Free Pamphlet Publishing

flood damage #8

Originally uploaded by rpcvcar

By Citizen Journalist Joe McCright

On Monday I returned to my home state, Iowa, for the first time since the June floods and I found a state with many scars.

We drove through a neighborhood in Cedar Falls, not far from the Cedar River, and found dozens of homes with waterlines up to or above the front windows and sheets of paper attached to the front door - notices to the occupants that the house is not habitable. There was a home with a van in the front yard. The van’s front axle was lodged into the soil - likely brought there by rapidly flowing flood waters.

Another house had a camper that would normally fit into the back of a pick-up truck. The water had left it torn apart in someone’s yard. The van was covered with dirt - the same gray, ashen dirt that filled many yards.

Two now empty grain elevators had bottom sections of aluminum wall missing. My sister explained that the elevator had flooded and tons of grain had spoiled. When it did the stench was horrific. It must have been doubly bad to Iowans who rely on agriculture for a large part of the state’s economy.

I saw no human activity in this neighborhood. No traffic. No pedestrians. No pets or people walking pets. No laundry drying on clotheslines. No functioning vehicles in driveways. It was like a ghost town

In Bremer County, just north of Cedar Falls, I read a notice that residents could file for disaster relief for some time. On the radio I heard an announcement that residents could secure housing in FEMA trailers.

Driving back to the Cedar Falls area we stopped to buy sweet corn from a roadside vendor/farmer. He explained to us that he’d be selling corn much later this year because the corn is so far behind schedule. His fingers showing a space of six inches, he showed me how short the latest planted corn was. Iowans normally say corn ought to be ‘knee-high by the Fourth of July’. He was glad to have corn to sell.

Pharrell and N.E.R.D.

Originally uploaded by corey_bayless

Producer, skateboarder, rapper and business man, Pharrell Williams takes to the stage at last Spring’s SXSW, fronting his funk-rock band N*E*R*D.

Photograph by g. piper carr

The Flare of The Hives Lead Singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist

Originally uploaded by corey_bayless

Forget about air guitar, Hives front man “Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist” gets some serious air, unfurling a full leaping lemur maneuver during the band’s Sasquatch 2008 performance last May.

Photograph by g. piper carr

Palm Tree Pool Sunset Shot

Originally uploaded by corey_bayless

As the sun sets on the long holiday weekend, Citizen Image photographer Corey Bayless captures the mojo from the Meliá Azul Resort in Ixtapa, Mexico.

Originally uploaded by Piper Carr

Pretty in Pink. Festively-garbed pro-choice cheerleaders face off against a crowd of pro-life placard wavers.  Freedom of Speech in action.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Attention all you Hoosier hipsters and homegrown hempheads, Free Pamphlet Publishing, Hit City Recording and D’Vine wine bar have teamed up to feed your heads. July marks the start of the Wednesday Troubadour Songwriting Night! Tim Brickley, lead singer behind The Bleeding Hearts and founder/owner of Hit City Recording, will be playing host to the event. See you there.

DSC02247.JPG

Originally uploaded by Piper Carr

Piper Carr reminds us as we go into this long holiday weekend, that left coasters invented the beach bum lifestyle.

Pink sky sunset time

longboarded beach boy seaside

holiday weekend

haiku: David Rheins Photo by g. piper carr

The Cure

Originally uploaded by veroca66

by Veronica Carvallo

I couldn’t get lost in the Forest.

On Friday June 20th I went to the Madison Square Garden to see The Cure. I usually hate concerts at the garden and avoid them at any cost, although this time I made an exception… I was going to see The Cure! Needless to say I was a bit disappointed. For starters, the audience! WTF? Where are all the Goths? I admit I have a soft spot for “all things Goth”… sigh!

Concert begins. I am an old school Cure fan therefore wasn’t too ecstatic listening them play over and over terrible pop? songs that I have never heard of (I haven’t bought a Cure album since Blood Flowers). Like a little kid (already jumping in my seat), I just kept waiting for that moment: the synthesizer sounds begin to emerge… the tease continues.. the first guitar notes come in, you feel it, it’s coming… and then the drums kick in! The ULTIMATE song: “A Forest” is here! To my already broken heart this highlight moment for every Cure fan never arrived. It was all in my head. No Forest! Why??? I will never forgive them for that! Never!

Devastated, I said to myself at the end of the concert: at least you got to dance around like there was no tomorrow to “Jumping Someone Else’s Train”… I left the garden with a smile.

Veronica blogs at: http://withvelvetsparks.blogspot.com

“The Cure” Lead Singer Robert James Smith

Originally uploaded by CitizenIMG

Proto-goth rockers The Cure are on tour. Citizen members who attended this week’s Madison Square Garden gig in NYC report a somewhat lackluster set chock full o’ newer songs.

Oh well, don’t go gettin’ all Emo on me. We thought we’d share the dark aesthetic with you all on this stormy Friday.

Citizen photographer g. piper carr grabbed this great shot of the other man in black, while attending the band’s Sasquatch performance late last May.