It all started in September.

I was marketing with the Boyfriend, and at one point I stopped in mid-aisle to exclaim, “Where are the roasting pans?  It’s late September!  Where are the cranberries?”

You see, with the beginning of September, the first of the blessed quartet of 3-syllable months, my mind will turn to Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving, and all of its lovely panic-strewn preparations.  Previously, the holiday would either be a restaurant meal, or one at a relative’s home.  A meal full of thanks to be sure, but also one that would last only a few hours.  For me, when Thanksgiving is in someone else’s hands, the celebrations are always far too brief.

So, years and years ago, I decided to have the meal at my apartment.  And this brought about a paradigm shift in my perception of Thanksgiving.  Between shopping, cleaning and cooking, my prep work begins in October.  And I will begin to sniff around for new recipes in September (doubling my annoyance with the Halloween menus on the covers of all the cooking magazines.  What’s to plan?  Give me a vat full of Heath bars and I’m happy).

Therefore, it is safe to say that my Thanksgiving lasts for 3 months.  As a result I will be sore, weak, and often ill from being made-of-all-work for such a distance of time.  My sciatica will be erupting.  But it is still glorious.

Now, I hope this doesn’t frighten people away from Thanksgiving.  Because no matter how you choose to celebrate this peculiarly American and hedonistic day, please make sure that you do.   For this day was not made to be joyless.

As I sit in my office on a Monday (and if you know me, you know how I feel about Mondays) listening to my music combo of everything from Arturo Sandoval to Eminem, I am amazed at how far I have come.  I grew up in a small town in Southeast Kansas known as Arma (population 1,481).  Those of us in the entertainment industry know it as the Pittsburg/Joplin TV market.  I left at the age of 17 and headed off to Kansas State University, not really knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Fast forward to 2014.  I still haven’t figured out what I want to be when I grow up but in the meantime, I’m truly enjoying what I do day-to-day and that is running a boutique P.R. agency — SPPR, Inc.  Today, I found out that this boutique agency that I opened in 1992 made the Top 30 lists of Public Relations firms in Los Angeles.  Los Angeles – population 9.8 MILLION!

The same publication that noted our firm as #25 on their list, the Los Angeles Business Journal, is also honoring me next week as a 2014 Women Making a Difference.  I am humbled by all of this because never in those years living in Kansas did I think I wanted to be a publicist.  I didn’t even know what a publicist was back then.  I knew I loved TV, music, films, books and dance but to know there was a job that could touch across all those fields was beyond my scope at that time.

I love what I do.  I love spending time and learning from the likes of Andy Garcia, Vera Farmiga, Stan Lee, Dan Waters, John Waters, Leland Orser, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and David Cassidy (yes, THAT David Cassidy).  The great actors from MGM were some of my first teachers — Ann Miller, June Allyson, Cyd Charrise, Donald O’Connor and even Gene Kelly.  I’ve been blessed.  I’ve met some of the most talented individuals in entertainment and am proud to call some of them friends.  I’ve worked with great producers, directors, animators, writers and of course some amazing publicists.  I’ve had great mentors like Ralph Tribbey, Henri Bollinger, Ted Green and John Hyde who have taught me the business side of this crazy business.

So thank you Los Angeles.  And thank you Los Angeles Business Journal.  I am humbled and honored.

Many years ago, when I worked in advertising – and what a raucous, vodka-laden time it was – my boss would hand me memos to type with the addendum that I could correct any errors as I saw fit.  Now, there were only very minor grammatical oddities that had to be dealt with, but even then I felt the red-penned power of the editor and the tiny beginnings of creativity creep its way into my work.

Later, when I was in a public relations agency that was Not This One, I remember picking up press releases off the fax and within the few steps between the machine and the pages’ eventual destination I had already skimmed them over and made my own mental edits.    No one was particularly interested in my devious efforts, however.  And I am happy to say that this agency is no longer in Beverly Hills, as its latest incarnation seems to be located in Valencia, California.

Fast forward a stunning amount of years to SPPR.  Since starting here, I have edited pitch letters and press releases – even written some – because I was asked to.  Sometimes my writing even survives its legion of edits (oh, irony), so that bits and pieces – Frankenstein-like – live to see the light of day.

But the workplace is not my only center of writing effort – I happen to write at home, too.

