjoying the after party?" Kenshi's smile was cocky, his posture easy going and relaxed. To be fair, he was one of the biggest actors in the building, so the attention probably had him swaying more than his drinks.

"Very much, Mr. Takahashi," Johnny replied, eyeing the man over his sunglasses. He brought his glass to his lips, swirling the large sphere of ice in his drink before he let it sit on the counter top.

"That's good to hear, Mr.?" Kenshi's smile widened, and Johnny tilted his head back, the lenses saving him from the gleam of his teeth.

"Cage." Johnny smirked, simple and to the point. He watched Kenshi tilt his head, curious.

"You're an interesting character, Mr. Cage." Kenshi spoke over the music, the bass duller in the small corner Johnny had resided in.

"How so?" He asked, swirling his drink again, and Kenshi leaned in closer, an inked up hand pausing Johnny's movement. He felt the other slide over his waist, stopping just above where he had a blade concealed.

"You've been watching me," Kenshi purred, his tone as easygoing as when he had walked over, "All night." He tacked on, and Johnny chuckled, something breathy and sweet.

"So I have." He answered, turning so he was facing the man currently caging him against the bar, "Does it bother you?" Johnny poked, and Kenshi's smile turned into a smarmy smirk, his eyes giving away his intentions clear as day.

"Not at all, sweetheart," Johnny let the actor's hand wander, felt it stop over his collarbone, Kenshi's eyes dark with want. "Why don't you come home with me?"

Johnny wanted to laugh.

It seemed suspicious, almost. Kenshi was yakuza, could know all about Johnny and his jobs, could be luring him away from this busy place to kill him somewhere else.

But, it also gave Johnny the chance to get his paycheck earlier and easier than he had expected.

"You got gin back at your place, Takahashi?" Johnny teased, his arms wrapping easily around Kenshi's neck.

"The expensive kind, Cage." Kenshi's smile returned, and Johnny couldn't believe it had been so easy.

"Then take me home, Kendoll."

#johnshi #johnny cage #kenshi takahashi #mk1 #mortal kombat #mk1 2023 #drabbles by greg #swap!au

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kdramaxoxo · 5 months

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Sorry if you've been asked this a million times, but who are your favorite couples from the last couple years?

Congratulations Anon! This ask is AMAZING and I've never been asked it before! Shocking right?? :P

My favorite K-Drama Couples 2023- Spring 2024

NOTE: I tried to include 2022 but my list got too long :)

Moving (Bong-Seok & Hee-Soo, Joo-Won & Hye-Won & Doo-Shik & Mi-Hyun): It's very obvious by this list how much I love this drama and how many blorbo-from-my-shows it created for me. And I know I'm only reviewing couples, but I was blown away by this drama. I don't even LIKE superhero shows, but I made an exception for this one and I'm so glad I did. If you like character development and plays on good vs. evil, I highly rec this! Bong-Seok and Hee-Soo are one of my favorite couples EVER and I loved the softness and epic romance of Joo-Won & Hye-Won. (And we all know that scene at the rainy window with Bong-Seok and Hee-Soo). These couples are really EVERYTHING.

Tale of the Nine Tailed: 1938 (Lee-rang & Yeo-Hee): This is the only time I've ever watched a season two and liked it better than season one. It's probably because it featured my favorite tragic half fox Lee Rang and gave him a love line with a mermaid. The two are SO sweet together---SOB!

Tell me That You Love Me (Mo-Eun & Jin-Woo): Wow. Maybe one of the softest couples I've ever seen in existence. Just watching them together was like a warm blanket in front of a cozy fireplace. I didn't like the ending choice which is a shame, but the drama was super well done and I still think people should watch it. There is also a very cute high school couple too!

The Eighth Sense (Jae-Won & Ji Hyun): not to be dramatic (just kidding!) this is the best bl kdrama I've ever seen. Literally this is it! I don't even want to tell you about the couple because I want you to just watch it! I'm dying for the writer to make another one because we need more queer media like this one!

Crash Course In Romance (Haeng-Seon & Chi-Yeol): Give me a noona romance featuring a man who has not felt warmth in 1000 years (ok not literally but this dude needs to have a warm meal made by an amazing lady!) This drama fell apart at the end (this seems to be a theme this year) but the couple makes it worth watching.

King The Land (Gu-Won & Sa-Rang): If you're looking for a low stakes, totally fluffy, rom com with TONS of chemistry (featuring MY BIAS!), King the Land is for you. Amazing skinship, kisses and just like a really fun duo to watch. Plot? Not so much but there are a billion good moments-- just look at the tags: They are full of cuteness.

Love After Divorce Season 4 (Benita & Jerome): Listen, I know I'm cheating by putting a reality tv show on this list but if you're in the mood for one, I highly recommend this season (it's on Netflix). Benita and Jerome will steal your heart and they are still together! I'm rooting for them. <3

See you in my 19th Life (Ji-Eum & Seo-Ha, Da-Hoon & Cho-Won): My bias Shin Hye Sun kills it in this drama featuring past life romance. Honestly it's not fair because this drama is totally my vibe so I'm obviously going to love the mains. But when a drama gives you more than one love line and they are both interesting and lovely?? Chef's Kiss!

Dr. Slump (Jeong-Woo & Ha-Neul): This drama TOTALLY fell apart at the end and left us all very disappointed, but that's not because our leads weren't a perfect couple! They bonded over mental illness and even took their meds together. Communication: check. Comfort/Healing: check. Chemistry: check!

The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (Yun-Woo & Tae-Ha). You probably don't know this but I've been following Bae In Hyuk's career since we was in silly little web dramas. Seeing him as a lead is really wild! To be fair, he's not nearly the actor that Lee Se Young is, but do we care about that when there's a time slip romance drama featuring a historical lady who's been thrown into the future and has to fake marry someone who looks just like her de*d husband for reasons??

Thank you so much for this ask - it was super fun!! Maybe I should do 2022 next?? :D

#kdrama #i love a list #king the land #kdrama recommendations #crash course in romance #tale of the nine tailed #ask #kdrama couple #the story of park's marriage contract #dr. slump

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denimbex1986 · 1 year

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'Irish actors claim they have been treated like the poor relations in the film industry for decades despite big government tax breaks for major studios.

LA-based actor Alan Smyth revealed that Colin Farrell, Ruth Negga and Cillian Murphy have signed a petition for fair and equal pay for native performers and crew.

Over 2,500 people have added their signatures online.

It says the Irish diaspora in the US and worldwide strongly support the efforts of Irish Actors Equity, which is in talks with several government ministers to secure a guarantee “that Irish performers will not be subject to lesser terms and conditions regarding their intellectual property rights than international performers in similar roles”.

“This, unfortunately, has been the case for many years,” it states.

The petition is still open as Irish Equity plans to hold a solidarity rally with the striking SAG-AFTRA union and the Writers Guild of America today.

Smyth, who is from Dundalk, has first-hand experience of the set-up on both sides of the Atlantic. He has reaped the benefits of the American system where actors traditionally got residual cheques whenever their performances are aired.

