http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:Astrophel&section=today deviantART RSS for by:Astrophel en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:37:58 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/26626952/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/26626952/ Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:06:25 PDT
Also, I have been, for the first time in maybe 6 years, clean shaven for a significant period of time.

To demonstrate both the lockpicking & lack of facial hair (and to let me brag a little) here is a link:

[link]

Hope the world is treating you all kindly. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm easy to find away from here, so if you ever want to, please do

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/23226165/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/23226165/ Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:48:58 PST
* I used to be more fun than I am now

I actually realized this while reading my old dA journal entries a few months ago. Ridiculous things, concerts, couch surfing, passionate discourse, exciting facial hair, long distance relationships, short distance flings, etc.

I'm easier to be around now, though. I was a lot more fun, but at a much faster burn rate. I can help my friends now, be an active part of their lives and am getting closer to my family all the time. This doesn't mean I don't miss it, and missing it, I've let what little control I had over my life slip away trying to find it again. For the last year I have been on tilt, not sure how to recapture that, but desperate to. I felt like I had lost years, and in some ways I had. I lost friends and many of them weren't very interested in being found again.

I hadn't been living well for many years. A quick glance back here reveals plenty of evidence to support that. My signature at one point was "I've been homeless and penniless for too long, I need to start rebuilding and paying off some of these debts." This has been going on forever, I just never faced it. I had a lot of lows and often thought that they would be the bottom, I would begin working my way back up, etc. and then

* I was recently arrested

Nothing scary or violent or anything. It was much more the result of debt, lack of motivation to fix simple problems and a long history of bad decisions. I was running late to a meeting because I didn't wake up at a reasonable hour, decided to drive my car to work instead of taking public transportation. However, my license was suspended for failure to pay a pile of tickets and my car was uninspected and uninsured because I was supposed to junk it months earlier, but never managed to clean the car out. That's all I needed to do, just clean it, but instead I let it sit for months, occasionally using it despite the situation.

Well, on that particular day someone drove into my lane and I had to swerve to avoid him. We were both OK, I drove on, but was picked up about a half mile down the road. The cops called it "Driving with a suspended license" and "reckless endangerment" in fact the cop who saw the incident described me as "Driving on the sidewalk."

I was in a holding cell for a day, no big deal, mostly just boring. They released me on my own recognizance and set a trial date. I defended myself and had the Driving with a suspended license charge dismissed (I didn't ask for that, I, in fact, encouraged them to punish me however they saw fit for that because I very clearly did it) and was declared "Not Responsible" for the other criminal charge (reckless endangerment) and all of the civil charges that had been piled on top of it. They offered me probation, but I explained that I was avoiding a collision and after some back and forth the DA recommended I be held not responsible and we called it a day.

And then I started backsliding again. That was December - January.

* I'm in the sort of debt that brings weirdly aggressive collection tactics with it

"Dear Schuyler Towne:

So you are probably wondering why we just paid to overnight you this one sheet of paper. Honestly, it is because we have not been able to contact you for some time and need you to call us so we can help you..."

Isn't that the friendliest super-aggressive collections letter you've ever seen? I was actually kind of touched and I do look forward to paying off that particular debt, but I have a lot of them and I'm trying to get out of the most immediate ones first, and though they are at the point of overnighting me letters, they don't make the list at the moment.

* Won't be able to attend what has become one of the most important events in my life for the first time in 4 years

The Dutch Open. I've been improving consistently in my lockpicking, though I am in the midst of a downturn at the moment. Last year I beat the #2 lockpicker in the world during the head-to-head competitions. That doesn't make me the #2, not by a long shot, but it was still a hell of a thing. I came home and changed up my training, hoping to get to the finals this year. I've won the main event at the American Open the past 2 years running, but getting to the finals of the DO is one of the few things I genuinely strive for.

* Secluded myself from an incredible community of friends with little-to-no explanation (like you people don't know what that's like)

The locksport community. My magazine: [link] is stagnant, my interaction limited to occasional emails between people I know very loosely and dodged phone calls from good friends. I couldn't keep up the pace I had set for myself. I needed time out o... ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/17162596/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/17162596/ Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:38:47 PST
It keeps lying to me about the messages I have / not giving me access to messages I haven't yet responded to.

So life has been interesting.

1: The lockpicking has kept up. I won a black badge at last year's DEFCON & nearly made the semis of the Dutch Open. I haven't been practicing enough lately, though.

2: My girlfriend left me a couple of weeks ago. This was a hard one & came as a complete surprise. I had been spending a lot of my free time imagining the rest of our lives together, starting to plan an elaborate proposal, that sort of thing. Completely threw me for a loop. A financial one as well. We lived together, so suddenly I had to come up with first / last & security & then the car we bought together died so I'm desperately trying to replace that. In the meanwhile I still owe $2500 on it. Balls. (edit: Also just found out that I won't be able to get the title released to me until I've paid it off, thus, I will not be able to sell it until it's completely paid off. Double Balls )

3: Though, this should help: [link] Note that the money hasn't come in yet (I won 13k in cash and 1k in GPS equipment) and when it does a chunk of it is going to my ex (She's the one who got us an audition / callback & originally paid for our flight/hotel)

4: I'm a graphic designer now. Big into typography and vector art. Who would have guessed? Work is very stressful at the moment. Not enough time in the day, no matter how early I come in or how late I stay.

5: I've taken up curling. My rink (team) went undefeated in our league last season, so we're getting our names on a cup.

6: I'm tired.

7: I didn't come here because I was looking to do something worthwhile. I came here because I've been disconnected from large portions of my life for the past year and a half. I was happy to have been, I was involved in something wonderful and it made perfect sense to award it my full attention. But now I'm retracing my steps. I have plenty that fills my days and lots to look forward to, but I do want to see how all the things I have known have progressed.

progress progress progress

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/17001452/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/17001452/ Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:40:08 PST
]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/9532970/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/9532970/ Tue, 01 Aug 2006 08:37:52 PDT fixed the links!

Here is what it is:

I attended HOPE. It's everything a conference should be. I learned how to circumvent goverment wiretaps, how to pick locks and a whole lot about Alan Turing.

Want to know how clueless I was? I thought Turing was going to be a speaker.

Anyhow, it was an incredible time, I learned SO MUCH and now I'm doing some volunteer graphic design (uh...I do graphic design now. I learned a lot from the people in #digibrush on dAmn.) for a piece of software that was released at the conference.

This leads me to the two things I need: Arabic/Farsi and Chinese handwriting on white paper. If you can do this and are willing to take a photo of it, I would be incredibly grateful. I need them for references.

Also: A few of my friends and I are getting together to start a local chaper of this organization: TOOOL and we are desperately seeking lock donations.

So! If you have a bunch of old Locks (simple, exotic, whatever) I will happily pay the shipping if you're willing to donate them to our club!

Alright, I'll be back!

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/8840084/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/8840084/ Sun, 21 May 2006 23:40:15 PDT
I was put on salary at work

I frequently rely on the people in #digibrush to teach me how to do my job, now that I do a lot of visual design stuff for work.

I still work at that egyptian tomb place. I love it, desperately.

I'm excited to get up to montreal.

I'm settling in boston, I'm going homeless again soon, from september to january. Should be excellent.

Save a lot of money.

Found my passport...portugal anyone?

I really want to see portugal. It's the only place in the world, outside of the US that I want to visit.















Raspberry.

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/8802993/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/8802993/ Wed, 17 May 2006 22:33:37 PDT
I'll be back on the weekend to tell you all what's been going on. Good things. Busy things.

Sorry I've been gone. You can find me, most days, in #Digibrush

So, you know, swing in, say 'hi' etc.

As I said, back on the weekend.

Peace.

- Schuyler

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/8773828/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/8773828/ Mon, 15 May 2006 00:20:11 PDT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Which Battle Royale Character are You?
"RUN!"-#15 Nanahara Shuya

What's going on? Feel free to take this quiz:
quiz

I was pretty stoked, to be honest. Only 2% of the population.

(upon further inspection it appears most characters are only 2% Surimura...spelling was probably off, sorry...was only 1%)

either way. Good Flick.

And Thumbbot sucks. =derk-kun, however, does not suck.

hope you all are having a good night

-------

I tag *Newkanada

ha HAW! ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/8116397/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/8116397/ Thu, 09 Mar 2006 20:54:25 PST Mood: Spazzy

Hiyo!

Ok, here's the deal.

Critique night! [link] It's going down, it'll be slick, it'll be inclusive and it'll be similar to a project I tried to organize back in the day, so I'm happy to be periferally involved in helping it work out. I'll be in critiquing like mad.

News 2!

My old theatre company, The Poor Artists Collective, has reformed! (sort of) when the Poor Artists first got together it was meant to be a collective. Any artform was welcome and things were very exciting for a time. Then? We shlopped off into a theatre company. That said? We did some amazing work in that field, but now, under new management, the Poor Artists Collective is reborn. [link]

It's like a mini-dA with worldly, not internety, goals. I'm excited to say I'm signing on to work with them again and I hope to see the tangible end of our desires finally met.

I had a news three........but I can't remember it

well, what're you gonna do, anyhow?

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7952930/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7952930/ Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:01:17 PST
I don't know the next line. But I hope I got that stuck in your head.

