For once, Hollywood actors are keeping their yaps shut...for a cause

With thanks to dduane for the heads-up: A new media campaign (in both senses of the phrase) is being launched tomorrow—exclusively on the Internet—by a group involving a whole passel of big-name actors in Hollywood films and TV series, in solidarity with writers in the current Writers' Guild of America strike. The campaign is designed to educate the public about the issues at the heart of the strike and increase viewer support for the writers' demands; more information is on the blog Diane linked to here.

The campaign is being called "Speechless," and involves the actors presenting "screen test" style shots of themselves simply saying...nothing. Some will also do improvisational pieces illustrating the importance of writers to the industry and the entertainment we all consume daily. Also noted in the comments is a link to another piece wherein TV network advertisers announce that they are going to start demanding "significant adjustments" in advertising rates, and even outright refunds, if the strike drags on and networks keep airing repeats and "reality" shows to fill the time in which the ads were originally purchased.

"This strike is like no other before it," notes a commenter. Indeed, and if we, the viewing public, continue to add our own pressure on the networks, studios and producers to that exerted by the daily drain of cash, we may see an end to this sooner than anyone expected.

At 10-1 on the season and with one more regular game to go...

...my alma mater's men's football team is now holding at #1 in the nation's NCAA rankings for the season! And they're already guaranteed a slot in the Southeastern Conference championship game Dec. 1. They play Arkansas this Friday.

Read 'em and weep, bee-yotches! :-)

Don't mince words, Tom—tell us what you really think!

As several blogospheric sources report (Democratic Underground among them here), disgraced former Republican Congressional leader Tom "The Hammer" DeLay of Texas was quoted yesterday as saying he'd like to "bitch-slap" New York Times liberal columnist Paul Krugman. Really puts the "Christian" in "Christian conservative," don't he?

The remark was made in the context of discussing Krugman's latest column on the impending smackdown between the Social Security Administration and the massive cohort of retiring baby-boomers. However, I strongly suspect DeLay's feelings may be more prompted by other recent Krugman commentary on right-wing attempts to rehabilitate the reputation of the late St. Ronald of Sacramento on race issues (as noted here previously). Or maybe he's just had a long-standing grudge for Krugman's usually left-of-center views on the issues.

Or it could just be general frustration at the knowledge (which he even admits in the interview) that his party is headed for one king-hell mountain of a fall come next November, on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue ("Hillary will be our next president"—his words). If he wants to know why, he has only to consult a mirror.

Today's meme: What Holiday Am I?

Festively filched from ladyqkat:
( The hell of it is, the description is accurate...but for me, the choice of holiday is ironic (see userpic). )