Saturday, March 08, 2008

What's on my desk?

A question for writers that has been circulating the blogosphere recently is “what’s on your desk?” Since I’m in Florida I will have to answer by memory.

My iMac desktop computer .

Mouse on a UCLA mouse pad.

External Hard Drive (back up EVERYTHING, people).

Printer.

Froggy Gremlin childhood toy.

Bob Hope in Dodger uniform bobblehead. (next to Koufax he was my favorite Dodger.)

Cup o’ pens.

Fathers Day cards.

Family photos.

A Gary Larson FAR SIDE card showing the BEWITCHED writing staff brainstorming in the fourth season. Brilliant notions like: “What if Endora casts a spell on Darren?”

Allstate accident report I was supposed to fill out in 2003.

Plastic Bob’s Big Boy (I’m a Bob’s Big Boy fanatic and can never figure out why that checkered jumpsuit look didn’t catch on.)

Five old drafts of my musical, with practically every page dog eared.

XM radio program guide.

A hard bound copy of GREAT PRETENDERS: MY STRANGE LOVE AFFAIR WITH ‘50’s POP MUSIC by Karen Schoemer. (Fun reading. I recommend it.)

My SPORTS ILLUSTRATED 2008 swimsuit model desk calendar. This week it's Fernanda Motta AND Ana Beatriz Barros week!

A spec pilot from my rabbi.

A spindle of CD’s that includes albums from Frank Zappa and Joanie Sommers.

Dodger Stadium and Pauley Pavilion replica paperweights.

Lucite encased picture of me with AfterMASH writing staff (that includes Larry Gelbart).

Vintage typewriter from 1890 with the carriage return arm on the right side. Still easier to write on than using FINAL DRAFT.

93/KHJ Boss Radio mike flag.

Box of brads and paper clips.

My bobblehead collection which includes Harry Caray (pictured), Speedy Alka-Seltzer, and Jesus Christ.

Emmy consideration Linda Eder interviews horse lovers ANIMAL PLANET DVD.

And -- Oh God – I think there’s still a sandwich.

18 comments :

Anonymous said...

Speaking of XM and KHJ, they spent all day Saturday replaying original broadcasts and 60s jingles from KHJ and WABC on XM Ch. 2. Made a long six hour drive a lot easier (and offered a refuge from the Yanks-Rays game, when John Sterling didn't even know who scored the tying run on Giambi's single until two minutes after the play was over).

Richard Cooper said...

Sorry, I quit reading when I saw Beatriz in her bikini…

Anonymous said...

eek! i'm a big boy fanatic, too! (where i live it was called kip's big boy.) i have the banks, dolls, watch, SNOWGLOBE, keychain, pens. the works. big boy is my man.

Anonymous said...

Honest to God, it only seems like I stretch for an anecdote about anything you say. The land's gotten too valuable now, but until not to long ago there was a vacant lot on Mockingbird Lane near the Dr. Pepper plant here in Dallas used for outdoor storage of what looked like at least a dozen Bob's Big Boy statues. Surrounded by a high chain link fence topped with razorwire. We called in Bob's Big Boy Concentration Camp.

Tomorrow, the Late Show with David Letterman writers answer the question, "What's in your pants?"

Cathy Fielding said...

Good grief. With all those things you must need a desk the size of a small country!

Anonymous said...

"A spec pilot from my rabbi."
Only in Hollywood. I wonder if there's a Director running around with a "What I Really Want To Do Is Perform a Bris" bumper sticker on his car?

Then again if he ever makes it as a writer he'll have the perfect tool for dealing with the studios execs.

Anonymous said...

You must have a huge desk.

And, I had to write to take credit for the Speedy Alka-Seltzer bobblehead on your desk (the owner of Funko contacted me about licensing Speedy when I was his trademark attorney). I spent months getting that deal made, and when I hear about or see one of the bobbleheads, it gives me great pride.

The Speedy bobblehead is my M*A*S*H. I know it isn't much, but some of us live different lives than you Ken.

And I don't have a spec script anywhere.

Barking Up Trees said...

shouldn't the bob hope bobbler been wearing a cleveland indians uni... ?

Anonymous said...

l.a.guy said...
I wonder if there's a Director running around with a "What I Really Want To Do Is Perform a Bris" bumper sticker..?”

Actually what he really wanted to do was edit, but there wasn’t a single fade or dissolve in his last 5 jobs. See what I did there? Y’see what I did? I let you, the blogosphere, complete the joke. I didn’t hit you over the head with it. Y’see, ye’see what I did?
--Sincerely,
Mr. Saturday Night
aka A. Buck Short, frontier mohel

And let's be honest. Is it really a performance?

♪ “For a cold, a-choo, headache too, boom boom, for when your stomach is upset. If you get grief, from my ground beef, take Alka-Seltzer for re-liiiii-eeef.” ♫ (1950’s classic)
--Sincerely
Speedy Big Boy
(aka John Holmes)

Anonymous said...

The picture of the writing staff of "AfterMash" reminded me of a question I have always wanted to ask you. Considering the talent, why did "AfterMash" fail?

ajm said...

I second the GREAT PRETENDERS recommendation.

Anonymous said...

this is good - two recommendations for the Great Pretenders. i just did a check at the local library and they have three available copies - one of which i will be getting later today.

nothing makes me happier (well, almost nothing) than to find book recommendations, especially those involving entertainment.

more, please.

and ken, those are two too skinny wimmen. send 'em your sandwich.

Anonymous said...

For St. Patrick's Day, will you change the name of your blog to "Waking Ken Levine?"

Anonymous said...

"a spec pilot from my Rabbi" Haha!

Anonymous said...

I see the girls are stilling wearing their wristbands from the anorexia clinic. Hope this is just a field trip for the day and they didn't actually escape.

Anonymous said...

from the protector of rabbis and the person who occasionally dusts your desk:

technically the spec was from our rabbi, but it was actually her mitzvah. she sent it on behalf of a cousin of hers. is it still there? she might want it back!

Cap'n Bob said...

Ken,

This is a serious question and I hope you can help. My daughter wants to find a college that will help her learn film editing/making, acting, music (playing and writing), and the usual performing arts skills. Any advice? Thanks in advance.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, those swimsuit models could use a few boxes of girl scout cookies, stat! And not the 100 calorie packs.