Luis

astromono.com teaser

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:29:50 -0700

ITS COMINNNNNNGGGG!!!

Diuliyo & Justino

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:30:29 -0700

Diuliyo juega Mario Kart DS mientras Justino lo mira al pie de un árbol cerca del Administration Building en Curundu.

Diuliyo plays Mario Kart DS while Justino watches at the foot of a tree near the Administration Building in Curundu.

critics-say

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:47:27 -0700

eye of the beholder's head

30 stitches

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 14:41:49 -0700

never say designing ain't dangerous

diverboy

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 02:40:43 -0700

upcomiiinnnnnng!

enter the diverboy

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 02:00:48 -0700

yeh.

LSF

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:56:27 -0700

pobre pirata

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:21:20 -0700

poor pirate ;)

The D

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:05:37 -0700

Flyer for my friends from local band Fix" target="_blank">http://myspace.com/fixpunk">Fix

acperience

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:05:01 -0700

That's a big YES in the "like asian girls?" checkbox ;)

ivory

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:04:31 -0700

I dunno about this one, but some dudes I know like it a lot.

Open Source Thoughts

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:04:01 -0700

Think, dream, imagine whatever you feel like. I do every day.

Need Help. Serious Help.

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:09:53 -0700

Lately things seem to not be working for me. I feel like the world's neglecting me a bit. I've been trying hard to push the web site along, but somehow I feel like maybe I'm not trying hard enough, simply because the payoff isn't that great. I feel like I've been trusting the wrong people with the things I depend on and now I have no one else to blame but myself. In the span of a month I have experienced so much change. From being this cool laid back guy to simply being a person who does everything at home and rarely leaves his room. I post about 20 new blog entries at http://astromono.com on a daily basis. In 4 hours. I'm feeling lonely as hell and there doesn't seem to be a silver lining. I know I should just try and keep on going. I know that this is all bullshit and maybe I'm whining like a bitch because things are not going my way, but damn... it feels like odds are just coming against me to punch my face every time I try to get up. It just sucks at the moment and now I really need help.

The problem with being free

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:03:09 -0700

So I've been at it for a while... I was working at the broadcast station, then I got out of there and landed in a marketing agency, doing ads for a respected lamps shop here in PTY. And the work was cool, if a bit repetitive at times, but overall nice. It's the people. The people I can't seem to digest one way or the other. The kind of people I don't want to work with because it just seems they're there to get by after going through life with doing everything that people consider to be is "living". I hated the place because it just didn't seem like the place people would work at because they thought it was fun or because they even liked it. They just went there to get a paycheck and it just so happened they were good at what they did. Extremely good. So I got out of the place and into my own business. It's been almost a month and it feels pretty grim at the moment. I walked away from design as I liked it. Haven't checked out what's new in a long time and it just feels like I'm blocked at the worst time possible. There's just no way I can be blocked, but it seems like I am. And I hate some of me for it. I have a huge list of things to do. And it keeps piling up because I can't seem to concentrate. I don't know what's bothering me or what's keeping me from going forward. I feel like I'm not doing it for me anymore and maybe I'm doing it for others to see and for others to like it. I just don't know. Anyone out there been in that situation? Any thoughts? Any advice you can give?

Christmas in October?

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 01:25:05 -0700

Not really, but close: it's my birthday. YAY! I meant to write this post much earlier, but decided to wait until the actual date (16th) and also I didn't have my photos from a recent trip I wanted to show. On Saturday I had the opportunity to share an entire day with kids from Darién, the biggest province in my country, which also happens to be the poorest due to lack of roads and a high percentage of indigenous groups who live off of fishing, hunting and agriculture. Kids living in this part of the country get it rough with lack of proper aqueducts for potable water, muddy roads and lack of commercial places to buy clothing or shoes. Most kids are lucky to graduate from grade school, let alone high school because as soon as they graduate they start to try and get jobs wiping shoes or windshields for money to support their families. Some kids even have to stay at school and sleep there through the week because of heavy rain and dangerous animals. I got involved randomly after going to college on the wrong day (I seriously thought it was Thursday and not Wednesday!) and indulging in a conversation with friends from a class I had last semester. A person came into the room asking if anyone was interested in completing community labor hours this Saturday. "It involves kids from Darién and a trip through the city" - she said. The hours were a prerequisite for graduation and I was already looking for this opportunity, so I took it. Little did I know that the trip involved waiting for the kids at a local Hossana church at 9:00pm; yeah, when I'm usually sleeping on a Saturday? And then being assigned two boys to take care of until the day ends. That's when I met Diuliyo and Justino, two 15-year olds coursing 3rd year junior high. At first they wouldn't talk at all, and even though I tried to get conversation out of them, it was difficult. We quickly got on the bus towards the Panama Canal Administration Building in Curundu district. We had some time to chill and by the time we got to our first stop at least Diuliyo was smiling and talking to me; Justino on the other hand was sort of a loner, sitting all by himself and frequently getting out of my sight on purpose. The kids got to eat and then go up the steps in the Administration Building in a scorching 32° heat! Crazy swabbies, those kids... :) During our time immediately after eating I took out my Nintendo DS which I didn't even remembered bringing with me, and handed it to Diuliyo with Mario Kart in it. He was hesitant at first, but after a while was driving quite decently. Here's the pic!

