Last night's U2 concert was certainly larger than life, a spectacle of lights, flashes, crazy loud sound, and masterful music. Sigh. Highlights: I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, Beautiful Day, City of Blinding Lights, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, One...
The set list:
09/29/2009 FedEx Field - Landover, Maryland, USA
Breathe, Magnificent, Get On Your Boots, Mysterious Ways, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet), Elevation, Your Blue Room, Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet), New Year's Day, Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, The Unforgettable Fire, Mofo (snippet) / , City Of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (snippet), Sunday Bloody Sunday, MLK, Walk On
encores: One / Amazing Grace (snippet), Where The Streets Have No Name, Ultra Violet (Light My Way), With Or Without You, Moment of Surrender
Of course, there was preaching. Iran. AIDS. Africa. Burma. Teddy Kennedy. Ugh. And this review encapsulates the concert the best I've seen. Yeah, it was a shorter show. Yeah, Blue Room? Yeah, nada from Zooropa? Hell, I was happy they skipped Pride, which is now tied with New Year's Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday as my least favorite, way over-played U2 songs. I also wanted to hear The Fly. And yeah, it started out too slow. But hey, the music is awesome. So glad I went.
I believe this is the show I saw them last.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Twenty-five years ago...
25 years ago, the Tigers won the world series, Bless You Boys. Has it really been that long? Watching the video and seeing Jack Morris, Lance Parrish, Alan Trammell, Sparky, Willie Hernandez, etc. brought back a lot of memories of when they won, hearing the horns blasting in the streets, wearing the Bless You Boys t-shirts for a special spirit day at school, just having some enthusiasm in Detroit at one of the city's many low points, the infamous Devil's Night fires.
I'm not as much as into baseball anymore, but that was such a special year as a Detroiter. One of the few times you were so proud of your city, your team. You can remember those players names and positions so clearly so many years later, and there hasn't been a team since as special.
Now these guys are about 50, with grown children and they are scattered across the country.
Sparky said, "You tell children in the third grade that they'll wake someday and be out of college. I don't know how. It just happens." I was in third grade that year, and he's totally right.
I'm not as much as into baseball anymore, but that was such a special year as a Detroiter. One of the few times you were so proud of your city, your team. You can remember those players names and positions so clearly so many years later, and there hasn't been a team since as special.
Now these guys are about 50, with grown children and they are scattered across the country.
Sparky said, "You tell children in the third grade that they'll wake someday and be out of college. I don't know how. It just happens." I was in third grade that year, and he's totally right.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Time on the Death of Detroit
Time magazine is the latest to jump on the bandwagon of MSM outlets who have reported on the "death of Detroit." A few sobering statistics first:
By any quantifiable standard, the city is on life support. Detroit's treasury is $300 million short of the funds needed to provide the barest municipal services. The school system, which six years ago was compelled by the teachers' union to reject a philanthropist's offer of $200 million to build 15 small, independent charter high schools, is in receivership. The murder rate is soaring, and 7 out of 10 remain unsolved. Three years after Katrina devastated New Orleans, unemployment in that city hit a peak of 11%. In Detroit, the unemployment rate is 28.9%. That's worth spelling out: twenty-eight point nine percent.Sobering images:
The neighborhood where I lived as a child, where for decades orderly rows of sturdy brick homes lined each block, is now the urban equivalent of a boxer's mouth, more gaps than teeth. Some of the surviving houses look as if the wrecker's ball is the only thing that could relieve their pain. On the adjacent business streets, commercial activity is so palpably absent you'd think a neutron bomb had been detonated — except the burned-out storefronts and bricked-over windows suggest that something physically destructive happened as well.Who to blame: White racists? Coleman Young? John Dingell? The UAW? I'm tired for the "white racists" being the most culpable for the blame when it's now been two generations plus on horrible, racist Detroit governance, the backwards auto industry, family breakdown and the whining welfare state, a culture of blame that everyone else is culpable of breaking down the city except its residents, and the country's worst education system.
It's so easy to find blame. So hard to make the decisions to change.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Stuff I'm Into Lately
1) Good runs, though today's nasty heat and humidity and the early hour it gets dark does interfere! I accomplished my goal of running to the Lincoln Memorial and back. Now, only ten miles in ten days!!!!
2) The Monster of Folk album is stellar.
3) More Texas tomorrow...hopefully everything goes smoothy!!!
4) Catching up with friends. I checked out Cava on Monday with S&K...good mezze, though I ate and drank way too much. Good to catch up with friends. And half price bottles of wine on Monday in the 'hood!
