King Kong Goes Ape

Sorry for the bad 1930's headline, but I was in the mood. I saw King Kong this weekend with Lindsey, Sarah and Dennis. And I mean, I've seen some pretty cool things in my life but......that......was.......AWESOME!!!!! Yes, it takes them an hour to get to Skull Island and yes, you can't not laugh at Jack Black. But, the giant ape fighting three T. Rex's while holding on to his new girly toy? Unbelievable! If Naomi Watts doesn't get an oscar there's something wrong with the world. And how about some Oscar love for Andy Serkis. Who's Andy Serkis and why do I care, you ask?? He's the guy who spent two months in Rwanda studying the movements of gorillas and then got dressed up in a black suit with balls all over it to bring Kong to life. Also the very same Andy Serkis who did the same thing for Gollum in LOTR. Give him a freakin' oscar, he played a giant gorilla!!!!!!

Awesome awesome awesome. So awesome I didn't even realize my ass was numb until hour two!
Advocate for the Advancement of Big Hairy Apes, or AABHA,
Brad

You must be the change you seek.....Gandhi

Kudos, as always to Mom and Dad.

Someone needs to step and let people know that Christians really are normal people with normal problems and normal questions about God and the Bible. Who you ask?? Well, us!

We must be the change we want to happen, thanks 'rents,

Brad

The King of Kongs

Don't worry, I'm not going to ruin any movies for anyone this week. Just wanted to tell everybody how excited I am to see King Kong. It's gonna be freakin' sweet. My girl said we'll celebrate my end of a semester by doing anything I wanted soooo, I think I'll make her sit through a 3 hour and 8 minute monkey movie.

On the way to Skull Island, Brad

Noones, the captain of coolness

You don't know Noones, Andy?!?! Aw, man, he's like the coolest guy in the world! He lurks in the shadows of men's hearts and behind the dumpster of Chipotle behind my house. I've never seen his face and, yet, he's the most beautiful being I've ever seen. But, again, if he's gonna comment on my blog, I'm done, man. Done.

Brad

ps...Sorry, I've been watching Strong Bad this morning (which if you have some time at work, brotherman, go see homestarrunner.com) I know its sort of been played out ever since Todd Oberlin started thinking it was cool. But, it's still got the goods...the comedy goods, that is. Not, like, canned corn and milk.

Laughing Stock

Hey all,
I was watching Comedy Central's Last Laugh '05 this weekend, a show where famous comics, David Spade, Carlos Mencia, Sarah Silverman, etc, reflect comedically on the last year. Every comic on the show had at least one joke about Christians in their act. The Christians that are in the media, that is, the right wing blow hards and liberal fanatics, have made the Christian faith into a laughing stock. And, by the way, the jokes were true and HIIIIIlarious! Someone needs to step up and say, yeah, I'm a Christian and no I'm not crazy.

B

ps, I live for the validation of my peers; if noones gonna comment on my blogs, then I'm just gonna stop...so...uh!

Back to Zero

Recently, all two thousand four hundred thirty seven songs on my iPod were erased. (we don't need to talk about how, MUSTOE). This wouldn't be a big deal, but my computer is so slow and diseased that I can't even get the songs from my original 200 CDs back on.

All this, and the all out riots over XBox 360, reminded me of my love of the movie Fight Club and the reasons behind that love. In the movie, Tyler Durdin comes into Edward Norton character's life and totally turns it upside down, freeing him from the oppresive rule of his things. "The things you own end up owning you". I am so dependent on the things in my life. Especially technology. I have to admit I was pissed off when my iPod got erased. Why? My grandfather's sort of depressed right now, Lindsey's grandparents aren't doing too well, not to mention all the war in the world, all the people dying of AIDS, starvation and malnutrition in Africa, all the people still without homes in our own country, all 117 murders in KC this year, and I get pissed off because my expensive "hottest thing on the market" MP3 player went back to zero. I can take my computer to a store and have it defragged or something and get the songs back on and then I can have Mustoe bring his computer up and do the same thing we did to get his songs the first time and it'll be fixed. And what will it cost? Time! That's it. It's just an inconvienence and I was pissed about it. "The things you own end up owning you" People are getting their bones broken over a gaming system here folks; What're we doing?

