- briansBAblog -

Peter was a Purple Dinosaur

2011-12-22T05:28:00.002+02:00

For those of you who play piano, I've just done you a huge favor. I spent the last half hour figuring out how to play Merton's 'Peter was a Purple Dinosaur' song. (In case you don't remember or you weren't one of the 6.2 million people to see it, here's the clip:)

For further reading, also check out Ben Fold's 'Ode to Merton'

Peter was a Purple Dinosaur

Fm D# Cm Bb

Peter was a purple dinosaur, he flew all over the land.

Fm D# Cm Bb

Kimi was a cat that he met, at first that he couldnt stand.

Gm F Dm Cm

Then when he came to land, he and Kimi got together at last.

Gm F Gm Bb

Now Peters a purple dinosaur, with kitty litter in his house

Jesus - not a Christian?

2011-11-01T18:22:00.000+02:00

You know those little boxes that you check when you download something, saying that you agree to the terms and conditions of the organization? Well, here are my terms and conditions: should you choose read this post, you are required to comment, because I actually want to know what you think. Okay? Please? Okay, thanks.

Today I was reading Matthew 6-7 and found these verses that most of us probably know pretty well:

Jesus speaking:

"If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive you your sins." (6:15)

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven... I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, evildoers.'" (7:21-22)

I'll leave you the work of reading the context if you want it. Here is my question: how do these not contradict verses like, "All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved," and "whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." And moreover, does our Christian theology have room for the words of Jesus that I quoted above? Don't most of believe that all one has to do is trust in Jesus, who's death atones for our sins? Is it really possible then that someone could call on the name of Jesus, but fail to forgive a brother/sister, and not inherit life?

I could probably make something up to ratify those two statements.. but I don't want to! I want to understand how faith works. So please, think about it and tell me what you think on this.

---

One more observation from Matthew 6-7. Like most of us, Jesus has a religious list of things we aren't allowed to do. However, his list may be a little different than mine. Jesus said, DO NOT:

give to the poor to be seen by others
pray to be seen by others
babble on, or talk too long in prayer
fast to be seen by others
store up money/treasure on earth
worry about life, food/drink, or clothes
judge others
swear oaths
resist an evil person
give to dogs what is sacred, or to pigs what is valuable

I think that if we were to make a list of rules of what not to do as a Christian, our list might look a little different. Agree? Or disagree?

Finally, Jesus - not a Christian?.. I know, Christ-ian, 'Christ follower,' doesn't make much sense we actually talking about the Christ, but bear with me. Do the expectations/teachings we follow today match those that Christ followed? Maybe Jesus wouldn't have considered himself a Christian by our definition? Thoughts?

Love you guys,
Brian

If you're a fan of Christopher Columbus...

2011-10-10T21:16:00.001+02:00

then you certainly aren't a friend of mine.

Christopher Columbus is responsible for the exploitation and murder of hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of indigenous Americans. Furthermore, his policy of institutionalized, systematic sadism, torture, rape and murder stands out as an unparalleled blemish in the history of western civilization... you know, the civilization responsible for the crusades, slavery, colonization and natural resource exploitation...

"After Columbus had surveyed the Caribbean region, he returned to Spain to prepare his invasion of the Americas. From accounts of his second voyage, we can begin to understand what the New World represented to Columbus and his men -- it offered them life without limits, unbridled freedom. Columbus took the title Admiral of the Ocean Sea and proceeded to unleash a reign of terror unlike anything seen before or since. When he was finished, eight million Arawaks -- virtually the entire native population of Hispaniola -- had been exterminated by torture, murder, forced labor, starvation, disease and despair." -Stannard

From the account of the Spanish Missionary Bartolome de las Casas:

"One day, in front of Las Casas, the Spanish dismembered, beheaded, or raped 3000 people. 'Such inhumanities and barbarisms were committed in my sight,' he says, 'as no age can parallel....' The Spanish cut off the legs of children who ran from them. They poured people full of boiling soap. They made bets as to who, with one sweep of his sword, could cut a person in half. They loosed dogs that 'devoured an Indian like a hog, at first sight, in less than a moment.' They used nursing infants for dog food."

¡Feliz dia de la raza!

Andy B

(Every year I post this in memory of my friend Andy Brownback. Andy is the most brilliant guy I know and wrote this when we lived together at DU. He's now working on a Ph.D. in Economics at UC San Diego.)

Hookah is the new coffee

2011-10-03T00:22:00.000+02:00

Dear friends,

I've recently had a number of conversations with people about the hookah. As far as I'm aware, smoking is not explicitly addressed in the Bible, so Christians are left to make the judgement call themselves. Of course some love it, some hate it, and the majority is probably somewhere in between. But this blog is not about that - whatever you believe about the hookah, keep it between yourself and God (Rom 14:22).

This blog is about entertainment. I have long-held this sentiment, and recently a fellow hookah-er posed the same question - why do we always have to hookah to hang out??

We're not very good at just hanging out. In our culture, we can't just come together for coming-together's sake - we need a reason. Common college reasons are.. to study, to watch a TV show, movie, or sports, to drink, to dance, to gamble, watch a concert, play games, etc. None of those are particularly intimate, socially speaking. The hookah provides a great opportunity to just simply relax, sit and talk with both new and old friends alike. When else do people just sit and talk? Never.. unless they're getting coffee. See, we NEED an excuse to hang out, and the hookah is just one option.

But do we really need it? I say.. yes, and no. First, yes, we need it:

Social excuses are ingrained in who we are. We live in a society that affords a ton of entertainment options. Even the least-fun entertainment option is better than the not-at-all option. And besides, there's no way to meet that cute guy/girl if you don't have a good opportunity!

Second, no, we don't need it:

I want to believe that if we were really honest with ourselves, that we could actually do it. "I love hanging out with you guys! Why don't we just plan on hanging out on Fridays?" But the success of this plan would depend on the true intentions of the members of the group - do we really want to see each other, or do we just want to be entertained?

(By the way, John Schwartz has really interesting thoughts on entertainment. Where in the Bible do you see examples of entertainment? John finds no biblical support for it. Is it really necessary? "Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial...")

An idea or two.

A smokeless hookah party. Invite your typical hookah friends, but put away the shisha, shut off the tv, and just hang!
Try beneficial entertainment! So we just HAVE to be entertained, huh? Well, let's find a constructive way to do it. We could plan bonfires, campouts, worship nights, service trips (I know an elderly lady in town that would LOVE a bunch of company).. to name a few. I know we already do a lot of these things, but rather than wasting an entire night playing FIFA, maybe plan something edifying?
Planned spontaneity - Basically, you meet at a certain time and place with the intention of figuring out what to do after everyone gets there. This has the potential for part of the group to be disappointed (I hate going to Dairy Queen after Ichthus.. who always picks that??), but it keeps everyone from having to rely on an excuse to get together.

What I don't mean..

I don't mean that Christians must always be doing Christian-y things to live righteously. Perhaps we already do too many Christian-y things??
I don't mean that playing FIFA is bad.
I don't believe that entertainment is necessarily evil... although I do think we place an abnormally high value on it, and I believe the majority of entertainment is relatively profitless.

What I do mean.. Can we find a way to spend more of our time in venues that produce some form of good fruit?

job search update #1.

2011-09-20T20:26:00.000+02:00

went to the career fair today. it was awkward. i know i'm a pretty awkward guy and everything, but i still can't get over how lame career fairs are. i was thinking about this on the way home.. why are they so weird? ah! yes, that's it - because nowhere else in society do you walk up to a complete stranger and tell them why you're legit. then you hand them a list of your accomplishments and they scrutinize it in front of you. yeah, i think that's probably why..

the best part of the day was walking around and overhearing someone say, "how do you spell management?"

my dad is coming into town to take me out to supper tonight, so pray for him as he hears me vent about the job search.

stay tuned for more updates in the future.
brian

theory of the end of the american world

2011-09-19T19:40:00.001+02:00

i have a theory and i want to write it down on (electronic) paper so that when it comes true, i can say i called it.

it goes something like this:

we are in the midst of a global credit crisis. that means that a ton of countries, most of them Western countries, are heavily in debt, and it's questionable as if they'll be able to repay.

we also just emerged from a very large recession. although there were a lot of factors that caused it, at the core, i believe that companies undertook very risky behavior because they knew they were 'too big to fail.' that means that it would be bad for everyone if the companies went bankrupt, so the US and other governments throughout the world stepped in to prevent important businesses from closing their doors.

you've probably heard some new reports about how high our national debt is (14.7 trillion) and some people worrying about it. the issue is not how high the debt is, it is in people's trust in our government to pay it back. if you make a loan to the government (AKA buy a bond), you believe the government will pay you back. the more risky the investment is, the higher the rate needs to be to convince you to give it a shot. usually, interest rates are in the single digits. in some countries, however, the government's credit is so bad, the rate to make it 'worth it' can reach the thousands. so what? if you want to take a home loan, you're not going to pay back 1000% interest. the economy stops, everyone loses their jobs, the interest rates gets higher, that's bad. OK - let's be real, that's very, very unlikely - but it happens.

my theory: the government has no intention of paying back its loans, because as a staple in the world economy, it believes it is too big to fail. we will continue to go farther and farther into debt (along with Europe, who BTW, is worse off than us) until everyone realizes we're not going to pay it back. at that point, i see two things happening: 1. we 'default' (don't pay back) our loans and the world is nice to us and let's it slide..because we're too important to let fail or 2. this causes a war and we have to fight for the right to not pay back our debt. anyway, it will be kinda like the recession we just came out of.. except at a nation-sized scope and not a company-sized scope. also, there is no 'world government' to bail the US, so the only possibility is to just 'write off' our debt.. or not.

ok i'm late for a meeting, hope that made sense. bye!

Heaven

2011-07-03T07:12:00.005+02:00

I've been thinking about this a lot over the past few weeks, so I might as well try to formalize my thoughts into a blog. Sorry for the length, I won't pressure you to read it. :)

Many of you have heard about Rob Bell's controversial new book, Love Wins. If not, he wrote a book that critics have claimed is heretical, Unitarian, and blasphemous. Although I think people stop short of accusing Bell of being the anti-Christ, a few have not hesitated to label him a false teacher doomed to destruction. I've leafed through the book (I didn't want to spend $20 on it!), and although I don't agree with him on everything, he really got me thinking - what do we really know about heaven and hell?

