though i am pressed for time, i feel that it would be a crime to not honor the fact that carol anne came down this past weekend. would i be doing justice to such a pleasant and entertaining visit if i did not atleast mention it's impact to the brotherhood...? must i always end most of my sentences with elipses...? we shall see...

so carol anne came, assuring many theory's to the effect of the greatness of all ladies with the last name wright. don't get me wrong, there is a long list of lovely ladies in my, and others, minds -- but what i come to you to say is that never have i seen so much humor, love, goodness of heart, and genuine following of Christ in one autonomous unit (that being the wright clan). this only makes me excited to meet the entire family (plus or minus one or two -- this being nearly inconsequential considering the size of this clan, family, whatever...).

what can i say? john missed out on another chance to meet more wonderful people to ignore while playing battlefield, nate has been invigorated simply by the fact that there are nice ladies out there and shouldn't start thinking that he can settle for some "hot slut", kildoo... well, who knows where kildoo has been. and as for myself... well, i can only hope i can somehow repay the amazing love and kindness i have been shown. and don't think the wright love is leaving with carol -- laura is keepin up the adoration 24/7, just give her a call or leave her love on her door! she loves things like that...

as always, keepin it real... REAL real...

If you haven't picked up a copy of our fine colligate newspaper here of late, please do so, and turn to page 7. I'll give you a moment to glance over the 'comic' in the upper right-hand corner. And maybe then you'll need a nice 'count of ten' so that the swell of offensive anger can subside...
OK, are you still w/ me? Or have you allready ripped the paper to shreds and vowed never again to read such trash? Yeh, I'm right there w/ you, if only the mere fact that this satirical drawing exists and the motivation behind it wasn't so sad.
For those of you who have allready vowed never again to read such trash, if you don't want to break that vow, and anger yourself in the process, I suggest you not pick up a copy. But for those who have not yet seen this 'comic', I suggest you take a peek. I would describe the latest from the Carolinian comics here in the Bro'hood, but I'd rather not taint the wholesomeness of the Bro'hood blog w/ such righteously offensive material.
So what is all my ranting about? Well, you take a look @ that comic and you tell me. There are multiple layers to my shock, and well, @ this time, I don't think that I can properly articulate them. I'm even @ a loss for words as I sit here typing. The only good, I can possibly think of coming out of this 4.5"x5" black and white drawing is that it is should be a cold shower shock of reality and consequentially a discussion starter among believers. The loudest message to us is this: "BAM! Here's how a lot of the world, not to mention your own campus, sees you 'Christians', now what are you going to do about it?"

for those of you praying for someone to not post YET ANOTHER list... i mean, wasn't that the only thing witty about my last post? pointing out how everyone hates lists, yet making one -- i am a genious. on a more realistic note:

i am trying to be more of a "man of God". this is very hard, let me fill you in... anytime you make a decision, as a man... for God, with God, because of God, etc -- that is when Satan puts you in a position making you think that your original plan was silly or, even trying to "be a man" is pointless and you should just give it up. i must continue the correct path; i must not stray...

as a man, i should be more intentional with the ladies who's hearts i come in contact with. i should right my wrongs. i should be open to say i'm sorry. i should step up and take the risks. i should be a prayer warrior. i should... protect the forrest. introduce folk dancing. and have affordable health care for saxons... and normans... i should be someone the lil' homies wanna look up to.

i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me...

as always, keepin it real... REAL real...

Yes, I realize this is over the top, but it had to be done. And notice that because it's "over the top", I pulled "the switch" on the topic. Ahhhhh yeah!

Top 10 reasons why I actually post

10. Wittiness may only strike me at certain times, but I'm unabashed in putting dumb posts on the internet
9. I love Jess but must do something to balance out her 700 Club references
8. Iron Maiden is one of my all time favorite bands...on vinyl
7. I don't have a life.
6. I must type to quell the fires of the "Angry Fist Dance"
5. John enjoys my random references, and John is the only man I would die in a plane crash for.
4. I never had a train of thought, but I always think of trains when I write country songs
3. Everyone is Mikey's biggest fan, which makes me continue to write in hopes of at least having a "smallest fan"
2. It's a good thing to do after you visit CNN.com, keeping yourself abreast of current events always promotes typified thought
1. Let's be real here...I am just too lazy to sign out.