Now, the second half of the movie, Tyler Durdin forms a anti-materialism coalition in the abandoned house that he a Ed Norton live in. However, in their pursuit to free people from our materialist, capitalist society, they come up with a plan to destroy the HQ's of all five top credit card companies, bringing everyone....back to zero. This group, devoted to freedom, became really a terroist organization led by a crazy man. (watch this movie!!!)

We need things. That's the sad truth. We have to live with things in our lives. But it's when those things end up controlling our lives, when those things are more important than the people in our lives, more important than the things going on in the world and evils done by the evil people around the world, from our country and otherwise, that our possessions end up possessing us.

Mustoe, I don't blame you, and I ain't made atchya. You are my Tyler Durdin. Let's just hope I don't wake up and realize that you and I are the same person.

unplugging, b

Thanksgiving Memories

Ahh, Thanksgiving. The laughs, the family, the food, the farts.

I spent a good long break with family in CoMO this past weekend. It was just what I needed.
All told, on Thanksgiving afternoon, there were ten people, one very old dog, one very big dog, one very excited dog, and my sister's thing, CoCo. The food was great, Nanny is still the best cook in the world. My cousins Nate and Amanda and I started talking like Kip at the dinner table and none of the old people had a clue!! (Just kidding, Mom!) Try saying, The mash potatoes have just the neccessary amound of mash in a Kip voice. Let the hilarity ensue. That night, like my brother, I saw the new Harry Pooter, er Potter. My mother, my aunt, my cousins and my cousin-in-law-to-be, who's name is Brad (we call him the Duece, cause I was in this family first!) all took up a row. Unlike my brother, I don't read. Therefore, I was not disappointed. I thought it was great. Great choice for the dark lord, even if his nose didn't come back, Erin.

Friday I woke up at 1:30. That's right. But, in all fairness, I went to bed at 3:00, so I only slept for ten hours. Friday night was Amanda and Brad's engagement party. Amanda bought three bottles of wine at ALDI'S so naturally I brought my own: Woodchuck, an adult cider and Michelob Lager. Very fun. We called it, of course, an "I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious" party. A bunch of Aunt Cathy's crazy friends came and one of them newFamily Guy and who Kip was. So, once again, hilarity ensued. Spent the night and played Trivial Pursuit with the cous's. Nate didn't notice that he hadn't had a turn in 10 minutes. Good times.

Saturday, I actually did it. I went shopping on thanksgiving weekend. But, i had a specific agenda so it wasn't so bad.

All in all, a great weekend and much much too short.

Later, B

That Johnny Cash's full of crap, man!

So, I saw Walk the Line with Lindsey last night. And I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Here's the back story:
When my friends and I all got Ipod's at the same time we started buying music together. With 5,000 songs to come up with up we wanted the best that every genre had to offer. Johnny Cash is the best the old-fashioned rocknroll country has to offer so we bought the Essential J. C. , 40 of his best loved songs. And I have to say that I loved it. Every single song sounds exactly the same (I apologize is you just spit on your computer trying to say that) but it's great. It's the words. He sings about hard times in prisons, bar fights, and boy's with girls names. He sings about floods and hard post-depression country living.

And the movie.....ITS A FREAKIN' LOVE STORY!!!! Come on people. Or should I say, come on Johnny, may you rest in peace. Over the past year, from listening to the music, I had come to think that the Man in Black was the toughest son of a bitch on the planet earth, punching and agougin' in the blood and the mud and the beer. Turns out he was just another strung out rocknroll junkie with a remarkably boring life who cheated on his wife and couldn't really play the guitar all that well.

