August 19, 2004
Sprinkling and cool out this morning. Went for a walk. A nice relief from weeks of searing heat. I imagined how heavenly it must have been for natives BAC (before air conditioning).

Got into the office at around 8:25, worked on copy for several articles, including an exciting piece on The Ten Greatest Westerns Never Made by Allen Barra. Speaking of Allen he had lunch yesterday with Angeline Jolie and I asked him what she was really like and he told me she is quite funny and enjoyable. He also gave me several juicy quotes but I can’t use them because he’s writing an article on her.

On September 12, the History Channel is premiering “The War of 1812,” a big, splashy documentary by Gary Foreman, who was sitting at our table at the pre-Golden Boot party at the Sportsman’s Lodge several weeks ago. During dinner Gary took a call from one of his editors and was complaining about not getting to see the promos that would soon be airing and he went on and on about how to get to an editing bay or facility to view them. I could tell he was frustrated, but when he hung up, the guy sitting next to him said, “I saw the promos last night on the History Channel.” Gary just sank. It was so funny. Here is the guy who created the show and he hasn’t seen the spots but a civilian from Rio Verde, Arizona watched them the previous night. Gary sighed and said, and I quote, “The problem with media is we don’t communicate.”

In a related story, I was talking to the head of public relations at HBO last week and I casually mentioned I read where they are going to do a series, a la The Sopranos, on polygamy. She asked me where I read that. It was clear she had not heard of it. I was just making small talk but I suddenly worried that maybe I misread the wire piece and that perhaps it was another network, maybe Bravo or Comedy Central. As we talked she went online and looked up the Arizona Republic website, typed in “polygamy, HBO” and “Big Love” (the name of the show) and ten seconds later she says, “Oh my god! Here it is! We are doing the show!” Needless to say, I was somewhat stunned. I read about the show in the Arizona Republic way out here in the toolies and I’m more plugged in than the head of public relations in New York? Hmmmmmm.

“Many a man thinks he has become famous when he merely happened to meet an editor who was hard-up for material.”
—Old Vaquero Saying