The pieces that I write I initially send, like grubby children, to my blog – gathering approval as any newcomer to kindergarten would.  Then, when I find a suitable publication – one that would be interested in my little darling – I revisit it, wash the grammatical errors away from its face until it shines like a linguistic cherub’s.  And I then send it away, to face the big, bad world and its cruel editors.

And I wait.  For months.  And, because I’m old, sometimes I forget.

Until I receive an e-mail, telling me that my child has been accepted.  Now, no money changes hands.  (Unless it is when I pay for a copy of the magazine containing my work:  the traditional complementary ‘contributor’s copy’ is tradition no more.)  Nor does one do this sort of thing to make a living.  One does this because it is a minor thrill to see one’s creation in print.  And the ego boost can be quite sizeable.

When I was in advertising, I never dreamed that this would happen.  And when I started work in public relations I never thought it would happen then, either.  Now…I think of it often, and I do what I can to make it happen as often as I can.

For instance (I am on page 36):

http://www.riverpoetsjournal.com/River_Poets_Journal_Autumn-Winter_Edition_2013.pdf

I was told that this month (last week, in fact) on April 4, 1964, the Beatles occupied the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. I did not know that.  Here are 10 things you might not have known about those four lovable mop-tops from Liverpool.

1. Paul McCartney is not British,  he was actually born in Green Bay, Wisconsin and still considers himself the world’s biggest Packers fan and cheesehead.
2. The album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band  was originally edible. It’s true! The first 10,000 copies of the landmark album were made of a meat by-product that could be played on a turntable and then consumed by the listener. Sadly, people began thinking all Beatles albums were digestible and the legal team at EMI/Capitol had to stop production of the new “digestible disc.”
3. The Beatles’ last album Let It Be was recorded with their favorite comic Buddy Hackett singing lead on all 12 tracks, but the funnyman’s vocal tracks were later removed due to a dirty joke involving a penguin and a nun he tells during the title song.
4. Many products (lunch boxes, wigs, games, etc.) were manufactured during the height of Beatlemania, but the most hard to find is The Beatles Electric Corn and Callus Remover. This medical device recently fetched over $1,500 at Sotheby’s.
5. In 1968 while recording The White Album, John Lennon refused to do any more vocals until he watched the last episode of his current obsession, the TV show, “Green Acres.” In interviews Lennon would often site Chuck Berry and Arnold the pig as his two biggest influences.
6. Ringo Starr is known for the collection of rings on his fingers, but the drummer also has over twenty body piercings.
7.  Lennon and McCartney re-teamed in 1978 to write the theme song for the NBC TV series “The Facts of Life.” Fearing rumors of a Beatles reunion, John and Paul gave writing credit of the song to close friend Alan Thicke.
8. George Harrison was a licensed plumber and in his free time enjoyed unclogging the drains of friends and family.
9. Elvis and the Beatles only met one time (at Graceland), but Elvis would mistakenly tell friends he had met “those longhairs from back there in England…Herman’s Hermits.”
10. Most people know that the song “Yesterday” was originally called “Scrambled Eggs,” but Paul McCartney recently revealed to Rolling Stone magazine  that “Hey Jude” was going to be titled “Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity Breakfast.”  McCartney admits that he was being influenced by his morning meals at the time.  “I loved Pop-Tarts, Eggo Waffles and Egg McMuffins…any one of them could have made a great tune.”

The above is meant purely for entertainment and satirical purposes only and is not to be taken seriously by the reader…except the one about “Green Acres” – that could be true.

By Ed Peters

“I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too!”

“I don’t go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons.”

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

All the above listed quotes are from three American films from the last 100 years (or 87 years if you date from the start of talkies). If you recognize any or all of them, congratulations! You’re a true fan of the flickers. If not, you’re the reason a SPPR tradition was born over 5 years ago.

When you work in home entertainment, especially focused on theatrical releases both old and new, there’s a tendency to use shorthand in order to convey a specific idea, thought, celebration, frustration — you name it. To wit: quoting old movies. If someone says: “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night,” you’re talking about a line from 1950’s ALL ABOUT EVE, but also expressing concern about a potential issue or conflict. When someone spouts: “Here’s looking at you kid,” they’re using CASABLANCA to illustrate a certain kind of affection. Well, in our office, there’s a tendency to use that type of communication a lot. It’s easy, we’re using words and phrases much more eloquent than our own, and dang it if it just isn’t plain fun. However, that only works when you recognize either the quote or the source.

