U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - Crumbs From Your Table

Track #8 - Crumbs From Your Table

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
___________________________________________________
This is another song about the AIDS crisis in Africa. I see it as a song being sung from an unbelieving world to the American church as they watch the crisis unfold and they here us speak of "signs and wonders" but we "deny for others what we demand for ourselves".

"Three to a bed /Sister Ann, she said /Dignity passes by "
This line is actually a quote from a nun working in an African AIDS relief tent, when Bono went to visit she explained to him "dignity passes by this place".

"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"
This line points out what I feel is a great problem with the church and us Christians in general. We are called to be Christ like, we talk about right and wrong, we judge by standards no man can keep yet we do little to help our fellow man, something Christ spoke about more then anything. Let us not be known for what we say but what we do.

U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - A Man and A Woman

Track# 7 A Man and A Woman

Little sister don’t you worry about a thing today
Take the heat from the sun
Little sister
I know that everything is not ok
But you’re like honey on my tongue

True love never can be rent
But only true love can keep beauty innocent

I could never take a chance
Of losing love to find romance
In the mysterious distance
Between a man and a woman
No I could never take a chance
‘Cos I could never understand
The mysterious distance
Between a man and a woman

You can run from love
And if it’s really love it will find you
Catch you by the heel
But you can’t be numb for love
The only pain is to feel nothing at all
How can I hurt when I’m holding you?

I could never take a chance
Of losing love to find romance
In the mysterious distance
Between a man and a woman

And you’re the one, there’s no-one else
You make me want to lose myself
In the mysterious distance
Between a man and a woman

Brown eyed girl across the street
On rue Saint Divine
I thought this is the one for me
But she was already mine
You were already mine…

Little sister
I’ve been sleeping in the street again
Like a stray dog
Little sister
I’ve been trying to feel complete again
But you’re gone and so is God

The soul needs beauty for a soul mate
When the soul wants… the soul waits …

No I could never take a chance
Of losing love to find romance
In the mysterious distance
Between a man and a woman

For love and faith and sex and fear
And all the things that keep us here
In the mysterious distance
Between a man and a woman

How can I hurt when I’m holding you?
___________________________________________
This is a classic love song as only U2 could do it.

"You can run from love /And if it’s really love it will find you"
Some of these lines are so cheesy that I would not be able to take them seriously, but Bono has a way of giving them meaning anyway.

"I know that everything is not ok /But you’re like honey on my tongue "
As with every U2 love song its born out of some conflict.

"I could never take a chance /Of losing love to find romance "
This is one of the best love song lines ever, I love that idea, Romance is somthing that you can find in many places, love is much harder to find.

"How can I hurt when I’m holding you?"
Great closing line of a great love song.

U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - All Because Of You

Track # 6 - All Because Of You

I was born a child of grace
Nothing else about the place
Everything was ugly but your beautiful face
And it left me no illusion

I saw you in the curve of the moon
In the shadow cast across my room
You heard me in my tune
When I just heard confusion

All because of you
All because of you
All because of you
I am… I am

I like the sound of my own voice
I didn’t give anyone else a choice
An intellectual tortoise
Racing with your bullet train

Some people get squashed crossing the tracks
Some people got high rises on their backs
I’m not broke but you can see the cracks
You can make me perfect again

All because of you
All because of you
All because of you
I am… I am

I’m alive
I’m being born
I just arrived, I’m at the door
Of the place I started out from
And I want back inside

All because of you
All because of you
All because of you
I am
____________________________________________
This song is basicaly a praise song that rocks.

"I saw you in the curve of the moon /In the shadow cast across my room /You heard me in my tune /When I just heard confusion"
This verse leaves little doubt that he is talking about God.

"I’m not broke but you can see the cracks /You can make me perfect again"
speaking about God's redemptive abilities.

"All because of you /I am"

U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - City Of Blinding Lights

Track #5 - City Of Blinding Lights

The more you see the less you know
The less you find out as you go
I knew much more then than I do now

Neon heart dayglo eyes
A city lit by fireflies
They’re advertising in the skies
For people like us

And I miss you when you’re not around
I’m getting ready to leave the ground….

Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Don’t look before you laugh
Look ugly in a photograph
Flash bulbs purple irises
The camera can’t see

I’ve seen you walk unafraid
I’ve seen you in the clothes you made
Can you see the beauty inside of me?
What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?

And I miss you when you’re not around
I’m getting ready to leave the ground

Ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

Time… time
Won’t leave me as I am
But time won’t take the boy out of this man

Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
Oh you look so beautiful tonight
In the city of blinding lights

The more you know the less you feel
Some pray for others steal
Blessings are not just for the ones who kneel… luckily
_______________________________________________________

Hulkster on the Circle 6 boards nailed this one, so I am just going to steal his post, I couldn't have said it better....

Hulkster said:

I think Bono is just saying that, the older we get, the more complicated things tend to get in our lives. The more complicated things get, the more gray things become, and answers seem less black and white.

The line about knowing much more "then" than now is just a look back to his youth when he no doubt(like us all) thought we knew it all. And again I think it's just a way Bono in saying "back then things were a little bit more simple than they are now." Everything now is complicated. He's having to jump through government hoops across the world to get things done in Africa, whereas before he thought(mistakenly) that he could change the world with a song, like Sunday Bloody Sunday. It's just a wakeup call of sorts, an admission of the reality of what he's facing.

U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - Love And Peace Or Else

Track #4 - Love And Peace Or Else

Lay down
Lay down
Lay your sweet lovely on the ground
Lay your love on the track
We're gonna break the monster's back
Yes we are...
Lay down your treasure
Lay it down now brother
You don't have time
For a jealous lover

As you enter this life
I pray you depart
With a wrinkled face
And a brand new heart

I don't know if I can take it
I'm not easy on my knees
Here's my heart I'll let you break it

I need some release, release, release

We need
Love and peace
Love and peace

Lay down
Lay down your guns
All your daughters of Zion
All your Abraham sons
I don't know if I can make it
I'm not easy on my knees
Here's my heart I'll let you break it
I need some release, release, release

We need
Love and peace
Love and peace

Baby don't fight
We can talk this thing through
It's not a big problem
It's just me and you
You can call or I'll phone
The TV is still on
But the sound is turned down
And the troops on the ground
Are about to dig in

And I wonder where is the love?
Where is the love?
Love and peace
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
_________________________________________________

This song is about the Israeli - Palestinian conflict. Bono is calling both sides to look for Love and Peace.

"Lay down/ Lay down your guns/ All your daughters of Zion/ All your Abraham sons"
Leaving little doubt about the subject matter of this song.

"Baby don't fight/ We can talk this thing through/ It's not a big problem/ It's just me and you/ You can call or I'll phone/ The TV is still on/ But the sound is turned down/ And the troops on the ground/ Are about to dig in"
Comparing it to a fight between two lovers.

"Where is the love?"

U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own

Track #3 - Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own

Tough, you think you've got the stuff
You're telling me and anyone
You're hard enough

You don't have to put up a fight
You don't have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight

Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don't have to go it alone

And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone
Sometimes you can't make it on your own

We fight all the time
You and I...that's alright
We're the same soul
I don't need...I don't need to hear you say
That if we weren't so alike
You'd like me a whole lot more

Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don't have to go it alone
And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you when I don't pick up the phone
Sometimes you can't make it on your own

I know that we don't talk
I'm sick of it all
Can - you - hear - me - when - I -
Sing, you're the reason I sing
You're the reason why the opera is in me...

Where are we now?
I've got to let you know
A house still doesn't make a home
Don't leave me here alone...

And it's you when I look in the mirror
And it's you that makes it hard to let go
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Sometimes you can't make it
The best you can do is to fake it
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
________________________________________________________

This song was written for Bono's father's funeral.

"We fight all the time/ You and I...that's alright/ We're the same soul/ I don't need...I don't need to hear you say/ That if we weren't so alike/ You'd like me a whole lot more"
This line is pretty typical of a lot of father son relationships.

"Listen to me now/ I need to let you know/ You don't have to go it alone"
I heard an interview were Bono was talking about how his "old man" was losing his faith, I think this is Bono's plea to his dad to give up, to stop trying to "make it on your own".

"Can - you - hear - me - when - I -/ Sing, you're the reason I sing/ You're the reason why the opera is in me..."
His father loved Opera and Bono feels that has been passed on to him.