I've gotta say, the movie had its cool parts. Waakeen, or whatever, did a great job and Reece Witherspoon is probably the hottest woman in the world right now. The best parts were Cash's one liners, all mentioned in the trailors. "What's with all the black? Look's like you're going to a funeral..." "Maybe I am" and "Mr. Cash, would you mind refrainin' from singin' anymore songs that remind the inmates that they're in prison?" "You think they forgot!"

That's the badass Man in Black that I wanted to see. But, no, this story, like any other story ever worth being told, was all about a girl.

So, go see Walk the Line if you're a Johnny Cash or Waakeen Pheonix fan. Go see it if you like bio pics. Or, just go see it if you really liked Ray and want to see it again, only with a white guy!!!

Boy Named Brad,
brad

Having Fun:24, Serving our fellow humans: 12

Alright, I love my church. I'll start by saying that. Central United Methodist Church is a heathly, active place and our church is full of socially minded people. However, we have now doubled the number of people going on a volunteer trip to the Gulf Coast with people signing up left and right for the yearly ski trip around the same time...

This ski trip is a big deal in our church. It started as a youth trip but over the past few years has turned into a church wide group of about 40 people going. We have now reached the 12 person mark for a joint volunteer trip with St. Johns and Country Club UMC's. I am thankful for those 12 and, with the groups from the other churches, it seems we have just the right number going. Any more would be too many to handle. But it's amazing to me how quickly we sign up for something that we know will be fun, and how reluctant we are to do anything to help our fellow human beings. (Of course, I say WE because I've signed up for the ski trip. Only because the mission trip is over a week and I can't miss school, the ski trip is over a weekend and I won't miss any) Why is it so hard to committ to these things? It's still a trip, it's the same amount of time, it's a little less amount of money. Instead of flying down the snowy slopes, they'll be serving meals or building houses. I don't know. Why's it so hard for me to sign up? Because I'll miss school?!? When did i start caring about school so much?

Lord, help us!

Brad

If I had a million dollars....

I have to admit, Mcdonalds' gets me everytime. Every year this monopoly game comes along and every year I gain ten pounds in the hopes of winning the one million dollar jackpot. I guess that makes me greedy, I guess that makes me a rube of the capitalists, but so be it.

So, here's what I'd do if I won, no, even better, here's what I'd do with the 340 million powerball jackpot:

1. first and foremost, I wouldn't give one red cent to the church. That's right. Giving that much money to the church, that is putting it in the offering plate, for the finance and trustee's committees to fight over is not my idea of titheing. I would give more than 10% to an organization that I thought was doing God's work in this world, like UMCOR or ReStart here in KC, or something. I think God would see the logic.

2. Of course the second thing I would do would be to get a new drumset. A Pearl Master's Custom Series complete with double bass pedal (for calds), all the wood blocks I could want (for mustoe), and about twenty or thirty cymbals (a present for Brad).

3. I guess I would move, but not far. I like where I live and don't need anything bigger, just another room for band practice.

4. That's right, BAND PRACTICE!! With 340 million, i figure even Mr. Moneybags Mustoe would do the band fulltime. (Along with the promise of all the nuggets and frosties the little guy could eat) So, our coffee shop, live music, musical instrument and record store would be born. Adam would be manager of Christian and Punk sections, Mustoe pop, singer/songwriter, and corporate rock sections, Diffee, METAL!!!, Ryan, weird ultra-snobbing grad school musician type stuff and me, undergroud alternative, post-punk, post-rock grunge garage band stuff. And each of us would be in charge of the musical instrument of choice. Adam you can have, I dunno, microphones, I guess. And this shop would only be a front for our real jobs of course. With that much money we'd not really have turn a profit, so we'd just run our band out of the store.

4. A 70's stlye, painted up Chevy Conversion Van. Yeah, one with the ladder on the back.

5. I would give a million each to every household in my family, I mean, its only like a tenth.

6. Invest the rest to live of the interest and be able to play drums all day long.

Yeah, that'd be sweet. Doesn't hurt to day dream once and awhile.

