Someone Left The Flood Lights On

There are two colours in my head.

2007-05-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

I have two finals on the last days of finals on the last day of the school year. I'm really earning this beach trip. Which starts tomorrow at approximately 12:30. Woot.

So today will be spent studying, hopefully reading for a bit, and putting the finishing touches on Joy's present. Now the weather tomorrow night just needs to stay clear and all will be well.

And I finally am the proud owner of the Kid A record from Radiohead. Finally, after months. And months. And months. Well, maybe not that many months.

Anyone who recognizes my quotes will know how excited I am.

--Brandon

"Everything in its right place.."

Over my dead body.

2007-05-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

Haha. I'm in the library and it's been at least a year since I could day that. This'll be a short one, I'll write more later. I have sunny day to enjoy.

--Brandon

"Turn me back into the pet I was when we met."

"When the lights go down in the city."

2007-05-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

One day closer to the end.

I turned in my journals this morning and was rewarded with a little less weight of responsibility on my shoulders. Also, I had a lunch date by the Breeches to look forward to with Joy. And I made sure to get photo evidence.

What a gorgeous day! And now that I have significantly less work, I can enjoy this lovely weather that God has blessed Granthm with. I can also enjoy Rob's birthday. Yes, the rumors that Robert Wilkinson turned 22 today are very true. We decided to throw a surprise party just before the Office, complete with ice cream cone cakes and Sun Chips.

I have even more video evidence below (Rob's in the pink).

It's been a good day.

--Brandon

"What I am to you."

2007-04-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

Well, my Genetics paper convinced me to stay up late. I may as well make good use of the time.

What a weekend! Fireworks at City Island on Friday night--which were surprisingly awesome. My friends and I wrapped up the night with a quick game of Disney Scene-it. Apparently, everyone on my team had "seen it" because we pretty much won way faster than anyone else i can remember. True story.

Saturday evening brought a four car caravan and a half hour drive out to Gettysburg for some good old-fashioned ghost tours. The tour was pretty awesome. We didn't get any quality shots of orbs, though (ghost tour talk for ghosts). Afterwards, it was a diner on Route 15 and a patty melt in my mouth.

Sunday saw me watching Gattaca with Joy and then making the trip to meet her family. And I'm talking family: Parents, aunts, sisters, brothers-in-law, nephews, and nieces. Most time was spent playing "Who Can Build the Coolest Lego?" with the nephews which was awesome. They even gave me a new moniker: Uncle Persy.

And I just finished my Genetics paper.

Gettysburg was fun. Joy and I are going to go back, I think.

--Brandon

"The disasters that God ordains are not aimed at paralyzing his people with indifference, but mobilizing them with compassion."

"And I'm not ready for this sort of thing."

2007-04-26T23:14:00.000-07:00

Fun night out with the future roommates. A nice glass of Sam Adams. Also, Freddy apparently plays pool well. Go figure.

And I have a set of keys that aren't mine.

--Brandon

"Your choice took far too long."

That's quite the abrev.

2007-04-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

So far this week has opened with an extra Dave Matthews ticket, a new Brian Regan ticket, and a pretty ghastly grade on a Stats test.

In my defense, it was poorly formatted and I studied too hard on the wrong things. But, eh well, I learn from my mistakes. I just wish i could have Saturday and the Breeches back for a few minutes...or hours.

No Reston Community Church for me this weekend. I asked, but my Chemistry essay, my Genetics position paper, my "Stem Cell" position paper, my last chem lab, and my Corporate Social Responsibility paper, and at least 6 hours of sleep a night said "No." Stang. I'm counting on fingers the days until i'm back in good ol' NOVA hanging out with my favorite church plant crew.

Enjoy the sun. It's a cool 84 degrees in Grantham right now. I'm planning a nap and then i just might get my essay on in the afternoon sun. How will you enjoy your day?

--Brandon

"It's 11 pm. Do you know where you're Brad is?"

"We don't want the monster taking over."

2007-04-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

What a week.

I am so blessed. Blessed with a family that supports me, blessed with great friends who never let me get too serious (I try to keep myself that way too), and blessed by a gracious and powerful and loving God.

It's funny how you can live for a bit in some circle of light and, even when taking a giant (and potentially catastrophic) leap into the darkness at the edge, everything can fall into place and it's just astounding. So now that that's off my chest...

Today, Messiah College was closed...for the Special Olympics. These Olympics were part of "Service Day", an all-day event in which Messiah students participate in service projects from refurbishing low-income housing in Harrisburg, to working at local food banks, to...well, the Special Olympics. And what a Special Olympics it was.

The kid that I was a "Buddy" for was named Taz. He was a 6-grader from a local elementary and he was pretty shy at first. But when we met up with some of his friends before the 50-meter dash, this kid just lit up. They were running around and talking about who could run the fastest and they even thought it was just great and dandy to put "bunny-ears" behind peoples' heads with their two fingers...despite there not being a single camera in sight! And then, Taz's step-dad met up with us, and he and I cheered Taz on during his heat. I gotta tell you, it's a great and refreshing and humbling sight to see a father (well, step-father) who loves his son so dearly and is just totally satisfied and excited to watch his kid get 6th place in a local Special Olympics race.

And now I have three papers and some studying to do. But it's been a good week. To borrow from Nacho:

"Really good!"

Pray for the families and kids affected by the VT tragedy.

--Brandon

"Go and tell the king that the sky is falling in. But it's not."

"I'm grateful that you threw away my old shoes."

2007-04-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Line dancing.

Makes for good night of fun. Also, contrary to Brandon's belief, not all set to country music. Now, I'm not going to start advertising for CMA, but it was a swell time for all. Friendly's with Cameron and Brad also put the finishing touches on a great evening.

Props to the chaps at Reston Community Church...for just being a huge blessing to me. I truly do not think that I have seen such a committed and genuine and humbling and encouraging display of the body of Christ at work. There's just people there who would sacrifice and be there for their friends and fellow churchgoers in a second and there is so much passion for God to change the hearts and minds of the people in Reston, VA. It's a blessing to share time with you guys (and gals...we are an equal opportunity church).

Also, everyone should check out Anathallo. Christians can make good music.

--Brandon

"'Forward!' he cried from the rear, and the front lines died."

"Kase No Hana"

2007-04-14T00:26:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm more amazed than ever at God's blessings. Tonight was radical and unforgettable. More on the later though.

I just wanted to share a verse about God's goodness.

"Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help.
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever."

--Brandon

"I've got a feelin' that keeps me on my toes, oh yeah."

2007-04-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

I think I may just spontaneously combust from the excitement roaring through my veins. The shirts are pressed and so are the trousers and the jacket...now I just need some fine women and some dashing chaps to complete the ensemble.

I also have a Sunday gig at History church and a road trip with Matt to bring me there. All signs point to "awesome" for this weekend. Thankfully, the Lord has cleared my schedule and given me time to do all of this this weekend.

Also, I can't forget to mention paintball at Bshade's tomorrow. I can smell the facepaint already.

--Brandon

"A great wind, more ash."

"This is the story of your red right ankle."

2007-04-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

So I guess I have a little bone to pick with myself today.

I think that I've been a bit inconsiderate over the last few days. Eh, maybe it's because I'm a little worn out from the first three days of my week because I had massive amounts of studying and schoolwork. Or not. I just think that I messed up in some really easy things this week.

Like the unintentional act of making it look like I was leaving people out on purpose. Or the convincing my mom to pick me up at school when she already had more driving to do later that day. I just think it is kind of easy to think, "Gee, this could be really inconvenient for this other person." I wish I'd thought that.

