#gotta love a union worker

[mrenkelherlig]

alright this post finalizes it for me. I thought Senshi was my favorite dungeon meshi character, but it turns out Chilchuck was my favorite all along

im sorry but the reveal that chilchuck is only there because he was paid in advance is so fucking funny. because like. he stays on the adventure WELL beyond what i would consider the reasonable expectations of his contract. but chilchuck will Follow his Professional Obligations right up to the letter and not a step further. we goof on him a lot for (rightfully!) putting Himself before Work and being a union man but lets be real mans is dedicated to his fucking job and obviously takes it very seriously.

ok i was gonna make a joke but honestly i think this is such a refreshing take on work and labor. like, in a lot of fiction, someone taking breaks, refusing to go beyond their obligations, and insisting on payment upfront is used as shorthand for them not taking their work seriously or not caring or cutting corners. but like. a responsible work life balance is absolutely essential for anyone who actually genuinely cares about their work. it's the only way to stay productive and healthy in a field you love.

its just. man. dungeon meshi has so much to say about life and passion. about health. about how taking care of yourself and pushing yourself to your greatest heights, either personally or professionally, are not two choices in conflict but essential to each other.

what was this post about again

[qqueenofhades]

Think what strikes me about something like "we can't vote because the system is rigged! Ban the electoral college!" is the big underlying implication of it.

That there is no multiple solutions or paths, only the one correct path and everything else is worthless.

And that's incredibly frustrating because there are two levels of problems with it:

is the utter dismissiveness of anything other than their specific solution, which ignores how any degree of positive change cannot occur with only just ONE idea, it's usually the result of many ideas that lead to change.

The fact that it feels like they're skipping every step in between the current situation to this end result, or actively fixating on themselves having the correct solution, but only by literally getting everything in between completely wrong in the process.

Like, the latter point in particular is like a complex math equation: Just because you got the right answer doesn't mean you can just ignore every difficult step in between, or just assume that all of the WRONG processes become validated retroactively because you stumbled into the correct answer. You'd literally get failed and be forced to redo the problem if you tried that shit in math.

I saw a poll the other day claiming that support for abolishing the Electoral College had now reached 65% of all Americans. Now, I take all polls, whether good or bad, with a grain of salt, but this does reflect a growing awareness that the EC is a horrible racist anti-democratic dinosaur only applied to the presidential election and only used for electing Republicans who don't win the nationwide popular vote, and that there's a genuine groundswell of support to abolish it. See the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which could possibly collect enough state-by-state ratifications to go into effect into 2028 (in the best-case scenario). So even all the bitching about how "the system is rigged" (which. WE KNOW! WE KNOW! There's not a single Democratic voter going to vote like WOW I LOVE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE CAN'T WAIT FOR MY VOTE TO DEPEND ON HOW MUCH IT COUNTS THANKS TO THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WHEE OLD DEAD WHITE GUYS!) blatantly ignores that a possible seismic change IS possibly in the offing, because people put in the work to make it happen!!! The fact that the EC might soon be superseded or disempowered is FUCKING MONUMENTALLY HUGE!!! It has existed literally since the beginning of America and arbitrated every single presidential election!!! And let me tell you, the people working to make that change and fundamentally reshape American democracy are absolutely not the Online Leftists, whose grasp of civic and political theory starts and ends at "wah the system is rigged I do not vote I am very smart!"

This also reminds me of the recent idiots in my notes complaining that Biden was a) not "genuine" in supporting the striking auto workers, that b) Don't You Know He Broke The Rail Strike (the follow-up where he gave the railworkers what they most wanted with that strike was conveniently never mentioned), or c) that he wasn't "doing it for the right reasons" (whatever the fuck that means). Which accurately reflects their belief that the way you do politics, or praxis, or anything at all, is just by having the Really Goodest Mostest Purest Intentions really hard, and that's it. Like. Aside from the fact that it's impossible to prove why Biden is privately motivated to do anything, we have a long track record demonstrating that he is a person of genuine Catholic faith who has been moving more and more to the left overall, and has been the most pro-union, pro-labor president in American history. So first of all, complaining that "he's not GENUINE!!!!" in supporting the strikers is impossible to prove, and contradicted by actual evidence. But the Online Leftists gotta feel More Gooder Than Him somehow, so.