Poor preacher/grad student, Brad
ps...Mom, sorry about the language in the last one, but those people took something away from me. For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be a United Methodist.

What the %@#$?!?

November 2005, United Methodist pastor excommunicates a homosexual member from a congregation, and the Conference supports him!!!!!

Hey United Methodist Church....What the #@$%???

Hey United Methodist Church....the 17th century Catholics and the Puritans called, they want their practices back!!!!

Hey United Methodist Church...Jerry Fallwell and Rev. Fred Phelps called, they say, "good show!"

For another Bryan family reaction, visit www.entertherainbow.blogspot.com

Disgusted, Brad

The Purpose of Blogging

Before I continue in this endevor I must explain how I see the purpose of blogging. Blogging is, to me, a way to get everything out of me that I have no way of getting out in the real world. This means that my blog will be made up of rants, complaints, and various things that I find wrong with the world we live in. I don't offer any explanations or solutions, I am merely expressing my thoughts. I appreciate the feedback, and understand that others are using their online journaling experience in somewhat of a more positive outlet, including the good and the bad. But not me. Mine's just bad. And, ya know what, it's actually helping. Those of you who know me personally know that I'm somewhat of a negative person; some might say pessimist, others might say asshole, but whatever the title I can tend to be on the down side of things. Since I've been posting my rants and lamentations, I have found myself being more positive and, really, happy offline! So, I'm sorry to the Jews for Jesus, I'm sorry for the musicians trying to make money AND good records. But, if I say it online, I won't say it offline. So, continue visiting to hear my commentaries, mostly negative, sometimes funny, on the world we live in as it comes to me. If you're looking for inspiration, come hear me preach on Nov. the 27th at Central UMC. Cause it ain't here brother!

Negatively, rantingly, and most of all, honestly yours,
Brad

Ranting Explanation

Ok, I should explain. I don't know anything about Jews for Jesus. I don't know any Jews for Jesus. I was simply responding to the feelings expressed by a Jewish woman I had talked to earlier that day. I'm sure Jews for Jesus are wonderful people and experience deep faith connections. I apologize for ranting before I had any info. However, where I stand right now, with the knowledge I have....I really don't get it!

Brad

Jews for Wishywashyness

I visited a Jewish congreagation today with a group from school, Congregation Benai Jehudah, it was called, and in her opening statements the guide, a wonderful German lady named Birta, was listing the different kinds of Judaism, Traditional, Conservative, and Reform. She then gave us her commentary on the so called Jews for Jesus. She has a big problem with those people saying, "you're either pregnant or you're not pregnant". And, ya know, I totally agree. I tend to be an open minded guy. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that women can be preachers, homosexuals can be happily married, and even Republicans can be Christians. But you can't be a Jew for Jesus!@! It's impossible. On this issue my mind is closed. You either are a Jew, believing in the coming Messiah (the first coming) or the Messianic Age, that we're all living and working towards God's Kingdom on Earth, or you believe that Jesus is the Christ. The Bible says no wishywashyness, I'm paraphrasing of course, and in think this means if you're going to believe in something, believe it all the way. Do not be lukewarm. I'm sure that Jews of Jesus are wonderful people and I don't judge them. But, come on, you're either a Christian or you're not, a Jew or not.

that's all today, B

The Homicide Race

I was watching the news last night and, as is every night, there was a report of another couple of murders here in the greater KC area. As sick as the acts themselves are, what sickened me was the reporting of these horrors. Every news channel has a running tally of how many murders and each night the number climbs and climbs. Now, of course people are going to keep track. City halls, police departments, national crime survey's, what have you. But it seems to me that anytime we start reporting things in terms of numbers, it's like keeping score. We don't keep track of how many years we've been drinking, we count the days we haven't. There is always a sense of pride behind listing numbers. I've got this many cars, this many kids, this many cd's, seen this many concerts, and, oh yeah, had this many murders in my town. I'm so sick from this violence and sicker from the treatment of this violence by our news crews. I know it's there job to simply report and not comment, but there comes a time when the good of human kind has to come before journalistic integrity. Just once I'd like to see the handsome guy on Channel 5, right after saying KC has reached the 100 murder mark, say "and I just think that's horrible, something has to be done people."

