part 2: jaded sarcastic nobody

marleen doesn't think bono (of the rock band u2) is pompous. we saw them last night, and it was very cool, but regardless of how much you like them, you must admit that bono is a little hard to handle at times. i was shocked when she asked me why i thought he was pompous. by my observation he just is. she was defending him by reminding me that he does all kinds of great things for people. i agree. he uses his celebrity to positive ends and i think it would probably be cool to hang out with him, but that doesn't mean that he's not pompous. his pomposity is one of the things that make him a mega star. it could be looked at as a prerequisite for superstardom. his strutting around like the cock of the roost is part of his persona. that ego/drive/ambition is why the band has been together since they were youngsters in ireland. it's there. am i wrong?
anyway, the show was pretty great. we had terrible seats, but even though i haven't listened to an entire u2 album for many years i enjoyed the experience for the most part. i could have done without some of the preaching about ending poverty in the world. marleen pointed out how all the thousands of people in the show brushed past a homeless guy named dave on the way into the show like he wasn't even there, but when bono asked everyone to whip out their phones and call a number in support of ending poverty they all did it. is bono the pied piper leading the mindless masses to a happier place? i didn't have a cell phone to get out, and i wouldn't have whipped out my phone even if i did. that's because instead of being a pompous altruistic superstar, i'm a jaded sarcastic nobody. did i mention that i'm almost 30?

with warm regards,
jim