iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 6h

Memorial flowers from the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce at Eva Marie Saint’s Walk of Fame star. The actress died yesterday at the age of 102.

A wreath of multi-colored roses on a stand, behind Eva Marie Saint’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Her name is on a black ribbon stretched across the legs of the stand, and a small white note attached to the wreath says “In loving memory of Eva Marie Saint.”

0101

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Interesting to compare the official bios of the newly-announced Skydance CEO News Executive Leadership Team.

021

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

@charliejaneanders.com’s blurb on @sarahpinsker.bsky.social’s A SONG FOR A NEW DAY: “You’d better keep a copy with you at all times, because this book will help you survive the future.” Maybe that’s why I keep re-reading this blessing of a book: it helps heal my heart in these atrocious times.

The cover of Sarah Pinsker’s A SONG FOR A NEW DAY

0154

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

ATTENTION, GEN X: AIR SUPPLY IS GETTING A STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME! Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock will be honored with the 2,859th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the Recording category, October 8 at 11:30 am PT, at 6126 Hollywood Boulevard.

Photo of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply

111

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Thanks. I do feel welcome. (Zoom in for details.)

Black lower case platters on a tile wall spelling “welcome.” Sitting and hanging from the letters are a variety of toys, stuffed animals, and action figures from Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Winnie-the-Pooh, Pokémon, and various superheroes and cartoons.

030

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Another day, another record for diesel in California, as premium gas prices head toward $7/gallon.

Shell station price sign, photographed Sept. 20, 2026

Cash prices, in red: $6.499/gallon for Regular, $6.699/gallon for Plus, $6.899/gallon for V-Power, and $8.499/gallon for Diesel #2. Credit/Debit prices are 10 cents higher for each grade. Diesel prices are in green digits; the others are in red digits.

000

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Another day, another record high for diesel in California.

California average gas prices chart from AAA for 9/17/2026

Current average, and averages from yesterday, a week ago, a month ago, and a year ago, for Regular, Mid-Grade, Premium, and Diesel

Current: $6.0851 for Regular, $6.3086 for Mid-Grade, $6.5047 for Premium, and $8.3496 for Diesel

The prices are about four cents per gallon higher than yesterday for all grades except diesel, which is up about 12 cents from yesterday.

The prices decline over time: a year ago, Regular was $4.6563, Mid-Grade $4.8918, Premium $5.0710, and Diesel $5.1697.

At the bottom, Highest Recorded Average Prices for Regular Unleaded, $6.4375 on 6/14/22, and Diesel, today's price.

021

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

@variety.com, the film is called "I Play Rocky," not "I Love Rocky."

Variety homepage screenshot, showing photos of "I Play Rocky" star Anthony Ippolito, Mahershala Ali, and Chris Rock, with the heading "Film: TIFF Takeaways" and the subhead "Chris Rock's 'Misty Green,' 'I Love Rocky' and 'Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother' were among TIFF's Biggest Hits," by Variety Staff.

000

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I can't *imagine* why this passage from Inventing The Renaissance by @adapalmer.bsky.social stuck out to me.

Everybody Wants to Claim a Golden Age

No matter how mythical golden ages are, they're incredibly useful to *later* regimes and peoples who want to make glorifying claims about *themselves*. If you present yourself, your movement, your business model, your political proposal, etc., as the return of a golden age, or the successor to a golden age, that claim can make you seem important, powerful. *Legitimate.*

(stars are to indicate words in italics)

1278

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Bleecker Street announces it's moving up the initial theatrical release of Alex Gibney's documentary MUSK one week, to October 9.

Poster for Alex Gibney's documentary MUSK, showing the title in large yellow letters behind a figure of Elon Musk wearing a black suit, cap, and sunglasses and holding a chainsaw aloft. He's shown standing on the Earth, which has been sliced diagonally in half. A review quote from The Hollywood Reporter is at the top in yellow type, and credits are at the bottom in white type, below the tag line in yellow: "An Unflinching Look at Earth's Most Unchecked Man."

1046690

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I'm increasingly grateful for our electric car, which, of course, also doesn't use motor oil.

