Hump Day

[kyburg]

Wow, frozen toes. My favorite kind!

I am also more than a bit bemused that the last of the free music from Starbucks is something from Paul McCartney - in the midst of this huge writer's strike, here - have a tune. On me. (I have no illusions this is costing Starbucks a pretty penny, but still.)

*looks at card* He could be the next Dr. Who - he's aging well, methinks.

Annnd paying more attention to iTunes, I've noticed the store has a free song a week download. Yup. This might mean I'll listen to anything...but still. Radio these days? I'm not finding music. I'm finding annoying talk. Period. (So I have to lean even more heavily on my FL, which hasn't been all bad.)

My 47th birthday is a week from today. I'm up for suggestions. After missing just about everyone's birthday this year, fairly and without quarter, now is no time to start perking up about the whole affair. I mean, really now.

However. I do have some standing requests.

If you smoke, please quit. I'd like that. A whole lot...and you'll like it a whole lot more, yourself, once it's done.

Bath fizzies are always appreciated, in lieu of.

But I'll add this one, just because - I have a ton of filkers on my list. I know how they got there - a bunch of them are also the biggest wireheads on my list as well! However, keep in mind - with the very clearest exception of cadhla - I have never heard you sing. EVAR. Fix that, if you wish - happy birthday to me.

If I haven't added the Amazon button to the profile, I will as soon as this is done. Please sort it by price, okay? I throw a ton of stuff to that list, sometimes just to remind me that it was once SHINY WOW and get back to it later.

And as always, if my choice is presence or presents, I chose the former.

Last writer's strike in 1988 saw me leave the business...I tried to re-enter in 1992, but never returned. I now have a standard of living that I couldn't even imagine then. No, I wasn't writing, either. And this time, it doesn't even register on my radar - which, considering what I went to college for, is pretty sad. But then again, my college isn't even offering my major anymore, so what does that say about it in the first place?

I hope they get everything they're asking for - because, in the end, everyone who writes in Hollywood, works for themselves as contract players. Only the union allows you a means to get paid what everyone else does, for the same kind of work, every time. (And before you start squawking, keep in mind a similar check is on what medical professionals get paid - it's called the insurance industry. Who's getting rich again, and why?) Everybody should be able to negotiate a fair rate - power to 'em, say I.

Just...don't quit your day job, okay?

Comments

Singing.

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

What day is your bday again?

Two ways to hear me sing (plug time!) 1: Dec 8th with the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven's 9th even.

2: December 1. Our holiday party, although that is a bit less polished.

Re: Singing.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

December 8th has potential - tickets?

Birthday is the 14th - you know us Scorpios. We're always trouble.

Re: Singing.

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

Si si, they're for sale. Reminds me I need to get a ticket for Tej. Supposedly, you can buy through Ticketmaster. But I may just go to the box office later this week.

Your birthday is 5 days before mine. Hooray, team scorpio!

[snobahr.livejournal.com]

I do believe you have heard me sing :) Careful, I might mod my mom's birthday song to something Donna-Centric.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

No, I have not gone there. MySpace scares me so. Scares me.

[elfwench.livejournal.com]

Ooooh.... I love Paul McCartney! *swoons*

And yep, our birthdays are exactly a week from today, but you're still a year younger than I. :D

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Does that machine have iTunes on it? I could like, find an extra card for you or something....

[elfwench.livejournal.com]

Yes, I do have iTunes actually. And I would really appreciate that. {{hugs}} I don't know what it is, but I really enjoy music here lately.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Hon, pop over to fluffthebunny - that's really near you, isn't it? Isn't that where Robert was hospitalized?

Sounds like they could use some moral support -

[elfwench.livejournal.com]

Yes, Wishard is where Robert was hospitalized. I just left a comment for her. I hope it helps in some small way.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Tell them how well Robert is doing now. They'd need to hear that.

