Back in Hiatus again, the Expelled movie review, Orphan Works bill news.
April 24, 2008 in CATHOLICISM, Copyright Protections, Creationism, Intelligent Design, MOVIES, PHILOSOPHY, THE SIMPSONS NEWS
THE SIMPSONS NEWS
So last Friday the crew got an unpleasant surprise. We were all told that Friday, April 25th was going to be everyones last day. We’re all going on hiatus again. Just as we thought, thing were returning to normal, we all get the boot all over again. Why?
Well, it seems that the contract for the voice actors on the show has expired and new contracts need to be negotiated. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Screen Actors Guild. This is purely a Simpsons thing. The voice actors on the show have been negotiating their contract for the last two and a half weeks so far. The thing is, we can’t go on with any of the show until this is settled. Ever since the writer’s strike happened, we haven’t really gotten a chance to catch up to the schedule we needed to get to. This means that we don’t have any surplus of shows with voices already recorded, and so we have no work.
Overall, this is bad news. Whenever the negotiations are done, we all still have to wait until a month afterwards to be called back into work since the shows need to have time to be storyboarded. So if the negotiations take a month, we’re going to be out for at least two. If the negotiations take a two months, we’re going to be out for three..etc. Not only that, but if for some reason, when the Screen Actors Guild starts negotiating actor’s contracts in a month or so, and if they decide (God forbid) to go on strike for whatever reason, the Simpsons voice actors will also go on strike. Which would, of course, effect us all over again.
Man, what lousy bunch of months to be working in this studio. I don’t think I’ve ever been through anything like this in the last sixteen years I’ve been working here.
I wasn’t prepared for this situation. My savings haven’t had a chance to recuperate from the last break. There are a few circumstances that at least make this situation a bit better than last time. One is that my wife is working which means that we have a little bit of income coming in. This will help out a lot, but unfortunately, what she makes, is not nearly enough to pay all our bills. After all, she is only working part time. The second good circumstance is the fact that, since this is only effecting the Simpsons show, I could potentially find work at another show if I need to. Problem with that is, I might get a pay cut if I move to another show.
In any case, I’m back to worrying all over again. I suppose I just need to roll with the punches and feel my way through this one. I have options this time around, I just need to make the right decisions. Change is always scary.
MOVIES
So Alesha really wanted to see the Expelled movie I wrote about two weeks ago. She was really intrigued by the idea of the movie and wanted to see what it had to say. So we went to see it this weekend. It wasn’t what I thought it would be and I enjoyed the movie. To my surprise, it was NOT about Creationism, it was actually about Intelligent Design Theory (as I’ve stated in my post two weeks ago, they are not the same thing and this movie shows the clear difference). I learned a few things from it as well. My wife and I became an instant fan of the scientist in France that was interviewed because he was so darn smart and witty. My wife looovved it. She agreed with just about all it had to say. I personally didn’t, but I liked in non the less. I would recommend you watch it, because it opens up very interesting discussions topics.
Having said that, I will say that it was a very emotionally manipulative movie and I, for one, was distracted by that. It was difficult for me to try to find the structure of the argumentation being put forth. Mainly do to my awareness of the negative and positive imagery (with accompanying music) that was placed on the screen, that was there in order to get an emotional reaction to what was being said. It was annoying me greatly. This is a trick also used in Michael Moore documentaries and it annoyed me in them also.
I thought that the movie could have benefited greatly from some more clear evidence outside the personal testimony of the “victims”, since often times a victim of an apparent injustice believes themselves victimized for one a reason but in truth there might not have been an injustice at all. I thought the movie could have provided more evidence in each person’s case so that there would be no doubt as to why they were treated the way they were.
In the end, the movie had the potential to change my mind on the whole idea of teaching Intelligent Design in schools, but it failed. I personally think that the scientific data clearly points to an intelligent designer. I believe that this designer is God. I’ve read plenty of books by great thinkers that have come to these conclusions through out the centuries, some using science to prove their point while others used pure reason and common experience. Non of these brilliant people (Socrates, Aristotle, Aquinas, Anselm, John Duns Scotus, Blaise Pascal, C.S. Lewis…etc) thought that their conclusions where scientific but they did believe them to be true. The Intelligent Design theory, seems to just want to point out that the universe seems to be intelligently designed, but wants to leave out the “by what or who?” question unanswered (just like the theory of Evolution). That seems kinda of a silly thing to do since the only answer to the question is either “Aliens did it,” or “God did it”. Since natural science is far to limited to be able to deal with the Supernatural it can never give the answer, I would like to hear, namely, “God”.
Once upon a time, most scientists believed in God (perhaps they still do). Many of these scientists (if not the majority of these scientists) were priests. These scientist saw intelligent design in nature and it often propelled them to investigated further into nature in order to see how God created things and what laws He had written into nature. The thing about these scientists, is that they never pretended to conclude that their belief in God was a scientific conclusion but rather a logical one based on common sense. Why must it be different now? Why must Intelligent Design be a scientific theory rather than a logical one based on common sense?
