Writers' Strike Chronicles

Martini Postscript

2008-02-28T00:35:00.001-08:00

If I controlled the Internet -- A poem by Rives.

Martini Post

2008-02-27T23:55:00.001-08:00

I've been at SAG HQ here in Los Angeles all day sitting in on the Wages & Working Conditions process in preparation for negotiating the actors contract with the AMPTP. The contract expires June 30, 2008. The entire time I was thinking about what I was going to say for my final post to this blog. Should I talk about the process? Should I just sign off and thank everybody?

So here are my parting shots:

Why did I do these podcasts?

Back in September I was reading (on-line, of course) that the Burmese military dictatorship was frustrated by monks, bloggers and civilian journalists during anti-junta protests when they provided detailed accounts of the bloodshed and helped spread the news. The thing that fascinated me the most was that most photos and text messages were posted to the Internet via cellphones.

Immediately, the junta disconnected the nation's Internet links at the height of the violence to cut off the flow of information about the crackdown. The next day, after the story broke, I was on Facebook and learned that a group called Support the Monks' Protest in Burma was set up to protest the military crackdown and within days had 176,069 members. Today Burma's media is completely under military dictatorship.

So cut to the writers strike: I was on a plane from New York to Los Angeles on the first day of the strike. It seemed everybody in-flight was talking about it, even strangers across the aisles and seats removed from each other. At the time it occurred to me that seven members of the AMPTP controlled the major news networks and this concerned me. That night after I got home, I thought about this strike and knew it would be historic. I also felt, inspired by the Burmese bloggers and monks, that I could help tell the story of the strike from the bottom-up using new media tools because at that time I was already producing a weekly podcast since 2005.

It's worth noting that after two years working on my other podcast it was beginning to bore me. I mean, it was weekly and it had no end-date. It could go on for the next five years if I wanted to. So I wanted the challenge of creating a new and different podcast and I wanted it to have an end date. And so the writers strike was perfect. I decided OK...I'll do it. It will be short in content and it'll be daily.

The Process

Now it's 110 episodes later and what may have started out being in theory a quick and dirty show took on a life of its own since its launch. It kept getting longer and longer. Some of you listeners are familiar with the life-of-its-own phenomenon, but this caught me by surprise. I mean the thing is, I had some creative say in how to package my recordings, but as a citizen journalist I also had a responsibility to remain true to the facts.

At times I felt so overwhelmed and in it way over my head. There were weird people on the line, people who looked like FBI agents and who would ask a lot questions but give out no information. There were people who were obviously drunk and others who appeared in need of psychological services.

At one point I was like WTF have I done? It occurred to me that I could have sat this whole thing out with daily yoga classes, working at Starbucks and forgetting about it. Less stress. No mess. Then in mid-December I got a mild case of laryngitis that turned into this 6 week long bronchial infection that just kicked my ass and wore me out.

So, again, why did you do it if it was such a challenge?

It's a funny thing. When I told this to a friend, he asked me why I did it then and I told him I was having the time of my life. I don't mean I was having fun. I mean the time I spent on the line talking to people, the exchange of information and ideas, the sense of community and common purpose, the relationships I made fed and inspired me. I felt I was documenting a part of history and giving voice to writers who in my profession had given voice to me. And, despite the fact that at one point I temporarily had a bout of laryngitis, I believe I found my creative voice through this medium. I discovered that this entire experience has only been an opportunity of change and growth. Also, in no small way, this project has served as a symbol and a milestone in the grief and recovery process from losing my father to cancer the year prior to the strike.

My Tools

I think it might be obvious that I am not a professional sound engineer. Even so, I know my podcasts are amateur but that's not to say they are amateurish. All UGC is not the same. I believe I really captured the feelings and sounds of what it was like on the street and on the line and delivered them to my audience in a professional and consistent manner. I taught myself everything I know just by participating in on-line podcasting communities.

Having said that I want to give a shout and a holla to my guru, the guy that taught me EVERYTHING that I do on my podcast: Rob Walch from the Podcast 411. I want to add that I got to meet Rob at the Podcasting and New Media Expo in September and I was working on getting him to be a guest on the Strike Chronicles podcast when the strike started to wind down. So Rob, if you're reading this: maybe you'll be a guest on my next podcasting project?

My colophon is listed at the footer of this blog post, so scroll on down. I want to mention that in an effort to save money (because after all the strike rendered me unemployed for months) I attempted to host the audio files at the Internet Archive at no cost. This seemed fitting to me because I felt I was documenting a historic and newsworthy event that would be archived in perpetuity. But this turned out to be a critical mistake because time and again uploaded files would just disappear off the server with no explanation. So at my expense, I purchased extra storage and bandwidth on my website server. And because of this expense, I began passing the hat and asking for donations to help offset my costs. In all, I received exactly $60.00 in donations through PayPal.

Internet versus Printing Press?

Oh come on. Legacy withstanding, it's the printing press. Legacy notwithstanding, it's my own personal printing press and media outlet that I control and provide content for.

The Internet is more than an electronic printing press, however. It creates a read-write culture in which a true discourse and transaction between creator and audience can occur.

The printing press, for all it's revolution and disruption, was still a read-only technology in which information and ideas came from the top down.

Better you should ask me: "Star Wars versus Star Trek...who would win?"

Everyone knows a Galaxy Class Federation Starship is absolutely no match for an Imperial II Class Star Destroyer. The Federation ship is designed for a multi-role variation with emphasis on scientific exploration and research, the Star Destroyer is purpose designed and built for military aggression with about ten times the firepower and defensive capability. The Galaxy Class wouldn't last ten minutes in a battle. My two cents. YMMV.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost I wanna thank my mother who, when I told her I was going to have to get a real job and work in an office said, "That will kill you. Let's tighten our belt. You need to see this through." It's more than her do-what-it-takes mentality that makes me well up inside. It's the fact that she knew and accepted that I was passionate about this project and what the strike stood for. I am very blessed to have a parent that loves me so much.

Family is family. Union is union. So next, I want to thank all the people who participated in this podcast including every single one of my interviewees.

A fond shout out to SAG member Alicyn Packard who helped produce two episodes back in November.

Also, a shout to SAG member Bill Funt, my co-host in January who showed up at the right time and carried the show for several episodes while I hacked up a lung and held the mike. For those of you who were wondering if Bill got voted off the island: the answer is no. He caught whatever bug I had and is still on the mend.

Thanks to SAG member Elizabeth Reynolds for volunteering to be SAG's Mistress of Communications and for keeping me informed.

Gratitude and many hugs and kisses to NoHo Damon for being the staff photographer of the Writers Strike Chronicles.

A very special thanks to all the strike captains (and you know who you are) that supported my efforts and pointed me to people worth interviewing.

Another special thanks to my personal Mac genius and friend Lecter who helped me out when my laptop had a hard crash at 4:00 a.m. a few weeks ago.

Also thanks to Susan Olsen, Becca Bryan and Monique Darling. To Susan and Becca, for providing support and information when my focus was so narrow I forgot to remember the fact that trees comprise a forest. To Monique: thank you for identifying writers on the line.

And holla to Fans4Writers for the pizza. You know, I never in my life forgot to eat until I was on the line tired and hungry after a days worth of interviews.

Penultimately, I want to thank Eric Rupert from Odeo who provided answers to all my bugs.

Most of all I want to thank my listeners for calling in or sending me e-mails to give me feedback, comments, and suggestions. Being in conversation with each of you really helped keep me grounded and encouraged me to continue, knowing you were out there downloading and listening.

WSC Show #110 - Interview with Patric Verrone (Part 2)

2008-02-27T02:06:00.000-08:00

In today's episode (the second of a two-part series) I speak with Patric Verrone, the President of the Writers Guild of America, West. Recorded Friday, 22 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

did your hearz dat?

2008-02-26T22:25:00.000-08:00

WSC Show #109 - Interview with Patric Verrone (Part 1)

2008-02-26T01:04:00.000-08:00

In today's episode (the first of a two-part series) I speak with Patric Verrone, the President of the Writers Guild of America, West. Recorded Friday, 22 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

West Guild Story

2008-02-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

From the YouTube site:

A musical tale of two rival gangs, the Scribes and the Nets, who battled over the young and beautiful New Media during the Strike War of 2007.

Made for the fairdeal4writers contest.

WSC Show #108 - Interview with Matthew Goodman

2008-02-25T01:42:00.000-08:00

This episode features an interview with writer Matthew Goodman recorded at the offices of WGA West in Los Angeles. Recorded Friday, 15 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

WSC Show #107 - Interview with Jamie Masada, Owner of the Laugh Factory

2008-02-24T01:29:00.000-08:00

In today's episode, I talk with Jamie Masada, the owner and founder of the Laugh Factory, a comedy club on the Sunset Strip for over 25 years. Every Wednesday throughout the strike the Laugh Factory turned over all door proceeds to the Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund. This fund was set up through the Writers Guild Foundation for all below-the-line personnel in need of financial help of which writers do not benefit. Recorded Wednesday, 20 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

For information about the efforts to raise money for the Writers' Guild Foundation Industry Support fund here is an episode that aired last month on the American Public Media show Marketplace in which Jeff Tyler reported how the writers were raising money for people who work behind the scenes.

“RECONCILIATION” BENEFIT!

WHEN: Tuesday, March 4th at 8 p.m.

