[martystel]

Hey U2 fans!

[Sam Hewson]

Hello welcome
Hope to see you around i'm Sam

I found this so cute

BONO 'EMBARRASSES' HIS KIDS



U2 rocker BONO is an embarrassing dad and likes to sing boyband hits while driving his kids to school.

The singer's wife, ALI HEWSON, claims he loves making the couple's two sons and two daughters blush.

She says, "When he drops them off at school, he jumps on the bonnet and sings WESTLIFE songs.

"They're like, 'Dad, get in the car! Someone will see you.'"



Awwwww

[Sam Hewson]

Hey! where are you guys???

*********************************************************
Gary C.W. Chun

Patience will be rewarded for local U2 fans this weekend. And they may
well find that waiting 22 years to see the Irish band wasn't such a
bad thing.

Despite performing in stadium settings on this last leg of the 2006
Vertigo World Tour, the band is trying to regain that intimate
connection with audiences that made U2 so beloved early on.

Those lucky enough to see the quartet in 1983 and '84 at the Blaisdell
Arena, touring in support of the "War" and "The Unforgettable Fire"
albums, saw them at their earnest best. Flush with their first taste
of rock celebrity, Bono and the band put on two consecutive memorable
shows. This was well before the media-overload imagery of the 1993 Zoo
TV and near-disastrous PopMart tours of 1993 and '97, when the band
put a heavy coat of irony on their stage presentation.

Hawaii missed out on the largesse of those tours, and although
hard-core U2 fans may have stood by them, the band may have lost some
relevance to a wider audience. But thanks to 2001's "All That You
Can't Leave Behind," U2 has been making interesting music again, with
the album a restatement of the band's original strengths.

U2 returns to Hawaii as megastars in the rock 'n' roll firmament.
Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. have sold upward of
170 million albums worldwide (and counting), won 22 Grammys (five of
them last year for "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"), and were
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March of '05 -- in
their first year of eligibility -- by none other than "the Boss,"
Bruce Springsteen.

2006 has been a year of reevaluation for the band (and constant
mentions in the news in general, thanks mostly to Bono, more later on
that). And their next studio album, done with the help of the
masterful career rejuvenator, producer Rick Rubin, should reconfirm
their status.

U2's older catalog has been featured just as much on tour as tunes
from the latest album. They've even, on occasion, played "I Will
Follow," their hit single from the early '80s.

Well-timed in all of this is the recent release of the band's latest
greatest-hits collection, "U218 Singles," that doubles as an aural
complement to the "U2 By U2" coffee-table book, out just in time for
the holidays.

The new collection's selling point is two new tracks. "Window in the
Skies" debuted on the just-completed Japan leg of the tour and may
show up somewhere in the Hawaii setlist. There's also the song U2
performed with Green Day at the Louisiana Superdome when the New
Orleans Saints returned to their home field.

A cover version of a 1978 song by Scottish punkers the Skids, "The
Saints are Coming" was initially released as a downloadable single
with proceeds going to the Edge's charity, Music Rising, to help
struggling musicians with their post-Hurricane Katrina lives.

And did you know Bono may win the Nobel Peace Prize on Sunday? He's
one of the 191 nominees, being considered for his continuing campaign
to alleviate world poverty.

It's inevitable that if you're a fan of U2, you're going to have to
deal with Bono's outside activities. While detractors wish he would
just shut-up-and-sing, the lead singer-slash-activist has taken a
decidedly less politically agitating tact in his adopted cause --
tackling economic and health problems in Africa.

"I don't want people to feel, 'Oh, no! Here's that bloody priest Bono
rattling his plate again. Quick, hide the drink!'," Bono said in an
interview with the British magazine Q in January. "No! This is like
the civil rights movement. This is like the anti-apartheid movement.
This is the issue that will define our generation and, come on, don't
we want to say we gave it a good go? People should feel great doing this."

All that entails is buying into his recent (Product) Red marketing
campaign. Working from the premise that corporations can help save the
lives of the poor, the campaign involves specially designed products
from such brands as Nike Converse, The Gap and Motorola. Purchase one
of the items and 50 percent of the net profit will reportedly be
donated to Bono's anti-AIDS campaign in Africa.

And there's no denying the man's ability to get serious face time with
politicians. On this portion of the tour alone, Bono has met with
Australian Treasurer Peter Costello, spending an hour with him
discussing his country's international aid. He later gave a pair of
his trademark Giorgio Armani wraparound shades to Japanese Prime
MInister Shinzo Abe, urging him to honor Japan's pledge to boost aid
to Africa and other parts of the developing world.

But, at the end of the day, it's still all about the music.

Even fans from the mainland have been looking forward to U2's
appearance here. The addition of Pearl Jam to the bill has only
intensified interest.