Likewise: as I said in one of my previous posts about Hillary Clinton: I do not give a fuck if she was privately the most Neoliberal Corporate Centrist Shill Ever To Shill (and as I also said, none of those words means what the Online Leftists think they do). I do not care about the American monarch president's personal feelings, unless they reflect directly on the policy that they make and the real-world effects that it has. I don't care if Clinton killed puppies (or dreamed about killing puppies, which for the thoughtcrime police is equally bad), as long as she appointed 3 new liberal justices to SCOTUS and throughout the courts, instead of the hacks that Trump forced onto the bench and literally everything else he did. In the same vein, Biden could secretly be like "hahahaha fuck all workers BIG CORPORATIONS FOR LYFE but I gotta support the workers and get them their rights so they'll vote 4 meeee" (not that I actually think he is, but still) and hold onto your hankies, children: I DO NOT CARE! Because the tangible real-world effects of that policy that he is working hard on making results in a better economy for those workers and substantial redistribution of capital away from the oligarchs for the first time in a generation! Not to mention, I kind of like the idea that a president decides to make himself most appealing to workers instead of bosses! But for the Online Leftists, if this action isn't done with the Sufficiently Pure Motives, it is Wrong and Bad and Not Good Enough and Blah Blah Biden Sekrit Republican.

Anyway. Yes. That. The end.

[norsesuggestions]

Gotta love the 1970s printing press factories workers unions reactions to punch clocks (=stämpelklocka):

This tidbit about the punch clock is from a blogpost about some of printers unions of the worlds reactions when the introduction of computer technology put them all under the fear to lose their jobs.

Quoted below is a text about new ways introduced in the printing presses to make the workers work faster, and via that, have an excuse to fire them for being "too slow":

"MTM is a method of breaking down work processes into standardized sub-moments in order to be able to streamline and rationalize work efforts and personnel as much as possible.

The factory workers were rightly afraid that this would lead to every second if their work day being controlled. 

The printing press workers response to mtm was, among other things, to pour lead into the employers punch clock (stämpelklocka)."

Lol my grandpa was a printing press factory worker during the 1970s. I wonder if he poured led into the punch clock (stämpelklocka) at some point haha 😂

(Grandpa was very involved in that factories workers union, so it is not impossible)

Source of qoute, quickly translated to english by me:

Link

[thenixkat]

Which Side Are You On? (remix by Rebel Diaz, dead prez, Rakaa Iriscience)

Lyrics:

[Intro: Pete Seeger] Which side are you on, boy? Which side are you on? Which side are you on, boy? Which side are you on?

[Verse 1: G1] See before I draw the line, I gotta welcome you close To all the folks who knew Obama sold the people a hoax Gave the money to suckas while our community's still poor Withdrew the troops but started another war Colonized and terrorized and created an oil crisis So they could make a killin' on food and gas prices Prisons is fillin', they tryna lock up the future Militarize borders and control of computers While the stupid bumping music that ain't healthy for the shawties Povertize the schools and policeman in the hallways Can't be dormant, I've awoken, rise up, be ready Brought the family with us and we hold the machete

[Verse 2: M-1] Ridin' the fence, ridin' the fence Too many people be ridin' the fence Yeah you say you're ready for war but are you convinced? I'm not convinced If you're a writer, freedom fighter, crime exciter, then let's do this We can make one big united middle finger to the U.S Gimme the bravest and the truest, fuck the hippest and the coolest We're gonna spark this revolution and cross this off our to-do list Put your foot down if you look down on this criminal system Put your book down and get shook down like my niggas in prison Don't be condemning and condoning they actions in one sentence Now keep in mind, you decide Is you a patriot or a menace to society? So riot or sit by quietly But don't pull out your flag and try to say you gon' ride with me You flip-flopping like hip-hop, I don't get locked in that trick box Get got like Big and Pac, shit's got to stop "I am the people, not the pig," I repeat after Fred So please blow my brains out if I ever forget

[Verse 3: stic.man] I'm with the independent thinkers, I'm down with the movers and the shakers And the ex-Henny drinkers, the non-smokers The health advocates, the non-voters The young bloods in the hood trainin' like soldiers I'm on the side of the tracks with the hood gardens With the little child that don't color inside the margins I don't ride the fence, I cultivate my strength 'Cause if it ain't about power, it don't make sense I've been down with Boogie Down since BDP and Brown Pride And black power make RBG a OG An OG told me choose your battles wisely In the struggle, don't forget about your children and your wifey If you don't see me on the podium, preachin' it Every day, I hope my every action is teaching it 'Cause revolution is a process, it's not a speech or a panel Don't bite off more than you can handle

[Chorus: Pete Seeger & RodStarz] Which side are you on, boy? Which side are you on? Which side are you on, boy? Which side are you on? Chi City, Palastina, Venezuela Which side are you on, boy? Which side are you on? Which side are you on, boy? To South Bronx baby! Which side are you on?

