Win some, lose some...wait, we WON one?

Apparently, the workers of American Licorice Company voted today by a narrow margin to accept the company's last, best (yeah, right) offer. The strike is over and the workers will be losing some of their health benefits--specifically, dependent coverage. (I lost mine this year, too.) Win-win for American Licorice, but knowing what I know now I'll never eat their lousy candy again (not that I ever enjoyed Sip 'n' Chew before the strike, either).

But!


Thanks to a letter sent to the New York City Department of Buildings from OWS (signed by, amongst others, the NYCLU) , Brookfield Properties have been reminded that they are required to keep the Park open and accessible to the public 24 hours a day. Which means the fences and selective searches at Liberty Plaza/Zuccotti Park are over, at least for now!

We'll see what shenanigans Bloombo's Army cooks up next in their ongoing and tireless efforts to stamp out free speech and dissent in the Big Apple. Meanwhile here at home, I'm dreaming about finding a secret codicil to Oakland Municipal Code granting the public 24/7 access to OGP...

Boycott American Licorice!

No Red Vines for you, bub...the bad guys at American Licorice Company in Union City are determined to gut their workers' health insurance. Read all about it here.

Occupy Oakland joined the picket line today, prompting the Union City Police Department to fuel up their armoured personnel carrier, which they drove around the block. Thanks for the grant money, Homeland Security!

Other products produced by American Licorice include Sour Punch, Super Ropes, Snaps, Sip-n-Chew (no doubt a bizarre taste treat blending the subtle pleasures of Mickey's Big Mouth and Copenhagen Smokeless Tobacco), Natural Vines (which suggests Red Vines are...what exactly?), and the delightfully named Extinguisher, which sounds more like a WWF wrestler than a candy. Should any of these be amongst your favourite sweetmeats, make alternative arrangements until the company backs down.