America: Support the WGA troops

Until we get the full report from General Petraeus on conditions at the front lines of the Writers Guild strike, this will serve as the Sage interim briefing, providing coverage of East Coast operations.

Day one of New York picketing would - had not a version of the name already been used by the Federal Government - been titled Sugar Shock & Awe. Doughnuts and lollipops were donated to the writers, wearing WGA-East t-shirts. Credit must be given to members of the Musicians Union for providing spirited musical accompaniment that helped boost the morale of the marching troops.

In the tradition of Bob Hope, SAG and AFTRA members turned up, not to entertain the embattled writers, but to talk to the press. Among them were Tina Fey, Sam Waterston, Roseanne, Susie Essman and Richard Belzer.

Weather conditions aren’t on the side of the writers with cooler temperatures creating a need for Uggs and scarves. Fans of The Daily Show should note their jackets are thin and these writers would surely welcome care packages containing insulated underwear and mugs of hot coffee. Those missing The Sopranos may want to send over ziti to the creator/executive producer of the series.

Casualties: An East Coast writer was “egged” at Chelsea Piers while on the West Coast a writer was hit by a car. Al-Jazeera is not covering the strike since nobody has taken credit for the assaults. President Bush has yet to show up to give support to families of the injured. Look for him to pretend to be carving a turkey on Thanksgiving, after which he's likely to get The Love Boat out of storage and make an appearance in a West Wing jacket with a premature "Mission Accomplished" banner.