Ian Simmons launched Kicking the Seat in 2009, one week after seeing Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia. His wife proposed blogging as a healthier outlet for his anger than red-faced, twenty-minute tirades (Ian is no longer allowed to drive home from the movies).
The Kicking the Seat Podcast followed three years later and, despite its “undiscovered gem” status, Ian thoroughly enjoys hosting film critic discussions, creating themed shows, and interviewing such luminaries as Gaspar Noé, Rachel Brosnahan, Amy Seimetz, and Richard Dreyfuss.
Ian is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. He also has a family, a day job, and conflicted feelings about referring to himself in the third person.
The request "" refers to Colonel Alexander "Sandy" MacGregor , a highly decorated Australian military officer and veteran of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) . He is most famous for his role as the commander of 3 Field Troop during the Vietnam War, particularly for discovering and exploring the Cu Chi tunnels during Operation Crimp in 1966. Key Career Highlights
: A self-published account later expanded with historical archives. Sandy 1rar
: He documented these experiences in several books, including: The request "" refers to Colonel Alexander "Sandy"
: MacGregor was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery and leadership in South Vietnam. : He documented these experiences in several books,
The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) is a light infantry battalion formed in 1945. MacGregor's service with the unit during the Vietnam War (1965–1966) marked one of its most pivotal operational periods, including significant actions at Fire Support Base Coral and in .
: In January 1966, while attached to 1RAR, Sandy MacGregor’s troop became the first Allied unit to enter the secret Viet Cong tunnel systems . These soldiers, known as "Tunnel Rats," crawled into dark, booby-trapped tunnels with only a flashlight and a pistol to gather intelligence and destroy enemy infrastructure.