BonoLove

An Unforgettable Autumn - U2 coming to Finland next August!

2009-12-01T10:18:10Z

And what an autumn it has been! The best news being that U2 will be bringing their 'Magnificent' 360 degree tour to Finland and for not just one, but TWO shows at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium!! I was so over-joyed when U2.com made the announcement at the beginning of September and then realized that I'd already used my fan club pre-sale code for tickets to U2s Berlin show (see below!) and would have to rely on the public tickets sales! Which really scared me and rightly so coz as it turned out, the public sale for the first Helsinki show was total chaos!!

But my friend Nienor, who hadn't used her code yet, contacted me and said she would buy tickets for us. Then just a week before the pre-sale for Helsinki was due to start, I received an email from u2.com saying that if I renewed my membership subscription early, I would receive a new pre-sale code, I would only have to pay $40 instead of the usual $50, receive a 25 % discount off u2.com merchandize coupon, a new U2 remix cd and my membership would continue another year from when I was due to renew, meaning I wouldn't lose out on anything, it was a win, win situation, so I went ahead and renewed my subscription!! Also I just wanted to make sure that I had a valid pre-sale code, just in case a second show were to be announced....

Good plan, only it didn't quite turn out how I imaged! Coz come the first Helsinki pre-sale, I wanted a GA (General Admission) ticket but Nienor wanted to have seats but she wasn't unable to get both a GA and seats, due her ineptness and not because there weren't any GA tickets available! Luckily the u2.com ticket sale system is so that there are 4 different pre-sale categories and each pre-sale category starts at a different time and even on different days. Nienor was in category 1 Horizon, which had started at 10 am and I was in category 2 Breathe, which was due to start on the same day at 1 pm. So when she was unable to figure out how to order both a GA and seat tickets, I told Nienor to just leave it, that I'll buy my own GA ticket when my groups pre-sale was due to start, which I did and got, not only the GA ticket I wanted, but I also bought 2 seat tickets for behind the stage.

I bought the two extra tickets coz Nienor still wasn't sure whether she'd actually managed to successfully complete the transaction and also I was thinking, if it's rainy day, that I might not want to stand around all day outside the stadium, as I will have to if I want be near the stage, but as it's turned out, she doesn't need them and also I've decided, I really do want to be close as possible to the stage no matter what! So now I have two extra tickets for Helsinki 1, that I've been trying to sell for face value i.e. €33 plus registered post! If any one here is interested, let me know!!

Anyway, now having used my pre-sale code, I had very mixed feelings when u2.com announced the second Helsinki show. Over-joyed and at the same time very nervous coz now I would HAVE to rely on the general sale! Not only that, the day and time the general sale was due to start, I had an previous engagement that I couldn't get out of, and wouldn't be able to get onto my computer until around mid-day!! But luckily when, finally did, there where still tickets available for behind the stage, of course I had wanted another GA but they were already sold out, but the tickets behind the stage are cheaper and have almost just as good a view as the more expensive seats, which is the main advantage of U2s stage being 360 degrees!!!

Of course I had the usual agonizing 3 week wait for each set of tickets to arrive but here I am with both.....

So now I'm all set, and at beginning of next year I will have to start looking for a suitable hotel, not too expensive but not too far from the stadium and of course find the best transport to get down to Helsinki, (in live some 400 km north of the capital!) either by train (most likely), bus (takes too long!) or plane (sometimes I've found summer special offers that are cheaper than a train tickets!). Argh, ONLY 8 months and 20 more days to go!

The other thing that has made this autumn so 'Unforgettable' is that U2 released their remastered 1984 The Unforgettable Fire album and I of course had to buy the delux limited edition box with 2 cds, a dvd, book and pics.....

...haven't really had the chance to listen to the cds or watch the dvd, it's been a very intense autumn! What with following the rest of U2s tour around Europe and America and now with Christmas just around the corner, I'm busy with my Christmas preparations. Already baked a couple of cakes and ginger bread cookies and sent out some of my Christmas cards, and I have to start writing some letters.....but hopefully I'll find some time this month!!

I'm also hoping that one of the national Finnish TV channels will air the European MTV awards show this Christmas, which they usually do, where U2 performed a short set in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin (oooh the memories!) and also won the Best Live Act award! I've gotten to see the live performance from those who were there and taped and uploaded the songs on to YouTube, and here's a couple of the songs that didn't get aired on the MTV show, Vertigo....

....and Beautiful Day....

....but I do hope that I'll also get to see actual show and U2 accepting the award some time soon!

I've also had some time to indulged in my other obsession i.e. Richard Armitage! Finlands YLE TV2 channel finally aired season 2 of the BBC series Robin Hood this autumn where our delicious Richard plays the oh so evil and yet so sexy Sir Guy of Gisborne! And a couple of weeks ago I was finally able to order the dvd box of the season, have to try and find some time to watch them too!! Also the 7th season of the BBC series Spooks, where Richard plays the 'damaged' MI5 agent Lucas North, has just started yesterday here. Argh I swear the man is just toooo hot for words.....

....I mean really, me thinks God was just showing off when he created Richard!!!

Anyway, this will probably be my last blog for this year, so I taking this time to wish all my friends a very joyful Christmas and a 'Magnificent' New Year!

