27.1.10

Brothers




All’s fair in love and war.

In Jim Sheridan’s English language remake of Susanne Bier’s celebrated Danish drama Brodre, love is war as two siblings – polar opposites – are divided by their deep bond to the same woman.

Like the original film, Brothers is distinguished by emotionally raw performances and an escalating tension as the characters’ underlying rage and guilt gradually bubble to the surface.

Shrugging off his Spider-Man costume, Tobey Maguire is a revelation as a soldier haunted by his experiences at the hands of the enemy, whose deep psychological wounds threaten to tear his family apart.

Jake Gyllenhaal plies roguish charm as the black sheep of the family and Natalie Portman is in sparkling form as a doting mother, desperately searching for affection in the midst of grief.

Depressingly, scenes set in Afghanistan are just as relevant today as they were five years ago when Bier’s picture collected numerous awards on the festival circuit.

Tommy Cahill (Gyllenhaal) is released from prison, having served his time for armed robbery.

He begins to rebuild his life by re-establishing links with his parents Hank (Sam Shepard) and Elsie (Mare Winningham), who have always shown preference to his golden boy brother, Sam (Maguire).

The first few days are difficult and Hank makes no bones about flaunting his admiration for Sam, a well-respected captain in the Marines, who is about to embark on his fourth tour of duty.

However, Tommy gets to prove his worth when Sam is dispatched to Afghanistan and his helicopter is shot down over enemy territory.

With his sibling presumed dead, Tommy lends his support to Sam’s beautiful wife, Grace (Portman), and her two daughters, Isabelle (Bailee Madison) and Maggie (Taylor Geare).

Over time, Tommy and Grace grow incredibly close but their mutual attraction, which spills over into a single kiss, is quickly extinguished when Sam is found alive, having been held captive and tortured by the Taliban.

Denials of an affair fall on deaf ears and it is only a matter of time before Sam declares war on the people he holds most dear.

Brothers is an accomplished distillation of Bier’s superior 2004 film.

Performances are exemplary across the board, including a terrific supporting turn from youngster Madison as the daughter who resents her father’s return and screams with tear-filled eyes, ‘I wish you’d stayed dead!’ Maguire and Portman don’t convince as childhood sweethearts but her on-screen chemistry with Gyllenhaal simmers nicely, especially in the pivotal scene where they flirt while enjoying a joint and listening to U2.

‘I took you for more of an ‘N SYNC fan,’ giggles Tommy.

Like the war in Afghanistan, which creates divisions in the Cahill household, there is no swift or neat resolution to the characters’ ordeal.

The casualties are high.

•Release Date: Friday 22 January 2010
•Certificate: 15
•Runtime: 104mins
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This article was posted on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 2:33 pm.



expressandstar

24.1.10

Belfast goes back in time for new U2 movie


Film-makers have turned back the clock in Belfast's Lower Donegal Street


The filming of a new movie linked to the Irish supergroup U2 has taken part of Belfast city centre back by three decades.

The feature film, titled "Killing Bono", is being made in and around the city over the next six weeks.

Waring Street and Lower Donegal Street have been dressed to portray a vision of London in the late 1970s.

Traffic diversions will be in place on Sunday and Monday but rush hour traffic will not be affected by the filming.

The film, which has been described as a "music-based comedy", is set during U2's formative years in north Dublin and London.

It is based on the memoirs of Bono's schoolfriend, Neil McCormick, who is now a music critic for the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"Killing Bono" tells the story from the point of view of the rather less successful rival band which he set up with his brother in the late 1970s.

The film is directed by the Belfast-born director Nick Hamm and has received funding from Northern Ireland Screen, with help from Invest NI

It is hoped the film will be released in the summer of 2010.

bbc
Carolin dedicated life to helping others
Published: Wednesday, January 20, 2010



By Sean Dalton, Heritage Newspapers

Dexter's Laurence Carolin, a teenager who had suffered from brain cancer since 2007, died Jan. 15.

Carolin, a 15-year-old Dexter Community Schools student, carved out a unique niche for himself that had little to do with his diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme – a dangerous type of brain cancer.

Last summer Carolin decided he was going to live a "high quality life" by being an advocate for impoverished people in Africa suffering from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Carolin was surrounded by family at his home in Scio Township during his final moments, according to his mother, Lisa Carolin.

