Photo Spread: TDI Affiliate Meet-Up

The other night, I had the priviledge to meet up with the Sikma's, the Miskins, and for the first time in person, I met Erika van Unknown. It was a fun night, spent with many musical numbers, with many pictures being taken by all, and with many podcasts being recorded.

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The funny thing is, I didn't digitally modify John W. Sikma's (middle) lips!

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Former blogger John W. Sikma poses for the camera

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Watch out, Kitty Miskinvich...

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TDI Affiliate Erika videotapes the action (of the cat? Maybe...)

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TDI Affiliate Scarlett smiles for her picture

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Gordon Miskinvich, who is very stylin' in that jacket, impresses us with a cell phone!

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One of TDI's affiliates, Pete, shows off his musical skills

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John, Gordan, Erika, Scarlett, and Erika II pose on the couch

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Wait a second, that's the Institute Director! How'd I get there...

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Quitting blogging wasn't easy, and still sends John into sporadic sudden depression

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Scarlett is still quite upset, and Pete doesn't understand why
I would take a picture of his brother in such a state

Coming Soon...

Here's some of what you can expect on the Institute's coming soon... Over at Delta, I'm currently working on a top 10 news stories of the year list. Basically, I just have to edit the "script", and come up with graphics that I like. I have graphics made, but when I did a "test run", they looked kind of out of place, and kind of ugly. So I need to come up with new graphics. Go without graphics, you say? HEATHEN! MEDANITE! Say not such blasphamy!

I'm also going to work on the first Across America profile. The state's been chosen, I just now have to chose a town at random, and give it a very pithy profile. It should be fun! I have more possibilities "in the pipline" as it were... Across America is a feature that I'm VERY excited about.

Then, I recently had the honor and priviledge of meeting up with some very good and kind folk, and recording some podcasts. You'll hear some musical numbers, and hear a very special podcast with TDI affiliate Erika, who has her own audience applauding her!

Then here at Epsilon, I'll posts some pictures from that meeting. (there are some GREAT pictures. "Blackmail pictures", I'm told!) I'll also post another part of my July 4, 2005 photo shoot. If you suffer though July 4, you'll get a really cool photo series after that. I PROMISE. I'm also going to try to find some time to brainstorm on how to build Epsilon up, so it feels more organized, instead of just a catch-all kind of blog. (which is what a blog is, I know.)

I also want to "re-casts" some other movies. It's a Wonderful Life was fun, and I really think Tom Hanks and Kate Winslet would be really good. And no one's told me I'm crazy, so maybe I'm on to something? Maybe? Anyways, I'll have to pick out some movies to re-casts. (You know, if you want to suggest any, that'd be OK... *hint hint*)

So that's what you can expect in the near future here at the Institutes! ^_^
- Charles, Director of the Delta and Epsilon Institutes

Casting Clarence...

In my mind, I've now settled on Tom Hanks, Kate Winslet, and Maury Chaykin to play Mr. & Mrs Bailey and Mr. Potter, respectively. Beyond those three characters, no one is perhaps more pivotal to the story's success than the benevolent - if not a bit wacky - angel, Clarence, made famous by Henry Travers.

Now, if I'm having the team behind Lost make this movie, they could probably convince Terry O'Quinn to join the cast and play Clarence. Granted, O'Quinn might play a more "dramatic" Clarence than the original... O'Quinn has the ability to make his characters seem very good and very evil, simultaneously. He's good. Another Lost co-star, Sam Anderson, looks like he could play a Clarence more in line with the original. Of course, since we took the role of Mr. Potter away from him, we could always give the role of Clarence to Anthony Hopkins. Or Sean Connery. Hehe.

Or, if you want to go a completely different kind of route, you could have John Aylward do it. (Aylward plays Dr. Anspaugh on NBC's ER) He'd be a kind old angel, if you do things his way. Or, even better! Drawing on ER's talent pool, use their secretary, Frank! He'd make an excellent Clarence, wouldn't he?

Re-Casting a Classic

Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life came out 59 years ago, and has become an American classic. George Bailey had a great life, a wonderful life, as the story goes. But then the emotional pendulum swung the other way, and times were baaad. And being $8,000 in debt, George Bailey was about to commit suicide, when Clarence the angel intervenes. But that was made in the olden days. Today, old movies are being remade all the time. Even beloved classics, like King Kong. So Epsilon wonders... Who would you cast in a remake of It's a Wonderful Life?

For George Bailey, you'd want somebody with tremendous range. Somebody who could pull off the dramatic and the hilarious, while making it all seem natural, believable, and seem like he's a real person. Tom Hanks anybody? I know, he doesn't look anything like Jimmy Stewart. If you're casting based on similarities to Stewart, there aren't too many people who come to mind off the top of my head... Maybe Nicholas Cage. Maybe. Hey, I could have suggested a Wilson brother! (actually...)

