Can't love this site enough
11/11/10 09:55 AM
![image[5]](image005b5005d.jpg)
TruFocals Go Blurry
10/21/10 11:12 AM
So, I’m done experimenting. It’s back to my visually cumbersome progressive glasses for now. Maybe... LASIK?
Nice Cube
08/12/10 10:15 AM
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.
Here's (the exact) Johnny (you're looking for)!
08/11/10 10:30 AM
Neat. From the Los Angeles Times:
Here’s Johnny online.
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.
Open Your Present, the Future's Inside
08/01/10 08:38 AM
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
07/31/10 12:20 AM
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!
07/31/10 12:01 AM
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]
Your Sunday Serenade
07/25/10 10:04 AM
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.
And here’s the entire epic. Seeing this as a kid it made me aware of a whole new concept (to me): comedic timing.
This might do it
07/22/10 06:43 AM
This might get me back into Twitter. I chucked it months ago after finding it vacuous. This could fill the void, I think.
Waiting for Superman
07/21/10 09:53 AM
Finally, the truth about the iPhone 4
07/18/10 10:49 PM
You know those Taiwanese News animations that are... are... I’m stumped. Just watch.
Sharktopus!
07/15/10 06:26 PM
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
07/05/10 09:54 AM
Cory Doctorow says “This is Spinal Tap for suicide bombers.” That phrase alone has me in line to buy a ticket.
[Via BoingBoing]
Kubrick. Scorsese. Bliss.
06/28/10 09:27 AM
The Sci-Fi Airshow
06/22/10 09:06 PM
Handwritten emails
06/22/10 08:50 PM
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]
[Via Lifehacker]
Ada
06/19/10 02:52 PM
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.
[Via kottke.org]
Information Pioneers: Ada Lovelace from Information Pioneers on Vimeo.
[Via kottke.org]
In the background
06/06/10 10:45 AM
[Via Urlesque]
The Secret Powers of Time
06/06/10 12:51 AM
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]
[Via kottke.org]
TED: Touch your data
06/03/10 04:54 AM
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.
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.
Apple TV update looming?
05/29/10 11:35 AM
I’ve been using Apple TVs since their introduction. Well, trying to use them, to be precise. 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. Or something. Whatever it is, it couldn’t be worse than than the current setup. Maybe. Hoping for the best.
The Black Keys
05/28/10 11:37 PM
Smart business?
05/28/10 02:45 AM
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.
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.
The world out my back door
05/19/10 11:51 PM
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]
Father's Day
05/16/10 06:47 PM
It had been 5 years since Damian Aspinall saw the gorilla he’d raised from infancy.
Swagger Wagon
05/13/10 08:45 PM
As the soon-to-possibly-be-owner of a minivan, my cockles are warmed by this.
[Via Ken]
[Via Ken]
Toys for them, toys for you
05/12/10 05:05 PM
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.
CBS loves it some iPad
05/09/10 02:12 AM
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.
Jurassic iPad
04/27/10 01:02 PM
“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.”
Network notes
04/19/10 12:48 PM
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
04/15/10 12:42 AM
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.
Solid
04/03/10 05:53 AM
Apple.
iBama
04/01/10 02:41 PM
Turing Machine
03/27/10 09:54 AM
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. Gears. A felt tip pen. And film stock. 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
03/21/10 12:10 PM
Via Mashable
Speaking of flying cars...
03/09/10 03:58 PM
Not a flying car, but it's close
03/07/10 11:01 PM
To really get this, watch it with the sound off. Just look at this thing. I mean look at it. Holy cripes.
Warner Bloopers
02/22/10 01:37 PM
Now look at me
02/17/10 12:14 PM
Leo LaPorte interviews the creators of that fantastic Old Spice Commercial. Brilliant stuff.
My kids will be thrilled. Not me. Could care less. Really. Not even interested. Maybe I should get tickets now.
02/11/10 11:08 AM
Discussing the iPad
02/06/10 01:56 PM
Charlie Rose spoke with David Carr, Michael Arrington and Walt Mossberg about Apple’s new iPad.
[Gizmodo]
[Gizmodo]
Shootout science
02/03/10 10:20 AM
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.
A fun examination of the neuroscience behind the Western Showdown.
iPad as terror weapon (aimed at tech gurus)
01/30/10 01:04 PM
“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.
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
01/29/10 11:47 PM
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
01/29/10 11:41 PM
Steve Jobs in 1994: The Rolling Stone Interview
01/29/10 11:32 PM
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.
NSFW on first
01/27/10 09:29 AM
As one who’s worked in the Abbott and Costello building on a certain movie lot, this has special significance. Cue the spit-take.
Theatricality
01/24/10 09:55 AM
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. The creative 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. Specifically, Aaron Copland. Life changed again. 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
01/23/10 10:45 PM
McGee nirvana
01/21/10 10:28 PM
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
01/21/10 09:19 PM
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.
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!