Earlier this year she told the story of her adopted son and how he took an altruistic course after receiving an opportunity from the Make-A-Wish Foundation to meet the band U2 – particularly Carolin's hero Bono.

When the Foundation discovered that they would not be able to make Carolin's wish happen, they offered him another wish.

He told the Foundation staff to donate the money that had been set aside for his wish to the United Nations Foundation, which is one of Bono's charities of choice.

When Bono heard that Carolin had donated the $5,000 wish fund he decided that he just had to meet Carolin.

On Sept. 12, 2009 Carolin and his parents took a trip to Chicago to attend a U2 concert at Soldier Field courtesy of the One Foundation.

Carolin continued to be an advocate for the sick and starving in Africa, even from his own wheelchair and sick bed.

"We must stand tall," he said in an essay last year. "We must not turn our backs and let this thing called poverty live on, and continue to kill thousands of Africans every day.

"This is our generation's time to get their boots on and start marching. It's our generation's time to get their thinking caps on. It's also our generation's time to use their voice."

Carolin's voice and message has inspired over $20,000 in donations to the United Nations Foundation and other charities, according to his mother.

He also inspired a group of Dexter residents to raise funds for Nothing But Nets, a global grassroots campaign to prevent malaria, which affects 500 million people each year, through $10 donations that went towards the purchase of insecticide-treated bed nets.

"In 2007, my easy life was challenged," Carolin wrote in a letter to Bono. "By opening my eyes to war, poverty and disease around the world, I realized that I was in a position to help make a difference."

He will continue to make a difference thanks to the Carolin family, who have set up a memorial fund to carry on their son's important work. The fund will continue to support the United Nations Foundation.

A service will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church at 6805 Mast Road at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Another service is planned for 1 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Nie Funeral Home at 3767 W. Liberty Road Ann Arbor.

heritage

19.1.10

Eno: 'Bono is hated in Britain' - January 19, 2009



Legendary producer Brian Eno is convinced U2 frontman Bono is "hated" in Britain, because the public can't stand seeing a pop star meddle in international affairs.

The Irish rocker is well known for his humanitarian work and philanthropic efforts over the years, and he has also met with a string of high profile world leaders, including former US President George W Bush, as part of his campaigning.

But Eno is adamant the singer's attempts to dabble in world politics have made him unpopular in the UK, because Brits think he should stick to making music.

He tells BBC TV show Arena, "Bono commits the crime of rising above your station. To the British, it's the worst thing you can do.

"Bono is hated for doing something considered unbecoming for a pop star - meddling in things that apparently have nothing to do with him. He has a huge ego, no doubt about it. On the other hand, he has a huge brain and a huge heart. He's just a big kind of person. That's not easy for some to deal with.

"They don't mind in Italy. They like larger-than-life people there. In most places in the world they don't mind him. Here (in Britain), they think he must be conning them."

yahoo
U2's 'Bad' gets a NASCAR makeover
January 18, 2010 | 11:31 am



Heroin and NASCAR, who knew? U2 fans watching the NFL playoffs on Fox this weekend surely heard what would seem to be an oddly placed song scoring the network's preview of the upcoming Daytona 500: U2's mid-'80s hit "Bad." The commercial features little more than a snippet of one of the Edge's most recognizable guitar riffs -- the few slow, glistening notes that set the table for the song's explosive rock 'n' roll release.

U2 hasn't exactly shied away from commercial endorsements of late, or massive sporting events. Also, anyone who has attended any NFL, NBA or MLB game in recent years has likely heard "Beautiful Day" piped throughout the arena or stadium, further linking U2 with the sporting world. Yet judging by some previous NASCAR-branded music releases, U2 seems to be a bit out of place with the barroom hits and country rock more closely tied to the sport.


Granted, it's more a story these days when rock 'n' roll doesn't appear in a commercial, but are U2 fans ready to have one of the band's most iconic songs forever associated with auto racing? If the quick responses on Twitter are any gauge, then no.

Though Bono's lyrics in "Bad" are vague and open to interpretation, it's a song long believed to be about heroin addiction, making it feel a bit out of place in hyping the Feb. 14 race. It should be noted, of course, that it's not the first time a rock 'n' roll tune about drug use has appeared in a commercial, as Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" more famously promoted a cruise line.



