LOST-Theories.com

Correction: There are over 15,000 signatures. Pretty cool!

up to 19,000

Thanks for the link, Shambabble!

You are welcome dabs.

That’s 4000 signatures in under two hours YAE. It will be interesting to see just how big this gets. I’m going to email the link to my friends.

Thanks Shampower!

-1, This is what I posted on Dark UFO on Thursday:

billinsandiego said… What is the other side of this argument? I am really pissed that Cuse is using his “Island” as a bargaining chip. Why doesn’t Cuse “buy” a television network and produce and write is own episodes? Maybe it is because most episodes DO NOT MAKE MONEY. Maybe that is why they want to keep the residuals from other platforms.

Thursday, November 08, 2007 1:32:00 AM

I like to add that business is business. I hope that the Networks do not give up a thing and will reduce what they pay to Cuse and company. I am tired of this Liberal lets all hug a “freakin” tree diatribe that I hear on various site this past week.

Cuse can get a job digging holes or teaching Mathematics. What I am told of writers is this; they get alot of money writing. They do not have to worry about anything else, no overhead, no workers comp. to their employees; they just sit around all day and daydream.

If you want government control Shamo move to China or Cuba. I hope that Cuse and crew will come to their senses and get their ass back to work. They should be lucky they have a job in the first place!

Again Shamo, to live on the West coast is a hustle, don’t be offended by my language. What Cuse is really trying to do is make money, and I don’t blame him. I wish he would make it like everyone else on the westcoast and work, not complain and beg.

Always sunny in San Diego!

Bill, with all due respect, as a majority, most writers are not employed steadily and make very little $$$ in terms of a career as a writer. Writers work for the love of the work! The writers who are fortunate enough to be employed over the duration of a series, make the most money, that is true. However, spread out over the lifetime of their career, winds up being an average income at best!

All the writers are asking for is a small piece of a very profitable pie, in terms of residuals, and in the lucrative arena of internet, and the sale of Dvd’s, etc. I personally believe they are entitled to a small portion. It has absolutely nothing to do with government control, and/or communism!

You picked a bad day to verbally spar with me Bilbo. It sounds like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed today like I did. :)

I’m not offended Billinbluster and I don’t totally disagree.

Answer me this though…is applying for a patent on something you invented so that you can profit from it wrong? What’s the difference with intellectual property? People make money from songs, books, and stock photos.

It may surprise you, but I’m a conservative libertarian. I’m quite happy living here in the moderately conservative Midwest and have no desire for government control or moving overseas to live as a ChiCom.

By the way, Cuse is a producer. :P

PS- You are a teacher… do you belong to a union? Is striking begging?

Please read my above post dab. Cuse and crew should buy a Network. Just buy a freaking network and make there own money. Do you know why Cuse and crew will not buy a Network? Because a Network is a billion dollar gamble.

You can’t force people to watch programming, there is a chance money spent towards a particular program will fail (as most do). The studios take a chance and when a winner comes up, they make there money. Writers get paid no matter what.

Listen dab, this is Business 101. Life is fast so duck. Cuse, Damon and those other dudes should just get together and go into business with NBC, ABC, CBS and make that money. I can care a rats ass if they don’t make money in the long run, make it is because alot of people are out there writting as well. Make money digging hole, plenty of hole to dig here in San Diego.

By the way Sham, yes I do pay dues to a union. Teachers are in demand here in San Diego, and we have to deal with the government. Please don’t mix apples and oranges.

I

I’ll await your answer my leftcoast friend, but you may have to wait awhile for my reply… I’ve got a dinner date.

Listen Bill, You are entitled to your opinion, as is everyone to theirs. I shared my opinion with you in a civil manner. Unfortunately, you chose to make a statement which I find, unwarranted! I have staunchly defended you and supported you, when others have attacked you. Did you ask me too, no you didn’t. I did it because it was the right thing to do. And I have no regrets.