I'm freakin' tired.

and headachey.

Does anyone remember Violet Gray from the Peanuts comic strip?

She is my favorite comic character in the whole wide world. [link])

Then there was violet from the incredibles. I love her too. She was voiced by one of my favorite people in the whole world. Sarah Vowell: [link] Listen to the first act.

And, finally, there is my current favorite deviation, which has an interesting place in my heart. It was drawn by one of my favorite people on dA, but is actually of one of the only violets from cinematic history that I have not been fond of, however, ~PyroGoth's treatment of her is remarkable. I love it.

So, that's all.

Work is work, I'm off to do some more of it. But I just thought I'd pop in for a second to tell you of my love of violet's. I may have to name a daughter that some day.

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7895679/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7895679/ Tue, 14 Feb 2006 13:29:41 PST
I'm ready to start laying things out.

Finding an illustrator, on dA or off.

I
am
excited.

Maybe this is just the stage where I finally go back and edit and work on the work I used to write.

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7793578/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7793578/ Fri, 03 Feb 2006 19:21:11 PST
So, for the past few months I've been working on an educational activity pack for school groups that come to my job. It's 18 pages, filled with various activities and a moderate amount of text.

I'm looking for someone to proof the text for me. As many of you may remember, your intrepid former-GD ain't that hot with the old red pen.

What I am not looking for is anyone to critique the educational content of the pack. It has been playtested like crazy, it has been reviewed for accuracy and clarity, it was written with the 6th grade egyptian curriculum for the state of Massachusetts. I know how much some people love ancient egypt, I know how many want to offer their help with that end of things.

however, I've been talking to those sort of people for months. and I'm a little tired.

I need writers and editors who can focus on the quality, form and readability of this pack.

If you are interested, or just plain willing, reply here and I'll drop you a note with a link to a 28meg PDF file, as I want you to see the written work in context with the rest of the pack.

Oh, and 1 last thing, the formatting, the images, etc. etc. are not the final version, so I do not need commentary on that either.

Thank you any and all

- Schuyler

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7719289/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7719289/ Fri, 27 Jan 2006 01:58:08 PST
I've got a couple of things to say, real quick:

1: Austin, Houston, Roller girls, Weddings, Dean, Dean's, Dancing, Phoning, Working, Trampolining, BBQing, Marinating, Tofuing, and all and all - pretty friggin' awesome.

I've been out of town at a friend's wedding. She was amazing, her husband is great. My friends are wonderful, Shane, Tim, thank goodness for both of you.

um...image tag?

hope that works. That's...us.

2: Also - just wanted to say about: ~RoxyCroft I fell in love with this girl. Met her in montreal, had a wonderful relationship with her, didn't work out in the end. But it was too quiet at times. I just wanted to beam and brag and mention that she was the most important person in helping me get my life back together when it wasn't fitting quite correctly. Never got to say it while it was happening, but I figured it was worth pointing out.

3: This is dean:



he made me promise to stay with him the next time I came to Houston. Called me his "cowboy" And that's brandi and amarin around him. More friends from my school days.

4: forgot to mention! - Had dinner with =vivus tonight. He paid.

Nice kid.

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7549647/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/7549647/ Sun, 08 Jan 2006 22:54:41 PST
But I think it'll just keep getting better.

It's been a good night. How is the world?

I've come limping back.

this is why: ~lonelyplanetgirl I could not help but look through every piece again and despite myself I started pining for this place.

I changed the avatar, it's just your cache, that's all.

I'm not still mad.

I might not write anything ever again.

I haven't really, since I left.

Please don't be angry.

Please do care, though.

Thanks.

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/6127533/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/6127533/ Wed, 03 Aug 2005 23:07:37 PDT
so nevermind that slow goodbye stuff. Since the release of the admin forum thread I don't think anyone has a leg to stand on anymore. DO NOT misinterpret.

Whoever leaked that, whoever leaked any of this private information: Fuck you.

At the end of the day, this is just *.com. What you have done, by stealing and revealing private, personal dialogue/information is to violate the rights of another human being.

One person standing before another...

no, not even that reasonable.

One person hiding, knocking down the walls of another persons world. You, both whoever originally leaked the screenshots, and anyone who can even say that they are "ok" with them being out there, are wrong. Absolutely, miserably wrong.

I was leaving because I have personal problems with Angelo. just happens to be the case. One guy not getting along with another. I have no desire to work it out or see how things play out. However, I thought I could meander in the community pool for a while before I toweled off and went home, but then I realised that half the swimmers were just hanging around, taking a piss.

So I'm getting out while I can still shower it off.

And seriously, am I the only person happy to get out? All I see now is this community bonding mantra. Doesn't make sense to me. °dygel recently said that anyone who can leave or something to this effect, never loved dA to begin with. Well, I respect Eric, a lot, he knows that, but I loved dA. It gave me more than most people, and I gave it more than I've given most anything. I still love dA, but it is a shakily tangible website. I could watch it burn. I can walk away.

if you want to contact me:
schuylertowne@gmail.com

the end.

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/6063027/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/6063027/ Fri, 29 Jul 2005 00:58:59 PDT
=apexigod is dead.
I hadn't known him long, but he was a wonderfully nice and optimistic man. He loved deviantArt so much. He was planning an internet cafe. He died during heart surgery, so I've come to understand from =ManadaTehPanda's journal.

°jark is ousted.
Big fan of jark, and this is what I've been reeling about all night, until I found out about =apexigod

so, yeah.

I'm just going to walk away.
I wanted to walk away a long time ago.
The one hitch is the comic. I'm going to finish it. I'm going to update the script here.

I'm easy to get ahold of. Really easy. Hell, my cell phone number is floating around out there if there's a real problem.

email is easiest, and as I said, I'll be checking in here from time to time to update the script and let you know the comic's progress. If I can say nothing else, it's that I'm leaving on the high note of accomplishing something with my writing. I've been paid to write other people's scripts, but this is the first time I've really seen one of my own develop into a finished product.

Thanks to everyone, for everything. Maybe later on I'll be more specific with that. But for tonight I'm tired.

So, yeah. This is me, Astrophel, Schuyler, not renewing the lease. Maybe I'll catch up on my comments before I leave too...

I'm really feeling pretty good about this whole leaving thing. I'll have a BBQ on the last day. It'll be good.

----------------------------------------

]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/6060434/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/6060434/ Thu, 28 Jul 2005 17:53:25 PDT Found the phone, life is awesome.

Musica: [link]
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Mood: Impressed
Listening to: The Specials - Link in header

WOW



O_O

it's begun. I actually haven't talked to the guy in a little while. Minimal communication and maximum output. If you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about:



*THE-SEXY-BEAST has already finished two pages of the comic. I only realized it because I popped by his gallery today. I was planning on recontact after the end of the month. Anyhow, I just wanted to give you all a sneak peak at what was happening.

I've been sicked on a staggering project at work, so I've been late with an update. I have another 8 pages plotted, I simply need to sit down and script them tonight. Sunday I will be in the states working for the tomb and working for the script. The main reason I want it finished soon is so that I can get some peer review on the finished issue 1.

Just look at the frickin' backgrounds. I love the mix of vague, heavy color with extraordinary detail. I think this is a comic that people will take an hour to read, just because the visuals are so rich.

I love the eyes.

I love everything.

Check out his gallery.
Check out my happy face.
Anyone wanna buy me about 4 hours of free time? Only $40 bucks. C'mon, that's the cheapest I go for these days.

----------------------------------------
say ah ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/6008988/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/6008988/ Fri, 22 Jul 2005 22:44:12 PDT Found the phone, life is awesome.

Musica: [link]
----------------------------------------------

Mood: Overjoyed
Listening to: My Morning Jacket - Link is in the header

If you haven't noticed, I'm providing you with the music I'm listening to these days. How awesome am I?

So - I want you all to go take a look at something a friend of mine has created. She's on old friend here on dA and her work has improved wildly over the last year and a half. This is her latest piece:



All she wants is for people to give it a look, let her know if they like it. She's not even asking for any heavy handed critique, just some folks to check it out. She works hard and she's a good friend to me, so it would be wonderful if you all could give a glance this piece and let her know what you think.

Sorry for the slew of journals earlier yesterday. I was flippin' out, trying to edit one, which I then deleted then created two more of exactly the same thing then tried to delete one, but deleted the wrong one (wrong title) then managed to delete the other when I meant to edit again.

in my defense - I am a very sleepy boy at the moment thankyoumark

anyhow - Montreal. I went back to see portugal compete in the international fireworks competition. It was amazing and has only served to increase my desire to visit that country. I hope they win this year.

"The fireworks go off tonight
It'll be just like the 4th of july
and all because I celebrate with you"

- lyrics from a my morning jacket song. Link is up in the header.

I'll be going back to montreal as frequently as my schedule and my finances allow. I am in love with montreal. It has treated my very well.

That's it for now, everybody. OH! the scrappy game seems to have run aground. no worries

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BEAR E O ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5909848/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5909848/ Tue, 12 Jul 2005 00:49:59 PDT Lost my phone :\ and thus have been out of touch with my family, which sucks.