Pop & Hiss has reached out to the U2 camp for more info, and for clarification as to what clearances and permissions may have been needed. It's possible the band was just as surprised as some of its fans were at hearing the tune in the network promo. Some may recall that Fox once used the Arcade Fire's "No Cars Go" in a promo for the NFL, and it was widely reported that the network did not seek -- or need -- the band's permission. The clip is embedded above.

Pop & Hiss did, however, waste more time this weekend than is worth admitting comparing the few seconds above with the actual album track, as well as the various live versions to gauge where it came from. The edition used by Fox seems to most closely resemble the take on U2's "Wide Awake in America" EP, but fans are invited to set us straight.

Of course, there may not be any real reason to be surprised. After all, U2's name has indeed been seen on the race track of late, appearing on Elliott Sadler's vehicle to promote the film "U2:3D."

Still, we would have voted for "Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car" instead.

-- Todd Martens

latimesnlogs
Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Regine Chassagne wrote an editorial for The Observer about what the Haitian earthquake means to her.


Régine Chassagne
The Observer, Sunday 17 January 2010

Chassagne, whose family immigrated to Canada from Haiti during the Francois Duvalier dictatorship, wrote about what it was like to hear about the quake hitting Haiti last week, in addition to why people should donate to the relief efforts.

I let out a cry, as if I'd heard everybody I loved had died - In a moving response to the earthquake, a Haitian singer demands that her homeland isn't once again abandoned by the west

Somewhere in my heart, it's the end of the world.

These days, nothing is funny. I am mourning people I know. People I don't know. People who are still trapped under rubble and won't be rescued in time. I can't help it.

Everybody I talk to says the same thing: time has stopped.

Simultaneously, time is at work. Sneakily passing through the cracks, taking the lives of survivors away, one by one.

Diaspora overloads the satellites. Calling families, friends of families, family friends. Did you know about George et Mireille? Have you heard about Alix, Michaelle etc, etc? But I know that my personal anguish is small compared to the overwhelming reality of what is going on down there.

When it happened I was at home in Montreal, safe and cosy, surfing the internet, half randomly, like millions of westerners. Breaking news: 7.0 earthquake hits http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/haiti Haiti near Port-au-Prince.

Such emotion came over me. My breath stopped. My heart sank and went straight into panic mode. I knew right away that the whole city is in no way built to resist this kind of assault and that this meant that thousands were under rubble. I saw it straight away.

I ran downstairs and turned on the television. It was true. Tears came rushing right to my eyes and I let out a cry, as if I had just heard that everybody I love had died. The reality, unfortunately, is much worse. Although everything around me is peaceful, I have been in an internal state of emergency for days. My house is quiet, but I forget to eat (food is tasteless). I forget to sleep. I'm on the phone, on email, non-stop. I'm nearly not moving, but my pulse is still fast. I forget who I talked to and who I told what. I leave the house without my bag, my keys. I cannot rest.

I grew up with parents who escaped during the brutal years of the Papa Doc regime. My grandfather was taken by the Tonton Macoutes and it was 10 years before my father finally learnt he had been killed. My mother and her sister returned home from the market to find their cousins and friends murdered. She found herself on her knees in front of the Dominican embassy begging for her life in broken Spanish. Growing up, I absorbed those stories, heard a new version every year; adults around the dinner table speaking in creole about poor Haiti.

When I was growing up, we never had the money to return. Even if we had, my mother never could go back. Until she died, she would have nightmares about people coming to "take her away". My mum passed away before she could meet my future husband, or see our band perform and start to have success, and though I have dreamed of her dancing to my music, I know she would have been very worried to hear that I was travelling to Haiti for the first time last year.

It is strange that I was introduced to my country by a white doctor from Florida called Paul Farmer who speaks perfect Creole and knows how to pronounce my name right. He is the co-founder of an organisation titled http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti Partners in Health (Zanmi Lasante in Creole). There are several charity organisations that are doing good work in Haiti – Fonkoze is a great micro-lending organisation – but in terms of thorough medical care, follow-up and combining of parallel necessary services (education, sanitation, training, water, agriculture), there is none that I could ­recommend more than Partners in Health. It takes its work for the Haitian people very seriously and, indeed, most of the staff on the ground are Haitian. PIH has been serving the poorest of the poor for more than 20 years with a ­curriculum that really astounded me, given the limited resources available in the area.