U2 live from the Rose Bowl, LA, USA

2009-11-01T14:54:53Z

This concert was streamed live on YouTube on 25.10.2009 worldwide, and according to reports, broke all time records for most viewed YouTube video!

A magnificent video of a magnificent concert from a magnificent band, what more can I say!

My 'Magnificent' trip to Berlin!

2009-07-23T14:41:38Z

I have to say, this was the most physically draining and painful U2 concert experience I've ever had, only for U2 would I put myself through such torture!!

I left home for Berlin on the 17th July, my mothers birthday, at around noon, only for U2 would I leave to go out of the country on my Mums birthday! And after changing planes in Helsinki I finally arrived in Berlin at 18:25, and the heat hit me as soon as I got out of the plane, it was like coming to the tropics, wet and humid! When I finally made it out of the airport, sweating buckets by this time, and found the bus stop of the bus that my Berliner friend Leif had instructed me to take, it turned up 15 minutes late and the journey, to my hotel, that normally takes 20 minutes to closer to 45 minutes. I had arranged to meet up with some fellow U2 fans at an Irish pub that was within walking distance of my hotel at 8:30 pm. And by the time I finally got to my hotel, I only had ½ an hour to freshen up and change before dashing out, only for U2, I tell ya! Nienor, who I had travelled to Copenhagen with back in 2005, who I was sharing the hotel room with had arrived several hours earlier and was waiting for me to turn up.

But going to the pub was well worth the effort, we had a great time exchanging our U2 stories and downing a couple of 'pints' of guinness! Both Nienor and I, having travelled nearly all day, decided to call it a night around mid-night and went back to our hotel. So apologies to anyone who came to the pub after that time, expecting to find me there, you know who you are!

Nienor and I got to the Olympic Stadium a couple of hours later than what I had wanted. Hanna wanted to take me to see some sights of the city, which she claimed wasn't a very long walk from our hotel, but which turned out to be longer than I had anticipated! And we also had to stop for lunch, so we arrived at the stadium around 2:00 pm instead of noon like I had wanted! But I was happy when we finally made it to the U2 station!

And then started the long arduous task of waiting. Waiting in line for the toilets, approx. 45 minutes! Waiting in line to get into the stadium, 2 hours, waiting for Snow Patrol to come on stage, 2 hours and waiting for U2 another hour or so! Some times standing and sometimes sitting down, my feet were already hurting by the time we got into the stadium. The long morning walk into town certainly didn't help matters! But all the pain was forgotten once U2 hit the stage!

And even though we ended up on the left hand size behind the 'red zone' I had quite a good view of the stage, that was until this bloke turned up....

I was like, 'Get the fuck out of my way, man!' Unbelievable, just my bloody luck!!

But what can I say about the concert, it was magnificent! I jumped, danced, clapped and sang along to nearly all the songs and was able to take a couple of pics and the following video.....

The set list was as follows:

July 18, 2009 Berlin Olympic Stadium

1. Breathe
2. No Line On The Horizon
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Magnificent
5. Beautiful Day / Here Comes The Sun Snippet
6. Mysterious Ways
7. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For/Moving On Up Snippet
8. Angel of Harlem
9. Stay
10. Unknown Caller
11. The Unforgettable Fire
12. City Of Blinding Lights
13. Vertigo / She Loves You Snippet
14. (Let's Dance Snippet)I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (Remix)
15. Sunday Bloody Sunday
16. Pride
17. MLK
18. Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone Snippet
19. Where The Streets Have No Name /All You Need Is Love Snippet
20. One

Encore
21. Ultra Violet
22. With Or Without You
Happy Birthday - to Nelson Mandela
23. Moment of Surrender

During Angel of Harlem Bono got up 3 young fans from the audience who had been holding up some sort of sign, from what I could make out, from what Bono was saying. And had them play the instruments for the song, although Larry wasn't going to let some stranger take complete control over his drums and stood in front of the kit banging the snare, kinda like he does in the Stay (faraway, so close) video, which is very appropriate coz next Bono and Edge performed Stay, for the first time on this tour.

Another highlight for me was the remix version of I'll Go Crazy. I wasn't too 'crazy' when I had first heard this remix version on YouTube, but hearing this live is a whole other estactic experience where I ended up jumping, bunching the air, and singing along to the chorus at the top of my lungs! I went especially 'crazy' when Larry came walking along the outer catwalk banging his djembe, and stopped and stood right in front of us, I started popping about up and down madly, yelling out Laaaaarrrryyyyyy!!!!!

For Ultraviolet when Bono dons a leather jacket with red ultraviolet lights all along the sleeves, the German fans wanted to bring in a whole load of red glow sticks to wave in the air during the song, but the organizers got wind of this plan and said any and all such glow sticks would be confiscated, but a few fans had still managed to smuggle some in and one girl standing behind me gave me one of hers, so instead of a stadium full of red glow sticks, you could see small sections here and there.

And With or Without You was a brilliant has ever, I just totally lost myself in the music. Bono said, that Berlin had been the best show of the tour so far and I could see from the broad smile on his face that he really meant it! Luckily it didn't rain very much during the show, and the little rain that did come down helped to keep me cool!