WHERE: The Laugh Factory

PROCEEDS WILL GO
TO THE WGF INDUSTRY SUPPORT FUND

To celebrate the end of the strike, Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada will host a “Reconciliation” Benefit at the Laugh Factory, Tuesday, March 4th at 8 p.m. Proceeds go to the Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund to assist all those NON-WRITERS above and below-the-line struggling financially due to the strike. The GENERAL PUBLIC is invited.

The $20 admission fee will be donated to the Fund. Cash or check made out to the WGF Industry Support Fund only.

RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED. SPREAD THE WORD!

Laugh Factory
8001 W Sunset Blvd. Hollywood
323-656-1336 Ext. 1
www.laughfactory.com

Internet Vs. Printing Press Revisited (Part 2)

2008-02-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

Media Conversations is a channel from The Conversations Network. It was here I found this great podcast about how one traditional book publisher is taking on new media to survive the the disruption that the digital revolution has brought to the print industry.

Retooling HarperCollins for the 21st Century
[runtime: 00:28:13, 12.9 mb, recorded 2007-06-19]

As one of the world's leading English-language publishers, HarperCollins Publishers, with over $1 billion in annual revenues, is right in the middle of the challenge to build the future of the publishing industry. Their call to action came in 2004 when they found their company facing little understood but massive change. This massive change was identified in the form of powerful search engine growth, exploding social communities, and rapidly growing online advertising.

In this keynote presentation from the conference, Brian Murray, Group President for HarperCollins Publishers, describes the process his company used to face these changes and prepare HarperCollins for the future. In his educational presentation, Murray provides a textbook strategic analysis of HarperCollins as it embarked on a six step process to meet this new challenge.

WSC Show #106 - Interviews with Jasmine Love and Becca Bryan

2008-02-23T01:47:00.000-08:00

In today's episode, I talk with writer Jasmine Love at the Writers Guild offices in Los Angeles. Then I talk to Becca Bryan, who heads up the www.TheUnitHQ.com, a fan website for the show of the same name. Recorded Friday, 15 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Internet Vs. Printing Press Revisited

2008-02-22T23:00:00.000-08:00

There's something to be said in defense of the Internet in the above referenced argument.

Today blogger Steven Levy of Newsweek posted this to his blog: Rip This Book? Not Yet.The very existence of a book scanner for consumer use is one of those early warnings of turbulence to come.

As always, the comments always intrigue me more than the actual post.

So I'm Gone For A Day...

2008-02-22T22:14:00.001-08:00

...and like all hell breaks loose.

It looks like the scheduled maintenance I blogged about yesterday is turning into more than a 24 bug. The audio files and the embedded player for the podcast are not working on some browsers, but hey try FireFox is all I have to say.

Until it gets fixed, have patience. The podcast series is not quite over 'til it's over and believe me you don't want to miss the last episode.

Until then, refresh this page for status updates.

Black Kettle Pot

2008-02-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

"The Internet has evolved from open standards, having a diversity of companies… And when you start to have companies that control the operating system, control the browsers, they really tie up the top Web sites, and can be used to manipulate stuff in various ways. I think that's unnerving."

-- Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google on
Microsoft's takeover bid for Yahoo.

WSC Show #105 - Strike TV Project: Interviews with Michael Tabb, Peter Hyoguchi, and Del Casher

2008-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

In today's episode, I visit California Digital Post in Burbank California where writer Michael Tabb is directing the voice talent for his animated short film entitled The Academy now in production for Strike TV. While I was there, I meet up with Peter Hyoguchi, one of the co-founders of Strike TV and Del Casher, the owner of the facility. Recorded Thursday, 21 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

A proud supporter of Strike TV

Notice of Scheduled Maintenance

2008-02-21T22:34:00.000-08:00

This website and, more importantly, the podcasts that it offers is temporarily down for scheduled maintenance. All the podcasts including the latest episode for Friday will be available after 1:00 a.m. on Friday, February 22, 2008.

"On Writing" by Plato

2008-02-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

"Writing creates forgetfulness and a tiresome company!"
-- From The Phaedrus by Plato

FWIW: Funny Or Die's Dirty Little Secret

2008-02-21T03:22:00.000-08:00

It's worth noting that the hugely successful comedy video website "FunnyOrDie.com" that's spearheaded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy and funded to the tune of $15,000,000 by Sequoia Capital is not a union shop. This, despite the fact that the Screen Actor's Guild (of which Ferrell is a member in good standing) has done outreach to his production offices.

When I asked the SAG rep WTF outreach meant, I was told: SAG sent them a letter.

Oh! A letter! Wooo!

And when I asked what was the response I was told there has been no response so far.

Let's get real: SAG would get all over my ass if I broke Global Rule 1. But Ferrell gets a fucking letter? That's it?

So now, as I asked my guests Justine Bateman and Peter Murrietta in the current uploaded episode of my podcast: "Just how the hell is the Internet going to be unionized?"

Just sayin'.

Come With Me

2008-02-21T02:11:00.000-08:00

The writers strike (and the music industry before that) has revealed how the entertainment industry is in the midst of radical change unlike anything seen since Thomas Edison invented motion pictures or Philo T. Farnsworth invented the television. I suppose we now have Nikola Tesla to thank as media convergence redefines how we stay connected with friends and family, how we get our news, and how we watch entertainment (and even for some folks, how they have sex).

The scope of "New Media" or what I'd like to call "contemporary media" -- because after all, it's not really so new anymore, not even by new media terms -- is redefining every aspect of what I do as a performer including how I do it, how I make a living at it, and thanks to HD technology and CGI even how I look doing it. Using technology anywhere from mobile phones to social media, today's actors, writers and all digital/electronic artifex will pioneer new ways of expression and creativity in the age of information that will take our culture into the future.

As the writers prepare to vote on the proposed ballot next week, actors are ramping up their contract negotiations with the AMPTP. SAG's contract is set to expire in June. Yesterday I attended an informational meeting organized by SAG in preparation for the guild's Wages and Working Conditions Television and Theatrical New Media caucus with the SAG board members and negotiators coming up this Friday February 22.

I will be covering these developments like I did for the writers strike as a dual cardholder of both SAG and AFTRA. When I do, I invite you to follow me over at my new website: BraveNewMedia.TV

WSC Show #104 - New Media Discussion with Justine Bateman, Peter Murrietta, and Michael Heister

2008-02-21T01:22:00.000-08:00

In today's episode, I talk to actor Justine Bateman, writer Peter Murrietta and actor Michael Heister about new media. This recording took place at the United Hollywood's swag photo shoot. Recorded Friday, 15 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

As mentioned in this episode: Nokia predicts 25% of entertainment by 2012 will be created and consumed within peer communities

"RECONCILIATION” BENEFIT!

2008-02-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

“RECONCILIATION” BENEFIT!

WHEN: Tuesday, March 4th at 8 p.m.

WHERE: The Laugh Factory

PROCEEDS WILL GO
TO THE WGF INDUSTRY SUPPORT FUND

WSC Show #103 - Interviews with Jonathan Handel and Damon D'Amato

2008-02-20T00:42:00.000-08:00

In today's episode, I wrap up a series of recordings made last week when the membership of the Writers Guild of America voted to lift the restraining order and end the strike. The proposed contract is pending a vote next week. Here I meet with two people who are not writers: attorney Jonathan Handel from the law firm TroyGould, and Damon D'Amato, a teleprompter operator who has also been covering the strike as a citizen photojournalist. Recorded Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

On The Media: The Show Goes On

2008-02-19T17:58:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, I downloaded and listened to one of my favorite podcasts "On The Media" from NPR. Below is what I find to be one of the best analysis of the results of the strike and the proposed contract. My two cents and YMMV and all that.

The Shows Go On
February 15, 2008

The Writers Guild of America voted this week to end a 100-day strike that left many television shows in limbo. So did they get what they bargained for? NPR’s Kim Masters says the Guild has successfully spun the deal as a victory.

Transcripts available here.

WSC Show #102 - Interviews with Patty Lin and David Wyatt

2008-02-19T02:33:00.000-08:00

In today's episode, I continue with a series of recordings made last week when the membership of the Writers Guild of America voted to lift the restraining order and end the strike while the proposed contract is pending ratification/rejection. Today I meet with writers Patti Lin and David Wyatt. Recorded Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Patty Lin, originally uploaded by NoHoDamon.

David Wyatt, originally uploaded by NoHoDamon.

WSC Show #101 - Interviews with Karen Harris and Charles Heit

2008-02-18T13:01:00.001-08:00

In today's episode, I continue with a series of recordings made last week when the membership of the Writers Guild of America voted to lift the restraining order and end the strike pending the ratification/rejection of the proposed contract. Today I meet with writers Karen Harris and Charles Heit. Recorded Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

WSC Show #100 - Interviews with Brian Hartt and Cathryn Humphris

2008-02-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

In today's episode, I continue with a series of recordings made last this week when the membership of the Writers Guild of America voted to lift the restraining order and end the strike while the proposed contract is pending ratification/rejection. Today I catch up writers strike captain Brian Hartt (a former guest on the podcast) and writer Cathryn Humphris. Recorded Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

WSC Show #99 - Interviews with Bobby Gaylor, Garrick Dowhen, and Janice Tidwell

2008-02-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I continue with a series of recordings made earlier this week when the membership of the Writers Guild of America voted to lift the restraining order, and end the strike during the ratification process of the proposed contract. Today I catch up writers Bobby Gaylor and Garrick Dowhen (both former guests on the podcast). Also featured is writer Janice Tidwell. Recorded Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Heroes Fans Check It Out!