A graphic from AAA showing California gas prices. Info bubbles note today's AAA national average is $4.3163 per gallon, and today's AAA California average is $6.0012 per gallon. A state map shows average county retail prices, ranging from a low range of $5.75-$5.82 in Tuolumne, Stanislaus, and a stretch between Shasta and Yuba, and a high range of $6.15-$7.09 in a lot of coastal counties between San Luis Obispo and Humboldt, and counties bordering Nevada between Inyo and Sierra.

010

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Paramount to release ONE ITALIAN SUMMER, starring Brie Larson and based on Rebecca Serle's New York Times bestselling novel, on May 12, 2028.

Brie Larson, smiling, wearing a white toga-like dress. Her long blonde hair covers her bare shoulder. She's standing in front of a black step-and-repeat with logos for Ford and the 2020 Census.

020

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Emmy-winning TV writer/director/producer Greg Daniels* (US The Office, King of the Hill, Upload, tons more) to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, September 10. Guest speakers: Conan O'Brien and Steve Carell. *no relation

Photo of Greg Daniels, smiling at the camera. He has graying hair and beard, and is wearing a dark gray sweater with the collar of a purple patterned shirt peeking out.

000

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

I was privileged to attend a memorial today for a remarkable man. He played for John Wooden at UCLA, loved literature, philosophy, history & country music, and taught generations of students to think independently and show others kindness and respect. He also gave me “Shane.” Thank you, Dr. Archer.

Program cover for a memorial for Robert Ellsworth Archer. Dr. Archer is smiling in a black-and-white photo, wearing a white shirt and dark tie, sitting in his office with an open book in his hands. Above his photo are the words A CELEBRATION OF LIFE and below is his name, his dates (October 27, 1937 – July 23, 2026) and the words Husband | Father | Grandfather | Teacher | Friend

010

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Came across this memento from the 1984 Olympics. I went with my dad, as we’d gone to so many games at Dodger Stadium before. These were preliminary games: Canada upset South Korea, who wound up losing to Taiwan in the bronze medal game, and eventual gold medalists Japan clobbered Nicaragua.

Ticket with Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad, Los Angeles, 1984 in silver foil across the top. The ticket is off-white (likely from age) with the pink “Stars in Motion” background. The other information on the ticket, in black type, includes:
Area: RES SEATS
Section: 8 [no jokes, please]
Row: W
Seat: 12
Day: FRI
Date: AUG 3
Time: 01:00PM
Price: $9
Event/Location: BASEBALL, DODGER STADIUM

030

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Tony-winning performer Lea Salonga is set to be honored with the 2,855th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the Live Performance category, on September 4. Among the guest speakers at the ceremony will be Ming-Na Wen, who shared the lead voice role with Salonga in 1998's "Mulan."

A photo of Lea Salonga. She's smiling close-lipped at the camera. Her short brown hair is styled upward. She's wearing diamond earrings and a red coat with the collar flipped up, over a black shirt.

010

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Ooh, love it! Once a year, a “‘Big Night’ Night” – the museum screens the film, and your restaurant has an Italian feast.

Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub with the timpano in “Big Night.”

050

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

I dunno: it made $245 million worldwide against a budget of $135 million. I'd call that a decent hit.

Promo image from the animated movie Rango. The title character is staring into the "camera," wearing a red and white flowered print shirt and holding a goldfish in his arms, as he stands on the dusty street of an Old West / cyberpunk town, with a variety of townscritters behind him.

010

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

post you from a different era in your life. Me: Maybe learning how to ride a motorcycle will make me cool! Narrator: It did not, of course, make him cool.

A younger me, perched only slightly awkwardly in a shiny red Ducati motorcycle in an otherwise empty parking lot. I’m wearing a helmet (safety first!), a black motorcycle jacket, blue jeans, and sneakers.

120

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Spider Robinson, maybe my favorite writer ever, published this story collection nearly 30 years ago – long before data centers. And still…

A paperback copy of User Friendly by Spider Robinson. The cover art shows an old-fashioned computer bank, with tape reels and buttons, being burned at the stake.

172

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

no cheating post your lock screen

A phone lock screen showing 8:35 pm on Tuesday, August 4. The image is a lake surrounded by trees at twilight, with the blue/yellow/orange sky reflected in the water.

120

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Getting ready to take our seats for a performance of PUPPET UP!

A large blue-nosed and -haired monster puppet poses with theatergoers in a theatre lobby.

