Note from DGM editor: Update on June 22nd...

Hey guys,

This week has been a long one. As you can see, we are still  transitioning our site over to new hosting, which always is a bit unpredictable in timing. We anticipate being up and running next week, however.  

We also are looking forward to getting more information about the festival campaign next week--as there were some crossed-signals on some things there. Fortunately, we had some amazing help from Sophia Nightwarden (DM) and some great research from DarkestButterfly (DM)! Community is not defined by its ease, but how it functions under adversity!

We do have some exciting news.  The folks over at the Gothic-inspired World of Depleted (http://www.worldofdepleted.com ) post-apocalyptic  community will be officially collaborating with DarkestGoth to provide creative writing, artistic, and filmmaking opportunities for our readers.  The things we have talked about could be as simple as recording a video message after the Fall to writing more in-depth stories to even directing a film in this world. Unlike a lot of creative communities, contributors in World of Depleted get a chance to help impact the core storylines by their creations and even share in profits!

More as we have it!

Editor GV Pasclato

Note from Editor: Main Site Temporarily being refitted...

Hey guys,

If you came through here, it's because the main DGM site is being refitted.  These sorts of things often are necessary on initial launch, since, while things are preplanned as well as they can be, invariably there are snags that only occur at launch.  The great news is that, in the midst of this, we're updating how our site is being hosted, so this should allow our readers to have a far superior reading and viewing experience!

We really appreciate your patience!

Editor GV Pasclato

Note from the Editor: Update on DarkestGoth site...

Friends & Fellow Goths,

You may have noticed a few things this past weekend with the launch of the new DarkestGoth Magazine website.  Some good, some not so good. I just wanted to address a few of them and let you know what's happening on our end.


1) DGM Launch on Friday - We were extremely happy to make our launch date of June 15th, as we want to make sure that we are always a magazine you can depend on.  The amount of content wasn't huge, but that's because a lot of content will be released on a periodic basis so that there will always be something cool to check out at your DarkestGoth Magazine.

2) Mira Nocta - There's been a lot of excitement about the new Gothic festival that will be in Lexington on August 24th-26h.  One of the questions folks have been asking is: When can I start to support the Kickstarter campaign and get tickets, etc.?  The answer is: soon.  We had intended for the Kickstarter campaign to be live day-and-date when we launched on Friday but there were a few unforseen delays which should be dealt with shortly.  As soon as it's live, we'll have our teams get out the information so you can get your tickets and the other cool gifts related to the event!


3) Beta Login issues - One of the things mentioned in our launch was that we are testing out a pretty robust community and achievement backend for the site.  As such, registration is currently in a beta form.  Part of what beta allows is for new users to help us find out where glitches are occurring and folks were quite helpful therein.    As such, improvements on the Beta Registration will be coming later this week!


4) Site Down Currently - We've recently encountered some downtime from the hosting provider that our team has been using for seven years.  This is unacceptable, as our readers need to know that they they can go to DGM whenever they wish and that it will be available.  As such, we will be switching hosting providers in the next week to one that we've researched heavily and who has made the right choices to improving reliability and dependability.

We appreciate your patience with the different snags related to the launch and look forward with anticipation to getting them firmly behind us as we move ahead!