SPPR Movie Night started a few years back when we found one amongst us who didn’t have the same movie background and/or education. We’d say “I’d buy that for a dollar” or “No wire hangers ever!” and get either one of two responses: “Huh?” or “What’s that?” Like the famous RCA dog listening to the gramophone, with its head tilted in confusion, our assumption about the universality of movies was being called into question on a daily basis.

So, to address the problem, we decided to show this cinematic novice some of the great films we invoked, as a means to giving her the same celluloid linguistic skills as the rest of the staff. Our very first SPPR Movie Night was 1934’s “The Thin Man” starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. Hardly a classic for the ages, but nevertheless it started a tradition that, in fits and starts, has lasted over five years now. During that span, we’ve gathered at Sue’s house, watching her 42” and now Cinerama-Dome sized 55” flatscreen, and visited/revisited such gems as THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, THE JERK, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY and THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN. Depending on who recommended the film, someone would provide introductory remarks about the film and its place in our culture and film history. And since we’re there for the film at dinnertime, we usually try to have some food available, and tied to the themes/spirit of the film we’re about to watch. (I always make sure to have popcorn and at least one classic movie candy, i.e. Milk Duds or peanut M&Ms, available as well.) However, sometimes that part of the festivities can go awry. For SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, our in-house culinary genius Scott Barton contributed a “finger food” that hit a little TOO close to the film’s subject matter:  He put together a large party plate of cocktail weenies, carefully arranged (like a Busby Berkeley musical number) and each topped with a fake – and rather long – fingernail. We all agreed that Scott’s handiwork was too inventive and too artistic to spoil by removing even one hors d’ouevre…

Last night was our latest SPPR Movie Night. We screened 1963’s THE GREAT ESCAPE. Directed by the great John Sturges, and boasting a stellar cast including James Garner, James Coburn, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Donald and the ever-cool Steve McQueen as “the Cooler King,” THE GREAT ESCAPE details the true story of one of the most elaborate POW escapes during WWII. Clocking in at a hefty 172 minutes, we were all surprised to find how fast the nearly 3 hours flew in watching the film. For the record, we did not serve POW prison food last night. Unless the Nazis flew in El Pollo Loco…

There’s still something to be said for just the sheer professionalism of 1960s Hollywood. Before the auteurs took over, before the corporations took over, before the computers took over – filmmaking was still a handmade affair. It is nice to revisit that aesthetic every so often. With Blu-ray, HD flatscreens and 7.1 audio systems, it’s amazing that the everyday fan can literally program their own film festival from their sofa.

SPPR Movie Night isn’t a set deal. It’s not always the last Thursday or second Tuesday of every month. Also, it sometimes takes a while to get a consensus on what we’re gonna watch. But if I were to cite one reason why I personally enjoy SPPR Movie Night, it’s this:

One holiday season we screened “It’s a Wonderful Life,” because of the aforementioned ONE  person in our office had never seen it (really surprising, given all the holiday reruns). After watching it, she was so touched by the film’s message of hope and friendship, that the very next day she changed her email signature to include the designation of angel Clarence Oddbody: AS2, as in “Angel, Second Class.”

THAT’s why we have – and will continue to have – SPPR Movie Night.

Was Patrick really Saintly?

Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. St Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works; the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a “most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.”

Many folks ask the question ‘Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland?’ The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans.

There is more to the story of St. Patrick. Something about him driving all the snakes from Ireland and abolishing the Pagan rites of the Druids… yada… yada… That’s all well and good but I have more questions about this day and the role this iconic saint played in making it so popular. Why do so many people celebrate the day he died? This is what many believe March 17th to be, the actual day of his death and did he start the tradition of drinking green beer? Was it the devout Catholic St. Pat who started the institution all those years ago? How did he turn the beer green and why do so many people choose to consume the chartreuse colored beverage on this particular day?

Well, as it turns out the Irish ritual of drinking green beer on Saint Patrick’s Day is actually an American made tradition with no real roots in the motherland. In fact, according to the Evening Independent Newspaper’s edition dated March 26th 1914, the first time green beer was made public was at a New York Social Club’s Saint Patrick ’s Day event.

