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iggyguyy · 5 months

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if you ever wanna lore dump about your ocs I’m here I GRHRHRHEHKRHEJ I NEED TO MORE ABOUT THEM

You are now one of my favorite people ever I hope you know that <3

INSANELY LONG LORE DUMP UNDER READ ⚠️❌️

The over-all story of the silly guys:

It's about this 5 person band filled with weirdos in the very real Texas town named Round Top Senior (better version of round top). They live together in a small apartment and have a lot of playing gigs at the local all inclusive bar. Their main problem is money. Money for a new apartment. Their non human drummer is still growing, and is slowly outgrowing the current apartment. They are desperately looking for money to buy one that can actually house their huge drummer. One day this all changes when a 6th person gets sort of kidnapped by the banjo player and has to stay there for a while. No one really likes him and he has no idea how to act around neither queer people nor non humans. Chaos ensues when he finds himself slowly falling in love with the weirdo who got him in that situation in the first place...

THE 6 MAIN CHARACTERS:

Mama 🌞🪕: No one knows who or what he is, but he is sure there! His warm pink skin, his bright green hair and his huge chest make him very loved around the town; you'd recognise him anywhere! His species, age, gender, past and motives are all unknown, even to him. All he knows is that he likes stringed instruments (He plays the banjo, guitar, bass, electric guitar and harmonica) and that he loves befriending humans and learning more about them. There's something about him that really drives people to love him. His huge list of past lovers really shows this!

While most people (including him) don't know, he's actually an impressive 2723 years old. He's the last stander of a species that went extinct around year 700 B.C. I could do a post just about this species but good lord it's so much

He / him used on him mostly, he couldn't care less. He has a vagina and seems to be able to reproduce, no one has really tried. He has a very deep voice and a strong Cuban accent. 200 cm / 6'6 ft. Doesn't have body hair below the face, 0 fingernails and never wears underwear. He also REFUSES to wear shirts / cover his titties. His "titties" are actually holding a very sweet and intoxicating liquid, and the "lines" under his chest are shallow slits that excrete the smell of this liquid.

No Canon gender or sexuality but he will be with anyone who wants him. His favorite band is Buffalo Springfield. Old ass drawing but its still one of my favs!

Richard Kelly / Dickhead 🕶🎸: He thinks that he's the coolest guy ever but oh god he is STUPID! He tries so hard to be likeable that most people just end up hating him instead. From his neglectful parents and bullies in school, he's ended up being a very pretentious and dismissive person. He doesn't really "get" queer people, he thinks most people are beneath him and he doesn't even slightly respect non human people. Why is he even here? Good question! After getting mad at Mama for "stealing his girl" (His gf Jill broke up with him because he was yelling at her in front of Mama), he got so mad in his drunk state that he fainted mid-punch and woke up on Mama's couch the next day. The rest is history! He tries to pretend that he hates the band but oh god he's starting to love them so much. He also canonically loves goth girls.

He / him, cis male. 175 cm / 5'7 ft. Has a HUGE ass. Stubby beard paired with sad mustache. Cis straight man in the beginning of the show, cis BI man at the end! 25 years old, birthday is the 15th of August. His favorite band is Gorillaz. Haven't drawn him in ages whoopsies!

Julius Amadeus Usoro 🍎🥁: Big guy! This huge monstrosity is the head honcho of the band, their drummer and the one who owns the apartment! He has a huge fear of birds and insane abandonment issues. He tackles having 3 jobs at once, drummer for the band, ASL teacher for their deaf neighbour and he also teaches the drums! His other hobbies includes competitive eating, cooking, anything that has to do with apples, going on runs and walks, cooking even more, napping and cooking again. He is a mix between a sewerian and a Häll-horn, hence his purple skin! Most people just know him as "the demon" though. His brain is very small and he's not that bright, but he has a big heart and he is very loved by the band. He is illegal in many places and the band literally have to say that he's a guide dog to get out of some situations. The people of texas really don't like "demons". He legally adopted Marv in high school. Won't say his whole long ass backstory either but he was raised by a Russian lesbian couple who owned a big apple farm. He is also mute! He communicates through ASL or messy writing!

He / him, cis grayromantic bisexual male. 255 cm / 8'4 ft. 21 years old, birthday is the 10th of October. Huge titties on this guy. Gets winter fur but is pretty hairy all year round anyway! Paw-like hands. His favorite band is The Beatles.

His current design has him wearing headphones more times than not, but these old drawings still work to shoe his design :3

Marvin Juhani Usoro / Marv 🎺💣: The youngest in the band, but also the smartest by far! With 150 IQ and a concerning love for violence and explosives, this little pyromaniac is the main singer in this already weird band. He is completely blind, literally not having eyes at all under his opaque glasses, two of his limbs are amputated and his scarring is painful, so he uses his trusty crutch-cane wherever he goes. He's in and out of asylums and switches back and forth between psychologists, which is awful for him due to strong noscomephobia [fear of hospitals or care facilities]. He's diagnosed with bipolar disorder, autism and borderline personality disorder. His mother got killed by a faulty bomb he made, and his dad disowned him afterwards; making Julius and the band his only family. He was born in Borås, Sweden, to two Jewish finns, so he speaks english/finnish/swedish/jiddisch.

He / him, cis aroace sex+romance repulsed male. 177 cm / 5'9 ft. Big part of his nose gone due to explosion. 16 years old, birthday is the 3rd of March. His favorite band is either Insane Clown Posse or Children of bodom. Ignore that his foot is only missing on one drawing it's a pretty recent change !

[Dead name] Hernandez / Buddy 🎹🤙: They are the backbone and most street smart one in the band, without them the rest of them would be completely lost! They love messing with the others amd pulling small pranks. They're diagnosed with Adhd. As a side gig they like to play piano and sing during nights at the club without the band, usually with a bar specific backup crew. They are a recovering alcoholic and struggle with smoking. They used to be very ablelist and cruel to people, but they decided to leave that life and they're trying to become the bigger person. They write pretty much half of their songs [other half being by Julius], and being in this band is the best thing that ever happened to them. They've completely cut off the ties to their family who still lives back in Spain. They pride themself in their big amount of friends, always making sure to check in on them and hype them up. They don't use their dead name ever, except for legal instances, but it doesn't make them that uncomfortable so they can't be assed to legally change it.

Any pronouns, mostly they / them. AFAB genderfluid lesbian. They still view gender for them as fluid, but still primarily fem! They are 28 years old and their birthday is the 1st of April. 167 cm / 5'6. Their favorite band is Queen, but fav artist is Cass Elliot.

Dominic Smith / Dom 🎷🖼: The half raccoon half human who ran away from home and just happened to meet Julius! This sax playing maniac is so obsessed with Julius that he clings to him 24/7. He has autism, adhd, strong maladaptive daydreaming disorder and even stronger schizophrenia. He basically lives in his own little world and sees things as a jumbled mess of bland colours, and that's why he loves Julius and the band so much; they're a break from the same old same old! He grew up on a corn farm for most of his life, living with his mother and 2 older brothers. His dad was nowhere to be found, and Dom cant remember meeting him ever. He loves sporting his beautiful knockoff slipknot merch and jeans. He has a very hard time remembering things. His special interest is spongebob! [Although he calls him "monty spumbop" for whatever reason ?]

He/they/xe, amab but pretty much completely unlabeled. No one has ever explained the concept of gender to him in a way he understands, but if someone managed to do it he would most likely use xenogenders. He's silly like that. 155 cm / 5'1 ft tall. 19 years old, birthday is the 17th of January. His favorite band is slipknot.

SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT SIDECHARACTERS;

Barbra Scarlette Wilson / Barb 💄🎀: A 32 year old 190 cm tall texan dragqueen millionaire! He has the biggest, pinkest house in town, and he is PROUD of that! He uses he/him and is a cis gay man. His drag name is Scarlette Darling. He is absolute besties with Buddy and even gave them a specific pink flip phone that only has his number, so it's easier to contact him! He has a crush on Julius that pretty much everyone except Julius himself has noticed.

Kino 🟦💢: 29 year old unlabeled Häll-horn whos Ukrainian and Russian, very traditional one too. He has embraced the "demon" culture and is completely against all humans. He absolutely hates Julius because he thinks that he's a disappointment and embarrassment to the whole species, with how human influenced he is. He is very aggressive and mean.

Kaleb 🟥❔️: 20 year old trans ftm pansexual Sewerian whos Ukrainian, not very traditional one. He doesn't care too much about traditions or hating humans, he just wants to relax and live as he likes. The only reason he hangs around Kino is because they can relate over both being non human and "demons". He had to pretend to hate Julius just to make Kino happy, secretly he thinks Julius is extremely attractive so whoops that's not what Kino wants!

Oscar Pérez 🍊🍺: A 37 year old cis male gay human from Mexico. He used to date Mama and planned on getting married to him while Mama was in Mexico, after getting left alone completely randomly by him, Oscar swore to find him and get revenge on him. Now he's found him again, but he still loves him too much to go through with it. So now he's just in an abusive relationship with him instead! Oscar gets a lot of pent up anger he usually takes out on Mama, since he thinks he deserves it. Mama doesn't even remember who he is or that they're even together, but he still keeps letting Oscar treat him as if they're an item.

Jill Dimitry 🖤💫: Richards ex gf. She loves rock and is trying to learn the guitar. She is cis female and bisexual. She can get fed up very easily, so it's a surprise she didn't break up with Dickhead earlier! She doesn't talk to Richard anymore but she's talking to Buddy and Mama every now and then.

