Should we be thankful for the writers strike?

Headline in The Onion: “Writers’ Strike To Hit TV Land in 14 Years.” Onto more on this otherwise quiet day:

* If this thing keeps going, it’s going to cost the L.A. economy $21 million per day. By contrast, the ’88 strike cost about $3 million per day.

* Since renewed talks will begin Monday, some writers who are also showrunners will return to their producing duties. Some already have on the hush-hush. Also: Writers are wary of separate negotiations between the Directors Guild of America and AMPTP. Peter Lefcourt warned writers who are also directors that their negotiating as directors would be like “Hitler dangling a separate peace in front of Stalin.” Sounds like everyone hates everyone in Hollywood.

* The WGA’s no-writing-during-the-strike rule actually hurts writers. So probably a bunch of them are working on spec scripts while no one’s looking.

* If sending peanuts to CBS could get them to renew “Jericho,” then perhaps sending pencils to producers might weaken their resolve to screw the writers. Or at least that’s the hope of this vaguely amusing YouTube clip. One commenter pointed out: “If the writers put out as much funny stuff before the strike as they have after the strike, maybe people wouldn't have abandoned TV.”