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A New Me

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-11-18T06:23:44-08:00

Because I can’t ever have enough me on the web, I’ve put up a new site that will, eventually, replace this one. It’s more of the same but in a new and improved (with fresh lemon scent) package. Find it here.

Can't love this site enough

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-11-11T09:55:03-08:00

Check out Master of My Public Domain for a some great, classic radio and tv.

Telefuture!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-10-21T22:37:20-07:00

Coming of age during this technology shift was a complete and total non-event. Only now is the predicted impact being felt by corporations and consumers alike. Via boingboing.

TruFocals Go Blurry

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-10-21T11:12:44-07:00

After many months of enjoying, or trying to, my nifty little and very expensive TruFocals glasses I finally had to throw in the towel. The concept is sound but, for me, the execution lacks. Tragic incident number 1 was when my then 2 year-old-daughter pulled a book off the bathroom counter and knocked the glasses to a tile floor. One of the two magnetically attached lenses took the brunt of the impact and cracked. In addition, one of the fluid chambers burst and the transparent liquid that refracts incoming light for focusing leaked out. ... The stems were slightly off so I attempted to adjust them by bending the frame. That threw the focusing off on the just-repaired lens. ... I slid the focusing adjustment for reading and sproink the left lens went blurry. ...It’s back to my visually cumbersome progressive glasses for now. ...

Human Target

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-10-17T12:56:45-07:00

...Co-exec, consulting, general dogsbody. Promises to be an exciting season. It’s been super darn exciting making it. ... Oh, and the promo is wrong. Season 2 premieres Wednesday, Nov. 17th, 2010. Seems Lonestar’s demise prompted some schedule shifting.

Sigh

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-08-17T14:55:12-07:00

Like someplace in Indiana.

Devour it

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-08-12T11:13:46-07:00

[Via Devour]

Nice Cube

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-08-12T10:15:20-07:00

I’ve still got mine. Macworld speaks highly. And further. Looking back today, it seems that the Cube was simply ahead of its time. It was an ingenious and striking design that missed the mark by about five years—and $1,000. But don’t tell that to the loyal Cube owners out there, from whom you couldn’t pry their Cubes from their cold, dead hands. The G4 Cube’s enduring appeal from Mac fans is a testament to its unique and visionary design that has yet to be duplicated—even in the Mac mini—to this day.

Words

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-08-11T15:18:55-07:00

WORDS from Everynone on Vimeo.

Here's (the exact) Johnny (you're looking for)!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-08-11T10:30:06-07:00

Neat. From the Los Angeles Times: Carson Entertainment Group, which owns the archive of the late-night host's 30 years on "The Tonight Show," is set to announce Wednesday that it has digitized all 3,300 hours of existing footage from the program and created a searchable online database for producers and researchers. Here’s Johnny online.

W R I T I N G

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-08-11T00:31:18-07:00

Nothing scares me more than the words “FADE IN:” at the top of a blank slab of soft clay.

Your Tuesday Dance Clip

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-08-10T07:29:30-07:00

Brisco's Sunset

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-08-07T12:31:20-07:00

Andrew Orillion has some nice words about a nice show.

Open Your Present, the Future's Inside

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-08-01T08:38:53-07:00

io9 links to the Paleo-Future site this week. The recent trend among old dudes and dudettes toward bitching about their denied promised future (flying cars, robots, you know – the stuff we don’t have) has left me cold given the fact that we live in the freakin’ future (at dinner last night I kept myself company with Wired Magazine and A State Within on this before paying for dinner with old-school plastic). Paleo–Future chronicles human endeavor’s big what-ifs in a terrific collection of ongoing articles and images. Most of them rocket me right back to a small neighborhood in Indiana when anything was possible. [Via io9]

Live in it

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-31T00:20:34-07:00

Coast Modern Film Trailer V.2 from Coast Modern on Vimeo.

The song is Sort of Revolution by Fink. [Via Coudal]

Ants In My Scanner!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-31T00:01:25-07:00

ANTS in my scanner > a five years time-lapse! from françois vautier on Vimeo.

Run some opening credits over this and it’s an award-winning title sequence. By François Vautier. Now go look at the thing he did with Blade Runner. [Via Coudal]

Always nice to be nicely reviewed

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-30T09:10:00-07:00

Deric Hughes, writer-pal on Warehouse 13, alerted me to this a few weeks ago. Robert Berg (Rob Will Review...) was gracious and (be still my heart) observant in his review of the final episode I wrote for Syfy’s Warehouse 13. Robert says: Last season, I might never have imagined an episode of Warehouse 13 that involved, as Allison Scagliotti tweeted, “cowboys, gladiators, squawking Farnsworths, and a Snuggie.” And she didn’t even mention the World War II marines, the gangster, the mad scientist, or the killer, magnetic robot. ”Beyond Our Control” presents practically every geektastic, B-movie reference one could think of, satirizing everything from their cheeseball, overwrought dialogue to their silly effects, while also managing to add to the series’ Farnsworth mythology–steampunk 3D projector that brings film to life, for the win–not to mention throwing in some excellent meta jokes and references for good measure, my favorite being the act break in which Pete indicates that if someone fast forwards through commercials, it could spell their doom. “Beyond Our Control” was written as an homage to my television beginnings. Playing with the form and embracing television tropes is always fun and, for a writer working in television, it keeps things fresh. Anyway, thanks Robert.

Up Mashed Inception

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-29T13:02:13-07:00

Holy heck, this is great fun. Via Doobybrain.

Your Sunday Serenade

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-25T10:04:06-07:00

Uncle Pecos sings Froggy Went-a-Courtin’! And here’s the entire epic. Seeing this as a kid it made me aware of a whole new concept (to me): comedic timing.

Superego

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-23T13:01:00-07:00

I’ve subscribed and so should you.

Hold it this way

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-22T17:57:16-07:00

From College Humor, Apple’s iPhone 4 press conference.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

This might do it

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-22T06:43:01-07:00

This might get me back into Twitter. I chucked it months ago after finding it vacuous. This could fill the void, I think.

Warehouse 13: Beyond Our Control

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-21T10:01:25-07:00

My latest and last walk down the aisles of Warehouse 13 is available on online. Catch it here.

Waiting for Superman

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-21T09:53:05-07:00

No. Not that Superman. This one. The one that might save my kids and my country. [Via Coudal]

Hear this

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-20T19:35:00-07:00

Guy uses his 20-year-old computer to clean up some music.

Finally, the truth about the iPhone 4

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-18T22:49:57-07:00

You know those Taiwanese News animations that are... are... I’m stumped. Just watch.

Sharktopus!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-15T18:26:05-07:00

In this time of ocean devastation and funky phone antennas it’s nice to know that there’s a Roger Corman in the world.

Four Lions

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-05T09:54:04-07:00

Cory Doctorow says “This is Spinal Tap for suicide bombers.” That phrase alone has me in line to buy a ticket. [Via BoingBoing]

Art

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-07-03T18:27:39-07:00

Kubrick. Scorsese. Bliss.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-06-28T09:27:10-07:00

Kubrick vs Scorsese from Leandro Copperfield on Vimeo.

[Via kottke.org]

Ian Fleming has some advice

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-06-23T22:19:08-07:00

Okay. Go. [Via Coudal Partners]

The Sci-Fi Airshow

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-06-22T21:06:19-07:00

If I was eleven years old (and most days I am) the slimmest thought of this being even close to a real thing would have made my Irwin Allen-loving head explode. The joy here is the exquisite “reality” the site employs. These ships are real! Full-size and built to fly. If only. Man. If only.

Handwritten emails

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-06-22T20:50:38-07:00

Pilot has a nifty web-based app that turns your handwritten text into a font. This has been done before but this implementation is kinda brilliant. [Via Lifehacker]

Ada

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-06-19T14:52:41-07:00

After the pilot for The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. was ordered to series by Fox back in the mid-‘90s I found myself attached to the show as a co-producer. Exec producers Carlton Cuse and Jeffrey Boam asked me to come up with an episode pronto and I landed on Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine as the basis for story. Brisco was continually interested in what the future held so having him run up against a villain using a computer to accomplish his crimes made sense. The script was rejected and something else was tried... something I can’t recall. But Babbage, and Ada Lovelace remain fondly in my memory alongside Brisco’s adventure with their machine.

Information Pioneers: Ada Lovelace from Information Pioneers on Vimeo.

[Via kottke.org]

Yes, I invented the latest iPhone

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-06-12T23:51:29-07:00

It’s a fictional video telephone I created for Syfy’s WAREHOUSE 13. When I tackled the rewrite that resulted in the show’s pilot and subsequent series I knew that the characters, flung far to the four corners on their pilot mission, would need to stay in visual contact with each other (in series, too). ... So, since the show dealt with unknown and mysterious tech (occasionally), I chose to gift the characters with a Philo T. ... The show’s art department came up with a fantastic design (including technical blueprints that look so real it’s freaky) and the prop department built it. ...Each week Pete, Myka, Artie and Claudia video-gab back and forth about the latest mystery. Oh, okay, so maybe I was inspired a little bit by iChat. But I’m still gonna say Steve Jobs ripped off my Farnsworth idea. ... But I feel obliged to take a little credit here. Click on the (Apple site image) to see their Farnsworth in action. ...