Rita Salvador ✏️💛: Julius' old high school roommate and girlfriend. She was a huge beatles fan and collected spongebob merchandise! She was a transfem autistic girlie who always wore her socks over her baggy sweatpants. She died when Marv was working on a bomb and accidentally knocked it to the floor, the explosion happening close enough to Rita to kill her, but only knock out Marv. Julius just lied to Marv and explained that she died of a heart attack, not wanting Marv to feel guilty. Rita named herself after the beatles song "Lovely Rita" !!

Alia 🌼🫒: The local florist shop owner! She sells handmade and homegrown bouquets and all kinds of flowers! She was very close friends with Rita. She loves meeting Julius during the week, even if she can't understand his ASL! She's a transfem Muslim who always sports her cool handmade skirts! ALSO SHE WAS CREATED BY THE LOVELY @animatronicthing [art in the photo below was made by schyr!!!!!!!!] GO CHECK THEM OUT

There are a few more characters worth mentioning who don't have a decided design or aren't that relevant but still!!!!!!!!:

The Abdullahi family. They are the band's neighbours whi recently moved here from Nigeria. Mrs. and Mr. Abdullahi don't know a lot of English, and their daughter Sani is deaf and autistic. Julius spends his free time teaching ASL to Sani!

War veteran neighbour: old man in wheelchair who lives across the street to the sillies and often goes out on his balcony at the same time as mama, making them greet each other every now and then.

Freddie: he's the local pizzeria owner and he absolutely loves getting visited by Dom and Julius, it really makes his day!!

That's pretty much all characters who are somewhat developed, but oh god there's more! TY sososososoosososoosososoososososoososo much for this ask i am literally going insane !!!!!!!!!

That's my sillies, bye ! ✌️

#GRAAAAGHHHHHHHHH SILLIES #Also fun fact my folder of silly guys fanart has 579 images #almost half of that artwork is naked drawings of Julius #insane #art #oc artwork #the silly guys #original character #asks / requests #gay people #bitches love my mustache #long ass post

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dollarbin · 1 month

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Shakey Sundays #33:

Silver and Gold

I've periodically lost interest in Neil Young.

A teenage summer spent living in a trailer next to a tepee that contained a poor dude going through an alcoholic spiral with Young's rambling, late 90's Crazy Horse record Broken Arrow as his soundtrack turned me off Shakey for a spell. So did Neil's seemingly endless run-in with Promise of the Real Pancakes.

But I always get lured back in, and Silver and Gold, Young's even later 90's bookend to the decade-opening Harvest Moon, has often served as powerful bait.

It was 1999 and my buddy Matt told me he'd build my wife and I a desk. We spent a weekend in his almost beach-front office, drinking beer and molding plywood together, Neil's fairly jubilant Buffalo Springfield Again swelling with encouragement.

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And it was 2006 and I had my very first IPod, a hand-me-down chrome job from my hipstress sister-in-law, and only a few things were loaded into it for an overnight drive to Las Vegas and beyond while my wife and two young kids slept the drive away in our old Volvo. The dawn funneled through spiraling canyons of adobe and sandstone; it was good to hear Neil Young again.

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And it was a year ago now and the brooding remnants of a Pacific hurricane were hurling down all around us in an altogether different car as we cautiously approached the airport: my daughter was heading back to her last year of college and, apparently, flights had not been cancelled. It looked and felt a bit like the apocalypse outside but my daughter played us a new Adrianne Lenker song and wanted me to explain the Neil Young reference within it.

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And so that led to hearing Razor Love, Neil's under-the-radar epic, as we worked with care through floods and wind.

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And it was just this morning, and I was standing in the street at 4:50am, looking up at surprising stars and an overhead moon while I waited for my son to emerge from our house. We were on our way to the airport once again, this time for his sophomore year. I felt sad; I felt anxious; I felt at peace; I felt the planet rotating with me on it.

And I remembered my best friend dying when we were just 26 years old. I got to his hospital room just moments after his passing and found his body where he'd left it, flat on the bed. But he was gone; he had up and left. Right then, in one of the saddest moments of my life, I was filled with conviction. I was filled with awe.

Like Neil says,

This I can't deny I know that you can fly 'Cause I'm here on the ground without you.

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Like visitors from space, it's hard to find a place, to blend in and go unrecognized. But we do, don't we?

And a year, or three, or ten, from now I'll be in some record store and I'll stumble upon a used vinyl copy of Silver and Gold for the first time in my life. Something will be wrong with it - Daddy Went Walkin' might skip or maybe it won't even have a cover - but I'll grin and claim it all the same, eager to drop the needle into its shakey grooves whenever a transition is coming and I want Neil to help guide my way.

Because that guy in the tepee? He made it through. And my wife and I mapped out our shared future on that desk. And we saw Yellowstone in that Volvo, surviving a baseball-sized hail storm along the way. And the plane pulled easily through those hurricane skies and took my daughter safely back for her senior year, just like another plane is doing for my son as I write.

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#neil young #shakey sundays #adrianne lenker #Youtube

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civilityhomecare-springfield · 24 hours

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Caring for aging parents can be overwhelming, especially when balancing family and work commitments. To ensure your loved ones receive the care they need while remaining comfortable at home, finding the right home care services in Springfield, Massachusetts is crucial. Home care services offer personalized support, allowing seniors to maintain their independence while getting the necessary assistance.

#Caregiver Support #Elderly Loved Ones #Senior Care Options

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spaciousreasoning · 4 months

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Finding More Bridges

Searching for more of the many covered bridges in this part of Oregon, Nancy and I ventured down to the Cottage Grove area on Friday. We found four bridges in the “Covered Bridge Capital of Oregon,” though only one continues to be of use, the Mosby Creek Bridge, which is the oldest in the state, built in 1920.

Two of the others are only open to pedestrians now, including what was once a covered railroad bridge inside the Cottage Grove city limits. It is now part of a city park. It still crosses the Coast Fork of the Willamette River. The fourth seems to have been recently fenced off from all access, though the river below it provides a favorite swimming spot.

Parts of “Stand By Me,” the Rob Reiner movie from the 1980s, were filmed in Cottage Grove, especially the majority of railroad scenes, which were filmed along the railroad track that went up the Row River (rhymes with “cow”). That railroad track is now the Row River Trail, which we will return to at some point in the future to walk along. (We’ll also look for the other two covered bridges in the area.)

In addition to “Stand By Me,” other movies have been filmed in the area, including Buster Keaton’s “The General,” some scenes from “Animal House,” and “Ricochet River,” starring Kate Hudson.

Cottage Grove is about 20 miles (and 25 minutes) south of Eugene-Springfield along I-5. Its population today is about 10,000. Nancy’s brothers and one sister reside in the area, but we did not see them on Friday. The brothers were off to another part of the state, and her sister, Joan, was busy with a cooking class at the senior living facility she has recently moved into.

On the way south we stopped briefly in Creswell, reminded by two large billboards of the Creswell Bakery. Opened in 2008, the place has been called one of Oregon’s “bucket-list food experiences.” We bought a loaf of ciabatta and a delicious hazelnut sticky bun. It’s close enough we will certainly stop back often to enjoy more of their culinary delights.

#Oregon #covered bridges #Cottage Grove #Creswell

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ultraheydudemestuff · 1 year

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Shawnee Hotel (Shawnee Place)

102 E. Main St.

Springfield, OH 45502

The Shawnee Hotel, now called Shawnee Place, is a historic building at in Springfield, Ohio. It is located on Main and Limestone Streets and at eight stories was the tallest building in Springfield when it was built in 1916–1917. It included such innovations as in-room plumbing, meeting rooms, and banquet facilities. The hotel was in operation through the 1960s when it was converted to a residential hotel. It later was vacant until 1985, when it was converted to senior housing. The building was listed with the National Register of Historic Places on December 5, 1985. It was renovated again in 2009, and in 2012 became senior living apartments managed by Episcopal Retirement Homes.

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springfieldoregonseniorhous-blog · 7 years

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Why Choose Senior Housing in Springfield Oregon?

Are you directing your life or is your life directing you? Can you imagine listening to a symphony orchestra without a conductor? Everything would be disharmonious. The same is true of our lives; they need direction. It's no secret that most people spend more time planning their wedding or their vacation that they do their lives. Anne Loehr has given information on How to Live With Purpose.

Ever worked with a manager who knew what mattered and stood her ground about these things? Then you probably worked with a manager who leads from her values. Leading with values is a leadership philosophy that steps outside of measuring success by prestige, personal wealth and power. It is not about emulating the great leaders of yesteryear. Huffington Post

Our values direct our behavior and the way we evaluate the world. Our values determine who we are, how we spend our time, what's important to us, our likes and dislikes, our attitudes, and so forth. We make decisions based on our values every day. Sometimes our values conflict with each other. For example, spending time with our family may conflict with our work schedule which demands extensive hours. Clarifying our values helps us to understand which values are most important to us and the priorities we give to them. This will help us to make decisions that are consistent with our values and that we are happy with. On this above article, Taboola has recommended about Live longer, live with purpose. Click here to read more about senior housing Springfield Oregon . Most of us don't think about the big picture often enough. We get caught up in all the little moments and tasks and actions of the day, and we focus so hard on them, or they distract us so much, that by the end of the day we have a pretty myopic view of the world and of our lives. How often do you stay up at night thinking about your life's purpose, and how often are you kept up at night thinking about the little dramas of the day? Living with purpose is a skill, a habit- it's something that can be cultivated and developed. Rosanne Warmerdam has given information on 9 Proven Ways to Live Your Purpose.