2008-02-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

I just received an e-mail from Heroes fan Monique Darling, a guest on the WSC podcast who supported the writers by hitting the picket lines several times. She drove with her sister and her son all the way from Utah -- about a 8 hour drive one way -- just to do this. And she did this more than once!

Anyway, here's a snippet of the e-mail I received:

"Tanja, we just found out Ronan needs over $1,000 in dental work so we have put up a picket sign on eBay that has been autographed by some of the cast and crew of Heroes. If you could pass it on that would be awesome."

So there ya go! So sorry to hear about that, Monique. A big hug to you and to Ronan. I'm sure the sign will fetch a high price and a happy bidder.

WSC Show #98 - Interviews with Michael Perry and Remi Aubuchon

2008-02-15T01:31:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I continue with a series of recordings made earlier this week when the membership of the Writers Guild of America voted to lift the restraining order, and end the strike during the ratification process of the proposed contract. Today’s guests are writers Michael Perry (who was a guest on the show a few weeks back) and Remi Aubuchon. Recorded Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

love in a backwards world

2008-02-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

This utterly charming short by filmmaker and graphic artist Chris Vincze, "EVOL" was shot in one day in the streets of London. Full credits here. And full story here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T09:06:00.000-08:00

WSC Show #97 - Interviews with Jeffrey Berman, Bruce Neckles and Alfredo Barrios

2008-02-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

Today's episode features interviews from Jeffrey Berman from United Hollywood, writer Bruce Neckles and Alfredo Barrios recorded in front of the Writers Guild Theater when the membership was voting on whether to lift the strike action of picketing. Recorded Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Tip of the hat to Patric Verrone,
originally uploaded by NoHoDamon.

Comment Pending Approval.

2008-02-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

David Plum of the New York Press recently posted the piece entitled THE CIEPLY SCENARIO with the description: "A New York Times reporter turned the Hollywood writers strike into a battle between good and evil." Entire article here.

A few days ago, I blogged that the TV Decoder, the New York Times blog covering all things television, recently cross-posted the original Michael Cieply piece.

I posted a comment on TV Decoder blog, asking them what Mr. Cieply's sources were in a media blackout and also asking if the NY Times had done a thorough fact check. I said the reason I was asking was because of the chatter I was reading on United Hollywood regarding this and actually posted in my comment a link pointing back to the UH discussion. Like the one I'm going to put here.

The comment was approved, but the link was editorialized and deleted for reasons I don't know why. I do not know what the NY Times standards and rules are for allowing links in a comment.

But, FWIW, it's worth noting that following my comment is a person who identifies themselves as "Citizen Kate". Citizen's Kate's comment contained a link to her YouTube channel and this link was allowed to remain in the comment.

I just posted a follow up comment asking the folks at the TV Decoder blog why my link was deleted. I also asked for a public posting as to what the blog's guidelines are for posting comments so that readers and the blog's participants may know what to expect to happen to their comments after posting.

So far, in my experience, TV Decoder has permitted one comment to feature a link pointing back to another site. But when I posted a comment with a link pointing back to United Hollywood, it was deleted. Draw your own conclusions, but I will wait and watch this blog post to see if a) my follow up comment was approved and b) what they have to say.

It's worth noting that in my follow-up comment on the TV Decoder blog I signed off with the following:

Tanja Barnes
http://www.strikechronicles.com

So, I'm curious now if that link will remain or not. I'm also curious what the TV Decoder bloggers answer is to my podcast questions "Legacy notwithstanding, what is the more powerful invention: the Internet or the printing press"?

Just sayin'.

Oh, and hello TV Decoder bloggers if you're reading this. Please feel free to leave a comment here. My TOU is clearly stated when you go to post a comment but I'll copy and paste it below for everyone's benefit and so that you may know what to expect from me:

"Feel free to comment. I am a proponent of free speech and you may express your thoughts, feelings, views, and opinions relevant to the topic in whatever manner and any language you wish.

Here is my TOU: My goal is to create a respectful and considerate community. You may not post pornography sexually explicit content, racial and/or hateful comments, or anything that violates a copyright. I also reserve the right to delete spam."

UPDATE - 13 February 2008 23:08 -

Well it looks like my follow up comment was approved with the link intact. However, so far there is no formal reply to my question as to what the NY Times' TV Decoder blog's comment policies are. Perhaps they're reviewing it now and maybe they'll post a response later. I'd like to think so. Otherwise, why the hell have a blog if the precepts of Web 2.0 and the promises of new media are not utilized?

A long time acquaintance of mine, Xeni Jardin of BoingBoing.net put it so well when she said: "It's important that newspapers not launch blogs for the sake of launching blogs. There had to be a purpose to other than to have the ability to tell the world that you have a blog. What's the point of interacting with your audience? Is the point just to leave snippy comments on the blogs of your critics? Or is the point of interacting to provide bits and pieces and nuances of information that traditional newspaper reporting doesn't lend itself to?"

A note from Steve Leiva

2008-02-13T10:32:00.000-08:00

Patrick Varrone, left, president of Writers Guild of America-West,
with writer Steven Paul Leiva, after announcing the end of the
14-week strike. (By Kevork Djansezian -- Associated Press)

Steven Leiva, a gate captain at CBS Radford and a writer who's been a guest on my podcast sent the following out to his list:

To my team and the good friends,

I made "On the Line" -- where you'll see a photo of yours truly with WGA president Patric Verrone!

I was asked to be a ballot counter last night after the vote. It was an incredible evening, calm, business-like, yet with an underlining emotion of happy, for some giddy, satisfaction. I counted ballots with Robin Swicord, Nick Kazan and Larry Gelbert, not to mention D.C. Fontana of the original Star Trek. It was an honor to sit at the table with these talents. As I was counting ballots I came upon one on which the voter had written HELL just before the YES box. And in the upper right hand corner the voter had written, PATRIC VERRONE IS A HERO! I could not agree more.

I then got to watch the press conference where Patric announced that the strike was over.

It was all a rather incredible experience. As the whole strike has been, especially as I -- and I think many of us -- came to the realization that we are all part of a community, and that that community is strong!

To all of you I wish the best of creative futures -- good writing, good pay, good times!

Best,
Steve

Harvard Faculty Debates Publishing Online

2008-02-13T01:49:00.000-08:00

It's a little late and I'm burnt out so my fact checking may not be super sharp at the mo, but them good ol' boys Patric Verrone and John Bowman, aren't they Harvard graduates?

Well, looky here: I'm reading in the NY Times a piece by Patricia Cohen entitled "At Harvard, a Proposal to Publish Free on Web" about how Harvard faculty members are putting to a vote on whether to publish on the Web for free. Below is a snippet:

"Faculty members are scheduled to vote on a measure that would permit Harvard to distribute their scholarship online, instead of signing exclusive agreements with scholarly journals that often have tiny readerships and high subscription costs....Under the proposal Harvard would deposit finished papers in an open-access repository run by the library that would instantly make them available on the Internet. Authors would still retain their copyright and could publish anywhere they pleased — including at a high-priced journal, if the journal would have them."

Read the entire article here.

I've been aware for awhile that disruptive technology was opening up higher education. Last fall Yale University announced they were offering undergraduate courses freely available to anyone in the world with access to the Internet. But now the Harvard vote seems kinda coinky dinky with the strike and all.

And it sorta all dovetails with a conversation I had with some friends at my salon this weekend in which the topic was ""Intellectual Property: Art vs Ethics In An Era of Mashups". One concept I hadn't really heard before came from a librarian who said "information wants to be free". Of course, two i.p. attorneys in attendance argued against this and did so in quite entertaining ways. But here's the thing:

"On the one hand information wants to be expensive, because it's so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time. So you have these two fighting against each other." -- Stewart Brand

It just kinda got me thinking because so far, so much content on the Internet is free including many forms of entertainment. Not to mention news and information, which is totally killing the newspapers. So like, now higher education, too? This should be really interesting. I mean, if information really really wants to be free, then who the hell is going to pay for it? Just sayin'.

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

2008-02-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

Just a note to my listeners to say that I'm taking the night off from podcasting. After uploading the ninety-sixth consecutive episode with Patric Verrone (that's currently live right now) I just hit a wall. I did manage to get at least a dozen recordings today from former interviewees of the podcast as they were exiting the guild's theater after voting. It's my plan to upload them in the following days leading into the membership's vote on the contract, so be sure to stay tuned. But tonight...I'm out. G'night!

3,800 Writers, No Trauma

2008-02-12T23:28:00.000-08:00

The following recounting is written by Michael R. Perry, who was a guest on the Writers' Strike Chronicles podcast a few weeks back. I met up with Perry today for the WGA's vote on whether to lift the strike earlier this afternoon. I asked him to share with me what happened on Saturday night when the leadership of the WGA took the proposed contract to the membership and so he sent this to me. It was first featured in Remy Aubuchon's strike blog entitled "Walking the Line".

Last Tuesday I was mentally debating whether to take one last road trip before the strike ended, or go to the big WGA meeting at the Shrine and attend what was certain to be the Woodstock of self-unemployed writers, when Kim Hoffman from the Guild called.

"Michael, are you going to be at the Shrine this weekend?" she asked.
I hedged. "Probably. I think maybe."
"Can you be on-call to do first aid at the meeting Saturday?"
"Sure, of course," I said. In the next nanosecond all my little little reveries about driving up 395 to Lone Pine, or Highway 1 to Big Sur, or taking Old Route 40 out to the Trilobite Wilderness in the Marble Mountains popped like a soap bubble.

