Progress

I typed another old story, "The Price of Progress." I wrote it on a whim, and thus made it my first-ever voluntary short story. At the time, I was a pretty radical kind of person, especially because I was in the throes of some teenage hell. It's funny, because this is the first part of what I intended to be a two-part story, but I read Fountainhead before I began part two, and my view of selfishness changed completely. There's still some goodness in this story. I like the aggressive style, but I'm never going back. My mellowness now is too nice.

Pursuit

A new sketch war is available. It feels good to write these again.

Treason

"Treason" is now part of the site. I wrote it in 2002 (fall semester, junior year of high school) as an assignment for English class. The idea was to imitate the Southern Gothic style we had recently reviewed. I put a ton of description in here, that's for sure. I remember that, at that time, it was a little over-the-top for me; I've become more sparse in my writing since then. I'm not sure it should really be called "Treason," because I don't think the final bit of dialogue uses the proper definition of the word. But the past is the past.

As a side note, one line of the dialogue in this story was the inspiration for a little literary magazine I wanted to run with Lisa and my room mate during my first year of college. It was to be called the Yankee Spy. Lisa still makes fun of me for that.

Case File Updates

The site has been "updated." I took out the goofy CGI stuff that ran the front page and its linked stories. Instead, it's plain old HTML, lacking even style sheets or document-specified fonts/colors. I guess it's kind of ugly, but that's not what matters, anyway.

More importantly, I added "Equinox" to the list. I was holding off until I sent it to a publisher, but I decided I'll just keep it. If you haven't already read it, take a look!

I also removed Armored Core. This is due in part to the old conversion issue I had that caused all em-dashes to become ellipses. Mainly, though, I am fixing it up so that all the formatting remains intact, including italics, "smart quotes," and what have you. Because the damn thing is so long, I'll have to comb through it before I can put it back up. The stories I already have here should suffice.

Finally, I'll be adding some of my older stories from high school. These are not very good, but it's still some nice history.

L = r x p

A spin-off, it is. Literally. From Equinox's home system were hurled a number of uninhabited planets that the original rulers of Equinox quickly forgot (well, they also died, of course). One of these planets has happened into a small, poor solar system that is home to a colony of miners.

I'm 8900 words in, and less than half-way through Part I. It's a funny thing: every story I write overshadows the last. I thought it was perhaps because it took me so long to write a story (usually one short per year), but even with my extremely quick turnaround from writing "Equinox," the familiar jump in skill and spirit is still present; it's not a time-based thing, after all. The only limit is how quickly I can write a story.

For now, I'm enjoying this one too much to rush it. I know this attention to quality and detail will pay off for the reader.

LET'S GO RED SOX, AGAIN

I'm 1800 words into my next story. I don't think I'll be done any time soon; I'm seriously taking my time, and nothing has actually happened yet. I'm simply developing the characters and revealing the workings of their society. This society and its members will undergo an important change soon, so it's necessary to give some small impression of where they came from. I believe I'll make this whole thing publicly available once it's done, rather than sending it off to a magazine. With any luck, it will exceed the usual submission word limit anyway, and I'll be forced to publish it myself! Writing this story is making me truly happy. It's already my best yet; once it's done, I'll either have a great thing on my hands, or I'll lay it down and start writing something even better.

If you want a piece of the action, e-mail me. I'll be glad to leak previews. I even developed a formatting program so I could share it with others (I've begun typing this one before completing it in writing; anything longer than a few thousand words needs to be typed in parallel if only to avoid tedium later).

Underworld has had to cancel the European leg of their world tour because one or several of its members are very ill. Let's hope they recover their vitality soon!

Nature!

For the creepy, tree-humping Whitman in every one of us, I've posted a new Sketch War.

Dub, Edits, and Whiskey-Coke

Chab is a musician from Switzerland. His album, Dub, Edits and Whisky-Coke, is a recurring favorite of mine. Most of the tracks harbor some hidden bitterness or sadness that is so cold it's beautiful to hear. Next time you're feeling just a little bit alone, listen to "Sunrise." You'll shiver and look around yourself. If you want to know what I listened to as I was writing "Subject B," have a listen.