"Few bands in the history of rock 'n' roll have been able to succeed
in the way that U2 and Pearl Jam have," wrote Craig Banhart of South
Lake Tahoe, Calif., via e-mail. "Their songs have been able to
transcend, being a combination of beats, lyrics and melodies, and have
become a real part of the lives of their fans. Having these bands
together in such a beautiful setting will be an incredible experience."

And for such big rock stars, Bono and the Edge are still humbled in
their constant attempt to perfect their songwriting craft.

"It's about trying to get the right channel," Bono said during a
recent HBO interview with fellow rocker Dave Stewart. "It's always
been that journey away from self-consciousness. ... And if you bump
against God in the corridor, good one!"

"Every step we go, it gets better," the Edge added. "We're still
trying to do that great album (and) write the greatest song. It's
important in how it connects to you -- to write something that will
have people listen to that song over and over."

"We feel we're just about to make our best work," said Bono.

And it all starts after Hawaii. The journey begins anew for U2.

© 2006 Star-Bulletin

[Veronica Cuddy]

Hi, here another big U2 fan

[Supersonic_]

Hi everybody
I love U2. Quite a new fan I guess, but still. Such great songs

[Ophelia_Grace]

So I have been meaning to come to the U2 Thread, but gah work has kept me so busy. I am a big fan of U2 and I must say all of their songs are amazing! I really can't say which song is my favorite because they are all so great in their own way. Oh now I really sound corny lol.

[Sam Hewson]

Hey new people!! YAY W E L C O M E

hOPE TO SEE YOU 'ROUNd
HAVE YOU SEEN THE SAINTS ARE COMIN VIDEO??

[Sam Hewson]

Where are you guys???

Have you seen Bono's new hair cut????

he looks gorgeus!!


Like always!

[Aussie Gal]

Hello everyone! Hope you are well!

I loved that story about Bono embarrassing his kids.

[Sam Hewson]

Yay is so cute! great to see you ´round!!

[Sam Hewson]

[Sam Hewson]

African Well Fund

In 2002, an episode of MTV Diary aired in which Bono took then-U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill to a water well in Africa. In the episode, the rock star mentioned the cost of that particular well: $1,000. To the founders of the African Well Fund, this seemed like an area where average people could make a difference. They started out with a simple idea: gather together enough fans to donate a few dollars to raise $1,000 to build a well in Uganda as a birthday gift for Bono. They were surprised to find that by the end of the campaign, more than $10,000 had been raised. The group then began to wonder if there might be something more there, and the African Well Fund was born.

The African Well Fund launched a Web site and filed the paperwork necessary to become a tax-exempt, non-profit organization. The group has grown to encompass volunteers across the world. Since its inception, the organization has raised more than $300,000 for clean water projects in Africa. These funds have been used for projects serving thousands of people in Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.

[Sam Hewson]

[Sam Hewson]

It's really happening—Bono is appearing on American Idol this week.

Before you light up the forums and chat rooms with "he's a sell out" messages, just know that
he's doing it for a good cause.

The April 24 and 25 episodes of the show will be themed 'Idol gives back' and voting for your
favorite Idol candidates will yield a charity donation to a number of worthy causes around the
globe. The ONE Campaign is just one of them.

Aside from Bono's appearance, Gwen Stefani, Michael Bublé and many other celebrities will
show up to offer their support.

To watch a video explaining the special broadcast, follow this link:

American Idol: Idol Gives Back
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tonight and tomorrow, one in ten Americans will sit down in their living rooms and tune-in to American Idol for a special episode called "Idol Gives Back."

We are excited to announce that Bono will be making an appearance Wednesday night on behalf of ONE urging the millions of Americans watching the show to join us in the fight against extreme poverty. Bono will meet with the Idol contestants to talk with them about ONE and the difference your advocacy is making in the lives of the world's poorest people. The Idol contestants will also perform "American Prayer," a song written by Bono and Dave Stewart about the AIDS emergency in Africa.

We need your help to make sure your friends and family are watching. Spread the word about tonight and tomorrow's shows! This is a great way to introduce friends and family to ONE. Invite them to join you in the fight against extreme poverty.

Forward this e-mail to friends and family and ask them to join today by visiting: www.ONE.org

Wednesday night's show will be a two-hour special hosted by Ellen and featuring appearances by Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Earth, Wind & Fire, Il Divo, Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, Josh Groban with the African Children's Choir, Jack Black, Helen Mirren, Rascal Flatts, Quincy Jones, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox and many more.

We are excited about what the next two days could mean for the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty. Because of your continued support and involvement, extreme poverty is getting the national attention it so badly needs. When millions of people come together as ONE voice, anything is possible.

[Sam Hewson]

I saw BONO on American Idol, he cut his hair and he looks soooooooooooooooo GORGEUS!!!!