During one of my sabbaticals I took about 100 hours of first aid training, and in a moment of indiscretion revealed that to the W.G.A. Since then, they have asked three times if I could be on call for first aid, and I said yes all three times. It's not much for them to ask and I'd always rather be a participant than a spectator.

Saturday, I met Kim from the Guild, who handed me off to Seamus from the Guild, who gave me a headset and ID pass and a facility tour: backstage, where the Guild officers and committee members were gathering; Tunnel 9 where the disgustingly ancient Shrine first aid room is; and upstairs to the Ladies Lounge, where the Guild had set up a child care area. Everyone else at the place was thinking, "I wonder what the deal is going to be?" and I was thinking, "What will we do if someone has a heart attack, head injury or loss of consciousness?"

Seamus took me everywhere. Backstage, none of the Guild officers looked like they were about to succumb -- good! The child care area had more than enough adults to handle the number of children -- good! The child care volunteers were level-headed and sober -- good! The Shrine doesn't have an Automated External Defibrillator -- bad! (They ought to.) I did one last tour before the meeting began, making sure the child care people had working phones and instructions to call 911 before doing anything else if there were an emergency.

The Shrine employs a twentysomething man in a suit to operate the automatic elevator. I saw him four times in ten minutes; as I was riding down the last time I said something like, "looks like the place is going to be full. That's a lot of writers in there, don't you think?"

"What writers?" he asked.
"All those people are writers."
"What kind of stuff do they write?" he asked.
"Pretty much every television show and movie you've seen."
"No way."
"Seriously."
"What about Lord of the Rings? Are the guys who wrote that movie here?"
"They might be."
"Wow. That's cool."
I left for the meeting, pondering what a crappy job it is to operate an automatic elevator. Or a great job, I suppose, if you want to be totally oblivious to everything around you.

There were no emergencies of any kind, but the headset gave me an alternate audio channel for the duration of the meeting, and what I was hearing was -- there were a lot of us. More than anyone expected. The Guild staffers kept reporting, long into the meeting, that lines of cars were still streaming in from Jefferson and 32nd street. They unexpectedly had to open the balcony and put a microphone up there for questions; and that filled up, too. The tally was 3800 writers, the biggest Guild gathering, ever.

And, mercifully, it was all business. Verrone and Young and Bowman ticked off the proposals one after another, registering which they were pleased with, and which disappointed them. And we listened. And at the end of the reading, they had a quick round of thank-yous to behind-the-scenesters like Chuck Slocum, and people started to file out, even before the question period. They'd heard what they'd come to hear. We had a deal, not the best deal in the world but the one we could secure in February of 2008 after three months of striking.

I stayed until almost eleven o'clock, when 90% of the auditorium had cleared out, and the questions were growing repetitive. I figured, if there were no more small children in child care, the staff could handle any first aid issues that might arise, and I could go with my friends Rusty and Darrin to House of Pies to debrief.

I went to the Ladies Lounge Child care area, where there were two babysitters and two remaining children. One was a girl of around eleven years old, who was about to leave with her parents. The other was a preternaturally composed twelve-year-old boy, a neat kid in a blazer holding a stack of papers. I wanted to make sure he would be around people, so that if there were any first aid issues (I didn't think there would be) someone else would be there. I asked the adults on call if it would be possible to close down child care and have this last kid sit in the main auditorium for the duration of the meeting. They weren't sure.

"His parents are downstairs at the meeting, right?" I asked.
"His father is, yes."
"Well he's old enough, he could just sit in the auditorium until it's over, right?"
"It's supposed to be Guild members and staff only at the meeting," was the reply.
"Who's his father?"
"Patric Verrone."
"I think we can make an exception."
I walked across the Ladies Lounge and shook the hand of the last boy in child care. "Your father has done a great job."
"Thank you," he said.
"Thanks for letting us have him for so long."
"That's okay."
"This is an historic night. And your dad is a big part of it. You should go down and watch him for a little while."
"Thanks. I think I will."

As I turned in my headset and prepared to leave I tried to imagine how this strike will be remembered when this twelve-year-old is eighteen years old; thirty years old; forty years old. I think we'll come off well. I believe this is a contract for the future, for the transition to the world before us. And from that perspective, I came to realize -- this was an historic night. And I'm glad I was there, even if it meant I didn't get to go collect trilobites in the Marble Mountains. And I was glad that no one, of any age, suffered any traumatic injury.

WSC Show #96 SPECIAL EDITION - Press Conference with Patric Verrone, President of the WGA West

2008-02-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

In this special edition of the Writers' Strike Chronicles podcast, we’ll hear Patric Verrone, President of the WGA West, speaking at a press conference earlier this evening at the Writers Guild Theater. The press conference took place around 7:00 p.m. following the vote by the WGA membership on whether or not to lift the strike. Please note, there is some interference with the recording from an unknown source but my guess is somebody left their cell phone on (and it wasn't me). Recorded Tuesday, 12 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

WSC Show #95 - Interviews with Brooks Wachtel, Bill Taub, and Steve Leiva

2008-02-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I meet up with writers Brooks Wachtel, Bill Taub, and Steve Leiva to hear stories about what happened at the "Big Meeting" they attended this past Saturday. Then we'll hear how they felt about the proposed contract. Recorded Monday, 11 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Hulu Opening Up To More Users

2008-02-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

The website Hulu -- the so-called YouTube killer (not!) -- is opening itself up to new users. It's still in beta but who cares? Personally, I haven't given it a second thought after checking it out over the holidays because it features ad supported programming of NBC and News Corp content. I think it's obvious why I've been ignoring it. At any rate, I have 9 invitations to give away. Hit me up with an e-mail (see masthead) for an invite. First come, first served.

WSC Show #94 - Interviews with Michael Tabb, Bill Taub and Garrick Dowhen

2008-02-11T01:02:00.001-08:00

Today's episode is a wrap up of a series of recordings made at the last big picketing event in front of Disney Studios. Here we’ll talk to strike captain Michael Tabb and writers Bill Taub and Garrick Dowhen. Recorded Thursday, 7 February 2007.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Breaking News!

2008-02-10T11:56:00.001-08:00

United Hollywood is reporting that the WGA is having a press meeting in about 4 minutes. God damn it! FFS!

Oh well. ...

What happened? What's the story? What's the deal?

2008-02-10T11:08:00.001-08:00

Wow, did I get an insight from writers and strike captains who e-mailed me to tell me how it went down at the Big Meeting last night! Go read what professional writers and story tellers have to say at United Hollywood. They can tell it so much better than any crappy ass cut and paste job I could do in this blog.

So, since I wasn't there, I can only blog about what I did last night instead. For those of you who care to know read on. But I swear it's not as exciting. Really. I urge you to go to United Hollywood and get the scoop.

While writers met at the Shrine Auditorium last night some friends of mine helped me put together party to celebrate my birthday and we kept our fingers crossed. The theme of the party was an 18th-century-style literary salon in which all my guests were encouraged to participate by presenting or facilitating a discussion lasting no more than five minutes on the topic for the evening: "Intellectual Property: Art vs Ethics In An Era of Mashups". The talks were followed by a screening of the The Dark Side of the Rainbow which is the mashing of the 1973 Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

I got home around 2:00 a.m. and went to record the lede of the next podcast. Like I said, I received a fuckton of e-mails from writers and strike captains as to what happened at the Big Meeting, so I was going to report that it was pretty positive EXCEPT that I had differing reports as to whether picketing was over. Rather than pull a classic Nikki Finke and go "I'm told that...bla bla bla", I decided to hold off and point my listeners to look for official word from the WGA. So I recorded the voice over, mixed things down, put it up on the Internet, typed a few words in the WSC blog and went to bed at 6:00 a.m.

See? I told ya. It's way more exciting on the United Hollywood blog.

Oh, and thank you WGA for the bestest freakin' birthday present evarrrr!

WSC Show #93 - Interview with Roy Barnes (Pt. 2)

2008-02-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode, the second of a two part series, I have a conversation with my late father Roy Barnes in which he discusses the collaborative process in filmmaking from the perspective of the art department. We’ll also hear stories about what it was like to work with Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Sylvester Stallone. Recorded Monday, 16 October 2006.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Dunya Salam" featuring Baaba Maal
from the album "1 Giant Leap"
Used with permission by Jamie Catto

Dedicated in loving memory to Roy Lee Barnes
9 Feb 1936 - 29 October 2006
Ars Gratia Artis

WSC Show #92 - Interview with Roy Barnes (Pt. 1)

2008-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode, the first of a two part series, I have a conversation with my late father Roy Barnes who served in the entertainment industry for close to 30 years as a member of both the Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) and the Set Designers & Model Makers Guild (IATSE Local 847). Recorded Saturday, 14 October 2006.

Today In The NY Times TV Decoder Blog

2008-02-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

TV Decoder, the New York Times blog covering all things television, recently cross-posted the Michael Cieply piece.

Since I knew about the conversation regarding this on United Hollywood, I posted a comment to the TV Decoder blog with a link pointing back to the UH post and asking the Grey Lady two questions: in light of the media blackout, where is Mr. Cieply getting his information and has the NYT done a thorough fact check?

FWIW, the New York Times edited out my back-link to the UH post and I'm curious as to what their standards and guidelines are for deleting that.

Moreover, I'm also curious if I will receive an answer from the TV Decoder bloggers. In the world of Web 2.0, the idea is to create a dialogue between readers and publishers. So, will the NY Times respond? We'll see, won't we?