The threat now, he says, is that the so-called “streamer” networks are imposing drastic cuts to the value of the residuals.

Hence, the strikes.

“It’s a lot worse in Ireland,” said the actor, who has starred in a number of big TV dramas, including CSI: NY and Criminal Minds.

“The system in Ireland is that the Irish cast and crew for the most part, unless it’s Colin or Cillian, are put on buyout contracts so don’t get residual payments.

“The awful thing about it is the Irish Government gives tax breaks to film and TV productions. Within the productions, the Irish cast and crew are paid far less than anyone brought over from England or the US. It’s 100pc discriminatory.

“Colin, Cillian and Ruth Negga have got behind the petition. They know how hard it is until you get to a point where you’re doing really, really well. I can really see how hurtful it is in Ireland.”

Actor Gerry O’Brien lodged a cheque for $800 (€735) yesterday for his role as an Irish man in Pirates of the Caribbean years ago. The payment covers just a quarter of the year.

He got a US contract for the job, rather than the typical Irish buyout one.

In contrast, he has earned just €54 in residuals in the last 20 years here. That was for an RTÉ TV series.

O’Brien said Equity wants a contract for Irish actors like that on offer to their British counterparts. The coveted UK contract sets out minimum pay rates, residual arrangements and other terms and conditions.

Irish production companies offer the buyout contracts on behalf of the major international studios when they are in town, he says.

A Dublin-based actor (27) did not want to be named for fear he would be “blacklisted” when going for jobs.

He has been following the Hollywood strike very closely.

“It shines a light on just how unfair the industry is,” he said.

“Those at the top are earning incredible amounts of money and profit. In a large part, it is due to those at the bottom scraping a living.

“I graduated from drama school in 2017. Last year, I made the most money I ever made working as an actor and that was €14,000. Obviously that is not sustainable.

“If you work on an Irish film, you get paid for the day of work and never see another penny. I routinely sign off my rights for €600 or €700 a day.

“I’m delighted that Cillian Murphy and Colm Meaney are coming out in support of small fry actors like myself.”

Actor Owen Roe has won many theatre awards during his career and his film appearances including Breakfast on Pluto, Intermission, Wide Open Spaces and Michael Collins.

He said actors here are “not prepared to go on strike” but it is an opportunity to inform younger ones of their rights.

“It’s far more competitive as well . There is AI and all those things. The whole buyout situation is not good for us.”

He was glad to see Cillian Murphy and other stars walk out of the Oppenheimer premiere in support of their US union.

“They don’t have to financially, I’d imagine,” he said. “It gives confidence to people who feel they are being exploited.

“I think it will be interesting to see what happens in America. If the whole thing of buyouts and residuals gets sorted. The attitude that we’re cheaper is offensive,” he said.'

#Cillian Murphy #Oppenheimer #Alan Smyth #Colin Farrell #Irish Equity #SAG-AFTRA #Ruth Negga #Owen Roe #Breakfast on Pluto #CSI: NY #Criminal Minds #Gerry O Brien #Pirates of the Caribbean #Colm Meaney #Intermission #Wide Open Spaces

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911bts · 1 year

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Hi, i just wanted to ask if you or anypne else knows when they'll start working on s7 since the strikes are still going

As said there's strikes going on, so no.

The meaning of that is writers and actors can't work because there isn't a contract between them and the AMPTP (the studios).

There's no contract because the AMPTP doesn't wanna talk. They finally came back to the table 2 Friday's ago with the writers and it was a waste of time. They just came to say they didn't wanna budge and they wanted a media blackout (while they were leaking stuff to the press).

After that, they agreed to come back to the table again this last Friday. The AMPTP sent a counter offer to WGA. Writers are taking the weekend to look it over. Who knows right now if that offer is any good, but with how they were acting, the expectations are low.

If they do actually give a good offer to the writers and they get a contract soon, then the shows can start writing. If there's a few scripts ready by the end of September, then MAYBE they can pull off a 10-14 episode season.

BUT the actors also need a fair deal. And the AMPTP told them that they're not going to be willing to talk for a while. So if they're not also ready and negotiated by that end of September (which is a rough estimate based on when they did s4 and what I've seen for LS), then we're probably going a year without the show and it'll be back fall of 2024.

TLDR: either January 2024 or September 2024 is when the show will most likely be back, and that all rides on the AMPTP giving writers and actors what they want (which includes livable wages and to not get their jobs taken by AI)

#answered #anon #no one will actually know when they'll start working again #because no one knows when these will end #yes negotiations are back again but they weren't well handled before so

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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year

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Linkty Dumpty

I was supposed to be on vacation, and while I didn’t do any blogging for a month, that didn’t mean that I stopped looking at my distraction rectangle and making a list of things I wanted to write about. Consequentially, the link backlog is massive, so it’s time to declare bankruptcy with another linkdump:

https://pluralistic.net/tag/linkdump/

[Image ID: John Holbo’s ‘trolley problem’ art, a repeating pattern of trolleys, tracks, people on tracks, and people standing at track switches]++

Let’s kick things off with a little graphic whimsy. You’ve doubtless seen the endless Trolley Problem memes, working from the same crude line drawings? Well, philosopher John Holbo got tired of that artwork, and he whomped up a fantastic alternative, which you can get as a poster, duvet, sticker, tee, etc:

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/145078097

The trolley problem has been with us since 1967, but it’s enjoying a renaissance thanks to the insistence of “AI” weirdos that it is very relevant to our AI debate. A few years back, you could impress uninformed people by dropping the Trolley Problem into a discussion:

https://memex.craphound.com/2016/10/25/mercedes-weird-trolley-problem-announcement-continues-dumb-debate-about-self-driving-cars/

Amazingly, the “AI” debate has only gotten more tedious since the middle of the past decade. But every now and again, someone gets a stochastic parrot to do something genuinely delightful, like the Jolly Roger Telephone Company, who sell chatbots that will pretend to be tantalyzingly confused marks in order to tie up telemarketers and waste their time:

https://jollyrogertelephone.com/

Jolly Roger sells different personas: “Whitebeard” is a confused senior who keeps asking the caller’s name, drops nonsequiturs into the conversation, and can’t remember how many credit-cards he has. “Salty Sally” is a single mom with a houseful of screaming, demanding children who keep distracting her every time the con artist is on the verge of getting her to give up compromising data. “Whiskey Jack” is drunk:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/people-hire-phone-bots-to-torture-telemarketers-2dbb8457

The bots take a couple minutes to get the sense of the conversation going. During that initial lag, they have a bunch of stock responses like “there’s a bee on my arm, but keep going,” or grunts like “huh,” and “uh-huh.” The bots can keep telemarketers and scammers on the line for quite a long time. Scambaiting is an old and honorable vocation, and it’s good that it has received a massive productivity gain from automation. This is the AI Dividend I dream of.

The less-fun AI debate is the one over artists’ rights and tech. I am foresquare for the artists here, but I think that the preferred solutions (like creating a new copyright over the right to train a model with your work) will not lead to the hoped-for outcome. As with other copyright expansions — 40 years’ worth of them now — this right will be immediately transferred to the highly concentrated media sector, who will simply amend their standard, non-negotiable contracting terms to require that “training rights” be irrevocably assigned to them as a condition of working.