You must be the change you seek,
Brad

Music Needs a Savior, Too!

So, I don't listen to the radio. I have my cd's and my iPod and have no need to. But I did today and realized why I don't anymore. Music Sucks. Period. Everyone sounds like everyone else. There's no creativity anymore. No one's breaking any new ground.

"KRDL, Kurdle 109, We spoil music for everyone"
"KLON, Klone Radio, We have the songs that sound more like everyone else, than anyone else."

A few selections from my current favorite savior of rock, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. He really hits on something here, I think. All these wannabe, cry-baby neopunk bands trying to be Green Day sound and look exactly the same. All these I'm better than brittany cause I write my own songs and play an instrument girls sound and look exactly the same. All these gold mouthpiece, unintelligable fake thugs trying to be Dr. Dre sound and look exactly the same.

Gone are the days when music was an artistic expression. Gone are the days when music was used to speak out against injustice, intolerence, and ignorance. Gone are the days when music was anything close to ground breaking and forward looking. Now, it's a business. People become musicians not because they have something to say but because they want to be millionares.

I pray to the gods of rock, send us another Jim Morrison, another John Lennon, another Little Richard, another John Bonham, something, ANYTHING BUT THIS CRAP!!!
And somebody please tell the RollingStones to get off the stage already!

Keep yours ears open, I feel the messiah coming
Brad

Hail to the Thief

As things begin to fall apart for our fearful leader, I thought I'd take an opportunity to refer you all to an article on another George in Newsweek last week. George Clooney is tired of liberal being a dirty word and, frankly, so am I. We're not all barefoot, treehugging, anti-administration but pro-big government neo-hippies anymore. And at least we don't have to put loaded words like compassionate in front of our moniker to show that we care about people.

Some people say everything works in a cycle no matter who's in office; that the nation's surplus and balanced budget going to a chaotic tailspin into billions of deficit dollars is noone's fault. It's just the cycle of economy and culture. Alright, maybe. But with the recent insights into this administration's incompetence, I think it's safe to say that it's time for a change. I'm tired of choosing the lesser of two evils and still getting the greater one anyway. Liberal politics needs a savior. We don't need Hilary Clinton, who will get votes just cause she's a she and not because of her qualifications. We don't need John Kerry or his wife's ketchup money. We need someone who's not afraid of being liberal, and who understands that sometimes, like, say when a major part of the country is in disastor and people are losing lives and homes and jobs, politics aren't the answer.

Sometimes I think Martin Sheen and Genna Davis should run for president.

Brad

The Problem with Blogging

I suppose its time for the four of you who read my ramblings here on Zepplin Rules to get a little bit of justification in coming to visit me. I thank you for being interested in what I have to say, even though, as mother says, its the only way to really know how I'm thinking.

Here's the problem: I only have access to the internet at work. This problem in twofold.
1. I'm only at work for 5 hours a day every other day. There's this little thing called ministry that I've got to get done when I'm actually here. In charge of planning youth, organizing young adult ministries, safe sanctuaries training, and lots of other things keeps my hand off the keyboard.
2. When I'm at work, I'm usuallynot in a very insightful mood. I'm usually tired (I'm tired all the time now, I haven't figured out how to get my reading done without staying up til 2 am yet) and I've usually got my mind on work, not on theological, political, or personal themes.

So, thanks for sticking by me, and come by every once in a while. If I had access to the WWW at home, I'd happily participate in the Doogie Howser end of the day journaling, but, alas, I do not. What you see is what you get.....

thanks for understanding,
brad

ps: I'm still doing really well. Lindsey gets back this Sunday and I'm preaching that morning...big day! I'm happy, folks, and looking forward to what's in store for me around the corner!