Before leaving the stadium we wanted to buy some U2 merchandise but the stall inside the stadium was so crowded that we decided to go outside to see if there were any other merchandise stall less crowed. No such luck! But we both wanted a tour program and I want some sort of t-shirt, and or keyring/badge, so I volunteered to go into the throng and after about half an hour of being pushed, squashed, and trampled on, I managed to get two tour books, a badge and the following tank top....

....only for U2 would I suffer so!

The next day, we did some more sight-seeing. But I made it quite clear to Nienor that I was gonna do as little walking as possible, coz my feet hadn't recovered yet. She wasn't too happy about that, and threaten to go off without me, very sympathetic, NOT! And I said don't they have buses in Berlin to take us to these different sights and she finally agreed that that would be the best option.

I had also arranged with my U2 friends to meet up outside U2s hotel, that just happens to be near the Brandenburg Gate, but because me and Hanna wanted to do some more sight-seeing, we didn't hang around, also we weren't even sure whether U2 was still at the hotel.

The Goldelse statue was one of the main sights I wanted to see...

....which is the same statue that appears in my favourite U2 video of all time Stay (faraway, So close). I kept hearing the song and the video in my head while I was walking around, looking up and taking pictures! Only after coming home on the monday did I hear that Bono had been at the hotel and had came out to sign alot of autographs!! Oh well, Sunday evening I had arranged to meet up with Silvia, my U2 friend from Austria, for the last time to have dinner at a near-by restaurant.

Nienor and I headed for the airport on at about 9:00 am on Monday 20. July and I arrived home at around 7:00 pm, tired, hungry, my feet still in a lot of pain, but happy....only for U2!

Lightning strikes again!

2009-05-28T07:38:57Z

Well, its' been a while since my last entree. Been overwhelmed over the last 4 - 5 weeks with college work and tonsillitis! And although I had officially finished with school a couple of weeks, (I'm due to graduate tomorrow!) I'm only just now finally recovering from the tonsillitis!! Also my old friend, anemia has been adding to my sickness. It's been a struggle to find the right balance of my anemia medication, coz too little and and of course my anemic symptoms of constant exhaustion, dizziness, heart palpitations etc. flair up but too much gives me other nasty side affects that I won't go into detail here!! And it looking like I'm going to have to change my medication, again!

But enough of my whining! Yes, it's graduation tomorrow! And I have an interview with Amnesty International for a fund riser position next Thursday! Yay, it would be my dream job to work for an organization like A.I. It's only a part-time temporary position but it's a step in the right direction!! Wish me luck everyone!!!

But why, I can hear you all asking, why did I title this blog, 'Lightning strikes again!', well coz lightning struck my parents house yesterday, where I was on a short holiday, and killed my desktop computers Internet modem!! This isn't the first time this has happened, I've lost one modem and a couple of computers to lightning over the last several years!! I'm taking the modem today to my Internet provider and I'm hoping that I can either get a new one for free or not too expensive, or I might get me a wireless Internet connection for my laptop that I'm using now at my student flat, depending which is the better option.

The future needs a big kiss!

2009-03-25T18:08:32Z

Oh yeah, coz come 18 th July I'll be going crazy at U2s Berlin concert! After the last couple of months waiting for U2.com to get the new site up and running, so I could finally upgrade my membership to a paid subscription, waiting for U2s new album and then for the announcement of the tour dates, I was very disappointed that U2 won't be coming to Finland this year, but maybe next year when the tour is due to continue. I decided with my concert going buddy, the same girl who was with me at U2s Copenhagen 2005 show, that I would try for Berlin. The pre-sale was today and after 15 minutes of trying to figure out where I needed to go to take advantage of my pre-sale code and tackling the German language, I managed to purchase 3 GA tickets, yay!!

I've just booked my flight, now I just have to wait and see what Nienor wants to before booking a hotel. I'll be going to Berlin on Friday 17th july, leaving my home town at 14:30 and arriving in Berlin at 18:30. I bought another ticket for an online buddy of mine, who lives in Austria and we're all planning to meet up, along with a few other U2 fans, for a night on the town! Then it's back home on the Monday 20t July.

And GA = General Admission means there's every possibility that we'll be right by the stage, all depending how many people are already standing in line waiting and how quickly we're on our feet, gonna have to start training! Last time I had a GA ticket was U2s Slane gig but me and Nienor stay well back from the stage coz her Mum was with us, but this time I certainly have every intention of getting as close to the stage as possible. Last time I was right by the stage at a U2 concert was at the Zooropa, 1993 Stockholm gig, my first ever U2 concert and bloody amazing!!

Now it's the hair pulling, nail biting time waiting for the tickets to arrive!

New U2 promo pics!

2008-12-30T08:40:18Z

Yes, it's finally here the new U2 promo pics for the up and coming Q magazine February 2009 issue which will be available in Britain from tomorrow onwards. Here's sneek preview of what you might find....

I've finally taken the plunge and went and applied for a debit/credit card at my bank so that I can subscribe to Q, coz being stuck out here in the back of beyond for the time being, it'll be next to impossible for me to get my hands on this new issue!! And also I'm sure there'll be lots of other Q issues with U2 articles this coming year and it's always been a bit of a hit or miss when trying to find Q or any other international magazine at my usual newsagents in Kuopio. And a year's subscription is surprisingly cheap, at only about 60 euros!?

