When Guster kick off their spring Campus Consciousness Tour in Winston-Salem at Wake Forest University tonight, it will be with a tour organized to lessen as much as possible its environmental impact on the planet. Utilizing buses powered by clean-burning domestically made bio-diesel fuel and purchasing renewable energy credits through Native American owned renewable energy company Native Energy, Guster is part of a growing number of musicians who are combining the process of touring and making music with environmentally benign practices.

The impressive thing with Guster is that they are showing the way forward for others to make the same commitment. Guster singer/guitarist Adam Gardner and his wife Lauren Sullivan formed the Maine-based environmental organization Reverb three years ago to help those in the music business adopt eco-friendly practices wherever possible. According to a recent article in Pollstar, Reverb does “green entertainment consulting for artists who want to clean their tours through the use of biodiesel for transports, biodegradable plates and utensils backstage, and many other options to cut down on carbon emissions.” Lauren Sullivan explained to the magazine

“We sort of create a la carte environmental programs for the artist. We’ll map out the tour, do all their fueling, negotiate all payments - we’ll take that off their plate. “We do the greening behind the scenes, such as coordinating biodiesel fueling for their truck fleets and mapping those all across the country.”It’s all about meeting them wherever they are in terms of what they’re doing and helping to make their efforts come to life.”

And the move to be more eco-friendly in the music business seems to be taking off. Artists as diverse as Bonnie Raitt, Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morrisette, Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band and Willie Nelson have all implemented green touring practices. Reverb is also working with Warner Brothers Records in making them more eco-aware and I have already written about Smog Veil Records’ new eco-friendly headquarters building.

Now you can certainly debate whether the act of buying renewable energy credits results in an appreciable impact on reducing global carbon emissions but you cannot deny the fact that the level of awareness that is growing in the music business matches the rising level of awareness in the general public and that we are finally starting to make some changes to the way we live our lives in order to lessen our impact on this planet. Whether these actions result in a small or large positive impact is, in my opinion beside the point. The point is that doing something, anything is always better than doing nothing at all. And that is something that Guster is reminding everybody who attends their concerts. I’m green with envy.

Later.

GUSTER TOUR DATES

03/28/07 WED Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
03/30/07 FRI Grand Opera House Macon, GA
03/31/07 SAT Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN
04/02/07 MON Liberty Hall Lawrence, KS
04/03/07 TUE Lloyd Noble Areana Norman, OK
04/04/07 WED Donald W. Reynolds Center Tulsa, OK
04/06/07 FRI Stubb’s BBQ Austin, TX
04/07/07 SAT Granada Theater Dallas, TX
04/09/07 MON Western Illinois University macomb, IL
04/10/07 TUE Luther College Decorah, IA
04/13/07 FRI Beacon Theatre New York, NY
04/14/07 SAT Beacon Theatre New York, NY
04/20/07 FRI Opera House Boston, MA
04/21/07 SAT Opera House Boston, MA
04/26/07 THU Williams College Williamstown, MA
04/27/07 FRI Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
04/28/07 SAT Siena College Loudonville, NY
04/29/07 SUN Loyola College in Maryland Baltimore, MD
05/04/07 FRI Furman University Greenville, SC
05/05/07 SAT Erskine College Due West, SC
06/22/07 FRI Telluride Bluegrass Festival Telluride, CO

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Ever since I started The Rock and Roll Report I have always hoped it would be a fun destination for rock and roll fans looking for somewhere to discover some great indie rock and roll, something that they very well might not have had a chance to listen to or read about elsewhere. As the site is in the midst of a complete redesign and overhaul (which will be very cool, I guarantee) and with plans for a podcast in addition to Rock and Roll Report Radio I was recently asked what the mission of the site is, what sets it apart from all the other kajillion music blogs out there and this is what I answered:

You know when you’re online on some cool music site or at a club listening to a great band and you wonder "why don’t I hear this on my local rock radio station?" Well The Rock and Roll Report is here to give you your fix of all that great rock and roll that you are probably missing or at least to point you in the right direction. The next step is up to you. Buy the CDs from those bands that you like, go to their shows and lobby your local commercial or community radio station to play this stuff. If you do, we all will be happier for it.

