Bowling for Mason Proper

Some of the Gargkids (read: the new staff) took out 3/5 of popular band Mason Proper bowling in order to produce an article and a very neat video.

For those unaware, Matt Thompson (the tall one in circular glasses) is a Garg Alum himself. And I don't know if it's clear from this artistically edited movie, but the entire band is a bunch of really nice guys. They even let me and Keith hangout backstange with them when we saw their show in November -- gave us free beer with them and everything!

Mason Proper at the Black Cat

Oh, and buy their album. Buy it for real, or download from iTunes.
And subscribe to the Gargoyle.

Awesome Autumn

APPLES
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Two weeks ago, Claire, her friend Kayla, and I, all went apple picking somewhere in Virginia. We had a blast, but we also had 28lbs of apples. One pie, several hours, and a bunch of jars later we know have oodles of Apple Butter and Apple Sauce. It's delicious.

From Awesome Autumn

It would be in your best interest to be nice to me. You might get some!

While picking apples, I tasted a sample of locally produced apple wine. Folks, let me tell you, this stuff is fantastic. It's from the Chateau O'Brien, and I highly recommend it.

PUMPKINS
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This year we had three pumpkins, but only two were carved. The third has been relegated to the role of General Halloween Decoration, since it decided to go rotten a day after purchase and not be a "team player."

Regardless, the other two turned out fantastic.

From Awesome Autumn

Auntie Ba has also been rather creative with the gords this year. Take a look. (1, 2)

APPLE
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When I was lookin' for a steady job, I promised myself that as soon as I got one -- regardless what kind of job -- I would do a few things. The first was to start playing the video game Okami. I haven't done this yet. The second is best said in pictures:

From Awesome Autumn

Folks, that's a brand new MacBook Pro you're lookin' at right thar. Atomsk has been a faithful retainer these past five years, but has started to fray around the edges. He'll be kept in reserve for the moment, supporting this beautiful unamed machine until it's time for him to be recycled.

ANN ARBOR
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Last week I traveled all the way back to Ann Arbor to attend the 99th Gargoyle Reunion. I had a great time. So great, in fact, that I managed to not take any pictures.

I spent most of my long weekend in the company of my best bud Kris, and the current GargStaff. They're a great bunch, and have already done great things -- as demonstrated in their website.

Dad and Julia also paid me a quick visit while I was in the area. It was so great to see them again.

I take it back, I do have one picture.

From MarsEdit Images

It's much more frightening in person.
Happy Halloween.

Garg In The News!

Claire came back today. She's tired, and I think I might be slightly ill in the belly.

But who cares about my abdominal terror! The Gargoyle is famous again!

Read about it! Read about it!

Cathy Fisher is the current EIC. I handed it off to her. It's a shame that there isn't much interest to do a story on the Garg. There's so much great history in there, as well as wonderful people.

Despite having so much trouble trying to get a job, I don't regret a minute of the time I spent at Student Pub workin' on the Garg. Except for the hours I wasted listening to the Pixies and staring at the wall.

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Been trying to install MySQL on my computer so I can work on WordPress locally. It's not going well.

Earthbound, Penguins, Elitism

A penguin has been granted Norweigan Knighthood.

How the mighty land of vikings has fallen.

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My friend Kris has an interesting post about why having an "Average Joe" in the White House is a catastrophically bad idea.

This is the same reason why I do not listen to any show that has a call-in segment that values the opinions of the average listener/viewer.

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Real-live rocket scientists say that, as of right now, we will never reach the stars.

I beg to differ. With the current job market, I am willing to bet that there are thousands of college students hanging around, not doing much, that would love to be blasted into space as part of a multi-generational flight to the stars.

With all the English Majors that would (undoubtedly) be on board, expect a glut of star-gazing based books of poetry, and multi-volume epics with titles like, "Spending 40 Years Sharing A Room With A Man Named Carl Who Snores," or "Doesn't This Thing Have 'Reverse?'"

Of course, I assume they'd go crazy and end up eating each other. Maybe we should send cults into space? I think most of them are expecting it anyway. They're already trained to invest their lives in sketchy plans.

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Tenzing has Kennel Cough. It is potentially dangerous, but the vet is not concerned. I'm medicating him with antibiotics, and he seems to be doing fine. The sneezing is actually kind of cute.

