Bono's bike crash may have left some permanent damage

Say what you will about Bono, U2's obsequious front man, but we feel sorry for him. After a nasty bike crash in Central Park last fall, Bono broke his hand, his shoulder, and one of his eye sockets. According to the Times, he's now healed enough to return to the concert tour with the band. But he won't be playing guitar or holding the microphone in his usual hand.                                                        “I really used to think that my head was harder than any surface it came in contact with, and I don’t anymore... It feels like I have somebody else’s hand,” he said backstage. Pointing to his curled fourth finger and pinky, he said, “I can’t bend these, and this” — he pointed to another part of his hand — “is like rigor mortis. But they say that nerves heal about a millimeter a week, so in about 13 months I should know if it’s coming back.” He gestured to his forearm and elbow. “It’s all numb here, and this is titanium,” he said. “The shoulder’s better, the face is better.”

We just hope Bono's back to being rubber-side-down and wearing a lid. Scary enough for a rock star to ride a bike among the unwashed masses. But to do it after stacking so badly -- that takes some Irish.