top 10 reasons why i never actually post

10. i always feel like i don't have anything really funny to say
9. laura says she never reads it anyways
8. i might end up posting some sort of top ten list
7. i work ALL THE TIME!!!
6. last time i tried a squirrel attacked me and played battlefield instead
5. when the squirrel isn't playing battlefield, i usually am
4. zoe doesn't bug me enough to post
3. if i am at my computer i am probably chatting with my dozens of fans
2. i don't ever understand john's political references
1. let's be real here... i am just too lazy to sign in

here is my slack list, making an attempt to post in the morning. but do not worry, i vow right here and now that i will make another vain vow to post more often, for you, the reader! but then again, we all know how vain vow's go :-)

as always, keepin it real... REAL real...

Man, it's like Langoliers up in this piece.

So, today was a good day. I spent some quality time with the LW ("Laura Wright", for those folks not on the dl ["down low", for those folks not hip to the new suburban slang]). We went to church and then had lunch.
Then I passed my afternoon by recording solid, on-pitch rough copies of some of my songs. Just for reference, I recorded Trout Run (The new bomb instrumental), Tables, Thunderstorms, Ride, One of These Days, "New" Halo at Dusk, and a rugged cover of Rex's Blues by Townes Van Zandt. So that was exciting. I'm gonna lay those fake-sounding MIDI drum tracks down this week, rerecord the songs over them, and the full album will be the red-headed stepchild of techno-acoustic ridiculousness. Why I recorded the songs at all today? Kevan wants me to send a demo to Cafe Jam so I can play music and not get paid for it. Which I'm all about, if I needed money, I'd just wait for someone to intentionally hit me with their car.
Of course, speaking of music, and this would be better music, we had worship practice for IV. I would have to say that went pretty well. I am weirded out by the fact that I will be playing the mandolin, an instrument I pick up very rarely.
On that note...Random. Out.

Thanks for the talk Mikey.
It sucks getting blocked. But it's good to know where the real is at. So though I may be far from keeping it real sometimes, I do try to keep the love.
And I keep the love for all you brothers, honorary brothers, brotherettes, and others.

now, i realize that you will have to scroll down to read all this... but, well, you just will have to. and i also am not a fan of people always putting song lyrics up - cause let's face it, everyone likes a ton of songs and no one really reads them anyways. but i promise, this has a point...

"Dandelions" Five Iron Frenzy

In a field of yellow flowers,
underneath the sun,
bluest eyes that spark with lightning,
boy with shoes undone.
He is young, so full of hope,
reveling in tiny dreams,
filling up, his arms with flowers,
right for giving any queen.

Running to her beaming bright,
while cradling his prize.
A flickering of yellow light,
within his mother's eyes.
She holds them to her heart,
keeping them where they'll be safe,
clasped within her very marrow,
dandelions in a vase.

She sees love, where anyone else would see weeds.
all hope is found.
Here is everything he needs.

Fathomless your endless mercy,
weight I could not lift.
Where do I fit in this puzzle,
what good are these gifts?
Not a martyr, or a saint,
scarcely can I struggle through.
All that I have ever wanted,
was to give my best to you.

Lord, search my heart,
create in me something clean.
Dandelions
you see flowers in these weeds.

Gently lifting hands to heaven,
softened by the sweetest hush,
a Father sings over his children,
loving them so very much.
More than words could warrant,
deeper than the darkest blue,
more than sacrifice could merit,
Lord, I give my heart to you.

this song gets me everytime i hear it. i don't know - i mean, it is such a great picture of our relationship with God. we love someone so we go outside and grab a bunch of plants in hopes that our mere gift will simply bring a smile to the face of our mother. now, ordinarily these flowers are surrounded by weeds and will enevitably be dirty and probably not the prettiest flower in the world anyways. but it does not matter to our mother, because she knows our heart is only trying to find something pleasing to her. so it is not the bad things that she sees, but the beauty in all we give.

often we struggle with feelings of mediocrity. i am not billy graham, or mother theresa - what have i ever done that God would find joy from me being His child? well, that is just it, He loves me because of who i am in Him. He loves me because i love Him, and before i ever knew to love Him. trying to figure out God's love will only make us spend time on things that we can never fully understand, so, in turn, i can only say to Him, "Lord, take my heart - create in me something clean..." because He truly seeing flowers in our weeds. and more than anything i could do or say to you, you already know me and i give you my heart to change and mold...

thank you...

as always, keepin it real... REAL real...