I also intend to finally join up to U2.com just to ensure I'll get tickets for any up and coming tour next year. Here are few more pics of Bono....

Finally I'd like to wish all my friends here an Inspi(red) New Year!

No Line on The Horizon

2008-12-23T13:56:49Z

The above title is the name of U2s up and coming new album and a very a appropriate one at that! It's due for release at the beginning of March next year and when I heard about this, over the radio while I was at work on Friday (19.12), it was all I could do to stay calm enough to ensure I didn’t mess up the accounting program I was working on at the time!! And to top it off they played With or without you, my absolute favourite U2 song of all time, at which point I got up and went to put the volume up!! Luckily there wasn’t anyone else in the office at the time to hear my squeeeeling!!!!!

Also the timing of the release couldn't be more perfect, as far as I'm concerned coz I'll be back in Kuopio by that time and apart from the album itself, I will be able to buy all the singles and magazine articles that are bound to appear along with the release. Soooooo looking forward to March!

Oh and I forgot to mention in my last entry that at the end of August I finally got to see the U23D movie! I had arranged with a few other Finnish U2 fans to meet up and go see the movie together in Hämeenlinna, a town some 300 kms south of where I live. It just so happens that one of my Mums sisters lives in a town near Hämeenlinna, called Tampere and she's been wanting us to go visit her since our last visit a couple of years ago, so I thought it would be a good idea the kill two birds with one stone and take my Mum with me, so we could visit with my aunt and her daughter, my cousin, for the weekend and that I'll go on the Saturday evening, when I movie was being shown, to Hämeenlinna by train/bus. And it all worked out just fine!

And the movie itself, well I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone here who has been lucky enough to see it, what an amazing experience it was! Almost better the real thing! It was all I could do to stop myself from jumping up and down and singing along at the top of my lungs alá real U2 concert!! It was pure torture!!! And at times it felt like Bono was right there in my face and on my lap!! I would have loved to have seen it a second and even third time and if I'd had the time and the money, but I'm saving my cash for the real thing, i.e. the up and coming tour!

Finally I'd just like to wish all my friends here at live journal a very Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!

A sort of homecoming!

2008-11-29T17:50:47Z

Been rushed off my feet since my last journal entree at with school work at Business College. And soon, at the beginning of December, I’ll be starting a 3 month internship at an Accounting firm, near where my parent live, as a trainee accountant, which means I'll be moving back home for the duration. And if I do well and learn quickly, I may even get a permanent job at the end of my internship!

So I hope I’m able to cope with all the demands of my new profession, as this would be my ideal work place coz its close enough to home the drive back and forth everyday and although it will be a part time job for most of the year but fulltime during the busier times. And even a part time job as a qualified accountant, I’ll be earning more than I do now at my present profession as a gardener full-time! Also this new job would be less stressful on my physique, than my present profession. And this last summer was the culmination of all my physical ailments!

Coz not only did I have my usual foot problem from walking several km’s a day in trainers/wellies but my knees started aching something terrible, from kneeling down umpteen times an hour, but despite this pain I kept going coz I needed the money for college, and medicated myself with painkillers. But when my back eventually went out, with just 5 days before I was to go back to college, I had to take sick leave for the remaining 3 days of work, coz my back was completely jammed up! My doctor prescribed some really strong painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication and I was still very stiff and in a lot of pain when I started college but after about a week on the medication, the pain started to ease off a little, so I could at least sit in class without too much discomfort. So if I ever needed proof, that it’s high time for me to change my profession for something less physically demanding, than this summer was confirmation of that fact!

The last couple of months of college I was busy with a project for my digital camera course where I had to come up with series of photos, taken by yours truly with my own digital camera, and make up a story line with a script and present it before the class and I came up with the idea of my cat Robbie on a hunting trip! I took loads of photos during October and November and ended up using about 23 of them for my PowerPoint presentation and here's a few of my favourites shots that I took:-

Robbie waking up

Sitting on the patio

By the stream looking for fish

Waiting to be let back inside with his sister Marigold

I'm also eagerly waiting for U2 new album! It looks as though we won't be getting the new album until February next year at the earliest. In the mean time apart from buying the re-mastered Joshua Tree album I bought also the re-mastered Boy album. I’m hoping someone will get me the re-mastered October and War albums for Christmas or least that I get enough Christmas money so I can afford to buy them when I go back to college at the beginning of March! Also been following Bono's movements around the globe. Here are some of the latest pics of Bono from the Womens Conference in LA last October:

Oh yeah, looking might dapper there Bono and I have to say the short hair is finally growing on me! Although I wouldn't mind if he let it grow out just a couple more inches more!!

Edit 30.11.2008

I've just uploaded Bono's speech at said Women's conference onto a new playlist on my YouTube channel which can be viewed either by following my YouTube link on this page, I've added the playlist to my YouTube profile, or click on the below link:-

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=268042F7BD6FD323

And here's a lovely couple of pics of my guys all together for the Music Industry Trusts' Awards 2008, at the Grosvenor House Hotel held on 3rd of November 2008 in London, England.

They're all looking very well and absolutely fabulous! And I can't wait to see them all in person again soon!! I only hope that this time round U2 will finally make it to Finland on their next tour, coz I have a feeling I either won't be able to afford or have the time to go abroad!!!

