We had a fun time reviewing the new Bono biography.  This one, though, is the first for kids.  My 8-year -old daughter, Madeline, writes book responses as school assignments in which she has to tell something she learned from the beginning, middle and end of the book.  So she wrote down the facts she learned and then typed out some sentences to get us started.

I prompted her with some more questions to get her to explain or clarify some things and then she dictated her new sentences to me and I typed them in.  (She was impressed with how fast I could type, and I was impressed by how well she understood the book!)  We worked on the introduction together and then she came up with the author questions on her own.  (Well done, Maddie!  What’s our next assignment?)

The book is a great introduction to this “rock start with a conscience.”  It’s the result of careful research on the part of the author, and it says a little about each stage of Bono’s life.  There are some good pictures, too.  (Gotta have lots of those for the kiddies.)

Shout-out to @U2 staffer/photographer Phil Romans for having one of his photos in the book.  Hint: it’s of a famous Dublin hearing aid store.

And tell me, if you were a kid, what would you think about the man you’re seeing on the book cover?

I know the ladies out there have a crush on our Hitman, but more and more guys are coming out and admitting they have a crush on him too - and it’s not just Boy George this time!

In Sunday’s Irish Independent, Brendan O’Connor admitted that he has a man crush on Larry as well. Here’s what he had to say about spotting him this past Saturday:

A LARRY MULLEN spotting in Eden. While the ignorant among you may think, “Jesus, O’Connor, give us a proper spot. He’s only the drummer. What about a spotting of Bono, or the other fellah, the Edge,” that’s where you’d be wrong. A spotting of the lesser-spotted Larry is the ultimate. You’d catch Bono out on the town any night between Wednesday and Sunday and the Edge is fairly common too. Adam Clayton and Larry are the real exclusives. And there’s also the fact that God, Larry looks good. If Irishmen were to admit to a slight man-crush, most of them would probably say Larry.

If nothing else, he gives great hope for Irish guys. He shows we can be good-looking in an old-fashioned, handsome, movie-star way. If Irish guys are attractive, it’s usually in the rugged or interesting-looking way, boxers’ noses and big jaws and stuff, or we have a great personality or something else useless like that. Larry just looks good like Brad Pitt looks good. Larry is eye candy.

And age isn’t diminishing him. And he always had the dignity to appear troubled by the worst excesses of U2 — like the Pop album.

I love the line “Larry is eye candy.”

To update a story mentioned here a week ago (or so), Edge has announced he will donate 2 Gibson guitars and other personal items to the upcoming “Icons of Music” auction on May 31.

In an interview with the Associated Press by phone while the band was in the studio, Edge said, “No one could ever come close to repaying the debt of those who have established this form (of music) that we all take totally for granted, this hybrid of European melody and African-American rhythm that’s given us jazz and R&B and rock ‘n’ roll. There’s something powerful about musicians giving instruments they own to an auction to aid musicians who are going through a particularly difficult time.”

The AP story also said that Aaron Neville is scheduled to perform at the May 31 auction, held at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City. Edge will host the auction.

If anyone is planning on attending the auction, let us know. We’re looking for special correspondents to cover this event!

Following on from Cara’s post about the Clarence, here’s the story of why Dublin is one of my favorite cities on the planet.

In 2001, my partner and I went to Dublin for a few days. We stayed at the Clarence, drank in the Octagon, and ate an enormous meal one night in the restaurant (where the sommelier learned we were from America and wanted to extol the virtues of a wine called Marilyn Merlot. I am not making this up.) We were celebrating our anniversary, and after a dinner with perhaps more wine than was strictly necessary, we went down the street to the Kitchen, U2’s nightclub.

We were both 40 at the time. Temple Bar was full of Beautiful Young People. The Kitchen had the usual red velvet rope guarded by large, hiply-dressed men. And I remember turning to my sweetie and saying, Oh, yeesh, what if they don’t let us in? I have been given the arched-eyebrow treatment by some of the gatekeepers of clubs in New York (who had to let me in because I was On The List, and it just about killed them because I totally skewed their demographic). I really didn’t want this to happen at the Kitchen.

So we approached the rope, and one Large Well-Dressed Man smiled and said, Ladies, are you coming in? And held the rope aside for us.

I love that man.

We went in and explored, and ended up at the far end of the club (through several rooms, across at least one dance floor). There was a bar in the back, and we found a table, and we had some Guinness, and talked… and before we knew it, it was about 3 AM and the place was heaving with people. They were literally standing packed like sardines around our table and others.

And my partner walks with a cane.

So, you can picture it — 40-year-old women, one using a cane, who have had a fair amount to drink and now have to make their way through about a million Young Dancing Drinking People without being trampled in the rush to claim our table.

And here’s what happened: We stood up. A man of about 21 or so said, Ladies, are you going out? And when we said yes, he proceeded to walk in front of us, politely tapping people on the shoulder and saying, Make way, please, make way. And everyone smiled and made way. We never even got jostled, never mind trampled. He walked us all the way to the entrance, and I was so amazed and grateful for the grace of the moment that I kissed him on the cheek and told him I’d never forget him. And I never have.

I’m glad I got to go to the Kitchen. But more than that, I’m glad I found out that Dublin is a city of such kind and lovely people.

Our man The Edge was in the news this week, showing up at an oh-so-Rock ‘n’ Roll planning board meeting. The owners of The Clarence hotel in Dublin, including Bono and The Edge, have proposed a “controversial” redevelopment project for the hotel. It is facing opposition for reasons that range from aesthetics to architectural heritage and preservation. (Article / News Video).

I am not going to pretend to have a super-educated opinion on this issue. I don’t know much about planning boards. What I do know is that I own a little cardboard coaster somebody swiped for me from the hotel’s Octagon bar several years back. And it is the most magnificent little piece of junk anyone has ever emptied out of a suitcase and pawned off on me as a “present.” It’s maroon/red with black letters (and it’s octagonal). And it’s as close as I’ve ever been to Dublin. (How sad).

No visitors to my home are permitted to place a drink anywhere within two-feet of my Octagon coaster. Ever.

I’m guessing some people reading this blog might have slightly better Clarence stories than that. I know one, at least … the below photos were taken from the penthouse suite at the Clarence. They were taken in May, 2007 by DebbiV, who was nice enough to share these shots. More of her photos from this trip are here.

Not related to the above, but this one of Adam at HQ, below, is from the same trip. It is getting posted here simply because it is nice to look at:

Thanks Debbi!

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

As you may know, the Rolling Stones new flick, Shine a Light, directed by Martin Scorcese is hitting theaters this week.

Critics have already started comparing this film to the recent hit U2 3D, as both flicks feature major bands delivering energetic, inspiring performances.

I’ll admit, I’m not nearly as big of a Stones fan as I am a U2 fan, but I am a huge Scorsese fan, so I think I’ll probably check it out.

If you’re in the Seattle area like me, the Pacific Science Center is making it very easy to compare the two films, as they’re bringing back U2 3D for a limited run to play alongside Shine a Light: The IMAX Experience.

From April 18 to May 4, U2 3D will be showing Thursday through Sunday at 9:45 each evening.  For tickets, visit this page of their site.