Sid Meier's Civilization: Bono Can Really Put it into Perspective

I did nothing but relax today accept for the hour or so with the leaf blower in the yard. Despite it being 70 something and sunny when it should be 50 and foggy in November, there is a ton of leaves this year in my neighborhood. I live on on the far west side of the 'hood and we haven't had that good wind yet that blows my yard down the street.

Back to relaxing and messing around with my Apple (as I type on my Fujitsu lap top), I was playing Sid Meier's Civilization 3. I played a pretty long session, almost to the end. I stopped in 1950 since it got boring and the whole world was polluted. I was playing as the Babylonians and I was whipping it good. Somewhere around 1850, the Persians next me (on the game, remember its just a game) decided the blockade I had done with some Frigates, halting the flow of traffic to the poor nation, and securing the oil resource on the nearby island, was no longer in their best interest. I had waited all game for them to attack. I screwed with them relentlessly. I surcharged them for technologies as much as 50 gold a turn for 20 years. Their people were jealous of mine so they revolted and joined my country. My people had it all. 30% luxury and a 20% tax rate. My people loved me to, I left the game at 99% approval (kinda like Saddam eh?). But the Persians had to go and stir the pot with my Babylonians (funny, our color was red) and sink a ship. They couldn't leave well enough a long. So I launched some "Shock and Awe", and just destroyed city improvements while I built tanks and prepared a coalition involving the English and the Americans. The Germans also joined in because I eliminated the French first and they no longer existed. (I used an army of Babylonian teenagers...lol) Oh I am totally digressing. Back to the Persians, I sorta invented nukes with that Manhattan Project wonder. The Persians pretty much pissed off the other nations by sinking my ship and they all declared war on them. They sank my ship in what would be known as the "Persian Gulf". The other countries loved me. I gave them resources, luxuries and money before I gave it to my own people AND kept my people rich and wealthy. Well, that all changed. I pissed off the world, including the Americans. I nuked the Persian capital with a tactical missle. It was surreal though... I had my headphones on and I was listening to my new iPod and this song came by U2: Crumbs From Your Table

Here are the words:

From the brightest star
Comes the blackest hole
You had so much to offer
Why did you offer your soul?
I was there for you baby
When you needed my help
Would you deny for others
What you demand for yourself?

Cool down mama, cool off
Cool down mama, cool off

You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table

You were pretty as a picture
It was all there to see
Then your face caught up with your psychology
With a mouth full of teeth
You ate all your friends
And you broke every heart thinking every heart mends

You speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table

Where you live should not decide
Whether you live or whether you die
Three to a bed
Sister Ann, she said
Dignity passes by

And you speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table

Damn... Bono can be pretty deep sometimes. He had written the song about rich countries and his debt relief project that'll probably win him the Nobel Prize someday. And he's pointing the finger very firmly. He's gotta point though. If the US and Europe could do more to work with debt relief and AIDS in the Third World, we'll all be better off as a world civilization and would all work towards peace. Which is fine. I am not a warmonger.

But.... (You knew that was coming) what about these third world terrorists? Where do they fit into Bono's plans? Believe me, he could be making a bigger stink about the war in Iraq then he has. He actually has been really quiet about it. An October issue of Rolling Stone had a long interview with Bono and his plans and when Rolling Stone's chief liberal, Jann Wenner quizzed him on his visit with Bush; whether he talked to him about Iraq, Bono was quiet. Bono said nothing regarding Iraq because AIDS in Africa and debt relief is way more imortant than the war right now.

The world's most well-known pacifist, in the world's biggest band... Plays Jesus all over the world... quiet on Iraq? Amazing!
Read part of the Rolling Stone interview, here. Unfortunately... it's only the excerpt... it's a great read about the man's history, his political life and U2 of course.

The next song on my iPod that came on random by the way was "Indian Giver" by the Ramones!!