[Verse 4: RodStarz] Ay, I still rock hard like slingshots in Palestina Con todos los estudiantes por educación gratuita I'm with workers uprising and the right to unionize We ain't crossed the border, so you better legalize I'm with la Penã del Bronx, I'm still with Victor Toro 'Cause gentrification is pollutin' my borough Sold bro never, South Bronx forever Decolonize the block, make your neighborhood better I ain't down with the rich, I'm more Richie Perez Don't talk to grand juries or cooperate with feds I'm with students, doctors, janitors, teachers We need living wages but they don't believe us Manida, Baretto, Spofford, Hunts Point My point, my hood I love, we join, forces Forming RDAC-BX Taking over buildings, Rebel Diaz for the children

[Verse 5: Rakaa Iriscience] Politics the sickness, streets express symptoms Caught up with a quickness, big business pimps 'em Scholars play the simpleton, fools play with wisdom Who will stand and fight back, who will play the victim? Trials and tribulations, here's your generations Stolen history and outsourced innovation Babel tower fell, tribes are at war The battle story not represented in the score The game's fixed, most of the faces and names switched Credit stolen for art, science, religion, language Technology, philosophy, and the strangest They paid in Haitian for the knowledge of the ancients Power in words, actions, guns swords Ain't Paris, Brown Berets, young lords, pick a side One sickness, one cure, one love One blood, one world, one war

[Chorus: Pete Seeger] Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Which side are you on?

[Outro: Pete Seeger] Come all of you good workers Good news to you I'll tell Of how the good ol' union Has come in here to dwell

[mrenkelherlig]

happy Chilchuck Chuesday to all who celebrate

funny old man

[memecucker]

Gotta say we got pretty lucky bc our hotel isn’t on strike bc the hotel agreed to the union demands bc in addition to not crossing a picket line when I went out at 2am there were still picketing workers hitting drums and playing music right outside the hotel and lmao I love that

[theskee]

today (day BEFORE yesterday as of posting, i started this but... uh. didn't finish it.) i ventured out to the local used book store to see if they carried calendars.

you see, my child just started school as of yesterday, today was their first full day of kindergarten and they are in the process of being evaluated for either a 504 Plan or an IEP and it's been stressful. i have been in fight or flight mode for i dunno. nine months now. the process of all of this was a nightmare but now i'm finally across what feels like the real starting line.

i had to get a lot of help from my friends to get through this whole situation and today... i decided to do something good for myself and try and reclaim the independence i gave up the last nearly six years when i decided to become a full time stay at home parent.

i have experienced so many interesting and life affirming things recently, from reconnecting with one of my dearest friends, to being corrected by the school social worker when i met him-- i said 'i don't work' and he emphatically and encouragingly said "outside the home" offering more value and credit than i am ever prone to offering myself.

today... was special.

i went in while my child was at school and perused the CD section to bring home some new fun soundtracks for the kiddo and then an employee approached me. he's an older gentleman, maybe early sixties or late fifties, a little stiff at first, but he asked if i needed any help.

i asked if they sold any calendars, and he said no but he thought they might still have some free ones hanging around and found one for me. it was very kind and i was like 'well thank you, just the CDs then.'

he saw one of my choices was the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack (my kiddo likes some country and is really into soundtracks right now and i personally love the soundtrack, it always reminds me of my late father, who was a big fan of the movie and had a massive crush on Clooney) and commented on how much he thought he didn't like country music until he started listening to older country.

myself, being from KY originally, and raised on good ol' bluegrass and a healthy dose of pro union, working-man's country, completely understand the distinction between the popularized modern country music we are most likely to hear, and and what came before that informed some of it. we got to talking about that, and the next thing i know we're talking about the importance of buying local, how much supporting small businesses is, and how hard it can be for a small business to compete with the likes of bezosmart.

i mentioned my favorite author, Jason Pargin, who encouraged his readers to buy from their local bookstores first and foremost and then i said as a writer, i hope to advocate that way if i can ever get published. this-- sparked a conversation in which he joyfully told me that he was finally getting a couple books he'd written published, one traditionally and one self published.

I congratulated him and expressed that I hope to do the same, that I've been writing since I was 12, told him about my long history with fanfiction, how I love writing but haven't managed to get myself to finish anything original in that time. And he gave me this look... it was so fond and kind.

He said, with just... reverence in his voice. "You've been writing since you were 12? You're a writer."

And I gotta say this man did more to heal my soul with that one statement than all my years of therapy.

