The fact they're sending letters going on about pencils, mock exorcisms and a parody website to those companies is just hilarious.

I don't know if I think it's hilarious or not. The fact is that people are out of work. People who are not writers and didn't get to vote on whether or not they'd be out of work. Small businesses are already having trouble keeping their lights on. And I think that some of these actions make us look...not serious. Like we're playing at being on strike. I'm sure that, for many around town, seeing us stage a mock exorcism on the news -- because, of course, THAT made the freaking evening news -- feels a little like salt being rubbed in their wounds.

For example, I thought the AMPTP parody site was hilarious. Then, I got an OFFICIAL WGA email -- on the WGA email "letterhead" pointing me to the site. It suddenly didn't seem as funny.

I heard something to the effect that IATSE's position is that they would like both sides to resolve the issues at stake as soon as possible, as they would like for their people to get back to work. Pointedly not taking sides.

Not true. I think the IATSE membership has mixed emotions about the strike. Some support what we're doing. Others think we're greedy assholes. There's probably some people in the middle ground too. The head of IATSE is pissed as fuck and has been very public about expressing his displeasure. Possibly because we keep calling him "Tommy." But yeah, Tom Short is definitely not on the side of the WGA here.

Barring some Christmas Backchannel Miracle, I think the DGA will be sitting down to negotiate in the New Year, which might be a good thing. The rumor is that they might ask for even more than we have on the internet. If they make a good deal that the WGA membership can live with, everyone gets to save face and maybe we can all get back to work.

Assuming there's still work to get back to.

And I think that some of these actions make us look...not serious. Like we're playing at being on strike.

Yeah, some of the theme days have kinda given me that feeling.

Much as I support the writers, I agree with Kristen. I was really surprised when I heard that the AMPTP.com site was passed on in an official e-mail.

me too. I thought it was really funny, but I was surprised it came with official endorsement.

I think I wouldn't have minded if it had been tacked onto something else ("Here's where we're striking, and, by the way, this is pretty funny."), but apparently it got its very own e-mail.

I feel like the Charlie Brown of fandom.

And yet you keep trying to kick that football...

The studios can play reality tv till the cows come home, but presumably they'll miss out on DVD sales, itune sales, advertising money from streaming shows and ultimately syndication that only come from scripted shows. So whereas the wave of reality tv might keep their viewing figures up initially, they'll be losing loads on the very things the strike's about.

I was talking to ND yesterday about how this is grinding down our local economy in a lot of ways. My neighborhood is a hotspot for lunches and dinners and coffee meetings, and my coffee bean is usually jam packed with people working on laptops. It's a ghost town.

Yay parking?

I've also been watching the apartment listings like a vulture. A VULTURE. Though I'm still trying to convince Tim to let me move in to the pool house in exchange for baked goods and dog walking.

You know, being slightly panicked about getting a cat sitter for Xmas, I think the dogwalking alone would be worth the price of rent.

This is what I'm saying!