I've begun a new story that will be part of a trilogy. The focus this time is not only a superb plot, but more character development than my writing of the past two years has attempted. It's a spin-off of Equinox, but beyond happy coincidence on the part of the characters, nothing is shared between Equinox and this trilogy. I have a very positive feeling about this project; it's the beginning of a steep ascent.

Speaking of Equinox, those of you who haven't read it and would like to: let me know. I'm not going to put it on this site unless it is rejected from the magazine to which I'm sending it. I do not want to get into legal trouble for providing a free online version of something that another party would own. In any case, I can certainly send it to individuals, so e-mail me if you want it.

I received Oblivion With Bells a few days ago. It is an album of singular beauty. There are parts that grate on me a little, but the more I listen, the more I like everything. This record is a masterpiece. Every time I start listening to it, I say to myself, "this is the last time." But once it's over, I put it on again. Underworld is to music what I want to be to writing: an entity of pure artistic freedom. I'm glad that they now have complete control over their music (the Oblivion cover proudly displays that the music inside is (c) Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, trading as Underworld. Can you imagine what that's like?

I think it's also about time to do another batch of Sketch Wars. Perhaps if readers tune in tonight, they will see a new sketch.

Supplemental Materials

With my recent exile from Boston University has come the chance to dig through my old writing docket. It contains such relics as the last printed manuscript of my book, the only handwritten version of it anywhere, the original 50-page story I wrote in eighth grade, various versions of other stories, and notes for all of the above. The Armored Core notes are the most interesting, so I've added them to the new AC Supplements section.

Let's Go Red Sox

Public Dispersion of Equinox Begins

To Be Me

New sketch

Underworld Live Backstage

Phonestrap 6/Autotrader 4 by Underworld is amazing.

Softskines

My Moleskine dream comes true

Nicenet

I just visited an old friend from my Milton days. It was the site we used to collaborateo or whatever outside of sophomore year English class. Mrs. Graham was trying to get with the program and do stuff on the Internet, but it was really lost on us. Why not just hand out these assignments, turn them in, and talk about them in class? Well, we usually did that, but she insisted on Nicenet sometimes. 2001–2002 was still a time when high school kids used computers exclusively for counter-strike and AOL (and probably pornography). Class on the Internet? What!

As for these screenshots, this was the first time I got away with academic murder. Ah, 10th grade. Where has the time, and the GPA, gone?

What was this paper going to be about? I'm glad you asked! Can you tell I'm Lutheran?

Can't Type No More

Stretch

Got a deadline? Feeling like you'll never reach the end of something? Well, maybe what you need is a good old dose of nonsense to enlighten your poor soul.

You can also read the following facts:

It doesn't eat people directly. Instead, it feeds from their screams. Now, they don't have to be screams of fear, but those are the easiest for it to harvest, thanks to its special skill. It'll loch you. What's that? Yes, loch you. It'll make you make no sense. Does an inside-out skull or buttock make no sense? Then he can do it to you. Does a finger with eyelashes make no sense? You'll have twenty of them in no time. When you or your friends scream at the sight, he'll get fat and go away.

And you'll still make no sense.

Notebook not ARChed

I found me a soft-cover Moleskine that is similar to the little pocket Volant series. It was bundled with the useless (to me) pocket daily planner (special red version). Look in the link for a "Twin Set." It really wasn't worth the high price, especially because I have a nice notebook already, and because the little softskine has only 48 pages (40 if you are like me and don't count idiotic labels as pages). It's still nice to look at. I might find a use for it at some point. Until then, I'll consider it a prototype for the NeoVolant line that will come out on my birthday.

This made me think of Lisa. It was a pleasant thought:

Do the things I do

Check out the latest Sketch War.

In other news, I have begun typing "Equinox." This step should be complete soon.