[hildyj]

This post is going to be relevant to a negative number of people but I gotta get this off my chest after watching the pro-union 1957 movie, The Garment Jungle for the first time:

I am now shipping my very first throuple:

First of all, union-organizer Tulio and his wife Theresa are clearly Fucking

And the boss’s son, Alan is immediately attracted to both of them

Tulio has to die nobly, of course, killed by mobsters hired by the boss, while trying to bring his workers into the union. But before that the two people who are in love with him try to keep him from being heroic

And Alan and Theresa go off and sit in a bar together and wait for news of Tulio, having to sit in separate booths because Theresa has to breastfeed her baby. But not having to look each other in the eye only heightens their immediate intimacy

And it’s not like Tulio feels disposable to the narrative, like he has to die to make way for The Real Couple of Alan and Theresa. The two of them are pretty good together, but it’s when a scene contains all three of them that the chemistry is off the charts.

[mrenkelherlig]

He gotta get that bread

"Marcille and Chilchuck are the Only Sane Men in a group of weirdos." WRONG. Marcille is - and has always been - a fucking freak. Chilchuck and Namari were the Only Sane Men in the original group and now it's just poor little Chilchuck being dragged through the dungeon trying to hold on to the last slivers of his sanity and keep the others alive as they continue to barely survive encounter after encounter through the sheer power of Autism and exponentially increasing Loony Toons Logic.

SAVE HIM!!

[penroseparticle]

Penrose Song of the Day Day 30: Runnin' Outta Moonlight by Randy Houser

Listen. Listen. I know ok. This is the hates rap and country website. LISTEN OK I NEED YOU TO LISTEN

People who say they don't listen to Rap are boring for racist reasons. And people who say they don't listen to country? They're boring too. But the reasons are a bit less clear cut.

Like I know there's some issues with Bro Country. I know there's issues with like, the co-opting of Murrica style country music after 9/11. I know there's like. Stuff to talk about here. But country is the genre that will still tell you a story. That will be personal and heartbreaking and direct. It's also the genre of like. Unions. Of workers and poverty and class. There's such a class aspect to country and honestly that might be closest to the boring hate or rap. But yeah, it's not Lemon Demon! Sometimes the songs are misogynistic, or are really, aggressively white, or are promoting drinking culture, or blah blah blah blah blah. Sometimes they are very specific- your experiences are not universal etc.

BUT YOU AREN'T TALKING ABOUT THAT, COUNTRY HATERS.

When I talk to someone that loves Country music, they will, inevitably, let on to what flavor of old or new country they are partial to (We all love it for the sound, which means, like it or not, you will find something recent you love. I'm a pop country guy, a classic riverbank blaster, and some sad soulful bluegrass type person. I also unironically like Fancy Like by Walker Hayes. Take my tastes with a grain of salt). Dierks Bentley, Thomas Rhett, Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Orville Peck. All stuff I like.

And listen, newer country music has some good stuff. I know Morgan Wallen got blasted for the N word stuff and is, quite frankly, in his Saloon 5 era, but he was THE country act to watch coming up by both public and critical ears. We all heard the Luke Combs Fast Car. Orville Peck is making waves with his new album (Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other? Unbelievably good, give it a listen, even if it's a cover. In fact, let that springboard you into a back catalog or two.). It is not all My Girl Is Hot and My Beer Is Plentiful.

But I gotta say, there's nothing wrong with My Girl Is Hot and My Beer Is Plentiful honestly.

This song is very nostalgic for me.

Like yeah it's got the cliches. You dont' need makeup you're too pretty, We're out on the riverbank, getting away from the city, yadda yadda yadda.

But I like songs about being in love, what can I say. This song is just. Girl what if I took you out to be in love, under the stars. You can't get more me than that.

It's got the classic rock country trappings. There's something so bombastic and expansive about the honestly fairly simple orchestration. The song is simply, unabashedly country. The drum track is so unbelievably spare, it's hard to jive it with the country crossover that's popular now, with the trap beats they imported. It feels. Simple. Like this song isnt' doing too much like recent things. It's just a simple song. Let's kiss under the stars.

I love it. And hey. You could be dead right now. Go listen to something you love.

[gammaliminal]

I would like to hear more about Project Strangelove, because it seems very interesting

hihi!!! id love to explain :3

so!!! in Project Strangelove (which may be known as How to Stop Worrying) you are, essentially, managing your own little conspiracy towards any goal ranging from small-time nuisances all the way to like global government scheme level conspiracy organisation. a silly lil spoof on spy thrillers if you will!!

explanation of da concept below!!! topics of paranoia n stuffs are mentioned here btw !!

you'll have to manage your employees and your home base of operations, and you'll have to manage it well because depending on what you do, it could either spell your own doom as an organisation OR shoot you into the stratosphere!! for example if you choose to build your base in a shoddy location or you dont really give it enough support if its like an underground base, you could get a game over purely because your base either got tracked down or it just caved in fhdjfks

another thing is that you'll be competing with other smaller or larger conspiracies, national powers etc!! (note that this is not other players - these would be in-game, preset conspiracies)

you could possibly lose employees and resources to these other conspiracy groups, you could game over to them etc etc. but a little detail we decided would be cool to add is that when you die or game over, the ending certificate that slides in will be themed around whichever conspiracy you had the most rivalry with (aka how much trouble they've caused you, how much you two have interacted, the tension between groups etc.)