I started by writing down everything I thought I knew about the subject: Heaven is where you go after this life if you believe in Jesus. Hell is where you go if you don't. Heaven is with God, hell is not. Heaven is joy and happiness, hell is pain and punishment. Jesus described hell as darkness, fire. Both are eternal. Next, I set that aside and tried to find any references in the Bible itself.

I quickly found that Jesus never gave the 'answer' we're looking for.. when he talked about heaven, he talked about the Kingdom of Heaven, now, on earth, starting.. 2000 years ago. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, a fisherman's net, a little yeast. Outside, there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. It's spiritual, like God. And in many of the verses where we get much of our beliefs/theology about heaven/hell, Jesus wasn't even talking about that.. he was usually using them to illustrate other points! When Jesus sent his disciples out, he told them to preach that the kingdom is near and to repent. Or later, to share the good news that he is alive, not dead! NOT (that we know of) to preach that if you don't believe in Jesus, you will go to hell.

Now, Jesus talked about more than just the kingdom.. he talked about his return, and judgement. But all his teachings about his return were not about Christians -> heaven, everyone else -> hell, they were about righteousness. God will judge us as a shepherd separates sheep from goats, wheat from chaff. We believe that Christ is our righteousness, not any works that we have done. But although we want to put 1+1 together, I don't believe Jesus ever plainly said, "everyone else is going to hell." Hence, 2000+ years later we're still debating these issues.

OK so that's what I've found. Yes, there are a lot more versus and I hardly hit any specifics. What about Revelation? What about John ch. 14? What about..? I know. But this blog is long as is. So comment if you have other thoughts/comments and we can talk more if you'd like.

Next, I thought I'd get some different opinions. I found a $2.50 copy of Jonathan Edward's Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. This is my favorite quote, and fairly famous, you may have heard it before:

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some detestable insect, over the fire, detests you, and is dreadfully provoked: His wrath towards you burns like fire; He looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be thrown into the fire; He eyes are too pure than to bear to have you in His sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in His eyes, than the most hateful venomous snake is in ours. You have offended Him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince: and yet, it is nothing but His hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment.

Many who have attacked Bell cite that the Bible is full of God's wrath, and God is just and has every right to throw all of us into Hell. But because of his love, he saved us from himself. The Bible says that our works are as 'menstrual rags' compared to Christ's! But still, when I read this Edwards sermon, it doesn't sound/feel to me like Christ speaking. When he was on earth, that's not how he spoke! Maybe - maybe - to the Pharisees.. but even then, not quite.

I can't tell you everything I don't mean by all this. I'm not saying there's no Hell, or that everyone will go to heaven or anything like that. My point is merely this: that our doctrines about the next life are not necessarily right. They could be.. but the also might not. Frankly, I don't think we know as much as we think.

I just finished C.S. Lewis' book, The Great Divorce, which is a fictional story of a man's travel from hell/purgatory to heaven. (That right there wouldn't necessarily fit in with most church doctrines.. and it's Lewis!!) I loved it, and the main reason being because it makes me want to come to know and love God. Heaven, Lewis thought, would be a pretty hellish place if you didn't love the Lord. And we Christians have many things in our lives that, although we may not ever admit it, we love more than God. Its premise kinda fits in with one of Bell's other books: Jesus Came to Save Christians.

job update, wedding madness, and kelsie dawson does it again!

2011-06-24T07:26:00.003+02:00

Well if you don't already know, I quit my job at Tallgrass after two days. Let's just say.. it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Now I'm working for Parsons Communications doing phone/internet wiring in the Manhattan School District. Unfortunately, Parson's doesn't offer unlimited free beer like Tallgrass did, but I guess I tend to think it's worth it. I'm also doing research in the industrial engineering dept. at K-State, AND Dad is paying me to paint a house in my spare time. So, yes, I'm staying busy.

In my spare time's spare time, I've been hitting up a few weddings. Congrats to Greg & Katie, Scott & Christie, Willie & Kristin, Jon and Carolyn, and Ben & Rachel!

Last, but certainly not least, its 12:20am on Friday morning, which makes it Kelsie Dawson's 23rd birthday! Congrats Kelsie, I never thought you'd make it this far. I'm sorry but my only gift is to bring up the memory of the time you broke that chair, and dedicate you a spot on my blog. Enjoy!

I hope everyone is having a good summer and to hear from you all soon.

- Brian

Career Goal Change

2011-06-08T07:03:00.000+02:00

Based on the week's events, I'm revising my career goals from "find a job that I love" to "find a job that I don't hate."

For those of you that don't know, I accepted a job at Tallgrass Brewing Company last week. I was pretty excited about it, but dare I say, a little niave about what I was signing up for. Yesterday, after my first (10 hour) day on the job, I got a call from another company in Manhattan offering me $2/hr more, better hours, and less-sucky work. I've been pretty much in turmoil over the decision ever since.

Have I learned anything from this? Yes - don't be stupid.. and do your homework before accepting a job. I was so excited just to get a job - I had been turned down for like 15 consecutive jobs prior - that I took it pretty much no questions asked. Also, I was a little niave, I didn't know what clicking 8-packs and cleaning kegs was like - how tough could it be? Finally, never undervalue the importance of air conditioning.. enough said.

I'll repost soon to tell you my final decision and how things turned out. Until then, cheers.

We need to clean.

2011-05-12T08:20:00.000+02:00

This is how you know it's time to clean house:

This morning I walked into our bathroom and I found the trashcan full of dirty papertowls covered in some black gunk. My first thought was, "hm, someone must have cleaned the shower.."

(They hadn't.)

Tough Luck

2011-04-23T20:55:00.003+02:00

I probably shouldn't make this public, but if I can't laugh about it, I just might cry..

Jobs I've Applied For 2010-2011:

~~Deloitte Consulting (completed 2 interviews, no offer)~~
~~BNSF (completed 2 interviews, no offer)~~
~~FedEx (response: not qualified)~~
Toyota (no response)
Smucker (no response)
World Bank Internship (no response)
World Food Programme Internship (no response)
United Airlines OR Internship (no response)
JDA Supply Chains OR Internship (no response)
US Airways OR Internship (no response)
Toyota Logistics Summer Internship (no response)
~~UPS Manhattan (no jobs avail.)~~
Tallgrass Brewery (replied but no follow-through, sent 2^nd email 4/23)
UPS Corporate Internship (no response)
Home Depot Part Time (not sure application sent successfully, call!)

For some reason, this doesn't bother me too much.. some of those were pretty long shots anyway. I don't really want to work anyway. Maybe if I can't find a job I'll just try and find old people in Manhattan and see if I can do any work for them. Very grassroots like. Yes, that's what I'll do.

A Word for Easter Saturday

2011-04-23T16:51:00.002+02:00

As for me, I will always have hope;

I will praise you more and more.

My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,

of your saving acts all day long—

though I know not how to relate them all.

I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD;

I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Even when I am old and gray,

do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,

you who have done great things.

Who is like you, God?

Though you have made me see troubles,

many and bitter,

you will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth

you will again bring me up.

You will increase my honor

and comfort me once more.
I will praise you with the guitar

for your faithfulness, my God;

I will sing praise to you with drums,

Holy One of Israel.

My lips will shout for joy

when I sing praise to you—

I whom you have delivered.

My tongue will tell of your righteous acts

all day long

*old instruments replaced with modern ones

invisible children

2011-03-16T06:56:00.001+02:00

Tonight some "roadies" from Invisible Children, a nonprofit org. that raises money to help kids in Northern Uganda, showed a video on campus. I think my favorite part of the videos is hearing their accents. The pictures are cool, and I sometimes think, yeah I've been there!, but nothing takes me back faster than hearing those beautiful, melodic accents. I really want to see my friends again.

But once I snap out of it and get drawn in by the plot, it never fails to challenge me. They remind me that the world is bigger than Manhattan. I always want to sell all my possessions and go try to change the world. But slowly that desire fades away, or gets covered up, and I'm still here - still trying to figure out the 'so what?' of all that I've seen and heard.

I've started reading a book called The Fabric of Faithfulness - Weaving Together Belief and Behavior and I hope it helps. I want to figure out how to put it all together. How do I mesh what I believe about life and Jesus and poverty with a career, lifestyle, friends, sports, and all the other normalities of life? I think that our little daily decisions have as much of an influence on our lives as our ideologies do. I mean that every "should I buy this?" or "should I say that?" decision can have just as big of an impact as being "morally opposed" to something. I can hate consumerism, but I really like that shirt... you know?

Okay this probably wasn't my most eloquent of blog posts, but hopefully you could follow along. In summary: I miss Uganda, I want more than the American Dream, and I need Jesus to show me the way.

And with that, goodnight.

the earth is round.

2011-03-07T07:04:00.000+02:00

ok, i know this seems really trivial, but just think about it --

isn't it crazy that you can walk in a certain direction, and if you keep walking long enough, not only will you come back to the exact same spot, but from the opposite direction?! it's like there's a glitch in the matrix or something!

i was thinking about this tonight because there was a globe sitting next to me as i studied at hale. and pretty much anything is a lot more interesting than studying for a network flows & graph theory midterm.

but still, some of the things we all 'know' are so mindboggling that if really stopped to think about them, we'd be amazed.

Finally!

2011-02-06T05:32:00.001+02:00

It's finished.

http://www2.imse.ksu.edu/~bmoore4/

Alright, so here's the deal -

2011-01-23T08:08:00.001+02:00

I started writing the poverty blog just as I said I would, but finally stopped myself after two and a half pages single-spaced - and I still had like 3 more topics to cover! So on second thought, maybe trying to condense everything into one blog post was a bit ambitious.

I first became interested in poverty last summer while I was living in Uganda. I wanted to know how in the heck my world [and it really is a different world] was so developed, while that world was so.. not. I heard a lot of ideas get thrown out about fair trade, education, health, infrastructure, economic growth, aid, good governance and the like being the key to escaping poverty – IF it was possible. But is it possible? Is development even good for the poor? What is MY role in all of this?

I'm assuming (its always dangerous when I make assumptions) that I'm not the only one that's felt lost on this subject. So here's the deal - if you've got a question related to poverty/fair trade/etc., comment on this blog and I'll try to answer it. If I don't know the answer, I'll at least tell you that much. Cool? cool.