Visiting its facilities, I was overwhelmed by, and impressed with, the high-level, top-quality services provided in areas where people own next to nothing and were never given the opportunity to learn how to sign their own name. I was delightfully shocked to see the radically positive impact it has had in the communities it serves. Of course, during my visit, I saw some clinics and hospitals that were at different stages than others, but through it all, I could clearly see that PIH staff are very resourceful and set the bar extremely high for themselves. I know that, right now, they are using their full ­capacities to save as many lives as possible.

So in these critical times where death comes every minute, I urge you to donate to Partners in Health (www.pih.org) and be as generous as you can. I know from having talked to some staff that they are on the ground right now, setting up and managing field hospitals as well as receiving the injured at their clinics in the surrounding areas.

I realise that by the time you read this it will be Sunday. The cries will have died out and few miracles will remain possible. But the suffering survivors should not be abandoned and should be treated with the best care countries like ours can offer.

Many Haitians expect to be let down. History shows they are right to feel that way. Haitians know that they have been wronged many, many times. What we are seeing on the news right now is more than a natural disaster. This earthquake has torn away the veil and revealed the crushing poverty that has been allowed by the west's centuries of disregard. That we must respond with a substantial emergency effort is beyond argument, but in the aftermath, Haiti must be rebuilt.

Ultimately, we need to treat Haiti with compassion and respect and make sure that the country gets back on its feet once and for all. Haiti's independence from France more than two centuries ago should be thought of as one of the most remarkable tales of ­freedom; instead, she was brought to her knees by the French and forced to pay a debt for the value of the lost colony (including the value of the slaves: the equivalent of $21bn by current calculations). We cannot ­overestimate the strength and resilience of the brave people living in this country whose ancestors had to buy their own bodies back.

The west has funded truly corrupt governments in the past.

Right now, in Haiti, there is a democratically elected government.

Impossibly weak, but standing.

This is the moment where we need to show our best support and solidarity.

Since Haiti shook and crumbled, I feel as if something has collapsed over my head, too. Miles away, somehow, I'm trapped in this nightmare. My heart is crushed. I've been thinking about nothing else.

Time has stopped – but time is of the essence.

So I've been sitting here at my computer, food in the fridge, hot water in the tap, a nice comfy bed waiting for me at some point… but…

Somewhere in my heart, it's the end of the world.

Régine Chassagne is a member of the rock band Arcade Fire

guardian

14.1.10

BBC admits it went too far with U2 support


Bono of U2: the BBC admits it went too far in promoting the band

Patrick Foster, Media Correspondent

The BBC gave undue prominence to U2 by repeatedly broadcasting a “U2 = BBC” graphic and allowing presenters to claim the corporation was “part of launching” the Irish band’s latest album, it admitted yesterday.

The decision to align the BBC so closely with the release of the No Line On The Horizon album last February led to a chorus of complaints that the BBC’s endorsement, which also included a U2 concert on the roof of its Central London offices, amounted to millions of pounds worth of free advertising.

RadioCentre, the trade body for commercial radio companies, complained that the coverage, which saw Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe claim that the station was “part of launching this new album” amounted to “undue prominence for commercial products or organisations”.

In its ruling, the BBC’s Editorial Complaints Unit said: “The use of the mathematical symbol for identity in the graphic U2 = BBC gave an inappropriate impression of endorsement. A pre-recorded interview between Zane Lowe and Bono of U2 was for the most part appropriate, but a reference to Radio 1 being 'part of launching this new album’ was not.”

The ECU also upheld a complaint that it was inappropriate for the Radio 1 website to contain links to the websites of ticket agents for the band’s concerts. It said: “The Radio 1 leadership team have reminded executive producers and presenters about the issues to be considered in relation to judgments about undue prominence, and the distinction between the reporting of new artistic work and commercial promotion.

“The management of BBC Marketing, Communication and Audiences (the Division responsible for the U2 = BBC graphic) has reminded all staff of the need to consult the editorial policy team in a timely manner for advice when potentially sensitive issues such as commercial interests are involved.”

The BBC also faced complaints today that it had over-promoted Chris Evans’s return to Radio 2. Steve Penk, a former Capital and Virgin Radio DJ, complained that the corporation had engaged in “excessive and gratuitous” promotion of Evans’s new show, which was unfair on commercial rivals.

