Paging is fun.

I may be deeply dissatisfied with my day job, but I really enjoy working as an audience page for sitcoms. It helps that I work on a couple of fun shows. As I may have mentioned in a previous entry, I seat the audience for 3rd Rock From the Sun on Tuesday nights and That 70s Show! on Friday nights.

The casts have a lot of fun, especially on 3rd Rock, and that communicates itself loud and clear to the audience. One of the producers and writers on 3rd Rock also does the warm-up for both shows, and though he's a bit of a prima donna and has offended a few audience members, he's really very good at what he does and keeps the audience laughing all night long.

Though I like the casts on both shows, the folks from 3rd Rock hold a special place in my heart. They're very personable. Every show, if an opportunity presents itself, John Lithgow, French Stewart and Kristen Johnston all make a point of coming up into the audience and fielding questions, while still being very entertaining, which is more rare than you might think. They're great.

And the guest-stars they've had in the two seasons I've worked the show have been phenomenal: Kathy Bates, the night she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Primary Colors; William Shatner, twice (including this past Tuesday, his toupee looks pretty good these days); Jonathan Frakes and his lovely wife Genie Francis, who nearly knocked me over as I came back from dinner break (we were rounding a corner, going opposite directions, and had no way of knowing the other was there - Frakes is a big man), among others. I hope they bring back John Cleese, which they've wanted to do for years.

That 70s Show! is also fun, and I think Kurtwood Smith is terrific (his wife is a sweetheart), but they just don't grab me the way the other show does.

Of course, paging isn't always a great time.

Last Friday night, instead of taping That 70s Show! (it was down for the week), I worked on a pilot for a new sitcom about three sisters. Pilots are almost always a pain in the ass one way or another and that night was no exception. Seating the audience was a nightmare. Our group department booked a group of seniors, who were outside the producers' desired demographic. Then they were sent in, where another page and I were seating them. When they were half seated, the producers came to me and complained, then told us to stop seating them. *sigh* Then they told us to seat them after another ten minutes. They took my walkie-talkie from me to talk to the head page to find out who was being held outside. When they found out there were a lot of younger women, they told us to pull out senior group, which is always a Very Bad Thing. Naturally the seniors were upset, which I don't blame them. My head page got to deal with that, and I certainly didn't envy her. We then seated the people that the audience coordinator picked out.

On top of all that, the show lasted until 12:30am. I got home a little after 1am. I love it when I work 15-16 hour days!

On the plus side, our warm-up was French Stewart, since his wife was one of the stars of the show. After seeing him every Tuesday while working in 3rd Rock, I knew he was a funny guy, and he did a pretty good job. He's always so much fun, and finally (after 2 seasons) I said more than hi to him. He's a real sweetheart. He did have a tendency to carry the same joke on a too long (five hours is a little long to sing about audience members, most of whom are production guests) and he petered out towards the end, but, bless his little heart, he tried his damnest (trying to be funny and keep the audience engaged and energized for 3-6 hours is tough work).

The show has potential, we'll see if it's picked up. Plus the whole sister thing resonated with me, 'cause they did some things that strongly reminded me of my sisters and me.

I admit it, sometimes I'm kinda star-struck about the whole sitcom thing. I'm always very professional on the outside (in my unique slightly goofy way), but sometimes my brain silently screams, "I can't believe I'm within five feet of John Lithgow! EEEEAAAEEEAA!!!!"

What the fuck has Madonna done to American Pie? Has anyone else heard her latest release? She's turned one of my favorite songs into a fucking dance mix.

I don't mind when people tinker around with classics, as long as the end result is an interesting one that retains some of the original feeling. Two of my favorite classics that have been covered, Hazy Shade of Winter by Simon and Garfunkle and Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack, were redone very well by The Bangles and The Fugees.

But this little bubble gum version of Don McLean's most famous (though, admittedly, overlong) song raises up my hackles every time I hear it.

It's just so wrong on so many levels.

Now I bring you...

TODAY'S ROB RUMMEL-HUDSON STALKPIC

As The Man at the Monolith, sometimes Rob has to open up a big ol' can of whoopass. It's tough being The Man.

Oh, Rob, you're such a sexy man o' danger... *swoon*

Yes, I changed the picture. I can't believe I missed this one before.

John Scalzi's Whatever Column
OK, I lied. John's first for a reason. He started me on most of these blasted journals, which led me to the others. If you're looking for someone to blame, John's the guy. Darn his enjoyable writing!

The Daily Bleat
James (not Jim, you philistine) is one of them perfeshunale riten' guys, and I can sure see why people pay him to do this stuff. A day without a fresh Bleat is like a day without, well, a fresh Bleat.

Man About Murfreesboro
Mike writes an entertaining journal which veers from baby stuff to politics to particle physics. Frequently in the same entry. Definitely worth a look.

chuck'stake
A fellow Valley resident, Chuck tells of life as a husband/father/struggling screenwriter with a certain wit. Oh, and ask him about the Booth.

Stitches in Time
As Chuck's wife, Beth not only provides another eminently readable viewpoint on family matters, she also talks about her own concerns about life, love and the shark infested waters of the gene pool.

The Diary Thing
Rick is a photographer living in Toronto. He's taken some beautiful photos and his writing, like his photography, is often evocative, sometimes moody, but always interesting.

The Book of Rob
Voted "One of the Two On-line Journalists Carol Would Like To Run Away With If They Weren't So Happily Married and Living in the Midwest" (James is the other), Rob writes a funny and often touching journal about his beloved wife, life as a new daddy and working for a faceless Monolith.

Evaporation
Another Southern Californian, Steve's entries are infrequent (yes, I know, pot, kettle, black) but well worth the wait. Plus Chuck and Beth have been known to turn up (and vice versa).

The Mighty Kymm's Hedgehog Tales
The grande dame of on-line journals, Kymm's Tales are conversational, entertaining, and suck you in the way no one else's can.

squishy
Pamie's part of a Austin comedy troupe and one of the leading on-line journalers. There's no mystery as to why, with her hilarious observations and conversations.

Atropine:saper vedere
Unfortunately, Elizabeth has said goodbye to journaling, at least for now. But both incarnations of Atropine and a previous journal, Scr@wls, are worth digging into the archives.

Bad Hair Days
An attorney in Sacramento who loves gardening, doesn't love attorney-ing, and actually enjoys waking up when most people are dead to the world. Beth's journal is a great read and she has a weblog that pulls together some mighty interesting links. Plus she's fighting with Pamie for the love of Stee. (Why do I hear men chanting "catfight"?)

plaintive wail
Stee may think the chicks dig him due to his funny, edgy entries detailing the life and viewpoints of an actor/screenwriter/Evil Media Conglomerate drone, but it's really left column for whom the ladies swoon.

Naked Eye Journal
Catherine's thought-provoking journal is more than just a journal. It's a one-of-a-kind site that defies pigeon-holing. Visually compelling.