Searching system files
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 3.03.09I’ve always been frustrated that OS X 10.5 (Leopard) stopped searching system files. While there are a few articles out there detailing the steps to add the option, I’m a bit slow, and never got it to work. This video explains it perfectly!
Guess it’s obvious; I’m a visual learner. 
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Lightwave Core
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 3.02.09As I write this, there is a countdown to an announcement on Febuary 4th at 4pm (EST). For the past two weeks, Newtek has been building a steady furore over the upcoming Lightwave Core reveal. Amid wild speculation as to what might entail (in just one of the threads on the Newtek forums, we’ve amassed over 6000 posts), official announcements themselves are promising something entirely new…
And to capitalize on the anticipation, there have been puzzles, cryptic images, clues hidden within an asteroid belt (no joke), comments within website source code, hints from secretive forum members, security passwords encoded with the birth name of Genghis Khan (It’s Temüjin, if you ever need to know) and several appearances by Thor, Norse god of thunder.
But beyond the viral marketing, it’s the people that surround Lightwave, the users, that make it special. It’s people from Kosova, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Norway, Texas… to solve clues, people work in shifts; going to bed in the wee morning light, as people on the other side are waking up to start anew. Freelancers, studios, retired hobbyists. People posting from their desk at work, people staying up all night, and I believe at least one protester in South America, who reeking of tear gas and bloodied resistance, got online to check out the latest clues.
Join in the global excitement… visit Ustream.tv for live coverage. I’ll be there.
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Hello, January
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 1.02.09Some months nothing seems to happen. Others? Well…
With the release of mediaboxAdvanced 0.9.5, 0.9.7, and now 0.9.8 in quick succession, I’m making a little progress with my javascript projects. Still rudimentary at best, but I enjoy the challenge, and it seems there are a few users that appreciate the work! As of January 31st, Iaian7.com has had over 7,500 unique visitors in one month, and most of the traffic is for mediaboxAdvanced; the script I use on this site and others to display images, media, and more in a modal overlay.
I’ve also been trying to work on some visual effects in the evenings. So far it’s been rough; my computer system is old enough it can’t handle 1080p production (even loading the geometry is difficult), old enough that ram upgrades cost 2-4 times as much, and there’s not much more I can do. Frustrating, to say the least, but moreso because…
My time with Vectorform has come to a close. The good news is that they didn’t want to let me go, which I find strangely comforting. The downside is that the economy is bad enough, finding gainful employment is not an easy task. If you know of any openings for a visual effects or general CG artist, let me know!
Maybe I’ll even post here occasionally; it’s unfortunate how much I’ve neglected my blog, and hope I can catch up a bit. Then again, don’t hold your breath. Lord willing, I’ll be busy again soon.
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Don't let me be too late
iaian7 » blog » poetry John Einselen, 13.01.09You were standing in the market,
when your old life came a-calling,
a debt you couldn’t pay,
and yourself for the selling
Do not let me be,
too late by your side,
running past the shoes,
you hastily cast aside.
Stuttering on the cobblestones,
stumbling through the naked streets,
mind entangled like your legs,
frantic thoughts in feverish heats.
Do not let me be,
too late by your side,
slipping on the blood,
as stone and feet collide.
And there along a cliff I see,
your soul all worn, and deathly wet.
the wind drops silent, like the birds,
as time falters, broken, unset.
Do not let me be,
too late by your side,
to hold and caress,
and hope that you see…
I take no account,
of a long, sordid past,
when I call in the street,
to a far humbler caste.
You were standing in the market,
when you heard someone calling,
an account you couldn’t settle,
and the awful darkness swelling.
(and so you ran)
Do not let me be,
too late by your side,
to hold and caress,
and hope to provide…
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10 Apps to be Thankful For
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 28.11.08There are the obvious things to give thanks for, like friends, family, Jesus… but then there are the smaller things that make life just a little bit nicer.
Even better is when they’re free! The following are some of my favourite applications for Mac OS X.
Entertainment
Perian – A veritable swiss army knife for Quicktime, it adds support for formats such as AVI, DIVX, FLV, MKV, and VP6, and scores of video codecs.
SimplifyMedia – Lets you expand iTunes library sharing to any computer (or iPhone) connected to the net! Supports all three major operating systems, and lets you add up to 30 friends.
Productivity
Evernote – Store notes of any type, from anywhere (and any platform, including the iPhone), online, forever. While I haven’t used Evernote much myself, it’s a pretty cool setup. It even recognises handwriting in photos to automatically tag them.
TextWrangler – If you deal with any sort of code, this is the best free editor I’ve found. Syntax highlighting, FTP server support, and file comparisons, among many other features.
Management
Dropbox – Seamlessly syncs a folder on your computer with 2gb free online storage. It’s dead simple, and works great. Even if you don’t have multiple computers, you still get an off-site backup, and online access to your files.
TinkerTool – Gives you backstage access to all sorts of little settings hidden away in OS X, including the developer tools in Safari.
Glims – Adds all sorts of functionality to Safari, from custom search engines, to saving tabs on quitting (or crashing!). While we’re discussing Safari extensions, AdBlock is also especially helpful.
DoubleCommand and KeyRemap4MacBook – Both allow you to remap keys. On a macbook, it lets you set up the enter to act like a function key (perfect for one-handed opperation).
