Because some guy from Ireland already wrote the words for me:

You can run from love, and if it's really love it will find you, catch you by the heel. But you can't be numb for love, the only pain is to feel nothing at all. How can I hurt when I'm holding you?

All my life, I worshipped her, her golden voice, her beauty’s beat. How she made us feel, how she made me real, and the ground beneath her feet, and the ground beneath her feet.

Love makes strange enemies, makes love where love may please. The soul and its striptease, hate brought to its knees. The sky over our head, we can reach it from our bed. You let me in your heart, And out of my head, head…

What we have we’re gonna keep, always, what we’ve lost we don’t need, always.

Tonight, the moon's drawn its curtains, it's a private show, no-one else gonna know. I'm wanting.
Sunlight, sunlight fills my room. It's sharp and it's clear, but nothing at all like the moon.
Tonight the moon is a mirror-ball, light flickers from across the hall. Who'll catch the star when it falls?

And you feel like no-one before, you steal right under my door. And I kneel ‘cos I want you some more. I want the lot of what you got, and I want nothing that you’re not.

Like thunder needs rain, like a preacher needs pain, like tongues of flame, like a sweet stain, need your love, I need your love.
Like a needle needs a vein, like someone to blame, like a thought unchained, like a runaway train, need your love, I need your love.

Love don't need to find a way, you find your own way. I forget that you can stay, and so I say that all roads lead to where you are, all roads lead to where you are.

-pb

From Mary Shaw at Philadelphia Freedom Watch: Bono speaks out against torture -- and gets censored

On September 27th, here in Philadelphia, the Liberty Medal for 2007 was awarded to Bono and his organization DATA (Debt AIDS Trade Africa), for their work in fighting AIDS and poverty in Africa. Each year, the National Constitution Center awards the Liberty Medal to a person or persons for outstanding work in advancing the cause of liberty around the world.

While Bono's entire acceptance speech was quite good, I was particularly moved when he spoke out against the use of torture. He said, "You do not have to become a monster to defeat a monster."

Indeed. Very well put.

And I wrote those words down right after I heard them, because I was so impressed and wanted to share the wisdom.

However, two days after the event, I downloaded the official video of Bono's speech at www.libertymedal.org. And I discovered that the official video had been edited so that it no longer contains the references to torture, or other portions of the speech that apparently were not acceptable to The Powers That Be. Furthermore, the edited version seems to over-emphasize the few gratuitous positive comments that Bono made regarding the current Bush administration. (By the way, George Bush Sr. presented the award.)

Not being a conspiracy theorist, I began to question whether I had heard it all correctly the first time.

Fortunately, I discovered that Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Daily News heard the same speech that I heard, and he wrote about it in his blog at www.attytood.com. Bunch's blog entry about Bono's speech fills in some of the gaps that are missing from the official video, including the context surrounding Bono's "monster" comment.

So, thanks to Will Bunch, here is what Bono had to say about torture:

Today I read in the Economist an article reporting that over 38 percent of Americans support some type of torture in exceptional circumstances. My country? No. Your country? Tell me no. Today, when I receive this great honor, I ask you, I implore you as an Irishman who has seen some of these things close up, I ask you to remember, you do not have to become a monster to defeat a monster. Your America’s better than that.

Yes, that is exactly what I heard.

But, in the official video, all is missing except the last two sentences.

Yes, this is America, land of the free. Or so it once appeared to be.

Indefensible! Disgusting! Is this nation so gutless, so spineless that criticism from those it awards for human service is to be supressed, lest it offend?

Bono, I fear you may be too late with those words.

From The Onion:

Bono Outbids Everyone At Charity Auction For Bono-Autographed Guitar

LOS ANGELES—During a Keep A Child Alive charity auction last Friday, U2 frontman Bono paid $575,000 for a guitar signed by the Irish recording artist, outbidding his nearest competitor by nearly $500,000.

"Not only does this allow me to donate to a cause in which I very deeply believe, but I now own a unique and valuable piece of rock and roll history," said the singer, who also placed the winning bid on a "once-in-a-lifetime" lunch with Bono at $1 million.

Bono reportedly listed the autographed guitar on eBay the next day to raise money for Amnesty International, and within 20 minutes, had placed the highest bid at $750,000.

Can't wait until the media picks this up and runs with it =P

-pb

I'm not big on the whole "I saw them first" concept, so I really don't hold much awe for people who were U2 fans since like 1753 or whatever. If you just got into them, but you've got as much passion as me, and you're all about them, then I'm not going to be all like "Yo, you're a Johnny-Come-Lately, get in the back."

