Gerry Thomas, RIP
Gerry Thomas, inventor of the TV dinner, died here in Phoenix at the age of 83. Though decried by the intelligentsia of this country, the TV dinner opened the door for a huge influx of products aimed at letting people who don't want to or can't cook create a decent meal. As a kid, it never ceased to be a treat to get one of these for our evening meal, and looking back, Mr. Thomas and his successors probably cooked for me more than my mom. Mr. Thomas is a member of the Frozen Food Hall of Fame (I kid you not) in Orlando. This strikes me as a story that James Lileks should be all over.
Update: According to CNN, James Doohan, recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, has died as well. How many times have you asked this guy to get you out of a tough spot? Beam me up, Scotty.