The Rock and Roll Report is not intended to be the destination but merely a place to stop, check your map and get your bearings as you search out all the great rock and roll you deserve to hear in this day and age of shitty commercial rock radio and insipid major label drivel. Isn’t this fun!

Cheers! Here’s to more great rock and roll in the months and years ahead.

Later.

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Want this badge?

You may have noticed the BLOG (RED) badge on the top left of this site and wondered what it is all about. Well for my recent birthday I was the proud recipient of a brand new red iPod. I didn’t realize that they were available in red until I was told that it was a special edition created in support of the Product (Red) campaign raising funds and awareness for supplying Anti-retroviral medicine for people dying from Aids in Africa. According to the (Red) Manifesto

(PRODUCT) RED is not a charity, it is simply a business model. You buy (PRODUCT) RED stuff. (Motorola, AmEx, Gap, Armani, Converse, Apple) (PRODUCT) RED gets the money. It then buys the pills and distributes them. Sick people in Africa take the pills, stay alive. And continue to take care of their families and contribute socially and economically in their communities.

You can get more information at the Product (Red) website. It’s sometimes tough to make a difference in the world but this is one way we can choose to make a contribution if we want to. Are you REaDy?

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My 13 year-old self and 30-something self got into a brawl the night I was cruising ebay™ for music memorabilia when the opportunity to bowl with Jane Wiedlin(Go Go’s, VH1’s Surreal Life IV), popped up. 13 year-old me had 30-something me in a headlock just long enough to hit the “confirm bid” button. “Oh well” 30-something me rationalized “if I win, it’s for a really good cause.” Bowling for Boobies, sponsored by the Soroptimists of the Verdugos, raises funds to assist women experiencing financial difficulties as a result of their breast cancer treatment. In the US treatment without chemotherapy can exceed $100,000.00

I, along with two other charitable fans of the eternally youthful Miss Wiedlin, won ebay™ auctions to play on her team. These charity shindigs always promise a good time but rarely turn out that way. This was the exception. Not only did Jane bowl with us, she outfitted us with bowling shirts, lounged between games with us, bought us food and drink, all the while continuing to help run the raffle and auctions.

(more…)

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In support of promoting October as International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Rock and Roll Report has joined up with a number of websites from around the world and gone Pink for October.

I, like many people in this day and age have been personally affected by someone with breast cancer and so that is why it is important that we do what we can, in any way we can, to raise awareness and money to battle this deadly killer. At the very least, hug someone who is hurting.

Thanks.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

Mark
The Rock and Roll Report

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Check out John Stewart’s take on "Net Neutrality" folks. Be afraid, be very afraid!

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Happy Independence Day to all my American friends from your pal North of the border here at The Rock and Roll Report.
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In the spirit of Earth Day I give to you the Earth Day Network, a site dedicated to coordinating Earth Day events from around the world as well as offering hints and tips as to how you can get involved in taking care of the environment. Recycle this blog once you’re done with it.
UPDATE! Check out the article Hot stuff for a cool Earth for the piece about Protium, the first "hydrogen-powered rock ‘n’ roll band" who are using three hydrogen-powered generators to power their amps for an Earth Day concert. Pretty neat!
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Reflections of Hunter Revisited: Last Thoughts on Hunter S Thompson

After a couple of weeks to reflect [and a wickedly funny tribute in this week’s Doonesbury]
to review and reflect on HST. In reviewing that last book, Kingdom of Fear, I still think that the The Doctor’s writing
had been sliding, but it is only in comparison to the strikingly
radical work he did in the 70s. No respectable journalist had ever
inserted themselves as part of the story. A GOOD journalist was
supposed to present the facts as a disinterested observer and let the
reader draw his own conclusions. Hunter not only injected himself,
often violently, into his stories, he often let his biases and opinions
be slathered all over a story like barbecue sauce on a brisket. It’s a
style few have been able to copy, though PJ O’Rourke seems to be able
to pull it off on a less grand scale.

Of course Hunter had free reign at Rolling Stone,
a freedom that allowed him to ramble at great length between making his
points. So of course the 80s and 90s attempts to package Hunter into
bite sized easily digestible [and mainstream] columns were a failure.
It’s akin to having Michelangelo painting postage stamps or engraving coins. Some
people need large canvases for their work and Hunter was one of those.