The man behind the creation of the colored beverage was a coroner’s physician named Dr. Curtin, who when asked by the amazed revelers how the beer was turned green would only reveal that the effect was achieved with the addition of wash blue– a dye used to color textiles–to the beer.  Today it is created by simply adding green food coloring to the tasty hops and barley beverage. And on this day, you will find that many things will be dyed green. There are even some die-hards (pun completely intended), who will choose to color their most beloved pets! Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!                            

Who knows what the good old saint would say to such shenanigans? Would he condone the tribute or might he appreciate a gesture more deeply rooted in tradition like the dropping a shamrock in your guinness.

The Chicago River Dyed Green for St. Patrick’s Day

This custom known as “drowning the shamrock” was really the forerunner to green beer. After parades and other special events, men would go to local pubs, drop a shamrock into their whiskey and drink it down, including the good luck leaf.

As I an Irishman, well 1/16^th Irish…man. Yes, I’m claiming my 1/16^th because that’s what many of us do! We claim our heritage. As a matter of fact, according to an article published in Forbes Magazine on March 15, 2013, Twenty-two million Americans — 7.2% of the population – say their “primary ancestry” is Irish, according to the Census’s American Community Survey. Another 13.5 million Americans claim at least some Irish ancestry, bringing the total to 35.5 million Americans — 11.6% of the population — with at least partial Irish ancestry. If that sounds low, remember that Ireland’s population today is just 6.4 million – 4.6 million in the Republic of Ireland and 1.8 million in Northern Ireland. So there are more than 5 times as many Americans with at least partial Irish ancestry as there are people who live in Ireland.

That’s a lot of green beer, green dye and just plain green money spent on this celebrated day! I’m sure Saint Patrick would be more than enthusiastic to find that his legacy will live on with so many wonderful traditions and acts of celebration in his memory!

And in honor of my ancestries, I would like to share a recipe with you should you decide to ‘drop the shamrock’ at home with loved ones. 

Mexican Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

This recipe for Mexican Corned Beef and Cabbage, by Nell Rushton McGilberry, is from The Rushton Family Cookbook , one of the cookbooks created at FamilyCookbookProject.com. We help families or individuals create heirloom cookbook treasures.

Contributor:    Nell Rushton McGilberry

Ingredients:   11 package cabbage slaw mix with carrots

                      12 oz. can corned beef
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can water
2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:     Combine everything in a large pot and stir.
Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 to 30
minutes. Serve with cornbread.

“Please come with me,” sternly said Deputy Sheriff Madison after I handed him my newly purchased Metro swipe card as I attempted to switch trains at Union Station downtown.  I had decided to make an adventure out of my Monday and take the Metro rail system from my northeast LA neighborhood to our Culver City office on the other side of town.  Now, being the contemporary urban dweller that I am, I’ve often taken the Gold Line to Union Station to the Red Line to the City Hall stop when I attend the Taper or Ahmanson for theatre.  But this trip included the newly-installed electronic turnstiles and required swipe cards to make the journey.

As it turned out, my “lost in the big city” expression caught the Sheriff’s eye and he recognized another “newby” to the system.  I’m still not exactly sure what he tried to explain to me, but it involved punching some buttons on the machine where one pays for and/or adds fare to the swipe card.  He explained that it would cost me nearly $30 to make the round trip if I swiped the card at every turnstile as now required.  By making different choices on the machine I could somehow program the card that would effectively make my round trip just $10.  I found small comfort in this cost saving tutorial as I was mostly grateful to have someone English-speaking explain it all to me, not to mention in uniform!

I made light of the fact that by rail it would take me over an hour to make the 12.5 mile trip that, on a good day, takes 25 minutes by car.  And the 1.5 mile walk from the station to the office.  It was another beautiful SoCal day, so why not?  Honestly, it was pretty cool to just sit in the relatively clean rail car and watch out the window as we glided through downtown, past USC, the Coliseum and the science center. I enjoyed seeing the subtle ethnic and cultural delineations of neighborhoods I’ve known of forever but have had no reason to visit.  And an hour later (and a few semi-hammered pan handlers prowling each of the cars for pocket change) our coach came to a stop 30 feet off the ground at the final Culver City station.