Maybe this isn't so big of a deal, but I just really hate when I think that I am hung up on myself too much. I don't think I should be at all. That's not what I believe I am called to as a Christian.

I guess I can be overidealistic...well a lot of the time actually. But thanks for listening.

--Brandon

"Dinken flicka."

The best excuse to eat junk food.

2007-04-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

If you pay attention to my post titles, then you know that tonight's can only mean one thing: donating blood.

Yes, after answering questions about my sexual orientation and habits, getting stuck in the finger, and watching 450 mL of my own O+ blood flow out of my body, I was rewarded with all the free juice and cookies I wanted.

Because every other day of the year, I have to eat healthy veggies and fruities and turkey meats so that I don't just, you know, keel over and die. But, what? I just voluntarily lost blood! Sure as shootin' I'm getting OJ and cookies from the Magic Tree Oven!

No, in all seriousness, donate blood if you can. The reserves are needed and (maybe this is a little too dramatic) it could mean someone's life. And on that note, I'll end with my favorite quote of the day, from the 35 year old woman that checked my blood's iron level:

"Man, like we need another song from these Nickelback-copy bands."

There is hope!

--Brandon

"A well-dressed man in the crosshairs."

out on the beaches, we wore pineapple grass bracelets.

2007-03-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

So there's more pictures.

Pensive again. I'm a little hung up on evaluating my tangible impact for God. Do I really make every effort to be a witness and to bring glory to the name of God. Sometimes, yes. Other times, no.

Sometimes I honestly do expect myself to be the guy that is always inserting something Christian into everything I say. Like if someone mentions Jesus, I should just whip out John 14:6 and start talking about how we shouldn't forget that He is, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." I suppose I could do that, however impractical that is.

Sometimes you can't just obligatorily insert something biblical into every sentence. But maybe all people need to see from me is for me to be the kid that isn't drinking considerable amounts of alcohol or using questionable language or talking about that hot chick in Chem lab. Maybe that's all the witness that some people will see from me.

I admit that bugs me a little. It's strange to think that I may not even see the impact of my testimony and actions. It's discouraging sometimes because I wonder continually if I am exemplifying the right things. But is it not great that we have a God who can cross the T's and dot the I's--or mind the P's and Q's--in a way greater than ours. What I mean is that God can use those things that we don't do as witnesses in themselves. Maybe even more than the things we do do.

That thought struck me tonight.

--Brandon

"I'm going under the stars..."

Hands and feet are all alike.

2007-03-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

Moto Photo

2007-03-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Turn your gaze to heaven...

2007-03-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

I am having serious Florida withdrawal.

Okay, so before i give you the promised pictures, here is the next addition to songs that can save the world. This one is from the Decemberists and it's called "Sons and Daughters". Check it out, you'll like it.

When we arrive
Sons & daughters
We'll make our homes on the water
We'll build our walls aluminum
We'll fill our lives with cinnamon now

These currents pull us 'cross the border
Steady your boats
Arms to shoulder
'till tides are pulled
Hold our grounds
Making this cold harbor now home

Take up your arm
Sons and daughters
We will arise from the bunkers
By land, by sea, by dirrigible
We'll leave our tracks untraceable now
When arriveSons and daughters
We'll make our lives on the water
We'll build our walls aluminum
We'll fill our mouths cinnamon

When we arrive
Sons and daughters
We'll make our homes on the water
We'll build our walls aluminum
We'll fill our mouths cinnamon

Here all the bombs fade away
Here all the bombs fade away
Here all the bombs fade away
Here all the bombs fade away

And now....pictures.

--Brandon

"This station is non-operational"

2007-03-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

Well, ok, I may have been wrong when I said I would update during my trip. But I do have loads and loads of lovely photos to share.

I'll get to those tomorrow though. Right now, I'm in more of the reflective type of trance. It blows my mind how much things in your life can change. It blows my mind how much of a blessing good friends can be. I know a bunch of people and there are some who I'd hang with once in a while, some that I'd see regularly, and then others that I just love to death and without whom I would just drown in my own loneliness. The kids from this trip are definitely in that last category (especially The Midnight Pool Club). I am so unbelievably blessed and there are so many things about this trip that I'll never forget.

Just around 50 days til the end of the semester? No! That means half of my friends are gone and responsible. I dread that. Terribly.

Pictures tomorrow.

--Brandon

"We have all we need in You."

What is that?

2007-03-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Florida is awesome. 70 degrees and breezy. Music to my ears. I'll update a bit more this week than I have been in the last three weeks. Pray for my trip.

--Brandon

"Why so green and lonely?"

"Bernard, this is no time to play in the snow!"

2007-02-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

Well, most of you on the East Coast know that we got some snow and ice over the week. Well, what you don't know is that Messiah College was closed on Wednesday. Yeah, it's true.

So I went outside in the snow with my friend Linda and here's some pictures.

Hope you like them.

--Brandon

"Broken branches trip me as I step"

"I need an exit, I need an exit..."

2007-02-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I've got a bone to pick with the city of Boston.

This'll be old news to most, but recently their was a bomb scare in Boston over some suspicious looking black boxes that were attached to some support beams on Interstate 93. City police and firefighters were tied up for many a minute while working on addressing the issue.

Well, in the end, the day was made safe from...an advertising campaign. That's right, people, the city of Boston was up in tizzy over black boxes which displayed an LED image of the popular Mooninite characters from the Cartoon Network show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. It was blue, too. Bright blue.

Here's a photo:

Authorities said it looked threatening. I'll let you be the judge. They also said that it has an external battery source and had wires protruding, just likea homemade explosive. Wow, it seems that those are also the characteristics of grassroots-advertised LED displays! Whoops!

Also, these LED displays were placed in 8 other cities.......who had pretty much no idea that they were there. also, they didn't care. So when they were notified, I'm pretty sure that they just laughed and said, "Huh?" Even LA didn't wig out, and I'm sure that those people are just paranoid that someone will nuke their city and hope that Jack Bauer rears his head to save the day.

Needless to say Cartoon Network has since apologized and offered to pay compensation to Boston authorities. Also, just a few days ago, the head of Cartoon Network quit. He quit!!! So I just want to go on record as saying: "City of Boston, you owe this man his job."

I also wanted to post a video. This is a band called Guillemots. They are kind of a big deal.

--Brandon

"What does it profit a man if he gains the world but loses his soul?"

"We can wipe you out anytime"

2007-02-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

So funny story from today.

Still being psyched out of my brain from last night's Lost premiere, in my Genetics and Society class today, my professor asked what was up and going on with all of us. I mentioned some offhand comment about Lost being back on, to which he replied in a sort of unimpressed manner and he asked if I was a fan.

Then being in a bit of an argumentative mood, I replied that I thought it was the best show on TV, to which a few people in the class mumbled, "No....I don't think so."

Well, come on, people! You don't think it is, then tell me what you think is? Don't just mumble at me. Is it Grey's Anatomy? Bah, that show is proof that people will suck down dirt and drivel as long ABC can come up with as many "McDreamy, McSteamy, McDorkey, McHumpy" nicknames as possible. Maybe to reel in more viewers they can change the name...you know something like McRipoff...or McRehash.

Now if anyone had said "24", I may just be willing to recant my previous Lost statement.

I'm really such a snob sometimes. it was all in good fun honestly. You wanna watch Grey's Anatomy, then fine.

--Brandon

"Take my hand, 'cause we're walking right out of here"

"We're on a bridge, Charlie!"

2007-02-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, 24 is a great show.

Also, in the ever continuing saga of compiling "Songs That Can Save The World" we have another entry. Let's recap for a bit.

