Employment

Hello Reader,

At least one day a week do you find yourself at work? Working? Doing work? If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of the questions, you are not alone. You are one of millions who are employed in the U.S. The problem of employment hits all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. In the U.S., only the very young are not afflicted. The same cannot be said for children elsewhere. In all, there is little that can be done to combat the employment issue and its solution is so puzzling that our government officials will not even talk about it. They only speak of the “unemployment” issue. Meanwhile, people all over the U.S. and the world continue working. Side-effects include stress, burnout and missed social opportunities.

If you or someone you know is over-worked, please write your Congressperson. They could be over-employed as well and that should not be happening in this great nation of ours. Over-employment is also not getting the national attention it deserves. I have not yet chosen a Presidential candidate to support because besides healthcare, the issue of employment is not being addressed and until I hear someone take a stand, I will reserve providing the obvious weight of my support to any and all campaigns. Yes, Oprah has elected to publicly support Obama and that did get a lot of media attention. Despite pressure from media outlets, I am still waiting to exhale and with that breath expel the name of the candidate I will vote for. Stay tuned and stay well.

WGA

Writers are on strike in Hollywood and in the face of reality TV and new media, they are fighting for the present and the future. For more information on the strike and to support the WGA, visit United Hollywood. In an unprecedented motion of solidarity SAG and the Teamsters have joined the WGA on the picket line rather than moved across.

I have viewed many episodes of my favorite shows online in recent months because I haven't been able to capture them on Tivo or because I don't have the channel they're on. My commitment is to stop until the writers are getting paid. If we all stop viewing, the advertisers will have no reason to buy time on the websites and in a small gesture we can help the writers be heard. I hope to be one of them one day and I stand behind them.

There are many videos posted by wgaamerica and at the site above. Check out the stars and writers supporting each other including members of The Office, Scrubs and Grey's. Here is one of the best in my opinion, Garry Marshall:

Phantom Siren

I go to Starbucks at least once a day and this has never happened to me. I got a cup that was misprinted. It almost frightened me and would have if I were superstitious. I'm sure there's some belief of bad luck related to a Starbucks cup. Anyway, this was a strange cup and I had to take a picture and share.

Torre's a Dodger!

Just released in the Dodgers Newsletter:

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that Joe Torre has been named the club's field manager through the 2010 season. Torre becomes the 26th manager in franchise history.

"Joe Torre is one of the most respected men in the game of baseball," said Dodger Owner and Chairman Frank McCourt. "As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Dodgers moving to Los Angeles, we will again have a Hall of Fame caliber manager at the helm. Joe's dedication, desire and ability will help lead the Dodgers to our ultimate goal - a World Championship."

This is pretty exciting for a life-long Dodger fan. I don't really follow sports other than baseball and since 1999 I haven't followed it very closely but if a Dodger game is on I'll catch part of it and my fondest childhood memories take place mostly at Dodger Stadium so this new excites me.