unbeatable views

This is very random, but was doing a bit of wikitrailing today and ended up on Jon Stewart's page. I'm a big fan of the The Daily Show but had never seen the following bit of US TV history before - Stewart's cold open for the first show back post-9/11. It's a truly moving piece of watching, and even though it seems unscripted and disjointed, I found myself hanging on every word - as, it seems, did the audience, who respectfully held off any applause or response until the host was through.



For me, it recalls a strange incident at home a few years ago. An American friend of my father's was staying with us, and when 9/11 came up, I was excited to be able to pull out a wad of newspapers I'd saved from the following coverage. The friend was speechless, and I was shooed away in shame. At the time, I only half-comprehended the idea. But I guess it's hard to imagine, even now, that so many people were killed in an instant by the choice of another. I'm a huge fan of perspective - the current problems in the DRC or Darfur, for instance, are just as terrifying a human tragedy, if not infinitely more because of their respective longevities. But all the same, what Stewart has to say is worth hearing, because it reminds us that not only are we immensely privileged by fortune of birth, but we don't spend anywhere near enough remembering that.

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only by night

I know I'm getting repetitive on this one, but there's a new Watchmen trailer viewable online (as in not the one with the Pumpkins in the background, but a shiny new one with Muse.) It's the first bit of footage I've seen that actually attempts to introduce the story - by giving away that the first few pages of the book are concerned with someone chucking the Comedian out of his high-rise apartment window (that doesn't really count as a spoiler, does it?) Watch it and weep at the beauty.

Also interesting, if you're a fan of the book (and everyone should be) is a bit of a cryptic interview with director Zack Snyder on Empire Online, where he mentions how they've decided to deal with the ending of the book, without actually giving away anything to anyone who doesn't know about it already. Also, it sounds as if they intend to pack the DVD with extras mirroring the book's "extras" - clippings and extracts from articles and books that come between the chapters in the graphic novel. Touches like that should make it a whole experience onto itself.

I actually can't wait.

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how (not) to talk about God

Watched Rob Bell say this a while ago. Agreed, but still wasn't sure where to go. Then read this today - "How To Actually Talk To Atheists." It's brilliant. I can think of a couple of people already I want share it and digest it with. I can think of people who will disagree, and those who will find it articulates the feelings they've always had.

Just as useful is Bishop Alan's short summary of why what Joe the Peacock is arguing is so right. Here's a highlight (shamelessly lifted directedly, go to his blog for further recommended reading):

Using the traditional, human-spam model of witnessing, you use interruption-marketing techniques to spread the word about your faith. Because you are Christian, and because you are employing techniques that are unwelcome and unwanted, you communicate the following through your actions:
Christians would rather be correct than listen to differing opinion.
Christians do not respect the personal space (mentally and physically) of non-believers.
Christians feel they are superior to non-believers because they have salvation.
Christians would rather rely on faith as evidence than rely on fact.

That alone is a week's worth of chewing over. So get to it. I would absolutely love to talk this over with anyone who's up for it, it's really grabbed my interest.

everything must go

WARNING: SHAMELESS SALESMANSHIP TO FOLLOW:

Tomorrow (Saturday 15th) there's a craft fair on at the Church of the Resurrection (to the rear of the COISC) 22 Elmwood Av., Belfast. There's at least 15 different exhibitors, flogging their handmade goods. One of those will be myself - sneakily wishing to swap your pennies for either some photographic prints (with a choice of tasteful framing options!) or some painstakingly put-together handmade greetings cards (kudos goes elsewhere for that one.)

Actually, the whole sale should be rather good, particularly for getting something affordable and unique for Christmas presents. The whole thing is in aid of the Tearfund project at CAF in Sao Paulo, where I was with the COISC team at the start of the summer. Tearfund themselves will also be selling TearCraft items, which are always top quality.

Of course, if you do come, swing by and say hello. If I'm not at my own exhibit, I'm probably doing my shift behind the grand piano...

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show + tell

My head hurts!

[1] Been meaning to pare my current offering down to a "proper" showreel for at least two years. Have to give a presentation in a job interview next week. Have therefore resolved that this would be a good use of my time.

[2] Problem is, I've been slowly wading (in my spare time) through a previously-mentioned wedding video for a month now, and am still only about 60% of the way into the edit. I'm vaguely comforted though that apparently the mind-numbing boredom of this kind of task (no matter how much you love the people, and I really do) is a common frustration. (Not aided as that on the day, so much went... well, not wrong, just awkward...) Fiddling with a showreel is definitely going to be a distraction...

[3] Being out of full-time employment, I have resolved, is not fun. Spent today (like many before) trawling through websites, phoning people, and filling out some forms. The horrible thing is people keep offering to support me: but I'm far too proud and I hate owing people, no matter how much I love them. In fact, that probably makes it harder. But rent is due, MOT is looming, and I ain't got no money (wickeba wickeba wickeba wickeba da da da da....)... Am demented, having now written out my personal details and employment history so many times, I still see it whenever I close my eyes. (For the record, it's usually in Arial, size 12. Could be worse - could be Times New Roman.)

Ouch.

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never kick 'em when they're down...

...oh, what the hell.


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ahhhhhh sohhhhh

Honestly, not becoming a clip blog... but this made me laugh my socks off.
[Cheers to Bishop Alan, through whose blog it was delivered to me.]

