I love the smell of napalm in the morning

Okay, I said I don't do links, but I've managed to gather a couple.

First, watch this: YouTube - Why We Fight

Then, watch this: YouTube - Voices of Uncertainty

Now, take a few minutes to read this, an insider's account which surely made even Jimmy Hoffa roll over, wherever he is: Kung Fu Monkey: The Albatross

And now you are ready to enjoy my new favorite blog ever in the history of blogs ever in the wide world: LateShowWritersOnStrike.Com

This is all you really need to know.

I love the comments, by the way! I especially love deleted comments. So keep 'em comin.

new thoughts on the strike

Random thoughts here, people. Stick with me, if you dare:

So, this strike is fascinating. It seems pretty obvious that the writers walk the high ground on this, but Michael Eisner says that it is a "stupid" strike. This from the man who nearly destroyed Disney. Didn't Forrest Gump have something to say about stupid? Hmmm...

So my beloved show The Office officially shut down today. Good for them. Bad for me. They only have two more shows in the can, so I only have two more fixes for the foreseeable future. Since nature abhors a vacuum, I feel I need a new favorite distraction. That distraction is quickly becoming ... this writer's strike.

Seriously, it has all the drama, comedy, and heart tugging pathos of a great show, like Brothers and Sisters (my other favorite). I think a real case could be made for all of us consumers that this strike is the alternative to our favorite entertainment. That is, unless your favorite entertainment is American Idol. If so, you will very soon be a pig in mud.

Last year was really bad, and I really don't like Jordin Sparks. My two cents.

Check out www.unitedhollywood.com. When you get there, watch the video from The Office's picket line. Promos. Hilarious.

A loyal reader says I am on "a tear." I am! I get so into things. Like Marvin the Martian, Thai food, or the 2000 Presidential election. The Office. I had a brief affair with celeb gossip magazines once (I am convinced that their stories are all true) but that ran its course. I am currently considering a new obsession with men's messenger bags.

Writers took DVD residuals off the table, so now they are simply fighting for residuals on new media (i.e. iTunes, Amazon, internet streams). They know that this is the future of the industry. The studio moguls say that they don't know how much money is there so how can they agree how much to pay out? This reminds me of - now this is just off the top of my head, folks - this sounds alot like a guy who doesn't pay child support because he only has alternative forms of income. No job, just unemployment and maybe the sympathetic loans of gullible friends. But he can't give any to his children because he doesn't know how much he will have, and he needs to eat, you know. That's just an example of what that sounds like to me.

I could really go for some chocolate ice cream right now.

Some are saying that the average writer stands to lose more in this strike than they will ever make in any residuals from future work, no matter what negotiations gain them. But whoever said that is: A) most likely not an artist, because artists are very protective of what they create and they should be; and B) most likely not getting ripped off on a regular basis. Like the writers of shows that are streamed online, with advertising, but they don't get a dime for the streaming or any viewings. Sounds like they were working for free anyway. Might as well pick up a sign and get some exercise.

I read that a guy got run over! Yikes. It's hard out there for a writer. I guess.

Sorry, I just don't post links. I'm too lazy. All four of you know your way around Google better than I do, anyway.

Another loyal reader threatens to scab and send in a script. To this I say: Write it, but don't send it! The strike will last so much longer! But in the meantime, let me be your beta.

Can't wait for more strike coverage tomorrow.

It's Time To Put It All On The Line

So, I have a new thang: following this WGA strike. I'm too lazy to post links to relevant sites, like other legitimate bloggers. You'll have to get your Google on to find out more about it. It sounds like the writers are tired of only making 4 cents from every DVD sold with their byline on it, and even more tired of getting absolutely no royalties at all from their shows running on the internet, iTunes, or other alternative media. They say that, if they don't stand up for their fair share now, they will never be fairly compensated for the creative work that they do.

Now, I'm a Republican, and I appreciate the business that the studios are in - large investments, large risks - and I love me my entertainment escapes, but this sounds a little too much like a girl working really hard every night and her pimp is taking all of her money when she is doing all of the work. Just sayin'.

I'm all for this strike. I'm a firm believer that you have to stand for what's right and true, no matter how hard the wind is blowing in your face. No matter what nasty punches the other side pulls. Sometimes you have to draw the line and stand on your side of it and say, "I do this for those who would come after me." Lock arms with those next to you, carry large signs with the truth for all to see, and commit that it will not be over until there is a just resolution.

And that's why I support the WGA strike.