After two decades of peace in the entertainment industry, talks between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and producers have broken down and the WGA plans to begin their strike on Monday. Talks over the last three months, in anticipation of a new contract, have failed to appease the WGA; who demand a higher share in profits, especially those related to redistribution and Internet distribution. So, how can one plan to survive the coming days, weeks and possibly months - the '88 strike lasted 22 weeks - with only reruns and reality TV to comfort us?

Well, instead of sitting at home, laughing nostalgically at out-dated episodes of The Daily Show, or impressed by the fact that you know the outcome of a CSI Las Vegas episode before Gil Grissom does, why not try something new?

Here are five suggestions that will hopefully inspire you to find your own life apart from the television. Feel free to add to the list, come up with your own list, or just ignore me and curl up with some popcorn and a blanket for that favorite first-season episode of House.

1. Make Yourself a TV Cover - Personally, I can't sew. But, I plan to cut up an old t-shirt and get my mom to sew a cover for my TV. If you can knit, that would be even better. This cover is going to make your TV a less distracting feature in any room. Plus, now it has a snuggly home for its hibernation!

2. Read A Book - Whether you plan to finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, or sink your teeth into Anna Karenina you'll be doing yourself a favor. Have fun with it; don't read what someone tells you to, read whatever interests or excites you. If you're feeling really ambitious the Modern Library has a list of the 100 greatest novels of the Twentieth Century, as does Random House, and Time even has a list of the top ten books ever written.

3. Get Outside - Have a picnic, go camping, or just take a walk. It's really simple, but try and be creative, and again have fun with it.

4. Contribute/Create - Television represents an absolutely one-way media; you contribute nothing when you sit and watch. So, try your hand at some creative mediums; write in a journal, learn watercolor painting, or take a pottery class.

5. Start Something New - According to www.vifamily.ca the average Canadian watches 22 hours of TV a week! Just imagine what you could do with all that time. Freeing up even a fraction of that time you could start participating in any numberof different activities. So be creative, and enjoy yourself.

This has been another great article from Brady Fullerton.  Send us your story.

» The New York Times