The holiday put a damper on my blogging. Despite having ample access to computers and a broadband connection, I could not find the time to keep up with things. Of course, it has not slowed down here much since we got back into town.

I updated my PDA Photoblog today with a full week’s worth of posts. Go check it out if you get a chance. Hopefully I will get this blog caught up, too, including commenting on the U2 post.

George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 3, 1789:

WHEREAS, It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor;

WHEREAS, Both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted’ for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

I sat down to write track-by-track “thoughts” of U2′s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, thinking I would only give it a half-hour of my time. My excuse for not doing a full review was that I have been sick for the past week. I also have yet to pack for my Thanksgiving travels. Here it is almost 2:00 AM. I have dedicated nearly two hours to the “review” (and yes it is long). Where’s the NyQuil?.

U2: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

1. Vertigo: A fun retro-punk song that sounds like nothing else on the album.

   /ver – ti – go/ noun 1. (a) The sensation of dizziness. (b) An instance of such a sensation. 2. A confused, disoriented state of mind.

   I am not saying that this is what the song is about, because it is not really clear, but the last stanza reminds me of how I sometimes feel when the Holy Spirit moves me during a season of prayer. I don’t mean speaking in tongues (which have ceased), but a heavy dizzy feeling combined with the sensation to pray. I relate the lyric to the H.S. in the sense that he teaches us how to pray.
   

   We’re at a place called Vertigo (Dnde est?)
   Lights go down and all I know
   Is that you give me something
   I can feel your love teaching me
   Your love is teaching me
   How to kneel
   Kneel

2. Miracle Drug: This song starts off slow but then quickly builds. It feels a little bit like Beautiful Day, infused with an optimistic quality. You can also see early on that this album has a spirtual tone that has not been heard since October.
   

   God I need your help tonight

   Beneath the noise
   Below the din
   I hear a 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

3. Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own: A song that many have compared to One, this is Bono’s tribute to his late father. It reminds me of the importance of family and the legacy we leave behind.
   

   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

4. Love and Peace or Else: Like Vertigo this song stands out on the album, with it’s blues/swing/rock-a-billy beat. It reminds me a lot of late INXS, which may not be far off when you consider that Bono was friends with Michael Hutchence. The song’s lyrics seem to answer the question, “Just HOW does one dismantle an atomic bomb, anyway?” “Why, with love and peace, naturally. Or else.”
5. City of Blinding Lights: This is the favorite of everyone I have talked with and while it lives up to the hype, it is not my personal favorite. Reminiscent of Where the Streets Have No Name, in both style and content, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser in concert. After listening to this one I realized that HTDAAB has a lot more piano and xylophone sound mixed in. I wonder how it will play live?
6. All Because of You: Another throw-back song, but this time less punk and more classic rock. The Edge is on fire and Bono even lets out a glam band scream.
7. A Man and a Woman: This is my favorite song on the album. Imagine a duet with Sade and Bono — groovy and etherial with undertones of the Edge’s guitar giving it that distinct U2 sound.
   

   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

8. Crumbs from Your Table: This is my second favorite track from the album. It has an Electrical Storm/Walk On sound to it, but with a Dirty Day (Junk Day) Remix feel. The content is good, too, talking about a cause that is near and dear to Bono’s heart — the plight of AIDS and hunger in Africa.
9. One Step Closer: This is a simple and minimalist song, with little instrumentation. A couple fellow bloggers have compared it to Running to Stand Still and The First Time. In it Bono ponders the meaning of death, something we will all face someday.
   

