AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka on Obama and racism

if you watch a lot of the election coverage on television, you'll get a lot of talking points and quite a bit of cheerleading for either candidate but you won't really get much insight as to what working folk are thinking or what's actually happening on the campaign trail. here's a clip that surprised me -- richard trumka, the current secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO making an empassioned speech about racism and unions and obama. it's a total breath of fresh air, to see someone that's this on fire about something that matters so much -- and who's actually right, for a change.

a little bit of good news!

shocking but true: thanks to all the on-camera work i did last year, i have health insurance with SAG! i'm as happy as a clam at high tide about this. being an artist in NYC without health insurance is an unbelievably precarious situation. at least this way, if something happens and i have to go to the hospital, i'm covered.

too bad musicians don't have a union that provides health insurance. there is a musician's union but i don't know of very many musicians that are members. that union seems to be for people who do broadway and who are in symphonies and orchestras. everybody else is way too busy hustling up gigs in bars and whatever with their own bands to adhere to the unions' rules and regulations about where and when and with whom and for how long you can play. everybody else can hardly read music -- unless they're a jazz musician.

i'm already vested with Equity. the kicker is, if i keep this on-camera acting stuff up with SAG for a while longer, i'll be vested.