A BBC Scotland presenter was also in hot water after allegedly breaching BBC impartiality rules by writing to a newspaper to complain about the rate of interest Britain was charging on Iceland’s debt.

Sally Magnusson, daughter of the late Mastermind host Magnus Magnusson, wrote that “the terms are crippling for a tiny nation”.

A BBC spokesman said: “Part of her letter relates to public policy, which, under the guidelines, is a subject which journalists should not express their opinions about.”

timesonline

13.1.10

Warwick Presents Adam Clayton Reverso Signature Bass
January 12, 2010





The fact that Adam Clayton of U2, the bassist of one of the biggest rock' n 'roll bands in the world, sought the collaboration with Warwick 2 years ago is a milestone for the soon to be 30-year-old success story of Warwick as a manufacturer of bass equipment. An intensive collaboration with the Warwick team under the guidance of Marcus Spangler created an unmatched bass that shines with its own voice and design.

The Warwick Adam Clayton Reverso Signature Bass not only stands out because of its extravagant design. The high quality components, like the selected 5A quilted maple top for the body and headstock, the Khaya Mahogany body, the 3A flamed maple neck with tiger stripe ebony fingerboard give this bass a unique tone with smooth elegance and a punch that a band like U2 needs every time they play.

An active MEC P split coil pickup captures the tone, new passive MEC electronics co-developed with Adam Clayton allow a separate reduction of high and low frequencies, and produce the typical Adam Clayton sound. The electrical outfitting of this Adam Clayton Reverso Bass also includes red LEDs on the fingerboard's edge providing the best orientation on dark stages. An all-around professional bass for one of the most demanding bassist in the world.

For more information, visit their web site at http://www.warwickbass.com/

news.harmony-central.com
Music pub 'rescued from closure'
Tuesday, 12 January 2010

One of London's oldest music venues, which has hosted the Rolling Stones, has been saved, its landlord has said.

Live acts have performed at the Halfmoon since 1963

The Halfmoon in Putney, south-west London, was purportedly due to close at the end of January and reopen as a gastro-pub following falling sales.

But landlord Young's allegedly scrapped the plan after an outcry from music fans and a campaign on Facebook.

Venue tenant James Harris said: "This was never just about jobs but about a part of our music heritage."

X Factor

The Halfmoon has hosted live music nearly every night since 1963, including rock band Kasabian and many unsigned artists.

But rising rates and alcohol duty, coupled with the recession, resulted in financial difficulties at the venue, Mr Harris said.

Mr Harris said he received notice of closure in November last year, which led to a petition receiving hundreds of signatures and a Facebook campaign backed by 6,500 people.

Supporters included X Factor contestant Jamie Archer, solo singer Eddi Reader and Ocean Colour Scene singer Simon Fowler.

The venue will continue to host live music with a new promotions team. It will also now serve food.

Mr Harris said: "We still face tough times ahead, but at least we can move forward now and my staff and myself are thrilled and excited."

'An incredible platform'

Singer Natalie Ross, who has performed at the venue, said: "I wanted to save the Halfmoon.

"It's the only venue in London that has amazing sound and is also an incredible platform for an unsigned artist like myself."

But James White, associate director at Young's, disputed Mr Harris's version of events, claiming there were never plans to close the pub at the end of January and a gastro-pub was not on the cards.

He said: "Young's has worked extensively with the current tenant of the Halfmoon over the past two years and has invested significantly in the pub.

"So we are delighted to have agreed revised terms which will help the landlord run the business effectively and keep the Halfmoon as one of London's leading independent music venues."

bbc

4.1.10

Op-Ed Guest Columnist
Ten for the Next Ten


By BONO
Published: January 2, 2010
Dublin



IF we have overindulged in anything these past several days, it is neither holiday ham nor American football; it is Top 10 lists. We have been stuffed full of them. Even in these self-restrained pages, it has been impossible to avoid the end-of-the-decade accountings of the 10 best such-and-suches and the 10 worst fill-in-the-blanks.

And so, in the spirit of rock star excess, I offer yet another.

The main difference, if it matters, is that this list looks forward, not backward. So here, then, are 10 ideas that might make the next 10 years more interesting, healthy or civil. Some are trivial, some fundamental. They have little in common with one another except that I am seized by each, and moved by its potential to change our world.