Check out the TV Decoder post here and be sure to leave a comment.

I Call Bullshit

2008-02-08T07:34:00.001-08:00

DSC_6175, originally uploaded by NoHoDamon.

< BEGIN RANT >

I'm jonesing for a bitchfest. Here we go:

I believe it's plain bad journalism for CNBC news to report that Michael Eisner said the strike is over. This is just as reprehensible and irresponsible as when the esteemed Nikki Finke blogs and says "I'm told that...."

It's crap. There's no fact checking. It's all hearsay.

Hello, Operator? Is Michael at the table? Is he in the room? All CNBC is doing is allowing Eisner to say the "I heard it from a friend" and we know that game. We played it in elementary school.

And as I just read on United Hollywood: "Michael Eisner is completely uninvolved and irrelevant to the strike."

True that. Interestingly, the real facts are coming from a blog rather than an accredited news source. Just sayin'.

Consider that yesterday was a huge ass picketing event at Eisner's old stomping ground at Disney Studios in Burbank. So, the timing of this so-called "news" is questionable. I believe it was a vindictive measure on Eisner's part to take aim at the writers and he used his buddies -- the media monopolies -- er I mean -- conglomerates that control the flow of news and information -- to do it.

And while I'm having a bitchfest: having walked the line yesterday I can tell you that the Team Disney building by Michael Graves? It's fugly. It's even fuglier inside. How do I know this? I temped in that God-awful building. I'm the daughter of an architect-cum-art-director. When I told my dad I thought this building was shite, he told me he thought I'd be tricked into thinking it was cute by its facade. Needless to say, he was proud of me. And I'm proud of him. My dad knew his stuff!

Until there is a deal in place look to WGA or United Hollywood for official news and information.

< /END RANT >

WSC Show #91 - Interviews with Joss Whedon and Monique Darling

2008-02-08T01:59:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I speak to Joss Whedon and follow up with Monique Darling, a huge Whedon fan, and her sister Heather Griffith. Both recordings took place at the Sci-Fi Channel Day for Fans and Writers picketing event in front of NBC Studios. Recorded Wednesday, 6 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Joss Whedon Talks with a Fan, originally uploaded by NoHoDamon.

Who Owns What v2.1

2008-02-08T01:25:00.001-08:00

Blogger Amy Webb from MyDigiMedia just posted this great post:

In the wake of Microsoft's proposed $44 bil takeover of Yahoo (and all the subsequent chatter), I've updated my Who Owns What chart. Because I think this topic is so important to all journalists, regardless of whether they work in traditional media or even in the United States, I'm going to launch an RSS feed and a widget soon that will roll constant updates on who owns what.
In the six months since I first created the chart, there are a handful of notable updates:
- AOL's list has grown tremendously, while Google, News Corp and IAC have remained relatively unchanged.

- AOL is heading strong into behavioral targeting and various ad network options.

- Yahoo's buy early and large strategy toned down considerably in Q3 and Q4 of 2007.

- Google's last acquisition was Postini early last fall.

- Though I'm not tracking this on the chart, News Corp has also been selling lots of assets - namely local television stations.

Download the PDF file here.

Better Than Free

2008-02-07T00:19:00.000-08:00

In closing my interview with Ronald D. Moore from Battlestar Galactica, Moore voted for the printing press over the Internet.

I've been predicating the queston of Internet v. Printing Press with the phrase "legacy notwithstanding" because the fact that the printing press came first fails to really capture the spirit of my question. It's like saying the wheel was the more powerful invention than the car because it was first. I mean, if you really believe the answer is the printing press, then please come up with an original and creative answer.

Like Moore did.

Moore's answer was one of the few that I felt to be somewhat original and made a great deal of sense. To paraphrase his response (it's probably better to listen to it in my podcast) he felt that the printing press gave more monetary value to the act of copying information and ideas in manuscript form whereas the Internet, by its very nature, is the endless flow of ubiquitous content that devalues the worth of the original product.

Blogger Kevin Kelly makes some really good points about the Internet being a massive copy machine in a post entitled "Better Than Free". Here's a snippet:

The internet is a copy machine. At its most foundational level, it copies every action, every character, every thought we make while we ride upon it. In order to send a message from one corner of the internet to another, the protocols of communication demand that the whole message be copied along the way several times. IT companies make a lot of money selling equipment that facilitates this ceaseless copying. Every bit of data ever produced on any computer is copied somewhere. The digital economy is thus run on a river of copies. Unlike the mass-produced reproductions of the machine age, these copies are not just cheap, they are free.

This is a great post and worth a full read here.

WSC Show #90 - Interviews with Shawn Ryan and Ronald D. Moore

2008-02-07T00:05:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I speak to Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield and executive producer of The Unit. Then I talk to Ronald D. Moore from Battlestar Galactica. Both recordings took place at the SciFi Channel Day for Fans and Writers picketing event in front of NBC Studios. Recorded Wednesday, 6 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Ron Moore, originally uploaded by NoHoDamon.

BTW... does anybody have a photo of Shawn Ryan at this event that I may use (with attribution, of course).

Kindle vs. Books

2008-02-06T18:24:00.000-08:00

OK...so y'all listening to my podcast know my shtick with my last question being a poll as to whether the Internet or the printing press is the more powerful technology. But it's still fun to throw that curve ball out to my interviewees who don't see it coming.

Lately a lot of writers have stood firm with the printing press. And many of them cite the main reason as being the reader's experience of actually sitting down and opening a physical book. They talk about the "hand", they talk about the smell, they all talk about the act of reading a book as being akin to a sensual experience. And they follow up these points as reasons as to why the e-book will never succeed as a medium.

Perhaps those in favor of the printing press and the merits of the physicality of books may be on to something. But what if they're wrong? What if books go the same way that e-mail replaced letters and penmanship has become a dying art? I'm not saying that the Kindle will replace the book, because I really don't know and don't care to hazard a prediction. I honestly don't know. I mean, I think actual books are pretty cool, virtual books are kinda... well... weird. But I also think actual books can be heavy and cumbersome in my backpack but virtual books can be light and fluffy.

FWIW, as magazines and newspapers go on-line so too it would seem that comic books are apparently crossing over to an electronic medium. Comic books? At any rate, I just read an article in favor of the book and thought to share it with you. Read all about it here.

WSC Show #89 - Interviews with Steve Leiva, Alan Kirschenbaum and the Mud Baron

2008-02-06T00:27:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode, I speak to strike captain Steve Leiva and revisit with Alan Kirschenbaum at the picket line in front of CBS Radford studios. I’ll also receive a bouquet and have a chat with the Mud Baron. Recorded Monday, 4 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Olly olly oxen free!

2008-02-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

If artists wish to think out of the box, move away from the mainstream and break away from the networks, studios and record labels -- if artists really want to become indie-DIY and create content for the Internet and earn a sustainable livelihood -- they're going to have to understand an aspect of new media called "social media". It's your bloggers, your MyFacers, your UGC. It's everyday peeps. It's me and it's you. In a word it is your freakin' audience.

So everybody in the entertainment industry had better get hip to this new game called New Media. It's a brave new world this Internet is and Ringolevio it ain't. Everybody's gonna have to learn to get along.

Word to the moguls: the time has come to say fair's fair. To pay the rent. To pay our share.

And word to the unions: It's really very simple: Union is union. We are all in this together.

Now. Everybody go out on the Internet and play nicely.

(Just sayin'.)

I found this great blog post by Collin Douma and below is a snippet:

Is this really about picking sides?

How will you ever fill the needs of your consumers if all you do is tell them what they want by saying what you want to hear.

The consumer has a medium now. They don’t call themselves “consumers”, and they don’t label their medium “commercial”. They are “contributors”, and they call it - Social Media.

If you want to play in their space, you better be ready to listen.

The more I deep-dive in social media, the more I realize that it isn’t about replacing traditional media, nor is it an accompanying strategy to a traditional campaign. In fact, it’s about meshing social media concepts into the fiber of what you are already doing.

It may not be a slick, but it can be. It may not be what you are accustomed to, but it will be. It may not sustain the big agencies of Madison Ave, but at least it’s sustainable.

The fight is over, but you can still decide if you win or lose.

Game ovah!

Oh, to be an extra in India

2008-02-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

OMFG...my job is being outsourced to Bollywood.

Check it here.

(OK, I'm exaggerating. But who's to say it won't be?)

Zefrank Explains SXSW Interactive In Under a Minute

2008-02-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

Zefrank explains the 10 year history of SXSW Interactive in under a minute.

via Fimoculous

Taking the Web Public

2008-02-05T14:01:00.000-08:00

Craig Aaron, the Communications Director at Free Press has written what I feel to be a very compelling article as to why the public should participate in the discussion about net neutrality.

Here's a snippet:

For decades, the crucial decisions that shape the Internet have been made behind closed doors by high-priced lobbyists and ill-informed politicians with little or no public involvement. Surely Congress could agree to hold public forums -- online and off -- in every state, if not every district, before making the monumental decisions that will shape the future of the Internet for a generation.

You can pretend the government doesn't matter, that technology alone will magically set us free. But if you want the most revolutionary forum for free speech, democratic participation, and economic innovation to prosper, you'd better have a seat at the table when those rules are being written.

Entire article is here. Even better are the comments this post has received.

My two cents. YMMV.

Oh, and if you don't believe me, go ask a frikkin' ninja!