Do you want to live longer, happier, and healthier? Discovering your ikigai can make a huge difference. I almost hear you thinking… what is ikigai? Before we are going to refresh your Japanese, I want to introduce you to the Blue Zones. Maybe you already heard of it or maybe not. Dan Buettner together with a research group of National Geographic asked themselves a question, what do people that reach their 100th birthday do different than the average person? Herox

From the biggest of pictures, I start to think about the purpose of an individual within the greater purpose and meaning of the world. As you can tell, I like to start general and start working my way down. After all, if there's a general purpose to the world, then the individual is intended to contribute to this greater purpose. If each individual is intended to contribute to the greater purpose, then I need to find a way as an individual to fulfill that role. In the process of becoming fully human, we wonder about the reason for our existence. We search to find our role and live with purpose on Earth. These life questions may be considered unimportant in our modern world, compared to matters of business and finance. But how we respond to them is essential for our well-being. A sense of larger purpose and human destiny allows us to move forward with hope. Lamisha Serf-Walls has told us about 6 Ways to Find Your Passion and Live Your Purpose. Every single human being on this planet has a path and purpose to fulfill, whether they realize it or not. Whether it is fulfilled within your career, volunteer work, parenting, creating social change, or something else entirely, you too have a brilliant purpose and it’s about time you found it. Watch this video for more information about live with purpose:

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#Senior Housing #senior housing Springfield Oregon #senior housing Springfield

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optimalmongoose4 · 2 years

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Me and my friend are now seriously considering making a modern day remake of Romeo and Juliet called Romeo and Juliet In Springfield set in a small middle of nowhere midwestern town:

The two houses are rivaling video stores

The town is named Springfield, Verona is now Verona High School, Romeo and Juliet are both either Juniors or Seniors there

Friar Lawrence is now Fryer Lawrence, he’s a guy who works at McDonalds and can legally marry people

The Prince is the principal of Verona High School (instead of death for getting caught fighting it’s being expelled)

Paris is a guy who left town and somehow became very successful when he did so

The Nurse is a longtime employee at the Blockbuster

Tybalt is a scrawny military kid (think the “you’re disrespecting a future U.S soldier” kid)

Benvolio is an “office assistant” kid

Romeo is bisexual and Mercutio is his ex

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chicanomick · 2 years

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Nine people I want to get to know better

Tagged by @look-i-love-u and @energievie 💖

Last song:

Last show: Supernatural

Currently watching: nothing really. I started shameless but haven’t really been consistent with it and I mostly consume it via YouTube clips, gifs, and tumblr posts 😅

Currently reading: Ian Gallagher and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Senior Prom by @mishervellous !! I’m loving it so much

Book: I don’t have much time to read recently but that doesn’t stop me from buying and starting a shit ton of books here’s some I’m actively trynna finish/in the middle of

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (re-reading)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

D-Day Girls by Sarah Rose

The house of spirits by Isabel Allende

Pride and prejudice by Jane Austin

Imma tag: @khaoticflame @gunsknivesandplaid @fuckmefuckyoufuckallthis @friend-bear

(Idk enough ppl for this 😭 so followers reach out! I tag all of y’all!)

#yaya speaks

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springfieldoregonseniorhou-blog1 · 7 years

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Healthy, Wealthy And Happy Retirement In Springfield, Oregon

A retirement health plan is also known as Health Savings. They were established as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act which was signed into law by President G.W.Bush and was developed to replace the Medical Savings Account system. Kathleen Coxwell has said about The Best Retirement Plans: 41 Tips for a Healthy, Wealthy and Happy Retirement.

Think retirement is about sitting with your feet up and watching the rest of the world whiz by? Possibly, but many people think retirement and plan for embarking on one of life’s greatest adventures. This is the time to do what you want with the experience-laden good sense to appreciate it. Having the best retirement plan means having a financial plan that enables you to achieve exactly what you want. And, what most people want is a happy retirement, healthy retirement and a wealthy retirement. New Retirement

The benefit to your health plan is generally less of a premium than that of a traditional health insurance plan. Over time, if your medical expenses are low, and contributions are made on a regular basis to your retirement health saving plan, the account can accumulate significant assets that can be used for your health care tax-free. They can also be used for your retirement on a tax-deferred basis. On the above article, Kathleen Coxwell told us The Best Retirement Plans. For more information on Springfield Oregon senior housing , visit this site... Health care is a priority at any given age. After retiring, however, health care probably becomes the most important focus as one tries to stay in good health; this means more visits to the doctor for routine checkups and preventative tests. There's also that chance of one's health declining as they grow older and the increasing need for expensive prescription drugs and medical treatments. This is the main importance of retirement health insurance. Joel Snape has given information on Five fitness tips that could prevent poor health in retirement.

The problem with fat (subcutaneous not dietary) is that it encourages binary thinking. If you can fit into an aeroplane seat or those jeans you've had for a decade, it's easy to assume you're winning: you aren't part of this obesity crisis everyone's talking about, and nobody's going to make a harrowing C4 documentary about you or haul you out of your house on a crane. Telegraph

Retirement health insurance allows for those aged sixty-five or older to be lessened with worries when it comes to paying health care when they retire. Most retirees presumably are eligible for certain health benefits from a federal health insurance program, Medicare, when they reach the age of sixty-five. But if one retires before this age, then they'll need some other way to pay their health care until Medicare benefits take effect. Some generous employers may offer extensive retirement health insurance coverage to their retiring employees, but this is most of the time and exception rather than a rule. If retirement is in your near future, you need to make a lot of plans for your financial future, including figuring out what you're going to do for retirement health insurance. Even if you're in good health, chances are you'll experience some health problems as you age. Plus you'll want to have routine checkups and preventive care. Having a good health insurance policy is key to a peaceful retirement. Edward Steiner Jr. has provided about 6 Health Tips You Should Include in Your Retirement Plans.

To help you, other retirement planners, and baby boomers to prepare for the golden years, we are sharing more health tips that may help you realize that your wellbeing, in fact, is your wealth! As stated in one of our previous posts, Identifying Baby Boomer Health Problems, as much as the retirement years can be filled with joy and satisfaction, it can also be a period when diseases and other ailments are prevalent. Intact Well Being

Watch this video for more information about Retirement - Health Tips:

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#springfield oregon senior housing

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koreaunderground · 3 years

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(2019/07/26) Three dead amid respiratory illness outbreak in Springfield

[fairfaxtimes.com][1]

[1]: <http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/three-dead-amid-respiratory-illness-outbreak-in-springfield/article_ce2c4b14-afd8-11e9-959b-7f6fe03817ca.html>

# Three dead amid respiratory illness outbreak in Springfield

Angela Woolsey/Fairfax County Times

5-7 minutes

* * *

A semblance of normalcy has returned to the Greenspring Retirement Community more than two weeks after an outbreak of respiratory illnesses struck the senior living facility, putting 23 people in the hospital and possibly contributing to three deaths.

All of the residents hospitalized for respiratory symptoms have now returned to Greenspring, and no new cases have been reported for several days, Erickson Living regional communications manager Courtney Benhoff told the Fairfax County Times on Tuesday.

The majority of residents that were being monitored are no longer showing signs of illness, and most Greenspring employees have returned to work.

Greenspring is one of three retirement communities that Erickson Living developed and manages in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

“At Greenspring, there is nothing that is more important to us than the health and well-being of those who live and work on campus,” the Greenspring team said in a statement provided by Benhoff. “According to the Fairfax County Health Department, the community has instituted all appropriate preventative measures to stop further illnesses and those actions are having a positive result.”

Greenspring reported to the Fairfax County Health Department earlier this month that 54 out of the 263 residents in its Garden Ridge long-term care facility had fallen ill with respiratory symptoms that ranged from coughing to pneumonia.

The health department announced on July 11 that it was conducting an outbreak investigation at Greenspring, which has a 58-acre campus in Springfield that offers assisted living and skilled nursing care through Garden Ridge as well as apartment homes for independent living.

At that point, 18 individuals had been hospitalized, two of whom died. Both of the people who died were hospitalized with pneumonia and dealt with complex medical problems that made it difficult for the health department to determine how much the pneumonia contributed to their deaths.

The health department reported on July 16 that a third person had died in connection with the outbreak, though that individual also had other medical conditions.

“The Health Department does not know the full medical history and the extent to which the respiratory illness contributed to the deaths,” Fairfax County Health Department communications director John Silcox said.

At that point, the number of residents affected by the illness had increased to 63 individuals, and 19 Greenspring employees also reported experiencing respiratory difficulties since the outbreak began on June 30.

Working with the county health department along with the Virginia Department of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested 17 samples taken from ill residents, but as of July 19, the agency had not been able to identify a specific cause for the sudden uptick in respiratory illness from either that initial testing or additional laboratory testing.

CDC test results uncovered several bacteria known to “colonize” the nose and throat but may not be the cause of infection, and several specimens tested positive rhinovirus, the respiratory virus most frequently found in humans and the main source of the common cold, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.

The outbreak was confined to the Garden Ridge facility, as Greenspring’s independent living section, which houses approximately 1,700 residents, did not see levels of illness considered unusual or unexpected for a fairly large community of older residents.

The county began investigating reports of a similar outbreak at the Heatherwood assisted living facility in Burke on July 17, but the health department found no evidence that the illnesses seen at Heatherwood was connected to the situation at Greenspring.

The department stated on July 18 that most of the ill Heatherwood residents had recovered.

“During the publicity surrounding the Greenspring outbreak investigation, staff at Heatherwood proactively reached out to the Health Department to request guidance for ensuring the safety and health of the residents within their assisted-living facility,” the health department said. “…The facility has been working very closely with the Health Department to ensure that their infection control measures reflect the Health Department’s current best practices.”

The Fairfax County Health Department also worked with Greenspring to implement measures designed to prevent the infections from spreading further.

Infection control measures instituted by Greenspring include a temporary suspension of group activities, screenings of residents for signs of illness, and additional cleaning.