[elfwench.livejournal.com]

Indeed I did. I credited both Wishard (which Regional Burn Center as well as being Level 1 Trauma Center and their doctors as well as the Powers that Be and told them that miracles can and do happen. I really believe that Robert is a walking miracle. After all, the day the hospital found us, Robert was quite literally at death's door. His stats were unstable enough they wouldn't let me touch him: his ICP was very high and would increase with stress, he was tachycardic, on a respirator with 100% O2 because his O2 levels were so low, fevered, and his lungs were filling with fluid. The doctor wouldn't even dare give any chance that he would survive at that point. The next day he was stabilized to the point that they were able to start talking of weaning him off of the respirator and the IV sedatives. I'm not sure how else to explain that but a miracle, let alone the fact that he was supposed to never be the same Robert again and, learning experience aside, he is still very much the same Robert.

[mdlbear]

Go listen to my sample tracks here (4 full-length tracks) and here (2-minute samples of everything). If you like it, email me with your snail-mail address. Or let me know if you'll be at Loscon -- I'll be there.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I *might* pop by Sunday, if I can find a common meeting point at the hotel before everyone goes home. I'm local - and will have company from out of town - not to mention recovering from Thanksgiving: The Mob Scene At Mah House.

Liking...gee. You know, I can't really think of anything I've be MADE to listen to (even on the roadways) that I wanted to claw my ears off not to hear EVAR again.

Think about Sunday - how is your schedule looking?

[mdlbear]

We usually try to leave a little after noon -- it's a long drive back and the kids have school in the morning. Other than that it's pretty open. On the other hand, if you're not actually going to be at the con, you probably won't want to pay for parking.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

If the "never heard me sing" has to be in person, it may be a bit of a wait. If it doesn't need to be in person, how's this?

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Not bad...never. *sighs* But it will have to wait until I am home and able to hear again. No, no sound at work. Not even dings.

[drlaurac.livejournal.com]

I really like your birthday present list. I promise not to shart smoking and to be good to people. Happy Birtday!!!!

[kiyone.livejournal.com]

Funny story. I download the free song per week pretty much whenever I remember. Which also includes occasional free videos, and free song of the week (a song in spanish), and the also ellusive "discover download" song. Back in May when I was in New York for my birthday, I saw a musical called "Spring Awakening". And I recognized one of the songs. I thought it was odd, but equated it to maybe hearing it on the radio or something. A few months later I was playing my ipod in the car and the song came up -- apparently I had downloaded it via iTunes discovery download and listened to it more than once. Still funny.

[varna.livejournal.com]

So do you have any faves from Lush? The holiday stuff is out now. :)

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

About the only thing you have to remember with me, is that I'm allergic to mangoes. Everything else is up for grabs. Favorites...hmmm. Wasn't that wonderful soap called Fred out this time last year? I can't remember. Red soap with a green coating...with sparkles. Weird looking. Smelled wonderful on me.

Past that? Honey I Washed The Kids always works.

[varna.livejournal.com]

*Laughs* Not Fred, but close. It's called Bob Soap and has been re-released with the holiday collection this year.

HIWTK is now available as a solid perfume, too. They just released the line. There's a few I want to pick up. Mmmmm... Champagne Show Showers...

[djdig.livejournal.com]

I have a friend in CA that is a writer for game shows. He's not in the union (because his union rep never got back to him about how much his dues were and who to pay them to. He did want to join.)

Now, he's getting all sorts of offers from shows asking him to come write and he's beside himself over what to do.

If he gets a good enough offer, he is thinking he may cross the line, but he's worried it will get him blacklisted.

He turned down writing for who wants to be a millionaire, yesterday.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I sincerely hope he loves writing for the simple sake of it. Because if someone asked me to write for that show, I'd sink it for the evil fun of it...for sure. (So much for the "reality" of reality TV, folks.)

You might remind him that not only may he get blacklisted; he might also never get paid enough to write for a living again, either. There's always someone who will work to just get in the door...always. If it's not him, it will be someone else.

Me, I'd have gone down to the office and stood there until I got the answer I needed on my union dues. You can do that. Yes, you can. I can also tell you where SAG has their offices, AFTRA too - the DGA, whoever.

They have offices. I'd advise him to go down to the office, report who's trying to offer him work - and then ask what they suggest he do. If he wants to be part of the union...well, be part of it.

I could sleep nights that way.