Also, "Spikee" is one of Underworld's greatest early works. Spin it some day.

The Sun Rises on Equinox

I received "Spikee/Dogman Go Woof." Still have to listen to it (that comes tomorrow).

Oh, yes, and "Equinox" is finally done! I wrote over 2,000 words today for an exhilerating to a thrilling story. Next comes typing and revision!

0 proof

1. I got Dirty/Minneapolis today: two great sides.
2. I just had non-alcoholic bouron; the alcohol evaporated.

Fading

It was a fun sketch. There's some astronomy/cosmology stuff in there, too.

Sketching

A new page for Sketch Wars. First sketch: puffs.

Destin Heureux

I've finally tipped away from the stalled middle ground I achieved in "Equinox," with nearly one thousand more words written since the weekend began. It took a lot of bourbon, to be sure. There's a lot I'm not satisfied with (especially the really limited nature of show-n-tell that goes on), but I think this story, more than any other I've written, will have a truly rough draft. I've always found it a good method to cringe at not sweating the details, but continuing anyway. When I start editing, I will take care of the problems.

Lisa and I came up with a new game to play: Sketch Wars. We both need to practice our abilities far more often that we often do, so I decided that every day, we would challenge each other with some kind of short work, a sketch. I'll tell her to draw something I think of, and she'll tell me to write in the manner of her choice. The first challenge is tonight. I'll post results and observations here if they prove to be fun and interesting.

Play

Fun and simple games. Favorites: Blob Wars and Project: Starfighter.

Jooce

An ever-changing collage of motion and sound

Two New Vinyls

While I was compiling my Christmas list, I thought of all the Underworld singles (and mainly B-sides that were never re-released) that I want to acquire. Some are mostly out of my league (e.g. Rez/Why Why Why), which means they went straight to the list, while I found a few others that wouldn't cost me too much money.

In one corner:

In the other:

I can't wait to hear this stuff. "Spikee," for example, is missing from my collection simply because I lost my copy of 1992–2002; I haven't heard it for years. I also prefer getting the original source of a given track, so the 12" definitely beats any compilation. Plus, no one ever put the crazy B-sides anywhere else; maybe some day there will be a 1992–2002b.

Spikee and Dirty are on their way!

New Page

We got us a new page: the HTML version of my site's RSS feed. It's ugly, but that's how I like it.

OHMIGODWHATHAVIDONE

I got a few CDs yesterday: C+C Music Factory's Gonna Make You Sweat, Digitalism's Idealism, and The Chemical Brothers' We Are The Night. C+C, of course, created their socially and intellectually potent album in 1990, while the other two are from this year. I'll focus on those two albums here (I know any readers need not re-read that Gonna Make You Sweat crosses temporal and spatial gaps of excellence to this very day).

Digitalism is best known for its highly addictive single "Zdarlight." I first heard it on Benassi's Cooking for Pump-kin Vol. 1 and I was immediately hooked. For the next year and a half, I wondered if Digitalism had any other songs. The answer was no. I soon gave up, thinking these guys had both started and ended their careers with "Zdarlight." I ended up in Borders and, to my surprise, I saw that Digitalism had released an album at some point this summer. Idealism is not the greatest thing I've heard (that honor belongs to Underworld's entire catalogue), but it technopop mixture is entertaining enough that I know I'll be playing it fairly regularly. For those who need a comparison, I'll say it sounds similar to Daft Punk. Anyway, it has an unadulterated version of "Zdarlight." That alone will get more rotation than all of We Are The Night.