Coming soon!

2011-01-14T08:02:00.000+02:00

Coming soon: Everything I know about poverty condensed into one blog post.

[not really, I'll try to keep it short so that I don't bore too many people]

I've been reading a book called the Bottom Billion, by Paul Collier, about why the poorest countries in the world are so failing and what we can do about it. When I finish it (ETA 2 days) it will be the 12th book/technical paper that I've read on poverty - which by no means makes me an expert, but hopefully by now I've learned something. So I will try to pass on what I know in the hopes that it might produce some sort of fruit and maybe spark your imagination and interest as much as mine.

Peace!

i've never really been that into facebook

2010-12-18T07:22:00.002+02:00

but it's got its perks. tonight's mission was to try to find out how many of my old high school friends have gotten married. so far i've found FIVE old friends that i didn't know had tied the knot. it's great. and i have no life. but hey, it's christmas break in westmoreland, i'm allowed to have no life, right?

but back to facebook, can anyone tell me why some people's profiles look so different? their pictures are at the top of the page and they don't have tabs.. hmm..

for those of you who knew me in my wilder, i-facebook-whenever-i-want days, don't worry, i've settled down. i've got a strict 'no facebook after midnight' policy. keeps me from posting comments i shouldn't have haha.

one more thought about facebook: it allows me to stay a part of people's lives without actually being a part of their lives! that's awesome! and when several people like what i say, i feel cool. and that's cool. thanks, facebook, for making friendship so much easier!

the grinch that stole thanksgiving

2010-11-26T06:35:00.001+02:00

man that would be a great movie, wouldn't it?!

happy thanksgiving everyone.

ramblingness

2010-11-14T08:27:00.001+02:00

i'm breaking the number one rule of blogging: don't blog if you don't have anything to say.

but i'm bored and in the mood, so.. my apologies.

...

but on second thought, i have nothing to complain about, nothing sarcastic to say, and i'm feeling very apathetic towards the typical school/job hunt/bible topics right now. i don't think i could even write about GOOGLE right now. [wow]

so...

...

maybe i'll just continue studying for my test. but considering it's 12:10am on a saturday night, probably not that either.

...

ah, yes. i've got it! here's what i'm really looking forward to right now: thanksgiving. i will be so thankful when thanksgiving comes around. this is why i love thanksgiving:

that was thanksgiving 2003. and i think that's why all men love thanksgiving. do women love thanksgiving? i think they do, but dare i say not to the extent that guys do? fill me in, ladies.

here is where i was last year at thanksgiving:

technically that picture was taken on the day before thanksgiving, but it tells you what condition i was in the next day. i was still in the typical groggy, turkey-day fog, but it was not food-induced haha. and it was far less peaceful.

thanksgiving countdown: 11 days. but i'll count the first day of thanksgiving break: 6 days.

can't wait.

the face book

2010-11-04T00:23:00.000+02:00

Today I realized the power and influence of Facebook when I turned to a few of my friends before class and said, "Hey, wanna hear a funny story?" And at once they both replied, "did you see a girl in high heels fall down?" "Yeah.. but how'd you..?" They had all (separately) seen my status on Facebook. Weird.

So I told them the story again anyway.

Hipster Kittie

2010-10-27T17:31:00.001+02:00

Fixie Cat

Macbook Hipster Kittie

If you haven't already, check out hipsterkitty.com, it's great.

Symptoms of Caffeine Withdrawal

2010-10-19T01:33:00.001+02:00

Irritable - check

Unable to work - check

Restless - check

Feeling Sleepy - check

Nausea - check

Headache - double check

Yes stopped drinking caffeine today and my body is NOT happy.

Farewell, $60k/year!

2010-10-14T02:45:00.002+02:00

Today I received my second, "I regret to inform you.." email of the week, and a D on a test. What is happening?!

No really, it's fine.

Good grades weren't helping me get a job anyway.

I don't even want a job.

I blame the Democrats for this mess.

I think I'm going to "politely decline" the first couple offers that I get, just so they can know how it feels. (Yeah!)

Lately I've seen a large spike in the number of sarcastic comments I make. Why?

I'm now going to be applying solely for jobs that I think are funny. Like 'helpdesk staff at the Pentagon,' or something. Please comment below and make suggestions for your favorite weird/funny jobs. I'll send my resume in to the best.

Regards.

Bored in Manhattan?

2010-10-01T20:39:00.003+02:00

Problem solved.

What is The Scoop? from The Scoop Manhattan on Vimeo.

A kinder, gentler terrorist

2010-10-01T16:29:00.002+02:00

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/bin-laden-tape-addresses-pakistani-floods/story?id=11774771

Dear Homework,

2010-09-28T19:43:00.001+02:00

It's not my fault!

You must understand, it's not that I don't want to spend every night with you.. it's just a coincidence that so far every day this fall has had perfect Frisbee weather! I can't help it!! And I signed up for an ultimate league, which some may say is less important than school work, but I'd politely disagree. Ultimate is currently my only source of physical activity. It counteracts any harmful substances that my body may have had to swallow during the week. It builds friendships and promotes unity; it boosts my self esteem. You see, I can't think any more valuable way to spend my time.

So Homework, you will always be with me, but in Kansas, good weather will not. I guess you'll have to wait.

Sincerely,
Brian

Well... if I HAVE to...

2010-09-17T08:17:00.004+02:00

Next week is Career Fair Week at K-State, and guess who is not excited?

This guy.

Here's my selection criteria for a job:

No oil companies.
Not GE.
I don't want to work 14 hours/day.
I do want to live in a cool city.
I'd prefer to be paid.
I'd like to keep my want-to-be beard.
I'm leaning towards companies that don't extort/oppress children in developing countries.
I'd like to play hard to get and be pursued by a company.
I want to work for Google.

Not looking good, is it?

i take it back.

2010-09-09T06:58:00.001+02:00

I did a little research on He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, and I might have to rescind that last blog post - it's actually pretty cool..

Written before 1865, the song was originally an African-American spiritual that arose out of slavery. It is very repetitive and reminds its hearers that, despite all the hardship around them, God cares for them.

The song was inspired by Job 12:10: "In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Quick reminder on Job.. after losing his flocks, his wife and kids, his house and being cursed with boils from head to toe - after losing every sign of God's favor - he does not lose faith.

So, yeah, it's actually a song meant to be sung in places where, well, life sucks, and remind us that God really is in control.

Cool.

He's got the whole world in His hands

He's got the itty bitty baby in His hands

He's got a-you and me brother in His hands

He's got a-you and me sister in His hands

He's got the whole world in His hands

whole world in his hands

2010-08-30T17:51:00.001+02:00

is that a christian song??

- because to me it sounds like heresy -

sometimes i'm afraid that all i learned over the last few months is just how destitute and hopeless the world is.

we've really created quite a mess for ourselves, haven't we? and i can't blame this on conglomerate oil companies or capitalism or radical fundamentalism or war or anything. i think people just suck. this is our fault.

the same is true on the individual level. life is cruel, bitter. it sucks to watch someone as they cry and know not only that you're powerless to help, but that it's your fault.

i respectfully disagree with god's plan to save the world.

i side with jonah on this one.
[yes, i know that god told jonah he was wrong.]

most evangelicals believe that god, through jesus, has saved the world. but we also believe that we're on a 'sinking ship' of sorts, and that this world is doomed and we just need to hold on until the new boat arrives. which is another message i find depressing.

this can't be God's world.

have a great day.

- brian

Cheddar & Sour Cream

2010-08-25T19:49:00.002+02:00

is the most addictive substance in the world.

I opened up a bag of CSC's for lunch today and was completely powerless to stop.

I don't know how they do it - I'm not particularly fond of either cheddar or sour cream - there must be something shady going on here. This can't be right.

Sam told me that once he commented about how great his Carhartts were on a social media site and they sent him some free stuff if he'd just keep writing about their products... now I'm not getting anything from this post, but if I were, I'm sure I could find more to say. (hint hint)

Did you know they have 0 trans fats?!

Yes, these are the sorts of things I blog about in America.

Home sweet home

2010-08-20T03:17:00.001+02:00

After 17 hours on three planes, I arrived in Kansas City last night and am now writing from the couch at home in Westmoreland. It's good to be home.

The trip home went without much incident. I received the most thorough security check in history at the Amsterdam airport.. I don't think I could have smuggled a piece of scotch tape on board without them finding it. And by the time they stopped questioning me I'd confessed everything back to cheating in the 3rd grade spelling bee. But no worries, I made it.

It's been a while since my last post, here's how my week wrapped up:

Rafting on the Nile - We survived four Class 5 rapids, the highest grade of commercially raft-able rapids. The raft flipped on two of the four, but we somehow stayed afloat over a 15' waterfall in our little 14' boat. It was a full day of rafting, and I was sore from head to toe afterward. SO worth it.

Happy late birthday to my brother, Ben! I failed to call him on his birthday but I think he'll understand considering the circumstances..

Wasn't ready to leave - I told my driver that we needed to leave no later than 5pm to catch my flight. So that day I got a phone call, "Brian, where are you?" "Uh, I don't know..I'm shopping." "I thought we were leaving at 5?" "What time is it?!" "4:30." So I took a boda (motorcycle taxi) home in the rain, which is precarious without the road being muddy, and made it by 5:10. Yes, I've started keeping Ugandan time.

What was the first thing I ate in the US? Wendy's 5-piece chicken nuggets.

Did I lose weight? Yes, about 15 pounds.

So, now what? Well, I start school on Monday. I'm going to meet with a few local elementary schools to set up pen-pal relationships with a Ugandan school. I'll share my experiences with anyone that asks, and try not to impose on those that don't. Do I have future travel plans? No. Actually I'd like to go camping.

What about this blog? For my new readers, this blog was started about a year ago to poke fun at my friends who take blogging seriously - and then found out I enjoyed it. So this blog will continue as usual except for a more domestic subject matter. You're welcome to keep following, mostly because there's not much I can do to stop you. But really, thanks for following my blog and for your prayers. I'm so blessed to have you all in my life.

Brian

Nairobi is COLD!

2010-08-11T07:32:00.000+02:00

How cold?

