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Ode to a duck

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ceci n’est pas una dinde

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Writers Guild Strike Swag

Found these shirts through unitedhollywood.com and bought a few just in case. Support the strike by sporting one of these swell shirts.

From the site:

"Profits will be donated to the WGA's Union Solidarity Fund to help non-WGA members affected by the strike."

November 26th

Well, it would seem that as of now the talks between the AMPTP and the WGA will resume on November 26th, after everyone recovers from giving thanks. I can't wait to see how this pans out.

In unrelated news I get to talk to the City of LA Tax Franchise Board this week to figure out if I owe city taxes on top of everything else. The way my luck holds I will, but hopefully I'll be exempt.

I put together the letters and envelopes this weekend to mail out to all of the tenants concerning the noise pollution but put that on hold as it seems some other tenants are fighting cancellation of lease due to unpaid late fees they didn't know they had. Rumors are going about that the owners of the building are trying to get as many people out of their lease so they don't have to pay relocation fees, but I do not know. I do know that the exterior hallway lights have been out for two weeks as well as the Washer and Dryer being "out of order" and the secure garage gate having been tied into the "open" position so our secure parking garage is no longer secure.

I think I'll hold off on my plans until I figure out what's going on.

UPDATE: It would seem the "Notices to quit" were improperly delivered by the building management. It would seem it's all just a big scare tactic on their part to get back late fees. Tiresome.

But, at least I got a new cell phone.

Daily show writers on strike

Voices of Uncertainty

Noise Pollution

In an effort to address a noise pollution issue at the apartment complex I posted a copy of the below letter and a petition to be signed by any tenants believing that the property management company should address our concerns before I sent the letter off could sign it. After posting it in the elevator I went back to my apartment for about half an hour. On my way out I was happy to see that there were already 3 signatures. When I returned 3 hours later it had been completely removed from the elevator. What's odd to me is that this noise pollution issue isn't caused by any of the tenants of the building but by people using the ground level parking illegally after hours. I am completely confused why someone would remove it. Oh well, so much for democracy. I'm afraid a firmer hand must now be used.

Property Manager

[redacted]

RE: Noise Pollution and Quality of Life Issues

Property Manager,

We the undersigned of the attached petition, residents and tenants of [redacted] Westwood Blvd., respectfully ask that the management of [redacted] Westwood Blvd. address the noise pollution issue stemming from the improper use of the ground floor parking area as late night overflow parking for surrounding businesses. While we realize that Property Management cannot control, nor are expected to, the activities of surrounding businesses, we do believe that steps should be taken within the grounds of this property to stem this activity. It is quite common for patrons of surrounding businesses to use the ground floor parking area as overflow parking leading to excessive noise pollution during the hours of 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM. This activity is not the direct result of actions by either residential or commercial tenants of this property.

It is not uncommon to be woken by loud music, emanating from parked cars, yelling, screaming and general partying during the hours of 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM especially on the weekend. This is a grave quality of life issue for all tenants and especially for those tenants who must wake early for work. We ask that steps be taken to control improper use of this parking area.

We extend our thanks and appreciation for any assistance that can be provided pursuant to this concern by building management.

Respectfully,

Tenants of [redacted] Westwood Blvd.

In pictures

For those that are interested, but less inclined to actually read about the reason the Writer's Guild is on strike, a handy video has been made available. Found via Unitedhollywood.com.

At the office

Well, another poor soul got the ax last night after I left. I knew it was coming. The individual was about as useful as a tea cozy in War Time. That now brings the grand total of people who have quit or been fired since I arrived in Late May of this year to 6. Basically one person a month comes through these doors, gets trained, and leaves or is let go. We are at capacity right now with 9, make that 8 people. Although the month of August it was just 3. Yeah, I get to do more work today. I love it.

Nastiness insues

It's not getting any better out here in the third day of the strike. Unfortunately the only interaction I have with it walking past the Pico Blvd. entrance to Fox, usually in the last half hour of that day's striking, as I make my way home from work. I want to help, but I'm not sure how yet. I could ask for a sign as I walk by, but then I'd only be there for maybe ten minutes as they wrap op the days protest. It's odd watching all of the people strike both for themselves and also for the future of people like me. I'd thank them all if I could.

The spin this morning:

From Variety:

FULL COVERAGE HERE

Strike could run through Next Year:

"Hopes for a quick resolution of the writers strike are fading fast.

Back-channel efforts have resumed to avert what's now looking like a long and painful work stoppage. But those moves aren't gaining much traction amid continued hardline public stances by both the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers.

Worries have risen that without reviving the WGA talks, the scribes' work stoppage could easily bleed into the middle of next year."

Showrunners Take Sides.

"As showrunners start to flex their muscle with plans for a major rally today, sitcom and drama sets are going dark -- in some cases sooner than the nets and studios had anticipated.

Laffer "The New Adventures of Old Christine" could conceivably produce a seg this week -- but exec producer Kari Lizer shut the show down, as star Julia Louis-Dreyfus hit the picket lines in support of the scribes. Fox's "Back to You" was set to return from hiatus today, but that table-read was scrapped, and it appears the show won't return until the writers do.

Also already dark: Fox's "'Til Death" and CBS' "Rules of Engagement." And it doesn't appear as if much is getting done over on NBC's "The Office" either."

WGA Strike

In case you were curious, information can be found here, and here.

And the Variety Article.

John Rogers does a nice bit of distillation here. He also provides a number of ancillary and informative links.

I am supporting in spirit since the file clerks at immigration law firms have yet to unionize.

Billingsgate Language

Completely found via Neil Gaiman's blog and for which I am both grateful and now fully immersed. While I won't really be using it in what I'm writing about via 1889, it is none the less intriguing and wonderful.

Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

job’s dock - He is laid up in Job’s dock; i.e. in a salivation. The apartments for the foul or venereal patients in St. Bartholomew’s hospital, are called Job’s ward.

rabbit catcher - A midwife.

paw paw tricks - Naughty tricks: an expression used by nurses, &c. to children.


You get the idea.