Why is that? Well, those of you who know me may remember my Chemical Brothers phase a year or two ago. Starting with their first two albums, Exit Planet Dust and Dig Your Own Hole, I enjoyed the breakbeats (or whatever people call them—stupid electronic genres...). Their later works were always a mixed bag; I loved Surrender, was lukewarm to Come With Us, and I really hated Push the Button at first. PtB eventually grew on me; it had enough songs that I could ignore the Chemical Brothers' sudden, bizarre entry into the field of hip-hop. During the summer, I wondered a little about future Chemical Bros. releases, but I never knew they were due for a 2007 album. Then I saw it right near Idealism in Borders and cautiously picked it up. Was it going to be another PtB? The answer is no. It is far worse than their last album. The tracks with lyrics are solidly horrible, while the ones without lyrics are still subpar. It almost seems that the Bros. knew what they were making; their overplayed terrible track, "Do It Again," asks, "OMIGODwhatHAVIDONE?" repeatedly, while "The Salmon Dance" raps at one point "I heard someone say out loud, 'Wut da fuck iz dat?'" (Side note: I never knew "Do It Again" was by the Chemicals—every time I heard it on the radio, I assumed it was yet another annoying song by Timberlake or similar. If only I had been right.) I admit that it may grow on me, but it better do so quickly, or else the CD will find itself cracked in half under a landfill. I advise against getting the album. As I meditate on whether or not I'm going to destroy my copy, I'll listen to my favorite song from it, "The Salmon Dance," which wins "best song" simply because of its sheer stupidity.

Oh yes, we saw Underworld, too. I won't try to use words to describe it; all I can say is that it was well worth the money and I will see them again as soon as I can.

Core Dump

It just came to my attention that the Armored Core text on my site has an embarrassing error. You see, when I typed the story, I used a Mac. The software inserted UTF16 characters, and so I ended up getting really stupid stuff like "smart quotes," ellipses (instead of "..."), and weird em-dashes. Well, when I decided to put these stories on the site, I wrote a conversion script to strip all those 16-bit characters from the text and replace them with something more reasonable. Somewhere along the way, I made it convert all the funky em-dashes into "..." and now the story seems really vague. Converting back to em-dashes isn't going to work, since I already had instances of "..." that will get caught up in the conversion process. Oops.

In other news, I finally found someone who wanted the UW/NYC tickets! That's a huge weight off my shoulders. I didn't want to be stuck with two unused tickets for the rest of my life. Talk about regret! In an e-mail to the "winner" of the tickets, I revealed this about how I think when I buy things:

[...] When I buy things, I consider the money 100% "lost." Well, I guess a better term would be "100% non-refundable." Thus, I tend to try to get as much enjoyment out of that thing as possible, but if for some reason I lose it or can't use it, I don't feel that I have to recoup my losses. It's probably a bad philosophy for business, but it lets me stay calm when things don't work out as I expected. And it probably encourages me to make more careful purchases.

With that out of the way, it's time to get psyched for UW/Boston. Maybe I'll even see the guys wandering around the city! It's funny, because I drafted a letter to Underworld about a year ago, but I never sent it, mostly because it was really short, didn't express what I felt, and asked too much about Mother Earth/The Hump. I think I'll rewrite that letter. But I'll still keep my eyes open for Karl and Rick in Boston.

Notebook 3 has a few more ideas in it. Most of them are related to my classes, but as usual, there are a few thoughts of unknown origin. When I get back from class today, I'll write a little more "Equinox." Now that I've spent so much time fiddling around with it and winding it up, it will be fun to let the story loose, to see where it will go. I think the conclusion of "Equinox" will also be the conclusion of my beloved writing notebook, a Moleskine Volant, my last surviving specimen of the Volant series. I really miss those things; while the largest Cahiers are actually of excellent quality, the smaller two sizes, especially the pocket ones, seem as though they were thrown together. The paper is also less receptive to my ink. What's odd is that almost a year ago, I sent an e-mail asking where to find any left-over Volants. Here's the exchange (my message is quoted):

from: Info Modo & Modo

to: Jon Irons

date: Oct 13, 2006 10:43 AM

subject: R: Moleskine Volant

Dear Jon,

you are not the first nor the last to lament the loss of the Volant, but don't despair, we're working on something. For now I can just give you the contact of our US distributor who might still have some remnants (we don't, sorry)

Kikkerland Design Inc.:

LKellner@Kikkerland.com

Tel. 001-212-678-2250

www.kikkerland.com

I remain at your disposal if you have other questions.

