Dear Writer's Guild of America,

It has come to my attention that you are on strike. Semper Fi. Or whatever you guys say. I'm totally, one hundred percent behind you...but, how's it going? You see, it's also come to my attention that, in lieu of all your marvelous original writing, the networks are beefing up their reality programming. You feel my pain? If only all of America did, too.

Obviously, I'm a writer, but, being a blogger, it's understood I get paid squat-ski (as they say in the Midwest...they also say, "Da Bears", it's part of the package). Naturally, like just about every other writer out there who puts in more than the occasional effort, I'm hopeful that some day I could make, well, a living seems like a stretch, but maybe enough to pay for my latte habit. So you see, I'm very sympathetic when it comes to creating original content for, you know, zip, or what must at times seem pretty close to it.

My mind is boggled by the numbers. From what I gather, that DVD that sells for $28.95 nets the writer/creator a whopping four cents. Apparently, you have the nerve to request the outrageous sum of...eight cents. Well, I can certainly understand why the powers-that-be would balk at handing over such exorbitant amounts. After all, homes in Malibu, vacations to the south of France and private jets don't come cheap. It's almost like you expect them to share the wealth. Hmmm...that reminds of one of the things I hate about reality programming: no sarcasm.

In the dull and boring moments that have filled the recent content voids that are my evening viewing hours, I've turned to the newest friend of striking writers: the internet. In particular, YouTube. Does America realize that you are passing your time creating fun and informative content online that 1) entertains, and 2) educates the viewer about the realities of your strike. Reality! Wait, you're creating reality programming? Isn't that an oxymoron?

Ironically, the internet (along with those IPod downloads) is one of the vast income generators for which you receive zilch? (You want to be paid for that, too? How greedy of you.) And yet writers are using this platform to very effectively skewer and lambast those wacky CEO's while explaining their plight to the world. Oh, irony! There's another thing seldom seen in reality programming.

I'm already fond of such newly minted YouTube classics as "Not the Daily Show with Some Writer", "Heroes of the Writer's Strike" and "A World Without Writers". While it looks like your strike will help me catch up on all my reading (remember books?), when I miss you, I'll know where to find you. Perhaps it will soften the news that the series finale of Scrubs had to be...scrubbed. Now that's an ironic bit of reality that truly bites.

Best Wishes for a speedy resolution, maybe in time for the Golden Globes?

Robin