I don't know. But my ability to see my breath this morning tells me that I should be wearing more than my current tshirt and flip flops. Regret! I arrived into Nairobi last night around 8pm after a 12-hour bus ride. I really like the hostel - nothing fancy, but clean and nice for $9/night. Right now I'm at the internet cafe awaiting my ride to the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.

Initial thoughts on Kenya: 1. Cold. 2. Decades more advanced than Uganda. 3. Beautiful. 4. I miss Gulu.

I know this is short but it's time to GO!

See you soon!
Brian

Goodbye Gulu!

2010-08-07T09:13:00.002+02:00

Well, I have one final day in Gulu and then I'm outta here! Am I sad? Yes. Am I ready to go? Absolutely. It's been fun, but it's time I started my long journey back to Kansas. Today I hand over the reigns to the websites I created this summer:

The Diocese of Northern Uganda
Gulu Primary School
Adolescents Hope Health Information Centre (I only set this up, they will finish)

Tomorrow I will be preaching at the men's and women's prisons here in Gulu. It's a little scary because I still don't know exactly what I'm going to say, but it will be okay.

The highlight of my week was receiving a package of cookies in the mail from my favorite cousin, Brianna! (Sorry other cousins, she purchased her number one rank with cookies, I'm fickle.) Anyway, thank you Brianna! I tried to get a cheesy, cookie-savoring photo but those are too embarrassing...so I'll just show you the state of the cookies after one and a half days:

I leave Monday morning for a week or so of sightseeing. I'll take a bus to Kenya for a short safari, will come back and go rafting on the Nile, and then wrap up my trip staying with friends in Kampala.

Thanks for your prayers and support, see you in 11 days!

Brian

Your highness

2010-08-02T21:14:00.001+02:00

Today I was talking to Sarah Schultz, the woman who arranged my trip to Uganda, and she asked me, “Brian, what did you do with that box I gave you??” I struggled to recall seven weeks back, just before I boarded the plane in Kansas City, when Sarah handed me a box…

“What’s in it?,” I asked as she handed it to me. “Hair products. I’ve written on the front who it goes to, you just have to take it to Uganda.” “You promise it’s not a bomb?” “Yes.” “Okay, I’ll take it.”

When I arrived to Uganda, I showed the box to my host. “Oh he’ll be at church on Sunday,” he said, “just take the box with you to church.” “Okay.” So the man was at church – actually he was preaching at church – but we arrived late and left early and I didn’t really hear much of his talk. After the service, my host took me to deliver the box. I met the man, shook his hand, delivered the package and was on my way. Piece of cake.

Back to Sarah’s question, who did I give the box to? “I gave the box to the person whose name was on the front. Why? Did it get lost??" “No. But how on earth did you manage that?,” she asked, “that was the Archbishop!”

So I met Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, the highest religious figure in the Anglican Church on Uganda, and didn’t even know it.

Low Point

2010-07-30T15:35:00.001+02:00

Sometimes I just get really sick of being white. Many times it's just a lingering look or an awkward hush in a conversation, or other times something more boisterous like, "Hey white! Give me money!" But it gets old. That may be the thing I miss the most about home: blending in.

Wait, no, that's not true.... apple pie. That's what I miss most.

But any rate, today hasn't been my favorite day in Uganda. I woke up with a cold. Then the two appointments I had set up today both got cancelled - one guy had malaria and the other was just "away." I did meet one man today... I was a little apprehensive about meeting him, I wasn't sure why, I just had a bad feeling... that turns out was well-founded because when I met him in town, I soon realized that all he wanted was for me to pay for him into the US - and that he was drunk. (2pm) So, yes, I left.

I'm trying to think of a happy story.. remember that chicken? The one who's sole purpose in life was to bother me? Well, we came into the kitchen the next morning and guess what? There's an egg! Turns it out was just looking for a place to lay an egg! And that annoying goat? You guessed it, it had two kids! (baby goats) So maybe I just have a lot to learn about pregnant mothers.. Anyway, I had almost started to bond with that chicken (which Tessa affectionately named Beatrice) when Mama decided it was time. Tessa, a strict vegetarian and almost-vegan, was not happy. At one point as we're cooking the chicken, Tessa remarked, "I can't believe that's Beatrice.. don't you feel guilty eating her??" "No," I said, "I think it's what Beatrice would have wanted."

It's hard to believe that the summer is winding down. I have just one more week in Gulu and then I've got about a week of travel planned..going to Kenya, doing a little safari, white water rafting on the Nile..should be fun. Oh by the way, the rafting has TWELVE class 5 rapids. They say that everyone is guaranteed to get thrown out of the boat at least once. Yes. Pray for me.

I hope Kansas is really hot right now so that when I get home it will be cool again. It works that way, right?

-Brian

I'm still alive!

2010-07-24T13:32:00.000+02:00

Friends,

I'm told that it's been too long since my last blog post and people are becoming concerned for my safety. So after two agonizingly long weeks of stomach aches, I'm happy to report that I have taken de-worming medication and I'm feeling better. TMI? Sorry..

I've been traveling a lot over the past 10 days. Highlights include:

An 8-hour trek to SW Uganda to see the consecration of a new bishop. This included a 7-hour church service and sitting just 15 feet from President Museveni! (I kept my opinions to myself)
Crossing the equator.
Seeing zebras and baboons from the road.
Sitting in on agriculture and income-making lessons being taught in remote villages.
Inspecting "gardens," or farmers' fields, and learning Ugandan farming techniques. (Ask me any farming question, seriously, I can probably answer it. Okay maybe not, but I've learned a lot.)

Today, you know, is the Biblical day called Saturday when you twice as much work so that tomorrow you can rest. So today we've done laundry, cleaned the house, cooked, etc. Not my favorite day..

You should also know that after living in the land peacefully for nearly 6 six weeks now, today I have been feuding with a local chicken and goat that have made it their personal vendettas to ruin my life. Overstatement? Maybe. But I have thrown the chicken outside, literally, like 15 times. I throw it out - it comes back. I shut the door - it finds another way in. I've started trying to break its will by saying mean and hurtful things. I'm afraid that these animals may find themselves as the main course very soon....

It's now lunch time (2:30pm) and I didn't eat breakfast. So this is goodbye, see you in 3 weeks!

Brian

An apple a day

2010-07-15T14:01:00.000+02:00

...keeps the doctor away. But what if you don't have an apple?!

Mom, Dad - before you read this, know that I'm safe and I'm healthy.

But after a week of daily stomach aches, I decided to go to the health center. The entire building is smaller than a typical American waiting room. I shook hands with the ...clinician? (I don't think he was a doctor) and sat down. As I explained my symptoms, I could only pray that he actually understood what I was telling him. He wrote down some things, like my name: "Brian Ma" and the date, and then some stuff I couldn't read. (not that anyone can ever read what the doctor writes, regardless of what country they're in) A nurse disappeared and then returned with 3 types of pills. I take all 3 medications in sets of 2, 3 times per day, for a grand total of 18 pills daily. For a stomach ache. They tried to explain what each medicine was for, but English was difficult for them and essentially, "they help." So I paid for the medicine, a total cost of $0.45. End of visit.

So as I'm walking away, I'm thinking, which one was the one that I chew, again? And am I allergic to any of these? Shouldn't they have like, checked my blood pressure or breathing or something? But you know, I've had a stomach ache for a week, so I took my 6 pills and am apprehensively awaiting to see what fate has in store for me.

I'll keep you posted.

Sincerely,
Brian

I've never liked soccer

2010-07-13T14:45:00.003+02:00

It's been an eventful few days here in Uganda. If you haven't heard, 76 people were killed yesterday in terrorist attacks in Kampala. The bishop, whom I'm staying with, was in Kampala at the time and very close to one of the explosions.

President Museveni said in response, we will come after you according to the Law of Moses, 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' So Uganda is now plotting terrorist attacks? I don't really know what that means.

I should probably be careful what I say, but I'm not a huge fan of the king, I mean, president, of Uganda. He's done some good things for the country, but the sentiment around here is that he's overstayed his welcome. I'd say Museveni's done just enough to stay in power. But he's certainly not worse than his predecessor, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Speaking of presidents, I've heard that democracy encourages economic growth and should help countries like Uganda get out of poverty. And while it's probably true that democracies don't stifle growth, I read an article today that said that “wealth seems to promote the proper conditions for democracy to develop.” Translation: democracies may not be the best choice for very poor countries. So.. sorry Iraq, we learned that lesson a little too late.

Okay enough about all that! I've posted a couple more pictures to Facebook, I'm doing well, and thanks for the thoughts and prayers to those of you that contacted me after the bombings.

Brian

It's official..

2010-07-09T15:05:00.000+02:00

Friends,

I’ve been here three and a half weeks and it’s official – I’m having the time of my life. I still have ups and downs, and those of you that are close to me know that it was not a smooth transition into this place, but I really do love it here. This is due to finding three great friends, having enough work to instill a small sense of purpose, and finally, enough free time to think and pray and read and mull over everything I’m experiencing…

So what, exactly, am I thinking about these days? Besides how much I miss American food (haha), I’m reading the Old Testament. I’ve read up through Isaiah and LOVED it. And it actually meets me exactly where I’m at: Isaiah 1:17 – “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”

This and other experiences have got me thinking about a lot of things I’ve never really thought about before. Poverty, justice, empowerment – I must admit these are new thoughts for me. So here are a few things I’ve been trying to study while I’m here:

o Differences between the African and American churches

o Theories for escaping chronic poverty

o Christianity and Poverty – How far is a rich American Christian supposed to go?

o What is abundant life?

o Looking for a place called ‘there’ – How foolish giving fuels dependency

o What is justice? Is it universal? Can justice & forgiveness coexist? Social justice?

o Northern Uganda & the LRA – The history & stories from the war

o And lots of other fun topics like racism, environmental protection, American reputation, Sudanese conflict history…and I’m even reading a Christian sci-fi book on aliens!

So yes, I’m in heaven. If any of those topics interest you let me know and I’ll try to post some thoughts. Otherwise Sam and I will have enough deep conversations to last a lifetime.. which I’m sure we’re both okay with, but it would be fun to hear your thoughts as well.

Hope this finds you all well, God bless!

More pictures!

