Party People!

I'm in Lake Forest chillin' like ice cream fillin'.

Yesterday I bused it from Iowa City to Chicago. Greyhound, not my friend. You win some you lose some. I went to the last night of the 5-day Chicago Wilco concert. It was amazing! AMAZING!

Andrew Bird came for a little cameo. The band opened up for themselves, then played another set, then returned to the stage for an encore ending with Dreamer in My Dreams.

Seriously amazing stuff. Love it.

Beirut's "A Scenic World"

the lights go on
the lights go off
when things don't feel right
i lie down like a tired dog
licking his wounds in the shade

when i feel alive
i try to imagine a careless life
a scenic world where the sunsets are all
breathtaking

Snowing & Snowing

A dreary February full of snow and no sunshine is not really what I'm up for these days. It's no fun to walk around Iowa City and feel like I may die at any turn. It's impossible to navigate the sidewalks and roads. I wish I had a collapsable shovel that I could carry around with me in order to dig my way out. Mayhem.


This kid knows what's up.

***

Anyway, I've been back to listening to loads of Ryan Adams due to a magical instrument called Copy Pod! Adams' melancholy lullaby "La Cienega Just Smiled" on 2001's "Gold" is me. "And I hold you close in the back of my mind/Feels so good but damn it makes me hurt/And I'm too scared to know to how I feel about you now/How I feel about you now."

Wilco, Wilco, Wilco

Over the past four or so years I've become a pretty big fan of Chicago's greatest in alternative rock/country, Wilco. The four-piece band began over a decade ago in 1994, but they're still cranking out quality tunes. I find it interesting in today's fastpaced scene of band today, gone tomorrow, that certain group's were essentially made to stick around. While Wilco rose up from the proverbial ashes of distinctly alternative country, Uncle Tupelo, the new formation stuck, save the hi and goodbye of Jay Bennett in 2001.

The group's set to play a sold out 5-day show in Chicago Feb. 15-20 at The Riviera. Boy, am I bummed that I can't go to that. At the same time, though, I know they'll be around for quite some time, and I'll be seeing the March 9 in Des Moines, IA. What's perfectly amazing about Wilco though is the mere fact that their 5-day is sold out, the tickets went for $35, and are now selling on eBay for more than 5 times that price.

The show in Des Moines should be an experience.

I'm jazzed.

[This blog post appears on www.dailyiowanart.blogspot.com]




Top Five Favorite Wilco songs:

1.) Reservations, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
2.) I am Trying to Break Your Heart, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
3.) Someone Else's Song, "Being There"
4.) A Shot in the Arm, "Summer Teeth"
5.) One True Vine, "Blue Sky Blue" "Bonus CD)



Reservations, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"

How can I convince you it's me I don't like
And not be so indifferent to the look in your eyes
When I've always been distant
And I've always told lies for love

I'm bound by these choices so hard to make
I'm bound by the feeling so easy to fake
None of this is real enough to take me from you

Oh I've got reservations
About so many things
But not about you

I know this isn't what you were wanting me to say
How can I get closer and be further away
From the truth that proves it's beautiful to lie

I've got reservations
About so many things
But not about you
I've reservations
About so many things
But not about you
Not about you
Not about you
Not about you
It's not about you

A Bitter Sweet Semester

So, the year's started. Classes are into their second week, and homework has already been a burden. While I'm graduating with degrees in Journalism with Honors and English, I still feel like I somehow missed out on some of my education.

Example, last night famed whistle blower Dr. Daniel Ellsberg came to Hancher Auditorium at the UI to speak about his role in the greatest act of defense of the 1st Amendment, and I missed it. I was busy learning about dead poet and puritan, Milton. Granted, the class only meets once weekly and it was the first one, but nonetheless, I feel I've missed out on something truly remarkable.

I must add, however, that I did get to meet Ellsberg in my Writing Across Cultures class, which was pretty sweet. It would have been wonderful to see him in front of a large audience though.

But in keeping with this talk of education and earnestness for knowledge, I should get started on my various reading and response papers due for tomorrow.

Although I only have class Monday through Wednesday, those days are full, but so are Thursday and Friday. The nice part of only having class three days per week, is that there is outside work that I can complete on my own schedule the other four days. I thought 19 hours was going to be impossible while I balanced my duties at The Daily Iowan, Content Magazine and KRUI 89.7, but I am looking forward to a really wonderful semester.

Along with all of that, since it's my last here at Iowa, I'm simply looking forward to spending time with my friends, not killing myself too much, and meeting new people and having new experiences every day.

Atonement

I just watched Atonement in theatres.

Can you imagine having done something as a child, which the repercussions of that act, you knew not of?

Can you imagine having to know that you were partially to blame for the currently dreadful situation of others?

I, for one, couldn't imagine having to walk around my entire life knowing that if only I hadn't done this terrible act, things could be different.

And trying to atone for this horrific deed isn't even a possibility.

Just having that "if only" mindset is deeply unsettling and makes my heart break inside. It actually hurts to think about it.

Venting

I hate Pier 1

I hate credit cards

I hate the fact that to drop or add a course, one needs a signature by everyone, their mother and an advisor I've spoken to less than I can count on one hand

I hate that I woke up at 7:30 a.m. and have class at 1:30 p.m.

I hate that I need 3 more semester hours in English to have my degree

I hate that no one tells you things ahead of time

I hate the fine print

I hate that to take an online course at the University of Iowa, it's an additional $672 on top of the other additional fee of $15

I hate that I don't get my credit card mail sent to my school address

I hate that parents try to make life more difficult than it has to be

I'm done complaining. Now here's a word from Natalie Dee: