Tiger in the City

Love, Josh

Note to self: ... gosh, i think i do this same lettering all the time. i am going to have to change something up soon here. crap.

What We Want (From Life)

Ever feel like you are one of those contestants on American Idol, that all your life people were telling you how great you were at something (beause no body had the heart to tell otherwise) until you are on national television and some snob finally tells you how much you actually suck? I feel like that all the time. Especially today.

As of late, i have been in a really shitty mood. I just can't seem to shake this foul attitude. So, i am going to steal from Bess, what she stole from her friend Kim, and do a list of things that make me happy, in hopes that i will drive out some of the negativity... i will be honest, before i start on the list... i have been trying to think of some ever since last night and i've been having some trouble. So that sorta gives you an idea the mood i am in. But i have been putting some serious thought into what kind of things bring a smile to my face despite my mood. If you stick around and read you might learn something about me that you didn't know (that is if you care).

Here it goes...
-driving with the windows down.
-going downhill on a bike.
-the ticking of an analog clock.
-singing like no body's listening.
-pretending to be in a band.
-waking up to the sun
-over the top action scenes (mostly hand-to-hand).
-excellent customer service.
-having someone watch me play video games.
-pizza.
-a good hook to a song.
-free stuff.
-vitamin water.
-letting the windows open to here the rain
-looking for "Orions Belt" (the constellation)
-making out.
-Jones Soda
-making dinner for two
-Frisky Dingo
-Less Than Jake
-praying
-making someone laugh until they cry.
-buying things for someone for no reason.
-onion rings
-having a steady paycheck
-blogging
-showers
-cold room/warm sheets

i have to say this did make me feel a little better. thanks.
maybe i'll add more later.

"Happy man, he's mad at the world."
-Josh

Gracefully

Such is life.

i'll post when i see something worth posting i guess...
-Josh

Upon the Destruction of Neverland

When you grow up, move out, get a life, there are certain things that come with it. Responsibility, freedom... taxes. It's all part of life. The holidays remind us all about growing up, i'm sure up to the point where you have your own kids, and you are able to reminisce about old times and carry on tradition. But i digress. When you get your own apartment, you start hosting parties, and having friends over.

Friday, i had mine. I thought it was a success. No body broke anything (bones, glasses, tv's), so that has to count for something. Next time, i will extend the invitation out to more people, but this time i wanted to keep it smaller.
Come Sunday, Laura had her get-together. I appreciated how my friends truly felt like family this year. This was probably the best Easter i have had in 5 years (at least). After an uplifting church service, we stuffed ourselves with the finest brunch God would allow our hands to prepare. We cleaned up, and headed to the park to play on the swings, and throw the frisbee around. Then we came back, had an easter egg hunt debacle, and passed out from a sugar crash while watching TV. It was a good Sunday...

also lately (to fill in the gaps);
-i did laundry (trust me it's exciting when there is that much piled up),
-i made paper globes,
-i ate ohana (not family, just the restaurant chain),
-i played some kane and lynch (for maybe the last time),
-i cleaned my apt.,
-i found a little more of myself,
-i watched Bee-Movie. (eh, it was more of a C Movie)
-i started a couple projects for myself.

The other Easter asshole,
Josh

Re-

happy easter... more later. i'm up in 6 hours for church.



-Josh
PS. life is confusing but you learn to live with it.

Welcome to My World

I Write On An Angle

-Josh

Death...

Pantone 7491

Earlier, i had a full post about how things are really stressful right now for me. And well pretty much just down right suck. However, I promised myself i wouldn't post about nonsense like that on this blog anymore (unless i do it creatively. haha.)

Here is a list of some stuff that happened this weekend:
- got rid of a ton of recycling
- got offered a job at a recycling place.
- met Lindsay's boyfriend at his surprise party.
- had an uplifting 2 and a half hour phone conversation
- saw Semi-Pro (it was pretty good).
- went to Palm Sunday service with Aaron's Dad.
- went to the Sweet Tomato.
- went to see Bodies Revealed at Union Station.
- did palates for the first time at 10PM Sunday.
- made custard.
Things that didn't happen?:
- go to the gym
- sulk
- shop at old navy
Lately, i have decided (for myself):
- St. Patrick's day is stupid. it's an excuse, not a holiday.
- you can't tell a person something they are willing to hear.
- i can't fix everything, even though i want to.
- finish "Body for Life"
- the heart is an organ to circulate oxygen throughout the body. it conveys no actual thoughts or emotions.
- people can be real douchebags even when they are not trying

Sorry for no fun stuff today. Maybe when work isn't so crazy it will be easier... but lately i haven't seen anything that is blowing my mind.

Thank you Lindsay for allowing me to come over and do laundry, and in turn, i didn't drink myself into a coma.

