My Trip to Amsterdam

I just came back from the very interesting city Amsterdam. Because blogging is the art of talking about yourself believing that others want to read it, I will share the details of my trip. I won't really recount everything I just want to share some general impressions.

It's a beautiful and intersting city. It's smaller and very different architectually than most European cities. I found it a refreshing change of pace from places like Madrid or Paris. It has a cozier, smaller feel.

Although everyone focuses on the drugs and prostitutes, it's a city with a lot more. We enjoyed some really good food and great sights. The Van Gough museum is filled with beauty and some of the most stunning art on record. The Anne Frank House is powerful. Being in the house itself was powerful. I, along with many others, spent most of the time crying. It ends up moving you in ways you cannot imagine.

The Red Light District is not so shocking, for me it was a little sad. Many of the prostitutes looked young and from Russia and Eastern Europe. Every man walking the street looked guilty. Not as funny as I hoped it would be.

In contrast, the hash bars are a great time. Good atmosphere, calm music, and just a good time. You could have a conversation without yelling. My husband Joe summed it up best. "I would love to just hang out in a hash bar. It's better than a drinking bar. You can hear people." Truer words have not been spoken.

We did do the tourist thing and went to a cheese factory and a wooden shoe demonstration. Good times. I love being a tourist sometimes.

I would recommend Amsterdam. But, I would say do the "bigger" cities first. They awe you. Amsterdam feels cozy, more like being in Brooklyn as opposed to Manhattan.

Stories of My Life: Riding the Bus Edition

Many people I meet in NY, look down on the bus. The bus is seen as what you ride when you live far away from the subway and need it to connect to something. Many times I use it for that. However, I also use the bus because I love to look at the city. Many times I'll ride the bus just to look at the sights.

Now, if you are looking for a quick mode of transportation the bus is not it. For those not in the know, you can walk faster than taking the crosstown bus. But, other routes move faster and take some great streets and small nooks and crannies.

All of this is leading to my story. Be patient dear reader.

So, I enjoy going to DUMBO in Brooklyn. To get there from my house, the most fun way is to take the B25 bus. I went to DUMBO one day to shop at West Elm and get some Jaques Torres chocolate. I picked up the bus and headed home. The way home goes through the Fulton Mall. The Fulton Mall was immortalized in "Fortress of Solitude". It's known for its abundance of grill (mouth not BBQ) stores, sneaker shops, and many Duane Reade stores. To say it's a little ghetto is to say Teri Woods writes books with bad grammar.

After my little shopping excursion, I took the bus back to my house. The bus was at the end of the mall and on its way to the rest of the BK. The bus was waiting at a red light. As it waited, across the street two men were fighting. Everyone on the bus was looking because the fight was very loud and intense.

Suddenly the two men got very close. It appeared that the one man smacked the other. It took a second, but soon everyone saw that it was not a slap. The man had slashed the other man across the face. As the slashee moved and placed his hand on his face. The blood sprayed through and covered the street. The slasher ran as fast as he could. Now everyone on the bus said a collective,"Damn." It was frightening. All of this was taking place at 3pm on a Wednesday. As the man seemed to be in shock another man came up and started to escort him in the direction of the Brooklyn Hospital.

The light turned and the bus moved on. There was nervouse chatter and awkward pauses. Noone on the bus knew how to react. They also were left with the world's largest cliffhanger.

Who knows?

I like to think the guy got to the hospital, got stitches, then found the bitch ass that did it and got some revenge. But, I am also filled with hate.

Justin Timberlake @ MSG: A Review

Last night, while the world was watching Lost. I was at Madison Square Garden watching Justin "JT" Timberlake at his FutureSex/LoveSounds tour. I am going to break down the 3 and a half hour four part show. It was amazing. And, seeing such a huge act (sold out the Garden) do so many avant garde things, I have a little hope for the future of music.

OPENING ACT: P!NK
As Pink has made better music, her popularity has placed her on the margins. Her last 2 albums tanked in comparison to her breakout "Missundastood" with the hits "Get this Party Started" and "Family Portrait". But, as the opening act, playing to between 50-80% of the crowd at any given time, she got the crowd pumped and showed her talent as a musician. Her singing voice was strong and she utilized the full open circle stage. Her 40 minute set featured her biggest hits, a few songs that were not known but filled with energy and style. By the end of her set, which finished with "Get this Party Started" and had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand.

Small Break before opening act...

PART I
Timberlake came out to his "FutreSex/LoveSounds" open. Large see-through scrims covered the stage. All of them projected visuals and then superimposed the stage action on top of them. The effect, which worked great, was used during the whole show. Part one focused on many dance songs, with a few small breaks for ballads. He sat down with his guitar and played several slow songs. He ended the first act with an assist by Timbaland. By this part, he had the crowd loving every move.
The show was different for many reasons. Timberlake, for many times during the show, was under the scrim and let his band and dancers take up the full stage. He also played guitar, drums, and piano during this time and the use of a live band added depth to many of the songs. Timberlake grew up during Michael Jackson and Prince. His stage style, songs, and performance are an intriguing mix of both.

INTERMISSION
Timberlake went off the towel off, change clothes, etc. Timbaland went to the middle of the stage. He surrounded himself in scrims. He began beat mixing, noodling on the 808, and sharing samples. All of the beats were choreographed to the movie scenes being displayed on the scrims. This whole segment was the DJ equivalent of Deadhead guitar noodling. Oddly fascinating. Also, it shows the trust Timberlake has in his audience that they would sit for this. The crowd did more than sit, they were riveted.

PART II
More of the same with Part One. Timberlake again mixed up the middle with a light ballad set. But, the highlight was the last 10 minutes. Timberlake fused "Cry me a River" and "SexyBack" into one epic moment. The staging, dancing, and scrim work was amazing. Timberlake had every person out of their seats, dancing, screaming, and just losing themselves. During "SexyBack" both Timberlake and Timbaland had to dodge panties. That just about sums up the night.

ENCORE
"Dick in a Box" with Andy Samberg and in full character. Enough said.

The Amy Awards Part I: The Top 10 List

As we head into the new year and get ready for Oscars I am posting my 10 Favorite Movies (and 5 runners-up) for the year 2006. Part II will be posted later this week with many special awards given out. Now, on with our show!

1. Children of Men
2. Idiocracy
3. The Departed
4. The Devil Wears Prada
5. The Fountain
6. Stranger than Fiction
7. Dreamgirls
8. The Prestige
9. The Last King of Scotland
10. (tie) Half Nelson/ CSA: The Confederate States of America

Runners-Up: Brick, Little Miss Sunshine, A Prairie Home Companion, Jet Li's Fearless, and A Scanner Darkly.

Get ready for round 2. I fully expect lots of comments on my amazing list!