The rest of the trip involved going to the Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal to watch a boat passing through the locks from start to finish, at which point we left for the Smithsonian Museum at the Gaylard Cut in the Coastway where the kids learned a bit about the fauna and flora that surrounds the coasts of our Country as well as how submarines work. We finally ended the tour at a local restaurant where the whole group got dinner and the kids got new clothes and school supplies donated by the Fundación No Te Rindas (Never Give Up Foundation) which organized the trip and accompanied us throughout the day. Overall I felt a little bad about not going out to party any day this weekend, but I guess it feels good to do good every once in a while, and I know I'll never forget Diuliyo or Justino, no matter how quiet they were. On a different note, the teaser for my latest project is already up and you can check it here. I wanted my b-day to be more symbolic this year, since this is something I've been cooking up for a long time. It'll kick major ass. I promise. Finally, here's the list of kickass music I've been listening to the last week: 1. Men, Women & Children - dance on my blood 2. Head Automatica - beating heart baby 3. Superbus - radio song 4. PANIC! at the Disco - camisado 5. Billy Talent - pins and needles 6. Henry Mancini - Pink Panther's theme 7. The Slip - even rats (live) 8. Foo Fighters - next year 9. Bush - inflatable 10. Nirvana - something in the way

for a true sinner, Ms. Jones

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:19:09 -0700

Again, with the (almost) weekly post thing. Crazy love going on virb, man! Thanks to everyone who sent messages and comments to the site in the last month! Anyways, on to the news, I got some of my 30 stitches cut on the last week of september and the rest are internal stitches which are emerging little by little as my body expels them naturally. I have to wear sunblock anytime I leave the house and avoid sun at all costs. I'm not vampiring around like most would think, I'm just doing my every day workabouts, but just avoiding the sun by staying inside buildings and away from windows. I'm ok about most things, including the fact I come to grips with my new look and find that I really like it. It's insane going into a place and automatically getting respect or even authority for looking like a badass ex-convict. Around the block I've discovered new stuff, which may not be new to you, but then again, it's my blog. Among the stuff I found was The Arcade Fire and Rilo Kiley which have the "Potions for Foxes" track that just kicks ass. The Amy Winehouse and Panic! at the Disco albums I just can't stop listening to. Along with mainstay Tycho's Sunrise Projector these are albums I literally listen to over and over several times a day. I highly recommend the Me & Mr. Jones track by Amy Winehouse, cause it's just too damn funny and has a bangin' instrumentation. Aside from listening to music I've been indulging more in some of the activities I'm least known for, mainly going to parties and clubs. For instance, last friday I was at a Chiva Parrandera, which is basically a party in a bus, which takes you around town with your friends and has a bar inside and live music playing all the way, making stops at certain spots to check out clubs and take a pee. I also was at fellow designer Chanito's b-day party, which needless to say was a blast with all the other local designers I met and the funny drinking game we had in the end. It was specially shocking to see how far behind I am in terms of dancing salsa and merengue (Chanito and all his sisters are years ahead of me, quite possibly decades). If there's a part that I'm trying to emphasize more is probably my gaming. I'm a huge gaming freak; so much I'm actually thinking of removing the "Tele" section of my profile and just swapping it for a "Games" title to make it closer to what I really do with my time. So far I have this huge library of games, but sadly I haven't really played them much due to time constraints and overall the fact the PS2 is my brother's room and I sorta like to play at nights, which is the time they use to sleep. I know, it's crazy right?! I'm hoping to get a PS2 for myself in the upcoming months as well as a cool LCD to replace the crappy CRT I got. At the moment I'm gnawing away at my DS with Zelda Phantom Hourglass, DK Jungle Climber and Castlevania Portrait of Ruin while practicing hard mode Guitar Hero 1 and 2 whenever I get a chance, mainly because it's a no-brainer, plug and play type of game that I can pound over and over for hours without getting bored. I've been meaning to get my finances ready for an Xbox 360, however I haven't been paid yet after almost a month and a half of working, because it takes three paydays (15 days in-between) for the government to cough up the first paycheck. Yeah, I know working for the man sucks. In this case it has its rewards tho, since the work team is so amazingly funny and laid back to the point where it doesn't seem like a job until the moment you have to go home and put your hand on the clock at 5. Currently all my design projects are at a halt due to my workings and responsibilities with an upcoming personal surprise, which I'll unveil when the time is due. Just know that It'll be awesome and I'm working hard on getting it done right. In the meantime, here's a list of the stuff I'm mainly listening to in no particular order: 1. Panic! at the Disco - I Constantly Thank God For Esteban 2. The Kills - Pull A U 3. Fall Out Boy - Beat It 4. I Love You But I've Chosen The Darkness - We're Still The Weaker Sex 5. Pitbull, Ying Yang Twins, Lil' Jon - Bojangles 6. 50 Cent feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland - ayo 7. Panda - Procedimientos Para Llegar A Un Común Acuerdo 8. Rage Against The Machine - Renegades Of Funk 9. Cher - Strong Enough 10. Gang Of Four - Damaged Goods