2010-07-06T15:54:00.000+02:00

Posted to Facebook, click here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2357459&id=17027287&saved#!/album.php?aid=2357459&id=17027287

I've got some blogs in the works over fun topics like poverty, charity, economics, and differences in Christianity between Africa and America. Get excited!

Goodbye Gary

2010-07-02T11:30:00.003+02:00

Greetings from your brother in Uganda!

Life here in Africa has been going well except for one thing - I've been mourning the loss of my goat, Gary. I found a goat roaming around the yard last weekend and decided it was only fitting to name it and make it my pet. Little did I know that Gary was destined for the butcher. A couple days ago I watched two men slaughter my goat and then we ate him for supper. So if that doesn't make me a vegetarian, nothing will! I've got pictures, but I think I'll spare you...

Other notable events? Today I was walking in front of a building when all of a sudden a bird flew straight into the wall and died in front of me. That was weird. And a few days ago I went running on some dirt trails through 'the bush,' and at one point I had six African boys running with me. People see me and shout, "muzungu! muzungu!" meaning, "white! white!" and then they start running. On my return trip I had a guy that looked roughly 25 years old run with me. It's quite entertaining.

I love the food here - the fruit is out of this world - but I miss American food. But just recently I've learned that there are places in town where one can buy cookies, pizzas, and other western-y treasures. I'm planning to buy my friends and I something special and celebrate the 4th of July with it on Sunday.

This morning I sat in on what would have been a seminary's New Testament class, had the teacher shown. So instead we read from the Word and prayed and worshiped together. So cool.

I'm continuing to find that God is more generous and loving and gracious to me than I ever could have imagined. Please keep me in your prayers and God bless!

Brian

Finally

2010-06-28T11:08:00.001+02:00

Pictures on Facebook (not Flickr), let me know if you have trouble viewing them.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2357459&id=17027287&saved#!/album.php?aid=2357459&id=17027287

Also, I've been working on giving a facelift to the Diocese of N. Uganda's blog. It's still a work in progress, but there's some interesting stories in there if you want to check it out. It will give you a better understanding of the community that I'm staying in, which has been devastated by war for nearly 20 years,and ending just two years ago.

dioceseofnorthernuganda.blogspot.com

rags to riches

2010-06-25T09:31:00.002+02:00

It's funny. I arrived to my new home in Uganda just over a week ago and I knew I was better off than most by Ugandan standards, but still...no hot water, no air conditioning, dimly lit (if at all) rooms, concrete floors, unadorned walls, broken toilets, no internet, power outages, red dust everywhere, mosquitoes...I could go on.

But as I get acclimated and accept a new 'normal,' I'm starting to reconsider my list. I have water. And it comes to the house. I have a house. I have concrete floors. I have a mosquito net on my bed. And bug spray. I have a toilet. I have food. I have power. ...I could go on. It's not just a small minority who lack these things, but MOST people. Fifty-one percent of people in Uganda live below the international poverty line - earning less than $1.25 per day.

So I'm finding that even when I leave most of my abundance behind in America, I STILL have an abundance.

And this is all ignoring the reality back home that I have a bank account. And an education. And good credit. And used to work a job where I would earn as much in one hour as a reverend makes in a month.

I can't wrap my mind around how much I have. I just want to ignore it. Pretend there is no difference. Because if I could, in light of the needs around me, I don't think I'd consider myself a "good Christian" for a second longer.

Brave New World

2010-06-22T21:10:00.000+02:00

OK - I now have internet access, so these updates should come a little more regularly. Thanks to Tricia for posting the last one for me. Feel free to call me anytime between 11am and 3pm. If you’re feeling especially generous, you can snail-mail me at:

Care of: Revd. Johnson Gakumba

Diocese of Northern Uganda

PO Box 232

Gulu, Uganda

DON’T send me anything valuable, as it will be opened by the post office staff, and anything valuable will be STOLEN. It happened just today to the family I’m staying with.

So here’s what you’ve missed:

I arrived to Kampala and spent 3 nights with some African guys that all go to Church of the Resurrection. While there I toured the city, went to church, and went to a birthday party.

Yesterday I met a man named Johnson Gakumba, a bishop in the Anglican church. We drove 4 hours north to Gulu, where I’ll spend the rest of my summer. Today I toured Gulu, sat in on a few meetings, and then attended a traditional African party complete with African music/dancing. Fun.

I'm not sure what exactly I'll do this summer, but it MIGHT include teaching 5-7 grade math, working on a church website, visiting remote villages in the "field", and maybe an outdoor project. I'm excited, and I'm very ready to get started.

Thoughts? I have many, but I’ll keep it short. First, I think that everything you see in Hollywood about slums and third-world countries is…true. They really are that poor. When worked with YouthWorks in Mississippi (poorest state in the Union) I often visited the 'less fortunate' and they all were living better than I’m living now. And my family is well-off by Ugandan standards. Johnson said he couldn’t get afford a haircut in the United States, $15, which would buy a year’s worth of haircuts at home.

One of the biggest cultural differences is the hierarchal social system. Meaning that women serve men. If a woman is in a chair and there is no place for the man to sit, the woman moves to the ground. No one is rude, that’s just the way it is. Below women are servants. And because I’m white, I rank just under Johnson, who seems to be the head of the community. People often kneel before him when they meet.

Finally, it’s been a long week. Uganda looks and smells different, has no creature comforts, it's frustrating to communicate, and finally it’s just tough leaving everyone you know for two months. I'm getting better, but it's been kindof a long week. Please keep me in your prayers.

I hope this finds you all well and to hear from you soon.

Love,
Brian

Brian says hi!

2010-06-19T22:10:00.001+02:00

So,
I am being the messenger* for Brian until he gets internet. First off, he is safe! He is currently in the capital city, living in a house with some boys around his age. Tonight, he went to a birthday party, got to eat cake and even danced!! (I must be rubbing off on him!) But here were the things I had to make sure to include for everyone who reads this:

His Skype Number is: 256-787-020125. You can make an account free on Skype, and then call him, it costs 15 cents a minute (I think) but, I think it is worth it! Call him anytime after 1pm Kansas time, the time difference is 8 hours, so keep that in mind too. He would love to hear from anyone!

Other then that, keep him in your prayers and I'm sure when he gets internet he will update this himself!

Tricia

*I apologize, my posts are not as fun as Brians..

aaanndd I'm back!

2010-06-16T22:13:00.001+02:00

Back in the lobby of the Boston airport. I've arrived early, found the terminal, printed tickets, checked my luggage, found the gate and am now ready to board the plane -- all things that didn't happen yesterday. But that was yesterday. Today is today.

Last night I stayed with relatives who live south of Boston. I owe them a huge thanks, they treated me too well. Highlights include driving through Boston at night, hiking Noon Trail this morning and touring Jeff's manufacturing plant. Very fun.

So I'm boarding my 7 hour flight to Amsterdam anytime now and will hopefully be one step closer to Uganda.

One step at a time.

The Adventure Begins: Thanks Ilitalia

2010-06-16T03:34:00.006+02:00

Well... I'm alive.

Barely.

My flight from KC arrived 35 minutes late to Boston due to "maintenance issues" on my flight, and a different flight's emergency landing caused by an engine fire. These minor troubles afforded me just 25 minutes to claim my luggage, find the new terminal, re-check my bags, go through customs and board the plane. No one was even standing at the counter by the time I got there.

So for a number of reasons (that I'm not willing to put forth the effort of explaining) I'm blogging from the lobby of a random hotel somewhere in the outskirts of Boston, waiting for some distant cousins to pick me up. And hopefully feed me. I haven't eaten since breakfast.

On the way to the hotel I spoke with a Nigerian couple. They were very nice, but when they heard of my summer plans they said I was "very adventurous" and "crazy." I'll take that as a compliment.. from Nigerians.

Anyway, I expected an adventure, but not quite this soon. But I'm one step closer, so I'll take it. All I know is that tonight I'm rooting for the Celtics.

What does 'sithi uhm ingonyama' mean?

2010-06-10T18:37:00.006+02:00

In keeping with tradition, I’ve used a fancy title to poke fun at other blogs' titles that are often so ostentatiously worded. I wish I could say that sithi uhm ingonyama has some deep and powerful meaning, but actually the title is taken from the Lion King’s Circle of Life lyrics and means, “Oh yes, it’s a lion.” I’d like to think the saying really encompasses what I hope to experience this summer.. lions.

But on a more serious note, I leave Kansas in three days and I’m trying to prepare for whatever I may encounter this summer. And that is easier said than done. I’ve posted my itinerary below in full detail. This is all I know:

Jun 15-16 – Fly from Kansas City to Kampala, the capital city
Jun 21–Aug 10 - Meet my host family & travel North to Gulu, where I’ll spend most of the summer
Aug 10-17: take a bus somewhere fun, like Kenya or Tanzania
Aug 17-18 – Fly home
Aug 23 – First day of class

If you'd like to stay in touch this summer, the best chance is through email. However if you'd like to call me while I'm in Africa, I suggest getting Skype. Calling me from Skype will only cost two cents/minute. More details about that to come later.

Lastly, I'll be uploading photos of my trip to Flickr, and so check here periodically to see what's new. Please be praying for me and hope this finds you all well!

breaking news

2010-04-30T02:15:00.000+02:00

just saw a neighbor get arrested for the second time. and the ambulance was just there yesterday. yep, things feel normal again.

so it's been a while since i've posted last. what's new? well, school has taken over my life..but that's not new I guess. one of my classes has been teaching us how to make money with zero risk. sound fishy? it probably is, but it's interesting. but you don't want to hear about that.

last weekend i went to kansas city with all my favorite friends...less kelsie and kristen and any other friends that should be mentioned here. i got the true royals experience, a loss, but it was fun.

welp, back to studying, miss you all!

brian

25 Richest Counties in America

2010-03-22T02:09:00.000+02:00

Forbes published a list of America's 25 Richest Counties and guess where our beloved Johnson County came out..

23?
14?
5?!

Actually it didn't make it at all..I was surprised. Check it out anyway, though, its kinda cool.

This is Westmoreland

2010-03-20T18:45:00.000+02:00

http://www.city-data.com/city/Westmoreland-Kansas.html

Peeping Tom

2010-03-15T02:11:00.001+02:00

Today I watched one of my neighbors across the street get handcuffed and arrested.

