I know, I know. It has been weeks since I went to see my Secondary Boyfriend, Bono, accept the Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center. It was awesome. You can believe me on that or you can watch for youself with a rebroadcast of the event.
Bono is a great fan of America and of early democracy and of Benjamin Franklin, "who wore John Lennon glasses before they were cool." Even though Bono is Irish, he thinks of America as "his country," too.
He praised Thomas Jefferson for the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
"They're great lyrics, Mr. Jefferson," Bono joked. "Great opening riff."
But in a country as great as America, Bono wondered why we allowed so much of the rest of the world to go hungry, to suffer from AIDS. We must do something, he said. And he is right. We must.
www.one.org
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Bono!!!!!!
I get to see Bono of U2 tonight!!!!!! He is being awarded the Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and I got tickets!! Doing so involved my becoming a member of the Constitution Center, so now I have my own pocket-sized copy of the Constitution in my purse. Hey, one never knows when one might need such a copy.
RandomReality fans may recall that I heard Bono speak to the World Affairs Council at a lecture at U of Penn in 2005. Later, I actually got to talk to him (okay, one sentence: "I love you, but not in a creepy way") at a reception afterwards. His talks about Africa, global AIDS relief and poverty are so inspiring. Everytime I hear him speak, I want to move to Africa and start a school. Oh wait. I have no money. And Oprah already did that. But still, Bono is putting his money (and stardom) where his mouth is and using it for a CAUSE.
What is even better, his efforts get results.
RandomReality fans may recall that I heard Bono speak to the World Affairs Council at a lecture at U of Penn in 2005. Later, I actually got to talk to him (okay, one sentence: "I love you, but not in a creepy way") at a reception afterwards. His talks about Africa, global AIDS relief and poverty are so inspiring. Everytime I hear him speak, I want to move to Africa and start a school. Oh wait. I have no money. And Oprah already did that. But still, Bono is putting his money (and stardom) where his mouth is and using it for a CAUSE.
What is even better, his efforts get results.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
My friend and a kangaroo
My friend Tiggy went to Australia for a conference. Here is a funny picture of her with her new friends, the kangaroos. Personally, kangaroos freak me out a little. I am afraid they will kick me with their feet. It is a good thing I don't live near any.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Rick Springfield and me in a riot
Call me Jessie's Girl. My love for 1980s pop star Rick Springfield goes back to my grade school days growing up in the Tacony section of Northeast Philadelphia. In the early 1980s, Springfield appeared as Dr. Noah Drake on the wildly popular soap opera "General Hospital." I was hooked. To heck with Luke and Laura. My 14-year-old brain knew a hunk when I saw him.
I also knew a riot when I saw one. Or as much of a riot as pre-teenage girls can cause. I got caught in one at the Roosevelt Mall on June 30, 1981 when Springfield was supposed to sign autographs and meet fans at the Sam Goody store as part of a promotion with WIFI-FM radio. Twenty-six years later, the memory is still vivid.
Rick Springfield appearing at "our mall" was a huge deal for my friends Karen, Anne and Patty. We just graduated from St. Timothy's grade school and were spending our summer watching "General Hospital" and hanging out at the Roosevelt Mall. We browsed at John Wanamaker's department store, poked around Marlo Books and bought clothes at Famous Maid. The mall was our second home.
The thought of Springfield - hunky Dr. Drake - in OUR MALL was almost too much for us to bear. Springfield was supposed to show up at the Sam Goody at 11 a.m. to promote his hit single, "Jessie's Girl." Anne and I met on Magee Avenue and walked to Brous Avenue to meet Patty and Karen. Onward to the mall.
A massive crowd awaited us. Hundreds, no THOUSANDS of pre-teen girls like us, plus teenagers too. We wove our way over to the Sam Goody store and got in the line.
Where was Rick Springfield? We started getting antsy, hot and tired. It was time for a Coke and a pretzel. But first, we would meet our beloved Rick. I believed I WOULD get to meet him. After all, I had met the guy who played Bo Duke from the "Dukes of Hazzard" at the car show a couple months before and had the photos to prove it.
Suddenly, the crowd starting swaying and moving towards the record store. CRASH!! The entire plate glass window in the front of the store shattered into a million pieces. We screamed.
I don't remember if we ran from the store or just figured, "Heck, now we are closer to Rick Springfield!" But they didn't let us in the record store. Picture a crowd of teenage girls denied their idol. We were not happy. I don't remember anyone throwing anything or hitting each other, but there was pushing, whining and yelling.