You do NOT know what my background is, and I have made a very comfortable living ( more so than a school teacher), by successfully ducking! Life is fast and and I am more than capable of contending with the fast balls!

But, thank you for sharing!

Yeah Sham, Burger King and McDonalds do not have reservations. and buy the big burger combo for your date, not the Child’s combo. (just some advice)

I did not mean to offend you dab. I had no idea research ASST. make more money than a mathematics teacher. I consider you a friend on this site dab, and yes you have backed me up on this matter, I just hate being asked to support people that make alot of money.

For what ever reason, the writters of Lost have decided to gain moral support from the Fans. And dab, I feel that you’re being sucked in. Please dab, don’t fall for this, I feel you are a very intelegent woman, and would love to continue reading your theories and comments.

Personally, I don’t give a rat’s ass how much these writers make or what their demads are. There a worse people out there making dirty millions off the suffering of others. There will ALWAYS be someone that makes more money than you. Suck it up. My support for the writers is purely selfish. I want the show to continue, so I will support whatever gets them writing again. Successful writers have paid their dues just like any other successful person (excluding those that benefit from nepetism and inheritance.) So they make big money. Big deal. I’m not jealous or angry at them for wanting more. The networks have the cash, just fork it over. Would you say the same thing if the actors went on strike?

Okay Hex, I guess when you get horny you find a prosititute? Please Hex, adults are having a conversation here, please just read and learn.

Go over to darkufo & scroll to the video Why they are Striking.I thinks it explains their position very well. http://www.darkufo.blogspot.com

My reasons are more pure than that… I’m just selfish and I want to see my show LOST. :)

Ditto on that Sham I agree,but they do have reason just the same…..

I’m selfish too, but I agree with Bill in the sense that the writers run the risk of alienating the fans if they strike too long for what amounts to money, and I agree with him they probably do make a crapload of it. More than the production carpenters, janitors, caterers, and Prod Assistants they are preventing from working.

I also want to see my favourite show aired in entirety, and uninterrupted by a labour dispute! And, it is true that other peoples lives are being affected by this strike. So, I agree with your logic entirely, Locko and Bill!

My nephew is employed as a Camera Operator by CTV, who also owns The Sports Network, etc., and he works on many different programs on different stations, as most of them do. Under their current union contract, they are paid up to a maximum of $35.00 per hour, plus benefits, even if they aren’t filming. However if a strike were to occur, and he is not filming the regular scheduled programs, as what is presently starting to happen in the US, no paycheque for him and countless others for the duration! There are no winners. Everybody loses! And some people will lose everything, if it is a lengthy strike!

Let’s hope it ends soon!

Thanks for the link Sham…I support the writers strike and hope the petition helps the networks realise that they cant get away with ripping off the creative talent that they depend on.

You’re an enigma billinsandiego. I haven’t quite figured you out yet and not sure if I want to. It’s probably scary in there.

PS - My dates had a total of 2 bacon cheeseburgers and fries, all you can eat fish and chips, and a piece of chocolate cake ala mode. ;)

An enigma wrapped in riddle smothered in mystery wrapped in a twinkie…

LOL sham! re: bill. I assume that it’s all swirly numbers in there - like that kid from “Little Man Tate”

Bill: My prostitutes have nothing to do with my views on organized labour unions and money-grubbing math teachers. ; ) So leave Shoshana and Tarasita out of this!

My thread has now gone from being a melee involving politics and economics to a brothel all in the space of a few hours….

Wait a second… There isn’t much of a difference there…

C’mon Geisha Girl… time for bed…

shampimp out

‘nite.

How about paying writers based on their show ratings. For example. the writers on JOEY, should all be shot… as i assume they have. where as the writers on FAMILY GUY should be rubbed with scented oils and offered ritual sacrifice to oppease their mighty…ness. I would say Lost makes a decent amount of money, just look at the deals made through “The Lost experience” Jeep and Coca-Cola sponsership to name a few bigs.

Good call, Cap’n.

My rule is, you can’t argue with ignorance … so I would advise not to argue with Bill here.

