Halo 3
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 8.10.07This past weekend has been awesome! A couple friends from Indiana drove up to my new place in Detroit to hang out for a bit… I love it when I get to hang out with friends! They also happened to bring an Xbox 360.
and Halo 3.
I should probably preface this by saying I’m not really much of a gamer. In college I hosted a few halo parties, but never played much myself till the last one… and was quickly beaten by some girls. Not that I’m sexist, but it was rather depressing, since they’d never played before at all. I eventually did get an Xbox system and a few games (Prince of Persia being one of my favorite single player games, simply because the graphics were beautiful), but for the most part, I don’t play unless someone else is there. It’s a social thing, and the best part about halo matches is the wild furor of a room full of people yelling and screaming as they slaughter each other.
Halo 3 is quite the update to the series! Multiplayer gaming is great, with both new maps and new game styles. In Halo 1 a friendly game of rockets was quite a bit of fun, especially when jousting with vehicles… in Halo 2 it was more of the same, though I found a few games of pistol whip to be rather addictive. Halo 3 has a wider array of games and variants, and a better system for organizing changes. Plus… it adds what could possibly be the best game yet; Zombies. Take the manic hilarity of rocket launchers or pistol whipping your comrades, and multiply it at least 2.67 times. You can start off with any number (or percentage) or players set to “zombie” status, and the game lasts until everyone has been bitten and reborn as the undead… special abilities such as superhuman speed or an abnormal aversion to gravity, and the need for group collaboration to survive (or attack, depending on your side) makes the game all that much more amazing.
I never got through Halo 1 or 2 in campaign mode, save for a few levels on “easy” (yes, I’m a wimp, and I’ll happily refer you to the preceding paragraph clarifying my less-than-gamer roots). Tyler was kind enough to put up with me as we played co-op for a good 5-6 hours straight. Without having played the previous titles in their entirety myself, I can’t form a good comparison, but having seen plenty of other people playing… Halo 3 kicks. Bungie is really rather brilliant at weaving in a solid story line, and now I’m all the more upset that the film isn’t getting made! Or perhaps, I’m all the more upset that the film, if made, may have a truly horrible director (have you seen the short films Neill Blomkamp recently released online? need I say more?).
The Halo campaign story line is grandiose, epic, and preposterously heroic, but somehow in a good way. Set against incredible vistas and gorgeous in-game graphics, Halo 3 features an excellent continuation of themes and characters from the first two games, and does so with a breathtaking score. Melodic motifs from the first two are expanded upon, and new ones added. For something that might be scoffed at as being “lowbrow”, it’s far more elegant than you might think. The soundtrack is not to be missed.
The real magic, though, could simply be in the graphics. Halo 3 implements high dynamic range imagery and detailed textures throughout. Highlights and reflections are far better, as are lighting and particle effects. There are points in game play where you just want to stop and admire the breathtaking scenery… and all in real time. Level of detail adjustments are especially obvious in multiplayer mode, where the system cuts down on quality in order to render multiple vantage points, but it never completely breaks down.
To be honest? This game has done more than any other to convince me I need a 360… 
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Decision by default
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 23.09.07It’s been a wild ride, but I’ve moved into Woodside…
Friday I had to transfer gas and electric services into my name, or I wouldn’t have been able to move in at all. I was still waiting for final move-in costs from Northridge, so proceeded to call them all afternoon, trying to get confirmation. The first time I called, the person on the other end hung up on me after unsuccessfully attempting to transfer me to another number or voicemail. The other 6 times I called, I just got the answering machine. I ended up leaving a message letting them know to drop my application and return the application fee as per their policy. So yeah… Woodside was happy to answer my call, and proceeded to finalize gas and electric confirmation over the phone. So much for my making a decision, seems things were made rather plain. Northridge didn’t get back with me till Saturday, after I’d already arrived in Detroit and signed papers with Woodside!
Thank you all for your input. I definitely agree with the advantages of in-unit washer and dryer, and while I’m disappointed about that, the Woodside location is tough to beat. Surrounded by trees and even forested aress, it’s closer to work and more peaceful than Northridge. Not to mention, they were the only ones that let me finalize the details in time to move on Saturday.
