Forgot about the ZooTV phone calls....all I can say is....LOL. Although Bono you should have said to him, " 'Rock Grop'"? Or, (to the audience, "we will, we will rock you"..ah, memories
Wonderful.....points he brought up:
1) Burma (hoping he would mention this.....although I hope you don't lose another night of sleep, dear B....the day is rough enough following this. ....I have my candle lit too....
(a week in the life of B: Sunday, at home in Dublin; Wednesday in London; Thursday in Philly. And not even on tour. I hope the boys aren't driving Ali nuts. For some one who by admission hasn't slept too good lately I have to say he looked..absolutely delicious. *Le sigh*)
2)"The guys would kill me if they knew I was here, they're in the studio"--Cheers from the crowd---I went "WOO HOO!" at that point!
3)Not-so-subtle digs at the current state of America and its "leaders":
a) Bush the Elder's WW2 service--inviring us to connect the dots to the contrasting lack thereof of the son;
b)TORTURE!!!! YES!!!! You know, I've been thinking that at the rate this country is going, the last tour U2 posted the UN Human Rights Declaration on tour, next tour, at the American dates, they ought to post the friggin' CONSTITUTION onstage b/c we are in real danger of losing it. Ignorance is bliss, Bono. I wonder how much you know about how this country is weekly becoming more of a police state. People talked about how "nonpartisan" B is but as a foreigner he has that luxury. If U2 were American they'd have never made it past the War tour--they would have been Dixie Chicked. (as well as Swift Boated---see, it's a verb.) It's easy to stay out of the fray when you are 5000 miles away; and
c) quoting POE--"You don't have to become a monster so the monster will not get you." Did you note how deathly quiet the plce became when he mentioned this stuff? I am so glad that even if he doesn't know, maybe he SUSPECTS. Maybe people have been telling him things in the street and the hallways, when he's been here this year....good conscientious Americans who are concerend about this country....I may go back and dig out ATYCLB and put POE on again. That song was haunting in 2001 and its dowright eerily priophetic now.
4) Mentioning Clinton. So glad he did b/c no else does. I remember Jubilee 2000 and the immediate impact it had--it all started rght there.
5)"Pride" as he left the Hall? *Blush*...I mean folks, he may be an international hero but he will NEVER be MLK!! Bono was probably in a hurry to get off the stage he must have been embarrassed....
I have to rewatch it of course but all I can say is, I've been so discouraged by the news lately, it seems we in America are sinking deeper into darkness every week. God only knows what B may (rightfully) think of us if we attack Iran....which seems more of a certainty with each passing day.....how he'll be able to still have hope and any kind of faith in us after that.
But then I find out about this and have been walking around with a big smile all day today, "Bono is just 5 hrs away from me and I am going to hear him speak LIVE!" Call me pathetic but just the fact that the guys in U2 are walking around on this planet and sharing the News with us, living with us our joys and sorrows at the eternal tomfooelry of humankind. Ten times a year I get down on my knees and sincerely thnak the good Lord that they're here. I say the planet will never go completely to the dogs as long as we all go to the dogs together. Just when I think it's a bit much how many awards this guy has collected(and he never seems to get tired of them!) I just see those Irish eyes twinkling and then hear his beloved voice, and just that gives me a bit of hope.
Excuse the corny speechifying. But I don't care.
(and Vertpomme, as a huge Snape fan, LOVE your avatar! Though I wish he could found something to be happy about in Book 7---he died only 3 hrs before the end of the War. Though at least Harry will make sure he puts a portrait of Snape in DUmbledore's office---JKR in an interview said so.)