1) on the way into work today, i drove by the picket line to say hi like i usually do. my friend rich ran out from the line and said, "buddy, we're going to disrupt a madtv shoot, you wanna come?"

my two options at this point were to A) go and disrupt a production of the TV show i'd worked on for four years and get fired, or B) tell the striking writers "no thanks", essentially negating all the support i'd given to the strike as empty words.

so i told rich to hop in my car, and we drove down to set, and i pulled out my saxaphone and we stopped the shoot.

i went up to the director and producers who i'd known for years and told them that i was sorry, but i was siding with the WGA and disrupting the shoot. i said i wanted to be upfront about it, because they deserved the honesty. they were pretty shocked.

20 minutes later i got a call from one of the production executives, which essentially amounted to her going "what the hell were you thinking?" i told her that one day i hope to write for television, and when i do i'd like to get paid a fair wage. she told me that by not showing up to work it was as if i'd quit, which i understand. after all, it'd be a shame if i were marked down as "fired" - then they'd have to pay out the almost nothing i'd make in unemployment.

i went back to the picket lines and walked until the day was over. at the end of the day i'd met two other "solidarity" strikers, which are people who aren't affiliated with any guild but there in support of the principal. even though i'd only known them for 20 minutes, i asked them if they'd help me clean out my office and they said yes.

we drove to mad, and my door code had already been changed. we got in anyway - the moment i'd finished clearing my office an executive and the associate producer walked in.

her: "you know we've done nothing illegal, we haven't broken any rules."

well, that's true - madtv's shooting episodes that were written before the strike. still, it's a shitty thing to do - the only way the strike's gonna end is if the networks run out of new episodes to air and are forced back to the table. by refusing to walk off the show, the showrunners and producers of madtv will be prolonging the strike.

"who are these two?"

"they're friends of mine from the picket line, they're helping me clean out my office."

"they need to leave now. they're not welcome here."

"we're done packing. we're leaving."

and we walked out.

2) tonight, i played in a little two person band (me + drummer) during a stand-up show. songs included "maneater", "uptown girl", "theme from candid camera" and "seven nation army". after a guy was talking shit about the strike, and i was like, "hey, there's some important shit at stake here." he was like, "what do you care, you're a musician." and i was pretty flattered.

3) here's a mention of the disruption in today's defamer - they mention me specifically (as the guy with the saxaphone)

4) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 WGA RALLY:

10 a.m. to noon

FOX STUDIOS
10301 W Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Meeting Point: Main Gate on Motor Ave. & Pico Blvd.
Parking Options: On Motor Ave. near Cheviot Recreation Center or Century City Mall.
Cheviot Hills Recreational Center Parking Lot, off Motor Ave. (L.A. Parks and Rec) Walkable to Fox Lot