THE WRITERS STRIKE IS OVER!

The Writers Guild of America voted overwhelmingly to go back to work last night, ending the 100 day strike that has effectively crippled Hollywood since November.  The Los Angeles Times says:

On Feb. 25, writers are expected to ratify a new three-year contract that ensures them a stake in the revenue generated when their movies, television shows and other creative works are distributed on the Internet. The new contract gives them residual payments for shows streamed over the Internet and secures the union's jurisdiction for programming created for the Web.Yet the new contract falls short of what writers were initially seeking."It's a good deal but not a great one," said Handel, adding that both sides made key compromises.For example, writers received guarantees that any guild member hired to create original shows for the Web would be covered under a union contract. But the tentative contract enables studios to hire nonunion writers to work on low-budget Internet shows, giving them the flexibility they sought to compete in the burgeoning world of Web entertainment.

Thank god.  Maybe now we can afford a table that leaves us with some god damn dignity.  What the hell is this?  You can bet the producers and directors guild have some marble and mahogany shrine with waterfalls and lasers and a girls in bikinis in cages.  We had to borrow one from a homeless guy selling records and bananas.