Summer Rain!

2008-06-15T12:53:14Z

Finally I've found some time to come and post on my journal! It's been raining nearly all day here, so there's nothing much else to do!!

Over the last month or so (May) I was busy with the last term of college, exams, papers and other projects etc. And at the beginning of June I started my usual job at our local church as head gardener. I've just been so tired that I haven't found the energy to do much else but eat and sleep and work!

Some good news, I got a 50 euro scholarship from college not much but it's nothing to sneeze and it helped to pay off some of my pending bills before I get my first months wage. And it makes all the hard work I put into my studies well worth the effort! I'll be starting my final year this August and I'm having to work an extra ½ hour per day to start school before the end of my work contract.

On the U2 front, U2 movie U23D might get it's premier here in Finland some time in August although an exact date has yet to be announced. And the movie Across the Universe staring Bono as Dr. Roberts is finally being made available on dvd, it never made to the cinema here in Finland I'm afraid to say!

Oh and for all the Finnish U2 fans out there, U2Finland is about to start an official U2 fan club with, membership fees, a proper web page and forum etc. The papers have all been filed and we're just waiting for the officials to cross all the t's and dot all the i's! Hopefully just in time for U2s new album and up coming tour!!

Been following Bono's every move as usual and here's couple of the best pics of Bono from recent weeks, taken at the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation Third Annual Gala on 7th June 2008....

Looking might fine! Bono's back in Dublin now and hopefully putting the final touches on the new U2 album!!

Hope every one's having a lovely summer! I just wish this summer rain would stop coz it's flooding some parts our garden!!

Happy Birthday Bono and Jordan!

2008-05-10T18:12:53Z

Yes it's Bono's birthday today! He's just turned 48 and is as hot as ever!! Wishing all the best for my lovely man is this his special day. And let's not forget that it's also Bono's daughter Jordans birthday too. So as always since 1989, it's a double celebration at the Hewson house today.

Luthien.

Spring is in the air!

2008-04-01T13:11:08Z

Yes, I think the spring thaw as actually started here, the snow is melting rapidly and the temps are over +5 centigrade. Although with the snow banks in some places being almost a metre high it'll take a couple of weeks of continual warm weather before it's all gone!

And I'm typing this post on my new laptop that came last Friday. Been busy ever since setting up the laptop with all my files and programs. Let's hope this HP Pavilion make will last longer than Fujitsu Siemens Amilo notebook that broke down on me. It came with the new Windows Vista which is taking some time getting used to. Can't say if it's any better than the XP, but I do like the sidebar options.

Also I'm using Firefox instead of Windows explorer. It seems to load the internet pages much quicker than explorer.

Had two exams today, back to back, first one was a maths exam, Investment Calculations and I think it went pretty well. The second was Finnish language, Communications and Media, and it too went fairly well. Now I can relax and this Thursday I don't have any lessons, yay!

Just saw Agatha Christie's, Ordeal by Innocence on Sunday with the very lovely Richard Armitage. He didn't have a very large roll but it was great to see one of my favourite actors interpreting one of my favourite authors novels. Also I think this is the first time this particular Marple story has ever been adapted to TV and I thought it was one of the best adaptions of an Agatha Christie novel I've ever seen, not like I'm bias or anything.....

Screen caps thanks to BW/LW of The Armitage Army @ Richard Armitage Central

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T15:42:42Z

I just want to wish every one on the LJ community a very Happy Easter! As is always the case with Easter here, it's turned very cold, we have plenty of snow and the hares are having a wale of a time! Also the sun is shinning warmly, although not warmly enough to melt the snow!

Yes that's a picture of our cat Robbie trying to eat the Easter decorations, namely a painted wooden egg...

Some days are better than others! Part IV!!

2008-03-16T10:16:26Z

It would seem that I have the worst luck when it comes to computers! Over the last 3 years my first two computers died on me, although granted they where both over 10 years old! And one was struck by lightning!!

But now my laptop, that I only just bought last year and that I only just finished paying for last month, is now broken and coz I've had it for just over a year the guarantee has run out and it would cost me almost 500 euros to get the thing repaired!!

I don't even understand how my laptop got broken! Coz when I got back to my apartment last Monday afternoon from school and unpacked my laptop, which I had taken with me to my parents house during the skiing holidays, I found I was unable to plug in the mains cable coz the mains connection in the computer had somehow broken and come lose!?! How it came lose is a totally mystery, I mean it's not as though I've been throwing it around a anything! Also the people at the repair shop said that it was a very unusual thing to happen and that maybe it was faulty to begin with!! We'll never know.

So now during the week I can communicate on the Internet only via my schools computers. Luckily my desktop computer here at home is still in working order! *she knocks on wood*

I'm just thinking that it's probably cheaper to just buy a new laptop with the latest Windows Vista, than have my old one repaired, coz I really can't afford to fork out 500 euros right now on my students income. And just pay monthly payments like before, only this time take extra care of the laptop! And then later once I go back to work in June, maybe find someone who can repair the old laptop, without having to get the expensive part (that alone would cost 300 euros!) and just pay for the work. Coz the people at the repair shop, that I took it to, do say they could maybe repair it without having to get the new part, but they can't guarantee it'll work!!