Musica: [link]
----------------------------------------------

Mood: Cheerful
Listening to: DJ Suriken - Link is in the header

Montreal:
It was great. Seriously. So freakin' great. I really wish that I could move there when my lease is up, but I've already signed on for another year. That would be good though, even closer to home, but still in a city. And all sorts of other good stuff it has going for it.

i wish i wish i wish
but what're ya gonna do, right?

Comic:
So, I'm kicking my own ass to finish up issue one of Antaeus, because I might have an artist interested. *THE-SEXY-BEAST's work is gorgeous and I would be honoured to work with him. Nothing set yet, I still have a lot of work on my end before we can seriously talk about it.

Scrappy game: Happily a few people have played, and here I give you the beginning of the family tree: (oh, and if you don't know what I'm talking about: [link] )

Original: [link]

~oedipa: [link] branch 1
=ravynsky: [link] branch 2
=blurangerboi: [link] branch 3

dammmmmit
and I'm forgetting someone. So if you dropped me a line with one of these, drop it again.

Now from here, those interested can either branch off of one of the branches, or feel free to branch from the original again. Either plan works, just let someone know what you've done and encourage people in your end of the world to work off of your line. Could continue to be fun.

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Ain't it silly how I change my header and footer every time? ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5862935/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5862935/ Thu, 07 Jul 2005 02:43:33 PDT My cousin is in the Miss Teen Vermont pagent. She didn't win. but she looked amazing and won $1000 scholarship.
----------------------------------------------

Mood: Shwe

PAY - DA - LO

I have no clue how that is spelled, but the quebecois were having fun with me inability to speak the language. Lucky for me they spoke mine just fine, though no one joined in when I sang "west philidelphia, born and raised" because though they understood what I was doing they did not have that purely american compulsion to join in and see it to it's finish.

Montreal has the most beautiful women of any city I've been to in North America, and I've hit all of the major ones.

here's who attended on day two, I don't have the day one list:
`anon-y-mouse
*Arronis
`Astrophel
*chocolate-neko
=di0xygen
*evilspoon
=flashtek
*headshotxp
`jnc
*kawaiichinmoku
`neom
*oompaloompasarecool
*Peperino
*RainingRoses
*RoxyCroft
*stefy-coool
*sushi-girl-27
*tirol
*True-RefleXion
=waterlilly

Holy crap it's almost 6 AM and I have to be up in a few hours. I'll talk a lot more about this and update about that little story game I have featured when I get some time at the computer.

It was a great trip. It was like summer camp or something. Amazing.

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No one really wants to die together, Mark. They want to live together, first, or see the other live, second. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5812031/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5812031/ Fri, 01 Jul 2005 13:07:38 PDT My cousin is in the Miss Teen Vermont pagent. I think she could win.
----------------------------------------------

Mood: Shiggity-Shwa-ish

Hey, fun new artsy project is afoot. I've just submitted a scrap, you can find it here: [link]

or up as my featured deviation. It's the start of a story. I wrote it just a minute ago. Here's the plan:

You know those games where everyone adds to a story little by little, taking turns? Well this is the indie-rock version of that. Everyone can add to the story at any time. This means that we will, in fact, create dozens of stories eventually. So if you like the idea, grab the scrap and add to it, scrap that and drop me a link. I'll put it up on here along with any of the other second round folks and encourage everyone, once again, to grab one of the newer, longer stories and add to that. Eventually it'll be very hard to keep track of everything, but as long as each new writer invites people to come write an addition to their story it might go on indefinately.

Anyhow, it's all for fun, so I'm not too concerned about it, but if you think you could be entertained by it, feel free to participate.

I'd also love to see artists, photographers, sculptors, etc. etc. take part in their own mediums. If you can find a way and have the desire, do it!

This is all!
- Schuyler

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Fight fire with water. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? Put that other fire away! ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5793426/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5793426/ Wed, 29 Jun 2005 17:12:30 PDT My father? I don't know. He's going to die. I guess that's all there is to it now. I mean, we have time, but we're not really thinking of solutions so much as what we're going to do with the remaining year or two. We intend to go golfing, that much I know. I'm kinda detached at the moment, so I'd prefer that you not respond to this thinger here this time around. I'm putting it up because it feels cathartic to say it, and there are some of you out there who personally know my father, or have a vested interest for other reasons.
----------------------------------------------

Mood: Shiggity-Shwa

Yo yo yo.

Back in action, satisfaction, ... can't remember the rest.

I'm Schuyler.
I'm no longer an administrator and I'm going to stop acting like one. I'm not saying that I'm abandoning all of my grandiose plans, but I'm going to write for a while first. It's really comfortable to be back in a deviant capacity. Actually submitting and reading things again. I'm pretty happy.

How are you all? And thanks for keeping the vigil. It's weird how you guys don't give up.

Hmmm...and it doesn't seem to be popping up, so here's the link to the piece I just submitted. I'm sure it'll be up soon, but I'm anxious! hehehe
[link]

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...vicious and viscous, this was the nature of our relationship. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5594345/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5594345/ Wed, 08 Jun 2005 23:50:03 PDT
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deviantArt is
Phoenix, AZ as seen from an airplane, in a slow spiral down to the tarmac, revealing small communities with flowing hills and winding roads, that are, in reality, grouped into 4 perfect, enormous, squares. Planned communities intend to looking unplanned. A civil engineer building a concept of privacy, community, individuality and nature. Residents manipulate their plots to ever decreasing degrees of unique modification. Following borders, despite the curvy, appealing movement of the land and recognizing certain rules, beyond the rules of law, that each member has agreed to individually.

deviantArt is
trash service twice a week. A blessing in this neighborhood, but you quickly realize it's frequency is not simply luxurious, it's necessary, as you don't have the wherewithal to deposit your trash on the curb in a timely manner. It piles up in the kitchen, until you notice the meat rotting and the fear of the animals that come with decomposition of trash sticking around and eating at the rest of your home. You get the trash out, maybe, once every two weeks, always waiting for the rats and cockroaches to come and teach you your lesson in expedient delivery by marring the beautiful things you think you intend to maintain.

deviantArt is
2:42 in the morning. Rain is falling to break the humidity and prove out of towners wrong when they laugh at your predictions. Sleep is about to happen. It's not hard to achieve and only the tinge of slight regret that you'll be getting up sooner than hoped. And that's how you say it to yourself "I'll be getting up too soon" not "I need to get to bed earlier" because at 2:42 in the morning you only understand the mornings deadlines, night wanders on, drawing you out when the time is right. The civil engineer of your dreams convincing you of the illusion of minor insomnia, the importance of your dreams and the unique perspective that flows purely from you at this hour, he adds that it's not to be trifled with. At this time you are overconfident or terrified and you approach the futon with defeat or sweated, proud exhaustion. Both will keep you up later than you intended.

deviantArt is
not what I thought it was a year ago. but the burden of that epiphany falls on me, as nothing has changed at the heart.

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]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5370667/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5370667/ Mon, 16 May 2005 05:28:12 PDT
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I'm just working on something, that's all. Should be good once it gets all organized. Jim - I'll give you a call later today. Anyone else I should have contacted - also sorry, between my 3 jobs and my new project I just haven't had the time.




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]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5249845/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5249845/ Tue, 03 May 2005 14:33:48 PDT
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I'm happy.

$jark officially took me off staff earlier today. I was surprised at how relaxed I was once I saw the `.

And, guess what? I think I might have something to submit in the nearish future.

Maybe.

anyhow. I'm off staff. I'm pleased to be.

- Schuyler

...so, did anyone else see that few hours that I was ºAstrophel? I thought that was pretty awesome. Hehehehehe. Anyhow, life is grand. I'll be back in like 2 days, yeah?

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]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5206993/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5206993/ Wed, 27 Apr 2005 19:15:21 PDT
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Eric Kolb, $dygel here on dA, has resigned from his role as Director of Artist Relations. He was my boss. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with him on some of the most ambitious projects of my life. I will miss his presence on staff as much as most anyone else can claim to. He is a friend and I look forward to working with him in our more pedestrian lives.

"Our" because I am leaving too.

O.K. so that part was written hours ago. I've been debating what to say here, as I'm leaving the staff. There are a lot of frustrations. I'm not leaving because I think it's time for me to move on, or because I think I've done all I can, or life is getting in the way. I'm leaving because I promised, when I picked up this position, that I would never jade. Well, Eric is the one thing that has kept me going in that respect. His belief in me and the work we did together is what kept my heart in it. At the end? I was working for him. In my mind I wasn't working for dA anymore. With Eric gone I have no interest in keeping it up. I wanted to leave before he announced, and now I can go without feeling like I'm walking out on him.

I will give a final report to ^MinorKey and ^ndifference regarding my work for the literature end of the summit. That was the last thing I was working on for literature, I'm sure it will come to beautiful fruition. My departure will not be the cause of any lack of lustre. I was the very first to submit a clear report on what I wanted at Summit many many months ago. So I don't want you guys to worry about that, ok?

Finally - I will not rant or rage. The company is being led in a direction that I don't wish to travel. Working for free at something you feel perpetually in conflict with isn't much fun.

I'm still here at dA. Absolutely. I love it so much. This is something I wrote a long time ago, but I still think it's the best I've done to express it: [link]

The title is "You are no longer dumb and witless." It's what Aslan says to the animals when he gives them the power of speech.

