No Line on the Horizon

U2's new album is here. Well, on MySpace, anyway. And in stores next week.

The album is the logical follow-up to Achtung Baby -- almost 20 years later. Of course, U2 got distracted in the 90s and put out "Pop" -- with some good songs (Staring at the Sun, Velvet Dress) -- but overall, Pop was just not good. Their follow-ups, All That You Can't Leave Behind and Atomic Bomb were both very solid with a nice collection of truly U2 songs.

No Line has the potential to be better, in my opinion, though I am not crazy about Get On Your Boots, the album's first single. Here are my favorites: Moment of Surrender, White as Snow, and Cedars of Lebanon. Magnificent is another positive, forward-moving song with a high degree of intensity (think beautiful day or blinding lights).

More than 30 years after their initial start, U2 is officially "back" with 3 very solid albums in a row.

do this: take Achtung Baby, listen to it through, then do the same with No Line ...then be grateful that the error of Pop brought us two more amazing albums before this one.

McDonald's Doesn't Get It!

I have been to 3 different McDonald's restaurants in the last month searching for a chocolate milkshake.

each time, the machine was broken.

I don't get it.

McDonald's was built on milkshakes. Ray Kroc sold milkshake mixers.

That's the whole point of McDonald's. You could get a milkshake fast because they had a machine that could make 8 shakes at once. Fast.

Now, they have these modern machines and they seem to be broken.

McDonald's is all about the milkshake but you can't get one there.

Governor Ron Ramsey?

That's what would happen in TN if Phil Bredesen becomes Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Bredesen is a healthcare guy.

And he's clean.

And he's a Southern Governor.

So, those things play in his favor.

But would he leave the state to GOP control for DC? And how might this impact a possible Bredesen bid for U.S. Senate in 2012?