The only downside is that he can't play with other dogs, or go to the dog park. He is not impressed.

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Dig George Abbot White's photos. He's an alum of the now defunct Generation lit-mag, but hangs around with the GargALUMS a lot.
Try to find me!

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Applied for many, many jobs today. Many in journalism, many in publishing.

Free-lance articles shaping up nicely. Here's hopin'!

Not Virginia

Amazing story of the Peg-Leg biologist.
You must read this. If you read nothing else on this blog, read this.

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John Dobbertin, GargALUM extraordinaire, gets a mention in the Wisconsin State Journal. He's set up a massive exhibit on humor magazines, of which the Gargoyle is a big part. Check it out.

Remember the Point

And the point is to remind the readers that you are alive.

Yes, I am still here (alive and kicking). Spring break ended as all good things must, and I have been in the bosom of Ann Arbor since the beginning of March.

The monday I returned, I started a new mini-course taught by the cartoon editor of the New Yorker Mr. Robert Mankoff. A very interesting man, whose views on the analytics of humor match my own. Actually, that gives me far too much credit. It's a very interesting course, and I'm really enjoying it.

The Gargoyle has entered it's final production phase. We pint on Friday, and will be on the racks come the following Tuesday. That's not a lot of time, and the final form of the mag is not solid yet. But, I am certain we have enough to fill it. Which is good.

Write No Evil is dead, long live The 57th Street Company.

This past weekend I completed the UM Book Publishing Weekend Workshop, lead by Esther Margolis (of Newmarket Press) and Kay Radtke (I might have misspelled that name). It was a fascinating, and arduous, experience but it really did give me insight into the book publishing world.
Why'd I do it? Because I think it might be something I want to do for a living.

There's a Student Pub Board meeting tonight. Usually I enjoy these, since it gives me a chance to relax, have an excuse to do no homework that night, act important and most importantly: get fed. I'm worried because this comes during layout week, but I think we'll be okay.

Oh, and I am attending graduation. At least, I assume I am graduating.

New Year's Resolutions and Their Progress Thus Far

1. Keep better track of my money.
As always, the thing I really hate to do is to buy food. Specifically, prepared food. Unfortunately I have had to do an awful lot of this recently, on account of having consumed the entirety of my fridge before leaving for break.

2. Drink 1 pop per week.
Doing very well on this one. Last week's pop was Jone's Soda Berry Lemonade. Delicious. The downside has been trying to find acceptable substitutes at the aforementioned restaurants. Most of the time this has little to do with my own taste, but the quality of the alternatives. "Light" lemonade is, for instance, disgusting. Also, the "Organic" Iced Tea at Noodle's and Company tasted like eggs.

3. Stop biting the inside of my mouth.
I am very good at acquiring bad habits. In 2004/05, I successfully stopped biting and chewing my nails. I realize now that I only replaced this habit with a much weirder one: biting and chewing on the inside of my mouth. It's basically the same as nipping at your own cuticles, except more disturbing. Anyway, this is going pretty well. But nervous habits are hard to kick. Maybe I can replace this one with pen-chewing?

4. Take 2 long walks per month.
I don't get out enough -- it's a fact. I haven't really touched this one so far, and I feel it to be the weakest of the list. If one has to go, it will probably be this one.

5. Go out with Claire at least twice a month.
Because of School, Claire and I haven't had a lot of opportunities to hang out together. This one will see a lot more mileage (especially in the bowling and billiards categories) once Gargoyle Issue 3 is finished.

6. Read one book (or four New Yorkers) per month.
I got a New Yorker subscription for Christmas! Thanks Jim and Sherri! Anyway, I don't read enough (this might have to do with reading so dang much for my major). It's bothered me for a long time, and makes me feel pathetic around other English majors.

7. Eat Better, Eat Regularly.
This one is hurting right now, especially because of The Gargoyle production schedule (Two twelve-hour shifts!). However, I think this one is the most important on the entire list.

8. Stay In Touch
Make more calls. 24-hour turn-around for emails. More blog posts. Going pretty well so far, I think.

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Gargoyle goes to print on January 11th. It's the first conceptual issue that I have done since seizing power two years ago. It's not a "theme" issue, like "The Holiday Issue" or anything like that. Instead, there's a unified artistic approach taken to the layout of each article, as opposed to the article's contents.

