We were talking about the different demographics of various NYC newspapers and how the Times usually ran articles like, “How to travel the world for $500 a day” or “Amazing bargains – holidays for $250 a night” while the Daily News was like “$5 Menus in New Orleans” and how important it is to keep in mind the readership before you write.

Then Sue told us this hilarious story of Ruper Murdoch, the owner of the NY Post, running into the owner of Bloomingdales at a party.

“So,” Murdoch asked. “How come your store never advertises in my paper?”
“Because,” the man replied. “Your readers are our shoplifters.”

I nearly died laughing.

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I had to call Air India and change my reservations coz I decided at the last minute to stay in town for New Year’s. This means no Goa for me this year which really kinda sucks but then I think, hey do I really want to be there with all that crowd?

And the answer’s hell yeah! Heheheheh.

Anyhoo, so I called this number and I got this recorded message that sounded like someone was talking to me so I started talking back and then realized it was an automated message. Blush. And then I called the number I was supposed to call and this guy who sounded like he was running around and making the planes as well as flying them and making reservation too answered the phone.

Now I don’t know if he was being rude or if I was acting silly or what the hell was going on but there wasn’t any politeness involved except for the rote “How are you and how may I help you?” kind. Call me unrealistic but when the maharajah is your symbol then why cant you have service of that standard? Growf. I wish the Tatas could get it back. I’ll say one thing about them – they really train their staff well.

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Pops was telling about this girl who lives next door to her, an exchange student from Malaysia or Indonesia – I forget which – who is a really nice kid. Around midnight a few days ago, Pops wakes up and this girl is screaming. She ran outside and banged on the door and then the entire building showed up to see what was going on.

The girl’s ex-boyfriend opens the door and there she is cowering in the background. Pops tells him to let her out and he refuses. Now when Pops wants something she simply runs over whichever lout is standing in her path, so in this instance she simply marched in and pulled the sobbing girl out. She was in a bad state and was really hurt. They took her into Pops’ room and left the owner of the building to deal with the guy. He was told to stay out and stay away or he’d find out there were people in this world who took it less than kindly when big hulking men beat up tiny 110 pound women who broke up with them coz they were just so fucking useless.

Bastard.

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“I’d like to start a blog,” someone said recently. “But I don’t have anything to say to the world.”

Well, who does really? Writers are people who feel exactly the same way but go ahead and write anyway because they have the hubris inbuilt into them that someone somewhere will actually want to read them.

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I came across this site the other day called everyonewhosanyone.com which has a list of names and contact info on everyone who’s anyone in Hollywood. The guy apparently complied it because he’d been trying to get his book optioned and was frustrated when he couldn’t find a directory that would give him the info that he wanted. So he decided to compile it and share it with whoever needed it.

Hollywood was NOT amused and apparently some of the lawyers have been trying to shut him down but he’s survived for about three years now and wants to continue. I found it hilarious. Go check it out especially if you’re a screenwriter with a screenplay to sell. But be warned, what a lot of those people who wrote to the guy to protest wrote is true – unless you have a recommendation, your mail will end up on the scrap pile.

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Have you ever noticed that the moment you decide to act economical, you end up spending much much more than you did when you were being expensive? Huh.