Back off, Peter!
Feel free to continue on about the Kite auction...but I'll simply drop in to say that Willie Williams needs to shut up when it comes to talking about the fans. He's turned pretty sour over the years towards the fans, most likely because he realizes he is secure in his position within the U2 family. He was even the person who began posting the stupid Rules paper at the Mix Board, namely telling fans that they could NOT receive a setlist (which most of you may realize is just a xeroxed copy on a 1c piece of paper) from the board. It was a polite mechanism by which to tell the fans that we were not worthy of their/his time.
Trust me when I say this feeling is not borne out of some jealousy of his position. I just watch things rather closely, people-watching mostly. And considering that you and I are all paying Willie's salary...well, he simply needs to refrain from ever talking bad about the occasional overzealous fan. He can talk of his disappointment that HE ALONE (considering that it was his responsibility) failed to figure out a clever way to make a kite fly high, but he is crossing the line when he labels one of us.
If I found the Kite? No sale. It's on the wall for some time, as the meaning of the song is too strong for me do anything otherwise - as Bono went through during Elevation Tour, losing my own father to cancer last year has given new sentiment to particular songs for me, most notably "Sometimes", a song I still can't get through without crying; "Kite" is one of those songs. I'd also happily wave the kite in Willie's face, if given the chance - that would be a funny sight!