CATHOLICISM
So the Pope came to visit and I was excited. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going to the regular TV news channels to give me info on what was going on. Instead of getting news all I got is complaining and criticism of the Pope, and he hadn’t even landed yet. I wanted the news not Pope bashing. After about a day of this, I just went to the EWTN website and watched the visit through their eyes. It was a relief to be able to watch the visit without having to filter through all the negativity. I liked that they went out of their way to actually discuss what the Pope was saying rather than spin it into something bad or complain about what he didn’t say.
COPYRIGHT PROTECTION
Alright, so do you remember that copyright bill I wrote about in my last post? Well on Monday I got this e-mail from the group that was keeping an eye out for it. This is how it went:
FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP
Today the House and Senate sent us draft copies of the new Orphan Works Act of 2008. They haven’t officially released it yet, but we’ve been told the Senate will do so this week. A quick analysis confirms our worst fears and our early warnings. If these proposals are enacted into law, all the work you have ever done or will do could be orphaned and exposed to commercial infringement from the moment you create it.
You’ve probably already heard Mark Simon’s webcast interview with Brad Holland. If not, please listen to it at:
http://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/orphan.html. <http://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/orphan.html>
Then forget the spin you’ve heard from backers of this bill. This radical proposal, now pending before Congress, could cost you your past and future copyrights.
The Illustrators’ Partnership is currently working with our attorney – in concert with the other 12 groups in the American Society of Illustrators Partnership to have our voices – and yours – heard in Congress. We’ll keep you posted regarding how you can do your part.
Please forward this information to every creative person and group you know. Mr. Holland and Mr. Simon have given their permission for this audio file to be copied and transferred and replayed.
For additional information about Orphan Works developments, go to the IPA Orphan Works Resource Page for Artists
http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00185
If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: illustratorspartnership@cnymail.com
Place “Add Name” in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area.
Today I got this one:
FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP
The Orphan Works Act of 2008 will be officially released momentarily.
The language in the draft confirms our warnings. If this bill passes, you’ll be forced to clear all your secondary licensing rights through at least two government certified databases – or risk orphaning your art.
Despite its masquerade as the “last resort” to search for a rights owner, these databases will likely become the only source many users will rely on for finding a rights owner. Reason: it will give users the legal right to infringe any copyright not in the databases.
We’re working with our attorney now to prepare opposition letters.
We have contracted CapWiz, a service that will allow you to send these letters to Congress with a push of the button.
CapWiz will also provide us with “digital stickers” that anyone else – organizations, individual artists, blogs, etc. – can put on their sites that create a direct link to the command center to write their Congressman and Senators to defeat this radical change to U.S. Copyright law
Please stay tuned and we’ll tell you in a day or so what you can do to register your opposition.
For additional background on Orphan Works, go to the IPA Orphan Works Resource Page for Artists
http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00185
If you received our mail as a forwarded message, and wish to be added to our mailing list, email us at: illustratorspartnership@cnymail.com
Place “Add Name” in the subject line, and provide your name and the email address you want used in the message area.
Sounds bad. It’ll be time to do something soon. Better get ready. I’ll keep you posted.
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Storyboard Revisions, Heroes, Chase, Birthday, Rome, Selfcenteredness, Caring for Your Introvert
March 13, 2008 in ANSWERING COMMENTS, BOARD GAMES, BOOKS, CATHOLICISM, introvert, ROLE PLAYING GAMES, THE SIMPSONS NEWS, VIDEO GAMES
THE SIMPSONS NEWS
I’m doing Storyboard revisions on Lance’s show this week. All the other storyboard artists on the show were too busy to help, so they asked me to do it. I’m so happy they did because I’m having so much fun doing it. I’m enjoying going to work again. Doing the same thing over and over for sixteen years tends to get old after a while so doing a different job all together tend to be refreshing. I’ve found myself very focused on what I’m doing. Storyboard revisions can be tedious or fun depending on how much creativity your allowed. It’s an interesting challenge because you’re trying to adjust shots or add shots to an existing show so that they run seamlessly into each other. It’s also challenging working out shots from scratch because your trying to find the best way to tell the story or the joke while working out how to put them all together like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s so fun!
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
Urge to role play…rising….
For my birthday, my compadres (my daugher’s Godparents) got me Star Hero, a table top Role Playing Game (RPG) setting book for the HERO System RPG . It’s funny because they got it off my Amazon.com wish list
and had no idea what it was for. Star Hero is a book that helps you run a game in any sci fi universe that you come up with. Thing is, getting and reading this book has inadvertently rekindled my table top RPG itch.
What is a table top RPG? The simples way to describe it is, it’s like playing pretend with your friends with rules. Some people like to do Live Action Role Playing (LARP), which is like improve theater, but most people just sit around a table and play it like a board game. Role playing was invented by E. Gary Gygax (who just recently died a few days ago) and Dave Arneson. They were miniatures wargamers. They where the ones who invented the famous (or infamous, depending on who you speak to) Dungeons & Dragons RPG and in doing so, invented RPGs.