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ps.
I was a straight "A" student last semester. Do I win?

A Quick Word

Classes are over. But the fun continues!
I only have one exam left (ENG 350), but it's harder compared to my "eXtreme Weather Exam." Thankfully, I have read 50%+ of Paradise Lost, a little Fairey Queen (Spencer is lucky he's dead so I can't kill him myself), and all of Marlowe's Faustus. I think I am in good shape.

In my off-hours, I am working to rewrite my ENG 425 paper entitled "You Will Not Be An Astronaut." It's arduous, since I have 20 3-or-more-page reviews of it, plus my professor's comments. For me, re-writing is hard enough. Having to do it for a grade and on a time schedule is also straining. But I do have a week left, and I also have some idea of what I need to work on, so it's not all bad.

Also, out of a yearning artistic desire (but mostly fear), I wrote two pieces for the Gargoyle. The first chronicles the adventure of Joseph with Jesus, the bratty step-child. The second is a soliloquy delivered by the Miltonic Satan as he orders chinese food (spoiler: he uses "Stygian" a lot).

A busy time to be sure. The exams and the essays will be out of my (gorgeous) hair by the 20th, which is fantastic because I need more time to focus on the Gargoyle. We're going to print on the 11th of January, but since this is what I can safely call an "artistically experimental issue" it might not be enough time.

But it has to be.

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X-Mas plans are as follows: Back in the Troydizzle after the 22nd but before the 24th. In Indiana on the 26th. Possibly further south if time allows? Who knows.

Things I've Said

I know, I am way off the schedule that I hinted in the last post.
But I have a really good excuse this time.

The whole alum thing last week dominated my time, but it was completely awesome. I love the alums - there will be more on this later, and I do promise that.
Anyway, the Alums were here and Kris was staying with me (RAD!) but that meant we got no work done on the issue that weekend. So we've been burning the midnight oil all week to layout the issue and also do fun things -- like carve pumpkins.

We just finished. The issue is entirely done. We're doing the copy-edit corrections Friday afternoon, and it will be sent to the printer's before end of business tomorrow.

I'm going to sleep so well.

The Photos From Iceland

Many have asked, "Sir, hasn't our breath been baited enough? Are we not worthy of your many, many pictures of Iceland?"

Children, you have waited long enough.
Behold, I give unto yee (the little people) these pictures.

Trip To Iceland (And Beyond)

I chose only the best, least rock-related photos of the 541 primarily rock and landscape based photos to be posted. Each has what I hope to be some kind of explanatory caption, but do ask questions using the comment feature on each picture and I will use my encyclopedic knowledge to answer it.

I'd like to take a moment to explain just what happened to yours truly upon his glorious return from the Land of Ice (and Vikings). Claire and I came into New York, where we were met by Ba and Mare - my wondrous aunts of legend. After a night in the Casa De Everett (home of Rick Everett, man about town), we sojourned on to New York. Our two-day mission was to aide in moving Claire's sister Hannah into her new home at Columbia University.

After a few minor, less viking-related adventures in NY (sadly, not involving Justin Kavoussi) Claire and I headed back to Ann Arbor - the Big Sleazy. She left later the next day, and then I was on my own. Homeless and alone, but at least gainfully employed, I staggered through the next ten days. On the 31st of August, I moved into my new domicile and then immediately left for Indiana.

Since then, I have started classes (more on that later) and the Gargoyle has kicked into gear for the year (more on that later, also rhyming). The only real obstacle between me and getting back into semi-regular contact is the sheer lack of internet in my house. Despite my best efforts to steal it from neighbors, I have been without internet in my life since the 21st of August. I miss it, but according to the voice on the other end of the line a modem should materialize on or around the 11th of September.

Now take some time to enjoy the pictures. Its very late, and this Max is off to bed.

An Update For the Future

We were going pretty strong with the blog thing, and then I got back from Break and had to deal with school again. 'Ts a bad time, these past few days. Way too busy. The Gargoyle budget needs to be finished up, and I have a board meeting to go to on Monday. Not to mention all the papers in my immediate future.

Bear with me, I'll be back soon.

In the meantime, here's Bob Dyaln singing the words to popular Dr. Suess books. Not really, but they sound awfully convincing. Dig it.