“It's easier than you think to change things, if two conditions operate: 1) If 1 percent of the people become very engaged in civic life. 2) They reflect what Abraham Lincoln called the public sentiment. If that occurs, it becomes a pretty difficult movement to stop by the oligarchs and the plutocrats.”

Ralph Nader 2012. Like him or hate him our lives are better because of his efforts.

Among his victories are the ideas and commodities we now take for granted: seat belts, air bags, crashworthy cars, better labeling on food, lower levels of lead in the environment, smoking awareness, and healthier eating habits.

Huffington Post; https://www.huffpost.com/entry/it-takes-just-one-percent_b_8208942

Today I canceled my NETFLIX and AppleTV streaming services.

Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE FILMS, TV. I love good stories whatever the method told. I. I Love movies. I learn from all of them. I study sets. I study shadows. I oogle decor and fabrics and patterns. I’m inspired by strong imperfect female characters like Rebecca Welton and Keely Jones. I loved Ted Lasso so much that I went to see Brett Goldstein in SF do stand up, and in the Q&A I thanked him for all the joy he brought us. These stories build community.

I lived through the 1988 strike; my Dad was a WGA member. It wasn’t pretty.

LA is a factory town. Our factory is shut down.

“The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” a studio executive told Deadline. Acknowledging the cold-as-ice approach, several other sources reiterated the statement. One insider called it “a cruel but necessary evil.”

https://deadline.com/2023/07/writers-strike-hollywood-studios-deal-fight-wga-actors-1235434335/

Really? Have you seen the streets of LA lately? There are between 40-60,000 of us living on the streets already. Film production has halted. My friends, your friends and neighbors have lost their jobs.

Imagine a world without dialogue, color, food, furniture, views, beauty, connection. I don’t want to.

In alliance with all of the creators, artists, set decorators, workers, cooks, delivery folks, writers, makers, carpenters, choreographers, actors, hair & make up, prop houses, production assistants etc…. I hope this 1% action helps the AMPTP remember that they have homes, hearts, and communities too. I refuse to believe that greed will always win. I hope it loses big time this time.

and BTW, if you have a library card, you can stream sooooooo many kinds of movies, documentaries, music videos from all over the world on KANOPY.COM for free.

https://www.kanopy.com/en

Join me or not. But make your voice heard somehow.