So it's decicion time! The only trouble with buying a new laptop is having to upload all my programs and files again i.e. time consuming work! Luckily I had backed up most of the files I had on my old laptop. I just hope there's still enough juice in the battery, so I'll be able download the few files that I hadn't had the time to back up yet!

Wishing every one here a great St. Patricks Day!

Adam: Hey, Larry are my eyes deciving me or are there huge three-leaf clovers floating in the air?!

Larry: Ya seeing things Sparky! Now shut up I'm trying to read!!

Bono: You do realize you've got the book upside down...

Edge: *thinking* Uhm three-leaf clovers, it must be St. Patricks day!

Some Days Are Better Than Others! Part III!!

2008-02-29T09:23:55Z

Would you believe it?! Just the day before I was due to start my ski-ing holiday, I fall ill with the flu! Bloody typical, the same thing happen during the Christmas holiday!! I only hope this won't last too long coz I've got some home work from business school that needs to be completed before going back the week after next!?!

Anyway, to cheer myself up I thought I'd post some pics from U2s re-mastered Joshua Tree videos, namely screen caps the infamous Red Hill Mining Town video! Now the U2 fans, who have been fortunate enough to see this, know how unintentionally funny the video is and that it's only redeeming quality, at least for this Bono girl, is how incredibly hot Bono looks in the video! So girls be sure to have your drool buckets close at hand, coz you're gonna need 'em....

Okay, that's enough of that!

Oh and it was great to able to finally see a pristine version of U2s Joshua Tree concert live from Paris! A pen pal of mine, had sent me a VHS recording of this years ago, not the best quality and incomplete at that! But the one thing that has always surprised me about this concert, is the absence of the one song that has become a stable of U2s set ever since the release of the Joshua Tree album, the highlight of every U2 show, the U2 fans reading this know what song I'm talking about! 'Streets' as it's know amongst U2 and their fans and because of this, I've always found this Paris concert to be a little lacking!

Haven't found the time to watch Outside it's America documentary yet, but I have seen it a several times before. Although I am hoping to find the time to watch the documentary again during my holiday and take some more screen caps of JT Bono!!

As for the re-mastered cd itself, well apart from a few songs, I've never really liked the Joshua Tree album as a whole. But I think they did a marvelous re-mastering job, and With or Without You sounds even more magnificent! Don't much like the alternative video though! It was the original version of the video that made me fall in love with Bono and U2 way back in the late 80's and nothing could ever replace it!

Through the storm we reach the shore, you give it all but I want more, and I'm waiting for you....

Old obsession re-visited! Sean Bean!!

2008-02-23T11:49:18Z

Oh yeah! I've had the hots for Sean for almost as long as I have for Bono! It was around about the same time, i.e. the late 1980s, while I was just getting into U2, had bought their latest album Rattle and Hum, the previous year and any other U2 album/single I could get my hands at the time (no such thing as digital downloads back then!) when I found out that Sting was starring in a new film called Stormy Monday.

Now I'd been a fan of Sting and The Police even before U2, so of course I wanted to see it. But oh my, as soon as Sean appeared on the screen I was like, "Wow, who's this guy?!?" and poor old Sting didn't get a look in after that!! Ever since, I've followed Sean's career as closely as I could for one being stuck out in the back of beyond, where only a fraction of international films and tv series ever get shown or even released on video/dvd! So, of all the films and TV shows Sean ever starred in, I've only been able to see Patriot Games, Lady Chatterley, Golden Eye, When Saturday Comes, Lord of the Rings (it was mainly coz of Sean that I even wanted to see this movie, at the time the story itself was unfamiliar and I knew hardly nothing about any of the other actors!), Troy, National Treasure (which was just recently shown here on TV for the first time!) and most recently Sharpe! Which again, first two episodes have only just been released onto dvd this January, the next 3 episodes were released onto dvd in February, and I of course bought both box sets as soon as they became available. And episodes 6, 7 and 8 are due to be released next month.

I watched the first episode the other day and oh wow, it's not often one can use the word beautiful to describe a man but Sean is sooooo beautiful as Sharpe! All that blond hair, intense green eyes, and fit physique, oh yeah!

I swear he must have some Nordic blood rushing through his veins, there's just something so familiar about his features. I'm not just talking about his blondness but also his eyes and his build, I'm seeing a definite Viking ancestry there!

Here are a couple of screen caps I took from the 3rd episode....

It just so happened that I received episodes 3, 4 and 5 before the first two but I didn't realized it until I watched the first ½ hour of the 3rd episode, taking screen caps! So I forced myself to stop watching it and waited for first box set to arrive!! I only hope that the trend continues and all the rest of the Sharpe series will eventually end up being released on dvd here in Finland.

Oh and I suppose should congratulate Sean on tying the knot again! *she says grudgingly* Let's hope this one's a keeper!! *sort of* It's the jealously talking....

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T11:06:20Z

Hello to all my livejournal friends and any one else who might visit my page, I'd just like to wish you all a wonderful St. Valentines day!

First snow work of the winter!

2008-02-02T09:37:19Z

Oh yeah, I've just come back in from doing the first decent bit of snow work of the winter. I'm all sweaty and my hair, that wasn't covered by my hat, is wet and I feel great!