Remember
that Hunter was a little older than the people he wrote for. When he
was 30 in 67 or 68, he was all ready a seasoned world traveler writing
for the National Observer, The Nation and Scanlan’s and he’d all ready written Hells Angels.
He’s go through Chicago, Nixon’s election and go hide out in Vegas
where that book was born of a depraved and drug addled mind. But
Thompson was able to turn all that warped perspective into a tool. He
was able to come back from mind bending binges and focus the razor
sharp insight and describe it to us. Something as simple as describing
tail lights flashing by at 100 mph at the end of Angels, just a simple
zaaappppp… Brilliant.

Think also of all the changes in media
during his career; from twice daily newspapers and large glossy
magazines to the instant news of the internet and satellite and cable
TV; from manual typewriters to the IBM Selectric to the PC and laptop;
the 18 minutes per page Mojo wire to the fax to instant email… I
don’t think Hunter wanted to see the first cyborgs, humans with instant
communication ports built into them; sit down at your laptop and think
it and it appears on the screen and is published on your web page.

And
make no mistake, Hunter’s impact is HUGE on the Blogger nation. There’s
thousands of us HST wanna bes out here and now we have our forum. The
BLOG has opened up media the way the four track recorder opened up the
music business… who knew there were so many after work Jimmy
Page/Eric Clapton/ Johnny Rotten’s out there? But we are all pale
imitations of the master. Surely his writing was an exaggeration, a
larger than life tall tale from a vivid imagination. He knew Americans
like their heroes BIG, like everything big, loud and bold, so he was.
But one could only maintain that peak, ride that wave for so long, and
it became obvious that the burnout was beginning by the time he covered
Ali/Spinks for Rolling Stone in 1978 [reprinted in The Great Shark Hunt collection].

I
guess my point is this: Hunter S Thompson will be remembered as a radical voice
for a radical time; in other words the right voice at the right time.
But like many of his readers he burned through the nova of the late 60s
and early 70s very brightly then imploded into… the stardustof Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock? The anger
and repulsion of the twin national nightmares of Vietnam and Watergate
took a heavy toll; what was left to do after the war was over and Nixon
dropped out of sight? Thompson seemed to wander aimlessly after the
fall of Saigon piece for Rolling Stone [also in TGSH collection],
occasionally surfacing with something to remind us of how great he
could be [the Roxanne Pulitzer trial coverage, A Dog Took My Place or his last words on Richard Nixon, both in RS], refusing to do another Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, perhaps knowing you can only get away with that once. Mostly he retired to his compound in Colorado where he could only do harm to himself. Mostly.

Like
many of out heroes, it’s hard, sad, almost painful to watch them in
decline. Think of Ali, still dignified but silent and shaking in the
throes of Parkinson’s. We Want to remember Ali as The Champ, the Ali of
the Rumble in the Jungle and the Thrilla In Manila. We want to remember
Elvis as a young vital newly minted rock and roll star, not Fat Vegas
Elvis. We like our heroes young and energetic. Jimi Hendrix, Janis
Joplin, James Dean, Jim Morrison, Marilyn Monroe: all forever frozen at
their peaks. We never suffered through bad albums, horrible movies,
fat, balding, rehab, etc. Jack Kennedy forever enshrined with his youth, enthusiasm and
energy still very much alive. And we wanted Thompson to be the Thompson/Raul Duke of Fear and Loathing forever. Now he will be.

Thompson wrote his own eulogy at the end of Hells Angels:

But
with the throttle screwed on there is only the bareset margin, and no
room at all for mistakes. It has to be done right… and that’s when
the strange music starts, when you stretch your luck so far that fear
becomes and exhilaration and vibrates along your arms. …The Edge…
There’s no honest way to explain it because the only ones who know
where it is have gone over. The others-the living- are those who pushed
their control as far as they felt they could handle it, and then pulled
back, or slowed down, or did whatever they had to when it came time to
choose between Now and Later.*

So long Hunter.