In the background

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-06-06T10:45:50-07:00

After watching The Jungle Book for the millionth time with my kids, there’s only so much entertainment left that can be squeezed out of Baloo and King Louie’s jive. So, not surprisingly, my eye has been drawn to the backgrounds meant to serve as stage settings to the foreground hijinks. More than once I’ve been struck by how gorgeous those backgrounds are. The backgrounds to Lady and the Tramp and 101 Dalmatians are spectacular. Wouldn’t it be nice, I thought, if only one could get those backgrounds scrubbed of all those offending major and minor characters? Leave it to the web. More specifically, to Bob Richards. His site, Animation Backgrounds is something to see. Go see it. ...

The Secret Powers of Time

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-06-06T00:51:50-07:00

Kottke says: A fascinating 10-minute animated talk by Philip Zimbardo about the different "time zones" or "time perspectives" that people can have and how the different zones affect people's world views. [Via kottke.org]

TED: Touch your data

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-06-03T04:54:41-07:00

Via Engadget: In February 2010, the man who built the technology of Minority Report twice -- once for the movie, and once in real life -- spoke at TED about the future of user interface design. Yesterday, TED posted John Underkoffler's entire fifteen-minute video presentation -- a copy of which you'll find right after the break. Get a curated glimpse into his company's tech in the following demo, and hear from the man himself when the gloves might come off.

Dig the drummer

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-31T21:00:49-07:00

[Crooks and Liars]

Apple TV update looming?

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-29T11:35:41-07:00

At the moment I have three in use wirelessly linked to different Macs. Without warning the links lose themselves and that’s when the voodoo begins. I’ll spend hours resetting, restarting, resynching to get things working again without success. Then, for some sunspotted reason, things will align themselves and behave. In spite of the trouble, I’ve successfully ditched my satellite TV provider. We’re no longer paying for TV unless it’s something we specifically want via the iTunes Store. Now, it is rumored, that a major update is on the way. An update that might do away with local storage altogether and put all my video, audio and photos on the web. ... Whatever it is, it couldn’t be worse than than the current setup. ...

The Black Keys

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-28T23:37:26-07:00

Go watch this. A spectacular music vid shot on the Canon 7D. [Via Coudal Partners]

Iron Baby

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-28T03:26:22-07:00

My kids could watch this all day.

Smart business?

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-28T02:45:48-07:00

If I owned NBC stock I’d be pissed. Apple surpasses Microsoft. For the first time in the long history of the dueling computer companies, Apple Inc.'s market capitalization passed that of rival Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday, making Apple the most valuable technology company in the world. NBC won’t embrace the iPad. A number of major studios that include NBC and Time Warner are deliberately rejecting HTML5 video in favor of Flash, rumors maintained today. TV networks have allegedly told Apple they have no plans to switch as the cost and results wouldn't be worthwhile. None of the involved companies has confirmed or denied the remarks. NBC. Still stupid.

My next dog

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-26T19:19:00-07:00

Velcro this

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-22T11:55:26-07:00

Panache.

iPad + Velcro from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

[Via TUAW]

The world out my back door

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-19T23:51:07-07:00

This is cool. In 1927 Paramount Studios mapped out local environs meant to double for distant locations. Who knew Venice, Italy was so close? [Via Coudal Partners]

Art & Copy

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-19T09:10:03-07:00

“I think creativity can solve anything. Anything!” – George Lois Just watched the documentary Art & Copy about advertising. Streamed it via Netflix on my iPad (hello, future). Pretty brilliant. Hopeful, even. Trailer below.

The Art of Manliness

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-18T12:18:21-07:00

With the right combination of humor and gentle nudging, The Art of Manliness aims to instruct and inform guys (and gals) in all the things Gallant (not Goofus) should be aware of regarding clothes, food, grooming and etiquette. There’s a whole lost world out there of things my grandfather and dad knew without knowing. Me, I know one tie knot and, honestly, I’d be hard pressed to tie it now. There’s an embrace to this site that comforts. I’m already into the “rebuilding your wardrobe” thing. I’m a bit too old to continue dressing like I’m a budgeted college punk.

Father's Day

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-16T18:47:10-07:00

It had been 5 years since Damian Aspinall saw the gorilla he’d raised from infancy.

Swagger Wagon

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-13T20:45:12-07:00

As the soon-to-possibly-be-owner of a minivan, my cockles are warmed by this. [Via Ken]

Toys for them, toys for you

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-12T17:05:57-07:00

Listening to Dan Benjamin’s excellent podcast today, The Conversation. If you’re even slightly geeky, it’s worth checking out. Dan and his guests were talking about ads on websites (I know, dry, right? But you’d be mistaken. Pretty raucous, actually) and these two sites got mentioned: Playgrounder - The Buyer’s Guide for Kids and Parents and Cool Tools. I wasn’t on Cool Tools thirty seconds before I bought a popcorn popper. Go poke around.

Going electric

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-11T23:52:35-07:00

I’m on deck to get a Nissan Leaf. Here’s why. Here’s how.

My Predication List

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-11T12:39:54-07:00

Semi-Literate Former Gold Prospector Given Own Cable News Show

Working where they don't know "why?"

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-10T09:10:07-07:00

This nails it. Fortune studies a TED talk by Simon Sinek that works on so many levels it’s incredible. How many jobs have you had where the folks in charge have no clue as to why they’re there. I know why I’m there. And knowing it is usually what gets me canned.

So many connections

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-09T14:33:31-07:00

Infinite xo.

CBS loves it some iPad

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-09T02:12:48-07:00

Mashable’s article about CBS digging the iPad makes for good reading. Another aspect of the iPad that stands out for CBS is that the user base is already at one million. That’s important for a content company as large as CBS because while there are other interactive TV initiatives — like Roku, Boxee and others — those products haven’t achieved the reach that the iPad has. I’ve been iPadding for a little over a week (using Macs since 1987) and can assuredly say that this little appliance has become a solid member of my family. The biggest hits so far -- Alice and Wonderland (here) and Marvel’s comic book reader app.

Recent me

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-05-06T11:18:01-07:00

Jurassic iPad

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-27T13:02:45-07:00

Terrific reminiscence on the failure of the past meets (too early?) the success of the present. “Today, of course, it’s an entirely different story: we’re all intimately familiar with the concept of the little computer in our pocket. We fell repeatedly for watered-down Palm handhelds which, in reality, we used rarely; we replaced them with iPhones, which we use too much. Now the same critics who shit-canned the Newton for the wrong reasons are shit-canning the iPad for the wrong reasons. The iPad, though, unlike the Newton, is going to win, and win on an epic scale.”

3D bag

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-25T09:19:38-07:00

The Los Angeles Times has a good article on the pervasive reach of 3D. I liked AVATAR but this 3D nonsense has got to stop.

Oh, Lord, yes

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-23T10:58:41-07:00

Intensive writing over a long period of time is exhausting in ways I find difficult to describe without sounding somewhat precious about it. You feel disenfranchised by reality, a half step behind and off to one side of your own skin, your view oblique, with most possibilities of genuine reaction cooled by being filtered through the habitual appraisal mechanics of your trade. You find an off-hours world crammed with the enticing stimulations of good books, good art, good conversation, but that creative effort necessary to these appreciations is too much akin to the process that uses you up in your work, and so, too often, aware of sloth and guilt, you surrender to the undemanding unvarying flatulence of network television, to magazine fare styled for the lip readers, to social contact with people so curiously predictable in their attitudes you know their lines before they say them. – John D. MacDonald

Get teased!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-20T12:38:29-07:00

Please to enjoy. The Warehouse 13 Season 2 trailer from Syfy.

Network notes

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-19T12:48:52-07:00

Not that I don’t love network notes on scripts. But I might like them better if they could be delivered via this nifty little communicator.

Bend it like the Andrews Sisters

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-15T00:42:49-07:00

The Ross Sisters. Ever heard of them? They bring an interesting definition to “twist and shout.” Be sure to watch past the harmonizing when things get... bendy.

Write that movie

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-12T21:22:51-07:00

Watch this book

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-12T21:09:03-07:00

Could not agree more

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-12T20:05:19-07:00

Jezebel says it.

Why I don't Tweet

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-11T16:22:11-07:00

Aimee Mann stepped in some Ice T.

Pixels

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-08T10:16:21-07:00

An incredible short film by Patrick Jean.

Solid

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-03T05:53:55-07:00

It’s official. Consider this an equivalent moment: ditching the telegraph for the telephone, the landline for the cell, internal combustion for electric. We’re losing the keyboard slowly. Slowly losing the mouse. Slowly but inexorably moving into the realm of gesture and voice. And thought. What happens when we communicate with our ideas and our ideas talk back? ...

iBama

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-04-01T14:41:57-07:00

The President has some fun. Yeah, and linking him to an Apple product is just plain nuts, I know. But I’m high on some new, inventive, simple, helpful brilliant thinking. And Steve Jobs thinks pretty well, too.