The return trip was far more crowded, and louder, as scores of kids swarmed on and off the trains on their way home from school.  One young woman spent the entire trip applying/removing and reapplying her eye make-up, gazing into her pocket mirror to make sure she looked her best.  As we neared downtown, she slipped a Smart & Final t-shirt over her blouse and exited at 7^th Street on her way to the newly opened store on Figueroa.  Just another commuter on LA’s cross town coach.  I was relieved to end my journey back at the Highland Station and to climb into my Jeep Liberty, turn on the radio and make the short drive to my house-alone.  And thanks to Sheriff Madison’s watchful eye and direction, the whole adventure only cost me $10 and no gas.  Not a bad day’s investment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 26, 2014

JENNIFER GASOI

MAKES HISTORY BECOMING THE FIRST CANADIAN

TO WIN THE GRAMMY^® AWARD

FOR BEST CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR

LOS ANGELES, CA  –– Canadian Jennifer Gasoi won the coveted Grammy® Award for Best Children’s Album of the Year for her self-produced album, Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well. Her win marks the first time ever a Canadian has won the Grammy^® for Best Children’s Album.  The award was announced at today’s 56^th Annual Grammy^® Awards. 

“I really did throw a penny in the wishing well and look – I won,” said Jennifer.  “I’m so honored to be the first winner from Canada in this category. That means a lot.”

With such songs as the Beatles-flavored “The Little Things,” the upbeat bluegrass track “Little Blue Car,” the swinging “I’m a Bubble” and the doo wop-flavored title track, “Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well” has been a strong seller and critical favorite, particularly in Canada.  Matt Robinson in the Vancouver Sun described her Grammy-winning album as “a fun, catchy and sophisticated romp across musical genres that listeners of all ages can’t help but get behind.”

Jennifer Gasoi first expressed her musical passion when she was just 5, showing an ability to play music by ear right from the start. After studying classical piano for a dozen years, she moved from Vancouver to Montreal, to attend McGill University, where she put music aside for a degree in Humanities. But in her senior year, Jennifer joined a jazz choir, reigniting her deep love of music and setting her future path.

For the past 16 years, Jennifer has been pursuing a musical career with her unique mix of being a free spirit and pe\\rfectionist; she makes that seeming contradiction work! She’s as comfortable performing cabaret sets in Montreal jazz bars as she is performing at adoring fans’ birthday parties, mom-and-baby music classes and before audiences of 1,000 or more.

Over the years, Jennifer Gasoi has received numerous accolades including the Children’s Album of the Year nomination for Throw a Penny, the 2013 Juno Awards; Canadian Children’s Artist of the Year for 2013, Sirius/XM Indies; Children’s Album of the year nomination for Songs for You, 2005 Juno Awards;  and th Parents’ Choice Gold Award for Songs for You, 2005.  Visit Jennifer Gasoi at www.jennifergasoi.com.

#  #  #

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sue Procko                                                                               Jonathan Taylor

SPPR, Inc.                                                                                JT Mediaworks

info@spprinc.com                                  

Last week, I was at Comic Con. Wait! I thought Comic Con takes place in July? Well, the one in San Diego does. But for the past few years, the East Coast has brought some of that fan love to the Big Apple, at the Javits Convention Center to be exact. And you know what? It’s WAY more fun than the original West Coast template. Heresy you say? Blasphemy you accuse? Sacrilege you declare? Read on. The reasons for my thesis might surprise…