Greenspring also instructed independent living residents to not visit Garden Ridge and enhanced surveillance for illness in the independent living areas “out of an abundance of caution,” Fairfax County says.

“We greatly value our partnership with the county health department and continue to work closely together to take all of the actions needed to safeguard the health of our community,” Benhoff said.

#covid #2019 #USAMRIID #fort detrick

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news-update-covid-19-usa · 3 years

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NEWS UPDATE USA !!! A Missouri couple says they dragged their feet on getting the Covid-19 vaccine. Then they got sick

Louie Michael and his wife, Pattie Bunch, were both hospitalized last month with Covid-19 in Springfield, Missouri.

An ambulance first had rushed her, with respiratory failure, to an emergency room one day; he was admitted the next night. "You may not make it through the night," she recalls a physician telling her. Michael remembers the doctor asking him about possible intubation: "Do you want us to fight for you? Do you want us to do anything we can to save your life?" Bunch, now recovery at home, says she felt helpless. "You have no control." Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising again in Missouri, with the federal government deploying a Covid-19 surge team to provide public health support. The state's health department estimates that more than 70% of the virus in the state is the more infectious -- possibly more dangerous -- Delta variant. That variant, first identified in India, accounted for 51.7% of all new Covid-19 infections in the country over the two weeks that ended Saturday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated. State health officials push vaccination efforts Robert Knodell, acting director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, on Friday acknowledged significant outbreaks of the Delta variant in north-central Missouri and a similar surge in southwest Missouri. Vaccination, Knodell told reporters, "is now, and remains the number one most effective mitigation step that every Missourian age 12 and over can take to protect themselves, to protect their families, and their neighbors." Dr. George Turabelidze, a state epidemiologist, said Missouri had "vulnerable hot spots" where not enough people were vaccinated and warned the state is "heading towards widespread infection with Delta."

Over the past week, Missouri's Covid-19 caseload was second highest in the country, with 15.5 new cases per 100,000 people daily, or 108 cases per 100,000 people over seven days, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Arkansas had the highest rate at 15.7 new cases per 100,000 people each day, the data showed. At Springfield's Mercy Hospital, the rapid spike in hospitalizations left administrators scrambling to borrow ventilators from other hospitals. At the city's CoxHealth hospital system, 90% of coronavirus patients had the Delta variant. "We are seeing a tremendous increase in the number of Covid patients in our emergency department over the past several weeks," said Dr. Howard Jarvis, medical director of the emergency department at CoxHealth. He added, "We are going to get worse over the next couple weeks. Certainly people are out doing a lot more things. I think there's a lot of people that have less concern about the virus. Now we don't have a very high percentage in this area of people who are vaccinated." Breeding grounds for more deadly Covid-19 variants Missouri is not alone. More than 9 million people live in 173 US counties with Covid-19 case rates at or more than 100 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days and with vaccination rates lower than 40%, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said at a White House briefing on Thursday. More than 90% of those counties also have a vaccination coverage of less than 40%, according to Walensky.

"Many of these counties are also the same locations where the Delta variant represents the large majority of circulating virus," Walensky said. "Low vaccination rates in these counties, coupled with high case rates -- and lax mitigation policies that do not protect those who are unvaccinated from disease -- will certainly, and sadly, lead to more unnecessary suffering, hospitalizations and potentially deaths." In fact, a new data analysis has identified clusters of unvaccinated people, most of them in the southern United States, who are vulnerable to surges in Covid-19 cases and could become breeding grounds for even more deadly variants. The analysis by Georgetown University researchers identified 30 clusters of counties with low vaccination rates and significant population sizes. The five most significant clusters cover large swaths of the southeastern US and a smaller portion in the Midwest. The clusters are largely in parts of eight states -- from Georgia to Texas and southern Missouri. About one-third of Americans have not received a Covid-19 shot. About 39% of Greene County residents fully vaccinated Katie Towns, acting director of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, said the county -- population about 300,000 -- had 240 Covid-19 cases just on Wednesday and 17 deaths in the last two weeks. About 39% of its residents are fully vaccinated, according to health department website. "We're not a huge community," she said of the 240 cases. "That's a really large number and we haven't seen these numbers since we had a surge back in December and January." About 56% of adults in Missouri have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and 39.4% of residents are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data. In Taney County, where the southwestern Ozark city of Branson is a huge tourist draw, about 25% of its roughly 56,000 residents are vaccinated. "It runs the gamut," Lisa Marshall, director of the Taney County Health Department, said of the hesitancy to the vaccine. "Maybe they just want to wait and see or ... it's not quite ready yet. Maybe they're just not someone that vaccinates. We've also heard a little bit of concern over how quickly the vaccine was developed." Overall, data shows that Covid-19 is expected to swell in less vaccinated communities, especially as the Delta variant continue to spread in those areas. In Missouri, a federal surge team deployed there is to include an epidemiologist, research assistants, a health communication specialist, contact tracers and others who will help with vaccination and outreach, according to the health department. The teams include members of CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency "We have a CDC representative helping us with ... investigating the (Delta) variant and its presence here in our community," Towns said. "But we just have ... one representative right now. We'll gladly accept the additional resources."

At the 500-bed CoxHealth hospital system, Jarvis said nearly all of the new Covid-19 admissions have been unvaccinated younger patients. "This is going to keep happening," he said of the latest surge in cases. "It may peak here and then it's going to spread to other places. If we don't get enough vaccinated there's going to be another variant that's probably worse. It's just that's the way viruses work." Couple, sick with Covid-19, holds hands in the ICU In Rogersville, Louie Michael said he and wife Pattie Bunch, a nurse, had been "dragging our feet" since the spring about getting a Covid-19 vaccine. In mid-June, Bunch got sick. "It felt like a bomb dropped on me," said Bunch, who is still recovering less than a month later. "I just wasn't feeling good at all. And I thought, 'Oh, no.'" An ambulance rushed her to the hospital with respiratory failure on June 17. The next night, Michael, an entertainer, had to be rushed to the same emergency room in Springfield. A nurse eventually put them in the same ICU room, where Michael took a snapshot of them holding hands. "We didn't know how it was going to turn out," said Michael, who along with Bunch urges people to get vaccinated. "We didn't know if we'd get to go back home." "Or see our kids again, or our family or grandson," she said. "It could have just ended that night," said Michael, who has been with Bunch for 30 years. "It made me mad. I didn't want it to end that way. It's not supposed to end that way ... and unfortunately, it's ending for a lot of people that way."

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#covid19 #pandemic #us

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allthingsfangirl101 · 5 years

Text

Jealous of My Best Friend Part 1

Part 2

Noah's POV

Whenever I heard the song Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield, I was always annoyed. How could a guy fall in love with his buddy's girl? I always rolled my eyes whenever that song played.

Until Y/F/N Y/L/N.

Y/N has lived next to me since we were younger. We've always been close friends, but I never thought of her as more than my neighbor. Anthony, my best friend, asked her out the summer after freshman year after asking me if it was okay.

It wasn't until they started dating and I had to watch them hold hands, laugh, hug and kiss that I realized it wasn't as okay as I thought. I realized I had feelings for her.

I forced myself to push those feelings aside, trying to convince myself they weren't real. Sure, Y/N and I were friends and hung out more than normal neighbors, but that was it. I wasn't in love with her.

But the more I thought about her and how much time we spent together, I couldn't say that anymore.

When Anthony asked if I thought it would be weird for him to ask Y/N out, I should've said yes. But saying yes would've forced me to admit my feelings. So, I said no. It wasn't until winter break senior year that I realized just how much I should've said yes.

~•~

"Noah?" The sound of Y/N's shaky breath made my heart jump into my throat.

"Y/N? You okay? What's wrong?"

"I didn't know what to do. . . It just happened. . ."

"Y/N," I said calmly. "What happened?"

"My tire popped and I spun out," she finally got out.

"Are you hurt?" I said as I was already slipping my shoes on and heading towards my car.

"I'm fine," she stuttered. "Can you come pick me up?"

"Of course. Where are you?"

Once she had told me where she was, I instantly jumped in my car. "I'm on my way. I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Okay," she said, her voice soft. "Thanks, Noah."

"Of course. See you soon."

The drive there I couldn't help but wonder why she called me and not Anthony. When I pulled to where Y/N's accident had happened, I instantly saw her sitting on the sidewalk with her arms wrapped around her knees. I parked my car and ran across the street. Y/N looked up, her eyes watering when she saw me jogging towards her. She stood up and jumped into my arms.

I held her close to me as she sobbed. I ran my fingers through her hair, trying to calm her down. "It's okay," I whispered. "You're okay."

She pulled out of the hug as she took a shaky breath. I reached up and wiped away a tear that was still streaming down her cheek. "As long as you aren't hurt," I whispered. She shook her head looking up at me.

"Thanks for coming," she said, her voice soft.

"Couldn't leave my favorite girl on the side of the road." For the first time all night, she smiled.

"I see your boyfriend came to pick you up. That's great," a police officer said. We looked over to see a police woman smiling at the two of us. "Take care of her."

"I will," I said, ignoring the fact that she called me Y/N's boyfriend. The woman walked away and I turned back to see Y/N watching me.

"Come on," I said, grabbing her hand and intertwining our fingers. "I'll take you home."

We drove back to our houses, the only sound was the faint music from the radio. I looked over to see her playing with her fingers. I reached over and grabbed her hand. "You sure you're okay?" I asked. "You've been quiet."

"I'm just thinking about explaining this to my parents. They went out of town for their anniversary and made me promise to be careful. They were gonna ask your parents if I could stay with you, but I told them I would be fine. They're gonna be so mad at me."

"Hey," I said gently. "They're not going to be mad at you. They are going to be thankful that you're okay. I know I am."