It will be such an ease on my mind to no longer be involved in the business end of deviantArt. I'm looking forward to pursuing more absurd projects. The next one on tap involves 3 of my friends from the lit world, and probably a few others by the end. (if we get that far )

Hope no one's pissed off. I'll still be here, and a little freer to do other things. I've asked them to keep me on until friday so that I can have a day to listen and respond with my little hat on, and so that I'll have time to settle up a couple of staff things.

And - Thanks.

- M. Schuyler Towne.

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]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5205614/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5205614/ Wed, 27 Apr 2005 16:36:28 PDT
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This is your only hint regarding the news I thought I was going to save until friday. Longer post coming out in a little while:

`kl61
`attila
`hameed
`Davenit
`kyza
`mick-mick
`yachtclub
`musicinmyhead
`rzero
`anon-y-mouse
`niwi
`randomcasualty
`olya
`iMike
`noir
`cafezero
`MattSpire
`tigaer
`delici0us
`alteredreality
`desertpenguin
`caustic
`nieman
`insaneone
`meredith
`ost2life
`nonculture
`alchemism
`altermind
`zerocomplex
`adam1975
`inennui
`alphakx
*chezza-t18
*qrunchmonkey
*statichavoc
*jackdaws

this isn't a complete list.

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]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5175746/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/5175746/ Sun, 24 Apr 2005 11:34:42 PDT Yeah, well...I don't know what to say about my Dad at the moment. The optimism is being replaced by fatalism, but we can work with that, yeah?
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Mood: Struck

Back from my vacation.

I don't know what happened to my "+" it's really starting to bother me too, as I've asked about it a couple of times now. I'm going to submit a help desk ticket about it.

Met +lady-blue while I was in Virginia. Went rock climbing with she and her boyfriend. Really nice guy, mind of a scholar, body of an athlete. ENVY. And Amy ain't bad either. hur hur hur. She was actually very very sweet, bought me dinner and paid my way into the gym. She's quite clever, pretty well balanced and seems happy with her place in life. I wish her the best.

Oh, and little piece of trivia? She was my "Mom" on here a long time ago, but I got staff first. hehehe

Won at poker twice.
Got my belay certification for the gym Amy brought me to.
Played a lot of pool.
Finished N.P. by Banana Yoshimoto.
Cooked some hot pockets under the hood of my overheating car
Made 2AM omlettes with my buddy Tim in NYC.
Tried to see a lot of people, only managed to see the staff of the local food lion.
They were very nice and directed me to a hospital when my sister ripped up her eye. (she's fine)

Going to sleep now. Kareoke staff party tonight.

Think I could be a teacher without going to college?
Tell me how, cause that's what I want to do.

EDIT: the new track from gorrilaz makes me too happy to complain about them getting back together anymore.

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up up down down left right left right B A start ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4925217/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4925217/ Sun, 27 Mar 2005 13:39:46 PST
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Mood: Hopeful
Reading: NP
Watching: Lock Stock

Budget and Communication issues that led to my being let go. I've done a LOT of work on this exhibit, my Mother has done an equal amount of work on Art/design for the exhibit. I'm pretty pissed off at them, not for me, as I don't mind walking away, but for my Mother, who was so devoted and excited for the project.

They appear to have been planning a show behind my back and behind the back of the gentleman who was the catalyst for the whole event. They told me that they won't be needing any "additional design elements"

thanks and goodbye

but, whatever. I know I've done good work for them, and my mother is a wonderful woman who is offering them all of the work she's already done to enrich whatever they've designed. She's pretty awesome.

I'm actually headed up to Vermont right now to surprise them. I'm in a pretty good mood. My play is over, and it went well, and I'll get to see my family. Can't get much better than that.

PEACE!

...JUSTICE!

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pop pop pop. it wasn't cork we were running from ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4897792/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4897792/ Thu, 24 Mar 2005 07:14:16 PST I miss him. wish I wasn't so stuck in this stupid city.
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Mood: Hopeful
Listening to: Off White Noise - Abba Locke
Reading: NP
Watching: Lock Stock

I believe I've just been fired from the Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art. A job I volunteered at. There's a lot more to this and tomorrow (Good Friday) I don't work and should be able to sit down and write a Journal re: the art show and my recent firing. For now, I'm just a bit shocked and frustrated, but not too upset, really.

Anyway, i'll get back to you folks in a bit. I'm off to work at my real job, you know, the one that pays me?

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well. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4880171/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4880171/ Tue, 22 Mar 2005 19:19:31 PST I miss him. wish I wasn't so stuck in this stupid city.
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Mood: Hopeful
Listening to: Off White Noise - Abba Locke
Reading: NP
Watching: Lock Stock



IT'S GOING FREAKIN' AWESOME

well, you know, it's not amazing, but I'm really really proud and despite their blatant pretension, the artists are admitting to being happy. (and some are outright thanking me, which is also nice)

Oh, and I'm playing Regina Spektor in the lobby. Hopefully she'll marry me or something.



Hey, everyone.

Anybody in the greater Boston area should come out to TOMB tonight for an art show. [link] for directions.

You can also call us if you'd like to stop by - 617-375-wits

Should be great. It's my first show and a lot of things have gone wrong, but we're finally here. It's tonight from 7-11PM

Hope you guys can make it! Tell your friends if they live around here.

FREE ADMISSION!

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and if you kiss somebody, you both will get some practice. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4848595/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4848595/ Fri, 18 Mar 2005 18:52:32 PST I miss him. wish I wasn't so stuck in this stupid city.
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Mood: Hopeful
Listening to: Off White Noise - Abba Locke
Reading: NP
Watching: Lock Stock

that was the date on the furthest back comment of the 1200 I just cleared from my message centre.

Also - I cleared the 100+ messages about watching and faving, which sucks of me, but if you are watching or faving, know that I love you.

Hey, I have an art show coming up on the 22nd. It's free and awesome and if you're in the greater boston area drop me a line and I'll buy you a coke.

I'm fantasizing about running away.

"where you're going to's gone. where you're coming from weren't never there and where you are ain't no good 'less you can get away from it."

you know?

Sin City comes out on the 1st, same day as my cousin's: ~medusasmaid's birthday. Same as my grandparents anniversary and same date as the regina spektor concert here in Boston.

So - I thought I could at least write one final thing, ever, for * lonelyplanetgirl. Wanted her to illustrate something or something, but man. Nothing will come out, so instead I'm going to find some of the better things I've ever said and retool them.

I think I'm done writing, yeah? yeah.
Had a really good year of it though. and you all were the best part.

I'm going to go. go listen to regina. [link] she's awesome. Chemo Limo is my current favourite.

Peace

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and if you kiss somebody, you both will get some practice. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4579669/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4579669/ Mon, 14 Feb 2005 12:47:22 PST Not on the list, yet, but most of the news was good news. The best of it being that we should be able to manage his disease a LOT longer than we had been thinking lately. Thank you all. My own risk for this disease has been made a little more clear to me, so I need to have some tests done and all of that jazz. It'll have to wait until I get health insurance, but it's nothing we need to worry about right away anyway. So, again, thank you all. You're a lot of what makes this whole process bearable. Thank you.
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Mood: Hopeful
Listening to: Off White Noise - Caution, Fragile
Reading: Asleep
Watching: Buffy - Season 4

Valentines day. Remember last year? When I played that little trick? And when I promised never to lie to you? Just thought it would be nice to remember.

I'm on my way to NYC to see an old friend who's having a rough day. She did the same for me on my birthday and I've got the next day off anyhow.

Hope you're all having a good day. Happy new year, remember when I used to write romance?

Enjoy breaking bread: [link] you hopeless romantics. And *Bringa forgive me for not updating with an edit. to you too, sir.

peace

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You've been strong for long enough. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4536403/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4536403/ Wed, 09 Feb 2005 08:55:04 PST
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Mood: Nervous
Reading: Asleep

Today, in a few hours, I'll be meeting my parents at the Center for Lung Disease at Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston. We're going in for my Father's final evaluation. All of the testing is complete and if everything has gone well we'll walk out of there with his name on the transplant list.

I had a hard time leaving the house this morning and I stopped into church on the way to work. I'm pretty pent up. Today is one of the few times I'm generally hoping no groups come through on my shift. I'm usually very enthused to have my work doing well, but today I'd really appreciate some quiet.

This is terrifying, but I'm more optimistic than I've been in a long time. Just paranoid as well.

Anyhow, this is me fishing for encouragement. And thanking you all for the past several months of support.

- Schuyler

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Life is the lust of the lamp for the light that is dark 'til the dawn of the day that we die. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4424577/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4424577/ Wed, 26 Jan 2005 22:04:30 PST :\ consultation was postponed. I don't like any hiccups at this point so I'm getting a bit paranoid, but I'm sure it'll be fine.
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Mood: Content
Listening to: Metric - Soft Rock Star
Reading: Banana Yoshimoto - Asleep
Watching: Buffy - Season Two

I haven't been promoted, or demoted or anything like that, but my role here on dA is changing. Also - it has not changed, it's changing. I'm no longer a literature gallery director in title, but I will maintain all of my work in the lit community and will see the literature presence at Summit to it's conclusion.