The real solution isn’t to treat artists as atomic individuals — LLCs with an MFA — who bargain, business-to-business, with corporations. Rather, the solutions are in collective power, like unions. You’ve probably heard about the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike, in which creative workers are bargaining as a group to demand fair treatment in an age of generative models. SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher’s speech announcing the strike made me want to stand up and salute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4SAPOX7R5M

The actors’ strike is historic: it marks the first time actors have struck since 2000, and it’s the first time actors and writers have co-struck since 1960. Of course, writers in the Writers Guild of America (West and East) have been picketing since since April, and one of their best spokespeople has been Adam Conover, a WGA board member who serves on the negotiating committee. Conover is best known for his stellar Adam Ruins Everything comedy-explainer TV show, which pioneered a technique for breaking down complex forms of corporate fuckery and making you laugh while he does it. Small wonder that he’s been so effective at conveying the strike issues while he pickets.

Writing for Jacobin, Alex N Press profiles Conover and interviews him about the strike, under the excellent headline, “Adam Pickets Everything.” Conover is characteristically funny, smart, and incisive — do read:

https://jacobin.com/2023/07/adam-conover-wga-strike

Of course, not everyone in Hollywood is striking. In late June, the DGA accepted a studio deal with an anemic 41% vote turnout:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/26/23773926/dga-amptp-new-deal-strike

They probably shouldn’t have. In this interview with The American Prospect’s Peter Hong, the brilliant documentary director Amy Ziering breaks down how Netflix and the other streamers have rugged documentarians in a classic enshittification ploy that lured in filmmakers, extracted everything they had, and then discarded the husks:

https://prospect.org/culture/2023-06-21-drowned-in-the-stream/

Now, the streaming cartel stands poised to all but kill off documentary filmmaking. Pressured by Wall Street to drive high returns, they’ve become ultraconservative in their editorial decisions, making programs and films that are as similar as possible to existing successes, that are unchallenging, and that are cheap. We’ve gone directly from a golden age of docs to a dark age.

In a time of monopolies, it’s tempting to form countermonopolies to keep them in check. Yesterday, I wrote about why the FTC and Lina Khan were right to try to block the Microsoft/Activision merger, and I heard from a lot of people saying this merger was the only way to check Sony’s reign of terror over video games:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/14/making-good-trouble/#the-peoples-champion

But replacing one monopolist with another isn’t good for anyone (except the monopolists’ shareholders). If we want audiences and workers — and society — to benefit, we have to de-monopolize the sector. Last month, I published a series with EFF about how we should save the news from Big Tech:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/04/saving-news-big-tech

After that came out, the EU Observer asked me to write up version of it with direct reference to the EU, where there are a lot of (in my opinion, ill-conceived but well-intentioned) efforts to pry Big Tech’s boot off the news media’s face. I’m really happy with how it came out, and the header graphic is awesome:

https://euobserver.com/opinion/157187

De-monopolizing tech has become my life’s work, both because tech is foundational (tech is how we organize to fight over labor, gender and race equality, and climate justice), and because tech has all of these technical aspects, which open up new avenues for shrinking Big Tech, without waiting decades for traditional antitrust breakups to run their course (we need these too, though!).

I’ve written a book laying out a shovel-ready plan to give tech back to its users through interoperability, explaining how to make new regulations (and reform old ones), what they should say, how to enforce them, and how to detect and stop cheating. It’s called “The Internet Con: How To Seize the Means of Computation” and it’s coming from Verso Books this September:

https://www.versobooks.com/products/3035-the-internet-con

[Image ID: The cover of the Verso Books hardcover of ‘The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation]

I just got my first copy in the mail yesterday, and it’s a gorgeous little package. The timing was great, because I spent the whole week in the studio at Skyboat Media recording the audiobook — the first audiobook of mine that I’ve narrated. It was a fantastic experience, and I’ll be launching a Kickstarter to presell the DRM-free audio and ebooks as well as hardcovers, in a couple weeks.

Though I like doing these crowdfunders, I do them because I have to. Amazon’s Audible division, the monopolist that controls >90% of the audiobook market, refuses to carry my work because it is DRM-free. When you buy a DRM-free audiobook, that means that you can play it on anyone’s app, not just Amazon’s. Every audiobook you’ve ever bought from Audible will disappear the moment you decide to break up with Amazon, which means that Amazon can absolutely screw authors and audiobook publishers because they’ve taken our customers hostage.

If you are unwise enough to pursue an MBA, you will learn a term of art for this kind of market structure: it’s a “moat,” that is, an element of the market that makes it hard for new firms to enter the market and compete with you. Warren Buffett pioneered the use of this term, and now it’s all but mandatory for anyone launching a business or new product to explain where their moat will come from.

As Dan Davies writes, these “moats” aren’t really moats in the Buffett sense. With Coke and Disney, he says, a “moat” was “the fact that nobody else could make such a great product that everyone wanted.” In other words, “making a good product,” is a great moat:

https://backofmind.substack.com/p/stuck-in-the-moat

But making a good product is a lot of work and not everyone is capable of it. Instead, “moat” now just means some form of lock in. Davies counsels us to replace “moat” with:

our subscription system and proprietary interface mean that our return on capital is protected by a strong Berlin Wall, preventing our customers from getting out to a freer society and forcing them to consume our inferior products for lack of alternative.

I really like this. It pairs well with my 2020 observation that the fight over whether “IP” is a meaningful term can be settled by recognizing that IP has a precise meaning in business: “Any policy that lets me reach beyond the walls of my firm to control the conduct of my competitors, critics and customers”:

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

To see how that works in the real world, check out “The Anti-Ownership Ebook Economy,” a magisterial piece of scholarship from Sarah Lamdan, Jason M. Schultz, Michael Weinberg and Claire Woodcock:

https://www.nyuengelberg.org/outputs/the-anti-ownership-ebook-economy/

Something happened when we shifted to digital formats that created a loss of rights for readers. Pulling back the curtain on the evolution of ebooks offers some clarity to how the shift to digital left ownership behind in the analog world.

The research methodology combines both anonymous and named sources in publishing, bookselling and librarianship, as well as expert legal and economic analysis. This is an eminently readable, extremely smart, and really useful contribution to the scholarship on how “IP” (in the modern sense) has transformed books from something you own to something that you can never own.

The truth is, capitalists hate capitalism. Inevitably, the kind of person who presides over a giant corporation and wields power over millions of lives — workers, suppliers and customers — believes themselves to be uniquely and supremely qualified to be a wise dictator. For this kind of person, competition is “wasteful” and distracts them from the important business of making everyone’s life better by handing down unilateral — but wise and clever — edits. Think of Peter Thiel’s maxim, “competition is for losers.”