   I’m on an island at a busy intersection
   I can’t go forward, I can’t turn back
   Can’t see the future
   It’s getting away from me
   I just watch the tail lights glowing

   One step closer to knowing
   One step closer to knowing
   One step closer to knowing
   Knowing, knowing

10. Original of the Species: If there was a skipper on the album, this would be mine. It is not so much the song, as it is the desire to listen to the one that follows it. About the Edge’s daughter Holly, Original… has a playful sound (is that harpsichord on the synth?). The Edge says it is about being young and full of doubt — a lot like Bono was back when he was 20 years old.
11. Yahweh: U2 continues in its long tradition of closing the album with a prayer. Bono was quoted as saying, “I had the idea that no one can own Jerusalem, but everyone wants to put flags on it.” Maybe so, but as a prayer this one sounds especially personal to Bono. I think of what Jesus said in Matthew 19:24, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Bono is a veritable rock god and yet he has a conscience — dedicating much of his time and money to causes like world hunger, AIDS and debt relief. While we see many celebrities engaged in philanthropy, oftentimes they are motivated by guilt more than anything. This song seems to reveal a motivation that is different than what you would expect from the world.
    

    Take these shoes
    Click clacking down some dead end street
    Take these shoes
    And make them fit
    Take this shirt
    Polyester white trash made in nowhere
    Take this shirt
    And make it clean, clean
    Take this soul
    Stranded in some skin and bones
    Take this soul
    And make it sing

    Yahweh, Yahweh
    Always pain before a child is born
    Yahweh, Yahweh
    Still I’m waiting for the dawn

    Take these hands
    Teach them what to carry
    Take these hands
    Don’t make a fist
    Take this mouth
    So quick to criticise
    Take this mouth
    Give it a kiss

    Yahweh, Yahweh
    Always pain before a child is born
    Yahweh, Yahweh
    Still I’m waiting for the dawn

    Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
    The sun is coming up on the ocean
    This love is like a drop in the ocean
    This love is like a drop in the ocean

    Yahweh, Yahweh
    Always pain before a child is born
    Yahweh, tell me now
    Why the dark before the dawn?

    Take this city
    A city should be shining on a hill
    Take this city
    If it be your will
    What no man can own, no man can take
    Take this heart
    Take this heart
    Take this heart
    And make it break

All in all I think the album lives up to its hype. It took me several listens to warm up to the new sounds, but I see it now as more mature U2. Like a fine wine, they just keep getting better with age.

Bill Colrus, the editor of Chattanooga’s The Pulse, is giving up his blog. He makes some good points about the downside of blogging, some of which I have felt myself. I am not leaving the blogosphere anytime soon. However, I am keeping an open mind on the idea and would like to poll my readers: 1) Why do you blog surf; and 2) Do you have a blog of your own? If so, why?

Here is the full content of Bill’s post, since it may be taken down soon:

NEWS ABOUT MY BLOG

When I first heard about Chattablogs, it seemed like a novelty. I could have a blog, post some thoughts, and participate in an online community. Since the initial novelty wore off, however, I’ve become less and less interested in keeping a personal journal online. I’ve done it out of habit, and a feeling that I “had” to stick to some imaginary schedule.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve reminded myself that I would rather talk to people in person, or via the telephone or e-mail. I’ve found that — for some reason — I am more adversarial when I blog, whereas I am more open and personable, well, in person. I like people. Even those I disagree with. Yes, I have strong and unwavering convictions. But I am also a caring person, and one of the things I struggle with is making sure people know that. My blog, in its current form, is a self-obsessed blob of friction and is not helping my efforts.

I am also quite busy as a newspaper editor. I have other outlets for my writing and no longer feel the need to post my wide-ranging and random comments about a million different things on a regular basis. Increased privacy would be nice, too.

With that said, Right To The Chin, will cease to exist as you know it as of today. The blog will be slowly dismantled — possibly completely — over the next few weeks as I focus my energies on other things, one of which being an online archive of published work dating back to the early ’90s. That project might replace Right To The Chin. I would also like to start on an online family photo library and (finally) find a proper online home for my truckload of past and future video projects and ideas.

If you’ve been a regular visitor to Right To The Chin. I thank you. It’s been fun. If you happen to miss hearing from me, give me a call, drop me an e-mail or meet me for lunch.

Thanks-
Bill

Amazon has come up with a new venue for short film called Amazon Theater. To kick it off they are releasing a short film each week for five weeks. Two have already debuted–Portrait and Agent Orange. I watched the first film with no problems, but the second kept bombing out. Luckily, they offer a download option so you can save the file to your PC.