5) I mentioned I finished the Age of Reagan, right? Oh, lots of good reading in that. I need to get back into TJ soon, probably on the plane tomorrow!
2) The Monster of Folk album is stellar.
3) More Texas tomorrow...hopefully everything goes smoothy!!!
4) Catching up with friends. I checked out Cava on Monday with S&K...good mezze, though I ate and drank way too much. Good to catch up with friends. And half price bottles of wine on Monday in the 'hood!
5) I mentioned I finished the Age of Reagan, right? Oh, lots of good reading in that. I need to get back into TJ soon, probably on the plane tomorrow!
Friday, September 18, 2009
What a Week..
So I am way behind in posting. Jenny's wedding was a lot of fun, great music, and she looked beautiful. I ate more mashed potatoes than I ever thought possible, oh those were so good. The weather could have been better, could have been worse. It was a lot of fun.
Houston was fun. The guys were crazy and good party-ers, and I had some pretty awesome margaritas and fajitas after the investiture. Good times, and it reminded me why I do not always dislike my job.
And today marks the grand finale of GL. I watched this weeks episodes online, and it's very sad. I watched that show pretty consistently for a decade-plus, from 1983ish to 1994ish. I only stopped watching after the debacle of a break-up between Roger and Holly. But I'd turn in over the years, see the Marian Crane saga or bits and pieces of Phillip and Beth or Matt & Vanessa. This is a sad day. It was neat seeing the faces from the past that popped up this week, Bridget and Bridget and Nola and Mindy and nuMichelle and Fletcher and Holly and Ed and all those other characters that made the show so awesome to watch in its prime 17, 18 years ago, at least its prime for my generation. Some touching tributes showed up online. It's amazing that so many posters have kept up with the show for decades. Life and growing older and just general disappointment have prevented me from becoming one of them.
From my perspective, these last shows have been pretty well done. The little tips toward history...Phillip's writing and Beth's art (I remember that!), Fletcher & Alex's friendship, the mature connection between Ed & Holly, Bridget at the boarding house, all of that....reminds me of watching so many years ago.
TV Guide Canada ranked some of the actors/actresses/couples. I mostly agree. I'd have Harley & Mallet in my top love stories, with Roger & Holly #1. And I'd have David's trial to Harley & Mallet's wedding in my top storyline list. And the R&H cliff house scenes. Rachel Miner deserves to be among the best actresses.
More HERE.
Bye GL, and thank you.
Houston was fun. The guys were crazy and good party-ers, and I had some pretty awesome margaritas and fajitas after the investiture. Good times, and it reminded me why I do not always dislike my job.
And today marks the grand finale of GL. I watched this weeks episodes online, and it's very sad. I watched that show pretty consistently for a decade-plus, from 1983ish to 1994ish. I only stopped watching after the debacle of a break-up between Roger and Holly. But I'd turn in over the years, see the Marian Crane saga or bits and pieces of Phillip and Beth or Matt & Vanessa. This is a sad day. It was neat seeing the faces from the past that popped up this week, Bridget and Bridget and Nola and Mindy and nuMichelle and Fletcher and Holly and Ed and all those other characters that made the show so awesome to watch in its prime 17, 18 years ago, at least its prime for my generation. Some touching tributes showed up online. It's amazing that so many posters have kept up with the show for decades. Life and growing older and just general disappointment have prevented me from becoming one of them.
From my perspective, these last shows have been pretty well done. The little tips toward history...Phillip's writing and Beth's art (I remember that!), Fletcher & Alex's friendship, the mature connection between Ed & Holly, Bridget at the boarding house, all of that....reminds me of watching so many years ago.
TV Guide Canada ranked some of the actors/actresses/couples. I mostly agree. I'd have Harley & Mallet in my top love stories, with Roger & Holly #1. And I'd have David's trial to Harley & Mallet's wedding in my top storyline list. And the R&H cliff house scenes. Rachel Miner deserves to be among the best actresses.
More HERE.
Bye GL, and thank you.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Remember
Archival footage from that horrific day eight years ago. God bless the victims, their families and friends, and all of those who have died in the war on terror. And God bless our troops.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Remembering
I will never forget the morning of September 11, with the beautiful blue sky, the sun shining, the absolutely clearness and beauty of a late summer day. I remember chattering about U2 concerts and a recent trip to Florida and absolutely nothing of any relevance that morning. It is hard to believe it has already been eight years now, since that pre-September 11 mindset kicked in.