For his wonderful wife, Mary, well... I don't know. If she could come across as older, and looked the same age as Tom Hanks, maybe Jennifer Garner (pictured) What? She could do it. Probably. Or maybe Naomi Watts wants to make a career of playing classic female roles from vintage movies by starring in this theoretical remake. (Watts recently starred in the 2005 King Kong) (UPDATE: Just remembered Kate Winslet. She'd be good in that role!)

And what of mean old Mr. Potter? That man always cared about the dime, and never the soul. And naturally, those roles are usually reserved for Anthony Hopkins! But we don't want to completely freak the audience out now... Hey, Bill Cosby's the same age! Except politically, that wouldn't do. So how about Nero Wolfe himself, Maury Chaykin? He's, uh... he fits the role, and he commands enough authority to be a good on-screen villain against Tom Hanks.

And, I want the team behind Lost to make this movie. They pay excellent attention to pacing, and they are raising the bar as far as character development goes.

But this is just my list. Who's all on yours?

No, no, Don't Swallow THAT!

In some weird news today, Blue Springs, Missouri police received a phone call in the middle of the night from a man who said that his girlfriend was having trouble breathing. When they arrived at the house they found out that the 24-year-old woman had swallowed her cell phone! Apparently, the boyfriend wanted the phone and she wouldn't give it to him, and an argument ensued, and the end result is that she attempted to swallow the cell phone. But it got lodged in her throat instead. (source)

The July 4, 2005 Parade

It's time to dig through the Institute's Digital Archives and bring you another photo shoot! For the next couple photo shoots, we'll be bringing you pictures from the 4th of July celebration in Grandville, Michigan. This first spread will bring you stills from the increasingly popular annual parade. It's so popular that come election year, you can see a fair chunk of the candidates in this parade! So sit back and enjoy part one of The 4th of July, 2005!

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Dozens of Motorcycles announce the beginning of the parade

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Looking at the planes performing the annual fly-by

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A military band marches down the parade route

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The Grandville High School Marching Band

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Parades are always full of color and intrigue!

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The parade also brings out all the animals!

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Crowds gather to watch the festivities

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A music group performs for the parade viewers

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A very festive, open float for a private school

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The fire truck signals the end of the parade

And that's some of the highlights of 2005's 4th of July parade! On the next photo spread, expect to see bits and pieces of the day's activities.

Special Features Archive

Time for me to advertise my site! Or, more specifically, the Special Features Archive that the Institute's offer. It's hosted on Delta, but I've added some Epsilon products. Until this site has enough stuff to put into a special archive, it'll be a joint-archive. OK, Chuck, you're not telling us what you added to the archive! Well, for now, I've added the Photo Shoots. So if you want to see a particular photo shoot posted here on Epsilon, instead of searching through months of archives, you can just go to the Special Features Archive and scroll down to "Photo Shoots". See? We make it so simple.

Expect more photo shoots in the future, from TDI's extensive digital library. (did I just say, "in the future, expect the past"?)

Fat Penguins now Exercise

Say "hey!" to Epsilon's newest feature, On A Lighter Note..., where we give you a story that may be a little bit weird, or perhaps a little bit motivational. The expressed purpose and mission of this feature is to simply have you depart on a lighter note. Right now in Japan's Asahiyama Zoo, they are taking all of their penguins on a 500-yard walk, twice a day, to keep from becoming obese. The face accumulates in the penguins during the winter months - like humans - and they stand very still during the winter, due to the cold breeze. The zoo started the winter exercise program in 2003, and goes from December until April. So, if the penguins can exercise regularly, can the Institute Director? Yes, he can! Will he? Stay tuned for further developments.

New Graphics

Do you like the new look for Stocks 7/52? It's more condensed, and I eliminated the "last week" column, for simplicity. I may tweak the colors in the future, but that wouldn't take long at all. I've already built the template, so it would be a two-minute job, if that! I really like the smaller size for 7/52. Guy, I'm such a geek!

On 2nd Thought

I take back what I said about expecting that particular Photo Spread graphic to appear alot more in the future. I'm not really fond of it anymore. Some graphics stick with you, and you don't mind seeing over and over, because they're cool. But some, well, they're a "one-second wonder". I'll try to make something good, and not quite so dark.

Pictures of the Night Remix

First, let me just fill up some space by stating that I have not forgotten about the upcoming Delta feature, Across America. I just haven't decided when to start it. Plus, it'll take some time to produce, so that's another factor when determining when it'll launch. But for now, it's The Pictures of the Night, Remix. We've taken some of the pictures from our exclusive photo shoot earlier this week, and we've modified them as only TDI can do. (And TDI can only do it if we make a new "photo spread" graphic. Expect to see it alot more in the future!)

