H U N G : HBOs New Envelope Pusher Films at my Job

Imagine my astonishment when I walked into my office today and found that, for some very odd reason, the newspaper I work for--The San Fernando Valley Business Journal--had gone through an overnight name change to become the Detroit Metropolitan Business Journal. That's what the letters spelled out on the gray partition that greets me every day as I approach the office from the mezzanine-level lobby.

I almost didn't notice when I swung open the glass door, but the words "San Fernando Valley" had been replaced by "Detroit Metropolitan." Quite economically, the "Business Journal" part was unchanged.

In most places in America, I might have rubbed my eyes and wondered if was being punked. "Okay, where's the camera; where's Ashton...oh wait; I'm not famous," I might have said to myself. "Then I'd have defaulted to the other possibility: "I must have fallen through a cosmic wormhole into an alternate reality: Detroit (funny, I'm a business reporter here too)."

However this being L.A., I instantly realized the extra-busy lobby I had walked right through, without really noticing how extra busy it was, had probably been artificially populated with, well, extras.

Indeed, it turned out our building had been scouted as a location for a new HBO series that will run this summer. It's called HUNG, I learned. And, it's about a guy whose personal and professional lives are in the toilet, when an old high school gal pal helps him decide to use his one big asset to make new opportunities. No really.

And, it's called HUNG.

Oh yeah, I already siad that. Here's a link to HBO's website for the new show, which is still in production. It stars Anne Heche, of whom I think I got a little glimpse (and caught on the video above, so please click play), as well as Thomas Jane, playing the lead role, of Ray Decker.

This should make coming into the office more interesting for a few weeks, if not a little inconvenient. But, this is the home of show business, and I, like most Angelenos, am happy to support the industry and stem the tide of runaway production, even if I have to wait until I hear the word "CUT!" before I can cross somebody's set to go home for the day.

Banks Hoarding Bailout Money, Won't Even Loan to Themselves

Banks across America are hording money given them (okay, loaned to them--theoretically) by the U.S. Government. The the bailout money was meant to free up stalled credit markets, i.e., give banks money to lend to businesses and consumers. The idea is to reinvigorate the economy with a little spending. But we have just learned (again) banks who got bailout money loaned less money in March than they did in February! A Wall Street Journal investigation found that the more money banks got, the less they lent.

Though not a bailed out bank, and having told me late last year for a story I wrote in the Business Journal that they have money to lend and are lending it, I posted this Union Bank of California image because of an interesting anecdotal connection to the tight-credit angle of this post: Union Bank of Calif. has had a new branch under construction on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood for almost two years now. Progress on construction has been slow to say the least. Even banks borrow money to build. Has UBOC found credit markets too tight to get on with opening the much-anticipated (the nearest location now is in the heart of Beverly Hills' worst traffic area) branch in WeHo? Stay tuned...I'll learn and let you know Wed., April 22 what's the delay.