Turing Machine

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-03-27T09:54:26-07:00

I’m writing this on a MacBook. I’ll send it to the web in just a few minutes. An everyday miracle of science. Sometimes it takes a primitive expression of an arcane art to reveal the true beauty of the human mind and all its imaginings. ...Watching this Turing Machine in action, even its sounds (clicks and whirrs), affects me in a way I can’t describe. But somewhere within me my geek string has been plucked. ... All in a well-timed ballet of promise. A promise of technology and what we could do, and now do, with numbers.

Ben Folds Chatroulette

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-03-21T12:10:51-07:00

I’ve yet to do this thing the kids speak of, this Chatroulette (color me terrified) but Ben Folds, following the lead of “Merton” makes it feel all right. Via Mashable

Speaking of flying cars...

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-03-09T15:58:57-08:00

Jalopnik links to Popular Science’s best flying car covers. Ah, if only.

Not a flying car, but it's close

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-03-07T23:01:14-08:00

To really get this, watch it with the sound off. Just look at this thing. I mean look at it. Holy cripes.

The death of print journalism

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-03-06T00:54:37-08:00

I love these guys.

The new thing

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-03-03T07:28:45-08:00

It’s official. I’ve begun. After a year of false starts and fun, excursionary tangents into scripts and stories that, while interesting, were not engaging me, I finally landed on something I like. My agent has been hammering me for new material. New material is essential in this business to entice the powers-that-be; PTB that keep changing jobs and positions, falling in and out of networks and studios. So, going public here, I’ve got 8 weeks to get this new piece finished and shipped. Onward. Keep you posted.

Bob and Saul explain it all for you

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-03-01T22:35:15-08:00

Warehouse 13 writer Bob Goodman has written a fantastic essay on the discovery process he discovered working on a hit TV show. It’s about writing and working and fun and imagination and why this job is great. So of course the Writers’ Guild magazine Written By rejected it for publication. io9’s gain. See you at the office, Bob. And, to get even more Warehousey, check out Saul Rubinek’s (our Artie) video interview.

Warner Bloopers

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-22T13:37:52-08:00

Via Neatorama, a fun collection of Warner Bros. outtakes from the 1930s.

This won't end well

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-22T10:28:40-08:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Nice.

Embrace Life

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-21T17:02:48-08:00

Get the story here.

Dickney DVDs

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-19T11:20:17-08:00

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Disney’s Fast Play (Or the Marketing of a Flipped Bit)

Now look at me

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-17T12:14:09-08:00

Leo LaPorte interviews the creators of that fantastic Old Spice Commercial. Brilliant stuff.

Bourne Identity Theft

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-17T12:03:31-08:00

You turn on the news to discover that apparently you’re part of an international assassination squad because a killer (sanctioned by the government) stole your identity and used it to kill. ...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and

K.I.S.S.: Writing to be grok'd

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-16T17:55:12-08:00

This is aimed at software and hardware engineers. But the sentiments apply to writing for tv and movies. Be Stupid.

My kids will be thrilled. Not me. Could care less. Really. Not even interested. Maybe I should get tickets now.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-11T11:08:03-08:00

Toy Story 3 Trailer 2 in HD

Trailer Park Movies | MySpace Video

Duh.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-09T12:38:11-08:00

Warner Music Group during its fiscal results call today acknowledged that its digital music sales have slowed since it helped push for variable pricing on iTunes last year. In the fall, the company's digital sales equivalent to whole albums grew about 5 percent compared to late 2008 where it grew 10 percent over this past summer and 11 percent in the spring. Absolute digital revenue followed a similar pattern as the income grew 8 percent year-over-year in late 2009, but less than half the 20 percent from the end of 2008. [Electronista)

Die-by-wire?

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-06T23:39:21-08:00

John Dvorak at Marketwatch: In a Prius, as well as many computer-controlled Toyotas, the accelerator pedal is more like a volume-control knob than anything else. In the olden days when you stepped on the pedal, it would be directly connected to, say, a carburetor, and open a valve mechanically as you pushed down. This is now passé, as this activity is done electronically on the most modern cars by network signaling. A good article explaining how auto makers went from hardware to software and may have put us all into hot water. Here’s hoping not. [Marketwatch]

Discussing the iPad

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-06T13:56:45-08:00

Charlie Rose spoke with David Carr, Michael Arrington and Walt Mossberg about Apple’s new iPad. [Gizmodo]

Shootout science

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-02-03T10:20:02-08:00

Pal Bob Goodman clued me to this (perhaps because I’ve just written a shootout on main street for a certain show I’m working on). A fun examination of the neuroscience behind the Western Showdown.

iPad as terror weapon (aimed at tech gurus)

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-30T13:04:54-08:00

“What you’re seeing in the industry’s reaction to the iPad is nothing less than future shock.” Via John Gruber. For the last few days I’ve been conflicted about my non-reaction to the iPad intro. The link above resolves the conflict.

Chaplin before The Tramp

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-29T23:47:51-08:00

I always assumed Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp character was launched fully formed into film history. Not so. CNN has a great feature on the creation of a classic character.

iPad via Mad TV

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-29T23:41:47-08:00

NPR snagged the Mad TV writers who introduced the world to the original iPad. Funny.

Steve Jobs in 1994: The Rolling Stone Interview

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-29T23:32:10-08:00

In 1994 Steve Jobs was the man banished from Apple and striving to make NeXT the next big thing. But something else lay in store. Rolling Stone’s Jeff Goodell walks us back 16 years to a simpler time. It’s a great interview.

California needs high speed trains

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-28T23:40:44-08:00

...But I love traveling. Yeah, it’s a pickle. Here’s a slick bit of promotion pushing for high speed trains in California. The Huffington Post has an AP article on the deal. Here’s a piece of it: High-speed rail projects in California, Florida and Illinois are among the big winners of $8 billion in grants announced Thursday by the White House – the start of what some Democrats tout as a national rail-building program that could rival the interstate highways begun in the Eisenhower era. President Barack Obama announced the awards during a town hall meeting in Tampa, Fla. – a follow-up to Wednesday's State of the Union address that focused on getting Americans back to work. Thirteen passenger rail corridors in 31 states will receive grants, which are funded by the economic recovery act enacted last year.

Your pad or mine?

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-27T13:35:52-08:00

NSFW on first

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-27T09:29:01-08:00

As one who’s worked in the Abbott and Costello building on a certain movie lot, this has special significance. Cue the spit-take.

Peruse

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-27T00:41:51-08:00

Theatricality

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-24T09:55:27-08:00

When I was a kid I stumbled across Leonard Bernstein on tv explaining how and why music is music. I can safely say it changed my life. No, I don’t play an instrument or read or write music. What I was enlightened to by Bernstein was process. ... A few years later, after becoming enamored with movie soundtracks, a good friend suggested that if I loved soundtracks so much I should consider going to the source: classical music. ... BoingBoing has been posting a series called Adventures in Music that shouldn’t be missed. The above clip is one of them. Have a good Sunday.

Cantaloupe Island

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-23T22:45:01-08:00

Crooks and Liars linked to this tonight. Must repost. Pat Metheny is a guitar god.

McGee nirvana

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-21T22:28:00-08:00

In my humble opinion, there was no better writer of crime fiction than John D. ... If you’re a fan, you understand. If you like Stephen King or appreciate films like Mystic River (based on Dennis Lehane’s excellent novel) or revel in the dense plotting of The Wire’s good bad-guys and bad good-guys and haven’t yet discovered MacDonald then spend some time over at Steve Scott’s fantastic site, The Trap of Solid Gold. ... Scott, who seriously knows his stuff, fill you in: My name is Steve Scott and I've been a reader of the works of author John D MacDonald for over 35 years. In 1981 I had the privilege of assisting Walter and Jean Shine by doing research for a second edition of their definitive Bibliography of MacDonald's novels and short stories. John was an incredibly prolific author of primarily crime and mystery fiction and, between 1946 and 1986, published nearly 400 stories and over 65 novels. I hope to use this blog to share some of my knowledge, opinions, information and artwork from an old and dusty collection of JDM stuff. Go fall into The Trap of Solid Gold.

Old media is new again

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-21T21:19:09-08:00

From Daily Finance: Steve Jobs plans to bring new hope to old media with his tablet device. It will work well as a web-searching tool, but in addition it will almost certainly offer access to a wide array of text books, newspapers, and TV shows. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs plans to "expand Apple's influence and revenue as a content middleman." The company is already a dominant force in digital music because of its iTunes business. The Journal reports Apple is in talks with major newspaper companies and textbook firms.

iCannot Wait!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-21T18:14:11-08:00

Gizmodo has a great roundup of the Apple tablet rumors. Lots of fun stuff here. Yippee.

The Virtual Revolution

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-21T18:03:11-08:00

Gizmodo’s heads-up re: The BBC’s upcoming documentary, The Virtual Revolution. Looks cool.