One of the great features of my house, affectionately known as the 'Hunting Lodge,' is the large, 8-foot window that makes such observations possible. In fact, I don't even have to stand up, I can watch from the recliner!

It's been pretty exciting recently - I think we've seen a police car or ambulance there 6 times in the past two weeks. I'll refrain from commenting too much on the house except for saying that it's a little shady.

I will keep you posted on any new developments.

Google Blog - it's here!!

2010-03-04T00:55:00.029+02:00

On Wednesday I attended a lecture presented by Jason Collins, a K-State grad and Senior Software Engineer at Google. The lecture was titled, "Google's Computing Infrastructure: Solving behind-the-scenes problems to make Google work." Many of you know that I've wanted to do a piece on Google for quite some time now, so now that I've been armed with first-hand "insider" info., (not really) here it goes…

Short history lesson

Google, Inc. was founded in 1998 by two grad students at Standford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. These two collaborated on a search engine called Backrub, but Stanford dropped it because it took too much of the school's bandwidth. Page and Brin started Google in a garage with $100,000 that was donated by a sole investor. Now twelve years later Google has assets of $40 billion and employs 20,000 people.

So how did they do it?

Long story short - they were smarter than everyone else. They solved a math problem dealing with matrices and linear algebra and things called Eigenvectors (I’ll spare you) ...and learned how to apply it on a very, very large scale. By ‘large’ I mean solving a math problem with 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Thus, the Google search engine was born. Search engines use an algorithm (a set of steps to solve a problem) to search the web for information. At the heart of Google’s search engine is the PageRank Algorithm, still a company secret, in which they’ve found a way to mathematically rank webpages and display the things you want to see first. This algorithm is so good that for a long time Google was even powering its competitors, like Yahoo. Some even thought Google had its employees manually ranking every web page - which is preposterous - and Google always denied it.

To run this search engine, or any of its web applications, Google uses a whole bunch of servers. Someone asked Jason just exactly how many servers Google owns. His reply: "However many computers you think Google has, we have more." Wikipedia thinks Google runs over one million servers. It processes over a billion search requests and twenty petabytes (20,000,000,000,000,000 bytes) of data every day. Google uses cheap, low end servers to do the job because they're more cost-effective than premium servers. Jason said that one in 1,000 of its servers fail (blow up) every day. If Wikipedia is correct, Google is replacing 1,000 servers per day. Jason said that a major design challenge for engineers was figuring out how to replace these servers without Google crashing - Google can't go down every time a server dies, or be rebooted every time an update is installed.

Jason went on to talk a lot about how Google hardware is organized, but I think that would bore most of you. The graphic to the left shows just about everything you need to know.

Instead I’ll give you a few “nuggets” that I think are interesting:

The high points

1. Google comes from the word “googol” which is a math term for a one followed by 100 zeros. Page and Brin felt that the name represented Google’s mission: "to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful."

2. Google’s unofficial motto is “don’t be evil.”

3. Ninety-nine percent of Google’s revenue comes from advertising. This is great as long as the site remains popular, but if someone were to create a better search engine, that revenue stream could vanish almost overnight. To hedge against this vulnerability, Google has offered a lot of new products that go beyond a typical search engine.

4. The founders’ yearly salary is $1 each. They make their money from owning stock in Google, meaning their personal welfare is directly tied to the success of Google and they have incentive to see the company succeed. The two are still doing alright – tied for the fifth-richest person in the

United States

5. Viacom filed a copyright lawsuit against Google for $1 billion. A judge ordered Google hand over personal information of clients that uploaded illegal content but Google refused.

6. Google donated $1 billion to its not-for-profit division, Google.org, to raise awareness about climate change, global public health, and global poverty.

7. Google was ranked at the top of Forbes’ Magazine Top 100 Places to Work in 2007 and 2008.

8. Topeka, KS temporarily changed its name to Google, KS, in a bid to win a Fiber [optics] for Communities program.

A few quotes

"The ultimate search engine would basically understand everything in the world, and it would always give you the right thing. And we're a long, long ways from that." - Larry Page

"Obviously everyone wants to be successful, but I want to be looked back on as being very innovative, very trusted and ethical and ultimately making a big difference in the world." - Sergey Brin

Sources:

1. http://www.google.com/intl/en/corporate/history.html

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google

3. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/google.htm

4. http://retailindustry.about.com/od/topusretailcompanies/p/googleprofile.htm

5. http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~bryan/googleFinalVersionFixed.pdf

6. http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/02/google.kansas.topeka/index.html?hpt=C2

7. http://math.hws.edu/~ak9941/cs271/Clouds/cloud-computing-1.gif

the joys of an engineering major

2010-03-02T22:22:00.000+02:00

Today in one of classes I asked my first question of the semester. This sparked a 30 minute rant from my teacher where his reply was essentially, "you're an idiot...you wouldn't have had a question like this if you weren't an idiot." Also, I submitted a 22-page report for this class a couple weeks ago and today excerpts from my report were used as 'things not to do.' I love how school tries to build you up and make you feel confident : )

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan says Chile's earthquake signal of what's coming' to America

2010-03-01T06:29:00.001+02:00

This is worth your read

Blog Statistics

2010-02-25T23:28:00.003+02:00

This blog is just to satisfy Kelsie, as she will not leave me alone while I'm working on my highly anticipated Google blog post.

To gather these statistics, I went through and rated my twenty most recent blogs based on how important I felt the subject matter was on a scale of 1 to 8. Next, I counted the number of comments and plotted them in the graph to the left.

One can learn several useful things from this data. First, the optimum number of comments is achieved by writing meaningless blogs. (This is why I wrote the Hoop Snake blog. ) Next, it's only advantageous for me to write things semi-meaningful to me, ideally shooting for level 5 of 8. Third, there is zero comment-incentive to write about things that are actually important to life. Finally, this graph demonstrates that I am obviously 1. weird, 2. lonely, and 3. waste too much time on this stupid site.

Happy Thursday!

Love,

Brian

Word of the Day

2010-02-24T07:23:00.006+02:00

Hoop Snake -noun, verb

Literally: "hoop of snake"

Definition 1: An australian snake that curls itself into a hoop so that it can chase after prey at high speeds by rolling. If stepped on, hoop snakes will also chase after people at terrifying speeds. Deadly.

Help! Help! There's a hoop snake after me!

Definition 2: To interfere with someone who is getting acquainted with, conversing with, or hooking up with a member of the opposite sex.

I can't believe it! He hoopsnaked me!

Thought of the Day

2010-02-19T22:11:00.003+02:00

"Happy as a clam"...

are clams really happy? i mean, has anyone ever spoken with a clam to know if they're happy? i think if i worked my whole life to make a pearl with nothing but my mouth and then someone took that away from me, I would not be a happy clam.

One more reason I love Google:

2010-02-10T07:14:00.008+02:00

It helps me find really great places to make out.

http://www.vdaymakeoutspots.com/

DISCLAIMER: Any views expressed by vdaymakeoutspots.com are exclusively those of the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of briansBAblog.com.

Valentines Day

2010-02-07T07:20:00.004+02:00

In several recent conversations with friends I've noticed both anticipation and apprehension building about the upcoming Valentines Day. Normally guys scorn V-Day for being expensive, annoying, demoralizing, lonely, or (if you're me) all of the above. Yet this year I'm a feeling bit more optimistic. I've errantly told a few of you that Valentines Day officially starts the American Dating Season, but per blog.seattlepi.com, V-Day actually commemorates "Spring Training." Dating Season doesn't actually begin until March 31. (so you're telling me there's a chance!) Thanks to a strict diet, arduous workout routine, a cunning strategy and a positive 'can-do' attitude, I feel that this may be the season.

The best of luck to all of you.

a long 3 weeks

2010-02-03T21:20:00.001+02:00

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/02/haiti_three_weeks_later.html

Road trip anyone?!

2010-02-01T22:05:00.001+02:00

Check out this road through Chile!:

http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/4716534

My life is average

2010-01-29T02:37:00.003+02:00

Day 1:

Leave my house (A) and proceed to classroom B.
Sit in empty class B for 5 minutes, realize the room was changed to C.
Arrive at C just as class starts.

Day 2:

Walk from A to C.
Class starts, I realize it's a trigonometry class, I walk out.
I call my roommate who checks my Google Calendar & confirms that C was correct.
I check D, then C again, and then back to D, mildly interrupting class each time. Teacher in D asks if I'd like to stay in his class. I reply, "well this looks really fun, but that's okay."
Proceed to the Union (E) to consult a computer. I find my syllabus, however, which sends me to classroom F.
Arrive at F. Empty. I go home (A).
I check isis, realize syllabus wrong * the correct location was classroom G right next to F.

Day 3:

I leave early in case I encounter difficulty.
I travel from A to G, where I find the class empty.
I proceed from G to class C.
Find the teacher in the hallway. I jokingly say, "Am I in the right place?" "Yeah right in there."
Wait 5 minutes, class starts, I realize its trigonometry AGAIN, walk out third time.
Discover class is in a new location, classroom H, right next door.

In conclusion, in 3 days of class I have been to the wrong classroom 8 times.

She has my eyes..

2010-01-25T06:23:00.004+02:00

I'm an Uncle! and other news

2010-01-21T03:58:00.002+02:00

As of 5:30 this morning, I am now to be referred to as Uncle Brian! I was a little groggy when I answered the phone, so I hopefully got this right: Elaina Kaye Moore, 8 lbs and its a girl. Pictures to come whenever I get them, I'm going to visit Sunday.

Other things: Frustrated by my inability to decide where to study abroad, on a whim today I submitted my resume for an internship with Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth on F-35 production line. (see video below) I think my chances are slim-to-none, but in the undying words of Kelsie Dawson, "It's senior year, do somethin crazy."

Attention Everyone...

2010-01-14T07:26:00.003+02:00

meet Rick and Kevin.

Santiago, Chile?!

2010-01-06T08:28:00.008+02:00

Well, the search is on. My one goal for winter break was to try to put together some sort of plan for this summer. I'm looking at studying abroad and this has proven a far more difficult task than I had anticipated.

So here I am, after midnight, looking through page after page of international program information and I finally found one that caught my attention: studying Spanish in Santiago, Chile! Santiago has a lot of outdoor activities that rank pretty high on my list - hiking, skiing, mountain biking, etc. And here's what really made me feel this was right: there is a nearby ski resort called El Colorado. Done. I'm there.