oh and!!! you also gotta treat your employees right :3 or the employees of your group may unionize and fight against you for control over the conspiracy, for their rights etc. and it would be Very Detrimental so,,,, make sure to treat ur workers right!! definitely not a projection of real world occurrences

this game wants to play off of the paranoia of the player as well!!! while PARANOIA isn't inherently a mechanic that would be in the game - it would definitely be an internal value that changes things in game (more specifically, the wording!!! to make things sound more/less risky to make the player more likely to make bad decisions teehee)

the more paranoid and locked-in, no risks allowed someone plays, the slower they'll progress and the more they risk potentially having employees leave or change their minds and unionize etc. but on the opposite side, if you play TOO care-free and takes a lotta risks, then it makes it very highly likely that the players base of operations is found, theyre taken under custody by the national powers, stuff like that. ideally a player will want to be just paranoid enough but still not worrying over EVERYTHING to actually make some good progress and stuffs (eh? eh? perhaps they... learn How To Stop Worrying? ehhhh?) but yeah. summary of that is just, player needs to be paranoid but not too paranoid in order to progress at a productive pace

and ik all of this sounds suuper duper serious(ish) but in-game it kinda takes the piss at itself and doesnt take itself THAT seriously - its silly but still semi-serious kinda

i apologise if this whole write-up is all over the place!! i am extremely sleep deprived n kinda gremlin mode rn fhdjfsk tysm for the ask tho !!!

[socknerd]

I gotta say, as someone who does shift work, and with shifts that are offset from a "normal" working day by 4 hours, any time I see people complaining about 9-5 i'm like "world's smallest violin". Imagine getting to regularly sleep in past 4am. Actually being in daylight most of the time to and from work. Being able to participate in community shit throughout the week because it's scheduled around your work period.

I am so goddamn tired and lonely. I think, if we get an ok pay rise (we're in the middle of negotiations right now) I might just go ask if I can just do permanent day shift. At least then I wouldn't have to fuck my sleep over every few weeks, and I'd be able to regularly do shit out of work (so long as I can get the sleep in around it, bc waking up by 4am). It'd be so much better for my physical and mental health; it just means that I don't get shift loadings (and I've already given up 1 week of night shift every 3 weeks bc that got... very concerningly bad) and it'd need to fit the team roster (the vast majority of people are full-time rotating shifts or casuals).

*sigh*

How the fuck does anyone deal with this? Like I get I have things that affect my ability to deal with this shit, but still. The world is fucked.

Also. Work better train me up in other shit real soon. They're letting people even more junior than me do a bunch of shit. But I've been a) stuck doing something only a few others in the lab are trained to do most of the time and b) haven't been hounding for training all the time/when it's busy. Like, I've brought it up now and then, but it HAS been busy, etc. I KNOW i'm capable, i'm SICK of the same few things, i want to do more shit that's in line with what i trained to do, and also, I want to go up a pay grade or 2, and be in a position to do an advanced diploma. (Which reminds me, i should remind the boss about that)

On the topic of work, it'll be interesting to see how the negotiations go. Work's been hemorrhaging workers the past few years, particularly due to their pay becoming less and less competitive, and the work and hours being so goddamn draining, but they do love to keep pulling the "we don't have money for x" card. Still, if they have any sense, a reasonable increase and RDOs back would be my minimum to not be looking at other work. Like, similar jobs are getting $35/hr in some other places now, which is roughly $5 more than here now. I may email the union rep and see where things are at.

Anyway, that's my venting done for now i suppose. Got shit to do.

[mrenkelherlig]

bold of you to assume he only has one "mosquito" bite

ryoko kui, you and i both know chilchuck's mosquito bite should be located way lower

[sl-newsie]

Chapter Three: Strike! (Spot Colon x Female Newsie)

Tha next mourn’n I wake up and look out tha window. I love sunrises, but sunsets set them ta shame. Jack wishes ta see one out west, but not me. In truth, Jack and I ain’t related by blood, but rather by trust. He’s been there fer me since I can remember. We says we’s siblings for protection- more for me than him, but I don’t mind too much. 

Behind me I hear: “Good mornin’, Becs!”

“Morn’n Crutchy. Leg do’n ok today?”

He gives a sad smile. “Still no, but I’ll get bedda!”