That’s why giant companies love to merge with each other, and buy out nascent competitors. By rolling up the power to decide how you and I and everyone else live our lives, these executives ensure that they can help us little people live the best lives possible. The traditional role of antitrust enforcement is to prevent this from happening, countering the delusions of would-be life-tenured autocrats of trade with public accountability and enforcement:

https://marker.medium.com/we-should-not-endure-a-king-dfef34628153

Of course, for 40 years, we’ve had neoliberal, Reaganomics-poisoned antitrust, where monopolies are celebrated as “efficient” and their leaders exalted as geniuses whose commercial empires are evidence of merit, not savagery. That era is, thankfully, coming to an end, and not a moment too soon.

Leading the fight is the aforementioned FTC chair Lina Khan, who is taking huge swings at even bigger mergers. But the EU is no slouch in this department: they’re challenging the Adobe/Figma merger, a $20b transaction that is obviously and solely designed to recapture customers who left Adobe because they didn’t want to struggle under its yoke any longer:

https://gizmodo.com/adobe-figma-acquisition-likely-to-face-eu-investigation-1850555562

For autocrats of trade, this is an intolerable act of disloyalty. We owe them our fealty and subservience, because they are self-evidently better at understanding what we need than we could ever be. This unwarranted self-confidence from the ordinary mediocrities who end up running giant tech companies gets them into a whole lot of hot water.

One keen observer of the mind-palaces that tech leaders trap themselves in is Anil Dash, who describes the conspiratorial, far-right turn of the most powerful men (almost all men!) in Silicon Valley in a piece called “‘VC Qanon’ and the radicalization of the tech tycoons”:

https://www.anildash.com/2023/07/07/vc-qanon/

Dash builds on an editorial he published in Feb, “The tech tycoon martyrdom charade,” which explores the sense of victimhood the most powerful, wealthiest people in the Valley project:

https://www.anildash.com/2023/02/27/tycoon-martyrdom-charade/

These dudes are prisoners of their Great Man myth, and leads them badly astray. And while all of us are prone to lapses in judgment and discernment, Dash makes the case that tech leaders are especially prone to it:

Nobody becomes a billionaire by accident. You have to have wanted that level of power, control and wealth more than you wanted anything else in your life. They all sacrifice family, relationships, stability, community, connection, and belonging in service of keeping score on a scale that actually yields no additional real-world benefits on the path from that first $100 million to the tens of billions.

This makes billionaires “a cohort that is, counterintutively, very easily manipulated.” What’s more, they’re all master manipulators, and they all hang out with each other, which means that when a conspiratorial belief takes root in one billionaire’s brain, it spreads to the rest of them like wildfire.

Then, billionaires “push each other further and further into extreme ideas because their entire careers have been predicated on the idea that they’re genius outliers who can see things others can’t, and that their wealth is a reward for that imagined merit.”

They live in privileged bubbles, which insulates them from disconfirming evidence — ironic, given how many of these bros think they are wise senators in the agora.

There are examples of billionaires’ folly all around us today, of course. Take privacy: the idea that we can — we should — we must — spy on everyone, all the time, in every way, to eke out tiny gains in ad performance is objectively batshit. And yet, wealthy people decreed this should be so, and it was, and made them far richer.

Leaked data from Microsoft’s Xandr ad-targeting database reveals how the commercial surveillance delusion led us to a bizarre and terrible place, as reported on by The Markup:

https://themarkup.org/privacy/2023/06/08/from-heavy-purchasers-of-pregnancy-tests-to-the-depression-prone-we-found-650000-ways-advertisers-label-you

The Markup’s report lets you plumb 650,000 targeting categories, searching by keyword or loading random sets, 20 at a time. Do you want to target gambling addicts, people taking depression meds or Jews? Xandr’s got you covered. What could possibly go wrong?

The Xandr files come from German security researcher Wolfie Christl from Cracked Labs. Christi is a European, and he’s working with the German digital rights group Netzpolitik to get the EU to scrutinize all the ways that Xandr is flouting EU privacy laws.

Billionaires’ big ideas lead us astray in more tangible ways, of course. Writing in The Conversation, John Quiggin asks us to take a hard look at the much ballyhooed (and expensively ballyhooed) “nuclear renaissance”:

https://theconversation.com/dutton-wants-australia-to-join-the-nuclear-renaissance-but-this-dream-has-failed-before-209584

Despite the rhetoric, nukes aren’t cheap, and they aren’t coming back. Georgia’s new nuclear power is behind schedule and over budget, but it’s still better off than South Carolina’s nukes, which were so over budget that they were abandoned in 2017. France’s nuke is a decade behind schedule. Finland’s opened this year — 14 years late. The UK’s Hinkley Point C reactor is massively behind schedule and over budget (and when it’s done, it will be owned by the French government!).

China’s nuclear success story also doesn’t hold up to scrutiny — they’ve brought 50GW of nukes online, sure, but they’re building 95–120GW of solar every year.

Solar is the clear winner here, along with other renewables, which are plummeting in cost (while nukes soar) and are accelerating in deployments (while nukes are plagued with ever-worsening delays).

This is the second nuclear renaissance — the last one, 20 years ago, was a bust, and that was before renewables got cheap, reliable and easy to manufacture and deploy. You’ll hear fairy-tales about how the early 2000s bust was caused by political headwinds, but that’s simply untrue: there were almost no anti-nuke marches then, and governments were scrambling to figure out low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels (this was before the latest round of fossil fuel sabotage).

The current renaissance is also doomed. Yes, new reactors are smaller and safer and won’t have the problems intrinsic to all megaprojects, but designs like VOYGR have virtually no signed deals. Even if they do get built, their capacity will be dwarfed by renewables — a Gen III nuke will generate 710MW of power. Globally, we add that much solar every single day.

And solar power is cheap. Even after US subsidies, a Gen III reactor would charge A$132/MWh — current prices are as low as A$64-$114/MWh.

Nukes are getting a charm offensive because wealthy people are investing in hype as a way of reaping profits — not as a way of generating safe, cheap, reliable energy.

Here in the latest stage of capitalism, value and profit are fully decoupled. Monopolists are shifting more and more value from suppliers and customers to their shareholders every day. And when the customer is the government, the depravity knows no bounds. In Responsible Statecraft, Connor Echols describes how military contractors like Boeing are able to bill the Pentagon $52,000 for a trash can:

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/06/20/the-pentagons-52000-trash-can/

Military Beltway Bandits are nothing new, of course, but they’ve gotten far more virulent since the Obama era, when Obama’s DoD demanded that the primary contractors merge to a bare handful of giant firms, in the name of “efficiency.” As David Dayen writes in his must-read 2020 book Monopolized, this opened the door to a new kind of predator:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/29/fractal-bullshit/#dayenu

The Obama defense rollups were quickly followed by another wave of rollups, these ones driven by Private Equity firms who cataloged which subcontractors were “sole suppliers” of components used by the big guys. These companies were all acquired by PE funds, who then lowered the price of their products, selling them below cost.

This maximized the use of those parts in weapons and aircraft sold by primary contractors like Boeing, which created a durable, long-lasting demand for fresh parts for DoD maintenance of its materiel. PE-owned suppliers hits Uncle Sucker with multi-thousand-percent markups for these parts, which have now wormed their way into every corner of the US arsenal.