Here are the songs so far:

1. "Bike" -> Pink Floyd
2. "Big Trucks" -> Pedro the Lion
3. "Killer Queen" -> Queen
4. "The Trapeze Swinger" -> Iron and Wine
5. "Made Up Lovesong #43" -> The Guillemots
6. "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!" -> Sufjan Stevens
7. "I'm a Cuckoo" -> Belle and Sebastian
8. "1000 Times A Day" -> The Early November

And now the new entry is......

"Dogs" by Damien Rice

She lives with an orange tree
The girl that does yoga
She picks the dead ones from the ground
When we come over

And she gives
I get
Without giving anything to me
Like a morning sun
Like a morning
Like a morning sun
Good good morning sun

The girl that does yoga
When we come over
Girl that does yoga

He lives in a little house
On the side of a little hill
Picks the litter from the ground
Litter little brother spills

He gives
I get
Without giving anything to me

And the dogs they run
And the dogs they
And the dogs they run
In the good good morning sun

Side of a little hill
Litter little brother spills
Side of a little hill

Oh and she's always dressed in white
She's like an angel, man
She burns my eyes
Oh and she turns
She pulls a smile
We drive her round
And she drives us wild
Oh and she moves like a little girl
I become a child, man
She moves my world
And she gets splashed in rain
And turns away
and leaves me standing

She lives with an orange tree
The girl that does yoga
Got a wolf to keep her warm
When he comes over

She gives
He gets
Without giving anything to see
And the day it ends
And the day it
And the day it ends
And there's no need for me

The girls that does yoga
When we come over
The girls that does yoga

Enjoy!

--Brandon

"Throw me in the fire, throw me in the fire."

"Now I'm free, now I'm free"

2007-02-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

So I am continually humbled by the way that God continues to bless me.

He blessed me with 8 days of work ove the month of January, which was just about enough to let me be able to make it confortably through this semester. He blessed with some great roommates to live with until May. He blessed with parents who offer to dish out money on things that they really don't need to and who provide good examples for me with how they trust God to provide in their lives.

He's also blessed me with a great school and a great education that allows me to interact with facets of Christianity and really apply it to my life and the culture and environment that I live in.

Also, I read this verse today.

"If any man wishes to save his life, he will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, he will find it." matthew 16:25

I think that that verse pretty much speaks for itself.

--Brandon

"This is really happening, happening"

2007-02-05T16:49:00.000-08:00

Chuckle. Leave it to SNL to point out exactly how stupid Abigail Breslin's Oscar nomination is. Watch this video.

The skit comes at about halfway through, after Dan Radcliffe.

Dakota: I starred opposite Tom Cruise in War of the Worlds and I played a kidnapping victim in Man On Fire.

Abigail: I did a funny dance.

Awards shows are a joke. I mean, we are talking about the people who let Titanic and Return of the King sweep the awards for no other reason than because they were popular.

And don't even get me started on the Grammy's. Meaningless. They gave one to Milli Vinilli. MILLI.....VINILLI!!!!!!

--Brandon

"Your kung fu is not strong."

"I will hang my head, hang my head low"

2007-01-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

Ah, the new Decemberists album is like opening a window after a rainstorm and smelling the fresh, clean outside. So amazing.

I have work for the rest of the week. Praise the Lord for it, because now I know I can pay for my books this semester. He always provides. I don't know why I worry.

Here's some funny video I found online. If you enjoy American history, or the dramatic presence of David Gross, you should like it.

---Brandon

"I always figured that the Scranton branch would close. I just thought it would be because Michael sold it for some magic beans."

Psychological torture, eh?

2007-01-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

I found something interesting on Youtube.

So believing that God sent Jesus Christ into the world to die as a ransom for the sins of mankind and that He rose again and conquered death and that He is omnipresent with us on earth and that those who don't believe in His salvation go to hell is psychological torture, eh? Hmmm...wouldn't it only be torture to throw that last part in someone's face with intent to badger them? Our act of belief hardly counts as torture since belief is something we do and torture is omething that is done to others.

We can't believe to other people. We believe with people.

I'm sorry if you were horribly wronged by a poor representation of the love, power, and message of God through Jesus Christ. And as a "logical, free-thinking" person, yeah i suppose you're entitled to make a choice about what you believe. But let me ask you this logical question.

I'm assuming you're against ministries that encourage people to believe in the message of Christ by denouncing other forms of wolrdviews. in your words, this would seem to amount to "psychological torture". My question is: Is an effort to make people renounce God by deeming it useless and incompetent any different?

--Brandon

"These are the days it never rains, but it pours"

2007-01-27T21:33:00.000-08:00

So I played a gig with some friends the other night, and I got some photos to prove it.

Good times, good music, and coffee and smoothies. Not really much more you could ask for on a Friday night. Also, if anyone wants to visit Historic Rectortown, I can tell you how to get there.

i'm getting hooked on another game. This time the culprit is Age of Empires 3. I'd stop...but it's just so much fun.

The other day I drove through a drive-thru and didn't buy anything. I literally drove straight through. Someone in the carpool changed their mind at the last second. Hilarity ensued.

Blogger practically forced me to upgrade to the new Blogger. I didn't like that very much.

I have to wake up in 6 hours to play at my second to last Sunday at History Church. saying that makes me sad.

Song of the moment is "Dogs" by Damien Rice.

--Brandon

"She's like an angel and she burns my eyes."

"Okay, Universe. You win."

2007-01-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

Hahahahahaha! Take that, Pats! Looks like some Colts are going to sunny, sunny Miami and...well you guys still get ice cream at Dairy Queen.

is it just me or does Bill Belichick seem to have the personality of that tree root that always ends up beneath your tent on family camping trips?

Ah well. I still have an England paper to write. I'm halfway done. I hope i get good grades.

I need to be more vocal about my faith. I think that many times I just have my "Christian crew" and I tell other people sometimes. That's wrong. I should be driving people nuts with trying to get them the hear about the love of Christ.

Okay, I'm done.

Hey, before I end, my church, History Church, in Sterling, VA is trying to raise money to move to a new building in Reston Town Center. They need $25,000 to cover costs. If you guys could stop by theonehundred.info and donate whatever you can...it would be swell and much appreciated.

--Brandon

"Hoppipola"

"You hold your hands like they were broken."

2007-01-12T19:49:00.000-08:00

Well, in about an hour, another birthday is in the books. This was one good birthday though. A little moneymakin' at Redskin Park, some Red Robin Chocolate shake with my bro and my dad, and some Killian's Irish Red and Rolling Rock at Friday's with the band and other peoples.

A good day.

So now I am just chilling out to Matt Pond PA and thinking about the day, the next song that can save the world, Battlestar Galactica, and the dream I had last night.
Actually now i am just thinking about the last one. Man, it was good.

In case you haven't heard, I will not be at Messiah tomorrow. But I will be there on Monday.

I was thinking at work today. About the different names for God and such. There's alot: Prince of Peace, Abba Father, "God with us", Lord of Lords. And I'm pretty sure it's not because God likes titles. I was thinking, as I sat, that maybe it has to do with the multi-facetedness of God's nature. It seems like there are so many dimensions to Him.

I think that this is because people respond to God differently. I think that in America, we get too focused on one view of God sometimes. Maybe on the God pictured as a liberator. But it's strange. Some people don't conncect with that as much. Some people havea hard time responding to God as a Father, maybe because of past emotional and physical abuse from father figures. But they respond to God as a healer because that is what speaks most to them: the healing of God's love.

Others who are torn apart and scarred by war may not appreciate the view of God as a warrior. But they can resonate with the Prince of Peace and the view of God as a Protector. i'm not saying this to advocate the picking and choosing of what we like about God...just to point out that God has so many facets and is so great and vast that He is approachable by everyone.

