Writer's Strike

Unless you have been hiding under a rock somewhere, or have a productive life and watch no TV, you probably know that the Writer's Guild is on strike and that pretty much every TV program with the exception of reality TV, is going into hiatus soon. You might also know, that the central issue in the strike has been royalties from internet revenues, a widely unknown and undeveloped field. Like most people, I thought that sounded reasonable and I supported the writers and thought the studios were being particularly greedy. But, then I found out what the writers are really demanding.

While people generally agree that the internet revenues is a legitimate issue, that is not the only thing on the writers' list of demands. There are a whole host of other issues that are ridiculous and that the Union has obstinately refused to drop. First, and foremost on the stupid list is the demand for a right to hold a sympathy strike when other unions go on strike. What management in its right mind would ever grant this right to anyone, especially in a union as far left as the Writer's Guild? Hollywood could shut down every time there was a major labor dispute in the country. Next, the Guild wants the right to unionize and have authority over Reality Television writers. Let's not even go into the contradiction in terms that is "reality television writer." Reality TV is pretty much going to be 99.100% of the spring TV lineup. Why? Because their writers are still working during the strike. That's right, the Guild wants the power to Lord over the very scabs who are offering the networks an alternative to caving to guild demands. Know what else? The reality writes don't even WANT to be part of the Writer's Guild. Why does the union keep insisting on this as a prerequisite to negotiations?

Think that's bad? Wait, there's more. The Guild also wants jurisdiction over animation writers, who also, get this, don't want to be part of the Writer's Guild. That's right, the reason that Jack Bauer will not be making the world safe for democracy this year is that the Writer's guild wants to have authority over the guys who write Toy Story 4. I'm not making this up. The Guild has absolutely refused to give in on these ridiculous and altogether excessive demands. The other side, not being stupid, realizes that there is only one legitimate issue here, and it's going to wait and make a deal with the Director's Guild, which will almost certainly be far more reasonable and not toss in insane requirements to have authority over areas that don't want their leadership anyway. Once a deal is in place with the DGA, the Writers' union will almost certainly have to accept a similar deal on internet revenues, which means that any continuation of the strike would be for these pointless side demands and the writers would look stupid.

I support writers, I really do, but their Union negotiators are WAY off base and they should be dumped in favor of a group who want to get a deal done, and are willing to give in on demands that are clearly asinine.

One more thing. The big story that no one is talking about, is that if the shows don't go back into production by a certain time, the actors all get released from their contracts. That's right, every actor, every show. If you don't think that's going to affect some of the shows you watch, think again. What happens if Jack from LOST decides that he hates the show and doesn't want to come back? What then? I totally support the idea that writers should get a piece of "new media" revenues, but their other demands are ridiculous and they should drop them.

Ken Jennings Op-Ed

For those who still haven't seen it, My Brother Dave's old College Bowl friend, Ken Jennings, wrote an op-ed about the continued slander of the LDS church by politicians. Most people probably know Jennings from his lengthy stint on Jeopardy. He makes good points and the article is highly readable and I recommend it to all.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2007/12/19/2007-12-19_politicians__pundits_please_stop_slander.html

My Dream is Dead

I've been thinking bout this for the past couple of days, and I've been resisting the urge to blog about it. See, the thing is, something happened and it absolutely pissed me off. I mean it totally ruined my day, my month, and quite possibly my year. I thought maybe it wasn't as bad as I felt it was at the time. I thought maybe I would get over it, but it is now clear to me that it just hurts more as time goes on. It seems like this has sucked all the joy out of my life and there are times during the day when I get so mad and/or depressed about it I just don't know if I can go on.

I'm talking of course about the Dolphins win over Baltimore on Sunday. That win brings to an end my dream of seeing the Dolphins running the table in reverse and being the first team to lose every game in a season. It was my hope and dream to see a team do it, and I thought, I really thought that the Dolphins had it in them. I let myself believe it. I was wrong to let myself hope, I was wrong to ever have a dream.

It hurts even more knowing that they were so close. Baltimore gave the Patriots one of their hardest wins of the season and looked like they could compete when they wanted to. Sure, they hadn't won in 7 games and their team is mostly washed up, but still, they should have been able to put away the fins, especially with a ten point lead at half time. Then, the Dolphins just had to keep doing what they had been doing, and kept believing in themselves, and they could have easily lost to New England and Cincinnati. That's what hurts the most, they were so close. It's like they had it in their grasp and let it slip a way. How could you do this to me guys? How could you do this? In a season where we've found out most of our sports heroes were frauds, where it turns out that Barry Bonds skull did not just change shape magically for no reason, and where we find out that pitchers can't continue to throw 90 mph fastballs into their mid forties without extralegal help. In a season where it turns out that the NFL's most overrated quarterback goes to jail for a crime unrelated to murder or drugs, and a B-grade player can't even throw money around in a strip club without causing a shooting, the NFL needed to give us something to believe in, and we've just been robbed. Part of me knows we will never be this close again. There will never again be a team this dreadful. This is as close as we were ever going to get and the Dolphins blew it.

