I am accessorized with a pin in support of the strikers and I have the flyer explaining the strike on my office door, but I remember standing on the picket line with my mother (a teacher) one year, so I feel tremendous guilt walking past. My union's contract specifically says we can't stay out, unfortunately. I'll probably join them at lunch time.

Sparky, I'm right there with you, squirming on the wrong side of the picket line for the same union.

I'm feeling rather grumpy about it, actually -- I'm theoretically a member of this union, have been paying my dues for ages, and about a year ago I somehow fell off all their mailing lists and hear nothing from them about anything, ever. (Yes, I'm culpable in that I have never called them to gripe about it, but I've been a little busy and harried over the last year. And they're still taking the money out of my monthly paycheck, so they know I exist and they know how to reach me.)

The big rally is on your campus, today, JZ. Our local rep for my union keeps us well informed on what's going on with yours. Our contract is up for negotiation, so I suspect that's another reason why we are all being told to be good.

{{vw}} you don't suck. Take it easy today, sweetie.

Coke has a new product -- Coca Cola Zero. Which, as far as I can tell is the same thing as Diet Coke, just with a "hipper" name. Seriously I read the copy on their website and it seems that they are just doing this to target a "different demographic."

The "new demographic" is actually men. They did research and found that men don't like to drink things called "diet." That's why Pepsi came out with Pepsi One and now Coke's got Coca-Cola Zero. Ahhh...marketing.

The "new demographic" is actually men. They did research and found that men don't like to drink things called "diet."

This will come to a shock to all the construction workers who kept drinking up all the diet coke while they were here. I know this since they have to walk past my desk. I'd say the two biggest sellers for them was Diet Coke and fruit punch.

The "new demographic" is actually men. They did research and found that men don't like to drink things called "diet."

This will come to a shock to all the construction workers who kept drinking up all the diet coke while they were here.

Remember that commercial, with the women in the office building ogling the construction worker?

"Diet Coke break!"

Construction workers have to like diet Coke.

Oh yeah! There aren't any construction workers in my immediate area, which is a shame. Not only were they walking past my desk all the time but the front walls of the office are glass so I got to see them all day long.

That's weird, JZ. I would've guessed that keeping their members informed would be a pretty high priority for a union.

My MiL brought home some Sprite Zero b/c she couldn't find Diet Sprite anymore. We spent a non-trivial amount of time trying to figure out if it was any different, and couldn't.

I tried the Coke zero, and did find it to be a bit sweeter than Diet Coke. Actually, I think I liked it better than the DC w/ Splenda, but there is a definite difference between the three of them, and, given the crap that went down with New Coke, and how picky people are about specific taste, I can understand wanting to throw them all at the wall and then let what doesn't stick fall by the wayside.