That thought comforted me.

Anyways, here is song #7 in the "Song's that can save the world"

"I'm a Cuckoo"

I'm glad to see you
I had a funny dream
And you were wearing funny shoes
You were going to a dance
You were dressed like a punk but you are too young to remember

I'm glad to see you
I'm outside the house
I'm not thinking right today
I've got no energy
I'm glad that you are waiting with me
Tell me all about your day

Breaking off is misery
I see a wilderness for you and me
Punctuated by philosophy
I'm wondering how things could've been

I'm happy for you
You've made it hard for me
I counted on your company
You are staying with your friends tonight
I'm feeling sorry for myself
I keep taking everything to be a sign

I'm happy for you
But now I know this hurt is poison
Too sharp to be bled
I'm sitting on my empty bed
I'm on my empty bed
At night the fever grows it's pounding pounding

I'd rather be in Tokyo
I'd rather listen to Thin Lizzy-oh
And watch the Sunday gang in Harajuku
There's something wrong with me, I'm a cuckoo

Scary moment, lovin' every moment
I was high from playing shows
We lost a singer to her clothes
My trouble raised its ugly head
I was revealed
And I was home in bed
I was a kid again

Jesus told me, go after every coin like it was the last in the world
And protect the wayward child
But I'm a little lost sheep
I need my Bo Peep
You know I need My Shepherd here tonight

Breaking off is misery
I see a wilderness for you and me
Punctuated by philosophy
I'm wondering how things could've been

I'd like to see you
But really I should stay away
And let you settle down
I've got no claims to your crown
I was the boss of you
And I loved you
You know I loved you
It's all over now

And I was there for you
When you were lonely
I was there when you were bad
I was there when you were sad
Now it's my time of need
I'm thinking, do I have to plead to get you by my side?

I'd rather be in Tokyo
I'd rather listen to Thin Lizzy-oh
And watch the Sunday gang in Harajuku
There's something wrong with me, I'm a cuckoo.

--Brandon

"Officer, I've never gone 25."

It buzzes like a fridge.

2007-01-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

Well, let's face it...I'm terrible at updating.

J-term starts tomorrow and I wont be there. This makes me both sad and excited. Sad, because no one can compare to my Messiah friends. Excited because I get to work and make money instead. It'll be nice to have cash.

By the way, my new room assignment is Mellinger B102. I'm emailing roommates and RD's letting them know the "No Brandon for J-term" situation. I'm hoping everything gets sorted out.

Now I just have to finish my assignment for England. And make cash. And turn 21.

Watch this. It's the funniest thing I have seen in a long long long time.

"After all these implements and texts designed by intellects so vexed to find that apparently there's been so much that hides..."

"Leap year is late."

2006-12-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

Some news updates...

The band Ok Go has made quite a splash with their hit new video for "Here It Goes Again". In it, the band, using a home video camera, film themselves performing a self-choreographed "dance" involving the use of treadmills. The video has since become a popular viewing on the streaming video site youtube.com. What does it say about a culture if, when a large percent of the population is obese, people won't look at treadmills unless a catchy power pop band choreographs a dance on them...in pink trousers and sunglasses?

Plans have been made to send a moderate group of UN peacekeeping forces to aid the African Union in assuaging the violence in the Darfur region, although their true role is unclear. Here's hoping that Operation: Remember What Happened in Rwanda? goes well.

Brad Pitt has continued to maintain his position that he will not marry Angelina Jolie until everyone has the right to marry whomever they wish. Apparently, Brad Pitt lives in a TV reality show where he thinks people care. Gee-whiz, Brad! What the heck do we care? I have a better cause, Brad. You should promise to never ever open your mouth until mute people have the right to talk. Please, take that one up.

The Dallas Cowboys have celebrated their seat at the top of the NFC East and playoff entrance.....by getting shanked by the Philadelphia Eagles in probably their most important game of the season. Wide Receiver Terrell Owens offered his own helpful suggestion for the loss: "Meh, they didn't throw me the ball enough, meh..." Apparently, Terrell Owens thinks that he is the difference between a W (win) and an L (loss), because his teammates forgot to throw the ball to him. T. O. seems to not realize that he forgot to catch the ball. In a related story, I just want to point out that Terrell Owens has 1 more L in his name than he has W's. So, he's already one game behind himself.

The Dallas Cowboy's publicity team has tried to put positive spin on the situation. Their solution is to sell small blue and white necklaces which fit tightly around the neck. They're being called the Official "Chokers" of the Dallas Cowboys. (hehe) Proceeds will benefit the "Hey, T. O., you want some cheese with that wine?" fund.

---Brandon

"We're lookin' at a thing in a bag."

I hate so much about the things that you choose to be.

2006-12-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

So here are the final pictures from my trip to England. Now that I have a new computer I can post them up here.

There's also some from Christmas Day.

Wuh-oh

2006-12-17T14:07:00.000-08:00

So that last song should be the fourth one. I made a boo boo. Siah, you pick two now.

"I love you through sparks and shining dragons I do"

2006-12-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

"Well, I'm back."

Hmm, I guess Samwise did say it best. Wow. I feel like I just woke up from a 14 week long dream (a mini Van Winkle) and I can't shake the memory. I don't want to though. I'll miss England forever I think. I'm even choking up just writing about it.

On the plus side, I did finally get to listen to my Lovedrug EP....and it's everything I hoped. Man I love them. Also, I had a huge and greasy cheesesteak about 2 hours ago, washed it down with an Arizona raspberry iced tea, and then watched the Redskins hand it to the Saints.

That was a homecoming treat. Thanks guys, especially Carlos Rogers for making the block when we needed it.

Downsides now. I still have to finish my Ethics paper by Tuesday night. But i am all researched, so now I just need to outline and write. I'm going for it.

And to make good on a promise I made like 2 weeks ago, here is the third song in that whole "songs that can save the world" thing:

"Made Up Lovesong #43" by the Guillemots

I love you through sparks and shining dragons, I do,
now there's poetry, in an empty coke can.
I love you through sparks and shining dragons, I do,
now there's majesty in a burnt out caravan.

You got me off the paper round, just sprang out of the air,
The best things come from nowhere,
I love you, I don't think you care.

I love you through sparks and shining dragons, I do,
and the symmetry in your northern grin
I love you through sparks and shining dragons, I do,
I can see myself in the refill litter bin.

You got me off the sofa, just sprang out of the air,
the best things come from nowhere,
I can't believe you care

and the first two, just to recap, were "Bike" from Pink Floyd and "Big Trucks" from Pedro the Lion (correct me if I'm wrong, Siah).

And if my England peeps are reading, you all are ace.

--Brandon

"Sometimes I could cry for a mile"

"Fall into pairs like two ugly fish..."

2006-12-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

So it's been almost two weeks since I updated. That's bad news.

I managed to get two of my assignments pushed back a few days, which is ace because I would not in any way have had time enough to write them all. But what a weekend I've had!

Soph, Doug, Rachael, Rose Marie, Patrick, and I all went to the great city of London again on Friday for shopping, fancy dinner, and a show. Yeah, we bought cheap tickets to see Wicked at the Apollo Victoria, with the original actress playing Elfaba. Sweetness!

Then there was the Christmas ball. It started out fun because the DJ played interesting songs...and then they left and some ding-dong just started playing whatever songs would make 300 drunk teenagers dance (does every Brit know the words to "Livin' On A Prayer"?). But still, a fun night.

That weekend also saw me shut myself in my room and the Learning center to finish not one but two papers. I got 'em done in time for dinner on Monday with Sandy and some Americans at the Hog's.

