Being a regular contributor to @U2, it’s hard to keep up with email - especially when I have about 20 email addresses between my volunteer work here on the site, family email, business email, volunteer organizations and such. I haven’t checked my U2.com email account for quite a while now (about 3 months to be exact). Today I log on to find waiting for me 2,801 emails in my “in” box - all of which are junk. There’s nothing worse than seeing an email account that only allows you to view 16 messages at a time and you can’t delete all in one go - you have to delete all per screen. So, that’s 175 screens with an average of 10 seconds per screen of deletion time. If my math’s right, that’s approximately 30 minutes to delete nothing but junk mail.

For all of the U2.com subscribers who regularly access email - is there an easier way to do this? And, do you know if Fanfire has any spam controls built into their email product? This is ridiculous!

Thanks to Tim K. for pointing us to this John Legend cover of “Pride (In the Name of Love)”, which appears to come from an upcoming History Channel special simply titled, KING. The program airs April 6th.

I’ve said many times that U2 should do more songs with piano, and this cover does nothing to change my opinion. Very nice….

U2’s cover of “Helter Skelter” is named Best Beatles Cover by Rolling Stone readers.

As expected, commenters at RS revolt:

That U2 cover is atrocious (and I like U2).

and

I like U2 circa “Rattle and Hum,” but their version of “Helter Skelter” castrates the original.

and

U2’s version of Helter Skelter is horrible. I have no idea what the hell you guys are smoking

Just another day on the Interweb…..

Sometimes when you do a search on Google, down at the bottom of the page, Google will show you a bunch of “related searches” that it thinks you might be interested in (since, if you scrolled all the way to the bottom, they assume you didn’t find what you wanted in the first 10 results).

I was checking out the search results for U2 today, and these are the phrases Google thinks are related:

What does Google know that we don’t? The possibilities are endless!

I just lost respect for yet another celebrity who is whining about Bono’s efforts in Africa: Stuart Townsend (notable more for his relationship with Charlize Theron, than for his acting, by the way).

Showbiz Ireland reports that the Irish actor is irritated that Bono’s energy is going toward African relief efforts instead of the campaign to save the historic Tara in his own country.

Here are my thoughts:

A) A man like Bono only has so much time in his day. Apart from being the biggest rock star in the world (and having commitments in the studio, etc.), he’s a businessman, a fashion mogul (via Edun) and finally a humanitarian. He has put all of his eggs in one basket, so to speak, to bring awareness to a place that is constantly ignored by the rest of the world. Cut him some slack. He’s doing a lot more than most celebrities, who are noted for their DUIs rather than their activism.

B) While Tara is undoubtedly a worthy cause (I’m not even from Ireland, and I added the ’cause’ to my Facebook page), its pending doom doesn’t include people dying. Africa does.

C) Just because Bono isn’t giving attention to this Tara campaign doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about his country. That’s like saying because Michael J. Fox is an advocate for Parkinson’s research that he doesn’t want a cure for cancer to be found. Bono can’t be every thing to everybody and his contributions to Ireland (in exports of CDs alone) are immeasurable.

My advice to Mr. Townsend: bring attention to the cause you support by making it about the cause. A lot more people will be on your side if you’re not busy bashing the world’s heroes, but instead bringing light to an under-represented topic.

The Press Association released this blurb today about an Irish-based U2 tribute band singer planning to take his own act on the road the next time the band does.

Does he know something we don’t know?

The Columbus Dispatch reports that trends in eyeglasses for spring are going in circles.

How does this impact the most famous shade-wearing front-man? Apparently he’s changing with the times. He was recently seen in France wearing a pair of more conservative specs.

No word yet on whether the new look will carry through to next year’s tour.

I, too, am travelling this week in the UK - seems like a theme running through the @U2 staff. (Can someone say New York, London, Paris, Berlin…)

Since arriving in London, every time I channel surf, I seem to find a U2 reference. It’s like being in front of Bob’s Boxes in The Fly video with a remote control in a way Whilst channel surfing, I found that the Bono Biography was being broadcast on the UK Biography Channel (this is the programme that’s quite rubbish, by the way). A few channels later, I found that Q’s Music Television station has the top 20 U2 video countdown. Trouble is, those channels are blocked at the place I’m staying because my host hasn’t upgraded their cable television to have those channels. UGH! I’ll never know what Q feels is U2’s #1 video!

DAVE TV broadcasted Top of the Pops 2 a few days ago and they listed The Chimes’ version of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” as the best U2 cover song released. The viewers of TOTP felt it was Johnny Cash’s version of “One.” DAVE TV has also been showing ads for the Friday with Jonathan Ross programme, and it’s featuring a quick cameo by U2 from a previous broadcast. The episode of Top Gear airing on that channel also features “Theme From Lets Go Native” and “United Colours” from the Passengers disc. Good golly!

I suppose I’ll need to start my U2 drinking game at the flat I’m staying at (drink every time a U2 reference appears on the screen) - as it’s St. Patrick’s Day, we’ll all be drunk in less than an hour with the rate I keep stumbling upon U2-related items on the tele.

I am in Taipei, Taiwan this week, and while wandering around the city yesterday, I snapped these shots:

I wasn’t even looking for U2 signs, I swear! (I mean, I am looking for the Bono of Taiwan, but that’s besides the point.)

So, I figured the above sign was a promo for U2 3D, but I have been told it is really just a sign advertising things available in a particular music and DVD shop.

Not that I mind, but clearly U2 is inescapable.

-This post brought to you by Scatter O’ Light.

While killing some time last night, I was looking at some comments about the “American Idol” results on EW.com and came across this one:

Before I go, I like to say I would absolutely love a U2 Week !!!

I know Bono made a brief appearance on “American Idol” last year for the charity episode, but a whole show using (and possibly abusing) U2’s music? I’m not sure if I could take that.

I don’t know how likely that scenario would be, but if the contestants were able to choose from the U2 songbook, what tunes would you want to hear? Or what songs would you hope and pray they leave alone? If Kristy Lee Cook turned “In a Little While” into a country hoe-down, I might just cry. And not in a good way.