Booooo!

 
 

Happy Hallowe'en

A Century In Video - 1912

Some days I just don't feel like myself...



Blurb from the YouTube page:

"Dr. Jekyll transforms to Mr. Hyde, and back again...from Thanhouser Company's 1912 production of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 classic novel 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.'"

The Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc is a company dedicated to preserving old silent film with an emphasis on the films made by the Thanhouser Company. It is run by Edwin W. Thanhouser the grandson of filmmaker Edwin Thanhouser founder of the Thanhouser Company.

Here you can read a brief history of the Thanhouser Company, but basically it was a New York Film company that made over 1000 films between 1909 and 1918.

According to IMDb there have been 44 different versions of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde made between 1908 and 2009. The 2009 version is currently in production and there isn't much info given, except (dear god) that's it's a musical.

And yup, it's based on a Broadway musical - here it is.

Wanna be tortured?



You couldn't pay me to sit through this.

<tangent>

I don't hate all musicals. I would love to see this one.

</end tangent>

Also: Have you ever seen the word Thanhouser used so often in one place? Any place?

Strike - Day 86 -- IT'S OVER!

[rabidsquirrel's Photos]

86 days later (or 88 depending on when you start counting)

We shared stories, laughter, frustration, food, knitting, puppies, portable heaters, and, and, and....

We are finally going back to work!

On Friday CUPE 391 members voted 71.4% to except the new Memorandum Of Agreement Between The Vancouver Public Library Canadian Union Of Public Employees, Local 391

We voted yes:
Just the beginning…

And so did the board:
It’s Official. The Library Board Ratifies Agreement

A bit more info here on the Fairness for Civic Workers site:
Library strike ends: CUPE 391 makes important steps towards pay equity

I'm waiting for a definitive update, but it looks like we'll return to work Monday with the library opening to the public on Wednesday.

I don't even want to think about what it's going to look like inside the building.

And... No. More. Jeans!

But work. Lovely, sweet, life giving work. How I missed you.

Vancouver Sun:
Library workers to head back Monday

Georgia Straight:
Vancouver library workers approve tentative agreement

CBC:
Striking Vancouver library workers accept deal

Strike - Day 84

CUPE 391 and the employer have reached a tentative agreement.

We vote tomorrow Friday October 19. If we vote yes then the library board has to vote, and then BACK TO WORK!

We would probably return to work on Monday with the library opening to the public on Wednesday. This would give us a few days to get organized (HA!).

CUPE 391 post: Meeting And Vote Tomorrow

Canadian Press: Vancouver library workers reach deal with city to go back to work

CBC: Library staff, City of Vancouver reach tentative deal

I'm hoping to see all our patrons again next week. Although some may not believe it, we have missed you.

Blog Action Day

Welcome. Today is Blog Action Day. A day for bloggers all over the world to post on a single subject - The environment.

Here is the YouTube video that clued me in.



First lets start with an important message from President Al Gore (Well he should have been president!)



Of course President Bush is also very concerned with global warming. Please take this video as proof that he has deep, deep concerns about the state of the earth.



"And what" - you may ask "is the Canadian government doing?"

Why everything in their power of course.



Of course the media can be counted on to cover global warming issues in a fair and unbiased manner. Neutrality is their middle name after all.

Rick Mercer - Canada's answer to Jon Stewart - Talks to Liberal Party leader Stéphane Dion about (among other things) the Kyoto Protocol.



How long have you been aware of global warming issues? Well it's not a new issue. Here is an excerpt from the 1958 Frank Capra film The Unchained Goddess explaining the dangers ahead.



If you still have any doubts about the long term effects of global warming. let this video be a warning:



Ok, ok. I know that this is a serious topic. But I can't write well enough to teach you anything without putting you to sleep. So I thought I'd post a bunch of (hopefully) humorous stuff and let the other bloggers out there show you the good stuff. What other bloggers? Here is a list of all the Blog Action Day participants and another list of some suggested resources

P.S. At press time there are 15,568 blogs signed up to participate with a combined rss reach of 12,507,731!