Thank you also to family and friends who helped pack me up, move my stuff, and unload here in Detroit. I cannot thank you enough! Especially when I had to leave early on Saturday to sign papers by 4:45pm at Woodside, you guys stayed to finish the entire process at Sanctuary Place, and even helped my dad load up the car and get on his way to Detroit. Praise God, things have worked out, albeit with nerve wracking timing.
Thank you, Crystal, Jeremy, Lydia, Matthew, and Dad!
Could I get your new address so that I can get directions from here to there? Btw, I hope to visit you this weekend.
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Quick decisions
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 20.09.07Wherein I discuss two rival apartments, and the factors leading to a decision stalemate. Click to see the pictures, read the details, and view all the votes and advice people posted!
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Travels and such
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 18.09.07
The past few weeks have seen a fair amount of driving, with a couple trips up to northern Detroit for a job I’ll be starting shortly, and yet another one tomorrow to finalize an apartment. Nervous doesn’t cover the half of it, as things are coming down to the wire and I’m still hunting for a place to live.
I did get to go hiking this past Sunday, when a friend invited me to join him down at Big Bone Lick. It’s closer than I expected at less than 30 minutes from my place, and is nestled in a nice little valley full of trees. While it seems small for a state park, it does take a while to hike the perimeter! I ended up without a map and journeyed approximately 2/3rds around the entire park (you can check out my Flickr account for a few more photos). While I’d never pretend to have enjoyed my time as a “Kentuckian”, it is rather bittersweet to be leaving a place I’ve grown accustomed to. The real pain, though, is in leaving friends. 
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Old haunts
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 12.09.07I failed to get pictures posted earlier, but over memorial day weekend I got to visit Indiana to hang out with my brother and cousins at Taylor. It was so much fun! I will admit to feeling rather old walking through campus… it’s only been a couple years since I graduated, but it feels like a long time.
While in Indiana, I drove through Marion and past some of my own college memories, including one of my favorite photoshoot locations just outside of town; a large train yard and power center just off the state road. The no trespassing sign seemed more prominent than I remembered, and there were guys working on some of the lines, so I tried to stay out of the way. The photos are actually from two different days, as I couldn’t help myself and stopped by on my way home as well.
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Jungle Jims
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 9.09.07It’s funny, I suppose, how you don’t really visit the “cool” places in an area till it comes time to leave. It’s also funny that one of the “cool” places in Kentucky is actually a forty minute drive into Ohio.
I’d heard quite a bit about Jungle Jims, but never got to visit till this weekend… it’s an odd, cool, and sometimes creepy experience. Driving into the parking lot, it looks like a cheesy carnival or theme park, complete with various characters painted on wooden signs. Inside, it feels a lot more like a huge grocery store, but with giant talking soup cans (seriously). Just when you think it’s been a waste of time, however, you finally get to the international section…
I may have to go back just to get more tea… they have a lot. A whole lot, and from quite a few different countries. I have several Irish varieties now, along with more exotic green teas and such. While intriguing, I was somehow able to resist some of the more expensive monkey picked teas and blossoming tea packages. What I was not able to resist, however, were some of the vinegars, including an aged Balsamic that’s older than my brother.
Jeremy has posted a few pictures from the trip, along with a blog post where he gives more detail on the frighteningly unique bathrooms!
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Finger Yoga
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 1.09.07The practicing and performance of arcane Macintosh keyboard commands while booting, often in an attempt to solve some grievous system error. The procedure can involve any combination of three to sixteen keys, and requires extraordinary dexterity, nimbleness, and a complete lack of bones.
Well, I’ve gotten a second Macbook. One of them has to go (to be sold on eBay, perhaps?), but for now I’m enjoying the hilarity of twin macbooks. They’re so cute sitting next to each other on the desk! Sadly, this also means I’ve quickly become acquainted with the various idiosyncrasies of the Macbook line.
Don’t get me wrong, I love macs. They make me happy. But they’re still computers… and as such, are susceptible to possession by evil spirits. In the past two weeks I’ve diagnosed (and somehow fixed) random restarts and shutdowns, sleeping and waking crashes, flickering video displays, backlight blackouts, and dead mouse buttons. Actually, it’s not as hard as it sounds; all you’ve got to do is run Apple’s Software Update from the preference panel. The latest OS and firmware versions should set everything straight. If not, well… finger yoga time.
