Storm Brewing

U2 Rocks Seattle

24.04.2005 Seattle Show 1 - report and setlist
U2 songs need little introduction – which is just as well, as the first three went without in Seattle. Bono let the music speak for itself, as the band dived headlong into ‘Love and Peace’, ‘Vertigo’ and ‘Elevation’ without coming up for air.The newer numbers got a warm welcome from the crowd, while the old favourites were greeted like long-lost friends – making it feel like Key Arena was rammed full of old-school fans tonight.One of them – a female of the species, of course - got an up-close-and-personal view of ‘City of Blinding Lights’, as Bono plucked her from the massed ranks for a dance. Never one to be completely lost for words, he drew it to close with a simple “Bye”.The evening had its usual sprinkling of celebrity stardust: the Killers headed round from Second Avenue after their show at the Moore Theatre; meanwhile, grunge heroes Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam were hanging out with Nancy and Ann Wilson…Bono gave ‘Miracle Drug’ an extra dose of pathos by dedicating it to his friend Jennifer, “who’s here tonight with her man”. He explained, “She’s very, very sick and very brave. I dedicate this song to her and the doctors and nurses …because we need science.” His timing was perfect throughout – arriving on cue at the elipse, too, for a spot of tuneful air guitar.‘Sometimes’ drew another tribute – no surprises that it was “to a tough guy from Dublin: his name was Bob Hewson”. Bono was brilliantly on song with a soaring vocal, ending, as always, with a touch of ‘No Regrets’.‘New Year’s Day’ sounded as fresh as the new start it evokes – with Edge’s trademark piano cutting beautifully over Adam’s classic, thumping bass line. It’s an anthem that will never tire on this tour.‘Bullet the Blue Sky’ then provoked one of the biggest cheers of the night – as Bono sang, “Johnny came marching home again, Coming back to Seattle”. Meanwhile, ‘Running to Stand Still’ was offered up, once again, to “the brave men and women of the US military”. Bono came back for ‘Pride’ wearing a new shirt, though it was Adam’s turn to break into a sweat as he careered around the stage. Bono gave him a little kiss, and the two were silhouetted as the lights hit the crowd. More name-checks during ‘One’ - Bono this time thanked Steve Reynolds of World Vision – “here tonight” – along with Bill and Melinda Gates. It’s “one thing to give cash,” he affirmed, finding the words again - and “another to make sure the problems are being solved…” U2, on the money, in Seattle.
SET LIST
Love and Peace
Vertigo
Elevation
Cry/ Electric Co.
An Cat Dubh / Into the Heart
City of Blinding Lights
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own
New Year’s Day
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running to Standstill
Pride in the name of love
Where the Streets have no name
One
Zoo Station
The Fly
Mysterious Ways
All Because of You
Yahweh
“40”
copyright Seattle Times

Red Sox Nation

She liked a level playing field. She had the 2004 World Champion Red Sox cap firmly affixed to her head, a birthday gift from her crazy sister. Even whacko, she’d been lucid enough to grasp it’s significance. She’d now look forward to many years, maybe all of them, clinging to that single moment of euphoria. A dream come true many generations in the making. The ghosts and spirits of all who’d passed crowded the field that night. Daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters all thought of their lost loved ones in that same moment. And a miracle it was, she knew it, they all knew it. Making history on their way up clearing out the Yankees made the victory that much sweeter. And now, beat down by the White Sox, we can all cheer as they go on and win it all, their turn at a moment in the sun, so long overdue. Then at least we can bask in their glory by proxy and remember that special moment when our own history changed forever.

Letter From Terri Schiavo

Dear Mom & Dad & Mike,
Well, at long last I've arrived on the other side. I can't believe the long strange trip that became my life as a media circus, all of which I was oblivious to as it happened. Well, maybe some good can come of it if people express loudly and clearly and repeatedly to family and friends and in writing that their family members better not even think of doing what you all did to me. It's so insanely simple yet none of the talking heads on CNN or MSNBC were asking the most obvious question, "would you want to live as Terri Schiavo is living?" Of course everyone, even a vegetable, knows that Bill O'Reilly is an idiot, but you'd have expected a little more insightful debate among the supposedly respected broadcast media. Mike, I don't blame you for hooking up and having a couple of kids, after all we were trying to have a family when my untimely demise occurred. I would never want to deprive you of a family, after all when you love someone you want what's truly best for them. And Mike, thank you for trying to live up to my expressed wishes. Mom and Dad, how do you get off thinking you knew me well enough to speak for me and say I wouldn't want to starve to death when it's the torture of a vegetative existance that I truly didn't want. And how could you release all those pictures of me with my mouth hanging open, looking around like a goldfish in a bowl, just to get the sympathy vote? All it proved was how completely out of it I was. Why weren't you strong enough to just let me go after the accident when it was clear I wouldn't recover? Then you would've been able to spend the last 15 years living your own lives and you would remember me as the pretty, vital young woman I was. Yes it's unfortunate and unfair such a young woman came to such an end, but let's face it, there are lots more people with even more horrendous stories than mine, just look at the tens of thousands of young lives blown to smithereens in Iraq by the juvenile delinquent we call our president. Life isn't fair and that's a fact, but you acted as though death were not an option, as if I were supernatural and would live on forever if my feeding tube were allowed to nourish me. But who was nourishing my soul and spirit while I was trapped in a body that no longer served as a vessel for them? All those religious holy rollers who profess their fervid belief in God and Jesus and Heaven are such hypocrites. If they had the faith they profess to have, they would've trusted in God to take care of me when I passed from this physical life. We live in a twisted society of Michael Jackson trials and religious fundamentalists (no not just the Muslims, the Christians are equally as bad), while real issues and problems are ignored. I pray that wisdom and intelligence will eventually prevail. See you in the hereafter, Love Terri