120

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

From today's @muckrack.com Daily, re: Disney's Pixar layoffs despite the success of "Toy Story 5":

“Toy Story 5” will soon cross the billion-dollar mark and become the highest-grossing film of the franchise. Joshua Rivera observes that it’s “insane how there isn’t a single industry where being good at your job does anything for you.” Matt Goldberg adds, “If the solution is always ‘layoffs’ regardless of how anything performs, then there’s no reason for any employee to try. Clock in, clock out, do as little as possible.” Bleak.

020

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

I love having an excuse to visit our local DIY store.

Two cats with lovely black and brown markings lying against each other on a stack of boxes in a hardware store.

030

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

So, the new U.S. Senator from South Carolina is Mr. Willis of Ohio? #TheWestWing

Al Fann as Joe Willis in The West Wing episode "Mr. Willis of Ohio" (season 1, episode 6). The character is an Ohio middle school social studies teacher and widower, who is filling the brief remaining term of his late wife in the House of Representatives.

131

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Even the teaser poster made me smile. "Comb the desert!" SPACEBALLS: THE NEW ONE opens in theaters April 23, 2027.

Teaser poster for SPACEBALLS: THE NEW ONE, showing a massive afro pick held by two space-suited soldiers, which they've used to make the number 2 in the sand. Below the title, it says "Combing Soon - Only In Theaters 2027"

010

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

I really needed a laugh this morning, which is probably why I'm enjoying the synopsis for SPACEBALLS: THE NEW ONE so much.

Somehow, Dark Helmet has returned! Forty years after the events of the first Spaceballs, fifty years after the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, and one year after the events of The Devil Wears Prada 2, the galaxy is once again under threat. A threat so evil, so unstoppable, so completely lacking in any original ideas, that it has vowed to bring back the past... every last bit of it.

With Lone Starr in hiding, Queen Vespa on the throne, and the Schwartz stretched thinner than a franchise releasing TV episodes theatrically, the only hope for the galaxy is Vespa's undisciplined son, Prince Starburst, and a mysterious Palace advisor named Destiny. Together, they must find Lone Starr, Yogurt, and any other iconic legacy characters fans are demanding before they discover the hard way that, while some threats you can fight, the reboot is not one of them.

160

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

MOANA live-action, 2026, first 3 days (estimate): $43 million MOANA animated, 2016, first 3 days: $56.6 million

Promo shot for "Moana" (2026), showing Catherine Laga’aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui.

110

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Finally finished Doris Kearns Goodwin’s AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY: A PERSONAL HISTORY OF THE 1960S. A remarkable, unique window into JFK’s New Frontier, LBJ’s Great Society, and more through two exceptional minds: the author, and her late husband, Richard Goodwin. A history, a memoir, and a gift.

The cover of AN UNFINISHED LOVE STORY: A PERSONAL HISTORY OF THE 1960s. The title, author’s name, and “Winner of the Pulitzer Prize” are in white type against a bronze background. In the middle is a band of small photos: Richard Goodwin with JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy, LBJ, and RFK; and Doris Goodwin with LBJ.

011

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Richard Goodwin, “The Duty of Loyalty,” 1967.

“The government of the United States is not a private club or college fraternity. Its policies are not private oaths or company secrets. Presumably a man enters public life to serve the nation. The oath taken by every high officer of the nation, elected, or appointed, is to support and defend the constitution of the United States, not an Administration, a political party, or a man.

“Dissenters are sometimes accused of demeaning the presidency. That office should demand respect. Its dignity, however, flows not from private right or title, or the man who occupies it, but solely from the fact that its occupant is chosen by the people of the United States. It is their office, and if they, or any among them, feel that it is wrongly used, then it is their obligation to speak.”

000

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

AMBER ALERT – please share, CA friends.

Warning icon (black exclamation point in a yellow triangle) with this text:

ANBER ALERT
AN AMBER ALERT HAS BEEN ACTIVATED BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. EMARIA PEEL IS MISSING AND BELIEVED TO BE IN IMMINENT DANGER. EMARIA PEEL WAS LAST SEEN ON JULY 10, 2016, IN CALIFORNIA CITY. THE SUSPECT VEHICLE IS A 2021 KIA SORENTO WHITE WITH CALIFORNIA LICENSE PLATE 36095DV.