The next thing I remember is standing in the parking lot and watching a police car speed by. Inside was Springfield, his hands covering his head, which was down in his lap. They had to take him out in a police car because the cops were afraid we would maul him. And we might have, if I had known what "maul" meant when I was 12. We ran after the car for a bit, but no luck. It kept going.
All these years later, my love for Springfield continues. In 2001, I saw him perform at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. For one brief moment, our eyes locked as he walked by me, carrying his guitar. I wanted to yell, "Rick! I helped shove in a plate glass window for you!" But I thought his memories of that incident may not be as fond as mine.
Not long ago, I got to see him perform at the Keswick Theater in Glenside. He is in his 50s now but still has that penetrating stare and cute butt. He is still a hunk.
Best of all, he is now back on "General Hosptial." I started watching the show again in 2005, when the character of Dr. Noah Drake returned as a way to introduce his equally-hunky son, Dr. Patrick Drake. This month, Springield is playing TWO characters on the show - Dr. Drake and rocker Eli Love. How is this possible? Who cares. It is a soap opera.
And 26 years later, I am still a fan and would still chase Springfield through a mall parking lot. But I would probably have to stop and rest along the way.
I also knew a riot when I saw one. Or as much of a riot as pre-teenage girls can cause. I got caught in one at the Roosevelt Mall on June 30, 1981 when Springfield was supposed to sign autographs and meet fans at the Sam Goody store as part of a promotion with WIFI-FM radio. Twenty-six years later, the memory is still vivid.
Rick Springfield appearing at "our mall" was a huge deal for my friends Karen, Anne and Patty. We just graduated from St. Timothy's grade school and were spending our summer watching "General Hospital" and hanging out at the Roosevelt Mall. We browsed at John Wanamaker's department store, poked around Marlo Books and bought clothes at Famous Maid. The mall was our second home.
The thought of Springfield - hunky Dr. Drake - in OUR MALL was almost too much for us to bear. Springfield was supposed to show up at the Sam Goody at 11 a.m. to promote his hit single, "Jessie's Girl." Anne and I met on Magee Avenue and walked to Brous Avenue to meet Patty and Karen. Onward to the mall.
A massive crowd awaited us. Hundreds, no THOUSANDS of pre-teen girls like us, plus teenagers too. We wove our way over to the Sam Goody store and got in the line.
Where was Rick Springfield? We started getting antsy, hot and tired. It was time for a Coke and a pretzel. But first, we would meet our beloved Rick. I believed I WOULD get to meet him. After all, I had met the guy who played Bo Duke from the "Dukes of Hazzard" at the car show a couple months before and had the photos to prove it.
Suddenly, the crowd starting swaying and moving towards the record store. CRASH!! The entire plate glass window in the front of the store shattered into a million pieces. We screamed.
I don't remember if we ran from the store or just figured, "Heck, now we are closer to Rick Springfield!" But they didn't let us in the record store. Picture a crowd of teenage girls denied their idol. We were not happy. I don't remember anyone throwing anything or hitting each other, but there was pushing, whining and yelling.
The next thing I remember is standing in the parking lot and watching a police car speed by. Inside was Springfield, his hands covering his head, which was down in his lap. They had to take him out in a police car because the cops were afraid we would maul him. And we might have, if I had known what "maul" meant when I was 12. We ran after the car for a bit, but no luck. It kept going.
All these years later, my love for Springfield continues. In 2001, I saw him perform at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. For one brief moment, our eyes locked as he walked by me, carrying his guitar. I wanted to yell, "Rick! I helped shove in a plate glass window for you!" But I thought his memories of that incident may not be as fond as mine.
Not long ago, I got to see him perform at the Keswick Theater in Glenside. He is in his 50s now but still has that penetrating stare and cute butt. He is still a hunk.
Best of all, he is now back on "General Hosptial." I started watching the show again in 2005, when the character of Dr. Noah Drake returned as a way to introduce his equally-hunky son, Dr. Patrick Drake. This month, Springield is playing TWO characters on the show - Dr. Drake and rocker Eli Love. How is this possible? Who cares. It is a soap opera.
And 26 years later, I am still a fan and would still chase Springfield through a mall parking lot. But I would probably have to stop and rest along the way.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
George Clooney Nice to Children
See? And you wonder why I love George Clooney so much. He is nice to children who sell lemonade.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Chad Vader
In which Chad Vader, the loser brother of Darth Vader from "Star Wars," works as a manager at a grocery store and must deal with employees who do not appreciate his powers.
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