-GV Pasclato
Editor-in-Chief
DarkestGoth Magazine

The Shadowed Thoughts of Silas McBane, Ep. #9

Every New Day

Every single day something happens.  Something good, something bad, I see a miracle, I witness a tragedy.  I'm often astounded at all of life's intricacies as I step back and really look at each day and its events.  It's not like I'm a stranger to life and its various triumphs and challenges.  I've been around the block, as they say.  But more and more, I find myself so wonderfully amazed by all of the big and little things that happen every single day.  Some things just happen, other things I make happen.  Life is such a beautiful adventure.  When I started seeing life this way some time ago, my entire perspective changed.  Suddenly, the tragedies and shortcomings weren't quite as bitter and the victories were so much sweeter.  Admittedly, perhaps a strange outlook for a goth.  I get that.  We're predisposed to the darker side of things and we tend to take on life as a "glass is half empty" endeavor.  However, I'm a firm believer that humans shape their own worlds and destinies.  I refuse to let circumstance and day-to-day life dictate all of my various outcomes.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a control freak.  Quite the contrary, actually.  I tend to be a "go with the flow" kind of guy.  But I also know from experience that life can happen to me, or I can happen to life.  I don't always succeed at it.  It's not as if it's an exact science or a foolproof plan.  It's more a philosophy, really.  I just want to take all of these beautiful and/or painful experiences and turn them into something magical.  Yeah, yeah, I sound like Peter Pan in a black shirt and makeup, I know.  But have you ever taken a step back and really objectively looked at a day's events after it's all done?  I personally got very tired of missing all these fantastic opportunities to create my own universe around me.  Again, I know this is a stretch for many within the beautifully dark community, but just hear me out.  We like to go against the grain.  We don't follow the status quo, typically.  Can you imagine what it would to do the general public's perception of goths if we were…wait for it…happy?  Achieving?  Successful, even?  What a novel idea!  Call me crazy (and you quite likely already have), but this is a much higher quality of life for us.  Don't you think?

                                  -Silas McBane

The Shadowed Thoughts of Silas McBane: Ep. #11

I Blew It

 I blew it today.  Big time. 

 

I had a deadline to meet, and I missed it by a mile.  Like, "I need another week," blew it.  It happens from time to time.  I work in a high stress field that requires a lot from me.  I have a leadership position that puts me up against the wall sometimes.  Here's the thing:  Whether you have just some menial job or you have a full-blown career, pressure and deadlines happen.  I've never worked in the fast food industry, but I have the utmost respect for those that do, and I mean that honestly.  They're overworked, underpaid and most definitely underappreciated.  Talk about a high-pressure position!  I've had a lot of jobs along the way to getting where I am.  I've done things I never wanted to do or thought I would do.  But I'm realizing it's the same at every level, every job.  Things must be done and certain things I'm very responsible for getting done myself. 

 A few years ago, missing a deadline would have meant absolutely nothing to me.  I couldn't have cared less.  I would have continued on in whatever role I had and not thought another thing about it.  Somehow over the years, I started to care.  Call it maturation, responsibility, whatever.  These days, I can't stand the thought of poor performance on my job.  It's not about people-pleasing.  I'm the last person to care what anyone thinks about me.  But it's about "me-pleasing."  I want to make myself feel happy, accomplished and fulfilled.  I realized a long time ago that no one can make me feel that way but me. 

 Here's what I'm saying:  Nobody, and I mean nobody, can make you feel satisfied in any job whatsoever except for you.  It's important to get a grip on internal happiness and satisfaction.  The external variety feels pretty good, admittedly, but it only lasts so long.  The type of satisfaction we as humans crave is only going to come from that place deep inside each of us.  I'm saying we need to stop seeking the constant approval of others and reach a new level within ourselves.  That will lead us to satisfaction, success, and ultimately happiness.  For me, that means a lot more than money, position or anything else I can achieve in the working world. 

I sleep wonderfully at night.  How about you?

 

Silas McBane

 

--

 

To read more of Silas McBane's work, head over to DarkestGoth Magazine.

The Shadowed Thoughts of Silas McBane #8: Kicking the Bucket

 I live out in the country.  Like out in-the-middle-of-nowhere country.  I love it here.  I grew up very secluded, on a horse ranch in Nowhereseville, Wyoming.  A bizarre upbringing for a future goth and musician, I know.  But peace, quiet, landscape and countryside have always been my sanctuary since I was a little boy.  One of my favorite things to do is go outside of a clear night, sit on my front porch, and just think about the universe.  I solve the world's problems in my mind on those evenings.  I think of all of the really important stuff in life, from pizza toppings to politics to religion to reality television.  I tackle it all from that cool, concrete platform.  A little while ago, I began contemplating my bucket list.  For those among you who are not "in the know," a bucket list is simply a list comprised of all the tiny and gigantic things I'd like to accomplish before I "kick the bucket."  Hence, "bucket" list.  If you'll be kind enough to keep it our little secret, I'd like to share my bucket list with you.