Return of the Automobile as a Sexual Object



How is it that the country that made us all fall in love with the automobile has failed, with only a few exceptions, to produce a single family sedan with the style and humor and grace of the cars produced in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s? Put aside the question of whether those models were male (as in longer, lower and wider, Dr. Freud) or female (as in fender skirts, curvy belt lines and, of course, headlights). Either way, they all had sex appeal. (In Ireland in the ’70s, it was the E-Type Jag that made sense of puberty.) Today, however, we have the mundanity of our marriage to the minivan and the S.U.V. and long-term relationships with midsize cars that are, forgive me, a little heavy in the rear cargo hold.

Are aerodynamics to blame? Economics? Or that most American of inventions, design by committee? It hurts me to say this about democracy (and I know because my band is one), but rarely does majority rule produce something of beauty.

That’s why the Obama administration — while it still holds the keys to the big automakers — ought to put some style fascists into the mix: the genius of Marc Newson ... Steve Jobs and Jonny Ive from Apple ... Frank Gehry, the architect, and Jeff Koons, the artist. Put the great industrial designers in the front seat, right along with sound financial stewardship ... the greener, the cleaner, the meaner on fossil fuels, the sexier for me. Check out the Tesla or the Fisker Karma car, designed by the same team that gave the world the Aston Martin

Intellectual Property Developers



Caution! The only thing protecting the movie and TV industries from the fate that has befallen music and indeed the newspaper business is the size of the files. The immutable laws of bandwidth tell us we’re just a few years away from being able to download an entire season of “24” in 24 seconds. Many will expect to get it free.

A decade’s worth of music file-sharing and swiping has made clear that the people it hurts are the creators — in this case, the young, fledgling songwriters who can’t live off ticket and T-shirt sales like the least sympathetic among us — and the people this reverse Robin Hooding benefits are rich service providers, whose swollen profits perfectly mirror the lost receipts of the music business.

We’re the post office, they tell us; who knows what’s in the brown-paper packages? But we know from America’s noble effort to stop child pornography, not to mention China’s ignoble effort to suppress online dissent, that it’s perfectly possible to track content. Perhaps movie moguls will succeed where musicians and their moguls have failed so far, and rally America to defend the most creative economy in the world, where music, film, TV and video games help to account for nearly 4 percent of gross domestic product. Note to self: Don’t get over-rewarded rock stars on this bully pulpit, or famous actors; find the next Cole Porter, if he/she hasn’t already left to write jingles.

An Equal Right to Pollute (and the Polluter-Pays Principle)



In the recent climate talks in Copenhagen, it was no surprise that developing countries objected to taking their feet off the pedal of their own carbon-paced growth; after all, they played little part in building the congested eight-lane highway of a problem that the world faces now.

One smart suggestion I’ve heard, sort of a riff on cap-and-trade, is that each person has an equal right to pollute and that there might somehow be a way to monetize this. By this accounting, your average Ethiopian can sell her underpolluting ways (people in Ethiopia emit about 0.1 ton of carbon a year) to the average American (about 20 tons a year) and use the proceeds to deal with the effects of climate change (like drought), educate her kids and send them to university. (Trust in capitalism — we’ll find a way.) As a mild green, I like the idea, though it’s controversial in militant, khaki-green quarters. And yes, real economists would prefer to tax carbon at the source, but so far the political will is not there. If it were me, I’d close the deal before the rising nations want it backdated.

A Person (Dr. William Li) and a Word (Angiogenesis)



Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels grow. This is good — except when it’s very bad, as in the case of cancerous tumors. Blood vessels are their supply lines. Dr. William Li of the Angiogenesis Foundation has called research in this realm the “first medical revolution of the 21st century,” and he should know. (I shouldn’t, given my lack of a medical pedigree, but I learned about it from my bandmate the Edge, who supports Dr. Li’s foundation.) Work on angiogenesis inhibitors is at the vanguard. In a world worrying about whether it can afford health care, advances in prevention are at a premium.

Factoid: Cancers start as tiny nests of malignant cells that do not enlarge until they recruit new vessels to deliver oxygen and nutrients; then a cancer can expand 16,000 times in only two weeks.

Matter Doesn’t Matter



God, it appears, is a Trekkie. (God help us.)

