BURNcast Update

Hey everybody. I know I have not been keeping up with BURNcast. It's because I'm walking the picket line daily for the writers who are on strike in the entertainment industry. My union, SAG, has asked to show solidarity for the writers because their fight is our fight. And it is.

I've been meaning to get back to BURNcast at the beginning of February. But walking the line everyday is wearing on me physically and emotionally. It took me several weeks to finally kick a bug I got in December. And I had to tighten my belt because I have not worked in months because of the strike.

At any rate, WHATEVER YOU ARE HEARING IN THE NEWS about the strike PLEASE KNOW that there is a MEDIA BLACKOUT in effect. Management and Labor have agreed to this in order to keep these delicate negotiations from being decided in the press and in the court of public opinion rather than privately where it needs to be. So, since the writers are striking against Big Media, I have a hunch that Big Media is leaking false or compromised information.

It's worth noting that Big Media has retained Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane as their PR firm. The two were dubbed the "Masters of Disaster" for their damage control P.R. work when they worked for the Clinton White House and campaigns so it's interesting that they are now taking on Big Media clients.

Yesterday there was a huge picketing rally in front of Disney Studios. Since I don't own a TV, I'm curious if it was covered in the news? Especially, ABC? Just curious.

Anyway later that day, on CNBC, Michael Eisner, the former CEO of the Walt Disney Co., announced that the strike is over.

WTF?

Hello, Operator? Is Michael at the bargaining table? Is he in the negotiating room? Fuck no. All CNBC is doing is allowing Eisner to say the "I heard it from a friend" and we know that game. We played it in elementary school.

For the record: Michael Eisner is completely uninvolved and irrelevant to the strike.

I believe it's plain bad journalism for CNBC news to report that Michael Eisner said the strike is over. This is reprehensible and irresponsible reporting if you can even call it that. It's crap. There's no fact checking. It's all hearsay.

In a conversation with Chai Guy, he said, "It's a classic set up. If Big Media announce that the strike is over (the Eisner stint), then the whole thing rests on the shoulders of the writers, if the writers reject the deal in a vote, then the writers end up looking like the assholes for denying the fanbase new episodes of "HEROES", and for canceling the Academy Awards."

Chai's so right on! True that, CG!

So don't believe anything you hear in the media right now. There is a a media blackout. It ain't over 'til it's over. I want to get back to work too, but I didn't march around in circles for months to get a bad deal.

This weekend the WGA Negotiating Committee is presenting a proposed contract to the rank and file. We'll know what the results are after that. If you want the facts, just go to the source. Go to official Writers Guild of America website at http://www.wga.org

I'll be back at BURNcast as soon as this is over. Until then, please support your fellow artists and writers who are fighting to get a fair deal. To be able to buy a house, get an education and have two weeks vacation with health insurance thrown in the mix, well...that's the American dream, ain't it?