Yes, this is infuriating as hell, but it’s also so grotesquely wrong that it’s impossible to defend, as we see in this hilarious clip of Rep Katie Porter grilling witnesses on US military waste:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJhf6l1nB9A

Porter pulls out the best version yet of her infamous white-board and makes her witnesses play defense ripoff Jepoardy!, providing answers to a series of indefensible practices.

It’s sure nice when our government does something for us, isn’t it? We absolutely can have nice things, and we’re about to get them. The Infrastructure Bill contains $42B in subsidies for fiber rollouts across the country, which will be given to states to spend. Ars Technica’s Jon Brodkin breaks down the state-by-state spending:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/06/us-allocates-42b-in-broadband-funding-find-out-how-much-your-state-will-get/

Texas will get $3.31B, California will get $1.86B, and 17 other states will get $1B or more. As the White House announcement put it, “High-speed Internet is no longer a luxury.”

To understand how radical this is, you need to know that for decades, the cable and telco sector has grabbed billions in subsidies for rural and underserved communities, and then either stole the money outright, or wasted it building copper networks that run at a fraction of a percent of fiber speeds.

This is how America — the birthplace of the internet — ended up with some of the world’s slowest, most expensive broadband, even after handing out tens of billions of dollars in subsidies. Those subsidies were gobbled up by greedy, awful phone companies — these ones must be spent wisely, on long-lasting, long-overdue fiber infrastructure.

That’s a good note to end on, but I’ve got an even better one: birds in the Netherlands are tearing apart anti-bird strips and using them to build their nests. Wonderful creatures 1, hostile architecture, 0. Nature is healing:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jul/11/crows-and-magpies-show-their-metal-by-using-anti-bird-spikes-to-build-nests

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/15/in-the-dumps/#what-vacation

Next Tues, Jul 18, I'm hosting the first Clarion Summer Write-In Series, an hour-long, free drop-in group writing and discussion session. It's in support of the Clarion SF/F writing workshop's fundraiser to offer tuition support to students:

https://mailchi.mp/theclarionfoundation/clarion-write-ins

[Image iD: A dump-truck, dumping out a load of gravel. A caricature of Humpty Dumpty clings to its lip, restrained by a group of straining, Lilliputian men.]

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mylucayathoughts · 4 months

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https://www.tumblr.com/mylucayathoughts/751827900900212736/im-against-any-kind-of-hatred-towards-nick

Provocative question... if it was like you say and that is that it was a fan-only ad... because there is no information of any kind... how come variety and other blogs plus the official Amazon channels and the rest of the cast plus casey and matthew announced the thing? And not nicholas? An evening was organised specifically for this... I believe that people are inventing phantom contracts / constraints / interferences of pr just to hide the disappointment that Nicholas did not post anything.

Hello!

The post you are referring to is an ask answered by the awesome @alittlefrenchtree. I don't know anything about how marketing and PR works in Hollywood, so I am the wrong person to be asked this. I do know this though, that the project related stuffs that do get posted on actors socials are usually designed/curated but their PR agency or social media manager, actors may or may not have a say in this. Also, I reblogged the post in question so that people would get a little perspective on this situation.

I don't think people are inventing anything, they are speculating (just like you did here) but some of them know the business better than me (I'm sure because I know nothing).

It's normal to feel disappointed when something you were expecting doesn't happen. But I guess it's not fair to say others are disappointed, unless they have explicitly said so.

I think Nick has more than made it clear that he feels connected to Henry and this project and it's also apparent from the time and care he gives to his rwrb appearances and interviews. A social media post or lack thereof doesn't nullify all of that. If you have followed Nick at all, paid attention to what he said, this should not bother you so much or at all. 🙏

#Asks #Nicholas Galitzine #Rwrb #Anonymous #Answered

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ratt-teeth · 1 month

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@sweet-milky-tea705 Hope you don't mind me making a whole post about this, but this would probably get too long for replies and I figured this was a good opportunity to share some experiences and advice for anyone who might be interested in working the faire circuit~

Disclaimer before we get started, I wanna be sure to mention that everyone's faire experience will be different, and I can only speak to what my experience has been like. At the time of this post, I've been on the road about 10 months now and am by no means an expert, but have gotten input from my partners who have been doing this longer than me.

This is gonna be a long post, so buckle up!

Intro

So let's cover the basics. If you already have experience working your local faire, you may already know some of this, but it's always good to refresh.

Most, if not all, ren faires are privately owned, with different owners for each show. While some folks work directly for the faire in positions such as clean-up crew, ticket booth, and (in most cases) food sales, a big chunk of people you see work for individual vendors; the shop and game booths that make up most of the faire. Think of it kind of like a mall: the faire is the mall itself, and the booths are the stores. Each booth has an owner, manager, and employees.

Most of these employees consist of road rennies (like me!) Many of us are essentially contract workers, and will work different gigs for different shows, depending on which vendors need employees. It's not uncommon for rennies to have their hands in a bunch of different pies.

Two other types of workers you'll encounter at every faire are Cast and Performers. While these two positions sound very similar, there is actually a distinction. The cast are like the face-characters at Disney. They walk around the site in-character and bring life to the faire. These are roles like the royal court, town drunk, and, at some faires, fantasy creatures such as fairies. Many of these positions are filled by local actors who only work one show.

Performers are the ones who put on the stage shows. Musicians, comedians, sideshow acts, and jousters are all performers. They have a set schedule with a number of shows they do each day. Many performers are also road rennies who travel show-to-show full time.

Now that we have a general overview of who makes up a ren faire, let's get into some of the nitty-gritty.

Travel

Traveling for work means reliable transportation is incredibly important. If you don't drive, or have a travel companion that drives, a life on the road will not be impossible, but it will be much more difficult. I, personally, don't drive, but my partners do, so I consulted them for the majority of this section.

When spending so much time on the road, you're gonna want to keep up on routine vehicle maintenance, oil changes, tire pressure, and tread. It's best to keep a roadside emergency kit with things like jumper cables, extra windshield wipers, flat tire repair kit, and a flashlight. If it's possible for you, it's also a good idea to get AAA, as well as have some money tucked away for any emergency repairs.

Look up your routes ahead of time to figure out travel time and what states you'll be driving through. Every state's road laws are different, so look up and get a basic gist of the different laws of the states you'll be in. Try to give yourself plenty of wiggle room with your scheduling; things like traffic, rest stops, and bad weather can add more time to your trip than you think.

You'll also want to plan to arrive on site at least a few days before opening day to give yourself time to set up, get settled in, and familiarize yourself with the camp and faire grounds.

Camping

Most faires have some sort of on-site camping for employees. The rules and regulations vary a bit for each faire, so I encourage looking up the rules ahead of time for the specific festival you'll be attending. Nearly every faire will have camping fees that must be paid to stay on site; while some employers will cover these fees on behalf of their employees, not all will, so it's best to check with your employer about this. If you will be the one paying your own camping fees, make sure you have your payment ready when you check in at the office. If you are traveling with a pet, most sites will also require an additional pet fee.