30 stitches or so said the doc...

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 14:16:40 -0700

Hello peoples, after a pretty crappy week it felt only right that I came and vent over here. On monday I had an accident after staying too long on a design. I started at 9:00 am on sunday and went on and off during the day until 3am monday designing a newspaper ad for work which was very interesting and challenging in my opinion. I couldn't stop because I was having so much fun with it, but at the same time there was this lingering fear of not delivering it on time (it was due for monday at 11:00 am). At 3am I went to bed thinking I'd sleep a couple hours, be fine and go to work and finish it off then. At 6am I got up and went to look for my towel to get in the bathroom and on my way back my eyelids suddenly began to close all of themselves and it was only after I had hit my head hard that I realized I had fallen asleep while walking. I thought everything was fine, but then mom came running down the corridor with a very nervous voice. I tried to get up, but couldn't do it on my own, maybe because I was still half asleep or perhaps the shock was too much and then something happened... Blood started dripping in droves to the floor, like my head was a fountain and someone left the tap open too long. Next thing I know one of my brothers is looking for a mop while the other tries to keep our dog from cleaning the blood with his tongue. I keep thinking it's just a flesh wound, but then I look up my mug in the bathroom window and see a large gash right above my left eyebrow. Mom called my dad who'd just left a couple minutes ago and by the time he gets back the bleeding has been stopped. We went to the hospital and had to wait a while for a plastic surgeon to get to the ER. He sowed the thing with "30 stitches or so" he says (apparently he ran out of 4 yarns of thread and didn't keep count).

I got leave of absence at work for 3 days and spent the rest of monday morning getting calls from the guys at the office asking how to end the design I'd done (my boss had come to pick up at my house while I was in the hospital). It was turned in at 2pm, but still made it to the papers. This sort of thing has never happened to me before, but I guess there's always a first (and hopefully last) time for it. We can all look back at it and laugh now. Right? :(

gently riding into the sunset ;)

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:11:09 -0700

Sup ppls, been absent for a while, but it's mainly 'cause I've been working like crazy, learning stuff I didn't even knew could fit into my brain. So anyways, I'm digging the joint here at the broadcast station, mainly because I've been presented with a kickass challenge: You know how state-owned broadcast stations and community-managed enterprises work right? Well ppl tend to have this really low, poor image of how these work and operate thinking lesser of them than say... a multi-million private-owned company. The same can be said here in sunny PTY, except that our management actually gives a fuck and we've secured pretty decent equipment and resources to work. It has fallen upon my work unit to lift up the perception of our TV station in the minds of our country and basically I've been learning (and will probably continue to work hard at it) to make trully artful material that's not just done to meet the demand, but to actually improve the quality of programming. phew... so yeah, I also finished reading HP and the Deathly Hallows and that book was fucking sick! Amazingly done I should say and the best part is I can finally relish in the amazing art full of spoilers in deviantart (seriously, you should check out my girl makani's work, it's sick so anyways, peace out and to the sexy mamas: stay tasty!

still alive, motherfucker!

