strike = STROKE

Having had a natural mistrust of the recording capabilities of VCR's in their heyday, I have--at times--been somewhat metaphorically chained to my TV set because of my love of prime time television programming. With the creation of such wonderful new inventions as the DVR, I've experienced a freedom heretofore unheard of...I could be a die-hard fan AND be away from home between the hours of 7-10pm! This independence has been sweet...but now we face another foe. Soon there will be no new shows for my lovely little DVR player to record! Yikes!!

Perhaps you have discovered by this point that the Writer's Guild has gone on strike over contract disputes with regard to DVD and Internet sales of the TV shows that they write for...I don't quite understand the fine details of this matter, but, based on what I'm hearing, I am beginning to understand how this will effect ME and I'm not so happy!!! Dear reader, you must understand: I am a single woman of limited financial means and no children or small animals to keep me occupied. I must have SOMETHING to fill up my evenings and keep my mind off of my impending spinsterhood!

If you're looking for a little info on this most unfortunate turn of events, check out this short interview and article. I will cut-and-paste a portion of the article that causes the most pain:

Are shows like 24 and Lost in Jeopardy? USA Today runs down the many other ways the one-day-old strike has already impacted the TV season, including the cancellation of NBC’s planned Heroes spin-off, a possible postponement of the new season of 24 and a potentially shortened (to eight episodes!) season of Lost.

Oh my!! What will we do?! This is just too much! The cost is too high!! Give these writers what they want oh present-day money barons of the network conglomerates!! Can't you see what you're doing to us common folk! I might be forced out of my home--bored with re-runs and suffocated by obnoxious reality TV--and forced to interact with actual human beings for evenings on end! This is something I cannot comprehend! Please, for the love of all that is good and pure in this sad little world of ours, don't let this drag on for months as some are predicting! Give us our first-runs back!!! Thank you for your prompt attention in this matter.

PS...I'm with the writers on this one. I realize that this could cause me much pain if it continues, but I do think it's only right that they are fairly compensated for their work in all areas of revenue. That's my two cents, anyway!

in my humble opinion...

SOMEONE needs to tell the Jolie-Pitt conglomerate that they need to slow their roll! Now, perhaps you have a different opinion, and you are perfectly entitled to that opinion--so go write about it on your own blog--but I'm kinda tired of hearing these two talk about having children like they're collecting webkinz or something! As reported in an article on people.com, "When asked by Italian state TV if he and partner Angelina Jolie were ready for a fifth child, Pitt replied: 'Yeah, we're ready.'" What?! Can someone please remind Brad that they already have four kids! And has anyone stopped to add up the months in between each of these new additions: Jolie adopted Maddox in March, 2002; three years later, she adopts Zahara in July 2005; 10 months later, Shiloh is born in May, 2006; 10 months later they adopt Pax in March 2007...other than the gap between the first and second, that's only a 10-month stretch! Most mothers I know would have had a stroke by this point! It MUST be nice to have nannies!

Ok, I have no problem with the idea that the Jolie-Pitts are genuine, open-hearted people who want to create a loving environment for international orphans and the like, but they aren't running an orphanage, they're adopting these kids--taking on the responsibility of raising them to become mature, reasonably normal adults. I guess my burning question is how do they give each of these children the nurturing and attention that they need from both their mother and their father? Yes, children often grow up in much less desirable environments, but ole' Brad and Angie are choosing to live and raise these children as a couple--a Hollywood couple, at that. Yes, rich people have been letting other people raise their children for hundreds of years, but those are generally the children that they choose to bring into the world. The J-P's are choosing to create this environment and then hiring other people to make it all happen. I am having trouble seeing their benevolence as anything other than the newest collecting trend among the rich and eccentric.

The report goes on to say, "Brad Pitt says that with four children, 'sleep is non-existent' and some days fatherhood is a roller coaster ride." How in the world do they expect anyone to believe that, if one of the children cries out in the night, Brad is the one who jumps up to calm the tears?! When do you ever see ole' Angie trying to wrestle all four kids into the family mini-van so that she can get Maddox to school on time?! OH, and where in the world is Maddox in school? They're in a different state every other week...and Angie's off in Iraq!

"It's the most fun I have ever had and also the biggest pain in the ass I have ever experienced," [Brad] told reporters at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday. "(But) I love it and I can't recommend it any more highly." Well sure, Brad...I'm sure everyone would love to be a father when they want to...and then hand them off to the nannies when it's time to go play cards with Clooney and the boys! bleh...

[Please note: this is only MY humble, uneducated opinion based on info I'm getting from People.com and Entertainment Tonight! I have not thoroughly researched the effects of stacking up kids like cordwood and hiring a hoard of people to care for them so that you can jet-set off to Venice and Hollywood for glamorous film-festival after glamorous film festival. I'm sure the kids are fine...and living in much better digs than I ever will!]