Let me ask you something, Miami Dolphins, what gives you the right? What gives you the right to get me to believe you can't succeed, and then you go out there and actually try? Where do you get off actually trying to do what you are paid to and win a football game. And let me ask the Ravens something; 4th and goal on the one yard line? And you kick the field goal?!?!!? What are you thinking? Brian Billick, what went through your mind? "Sure, we're a yard away, and the quarterback sneak has never actually failed in this situation, but I like our chances of somehow winning a coin toss, taking the ball down the field, and then kicking the ball from much further down the field in overtime. I like those chances much more." ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!

The moral of this story children is don't dream. Don't ever believe that great things can happen, cause they won't. Don't ever believe in destiny, because Brian Billick will take a crap on it. And don't ever let your inner child get excited about anything, because the Miami dolphins will try to touch it in inappropriate places. Wishes don't come true, and dreams really are like rainbows; only idiots chase them.

Finals Ruminations

Once again I managed to survive finals. The past two weeks have been obscenely stressful, but thanks to hard work and my recent rediscovery of Jolt Caffeinated Chewing Gum, I made it through. I also discovered that my insomnia, which is normally a nagging problem during the rest of the year, is an unmanageable soul sucking infirmity during a period of high stress such as finals. Between Wednesday, Thrusday, and Friday nights of this past week, I may have managed a grand total of 15 hours of sleep, and it wasn't from lack of effort. Apologies to anyone who saw me this week and thought I looked or acted like a zombie. And yes, that 15 hours was WITH the help of sleeping pills. If finals this semester taught me anything, it's that I should never take 4 finals in one semester again. That rule is right up there with my No Friday Classes rule. I've got my winter scheduled worked out to where I only have to take one final. Fingers crossed, I might actually pass it.

Here is the rundown on the tests and how they went. I can't put specific questions up, because apparently, that is an honor code violation. Also, I reserve the right to withdraw any compliments I give to teachers who end up giving me a bad grade, or insult to teachers who end up giving me a good grade.

WILLS, TRUSTS, AND ESTATES.

What can I say, Prof. Brown you are a stud. The class was great and the test was pretty straightforward. Time was close, but reasonable. Sadly, everyone in that class is smarter than me and there is a forced curve.

Predicted grade: B-

CON LAW

This test was just hell. Someone said that the professor stated that it was the easiest test she ever wrote. I would hate to have seen a hard test, because this one was brutal. There just was not enough time to cover everything. You can't write a two and half hour exam and then put enough material in there that students would have to write for four hours to cover everything. I know some teachers write long exams and don't expect the students to cover more than a third of what's there, but that seems silly to me and it is discouraging to students. My only real complaint with the final was time, however, this final also included one of my pet peeves.

Teachers, Professors, Instructors, Lend me your ears. When you say there will be three questions on a test, that implies that students will only have to answer THREE QUESTIONS. When we start writing the first question, and we are budgeting our time, we do so thinking, "only two more questions after this, so I can spend ____ amount of time on this question and still have time for the other two." Then, you flip the page and see that question two is more than one question, each with different facts that take time to read and consider. Just because you call a page "question two" doesn't mean it's one question. If there are five questions on that page, you can't count that as one question. It counts as FIVE questions! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here.

Other than that, not too bad; still beats last years contracts final. Or as I call it, "the Exam Equivalent of the shower scene in American History X."

Predicted grade: C-


EVIDENCE

It's always a bad sign when you have enough time to finish a law school exam. It means you probably missed the point of a question. Also, I ended up flipping a coin to answer one of the multiple choice questions, much to the amusement of the guy sitting next to me.

Predicted Grade: C

DEFAMATION

Last test and I spent roughly 5 hours studying for it. I have to be honest, I was so exhausted that I really didn't care what I got. I just wanted it to be over.

Predicted grade: C+

Post finals: People do different things to celebrate finals. Most of my classmates went off and got drunk. I went to the running trail and ran 17 miles, then went and got a pizza. I guess I just have a different definition of cutting loose. Anyway, it was a fantastic run, and the Pittman Wash looks pretty amazing at sunset, which was right about the time I finished. At the end of the run, I think I was the worn out I have ever been.

That's my report on finals. Stay tuned this week for the exciting tales of my visit to Utah and Danny's surgery. I'm hoping to blog semi-regularly through the rest of the break.