So, it is with a bit of aggrivation that I see people screaming about how they've been fans of U2 since before Henry VIII was first married, and they feel ripped off.

However, I can understand that people who have 10+ years invested in loving this band get a bit more than pissed off when shit like this happens.

I'm glad I didn't plink down my $40. I hope there are still GA seats available when they go on sale on Saturday.

-pb

So, with the elation of the Eagles NFC Championship out of the way, Tuesday decided to make up for Monday.

V. dug out my car yesterday while she was home, but then one of our plow-happy neighbors plowed it back in. So, I dug it back out last night. Now, plow-nut was parked about 2/3 of a car length ahead of me, which was great, because that meant that I had plenty of room to get out.

I come out this morning, and what do I find? Plow-fucker has pulled forward a bit, and a Ford Focus is parked 1½ feet off my front bumper. THAT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER TO GET OUT OF THE SNOW-STALL MY CAR IS IN, YOU FUCKBAG. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART <3 <3 YOU ASSCANISTER.

So, I dig my car out AGAIN. And then, there's the drive to work. The roads are actually WORSE today than they were yesterday. Now, this might be perception, because I'm relatively certain that my car handles worse in the snow than a goat wearing iceskates, whereas V.'s car (which I drove yesterday) handles like, you know, one of those things that has four wheels and a motor, commonly called a CAR.

Oh, and add that to the fact that everyone on the road was a fuckwit and acted like we were in the next ice age (Oh! Gotta do 5 MPH down this four-lane highway with no snow on it! IT'S COLD OUT!).

So, that's my first two hours in a nutshell.

And now, I bitch about people bitching.

People are whining and complaining that U2, which announced the first two legs of its tour yesterday, isn't coming to their state, city, living room, bedroom, whatever. GET THE FUCK OVER IT. You waited four years for a new album. You've got one of the best collections of music they've ever put out (and that's saying alot). They're FOUR GUYS WITH FAMILIES. They actually have no obligation to go on tour, but they are. If they don't get to you, DEAL WITH IT.

In 1992-94, I missed out on ZooTV. In 1996, I missed out on PopMART, because the tickets were going for over $100. In 2001, I FINALLY got to see them on Elevation, but only once, and before 9/11 (because apparently, the shows after 9/11 were like FUCKING MORE AMAZING THAN EVER BEFORE).

So, I've been a U2 fan for 13 years, and I've seen them once, yet they've been in Philly like 10 times. And now 15-year-olds are bitching that they can't see U2.

When I was 15, I'd already missed the Rattle & Hum tour. Suck it up, assholes.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled whatever it was you had scheduled.

-pb

Hrm. I haven't really felt like updating in the past few days, but I'm sure this will pass.

V. made it home safe and sound, for which I am eternally grateful. The depression fades like snow on a hot day.

Eagles are 10-1, and they pounded the hated Giants so hard, they won their division. It was tasty.

Scored the new U2 album, "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb", and there are few words to describe the delighted squeal that I typically use to describe it. I just wet myself thinking about its awesomnity.

Three lines that grabbed my attention:

"Listen to me now
I've got to let you know
you don't have to go it alone.
And it's you when I look in the mirror,
and it's you when I don't pick up the phone.
Sometimes you can't make it on your own."
- Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

I understand exactly what Bono is saying, and I feel the same way.

"Lay down, Lay down your guns
All you Daughters of Zion,
All you Abraham Sons."
- Love and Peace or Else

"You speak of signs and wonders
but I need something other
I would believe if I was able
but I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table"
- Crumbs From Your Table

LaPoE is, in my estimation, a pretty powerful anti-war song, which I'm all about right now. CFYT is about world conscience, notably America. The most telling line is "You deny for other what you demand for yourself".

Yeah, that's a stab at us, and we deserve it.

-pb

and then I found the note.

-pb

So, it's been a pretty long and complicated day with a large range of emotions:

Pain - I tore my hand up something fierce by accident. Damn thing bled for 10 minutes.

Sorrow - Victoria left for Germany. I've managed to not cry so far. With the exception of the 2nd week we were together, we've never been apart for more than two days, and we've obviously never been this physically far apart. I feel very alone.

Fear - I'm really fretting over her travelling.

Exitement - Got the new U2 album today, and there are no words to describe its coolness.

Happiness - I predicted a 31-6 victory for the Eagles. They decided to be gentlemen and didn't kick the field goal with over a minute left in perfect range. 28-6. I consider my prediction to be correct. 9 and 1.

Desolation - I came home, and while the dogs were happy to see me, I could tell that Snickers was waiting for mommy. I'm waiting too, and it's going to be a long wait. The house feels very empty. I feel very empty.

-pb