Tinrokit
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 25.09.06Oh, and check out Tinrokit!
An independent Scottish band, Tinrokit blends brilliant bits of lyrical humor, seriousness, a little depressive passion and european indie rock. You can visit them at myspace.com/tinrokit. And may I highly recommend “Lost in the Niteklub.” Addictive…
bookmark
Hotrod Cadets
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 25.09.06“I think people can worry far too much about making it [art] perfect, when what they should be doing is making it amazing.” – Alastair Bishop
Great scottish band, and featured on the Tartan and Three from Leith podcasts. Check them out at hotrodcadets.com. You can find MP3 samples from their latest album Breaking Up. “My Heart Sinks” would have to be a favorite. Melancholic, sad, torn, and a guilt born of noble desires… very beautiful music too!
bookmark
Evolution
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 21.09.06Elihu Ihms has posted a series of articles on his blog regarding arguments against evolution, his own research, and other supporting sources. While I do not easily follow such matters (and certainly not to the point I can easily discourse on possible counterpoints), I think the discussion is both interesting, and of the utmost importance.
Please, do post with relevant comments. My own views not withstanding, nor my current job affiliations, this is something I’m anxious to see brought to people’s attention. I’d like to hear what you think!
bookmark
The Illusionist
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 20.09.06As my first official movie review on this site, I fear it’s been a week or two since the movie came out. And that long since I watched it as well! Alas, here goes.
(In reviewing this movie, I’m anxious to see The Prestige, being released soon. It also deals with magicians, has some great actors, and looks like it’s going to be every bit as incredible as this film!)
Opening with elegant titles over jerky sepia footage, The Illusionist sets up much like a historical film. While not historically factual to my knowledge, it takes the setting to heart with sumptuous sets, costuming, and a very rich palette of patently aged colours.
As introduction, we meet a young boy, a young girl, and the caste system that keeps them separated. While the film has a bit of political drama, quite a bit of mystery, and touches of fantasy, it’s clearly this relationship that drives the storyline.
Showing a wee bit of humour, the boy’s introduction to the magician’s art is treated as a myth, told and retold, and told again through the narrator. He meets along the roadside a wizened old man, who after showing him a trick or two under a large tree, disappears. “And in some stories, the tree disappears as well!” Thusly, Eisenheim the Illusionist is born.
Visually, the film is solid. Not too flashy, not to mundane, always richly lit, and the camera takes time to unfold each piece. The magician effects are sometime obvious, though only in the sense that it couldn’t have been practical. I’m sure the invisible effects are far more impressive, if I only picked them out (Prague may be the best “old europe” around right now, but there’s got to be a lot of digital city going on!). The few effects involving specters are quite nicely done; there were some really tricky shots where the stage sinks into complete blackness, so they’ve taken the time to add heat-like distortions and simmering vapor. While it was probably intended as a part of the spectral effect, it was also quite necessary to portray invisibility in a room where things were already invisible, hidden in deep shadows and flickering torches.
While expecting great things from both Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel did not raise my hopes for great cinema. Surprisingly, and with great relief, the acting all around was quite good. You can’t help but enjoy Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel shows up for surprisingly little (watch the film, you’ll understand).
Though not in the strict sense, there seem to be flavours of Shakespeare here; both in dramatic urgency and the more tragic overtones. A beautifully told story, nicely shot, and with some top notch actors, it’s not a movie you should miss!
bookmark
Today
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 12.09.06I let my boss know that I’m looking for another job. Temporarily I would like to transfer to a different department, though long term I’m seeking out a completely different company.
This has been a rough decision, but not short in coming. My second week here I knew it wasn’t going to go well, and each following week has surprised me in some new and horrific way. Gross mismanagement and an oppressive work environment get old after a month, and it’s now been over 7.
I’ve had to redo projects left and right because of misdirection, misinformation, or the plain incompetence of those in charge. The record so far is 7 reshoots for the exact same product photograph. Two or three months have been spent on a project that was shut down because they decided they weren’t ready for video production. Curious, since they’d insisted on hiring me for that very purpose.
I’ve been reprimanded for wearing the wrong texture of cotton dress shirt. I’ve been labeled as a northerner, and since this is the “south” some people are trying to add dress code rules to prevent me from wearing my irish hat. I was even told I shouldn’t laugh, because this is a “workplace” and it meant I wasn’t working.
Sadly, I’m not the only one suffering from periodic nervous breakdowns, and probably not the only one to be leaving. It’ll take a bit of time; I doubt I’ll be leaving AiG till after the museum is open, and who knows, maybe I’ll stay on for a while longer after that. I do have a contract on my apartment down here… guess we’ll see what happens.
As a final note, if you want to hire me, let me know!
