---Muse---

I've lost count how many time's I've vocally shared this experience with people, and really the pictures I have are nothing in comparison to the real thing.

The opening band (Charity & FMF?) was decent. Sort of poppy, lightweight, combination between Coldplay and Jet. Not bad, but as often times happens with the guest artist... the crowd was not as interested in them.

When Muse finally got on stage, after the exruciatingly long and hot wait that felt like hours, the crowd surged forward, and the good times began.

The mosh was one of tightest I've ever been in at a concert. I made the unwide decision to wear flip-flops/sandals, which were promptly destroyed by the ebb and flow of the mob. I just had to try and step a little more lightly for the rest of it, not that it was the first thing on my mind.

not very clear pictures, but pretty cool effects

The performance was amazing, I was impressed by the sound and energy Muse had live. Frankly, I was expecting it to be quieter and calmer for some reason. Very pleasantly surprised.

Midway through the performance, I got hauled up on the crowd and surfed to center stage. Crowd surfing is becoming more and more of a requirement for every one of the concerts I attend.

I left the concert simply DRENCHED, and my clothes, hastily thrown in to my bag and flown to Hawaii, were still damp on arrival. The deafness that follows all good concerts was certainly there as well. A good time, I recommend it.

Here It Comes

The only way I can really recall the past's events is through a series of pictures which I have strewn about my digital desktop. I guess I should start first with what I can remember most vividly after leaving Lancaster: the trip into Philidelphia and the Muse concert.

Of course I did the visiting bit. Don't remember seeing things like the liberty bell in real life before.

another stupid tourist



I was not happy when the secruity guard made me run back across this street through traffic

Philly is novel.

More on the main event of the night later.

Recap of the End of Summer Research

"If I die, you'll have to carry on my research without me." - My professor (on going to Cali for conference)

I find this kind of thing hilarious. On the other hand, I have encountered many other people who would respond with something along the lines of "Why would you even joke about that kind of thing?" So adamant and angry people get on such subjects. Personality clashes. Anyway, I think he is a great guy, as both a friend and amazing academian.

---

After the research was over, I jumped on a train and headed to Philly.

Saw the Mütter Museum (link). Oddities indeed. Human development mistakes at their best gruesome glory. A place worth a stroll through.

I like something about big cities. Significance in insignificance.

First a Recalled Dream

Yet again another zombie infestation. Were at a stadium. There was another stadium near by. People thought they were smart this time getting together and bunkering in these places to avoid the zombies. When the attack began, it was first at the other stadium. We heard some screaming so we were worried, but they began souting like at a soccer game. Shouting 'heyy-yo'. We thought they were okay. Our stadium responded with the 'we will rock you' Queen two beats and a clap to assure them that we were okay and to cheer them on. Unfortunately, their screams degenerated to cacophonous chaos. They had fallen. Realizing that we wouldn not hold either, me and a group of people took off to find another place for sanctuary. Guess where I ran off to: the Simpson church sanctuary.

I think me and another girl picked the best hiding place. Everyone was rushing to get spots, but I remembered how we played hide and go seek and thought about how zombies couldn't climb, so we went up the back board onto those lofts on the right side. There were music stands stored up there, but plenty of space too. I grabbed a sleeping bag and some pillows and threw them up to the girl with me , joining her shortly. I felt invincible up there. I could just hole up there until the event passed over. Hell, since the zombies would probably leave us alone, I could even make trips downstairs to the kitchen to get food.

Anyway, I made a mistake. When the zombies started approaching, I made a bunch of noise to draw their attention to us. Oops. Well, in retrospect, I probably saved the lives of many of the other less well hidden people in the sanctuary.

I wanted to see if our spot was truly invincible. They came to the wall, and could reach their hands up, and sometimes peek over with thier heads, but they were not smart, strong, or tall enough to each us. Unfortunately, for some reason, they kept gaining a little ground up the wall. I grabbed a music stand, and began pushing them back down. Tough buggers. I was taking turns pushing different zombies down, but they just kept coming. I'd push one down and two would take its place.

Finally I was smart enough to use the metal music stand to try and push the zombies AWAY from the wall. I had one at the neck, pushed, and was suprized to find that the stand actually cut INTO the neck, and severed the head with relatively little effort. That one never came up again. I realized what I had to do. I used that stand and decapitated several more zombies. Unfortunately, the stand got caught and taken with one of the zombies, but there were a good handful more. I kept up the process, but eventually zombies started appearing with chains around their necks and heads. I was having much less luck decapitating these. I had to cut around the chains. All the while the girl with me was looking on in grim silence. I'm glad she didn't scream. Other than my grunts of exhertion, I wasn't making a sound either. Didn't want to draw even MORE attention.

I was thinking in the back of my mind that the bodies were probably building up, making it easier and easier for the zombies to get up the wall, but miraculously the flow of zombies stopped. I nervously went down the wall and looked out the window, and saw vehicular traffic again, and thought to myself, are they civilians fleeing? No... traffic was going both ways. I had survived yet another episode.

Post Summer, Hawaii, Orientation Debreif

Classes are about to begin again here at F&M, so that means there's a chance I can take the time to textually reminisce about the last month. Quite a bit has happened, and much journaling is to be had.