After you check in, you will likely be assigned a camping spot by the campground director. (Some sites will allow you to choose your campsite, but don't hedge all your bets on this.)

When picking out a tent for camping, remember that this is what you will be living in for the run of the show; while some tents are great for a little weekend camping trip, they don't fare well when you're living in them for weeks to months at a time. Larger tents (8-12 person) are gonna be the best to ensure there's enough room for you and your belongings. Try to avoid dome-shaped tents, as they tend not to do as well in bad weather. The stakes that come with the tent are usually pretty garbage, so definitely buy some heavier duty ones.

Do not drop a ton of money on an expensive-ass tent. It will never be worth it. Even the most expensive tent is not meant to be lived in full-time, and it WILL eventually break and you will have wasted your money. Walmart has plenty of decent, affordable tents that work just as well. We go through about 2-3 tents a year due to weather damage and general wear-and-tear. Have a basic tent repair kit on hand for little fixes, but learn to accept when you just gotta toss it.

Besides a tent, here's a list of some equipment you'll definitely want to have while camping:

Battery powered lights and lanterns (and extra batteries)

A cooler for drinks and food

A cot or air mattress

Power bank; we recommend the one pictured below from Walmart, since it has built-in jumper cables and air compressor

Plenty of bottled water

Propane space heater for cold months

Tarps (you'll want one over the entirety of your tent for better rain and sun protection, as well as heat retention when it gets cold)

A small folding table (trust me, you'll want a flat surface)

Campgrounds will also usually have some type of shower house, but you'll still want to stock up on bottled water for drinking, brushing your teeth, washing your hands, etc. Also, a lot of camp showers are... not great. I definitely recommend looking up gyms or truck stops near site for a better bathing experience.

Mentally prepare for bad weather. It will happen, and it will suck, and you might lose some belongings. Come to peace with it.

Camping can be really stressful, from setting up your tent, to keeping your shit dry when it rains, to shitting in a hot port-o-potty. You will get frustrated, and you will cry. It comes with the territory. We've literally all been there, just remember it's not the end of the world, and things will be okay.

Community and Etiquette

Living in a campground means you're gonna be sharing a space with all kinds of people. Most of them you'll get along with, and some you won't. It's life.

Overall, it will benefit you to be friendly and social. Community is a big thing for us, and we often consider ourselves a big weird family. Reputation is absolutely everything, and your reputation will dictate how you fare in this environment. Word travels fast in these circles, and a bad reputation will prevent you from making friends, forming connections, and getting work. Networking and word-of-mouth are your ticket to staying on the road.

Easiest way to stay off of everyone's shitlist is to just be courteous and follow some basic rules:

All sites have a speed limit (usually 5mph) FOLLOW IT. This goes for the campgrounds as well as the faire site. Don't go haulin' ass around the grounds, it's wildly unsafe for everyone on foot, and it tears up the dirt roads.

Campgrounds also have Quiet Hours. Usually like 10pm-7am, but these also vary by site. Don't be the dick blasting music and shouting during quiet hours. Some people are trying to sleep, and may even have kids that go to bed early. It's super rude and you will 100% get reported to the camp director.

If you have a pet, basic pet etiquette applies. Pets must be leashed/tethered at all times when outside. Yes, even your cat. No one cares if you cat hates their harness, leave them at home then. Make sure you pick up after your pet as well, no one wants to step in shit on their way to the bathroom at 2am. If your pet is loud/untrained/unruly, it sucks, but it's best for everyone if you leave them home.

Keep communal areas clean. No one wants to pick up after you.

You'll be surprised that I have to say it, but don't take/touch stuff that doesn't belong to you without express permission.

Remember that this is all a shared space, with all the benefits and difficulties that come with that. You'll deal with some things you normally wouldn't. You'll be sharing a toilet with dozens of people, some more hygienic than others. You'll hear people stumbling home drunk, arguing, having sex. We live in nylon sacks 10 feet from each other, it happens, and you'll have to get used to it. But on the flipside, you'll also have some rad times. Most people are super rad and chill, and ready to lend a hand when needed. From helping pitch a tent, to sharing food and resources, to just being stellar company. Folks are always planning fun community events, so don't be afraid to get involved and have fun.

In addition, make sure to join in the online faire communities as well. If you don't have a facebook, or haven't used yours in years, it's time to dust it off. Every faire has a facebook page, as well as a private group for participants and campers. Most announcements are posted in these groups, as well as tons of community resources, so you'll absolutely want to join.

Work Life

Like I've said before, every employer is different, and will have different duties and ways of doing things, so you'll want to talk to your boss about what both of your expectations are to make sure you're all on the same page.

Most jobs on the road pay cash, so keep in mind that you'll likely be missing out on normal job benefits.

Each job will also have different expectations for garb; some will expect you to have your own, while others (mostly clothing shops) will require you to wear garments sold from the booth. Either way, you'll want to have appropriate garb for all types of weather. We're working outside, rain, snow, or shine, so you'll want to have work clothes you'll be comfortable in.

Some jobs will offer different types of week work for extra compensation. These are usually things like restocking, doing inventory, or making products. Week work is typically voluntary, but it's good to pick some up, since money can get tight on the road. If your employer doesn't offer any week work, you can always ask around if anyone else needs help during the week. This is totally common, and you can get the chance to learn some new skills.

While it may seem like an easy-breezy gig where you "only work two days a week," remember that this is still very much a job and should be treated as such. It can be a very fun job where we get to be creative and goofy, but if you slack off or treat it like one big party, people will notice, and they will not appreciate it. It is a lot of hard, sweaty work, but it is wildly rewarding.

General Tips and Cautions

There will be Drama™️. You get enough feral weirdos together in a shared space for long enough, and shit WILL go down. Do your best to stay out of it, it will keep you sane.

While this life is very fun and rewarding, it is also very mentally and physically demanding. You will likely experience burnout. Make sure you schedule some downtime into your circuit. December is the most common time to take a few weeks off, as there are less faires going on, and most folks want to enjoy the holidays.

Most festivals have horrible phone service. At some sites, you'll have to leave site completely to get enough signal to check your phone. Be prepared to go into town fairly regularly.

General motto is "prepare for the worst, hope for the best." Disasters can happen. But that's when it's great to have a community to lean on. Learn to roll with the punches.

#sorry this reply took so long; we're currently traveling between shows #rennie life #ren faire #renaissance festival #renaissance faire #ren faire worker #ratt teeth says shit

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starseneyes · 1 year

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New York, New York - A Union Town

This weekend, I went on a whirlwind adventure up to New York from Virginia on Sunday and back down on Monday. Why? I went to walk the picket line with my Union.

Why go through 8 excruciating hours of driving up, one brief night of sleep, 4 hours walking 10 miles, and another 8 painful hours driving back in less than 40 hours? I'm glad you asked.

I joined SAG-AFTRA in 2001. I started acting as a kid, but it was then that I had the opportunity to join, at age 17.