*from Hells Angels: A Starnge and Terrible Saga - 1966

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The Asian Tsunami was a disaster of epic proportions and the response to the needs of the people in the countries affected has been overwhelmingly positive. There have been and continue to be numerous fundraising events put on for the victims of this tradgedy and one that caught my eye is the "Of Hands And Hearts: Music For The Tsunami Disaster Fund" double CD compilation that will be released March 22nd, 2005 by Norwalk Distributors. This CD compilation features a lot of great bands pumping out a ton of great music with a lot of it unreleased and is a bargain at the suggested price of $13.98. Even more importantly, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this CD go to the humanitarian organization CARE so in essence there really is no reason why you wouldn’t want to buy it. It should be available at your finer indie rock stores and at most online stores including the wonderful Not Lame Records. For more information on each of the bands and links to their websites check out the "Of Hearts and Minds" website at Norwalk Distributors. Great music raising money for a needy cause is something that The Rock and Roll Report and I am sure you will always support. Mark March 15th, 2005 on your calender and pick this CD up. I know that I will. The full track listing is:

DISC ONE:

1. PAUL COLLINS’ BEAT-“All Over The World”
2. THE TALK-“Good Songs”
3. DRAMARAMA-“Try Five Times”
4. EDDIE SPAGHETTI-“Sleepy Vampire”
5. DILLON FENCE-“I’ll Learn”
6. THE RED ELVISES-“Ticket To Japan”
7. GANGGAJANG-“Anodyne Dream”
8. THE DOTTED LINE-“She Is Light”
9. bang SUGAR bang-“Major Label Interest”
10. THE LAST-“I Know” (demo)
11. THE DONKEYS-“No Way”
12. NINE BELOW ZER0-“Go Girl”
13. THE RUBINOOS-“In The Worst Way”
14. ANNABELLA LWIN-“Sacred Ground”
15. DOG TRUMPET-“Once Too Often”
16. BARRY HOLDSHIP-“Stuck In Time”
17. JEREMY-“If I Could”
18. RAY MASON BAND-“I Own The Ending”
19. THE SUNBEAMS-“Star Trek”
20. THE LOLAS-“Silver Dollar Sunday”
21. ROSETTA STONE-“Drive On”
22. MIDWAY-“Connection”
23. THE FIXX-“Fatal Shore” (live)
24. JOANNA HOGG & NICK BEGGS-“Who Will Hold You?”

DISC TWO

1. SUPERSUCKERS-“Bubblegum And Beer”
2. THE WAKING HOURS-“Someday Soon”
3. GUITAR GANGSTERS-“Another Day In Pleasantville”
4. SUBURBAN LEGENDS-“Blingity Bling”
5. R. STEVIE MOORE with DAVE GREGORY-“Dates”
6. ADRIAN BELEW-“Survival In The Wild”
7. CHROMOSOME TEA-“Spring 1913”
8. JEFFREY FOSKETT-“It’s My Fault”
9. WANG CHUNG-“Akasha”
10. EASTERLY-“If You Knew” (TW Walsh Remix)
11. WORMSTEW-“Lady Luck”
12. KEVIN GILBERT & THUD-“When You Give Your Love To Me” (live)
13. KYLE VINCENT-“You Will Dance Again”
14. JOHN WICKS -“Rising Stars”
15. UNDERWATER CITY PEOPLE-“Here We Go Again”
16. THE TWINKLES-“We’re The Kids”
17. WONDERBOY-“Moron Man”
18. THE VIRGINIA SISTERS-“That’s Just Wrong”
19. JOE ‘KING’ CARRASCO-“Cu Ru Cu Pa”
20. THE LETTER OPENERS-“A Normal Town”
21. EUGENE EDWARDS-“It Doesn’t Get Better Than This”
22. THE RANDIES-“Peanut Butter”
23. BMX BANDITS-“The End Of Time”
24. MICHAEL CARPENTER-“Thinking About You”
25. BOBBY WHITLOCK & KIM CARMEL-“Beautiful”

(Updated to include the new release date of 03/22/05)
Later.

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I just read this and thought it was worth a post. Although not completely related to rock and roll (yet), if you are a concerned American that thinks American mainstream media is starting to get just a bit to “prudish” for your taste or if you think censorship is rearing its ugly head then you should read Save “Private Ryan” From the Prudes by James Werrell. As usual the pendulum has swung from one extreme to the other.
Later.

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In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

To find out more about the man who wrote this poem, visit McCrae House.