You know what they say “Those who can’t do, teach … and those who can’t teach, teach gym”.

LOL!

shamsupport, I added my signature this morning and it was over 31,000!!!!

Coolness

Sorry, I can’t support them.

Believe me, I want them back to work as much as anybody. If I don’t get a heaping helping of Kate soon, I’m going to start taking hostages.

But it was the writer’s strike a few years ago that priced the writers themselves right out of the market. Their demands were so exorbitant that it was not longer economical to do a lot of scripted shows. That is why, right after that, we started getting inundated with reality programming. No script, no writers.

Seems they won’t be happy until they have priced themselves completely out of the market, and prime time TV is 3 hours a night, 7 nights per week of Dancing With The Stars.

Instead of giving them more money, more residuals, more…whatever, they should be beaten into submission, and chained to the writer’s tables. Throw ‘em scraps of food whenever a Lost mystery is created or explained.

1988 is hardly a “few” years ago. Think of the tech then. If you had a VCR you were cool.

Here is a link to get the writers side if the story. Granted, it is simplistic but it pretty much spells it out. http://darkufo.blogspot.com/

I really doubt that the writers will price themselves out of the market.

Intellectual property is tricky. It isn’t tangible. It’s not a commodity.

I am not anti-capitalist mind you, but am I missing something here?

George Washington started the patent ideals and they will always be debated.

My brain just exploded…

Thanks Quarantine, I think you made my point better than I did. I also like to thank CaptFilth, for making an excellent point. The writers are free to make money the best way they can. The writers are not willing to take a chance and write for free, they want “up” front money. If a show fails, are they willing to give any money back?

IF you log onto darkfufo you are reading one side of an argument. They have been a lot of negotiations for several weeks if not months and we are only reading one side of the argument. Let’s be privy to both side of the information.

When my wife and I have an argument, I must admit, she is right at least 1/2 of the time. You think the owners of broadcast TV are completely wrong?

By the way deadsawyer=mrssawyer, I only wish I was a gym teacher, I need to lose up to 20 lbs. Why do people on this site change there names, is this some kind of British thing?

Et tu Billin?

bill..you get cheekier by the day!

Bill I have no idea why you felt the need to bring me into this but DeadSawyer is nothing to do with me. As far as I was concerned you and I had sorted out our differences. Since that is clearly not the case I ask you respectfully to leave me alone.

As for this post I haven’t posted myself as I haven’t wanted to. I don’t agree with the strike myself.

Hey thanks Sham! I’ve been wondering where I could read more about this kind of stuff.

I am interested in hearing both sides of the story too, Mrs.

Oh and… don’t worry Mrs. … even I can tell you apart from deadsawyer. … those posts don’t seem like your style.

bill, with all due respect to your opinion, you have no right to accuse one of the finest members on this site of using a false name without proof.

That’s just wrong, bill.

Sorry

A link to a little story about the strike. http://digg.com/television/Nuts_BroughtBackJerichoWillCheapSkatesEndtheStrike/who

Im watchin this whole thing unfold from Australia, were about to have an election and one of the issues is the “Labour Party” ( white middle to lower class working conservitives) being made up mainly of industry union reps. the fear is, that with bigger union representation in government we could see strikes happen more frequently, for reasons that dont warrant it. I belong to a union because my line of work demands it. NOT because i wish to be and dont always agree with what my union thinks is right. This post goes out to any of the writers that just want to get back to work and end the strike now. To the writers that would like more money but dont think striking is the answer. Finally, to the writers that choose to write becasue its what they love doing, i would hope deep down that some of you dont care about money from dvd sales… and get your reward from seeing shows like LOST gain such a massive following and being enjoyed by so many people world wide. Im not the most experienced poster so forgive me if my writing is a little off. Cheers!

Yeah Captain…theres nothing more rewarding than watching others profit from your hard work.

