My life is now complete

I had planned on writing an in-depth, massive review about the Muse concert I experienced last weekend. After starting the review several times, I figured I would go with this:

(New Born video graciously and awesomely taken by Hexydes)



The whole concert experience was great. As someone who has followed Muse (somewhat obsessively) for many years but never had the opportunity to see them live, I was SO pleased.



Pleased to see Matt's weird shuffle dance in Time is Running Out. Pleased to get to touch one of the eyeball balloons. Pleased to see these 3 people looking like they really enjoy playing for an audience.




The concert exceeded my expectations. I know that this kind of music is not everyone's cup of tea. Neither is the love it or hate it voice of Matt Bellamy. But for me, it was just perfect. And I hope that my Muse-noob friend Rachael has become a fan. I am so glad she made the shitty drive in the rain with me to Detroit.

Here is a link to my pretty mediocre photos from the concert


I have spent the last week being slightly bummed that the concert is over, and hoping that more US tour dates will be set for later this year. Which, I am now pretty sure is going to happen. If Muse comes to a city near you, go see them! You will be missing one of the most exciting live bands ever if you don't!

So I don't want to brag or anything ...

I GET TO SEE MUSE NEXT SATURDAY!!!!!1!

I don't think I will be physically able to contain myself when Rachael and I get into that arena. I mean, I have been pretty much obsessed with this band since 2006. I have been waiting for them to come somewhere close to Ohio to play and next Saturday is it.





Rachael and I will be driving to Detroit to see Muse, with special guests Silversun Pickups at the Palace at Auburn Hills and I might die of happiness.

I have been browsing the Muse forums and watching clips on YouTube to prepare myself for this epic event. I even changed my desktop wallpaper.




In other, albeit less, exciting news ... I entered a raffle at work and won (what??) a pair of box seat tickets to see the Columbus Crew play Toluca this Tuesday. Now understand that I know nothing about soccer and less about the Columbus Crew, but I am kind of excited to go and experience something in Columbus that had I not won tickets to I probably would never had experienced.

So in the spirit of things ... Let's Go Crew!

Lastly, the snow is almost completely gone from the back yard and I think that the dogs forgot what grass is. Lola has spent most of her time outdoors in the last few days rolling around in the mostly muddy grass flat on her back.

(sigh)

Today, more than ever, I am so glad that I am out of the situation I was in last year.

I am so glad that I work in an environment where children are not expected to be perfect little prototypes. Where children are encouraged and expected to be individuals. Just like in the real world where adults are not all the same. The kids I work with are different and have isms and likes and dislikes.

And the people I work with are expected to find ways to mold those isms and likes and dislikes into a day that is full of learning and care-giving and support. A day that may be challenging and possibly difficult for the adult. But a day that in the end, will benefit the child.

The people I work with know that there is a very real chance that they might be the only person who provides encouragement and care to a child that day. They know that they are fulfilling a vitally important role in that child's life.

It breaks my heart when I hear about people who work with kids who don't really like kids. People who are grossed out by the runny noses and who are pissed off when the kids are not perfectly compliant.

People who are robbing kids of having every experience that childhood should offer them.

What a freaking shame.

Let the Wild Rumpus Start

I am not sure what made me think of this book this evening. But I'm glad I did. A few months ago Rachael indulged my childishness and went to the movies with me to see Spike Jonze' adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are". It was pretty neat on the IMAX screen, but I am not sure how well the book translated onto film.

And when he came to the place where the wild things are, they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws. Till Max said "Be still!" and tamed them with the magic trick of staring into all their yellows eyes without blinking once. And they were frightened and called him the most wild thing of all and made him King of All Wild Things.

I'm not going to lie, there are days when I wish that I had an island of Wild Things to escape to.

What a maverick.

An open letter to the people out there who like Sarah Palin and think she would be a good president:

I can totally see why some people would be drawn to Sarah Palin. She is homey. She speaks like she is one of us. She values family and hard work.

She preaches abstinence but apparently forgot to tell her daughter about it. She was elected by the people of Alaska,to be their advocate and leader, only to quit so that she could promote her book.

She also has an issue when people use the R word.

Except when those people happen to be very influential members of her own political party.



Ok.

Someone needs a slap upside their mavericky head. Your own flesh and blood is developmentally delayed. He will most likely face a lifetime of difficulty in dealing with an overwhelmingly cruel society. You will have to protect him from this. You will have to educate people on what his strengths and weaknesses are. You will inevitably have to deal with people who open their mouths and let their verbal diarrhea spew.

Be outraged. Demand an apology. But don't disappoint your fans by being so terribly partisan. If something is wrong ... it should be wrong for Rahm Emmanuel AND for Glenn Beck. Be better than that. Your son and your 2012 hopefuls deserve more than that.

*full disclosure: I am not a fan of SP and her brand of Gosh-I'm-So-Like-The-Common-Woman-I-Could-Just-Kiss-Myself-ness. I think she is a terrible role model for young women and I think that the Republican party could do better.

Destroy This City of Delusion

Good Evening.

I have been busy listening to Muse and browsing zappos.com looking for shoes that I don't need and shouldn't buy.

But I have to figure out something for summer footwear, because apparently my beloved Old Navy flip flops are not allowed at the new job and I have no idea what I will wear. Thumbs down to that.