I've been working on projects that concern all of dA for a while now and I've loved that work. It excites me and though I have done the majority of my work in literature I have such love for all mediums of art. In my private life I get to work with a lot of extremely talented people. They are engineers, fasion designers, visual artists, writers, musicians etc. etc. I want to surround myself with talented people. I want to foster their love and see it to a tangible end. I want to produce art more than I want to create it. Much, much more. In my new position I'll be able to better pursue those goals. Everyday I am thinking of dA's possibilities offline and it's ability to be a conduit for aspiring artists and professionals. I believe I will always see the next step. I'm proud and happy to work for dA, I put in more time now than ever and yet I'm rarely available to the community I grew up in here. That is why this change is happening.

Again, please let me reinforce, I will continue with the responsibilities from before, but I am in transition.

I would like to point you to the gallery of a friend of mine. His name is Barry and he's one of the externs working for 5-wits, the company I work for. He's a pretty cool guy and I'm a fan of both his art and music. You can find him on dA as *wonderbarry.

My first art show:
I'm proud to announce Art in the TOMB! I'll be working with Holi Featherstone of The Visual Revolution Art Collective to turn my workplace: [link] into an art gallery for at least one night, and hopefully turn it into a regular event. More details to follow.

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where you are ain't no good, less you can git away from it. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4410971/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4410971/ Tue, 25 Jan 2005 12:23:24 PST Final consultation is coming up. We're more optimistic now than we have been in a long time. I'm feeling a little more relaxed than I have in months now. Not relaxed, mind you, but less twisted up.
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Mood: Content
Listening to: The Anniversary - To Never Die Young
Reading: Banana Yoshimoto - Asleep
Watching: Buffy - Season Two

My friend *moeffju is at it again. [link] EDIT follow this link. I refuse to describe what it is. You should follow it because it might make your experience on dA better. For free and at the expense of a lot of time and effort of a very nice man.

he keeps trying to make dA better without any sort of permission or anything. that bastard. Download his two new hacks to make your message center sweeter. This new indie development aspect is amazing to me. Like plug-ins for a website. Seems like this is the new flavor of building a better dA.

EDIT as in the work of $micahgoulart and his easyreply feature - [link]

again, I tell you, follow these links, they are good links that might make your day brighter and your dA shinier and easier. so just do it and don't ask questions. ask your questions after you've followed the links. of the people who will answer them better. and send notes to *moeffju telling him to suck it. har har har

I went to arasia con. Can't believe it, but I enjoyed myself and I was getting paid.

I've not been sleepying properly lately and I'm not certain why, but I could hazard a guess. And I nearly had my back rebroken by a houseful of hippies from SMFA who were insistant upon handcuffing me. It went on for hours and despite their numbers and wiley hippy ways they were no match for me.

However I could use a good massage.

[link] (hope I got that right. The website of a new friend)

and ~11151777 are you excited? I am. That's my roomate. EDIT just wanted to link a little more specifically: [link] it's his essay on art, which I find a very enjoyable read. It's brief and entertaining.

peace

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german engineering ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4373567/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4373567/ Thu, 20 Jan 2005 23:47:56 PST Final consultation is coming up. We're more optimistic now than we have been in a long time. I'm feeling a little more relaxed than I have in months now. Not relaxed, mind you, but less twisted up.
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Mood: Content
Listening to: The Anniversary - To Never Die Young
Reading: Banana Yoshimoto - Asleep
Watching: Buffy - Season One

It was an excellent conversation, but I fear I dominated it too much. I often find myself going on at length when talking with Shane, telling him everything that's going on. He's a very good friend to me and we both hope he starts writing again soon. You can read his most recent at: ...mmm well, I'll link it when he's edited it. You'll just have to salivate for now.

I'm getting enough hours at work now to pay my rent and other bills. I am incurring no new debt, yet I am still pursued by old debt. But hey, who the hell isn't?

Not much else to report at the moment, I'm just very very tired and need to get some sleep. I'll try to have something of interest up soon.

I have a day off coming up, I'll keep trying to plug away at the comments. Promise

Do not allow idealists to ruin every good shot you have. Don't allow your own idealism blind you to success and a happy life. Bring me realists, passionate realists. Flush the plague that is idealism and the rot that masquerades as integrity. Disgusting stuff.

Burn, too, those who continue to doubt my candor.

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a plate of food ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4290957/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4290957/ Tue, 11 Jan 2005 00:02:14 PST
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it's been a bad night

not like "bad"

just melancholy, so come home. I'll even meet you in new york.

I mean, not really, of course, but wouldn't that be nice? I mean, if you were actually headed to new york I would of course show up, I just mean that I know that's not actually going to happen so my offer is moot.

hope you're doing well, buddy. I miss you and your ideas.

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]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4256256/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4256256/ Thu, 06 Jan 2005 17:30:19 PST tests are going quickly and well. Maybe we'll get that transplant after all. Hoping, obviously.
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Mood: Busy
Listening to: TOMB - soundtrack
Reading: The Politics of Hope
Watching: Life Aquatic

Quick Edit -
Love to ^Moonbeam13 for saving my museum's budget on the gatorboard problem. Thank you!!!

My friend *penguinpalace is on her way to Japan on some sort of vague anime tour group. Anyhow, she's good people, so I thought I'd riff of her journal title.

I am here, feet firmly, and finally, planted in America. Boston to be specific. I've moved into my new apartment (as many of you know I've spent the last 6 months couch surfing) and I now have my car in the city. Life is good.

Updates -

dA has near miss on photo-ban:
We tried.
We tried hard and had a brilliant plan, but it was all for naught.
We were trying to organize a tangible, real world protest of the photography ban, but weren't able to secure permits within resonable timelimits and had to cancel. But! Know that dA is actively developing a powerful voice in the offline art community. We should never think of this as a one-trick pony.

Will Eisner dies
This really sucked, guys. He was a wonderful man and a friend to our museum. He was paying his way to NYC so that we wouldn't have to foot the bill because he knew we had no money. He was providing our little museum with art from his own living room. The retrospective I was working on has now developed into a memoriam. Time pressures are hard at the moment as I try to adjust and put a budget together. But, know that the Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art: [link] is proceeding with the exhibit. God Bless Will, his agent and friend Denis Kitchen, who has been an amazing source of information and art for us, and any and all who loved this incredible pioneer of the comic medium. Rest In Peace.

SECRETS
I'm working with a couple of deviants on some secret projects. well...ok - 2 secret projects. One off of dA and one on dA. That's all I'm giving you. Suckers. (more information soon, don't sweat)

I'm going to auditions again
Boston doesn't have any trade papers for actors. I find this depressing. NYC has like...4 by a rough count. Probably 5 actually. But! Boston appears to have not 1. So I have to rely on stagesource, which would be fine, but it's a $110 membership, something I cannot at all afford at the moment. So I have a challenge set up with one of my bosses. He will provide me with the audition info for 1 month and if I land a job that can pay for the membership I have to sign up. Seems more than reasonable to me. And - who woulda thought, I might actually start acting again. (For those of you who didn't know I was an actor: The whole of my post-secondary education has been this theatre conservatory: www.AMDA.edu)

MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS IF NOTHING ELSE:
*mangohooka is having a writing contest to benefit victims of the tsunami. There isn't much any of us can do, but this is a classic case of every little bit helping. So, if you can't send them your own money, send them *mangohooka's and maybe you can walk away with a little prize yourself.

That's it for now, friends. I'm just plain busy. I'll have regular internet access by the 13th, but until then it'll be shakey. If I'm lucky I'll get some writing posted before then, but I wouldn't count on it.

Oh, and I'll keep attempting to get to those 769 comments I need to reply to. some of them are from august.

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He didn't hear he... ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4100773/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4100773/ Sun, 19 Dec 2004 07:17:26 PST our vocabulary no longer includes to word "years" and I've been freaking out lately.
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Mood: Triangular
Listening to: Phillip Glass - Satyagraha
Reading: This American Life (radio trumps book)
Watching: Lord Of The Rings - Return Of The King

I'll have a couple of submissions over the next hour or two. Three are from magnetic poetry which I produced on the fridge of a friend last thursday.

Is everyone curious about the magazine?
damn straight you are

I've made a purchase which will help me break into radio documentary. I was reviewing old video last night, remembering that I am an excellent editor when given the opportunity. My abilities in this realm dwarf any talent I have for writing and it brings me greater joy. My hope is that in radio I will find the medium to blend these two passions.

Man o' Manishevitz you people are dramatic. Not all of you, no and I fully realize that I've been right there in the thick of it in the past but I like to think I've managed to float along on the perifery for quite some time now. The energy of it is a good thing. A great thing, even. But it is dissipate. Failing.

You are ruined by your failing energy.

So: as I have advocated before -

Go step back into the tangible. Build something with your hands. Get a decent knife and a piece of Bass wood. Get a pound of clay. Write with a pen, if you must write. However, don't forget that writing, and all art, draws upon your own experience and thus - unless you doom yourself to writing about writing and nothing else - writing all the time will not help your writing.

writing writing writing writing

go play baseball
Music doesn't count either. Cut music out of the equation. Having music cuts you off. Half the time it means you're in your room, the other half means you're plugged into a soundtrack of your world, and while this can feed the fertile imagination it pushes you through your city as a voyeur, not as a participant. So no music.