I can't believe I'll be home in two days! Although after tonight, I want to get as far away from Moda as possible. It was fun, until creepy guys started showing themselves. But everyone was alright, so that's what counts. Thanks goodness.

I'm gonna miss the English like I'd miss my arms and legs.

But I'll get to see some quality Americans so that's a good trade.

--Brandon

"Aliens ain't farmers."

Songs that can save the World.

2006-12-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Oh wow, it's been a long long time since I have posted.

There's only like 6 days until I'm in America again. I'm definitely getting a cheesesteak and Mike 'n' Ike...and sleeping. Oh yeah and hanging out with everyone i haven't gotten to for the last 3 months.

I have two essays due tomorrow, one I am mostly done with and one I am only 30% done with. It'll be a fun night tonight. Especially with all of the fun-planning that's going on this week. O, I also have a law test on Wednesday, a Strategy case study, and an ethics paper for Friday. If you all back in the States would pray for me, i would appreciate it greatly.

The last weekend in town was amazing though! London and The Apollo Victoria filled the itinerary for Friday. And after a three hour early morning bus ride, wow! was that a fun day. Some shopping before dinner at H+M and TopShop; I picked up a sweater for the Christmas dance and then I convinced everyone to go to a Borders, so that I could be around my books.

The Christmas dance was its own story. Goofing off + crazy dancing + laughing at the people who drank a little too much = one fun night.

In conclusion, Josiah and I are starting a back and forth sort of deal. We each pick songs that we think can save the world and include them. The first was "Bike" by Pink Floyd and the second was "Big Trucks" by Pedro the Lion.

So this time the song is...

"Killer Queen" by Queen

She keeps her Moet et Chandon in a pretty cabinet
'Let them eat cake.' she says just like Marie Antoinette
A built-in remedy for Kruschev and Kennedy
At anytime an invitation you can't decline

Caviar and cigarettes,
Well-versed in etiquette,
Extr'ordinarily nice,

She's a Killer Queen
Gunpowder, gelatine
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow your mind (anytime)
Ooh, recommended at the price
Insatiable in appetite (Wanna try?)

To avoid complications she never kept the same address
In conversation she spoke just like a baroness
Met a man from China went down to Geisha Minor
(Killer, killer, she's a killer Queen)
But then again incidentally, if you're that way inclined

Perfume came naturally from Paris (naturally)
For cars she couldn't care less
Fastidious and precise

She's a Killer Queen
Gunpowder, gelatine
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow your mind (anytime)

Well there you have it. Enjoy.

--Brandon

"It's a fine line between stupid and clever."

"The monster's round that corner..."

2006-12-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

Wow, University is much harder without a computer.

Just to pass on the news, sometime in the last few days, my Compaq decided to conveniently forget that it has a hard drive. I fiddled with it and consulted some reliable sources and...yeah, pretty much it's done. Eh well, At least it was only a couple of weeks before I get home.

I still can't believe I'll be back in the States in 2 weeks. I'm still just getting settled here, with friends, and classes, and knowing the town I'm living in...but I am looking forward to not having five loud Brits come back drunk from the club and hang out in my flat's kitchen....at 3 in the morning. Plus I miss my VA crew like crazy.

The loss of my computer aslo means that there cannot be any more pictures posted for you viewing pleasure, at least for a little while. Which is a shame because I have some beautiful ones of the town of Winchcombe and the tea room that Rachael and Mark and I ate at. Hooray for scones and cream and tea.

Next week should be sweet especially with the trip to London to do some Christmas shopping and sight-seeing, as well as a short stop at the Apollo to see Wicked! Oh yes, a good week indeed. i just have to get through three more essays.

Goddess feminism, dharma vs. postmodernism, and a business law essay. Woo and hoo.

Also, props to Cincy for beating Baltimore in an upset. Not that I have any dislike for Baltimore. I just like upsets.

Football tomorrow, library tonight, and church in the morning.

--Brandon

"And in the right light, we're just angels with enemies"

"No, Pinky, a mouse and a dolphin can't fall in love...except in a Disney film."

2006-11-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

So far, it's been a good weekend.

Started it off on Thursday with the finishing of my Strategic Management paper (rejoice!) and a crazy Thanksgiving party. 35 Americans in a different country making food for each other and watching American football while all the Brits ask questions. What, 7 point scores? First downs? Hailmary's that actually have nopthing to do with church? Yeah, wrap your head around that.

We got in a few good Thanksgiving jokes too. Example:

Brit: "So what's the whole meaning of Thanksgiving?"
American: "Well, basically, you guys religiously persecuted us, so we sailed across the ocean to find a new place to exercise freedom of worship."
Brit: *blink blink* Oh.

Friday was pretty cool also. Went out to Weatherspoon's with Deidra, Sarah, Sophie, Steph, and Krystal and had some great food. Apparently, an elderly man asked Krystal if I was in charge of them. That was a good laugh.

After Weatherspoon's, we came back and had exorbitant amounts of ice cream in Steph's kitchen. Also, we rented A Knight's Tale and 28 Days Later and stayed up until about 4 watching them.

Saturday was a sleeping in kind of day, since it rained a lot. Josiah's parents are over here for a few days so I hung out with them and we went to dinner at Bella Italia, where I had the most delicious Linguine Rustica with chicken and tomatoes. We also split a dessert called the Godfather, which was a chocolate brownie covered in vanilla ice cream and whipped cream and chocolate chips (I see that gleam in your eye, Mom...and Troy). After Bella Italia, Josiah and I stopped at the Hog's for a quick pint.

So far today, there has been church and a quick trip out to take photos of Cheltenham. Also, I bought a really oldschool looking collection of the poetry of John Keats, which I am really excited about.

Oh, and Messiah College are now the NCAA Division 3 Men's Soccer National Champions for the third year in a row. I think a "Boo" and a "Yah" are called for.

I can't believe how much I'll miss this place.

--Brandon

"Everyone in the van can't stand me just because I fell off the stage."

"Are you watching closely?"

2006-11-22T04:04:00.000-08:00

Everyone who is reading this, go and see The Prestige....now. It is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. I love Chris Nolan movies.

So the weekend turned out way better than I hoped. Friday went different. Instead of the movie, we went to see Paige play at The Frog and the Fiddle. Pretty awesome and the other acts were pleasant surprises too. Most of them anyway.

SAturday was the big trip to Stratford Upon Avon (Shakespeare's home) and Warwick Castle (finally a proper castle!) Well, except for Edinburgh Castle; that place was just amazing.

YOu must see these pictures, We looked at the armor and swords and dirks and helms. We saw the dungeon and the torture equipment. Matt and RoseMarie got all dressed up in Midieval garb. Also, we walked on the ramparts and towers and saw some amazing views all around us; we even stayed out long enough for sunset.

Sunday was a little more lowkey. I had a Management paper to start, but I ended up out shopping with Sarah and then out exploring Cheltenham with Sarah and Krystal. Good day indeed.

Other good things that happened were ordering the Lovedrug EP and finding out that I can order Malazan books from Amazon Canada for cheaper than Canadians.

And Messiah is in the Final Four for the third year straight.

--Brandon

"I got a story that's almost finished. All I need is someone to tell it to."

You're gonna love this.

2006-11-19T07:09:00.000-08:00

Watch this video and laugh:

Enjoy!

"I will not say: do not weep. For not all tears are an evil"

You've got to find my body in the Mecca conquest.

2006-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

At last, I get abit of a break after spending a week and a half researching and writing papers.