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 23:57:11 -0700

The past week was a bit of a rush for me. In short words I accepted a job for a local TV station about a month ago. Went to all the tests and stuff and basically aced it with flying colors (whatever the hell that means). So... I was told It'd be about a month and a week before I could get in and somehow I got anxious. I stopped waiting and accepted a different job at an advertising company. Yep, I was feeling mighty good with myself, except I wasn't feeling good about my conscience. I worked the first week thinking it wouldn't really hurt and I'd figure out what to do when the Ser TV people called saying they were ready to let me in. The call came in during week 2 of my new job and (you guessed it) I hadn't figured out shit. So I try to tell the HR lady on the other side of the phone (while at my work station) that I'm not going to work there because I got offered a new job somewhere else. Since I have so little spine for these things I decided to ask permission from my current job and go all the way to the TV station to sort things out. I get to the station and well... I was a bit depressed at the sights. I mean, depressed isn't really the word, but rather it was resentment at myself, because they had a dude producing, editing, designing for static ads and making 3D animation at the same time because they didn't have the necessary staff to spread the workload. I felt so bad about it that I just had to say I was gonna work there. With my decision taken, I went back to the advertising office and told my boss and co-worker immediately. They said it was fine, if that's what I really wanted to do. So I work the rest of the week and then this one as well. On Wednesday I got my contract and the paper said $800 instead of the $600 we had agreed on. I trying to read on the three copies just to make sure it's not a typo, but it turns out my employer liked my work so much and trusted my skill so that he actually increased my salary by $200. This made my decision a bit harder to swallow, but in the end I marched up to the master boss chief's office (not before a persuasion attempt by his secretary) and told the man I couldn't take his job. The man said if that's what I wanted then... go for it. I think he saw a man who couldn't be bent on his decision. He didn't try to change my mind so much, because I think he knew if the money didn't make me change my mind then I was pretty much out of there. It felt scary, but at the same time it felt awesome. Sort of like sky diving without a parachute. I pondered on my decision during the weekend and realized I stood up to the whole "money's not my main motivation" gimmick I keep yappin' about. And it felt damn good. The door I'm walking away from may have closed forever behind me, but I'll move on and live with my choice. I'll show everyone my decision was the right one for me and everyone who now depends on my skills. I'm on Ser TV and I'm gonna learn like hell this year (years maybe?). Wish me luck.

see, the thing about labeling...

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:37:47 -0700

No point beating around the bush on this one. I hate labeling. I'm a selfless hypocrite (get it?) and I don't give a damn crap. I fail to see why it is that people NEEED to label other people so they can feel comfortable around their presence. I get asked a lot about what kind of designer I am (are you a... print graphic designer or a web graphic designer? how about a chicken graphic designer or better yet a... beer graphic designer?) why can't I just be me in the eyes of others is beyond me and probably will be beyond me for as long as I am me. I feel it all the time, when talking to people to whom I'm "new" and (in some cases) are new to me. It's like a complex where no real conversation or even a vote of confidence take place if the whole "what do you do?" conversation hasn't taken place or hasn't been answered directly. Sometimes even that's not enough, because it's easy to answer the question by saying "i'm so so and so and i do this and that for those", but then it's like [these] people's brain suddenly switches to horse mode and they can no longer look to the sides while seeing you. It's like in their mind you're the girl with the awesome mustard chicken recipe, but you can't ALSO be the world's stare contest champion because then they'd feel all icky inside like they walked into the bathroom after you and you didn't flush. Like somehow you betrayed their trust that the toilet would be pristine after you scrubbed it (you didn't think I was talking about... OH YOU DON'T KNOW ME AT ALL!) So yeah, I do labeling a lot, but we all have the right and actually should label things to organize our thoughts, our priorities and ultimately our lives. But notice that I said things. Music, books, film, jobs, food, fine art, all of these are things that are static in that once they are created and put into a viable application, they can't be changed from being what they are without turning into something different. Full Metal Jacket will always be labeled as a war movie because it was, is and always will be Full Metal Jacket. It can't suddenly morph itself and become a musical or a romantic comedy, because it is static. You see where I'm going with this when we apply the same fucking reasoning to a human being who can be an awesome writer one moment and a successful athlete the next. Things like these make me wonder if we're in fact progressing as a society, you know what with more technology around and more individualism and shit, you wonder why our personal bubbles keep expanding more each time while at the same our conception of what is "cool" just gets more twisted into plain plastic... canned emotions. And I saw that trailer for balls of fury and while the movie seems to be only salvageable by Mr. Walken I gotta ask: am I the only person who hates the fucking fade in and fade out at the beginning of the trailer? IMHO what was obviously a crappy editing decision in the transformers trailer doesn't have to become the norm simply because that movie did OK in the theaters. Check it out