I help him down tha stairs. “Don’t worry- you’ll sell just as many papes as tha rest of us! Now c’mon- Jackie’s probably wait’n on us.”

When we get to the stand, Race comes runn’n up, clearly annoyed.

“Hey Race, what’s up?”

“Tha price fer papes, that’s what’s up!”

“They’s jacked up tha price fer papes! Ten cents a hundred!” Skittery complains.

“Nah, they’s wouldn’t! I’ll believe it when I’s seen it…”

“It’s true, Becca.” Jack walks up. “I just checked with Weasel- it’s a done deal.”

“What?! Why? We’s barley make a liv’n as it is!”

“It’s bad enough we gotta eat what we don’t sell!” Skittery complains again.

“I’ll be back seep’n in tha streets!” Boots exclaims.

“Why don’t we’s try sell’n the papes we’s already got?” Mush suggests.

“No! They can’t get away with this!” I fight back. All those kids, who can hardly handle themselves, now have ta pay more fer papes!

“Why do you care? You could make any kind of liv’n, be’n a goil! Just sell papes with yer shoit off!” Morris yells from a distance. I don’t even flinch.

Jack walks ova and grabs tha guy’s vest. “Talk to my sista like that again, and I’ll soak ya!”

I glare at tha bastard. “I ain’t no hussy! And I ain’t no ‘lady’! I’s barley mak’n a liv’n as it is, same as everybody else! So Jack, what are we gonna do?”

“Let’s just get our lousy papes while we can,” Mush says with no hope.

“C’mon, it’s a rigged deck! They got all tha marbles!” Race complains.

At this point we’s all gathered by tha square statue. Les comes through and orders fer Jack ta have some space fer think’n- that kid really looks up ta him!

He thinks fer a minute, then says: “Well, there’s one thing for sure: if we’s don’t sell papes, nobody sells papes! So nobody comes through those gates 'til they’s put tha price back back to where it was.”

“You mean like a strike?” David asks jokin’ly.

“Yeah!”

“Jack, are you outta your mind?!” Race exclaims.

“It’s a good idea.”

“But we’re not a union,” David comments.

“We are if we’s on strike, ain’t we?” I reply.

“No, we’re just a bunch of angry kids with no money. Jack, I was only joking!” David tries ta cover up the idea. “You can’t just rush everybody into this!”

We all bunch forward, with Jack still think’n.

“Done think’n yet, Jack?” Race taunts.

“Pulitzer and Hearst own tha city- do they’s think a bunch of kids can stop ‘em? So are you’s gonna stand down, or are we gonna strike?”

We’s silent fer a while, unsure what ta say.

“Strike!” Les shouts while David tries ta hush him.

“David, Becca, help me out here!”

We huddle up with Jack and brainstorm.

“Pulitzer and Hearst have to respect our rights,” Davis suggests.

“Good, good!” Jack turns ta tha crowd. “Pulitzer and Hearst, they have to respect tha rights of tha woik’n boys in New York!”

“Yeah!” We all agree.

“That went good,” Jack tells David. “So, what else?”

David thinks fer a second. “Tell ‘em… that they can’t treat us like we don’t exist.”

Jack lifts himself onta tha statue and addresses everyone: “Pulitzer and Hearst, they think we're nothin'. Are we nothin'?”

“No!” We yell.

“If we’s stick togedda and they’s can’t break us up!” I declare.

“Yeah, like the trolley workers!” David agrees.

“Pulitzer and Hearst, they think they got us. Do they got us?” Jack asks, ripp’n up papes ta prove his point.

“No!” We yell back.

“We’re a union now, the news boys. And we have to start acting like a union,” David says.

“Even though we ain't got hats or badges we're a union just by saying so. And the world will know!”

“What’s ta stop someone else from sell’n our papes?” Boots questions.

“We’ll talk with ‘em!”

“Some of ‘em don’t hear so good,” Race points out.

“Well then we’ll soak ‘em!” I hold up my fists.

“No! We can’t beat up kids in the street! It’ll give us a bad name!” David retorts.

“What's it gonna take to stop the wagons? Are we ready?”

“Yeah!”

“No!” David objects.

“What's it gonna take to stop the scabbers? Can we do it?”

“Yeah!”

“We'll do what we gotta do until we break the will of mighty Bill and Joe…”

We all turn ta tha World building with angry looks on our faces, but I’s can still see that David’s unsure. I nidge his shoulda and try ta get him ta join in.

“And the World will know!

And the Journal too!

Mister Hearst and Pulitzer,

have we got news for you!

Now the world will hear

What we got to say!

We been hawkin' headlines

But we're makin' 'em today!

And our ranks will grow,”

“And we'll kick their rear,” Crutchy sings.

“And the world will know that we been here!”