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The Amway Grand, with snow added

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The Amway Grand Hotel, with an unusual sky

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A lightspot shines bright through the Photoshop snow

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The Pearl Street Bridge, with blues only

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The Van Andel Arena has a touch of the surreal

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A colorful look at the city at night

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A look down Fulton Street, remixed

New Feature: "Quotable"

Today, we're premiering a new feature here at Epsilon: Quotable. As you might imagine, we're just going to take a few funny quotes that we've found across the web and post them here. I'll work up a system in the future for easy access to all the posted quotes. It'll probably be similar to TDI's Special Features Archive. (or maybe I'll just simulcast that archive!) So go ahead, enjoy something Quotable!

"When I was young I was called a rugged individualist. When I was in my fifties I was considered eccentric. Here I am doing and saying the same things I did then and I'm labeled senile." - George Burns

"Buy land. They've stopped making it." - Mark Twain

"I get to go to alot of overseas places, like Canada." - Britney Spears

"I love gentiles. In fact, on of my favorite activities is Protestant spotting." - Mel Brooks

"I think that the film Clueless was very deep. I think it was deep in the way that it was very light. I think lightness has to come from a very deep place if it's true lightness." - actress Alicia Silverstone

Meet... Jim Nicholson

One of the features Epsilon is going to steal from big brother Delta is the wonderful "Meet". (We'll loan it back for the BIG newsmakers... maybe.) For those unfamiliar with "Meet", it's pretty much a biography, looking at the personal - and sometimes funny - details of a newsmaker. But what we avoid is politics. TDI may have dabbled into that realm with Weekend Politics, but here, we'll still remain mostly rhetoric-free. The goal is to help bring a better depth and understanding into who the person is, and what they've accomplished.

Today, we're going to meet R. James "Jim" Nicholson, who is currently serving as Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President George W. Bush.

- Born in 1938, during the Great Depression. Grew up on a tenant farm in NW Iowa. Was one of seven children.
- Graduated in 1961 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY.
- Served eight years on active duty as a paratrooper and Ranger-qualified Army officer, then 22 years in the Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel.
- While in Vietnam, Nicholson earned the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry and two Air Medals.
- Earned a master's degree in public policy from Columbia University in New York, and a law degree from the University of Denver.
- Nicholson practiced law in Denver, where he specialized in real estate, municipal finance and zoning laws.
- Leaving law behind, Nicholson founded Nicholson Enterprises, Inc. in 1978, a developer of planned residential communities. In 1987 he bought Renaissance Homes, which became an award-winning builder of quality custom homes.
- Chaired the Community Concerns Committee of the Denver Bar Association, was associated with the Listen Foundation and the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission, and "many other" non-profit groups.
- Nicholson was elected committeeman from Colorado for the Republican National Committee (RNC). In 1993 he was elected vice-chairman of the RNC.
- In January 1997, Jim Nicholson was elected chairman of the RNC, where he served for four years, through the 2000 elections.
- Married to Suzanne Marie Ferrell, who is an accomplished artist. They have three adult children.
- Served for three years as the Chairman of the Volunteers of America in Colorado, the largest faith-based social service agency in the Rocky Mountain States.
- In 1999, Nicholson was honored by induction as a Knight in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, one of the highest honors awarded to a Roman Catholic.
- From 2001 until 2005, Nicholson served as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, where he became known in Rome for giving special attention to human trafficking, religious freedom, starvation and hybrid foods, HIV and AIDS, and terrorism.
- Knighted by Pope John Paul II in October 2003 for his work representing the U.S. to the Vatican.
- Was unanimously confirmed to the post of Veterans Affairs Secretary by the Senate.

And now you've met... Jim Nicholson!

Pictures of the Night

On Monday night, I went out on a photo shoot in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. My goal was to quickly walk down to Monroe street, take a few pictures of the lights, and head back to my warm car. Well, it didn't quite work out that way. I saw more and more lights, and I wandered more and more around the city, and... I took alot more pictures than planned. And it kind of became more of a general city shoot, rather than a Christmas light shoot. Oh well. All the more to share with you all, here at Epsilon!

(for those running stuck on Christmas gift ideas, these photographs would make great PC wallpaper!)

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A view down Monroe

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Skating at the Rosa Parks Circle

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Even this building got into the holiday spirit

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A time-elapsed view of the Pearl Street Bridge

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An almost ominous look at the Amyway Grand Hotel

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Looking out over the Grand River

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The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

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Christmas lights adorn the Museum's trees

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The Van Andel Arena's carousel eclipses the Plaza Towers

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A Christmas tree outside the Plaza Towers

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The ultimate GR entertainment destination, the Van Andel Arena

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Looking down downtowns main street, Fulton

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Steam flows freely from the manhole covers

And that's the "Pictures of the Night" photo spread. I hope you enjoyed them!