Free Speech

Free speech is a funny thing. Everyone agrees in principle that they’re for it until someone exercises theirs to criticize or disagree or just plain voice an unpopular opinion, then everything changes. Look at the recent Ward Churchill debacle. However one may view his opinions expressed regarding 9/11 you have to revel in the fact that such a right exists to express that opinion. When the most outrageous or controversial members of our society exercise their right to express themselves, whether it’s nonsense or truly progressive, we as a society grow stronger. Public discussion of ideas and theories is how we’ve evolved this far as a society. 

Recently the hate mongers1 came to Helena to express their opinions to all who would listen, and the local Helena community responded and took the opportunity to likewise express their opinions. The result was a prime example of free expression in a public forum. I would hate to see that forum jeopardized. As Salmon Rushdie said recently on his Montana visit when you squash free speech you sensationalize and give power to that speech when it may otherwise shrivel up on its own were it to see the light of day. 

All individuals have the responsibility for independent investigation of the truth and free expression of ideas is how to make an informed opinion of where that truth lies. Only then can the issues be truly judged on merit, or lack thereof.1 hatemongers.com is their self titled website

There is a light at the end of the tunnel

California courts have once again ruled that same sex marriage bans are unconstitutional. This will be a tug of war for many years to come, but the courts keep coming up with the same conclusion and eventually the social tide will turn. Just as California was the first to rule interracial couples could marry, they are again at the cutting edge of this issue.

Oscars

Okay, I was dreaming when I thought Clive &  Natalie might actually win, but they sure looked great as did the rest of the stars. Not an Oooops in the bunch. Always good to see Clint Eastwood get the recognition he deserves, but this year it could've easily been a tie with Aviator. 

I love Sean Penn, but lighten up! Jude Law WAS in every movie this year, so the joke was appropriate. Not too long or ridiculous this year, with the one exception of the all Beyonce music show, after the overkill it was appropriate that none of her 3 songs won, although the French one was great, but the others were Blah. Very sheek and beautiful on both the men and women, many notables, Salma Hayek, Hillary Swank, Scarlet Johannson, Julia Roberts, Oprah, Cate Blanchett and especially Kate Winslet. 

It really was a stellar year for movies this year, we should be so lucky in 2005. No real notables on the horizon yet, but we can hope.

Oscar Day

Well this is it, Oscar Night. Just saw Million Dollar Baby, a real tear jerker. Very good. I'm just happy it's a packed field this year with lots of great films, no Lord of the Rings spoiler this year. Think it will be a split best movie/best director this year. But still think Ray will walk away with best picture, usually the nostalgic factor plays a roll and I think it will this time, plus it is a deserving film. Clint Eastwood for Director though. We'll see! !

Plagiarism

all the boys believe she’s a spy
but not in the manner you think
she observes your most savage desires
how at home you appear on the brink

Dreams

Been having really vivid and some disturbing dreams. Had one the other night where I was in an airport only instead of going down the long expandable walkway to get to the plane it was a very narrow slide, not unlike a waterslide tube only much tighter, if you were fat you wouldn't fit. Then when I got to the end I was compact with my arms to my side, waiting for someone to open the trap door at the bottom. A few minutes passed and I was deciding if I should scream or have a panic attack as claustrophobia began to set it, then I abruptly awoke. When eating my raisin bran in front of the Today Show a little while later, I saw where a 16 year old girl and 65 year old man in rain soaked California had been killed by way of mud slide. Then I got to wonder about dreams, as so many are very realistic, what if when you have vivid dreams you are in some other reality sharing experiences with others, only you wake up and they don't. Last month I had a dream where I was driving a little car fast and went flying off the road into the air and I thought "oh, I'm dead this time" and woke up. What if someone at that same time left the roadway and really was in the car? Hillary Swank had the recurring dream she saved someone's life and finally after several months decided she should take a life saving class, and did. Shortly thereafter when she was walking through an airport a man fell to the ground in cardiac arrest and began to turn blue. Newly trained, she immediately started CPR and did so until the paramedics arrived. He didn't make it. Now the question is whether or not she'll at some future time truly save someone's life with her newly learned skilled, as the dream indicated, or if this time she simply avoids the awful feeling "God, I should've taken that CPR class afterall, I could've saved him." Dreams are very instructive, but also need to be held at a distance so we don't drive ourselves crazy wondering the significance of each. The question remains, which ones do we listen to and which ones do we put out of our mind and try to forget? Well, that's all the cheerful thoughts for now.

Almost Valentines Day

Well, it's that special time of year again when all of us single folks get to feel left out in the cold for that romantic day of the year. Single rarely sucks, but I plan on wearing black on Monday. Always think about sending myself flowers but I'm too cheap for that even!