Jack comes down and starts walk’n forward.

“When the circulation bell starts ringin',  will we hear it?”

“No!”

“What if the Delanceys come out swingin'? Will we hear it?”

“No!” We all march towards tha building and break out dance-fight’n. 

“When you got a hundred voices singin'

Who can hear a lousy whistle blow?

And the world will know

That this ain't no game!”

I join Race and Blink in climb’n tha gate.

“That we got a ton of rotten fruit and perfect aim!

So they gave their word

But it ain't worth beans!

Now they're gonna see

What "stop the presses" really means!”

We all march and gallop in lines, like a small army. But David still continues ta walk through us as if we’s all insane!

“And the day has come,

And the time is now,

And the fear is gone,”

“And our name is mud,” Boots sings.

“And the strike is on.”

“And I can't stand blood,” Boots states.

“And the world will –”

David eventually comes ova ta where Jack and I’s is. 

Jack continues: “Pulitzer may own the World but he don't own us!”

“Pulitzer may own the World but he don't own us!” We repeat.

“Pulitzer may crack the whip but he won't whip us!” Jack grips David’s shouldas, try’n ta get him on our side.

“Pulitzer may crack the whip but he won't whip us!

And the world will know!”

Jack begins climb’n tha ladda ta tha headline chalkboard.

“And the world will learn!

And the world will wonder how we made the tables turn!

And the world will see

That we had to choose!”

I leap out inta tha open space and do a frontflip inta a roll, earn’n a few claps from Race.

“That the things we do today will be tomorrow's news!”

I look up and see Jack writ’n STRIKE on tha board- a clear message!

“And the old will fall,

And the young stand tall!

And the time is now-

And the winds will blow-

And our ranks will grow and grow and grow and so

The world will feel the fire-”

We all raise our fists, and David’s sing’n now!

“And finally know!”

We all let out howls and cries.

“Strike! Strike! Strike!” We chant.

“We gotta get tha word out to every newsie in New York- we’s on strike!” Jack calls. “I need some of those- em… Whaddaya call ‘em…?” He looks at David.

“Ambassadors?” Davey says.

“Yeah! You guys gotta be ‘em-bastards’ and go tell the oddas we’re on strike!”

“I’ll take Harlem!”

“I got Midtown.”

“I got tha Battery.”

“Specs and Skittery, you take Queens,” I say.

“Pie-eater, Snotty, you take East Side!”

“I’ll take the Bronx, Jack,” Crutchy says and wanders off.

“Now, how’s about Brooklyn?”

I see everyone quiet down and look away. What’s with Brooklyn? I ain’t eva been there myself ‘cause I’s neva had a reason to, but I’s neva had anything against it. 

“C’mon! It’s Spot Colon’s territory!” Jack urges. “You’s all scared-a Brooklyn?”

I’m not!

“We ain’t scared-a Brooklyn,” Boots argues. “Spot Colon though… he makes all a little noivous.”

“I’ll take it,” I say. Everyone stares at me in awe.

“That ain’t gonna happen,” Jack states sternly.

“Why don’t you’s wanna go ta Brooklyn?” I blurt.

“You ain’t told her ‘bout Brooklyn?” Boots objects.

“‘Course I ain’t told her ‘bout Brooklyn!” Jack says like it’s obvious.

“Why don’t I’s know about Brooklyn?” I ask, seeing that David’s just as lost as I am.

“You ain’t go’n ta Brooklyn.”

“Why tha Hell not? I’s almost 17- if I can handle tha Bronx, I can handle Brooklyn! What’s so bad about it, anyway?”

“That’s Spot Colon’s territory,” Boots says softly.

I gape dumbfoundedly. “Who?”  What kind of a name is that?

Jack holds up his hand. “You’s my sista. I ain’t lett’n ya-”

“Oh, c’mon Jack. Spot’s not like that with goils-” Race backs me up.

“Who tha Hell is this Spot Colon guy?” I ask again.

“You ain’t gotta know, ‘cause you ain’t com’n. C’mon David, you too Boots.”

“I’s go’n, whedda ya likes it or not!” I cross my arms, determined.

Jack gives me a stubborn glare, then sighs. “Fine, but you’s stay’n behind me.”

I cringe inside. Like a baby deer? I ain’t afraid, Jack!

“Alright, just as soon as you take our demands to Pulitzer,” David says.

Jack does a double-take. “Me?”

“Yeah, you’re the leader.”

“He’s got a point, Jack,” I push.

Jack nods, then grabs Les. “Maybe tha kid’ll soften him up!”

They head in, and ten seconds later they’s thrown out.

“You tell Pulitzer ta come talk ta me!” Jack yells at tha guy inside.