It was just AFTRA back then, which is why I still have never had a SAG card. Maybe after I catch up on my dues, I can solicit one, but I'm two years behind due to Pandemic and *waves hands* all this. Those who read this blog often know life's hit us with problem after problem, but we soldier on.

So, why the hell waste money going to New York? Well, first of all, I didn't. I told my husband that I felt like I needed to be there during the first day of negotiations. See, yesterday AMPTP finally met with the NegCom to negotiate a new contract.

The old contract is antiquated, leaves us vulnerable to AI, and has made it almost impossible to make a living as an actor in the current landscape. There was a time voice-acting was a third of my income. Those days are long gone.

It's important to have as many people on the line as possible during negotiations to send a clear message—we're here, and we aren't going anywhere until you give us fair contracts.

I originally was going to bum a night in a sleeping bag on a friend's cat-filled house while freezing because they don't believe in turning on the heat at night. I'm allergic to cats. Still, the idea was the only one I had.

Then, a client of mine (I'm a Digital Marketer by trade because writing and acting don't exactly pay the bills) said she wanted to cover my room.

We should note that I know writers don't need actors to write. I meant that they needed actors for the Fall Season, and I was having trouble thinking and typing through my tears. Anyway...

That settled, a Twitter friend I've never met in real life reached out offering gas money. I was so thankful, cried again, then quickly packed on a Saturday night for a Sunday morning departure.

I drove up with one stop to relieve my bladder, grab a kids meal (keeping down costs) and gas up.

I tried to sleep Sunday night, but I'm rubbish at going to bed early. I am good at getting up, early, and was ready for the lines. I put on my WGA East hat a WGA member handed me when I walked the lines back in July. I think they thought I was going to die of heat exhaustion, I was so red.

Instead of politely explaining that I don't temperature regulate and only sweat after I'm already in danger of heat stroke, I said, "Thank you".

I brought it with me this time in case Netflix was a sunny location. Spoiler alert: It wasn't. I didn't need the hat, and I didn't mind one bit.

Also to note: It's not that I was rich in July. No, a dear friend who passed (see blog on Cheryl Anne Marek) gifted us with a little money and said she knew we'd find something good to do with it. We rented a lake house in New Jersey for a vacation with the kids (though I brought my work and worked every day) and I took the train in one day to walk the WGA line.

I lamented that a heat wave shut down the rest of the week's picketing back in July, and always wanted to get back. So, I was ready for walking yesterday!

I was nearly a half hour early, and remarked that my mother's an IATSE 798 Journeyman makeup artist and I'm very used to being there before actors. I received a polite nod and asked if I could help at all. No, they said, they had a system.

So, I took this picture which strangely got the most attention on Twitter. But, it was a call to action—"I'm here and signed in! Where are you?"

"On our way", came the response. And people came. Our initial group of 20 or so became well over a hundred in under an hour. They kept expanding our walk way, and we marched, sang, and chanted along to the beat of our five percussionists. Yes, people with drums. Actors do not hold back when we're asked to go all-out. We go all-out!

Shortly after we got started walking in our tight, little circle, a friend of mine found me. Well, Peter and I have been Zoom and Twitter friends for ages, but we finally met. And when we hugged it was like old friends who hadn't seen one another in a few years. Fairly accurate, really.

We're both Pre-WGA—an often polarizing term that simply means we'd like to be WGA someday and are puttering along with spec scripts and screenwriting competitions until our dreams turn real. Being the realist I am, I know my odds are next to null, but the optimistic corner of my brain says not to surrender hope. So, I don't.

We stepped out of line for a quick photo, then back in to dance, chant, chat, and make noise. And while Picket Lines might look like a lot of fun from the outside, I was in a mad amount of pain.

See, I have a lot going on medically. Chronic pain is an old friend. And smiling through it, second nature.

So, if you saw me singing and swinging my hips, that wasn't just the beat. That was me trying to keep everything from locking up and telling myself I could make it just a little longer without a sip of water. And, yes, they handed us waters. I never say no to a proffered (sealed) bottle of water.

Because Picket Lines aren't just about the dancing, singing, chanting, and chatting. So many people out there are exhausted. But Actors are really good at finding our way through lean times, and Writers are, too, dagnabbit. Several WGA folks were out on the line with us, and they're standing alongside us as we stood alongside them.

Solidarity matters. We stand together, and it's not just Writers and Actors. I've seen IATSE on the lines. I've seen Teamsters on the lines. I've seen vacationers who decided to skip seeing the Empire State Building and come march with us instead. I've met film students (and history students) out on the lines who said they knew this mattered and they had to be a part of it.

I drove 8 hours there. I know people who've driven far more.

We are Actors. Writers. PAs. Teamsters. Makeup Artists. Hair Artists. Grips. Electricians. Craft Services. Camera Operators. Directors of Photography. Costumers. Best Boys. Boom Mic Operators. Editors. And more.

We—not those few billionaire, decision-making CEOs—create the bounty of beautiful films and television shows that illuminate people's lives. We are the dreamers of dreams.

Throughout the walk, I was struck by the care of the Captains. They made sure we knew where to walk and not. They brought out coffee (regular or black), bagels with cream cheese, cold waters, chips (or crisps, if you're across the pond), and more. These folks are volunteers who believe. We are all out there because we know this matters. But the sacrifice they make cannot be under-represented.

I got a new Strike shirt at the line, and decided to wear it on the drive home. It was far less smelly than the one I'd worn all day, and I was going to be trapped in a small tin can with me for hours, after all.

When I stopped at a service station, a random woman pointed at the shirt and told me she liked it. I smiled and thanked her. It always warms my heart when people see our fight and stand with us.

I drove home listening to the Good Omens audiobook (have about 41 minutes left, now) I borrowed via my local library (Please support yours. Libraries are amazing!). I was so bloody tired, but the voices of the actors filled my car and the story kept my mind awake. It's bloody brilliant if you've never read/listened.

It was after 9PM when I pulled up to my house. My three children (ages 9, 9, and 6) were still awake.

6yo: Mama, what did you do?! Me: Walked in circles for three hours. 6yo: Walked in circles?

While the twins have a fairly firm grasp on all this, she's six. I pulled her in my arms and hugged her close as I tried to explain a little better.

Because I believe in what we did. I am no influencer or celebrity. I'm simply a girl who believes in her Union. While I've been a Twitter warrior (one WGA guy I met said, "I think I've seen your tweets!"), I wanted to do more. I have been to a rally in Wilmington. I've walked the lines with WGA. But I wanted to walk the lines with my Union, too. It felt like the right thing to do.

My hips were killing me last night. And I admit I worried about my chronic pilonidal disease flaring up. But, I know what to do after a decade of living with it, and today I'm just fine.

Folks, WGA and SAG-AFTRA have been out here fighting for the rights of workers. We're all workers. That's what we are. Most actors and writers aren't famous or rich. We're simply people working our asses off doing what we love, and hoping to make enough to live. It's as simple as that.

I never wanted fame or fortune, even in my youth! I simply wanted to write and act and earn a living. Doesn't seem so strange, right?