1.       The fans in NY are better.

There, I said it. Let the hate email commence. But having both attended and worked the NY and SD shows, I find the East Coast fans to be not only more appreciative of the attention from the NYCC exhibitors and panelists, but frankly a lot more polite. That last word is not a typo; NYCC fans actually have manners. There I would be in my client’s booth, presiding over a plethora of swag, including buttons, posters, bags, maybe even a plastic brain or hand. In both shows, you have the attendee look-e-loos, curious about what’s offered, but not yet ready to commit. Then there are those are flat out not interested. Both coasts have a few of those deniers as well. It’s when they decide to act that separates Left Coast from Right Coast. In NY, fans would usually – and sometimes sheepishly – ask if they can partake of the freebies. “Can…can I take one?” would be the standard refrain. I can’t tell you the look of joy when we overshot expectations by saying all the displayed items are for attendee consumption. In SD, I’ve seen attendees clean out button bowls and poster tables, only to then look me in the eye and interrogate me with “Is this all you have? Don’t you have anything good?” And when  you do have something exceptionally good, a SDCC mob is something you don’t want headed towards you. One year, we had to restrict the doling out of WALKING DEAD bags to a few appointment times during the day. As the anointed hour approached, crowds would slowly form. At first seemingly benign, they patiently waited for the moment when the distribution commenced. What’s that line from the reporter who covered the Hindenburg disaster? “Oh, the humanity! Oh, the humanity!” Like something out of the AMC series itself, I found myself surrounded by a sea of floating, thrusting hands. They were no longer attached to human beings. Adult hands; children’s hands; adolescent hands. All pointing towards me and my stash of $1/unit branded bags that most likely had a life expectancy of two weeks before the seams dissolve. I’ve seen adults snatch bags out of children’s hands at SD. Guess Darwin was right. In NY – at least so far – I haven’t seen such vulgar displays of swag entitlement.

2.       The NYCC is still about the comics.

I attended my first SDCC in 2006. Culture shock doesn’t begin to describe what I witnessed and felt at that first exposure to the pop culture zoo. But for many of the old-timers, the tipping point for SDCC had already occurred: What was once a modest gathering for comic books fans had now become the plaything of the entertainment conglomerates. In the last couple of years, even SDCC organizers have acknowledged this transition, with their marketing materials and public banners now touting: “SDCC – Celebrating the Popular Arts!” Another way of saying: “All major entertainment labels welcome, no matter what you’re promoting.” But for those who remember when superheroes first started in pulp magazines, NY still honors that history. (Makes sense; NYC does a much better job of keeping the old than SoCal, where anything over 15 years old is designated a historic landmark.) True, while NYCC has plenty of pop culture to go around (Universal held a Chucky panel and I attended a Warner Archive screening of The Beast with Five Fingers), the exhibitors were by and large cognizant of the fact that NYCC has the word “Comic” in the show title. However, as the attendance numbers of NYCC continue to grow (I heard 116K for this year, which is in striking distance of SDCC’s yearly 130K fan capacity), the show might attract bigger labels with bigger projects to promote. Hopefully, NYCC will find a way to juggle both without losing sight of its original intention.

3.       NYC is WAY more fun than the Gaslamp District.

Perhaps the most subjective of my reasons, there’s nothing like spending the night in New York City after a long day’s journey into Comic Con. True, the Gaslamp District has geography going for it, as it’s a little over a mile square and right across the street from the Convention Center. However, with that convenience comes competition. Fierce competition. Competition for restaurant seating, sidewalk access and even accessibility to certain foods. I always joke about how many pounds of hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken tenders are consumed during the average SDCC. As a sidebar, when it comes to convention grub, the Javits wins by a landslide. There’s an entire food court floor under the Javits, with the Greek place selling gyros that would compare with anything bought in Manhattan proper – or even Chicago. I also have a favorite Philly cheesesteak kiosk on the Javits floor that I would make sure to frequent whenever I’m there. But to have Manhattan at your fingertips when the show closes at 7pm ET – all the restaurants (both expensive and economical), the sheer variety of cuisines, all the theaters (both legit and cinema) – truly there is NO comparison. And when entertaining media, it’s a lot more impressive to chat about press matters over a steak at Gallagher’s than chicken fries at the Gaslamp Jack in the Box.

4.       NYCC is held in October.

You’d think SDCC would have it over NYCC when it comes to weather. For decades, weather has been the reason for countless East Coasters to trek West. After all, what could be more idyllic, weather-wise, than coastal San Diego in the middle of July? Of the five SDCC’s I’ve worked, only one had weather that would be considered even tolerable. San Diego, for whatever reason, is prone to humidity and high temperatures during the mid-summer – almost like New York which is fine, if you’re there to sunbathe or enjoy the Pacific Ocean shoreline. But when I’m there in full costume – as a harried publicist chasing down talent or interviews – running around in 95⁰F heat with humidity to match is not exactly energizing. But New York in mid-October is the environmental backdrop of romantic comedies worthy of Woody Allen or Nora Ephron. Temperatures barely dip below 50⁰F, and rarely soar above 75⁰F. This year, it was blustery for the first couple of days, and rained slightly on preview Thursday. By Friday, the clouds started to clear, and on Saturday, it was windy, clear and cool. Perfect weather to dress up as Superman, Bilbo Baggins…or a slightly-less stressed PR flak.