Resetting the system management controller — Shut down the computer and remove both battery and power cable. Press and hold power button for 5 seconds. Re-insert battery and power cable to start working again with a fresh set of system settings. Since the SMC controls power, shutdown, and startup, this can help solve erroneous activity.
Resetting the PRAM — Holding Command-Option-P-R while booting (press and hold just as soon as the mac boot sound plays) will reset PRAM and NVRAM. There will be some audio beeps, then the computer will restart (let go of the keys, though, you don’t want to cause a reboot loop… that’s just silly). While I haven’t needed to try this yet, it should have a similar effect to resetting the SMC; by resetting system defaults, you can clear out damaged settings and corrupted preferences.
Somehow, everything is fixed and running nicely. As of now, I have two very happy little macbooks… awh, they’re so cute… yesh they arrrr…
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My life
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 2.08.07I just realized I haven’t posted in a while regarding my work or even general life stuff. Things have been pretty upside down since mid-July when my visual effects job at the museum ended. Funding has been all but lost, and they just can’t keep everyone on. Hopefully I can stay in touch, as the studio team was a great group of artists and I’ll really miss all my friends there. It’s unfortunate, but it happens, and I am excited to see what comes next.
Speaking of which, I’m currently working freelance doing motion graphics and web/print design. It’s been a long time since I’ve done freelance, as I really prefer working inhouse with a team of artists, but it seems to be going ok. There’s an upcoming interview in the next week or two for a full time position, so I’m looking forward to that.
Oh, and I saw Transformers last night. I liked it a lot more than some, a little less than others. The actors were good, the script was ok, the photography was, at times, pretty cool, but it was the visual effects that were really amazing. Incidentally, CG World featured the film in the latest issue, which arrived yesterday afternoon shortly before I left for the theater. Very cool.
Yeah, the movie wasn’t disappointing since I had no expectations. YOu should see Bourne Ultimatum. THe whole movie has a fine-art Euro style to the filmmaking.
I feel your pain. We roll out of KY on Sunday. Keep in touch!
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Polo!
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 22.07.07
Today I went to my first polo match, down at the Lexington Horse Park. In celebration, I wore argyle. It also happened to be lambs wool, so I truly enjoyed the cool breeze all afternoon as my friends and I shot photos. The weather was just great, and I’ve decided I love polo. In short? It was awesome.
Two teams (one local, one from Florida / Argentina) played red vs. blue, so keeping them straight was fairly easy. It was a little less simple tracking the game dynamics, but Shari helped explain, so I wasn’t completely lost. Halfway through the game the spectators flood the field and help flip the divots created during play. A funny experience, as some in attendance are rather “upper class.”
The blue team, even as they were winning, constantly yelled at each other. Humorous all the more due to thick accents and the pure irony. I’m not sure if feelings were hurt, but they ended up winning by roughly double the points of the red team. As the horses collided and the riders vied for positions, an interesting reference to hockey was made; you have horses instead of ice, but the game is still aggressively physical.
It’s a pretty quick drive down to Lexington, so hopefully I can make it back for a couple more games before the season ends. Till then, I’ve posted a few extra photos in my Flickr account.
I never tire of watching or photographing the game. If I can, I will go with you guys again before I relocate and shoot polo and other pics in Palm Springs and the rest of Cali.
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IN at night
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 20.07.07While the day hasn’t been quite as productive work wise, this evening has been tremendous. Supper, movie, and hours of night photography with friends! We traipsed around a small part of Lawrenceburg, IN (primarily the brewery) and after shooting the trains and large metal containers, attracted the attention of security guards. Thankfully no one called the police, but we had to vacate the area rather quickly. We finished up with a few night shots in Kentucky, including a radio tower with stars as a backdrop.
Shari has posted some of her photos on Flickr.
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Glad you’re moved in and doing well. Sounds like God opened and closed doors just in the nic of time for you.
Nothing like making you trust. Love you lots and hopefully we can visit soon!