Chatterbox

San Francisco Examiner Executive Editor Phil Bronstein is parlaying the rumors of the paper's demise fanned by the San Jose Mercury News stories about his newspaper into a positive spin, hosting a staff party at Delancey Street. Invitations reading "Yoohoo, We're Still Here/Tribute to Knight-Ridder" were distributed to the Ex's edgy staff. "Out of the ashes of the Opera House arises the Examiner phoenix," it continued. ... On another Examiner front, the skull-and-crossbones "Death Watch" logo that has been running in the San Francisco Bay Guardian has been lifted for morale-boosting T-shirts. In 4-inch type it reads, "I survived the Examiner Death Watch." ... Summer of Love scrivener Joel Selvin of the Chronicle is to be congratulated for writing against stereotype by giving Pete Townshend a bad review in the May 2 edition. But Selvin's pan would carry more authority if he got the facts right. In the piece he wrote that Townshend performed "Sheraton Guitar." He obviously meant "Sheraton Gibson." ... If you're tired of paying $14.40 a month for your subscription to the Chronicle, do what Chatterbox did: cancel. The newspaper called Chatterbox within the week and romanced us back into home delivery with a better offer, just $10 a month for three months.