Your President, brought to you by Exxon Mobil

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-21T15:50:43-08:00

The New York Times and again The New York Times The Los Angeles Times and again The Los Angeles Times The Huffington Post and again The Huffington Post Crooks and Liars DailyKos

Get lost

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-20T11:08:26-08:00

The music of your childhood

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-19T16:10:02-08:00

The movie Funny Bones relied heavily on Raymond Scott’s music to salt the comedy-drama with just the right amount of wacky. Listening to it, you might be surprised to find it spiced up your childhood as well. From classic Warner Bros. cartoons up to Ren, Stimpy, Spongebob, Pee-Wee and beyond. The roots are Scott’s. Fun and funny.

Kid stories

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-19T10:20:56-08:00

If you have kids, or even if you don’t, this article is worth a read. About three years ago, when our twins arrived, I wasn’t paying much attention to the artwork in the Little Golden Books what with feedings, diapers and lack of sleep crushing my very soul. But lately, now that they’re walking, talking, joking and hurling books at me with shouts of “Read this one,” I’ve come to appreciate the wonderful worlds depicted in my kids’ first published brush (pun intended) with art. The terrific site, The ASIFA Hollywood Animation Archive, is recent discovery (via BoingBoing) devoted to art and animation at its most whimsical and imaginative.

The Story of Macintosh

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-18T13:14:13-08:00

The Unofficial Apple Weblog links to some insanely great promotional footage regarding the original Macintosh. I’m misty-eyed. A big thank-you to Greg Pruss for introducing me to his Mac Plus in 1988.

Devileno

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-18T12:15:58-08:00

Nice roundup of the facts.

Haiti Help

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-16T11:32:27-08:00

Three links to donate to Haiti. Via iTunes and the White House (links to the Red Cross).

Sports Illustrated's tablet mag demo

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-13T10:52:47-08:00

Sports Illustrated put together a demo of what their magazine might look like on a tablet. If you’re curious as to what Apple’s tablet might look and feel like, after watching this we can only hope.

Keeping Facebook private

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-13T00:59:34-08:00

Mahendra Palsule explains it all for you.

Teslas on full!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-12T12:38:35-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and

The year we make contact

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-12T07:46:05-08:00

Tim VanDamme via John Gruber. It looks like everyone and their next door neighbor is super excited about whatever Apple will supposable reveal on January 27th. We’re no longer asking ourselves “Will Apple launch a tablet,” or “When will the tablet be available?” No, we’re completely certain Apple will reveal a 10” touchscreen pumped up iPhone/scaled down Mac in the upcoming weeks.

Hey, Zuckerberg. Get F'Booked!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-10T16:02:24-08:00

Apparently all you Facebookers are just grist for Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of an open society. ... Read on if you dare to see just how wide open you truly are in his world. And, just so you know, in his world, he’s king. ...Then decide if you’re willing to ditch your privacy for Zuckerberg’s wallet. ...And in it [see attached video], around the three-minute mark, he [Zuckerberg] says: "People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that has evolved over time." Perhaps you weren't aware that people's comfort with sharing had become a new social norm. Perhaps you were naive enough to think that people used laptops and social-networking sites to connect very specifically with certain other people in order to share certain things. ...

End of the world

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-10T12:27:16-08:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Waiter, there's shit in my soda

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-09T21:01:48-08:00

This from the L.A. Times. Amina Khan writes: All right, two burgers with a side of fries coming up ... would you like a large fecally contaminated soda with that? Like it or not, that's what you may be drinking, says a study published in the January print edition of the International Journal of Food Microbiology. The study looked at 90 beverages from 30 soda fountains in Virginia. A follow-up study took a look at the microbes they found in 27 drinks (including water). Researchers found that 48% of the drinks were harboring "coliform" bacteria -- which means they could contain fecal matter. Get the full poop here. Photo credit: Los Angeles Times

Mind your morning commute

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-09T13:13:36-08:00

VH1 Reality Show Bus Crashes In California Causing Major Slut Spill

Mark your calendar

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-08T12:05:23-08:00

Screening at midnight on 2/26/10 at the Fairfax Cinema in Los Angeles.

The Nautilus in Paris

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-08T10:30:51-08:00

Courtesy of Martin Smith.

DLP Mysteries of the Nautilus from Martins Videos on Vimeo.

Police Story Teller

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-08T09:07:22-08:00

I couldn’t have been more than 12 or 13 when I found a copy of Joseph Wambaugh’s novel, The New Centurions, on my mom’s nightstand. ... Then saw the movie with George C. Scott and Stacey Keach. Loved it. More than anything, I was intrigued with Joseph Wambaugh. His cop tales were so much more than what Jack Webb was turning out. Wambaugh’s stuff was sexy and violent and for a kid in the midwest growing tired of “Just the facts, ma’am,” Wambaugh’s cops were the perfect antidote. David Gerber brought it to our living room. ...

Action News!!!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-06T22:17:37-08:00

Again, from BoingBoing. A seriously slick 1980s news promo for Milwaukee station WITI. Genius!

Prison Fashion

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-05T23:16:28-08:00

This has nothing to do with pants-worn-under asses by those young men seemingly unaware that the style denotes a willingness for prison ass f*cking. This is about IVP Designs. Get familiar here.

Blow!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-05T16:14:44-08:00

Suicide is (Facebook) Painless

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-04T22:36:40-08:00

I had to do it. Several months ago I walked away from Facebook and Twitter. The endless poking, quiz bullshit and anonymous followers was wearing me down. However, while Twitter erased me completely, Facebook promised me that my online identity was always be there should I ever choose to come back. Honestly, it tempts me. ...Then there’s this. ...

web 2.0 suicide machine promotion from moddr_ on Vimeo.

SueTube

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-04T21:45:30-08:00

Via CNET. Stephen Colbert, the comedian, political satirist, and host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," is funny on his show. The animated characters on "South Park," created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, are hilarious. But will they be as witty on the witness stand? Colbert was recently questioned by Google attorneys during a legal deposition as part of Viacom's $1 billion copyright lawsuit against Google and YouTube. Stop. Give it away. We’ll want it more. Lesson #1 from The Wire’s drug dealers.

Slipping into Steampunk

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-04T11:27:26-08:00

Those familiar with my love of Harper Goff’s Victorian design for Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Nautilus might assume I’m a huge Steampunk fan. Not so. I’m a fan, sure, having become enamored with the look through my work on Warehouse 13, but I’m not a rabid follower. Not yet. Prowling Steampunk on the net, this exhibit at London’s Museum of the History of Science popped up and peaked my interest.

If you don't know John Martyn

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-04T01:26:31-08:00

Get to know him. “Musician” doesn’t even come close.

Binary!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-03T12:07:57-08:00

Via Boing Boing.

See further

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-03T11:02:03-08:00

Robbed by the Bank of America

dleesim@gmail.com — 2010-01-01T14:27:30-08:00

But you’re paying because the Bank of America stole $5,000 from me and refuses to give it back. Here’s the deal: Up until the end of November the mortgage on the home I share with my wife and kids was held by Countrywide/Bank of America. We refinanced this past fall with Bank of America (no Countrywide) to lower our mortgage payment. ... However, on December 2nd an automatic mortgage payment I’d set up with BofA’s online bill payment service went, by mistake, to the old now defunct Countrywide/BofA account and to the new, less expensive BofA mortgage account. ...I call BofA and tell them to look at my checking account (they do), note the Dec. 2 debit withdrawn by mistake (they do) and ask them to either return the money to the checking account or apply the money toward our current mortgage. ...The latest email received today tells me that this problem will be resolved by January 6th, 2010. Note that this email from BofA is the fourth in a series that has promised resolution “within 5 to 6 days.” ...Adding insult to injury, our Christmas-weary checking account has been repeatedly hammered (the $5,000 cushion ain’t there) and you would not believe the insufficient funds charges that are piling up. ... Money I’m sure they’ll be expecting from me after they took my money in the first place! ...The moment the Thieves of America give me my money back I am so gone from those bastards and into my closest community bank.

Words that move (you)

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-12-31T07:07:02-08:00

“Lately I’ve become completely enamored with kinetic typography.” That’s from Lynn La for an article she wrote at macworld.com. Kinetic typography is the art of putting words to movement. You’ve seen this in the opening credits of films like North by Northwest. Get moving.

Back in the Warehouse

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-12-30T09:21:43-08:00

For the last few days I’ve been slogging away at my first script for the second season of Warehouse 13. The first outline submitted to the network was justifiably returned stamped “Bullshit.” ... I’d been saddled with the truth of Toronto’s weather in March (snowy -- when the episode is slated to be shot). ... Thankfully, network heads prevailed and booted the yarn into the dumpster. A forced rethink resulted in a story I’m excited about. It’s got hardware, a mad genius (whom you’ve already met, sort of), and my love of tv and old movies amply represented. ... As an homage to a unique individual and a fortunate time in my life, the episode is called “Beyond Our Control.” And, just because I’m procrastinating (and yet feeling like I’ve earned it) I’m employing The Pomodoro Technique. 25 minutes on. 5 minutes off. ...I’ve got Pete and Myka in a jam and I’m eager to see how they’re getting out of it.