“Yeah!” Les backs him up.

I sigh. “Didn’t go too good?”

“Nah.”

Just then, a reporter walks up ta David. I can tell him and Jack are gonna be a while, so Boots and I hang back with Race and Skittery.

“So this Spot guy’s real bad news?” I guess.

“Becs, he’s Spot Colon- tha most feared, toughest newsie eva to lead Brooklyn! It’s no wonda Jack ain’t so keen on lett’n ya go-” Skittery rambles.

I cross my arms and give him a cold stare. “You’s think I can’t handle myself?”

Race and Skittery exchange glances. “Not that- it’s just that we don’t think you’s can handle Spot Colon-”

“Say that name any more and you’ll wear it out! Guys, it’s me! I’s can handle Brooklyn! And if I can’t, I’ll-”

“Oh, I smell a bet!” Race says gleefully. “You’ll what? Do whateva I want for a day?”

“Clean my sheets fer a week?” Skittery asks.

“I ain’t tha gambl’n type. But yeah, I will! But you’ll see- Brooklyn can’t control me!”

[kilowogcore]

All my love and support to the WGA as it goes on strike! Suits don't get writin'. They think an AI bot can do it, an' maybe it can if all you wanna write is a soulless, humorless pile o' cliches and tropes that'll bomb into th' ground.

Writers get paid less and less an' treated like crap. The WGA is demandin' fair treatment an' proper contractual employment for writers, but the producers are screwin' 'em an' then pretendin' like they care about all the workers that'll be out of a job. The suits don't care about workers, if they did there'd be more unions! That's why we can't get decent CG in a Marvel movie, but I digress.

There's lotsa WGA members that can't even make a livin', and that's ridiculous. With all th' money that goes into a movie or show, th' least they can do is pay their writers a livin' wage. They ain't gettin' their proper residuals, an' studios are usin' the fact that streamin' is a new technology to cheat writers.

If ya ain't got good writin', ya ain't got a good show, plain an' simple. Sure, movies and shows are a collaborative effort of a whole lotta valuable workers, but writers are a vital part o' that collaboration and it's about time the suits figured that out!

So stand with th' writers, and stand with th' strikers! Let's hope it spreads to all the other workers the studios are exploitin'!

And fer those studios that are defyin' the strike, screw 'em an' all their shows. I don't care what shows get derailed, in the long run the writers gotta win fer the sake of our whole culture!

[rockanroller]

The WGA strike didn’t affect Hazbin period because none of the ‘writers’ on that show are part of the union. They also aren’t real writers. Not to mention A24 was explicitly not affected by the strike because the studio is already good to its workers and therefore exempt. The strike only affected major Hollywood studios and networks like Fox, CBS, Disney, Warner Bros., etc. Viv trying to claim that the strike had any impact on Hazbin is absolute BS.

look anon, all i wanted to do was put together a post of the cold facts we know and speculate to my best knowledge with a timeline. all i found was that the timeline fits but that it is a little suspiciously snug and could still be coincidental and i acknowledged that.

even if it did turn out the strikes were the cause of the delay, it won’t be the end of the world. it doesn’t mean viv is a saint and it doesn’t mean she couldn’t have caused problems during the production. EDIT: and we now know Viv said in a recent interview that the delay was due to them trying to find a distributer (streaming platform), and working out their arrangements with Prime. Masterpost has been updated with this information.

i don’t doubt a24 is a good studio, but being a good studio doesn’t mean you get a get outta jail free card by the union, you gotta agree to terms. and as i pointed out in the post i only was able to find sources on sag-aftra giving a24 a pass, not bc they’re a good studio, but bc they aren’t affiliated with amptp that sag-aftra was striking against and therefore were allowed to continue using their actors. i didn’t find enough to make a clear call on the relationship between the wga and a24.

i want to reassure you i am not trying to defend viv. i can acknowledge some things about her work but i dont have a high opinion of her and i highly suspect she caused problems somewhere on the production whether or not it was this year specifically.

i'm still looking for proof viv claimed the strikes were causing a delay bc some ppl have said she did, and i found proof where viv said even tho she could only speak for helluva that she felt it was "safe to say" the actor's strike would affect hazbin hotel. i do still think it's possible the strikes could've caused minor delays in addition to the specific delay viv noted in the interview. i just wanted to put all the specific facts out there and a timeline into a post for easy understanding of what we know for sure while providing some speculative insights in both directions.

if you have specific receipts for your claims i’d love to see them so i can include them in the post. especially if you have a receipt for viv claiming the strikes were to blame bc i’ve yet to see receipts for it. i don’t doubt it. just wanna know for sure.

i hear that you’re mad about this whole matter, i am too, but feelings aren’t facts.