El Pollo Loco is doing very well

I have loved the Pollo Bowl for many years. It's very good, well priced, and very filling.

Doing well in Washington and New Mexico certainly seems like a good sign.

 source: latimes.com

Flickr is hosting a festival in Minneapolis called "Mode"

I am currently a Flickr subscriber. I've been using the service for a long time because I can't think of any other service that lets you post unlimited pictures in full resolution.

The service has languished, failing to keep up with competitors like Google Photos and Amazon when it comes to very useful features like face group. If you take pictures of people regularly and want to find all the pictures you've taken of them throughout the years, there is no easy way unless you 've been diligent enough to manually tag them.

Flickr could easily be the Instagram people miss (just pictures and no ads) but unfortunately it feels very out of touch with what users actually want.

Power users would greatly benefit from features like advanced search filters like camera make/model, focal length, ISO, aperture, and location. The meta data is all there in uploads. Just leverage it!

source: dpreview.com

Instagram launches on Google TV

I have no plans to install this.

• Instagram is always behind TikTok
• Browsing comments is not fun on a TV
• This is another Meta product and Meta is not a good company
• 9:16 content on a large TV is so annoying

source: 9to5google.com 

Yashica has a kickstarter for a new camcorder

Camcorders are good. Camcorders without zoom are just a missed opportunity. I'll reserve judgement though if the sensor is good.

Launching it on kickstarter is certainly a choice. I guess they're just testing the market for demand. 

 source: petapixel

David Ellison won't give up on his pursuit of Warner Brothers

It seems like every day a new headline about David Ellison comes out where he looks even more desperate than we previously thought he could get.

This reminds me of the whole Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni saga. 

The main difference between this story is that David Ellison truly comes off as an extremely spoiled child. Have his accomplishments ever been mentioned prior?

Source: deadline.com

Kristin Stewart saves Highland Theaters

I think it’s very cool that a person with means does something good for the community and culture.

I couldn’t even guess with any ounce of confidence what kind of money she has from being in the industry and actively acting for so long. 

I’m glad she’s been able to take a stab at directing because it seems like making movies really give her life.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Streets of Minneapolis

I don't know a lot about Bruce Springsteen but this is what patriotism sounds like. A lot of people have been so quiet! This is why he gets a title like "The Boss".

It doesn't hurt that sonically; it's a very solid song. I love the organ and choir.

source: YouTube

RIP Wemo

I was never impressed by Wemo. Their smart plugs were pretty rocky in terms of stability. After learning about Kasa/TP Link plugs, I dumped every Wemo device I had.

I'm happy for all the people the devices DID work out for and their efforts in the early days of smart home ecosystems. 

source: The Verge 

Fortnite collaborations

It must be interesting to create/develop characters that launch careers and become icons within the entertainment world like Dwight Schrute and Michael Scott, hear people praise them as comedy gold for those that understand the world of working in an office, and then see your characters be in a video game where the objective is essentially killing other players with guns.

Fortnite has basically become a promotional step like late night variety shows and Hot Ones. For better or worst, its a way to reach a lot of people and renew interest in your brand.

Source: Polygon

Labubu

I brought a Labubu to my office white elephant gift exchange and it was absolutely the quickest item to get locked in.

When you think about it, this item hits the mark for being a white elephant gift because it is desirable and also something people don't want to spend their own money.

It's a toy so there's very little utility from owning one. I'm curious how often the owner will think about their Labubu in a year from now. I suspect they will either have a large collection or have gotten rid of it.

I recently went to my local mall and was fascinated at how popular Asian collectible merchandise is. There were about 4-5 stores that all sold the same kinds of toys and blind boxes.

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

This is such a great podcast. You can tell Amy Poehler really likes her guests before they even get there. She deserves all the accolades she gets because this podcast is filled with such tender and honest moments between celebrities that are able to show their very relatable and human sides.

I know Amy Poehler is also a big Howard Stern fan (her Mariann from Brooklyn impersonation is very good!) and I wonder how much of his technique and style she studied before deciding to start this show.

This really is worth a listen even if you've already heard an interview with her guest previously because Amy Poehler really has a way of finding new angles of learning about people.

source: YouTube

Vallarta comes to Arizona

I'm thrilled for the folks in Arizona to experience Vallarta. I'm not sure what the competition looks like there but Vallarta is such a lovely market to be immersed into Latino cuisine.

Source: azafamily.com

CES 2026: camcorders are still not coming back :(

CES used to be such a big deal for me.

As a bit of an video enthusiast, it was also exciting to see how makers like Panasonic, Sony, and Canon would refresh their camcorder lineups.

Consumer camcorders have not been popular for awhile now. It could be the most people find phone cameras perfectly acceptable (they still don’t have lovely zoom optics!).

I still use a camcorder to capture long events. Having a device dedicated to video is just so practical for things like recording performances or situations where I just need flexible zoom.

Makers like Snap have tried to come out with products like the CS-8, but the specs leave so much to be desired.

Why not make something similar but throw in a 1” sensor. I would gladly pay the difference. It doesn’t even need a ton of manual controls. I just want optical zoom plus super crisp 4K video.

Don’t even get me started on what CES offers now: tons of AI slop products.

ICE

It’s been frustrating trying to stay informed but also digest all the horrific stories of ICE disappearing / killing people. 

I never could have imagined I would be living in the same gestapo threatened world as the people in the 40’s experienced. 

It has also been so encouraging to see people much braver than me facing the enemy up close and personal, risking bodily harm or worst.

I will never skip a video where ICE gets humiliated somehow and has to turn away. 

These thugs are trying to rob us of peace. They don’t deserve an ounce of dignity should peril come there way.

I tried revolving sushi and loved it

I learned that Kura Sushi was adding a location closer to me and was hoping to give it a shot to better understand the significance of a business expanding and the appeal of revolving sushi.

Unfortunately, a casual walk-in experience was not meant to be at the Sherman Oaks location. As I was circling the busy mall parking during a holiday season, I called the location to check if my patience of finding a spot was worth it. I was told I'd have to wait at least an hour. I changed my mind that day and opted for a quicker, more convenient lunch.

I discovered that Kura Sushi had recently opened up in Bakersfield and wagered that it would be easier to get a seat at that location. I was right!

The food itself was perfectly fine. I was amazed at the revolving system itself. There isn't much human interaction when ordering food. You can take what looks good off the conveyor or manually order items as desired.

The ordered items show up on a separate conveyor in a haste. The zip along quickly and stop abruptly at your seat. It feels like the future that was promised in the Jetsons.

If you need to use the bathroom, the restaurant even offers another nice thing that's very normal in Japan: bidets!

Its okay to repair things

​I recently spent $2500 on repairs to my van. While this seems like a lot of money, it turns out a brand new Honda Odyssey is about $45000!

Our van has over 200,000 miles and I am optimistic that it has plenty of life ahead to serve my family in making memorable trips.

While looking for something in a storage shed yesterday, I snagged my jacked on some wire fencing. I created a few unsightly holes. 

Like my car, I figured a relatively small inconvenience was worth the price to avoid saying goodbye. Is it seamless? Absolutely not. Was it even necessary? No. 

 

Needless to say, no one has ever suggested I audition for Project Runway.