000

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

The wonderful film DARUMA is back in theaters for Disability Pride Month! 7/15 Sunray Cinema, Tampa, FL 7/16 Crest Theater, Sacramento, CA 7/16 Egyptian Theater, Boise, ID 7/17 Smodcastle Cinemas, Atlantic Highlands NJ 7/21 Greenbelt Cinema, Greenbelt MD 7/26 The Hill Arts, Portland ME

Left to right, Tobias Forrest as Patrick, Victoria Scott as Camilla, and John W. Lawson as Robert in a scene from "Daruma."

They're sitting a table. Patrick is a bearded paraplegic in a wheelchair. Camilla is a young girl wearing a white sweater and a hairband. Robert is a double-hand amputee with gray hair and beard.

020

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I don’t talk about my work much here, but this was a highlight from today’s THE ODYSSEY press junket (in addition to talking w/Nolan and cast): a page from The Manchester Odyssey, the oldest surviving copy of Homer’s poem. 3rd century CE. Fascinating to see & learn about from the historian on hand.

An 1,800-year-old papyrus sheet with Greek writing on it and several large holes, encased in glass, with an enlarged image of the text projected on the wall behind it.

1227

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

So many more photos I could share (the brink of the lower falls of the Yellowstone River HAS to be experienced) but here are two more Grand Teton shots. GT & Jenny Lake are jaw-droppingly gorgeous, but Mount Moran from Oxbow Bend took my breath away… as did the huckleberry cheesecake at Colter Bay.

View of Mount Moran, with a bend in the Snake River in the foreground.

A piece of huckleberry cheesecake in a bowl, topped with more huckleberries and whipped cream, just after we’d started eating it and realized that, even though we’re not the photograph-our-food types (we’re not even on IG), this had to be recorded for posterity.

210

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Just back from a two-week, 3,700+ mile road trip that included seeing family and friends, great food, and memorable visits to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. So grateful for every NPS employee and other workers at both parks who made it such an incredible adventure.

One of many bison that crossed the road right in front of our car in Grand Tetons National Park. Veterans of that park, Yellowstone and others refer to the resulting traffic backups as “wildlife jams.”

A selfie of your humble reporter, wearing a blue Rocky Mountain National Park cap and a green unzipped Colorado State U sweatshirt. Under the sweatshirt, my sunglasses are hooked onto the neck of my gray t-shirt. Behind me are several other tourists, watching and photographing Yellowstone’s Old Faithful geyser, which is finishing erupting.

A deer near our lodge in Yellowstone National Park looks up from his breakfast to examine the strange creature photographing him on the way to *his* breakfast.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, as seen from Inspiration Point on the north rim. It’s a lousy iPhone photo, but I had to include it because it’s a jaw-dropping sight.

280

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Watch Duty update just now on the massive L.A. warehouse fire that’s been pouring black toxic smoke into the sky all day.

The Shelter-In-Place has been lifted for Zone LFD-1279 on the Genasys Protect Map. Although smoke in the area has decreased, individuals with sensitive health issues should continue to monitor the air quality, remain cautious, stay indoors, close all doors and windows to limit exposure to outdoor air, per LAFD. In

111

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Monday moment of Zen. (sound up)

010

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Shared by a friend… on Linked In, appropriately/ironically.

A meme from “In Otter News”

On the left, under the heading Reality, a happy-looking otter, appearing to sit up, mouth open as if talking. Caption: “I caught a fish.”

On the right, under the heading Linked In, the same otter, wearing a blue necktie, with the caption “Proud to announce that I successfully executed a targeted aquatic procurement strategy to secure key marine resources. Grateful for the unwavering support of my river ecosystem network. This experience reinforced the importance of agility, resource management, and strategic execution.”

262

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Just watched The Post. We felt nostalgic for a time when major newspapers spoke truth to power, and the Supreme Court backed them up. “The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.” – Justice Hugo Black

Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee and Meryl Streep as Katherine Graham in “The Post.”

030

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

The wonderful actor Keith David is set to be honored June 4 with the 2,847th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the Motion Pictures category. Guest speakers: L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, Lynn Whitfield, John Carpenter, and John C. McGinley.

1684677703

David Daniel @daviddaniel.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Feeling like this a lot lately.

A photo of a computer screen, dark save for reflected light on the right side, an arc of dots indicating a restart, and the message “You’re 0% there. Please keep your computer on.”

010