QUICK TAKES

Steel starts blog

Danielle Steel has written dozens of novels, but she still has things to say with her new blog, set to launch today. "It's like a letter to a friend, and fun to be able share something and say, 'Gee I did this,' " says Steel, 61, whose run of hits includes three this year alone: "Honor Thyself," "Rogue" and "A Good Woman." Her blog can be found at www.daniellesteel.net.

Downey back for more

Marvel Studios announced Tuesday that Robert Downey Jr. will join the superhero team effort "The Avengers" in addition to "Iron Man 2." "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau is returning to direct "Iron Man 2" and serves as executive producer on "The Avengers," which will team Iron Man with the Hulk, Captain America, Thor and others. "Iron Man 2" is due out May 7, 2010, and "The Avengers" is scheduled for July 15, 2011.

Getting out the word

A variety of celebrities, including Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Will Smith, Steven Spielberg and Justin Timberlake will appear in a new public service announcement produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. The video shows the stars struggling to grasp the concept of using reverse psychology to get young people into voting booths. Required by director Spielberg to say "don't vote," Roberts remarks, "That doesn't make sense." Cruise and Smith complain to each other, while Timberlake jokes, "I can do anything. I was in a boy band, OK?" Finally, Ford says, "You know what? I can't do it. It's not true, I don't believe it -- 537 people decided the 2000 election, and you want me to tell people that one vote doesn't count?"

She's not amused

An author who had sued Jerry Seinfeld's wife claiming she plagiarized her cookbook wasn't laughing at jokes the comedian made last year on David Letterman's show. In federal court papers filed Tuesday explaining her position for a December hearing, Missy Chase Lapine said her 7-year-old daughter was upset by jokes that people with three names -- James Earl Ray, for example -- turned out to be assassins. The Seinfelds' attorney said in a statement Wednesday: "As a comedian, Jerry has a right under the First Amendment to tell jokes. Ms. Lapine, on the other hand, was not joking when she maliciously accused Jessica Seinfeld, who also has young children, of plagiarism, a charge that is demonstrably false."

Aging optimistically

"How old are we really? It's about ascension. It's not the other way. There's nothing down about it. Everything is better." -- Prince, who turned 50 in June.

Compiled by Melissa Sullivan from wire reports