Making music

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-12-28T00:34:09-08:00

This is probably the most amazing thing I’ve seen all year. And, yeah, that includes Avatar. Hit play.

What was the question?

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-12-27T23:03:38-08:00

A brilliant bit of early television for this holiday season. Poke around here for some truly wonderful stuff.

My hero

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-12-07T09:55:27-08:00

Leo LaPorte shows you how it’s done. On his own and with a purpose.

A Ballet of Destruction

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-12-03T11:50:37-08:00

Brains!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-12-02T10:02:10-08:00

The GOP raises Reagan from the dead.
Zombie Reagan Raised From Grave To Lead GOP

No, really?

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-12-02T09:40:25-08:00

Wait. What? People are watching TV shows on the internet? Who knew? The Nielsen Company said Tuesday that its television measurement homes would soon be Internet measurement homes too, bringing the company a step closer toward providing the integrated ratings that media companies are demanding. From the New York Times.

You say tomato, I say procrastination

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-11-28T18:40:57-08:00

Every chance I get I look for some neat new way to help me get my work done in a timely manner. This is how I procrastinate yet feel like I'm actually doing something worthwhile. Well, this is my latest effort. It requires a cooking timer and the freedom to enjoy recess. I'll let you know how it's going. The Pomodoro Technique.

Memory (Chip) Lane

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-11-12T13:18:11-08:00

I'm sick as a sick sick dog today. So of course I'm reflecting on better times. ... Hardware.

He's a bastard.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-11-05T08:42:59-08:00

But he's our bastard. Fortune has the details.

You Know. For Freaks.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-30T22:57:14-07:00

You Know. For Kids.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-28T08:34:41-07:00

Dave, I Hardly Knew Ye

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-27T10:36:10-07:00

I'm working with Nell this year on Warehouse 13. I hope I can crack a good fart joke. 一 I was the second female writer ever hired at Late Night. When I applied for the job in 1988, I had no way of knowing how much the odds were stacked against me. In 27 years, Late Night and Late Show have hired only seven female writers. These seven women have spent a total of 17 years on staff combined. By extrapolation, male writers have racked up a collective 378 years writing jokes for Dave (based on an average writing room of 14 men, the size of the current Late Show staff).

How I Got the Flu

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-27T09:31:27-07:00

From Robert Krulwich at NPR.

Probably Bad News

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-25T08:43:01-07:00

You've no doubt seen late-night comics displaying odd local news headlines. If you like the joke (and who doesn't?), get your fix here.

On the Media

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-24T13:43:16-07:00

NPR's On the Media is a terrific weekly distillation of how the world was interpreted (with some snarky, wise-acre attitude) by our various news orgs. Recently, they devoted their hour to the trials of the music industry. In short order I expect a radio doc on the history-repeating-itself (or not) tribulations of the network TV biz. Here's the first 12 minutes of "The Future of the Music Industry." You can hear the whole thing from their site for free or via iTunes, also free.

"V" The First 8 Minutes

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-23T22:14:59-07:00

ABC is shoving the first 8 minutes of "V" out to the world. Kind have seen it all before.

Warehouse 13 Nom'd for People's Choice Award

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-22T20:08:49-07:00

Winners announced in January. Vote! Update: Well, not quite "nominated." More like nominated to be nominated.

Tapdancing on Roller Skates

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-22T00:05:53-07:00

We've all had the experience. Work is crazy. Life is crazier. Gene Kelly makes it art. Sweet fancy Moses.

Go Podcast, Young Person

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-21T10:11:52-07:00

I do a podcast with Marc Zicree. I found Dan Benjamin's original article to be a great help in getting started. He's updated his advice. If you're interested in the possibilities, check it out.

Vic Mizzy

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-19T22:25:35-07:00

The recently departed Vic Mizzy composed, among other things, the score to a film that changed my pre-adolescent life. Until then I'd no idea that scary could be funny. Saw this movie with my dad. I'd never seen him laugh so hard as when Knotts tried to get into that unsteady elevator.

What Recession?

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-19T16:08:00-07:00

Apple rocks it. CNEThas the details. 一 Apple recorded revenue of $9.87 billion and earnings of $1.67 billion, or $1.82 per share. That's up from the $7.9 billion in revenue and $1.26 per share of a year ago. And that easily fell within the range of what Wall Street was hoping for. Analysts had been expecting earnings per share somewhere between $1.24 and $1.72, and revenue between $8.74 billion and $10.55 billion.

Shut the Tweet Up

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-19T13:26:26-07:00

It was only a matter of time. Employee contracts are showing up with Twitter/Facebook clauses.

Working for Fox

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-19T09:54:39-07:00

A few years ago I was employed as a writer working on several Fox Network TV shows. Even then, while the paycheck was nice, I had some qualms about working for an organization whose news division was so... well, idiotic. ... 一 That Rupert Murdoch may tilt the news rightward more for commercial than ideological reasons is beside the point. What matters is the way that Fox's model has invaded the bloodstream of the American media. By showing that ideologically distorted news can drive ratings, Ailes has provoked his rivals at CNN and MSNBC to develop a variety of populist and ideological takes on the news. ... Its example has made all of cable news unpleasant and unreliable. My next job offer from Fox, if there is one, will be met with some serious consideration. 一 And weepy Glenn Beck has begun to exhibit a Strangelovean concern about government invading our bloodstream by vaccinating people for swine flu. With this misinformation campaign, Fox stands to become the first network to actively try to kill its viewers. ...

Newspapers Lose the Paper

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-16T14:17:50-07:00

It's going to happen. And with this, subscription-based "print" media will finally be justified. From Wired: Picture a free magazine app that offers one sample issue and the ability to purchase future issues afterward. Or a newspaper app that only displays text articles with pictures, but paying a fee within the app unlocks an entire new digital experience packed with music and video. This is an example of the “freemium” model that Wired magazine’s Chris Anderson explains in his book Free. It’s a model that some publishers, including Wired’s parent company Condé Nast, are already experimenting with on their websites. (Our sister publication Ars Technica, for example, offers its general content for free, as well as a “Premier” subscription option for readers to access exclusive content.)

500 Pound Apple Gorilla

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-16T13:51:54-07:00

Fanboy Alert: I was born without a sports gene but do have a substantial "win one for the, Gipper" mentality. ... Comes from being raised within spitting distance of Notre Dame, I guess. Anyway, for years I suffered along with everyone else who knew in their techno-hearts that Apple was the best thing going. And for years it was going down the drain. ... 一 The Cupertino, Calif.-based gizmo and computer company's earnings are expected to jump 14% Monday when it reports results for the quarter ended September. ...But the company had been down for so long and so derided that this new lease on life (for Jobs, too) is sweet. 一 So, what will it take to hurt Apple? ... Maybe if things start going right, for a change. Bad news--and outright weird news--has only made these guys stronger. ...

Laughs

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-15T23:09:25-07:00

Comedian Marc Maron makes me laugh. These guys make me howl. iTunes required.

Hammer Time

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-15T15:06:39-07:00

Growing up in Indiana in the early '70s the heady mix of my father's Playboy collection in his sock drawer and Hammer films at the State Theater provided plenty of, well, grist. Watching Chris Lee stalk a voluptuous lady Brit was thrilling and terrifying. Adolescent lust, indeed. Seems I wasn't alone.

Time Capsule: Dead

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-15T15:00:01-07:00

Count me in as one of the unlucky few. Damn thing never worked.

The Nautilus

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-15T10:52:56-07:00

Folks who know me (and have seen my home office) know that I have a thing (putting it mildly) for a piece of Harper Goff-designed movie brilliance. The Nautilus from Disney's 1954 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea has been a fascination for me since childhood. Looks like there's a another version of the boat out there for me to get my hands on. Not to mention this bit of artistic genius.

Roku

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-15T09:39:26-07:00

Everyday I get closer to cutting the satellite mainline to my TV artery and going totally digital. The latest salvo was delivered by Netflix's Roku box. Streaming movies and TV shows via Roku beats Apple's AppleTV hands down. Worth checking out if you have a Netflix subscription (or even if you don't). Add in Amazon's video streaming offerings and it's harder to ignore. C/Net Review.

Stanley Kubrick on The Zicree Simkins Podcast

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-15T09:16:21-07:00

How cool is this? While reading John Gruber's excellent Daring Fireball I landed on his linked posting of a 1966 interview with Stanley Kubrick by Jeremy Bernstein. So, in true internet swipey-stealy fashion, I grabbed it for the podcast I do with Marc Zicree. For cool things Kubrick, check this out. When you're done there, go explore here. Great site. Great webness.

