The L.A. Dime

After the withdraw of John Edwards from the race to be the Democratic nominee for President, I now feel free to fully endorse the candidate that my gut was telling me I’d vote for once I got into the booth, anyway.

Barack Obama.

People tout Hillary’s experience, her connections, her knowledge of the White House — but at this point, none of that is what concerns me. CHANGE is what concerns me. HOPE is what concerns me. Movement in Iraq, on the environment, on health care, with the economy, and with improved international relations — those are the issues that matter to me, and I’m tired of politics-as-usual not getting anything done. I’m tired of the same-old. Hillary is an old-guard insider, she’s not the coalition builder she claims to be, and I don’t feel confident her presence in the White House will shake things up enough for my taste. Not to mention, I’m not sure she’s electable, because nothing draws out a lazy Republican voter faster than four more years with a Clinton.

Some argue Obama is too young. I find that to be all the more reason to give him my vote, and point to JFK. I’d like to hear what you think. Whatever side of the aisle you stand on, and whomever you endorse, please go out and vote.

Check back soon to see my preemptive strike on what is sure to be the Obama version of the Republican “Swift Boat” campaign against Kerry.

Star Wars fans should check out Strike Wars, featuring Luke Skywalker taking down the Death Star conglomerates of the AMPTP.

Our good friend, Jan, just returned from a trip to visit our good friend, JT, in Portland, where JT now makes his home and is Nike’s new Worldwide Music Tzar. These photos leave me wondering if JT still has his job, and how, exactly, Jan managed to make it home.

The Boone County Recorder published an article on my dad today. He’s been serving the people of Boone County most of his life as a teacher and coach, but most recently as Asst. County Clerk. I’m glad to see his hard work and years of service recognized publicly, but like I told him, the writer left out key details relating to the extremely long hours and the often hostile “citizens” he must deal with. The Dime is very proud of his Pops. Get those ballots counted.

A woman I once worked with at USC, Kirsten Holly Smith, earned a grant to develop her own, one-woman show about the life and career of Dusty Springfield. I saw the first performance ever at USC, and was blown away. She took it on a cruise ship for a while, and now has a month-long run of the show at L.A.’s. Renberg Theatre.

She looks like Dusty. She sounds like Dusty, and this girl can seriously sing. Check out her website, Stay Forever Dusty, and make plans to attend. You won’t be disappointed. Her version of “Preacher Man” is worth the price of admission alone.

This weekend brought Tina’s cousin, Ines, to town on her way from Germany to Colima, Mexico for a six-month study abroad. You can keep up with Ines and her experiences, by visiting her blog listed on The Dime’s Blog Roll on the right side of this page. During her three-day layover, Ines spent a lot of QT with Sophia, and was here to witness her first experience with cereal, and a goofy Saturday morning with nothing to do.

Check out images below of our dear Sophia reading to us from, The Noisy Egg.  Also, here she is celebrating New Year’s Eve in her Kentucky onesie, after the Wildcats beat FSU to win their second straight Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.

Check out this clip from the Late Show, in which Dave gives his opinion on the strike.

BTW, 3:10 to Yuma is one hell of a good movie.

I’ve been asked several times now, why, given the strike, Dave Letterman has his writers back but Leno doesn’t. The answer is this: Dave owns his show, but Leno’s is owned by NBC. The Late Show is property of Dave’s company, World Wide Pants, which was part of his deal when he left NBC. As such, he can make whatever deal with the Writer’s Guild he wishes, and in this instance, he made the exact deal the Guild has been asking for from all of the producers. NBC, however, is the cornerstone of the producer/studio consortium known as the AMPTP, it owns The Tonight Show, and ain’t no way it’s making a deal for Leno to have writers until our Guild backs down. Which, hopefully, it won’t. BTW, every time Jay delivers a monologue, he’s in violation of the strike because he wrote it, and he’s a member of the Guild.

While there has been much gnashing of teeth here by writers and industry pundits claiming that a deal for only a few writers will split our solidarity, I think the Dave deal is good. It says to everyone that our demands are not unreasonable, and that we are willing to make a deal and get back to work. It is my hope that other producers and companies that are being damaged by the strike far more than the giant congloms will soon break ranks and deal with the Guild individually.

You may or may not know that award shows like The Golden Globes are actually written by writers hired by Dick Clark Productions. The Hollywood Foreign Press, which puts on the Globes, has offered a similar deal to the Guild, and it has been denied, meaning that presenters are on their own for quippy intros and outros, the event will be picketed, and that many writers, actors and even directors will likely not attend. The show is in jeopardy of not being broadcast. If you ask me, there is a bit of a double standard being applied here, and I think it’s a bad move with regard to message, tactics, and PR. It’s okay to make a deal with late-night TV, but because we really want to make our point and hurt the studios, there can be no Globes? The same deal is the same deal. I’m confused. That being said, I stand behind my leadership, I will not attend the Globes (despite not being invited), and may even try to join the picket out front.

If you’re interested in keeping up with the latest strike news from the writer’s point of view, I recommend Deadline Hollywood, and United Hollywood.