Drawbacks? well....it's $3,000 for one class (half-summer) or $5,000 for two (full) + plane tickets. Also I've been to Mexico and Guatemala - should I try to experience a different culture, like an Asian or African culture? It would be cool to expand my (modest) Spanish skills, however, and I can't think of a cooler place to do it.

Thoughts? Advice?

Regime Wages a Quiet War on 'Star Students' of Iran

2010-01-02T02:07:00.002+02:00

You think your studies are tough?

Check this out..

Revelation Song

2009-12-31T06:50:00.002+02:00

I feel compelled to remind you that in just TWO days, Friday 1/1/10 Phil Wickham's Singalong album is available to download for FREE at:

http://philwickham.com/media/downloads/#index_child_page_834

This just in!

2009-12-28T07:18:00.005+02:00

A recently conducted straw pole revealed that 2/3 of followers of this website are currently in a relationship. Therefore, to better serve my constituents, I've decided to throw this dating piece together.

After undertaking to write this piece, I quickly ran into a problem. Having never been in a successful relationship myself, I decided that I wasn't qualified to write anything even remotely dating related. Fortunately my grandpa (married 53 years) gave me insight at Christmas:

"Hugs are always better in the dark."

This is a lesson I try to remember every day.

God bless,

Brian

Nice jeans!

2009-12-23T05:47:00.003+02:00

Today a gay guy helped me find a pair of jeans at the Gap. Normally I decline any help that's offered, but then I always buy jeans, wash them and then realize they don't fit. So this time I decided I needed an expert opinion. I'll recount part of my experience for you:

Brian: "Do these look okay? They seem kinda long.."

Gap dude: "I don't know... turn around and let me see the back."

{Brian turns}

Gap dude: "Oh yeah, they look good!"

Gap dude: "Are these the straight cut or the boot leg?"

Brian: "Uh, I don't know.."

{Gap dude lifts up the back of Brian's shirt and pulls the the tag out of the back of Brian's jeans}

Gap dude: "They're the straight cut. That's my favorite..."

Anyway, I like the jeans. And I got $20 off. And the guy was nice. I guess we're all happy.

After "pulling an all-nighter"...

2009-12-15T07:11:00.003+02:00

I really struggled staying awake in my next class. I found this in my notes and added a few comments in red.

Enjoy.

Corporate Bureaucracy

2009-12-14T17:54:00.002+02:00

Today I spent 20 minutes trying to log into GE's private network. After 20 minutes I admitted defeat and called my boss. She said: "Oh yeah.. they sent you an email telling you the network was down. I guess you didn't get it because the network is down.."

Dead Week schedule:

2009-12-09T06:18:00.002+02:00

Monday:

-Physical Therapy

- Work (2 hrs)

-Finance Quiz - 48 questions

-OR Homework - 10 pts

-SQC - group project meeting

-Lifegroup

Tuesday:

- Physical Therapy

- Work (2 hrs)

- Written Comm. - give 12 minute presentation (75 pts)

- Mortar Board - deliver poinsettias

- Mortar Board Christmas party

Wednesday:

- Work (2 hours)

- OR Homework - 10 pts

- SQC group project & lab due - 200 pts

Thursday:

- Physical Therapy

- Work (3 hrs)

- Written Comm. - 20 page final paper due - 150 pts

- Ichthus

Friday:

- Work (3 hrs)

- OR Homework due - 10 pts

- OR makeup homework due - 20 pts

breathe easy...

2009-12-05T02:02:00.001+02:00

I just showered for the first time in nine days.

Dear Kelsey Hill,

2009-11-27T04:46:00.004+02:00

My name is Brian Moore and I'm a senior in industrial engineering at K-State. I’m tall, dark and handsome. I am very sorry to hear about your recent knee injury. I'm sure that must be very difficult for you. Having just gone through ACL replacement surgery myself, I believe that we have much in common. First, we each love basketball –obviously to our own detriment. Secondly, we're both single. (I mean.. I know I am. If you're not, that can be arranged.) Finally, through your road games and my inability to stay content in any one place, we each have traveled extensively.

I'm going to be quite forward about this - I think we should date. I’d like to say that I believe we were made for each other and you’re my one true love – but I don’t believe in any of that. I do think that you’re pretty cool, though. As Lloyd Christmas spoke so eloquently in Dumb and Dumber, “What do you think the chances are of a guy like you and a girl like me ending up together?”

I do rehab three times per week at 7:40am at the Orthopedic Center. I’d love to pick you up and do rehab together sometime. I think that we need each other in this tough time. Please let me know what day works for you. I hope to hear from you soon and have a happy thanksgiving!

Affectionately yours,

Brian

Notable events occuring in my life right now:

2009-11-24T21:21:00.003+02:00

I washed my sheets for the first time this semester.
I've got a date tonight. With Sam. I'm cooking him waffles.
I had no class, no homework, no meetings today
At this time tomorrow I'll hopefully A. still be alive, and B., have a new ACL

Happy thanksgiving!

under the broom tree

2009-11-11T23:08:00.006+02:00

today i would like to share with you something veerrry special:

i have recently rediscovered videos of a band i was in from high school! the band's name was under the broom tree. enjoy..

awkward chat convo shared with my boss today:

2009-11-05T18:12:00.005+02:00

Heather: im going to take a spin class over lunch

Brian: what's a spin class??

Heather: stationary bike workout class

Brian: oh, fun

Heather: yes i hear its a good work out

Heather: it will probably kick my butt but it needs it :)

Brian: (pause)

Brian: i prefer road biking..i get bored when i stay in one place

mmhmm..

2009-10-27T19:11:00.004+02:00

i've been realizing that my eating habits have been quite poor as of late, even for college standards. so i splurged a little bit at Dillions and will now be eating BOLOGNE for lunch! woo!

what other product combines three great meats - beef, pork, and chicken - into one even better product?! i can't think of any.

if only they made a product with beef, pork, chicken, AND fish....................

singalong

2009-10-19T21:28:00.006+02:00

I'm starting to get really into Phil Wickham's new Singalong ablum.. it doesn't come out until January but you can (legally) listen for free at Grooveshark. Here are a few of my favorites:

and this song should make a comeback..

If you're a friend of Christopher Columbus

2009-10-12T21:23:00.002+02:00

Then you certainly aren't a friend of mine.

(compliments of Andy Brownback)

Christopher Colombus is responsible for the exploitation and murder of hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of indigenous Americans. Furthermore, his policy of institutionalized, systematic sadism, torture, rape and murder stands out as an unparalleled blemish in the history of western civilization... you know, the civilization responsible for the crusades, slavery, colonization and natural resource exploitation...

"After Columbus had surveyed the Caribbean region, he returned to Spain to prepare his invasion of the Americas. From accounts of his second voyage, we can begin to understand what the New World represented to Columbus and his men -- it offered them life without limits, unbridled freedom. Columbus took the title Admiral of the Ocean Sea and proceeded to unleash a reign of terror unlike anything seen before or since. When he was finished, eight million Arawaks -- virtually the entire native population of Hispaniola -- had been exterminated by torture, murder, forced labor, starvation, disease and despair." -Stannard

From the account of the Spanish Missionary Bartolome de las Casas:

"One day, in front of Las Casas, the Spanish dismembered, beheaded, or raped 3000 people. 'Such inhumanities and barbarisms were committed in my sight,' he says, 'as no age can parallel....' The Spanish cut off the legs of children who ran from them. They poured people full of boiling soap. They made bets as to who, with one sweep of his sword, could cut a person in half. They loosed dogs that 'devoured an Indian like a hog, at first sight, in less than a moment.' They used nursing infants for dog food."

¡Feliz dia de la raza!

Andy B

(And sent this to me today so I thought I'd share it with you without asking permission..hope you enjoyed)

prophecy?!?

2009-10-12T04:20:00.003+02:00

Today, for the third time in my life, I was directly prophesied to. I'd like to recap those experiences:

1. July 12, 2006 - Living Water Ranch, Manhattan, KS - from a youth pastor of the Mustard Seed youth group. I'll paste this directly from a journal I was keeping at the time:

"What I remember goes like this: He said, “Is Brian from Living Water Ranch here?” I was behind a pole and he didn’t see me. I waved. He said that he felt like the Lord was telling me that there is a reason I’m there and that it’s to learn and also to tell me that there are people in my life telling me which way to go with my life, but that I know the way in my heart to go. He said that when I go to bed tonight I’ll be thinking about this and I know in my heart what I’m to do with my life."

As far as I remember, I did not know "which way to go in life" lying in bed that night. Not that school is life, but I did not settle on a major until 2nd semester sophomore year. However, I did have an eye-opening experience that night...

2. Spring Break 2008 - Little Rock, Arkansas - from an adult from Bridgeway church.

A few students and I were pulled from the group one night in worship because a man said he saw crosses on our heads. He said he didn't know why, but that we were supposed to talk. I still have no idea what the point of our gathering was. However, I'd never met Dave before and after that night Dave & I began meeting one-on-one for discipleship stuff. This lasted for 2 years until he graduated.

3. 3pm today - Manhattan, KS - from a friend.

He/she saw a vision of a burlap seed sack tipped on its side with seed spilled out on the ground. He/she said it was either seed or rock, they couldn't tell. Interpretations were that God was going to set my life aright, fill it back up, and use me to reach 'good soil' - or (if rocks) that I had junk in my life and God wants to clean it up.

(I've had many people tell me things like, "I feel like God is giving me the word 'peace', or 'love,' does that mean anything to you?" Generally I have not had such experiences prove particularly fruitful.)

I'm going to be relatively quiet on my analysis of the 3 major prophesies. Obviously I took note of such events because, well, I was told GOD was speaking to me. Most experiences caused me to spend more time in the Word, praying, etc., although I'm not sure any prophesies can be proven completely true or false.

Thoughts? Comments? Similar personal experiences?

Jim Knox takes a spill, K-State - Missouri

2009-10-10T20:16:00.002+02:00

Can you spot me in this video??

twitter update:

2009-10-01T15:50:00.001+02:00

i just ran for the first time in 65 days!! it was brutal, but glorious.

seismic proportions

2009-09-29T18:48:00.005+02:00

sometimes i feel like my emotions can be best captured on the richter scale:

unrelated to that.. congrats to Matt Wilson for getting accepted to KU Med and Andy for acing the math portion of the GRE! I'm blessed to have such smart/awesome friends. i will continue to do my best to counterbalance your intelligence haha.