Gearing Up for Season 2

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-10-13T10:28:12-07:00

The Warehouse 13 writers' room is slated to start up on November 2. In addition to many of our returning Season One staff (Jack Kenny, me, Drew Greenberg, Bob Goodman, Deric Hughes, Ben Raab, Tamara Becher) we have some new faces at the table. Mike Fox and Ian Stokes (last season's script coordinator and writers' assistant) have joined the ranks. ...The goal is to get as many scripts written as possible before production starts (in Toronto) in early spring. ...We've got a lot of story threads to address and, just like you, we've got plenty of ideas toward ramping things up, keeping things fun and thrilling. We've have spent the hiatus chilling, digging into artifact research and ruminating on Pete, Myka, Artie, Leena, Claudia, Mrs. ... They're a great, dysfunctional family full of hopes, secrets, lies, loyalties and betrayals. ...And if anybody's noticed (probably not) I took myself off Facebook and Twitter. ...To catch season of Warehouse 13, check out Hulu or Warehouse 13 on Syfy's site. ...

From Comedy to Horror

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-09-13T13:26:27-07:00

This pretty well nails the current shenanigans going on with the Right.

Taking Some Time

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-09-06T13:35:23-07:00

What have I been doing on my summer vacation? Well, I dumped Facebook and Twitter from my life. That was an easy decision. I'd been spending way too much time gazing at navels. ...Poking around the web here's a couple things that are holding my interest. ...Check out some of his television stunts here. Nice article here at about his astounding lottery number prediction. Apple's Snow Leopard has been a nice distraction. Tracking its fun and foibles are John Gruber and Merlin Mann, two excellent writers in the Mac and tech trade.

Season Two!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-08-20T11:17:26-07:00

New York, NY – August 20, 2009 – Syfy has ordered 13 episodes of its smash hit original series Warehouse 13 for a second season, it was announced today by Mark Stern, Syfy’s Executive Vice President, Original Content & Co-Head Original Content, Universal Cable Productions. ...The finale airs on September 22 @ 9pm ET/PT and features guest stars CCH Pounder (The Shield) and Roger Rees (West Wing). In its first season, Warehouse 13 has delivered a 2.9 Household rating (including only the weeks for which full DVR data is available), 4.02 million total viewers, 1.99 million Adults 25-54 and 1.57 million Adults 18-49. Having just reached the mid-point of the season, Warehouse 13 is tracking to be the highest-rated and most-watched first season ever for a Syfy original series, even topping Battlestar Galactica’s 2.4 Household rating and 2.86 million total viewer averages. It is currently averaging over 4 million total viewers per episode and has delivered more viewers than many scripted series on competing networks this summer, including TNT's Hawthorne, Raising the Bar, Dark Blue and Saving Grace; FX's Rescue Me and Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva. Warehouse 13 has grown its audience since its premiere, setting series highs for total viewers with its second and fourth telecasts. Warehouse 13 episodes account for three of the network's top five most-watched original series telecasts ever. The fourth episode which aired on Tuesday, July 28 at 9PM (ET/PT) delivered the most Females (1.9 million) of any series telecast in Syfy's 17-year history. After saving the life of the President, two Secret Service agents find themselves abruptly transferred to Warehouse 13 -- a massive, top secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse’s caretaker Artie (Rubinek) charges Pete (McClintock) and Myka (Kelly) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the warehouse itself.

I'm There: The Red Band Trailer for LEGION

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-08-15T07:30:50-07:00

Beyond Our Control

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-08-08T22:57:36-07:00

One of my early acting efforts. You screenwriter fans, please to note the thespianic stylings of Larry Karaszewski wielding a mean table saw.

Warehouse 13 Ratings Soar

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-08-04T12:08:40-07:00

SYFY’S WAREHOUSE 13 SECOND EPISODE IS THE #1 MOST WATCHED CABLE PROGRAM BEATING DEADLIEST CATCH ...New York, NY – August 3, 2009 – Syfy’s hit new original series Warehouse 13 added to its stellar numbers when the release of new Live +7 data placed the July 14th episode as the most-watched non-premiere telecast in Syfy's 17-year history. ...Overall, the July 14th episode, featuring Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), averaged a 2.9 Household rating, 4.2 million total viewers, 2.1 million Adults 25-54 and 1.6 million Adults 18-49. ...This represents a new series’ high on all measures with ratings up from the prior week's series premiere performance by +4% in Household ratings and total viewers, +9% in Adults 25-54 and +10% in Adults 18-49. Episode 2 of Warehouse 13 is now Syfy's third most-watched series telecast ever, and is the most-watched episode for any series on the network that was not a series premiere. Including all DVR playback for the night of July 14th, Warehouse 13 was the #1 most-watched cable program for the day, beating a new episode of Deadliest Catch head-to-head by 21,000 viewers. Warehouse 13 also topped the original scripted dramas on TNT, beating Hawthorne head-to-head by +7% in total viewers and Saving Grace at 10pm by +19% in total viewers. ...Warehouse 13 follows two Secret Service agents who find themselves abruptly transferred to a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse’s caretaker Artie (Saul Rubinek) charges Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the warehouse itself. ...Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 95 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.

The Comic Con Warehouse 13 Panel

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-07-30T08:43:11-07:00

On Saturday, July 25 the cast (Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek and Allison Scagliott) and producers (Jack Kenny and David Simkins) of Warehouse 13 were empaneled at San Diego Comic Con to spread the W13 joy. Click the image below to check it out.

Meet Allison. She Delivers Great Ratings.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-07-29T21:39:30-07:00

Allison Scagliotti. She plays Claudia on Syfy’s new hit show Warehouse 13.

Video Games - E3 2009 - Attack of the Show

Scope our most recent passel of ratings.

After Comic Con

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-07-26T10:08:23-07:00

The Warehouse 13 crew (Jack Kenny, me, Allison, Saul, Jo and Eddie) were at Comic Con this weekend. The panel was well-attended, well-modereated and greatly enjoyed by us and the audience. Eddie and Jo were in great chemical form. Saul demonstrated with humor why only he could be Artie. ... Mark Stern, the SyFy big cheese, took the stage at one point and stressed that if we were to get a second season it’s up to the fans. Well, the fans and the writers. As long as we serve up the right stuff for the right crowd we should be okay. Thanks to all who support the show. ...

Warehouse 13

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-07-08T14:45:07-07:00

Warehouse 13 was the #1 most-watched cable program in Tuesday prime with over 3.5 million total viewers P2+, beating new episodes of Deadliest Catch, Hawthorne, Saving Grace and Rescue Me. ...Warehouse 13 beat FOX head-to-head in the 9pm hour among P18-49s and P25-54s. ...Warehouse 13 is Syfy's 3rd most-watched original series telecast ever, trailing only the series premieres of Stargate Atlantis in 2004 and Eureka in 2006. Syfy was the #1 most-watched ad-supported cable network in 8-11pm prime. ...Tuesday's 9-11pm series premiere of Warehouse 13 delivered a 2.5 HH Rating, 3.509 million total viewers (P2+), 1.290 Million P18-49s and 1.655 million P25-54s. ...This is the 3rd-highest P2+ deliver ever for a Syfy original series, trailing only the series premieres of Stargate Atlantis (4.191 MM P2+ on 7/16/04) and Eureka (4.053 MM P2+ on 7/18/06). ...In the P18-49 and P25-54 demos this is Syfy's best scripted series premiere since Eureka in 2006 and outperformed the October 2008 debut of Sanctuary by +20% in P18-49s, +15% in P25-54s and +29% in total viewers P2+. Sci Fi was the #1 ad-supported cable network in 8-11pm prime for total viewers P2+, and also placed #2 for P25-54s and #3 for P18-49s. ...Among all cable telecasts in primetime on Tuesday Warehouse 13 was the #1 program for total viewers P2+ and also ranked #2 for P25-54s and #4 for P18-49s. ...In the 9pm hour Syfy beat Fox head-to-head among P18-49s and P25-54s.

Influences: Stingray

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-05-05T20:44:25-07:00

The increasing frequency with which entertainers I grew up watching are checking into the Big Sleep has sent me into reflection mode. I’m spending a lot of time revisiting the things that made me choose this job I’ve spent almost forty years doing. In no particular order I’m going to discuss ‘em. ... As a kid, the idea of toys, dolls, having a life of their own and tearing up a world of science fiction was a total knockout. There was a synergy of underwater thriller-dramas going on with VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, the early 1970s re-release of Walt Disney’s 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, and must-see ICE STATION ZEBRA. From STINGRAY to ZEBRA there’s a scale of, or depth of narrative that, because of the vehicles involved (submarines!), I could be engaged, involved and my imagination was drawn in, drawn out and drawn into a narrative world of increasing complexity. Subs led me to Jules Verne, his 20k novel and Mysterious Island. ...For a kid growing up in the midwest that island with its link to Captain Nemo and a group of disparate men struggling to survive kept me going, kept me thinking, kept me dreaming of stories I could live. ...

Making Head with Ed and Ted

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-05-05T15:59:36-07:00

Apple Not Slowed By Recession

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-04-10T20:53:52-07:00

I saw a Mac in use for the first time in 1988 at the home of a writing partner. I went out the next weekend and bought myself a Mac SE. I went from DOS to System 6 without ever stopping for Windows. For over 20 years I’ve used the best tool on the planet for my chosen career. ... ... ... ...