"Where are we now?/ I've got to let you know/ A house still doesn't make a home/ Don't leave me here alone..."
I take this line as admitting, that 'hey, you can't make it on your own, but either can I, I need you here to help' maybe I am wrong with that one, but that’s how I like to think of it.

U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - Miracle Drug

Track #2 - Miracle Drug

I want to trip inside your head
Spend the day there...
To hear the things you haven't said
And see what you might see

I want to hear you when you call
Do you feel anything at all?
I want to see your thoughts take shape
And walk right out

Freedom has a scent
Like the top of a new born baby's head

The songs are in your eyes
I see them when you smile
I've seen enough I'm not giving up
On a miracle drug

Of science and the human heart
There is no limit
There is no failure here sweetheart
Just when you quit...

I am you and you are mine
Love makes nonsense of space
And time...will disappear
Love and logic keep us clear
Reason is on our side, love...

The songs are in your eyes
I see them when you smile
I've had enough of romantic love
I'd give it up, yeah, I'd give it up
For a miracle, a miracle drug, a miracle drug

God I need your help tonight

Beneath the noise
Below the din
I hear your voice
It's whispering
In science and in medicine
"I was a stranger
You took me in"

The songs are in your eyes
I see them when you smile
I've had enough of romantic love
I'd give it up, yeah, I'd give it up
For a miracle, miracle drug

Miracle, miracle drug
__________________________________

This song is about the Africa AIDS crisis. It is dirceted to God, Bono is crying out for a Miracle Drug, not a "sign or wonder" but a solution.

"I want to trip inside your head/ Spend the day there.../ To hear the things you haven't said/ And see what you might see/ I want to hear you when you call/ Do you feel anything at all?/ I want to see your thoughts take shape/ And walk right out"

This line recalls the song "When I Look At The World" from ATYCLB, in which Bono is calling out to God asking to better understand His ways.

"God I need your help tonight/ Beneath the noise/ Below the din/ I hear your voice/ It's whispering/ In science and in medicine/ "I was a stranger/ You took me in""

This line he is calling for God's help, or for the church to listen to God's teachings. That God even is in the worlds of scince and medicine, a place that the church is often fighting against. Echoing the words of Christ "I was a stranger/ You took me in" calling the church to action.

U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - Vertigo

The cd is coming out this coming Tuesday. In the next few days I plan on posting the lyrics for each track and take a look at what its about.

Track #1 - Vertigo

Unos, dos, tres, catorce [1,2,3,14]

Turn it up loud, captain!

Lights go down
It's dark
The jungle is your head
Can't rule your heart
I'm feeling so much stronger
Than I thought
Your eyes are wide
And though your soul
it can't be bought
your mind can wander

Hello, Hello
Hola! [Spanish for Hello]
I'm at a place called vertigo (¿Dónde está?) [Where is it?]
It's everything I wish I didn't know
But you give me something I can feel
Feel

The night is full of holes
Those bullets rip the sky
Of ink with gold
They twinkle as the boys play rock and roll
They know that they can't dance
At least they know

I can sell the beat
I'm askin' for the check
Girl with crimson nails
Has Jesus 'round the neck
Swinging to the music
Swinging to the music
Woooao

Hello, Hello
Hola!
I'm at a place called Vertigo (¿Dónde está?) [Where is it?]
It's everything I wish I didn't know
But you give me something I can feel
Feel

All this, all this can be yours
All of this, all of this can be yours
All this, all of this can be yours
Just give me what I want
And no one gets hurt

Hello, Hello
Hola!
I'm at a place called Vertigo
Lights go down and all I know
Is that you give me something I can feel
You're teaching me...hahahaha-ow
Your love is teaching me...hahahahaha-ow
How to kneel
Kneel

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
__________________________________________

I covered this song earlier here.

After hearing the rest of the cd I am sticking to my first thought, that this track is about the unrest in the world.

"The night is full of holes/ Those bullets rip the sky"
"I'm at a place called Vertigo/ It's everything I wish I didn't know"

The unrest in the world makes it feel dizzy, uneasy, like Vertigo.

But there is hope and your "soul can't be bought" it is still tough because "your mind can wander".