I've really been missing doing the snow work this winter, coz up to now we've had so little of it and has melted away almost the next day, which is very unusual. It much the same story last winter. Global warming is so much more apparent up here in the far north.

But anyway, we'll probably have to go out this afternoon and do some more snow work, coz there's a bit of blizzard with a strong but remarkably warm southerly wind and it's only +2 centigrade, so not cold at all! It was wonderful to feel the big cold snow flakes gently hitting my face, and my skin now feels so soft and smooth, natures very own moisturizer!!

My celebrity look-alikes

2008-01-26T10:40:43Z

The Strangest Bono dream to date!

2008-01-26T09:51:45Z

I had the strangest Bono dream a couple of nights ago. I was visiting my old my home town of Leicester with Bono! We went to see my old house in Braunstone (part of Leicester) and then we got on the bus, that I used take to my junior school! And while sitting side by side we started to kiss and just as it was starting to get real intense, (by that I mean tongues and hands all over!) when my blasted alarm went off!!

What could this possibly mean? I mean there's an obvious Richard Armitage connection, coz he's from Leicester, one of the many things we seem to have in common. It just seems strange that Bono and I would be taking a bus anywhere together, a limo yes, but could this mean that I'm gonna meet Bono again, this time in England! Oh I do hope so!!

My Latest Obsession - Richard Armitage!

2008-01-19T13:55:41Z

Oh where to start! Well as I already mentioned in my "New Obsession" post, I've become totally enthralled with British actor Richard Armitage, who star's as Sir Guy of Gisborne in the BBC's latest adaptation of Robin Hood, and as John Thornton in the BBC's historic drama, North and South, that's based on Elizabeth Gaskell's novel of the same name, to name just two of the productions he has been involved in.

Is it just me, or is Bono looking a little miffed....

And thanks to an online buddy of mine at the Armitage Army forum I've been able to get my hands on a copy of the North and South dvd. And oh, it's just amazing! I have to admit, I've watched my fair share of romantic historic tv shows and movies, I'm quite the fan of the genre, but this production is by far the best I've ever seen! And not just because of Richard, but the whole cast and the production itself was superb. But don't take my word for it, if you're like me, and love romantic historic dramas then buy this dvd, I guarantee you won't regret it!

Here are a few screen caps of the lovely Mr. Armitage as John Thornton:-

Need I say more!

For anyone who is unfamiliar with this series you can find out more about here:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/northandsouth/

Mr. Armitage has of course starred in many other British TV shows, such as the show I mentioned in my previous blog, i.e. the 5th season of Cold Feet. I finally got the dvd just after Christmas, and again I think the best way the enlighten you all to the reasons behind my obsession is to post a couple of screen caps from the first episode of the 5th season where Richard plays the oh so fit and sexy swimming instructor:-

I think those speedos pretty much speak for themselves, wouldn't you agree!?!

http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/coldfeet/

Oh and let's not forget the mad, bad and dangerous to know Sir Guy of Gisborne:-

Marian must be mad to want Robin Hood over this the most sexiest portrayal of Sir Guy I have ever seen, although from what I hear from my fellow AAs, she comes a cropper at the end of the second season, which we here in Finland won't get to see until 2009!

And again, anyone who is not familiar with this series can find out more about it here:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/robinhood/index.shtml

And on a final note here, I finally got U2s re-mastered Joshua Tree cd, bonus cd, dvd and book. I really haven't had time to watch the dvd or listen to the cds coz my "latest obsession" has been taking up most of my spare time! But I'll writing a blog and posting a few pics from the box set very soon.

Happy New Year to everyone!

2007-12-28T11:48:46Z

Just a quick message to wish everyone a happy new year!

Over the Christmas period I've finally found the time to update my Youtube webpage, which I've had since April of 2006! I've uploaded some of my U2 videos and here's a couple of playlist:-

U2 Farmclub 2000

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=16C078BC47B1D539

U2 CD:UK 2004

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=2905A2FE30C978EE

Feel free to watch/download/snatch/embed into your own webpages!

BONO: Hey Happy *hic* New Year to all you lovely livejournal *hic* ladeezzz!

EDGE: Bono, I think you've had one too many, remember what the doctor said! Oh hello there livejournal community! Looking good!!

LARRY: *loud whisper* Hey Sparky, you awake?

ADAM: Of course I am! Can't you tell by my frowny smile!!

It's Christmas!

2007-12-16T08:42:36Z

So wow, I don't know what's going on with my Photobucket account but I'm unable to access it and it would seem all my photos have been deleted! At least my imageshack account is still working, knoks on wood, although I had some trouble accessing that too!?! I've had to sign up for a new photobucket account and it's going to take some time for me replace all the missing pics on this journal of mine. So please excuse the plank spaces, I'm working on it!!

Okay panic over! My photobucket account is back up and running!!

BONO: Arghhh, whose brilliant idea was it to wrap us up in Christmas lights for this photoshoot?!

LARRY: Your's, you dunderhead! Now shut up and smile!!

EDGE: Yeah Bono, stop wriggling about! You're making the lights spark dangerously!!

ADAM: *ZZzzzzzzzz* Wot? *sleepily* Did someone say my name?!

New obsession!