Amen sister bear. Amen.

(Does anyone even read this thing anymore?) So, I went to IV tonight. My first time, ever. My official Christening (no pun intended) on the good ship InterVarsity As much as I must humble myself to say it...
I had a good time. The speaker was AWESOME. For the first time in... how many months has it been? (... though none of you know of my personal struggles... I haven't even sorted through them all yet...) I feel moved, inspired, awed... shall I even say... convicted? W-o-w. Whoa ('Wowy-wow-wow-wow' as Christopher Walken would say.)
I've been jaded for so long. Wallowing in my disappointment and hurt concerning CO. Being downright pissed-off and unforgiving towards people... harbouring all this ickiness inside... I can't even explain. The wounds were and still are deep... to a certain extent. But perhaps I was pouring salt in my own wounds the whole time. You know, sometimes you just gotta get out there, and swallow your pride.
When I woke-up this morning, I was thinking... I can't really put it into words... but I was thinking how far removed I've become from Christ since I became a Christian. Funny ain't it? Shouldn't I have been moving towards him? I really can't describe, but there was this emptiness inside me. The recognition of where I am. And this morning, it wasn't a good place. What in my life is an honest and glorifying display of the great gift I've been given? Nothing. Unless I told you, and then you probably wouldn't believe me anyway, you'd never know. So yeh, I was thinking this morning, and I decided not to go to IV tonight. My friend Christine just started going, and I told her I would maybe go w/ her... but nah, not tonight. Maybe some other time. But you know... even though I wasn't listening... God whispered. And something inside of me heard.
And you know... I could wake up in about 7 hours and feel the same way I did this morning. I could be right back in that place. The flame could have gone out again. Just like it went out... I can't even remember when, it's been out so long. But I don't want that to happen. And I need help keeping the fire going. I need all the encouragement and support and prayer I can get. This time, THIS TIME, I'm going to ask for help. And I'm going to tell you straight up that I NEED TO BE PURSUED. I'm not very good @ asking for help... so this is my cry. Help me.
God only knows why I just dumped all this out on a BLOG for Pete's sake... hopefully someone will read this. And hopefully I won't get any flak for being an emotional girl... because I am crying rigt now.

So yeh... that's my post, and I'm sticking to it.

I took a different quiz, titled "If you could drive anywhere and back in five days where would you go?" Turns out I would go to Gettysburg, Niagara Falls, drive through Canadia, hang out around the University of Michigan, and maim golfers outside of Columbus, before returning home through the mountains of Cantuckee and Wes' Virginny. Alright I didn't really take a quiz, but my dad and I did go on a little drive these past few days.
Now here are a few of the valuable lessons I learned this weekend:


-If you are in Pennsylvania, expect Pennsylvanians to drive erratically. If you are in New York, expect New Yorkers to drive nonsensibly. If you are anywhere, expect Washington DC'ers to drive incomprehensibly.
-Every roadside restaurant has a different "secret recipe" for coleslaw.
-New York Interstates have exits that completely do not correspond with the mile markers.
-There are more Asians in Niagara Falls than in Asia.
-Don't try to give the 'wassup nod' to a Mennonite youth. He'll stare you down with angst.
-Thrice is the perfect music for driving northern Pennsylvania.
-Ontario Police cars are marked "O.P.P."
-When your car CD player decides to stop working in the middle of Ontario, you can always listen to the french jazz radio station.
-When your car CD player still isn't working during your drive through Ohio, you can gain a new appreciation for contemporary christian radio.
-If you have any questions about the Army, ask a retired Brigadier General.
-The University of Michigan's excessive liberalism makes UNCG look like a bible college.

That's all for my lessons. Here's a quick breakdown of our stops.
Greensboro NC, Buchanan VA, Natural Bridge VA, Gettysburg PA (First time there), Trout Run PA, Albion NY, Shadigee NY (My first view of Lake Ontario...my first view of any of the Great Lakes), Model City NY (My first step on an "Indian Reservation"), Niagara Falls NY, Niagara Falls OT, "service stop" OT (And the nullifying similarity of Canada and America hit home), Ann Arbor MI (home of my great aunt Rosalie, her dog Orion, and the hippest college town of the midwest), Columbus OH, Huntington WV, King NC (We got gas here, we didn't stop-trailer capital of NC).