She looked up at me, a small smile on her face. "Thanks again for picking me up."

I hesitated before asking, "Y/N, how come you called me and not Anthony?"

I looked over when I heard her sigh. "I don't know. . . I just. . . Anthony isn't very good with things like this, you know? He would've made jokes or been mad at me, but you. . . I knew you'd be level-headed and would be able to calm me down. So, I called you instead."

~•~

I thought about that night too much. Wondering why she trusted me more than her own boyfriend. The next few weeks, I caught myself always watching her.

I smiled when she smiled. I laughed when she laughed. I couldn't stop watching her. The classes I didn't have with her dragged on. All I would think about was how much longer I had before I could see her.

Then, lunch would come around and I'd have to sit across from her and Anthony being all couply. That's when I wasn't able to look at her anymore.

I looked up when I felt a grape hit my forehead. Anthony was laughing, but Y/N looked worried. "Noah? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I stuttered. "I'm fine."

"Are you really? You've been acting weird all week," she said, trying to figure me out.

"Y/N, babe he says he's fine." Anthony sighed. Y/N rolled her eyes as she scooted a little bit away from Anthony so she was sitting directly in front of me.

"Noah," she said, my name rolling off her tongue. "I know you. Something is going on in that head of yours. Talk to me."

My eyes softened at her concern. I cleared my throat when I felt Anthony looking between the two of us.

"It's nothing, Y/N. Just got a lot on my mind with exams and applying to schools." And the fact that I'm in love with you. "Just normal stuff like that."

"See?" Anthony spoke up. "He's fine."

"He's not fine," she mumbled. Y/N sent me a defeated look as she shrugged. I waited for her to scoot back towards Anthony, but she didn't. She stayed right in front of me.

After school, Anthony and I had practice. Y/N usually stays and watches, but she went home so she could study for a test she had in one of her AP classes. I went through practice, stuck in my own head. Of course, Anthony didn't think anything of it.

He always had a selfish tendency when it came to sports. And girls. And feelings. And pretty much anything he can connect himself to.

I drove home, still thinking about her. My breath got caught in my throat when I saw her sitting on her porch, typing on her computer. I got out and tried to hurry inside before she noticed me.

"Centineo!"

"Damn it," I mumbled. I turned towards her and lifted my hand in a wave. "Hey."

"Come here," she said as she closed her laptop. I sighed before listening to her. She patted the cushion next to her, waiting for me to sit down.

"Tell me the truth," she said the second my ass was on the bench. "What the hell is going on with you?"

"I told you, it's nothing."

"It's obviously not nothing. You've barely spoken to me all week. And I hate it. Did I do something?" Her voice broke, guilt flooding every fiber of my being.

"No," I said quickly as I grabbed her hands in mine. "You didn't do anything."

"Then why have you been ignoring me?" She asked her voice low and shaky.

"It's not you," I stuttered. I hesitated before sighing. "It's me."

"You? Noah, what are you talking about?"

"I'm in love with you, Y/N."

"What? Noah," she stuttered.

"I know," I said, running my hands through my hair. "I know I shouldn't love you. You're my best friend's girlfriend, but I do. I love you. I wish I didn't. It would be so much easier if I didn't, but. . ."

I let my sentence drop as I got lost in her eyes. I know I was acting like a lovesick teenager, but I couldn't help it.

"The only girl I've ever fallen for had to be someone already taken," I sighed. "By my best friend."

"Noah," she started, but I shook my head, and stood up. I couldn't hear her say it. I couldn't hear the words "I don't love you" come out of her mouth.

I took a step back, still looking at her. She was looking at me confused and concerned. She stood up and tried to step towards me but I slowly walked down her porch steps.

"I love you, Y/N." I said, stopping at the bottom. "And I'm sorry."

#noah centineo #noah centineo imagines #noah centineo x reader

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elviefm · 5 years

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is that [JOE KEERY]? no, that’s just [ELVIE CROFT]. [HE/HIM] is [TWENTY-FIVE] years old and is a [NIGHT JANITOR AT CURTAIN CALL]. rumor has it they’ve been in town for [ONE MONTH]. on a good day, they’re [JOCUND & PERSPICACIOUS]. but watch out! they can also be [SCATTERBRAINED & OBSTREPEROUS]. [SCRAWNY BY WALLOWS] plays in my head whenever i think of them. can’t wait to see them around Springhill! [sam, 23, est, she/her]

hey there demons! *ba dum tss* i’m sam and this is one of my favorite muses ever so without further ado, character info is under the cut and please message me if you would like to plot!

i. stats

ｆｕｌｌｎａｍｅ：elvin tupelo croft

ｐｒｅｆｅｒｒｅｄｎａｍｅｓ：el, elvie, spooky guy

ｈｏｍｅｔｏｗｎ：salem, massachusetts

ｄａｔｅｏｆｂｉｒｔｈ：october 31st, 1994

ａｇｅ： twenty - five

ｚｏｄｉａｃ：scorpio

ｏｒｉｅｎｔａｔｉｏｎ：demisexual

ｏｃｃｕｐａｔｉｏｎ：night janitor at curtain call movie theater

ｐｏｓ．ｔｒａｉｔｓ：jocund, perspicacious, loyal, open - minded.

ｎｅｇ．ｔｒａｉｔｓ：scatterbrained, obstreperous, flippant

ii. history

elvin tupelo “elvie” croft was born in salem, massachusetts ( yes, really ) on halloween day ( yes, really ). he's an only child and his father is the district attorney for essex county, massachusetts while his mother owns a small local business that sells witchcraft supplies such as crystals, herbs, grimoires, and more. interesting fact: she’s the descendant of an accused witch, meaning that elvie is as well.

as it turns out, beneath of the surface of the few tourist attractions that it has to offer, salem has a small town, stuck in the past vibe. it’s the sort of place where everyone knows everyone all their lives because no one ever leaves and no one ever moves in. he grew up in this…eccentric…environment, living in the same house all his life and only ever leaving to visit his grandparents in boston.

he was five years old when he saw his first horror movie ( an apathetic teenage babysitter let him stay up long past his bedtime to watch nightmare on elm street ) and from that moment on he was HOOKED.

when he started school, two things about him became apparent: 1) he was highly intelligent and 2) he struggled greatly with tasks such as sitting still and staying focused. he was tested ( a few times, much to his irritation ) and it turns out that he has a genius level iq and adhd.

he could have been one of those child prodigies who finished high school at the age of ten and then college at the age of fourteen, BUT his parents decided that they didn’t want him to miss out on the experience of going through school with peers his own age.

HOWEVER, as the smartest kid in class with glasses and braces and an insatiable obsession with all things horror and halloween, he…was picked on. mercilessly. he never had many friends, but he was content to go right home after school and spend the rest of the day reading comic books or watching horror movies or researching local urban legends and paranormal stories.

so, when he got to his senior year of high school, he was a shoe - in to be named class valedictorian ( he was ) and he was even getting ivy league offers. of course, his parents mainly his father were really pushing him to attend college and elvie, genius level iq and all…didn’t want to go. he had a van ( a turquoise monstrosity painted to look like the mystery machine ) and he just wanted to drive. alas, his dad was absolutely NOT having it.

he attended harvard for both his pre law and law school studies, breezed through classes, graduated with honors at the top of his class and once he passed the bar exam there were countless job offers waiting for him. elvie ignored them all and finally embarked on that road trip he had been meaning to take.

he’s been on the road for about a year now and he’s traveled all over the country. he often breezes into a town or a city, lives in his van, and takes up some odd jobs to squeeze a few dollars out of before he inevitably gets fired for messing up or not taking the work seriously or getting high on the job. he arrived in springfield a month ago, continuing his pattern or having fun and exploring somewhere he’s never been before.

iii. extras

his name is elvin but basically no one ever calls him that. his own parents don’t even particularly like the name. long story. most people call him elvie and some who are super close to him just call him el.

BIG RYAN BERGARA ENERGY. a huge believer in the paranormal and urban legends, and one of his favorite things to do when he goes somewhere new is check out the local cemeteries and haunted locales. unlike ryan, the poor guy he’s definitely NOT a scaredy cat in fact, all his life there’s been this running joke that he doesn’t seem to be scared of anything, and who knows? maybe he isn’t.

has the most cartoonishly exaggerated boston accent that one could ever hope to hear, except he doesn’t seem to realize it at all.

