Avatar: Cameron, Sam, Sigourney, and synthespians

James Cameron, known for the Terminator series, Aliens, and the blockbuster, Titanic, is turning his new 3-D film making process on a project called, Avatar, planned for release on May 22, 2009.

Early write up on the project from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_880

Recently Cameron and crew were seen shooting in New Zealand, also pulling in the resources of Peter Jackson's Weta Digital, bringing to life the story of a paralyzed former marine who undergoes an experiment to exist as an avatar, a human mind in an alien body. His avatar then goes to an alien planet, "thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival." Perth, Australian actor, Sam Worthington is cast as Jake Sully, who plays the former marine who undergoes the experiment to exist as an avatar. Working again with director James Cameron, Sigourney Weaver plays a botanist who mentors Jake Sully.

Avatar will also introduce six actors who are synthespians, or synthetic (in this case, digital) actors. Anyone familiar with Lord of the Ring's Gollum, played to perfection by Andy Serkis, or Aki Ross from the movie Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, understand how realistic computer-generated synthespians appear. Currently out in US theaters, Roger Zemeckis' retelling of Beowulf (http://www.beowulfmovie.com/) also uses synthespians, enhancing the performances of actors Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Crispin Glover, Angelina Jolie, and many others.

Oh no. Famed mime, Marcel Marceau, died yesterday. A moment of silence please...

Opa! Greek Festival is happening this weekend, September 7, 8, and 9. Must find gyros, baklava and some Greek coffee. Yes!

Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything. - Charles Kuralt

Life sometimes feels that way: You move too fast or too hard, barely noticing the side roads, rabbit trails, or byways in life that may lead to discovering those out of the way places rich with a life all its own...secret waterfalls, hidden glens and hallows, or that little wishing star that twinkles silently in the night.

A friend of mine in Pensacola, Florida reminded me in a recent email this blog is "kinda old." True, so true. Let's try dusting off things a bit. And is it September 2007 already?!?!

This is a real fight: It's 30 degrees outside as I sit here inside in the comfort of my home, holding a hot cup of French Roast coffee--and it's time to go run this morning...outside. Adapt and overcome.

Busy and long weekend! Kicked it off with the 2nd Annual Run Against Hunger event last Thursday--Thanksgiving Day. Over 1250 people came out, counting all the kids who did the Kids' Run. Did my best 10K thus far. Absolutely picture post-card perfect blue sky!

Thanksgiving meal followed a few hours later. Felt no guilt at all when downing a piece of pecan pie after dinner.

Did an early morning bike ride Friday with S. I calculate with our average speed of 17 mph, in 33 F temps, the wind-chill brought the temperature down to about 8 degrees. The hot coffee and toasted bagel at Panera's never tasted so good later after thawing out...

Saturday: Fun Run in the morning with the Sundancers. Evening, Turkey Day Dinner #2 with L's parents and friends.

Sunday: Stayed in from rainy weather.

A thought: Disconnecting to Connect

The art of keeping a travel journal [link no longer active]

Promise to self to update blog.

"There is no abstract art. You must always start with something.
Afterward you can remove all traces of reality."
- Pablo Picasso

Just taking a few moments to enter the Blogsphere and wish everyone out there a happy holiday. I have found it really helps my sanity to stay away from the stores this time of year. (Besides, there are plenty of people out there passing out the holiday cheer in the parking lots and store lines.) Of course there are gifts to buy, so I arrived at a happy middle-ground by going to one place every night--if required--and then head back home. Keeps me from passing out the wrong kind of holiday greetings if you know what I'm talking about.

-Spater

Run Against Hunger 5K, Thanksgiving Day

...Make my next posting in like a month or two. Sheshh.

November was very busy for me. Completed the National Novel Writing Month --and I'm a 2005 winner!

More info to follow hopefully soon, sooner than soon. /BB

It has been ages--it seems--since I posted to ABIT (A Blog in Time). So much has happened this year--all good: getting into a workout regime since December 2004; Scuba Certification, May 2005; visiting family in Florida, June 2005; and completion of my first sprint triathlon, August 2005. And of course there are the friends I've made.

More to follow in a day or two.

An importance step towards incorporating blogs within the mainstream media.
Bloogers' conference emphasizes tools for reporting. Source CNN: Technology.

Just read that Andre Norton passed away. She was 93.

Her site: http://www.andre-norton.org/

I'm in love...http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/atoptics/phenom.htm

CNN's Health Library. Great reference source.

The Mars Rover Opportunity hit its one-year mark on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005. (The Mars Rover, Spirit, celebrated its one-year anniversary, Jan. 3, 2005.)

Ya know what I think? I think we need a taarradhin in the Middle East! Thanks NPR Morning Edition! Check out 'In Other Words': Translating the Untranslatable