Monday is Blog Action Day

I'll be posting something (don't know what yet) on Monday for Blog Action Day.

If you have a blog, please get involved. If you know someone with a blog, pass this info along.

Since I'm all about the sarcasm & funny, I'll be looking for something along those lines to post. Probably in the evening as I'll picketing as usual during the day.

Bookmark Debris

Nothing exiting to post. I expect that I'll have some strike news in the next day or two, but until then enjoy some freshly mined crap!

I'm sure you've heard about the experiments that the CIA performed with LSD. But did you know that in your own lovely, placid, Canada equally atrocious experiments have taken place. It's true, and here is the video evidence:



For more examples of this type of "scientific study" please visit Hinterland Who's Who. And to file a complaint, please contact the Canadian Wildlife Service

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Under the category of You can't always get what you want - have a look at some lovely food!

This is what you ordered... This is what you get...



For more fine examples of the difference between fast food advertising and the actual crap that you get have a look at Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality

And I'll fess up. I do love me an Egg McMuffin. [cough - white trash cough], But I've recently discovered the vastly superior breakfast sandwich from Starbucks. I like the egg & sausage that they heat up until the cheese is all gooey. Gooey cheese = life!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keeping with the advertisement theme. I sometimes wonder if the billboard companies even talk to their clients. It seems to me that you would want to know what other ads are going to appear near or next to yours. This holds true for all mediums. If you ran a cigarette company would you want your ad next to an article about lung cancer? Do you think a Tickle Me Elmo ad should appear next to an article about how some people like stuffed animals a little too much.

Well here is a perfect example of how a lack of communication can cause me great joy:



Somehow I almost feel like I should have labeled that NSFW.

For more gleeful examples pay a visit to the Unfortunately Placed Ads page at I Am bored.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And to finish off. Toilets!

We usually don't have a hard time finding the bathrooms in restaurant / bars / sports arenas / dungeons, because we are all familiar with the standards for signage. This is the norm:



But that's here in North America. I found a great site that shows examples from all over the world. Some are easy to understand but humorous. Like this one that I love:



And some make make you think a bit:



Have a beverage, or 6, or 10, or 23. Loosen your slacks and enjoy 59 Of The Coolest Toilet Signs Around The World

Strike - Day 75

[rabidsquirrel's photos]

Well the results are in from the three CUPE locals and I can't say I'm surprised.

CUPE 391 - NO
78.1% Vote to Reject Mediator’s Recommendations

CUPE 15 - YES
CUPE 15 members accept Foley's recommendations

CUPE 1004 - NO
Foley's recommendations don’t pass CUPE 1004 vote -- less than other civic deals

See also: Fairness for Civic Workers

Here is some of the media coverage:

Global BC 11:00 p.m. news (videos)





CBC

Civic workers divided in vote to end Vancouver strike

VIDEO: CUPE 391's Alex Youngberg, Ed Dickson say equality is at stake (Runs 9:03)

VIDEO: CUPE 15's Paul Faoro, Keith Graham say they'll wait and see (Runs 13:27)

VIDEO: Some inside workers say they'll respect picketing if CUPE 1004 votes no (Runs 1:32)

Vancouver Sun

City vote split

Georgia Straight

Vancouver outside workers and library workers reject mediator's offer; inside workers vote "yes"

Vancouver Province

Two CUPE locals reject mediated deal to end Vancouver civic strike

Globe and Mail

Strike vote split as polls roll in

National Post

Vancouver city unions divided by vote

The bargaining committee says that they have a plan to get us back to work soon. I sure hope the hell they do!

Strike - Day 74

[Library Of Congress American Memory Collection]

Just posting these articles today, I'm sure I'll have waaaayyyyy more tomorrow after the vote.