01/21/10 06:14 PM
The Virtual Revolution
01/21/10 06:03 PM
The music of your childhood
01/19/10 04:10 PM
Kid stories
01/19/10 10:20 AM
Haiti Help
01/16/10 11:32 AM
Sports Illustrated's tablet mag demo
01/13/10 10:52 AM
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.
Teslas on full!
01/12/10 12:38 PM
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
The year we make contact
01/12/10 07:46 AM
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.
Mind your morning commute
01/09/10 01:13 PM
Mark your calendar
01/08/10 12:05 PM
The Nautilus in Paris
01/08/10 10:30 AM
Action News!!!
01/06/10 10:17 PM
Prison Fashion
01/05/10 11:16 PM
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.
This is about IVP Designs. Get familiar here.
Slipping into Steampunk
01/04/10 11:27 AM
Words that move (you)
12/31/09 07:07 AM
“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.
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.
Making music
12/28/09 12:34 AM
This is probably the most amazing thing I’ve seen all year. And, yeah, that includes Avatar. Hit play.
Brains!
12/02/09 10:02 AM
Memory (Chip) Lane
11/12/09 01:18 PM
I'm sick as a sick sick dog today. So of course I'm reflecting on better times. Ahh. Hardware.
Probably Bad News
10/25/09 08:43 AM
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.
Tapdancing on Roller Skates
10/22/09 12:05 AM
We've all had the experience. Work is crazy. Life is crazier. Gene Kelly makes it art.
Sweet fancy Moses.
Sweet fancy Moses.
Go Podcast, Young Person
10/21/09 10:11 AM
Vic Mizzy
10/19/09 10:25 PM
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.
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?
10/19/09 04:08 PM
Apple rocks it. CNEThas the details.
- 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.
Newspapers Lose the Paper
10/16/09 02:17 PM
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
10/16/09 01:51 PM
From Forbes...
Fanboy Alert: I was born without a sports gene but do have a substantial "win one for the, Gipper" mentality. And I mean the real Gipp, not Reagan. 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. Nice to see it in juggernaut mode.
I know. What goes up, must come down. But the company had been down for so long and so derided that this new lease on life (for Jobs, too) is sweet.
Fanboy Alert: I was born without a sports gene but do have a substantial "win one for the, Gipper" mentality. And I mean the real Gipp, not Reagan. 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. Nice to see it in juggernaut mode.
- 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.
I know. What goes up, must come down. But the company had been down for so long and so derided that this new lease on life (for Jobs, too) is sweet.
- So, what will it take to hurt Apple? Who knows. Maybe if things start going right, for a change. Bad news--and outright weird news--has only made these guys stronger. The takeaway: If aliens invade, go long on Apple.
Laughs
10/15/09 11:09 PM
Hammer Time
10/15/09 03:06 PM
The Nautilus
10/15/09 10:52 AM
Not to mention this bit of artistic genius.
Roku
10/15/09 09:39 AM
Stanley Kubrick on The Zicree Simkins Podcast
10/15/09 09:16 AM
For cool things Kubrick, check this out. When you're done there, go explore here. Great site. Great webness.
From Comedy to Horror
09/13/09 01:26 PM
This pretty well nails the current shenanigans going on with the Right.
Taking Some Time
09/06/09 01:35 PM
Warehouse 13 is on hiatus. 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. Sometimes mine. Mostly everybody else's.
Poking around the web here's a couple things that are holding my interest.
Derren Brown. 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.
Poking around the web here's a couple things that are holding my interest.
Derren Brown. 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.
I'm There: The Red Band Trailer for LEGION
08/15/09 07:30 AM
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Beyond Our Control
08/08/09 10:57 PM
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The Comic Con Warehouse 13 Panel
07/30/09 08:43 AM
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Making Head with Ed and Ted
05/05/09 03:59 PM
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Apple Not Slowed By Recession
04/10/09 08:53 PM
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Christmas is Coming!
03/23/09 08:35 PM
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Thank God That's Over
01/17/09 08:59 PM
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Where's My Flying Car?
01/09/09 10:15 AM
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The Archive of American Television
01/06/09 06:40 AM
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There's Bound To Be Bargains
10/31/08 08:51 PM
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If You Won't Listen to Me...
10/29/08 09:16 PM
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The War of the Worlds
10/26/08 12:42 PM
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Porn in the Afternoon
10/21/08 08:14 AM
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Digital. Not Digitalis.
10/16/08 10:58 AM
The Object of My Affliction
10/14/08 10:30 PM
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
10/11/08 08:00 AM
Another Sci Fi and More Channel
10/06/08 10:21 PM
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.
My Guilty Ghostly Pleasure
09/26/08 10:43 PM
Check out the clip below to see some of their “findings.”
Fender Benders
09/23/08 08:23 PM
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.
The Object of My Affection
09/15/08 09:30 PM
The Wire - Season 5
08/30/08 07:47 PM
“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.
Simkins sez hey.
08/28/08 06:57 PM
Welcome. Thanks for dropping in. 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. A neighborhood. A street. 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.
Best,
David Simkins
Best,
David Simkins