Big plans for the weekend. Tonight, it's the The Prestige with Sarah, Krystal, and Naomi. Should be a good film and I get to laugh at all the Brits wasting pounds on Casino Royale. Hehehe...

Also, I'm getting Doug to record Paige's show tonight at the Frog and the Fiddle. Maybe after, we'll put it up on the ol' Youtube. And tomorrow, it's the group trip to Stratford and Warwick Castle for some old-fashioned British fun (there could be tea...and beer).

Heard the new Damien Rice record the other day from Welsh Sarah. Sounds good, which means you chould check it out.

And while you're at it, listen "When The Levee Breaks" from Led Zeppelin. It's good, too.

More exciting things in the future.

--Brandon

"When the levee breaks, you'll have no place to stay."

And some more...

2006-11-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

I took a photograph of you..."

2006-11-14T16:37:00.000-08:00

Here's those Scotland pictures:

"Just give her the walkie, Danny!"

2006-11-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

I will definitely miss watching Lost for the next 13 weeks.

What an episode! My favorite part is that it's definitely good to be a Jack fan now. All the haters can be quiet. Also they can shift their hating to Kate, who can't make up her mind worth a flying fart.

I'm watchin' it again with Doug tonight. Can't wait to see his reaction.

In other news, pretty much 90% of the Americans are all gone on vacations across Europe, and I am here writing two papers. Yes, I'll be spending the next 5 days learning all I can about the separate roles of women and men in Orthodox Judaism and about Plato's theory of universal ethics. But I'm excited about it (why didn't we touch on any of this in Faith Christian High School?).

Rachael came to visit my flat today, just to see if I knew where Doug was. 15 minutes later, we had planned a trip in December to celebrate the Christmas season in London. Basically, this consist of shopping at Harrod's and eating lunch with her friends and family. Should be good fun, especially considering that, in my experience, London is quite conducive to fun.

I've found a new pasttime...embedding youtube videos in my blog. Here's one I thought was cool.

Actually this is a Google vid. Some of most likely will have seen it.

You know who you are.

--Brandon

"This station is non-operational."

"You say you want a revolution..."

2006-11-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

So, the weekend turned out to be more mellow than I anticipated. I spent more time being a little sick than I thought. However, I did get to do plenty of fun things.

You all know what I did on Friday, so I'll skip that. On to Saturday. I slept in until noon (that felt so nice!)and then hung around reading House of Chains (that's the mages and wizards book, just FYI for all you History Church peeps). Then at about 6, Sarah, Naomi, Steph, Sophie, Krystal, British Sarah, and I caught a bus over to the racecourse tocatch some fireworks for Guy Fawkes night.

What a sight! The Brits know how to put on a fireworks show. And apparently they have no compunction with celebrating a day when someone tried to blow up Parliament. Not something you'd celebrate in the States so much. But fireworks are still cool, and I have the pictures to prove it.

After the 'works, we walked home in the now frigid English evening air, bought a couple of chocolate cakes from One-Stop, and finished Saturday off with a game of Scum and hot chocolate. Twas fun.

Sunday, I missed church because I felt like poo. Thank goodness for History Church podcasts tho. And RBC downloads. I passed Sunday by hanging out in my room and watching football, which proved more exciting then I thought.

I'd like to take this moment to thank three people for making my weekend enjoyable: Troy Vincent, Nick Novak, and Sean Taylor. Thanks for showing me that I should never stop watching a game with 6 seconds to go.

Oh and thanks to whichever Cowboy got the facemasking call.

More pictures on the way.

--Brandon

"Please dismantle all these phantom limbs
it's the evidence of humans as ornaments."

A blast from the past.

2006-11-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

So, Patrick's birthday and some great food at the local Pizza Hut kicked off our weekend with a bang. Also, some Monsters Inc. made for a good night too. I still can't believe that Laura and Pat hadn't seen it.

I woke up today at about noon, after reading the Malazan series until late. I then scoured youtube for some quality videos that Naomi had recommended to me. Here's one of them:

Enjoy!

--Brandon

"It's still in the photographs...Honestly"

2006-11-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

And more:

"It's still in the photographs..."

2006-11-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

Here's some more:

"It's in the photographs..."

2006-11-04T07:58:00.000-08:00

Here they be:

Word to the Wise

2006-10-31T18:24:00.000-08:00

Things I've learned tonight:

Never play Truth or Dare with Brits who've been drinking.

It rots to be a Messiah fan now.

Scones and jam are amazing at 2 in the morning.

Luke 15:4-7.

--Brandon

"My conscience a reminder of forgiveness that I need."

My day off.

2006-10-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

Well, no classes today, and since I was already sick, I slept in until 2:30...in the afternoon. But the good news is that I feel much much better.

Someone set of the fire alarm this morning and I'm pretty sure they woke everyone up. It's always disconcerting to wake up to a high-pitched wail and red flashing lights.

Yesterday, I hung out with British Sarah from about 6 in the evening until 2 in the morning. It was pretty awesome. We listened to just about everyone of each other's favorite bands and she got me hooked on a CD by a band called Guillemots. Check 'em out because they're good.

I did feel a bit bad while she was over though, mostly because I was watching the numbers and scores for American football. Philly loses again, good news there. How on earth can Denver blow a lead like that? Steeler's season looks hopeless. And I'm pretty sure Carolina is still choking.

But at least Messiah won their game.

Oh, and pictures are on their way.

--Brandon

"In dreams, it seems you can't fight, but some weapons would be nice."

Harry Potter and the Blog Update That Covered Two Days of Fun.

2006-10-29T08:03:00.001-08:00

Well I finally came down with whatever "Fresher's Flu" bug has been going through all of the first years here at the University. So I'm pretty much stuck in my room reading Steven Erikson books, and listening to a mix of Five Iron Frenzy, Pink Floyd, and the Braveheart soundtrack. Also I decided to update the blog.

After a strong start to my four-day weekend on Thursday (which came in the form of a Pina Colada with some of my favorite "Americans-in-England"), Friday went pretty well. No classes meant I could sleep until noon. Then came lunch with Siobhan, Deidra, and Siah at the FCH refectory; also we picked up our 70 pound stipend, and thank goodness for that, because I needed some groceries. Friday ended with Dan, Doug, Will, Josiah, and I having our first "Pub Night" after weeks of talking about it. What a night it was, too: I think the topics of discussion covered the intersection of faith and rationality, church denominations, our personal stories of growing up in the church, favorite bands, and 5 albums people must listen to before they die.

All that over a pint of Lowenbrau (is it bad that I think it tastes good?).

Saturday also turned out well. Doug and I hit up the two halloween costume shops on High Street to find some good halloween garb. And find it we did. I purchased my Gryffindor scarf, circular glasses, and phoenix-feather wand (guess who i was?) and Doug found a cardboard box and some wrapping paper and bows. If you're going to a Halloween party as "God's gift to Women", you have to do it right.

Afterwards, it was grocery-shopping to support my diet of yogurt, frozen pizza, deli-style ham sandwiches, Frosted Flakes, and canned fruit. Then off to Park Bar for the party...

...which was actually no different than any other Park Bar party, except that the running theme was make yourself look as dead as possible. I ended up heading out at about midnightand made it home to my flat for the Marshmallow Bowl.

In case no one knows what the Marshmallow Bowl is, it is the game of the Messiah Soccer season when Etown and Messiah play each other in a grueling rivalry match.....and Messiah rocks their face. It was no different last night, Messiah winning 1-0 and remaining undefeated for two seasons in a row.

Things I learned this weekend:

1) Some guys think Harry Potter costumes are "gay", but are perfectly fine with wearing women's clothing.