WSWS speaks to striking writers

2008-02-05T01:23:00.000-08:00

Last week, the World Socialist Website spoke to striking writers on the picket lines at studios in the Los Angeles area. The conversations took place prior to the news of the tentative deal between the guild and the studios and networks. They talked with writers about the Directors Guild (DGA) contract, the increasingly conciliatory attitude of the WGA leadership toward the AMPTP, and the general political situation in the United States. More information here.

WSC Show #88 - Interviews with Patti Carr, Steve Skrovan, and Alan Katz

2008-02-05T00:53:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I head out to the picket lines to talk to strike captains Steve Skrovan and Patricia Carr at CBS Radford Studios and Alan Katz at Paramount. Recorded Monday, 4 February 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Prime Time Is Anytime

2008-02-05T00:47:00.001-08:00

Click image to get the entire story.

Alan Rosenberg on United Hollywood

2008-02-05T00:38:00.000-08:00

Another video posted on United Hollywood produced by Jeff Berman. Go Jeff!

Patric Verrone On Solidarity And Rumors

2008-02-04T23:57:00.000-08:00

Just posted on United Hollywood. Details here.

Tim Draper is mad as hell

2008-02-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

Tim Draper, one of Silicon Valley's most successful venture capitalists and who has been attributed to be the creator of "viral marketing", is mad as hell.

Here he is on the OnMedia panel "Report Card: VC Investment in Content Companies."

WSC Show #87 - Interviews with Juli Crockett, Lindsay Sloane, Eric Weinberg and Richard Mueller

2008-02-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I’ll wrap up a series of interviews recorded last week as I talk to Juli Crockett from IO West, actor Lindsay Sloane and writers Eric Weinberg and Richard Mueller from the picket line in front of Fox Studios. Recorded Monday, 28 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Tonight: The Armando WGA/SAG Solidarity Shows event will culminate in a star-studded strike support show, with 100% of the box office going to the Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund.

Kate Walsh (Private Practice, Gray's Anatomy) and Reno 911 creator and star Robert Ben Garant have been confirmed to host the 3-act, 2 ½ hour improv extravaganza.

Robert Garant (along with partner Thomas Lennon) is a top screenwriter, having written the hits The Pacifier, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Balls of Fury, Night at the Museum, and the upcoming Night at the Museum 2.

The Office’s Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, and Ed Helms as well as MADtv’s Mo Collins will be joining the cast of regular “Armando” performers including Tim Meadows (Walk Hard, SNL) and MADtv’s Stephnie Weir among other notable iO alums for this incredible night.

Having declared January WGA Strike Support Month at the iO WEST in Hollywood and donating 50% of the box office from select shows to the Writers Guild Foundation Industry Support Fund in a demonstration of solidarity and support for the striking writers, the iO WEST is continuing the support into February as the writer’s strike drags on.

Every night, until the strike is over, iO WEST will be offering $3 well drinks and $2 PBR for WGA members who present their membership cards.

February 4th. 9 PM. Mainstage. $25.

Technical Difficulties - Podcast Now Live

2008-02-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

After some technical difficulties, the next episode is in fact live and available for listening.

WSC Show #86 - Interviews with Brooks Wachtel and Chip Proser

2008-02-03T01:54:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I talk with writers Brooks Wachtel and Chip Proser from the picket line on WGA/SAG Unity day in front of Fox Studios. Recorded Monday, 28 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Special bonus podcast! Below is an interview Chip Proser did as a guest with the Space Show. Here he discusses his new documentary which is now finished, “Gaia Selene: Saving the Earth by Colonizing the Moon.” The discussion was far more comprehensive than the documentary with questions about space solar power, nuclear power, energy from the Moon, energy wars, and more.

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L.A. TIMES REPORTING CONTRACT OUTLINED IN WRITERS' STRIKE

2008-02-03T01:08:00.000-08:00

The L.A. Times has filed this story about an hour ago signaling that the WGA and AMPTP have reach a tentative contract agreement.

I just heard on the radio...

2008-02-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

That there's a deal in place between the WGA and the AMPTP. A quick perusal on my blogs rss subscriptions shows another blogger -- that is John Scott Lewinski from Wired magazine reporting the same. See details here.

Ironic I heard it on the radio first. Just sayin'.

Herskovitz Takes A Position

2008-02-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

This video features Marshall Herskovitz, president of the Producers Guild of America and co-creator of the webisode quarterlife, speaking at the PGA's annual nominees breakfast calling for the AMPTP and the WGA to come to terms and end the strike.

WSC Show #85 - Reinterview with Ed Horowitz

2008-02-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I meet up and have a moment with Ed Horowitz at the picket lines in front of Fox Studios. Ed was one of the first people to be a guest on this podcast. Recorded Monday, 28 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Miro: An Interview with Nicholas Reville

2008-02-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

“There's an opportunity to build a new, open mass medium of online television. We're developing the Miro Internet TV platform so that watching Internet video channels will be as easy as watching TV and broadcasting a channel will be open to everyone. Unlike traditional TV, everyone will have a voice.”, says the co-founder and executive director Nicholas Reville of Participatory Culture Foundation about the future of Internet TV, online video, and their newest project named “Miro”.

Entire article here.

TED Talks David Pogue: A 4-minute medley on the music wars

2008-02-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

New York Times tech columnist David Pogue is back with a satirical mini-medley that explains the legal and social history of music and media on the Internet in four minutes.

WSC Show #84 - Reinterview with Naren Shankar

2008-02-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I meet up with Naren Shankar, Executive Producer of CSI. Listeners may recall that Naren stepped up to the mic back in December at the Star Trek Day picketing event at Paramount Studios. Recorded Monday, 28 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Google Makes A Pact

2008-01-31T12:50:00.000-08:00

Google's co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, together with Chief Executive Eric Schmidt have promised to stay at Google for 20 years. More information in this article.

Here's a snippet:

By any measure, Google treats employees incredibly well. Is it possible to treat them too well?

Page: My grandfather worked in the auto plants in Flint, Mich. He was an assembly-line worker. During the sit-down strikes he used to carry this long iron pipe with a big chunk of lead on the end when he walked to work.

Schmidt: For what reason?

Page: To protect himself from the company. I still have the hammer. That's two generations ago, and we've come a long way. I don't think any of our employees have to carry such weapons to work. At least I hope they don't. But that's a big change in two generations. It's common sense: Happy people are more productive.

It's worth noting that Google is not a union shop and likely won't be, even as they spread into the media sector. Just sayin'.

AFTRA Launches YouTube Channel

2008-01-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

Not only am I a member of SAG, but I also am a member of AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). Therefore, I pay dues to two separate unions to do the same job. If I worked on stage, such as a Broadway play, I'd have to join Equity, yet another actor's union.

You've heard me complain that I feel that an actor's guild or union should be platform agnostic. I've been told that this is impossible because the purview of each separate union addresses the needs of that specific platform.

However, I call bullshit. This tired response is not an answer. It's an excuse. Maybe this serves more successful actors but it doesn't serve somebody like me in the rank and file. As a "background artist" (* see footnote) I receive very little in the way of benefits from paying costly dues to two guilds. In fact, in the over two decades I've been in AFTRA I do not qualify for their health or pension plan and it's only been recently -- as of last year -- that I've qualified for SAG's health and pension.

With all this talk from WGA and SAG needing to unionize the Internet, I see very little benefit for somebody like myself who is a very small time player in this game. And as a paid up dues member to both SAG and AFTRA, I reserve the right to bitch about it here in my blog.

I really want to know how unions can serve all its members -- not just the rich and famous , not just the working class, but also the very low income struggling artist -- in this digital age. When I asked this of Anne-Marie Johnson, Vice President of SAG, at the Fremantle Rally back in November, her response was to tell me how members could serve the union better. Perhaps she didn't hear me correctly because the question was "How can the union serve its members in this digital age." Not the other way around. At any rate, Johnson is a nice, spunky lady and she works really hard in SAG, so I'm not out to give her any grief. I'm just sayin'.

Anyway, if you've heard the podcast I did with Valerie Harper, she had some sharp criticisms about AFTRA. It's worth mentioning that she, like me, belongs to both unions.

It's also worth noting that AFTRA, unlike SAG, has been conspicuously absent in support of the WGA and their struggle and it makes me curious as to why.

(On a side note, Governer Schwarzenegger, an actor and SAG member himself, has also been conspicuously absent on this issue of the strike which I find questionable at best considering that the labor strike not only affects his former career of which he made millions, but it is also hurting one of the state's most important industries which is losing untold millions. I call bullshit here, too. Hey Arnie...do you get residuals?)

Today in my in-box I received notification that AFTRA has launched their own YouTube channel. Go AFTRA! Welcome to New Media. Now, how can you help me?

--

* "Background Artist" is newspeak for "extra" or "atmosphere". God love the writer who came up with that title because now I can say with pride: "I'm an (working) artist! It's on my tax return!

This Is Nollywood

2008-01-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

Nollywood, Nigeria's booming film industry, is the world's third largest producer of feature films. Unlike Hollywood and Bollywood, however, Nollywood movies are made on shoe-string budgets of time and money. An average production takes just 10 days and costs approximately $15,000.

This Is Nollywood tells the story of the Nigerian film industry—a revolution enabling Africans with few resources to tell African stories to African audiences. Despite all odds, Nigerian directors produce between 500 and 1,000 movies a year. The disks sell wildly all over the continent—Nollywood actors have become stars from Ghana to Zambia.