Dr. Anton Zeilinger, an Austrian physicist, is becoming a rock star of science for his work in quantum teleportation, which I know very little about but which I think I may have achieved backstage one night in Berlin in the early 1990s. At any rate, it seems to have something to do with teleporting properties or bits of information, not physical objects; even though Dr. Zeilinger plays down the possibility of a “Star Trek” moment, his breakthroughs are catching the attention of the nonscientific world for their metaphysical implications. His own version of E=mc2 ends in a cosmic punch line: that when it comes to the origin of the universe, information matters more than matter.

Could it be that God is a nerd?

Festival of Abraham



Here’s something that could never have happened in the Naughts but will maybe be possible in the Tweens or Teens — if there’s a breakthrough in the Mideast peace process. The idea is an arts festival that celebrates the origin of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Every year it could be held in a different location; Jerusalem would obviously be the best place to start.

In Ireland, at the height of the “Troubles,” it was said that the only solution for rabid sectarianism was to let 1,000 punk-rock bands bloom: music helped create a free space for dialogue (of a high-volume variety). So no politicians allowed. Artists only

People Power and the Upside-Down Pyramid



A lot of us have seen or lived the organizational chart of the last century, in which power and influence (whether possessed by church, state or corporation) are concentrated in the uppermost point of the pyramid and pressure is exerted downward. But in this new century, and especially in some parts of the developing world, the pyramid is being inverted. Much has been written about the profits to be made at the bottom of the pyramid; less has been said about the political power there. Increasingly, the masses are sitting at the top, and their weight, via cellphones, the Web and the civil society and democracy these technologies can promote, is being felt by those who have traditionally held power. Today, the weight bears down harder when the few are corrupt or fail to deliver on the promises that earned them authority in the first place



The world is taking notice of this change. On her most recent trip to Africa, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton bypassed officials and met instead with representatives of independent, nongovernmental groups, which are quickly becoming more organized and more interconnected. For example, Twaweza, a citizen’s organization, is spreading across East Africa, helping people hold local officials accountable for managing budgets and delivering services. (Twaweza is Swahili for “we can make it happen.”)

Taking the Fight to Rotavirus



The thing is, they exist, these vaccines. They’re not a mere hope, like an AIDS vaccine. And one of the brightest bits of news in 2009 is that rotavirus vaccines have been shown to work not only in nations with low child mortality, but in the poorest countries, where diarrhea (not a killer in our house) caused by rotavirus infections takes the lives of 500,000 children a year. The World Health Organization just this summer issued a strong recommendation that rotavirus vaccinations be part of every nation’s immunization program. From this vantage point, I like the look of the next decade

Viva la (Nonviolent) Revolución



“As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King’s life work,” President Obama said in his Nobel acceptance speech, “I am living testimony to the moral force of nonviolence.”

So, he might have added, are the Germans and Eastern Europeans who came out a couple of months ago to celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the Wall. And so are the brave Iranians who continue to take to the streets despite the certainty of brutal repression. Like Neda Agha Soltan, they are living (and bleeding and dying) testimony.

The start of the decade ought to be a time for a little bit of hope — not the wispy stuff, but battle-hardened hope, forged in the grim, purposeful spirit of the times. So I’ll place my hopes on the possibility — however remote at the moment — that the regimes in North Korea, Myanmar and elsewhere are taking note of the trouble an aroused citizenry can give to tyrants, and that people in places filled with rage and despair, places like the Palestinian territories, will in the days ahead find among them their Gandhi, their King, their Aung San Suu Kyi

The World Cup Kicks Off the African Decade

It’s getting easier to describe to Americans the impact of the World Cup — especially the impact it will have in Africa, where the tournament is to be held this summer. A few years ago, Ivory Coast was splitting apart and in the midst of civil war when its national team qualified for the 2006 jamboree. The response was so ecstatic that the war was largely put on hold as something more important than deathly combat took place, i.e. a soccer match. The team became a symbol of how the different tribes could — and did — get on after the tournament was over.

This time round, for the 2010 World Cup, naysayers thought South Africa could not build the stadiums in time. Those critics should be red-faced now. South Africa’s impressive preparations underline the changes on the continent, where over the last few years, 5 percent economic growth was the average. Signs point to a further decade of growth to come. Canny investors will put more capital there. This in turn has the potential to shore up fragile young democracies across the continent.

