Some days I like to tell myself that I’ll get caught up on photos.
The story of 124 hours, or how I called a girl a bitch
I’m sweaty. The upstairs air conditioner is broken, leaving myself and my brother with 85-90 degree humidity to wade through.
I was going to tell you how I graduated from college, but I shouldn’t lie about that. A “degree being audited” notice on my account obviously wants me to know that it’s not over yet. But it is. Last Saturday I walked across the stage to golf claps and 1200 disinterested classmates. “Do not throw your mortar boards into the air. I repeat: do not.”
The week before was typical. Too many loose ends, an apartment lease to be signed and packing. Most things involved money. The apartment is either labeled an “efficiency” or a “studio.” It should instead be called “four walls with bathroom.” As to whether I got ripped off or not, or if I could have found a better place for the summer, I try not to think about it. It’s just 3 months, after all.
For those 3 months I’ll be a full-time photographer for the Hays Daily News. Slightly more popular than a high school newsletter, this under 20,000 circulation newspaper will either kill me or make me stronger. You’ll be the first to know.
So here I am, spending my last few days in Wichita before I move back to Hays on Monday. Now’s your chance to tell me something.
Let me tell you a short story.
A few weeks ago, I was walking in the quad between classes. I see Mitch, a campus photographer, so I decide to say hello. A girl happened to be passing the other way, between us. As I said “hi Mitch,” the girl looks at me like I just crapped my pants. I didn’t. I later realize that she probably thought I said, “hi bitch.”
THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU’LL EVER HEAR ME
Tonight is yet another Adam Gerik finale. I’ve done a radio show on KFHS for the past 3 years, starting off as a 4 hour show once a week. Somewhere along the line, I scaled back to 3 hours and then 2, but added the T.A.G. Team. TAG was a Tom/Adam/Greg talk show that was unbelievably successful, setting new listening records for KFHS.
That show came and went pretty irregularly, as we each went our seperate ways. My music show survived, with tonight being my final show of my college career. Or even my life.
Join me for the finale of “Whatever and Ever, Amen” from 8p to midnight CDT on KFHS. That’s right, a special four hour extended show to leave you with. My requiem, for you.
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new Aimee Mann and a fond farewell to the University Leader
With old-fashioned boxers in epic battle gracing the cover, Aimee Mann?s The Forgotten Arm breaks her three-year studio silence.
On the track ?Going Through the Motions,? Mann masterfully melds complex, but dark, chords with poignant lyrics on feeling trapped and forgotten. Upbeat, but not more narrative than sad, the song is so multi-layered that it makes you giddy.
?Video? starts with gentle, rainstorm-like percussion expanding into acoustic guitar shimmery heaven. It just opens up, like a giant, gaping hole in the darkest wall of clouds. ?Like a big balloon with nothing for ballast,? she sadly compares the pain she caused others.
The very next track, ?Little Bombs,? is lyrically remarkable. ?Life just kind of empties out / less a deluge than a drought / less a giant mushroom cloud / than an unexploded shell / inside a cell / of the Lennox Hotel.?
The songs just seem to mean more to Mann. While previous albums were good enough, they never came close to setting such heartbreakingly vivid mood like on the Arm. It reminds me of fading sunlight at a state fair, that unsure feeling as darkness settles in.
The album closer ?Beautiful? is a surprisingly hopeful ending. ?It?s scary when it?s beautiful,? sings Mann, as her voice soars into the chorus. Who couldn?t agree with that?
Old fans will still find what they want. Classic Mann is interspersed between the newer materials, but you get a feeling that if the new and old faced off in a ring, the new might score a knockout in under 5 seconds.
With The Forgotten Arm, Mann has blasted open the usually gimmicky concept album category with one of the best albums this year, an unlikely story of a boxer named John and his love interest Caroline.
Aimee Mann – Beautiful (5.3MB MP3)
www.aimeemann.com
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This was my very last published review for the University Leader. I spent 3 years there, joining my sophomore year as a photographer. When I look back at my freshman year of college, I realize that I really would have been better off joining sooner. I moved up the ranks, becoming a principle photographer and eventual photo editor. I was also the online editor for 2 years, staying well past 2am most nights to begin what my other staffers had just finished. I even tried my hand at writing, becoming pretty regular with commentary, reviews and even the occasional hard news story.
Last night, as I passed on my photo editing and online duties to new people, I realized how emotionally attached I’ve become to that paper. It literally hurts to let it go. It’ll feel weird, the freedom from working 60+ hours a week. But I’ll miss the staff the most. Thank you.
my spring break (2 months late.)
I dumped quite a few photos and videos from my cell phone today… so I felt obligated to share a few, briefly showing you the past two months.
SPRING BREAK 2005
Went to the cathedral downtown for Mass… I absolutely can’t stand these new churches that look like a Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Besides beautiful buildings, I also missed my parents. I know it’s cliche, but the older I get, the cooler they get. We spent an entire day trying to plan a place to go for vacation, looking at St. Louis to Dallas. Only the Geriks would decide to stay in Wichita, pretending to be on vacation by going to tiny bookstores and ancient, crumbling downtown antique stores. It was a GREAT call, to be honest.
People READ!
My mother, on the basement patio.
My father, mowing the side yard. And with a coat!
“Dangerously cheesy” does not begin to describe my brother cooking.
These flowers aren’t real!
These aren’t either.
We were walking around some district out east, watching flocks of birds fly around a lake behind stores when I stumbled across this.
Same location, but without the dolls.
Restoration Hardware.
I should have bought these. Who needs color TV when you have color plastic AROUND it!
A sure hit. Keep those on!
For sale, works well.
This…. reminds me of Jodi. Each and every time I see it. As an aside, we had such an excellent conversation, fueled by a common feeling of wanting to cry during good movies. Big Fish, anyone?
These babies were also for sale. Very expensive and very mad!
These were like primitive 3D Viewfinders. And they didn’t have Muppet ones.
