AVATAR: Film Review

I watched Avatar a few days after Christmas. I was spellbound. The story was interesting, but what I was more impressed with was the visuals. They were outstanding. One frequent complaint about CGI anthropomorphic characters is that they don't really look lifelike. This was absolutely not the case here. Apparently they did motion capture for the actors and matched the movements (including eyes, expressions, and mouth movements) to the actors. The result was amazing. I had read reviews that said that Cameron "raised the bar" with this film, and figured it was just hyperbole. It wasn't. The emotion shown on screen with these characters is remarkable. As lines are delivered, it really looked like the CGI character delivered the line. It's been said that this was the most expensive film of all time. Every dime was on the screen. Go see this film in a theater. Don't wait for a retail release.

Lunchbox Laboratory, part II

I just made a return trip to Lunchbox Laboratory - this time I brought my Dad.

He's a "basic" burger guy, no bacon, raw onions, etc. Here's his "custom" burger:














Louie got something called "The Smoker", which included a 1/2-inch stack of smoked bacon and havarti cheese:


Of course, Louie failed and couldn't finish his. But he gets to enjoy it later...

I got the "Homage to Dick's Deluxe", which didn't disappoint:



I think this place is fantastic. I wish they had a Los Angeles location. Until then, I get my once-or-twice-a-year fix here in Seattle.

Al Franken is a disgrace

Chris Dodd, Barney Frank: Officially Sons-of-Bitches

Fantastic GPS mount

Since getting the "new" car, I've been using a "bean bag" type mount for the GPS. I didn't like it, but like the suction-cup-on-the-windshield mount even less. Also, the bean bag mount put the GPS in such a position that it would reflect off the windshield at night, which made for a constant annoyance if I needed to use it after dark.

I found an alternative that worked wonderfully. In this new position, the GPS screen doesn't reflect off the windshield, but it's at a perfect viewing position, and easily within my reach. I bought a custom-made mounting bracket (basically a small, bent and drilled piece of sheet metal with a ball on the end) from the geniuses at Pro.Fit International. They even sell a simple plastic tool to allow me to pop the console off without scratching it. It required minor drilling (but the two small holes are hidden under the console if the mount is removed) but the results are outstanding. Witness the new mount below:Now I just have to find a way to secure/conceal the cord a little better...