Does music influence your writing?
then stop listening to it. See what comes out when you're silent. Too much fear of the quiet.

Specificity. That's the next topic of this journal. On writing #3, coming to an astrophel near you soon.

spell me, baby

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we are here in the forest with a human heart! ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4078572/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4078572/ Thu, 16 Dec 2004 09:40:10 PST bad news. I'm off to vermont to see what's up.
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It's my birthday and other stuff.

We were supposed to have a NASA party tomorrow, but we'll have to reschedule as I am, most likely, headed out of the state for a couple of days.

I'll be back with stories to tell and writing.

EDIT

the party commences. I will not be going home.

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i dreamt i had to go up mars ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4015129/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/4015129/ Tue, 07 Dec 2004 21:55:27 PST
keep yer peepers out for a poll !!! It's already here go vote on the frontpage!

Hi everyone. I'm home. My computer is back, my job is steady and I have an apartment now.

I need to say hi to:
*tearstone
holla, butler

so, what happens now?

I put my gallery back together, scrap what's there now and rewrite it along with some other things and keep working toward summit stuff.

The summit stuff is so freakin' coooooool.

I don't know. There will be another "writing first" journal in the next few days. For tonight I'm going to worry about getting my gallery and frontpage back in order. Good to be home again!

---------------------------------------- endsville is burning ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3940952/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3940952/ Sun, 28 Nov 2004 16:12:27 PST ---------------------------------------- ------

I'm pretty tired.

I didn't get to see the pixies with my brother. I did get to see the pixies, but his wife forbade him from going. I'm not going to get into it, but it sucked. I've wanted to see the pixies with my brother since I was 10 years old.

The concert was amazing. I crowdsurfed while Kim Deal sang "in heaven" and caught a playlist after the concert. I bought the live CD of the show and took a hard shot to the nose. I was still getting bloody bits out of it a few hours ago. The Datsuns and some other very good band lead off. The guitarists for the Datsuns are incredible to watch. These rail-skinny girls powerposing. Intense.

My computer should arrive tomorrow. They tried to deliver on friday, but our bell is broken. I should have an interview for a better job sometime this week and the folks at XY tv: [link] like me and want to work with me more often. They're great, the folks I've met so far. I hope they do well.

If my computer returns tomorrow you can expect me back on DA in full force. It's really a pain to borrow friends' computers in order to get things done, so I've cut back on what I've been doing. I got plans for summit and a few other things in before the holiday though, so I am trying.

Entertaining reading on the last two concerts I've been to:

[link] (pixies in cali - the girl I mention when talking about the song "hey" actually found me in little italy in NYC months later. She's an ayurvedic massage therapist and was in town to get a hug from some woman on 8th avenue.)

[link] (Lola ray - idiot kids - sleeping in stairwells)

Peace for now...hopefully I'm back in full effect tomorrow. Wicka woo!

OH!!! and thanksgiving kicked ass. I believe you will have a hard time finding me cursing in any of my journals, but it kicked ass. I was very happy to be home with my whole family. And I won at poker. I hope you all had similar experiences.

I'm out for tonight. Be well everyone.

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california ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3906778/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3906778/ Wed, 24 Nov 2004 06:55:06 PST ---------------------------------------- ------

My computer has been to california three or four times in it's life. I have only been once. It was great. I was intending to move there this January, but I'll be remaining on this coast for what are probably obvious reasons to most of you.

Sadly my computer is once again in california, because of a mistake in shipping. I've been without it for weeks now. Driving me nuts. So today I go home for Thanksgiving, and I'll be seeing the pixies in montreal on saturday night - with my brother.

Should be amazing. I'm running late for my new job: [link] (I'm a guide on an egyptian burial tomb, puzzle, adventure thingy. I wear a safari vest and a pith helmet)

Summit stuff is on backburner until I return. I have to do a little bit of writing for someone, but I'm more focused on recording this holiday.

Anyhow, running late, as I mentioned, so I'm out like trout. Have happy holidays. Hopefully my computer will have returned by then and we can get this show back on the road.

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america ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3805176/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3805176/ Wed, 10 Nov 2004 20:37:31 PST ---------------------------------------- ------

What do you want this summit to be? [link]

I have ideas and plans. I will also be using this next weekend to put together a full report to the people in charge. I'm looking for a strong showing in the lit community. I also love working with all of the artists here on DA, so if you have suggestions or questions regarding the summit that aren't lit related I'll pass them along to the right people.

Use this journal to tell me exactly what you want the summit to be. (go nuts with it. Be elaborate and bold!)

go!

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it's travelling in waves ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3704530/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3704530/ Fri, 29 Oct 2004 20:30:32 PDT Time to talk.
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sending my computer for service so I'll be gone for a few days. I'll try to steal a computer to do DDs, but please don't take arms against me if not. I've also found a designer for the museum so I'm happy about that.

peace -
__________________________________

I'm in vermont for saturday. Learned to drive stick shift for only the best reasons.

And: *Coffeehouse is having an absolute blowout saturday. Everyone should stop by coffeehouse on dAmn or in IRC this afternoon/evening, as there will be an all night poetry and prose reading. I'm here in Vermont with family and won't be attending, but I'm tossing up my best readings here to be listened to and I believe *g33k-ch1k will be DJing for me once or twice during the night. I hope you all have a blast and I can't wait to hear the recordings. Bring your best work, bring the work of your friends, do what you need, but have fun and celebrate for me.

The work:

Paul Beatty: [link]

Nephelidia: [link]

My favourite of this bunch: [link]

and a super secret one being sent in note right now to definately be played this evening.

I'll be out for a couple of days, don't fret DDs come back when I do, and I just want everyone who's been fretting about me that I've been happy for a while now.



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Turns out I need to use this area after all. DA Projects:

Seminars: needs refining
Protection: needs proposing
Features: needs a write up
DDs: daily at the moment, probably every other again soon.


IN SOVIET RUSSIA ANGIE DICKENSON SUCKS YOU!!! ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3689966/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3689966/ Wed, 27 Oct 2004 23:31:53 PDT If you want to know you'll have to ask specific questions, there is a lot that has gone on. Suffice it to say that I am rebuilding and vaguely happy.
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Tonight I turn 1 on DA.

and the sox will win the world series in another 3 outs.

I'll no doubt be rioting.




peace

edit
Tonight there was:
* fire
* tear gas
* dogs
* motorcycles
* flash bang grenades
* full body armor
* drum lines
* meter long billy clubs
* that kid I was in that band with
* sneaky horses

more on this when I wake up

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Turns out I need to use this area after all. DA Projects:

Seminars: needs refining
Protection: needs proposing
Features: needs a write up
DDs: daily at the moment, probably every other again soon.


I SMELL CITRUS!! ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3664183/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3664183/ Sun, 24 Oct 2004 15:15:55 PDT If you want to know you'll have to ask specific questions, there is a lot that has gone on. Suffice it to say that I am rebuilding and vaguely happy.
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Right, last journal is right here: [link] and is worth reading.

Being proactive: Let's cover the basics, the things you know, or the things you'll pretend to know when we meet at a party and I'm like "so have you done this that and the other yet?" and you'll be like, "I wear too many black turtlenecks for that shit, man. Stop riding me."

The basics:
Collect your work in a publishable way. I'm leaving that open to interpretation because people have come at me with good, strong, creative plans that we're not going to cover today.

Submit said work to publishers.

Investigate self-publishing options.

Make a file of every publisher/magazine/company your work might be marketable to.

That's good enough for that. Now the more interesting bits:

Write in every medium you're able to. We talked about that last time, but here's the proactive end of it:

If you're writing graphic scripts you should be picking around DA for artists you like. Start establishing relationships with other talented people, you will likely be able to help each other out. Rising tides and all that. You'll get burned a lot when you trust in other people, but it'll work out sometimes. Those sometimes are a hell of a lot better than what you are doing now.

Find animators doing interesting work, see if you guys could work together. Build these relationships and this work.

Americans: you have no excuse. Who educated you? (just teasing) anyway:
Go to your local university library and begin researching "Foundation Grants." These are independant grants with or without non-prof status being given out by families and businesses in your state. Often right in your town. In New York State there are an obscene number. In manhattan alone, just the island, there are more than 4000. Your state, no matter what state, is bound to have enough that you could find something worthwhile. A lot of these are individual grants or scholarship grants. Sounds appealing, doesn't it?

Think you write well? Start providing material for local papers and magazines, this will come in handy when people want writing samples from publications. You're likely the top of your local crop, if nothing else this will give you something to test yourself against. Best case? Someone actually starts paying you to write. IMAGINE IT! Anyway, it's a stepping stone either way, which is just what you need, because you haven't been stepping anywhere, have you?

Write for television. Local news is a good place to start, particularly if they have any quirky local programming that deals with the community. You can write a whole scenario about your county fair. It's not great work, I know, but step, step, step.

Once in a while, at least 4 times a year, send your work out (after securing your copyrights) to someone HUGE. Tom Hanks. Donnie Duetsch. Hilary Clinton. It's the lottery, and the stamp costs less than powerball. This is a strange thing, I know, but the fact is: you never have a clue who might be able to help you out, or who your work might appeal to. Aim for people in a certain social or financial bracket. The social circles these people run can be used for you if you're lucky enough. Give it a shot.