2) If you want girls to notice you at University, just wear a Harry Potter costume to the Halloween Party.

3) Ron Weasely does not get nearly the amount of props that he should.

4) Messiah is still better than anyone else's team.

Also, my 5 albums were OK Computer (Radiohead), Before These Crowded Streets (Dave Matthews Band), Kind of Blue (Miles Davis), Deloused In The Comatorium (The Mars Volta), and Pretend You're Alive (Lovedrug). Runner-up goes to any FIF album ever made.

And I'm glad the Skins have a bye-week, because a man can only cry so much before it just hurts.

--Brandon

"Just 'cause you feel it, doesn't mean it's there."

Late Nite with Brandon

2006-10-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

It's about 1 in the morning over here in good ole England.

Some girls on the ground floor of my dormitory just got in verbal fight with the security guard. Yeah, that's a situation I really want to be around. Thankfully they weren't dumb enough to press the issue too far.

Josiah and Deidra and I leave tomorrow for Gloucestershire. Just for the day, but it should be sweet. The town has a good reputation for all forms of hanging out. I'll make sure to take some good pictures.

Isn't it funny how sometimes we can reduce our faith to how many things we're doing right or wrong, to worrying about how the people around us will perceive? It's like our fear of being labeled a hypocrite makes us overexamine our actions and we become so paranoid that anything we do is wrong that it makes us forget one of truly amazing facets of our Christian faith: God's love.

God's love is not based on whether we do everything right or not. It is there, unconditional and unchanging. It is what assures us of His forgiveness when we make a mistake and when we don't get it right. Romans 8:38-39 describes it: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Actually that whole chapter is pretty good reading. So read it.

--Brandon

"Sleep with your head against the sky tonight."

Further Instructions (Lost Spoilers!)

2006-10-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

So I know that the writers were obligated to tell what happened to Locke, Eko, and Desmond in the episode...

But I wish that it hadn't seemed like a setup episode. I mean it was good...in that it told what happened to them. But nothing really gets said about what happened after Desmond turned the failsafe key. The three just end up in the jungle and neither seems to say anything about it (apart from Desmond's line to Hurley). And Most of the episode is about Locke having to clean up his mess, which means rescuing Eko from...a polar bear?

When did the polar bear come in? Did it just decide to cavort around the jungle and stumble upon Eko? I guess we're supposed to infer that. Also Locke's conversation with "Island Boone" was cool, but the episode started moving so fast after that that I couldn't digest all that I had seen. It's like the writers knew it was filler, so they tried to make it artsy...or something.

The one part I really didn't like: the intro of new characters on the beach. Could that have seemed more obligatory and forced, even though it played logically? I also know who I want to leave now: Nikki. I haven't disliked a character that much since Season 1 Sawyer and Ana Lucia. Give Hurley a break and stop whining...in your only line of the episode.

Ah well, next week looks pretty good.

"If mercy fall upon the broken and the poor, Dear Father, I will see you there on distant shores."

2006-10-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Commissions_Act_of_2006

Now, I know this may depend on how trustworthy Wikipedia really is, and I don't want to take a page out of Keith Olbermann's book, but...I must say, I'm a little concerned about the implications of this. I'm not even that politically minded compared to most, but this just makes me worry about how much power our government will end up giving itself.

Feel free to educate me more on the subject. I would greatly appreciate it.

--Brandon

"He's right on top of us....I wonder if he is using the same wind we are using."

Sons of Scotland!

2006-10-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

So Scotland...pretty much one of the coolest places ever.

Deidra, Josiah, and I flew in on last Thursday's afternoon, and got to our hostel as fast as we could, mostly because we were starving. What a fun night. Good food, good laughs, beautiful city, and a slice of some pretty phenomenal chocolate truffle cake.

Friday, we woke up and headed straight to Edinburgh Castle. It's a real shame America has no castles; they're pretty much amazing. Within the castle walls were tona of small gardens, memorials to Scottish soldiers, cannons on display, beautiful views of the city, and...the honopurs of Scotland (yeah, that's right, golden scepter, golden crown, other important items of the golden persuasion).

After that came a quick walk down the Royal Mile/Edinburgh High Street, and a stop at a small restaurant that served some delicious French Onion Soup and toasted bread. And then came Arthur's seat.

Picture a large undeveloped hill with a pathway up the side of it. Now picture that next this hill is a larger, more mountain-like one with a summit that gives an unobstructed view of the surrounding city of Edinburgh. Now picture all of that....at sunset. Yeah, it was pretty sweet.

The next day brought us a trip to see some of the architecture in the city, most of which we didn't know the names of. But it looked pretty cool. And of course we stopped at the obligatory tourist trap shop for all our Scottish needs.

That night Josiah and a had some drinks at a Scottish pub. Now that was pretty fun. We just sat around and talked. A good night, I must say.

Then we took a bus to Glasgow and proceeded to stay up the whole night to catch a flight into London, which we almost didn't make on account of showing up at the wrong airport inthe middle of the night. That was an...interesting experience.

But all in all a great, great trip. Again, I am overcome with how I am blessed.

--Brandon

"Ambition makes you look pretty ugly."

Nothing's gonna change my world.

2006-10-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

So here are those Abbey Road pictures I promised:

Investing in people.

2006-10-11T05:38:00.000-07:00

So I came across this devotional from Our Daily Bread this afternoon. I thought you all might like it, especially you History Church folks.

http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

Also, I'll get my Abbey road pictures up soon.

--Brandon

"It's been said, a long time ago. You'll be the first and last to know."

Some pictures.

2006-10-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

So here some London pics:

London Calling

2006-10-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

This was possibly one of the best weekends ever.

I managed to see pretty much all of London that there really is to see. At least in a tourist sense. We all stayed in kind of hole-in-the-wall hostel, but the eight of us got along so well, that it was wicked fun.

On Saturday, we met Amanda's friend Eric at the Tower of London to grab lunch. Everyone except Doug, Dan, and I also grabbed some tickets to tour the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewels. Having no desire to really do that, the other three of us set off on our own adventure.

This adventure consisted of walking across London Bridge while pretending it was falling (bet no one's ever done that), seeing the Globe Theatre replica, sitting on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral, trying to find the right Tube line to take us to King's Cross, getting our pictured taken at Platform 9 and 3/4 (we dorked out a little), zooming down to Westminster, getting eyefuls of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, finding out that Abbey Road was not where I thought it was, and sitting on lion statues in Tralfalgar Square.

A good day.

The next day (Sunday), Doug, Amanda, Eric, and I made the pilgrimage to Abbey Road. I cannot express in words what that felt like. The entire front wall was covered in graffiti so I decidd to add my own. I wrote "Shine On You Crazy Diamond 8/10/06" because everyone had written some Beatles lyrics (my favorite was "Lucy in the Sky with Bacon"). Also someone had written a message to U2 when they were recording there, and I almost scribbled it out. An utter disgrace.

Afterwards, the four of us took man many pictures walking across the crosswalk. And yes, I am barefoot in one picture, which if you know anything about Beatles albums, you'll understand. The day was finished with some chill time in Kensington Gardens.

Oh yeah, I saw Buckingham too. I'll post pics tomorrow, I promise.

And guess what movie the bar at our hostel was playing on Saturday night: Roger Waters' performance of The Wall in Berlin. Amazing.

God is so good to bless me with these friends and sights.

--Brandon

The Ideal State...

2006-10-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

So I'm radically excited about my Ethics class. Most likely because there's a good mix of opinion in it, and next week's class is about Christian ethics. Should be a good one.

The one thing that frustrates me, though, is that I don't really say the things I want to in those classes. I'll have thoughts and things to say, but I'll hesitate, maybe thinking, "I'm one of the only Americans here and that's scary" or some such rubbish like that.

