About two years ago I was walking through Dublin and I noticed that the then-new U2 Best of... collection had gone on sale. So I got it (of course). Yesterday I was about to go into town but the terrible weather discouraged me, and I ended up going today, around noon.

Since I appear to be attuned to releases that interest me (or my subconscious knows more than I do and is in charge, take your pick) I happen to wander into town when the new U2 album has just been released, three days before the rest of the world. Eventually I walk up to HMV and go in, get the Collector's Edition of HTDAAB, which contains an extra track on the CD, Fast Cars---a song that made me thought of Arabian, Flamenco, and Indian styles of music, all at the same time (!)---a DVD, and a book with photos and writings by the band. I don't even look at the price, something that happens to me with certain categories of goods which my head apparently refuses to consider from a financial point of view, such as with almost any kind of book--this is why I avoid browsing bookstores, I go in, walk out five minutes later and somehow I've bought a book or two. But I digress...

I put the package in my backpack, and walk out.

And at the door my first thought is: What the...?

Right there, obviously just arriving, are the Macnas U2 heads (Macnas is a performance arts group out of Galway), which first made their appearance in the ZooTV tour. So naturally I got my camera out and snapped a few pictures, such as the one above (click on it to see a larger version), and here are a few more: one, two, three, four. Or, as Bono would say: Uno, dos, tres, catorce!

Anyway, such are some of the advantages of living in Dublin and walking Grafton street now and then... :)

PS: if that isn't enough, the latest survey by The Economist says that Ireland is the best place to live in the world, quality-of-life-wise.