Fun at Work

Everyone is so worried about the fate of publication, and the state of the economy just intensifies all the uneasiness, not just here at the Hollywood Reporter, but everywhere in publication. There are people standing in the corner, wringing their hands, absolutely convinced that the sky will fall. It reminds me of the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz": "I do believe in ghosts, I do believe in ghosts, I-do-I-do-I-do-I-do believe in ghosts."

But I can't take that for very long. Most of the time it comes up in meetings where middle management types, who feel they have a duty to have everything under control, bandy words like kids at a high school debate session, trying to out-authority the others in the room when none of them really knows what's going on. And the corporate higher-ups will never let them in on the real scoop. So it becomes a self-important game they all take too seriously.

I do have something rather lighthearted to share with everyone, though: A cover that we published last week that was probably the highlight of the day for many of our readers (Access Hollywood even mentioned it). The story is about an upcoming film project based on the lives of the Three Stooges, and the story concerns the casting, which is almost complete. You don't have to read the story to know its content; just look at the picture (those are not the real stooges, by the way. A hint: the one in the middle is Sean Penn). And on the left, Obama's speech numbers, which are getting lower: Seems he's like a space launch; once folks get used to it, they stop watching. However, I take it as a good sign that not everyone is feeling compelled to glom on to his every word in public for reassurance: We're starting to realize we'll make it through the present shit -- a little smellier and perhaps not as wealthy but we'll make it -- it'll just take time.

So no real big news to convey. I still don't have the Disneyland pictures with me, so I can't write that post. I'm starting to forget what all happened during the day at the Happiest Place on Earth anyway, but I do recall we had a smashing time. And the photos will stir the memories, I'm sure.

Steve's doing well at his new job. April will bring the rehearsals for the reader's theater performance of "Arsenic and Old Lace" up north. If you're in the San Luis Obispo area on May 16th, you're invited to join us.