Peace,

Brian

darn squirrels.

2009-09-15T16:58:00.007+02:00

this morning i woke up expecting a beautiful, sunny, peaceful morning. i open the door to breathe in the fresh air and what do i see?! some lousy squirrel had gone crazy on some nuts overnight and left them all over my sidewalk!!

the nerve of squirrels these days..

reading this is not worth your time

2009-09-10T06:02:00.003+02:00

blog karma strikes again!

i really thought tearing an acl would spawn more than 1 comment.. however i guess 3 of my 4 blog-readers knew about it long before the post came out, so i guess it makes sense.

i've had an exhausting week...and it's only wednesday. i've had to relearn how to deal with stress...aparrently i forgot. thank you, school, for affording this opportunity to me.

i need a break..

...so it's a good thing that I've got the Ichthus guys' retreat Friday-Sat., after which I immediately depart on the Mortar Board retreat from Sat.-Sunday.

i think i'll need a retreat from retreats

such is life

ignorance is bliss

2009-08-28T21:29:00.010+02:00

Well it's official - I've torn my ACL.

Bright spot? - no torn cartilage or anything like that.

So in good humor, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the stupid things that I've done in the past few weeks while impervious to the fact that my ACL was in two separate pieces...

1. Hide it - I always resented the fact that one of my co-workers twisted their ankle and played the limp-card for TWO WEEKS. So I tried hard to not limp while the knee was swollen and no one at GE ever found out. However, had I known the ACL was torn, I definitely would have played it up!

2. Hike the Twin Sisters, CO - Pictured above, I'm balancing on the bad knee at the summit of the 7-mile hike. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

3. Jump/run/fall down in Great Dunes Nat'l Park, CO - Pictured below, I remember my knee buckeling one time and thinking to myself, "why does this still hurt?!"

4. Not punching that guy - not that I'm still bitter or anything! My words to the man who put his knee through the side of mine during a game of basketball were something like, "I think I'm just going to go sit down for a sec."

5. Frisbee - I can recount multiple times where I was running and feelin' pretty good and the next moment would be laying on the ground. But since it never hurt that bad, I'd get up and play again later. I think frisbee was far worse for me than anything else I've mentioned.

Jokes aside..to be able to ride my bike/walk/jog around with a torn ACL and basically zero pain seems like a great mercy to me. I feel very blessed to be in the condition as I am.

Thanks to all of you who have been so supportive when I needed it - and given that tough-love when I needed it, too.

(although some of you could maybe tone down the tough-love just a bit..)

God bless,

Brian

Dear Brian,

2009-08-11T06:24:00.001+02:00

(you fill in the rest)

brothers and sisters

2009-08-04T01:25:00.005+02:00

pray:

Pakistan Christians shut schools to mourn killings

Nigerians count cost after uprising by
Islamic sect

Here are a couple conversations that I've overheard in the past day or two:

"My parents think I'm Catholic. I think I'm not. I'm supposed to be at church right now. Instead I bought some shoes and got a little drunk. Who's religious these days anyway? It seems like it's kindof a dying thing."

"Dude this drunk text is hilarious!: 'I got kicked out of Barns and Nobles cuz i put all the bibles in the fiction section.'"

I'd like to think that I was able to do more this summer than just make the world's largest company some money. Tell me, if all I did was try to treat people right, to be a good friend, to live at peace with people of different beliefs as me, have I fallen short? Because despite my best efforts to "be a light in a dark place" (which btw sounds so conceited to me..), I'm afraid my light has been far too dim.

hump day

2009-07-30T04:53:00.003+02:00

Don't ask me why it happened today, but today the interns came to the stark realization that in just over a week they will part ways and never see each other again. And while I think we're all ready to go home, it's never easy to leave friends that you've spent the last 70 straight days with. It rained today.

Yes, it was a sad day in Erie.

ouchie

2009-07-29T04:52:00.003+02:00

Which knee no longer enjoys basketball??

blame Canada

2009-07-27T03:44:00.005+02:00

This weekend we packed into my roommate's Civic and headed for Canada. It's strangely comforting to know that America isn't the only country that's embraced consumerism.. so for two days I embraced Canada. Lots of fun. Highlights included..Niagara Falls, dance club, only losing $1 at the casino (10% of my total investment), and eating wings at their birthplace (actually in Buffalo, NY on the way). Also, I met a practicing witch in Buffalo. Not really a highlight, but a first anyway. She was nice.

Here's the story of how I ordered wings:
(shouting from the noise)
Brian: "Hi, I'd like to order 50 barbecue wings, please."
Brian:"Oh, and a Coke."
Waitress: "Okay. Did you say, 'medium?'"
Brian: "Yeah, sure."

20 minutes later..

Waitress: "Okay who had 50 medium wings??"
Brian: (silence)

If you're interested in pictures, click here.

Much love,

Brian

karma

2009-07-24T01:05:00.004+02:00

I had a real live Buddhist AND Hindu try to explain to me what karma is...and I still don't get it.

Which by the way, it's not any fun to "talk the faith" with them because they'll say "My problem with Christianity is....." but as soon as you ask them a question about their faith, they simply reply, "We try not to worry about the 'why' questions. We feel they're not practical in everyday life."

But anyway, karma:

If you know my brother, you know he's very smart (2nd in his class at law school, suma cum laude in dual major finance & accounting at K-State, never got a B in his life..) and he HATES to be wrong. Therefore, when I found out that my brother forgot to put the pumpkin into a pumpkin pie (and called home to Mom wanting to know what could have possibly gone wrong), I vowed that I would never let him forget it.

But this week, in cruel retribution, karma struck.

After setting off the dorm's fire alarm in a freak bacon accident, I decided I'd give cooking one last shot.. So I'm cooking Hamburger Helper, and although the packages are clearly labeled "Sauce Mix" and "Toppings Mix", I pour both packs into the sauce.

COMPLETELY RUINED!

Okay, maybe not, I ate it anyway...but it was embarrassing.

So, karma? Maybe not. But disheartening? Absolutely.

Fortunately, (and I'm not too humble to admit it) I'm smarter than my brother..

I didn't call Mom.

cold pancakes and well-cooked bacon

2009-07-18T00:08:00.010+02:00

Ah, yes..I'm sitting here in my little apartment. There's a single lamp providing light, the open windows allowing the 70 degree evening breeze to pass through. Ingrid Michaelson - Breakable playing softly over the kitchen speakers... it's the calm after the storm.

I managed to set off the fire alarm tonight - not the smoke detector in our apartment (which NEVER went off) - but the entire dorm's alarm.

I've spent the last three years at DU shutting off the alarm after drunk idiots upset it in some obnoxious way or another..

..but this night, it was my turn.

Well, not to be a drunk idiot...just an idiot. Had a couple of friends over, got kinda hungry around 10:00, decided pancakes sounded delicious. It was a natural progression to throw on some bacon.

(little did I know that my friend had turned the stove on high. nor did I notice that the exhaust fan was not yet turned on..)

Somewhere around this time I cut my finger and it starts to bleed - "foreshadowing."

Anyway, I'm standing there next to the stove and look across the room and realize there is a slight haze developing. I click on the fan. "Hey, I think we should shut the do-!" I'm cut off by the screeching of the fire alarm.

- expletive. -

I fly down the stairs, begin frantically pressing the 'silence' button that serves only as a cruel tease.

After 4 L-O-N-G minutes, campus police show up. They inform me that they cannot shut off the alarms, but will be going through the entire building to make sure every living being is outside for fear of the not-fire.

After about 10 minutes, the giant red fire engine and fire jeep-thing roar into the street. They finally shut down the system. They take down my name, phone number, home address, social security, favorite hobby, greatest fear in life...okay they didn't take all of that, but they took plenty anyway.

"Please try to be more careful when you're cooking," the fireman grunts, obviously wishing this was a real fire. and that I wasn't stupid. And with that, they were gone.

I finish my cold pancake and well-cooked bacon.

And thus conclude the saga of my failed attempt at cooking my own supper.

"Great bid, nice put"

2009-07-15T00:40:00.003+02:00

Ultimate frisbee, ultimate weekend!

Here, I'll give you just a taste:

..you know it's worth it...

..do the right thing...

...make the click.

One week to rule them all!

2009-07-07T03:27:00.012+02:00

Monday. Highlight of my day - talked to Sam Creagar. Enough said. I'm glad he's still alive and has the use of all of his limbs. If that comment seems strange to you, you don't talk to Sam enough.

On Tuesday I spent the day at the infamous Cedar Point. My favorite ride included a 0-120mph launch in 4 seconds. Check it out:

At a lecture at GE on Wednesday I found out I have the Swine Flu. No joke. A doctor told me that I would be quarantined to my room for 7 days without pay. So I picked up my things and left the lecture. However, upon checking into the med center they said, "who told you what?! He doesn't know what he's talking about! You're fine, go back to work." That said, today is day 8 of having a terrible cold. Suck. Pray for me.

On Thursday I talked to my favorite and most ardent blog-supporter, Kelsie Dawson. She is 21! This actually didn't happen on Thursday, but for completion's sake we'll leave at that.

My parents visited me this weekend. On the Fourth we went down to Gettysburg and trounced the Confederates in one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War:

Sunday I took a stroll through one of Frank's finest: Fallingwater

And I finished off my week eating a homemade (Mom helped me make it) strawberry pie back at "home" in Erie with my new friends. Mmhmm.

i cried today.

2009-06-18T04:32:00.008+02:00

i cried today.

i know, it takes a very confident man to admit he cries. i think the last time i cried was three years ago. i'm not sure if that's a long time or a short time for a guy..

but today, it was just too much. i broke down.

i ate one buffalo wild wings BLAZIN' wing!

two glasses of water, many tears and thiry minutes later, the pain had finally subsided. i was wearing one less layer of clothing than when i started. but by that point i'd eaten and drank so much that i spent the rest of the night lying on the couch groaning in misery.

so, if i may be so bold as to give myself a man-card for eating the hottest wing in b-dub's 16-wing arsenol, i'll take one away for being an embarrassment to men everywhere.