But that's why I want to be here. I want to be one of the only Americans. So i think i just have to deal and speak up more. I need to harness that boldness that I know I have but for some reason hides everytime I really need it.

In other news, Siah, Deidra, and I are mostly booked for Scotland. I can't wait.

And the new Killer's record is kind of a big deal.

"And it's true we name our children after towns that we've never been to."

Wondering.

2006-10-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

So I get on the bus home from classes today, and Siah picks up a newspaper. The front page is this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5400570.stm

I can't tell in words how sad it made me. I'm sad that anyone would ever do this to another person, especially young girls. I'm sad that this is how people choose to solve their problems. I'm sad that vengeance is still something we cling to as humans, and we think that somehow, if we get back at people, it will mean something. I'm sad that, for all appearances, this man is spending eternity apart from God.

This is why we need the love of Christ. I don't buy the notion that, if we learn how to be good or if we rationalize away this behavior in an attempt to prevent it, then it will stop. Only the power and love of God shown through Jesus Christ can change the tainted hearts of men, only His power and love can cause us to give up our selfish vendettas, and only His power and love can truly show us how to love our neighbors. Nothing else can.

I have many thoughts in my head, but I don't know which to say first.

Romans 8:38-39

S.U. Party

2006-09-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

Well, tonight was the night of the much anticipated "Fresher's Ball". This year was a Godfather theme. So, obviuosly, I didn't dress anything like a gangster. But I did wear some brown pants. I wasn't that out of place though. Many of the chaps that went apparently thought "gangster" means "cool hat plus a silver tie" and many of the ladies confused "Godfather theme" with "Sunset Strip theme". There's a difference.

Anyways, a bunch from our group of Americans went over to check things out. It was awesome. Very reminiscent of a high school/college homecoming, only with alcohol and lots of people sweating on the dance floor. The music was not as bad as I feared also. They booked a DJ from a club called Blush, and his playlist consisted of mostly dance-rock and Killers-type bands. A second room got put aside as a more lowkey area, with a guitarist playing covers of songs that for the most part were better than the actual songs (but how hard is it to be better sounding than GNR?).

Lots of fun. Good good times. I'll prolly sleep in a bit a download a sermon from good ol' History church, cause I miss those guys like I miss my family (that's a lot).

I'll put up some pics soon, and I have some good ones.

Much love,

Brandon

"For a minute there, I lost myself."

Some thinkin'.

2006-09-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

So, upon returning from a crazy fun night of celebrating Kristie's 22nd birthday, I was reading a devotional from rbc.org and came across these verses:

Galatians 6:2-10

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

So much in these verses resonated in my mind. There's mention of helping people cope with their struggles, of evaluating one's own actions and making sure that you aren't comparing yourself with others so much as dealing with your own things.

Also, there is the notion of reaping what you sow, and sowing to please the Spirit. Am I sowing actions that please the Spirit? Always? I can't answer "Yes" to that. I don't always sow to the Spirit.

But why not? I mean, in the next verse, there is a clear promise that we will reap a harvest of benefits if we continue in sowing good things. So why would I not sow good things all the time?

I don't have answers. These thoughts were just on my mind and I thought I'd share.

--Brandon

Photobucket

2006-09-22T05:39:00.000-07:00

So this is a bit of an experiment.

In an attempt not to clog my hard drive with large photos from my adventures here in England, I have put them in Photobucket albums so that they are hosted online. So I will probably include links to large groups of pictures on top of uploading some here.

http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/DrumGuy4Life/Stonehenge/

This is the first batch. Enjoy.

About Berkeley Castle

2006-09-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

By far, the best day has been today.

This is for one reason only: Berkeley Castle. Granted, the tour was a little dry and boring--I'd much rather give myself a tour than be lectured on whom inherited the castle from whom. But then, I went to see the flower gardens.

I still don't think I have found accurate words to describe them. The smells, the sights, the arrangement just seemed straight out of some painting, perfectly drawn and illustrated. There was even a path to a reflecting pool filled with lily pads and purple flowers and everywhere there were perfectly shaded benches.

It's been a long time since I was breathtaken by anything to that extent. And all through it, I couldn't help but be overcome by knowing that the beauty of these gardens pales in comparison to the beauty of God and His love and majesty. It's such a refreshing contrast to the nightly news and morning headlines. Today, I know I saw my Maker in every flower, tree, and field I passed.

I don't really think I can say anything more.

Finally, the pictures.

2006-09-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

Alright, folks. Here's those pictures I promised.

First there was Woodhenge, then Strawhenge...

2006-09-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ah, today was loooong.

I was up at 8:15 for Stonehenge, which is much closer to UG than I thought. What a sight. It is actually just a bunch of stacked rocks on the side of a highway, but there's so much that's unknown about it. It could have been a total joke for all we know. Maybe the Druids started stacking rocks and then scrapped the project for budget reasons (their cheap labor formed a union--haha).

Next was a trip to the town of Bath. This town has so much personality! There were large squares with street performers in them--my favorite was the xylophone act--and plenty of small shops to eat and browse. Also, we saw the Roman baths, which were pretty neat.

To finish off the night, about 15 of us strolled down High Street to a pub called the Irish Oak and spent the night playing pool with the Brits and playing who knows how many cheesy jukebox tunes. A good, good day.

Also, I'm gonna put all of my pictures in photobucket albums, so I will be including links here and in emails.

Good friends + an Early Morn

2006-09-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

A brilliant night.

This night started out as just pure rubbish, with Siah and I lounging on a bed half asleep. But not 5 minutes later, Siah, Dan, Steph, Rosemarie, Deidra, Patrick, Doug and I are all hanging out in Dan's room watching old, old Homestarrunner toons.

This brilliant night was made even more so by being the night of Dan's 20th birthday and to celebrate we all dressed up and spent an hour waiting in line for some of the clubs here in Cheltenham (which happens to have quite a healthy club scene). We ended up getting into a place called Blush at about 11:45 and had a BLAST! Britain clubs have American clubs beat! Rehashed techno rhythms are replaced with actual mainstream pop songs from all different genres. Not that i'm a fan of many of the songs; most are quite innappropriate, to tell the truth. I am a fan, though, of just being wacky and having a great time, all the while making sure your mate is safe.

But it is 2:19 and my alarm rings in six hours.

Nite.

---Brandon

My first post.

2006-09-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this will go well, considering the cliche title.

So I finally set up my blog and I decided to add some postage so that people might actually want to read it.

England is pretty much the greatest country ever! I can't remember when I last breathed air so fresh, saw grass so green, and had so much fun. We've visited old-style towns and toured 600 year old parish churches and taken bus rides past green moors and pastures and sheep. It is so beautiful! It brings to mind the passages in Genesis 1, where God declares His creation to be "good". Truly, the beauty I see here in England is His handiwork.

I'm pretty much all set up. Fortunately, my adapters have worked and I have my computer up and running (I'm writing this after all). Funny story, though; my alarm clocks LED display died and I have been having to make do with different ways of waking on time. I may just cave and pay the 6 pounds for an alarm clock. I probably should, to prevent myself from waking up 5 minutes before my mates leave (another funny story). I also had my first beer.

That is all that has happened now. But this week we go to Stonehenge and all kinds of brilliant places. I'll upload pictures as I go.

To History Church peeps: Hopefully Sunday went well. You all are the coolest and I am so blessed to know each of you.

To friends: I miss all of you like all get out. Hope your well.

To family: I miss you all too. And ignore the beer part.

--Brandon

"This world is broken but beautifully made"