Odessa

Hollywood writers announced that they plan to go on strike. The union contract between film and TV producers and the 2000-plus members of the Writers Guild of America expired at midnight on Oct. 31. Writers want a larger share of residual payments for work that’s released on DVD and work distributed on the Internet. Producers think the writers demands are unreasonable and no one is budging.

I am supposed to be moved by this news? TV and movies take away from my gaming, web surfing and blogging - so doubt I'll notice if there are re-runs of Joanie Loves Cha Chi in place of the huge void that will be present. Granted, California's economy may take a big hit. I feel bad for businesses outside the direct entertainment business. However, the Hollywood big cheeses need to iron this out on their own.

And what gems have they created lately? I'm sure it takes a lot of skill to write a script for putting a bunch of misfits together in a house/on an island/in a talent contest/in an office. Pure genius I say! And the sops in this country lap it up! Gee, reruns of Married ... With Children are looking really attractive right now. . . But I digress.

Are the big moguls that run the studios greedy bastards? - Sure they are. Are they going to part with any more loot than they have to? - Nope. If they go without writers - They could tell the misfits to write their own scripts, it is reality TV so they do anyway, right. And wrestling is real, too, right? Maybe they can dust off some previously rejected drivel from the back of the closet.

Fact is, the fat cats will keep the studios cranking out the crap they have been. There may be a hiatus, but when enough of them need to re-teak their yachts and their mistresses need boob jobs, they will find a way. And all will be well in the land of fruit and nuts.