Please visit the following sites for further insights on what Canadian veterans did for their country:

• Remember Canada
• The Canadian National Vimy Memorial
• A Memorial to the Canadians at Dieppe

Thank you. We remember.

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The Rock and Roll Report fully supports the following message:

Hey!! Stop what you’re doing! You’re not going to find that Arcade Fire live bootleg today, nor will you be stumbling across the b-side to “Hand In Glove”, and there’s no way you’ll be finding that unreleased Pixies album. What you need to do is get ready to vote in the most important election of our lives. Figure out where your nearest polling place is, and tell your friends to do the same, tell your enemies for that matter. But just vote.

Worried that you’re not informed enough to vote? You’re on the internet - the information is out there waiting for you. Not a U.S. citizen? Then please call or email all your American friends and make sure they plan on voting. Many artists/organizations are stepping up and helping with the Get Out the Vote campaign, and now so are many of us in the music blogging community. Below are some links of interest:

Moveon.org
RockTheVote.com
JohnKerry.com
GeorgeWBush.com
MusicForAmerica.org
DeclareYourself
JustVote
MyPollingPlace
GetEducated

Check out this message, recorded just for this campaign…
Vote by Chris Stamey with Yo La Tengo

Get Out And Vote, Tomorrow, November 2nd…

Thanks,

Music Bloggers For Democracy
and everyone that has agreed to post:

the big ticket :
songs:illinois :
last sound of summer
moerex
pwi
barsandguitars
scissorkick
radiobabylon
Kingblind
TeachingTheIndieKidsToDanceAgain
TheNapkin
Tuwa’s Shanty
RummageThroughTheCrevices
Lost Bands Of The New Wave
Enchilada’s Blog
Aurgasm
Bradley’s Almanac
Largehearted Boy
The Witness Exchange
Something I Learned
mystery and misery
Alternate Tuning
Republic of Replicants
Pecados De Nada

The Rock and Roll Report will return to our regularly scheduled programming on November 3rd.
Later.

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I received this from Rock the Vote and thought I would reprint it here for your convenience.

Tomorrow is November 2, Election Day. The day you get out and vote.

Voting is easy—here’s what you need to know before you head to the polls.

Bring an ID.
Not sure what you need? Click here.

Vote in the morning, lines are shorter.

Bring 5 friends to keep you company.

Have no fear — the machines are easy.

Forget your polling place? No problem, find it here: www.mypollingplace.com

Make a mistake? Just ask for a new ballot and vote.

Not on the list? Ask for a provisional ballot and vote.

In line when the polls close? Don’t worry–you still get to vote.

Problems?
Get legal help at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
Report to NBC at 1-866-MYVOTE1.

Check out www.rockthevote.com for voting tips, compare the candidates, and an overview of the issues.

Polls show a dead heat.
Tomorrow, you pick the winner.

Take 5 friends and vote like you’ve never voted before.
And remember: Bring Your ID.

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In keeping with the political theme for today, The Rock and Roll Report is attempting to do its small part in encouraging the democratic process by prominently featuring a link to the Rock the Vote organization. Click on the link in the upper left corner of this site and it will fast-track you through the process of registering to vote for the U.S. presidential elections this November 2nd. Please do your part. Thanks.
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Editors Note: This post was originally written August 5th in longhand on the porch at the cottage while on vacation overlooking beautiful Christie Lake near Perth, Ontario. A great way to write, guaranteed.