2007-12-09T09:49:33Z

So okay, again it's been awhile since I last wrote in my livejournal. Always too busy, working, doing homework, gardening, playing with my cats and surfing the web of my favourite obsession i.e. U2!

U2s new movie U2 3D will be in the theatres next year. I only hope it'll also find it's way here to Finland!! I tried posting a widget of the trailer, but I'm not sure if it's working!?!

Have to tell you about my latest obession. His name is Richard Armitage! The star of the BBC's latest adaptation of Robin Hood, where he plays the all so nasty and yet soooo sexy Sir Guy of Gisborne!!

Some also know him as John Thornton from North and South, which has been shown here twice but I somehow missed it both times! Kicks oneself silly!!

I even remember seeing him on Cold Feet here but he didn't register with me at all, just another pretty boy!

But I now have to dvd of the first season of Robin Hood. And after watching the first disc I realized I missed watching episodes 2,3, and 4!? And the 2nd season won't be shown here until the summer of 2009! By which time U2 will be on tour again, fingers crossed. Oh well, thank God for vcr's!!

U2 are in Dublin working on their next album, although with Bono off campaigning every so often, it's taking longer than it should. But Bono has to follow is heart and his commitments to make poverty history.

So yeah, still busy with my studies at business school. Just finished a Power Point presentation on Emporio Armani's (RED) white Eau de toilette, that I'm going to present tomorrow in my Finnish language class. We were given an assignment to make a plamphlet of a product, real or imaginary, so I decided again to take advantage of the situation to promote Bono's Product (RED) campaign.

http://www.inspiredfragrances.com/_en/_ww/index.aspx

All summer was spent working at the church and doing the gardening around at home. We finally pulled down our 20 metre long green house coz the work to keep it up was getting too much for both my mother as well as myself.

And my Dad built us a smaller more easy to manage green house on the side of our house. Here's it is mid-build.

It's still big enough for us to grow a couple of cucumber, tomatoe and paprika plants plus all of our summer flowers.

Bought some new mats and curtains for my student flat. Looks a lot more cosier, don't ya think?!

And started our Christmas preprarations. The outside christmas tree has been up for 2 weeks already, and almost bought all my christmas gifts, sending off most my cards tomorrow and started making our tranditional christmas foods. Next week I'll be busy baking ginger bread cookies!

Not much snow here now, it all melted over the weekend! Yay!! Hey, when you live in a country where the snow stays on the ground for an average of 5 - 6 months of the year, one less month of snow work is a blessing!!

Talking of dvd's just also just bought Kevin Costner's latest movie Mr. Brooks. Haven't watched it yet, but it'll be interesting to see Kevin play a serial killer. But it'll have to wait until my Christmas holiday which start next friday. Although I still haven't gotten round to watching Kevin's last movie 'The Upside of Anger' which is proberly better Christmas viewing the a film about a murderer!?!

U23D Widget

2007-12-09T09:01:31Z

Seem as the widget to the trailer didn't work, at least not for me, I thought it better just to post a direct link:-

http://www.clearspring.com/widgets/47572cded2ffd3c3

There are a couple of Imax movie theathres here in Finland, one in Helsinki and the other in Oulu, both towns are quite far away from where I live! So have to wait and see if this movie even comes to Finland!?

Just a quick update!

2007-02-25T16:34:00Z

Just been editing and reading through my entrees. Those of you who have visited before will notice that I've replaced some of the larger pictures I'd posted with thumbnails and links to make my journal more reader friendly.

Also I realized that I never mention what my 'show and tell' project ended up being! Well, one of my many on-line buddies at Pleba of interference.com kindly sent me a Gap (red) pin, so I did a PowerPoint presentation explaining the benefits of buying (RED) products. Here's what the pin looks like:

The same person also sent me a new ONE band. I mean, would you believe it, I lost the ONE band I bought from Copenhagen a couple of months ago!! And my on-line buddy had an extra one to give away, here's a picture with the Gap (RED) pin on the white ONE band:

I'm also wearing a Gap (RED) band in this picture that she sent as a surprise gift but I went a lost that last week! I'm really good at losing stuff!

Also even though I never found the Q magazine with Bono and Noel on the cover I did get hold of the March 2007 issue of Q with the U2 27 page special! I really need to get that new scrap book, the pile of U2 magazine articles on top of my printer/scanner/photocopier is already several inches tall! And that's not including all the articles I have on my computer that I've downloaded from Pleba. Although, some of the articles, I've gotten from Pleba, are old ones that I already have as b/w reduced photocopies, sent to me by my long suffering pen pal Barbara from Connecticut, some of them well over 10 years ago!! I say long suffering coz I hardly ever write to any of my pen pals nowadays!!
So Barbara if you're reading this, know that I do think about you (all of my other pen pals!) from time to time and am so grateful for everything!!!

But as I was saying, it's great to get these full colour downloads of U2s old articles, the latest one I got is the Details February 1994 issue with Bono and Edge and the cover. Haven't printed it out yet coz I need some more colour print which I just ordered yesterday on-line.
Also I've found some old covers like the Rolling Stone October 1987 with the gorgeously huge Bono photo on it!!
Still looking for a decent sized colour version of April 27, 1987 issue of the Time magazine cover though. Although I'm sure I'll come across one day!!