"The jungle is your head/ Can't rule your heart/ I'm feeling so much stronger/ Than I thought/ Your eyes are wide/ And/ though your soul/ it can't be bought/ your mind can wander"

McPhisto (devil/rockstar altra-ego) from the Zoo Tour days shows up and offers the world, or the "place called Vertigo"

"All this, all this can be yours/ All of this, all of this can be yours/ All this, all of this can be yours/ Just give me what I want/ And no one gets hurt

Ultimatly there is a final hope, a hope in God.

"But you give me something I can feel/ Feeeeeel"
"Your love is teaching me...hahahahaha-ow/ How to kneel/ Kneeeeeeel"

Derek Webb - T-shirts

They'll know us by the t-shirts that we wear/ they will know us by the way we point and stare/ at anyone whose sin looks worse then ours/ who can not hide the scares of this curse that we all bare/ They'll know us by our picket lines and signs/ they will know us by the pride we hide behind/ like anyone on earth is living right/ and isn't that why Jesus died/ not to make us think were right/

chorus/ when love, love, love/ is what we should bew know for/ love, love, love/ its the how and its the why/ we live and breathe and we die/

They'll know us by the reasons we divide/ how we can't seem to unify/ because we gotta sing songs a certain style/ or we'll walk right down that aisle/ and just leave 'em all behind/ They'll know us by the billboards that we make/ just turing God's words into cheap cliches/ says "what part of murder don't you understand?"/ but we hate our fellow man/ and point a fingure at his grave/ chorus/

They'll know us by the t-shirts that we wear/ they will know us by the way we point and stare/ telling them their sins our worse then ours/ thinking we can hide behind our scars/ beneath these t-shirts that we wear.

It's been a while.

Sorry guys, I have been really freakin' busy. I have a bunch of stuff I want to post, but I am going to spread it out over the next few days.

Pictures!

From the hinking trip (read about it below)

From a trip my wife and I took earlier this summer.

ALCS

The biggest collapse in the history of professional sports.

And it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving team.

Thank you Red Sox.

Is a vote for Bush a Pro-life vote?

Pro-life? Look at the fruits
by Dr. Glen Harold Stassen

I am a Christian ethicist, and trained in statistical analysis. I am consistently pro-life. My son David is one witness. For my family, "pro-life" is personal. My wife caught rubella in the eighth week of her pregnancy. We decided not to terminate, to love and raise our baby. David is legally blind and severely handicapped; he also is a blessing to us and to the world.

I look at the fruits of political policies more than words. I analyzed the data on abortion during the George W. Bush presidency. There is no single source for this information - federal reports go only to 2000, and many states do not report - but I found enough data to identify trends. My findings are counterintuitive and disturbing.

Abortion was decreasing. When President Bush took office, the nation's abortion rates were at a 24-year low, after a 17.4% decline during the 1990s. This was an average decrease of 1.7% per year, mostly during the latter part of the decade. (This data comes from Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life using the Guttmacher Institute's studies).

Enter George W. Bush in 2001. One would expect the abortion rate to continue its consistent course downward, if not plunge. Instead, the opposite happened.

I found three states that have posted multi-year statistics through 2003, and abortion rates have risen in all three: Kentucky's increased by 3.2% from 2000 to 2003. Michigan's increased by 11.3% from 2000 to 2003. Pennsylvania's increased by 1.9% from 1999 to 2002. I found 13 additional states that reported statistics for 2001 and 2002. Eight states saw an increase in abortion rates (14.6% average increase), and five saw a decrease (4.3% average decrease).

Under President Bush, the decade-long trend of declining abortion rates appears to have reversed. Given the trends of the 1990s, 52,000 more abortions occurred in the United States in 2002 than would have been expected before this change of direction.

How could this be? I see three contributing factors:

First, two thirds of women who abort say they cannot afford a child (Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Web site). In the past three years, unemployment rates increased half again. Not since Hoover had there been a net loss of jobs during a presidency until the current administration. Average real incomes decreased, and for seven years the minimum wage has not been raised to match inflation. With less income, many prospective mothers fear another mouth to feed.

