Bloom's Day

Completely random thoughts about a wide array of subjects

[dbloom]

Westside Digital Mix returns to Mon Ami, steps from the Santa Monica Pier, on April 17. Many thanks to sponsor,“Crypto: The Game,” the first interactive on-chain reality competition, where contestants vie for a $150,000 prize. Join us! Tickets https://bit.ly/WDM_April_17_2025

[dbloom]

I've been at the vast HumanX AI conference the past couple of days. Despite the stock market's mayhem, lots of money and confidence around AI's future. I talked onstage with King Willonius, the comedian/writer/creator behind last year's AI-driven viral hit 'BBL Drizzy' that turned him into a Time 100 person, among much else. Lovely guy, and lots to talk about in moving from long-time YouTube creator to an intentional curator of AI-generated possibilities that can become new kinds of entertainment. The conversation should be available on the HumanX site today. I have another panel this afternoon with CEOs from PicsArt and Stability AI, and Wyclef Jean concert tonight.

[dbloom]

I talked with Wendy and Richard Pini, the couple behind the long-running ElfQuest comics, about their $500,000 endowment to Columbia University's archive of comics and graphic novels. Lovely people, and nice to see some support for a piece of pop culture that's too often under-appreciated.

ElfQuest Creators Donate $500,000 To Columbia University Comics Archive

Wendy and Richard Pini, who previously donated a collection of Elfquest work, are nearly doubling the resources to preserve Columbia Univers

[dbloom]

The director Reid Davenport has another penetrating documentary at Sundance this year, looking at the Elizabeth Bouvia right-to-die case and the thorny issues that and other cases have spawned for the disabled. I talked with him here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dbloom/2025/01/27/sundance-when-the-right-to-die-becomes-a-way-to-save-government-money/

[dbloom]

Help from Utah and around the west

Firefighters and their equipment have been staging down the street from us in an office park next to Santa Monica Airport. Here, equipment and firefighters from several Utah municipalities are waiting to be sent back out. They said they're sleeping on the third floor of a neighboring office building, which despite its limitations is still better than sleeping on dirt hard by a fire zone. Thanks so much for all the emergency responders who came from across the West to help

[dbloom]

Hip to the hop

Rapper's Delight on a Santa Monica street Sunday night.

[dbloom]

Firefighter conference

They're staging out-of-town emergency vehicles down the street from me by the Santa Monica Airport. It can be unnerving to hear groups of them rolling, sirens roaring, to respond to one fire or another. Here, an informal conference is going on outside the headquarters for Snap. 

[dbloom]

This week's Next TMT: The Fires Burning Down Hollywood, and more

Hollywood walloped by the fires; CNN matters less these days, but Spectrum 1 & other locals, plus WSJ, are stepping up; the never-launched Venu FUBAR amid Fubo payday; and cable TV's budding comeback. Read here:

L.A. fires burn away CNN's dwindling relevance, the bid to save Venu Sports goes FUBAR, and YouTube TV closes in on 9 million subscribers

Also in our weekly newsletter covering all things technology, media and telecom, we try to reconcile the hot political air blowing out of so

[dbloom]

Firehearts Genmoji, inspired by the love and care of people as Angelenos are grappling with horrific, fast-spreading fires. Thanks to the first responders, and to everyone who's helping others get through a terrible time.

[dbloom]

Some recent images from trip to New York and beyond:

(top) Working the pies in the coal-fired oven at century-old New Haven icon Frank Pepe's Pizza Napoletana

(lower left) South Gate House, Central Park Reservoir, NYC

(lower right) ceiling of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum

[dbloom]

I took this shot recently of the extremely well-dressed children of very rich people gamboling on the sand outside a restaurant at the Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, Mass. It could have been taken in 1979, or 1939, given the near-immutable style of the New England WASP, especially in treasured haunts like the extraordinary Chatham Bars Inn. Thus the choice to make it B&W. The meal we had was pretty superb too. #children #beaches #CapeCod #WASPs #Chatham #ChathamBarsInn

[dbloom]

Apple pulls back on 'Wolfs' theater run as part of cost-cutting at TV+

An action movie starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney will get only a cursory theatrical debut next month before heading to Apple TV+. Turns out even the world's most valuable company needs to save a little dough here and there. My latest on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dbloom/2024/08/28/apple-tweaks-movie-releases-tv-strategy-as-costs-finally-count/

[dbloom]

Bill Bradley One-Man Show Rolls Onto Max With Story of His Extraordinary Life, And A Plea For Better Politics

This was one of my more enjoyable interviews ever, with NBA Hall of Famer and former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, about his new one-man show, "Rolling Along," debuting today on Max. He's had quite the life, and truly hopes to find ways to heal some of the partisan divides that split the country these days. That is...optimistic, but totally on brand for Bradley's remarkable life. 

Bill Bradley Rolling Along Onto Max With One-Man Plea For Better Politics

Former U.S. Sen. and NBA star Bill Bradley has a new venture, a one-man show turned documentary about his life, people who changed it, and h

[dbloom]

YouTube is a streaming giant no one seems to notice. You can blame Google's AI investments

Investors have focused on Alphabet's cloud and AI segments in this week's quarterly earnings, but quietly, its subscription segment (YouTube Premium among others) is now a $15 billion business, plus ads are continuing to grow. More bad news for Hollywood studios trying to make money on DTC streaming. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dbloom/2024/01/31/youtube-is-a-streaming-giant-no-one-notices-blame-googles-ai-investments/?sh=3b09c8749f79

[dbloom]

The family that games together is increasingly common in US and UK, a new study shows. And they're frequently watching connected TV too. I'm most interested in the rise of "mom gamers" playing with their young kids. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dbloom/2024/02/01/family-gaming-grows-in-the-us-and-uk-study-shows/?sh=79da641d69c2

[dbloom]

Between $17 million Netflix sale of his Sundance movie, and Grammy nomination with Kendrick Lamar, Jason Baum is doing just fine

Between the $17 million Netflix sale of his Sundance movie, and Grammy nomination this weekend with Kendrick Lamar, Jason Baum is doing just fine. Read my Forbes piece here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dbloom/2024/01/30/meet-the-grammy-winning-producer-with-a-17-million-netflix-deal-from-sundance/?sh=361f33ad10fb

[dbloom]

In between working with U2, Laurie Anderson, Talking Heads, Roxy Music and other prominent musicians, Brian Eno has been using technology in fascinating ways to create the ambient music genre, rethink the ways we make music, and explore a wide range of artistic projects. 'Eno,' the new documentary about Eno, uses generative AI tools to create endless variations of the final film. Some parts are always in the resulting digital cinema print, but others are changed in and out. It's a fascinating view of the possibilities for a new kind of cinema. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dbloom/2024/01/18/eno-generative-ai-the-perfect-tool-for-doc-about-a-musical-chameleon/?sh=4955f3a96ac9