That's about it for now. Next journal should be on wasted opportunities I think. not sure.

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Turns out I need to use this area after all. DA Projects:

Seminars: needs refining
Protection: needs proposing
Features: needs a write up
DDs: daily at the moment, probably every other again soon.


my battery won't stop dying ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3614334/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3614334/ Sun, 17 Oct 2004 20:35:51 PDT ---------------------------------------- ------

I'm in Boston. Getting settled into a new life. It'll be a few days, I'm going to find a job and start looking for a place to live. I'll keep up with the DDs, otherwise don't expect much.

Oh, and you may ask one question.

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it's too bad you can't eat something and keep it alive at the same time. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3520219/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3520219/ Tue, 05 Oct 2004 15:50:10 PDT Father is getting evaluated for a transplant on the 6th in Boston. I'll be in New York for a few days on business, and Boston in between. Then...well, we'll see
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I am not the person on DA who will improve your writing. Not primarily. There are times when I'll be able to help, don't get me wrong, but my main focus will be on the business end of things. I'd love to see you all published, with mansions and trophy wives, and a nest egg for when you lose it all at the video slots while on location for your latest Socio-politcal thriller in a gas station in Alberta. This is the life I envision for all of you, but you won't get there without changing your thinking.

In reality what I'm talking about is making a career for yourself in writing. There's no reason to approach this subject with negativity, we all know the skeptics thoughts on this. Today we're going to talk about the most basic problem and hopefully I'll provide you with a more realist view of it.

There's no work out there for writers
Not enough people getting their novels and poetry published, and actually making money off of it. That's absolutely true. However, there is a hell of a lot of work out there for the clever lit kid. Repeat this statement:

Writing is the driving force behind all media.
Absolutely it is. Every television show you watch, every movie or commercial had a writer at the start of it. Magazines need writers, not just for articles, but many very popular periodicals like to push short fiction and poetry as well. Local papers need filler and sports writers are some of the best writers in the world so you should think of giving that a shot too.

Now, I'm sure some of you are already put off of these ideas as "settling" or some such junk as that. Well get ready to cringe, you should write for Matell. Or Hasbro, or any toy company that also produces books for it's toy buying audience. These are paying gigs that will float you along while you wait for a response from Simon and Schuester on your brilliant new novel.

Seriously. Why shouldn't you write about Barbie's new relationship with the australian surfer (actual storyline). Writing a romantic comedy comic book aimed at 14 year old girls paid my rent last Febuary and allowed me to focus more on writing than the computer in my cubicle. Money is not the root of evil and selling out is what we're built for. There are the lucky few who will get published right out the gate and grow so prolific they can buy their own compound in the American Midwest. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen to us. We're going to have to scrap together safty jobs and spend years taping our broken fingers together for lack of health insurance. So the sooner we get over the idealism that keeps food out of our mouths the better.

Tonight, in your idle moments, see if you can write an ad campaign for a product you like. Try to get at least 3 30 and 60 second spots on a single theme. If you come up with anything interesting and think it's worth pursuing drop a line and we'll figure out how to go about that together. I'm here to help make any ridiculous idea you have work. I want you guys living off your writing and there's a hell of a lot less stopping you than you'd think.

I've tossed out a couple of ideas, if you guys have more: share, tell it in this journal, tell the story of the stupid thing you wrote that let you take a week off work to write the important thing. Here on DA we need to start helping each other and having the conversations that will get us hired.

Next journal: Being Proactive.

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it's me, Margret ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3508466/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3508466/ Mon, 04 Oct 2004 05:55:59 PDT Father is getting evaluated for a transplant on the 6th in Boston. Funeral today for my Uncle Junior who had a very similar disease.
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As you may have noticed from today's DD, I have returned. I felt a bit awkward giving a Daily Deviation to a friend, but I've come to be pretty friendly with a large section of the lit community here on DA and it was bound to happen again. Also, I think it's excellent writing.

I'm presently critiquing a bit of prose for a stranger who doesn't know I'm doing it. This is what I used to do on a regular basis, before, during, and for a little while after my time at oneword. It feels good to be back into it. I hope to continue on with that.

I will not be taking anyone on for adoption. I don't believe it is where I can serve anyone best, and though I have great faith in the system I have always been uncomfortable being in that position. All love to Dark Crescendo for his program, I think it's excellent and I hope a lot of good comes from it.

I will be leaving Suture at the conclusion of an article I am writing. This article will also be mirrored in my journal, as it is important not just to any writer, but to any person persuing a career in a creative field, and I may write up an article if there's wider interest.

You can always find me over at coffeehouse and I intend to start hosting a night once in a while. I've talked very briefly with the folks there and I will give more details as I work them out.

More DDs in a couple of days.
Brief, and hopefully useful, essay in my next journal regarding the business of writing.
I need to meet with all of my adapters about the contest entries. We need updates. Also, I'm still pretty much penniless, but I managed to get a couple of bucks, so I'll be giving a couple of the contest winners subscriptions. I'm sorry this is so slow in coming. Thank you.

Oh, and if anyone knows how to get ahold of the folks at PA or Machall in a different medium than email, please let me know. They both seem to have abandoned this project. I'm not going to ask anyone to harass them, I am more than willing to believe they've just been caught up in their real lives and missed my emails (though there have been a few now). I just want a more direct way to contact them, that's all. They were all very supportive when this began and I don't doubt they will continue to be. Just need to talk to them.

That's all for now cats and kittens. Go read some Brian Slattery.
Peace

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justice ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3419842/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3419842/ Wed, 22 Sep 2004 08:16:04 PDT will now be closed off with /cut tags. It will include personal goings on that have no bearing on my work at DA or not relating to literature.
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Mood: Enthused
Listening to: Lippe - I'm Not in the Air
Reading: Will Eisner's Body Of Work
Watching: Hair

DA has recently gone through an unfortunate, but I am assured necessary series of firings. I've no clue what I would say about it. In Lit we've lost ` nonculture.

However, it brings me to an interesting place. I often hear, jokingly, that either I don't do anything, or that anything I do is absolutely invisible to my peers. I know in your heart of hearts the majority of you have faith in me, and I am working quite hard, unfortunately it is on things that are not talked about prior to development.

Also, in conversation with $spyed and $ dygel my perception of what a Gallery Director can be expected to do has changed somewhat. I'm excited for the new direction, and thought before I come back to my administrative duties I should let those of you who care about such things know what the plan is.

My journal will be updated at least once a week with information pertinent to the literature community. I would venture that a great deal of this information will be useful for anyone pursuing a creative career path. Also, though I certainly have pushed it before, my main focus is going to be helping people begin, or succeed in careers writing/editing/reviewing, whatever fields seem relevant. "How would you know how to do that?" I don't, but I've made a life of figuring stuff like that out, and most of our writers are fairly apathetic about that end of things so it couldn't hurt to have a proactive GD, right?

I will have someone teach me about the custom modules. I've no real desire to make it look attractive, but if visual styles will make information more accessible or give a more intuitive organization I'll have someone show me how to do that as well.

Cleaning up my gallery. There will be a few deletions, but none of the writing is going so don't sweat that. I am making use of the storage feature at the moment, but I'll bring the majority of my work out into the light again soon. I was just in a bad mood, and now DA has a tool that keeps you from making stupid decisions while in a bad mood. Isn't that clever?

I will continue working on the development of new community tools and any and all of the other work I cannot or do not talk about, but is going on. I will, however, update you as best I can. For example, I have a project in conversation right now that won't see any real development for 2 months, perhaps more. That's a very soft time-line, I'm extremely excited for it.

I'm still in New York getting junk done for the Museum, today is a down day for me, so I'll be catching up on my back messages (1000 now, some from 3 1/2 months ago) and clearing out all watched deviations.

In the future I will not be watching anyone's submitted deviations unless I am doing it for a specific purpose. I apologize for that, but the running gag is that I'm the GD who never reads anyone's work. Truth is I will never leave my regular browsing of the visual art on this site. I never came here intending to work and though I am proud and capable I will not give up the joy visual art brings me. If I'm getting paid for this someday, we'll talk. That said, I will, of course, try to read more around here. It's a reasonable request that shouldn't take too much effort from me, you know?

I'd also like to get back into critique. Several people have requested them of me over the last 4 months or so and I've not obliged them. I'm not sure why. I love doing it and I excel at certain aspects of critique. Not grammar, obviously, but specificity, flow, clarity of purpose, things that sound neat like those. So, I'm going to make 2 moves to get more involved in that end of things and I will have a 9 hour train ride next Monday, during which I'd like to go over a few pieces. Don't recommend them to me, I have my picks in mind already.

I think that's it for now. Oh! I need to catch back up on the winners of my contest. I got through it, and the stories are in the hands of writers working on adaptations as we speak. PA and Mac Hall have not responded... ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3400872/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3400872/ Sun, 19 Sep 2004 17:20:35 PDT ---------------------------------------- ------

Josh Egan is dead. He drowned. I missed the funeral because I never check my phone messages. It would have been his 20th birthday the next day.

I'm pretty sure I've broken my finger, but it's not too bad 24 hours later. Still swollen and a little discolored and very stiff, extremely stiff, but I've got no insurance and it's just my little finger on my left hand.