WSC Show #83 - New Media with Stephanie Smith

2008-01-31T03:52:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I meet up with Stephanie Smith to talk about her project that was made specifically with new media in mind. Recorded Monday, 28 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

EFF Wants Your Help Fighting Telecom Spying Immunity

2008-01-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and People For the American Way are initiating the fight against amnesty for telecommunications companies which have illegally spied on Americans over the past six years. They’re asking for bloggers and podcasters to speak out against the proposed immunity legislation.

Here's a snippet from the “Stop The Spying” initiative:

The Bush administration has, [over the past six years,] authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to conduct dragnet surveillance on our domestic telecommunications networks,…with no warrants or other meaningful oversight.

…[C]ongressional leadership handed the president even more authority to violate your rights by passing the so-called “Protect America Act” in August 2007. Now the Administration wants to make its power grab permanent and prevent any court from stopping the illegal spying. Proposed immunity legislation could let telephone companies off the hook for their role in the program and block lawsuits like EFF’s case against AT&T.

A majority of likely voters reject immunity for the phone companies, and Congress cannot be allowed to cave. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has promised to retool the new spying law, but he appears to be willing to ignore your rights once again and allow warrantless domestic spying to continue.

Won't you join me? All the details here.

Google Won't Become a Media Company

2008-01-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

David Eun, the head of Google's content partnerships, insists that the Internet behemoth won't be a competitor to traditional media. Producing content is "not our business," he says. "Journalists, news bureaus -- that's not what we do."

Entire interview available here.

WSC Show #82 - WGA/SAG Unity: Interviews with Alan Rosenberg and Valerie Harper

2008-01-29T22:39:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I head out to represent as a member of SAG at the WGA-SAG Unity picketing event in front of Fox Studios. Featured is Alan Rosenberg, the President of SAG and Valerie Harper who sits on the Board of Directors for SAG. Following their interviews, we’ll hear speeches made by Alan Rosenberg, Zachary Quinto from Heroes, Susannah Grant member of the WGA negotiating committee, Susan Savage from SAG (who organized the rally), actor Larry Miller, and Anne-Marie Johnson, Vice President of SAG. Recorded Monday, 28 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Will It Blend Takes On The Writers’ Strike

2008-01-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

Tom Dickson of the Will It Blend video podcast isn’t letting the Writers’ Strike slow him down. One more reason why a video podcast about a kitchen gadget is one of the top twenty channels on YouTube.

WSC Show #81 - Interviews with Michael Perry, William Hasley, and David Rodwin

2008-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode we'll conclude a series of interviews recorded last week at the King Day picketing event in front of Paramount Studios. Here we talk to Michael Perry, William Hasley and David Rodwin. Recorded Tuesday, 22 January 2008.

Credits
Hosts: Tanja Barnes, Bill Funt
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Help Wanted: RSS Feed Support

2008-01-28T22:40:00.000-08:00

Any of my listeners or readers know how to encode an RSS or XML feed? I can't rely on Odeo and need to D.Y.I. for the podcast. But I also require expertise to do it.

Please shoot me an e-mail if you can help or leave a comment below.

Leave the AMPTP alone!

2008-01-28T21:54:00.001-08:00

Ha! An awesome recommendation by a reader of this blog who goes by the alt "Winning Scripts", this video parodies the "Leave Britney Alone!" video. Thanks for sharing, Winning Scripts! Keep'em coming, my friend. Cheers!

WSC Show #80 - Interviews with Lissa Levin, Dan Guntzelman, Ron Moskovitz and Bobby Gaylor

2008-01-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode we continue a series of interviews to ask some writers on the line about their feelings regarding the terms of the tentative agreement between the DGA and the AMPTP. Featured are Lissa Levin, Dan Guntzelman, Ron Moskovitz and Bobby Gaylor. Recorded Tuesday, 22 January 2008.

Credits
Hosts: Tanja Barnes, Bill Funt
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Indie vs Studio

2008-01-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

A Mac vs PC parody. This series of short films pokes fun at Hollywood and the studio filmmaking process. More info at Dobler's Pen Productions.

Indie vs Studio 1: Funding

Indie vs Studio 2: Synergy

Indie vs Studio 3: Crew

Indie vs Studio 4: Awards

Strike Wars

2008-01-27T17:03:00.000-08:00

A favored submission in th FairDeal4Writers Contest. Huh-sterical!

WSC Show #79 - Interviews with Eric Weinberg, David Wyatt, and David Kebo

2008-01-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode we head out to Paramount Studios to ask some writers on the line about their feelings regarding the terms of the tentative agreement between the DGA and the AMPTP. Featured: Eric Weinberg, David Wyatt and Dave Kebo. Recorded Tuesday, 22 January 2008.

Credits
Hosts: Tanja Barnes, Bill Funt
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

IS THIS THE FUTURE OF MEDIA?

2008-01-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

In the year 2015 the New York Times has gone offline.
The Fourth Estate's fortunes have waned.
What happened to the news?
And what is EPIC?

WSC Show #78 - Hanging Out With Asterios Kokkinos

2008-01-26T00:20:00.000-08:00

In this recording, striker Asterios Kokkinos gives me a ride to my car after a day of picketing on Martin Luther King Day in front of NBC Studios but we end up taking a tour of cool things to see and do in Burbank. Recorded Monday, 21 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: The Asterios Kokkinos Strike Band

Featured in this episode:

The House of Secrets
1930 W. Olive Avenue
Burbank, California 91506
818-562-1900

Hyaena Gallery
1928 W. Olive Ave.
Burbank, CA 91506
818-972-2448

AT&T Proposes to filter the Internet.

2008-01-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

There's a great article in today's NewTeeVee blog about AT&T, net neutrality and ... censorship (gasp!). The issue is this bit shown in the video above.

Here's a snippet from the blog post:

"Anyone who’s ever appeared on the news or a talk show can tell you that you can’t necessarily trust you will be treated fairly in editing — especially if you ramble, contradict the host or call a show’s sponsor or advertisers into controversy. Until recently, there was no way to clarify your story, unless you were lucky enough to be a television personality yourself.'
BoingBoing Gadget’s Joel Johnson knew this already.

So when he went into an interview on The Hugh Thompson Show, which airs on AT&T’s Tech Channel, an online video mini-net focused on technology, he brought along Richard Blakeley (NewTeeVee profile), posted it to YouTube and embedded the video on his blog.
Which illustrates that in a world where one-to-many broadcasting is no longer the only option, the balance of power between interviewer and interviewee has shifted.
Thompson’s show with Johnson has yet to air, and may never — after all, Johnson calls into question AT&T’s publicly stated intent to filter Internet access across its portion of the network and its stance against network neutrality, and Thompson’s show is wholly funded and distributed by AT&T."

Well...all I can say if that if you're a guest on my podcast you can pretty much count on the fact that I don't edit out anything you said (or what I said for that matter). But then again, I'm independent with no sponsors.

Anyway, now that you know, here's a snippet from Tim Wu of Slashdot in a blog post entitled "Has AT&T Lost Its Mind?". I recommend clicking to read the entire post here, just to get caught up to speed.

"Chances are that as you read this article, it is passing over part of AT&T's network. That matters, because last week AT&T announced that it is seriously considering plans to examine all the traffic it carries for potential violations of U.S. intellectual property laws. The prospect of AT&T, already accused of spying on our telephone calls, now scanning every e-mail and download for outlawed content is way too totalitarian for my tastes. But the bizarre twist is that the proposal is such a bad idea that it would be not just a disservice to the public but probably a disaster for AT&T itself. If I were a shareholder, I'd want to know one thing: Has AT&T, after 122 years in business, simply lost its mind?"

WSC Show #77 - Interviews with Vicangelo Bulluck and Regina Taylor

2008-01-25T01:38:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I head out to the picket line at Paramount Studios to speak with Vic Bulluck, the Executive Director of the Hollywood Bureau of the NAACP. I also speak with Regina Taylor from The Unit. Recorded Tuesday, 21 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Bono Responds To The Davos Question

2008-01-24T03:21:00.000-08:00

As I previously blogged, the Davos Conversation on YouTube provides a place where anyone can create a YouTube video and answer the question “What one thing do you think that countries, companies or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?” and upload it to the site.

Bono has answered the question and it's posted above. According to TechCrunch he had just left a breakfast talk with Al Gore on the subject of climate change.

WSC Show #76 - Interview with Jeff Wolfman

2008-01-24T00:25:00.000-08:00

In this episode, I talk writer/director Jeff Wolfman and with us is SAG member Colleen McGrann. Recorded Monday, 20 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes

Music: "Television Raised Me" by Agent Xenon
and sung by Nikki G of Plasticade
available on AgentXenon.com

"Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

As mentioned in this episode: Time Warner Cable to trial hard bandwidth caps

RSS in Plain English

2008-01-23T02:59:00.000-08:00

In my recent interview with Alan Kirschenbaum, I asked him to define what a breakthrough show on the Internet would look like.

His response is "It's written, scripted programming...where the content is so compelling that next week a thousand people come, and the next week two thousand people come and reaches a critical mass."

I then asked him if he watched "Ask A Ninja" as an example of an Internet breakthrough programming and though he found it entertaining and clever, he said "When I remember to watch it, I watch it. That's not exactly the same and unless you're arguing with me that are like when Seinfeld was on and people stayed home on Thursday nights because they wanted to see Seinfeld because they wanted on Friday morning to be able to have the conversation with the other people they worked with to say "'Did you see what happened?'" and you don't want to say "'No don't talk about that because I didn't see it yet.'" You want to be part of the conversation so you watched it the first chance that it was on."