It would be fitting if Nelson Mandela, who has done more than anyone for Africa’s rising, would kick off the opening ceremonies. If he shows up, the world will weep with joy.

Bono, the lead singer of the band U2 and a founder of the advocacy group ONE and (Product)RED, is a contributing columnist for The Times.

nytimes

2.1.10

The Edge on guitarists, Glasbonbury and musicals
Interview by Mike Pattenden

January 2, 2010



The name on his passport says Dave Evans but the rest of the world knows him as The Edge, the moniker handed to him by a young Bono Vox in U2’s early days in Seventies Dublin. Polite and self-effacing, the guitarist is a self-confessed “music obsessive” who finishes our interview asking what new bands he should catch up on. His status presents many opportunities, not least the chance to work and play with his musical heroes. At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concert in October he accompanied Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Black Eyed Peas and Patti Smith. “That was amazing,” he recalls. “You don’t get many opportunities to play with artists of that calibre in your life.” Actually, he gets more than most, as evidenced by his starring role alongside Jimmy Page and Jack White in the big-screen rockumentary It Might Get Loud. A guitar fan’s wet dream, it traces the threesome’s differing approaches to their art before bringing them together to jam.“What came out of the movie,” he says, “was that it doesn’t matter what your influences are, it’s whether you are an originator. It’s about attempting to express the sound in your head you can’t otherwise explain.”

...guitarists

Jimmy Page An utter gentleman. I found him as I hoped, great company. He came from the blues whereas we started U2 as a reaction against all of that.

Jack White (of the White Stripes) It’s early days for Jack in a sense but you can already hear the multitude of Jack Whites out there. That’s an indicator to his influence.

Keith Richards You know when something still sounds as luminous and bright as it did the day it was coined? The riff to Satisfaction is like that. It crystallised a moment in time but it has a power that is undeniable.

Tom Verlaine & Richard Lloyd (of Television) Television were a huge influence at the time. The composition of Marquee Moon changed my way of thinking about the guitar. It made me challenge myself. It wasn’t so much “I want to sound like them” but “What can I do?”

Nick Zinner (of Yeah Yeah Yeahs) He has a really potent but minimal style. That was something we took from the nihilism of the punk era, maximum effect from minimal input, something I try to retain.

...Glastonbury

By the time Glastonbury hit its stride we were doing our own thing. It didn’t seem right for us then. It feels like we really have to do it because if we don’t do it now, we never will. I’m obviously familiar with the festival’s ideal but I’ve never experienced it. I used to be sceptical of its roots, the hippy thing. I’m going along to check it out as much as anything but I have a good feeling about it. I’d like to hope we can make our mark.

...musicals

Spider-Man I’ve been working on this with Bono for a while and it’s probably going to happen in the spring. It’s not a straight rock musical, there’s other stuff going on. Opera would be the closest reference. Writing character-led songs was a really fresh challenge and we’re very excited about it. There’s some fantastic music in there.

West Side Story I’m a fan of the great musicals but there’s plenty of poor ones because they can be as ripe with clichés as any rock’n’roll. West Side Story however is undeniably brilliant and highly original.

Oliver! As a kid, one of the first records I got as a Christmas gift was Oliver!, which had some marvellous tunes. I met Lionel Bart later on and he turned out to be a sweet man.

Tommy The original rock opera. A really original story matched with some huge songs. It set a new benchmark at the time.

Cabaret I’ve seen it performed on stage and as a movie, and it’s wonderful. I love the dark Weimar thing.

...the 360 degree tour

Working with 'The Claw’ [the tour’s futuristic stage set] has been a challenge, but after a while we started to get into it. The fact there are four of us means we can spread out across the stage and come back together. It reinforces the band thing. It was almost a conscious decision to get into a huddle and play for each other as much as for the audience.

...Bono

In my opinion he’s the best frontman of any band, a great performer and lyricist. I’ve never doubted I had the best singer of his generation in the band. His politics is very much an extension of the band ethos. We’ve always supported the things we believe in. He took it to a new level by getting inside those things. I think there’s a compromise there that I personally don’t want to be involved in. I don’t want to be in the meetings. In my opinion, the artist has a duty to maintain an idealistic view of the world. Bono is one of those people who can see it from all angles without compromising

timesonline