New York is treating me better than it has in more than a year. I feel at home here again, which I wasn't expecting. The 9 hour train ride had something to do with it. I love Amtrak.

Meeting with Eisner's agent on the 21st, wish me luck. Lot's of prep to do tomorrow.

I'll have a better update and probably some introspection soon, don't doubt it.

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i would leave home for new york, but new york is where i'm from ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3378438/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3378438/ Thu, 16 Sep 2004 15:56:22 PDT ---------------------------------------- ------

I'm in a spirited mood. And someone is BBQing nearby.

I've got to write and get some other stuff together too.

How are you all doing? Seriously, document your lives and what's been up.

Let's have a rejoin society party!

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rise like a kleenex from the ash ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3366477/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3366477/ Wed, 15 Sep 2004 01:37:50 PDT ---------------------------------------- ------

Sometimes even the best day in months and years ends sadly and yet it's still the best day.

yay for 20k
boo for people you love running off in the night

Don't worry about the deviations, they're just being stored.

And no, I'm not leaving. I'm here to stay, I just need a more visceral split for a moment.

And no, you can't catch up on any of this. I'm just blabbing. This isn't anything to worry about, as the quote below should indicate.

and shout out to *Bringa for grounding me when I go weird.

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of course I'll be alright, I just had a bad night. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3326524/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3326524/ Thu, 09 Sep 2004 16:51:34 PDT ---------------------------------------- ------

Hey everyone. I'm pretty swamped with work at the Museum and it's time for me to make a serious commitment to them. Therefor I will not be tending to my administrative duties on deviantArt for approx. the next 2 weeks. Hopefully it won't take any longer than that to catch up with my workload.

See you soon!


- Schuyler

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comics against the axis ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3295923/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3295923/ Sun, 05 Sep 2004 20:57:43 PDT ---------------------------------------- ------

Mood: ferverous-real word?
Listening to: Yo La Tengo - Green Arrow
Reading: Soccer In Sun And Shadow
Watching: Royal Tennenbaums (spelling?)

Yes, another journal, how speedy of me. This is about the only place I actually write anymore. I've often spoken about how I don't like my work being assumed to have hidden meanings. How I worry about people reading into it.

Well.

There are times when you cannot disregard a person's interpretation of your work. Visual artists live with this, and most poets will be aware of it. The better prose writers will do well by this, whatever their opinion of hidden meanings etc. etc. There are times as a writer when you cannot doubt the validity of what your words do to your audience. There is truth that you cannot always see.

However.

This does not change the overall. This does not alter anything more than your deeper understanding of your own work. It still has the meaning you gave it, it holds your intention and love. It is still yourself.

Do not alienate your audience. Listen to them. Listen and be sure you understand what they are saying before you disregard it. Even something thrown away, something you thought you'd get back to, or you wrote in haste, or only half meant. In fact, often these sections of our work, the bit you glossed past because you weren't sure how the character would really react in that situation, are picked up by our audience even more than the things we wish they would hear. That's important. Someone very recently remarked that you do not write for an audience, you write about something you want to write about.

This has two exceptions. The first is that you cannot exclude the audience from your words. If they talk, you listen. In this environment in particular. One of the marvels of the internet is anonymity. You can keep your distance from someone and act however you please. Writers only have half of this luxury. If you're writing anything that matters you've left yourself open. Vulnerability is where we find truth. It's terrifying to open honest interaction with your audience because of that. If someone picks it apart in a way you never imagined and suddenly everything is different it compels you to shut them down. To cut them off, or thank them and go on your way. Or plead with them to understand you.

Instead you need to maintain your understanding of your own work, but accept their's and see where it fits. Don't lose that vulnerability; keep open, but don't lose the identify of your work. It is malleable, but not breakable. If your writing matters then there is truth in it. You cannot lose that core of truth.

It's about balancing. The audience and writer must find a balance, but the burden of that will fall to the writer when they have a particularly intelligent reader. Live there.

The other exception is when you're writing about your audience. Most of our writers here have seen this abused. When you're being written about, either solo or as part of something larger you know if someone knows you or not. You can immediately tell if they are writing about you or at you.

Never write at your audience. That I will say. If you happen to be writing about people who read your work you should at least have the courtesy to review it before presentation. Make sure that in every line you remember who it is you're talking about. What it is that makes them worth writing about in the first place.

If you simply write at them, tossing some words together you think will impress them, or that seem appropriate, you will destroy empathy. Your audience knows itself. They are experts at living their lives, so when your work intersects that, make sure you're not just whipping something off to satiate the masses. Don't be idiots.

Everything I'm talking about has been for fairly specific circumstances. That said, there are the very infrequent times when I write something laden with hidden meanings, but what people tend to misunderstand about that, and the main reason I am uneasy with that sort of writing, is that the surface matters too. Dig as deep as you want, but if the only meaning of your work is hidden, it's worthless. You better write s... ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3288824/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3288824/ Sat, 04 Sep 2004 22:20:59 PDT
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[link]

bam. it's over. pretty sweet.

Chicks, man, what is up? I don't know that I've ever really talked about women in the open medium that is this journal. Probably seems too close to blogging for me. Not pertinent to my writing or explainitory to how I'm behaving on DA or whatever.

The fact is....
the dirty awful truth is.........

this is most likely a blog. But that won't keep me from fearing and hating blogging. I contend that I am living in contradiction, not hypocrisy.

Anyway, with that in mind here are my thoughts on the ladies:

They will drive you freakin' insane. Avoid them, particularly avoid them en masse. I won't deny that they have their appeal, but the sirens are far more typical of females than the babysitter's club (hope that isn't an american only reference, my watchers being so strangely international these days)

how about: the tragedy of helen of troy is far more often the case than a pleasant night home with the missus? That get the point across? Chicks are bad news. They'll end you.

So get free today while you still can, go kiss some dudes, they'll treat you right. And don't worry about me. Save yourself. I'm done for. These women have had their claws in me since 1st grade. They sent Samantha Anderson to set me on a ruinous path for the rest of my life. I was a pleasant, misanthropic, overly intellectual little 5 year old, but there was something about her.

I'm pretty sure that's why I didn't get into college. Because one day she joined me on a bench where I had sat watching the other children pretend at being animals in the daycare's back yard. It was far more typical of me to sit and stare at the children then actually play with them. Some of you who know me better than others will realize this hasn't changed all that much. Anyhow, Sam sits down and says "Schuyler, I worry about you. Why don't you ever play with us?" I doubt I had any clue what to say and can't remember what I did say anyhow, but her last bit of trickery hit hard, "We're only young once, you know."

And every day after that I would play with Sam. I still was rarely found playing with the other children, but Sam could hold my attention forever. Luckily this all ended around 5th or 6th grade. She and I became pretty good friends briefly, then again in high school, but it all faded. I hope she's doing well, which is symptomatic of being a straight male in America. You always secretly wish good things for the women you've lost in your life.

Unless you're any friend of mine from childhood. My buddy Justin had a brilliant way of coping. He erased the girl from the present tense. The moment they split ways she was dead.

"Justin, do you know who I saw yesterday?"
"Who?"
"Sarah McGregor."
"Tragic what happened to her."
"You creep."

Justin also had a weird thing about women over 40, so we're probably pretty different in a lot of ways.

Not that this is a good place to start summing things up, but you don't really have any say in how I write these journals so:

To sum things up:

1: Chicks are hot.
2: Hot chicks suck.
3: I had a quarterpound corn dog tonight.
4: I likey the ladies.
5: I've kissed some dudes and it just didn't do it for me.
6: That last statement is a problem because my sister reads this. It was at a party, it was one guy, and it was part of a game. Which I lost, but there weren't any other consequences. I promise. Don't bring this up next poker night.
7: Kissing chicks is awesome.

THE END

(many typos fixed)

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never. i will never stop hitting him! ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3251469/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3251469/ Mon, 30 Aug 2004 23:03:31 PDT ---------------------------------------- ------

once again I will be seeing the pixies.

I had wanted to see them in new york city on my birthday, but there don't appear to be tickets available for that show. Instead I will be seeing them in montreal in late november. That works just as well.

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i paid almost $500 to see them the first time. this time? $52.00 canadian. ]]> `Astrophel http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3228684/ http://Astrophel.deviantart.com/journal/3228684/ Fri, 27 Aug 2004 23:13:41 PDT ---------------------------------------- ------

Right. Misunderstanding, but here are the final results.

As it turns out ~Chronos21 does not currently have his piece out for consideration, so we're cool to move on with this freakin project.

Winners:
tied for second:

The Night I, Melissa Colerdige, Became a Giant and Destroyed the World
A deviantion by ~bionicbill

Sand and Glass
A deviation by ~Chronos21

And your first place winner:

Oratories and Laboratories
A deviation by *tearstone

I've got some choice words about how everything went down, but, most important now is I need to get finalized copies of each of these stories off to the theatre company so the writers can begin their work. So, I need any new editing to take place immediately, please give me a timeline if you'll be taking any further action on these pieces.

Thank you, the contest is now over. When I've recieved final copies, or permission to run with the stories in their current form, I will put together a news article and send off *tearstone 's piece to Penny Arcade and MacHall.

Peace out.

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no seriously, we're going to wait a while before we do this again ]]> `Astrophel