(In no particular order)

1.  Visit Ireland and Germany (as I'm of equal Irish and German heritage)
2. Take a cruise
3. Take a hot air balloon ride
4. Meet my other half
5. Marry my other half
6. Spoil my grandkids
7. Get a book or article published
8. Own a mid-late 60s Lincoln
9. Visit every state in the U.S.
10. Play music and perform in front of thousands at one time
11. Get a college degree
12. Scuba dive
13. Repay my parents
14. Take a helicopter tour of Mount Rushmore (an obsession of mine)
15. Save someone's life
16. Write "THE" song
17. Drive a Corvette
18. Watch my children succeed
19. Go to Vegas
20. Eat an In&Out burger

Proudly, to date, I have actually accomplished numbers 7, 10, 16, 19 and 20.  Incidentally, you are proving my success regarding number 7.  Congratulations.  Number 4 is mysterious, but I have a potential candidate in mind (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).  Everything else is just something I want to achieve/do/have.  Believe me, I'm working on a number of things on this list.  I want to accomplish every single thing on it.  I will accomplish every single thing on it.

 

 What a brilliantly beautiful voyage of self-discovery.  Have you a bucket list, my friend?  If not, put "writing a bucket list" on your bucket list.
 

                                  -Silas McBane

The Shadowed Thoughts of Silas McBane #7: Meet Yourself, Part #2 (a how-To)

 *Deep breath*  Lots to cover in a short space, friends.  Let me first say how much love I have for the beautifully dark community.  I have met and am proud to know some of the most amazing human beings I've ever met through the gothic community and I, for one, am so proud of our family and culture.  But something is missing, friends.  A lot is missing, truthfully.  This world needs us, and we're doing so very little.  You're no doubt wondering for what purpose the world needs us.  The world needs you and I like it needs the doctor, the artist, the teacher, the construction worker, the dancer, the architect, the musician, the poet, the CEO, etc.  Sadly, I see within the goth community a very lax mentality that reeks of defeat.  Strong words, I know.  But it seems for every foot of ground we gain we sometimes lose two more because we don't know ourselves, we don't pursue our dreams and we drift off into a darkly-dressed vortex of mediocrity.  Let me whisper a secret in your ear:  I want to be great.

 I have several goals, dreams, visions, whatever you want to call them.  I'm actively pursuing every single one right now.  It was not always this way.  I, much like so many of you, had once upon a time accepted the cold, draining grip of the status quo.  "Whatever I will be, I will be," I used to think.  It seems I would have just accepted whatever life would throw at me and refuse to admit that I could change my stars.  Boy, was I wrong.  I began to think about myself.  Yeah, that sounds narcissistic, but hear me out.  I started dismantling my life internally, examining my thoughts, digging so very deep beneath my own surface.  As I started to understand myself, I realized that I have value.  I have talent.  I have dreams!  I have a destiny, should I choose to accept it. 

 So, let's be practical.  Yes, I had to start working my tail off.  I had to figure out what I wanted to do and then I had to start thinking about how to do it.  One thing was for sure, after catching a hold of what dreams I wanted to make come true, all Hell couldn't stop me.  So I started doing it, little by little, day by day, I kept doing the things that got me closer to my goals.  After a while (and several shortcomings and disappointments), I started seeing it all happen.  Have you ever seen the finish line after a long race?  No feeling compares.  THAT is what's lacking in our community.  Drive.  Effort.  The unflinching belief that the world will be a richer place when it sees what we have to offer. 

Summarizing, I have to ask:  Do you know you?  If you don't, I encourage you to take that journey.  If you do, get out there and do it.  More than ever, this world needs us.

 

                                  -Silas McBane