Moon

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-04-10T20:35:10-07:00

Here’s a terrific trailer for what could be a great ride. This thing fills me with a bit of hope. I’m weary of all the Terminators out there, the sequelitis running rampant. It would be nice to finally get a sci-fi film that smacks of at least a little originality.

An Interview with Joanne Kelly from SyFy's WAREHOUSE 13

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-03-29T18:46:42-07:00

Christmas is Coming!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-03-23T20:35:08-07:00

Cock Shot from Invisible Engine on Vimeo.

Warehouse 13

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-03-20T09:38:26-07:00

This is what I’ve been working for almost a year. Warehouse 13 premieres this July on SyFy. Click on the image to check out the trailer.

Working in T Town

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-03-12T12:41:38-07:00

It’s the middle of March. I’m in Toronto working on the new Sci Fi Channel series, WAREHOUSE 13. Had a terrific time this week. Tricia Helfer, former Cylon, joined Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer) and Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering) for this one. I can’t say much more but it turned out great and you’ll be seeing it in late July of this year. Stay tuned... Photo Credit: Mark Manchester

How We Got Here

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-03-01T08:20:32-08:00

Pithy and horrifying.
The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

I Want One

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-02-09T21:03:51-08:00

Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work

A Golden Age

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-01-25T13:26:13-08:00

Fanboy.com has a nice nostalgiac post about animated TV titles from 1960s and 70s. As with most things in TV land our story begins in another medium — film! Back in the 50s THE designer who revolutionized opening credits was Saul Bass who favored a very graphic and illustrational approach to making opening titles an art form onto themselves. To me his masterpiece was Anatomy of a Murder in 1958 which matched a striking musical score by Duke Ellington to a simple yet powerful animation. This revolution in cinema from the late 50s had a huge impact on the golden age of television during the 60s. Although TV was not a high brow medium ready to borrow modern art references and embrace primitivism — but what was interesting is that this freed up many shows from that era to have animated opening titles even though the television show itself was live action.

The Cheers

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-01-25T00:01:52-08:00

Steve Jobs introduced the first Macintosh computer 25 years ago. The roar of the crowd is what gets me. Today we marvel at how excited everyone was. Hard to believe this was all new once. But then, everything is new. At least once. Here’s a nice video interview with Andy Hertzfeld, an original Mac designer.

Thank God That's Over

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-01-17T20:59:49-08:00

Eight years of Bush in eight minutes. Feels like ten.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Get Well Soon

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-01-15T20:38:54-08:00

Trailer Fun

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-01-13T21:01:41-08:00

Poking around the web the night (I had a writing deadline so of course I was ignoring it) I stumbled into a couple sites focused strictly on trailers. The first trailer site is FirstShowings.net. ... I caught BLACK DYNAMITE! and MYSTERY TEAM there. ... The second trailer site is Trailers From Hell.com. ... Below, my friend Larry Karaszewski discusses the trailer for a little-known film, SKIDOO. ...

"The Meat Pieces"

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-01-09T10:28:06-08:00

Being an older fella and working with younger fellas and gals, I’ve noticed an odd (and new to me) passion for something that I’ve rarely thought twice about until now: bacon. For some reason, possibly generational, I’m seeing bacon being almost worshipped by a large swath of folks of a certain younger demographic. My unscientific assumption is that this demo was grokking food at the time when bacon was a “bad thing” as declared by the nutritional gurus of the time (mid-1980s). So bacon was a food not often found on these kids’ dinner tables. But it’s been rediscovered by these former kids who are now in charge of their own food intake. Me, I could take it or leave it. But apparently some folks never really had it so they’re making up for lost culinary time. I wonder if the next generation will embark on their own love affair with this year’s banished trans fats. ...

Where's My Flying Car?

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-01-09T10:15:53-08:00

The Chicago Trib shows us the past’s idea of the future. Most of it (gulp) I lived to see either promoted or realized. Some of it I even owned. Check it here: High-tech once upon a time

A Must Have

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-01-09T00:30:01-08:00

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

The Archive of American Television

dleesim@gmail.com — 2009-01-06T06:40:13-08:00

My pal Lee Goldberg alerted me to this great site. Poke around there if you like television. Even if you don’t, there’s plenty of cool stuff to engage and intrigue. http://www.emmytvlegends.blogspot.com/

Toys as Narrative

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-12-22T05:34:41-08:00

All three are Secret Service agents; two guys and a girl cracking wise, running, jumping and saving the world by heading out into one adventure after another for WAREHOUSE 13. ... I’m one of two executive producers working with a staff of talented writers who spend their days dreaming up jack-in-the-box surprises for the characters and you. ...And the toy makers that embraced that fascination were rewarded with a legion of boys (and a few girls, I’m sure) who hammered their parents for anything rocket related. ... Bendable, posable (if you had one you know that sinking feeling when one of Matt’s internal wires snapped resulting in an arm or leg akimbo) and willing to undertake any mission you threw him. ... In the “Create Your Own Horror” department (resulting in either a rubbery monster or a burned down house) Mattel gave kids a hot-as-hell hot plate that cooked up bugs, skeletons or, if you had the proper molds, Superman or Tarzan. ... There was endless fascination for me when a negative mold (a carved out representation of a creature in a small block of steel) was filled with liquid plastic (how cool is that?) ... The making of my own toys, the transformation of raw materials into something tangible, something that didn’t exist a few moments before, was my first unwitting step into a career made of cobbling disparate thoughts together to make something (hopefully) greater than the sum of its parts. ...

Here Today. Gone Tomorrow. Back on Tuesday, Maybe.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-12-10T17:23:28-08:00

Ah, Big Media. You chap my ass so. Find out why.

Travis McGee

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-12-07T10:39:33-08:00

“As Americans debate their retirement options, they should look to the example of private investigator Travis McGee. ... MacDonald, McGee would "retire" after each payday until the money ran out, on the theory that it's better to enjoy your golden years in installments while you're young.” ...So, embracing the failure that I knew was coming, I looked for further diversion. ... MacDonald, McGee was the kick in the ass I needed. MacDonald, through McGee, became a mentor and a handy moral compass for me. To this day, when faced with a ticklish ethical situation, it always helps to ask, “What would Travis do?” That is, after he slugs it out with some baddy, beds a beautiful but fragile client, and suffers through his own clay-footed crisis of faith only to rise, doubtful of his own abilities, and right a gruesome wrong. ... Forgive the quaintness of the 1960s morals and stick with him. ... And, by the way, the books do kick ass. ...

R.I.P.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-12-07T08:27:52-08:00

Forry Ackerman has left the mausoleum.

Jekyll

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-11-13T19:22:17-08:00

Now that NBC’s My Own Worst Enemy has succumbed to it’s eventual fate so early in its run I’m compelled to revisit one of the best iterations of the Jekyll and Hyde franchise to date. And it wasn’t MOWE. JEKYLL is a BBC production starring James Nesbitt and written by Steven Moffat. Smart, witty and scary, JEKYLL follows the present-day complications encountered by a family man who’s discovered a personal and terrifying genetic anomaly. In an ultimately futile attempt to keep his wife and twin boys safe from his murderous alter-ego, Tom Jackman (Nesbitt) has moved out of his house and taken up residence in a fortress-like apartment complete with a massive, leather-strapped chair. Thankfully for us, the straps are useless. Not so much for anyone else who crosses paths with Jackman’s bad self. There’s sex and violence, corporate intrigue and love and hope. ...

Weasels

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-11-08T11:52:28-08:00

The guys and gals appeared to be good-natured working stiffs eager to stumble around in the dark and golly-gosh at potential paranormal phenomena with an eye toward skepticism and an appreciation for the thrill of the (ghost) hunt. ...And, yes, GHOST HUNTERS is on the Sci Fi(ction) Channel so truth is subject to interpretation (or avoidance). ...And while those Roto-Rooter staged preambles in earlier episodes were a cute but obvious attempt at promoting the Regular Joe of it all they were still appealing in their clunky-cheesy fakery. But when the vans rolled and the folks wanting answers were met I (stupidly, I know, I know) assumed things were more on the up and up than not. ...Because of a fan backlash (hit YouTube and search for “Ghost Hunters fake fraud”) the bloom is off. Apparently the pressure of continuing to grow their ratings has led to things like the situation you’ll find documented in the video below: ...Isn’t that just the coolest little slip in shit you’ve ever seen? It makes every prior incident of unexplained spookiness just a run of the mill jerk off. ...

Change

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-11-04T19:05:24-08:00

There's Bound To Be Bargains

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-31T20:51:38-07:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

If You Won't Listen to Me...

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-29T21:16:25-07:00

Merlin Mann is the guy behind the blog 43 Folders. It’s hard to describe the site but it’s focus is on helping you to get things done. ...And he’s got passions. ... But one of the things he’s most passionate about is the HBO series The Wire. That DVD set you keep meaning to watch. If you could only find the time. ...You’re sick of people talking that damn show. And it’s off the air now anyway so who cares? ... And I dare you to read his piece about the show and not come away at least a little intrigued. ...