I remember sitting at my desk, Doug coming in and telling me that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I remember clicking on ABCnews.com, that graphic struggling to upload of a picture of a tiny plane hitting a tall tower. I remember turning on the radio, hearing the crazy rumors of car bombs on the mall and Rosslyn on fire. I remember Jenny scared about her friends' siblings in NYC, and I remember wondering why in the hell Steve was not answering his phone. I remember that rush of a crowd, every man and woman for themselves, going in no particular direction and talking to no particular person. It was the last time I was without a cell phone. I remember getting the news about Barbara, and I remember sitting outside at Laurial Plaza with that eclectic group of people, just wondering what in the hell was going on and why there were armed men patrolling the streets. And I remember wearing the same dress I wore to my college graduation and have never worn since, though I will always keep it. I remember a lot from that day.
Eight years ago today, the world was captivated by shallow things that don't really seem to matter much in the greater scheme of things. It's a miracle, but not one unaffected by the work of the Bush Administration, that there were no further attacks in the interim.
It seems strange to be celebrating a wedding this weekend, but life and love do go on and endure in a way that befits that date. Terrorists don't win these games. But gosh, it is still so hard to let a summer day mesmerize you in September and NOT think of that September 11. I am glad it is cloudy, and it might rain today. I am glad it is cool and not that perfect late-summer temperature. And I am glad that so many people part of my life that day are still part of my life. Very lucky and blessed, indeed. More later...
I remember sitting at my desk, Doug coming in and telling me that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I remember clicking on ABCnews.com, that graphic struggling to upload of a picture of a tiny plane hitting a tall tower. I remember turning on the radio, hearing the crazy rumors of car bombs on the mall and Rosslyn on fire. I remember Jenny scared about her friends' siblings in NYC, and I remember wondering why in the hell Steve was not answering his phone. I remember that rush of a crowd, every man and woman for themselves, going in no particular direction and talking to no particular person. It was the last time I was without a cell phone. I remember getting the news about Barbara, and I remember sitting outside at Laurial Plaza with that eclectic group of people, just wondering what in the hell was going on and why there were armed men patrolling the streets. And I remember wearing the same dress I wore to my college graduation and have never worn since, though I will always keep it. I remember a lot from that day.
Eight years ago today, the world was captivated by shallow things that don't really seem to matter much in the greater scheme of things. It's a miracle, but not one unaffected by the work of the Bush Administration, that there were no further attacks in the interim.
It seems strange to be celebrating a wedding this weekend, but life and love do go on and endure in a way that befits that date. Terrorists don't win these games. But gosh, it is still so hard to let a summer day mesmerize you in September and NOT think of that September 11. I am glad it is cloudy, and it might rain today. I am glad it is cool and not that perfect late-summer temperature. And I am glad that so many people part of my life that day are still part of my life. Very lucky and blessed, indeed. More later...
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
RIP GL
From the Wall Street Journal.
I remember that wedding...one of the last highlights of GL before I quit watching. The break-up of Roger & Holly was the nail in the coffin. But of course, I remember the Josh & Reva saga, Sonni/Solita, Harley & Mallet, Dylan & Bridget & baby Peter, the four Musketeers, Lujack, Ed & Maureen, Little Billy and Michelle, David's trial and Kat and Gilly & Hamp, the blackout, and everything from circa 1993. Bye GL.At a "Guiding Light" costume sale this summer, cast members could purchase the clothes they wore on the show. Elizabeth Keifer, who has played redheaded vixen Blake Marler since 1992, bought the sparkly, gun-metal silver wedding dress she married her mother's boyfriend Ross Marler in 15 years ago, before she gave birth to twins by different fathers. (The DNA Diagnostics Center in Fairfield, Ohio, says the condition, known as heteropaternal superfecundation, is possible. The center periodically receives calls from soap opera writers asking this question, a spokesman says.)
Friday, September 4, 2009
Happy News!
Congrats to W&C on the week-delayed birth of our new nephew! Lots of love to the west coast this morning!
First sad news...
God bless Ernie Harwell, the iconic voice of the Detroit Tigers. Prayers with him as he battles cancer.
Strangely, I was thinking/dreaming of Tigers baseball last night. Every bit as big of a part of Detroit--the Tigers are interchangeable with Ernie--as anything is.
Strangely, I was thinking/dreaming of Tigers baseball last night. Every bit as big of a part of Detroit--the Tigers are interchangeable with Ernie--as anything is.
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