Yesterday was my birthday and more notes, emails and phone calls came in than I thought I had friends. Thanks to everyone for being so cool. One student even baked a cake and delivered it to my office. Totally unexpected. But seriously, much thanks!

I’m trying to learn the joy of celebrating a birthday for the sake of the day itself, rather than approaching the day with dread. Have a long ways to go with that one.And it’s doubly good news, because the strike is now history. Despite the saber rattling and threats, the writers inked a good deal which provides their members a foothold into new and emerging revenue streams. More money is always good.

I remember a few months ago industry editorials came out against the strike and warned that writers were in for a long, painful, fight that would certainly end unfavorably for them. In the meantime, the networks and the film industry lost 3.2 billion dollars. A lot of shows in the production pipeline got canned in retaliation.

But the warring parties settled.

I guess Walt the Janitor and Bobby the PA had trouble crafting television shows. Maybe it’s all the coke they snorted off the pool boy.

Due to some wacky glitch at AT&T Wireless, it has been impossible to contact cell numbers in Southern New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware from a land line for the past 96 hours. Mobile to mobile calls work, and cell customers can dial landlines; the reverse has been erratic or impossible.

Never mind that I live in central New Jersey. In fact, I’m as close to a geographic center as is possible. But my phone has been affected as well.

Surely no one important is trying to call me via the cell, which is at the top of every query and cover sheet ever mailed.

It could worse. All Blackberry service is out in North America.

Yikes.