10/31 blaze it he’s a HUGE stoner.

he’s got jokes. stay vigilant.

he’s OBSESSED with all things horror, halloween, and 80s. he makes a lot of film references that are often so obscure that most people don’t even catch them.

he’s a lawyer! at least in the state of massachusetts. however, this is not at all common knowledge because…

most people don’t know how smart he actually is as he intentionally plays dumb and he’s really good at it. being high all the time and his natural chaotic energy is quite helpful in hiding his intelligence. he just doesn’t like to be seen as smart, so the whole once - brilliant law student thing? not common knowledge whatsoever. he tries not to mention the college he attended by name at all, but if he has to then he lies and says that he went to salem state.

and yes, he has SO MUCH chaotic energy. he’s the kind of person who will stick a fork in his microwave just to see what would happen out of sheer boredom. he has two pet mexican redknee tarantulas named freddy and jason who he just…fucking loses track of every other day. his favorite drink is literally black coffee mixed together with a can of monster energy and 5 ( f i v e ) teaspoons of sugar. he is c h a o s. he has absolutely NO IMPULSE CONTROL whatsoever.

he has slight Daddy Issues™. slight. when he was born, his dad was hoping that he would get a star athlete kid who would go on to follow in his footsteps and one day become a successful, respectable lawyer but instead he got…elvie. he’s never outright said that he’s disappointed but he didn’t need to. elvie’s a really difficult person to rattle but every time, without fail, he ends a phone call with his dad and he’s in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

his car is this PIECE OF JUNK giant turquoise van that he painted to look like the mystery machine. her name is laurie strode.

even though he makes constant pop culture references about horror movies and the 80s, but outside of those areas he’s completely clueless about pop culture. like, he can recite the entire scripts of the shining and empire strikes back and ferris bueller’s day off word for word, but if someone tried to talk to him about the new beyonce song or the latest marvel movie he would just stare blankly.

he has a HUGE sweet tooth. his favorite food is halloween candy and his favorite candy is black licorice disgusting i know.

he takes adderall for his adhd and he’s usually good about keeping up with it. started keeping them on his person in college because he realized that his meds were getting stolen and it’s a habit he’s held onto that doesn’t really keep his shit from getting stolen.

he’s good at…A LOT of things because he’s a really fast learner. he can play the guitar, he can draw, he did drama in high school. he just has to watch someone do something once and then he can usually immediately do it himself. this skill doesn’t extend to physical activities such as sports, however. he’s terrible at those.

he’s basically a cartoon character

iv. wanted connections

best friend from salem who travels with him *will probably submit as a wc

friends

cousin ( their grandparents would probably be from boston but otherwise anything really goes for this )

his weed dealer

smoking buddies

people who don’t like him / find him annoying

i know there are a lot of business owners so : people he worked for who have since fired him for being an all around awful employee.

has stolen his adderall

maybe someone who knows how smart he really is

romantic connections!

( these are just ideas and i’m trash at coming up with these, so please don’t feel limited by what’s listed here. )

#springhillintro #bullying tw #drugs tw #medication tw #tl;dr what if shaggy from scooby doo was a real person

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artdjgblog · 4 years

Photo

Innerview: Sonya Baughman / Review Magazine

July 2008

Image: DJG's "Live & Let Die" Record by Paul McCartney & Wings

Note: Interview for a magazine feature.