Love, Mr. Dusel

Asphyxiate (Words Like Oxygen)

Just 2 of the new Skittles ads running by TBWA/Chiat/Day.
Bold moves Skittles, bold moves. Not many companies would relate their product to someone elses sadness and still sell product. I think it's awesome. I will laugh at someone elses misfortune any day. That's why i watch reality television.

sooperspeller,
Josh D.

Lost Without Limitations

Stefan Stagmeister was at Hallmark today. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out either (well maybe a little, but i won't go into it because it's not really relevant). SO, he came and won me over immediately with this Austrian accent. Just as Chip Kidd, Stephan grounded me on the design world outside of Hallmark and gave me perspective. Stephan's latest project was involving a diary that he kept. In the diary were statements like, "Keeping a diary supports personal developement." He used these to create his book Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far. The book is filled with innovative and often traditional typographic solutions for his "things he learned". So many of the things he mentions i struggle with myself... it was pretty much the perfect time for him to come. The "book" is actually a collection of books each with interchangeable covers for the die-cut in the sleeve. It's pretty super... i must say. Ok, enough of that. I just think Mr Stagmeister is pretty swell if you couldn't tell. ..

I was pretty homesick at the end of this weekend. It's slightly better now, but there was so many things about being home that i miss. I miss my friends back home a lot... i have to say though, if it wasn't for the awesome new friends i have met out here in Kansas City, i would probably be insane...

"Tonight I lack the strength to even move..."
-Josh

We Always Have Tomorrow.

Heather, Sammie, and Donna, enjoy your individual birthdays.

The Fashion - Solo Impala. These guys rule (and i wouldn't post the video if it wasn't as least half way fun to watch of course).

I Guess We All Can't Be Friends Forever.

I figured there were enough words in the last post to last a while.

love,
J.Du

Last Night I Saw the Future You.

So after a day of feeling the signs of aging, e.i. hurting my neck from rocking out to hard and putting my nose to the grindstone working today, I came home to a package on my porch. Already knowing what was in the package, I brought it inside, and with boyish glee, tore it apart. Inside was this:
The Bully media kit! Some genius marketing as usual from Rockstar Games. So you understand the concept behind what i got, you have to get the premise of the game first. Basically, you are a troubled teen enrolled in the "Bullworth Academy" against your will, and being the "villian" in the game, you do everything from beating up kids, to playing pranks, to actually going to class, so that you can fit in. In the envelope were 2 "Bully" logo stickers, and 2 that say "My child was expelled from the Bullworth Academy". Done before, but brilliant. But the real sell for me was "Whipper Snappers"... you know, those snappers that you throw at the ground and they pop. These aren't the sissy kind either, these are the hardcore, gun shot sounding kind. The perfect kind for causing trouble. Complete with packaging directed toward the game. Rockstar has a great team working on their package design as well... er, they either commission or have some talented illustrators on staff at least. The cover art features vector-like illustrations of the main character Jim and Principle with a comic strip set back tone-on-tone in the background. Beautiful. When you flip the box over... everything kinda falls apart, and it looks like they just threw it together just to get it on the shelves.

Because I had both versions just released for the game, i figured it was only my duty to play a couple hours on both of them and right up a quick review. All together you can see a lot of similarities to the infamous Grand Theft Auto series done by Rockstar Games [New York]. Basically, this was Rockstar's solution for anyone who doesn't make it into the M rating (18+), but is "mature" enough for the T Rating (13+). Because this was originally on PS2, this "Scholarship Edition" is basically a port to the next-gen consoles (ew, sorry that was totally gamer speak). Yeah, they updated the graphics, and added some new stuff, but i'm sure it's pretty much the same. The 360 version looks pretty good. Especially in HD. After playing it on the Wii, i was actually able to see a noticeable difference. On both versions, you see that familiar illustrated loading screen seen in GTA (as i mentioned from the cover). Trading in your guns for slingshots, you run around campus instead of a city, but basically the same idea — with no vehicles to drive (sorry). And of course, a that offbeat sense of humor that Rockstar games seem to have. But this is all fun stuff, so i didn't see a problem. So the Wii version, may look like trash (like the PS2) when you play it, but the controls make up for it. The studio did a good job translating the controls to the Wii to make it work as close to real life as the could. When you make a right handed punch you punch with your right, left, left, etc. I couldn't contain myself from laughing the first time i did it.

My recommendation is, if you have both the 360 and the Wii, buy it from the Wii. It's much more fun, and the graphics aren't THAT much worse... i guess.

Sorry if this was totally boring for people who don't enjoy video games.

-Dusel

02.26.08

YEY for Blogger! i think it's fixed finally. If you really feel inclined to check out the post about Chip Kidd you missed it's here