Christine Chang Photography

January 13, 2007. Though Gerald “Jed” Cook is not a Goshute Indian, he and his daughter Joycelyn Halstead currently live in Ibapah, Utah on their reservation. Jed lives on social security checks and what is left of his possessions: a small house and twenty horses, in addition to acres of land that is barren in the summer and frozen in the winter.

Joycelyn puts more ice into a thermos. She is temporarily living with her father due to her mental breakdowns.
This is the third cup of ice that she has been crunching on in the past hour. She is currently receiving disability checks from the government and takes pills for depression and anxiety. She calls her ice-crunching habit “a nervous twitch.”

Jed talks about his family, especially his great grandparents, who settled in Utah with Joseph Smith, the founding father of the Mormon faith.

Jed plays the accordion. The accordion “has been through alot. I used to play it at parties but lately it has been at funerals. Breaks my heart. Just last week I played at my best friend’s funeral.”

Jed is a Freemason. Though he has Mormon ancestry, he says his poverty is due to the Mormons, who dislike
the Freemasons even though they do good to others and are bonded by fraternity and shared moral beliefs.

Jed makes his way to his horses, followed by three of his five dogs. “The stray dogs just keep on comin’.” He has trouble finding use for his land and his horses because Ibapah does not keep the money it makes. Even though Salt Lake City is a distance 120 miles from Ibapah, most Ibapah residents drive to the city to make money and spend the money there also.

Twenty horses and mules are what Jed has left. He sold all of his cattle last year due to financial hardship. “I took a loan from the Mormons and they ended up taking all of my money,” he said.

The Talking Stick’s barista, Seth Heulser, gets knitting tips from Johnnie Loy. “I knitted a little bit in the past but ever since the Stitch n’ Bitch started to meet here, I’ve picked it up again, and I’ve been knitting every time they come,” he said. Knitting is starting to become a trend again, especially among a younger generation, as evidenced by the gathering of the Stitch n’ Bitch on February 6, 2007 at The Talking Stick Coffee Shop in Santa Monica, California.

The Sasnta Monica Oceannaires’ President, Jerry Walker, holds the phone as Oceannaires members (left to right) Alan Hanson, Harry Stasney, and Tom Laskey serenade a cappella on the phone to a recipient on Feburary 14, 2007 before making their next stop in Santa Monica, California. On Valentine’s Day the Oceannaires received over 50 paid requests from those wishing to express their love on Valentine’s day through song.

A contestant waits in line expectantly on October 22, 2006 as the “Hottest Mom in America” camera crew nears her area. The contest was sponsored by the pharmeceutical company that manufactures Restylane, a cosmetic drug that corrects facial wrinkles and folds. Though auditions began at 9 a.m. at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, California, the first contestant arrived at 4:30 a.m., ready to win the title. The winner of the contest receives a year’s free treatment of Restalyne, an interview with a modeling agency, and $50,000 in the form of a scholarship and cash.

Over 200 students from New Roads High School on January 11, 2007 in Santa Monica, California skipped class and instead marched on Olympic Boulevard in protest of President Bush’s announcement on January 10, 2007 that he will be sending 21,000 additional troops to Iraq.

A boy scrawls in the sand on the morning of December 30, 2006 at a ‘paddle out’ ceremony at Santa Monica Beach in Santa Monica, California in honor of ‘Q-Tip’, a nickname of former Santa Monica resident Martin Schmidt. Schmidt died on December 26, 2006 after jumping from a third-floor window in what police believe was an effort by Schmidt to avoid being arrested for the attempted robbery of a market near his mother’s home.

Ohio State fans (left to right) Johnny Tarpy, Sarah Malatesta and Laura Ortlip are stunned-much like their Buckeyes-as they watch their favorite college football team lose to the national championship game to the underdog Florida Gators at The Shack Restaurant and Bar in Santa Monica, California. Florida handed Ohio State a score of 41-14 on January 8, 2007.

University of Michigan seniors Ellen Bankert and Daniel Mickelson chow down in a shrimp eating contest, sponsored by the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company at a pre-event of the University of Michigan pep ralley held at the Santa Monica Pier on December 31, 2006. Eventually their team took first place in the final competition and won first place overall.

The Santa Monica Rugby club played against Back Bay on Back Bay’s home turf in Newport
Beach on April 7, 2006. Back Bay won the first game 23-16, and the second game ended early due to a neck
injury.

Janelle Ruen gets low at an AVP practice match on April 5, 2007 at California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, California.

Alejandro Galarza practices on a bag at the La Habra Boxing Gym in La Habra, California on April 4, 2007.

Samuel Miller prepares himself for a sparring match by warming up at the La Habra Gym in La Habra, California on April 4, 2007.