Writers Strike Over According To Insiders

Insiders familiar with negations between Hollywood studios and the WGA say that an agreement between the writers and studios has been reached and the writers strike could soon be over. If true, this is good news for millions of people that have not been able to watch their favorite television shows for the past few months. Early on, it was reported that the major Hollywood studios were not going to give into the demands of striking writers in order to attempt to break the WGA's power in Hollywood. However, it now appears that both sides in this dispute have lost enough money for the pain to be felt on both sides pretty much equally.

As the writers strike has been dragging on week after week, thousands of regular people that are never reported on by the mainstream news media have been laid off their jobs, as well. To me, it is the plight of the average hourly worker that has concerned me the most. Just like in previous labor disputes, there are countless unknown and unseen people that are hurt when management and labor cannot reach an agreement. From people that apply makeup, to stunt professionals, to the folks that serve hot meals on the set – thousands of regular, low wage people have been devastated by the Hollywood writers strike.

Now it looks like the pain that has been felt by so many people is about to come to an end. However, the amount of debt and loss of savings that has occurred to regular people because of this strike could take years to be corrected. As a life long resident of a southern state, Texas, I have a hard time understanding the modern labor movement. Even when a strike only lasts only a few short weeks, any income gained after the strike will take years to make up for the complete loss of income during the strike. Friends that are labor supporters tell me that when a union strikes, members are more focused on future workers than they are on themselves.

There is a great deal of talk these days in regards to whether labor unions are even needed in modern day America. One hundred years ago, labor unions were the only thing that saved millions of people from working in dangerous sweat shops with no benefits and low pay. However, since most Americans are now safe from most workplace dangers because of government regulation and there is a minimum standard of income for all people, are labor unions really needed anymore?

Read more about Hollywood Issues:

Hannah/Miley Tour Movie Hits Box Office Gold
Hollywood View Of Movie Quality Confuses Nation
Kiefer Sutherland Released After Serving 48 Day Sentence
Jay Leno Defeats David Letterman In Late Night Ratings
Mountain Man David Letterman Returns To Late Show

February 9, 2008 Archives

MSNBC's David Shuster's Despicable Comments

A few days ago, MSNBC reporter David Shuster said that Hillary Clinton was 'pimping out' her daughter Chelsea in this years presidential campaign. If MSNBC follows it's pattern that was set when Don Imus got into trouble with potentially racist comments a year ago, Shuster's suspension will be followed by his termination sometime next week. To me, what David Shuster said about Chelsea Clinton is much worse than Don Imus' joke gone bad situation last year. I have written before that it might be time to shut MSNBC down.

Very few people watch MSNBC, so I believe the reporters and anchors on that cable news network try to make news for themselves with outrageous comments about people in the news. In my opinion, if David Shuster is fired at MSNBC, Chris Matthews should be shown the door at the same time. Since I don't watch MSNBC that much, I really don't know how they have been covering the 2008 race for the White House. However, it appears that little has changed at MSNBC over the past year and management of that cable network is clueless when it comes to finding a winning news format.

The last time I watched MSNBC, David Shuster was a reporter that did lead in stories for 'Hardball' with Chris Matthews. Back then, Shuster's primed the pump for Matthews who would then tear into some politician using his old time style of liberal broadcast opinion. There must be little leadership behind the scenes at MSNBC as on-air talent seems to always be saying something that gets them in trouble while at the same time creating another 'black eye' for MSNBC's parent company NBC News.

I still believe it is time for NBC to shut down MSNBC. While the ratings for MSNBC continue to reside in the cellar compared to Fox News and CNN, the only time most people even think about MSNBC anymore is when one of their reporters or anchors makes an outrageous comment like the one made by David Shuster this week. Time and time again, NBC tries to rework the format of MSNBC and each time they fail. The MSNBC brand is dead and if NBC wants to have a successful cable news channel they must first bury MSNBC and completely start over with a new channel and totally new reporters and on-air anchors.

For a channel that showed so much promise early on in cable news, MSNBC has squandered every opportunity that it once had for success.

Read more about Cable News:

CNN Beats Fox News In Election Night Coverage
CNN/YouTube Debate Stacked With Planted Questions
Major News Networks Refuse To Cover Iraq Success Stories
Is It Time For MSNBC To Be Shut Down?
NBC 'Climate Change' - Liberal News Bias

Carrie Underwood Grammy Award Expected Sunday

On Sunday night, the 2008 Grammy Awards will be televised from Los Angeles. While I could care less about most of the music categories and their nominees, I will be hoping that Carrie Underwood will win a Grammy Award. The past few weeks I have been writing about the terrible news that has been facing the world. From lying politicians and cold blooded killers to the ever increasing self destructive behavior of Britney Spears. In many ways, Carrie Underwood is a life vest for me and others in a world of increasing problems and stress.

On many occasions I have written about Carrie Underwood and her God given talent to not only sing, but also provide a positive role model for young women to follow. However, I believe Carrie Underwood might just help older adults as much as young girls. For most of my life I have enjoyed reading about the current news of the day. While keeping up with current events is something millions of people do each day, there is a down side to all of those negative stories. That downside involves the mind becoming negative and that is not a good thing.

On occasions when I become depressed with all the negative events happening in the world, I have found myself searching the Internet for what Carrie Underwood is current doing. I have found that on most occasions, Carrie Underwood is not only doing something that is uplifting – but she is doing it with loads of humility. I had no idea when I was watching Carrie Underwood compete and win 'American Idol' that she would eventually turn out to be a positive role model for so many people.

Sunday night I will most likely not watch the Grammy Awards because so much of the music that is preformed on that show gives me a headache. However, I will be scanning the Internet Sunday night to see if Carrie Underwood won a Grammy Award and if she does I will be extremely happy for her success. Next week I will be writing once again about the current news of the day, but right now I wanted to write something positive about the world and to me nothing is more positive in this crazy mixed up world than Carrie Underwood.

Read more about Carrie Underwood:

Carrie Underwood Gives Tabloids Little Trash To Report
Carrie Underwood Favorite Female Country Artist - AMA
Keith Urban/Carrie Underwood Announce Co-Headlining Tour
Carrie Underwood Wins Again At CMA Awards
Carrie Underwood Starts Getting Bad Press