I’m sure there a couple more reasons, but frankly I’ve dissed SDCC enough. I’m starting to sound like one of those whiners about the superiority of East Coast anything to SoCal. You know the ones where “us” Left Coasters counter the rant with “If you love it there so much, why don’t you move there?” Let me state unequivocally that I love SoCal. It still has the edge in so many ways. And when the day comes that NYCC becomes a bigger receptacle of marketing dollars, then my appreciation of that show will become yet another sad memory of what once was, but is no more.

(SPPR, Inc.’s resident “Siskel & Ebert”)

“Location, Location, Location!” is the mantra of every real estate agent.  The mantra of anyone working in public relations – that which is suitable for public consumption, that is – would be “Coverage, Coverage, Coverage!”  This never-ending search for exposure – we look for attention as feverishly as teen-aged girls – leads us through a miasma of radio and television stations, magazines, newspapers and online sites.

Now, the call letters for broadcast stations are relatively innocuous – save for the happy accident when the call letters spell out words that were either intended or not.  Print outlets choose names that pretty much refer to their contents, or to their locations.

Which brings us to the online sites.

Oh, you silly internet.

We have many times discussed the “worthiness” of names we have come across.  Many times we have laughed.  Many times we have shaken our heads at the downfall of humanity.

We both have compiled a handful of site names that we believe deserve the most discussion.  And the most laughter.  It is up to you to choose to shake your heads sadly or not.

Free Kittens Movie Guide

Melinda:

Actually, this is a blog called DavesMovieGuide.  But when you go to it, the header reads Free Kittens Movie Guide.  There is a photo of cats in a theater wearing 3-D glasses.   Win.

Julie:

Meowwwww…

DVDInMyPants.com

Melinda:

An oldie but a goodie.  Can’t remember what the logo was for this, but it must have been epic.  Really, the imagination reels.

Julie:

Who told you!!??  My all-time favorite site name…

ASiteCalledFred.com

Melinda:

CONFUSED.  Need to read a bio.

Julie:

I don’t even know.

BigOleFaceFullOfMonster.com

Melinda:

I really can’t tell you what I see whenever I read this title.  But it is big.  And it is crowded.

Julie:

Makes me want a big, juicy hamburger… I must be hungry.

ZombiesDontRun.net

Melinda:

Of course they don’t.  Next.

Julie:

Running is not in my vocabulary.  (See hamburger comment above.)

HugAZombie.com

Melinda:

Could be messy.  And are they allowed to cover other horror-type stories?

Julie:

Why not?  Everyone deserves to be loved!

McBastardsMausoleum.Blogspot.com

Melinda:

Are they even allowed to print that?  Anyway, using a four-syllable word is always somehow faith-restoring.

Julie:

This one is too hard to type… Mc, Mac, Big Mac?  Sxxt, there goes that hamburger again!

VideoTapeWorm.com

Melinda:

Yechh.  Visuals again.  Is this supposed to add to shelf-appeal?

Julie:

I could use a tape worm… Apparently!

DorkShelf.com

Melinda:

Say it proud, boys.

Julie:

LOL!

BloodSprayer.com

Melinda:

Arterial spray!  DVD reviews!  They’re on a collision course to wackiness!

Julie:

I’m scared…

NerdRepository.com

Melinda:

Without my glasses, this will always read ‘Nerd Suppository’.  This probably wasn’t their intention.

Julie:

I can’t stop laughing at Melinda’s comment!

MrSkin.com

Melinda:

Actually, this title is pretty much an accurate description of its contents.  Plenty of skin, for plenty of the misters.  But boyfriend is still not old enough for this.

Julie:

What she said…

DestroyTheBrain.com

Melinda:

Already done.

Julie:

Oh yeah, that happened a long time ago.

Honorable Mention: The Fluffington Post (Julie’s new fav!)

So, this is just an inkling of what we have to plough through.  Fun, huh?  Enjoy!