I was thinking today about a status I saw on Facebook last week basically "shaming" Americans for donating to relief efforts in Haiti when there are so many Americans themselves in poverty.

Several points come to mind:

1. Helping others in need is quintessentially American. We give when there is great need. We have done so for a very long time, and for various different reasons. I like to think that is something that sets our country apart from many others, the fact that our people are compassionate and can be selfless.

2. In my mind there is a question of disaster origin. Yes, there are many in America who have very little. There are also plenty of people in America who have placed themselves in crisis by living outside their means and by taking advantage of others charity. The disasters in New Orleans, Indian Ocean Tsunami, and the earthquake in Haiti were disasters that the residents of the respective locations had no control over. No one had any idea that the land would shake and open and kill almost 200,000 people a few weeks ago.

Should we deny these people relief simply because they are not Americans?

Or is it American to give relief because we have been provided more opportunities than most of the worlds population?

And how many Americans out there would refuse to give aid to their fellow Americans? I know that I donated to the Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina relief.

Does donating aid to a foreign country make you less American?

I don't think it does.

Now, sit back and enjoy this rare live performance of Muses City of Delusion

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life

So, I have completed 3 weeks at the new job, and I could not be happier. I feel truly lucky that this opportunity was open while I was on the search for a new job.

I am finding it a challenge to make lesson plans for 12-18 month old children, but I am working it out. I'm also looking forward to starting the series of classes from Action for Children dealing with Infant and Toddler development. (Yes, I am that person who enjoys classes)

And when I am not at work, I have found myself glued to CNN watching coverage of the earthquake in Haiti. Tragic and heartbreaking and after a while I had to make myself turn it off. Granted, I haven't watched any other networks coverage, but CNN's reporters have done a really respectful, professional, and genuine job of covering the earthquake. From reading Anderson Coopers book, Dispatches from the Edge, I know that there is no other place in the world that he would have been.

I think there is a real reason that we identify with AC so much. He is just as messed up as the rest of us. And he has super awesome gray hair.

I will leave you with this for no real reason at all:

On Why the 2000s Can DIAF

So, I think that I have spent every New Years Eve this decade hoping that the next year will be better than the last.

And it seems as if every following year seems to be as fucked, if not more fucked than the year before.

I don't think I am going to wish that anymore. Not that it was all bad ... I got married, graduated from college, got two awesome dogs. It is just that the bad seemed to overwhelm the good. I lost my grandparents on my moms side. I had two sinus surgeries. Countless trips to the emergency room for kidney stones. Watched people close to me suffer through painful physical and emotional traumas.

I spent pretty much the whole decade at the same place of employment, moving up and being an effective leader - only to be cut down in a pitiful manner. I feel like it is super fitting that I start my new job on the very first Monday of the new year. Change has been made and for that I am pumped up.

I got the chance to travel to some amazing places in the last 10 years. Tours to New York, Florida, and Europe with Chapel Choir. Trips to Texas and Chicago with J. There are SO many more places I want to go, but I do feel like I have been lucky to see the places I have so far.

I got to see many of my favorite bands ... Modest Mouse, Green Day, Dave Matthews Band, REM, The National, Nine Inch Nails. I was never up front in the pit, but I always enjoyed the show, even from the back where the old people were.

And now without further ado ... some pictures from the 2000s

You fancy a rock out?

Admittedly, Starlight is not one of my most favorite Muse songs. But it has a brilliant video and an even more brilliant making of the video ... video.

First ... watch this

(I would embed a youtube video, but Muse's record label has taken all of their official videos off ... bunch of cockwaffles.)

Second ... watch this in HD. It will probably take you several times to figure out what they are saying in their adorable British accents.


My personal favorites:

Do you fancy a rock out?/ It's not that kind of song
Who's going to fire the gun off?/ I think you'll find that will be me
There's going to be loads of people looking at that and thinking A MASSIVE SHIP IS SINKING!

Lastly there is a very real possibility that I will get to see Muse this year. My very first Muse show!

And that is why I <3 2010 already.

What I listened to in 2009

Amy's Super Favorite Tracks of 2009


Muse - United States of Eurasia +Collateral Damage

I love Muse. I love Queen. I love Chopin. United States of Eurasia is made of total and complete overkill win.





Lady Gaga - Paparazzi

I like Lady Gaga. Go ahead and judge me. 9 times out of 10, I would find myself listening to Lady Gaga on my way to job interviews. I don't know why. Whatever, I do what I want.





Cage the Elephant - Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

This song reminds me a lot of "What It's Like" by Everlast. I like the line about the preacher lining his pockets with righteous dollar bills. Good Stuff. I also like that the lead singer appears to be having some sort of eplieptic fit when he performs live.





Manchester Orchestra - I've Got Friends

I love, love, love the anger and passion in this song. And the lead singers kick ass beard.





Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - Get Yo Shit!

Black Joe Lewis is one of the many reasons I really want to visit Austin Texas. This album is non stop rocking out, old school blues style. She said you don't even buy me presents - yeah I did, I bought you a box of chicken, but I ate it on the way home.





Them Crooked Vultures - New Fang

John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl, and Josh Homme. I am historically a fan of anything that involves Hommes voice. This is no different.





Green Day - East Jesus Nowhere

I loved American Idiot. I am not as in love with 21st Century Breakdown, but I do really like this song.