When I was in high school my friends introduced me to RPGs through my love of comics. My friends and I played superhero RPGs where we created superheros and played out adventures with them. It was so fun. We had these really involved back stories written up for our characters and it really felt like a giant collaborative story we were all coming up with. It was my first introduction to creative writing and story telling. Since the games took place in our imaginations, they all seemed so much larger than life to me. The system we used to play these games was what is now called the HERO System but at the time was just called Champions .
Getting the Star Hero book really brought back memories. It also made me want to start up a game. Problem with playing RPGs is that they requires a lot of work and a lot of time to play (a minimum of about three hours to play and at least a day to prepare) if you want to get the most out of it. Otherwise you get a lack luster game that feels kinda shallow and dissatisfying. Still, it made me want to play anyway.
BOARD GAMES/VIDEO GAMES
I’ve been playing a play-by-web game of Chase over on the Super Duper games website against someone I don’t know and I’m having a really good time playing it. My opponent is really nice and helpful but he isn’t holding back at all and is just working me over. I really recommend the site, it has all kinds of abstract games you can play. The best part about it is that you can play them on your own time. It’s been a week since the game started and I’ve been making a move a day. It’s great! I get an email whenever it’s my turn, I click on the link in the email, and it sends me straight to the game board on the site so I could make my move. I feel like I’m playing a game without having to spend much time doing it.
Of course, like it always happens to me, I get all obsessive about the game, thinking about it all the time and worrying whether the move I made isn’t going to get me into more trouble. I’m so lame about these things.
ANSWERING COMMENTS
Maria wrote:
Happy Birthday Maria! I should have written that on your blog but I’ll do you one better and recommend everyone to go to your blog and say happy birthday. Also, I read the post named, Oh! The humanity! it’s really great.
Speaking of great posts, Maria also wrote an article for Rosary Army called The Family that Plays Together… It’s about board games and I love it. Oh, and by the way, when you’re at her site, be sure to pick up one of her books. I just ordered Darknet this Monday. Can’t wait to read it.
Thank you for the book suggestion Maria, I downloaded the first two chapters.
Yelda van Eijk wrote:
Thanks for the comment Yelda. My obsessions are throughout the year as well only they go into overdrive when I’m stressed.
Yeah, in Everquest I played a halfling cleric named Sammo. It took over my life. It was awful, I promised myself I’d never play a MMORPG again and so far I’ve kept that promise somewhat intact (although I once played Flyff for about thirty minutes or so.)
As for the Rome HBO show, my wife and I enjoy that show very much as well. We are currently watching Disk 2 of Season 2. Both the show and your comment set off my “Catholicism obsession” so bare with me.
While watching the show, it’s very cool to see how different Roman people behaved in a pre-Christian world. It’s interesting to see how the pursuit of pleasure and power was something that was encouraged. It gives great context to the world Jesus was born into. It also really makes you realize how radical his teachings must have sounded. In a world were helping people who are sick or in need, who aren’t your friends or family, is seen as a sign of weakness, to have Jesus do so, must have been crazy. It also shows how alien the Romans must have looked at the Jews who held to the Commandment, “Though shall not commit adultery”. It seems that, adultery was one of the things the Romans also encouraged. Then, of course, along comes Jesus and shocks both Jews and Romans by raising the bar still higher by saying:
They must have felt as angry, indignant and upset as even our modern society does, where lust is used to sell everything. Above all, they seemed to really love to get revenge for every slight done against them. Then of course Jesus comes along and says:
They must of thought he was nuts. Hmmm, come to think of it, there are many places in the world today that are trying to rid themselves of these teachings, in order to become more like the Romans.
Writing about this stuff reminds me of a quote from G.K. Chesterton :
He also said:
If you’re obsessed with Rome, I encourage you to read the works of a famous African Roman who had a fascinating Roman life. My uncle August, (A.K.A. St. Augustine of Hippo) . His autobiography, The Confessions is just amazing. He wrote about how he ran away from his mother (who chased after him) as he traveled through out the Roman world, sleeping around with women, and seeking out wisdom from all the famous Philosophers of his day only to find it in the most unlikely place. After finding wisdom, he then wrote about how he saw the Roman world around him. An incident with one of his best friends and his addiction to the blood lust in the Colosseum comes to mind. It’s an amazing book. It’s part theological analysis of the universe and God, and part autobiographical adventure. While I’m on the subject. I also recommend The City of God, which is also by St. Augustine, but this one is his analysis as to why Rome fell (which he lived through). I’ve provided links to the free versions of both books above if you want to read them right away. Just click on the underlined names.
Phew, had to get that off my chest. Sorry. Thanks for baring with me and thanks again for the comments
leah wrote:
Wow, thank you so much for the insight Leah. I think the key word in what you wrote is, “developing a genuine interest in other people”. That is exactly what I need to work on. I’m the most self centered person I know (which shows how interested I am in other people, if I haven’t talked to anyone who is more self centered). Being married and having kids is helping me out with this problem because it’s awfully difficult to stay self centered and still care for them at the same time. Still, it’s a struggle I face everyday. I’ve definitely taken your insight to heart and it’s helped me out a great deal in the last few days. Thank you.
By the way, I’ve been meaning to post this link for some time. It’s an article I read about introverts that really hit home for me. It’s called: Caring for Your Introvert. Take a read and let me know what you think.
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