Vancouver Sun - Two CUPE locals urge members to reject deal

Vancouver Sun - A tale of two worlds for striking workers

News1130 - City waits for voting results, as two union locals recommend rejection of mediator proposal

CBC - Vancouver unions split on mediator's deal as members vote

I must admit I'm feeling a bit ambivalent

Strike - Day 71 (Updated again)

Almost entirely re-written to stay all current like!

Mediation update:

The settlement recommendations from mediator Brian Foley were released today and have now been posted on the CUPE 391 site:

~ Recommendations For Settlement Proposed By Mediator Brian Foley - (Full Document - pdf)

~ Recommendations For Settlement Proposed By Mediator Brian Foley - Part 3: VPL & CUPE 391 - (VPL & CUPE 391 Portion of Document - pdf)

~ Items Previously Agreed Between The Vancouver Public Library And CUPE 391 - (pdf)

~ Meeting and Ratification Vote: Schedule and Map - (pdf)

Entire CUPE 391 blog post: Mediatior’s Recommedation Documents Available Online

Media coverage:

~ Global BC


~ CTV - Mediator tables report to end Vancouver strike

~ CKNW - Reaction is subdued on the picket line at city hall

~ CBC - Striking city workers offered 17.5% and $1,000 signing bonus

~ CBC - VIDEO: CBC civic reporter Stephen Quinn reveals details of mediator's recommendations (Runs 1:53)

~ Vancouver Sun - City strikers to vote on proposed deal this weekend

Note that as usual the library workers are mostly ignored and the facts are rather skewed. If nothing else this strike has given me some real insight into the media.

Whatever...

Skittles

Mamapop had a link to a rather freakish Skittles commercial.

It made me think of their old ads, so innocent, so boppy, so sickenly sweet.

Here is the evolution of the skittles ad:

Then (1986)



Now (2007)



Bonus ad! (also 2007)



Don't you miss the old days when everyone understood virtue and innocence!

Strike - Day 70

Brian Foley's recommendations to end the strike and finally get back to work will be passed on to CUPE 15, 1004 and 391 tomorrow. It looks like we (391) will vote this Sunday.

As I write this there isn't any official notice on the CUPE 391 Bargaining Blog, but keep an eye on it as it should be updated soonish. We will also be getting updates tomorrow during the daily crew talks.

For now here is the pdf bulletin from 15.

Also some press from:

CBC
Global BC
CKNW

Please keep in mind that you shouldn't necessarily believe the press coverage (duh!), but these stories seem to pretty well match what I heard today. Of course they all look like they cribbed their info from the CUPE 15 bulletin.

Strike - Day 69

I haven't been writing about the strike lately because there really isn't much to say.

The mediation goes on and we hope to hear something early next week. Hopefully something good enough to vote on.

The tone of the picketing has changed quite a bit in the last few weeks, especially the last week. It is now officially fall and the. weather. sucks!. Rain, cold, cold, rain, etc. etc.

Ok the weather almost always sucks this time of year, but I'm usually inside where I don't care.

When I got home today I pulled out my Rolser shopping cart to take with me tomorrow. I usually leave a load of picket stuff in a friends trunk, but she wont be picketing tomorrow. Between my backpack (usual purse stuff, knitting, palm, iPod, book, magazines, handywipes, spare tp), blanket (did I mention it's cold on the line), and chair; my back is taking a beating during the commute. So out comes the old-lady shopping buggy :-)

What I did want to mention today is a reminder of the all the cool strike videos being produced by union members. To see them all in one place go to the CUPE 391 bargaining blog and scroll down to the videos on the right hand side.

Here's a selection:

From D'Arcy:
(part of the bbob team)



See all of D'Arcy's videos here

From David:



See all David's videos here

James has a series of (non-embeddable) videos that are worth a look. They are very well done. Have a look at all seven videos in the Scenes... From a Picket Line series. The link goes to the first video and the other six are accessible from there.

Enjoy. And please keep rooting for us. (Thanks!)