Best regards

Silvia Contestabile

Commercial Department

MODO&MODO

V.le Porta Vercellina 10

20123 Milano

www.modoemodo.com

-----Messaggio originale-----

Dear Modo e Modo,

I began using your Moleskine notebooks a few years ago, starting with a set of three small Volants and a set of three large Volants. I enjoy just about all of your notebooks, but I feel that the new Cahier line is lacking a solidarity that I felt from the Volant.

I understand that the Volant was discontinued, and I won't waste our time begging that you bring it back (but, please do!); I would simply like to know if you have any stock left that I can purchase, or know of any distributors still selling them. I live in the United States of America, if that helps.

Thank you for reviving the wonderful Moleskines. I use them every day.

--

Jon Irons

Since then, I've never seen any announcements for a new volant-style book. However, Modo e Modo came out with a soft-cover planner that made me hopeful that we would soon see a Neovolant. That still remains to be seen.

KILL ME EP: Extended

The Syringeguy page now contains something I can't believe I forgot: KILL ME EP, the first music I've ever "composed." It's pretty cutting-edge stuff.

Oh yeah, and since I have three other (unrelated) songs I won't be able to release anywhere else, I've put them into the KILL ME EP bundle. Those who already have the original EP release can download an add-on pack from the SG page.

Oblivion With Bells

For those of you who know me, you might enjoy this: Underworld's newest album, Oblivion with Bells, is now available for preorder in the US. The album comes out on October 13th, and should reach customers by the 16th. You have the option of getting a special T-shirt with OWB, and either way, you can also download two versions of the first OWB single, "Crocodile."

If you don't know Underworld, let me explain a little about them. Although they started as a rather bad synthpop/new wave band back in the 80s, they cleaned up their act in the 90s and became the best electronic group in existence. While other electronic music (which I'll call "techno," inaccurately, as shorthand) can be fun to listen to, it quickly gets old. Underworld not only has evolved significantly in the last 15 or so years, but their music has always been so much richer than anything else I've heard. They became famous because of "Born Slippy NUXX," which is definitely a "club" song, and really does no justice to the true Underworld style. Once you get to know them, Underworld will keep you engrossed day after day. Hell, within two years, I went from occasional listener to fanatic; I recently bought a rare single on vinyl for $120. If you like electronic music, but miss the depth of other forms, I recommend Underworld.

What does Underworld have to do with my writing? A whole lot. You see, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, the two lasting members of Underworld, create true art. I say "true" because they make music, sure, but they do it for themselves. I can really feel their enjoyment of art and life when I listen to their music. It inspires me. Underworld is the only example of this phenomenon that I've found so far. They show me that it is possible to make a living creating something as useless as art. So, in return, I support them by buying--not pirating--their music. And in a few days, I will go to their show in Boston!

See also:
Underworld on Discogs, Underworld on BSS, Underworld forums.

On an unrelated note, you *NIX users might enjoy this session I just had with the ed editor:

jonirons@merck ~ $ ed mailframe.txt
mailframe.txt: No such file or directory
i don't care
?
I SAID I DON'T CARE 
?
I HATE YOU
?
q

SG Returns!

For the multitudes who miss Syringeguy, I have a special treat: I've brought his pages back from the dead! In addition, I got my hands on one or two previously thought to be lost (including the original, starring Bill Catambay). I also got rid of the old SG page layout (which used the former color and design scheme of this site) and updated it to use the primitive table system employed on the front page (which, by the way, I stole from jwz)!

Check out the news item link to revel in the glory.

Equinox's Equinox

I'm about half-way through my latest story, "Equinox." It's undoubtedly the best I've written so far. If you want to spoil a lot of the surprise, check this out. It leads to what is a subset of my notebooks (the password, in case you need to know, is gochoo. Enjoy the suspense!