Dear Sir,
If you’re up to it, I will hire you to be my personal self-esteem booster, chauffeur, book studier, paper writer, email sender, housekeeper, friend encourager, checkbook balancer, and lunch maker. If you feel you are overqualified for this job description I can easily lengthen the list. Please do consider accepting this rewarding volunteer job. I eagerly await your reply and thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Serkis Werkis
bookmark
Drug Free Geekiness
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 9.09.06Two guys stuck for five hours in the back seat of a car, with only pillows and a MacBook… well, this is what can result.
After running the built in iSight through its paces, Eli Ihms and I started playing with Comic Life. I started a comic using the pictures we’d taken, and every page we traded off (mine are the odd pages! Like, numerically odd. All the pages are odd, but only half are of the numeric kind as well). No photoshop was used, just PhotoBooth (which utilises OS X’s core effects) and Comic Life. Not only a look at two very twisted minds, but an experiment in the ruggedly simple. Whooohooo!
Be forewarned, it’s not really… normal.
“Howdy” John.
Thanks for the link. It’s amazing what two strange individuals can come up with under constraining circumstances. Hah hah!
bookmark
The greiving
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 7.09.06At the viewing not only were people still arriving after the proposed closing, but the line wound through the entire funeral home and out into the parking lot. There were lots of tears. Lots.
As a general guess, I’d have to say more than 400 people attended Justin’s funeral. A mix of truly stirring eulogies and music that captured Justin’s spirit, it finally seemed to dawn on me what tragedy this life is. To see his girlfriend, his brother… his father and mother. Those he worked with, ministered to, befriended and loved. To watch as his body was carried out by closest friends…
The funeral procession was made up of 150+ cars, and wound through most of Cleveland, it seemed. It was sad to see the traffic moving on, ignoring it… not to be selfish, but the camaraderie of the human race is gone; broken down and uncaring, no longer sharing in another’s grief.
At the grave site we gathered around as a short message was given by his pastor, a prayer was said, and his body lowered into the ground. You couldn’t really see it happening, but the churning of the gears and the squeaking of the machine served as story tellers. It’s rough, a friend being lowered into the ground. While he was a Christian and thus his passing glorious, a sobering sadness lays in all our hearts, and open sobbing is heard amongst the throngs of people.
I feel at a loss… how do I cope? How do I comfort those around me? We hug, and cry on each other’s shoulders. For now, that’s what I can do, for my grief, and for the grief of those surrounding me.
... but prayers are with us all, as we lift up hands in worship to God, for He sustains.
bookmark
Justin Vanderburg
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 5.09.06July 13, 1982 – September 2, 2006
(excerpts from an article published at his death)
Justin loved his God, his family, his friends, and his life…
Justin planned to serve God as a Christian lawyer, practicing with his father; however, he did not wait to practice his Christian faith. Justin was active in church, home Bible study, fellowship, Christian Ministry, and lived his faith in a real and personal manner as abundantly evident from the many lives he touched.
Describing himself in his Vitamin J’s Blurbs on Myspace.com, Justin encouraged his readers to send him a message and said, “You can probably learn more about me in one conversation than you can by reading… my perspective on myself.” Justin seldom complained. He always had a positive attitude – he was a musician and all of his beats were up – and he was a giver and a good listener…
Justin loved to travel and enjoyed adventure… sports, cars, motorcycles… Justin was a vibrant dancer, acted in plays, and loved being a stagehand. He didn’t demand the center of attention, but he was comfortable in it.
... He faithfully and joyfully led music and played for services at Calvary Community Church. He graduated from Lutheran West High School, Indiana Wesleyan University, and was currently enrolled in this third year at Cleveland Marshall School of Law. Justin had been preparing for his future in law by working at the firm of Wegman, Hessler and Vanderburg as a legal intern…
Justin was precious to his family – a “light” in their lives. He will be so very missed.
“Lord, you catch me when I’m falling.
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours, I am yours.”
(Who I am by Casting Crowns)
bookmark
A friend died today
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 2.09.06I’ll be gone for the viewing and funeral this week. His friends and family could really use your prayers.
bookmark
Indiana
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 1.09.06Going “back home” for the weekend. God bless the north… I can’t wait. Some people say that hell is near texas. It’s not, it’s here in Kentucky. Where else can you be snubbed and insulted because you grew up 3 or 4 hours away? I long for the day I move to a different country. This sucks.
mediaboxAdvanced
I was actually pretty torn about posting the AiG-bashing article.
However, it had several so fundamentally flawed arguments (on top of simple scientific errors), that I felt it necessary to cover them. And these are the people trying to convince scientists that evolution doesn’t exist?
Considering some of your difficulties at AiG, I also thought it best if you knew that there were additional problems within the establishment as well.
I wish you luck in making an informed decision about AiG.