And Then There Was Brad....

Well, I'm the last.
Tyler Obanion got engaged Wednesday night at the Dave Matthews concert to his 3 year girlfriend Hilary (who happens to be 27!). Thus, I'm the last. The last of Schweitzer Youth Group class of '00.
I'm really not too worried about this, just something that's on my mind since I got to see them yesterday.

I am amazed at my Hebrew Bible class already. The amazing thing is, and I sort of figured this before, the lack of knowledge of the original Old Testament. Nothing complete, different versions don't match up, some Hebrew we don't even know what means! Chances are Jesus used a PARAPHRASED version written in his Aramaic! If Jesus used a paraphrased edition of the Bible, how off must our version be from God's original plan. And all the different ways to translate one word or simply think about one word.

For example, when Jesus tells Simon Peter to throw his nets on the other side and the other fisherman come and help, it says that THEY left everything and followed Him. Well, depending on how you read they, Simon Peter, James and John, or all the fisherman that helped, either three people went with Jesus or 25 people went with Jesus. It changes the whole feel of the story.

God, help us to see your original plan and voice in our lives, help us to use, read, study and preach your Word from a critical, healthy place, and please, take all the asses who use your Word for their own glory and put them out on an island somewhere where they can't talk to anyone and ruin Christianity for anyone else!!

Growing and Happy,
Brad

New Chapter in Book of Brad

Hey all,
Sorry for the long absence. Been busy and not all that inspired.

But now begins a new chapter in the book of Brad. My first week at St. Paul School of Theology is behind me and I couldn't be more excited. I have a pretty normal first year schedule with Intro to Hebrew Bible, Ministry, and Christian Traditions. I have an Episcopal preist who will be in Chicago half the time, a Methodist who made us contemplate the meaning of a bent paper cup, and an Eastern Orthodox nun who knows all there is to know about history but absolutely nothing about humor or spicing up lectures. I have already heard things that make me think in a way i've never thought before, and I've only had one class. That's the most exciting thing for me; I'm still not too happy about actually being in class again, having to read 400 pages a week, or writing papers again, but hearing things I've never heard before that challenge my relationship with God and strengthen my ministry make it all worth while. Suprisingly (or maybe not) I haven't had too much "Your Jim's son, right?" or "Aren't you Andy's brother?" (to which I respond politely, NO, he's my brother). It's not really like I was expecting this, or dreading it, but it's nice that so far people are seemingly seeing me as me, not as a BRYAN. I am ready for the challenge, and excited for the journey.

I've had a real good month. Bills that I thought I'd have to pay (and didn't have the money for), we're cancelled. I got to see Mustoe and Tom Gibson from SPFD. Went to the circus and the zoo within the span of three days and in between saw Jack Johnson in concert (Mom, looking for more "contemporary adult music" check this guy out). The best part about my month, however, is that I've spent it getting to know a young woman that I'm starting to care about very much. She's going to be a great friend, no matter what. I know there are many people with much harder problems than I in this world, but being a 23 yr old, single, pastor, is not an easy place to be. And I know you all can't really help me out, since you had your ladies before the whole ministry thing started. Just know that it's weird. Lindsey doesn't even go to my church and I don't really know what to do...We are dating exclusively (i hate this terminology) but no one in the young adult group or my church knows. I'm really at a loss. I want to talk about her, but don't know how. I want to take her to dinner, but I'm sometimes scared of who'll see us and what it'll mean. It's scary, amazing, hard, easy, all at the same time. What you all should know, is that I'm in a very happy place right now. I love KC, love my church, am going to love school, and have a pretty girl on my arm (not right now of course, she's in Europe for three weeks).

Maybe St. Paul will offer "How to be a minsiter and still like girls" next semester.

As classes continue, my insights will increase and so will my blogging, sorry for the delay,

Riding my bike to church and sweating profusely,
B