01) Where did you grow up and where do you live now? My young cloth diapers treaded a lot of dirt, dead animal and doggy acres in the North Central stick regions of Missouri, Mid-West, USA. Currently, adult plastic diapers drag and sag me in mid-town Kansas City, MO. The first six years had me bucking bales, falling off hay wagons, piercing my cheek on a hay bale stinger, assisting with the old cow stuck in the mud, designing elaborate tunnels and forts from tomato cages, watching “The Muppets” and “Star Wars” a lot, hearing scary stories of Leopard Man, posing for many pictures with dead and live animals, rocking out in cowboy boots to “Live & Let Die” on my Papa Smurf guitar, and crying at night to my raccoon wallpaper…among many other early formative brain tattoos. Act Two had many dry summers and the bank repossessing the farm and moving us to the home and acres where my Dad grew up. The new place had a blacktop in front of it and a gravel lane with a bridge/creek. The blacktop was a reservoir for leaving behind summertime shoe and bike impressions and for popping tar bubbles in the blistering heat. I also was of age to really explore and build many forts and treehouses in the ditches, barns and woods. Also, I started to go hunting and spend time in the fields with my Dad. We never had a shortage of animals and pets too. A lot of spare time was also spent in the sandbox or in the bedroom designing and building things based on what I saw and experienced. There was also a massive in-take of drawing and pop-culture from comics, books, music, television and movies. There wasn’t much of a cap on what my siblings and I could devour. Oh, and loads of sugary sweets and cereals. Go through the yearly motions and I end up at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. There I got some very formal education and incredible interaction with students and design professors from the great making thing ways of Eastern Europe and Russia. I pretty much maxed out my art and design class card and was even making a ton of design work on the side for musicians. I then received a higher calling to drop out of school and make my guts out in Kansas City, MO which is where I’ve flopped around now for the past seven years. 02) Talk a little about your artistic background. Are you self-taught, did you go to college for art (if so, where)? My background is painted with loads of pop-culture from the 1980s and ’90s mixed in with the soil of farm life. I also designed and built many elaborate tree houses and forts up until the age of eighteen and spent most any spare minute in the sandbox or locked in my room drawing, reading, studying, video game playing, movie watching and just playing in general. I’ve never understood people’s ability to get bored or to not use the creation within them to ooze life out. I’ve enjoyed drawing comics, sports mascots and WWII battle scenes with my Dad at a young age that involved aircraft carriers, tanks and flags of those involved in conflict. My older brother would also draw a lot with me. He was better though. My younger sister and brother were pretty solid too. We have no idea where our creativity came from other than a great uncle, maybe? Also in my youth I would make giant collages out of magazine clippings and lots of mix tapes of Dr. Demento’s bizarre radio program and recorded and memorized many a variety of cartoon episodes and cool shows like Pee-wee’s Playhouse. I’ve also been a constant collector all my life. Back in the day I was all about the whole spectrum of toys, comics, ball cards, cereal boxes and loads of other junk…even kept dead animal parts under my bed. In the fifth grade I won a county wide logo contest for a skating and bowling fun center and it was the first time I realized disappointment with design as my logo was butchered by those higher-up. In middle-school up until my junior year of high school I studied more comics, logos, sports architecture and wanted desperately to design new-vintage baseball stadiums until the realization of my poor math skills hit like a ton of collapsed buildings. I even won a Kansas City Royals baseball essay contest. Getting made fun of daily in high school stunk, but it really fueled my work ethic, dreams and caused me to lock up in my bedroom at night. Though, I still wish I would have worked harder in my youth. I still really enjoy working hard and being alone to this day. In the summer of 1996 I was selected to attend the first ever Missouri Fine Arts Academy and learned that I had more to offer with my insides and got a chance to interact with more likeminded minds. I came back to my senior year of high school with notebooks of typographic graffiti designs and a whole new language of what I thought was the art world. There was also a new art teacher at my school and he was serious and seriously cool and recognized that I had something to offer. I also came back to my senior year with more confidence in expressing myself and decided to dive into the world of graphic design for my post-high school studies. I had no idea what I was going to really do with it, but I knew I just wanted to use my gift of making stuff for the rest of my life. And graphic design somehow promised a bit more security in money than going the fine art route. Though, I’ve now managed to merge the two and to still not make any money. My high school scores had me at number 12 out of 24 in my class and I scraped the bottom of the test barrels to get me into college. Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO said I could come and so I did. They were the only institution I applied for and I had liked it from my three week stay at Fine Arts Academy the previous year. College was great, but I could tell quickly that I wasn’t a top art pup like I was in my small school way back down the line. I was with the bigger dogs now. I struggled with drawing classes because I realized that I wasn’t as good as I had been told I was for the previous eighteen years. That was a set-back and I still wish to this day I would have worked harder at drawing. But, mostly I have trouble drawing in a cramped room with a ton of people breathing down my neck and at certain times of the day. The introduction and foundation art classes were more my calling and I could take the stuff home and work alone and all night. Most of my friends complained because they couldn’t wait until sophomore year when we would be on the computer for design. I didn’t really understand what I was getting into with graphic design. In fact, one day I exclaimed to my friends that I was taking the graphic design route that didn’t use computers and was entirely hands-on. They thought I was pretty insane for saying that and pretty much called me a fool. It’s kind of funny now though. I was so naïve at 18 and 19 to what the formal graphic design world was and I think I still am ten years later. Back when I was more bushy-tailed, I just wanted to make things and cut stuff out and not chain up to a computer…and I guess I’m still bushy-tailed, though I have a computer and use it mostly as a tool. When I finally did get placed in front of a computer, it was a struggle and I just couldn’t get into it and past the screen barrier. It almost stopped me from majoring in graphic design. But, we weren’t on the computer all the time as we were taught to conceptualize and to think and to be hands-on too. But, we needed to know the computer too. I just couldn’t get along with the computer for the longest time. Of course, the computer whiz kids just couldn’t wait for the next semester that involved a wordy world called typography. Which, naively enough I thought was about the art of map making. I liked maps, so I was excited too. But, I soon found out it was a whole new world that would poison the ABCs in me forever…good and bad. At least in type class we were still taught to think and do things by hand before messing with computer fonts. That first year or two of official design school was just terrible for me as I felt I wasn’t really ��getting” it and didn’t think I would be happy as a graphic designer. I was just fulfilling project requirements and with zero heart or much care. It wasn’t until I haphazardly signed up to duel major in illustration that things started to make music inside of me. I began to really pour myself out and realize that I could approach things in a similar light as to when I was a child and be happy. Illustration saved me and I found my voice with it and my classmates and instructors started noticing. The energy there was great and everybody fed off of each other and helped each other see in new light(s). I also began to understand the valuable importance of the experience of my schooling as the instructors not only had a unique style of teaching, but they also had interesting backgrounds and culture from Eastern Europe and Russia. I could mildly relate to them as I was a transplant from the foreign farm world of North Missouri. After many design trips to studios I began to feel a very empty feeling with the profession I had chosen to represent my working life. It was not what I wanted to do with a “career”, or my time. I didn’t wish to work in a factory of fried monitor goo-lash. I wanted to just make stuff and at my own pace and pleasure. I was also very protective of my work and wanted parental rights and not for it to belong to another man’s name or dream. My love for music started to fuse with design and I began to start making many things on the side for musicians, which spread to other types of word-of-mouth work for me. An eye-popping lecture by modern rock poster designer Art Chantry sealed my personal deal for wanting to do my own thing. Shortly after that I decided I needed to change many gears in my life and secretly drop out of school following my final design class in the fall of 2001 and live with a band (and some) in a big old dilapidated orange house behind the original Lamar’s Donuts in Kansas City, MO. While some senior students had trouble looking for one real world client to work with for their final projects, I had close to 10 off the top of my head and whole bunch of future blank pages to fill. 03) During the time you have been making art have you always been drawn to this type of graphic expression? Did you “find” a style or did a style find you? I’d say a bit of both. I’ve never really gone for a set “style”. I’m sure that I’ve got one that has become recognizable to my thumb prints. Honestly, I never really think too hard about what I’m making or the why or how of the making until I have to answer questions like this. Then I start to over-think things. Also, whenever I’m told that I’m a good collagist or good at hand type or so-and-so rendering, then that is the only time I really make an effort to switch gears. I have boiled the majority of my output to be relational to the immediacy of my moods, thoughts, tickles, inclination and whatevers. Though, sometimes life can get in the way and I’ll have to slide down a small sliver of time and energy depletion, like I am with trying to get this writing out on time! But, I’m a big fan of cranking stuff out no matter what. Life is pretty darn short to sit on my hands. It seems that style can be a bit of a drag for some people and/or a hole. I’ve always been more in-tune to the folks who just follow what their gut, heart, hands and eyes speak instead of creating a set template. Some people never stray too far from that and only a few can truly get away with it. Edward Gorey is perhaps one of the few who could really make it work for me. I would certainly love to draw and think as well as he did, but I might be quite miserable doing the same thing over and over even if I was able to do it for a living. I think that a lot of people get confused and think they need to have a style and either invent one or pick other people’s noses instead of sniffing what they’ve been wearing all their life. Style to me is a lot like decorating or something. Though, at the same time that decoration might marriage perfectly to what somebody thinks they need. I don’t know though. Sometimes I think it’s funny when we as people think we need something to look or feel a certain way that’s already been communicated or visualized. I think that sometimes we are too caught up in what’s done before instead of thinking for ourselves. I’m guilty too. What’s really confusing to me, on a personal level, is when I get a request like, “We like all your work so make whatever you want!” and then the client ends up being really disappointed because it wasn’t in their “style” and then it’s awkward. Style is just an odd thing to me. But, most things are. I try to just trust my gutty heart and just make. 04) Do you see your work as communicating your identity or as helping to communicate the identity and message of others? … or both? I see it as me communicating what I’ve gathered from being on the Earth for 29 ½ years and spreading that manure the best I can. It’s a heaping helping to tell the story of others by telling my story. Most of my work fits into fine art and design, at least I’m always told that. I’m not really sure. Of late I’ve been pushing into more of the fine art bin. But, I’m not a big fan of labeling things and I would like to do many things with this thing I do. With design, one does have a role to play with helping somebody else tell their story, and at times, sell their story. There is also a responsibility to the venue the product is in or where it will eventually end up, whether a fine package on a shelf or a poster in the gutter. I feel it can be easy for a designer to lose perspective of the role playing. With leaving behind an identity…well, I like the idea of a paper trail, time-line and bruising thumb prints on this life. However, I don’t necessarily have the intent to say “Hey, look at me.” I am just another human, and one who happens to make things. If the work speaks or inspires (probably frightens and confuses on occasion), then that means a lot to me, especially in these fast-paced and flashy “everyone’s a designer-decorator” times with millions of images and advertisements everywhere. I think it’s great to recognize and at times celebrate gifts and achievement. But, I feel there needs to be a healthy balance. It can be a dangerous thing to play with at times. Some artists I feel become the work of art themselves and end up playing God with the gift and this saddens me as it usually ruins them in the long run. 05) Is there anything about your geographic location that has given you a unique perspective on design and the art you create? Certainly, growing up country might have my visions at a stranger advantage, and a howling merge to that with the city life now. You might see a lot of wonderfully strange things on the streets of the city due to the amount of activity by varieties of people and culture. But, only in small town Missouri do the deer pile up outside the meat locker and blood runs next door to the Baptist church as the high school band splash-marches through it. Growing up it was easy to take my lifestyle for granted. I enjoyed it immensely, but when I was 15 to 18 I wanted to get out a bit more. I was hungry to explore, and not just the many acres we lived on. I wanted the rest of the world. I became a little disgruntled with growing up country and I think that there is a certain stereotype placed upon people anywhere they are, but country folk get it pretty bad. I definitely ate from both sides of the fence, but also didn’t want to be hung up in it for a living. As I grow older I appreciate my roots a lot more and celebrate them and am very thankful. I enjoy going back home. And some day I’d like to move outside of the city to a small plot of land with a making things shack out back. But, my family home isn’t too far down the road for a getaway weekend visit to sit with the stars, coyote yips and fish. 06) What do you consider influences on your art? (this can be other artists, music, philosophy, nature – anything. this question is not just limited to “I’m a big fan of Banksy”) First thing, I believe in the compiling of all days in life to influence an artist’s output (horse apples or clean streets). Our walks tell a lot about who we are in the present prints. I feel that one would be lying to me if what they created was not in their full vision. But, I too think that we all wear and share influences as witnesses to what we’ve seen and where we’ve been. We all help shape each other. I’ve rattled off my early influences of popular culture. I think I’m more in-tune with my child’s self now than I was then as I sit alone and make things and pull from all my days. It’s also easy to feel that I was really moving and discovering more back then with naïve, childlike faith that I’m trying to get back now. I have some good days though and mostly when I’m not thinking too much. I’m still a fan of absorbing lots of things and from many angles. Of course I have my artistic influences. One of my big influences as a child was my Grandma Gibson. She is from the old school of the country and a very hands-on person with making many things like clothing, dead animal backpacks, blankets, pillows, fridge magnets and game board pieces. I still have a lot of the things from those years. I think a lot of my approach to making things came from her. My “professional” art world as a kid had an outside knowledge from trips to museums and PBS specials, though I felt a little detached from that world and still kind of do. My heroes were at the movies because they were more immediate to me, guys like Jim Henson, Stan Winston, Dr. Indiana Jones, Rambo and Han Solo. But, it was Henson’s world that opened me up to the first idea of an artist’s legacy, vision and spirit and