It is somewhat ironic that after just finishing an article on John Lennon’s political activities of the early seventies in the May issue of Mojo magazine that I read in the local paper about the big anti-Bush “Vote for Change” concerts planned for this fall. The irony lies in the fact that as I read about the aborted tour that Lennon was supposed to embark on in the election year of 1972, haunting Richard Nixon from campaign stop to campaign stop, I thought to myself that in this day and age in the United States why hasn’t anybody stepped forward and done something similar for this election? Has rock and roll lost its radical edge I thought? Now I am the first to admit that rock and roll and politics sometimes make strange bedfellows and often times political rock and roll gets real dated real fast but it is nice to see Bruce Springsteen and friends getting up off their collective celebrity asses and doing something constructive. I mean, what the hell can you expect Ben Afleck to bring to the table? No matter what side of the fence you find yourself sitting on (or perhaps you are straddling the middle of the fence or even worse you have no idea what the fence is all about) the current political landscape in the United States is so polarized that it is difficult to actually debate the issues. When Springsteen was asked whether people were tired of celebrities “telling them who to vote for” he simply stated that they are all citizens just trying to do their part to build awareness. After all, healthy debate is the lifeblood of democracy and no mater whether you are Republican or Democrat, Green or Libertarian, understanding what an election is about and participating in the process is important now more than ever. Ya these are a bunch or rich rock stars, so what. Just as they mount their soapbox so can you. Reasoned political debate seems to be dying in North America. Maybe this will breath some life into it. Hope springs eternal.
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You know, I’m not the overly political type but when I read the article FCC fines ruffle even “Masterpiece Theatre” I just had to shake my head and wonder how long the madness will last. Unbelievable in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech. In the immortal words of Dr. Johnny Fever: Booger!
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Apparently there is a move afoot to draft Mr. Wango Tango himself, Ted Nugent to run for U.S, senator. In this day and age of pro wrestlers, B-grade singers (and their wives) and Hollywood action heroes participating in the U.S. political process, why should having a rocker be a surprise? The thing about Ted Nugent is that he is quite the intelligent and believe it or not eloquent speaker. I can’t stand his politics but at least the guy can competently argue his point of view and he has the faith of his convictions. That should certainly count for something in politics today.
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Tony Blair has lashed out at the permissive society born of the “swinging sixties” as the reason that Britain has seen a rise in violent crimes. “Today, people have had enough of this part of the 1960s consensus. People do not want a return to old prejudices and ugly discrimination. But they do want rules, order and proper behaviour. They want a community where the decent lawabiding majority are in charge.” It was that lunatic John Lennon that started all these problems I tell ‘ya! Bigger than Jesus. Balderdash! I knew too much freedom would corrupt the youth. Back to a rigid class system post haste! That’ll teach ‘em all.
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My favorite ice cream company, Ben and Jerrys are offering a pretty cool deal (pardon the pun) for all you Americans who will be participating in their legendary 26th Annual Free Cone Day on April 27th. If you take the “Oath to Vote” at the same time as you enjoy the best ice cream ever made, you will get a free iTunes song as well as a chance to win an iPod, iMac and a trip to Vermont (my favorite U.S. state) to spend the day as an honorary Ben and Jerry’s Flavor Guru where you will create your own personal batch of ice cream! If ever there was a time that I wished that I was American, this would be one of them. Keep checking their site for updates. I want my Chunky Monkey!
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OK let me get this straight. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull criticizes all the American flags people have flying in the States and he has to apologize while an Asbury Park classic rock station removes Jethro Tull’s music from their playlist. The Dixie Chicks criticize George Bush and everybody freaks out and a whole bunch of radio stations start banning their music and attacking the group for being “un-American.” What part of freedom of speech don’t people understand here? I don’t want to get political here but why is freedom of speech only popular when it doesn’t ruffle any feathers? Geez I don’t even like these two groups and I’m talking about them! Come on people, remember the marketplace of ideas and all that good democratic stuff. I thought that’s what we in the West are supposed to be promoting. Sorry for this non-rock and roll interlude. I just realized that I have made “political” references in the last 3 posts! Ah well, tommorrow we’ll talk about Keith Richards!
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According to Bono, the world needs more Canada because “something is going on here. (Canada has) avoided a stigma that’s attached to the West . . . that other parts of the world regard with such suspicion” said the Irish rock and roll superstar at last weekend’s Liberal Party leadership convention. We are in fact so polite that he feels we could take over the world just by saying please! Now who am I to argue with Bono. If a rock star says we are the greatest, then it must be true right? I have always been a (ahem..) big fan of U2 since they were a struggling band out of, ummh Ireland and this just reinforces by love for all things U2. Way to go Bono! You can come back to Canada anytime. (Yes I’m promoting Canada while being sarcastic at the same time. I really got to dig out some U2 albums soon.)
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These men and women gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today. Thank them in person while we still have the chance.
Peace.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

To find out more about the man who wrote this poem, vist McCrae House.
I would also encourage you to visit the Juno Beach Memorial for a taste of what was involved in one of the key battles of World War 2.
Thank you.

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