Expect pictures soon. I got some phat panorama shots of the falls.

Peace

so, quick update... i have my computer built thanks to Brooks Computing Inc. my monitor is in the mail... literally. i have DSL and plan to be more in touch (electronically) with people now. that said - the internet rules, and i digress...

so i was cruzin' through people's online journals tonight and ran across a "what dashboard song are you?" quiz is my home skillet sarah's journal. well, needless to say, i took it... here is the conclusion

You are Hands Down!! You're in love! youre in love with the moment, the day, the week. Everything reminds you of what you love, and you feel like you're walking on clouds. Your friends are getting used to that silly grin thats plastered on your face permanently and listening to you talk about your love nonstop. You worship the ground they walk on, and you want nothing more than to make them happy. They are completely in love with you, too...

a few things... i am currently not desperately in love with a girl. least not desperately, hehe. but what made me the happiest is that i TOTALLY felt that this description fit me. because from the first line i knew that i WAS in love, hopelessly - with God. then i read it all wanting it to be what people see in me. my love for Christ and how i never stop talking about Him. my friends getting used to me always talking about Him, and how He is completely in love with me too... i dunno - just thought i would share. God is doing something big in me, i can feel it.

as always, keepin it real... REAL real...

I buy hardcore albums to make myself feel better about the fact that I just sing and play a guitar. But I buy country albums because I know that I can be awesome singing with my soul and playing a guitar. So I sing with my soul. Sometimes I wonder if my voice is as annoying as others of my pseudo-Christian acoustic jamming ilk.


what's with Mary Beth answering Shannon's IM? I'm just trying to say wassup to my homegirl. I mean, I know it happens that people talk on other people's screennames (I have lately taken it to a new artistic level), but the girl got short tempered with me because I wanted to share my news of departure with my original fake girlfriend. Girl time, shmirl time. If you were having girl time, why were you chatting on your friend's screenname? Stupid.
I have a feeling Mary Beth and I are going to have it out soon enough. She better start practicing fencing because I hear swordfighting's the only honorable way for a man and woman to spar.

In other news, I saw Underworld tonight with Matt and Jenny Luper. Don't go see that movie, it really blows.

In other news, working backwards, I ran into Jennifer Hingley today. I should just give the girl a shout out because she and I had some good talks over the weekend.

I was just thinking about how many Jennifers there are and that there should be some kind of nickname system assigned to them. But since I'm not good at giving nicknames except for ones that are lame, I will not assign names today. It would then pose the problem for me to assign nicknames to the Katies and Katherines I know (of various spellings). And where would it end?

Still, there are what I like to call the "True" forms, the named originals. For example, Matt Jeffreys is the only "True" Matt, cause he is the only Matt I will ever call just "Matt" when which Matt I was referring to would be in question. Mostly it is easy enough to figure out in context, and since there are only two relevant characters named Matt, there is hardly any need for me to give Mr. Windley or Mr. Jeffreys funny names. And there's the true "Mikey", and even if he went by Michael or Mike, I'd have to give him reign over the name. And John? Do we really have to ask? I only know of one other remotely cool John, and he never returns my cell phone calls...
However, the situation gets complicated with naming "True" women. Of all the Jennifers and Jennys, how would I assign a "true"? Placating the anger ensuing from jealousy would be hard-so many women want to be seen as the unique, special wielder of that name. It's hard to tell them, "you're not the true Jenny, my true Jenny was my first girlfriend" or "you're not the true Laura, the true Laura is tall, non-sketch, and awesome" or "you're not the true Katie- the true Katie is my sister, why would you even front on that?"

I guess I'll have to continue clarifying by last name, since my use of nicknames is oft absurd and over the top. Much like the majority of this post.

*We now join our hero Daniel as he sits in the silicon and plastic jungle that is the GTCC computer lab*

...After months of searching for the treasure of actually being able to post on the brotherhood, I believe that I have finally found it! Yes, I have had the invitation in my posession for quite some time now. At times I was so close to joining I could taste it. But the secret of using the complex mechanism of signing up for blogger is what was stopping me! (yes, I know it's a simple process...it's a long story) But I have made it! I have defeated the sinister "Username and password is null" and made it through the labyrinth of errors and popups to reach my destination: I can post! And I must say, this brings me great joy.

Untill then, it's now.