Second, half of all women who abort say they do not have a reliable mate (Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life). Men who are jobless usually do not marry. Only three of the 16 states had more marriages in 2002 than in 2001, and in those states abortion rates decreased. In the 16 states overall, there were 16,392 fewer marriages than the year before, and 7,869 more abortions. As male unemployment increases, marriages fall and abortion rises.

Third, women worry about health care for themselves and their children. Since 5.2 million more people have no health insurance now than before this presidency - with women of childbearing age overrepresented in those 5.2 million - abortion increases.

The U.S. Catholic Bishops warned of this likely outcome if support for families with children was cut back. My wife and I know - as does my son David - that doctors, nurses, hospitals, medical insurance, special schooling, and parental employment are crucial for a special child. David attended the Kentucky School for the Blind, as well as several schools for children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. He was mainstreamed in public schools as well. We have two other sons and five grandchildren, and we know that every mother, father, and child needs public and family support.

What does this tell us? Economic policy and abortion are not separate issues; they form one moral imperative. Rhetoric is hollow, mere tinkling brass, without health care, health insurance, jobs, child care, and a living wage. Pro-life in deed, not merely in word, means we need policies that provide jobs and health insurance and support for prospective mothers.

Avrg. IQ vs. PROJECTED Electoral Vote

This chart is based on the 2004 Election PROJECTIONS and the average IQ of those states. We shall revisit it after the election and see if it holds up, but it is pretty interesting none-the-less. Draw your own conclusions ;-)
Dark Red = Bush by more then 10%
Red = Bush by 5% - 9.9%
Light Red = Bush by < 4.9%
Dark Blue = Kerry by more then 10%
Blue = Kerry by 5% - 9.9%
Light Blue = Kerry by < 4.9%

scroll down, blogger is stupid.....

	State	Avg. IQ	Votes
1	Connecticut	113	Kerry
2	Massachusetts	111	Kerry
3	New Jersey	111	Kerry
4	New York	109	Kerry
5	Rhode Island	107	Kerry
6	Hawaii	106	Kerry
7	Maryland	105	Kerry
8	New Hampshire	105	Kerry
9	Illinois	104	Kerry
10	Delaware	103	Kerry
11	Minnesota	102	Kerry
12	Vermont	102	Kerry
13	Washington	102	Kerry
14	California	101	Kerry
15	Pennsylvania	101	Kerry
16	Maine	100	Kerry
17	Virginia	100	Bush
18	Wisconsin	100	Kerry
19	Colorado	99	Bush
20	Iowa	99	Kerry
21	Michigan	99	Kerry
22	Nevada	99	Bush
23	Ohio	99	Bush
24	Oregon	99	Kerry
25	Alaska	98	Bush
26	Florida	98	Bush
27	Missouri	98	Bush
28	Kansas	96	Bush
29	Nebraska	95	Bush
30	Arizona	94	Bush
31	Indiana	94	Bush
32	Tennessee	94	Bush
33	North Carolina	93	Bush
34	West Virginia	93	Bush
35	Arkansas	92	Bush
36	Georgia	92	Bush
37	Kentucky	92	Bush
38	New Mexico	92	Kerry
39	North Dakota	92	Bush
40	Texas	92	Bush
41	Alabama	90	Bush
42	Louisiana	90	Bush
43	Montana	90	Bush
44	Oklahoma	90	Bush
45	South Dakota	90	Bush
46	South Carolina	89	Bush
47	Wyoming	89	Bush
48	Idaho	87	Bush
49	Utah	87	Bush
50	Mississippi	85	Bush

If nothing else, we learned that the souf' is stupid.

Backpacking with God

I had an opportunity to go backpacking with some friends this weekend. We went up to Lake Stuart and Horseshoe Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It was amazing. Every time I am surrounded by God's creation I am just blown away by it. How can anyone not believe in God when they are surrounded by such splendid beauty? Every piece is planed out, everything is put were it is for a reason, yet in such amazing beauty. Accidents are not that beautiful or well thought out.