As for the strikes happening for reasons that aren’t warranted….DONT get me started.I had to find a new job this week and I blame John Howards lousy Work Choices reforms. At least with a new government we will have workers rights returned to honest workers who may not be as crucial to the economy as big business is but who deserve rights all the same! And the writers strike is not about dvd sales,from what I understand.Its about networks profiting for years to come on the residuals they will receive by repeating programs on the internet with none of the profit from advertising going to the writers.

Sorry…but you brought politics into it.

And sorry for the rant….I need a third posting option…One that says… ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO POST THIS …THINK ABOUT IT.

bill, thank you for the response. I really appreciate it. It takes a big man to say I’m sorry, you gained some respect from me because you said it.

“WTF” you seem like a smart guy. Please tell me what “Honest Workers” means to you? because it sounds like just another slogan to me. I dont support Howard or Rudd. What i do support, is a full season 4 of Lost.

Captain…what kind of job demands you belong to a union.Just resign if you dont want to belong.And forgive me but I didnt notice you condemning Howard…only Rudd.And there are more important things in this world than TV and Im sure you know it.

As for an honest worker…to me its a person who is entitled to a fair days pay for a fair days work.Someone who shouldnt have to sign a work place agreement to keep their job.

Unfortunately some companies don’t give you a choice whether or not you join the union and unfortunately some companies will fire you for even mentioning the word union coughwalmartcough. I personally think unions are crucial in a money grubbing capitalistic society such as the US. But, I’m a socialist so my view points are pretty extreme compared to most. Anyways, I agree with the strike, if it weren’t for the writers the networks would have nothing but reality tv to broadcast 24/7.

Yes, it’s unfortunate for those workers whose jobs depend on things running smoothly but they are the sacrifice that the island demanded. :P

Lunaash77. Bringing communism into the 21st century.

Join the collective! Make this a worker’s paradise!

Unions are dehumanizing. Once you join one you are no longer a man (or woman). You are a commodity, a commodity whose price has been set not by you, but by people you’ll never meet, sitting at a negotiating table you will never see.

The union guy gets told to go on strike. He gets told that the people who invested millions of dollars to build the factory are now making profits, and that isn’t fair. He gets told that the stock holders who infused the company with cash to expand are now making money, and that isn’t fair. They get told that the people who went to college, got a degree, worked their way up the heirarchy and now manage the place are making a good living, and that isn’t fair. They get told that workers at other companies who are more productive make more money, and that isn’t fair.

And the union guy nods, and accetps his picket sign and heads out to the line.

There are like a million writers. the percent that actually make a living is probably pretty small. of the ones that make a living, the percent of those that make a great living is even smaller.

i just cant beleve that the people on the top tear can get the little guys to go on strike for money and residules that most can only dream of.

that, my friends is salesmanship.

opiate of the masses

Lockeko: isn’t that religion?

Shambalam: socialism is not communism but that’s what CNN wants you to believe. Anyways, unions are not dehumanizing they are a “body” of workers whose objective is to protect themselves from managements unfair, arbitrary or even malicious behavior.

~Unionized workers are more likely than their nonunionized counterparts to receive paid leave, are approximately 18% to 28% more likely to have employer-provided health insurance, and are 23% to 54% more likely to be in employer-provided pension plans.

~Strong unions set a pay standard that nonunion employers follow.

From the National Labor Relations Act and Social Security Act of 1935 to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, labor unions have been instrumental in securing labor legislation and standards. However, beyond their role in initiating and advocating enactment of these laws and regulations, unions have also played an important role in enforcing workplace regulations. Unions have provided labor protections for their members in three important ways: 1) they have been a voice for workers in identifying where laws and regulations are needed, and have been influential in getting these laws enacted; 2) they have provided information to members about workers’ rights and available programs; and 3) they have encouraged their members to exercise workplace rights and participate in programs by reducing fear of employer retribution, helping members navigate the necessary procedures, and facilitating the handling of workers’ rights disputes (Weil 2003; Freeman and Medoff 1984; Freeman and Rogers 1999).

+1 Lunaash77.