glimpse of another world. Something big-time ached in my decade old gut the day I found out he passed away. Musically speaking I was very much a child of my Mom’s Beatles records, “oldies” music and a ton of television theme songs, novelty sing-alongs and old church songs. I still put a lot through my ears now and my biggest influences in music in my older years are Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith and Bob Dylan. Also, I am still a big fan of tons of picture books and just anything really. I just know that I’ve never had bare space on the walls and shelves of my home and head. Oh, and wherever I am I’m usually distracted by the stuff on the ground. I’m a big collector of found notes, writings, scribbles, addresses, children’s drawings and good-bad-silly-stupid-smart designs. I like to collect ‘em all. I’ve also collected stamps since I was 10. I’m a big nerd. Here’s a listing of some names in the art and design canon who have made things that either attracted, influenced or moved me in some ways (in no particular order): Saul Steinberg, Seymour Chwast and Push Pin, Lester Beall, Edward Gorey, Ray Johnson, Art Chantry, Henryk Tomaszewski, Vaughn Olver and V23, Raymond Pettibon, Paul Klee, Stanley Donwood, Stefan Sagmeister, Cy Twombly, Saul Bass, Ivan Chermayeff, Ralph Steadman, Robert Rauschenberg, Jean Michel-Basquiat…most anybody who has something to say and develops a bad back carving out their paper trail. Movies are also a giant influence on my work and I study them almost daily. Some of the filmmakers who capture a certain craft of unique spirit that I enjoy include P.T. Anderson, Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry and the Coen Brothers. Folk Art is another big mind-blow and one of my favorite areas to study and get ticked by the of-the-moment heart, purity and passion. I love the idea of somebody just up and making something for the heck of it and not for art’s or ego’s sake. That’s the childlike thing I miss the most. The makers and shakers that move me the most from the folk art movement are Henry Darger, Bill Traylor and Robert E. Smith. And sometimes I get more out of the work on display in county and state fairs by everyday arts and crafters than so-called “professional” art and design work. 07) What is your perspective on the place of poster art here in the Midwest (or KC specifically) as it interacts with the rest of the art community and how the poster art coming out of this community may be perceived on a more national level? I’m curious about this because of the recognition Kansas City artists in general have been receiving lately on a national and international scale and how the art world tends to waffle between interest and disinterest in artists in this region. The music scene here is very interesting to me and a lot of times I think that it is just like 20 people all making it happen. Though, there is a lot of talent, diversity and genre-bending for a small town like this. There are a lot of groups making a mark here and down the highways, same with the people making stuff for them. Though, I get a little strange sometimes because I sometimes feel that the small scene mixed with the internet’s social networks and fewer record stores (oh, and most of my posters take up a whole bulletin board!) makes the poster almost secondary information and so-so decoration. In the same thought though, most of the stuff I see on the internet passes by me in a two-second window like that of highway advertising. Though, some do stick out to me because I’m always on the look to get tickled. And I don’t feel the art of the printed piece will die any time soon. Anyway, the scene just works here in Kansas City somehow and everybody takes care of and appreciates each other’s roles and contributions. I’ve had some great response to what I’m slapping up, but at the same time I think that a lot of people don’t get it. What’s not to get, it’s not too special? But, that’s fine with me. I’m not sure where I am in the scene. Maybe more-so in the “seen” department with my meager budgeted work hanging above a stool in the blurry-eyed late hours. I still think that toilets are one the best places for information gathering. Poster art in general in the last ten years alone has received a great breath of fresh air. Many of the makers are respected within a small collective, and have also been breaking through to represent on a national level of design aesthetic, as well as a well-rounded view of the printed timeline to life and culture. It’s also something that anybody can do and a lot of bands still just make their own stuff, which I’m cool and whatever with it. Everybody has their own style, agenda and empty pockets. But, the personal computer has saturated the landscape with a lot of “samey”. Then again, if it works, it works. In the end if it gets people interested and enthused, then what is there for a bum like me to complain about? And sometimes I really get a kick out of unskilled design stuff(s). I try to stay out of design politics for the most part. There is more to life than design dogma. Though, there is design all around us as we interact with it in every way from the tip-top of a tree to a paper scrap for this article. I enjoy the simple act of creation and inspiration that comes from something that seems like nothing, yet has always been a “something” growing and building and will continue to grow if the viewer lets it do so. You just have to add the proper mix of ingredients, I guess. And I guess my brain isn’t one to formerly function on the full realization to what it’s thinking. So, I’m babbling right now. I do know that something I’ve always enjoyed about the concert poster is the relatively short life span it has and how that can be used to the advantage. I just want to encourage people out there, designers/artists, non designers/artists or even church secretaries, to really push things and work harder. I don’t really care if everyone isn’t versed in design and art. In general I just encourage more to experiment with poster art, find your voice(s) and find new ways to spread the good word. Even if it’s not for a concert or an event, just make something and get it out there. Throw your junk off the overpasses if need be. 08) How has your work been received within the arts community here (and also in other geographic regions if you have been branching out)? For seven years now I’ve somehow managed to remain fairly anonymous and at the same time have sparkled a bit of attention…maybe just a glittering. Life and day job dwindle my hours to where it’s hard to even pay attention on my own stuff sometimes, so I don’t get out much here in the city. Though, I guess it is easier to keep up with things on the internet, papers and here-say. I think Kansas City is making her own dent right now with a wide variety of things going on in the arts landscape. The town is kind of booming and bustling right now. Being that we’re a small town, it’s easy for a small fish to get more wet feet. Though, I’ve never put my whole foot into anything. I just do my thing. Some days I’m not really sure what that thing is, but I do it despite my muck. When I first started on my design quest, like when anyone tackles something head-on, I was head-over-heels and not sleeping much. I was also living with bands and interacting more and actually going to shows several times a week. I don’t know how I did it without exhausting my ticker, but for some reason it all worked. I started to garner a little bit of buzz here that seemed to spread quick outside the state and international borders. Many people contact me from all over and slap my stuff alongside some of my design favorites in magazines and books. It’s a hoot. People are always interested in my story and creations. It’s all still really odd and blushing to me in some light that the little things I make are reaching a selective audience on a much grander scale. Anyway, I’ve certainly learned now that sleep is important and that it’s better for me to work smarter, not harder. Though, that’s not entirely the truth as I still work pretty darn hard and I believe in it greatly. Still, I’ve struggled with my own brand of discontent since I fell from a slide and blacked-out at the age of five. It’s something that I’m working and wrangling with. But, with any kind of actual work you’ve studied, worked hard with and duct taped up the switch with 24-7, you learn to just not think and rather DO and the moves become mechanical. I just have to put to use different types of oil to keep from rusting. It all becomes a fluid thing, or something constantly coming down on me in the grocery aisle, tree leave holes and side walk crack scribbles. It can be challenging when life stuff gets in the way, but I shouldn’t see it as getting in the way. I easily get confused, but then I realize that the things I experience and see and do (good-bad) all go into my design pot mixed with my past and then I just have to do the upchucking as I move forward and I tend to feel better. Recently I’ve definitely stepped back on my massive production of concert posters and I’m sure that many people reading this will think, “Geesh, I don’t think I’ve ever even seen this idiot’s work?” Not only has my life changed in some ways, but I also had to give myself permission to take a time out and to learn to say no to some things. A break was needed before burnout and bitter rotted my worms in the apple, among other things. I had a year of little activity and practiced sitting on my nest. I still made a bunch of stuff, but a lot just for me. I’ve also been involved in various group art shows around the country, design books and special art projects with friends spread about. Another thing I did, and still do, is just to see what other avenues I’d like to take my one man show. I’m learning to use the internet for the medium that it is too. Anyway, I’ve always got some stew samples back burning, but my biggest competition is myself…on top of time, energy and money. Mostly myself, as I’ve always been extremely hard on myself. Though, I’ve been told I make it look easy. I’ve never been good at math, so you go figure. I get exhausted from trying to figure this out. 09) Is artwork your main profession and, if not, are you intending to make it so? It’s really flattering and kind of sad when every spring I get more and more inquiries from freshly plucked and talented college students about a possible internship or job with DJG Design. In general, due to what most think to be a large and varied output of work, people who don’t know what I’m about think that there is a D, a J and a G making things. It always excites me to be contacted by enthused students and other design people (any walks of life, really) who saw something or connected to my work and got a spark. It makes me rosey, but it also keeps me a little down as I don’t make enough money to do this full-time. But, it all keeps me at my little basement bay working on my bad back and poor eye sight, keeps me (under)grounded in some ways. I’ve always worked full-time jobs and have been married now for three years. So, certain responsibilities come with walking hand-in-hand with another. For now I just spin the day job blues and try to stay content and disciplined, burning the fuel before and after work. But, age is setting in a bit and I’m getting antsy. I also grow tired easier. Good things do come out of day jobs, good design work does too. For the first four or five years I was a janitor and groundskeeper. So, loads of perks came from great finds, discards, dumpster dives and lots of free food and more time to read and study and draw. Heck, I even designed a few posters between clock punches. Currently my position has me staring at a computer doing data entry. The health care, artificial air and hours are great and I can walk out my back door and be there in seven minutes. But, it can be difficult to know that I’m sitting and squandering something back home. I do take it with me everywhere upstairs, and I do a bit of networking during the day time, but there is still that itch to make things full-time and not have a full plate of non-stop. It’s all hard to balance. But, making things is the only thing that I’m told that I’m somewhat good at. Well, other than eating junk food, watching movies, being confused and petting my four kitty cats. I am fast approaching thirty and the visual of time stacking is more evident than ever. Each space between second hand clicks is another scratch of tiny pine box to me. I am slowly checking off my list of “Before 30 Goals”, but I’m usually several cars back and sometimes it’s a pileup. Life takes a different course too. But, I have caught back a hold of a torch of some sort. I am constantly tacking up side boards to the wagon. After eight years of looking at Gigposters.com, I finally have ALL of my poster work up on there. It’s a great way to generate exposure and get my work out some more. I also have my new website up and an extensive volume of imagery on my Flickr.com account. It can be a bit odd to put one’s self out there in such a reservoir fashion, but I do like the idea of the timeline and personal file cabinet. And if my house burns down, it’s all digitized and makes it easier on my friends when they have to move me. So, day jobs…they are both blah and bling in my mind. My sling shots just point back at me on certain days. Sometimes they change direction with every sentence. At least I’m now under a thousand dollars on my student loans. I don’t make a thousand dollars in most years on design. 10) Tell me a story – have you had any strange poster requests? A project where you just about lost it? A poster that succeeded beyond expectations or failed in a way that took you totally by surprise? A project-situation-chaos that always sticks out when I’m asked a question like this happened to me back in June of 2002. It’s not a poster, but it’s pretty whacky and ended up being one of the best things that I think I’ll ever make. It was a special run of 250 homemade CD packages for the band Elevator Division. I’ve had many projects that demand more production time than my little brain imagines, but this one was the worst. Actually, the finished piece is a lot tamer than my initial idea. Though, the final image’s concept married to what the band was communicating on the disc inside is way better. The following true story I’ve released for a previous interview, I just tweaked a few glitches… The idea came at the night I started printing. Well, actually it was spray paint. I had an image made for a month or more and then changed it at the last stroke of inspiration. It married the themes for the album “Whatever Makes You Happy” perfectly. With reflections of war and relationships in the songs, I made an image of a hand shooting off its index finger like a missile. It was the idea of shooting off one’s options and making decisions. It was aggressive, inviting, serious and humorous all in one. It was not only fitting for the band/music but also to the national/world agenda and climate. I went to war that night with many cans of spray paint and the idiot mind to do two-hundred and fifty all in one massive sweep, and in my basement, which is something I will never do again because I could have died. I will probably also never be involved with another package like this again (take that back, I have been). Anyway, each one was hand-cut from cardboard and handmade stencil sprayed and rubber stamped. Inserts were cut, folded and glued. At the last mist of red spray a crack of thunder shook the massive turn-of-the-century home and I bolted from the basement and out the front door to a down poor fit for Noah himself. I was like a much less cool version of Dr. Frankenstein though. I leapt off the front porch and slid head first down the embankment and into the street turned river current. But, like a taxidermy nightmare, I was born again. The drug dealing squatters across the street were on their front step perch per usual summer evening, looking at the fire in my eyes and the red paint streaming from ears, nose and mouth. It was a high much higher than that of chemical substance. Well, maybe a three pack of design, life and paint fumes. 11) What is it about the poster as an art form that you feel is unique among other art forms? What purpose does it serve in your mind that can’t be served by another type of visual art? I’ve hinted at this in a previous question. I like the idea of the poster’s life-span being short, relative to the date and time…event, whatever. But, if it connects in the right way, and it can be different for everyone as art-design-whatever, is all relative to the viewer, I think that even a concert poster’s impact can last a long time. Since my first year in Kansas City I’ve had people find me out and say that they had a bedroom wall filled up with my work. It really moved me that something so simple (and sometimes stupid) that I squeezed out caused somebody else to be moved enough to hang it above their dreams at night. It means a lot to me when others get something out of something I’ve made. I know from child to adult, I myself have gotten something out of the stuff I’ve collected and tacked to my walls. It’s odd, yet a really nice feeling to know I’m somehow contributing to a landscape in some way. Making things is an act that I’ve always needed to do and has helped me get the best out of many days. I’ve always had difficulty with contributing in many forms of communication and on some days it’s terribly hard even just to be out and about. Making things has served as my calling with communication. It’s nice to know it can help others too in whatever way. -djg

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