Anyways, as we were hiking up to Horseshoe (about 1,500 feet above Stuart) by legs were burning, I had 40 lbs strapped to my back (nearly 1/3 of my body weight) and I was headed straight up this cliff. I got to thinking, everything worth getting to is not easy, and everything worth having takes a lot of work. Marriage is a lot of work, but the awards are amazing. Friendships take a lot of work, but the awards are great. Heaven takes a lot of work, you have got to follow a long, steep, windy path to get there, but it is the ultimate in rewards. As I crested the top of the cliff and set my eyes on Horseshoe Lake, I forgot all about the hard journey to get there and was overwhelmed with the amazing beauty around me. I can only imagine how much more that is going to be the case when the golden gates are flung wide open and I step in.

Pictures will come soonly.

awesmoe

Derek Webb on his new album - I See Thing Upside Down

“What are the things that we American Christians value in our culture and how is that different, and often ‘upside down’ from true Kingdom values? I’ve found that often success looks more like failure, riches more like poverty, and have found that real life often feels more like death, as the Christian life is very literally the process by which we are killed.” - Derek Webb

U2 - Vertigo

The first single has dropped!
I heard it on the radio yesterday.

HERE IT IS!

After listening a few times, I think I am getting the gest of the song. It seems to me to be about the unrest in the world and the possability of hope in God.

"In a place called vertigo,
its everything I wish I didn't know.
But you give me something I can feel."

"I can feel you teaching me how,
your love is teaching me how to kneel"

New U2 Album Info

I have been waiting for this for about a year now. Here is the latest info from U2.com

Ok, so the wait is nearly over and the new album is on the way. So what do we know... and what do we not know!
There’s still a lot to be revealed in the coming weeks, but, when you pull it all together, quite a few of the vital statistics are already out there. We figured it might be time to separate some of the facts from some of the wilder flights of virtual imagination and online chatter. Of course, some of these outrageously speculative stories may yet turn out to be bang on the money - others will fade within days into the obscurity of rock'n roll trivia quizzes.
So here’s our top ten checklist to guide you through the jungle of rumour and speculation.

1. U2 have been recording a new set of songs over the past two years. Set for release on November 22nd, the album is called How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.

2. According to Edge, at least one of them is called All Because of You. Or at least that's what the track was called when they were recording it. But what we do know for sure are titles of six other tracks on the album. Check them out here.

3. A handful of influential people - outside of the band - have heard some of these songs. The unanimous verdict seems to be that it's a pretty dang hot collection. Take Bill Flanagan, sometime U2 biographer, who says: 'I've heard it, it's great. It's the best album they have ever done. It's going to knock them out!'

4. In case you were hibernating or holidaying on Mars, earlier in the summer some of the new material went missing during a photo shoot with the band in France. 'A large slice of two years work lifted via a piece of round plastic.' reflected Edge.'It doesn't seem credible but that's what's just happened to us....'

5. The first single will be on air before the month is out. It’s called Vertigo and comes complete with a Kraftwerk cover and live studio performance. Complete story here.

6. The album has been produced by Steve Lillywhite, his first time at the desk for a whole U2 album since he produced the bands' first three albums, Boy, October and War. But others have been in the studio too - including Flood, Jacknife Lee, Nellee Hooper and Chris Thomas.

7. Any clues about the sound of the record ? Lillywhite says, 'I've heard some great songs. The Edge is playing some really great guitar.' Time Magazine, which also claims to have had an ear to the studio wall, is delighted that 'there's no crunk-style rapping, no gospel choirs or techno experiments.' 'Instead, this as-yet-untitled album is just full of confident, expansive guitar rock from the masters of the form.'
It will, according to Bono, ‘be our first rock-n-roll album'.

8. Oh yes, the title. Well, in case you missed it above - the album is called How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.

9. When Vertigo goes to radio later this month, expect to find U2.Com undergoing its own revolution in look and content. When the album arrives, expect even more startling changes.

10. Plans to tour are also underway - the date of the tour will be 2005. (Rest assured, you’ll have the dates first from U2.com, just as soon as they’re buttoned down.) Paul McGuinness says the tour will be defined by ‘the character of the new album and the new production.’ So we can speculate more on the tour, when we've heard the album!
(Throughout September and October U2.Com will be posting official confirmation of all new U2 releases - as and when we get it!)

OH, I CAN"T WAIT!

Political Compass

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

I know we have all done these tons of times, but I find it interesting each time, and I like to see how i have changed over time.

My Score

Economic Left/Right: -6.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.23

I scored similar to Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama

WOOT!