Multiple macs
Teleport – Lets you use multiple macs like they were just multiple monitors. The network based keyboard/mouse sharing is easy to setup, clipboards are automatically synchronised, and it even lets you transfer files by dragging them seamlessly from one computer desktop to another.
Fruux – Syncs your Address Book, iCal calendars, and Safari bookmarks across multiple computers. Works. Very well.
Well, that’s the end of my list. There’s more, but I’ll save it for the next Mac centric post. Enjoy!
The divx format is probally suitable for DVD in Entertainment. But the divx sometimes do not execute and stuck while playing video.
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A Grandfather's Dirge
iaian7 » blog » poetry John Einselen, 13.09.08Hello my weeping daughter,
hello my bright eyed son…
Fear not for I am travelling,
to see beyond the sun.
Long have I walked these pastures,
to work and weathered hands…
And now to go before you,
to tread the golden lands.
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Happy 4th!
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 4.07.08
Amid a nearly-tearful goodbye, Mark and I left the SWAP mission camp early this morning so we could make it back to northern Indiana in time for supper with friends and family. I missed the 4th or July festivities last year (stuck in Kentucky working), so was looking forward to the traditional get together even more! I stayed in the car and used my radio remote for the camera trigger to avoid the annual good-grief-there’s-burning-ash-in-my-eyes, and it worked beautifully.
Incidentally, the last shot is my favourite… somehow reminds me of a sea anemone. More photos on Flickr.com.
By the time I get home to northern Detroit, I think it will have been through 6 states, nearly 1600 miles, and over 30 hours in the car.
I think I’d have to say that number five would be my favorite from this group of photos.
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Cumberland Gap
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 3.07.08While Sarah worked with the other SWAP hosts during the day, Mark and I drove down to Cumberland Gap, bringing our total number of states-driven-through-in-two-days to six (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, and finally Tennesse).
It was pretty cool! Mark and I hiked a good deal, though I suspect it wasn’t as much as I think. I’m more out of shape than I had hoped, and Mark says I complained like a middle schooler. We went across the original Cumberland Gap, along some ridges, and to several outlooks, including the tri-state point marking the point where Kentucky, Verginia, and Tennessee all touch.
I also got a particularly venomous spider bite sometime while we were hiking. Not sure exactly how, or when, a spider tried to feast upon my left side, but it wasn’t pretty. I think I ran a low-grade fever for the following 24 hours, and it hurt for days.
Such good pictures! Looks almost as good on film as it did in real life.
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A much needed vacation
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 2.07.08I think this is the first bit of time off I’ve taken this year. Much needed, but somehow just exhausting! Starting out in east Michigan, I headed over to my brother Mark’s camp in western Michigan, and we drove down to our parents place in north central Indiana.
(about 6 hours)
Spent some time with friends and family, then started on our way to meet up with Sarah Wilson, working with SWAP down in Harlan, Kentucky. She’s moving to South Korea soon, and we really wanted to get together before she left.
(3.5 hours)
Stopped in Florence, Kentucky, to have lunch with Jeremy Laughlin. Mark got me hooked on Panera Bread’s chicken salad. Just delicious!
(well over 4 hours)
Made it to Harlan without major complications, but man… slightly mountainous roads get interesting real quick! I was not aware that east and west both go south… while staying perpendicular to each other. Only in Kentucky, right?
Once we arrived in Harlan, Mark and I met up with Sarah and stopped by the lake where some of the other SWAP staff were meeting up for supper. After the lake, Sarah thought we should visit an overlook in Virginia, insisting it was just across the border, not more than 20 minutes. 50 minutes later, she was still sure it was “just around the next bend.” We stopped for gas and took some pictures, and thankfully made it to the overlook shortly after. It was definitely worth it, with a lovely vista overlooking the hills and mountains of west Virginia, just as the sun was beginning to set.
On the way back to Harlan, we stopped by a lovely little creek. The rocky stream bed was eroded smooth, into hills and valleys that provided endless footholds and slimy pools of algae and water. After a couple pictures, we went rock hopping down the stream. Probably some of the slipperiest terrain I’ve navigated, but amazing fun.
We made it back to Harlan without split skulls, so that’s good, and then drove up the mountain about 20 minutes to the SWAP camp for the night. It’s located along the top of the ridge, and the roads are absolutely terrifying. Sadly, no picture can truly capture the sudden drop off on both sides of a narrow road, and certainly not at night! Suffice to say, I’m incredibly thankful I live in a less treacherous locale.
As always, more pictures can be found on Flickr.com.
You’re a very talented writer, and you did such a good job detailing this trip. Thanks again for visiting me! It still makes me feel special and loved that you did.
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The fair
iaian7 » blog John Einselen, 27.06.08My sister Lisa has been doing clothing design and construction for a few years now, with a growing involvement in local theatre and not-so-local historical pieces. I try to make it home for major shows (that any family members are a part of), but sadly wasn’t able to this month. But the latest event has even made it to the Peru Tribune with a short paragraph and a photo. Lydia and Matthew did very well at the fair themselves, and needless to say, I kinda enjoy playing the proud older brother!
mediaboxAdvanced
You can get the stream on your iPhone as well!
Download and install the Ustream app from the Apple iTunes store, then search for “newtek” to find the live broadcast.