Anyway, please do post your support for SAG-AFTRA, if you feel so inclined. If you can make it to a picket line, good on ya! If you can't, no worries. We all have different parameters to what we can and cannot do. And we're all in this together.

Here's to new contracts, a better future, and worker's rights. Onward.

#sag aftra #sag strike #sag aftra strike #screen actors guild #Picket line #sag aftra strong #strike solidarity #actors strike

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22plus15 · 1 month

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yey about the draft thing! (I never understood it anyway and I don’t watch nwsl but it looks like fans are happy about it 👍😅)

very yay!!! i've been reading about the cba all day so i'll explain a bit if anyone's curious ⬇️

the draft is a very american sports thing -- when players decide to go pro out of high school or college (which are very established here rather than academies and reserve teams), they make themselves available for the draft and the worst performing teams in the pro league each season will get the first draft picks so they essentially get the best new players, which is supposed to maintain parity btwn teams and avoid the teams with the most money or pull hoarding all the best rookies

it was integrated into the nwsl pretty much by default -- but as it turns out doesn't work as smoothly for how global of a sport soccer is (clubs have a way bigger pool of overseas players to buy from than other american sports so they don't rely on the draft for new talent) and also takes a lot of agency away from young players. lots of reasons and lots of debate on both sides of it. that's the college draft but what's also been eliminated is the expansion draft, which was when a new team was created they got their free pick of available players (not limited to just rookies) to give them a fair shot, but at the expense of the players who suddenly got traded and had to uproot their lives (among other potential dangers in a post-roe v wade world and with the history of bad actors in women's sports). it sounds good for new teams in theory but in practice it never really works out anyway (just look at utah royals' place on the table lol)

anyway the elimination of the draft is just one part of the cba that was announced today and i really recommend looking into it if this kind of thing interests you! the nwslpa (players' union) secured lots of player protections, much higher salary caps and minimums, guaranteed contracts (i.e. if you get injured or smth, which we know happens a lot in woso these days, you'll still get paid your full salary no matter what), extra bonuses for end of season awards, charter flights (the usa is huge you gotta fly), players' consent is FINALLY required for trades, free agency for all, parental leave and childcare, mental health services, etc etc

and a lot of the same workplace protections will also apply to front office staff and everyone who works behind the scenes at clubs and within the league so it's genuinely a huge step in the right direction for making women's sports leagues truly professional and safe working environments, and also not being afraid to diverge from the model of major men's leagues 👌

of course there's always progress to be made and the elimination of the draft will def come with a learning curve, but this has all been a long time coming and a lot of past nwsl players suffered and were put in a lot of precarious positions that future players will hopefully never even dream of happening to them now 👍

and last thing i promise: i remember answering an ask about kc current having lucy's discovery rights, meaning if she wanted to go to the nwsl she'd have to sign with them or they'd make bank if another team wanted her. that's been eliminated as well so i believe she's a free bird if she ever comes here!

#asks #nwsl #+ lucy mention at the end lol

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allycat75 · 3 months

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Do you have to keep taking these crappy roles because your pants keep catching fire, Boston Dumb Fuck?

Is that what happened to the red belt?

I really didn't want to perpetuate this pointless discussion regarding the recent (or not) picture, but your peeps seem to think it is important so let me play along for a second. And besides, insomnia sucks almost as much as those who drafted, signed and continue to enforce this morally bankrupt contract. I don't give a fuck if this done all the time. At one point in history, lynchings were public events, gays were blacklisted and arrested without cause and no female could get an apartment or credit card without her husband or a male relative's signature. Things change, you rebrobates!

If it is true that the video wasn't altered or strategically recorded, then that means you have spent the last three weeks since the end of filming doing nothing but work out (including not cheating for your birthday). One could say it didn't have to be that intense because it has been fairly easy for you in the past. But that was 10 years ago and you were super sickly looking during The Materialists, meaning you had further to go. I am sure you have had this supervised by professionals (and there is no need to check your kidney, liver or gallbladder function because I'm sure your trusted team hired the finest trainers and nutritionist who would never cut corners). But your priorities are such that instead of going home and spending quality time with family, including your beloved Dodger, or to further another lie, reflecting with the little racist Nazi wifey, you decided to bulk up Captain America- style (which is Sam Wilson now), and for what? The future failure "Sacrifice" doesn't start filming until September.

And not only did you probably not see your loved (or kinda loved) ones, you seemingly decided not to take steps to improve the emptiness inside you that was probably the root cause of your living ghost look over the past few months. This superficial focus aligns you much more with that talentless fat-shamer you "married" (you may want to keep her, you seem to have more in common than meets the eye). It's all about looks and fuck your soul that drowned when instead of making all ships rise, you sunk to the lowest common denominator. And of course, physical health is key to emotional wellbeing, but the amount of work put into those muscles was meant for thirst traps and not spiritual nourishment, based on the reaction elicited from some blogs to your "new' picture.

The fact that this was clearly manipulated and planned proves your soul continues to be ignored. It means that you and your team spent weeks planning ways to continue to fool your fans and make them look crazy and stupid, specifically, the fans who are truly concerned about your health and safety. I can almost picture the whiteboard now with this strategy all laid out, all the way down to the endgame, using this poor schmuck and his livery service to play your patsy. Hopefully he fairs better than the fired Portuguese teacher who was unknowingly roped in to this by supporting a charity, simply buying a video message from you.

I could be completely wrong and nothing nefarious actually took place. But the sad thing is you and your team have lied, manipulated and gaslighted your fans continously for almost three years, so nothing you say or do can be trusted now. Not a great qualification for a dog food or Audi spokesperson or for a succeasful actor, but it seems your team is only offering you shitty CAA roles, so sincerity isn't required.

This new machination doesn't make you look healthy. It makes you look like a sad, pathetic asshole. Much better! As with everything in your life for the last few years, there is no explanation that makes you look good, so you may as well tell the truth. That is the only work out that can build back your soul, if that is still important to you.

But keep playing with fire, BDF. I think you and your team are the only ones who don't realize you are already toast.

PS- since I'm exhausted from this needless discussion, let me pre-announce some of my reactions to your next possible lame-ass contribution to this unethical farce with some statements below:

"Wow, a picture of Dodger. That's not manipulative."

"That ring finger is looking red, swollen and purulent, probably from moisture build up with it being too large and made of some dubious metal type substance. Shoving your hands deep in your pockets probably didn't help, being dark like a mushroom farm. Hope it doesn't scar and prevents you from placing a real ring there one day."

"You're going to another Comic Con. Boy, you are really leaning into that White Privlege and giving your buddy Anthony Mackie no chance for success"

"Please have Matt Gaetz debate Jasmine Crockett for a two minute segment about child labor laws on ASP. It isn't like at least one of them is trying to save the heart and soul of America, while the other one just wants to see if it helps him get laid. It's what the young people want."

"You do know other dog food brands are Nazi-lover free, right?"

"Have you left no sense of decency" (in case McCarthyism comes up)

#You are the company you keep #liars suck!#i hate manipulation #Someone who struggles with anxiety should know better than to cause it in others #Get some serious fucking help

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