I respectfully think the issue with Alan's Internet viewing habits is that he's failing to use the technology to his advantage.

"When I remember to watch" he said.

I still contend that "Ask A Ninja" is a perfect example of an Internet breakthrough new media product. The difference between Ninja and Seinfeld (format notwithstanding) is that viewers subscribe to the show (rather than tuning in or programming their VCRs or Tivos) by making use of RSS readers.

I believe in the brave new world of new media and the consumption of new media products, audiences will rush to be the first to click on a show and will constantly refresh their RSS readers to be the first (and perhaps the hippest and coolest) to catch programming as soon as it goes live on the Web.

My two cents. YMMV.

(Oh, and BTW...I got your RSS feed for Ninja right here.)

WSC Show #75 - Conversation with Damon D'Amato

2008-01-23T02:56:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode I have a conversation in front of NBC Studios with Damon D'Amato who works below the line as a teleprompter operator. Recorded Monday, 20 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Tanja Barnes, originally uploaded by NoHoDamon.

It's official: Damon D'Amato is the official staff photographer for the Strike Chronicles. Thanks, Damon!

WSC Show #74 - Interviews with Alan Kirschenbaum and Elizabeth Reynolds

2008-01-23T01:18:00.001-08:00

In today’s episode I talk with writer Alan Kirschenbaum followed by SAG member Elizabeth Reynolds at the picket line in front of NBC studios. Recorded Monday, 20 January 2008.

Credits
Producer/Host: Tanja Barnes
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Open TV Network

2008-01-22T20:47:00.001-08:00

From Burbank, California, the Open Television Network launches this week. This startup offers a tool called klickTab that allows content owners to charge micropayments for downloads. From their website:

The Open Television Network is open to any content owner who wants to sell content to viewers and for any viewer who wants to choose their own programming. It is built on technology we developed and called klickTab. klickTab is the technology that makes the Open Television Network possible: the Open Television Network is the marketplace that makes it fair.

The Future of Entertainment: Music and Media

2008-01-22T07:29:00.000-08:00

This program is from the Future Talks series for The Conversations Network.

WSC Show #73 - Interviews with Phyllis Strong and John Zinman

2008-01-22T02:47:00.000-08:00

In today’s episode we speak with writers Phyllis Strong and John Zinman as we wrap up a series of recordings made last week at the picket line at Fox Studios. It’s worth noting that these interviews were conducted prior to announcement of the DGA’s tentative agreement with the AMPTP. Recorded Wednesday, 16 January 2008.

Credits
Hosts: Tanja Barnes, Bill Funt
Music: "Ay Mambo" by Falik
available on Magnatune.com

Live Journal's WGA_Supporters Call To Action: Call the AMPTP

2008-01-22T01:06:00.000-08:00

From the LiveJournal WGA_supporters USA Network Law & Order Criminal Intent Forum as posted by Susan Olson:

There's a new action item for today: Call the AMPTP.

The DGA (might) have reached a deal with the AMPTP (the DGA members vote on it on January 26th, 2008), and the WGA and the AMPTP have started informal conversations again.

This is a good start.

However, until the AMPTP and WGA start *officially* talking and negotiating, Fans For the WGA (FFWGA) is asking its members to call the AMPTP office in Encino, California between the hours of 9am to 5pm California time (noon and 8pm Eastern time) directly. Remind the AMPTP that it walked out of the negotiations 45 days ago and that the WGA has remained willing and waiting to bargain for this entire time period.

Now, we viewers and fans want both sides to return to the table without any funny business. We want them to settle the dispute, before it's too late for pilot season, and before the Oscars. The first number:

1-818-382-1706 [The Ambiguous Answering Message]

It will go directly to an answering message, so you don't have to worry about "talking" to someone or getting nervous. When you call please state:
Which show(s) you regularly watch
Your city and state
Your closest NBC affiliate (if you watch on DISH TV or DirectTV, you can say so)
Your gender
Whether you are currently working
Your age range(s) (i.e. under 18, 18-49, 25-44, 50+),
If you are comfortable saying so, your approximate household income per year (example HHI $75,000+ per year...that is the most desired audience for advertisers so if your family/household earns that much money please say so...if not, that's okay too)
You want the AMPTP to start negotiating with the WGA immediately.
You want the AMPTP to bargain in "good faith".

As an example I'll give you my talking points:

I regularly watch and enjoy 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' and 'Burn Notice' on USA Network, (an NBC company) and 'Mad Men' on AMC. I live in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia, and because I subscribe to DISH TV, my closest NBC affiliates are in Harrisonburg, VA, Hagerstown, MD and Washington DC. I am a working female in the 18-49 and 25-44 demographics and my household income is $75,000+ per year. I would like the AMPTP to start negotiating with the WGA immediately and to bargain in good faith so that production on my favorite shows can resume as soon as possible. Thank you.

Remember to be polite, firm, and brief.

Thanks in advance for anyone who can help make a phone call!

(original post here)

--
S.E. (Susan) Olson
Moderator & Law & Order: Criminal Intent Fan Liason
http://community.livejournal.com/wga_supporters/

Writers' Strike Chronicles

Martini Postscript

Martini Post

WSC Show #110 - Interview with Patric Verrone (Part 2)

did your hearz dat?

WSC Show #109 - Interview with Patric Verrone (Part 1)

West Guild Story

WSC Show #108 - Interview with Matthew Goodman

WSC Show #107 - Interview with Jamie Masada, Owner of the Laugh Factory

Internet Vs. Printing Press Revisited (Part 2)

WSC Show #106 - Interviews with Jasmine Love and Becca Bryan

Internet Vs. Printing Press Revisited

So I'm Gone For A Day...

Black Kettle Pot

WSC Show #105 - Strike TV Project: Interviews with Michael Tabb, Peter Hyoguchi, and Del Casher

Notice of Scheduled Maintenance

"On Writing" by Plato

FWIW: Funny Or Die's Dirty Little Secret

Come With Me

WSC Show #104 - New Media Discussion with Justine Bateman, Peter Murrietta, and Michael Heister

"RECONCILIATION” BENEFIT!

WSC Show #103 - Interviews with Jonathan Handel and Damon D'Amato

On The Media: The Show Goes On

WSC Show #102 - Interviews with Patty Lin and David Wyatt

WSC Show #101 - Interviews with Karen Harris and Charles Heit

WSC Show #100 - Interviews with Brian Hartt and Cathryn Humphris

WSC Show #99 - Interviews with Bobby Gaylor, Garrick Dowhen, and Janice Tidwell

Heroes Fans Check It Out!

WSC Show #98 - Interviews with Michael Perry and Remi Aubuchon

love in a backwards world

Happy Valentine's Day!

WSC Show #97 - Interviews with Jeffrey Berman, Bruce Neckles and Alfredo Barrios

Comment Pending Approval.

A note from Steve Leiva

Harvard Faculty Debates Publishing Online

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

3,800 Writers, No Trauma

WSC Show #96 *SPECIAL EDITION* - Press Conference with Patric Verrone, President of the WGA West

WSC Show #95 - Interviews with Brooks Wachtel, Bill Taub, and Steve Leiva

Hulu Opening Up To More Users

WSC Show #94 - Interviews with Michael Tabb, Bill Taub and Garrick Dowhen

Breaking News!

What happened? What's the story? What's the deal?

WSC Show #93 - Interview with Roy Barnes (Pt. 2)

WSC Show #92 - Interview with Roy Barnes (Pt. 1)

Today In The NY Times TV Decoder Blog

I Call Bullshit

WSC Show #91 - Interviews with Joss Whedon and Monique Darling

Who Owns What v2.1

Better Than Free

WSC Show #90 - Interviews with Shawn Ryan and Ronald D. Moore

Kindle vs. Books

WSC Show #89 - Interviews with Steve Leiva, Alan Kirschenbaum and the Mud Baron

Olly olly oxen free!

Oh, to be an extra in India

Zefrank Explains SXSW Interactive In Under a Minute

Taking the Web Public

WSWS speaks to striking writers

WSC Show #88 - Interviews with Patti Carr, Steve Skrovan, and Alan Katz

Prime Time Is Anytime

Alan Rosenberg on United Hollywood

Patric Verrone On Solidarity And Rumors

Tim Draper is mad as hell

WSC Show #87 - Interviews with Juli Crockett, Lindsay Sloane, Eric Weinberg and Richard Mueller

Technical Difficulties - Podcast Now Live

WSC Show #86 - Interviews with Brooks Wachtel and Chip Proser

L.A. TIMES REPORTING CONTRACT OUTLINED IN WRITERS' STRIKE

I just heard on the radio...

Herskovitz Takes A Position

WSC Show #85 - Reinterview with Ed Horowitz

Miro: An Interview with Nicholas Reville

TED Talks David Pogue: A 4-minute medley on the music wars

WSC Show #84 - Reinterview with Naren Shankar

Google Makes A Pact

AFTRA Launches YouTube Channel

This Is Nollywood

WSC Show #83 - New Media with Stephanie Smith

EFF Wants Your Help Fighting Telecom Spying Immunity

Google Won't Become a Media Company

WSC Show #82 - WGA/SAG Unity: Interviews with Alan Rosenberg and Valerie Harper

WSC Show #96 SPECIAL EDITION - Press Conference with Patric Verrone, President of the WGA West