The War of the Worlds

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-26T12:42:13-07:00

He adapted the novel. ... And changed entertainment history. The website The Mercury Theater on the Air has the audio files of his most famous radio drama along with more that you've probably never heard of or listened to. Go on over there. You're in for a treat. And, with Halloween just around the corner, if you're up for a truly creepy radio drama from the golden era of creepy radio dramas get over to Escape and Suspense! They've got a story (scroll down) called "Three Skeleton Key" read by Vincent Price. Listen to it in the dark. If you've got kids young enough to be scared pissless then by all means, park them in front of the speakers.

Placing Product in Your 30 Rock

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-23T23:21:59-07:00

In this age of TiVo (did I capitalize the right letters?) advertisers are being increasingly forced to outsmart what used to be a semi-docile, sometimes captive audience. They always wanted to trick you into buying something. Now they really want to trick you. And they’ve enlisted some major (stars’) help. Check out this fantastic article in New York Magazine’s online edition about the lengths some Mad Men will go to snag your eyeball.

Porn in the Afternoon

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-21T08:14:02-07:00

“...we acted very fast to get it off.” – Nancy Cottenden, Director of Communications for Rogers Cable.

Murdoch, Redstone & The Credit Crunch

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-21T08:03:43-07:00

Interesting article by Julia Boorstin over at the CNBC site. The credit crunch is hitting the whole media sector — and hard. Two media moguls in particular, Sumner Redstone and Rupert Murdoch, have seen their firms' stock prices hammered. But they're finding themselves in diverse spots and they're spinning their situations quite differently.

Distracted? Let Colin Explain It All For You

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-19T10:52:08-07:00

Digital. Not Digitalis.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-16T10:58:02-07:00

50 Years Ago Today

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-16T07:50:50-07:00

Lights in a box. The New York Times explains it all.

The Object of My Affliction

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-14T22:30:27-07:00

Apple dropped some new hardware today. In spite of the fact that I’ve got more Macs than I know what to do with... I want. Check it here.

Disaster Coverage

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-11T08:00:15-07:00

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Another Sci Fi and More Channel

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-10-06T22:21:06-07:00

Remember when TV used to promise to take you places you’d never been and show you wondrous things? The AMC Network is beginning to convince me that it remembers that promise. MAD MEN is part of that. Writer/director Michael Nankin is working on a series set in WWII about downed B-17 fliers trapped behind enemy lines. And the novel Carter Beats the Devil about the trials and adventures of an early 20th Century magician is slated for production. As the networks keep regurgitating the same old same old it’s heartening and inspiring to see AMC (and A&E) reaching up to embrace ambitious stories that can elevate and entertain.

Okay, This is Just Great

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-09-27T20:17:27-07:00

My Guilty Ghostly Pleasure

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-09-26T22:43:27-07:00

My wife laughs at me for loving this. ... I have absolute, unabashed deep affection for two New England plumbers and their little band of cohorts who travel around the country searching for creepy stuff. Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes are the show’s two leads. They’re accessible, disarming and determined to debunk what they can. ... With SUVs loaded to the fenders with high-tech gear (and stalked by a run and gun video and sound crew) they roll into some town or city and crash for the night at the local spook spot. ... I’m not saying I believe in supernatural jump-up (at least not while my pragmatic psychotherapist wife is watching). But I do believe Grant and Jason have a blast chasing it down. ...Check out the clip below to see some of their “findings.”

Fender Benders

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-09-23T20:23:50-07:00

Over at The Zicree Simkins Podcast Marc Zicree and I had a great conversation with TV writer/producer Lee Goldberg. Lee tells a great tale of going to Germany to help the TV industry over there get a grip on how to get and keep a growing audience. To get a glimpse of one of Germany’s more intriguing efforts check out the clip below. Ladies and Gents, ALARM FOR COBRA 11.

Hey, I (Re)Wrote a Pilot!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-09-19T17:10:08-07:00

Actually, Brent Mote wrote the pilot. Jane Espenson then tackled the material followed by Rockne O’Bannon. I batted writerly clean-up and produced the pilot with Jace Alexander directing. And now... Hey, We’ve Got a Series! Read the Variety article here.

Hey, I Wrote a Movie!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-09-16T22:16:34-07:00

Eighteen months ago my wife was pregnant with twins. I wasn’t working. Well, not “working” working but there was a lot of baby-prep going on. Dan Myrick, a good friend, approached me with an idea for a movie. We kicked it around some and, since I had a little time before the baby shoes dropped, I wrote it. He produced it. Ben Rock directed it. Julia Fair did a terrific production rewrite when the twins arrived and I was pulled into two wonderful other directions. Here’s the trailer for ALIEN RAIDERS.

The Object of My Affection

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-09-15T21:30:36-07:00

In 1999, feeling nostalgiac for one of the the films that inspired me, I started looking around for an off-the-shelf model kit of the Nautilus submarine from Walt Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. ... So, after searching the web relentlessly for anything coming close to a replica of the sub, I discovered a fellow named Jim Key. Jim’s website, Custom Replicas, spelled out services for the discriminating yuppie desperate to relive his youth. Jim is a former prop builder for movies and television. But after years of toiling in model shops he found his talents being pushed aside by computer generated effects. So he offered his skills to anyone wanting a, well, custom replica of whatever anyone might want. ... Jim and fellow artisan Scott Brodeen, a Nautilus aficionado, went to work. ... A small cottage industry began and the sub has gone slightly mainstream. ...

Barack Rolled!

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-09-07T13:39:23-07:00

Just. Watch.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-09-06T11:31:00-07:00

Writing in a Vacuum

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-09-04T09:22:26-07:00

The only time I feel like I’m actually writing for television is when I’m on the set, the scene to be shot sucks, bad dialog is actually rearranging the actors’ teeth it’s so clunky and we’re losing the light. ... and grab the back of an envelope to try and work out, untangle, cut and recreate the moment, the nut of the scene that worked so well three, five, ten months prior in a first written-in-the-heat-of-creation draft... where was I? ... They’re like suddenly discovering you’re riding a tiger (that’s been gnawing your leg) when all along you thought you were on a horse and now, hey look, who’s got a tourniquet?! ... One of the best experiences I’ve had working with an actor was with Paul Blackthorne on THE DRESDEN FILES. Before each week’s work he would call me from Toronto (where the show was shot) and we would go through the script, page by page (and not just his scenes) working out the truth of the moments. ... If an actor can come along and keep me from puking by simply making my point with a smile, a look, an eye roll or a drop of the head then please, God, eye roll. ... Great writing is setting up a thought-circus then opening the gates and letting the audience in to wander at will. ... Later, if the circus is revealed to be a little flat, someone will come along with the “perfect” score to shove you into phoney-emotionville or wow-wasn’t-that scaryland? ...And this week, as the cut was being prepared for audience testing (yikes) I’ve been working on a story for a possible episode should the series get ordered. ... For so long now I’ve let other people define what’s good and bad about my writing that I’ve sort of taken my ego out of it.

The Wire - Season 5

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-08-30T19:47:53-07:00

“When you walk through the garden you got to watch your back.” If you’re a fan, you know. The Wire is the best show now not on television (unless it’s on your DVD player and right this moment it’s on mine). If you haven’t seen it – or maybe you tried it and gave up – there will come a time when you will become immersed. And you’ll become a zealot. You will gift seasons of The Wire to your family, your friends and to your mailman.

Lord Bowler, R.I.P.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-08-30T10:46:47-07:00

My friend John McNamara emailed me a few weeks ago to give me the news. ... In the early 1990s I was five years beyond the one film I’d written and had produced. ... Then I got a call that two producers, Carlton Cuse and Jeffrey Boam, were looking for a little help in scripting a western tv series for the then-fledgling Fox Broadcasting Network. Carlton and Jeffrey gave me the concept, the setting, and the names of the characters. ... Fox approved and we made the series “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.” ... But the actor I knew was one of the funniest, kindest and quick-to-laugh men I’ve ever met. His character alongside Bruce’s Brisco was designed to be insecure, violent, sensitive, full of bluster, bravado, irrational fears and untapped courage. It was a tough thing to embody that character and to also be the comedy relief to Bruce’s deadpan (and very funny) straight man. ...

Simkins sez hey.

dleesim@gmail.com — 2008-08-28T18:57:49-07:00

In short order I’ll be adding to this site, shoveling in some observations, opinions and other items of limited interest. I know this place sounds like a law firm. Actually the site name, the name of my company, is a callback to my formative years. ... The place where, as a kid growing up in the midwest, I spent hours watching television and loving it. This was the tv of the 1960s and 70s. The years of Quinn Martin and Irwin Allen. Of Jim West and Alexander Mundy. Of Partridges and Bunkers and Fugitives and Cronkite getting me to the moon and back. If you’ve got an interest how TV works or a question about the biz you need answered drop me a quick note. ...