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mad as a box of frogs

Gore Vidal, 83 years old and still stickin' it to the man.
(Cheers to martymc at the Kingdom for finding it on d'Tube.)


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hope cometh in the (early) morning

It's finally happened.

It's change we can believe in.

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candy for my eyes

Mmmmmm..... tasty.

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hope rising

Those of you who can vote for the next leader of the free world - get out and do it on behalf of those of us who can't. I don't even care who you vote for, as long as it's not anyone who switched all their personal beliefs just to get Pat Robertson and his ilk to vote for them.

(Watched The 700 Club for the first time this morning... further proof, by the way, if proof were needed that whoever produces the God Channel needs to maybe open a Bible every once in a while, and find out that racism, bigotry, sniping, undermining and conspiring are all things that the guys on the other side of the 'aisle' from Christ were up to...)

More important than that little rant - check out the BBC's neutral guide to the key election issues.

A funky piece of electoral math wisdom for you. 48 states use a 'Winner Takes all' method within the electoral college. Two do not - Nebraska and Maine allocate through a tiered system. Go figure.

We're staying up all night tonight for a night of election poker, in the presence of David Dimbleby no doubt. Change is a-comin'... just ask the good folks of Dixville Notch...

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cheated

Bit of "telling-it-like-it-is" from David Lynch here. Still can't stand his films, but he's not half right. (Tip of the hat to Graham, who from I stole this.)



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democracy for china, part II

Ultimate Guitar report that seeing as Axl kept up his end the bargain, the Doctor will keep his too. So there you have it.

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keep me where the light is

In honour of my current trawl (third time already today) through the amazing John Mayer's Where The Light Is live album, I recalled this sketch from Dave Chappelle's show. Enjoy. Then go watch the old Samuel L. Jackson beer one. ("Ain't ya never seen my movies???") Then the Lil' John at the Health Centre one...



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mistakes and maladies

Currently cutting together footage from my former roommate's wedding from a couple of weeks ago. It is, without a doubt, the most painful editing process I've ever engaged in. It shouldn't be that hard: two camera setup for both service and reception, sync the clip, blam blam...

1] Corrupt tape. The camera covering the wide angles at the service was primed and loaded by myself, as my assistant for the day was everyone's favourite drummer from a former piano-driven alt. rock quartet, and although he had a vague idea what to do, was not to be trusted. However, when I started to capture his version of the service coverage, frames were being dropped everywhere... blips and crunches all over the place. Buggery.

2] 4:3 vs 16:9. Whole thing was filmed in anamorphic DV CAM. In a case of idleness on my part, I imported to a 4:3 timeline and didn't notice until AFTER I'd synced and laid out, from end to end, all the clips of the service. Currently going back and retrieving each one from the original captures to replace. Suicidal work.

3] Poor lighting. Reception in particular (as you can imagine) was in a lovely hotel, with very dim, atmospheric lighting. Buggery again.

4] Sound. Had no way of taking a line out in either the church or the reception (despite having purloined 100 METRES of XLR from the 'Box' due to time restrictions and unhelpful staff respectively.

Don't get me wrong. I'm pretty pleased with most of the pictures. The DiaryCam in particular was a stroke of genius (guests recorded Big Brother Diary Room-style messages for the couple) and worked a treat. But the edit is dragging on and on, and what little time I've been able to give it over a hectic couple of weeks has still yielded little tangible results.

Onwards!

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t in the barn: the aftermath

So I've just realised that with all the busy-ness over the last couple of weeks, I never actually got around to wrapping up coverage of T in the Barn. And frankly, I still can't really get my head around it. A day of frantic set up, the start delayed by a couple of hours... but it didn't rain, and all the bands showed up. And no complaints! (In face, our elderly next door neighbours can be quoted as saying, "Let it rip!" so there you go.)

It was a fantastic, if freezing cold, night. Music was great, people were great, and we managed to capture the feel I'd wanted, of complete participation. Pretty much everyone there had had some small part to play in making everything happen, whether helping setup, taking a turn on the kettles, doing a run to pick people up from the bus or whatever.

Best of all, we raised £130 for Tearfund and charity: water. So an extra whoop whoop for all.

A small selection of photos can be browsed here on Facebook. Thanks again to all involved. Roll on next year... and hopefully (but hush hush) there might be more, if Belfast-based, "collective events" before next summer rolls around...

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democracy for china?

Oh.

My.

Word.

It's actually happening.

Pity we're not eligible for the free cola.

plain wrong

I'll be honest, I've only ever had a grudging respect for Ruth Gledhill (she is English, after all, and you know how I feel about those people...) but if her current poll about US election nominees is serious, then I have to seriously question her judgement:

Check out 'Who Is The Better Christian 'here .

I'm pretty appalled, for more reasons than I care to even start discussing. It's satire folks, but not as we know it - and I'm pretty liberal! My main issue is that even though she's (hopefully) trying to cause a serious debate in a humourous way, it's a joke that requires you to be in on it to get it. And my fear would be that any non-Christian looking at it is going to go, "oh, my...."

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avast me facebookin' hearties!

Ok, so maybe I'm the last person to pick up on this, but you can go to settings in facebook and change the language to English (Pirate). I'm won over mainly because of the attention to detail... someone must've had a slow day at the office - or be very committed to the teachings of Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket.
Garrr...

1 2 3 4...

"...chickens just back from the shore" (1.15). Bloomin' genius.