Best Songs of '08

Here is a list of what I think have been the best songs of this year. Let me know what you think. The amount that can fit on a CD. Let me know if you want a copy. Not in any particular order. Also the songs are the playlist that plays when you are on my blog so go and check them out (with a few exceptions, some songs I couldn't find to put onto the playlist so they are different songs by the artist or in the case of Beyonce or Kanye I am sure you all have heard that song before.)
1. Human - By The Killers. Deep lyrics, awesome vocals, a great introduction to a new sound for the Killers. Great renovation of an awesome band.
2. Nine in the Afternoon - Panic at the Disco. Again, a great renovation for a band. When I first listened to the album, I thought, "are you kidding me?" I was not impressed. On second listening to, I changed my mind, especially about this song. On third listening, I applaud their effort to be innovative.
3. Better Off Alone - Marie Digby: Great new artist. Awesome voice, good lyrics.
4. Unhappy/Angels On the Moon - Thriving Ivory: Thanks Chantasic for reccomending this awesome band and taking me to their concert. They are amazing. Just as good live as they are on their album. I think they are gonna make it big.
5. Chasing Pavements - Adele: Awesome mix of jazz/pop/soul sound with an amazing vibe to it. Haunting song. Really good.
6. I'd Rather be with You - Joshua Radin: I spend a lot of time on itunes looking for new artists to listen to. This is one I found. This song is awesome. When/if I ever get married this is definately going on the wedding video.
7. Live your Life - T.I. ft. Rihanna: I think it is the best rap song of the year. I really like it.
8. Paper Planes - M.I.A.: I think this is an '08 song, but I am going to be too lazy to check. Awesome song. It was on Pineapple Express, but a friend at work had me listen to it a long time ago. It is a little weird but still awesome.
9. Viva La Vida - Coldplay: I ate, drank, and slept this song. So amazingly good.
10. Change is Hard - She and Him: This is kinda a timeless folk song by Zooey Deshanel's band. Great.
11. Fall For You - Second Hand Serenade: This is just great. Listen up.
12. Take a Bow - Rihanna: One of her best, shows that she is better than the average singer on the radio.
13. Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis: I know it is really poppy but it is just a really good song.
14. Just Stand Up - A bunch of different artists.
15. Drunken Lament - Ludo: Lesser known band that is awesome.
16. Gives You Hell - All American Rejects: I really love this song. Especially right now in my life.
17. Single Ladies - Beyonce: This partially gets on due to the Justin Timberlake/Beyonce skit on SNL, but it is a good song. Also, Beyonce is hot.
18. Heatless - Kanye West: Different change of pace for Kanye but I like it.
19. All Summer Long - Kid Rock: Good Summer song.
20. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz: The version with Joshua Radin. It is by far the better version.
Now y'all tell me which songs I missed. I think it is a pretty good list, but not totally perfect. So let me know.

Almost Famous

Warning this is kind of a sad, middle of the night, not going to make any sense but to a sleep deprived Brad post. Read at your own risk.
I have had a horrible night. A bad day followed by a pretty horrible night. A big final followed by a bad day at work followed by a last minute project that kept me at work until 9:00 at night. From work I had to go over to Kinko's to have them laminate my project. Call me crazy but I really love walking in downtown Salt Lake, especially at night. Kinkos is two and a half blocks away from where I work. As I turned down a street I passed a homeless man throwing up on the side walk and I kept walking by. Then there was another homeless man huddling against the side of the building that Kinkos is in. After showing the idiots at Kinkos what exactly I needed to have them do, and after showing them how to do it better after they ruined the sample they did for me, I left and started walking back to work. The homeless man huddling next to the building Kinkos is was being questioned by a few of the Salt Lake Angels, and the man throwing up was laying on the ground. I looked at him and knew something was wrong. Then a fire truck pulled over and two firemen jumped out checked his pulse and his breathing and then started performing CPR on him. I stood frozen watching them for a moment, not knowing what to do. I had to walk away. There was nothing I could do, the firemen obviously know CPR better than I do. And I had to leave because I couldn't wait to see if he made it or not. It was just too real for me. Death is something that I cannot comprehend. And I needed to at least be able to believe that he made it. If I would have stayed then maybe he wouldn't have, and the guilt that I am already feeling is keeping me up til 3am and there is no sleep in sight. When I first saw him he was puking his guts out into a bush. I didn't stop, I was in a hurry, I was mad that I was working that late, tired due to studying for my final living on three hours of sleep and just wanted to get my project finished. And I just walked on by. Thirty minutes later he was receiving CPR. And I really hate myself right now. I left my phone at my apartment so I didn't have anyone to talk to about it, and after finishing a few things up back at the office I went to my parking garage and found that it was locked up, and my pass was in my car. So I sat on the steps outside my parking garage contemplating on what had happened, what I am doing in my life, and how the world can just literally suck sometimes. I did that for twenty minutes until some random stranger was going into the parking garage and after reassuring that I park there too I talked him into letting me in. I went back to my apartment and for the first time in a really long time felt completely alone. So instead of tackling my life head on I call my mom and dad. Gosh I am such a wimp sometimes. But I needed to talk to someone, and the list of people I can talk to about this is getting increadibly smaller as I get older. It was a good thing I did, they always have a way of making me feel like I am still a decent person. Still not satisfied I turned to music. I couldn't find a song that really went with what I was feeling so I started watching one of my favorite movies.
Here is a clip from one of my favorite movies of all time, Almost Famous. It kind of fits exactly how I am feelig right now. Premise for the clip is Patrick Fugit plays the young kid sitting next to Kate Hudson. He is a young reporter for Rolling Stone who follows the band Stillwater on tour writing an article about them. Kate Hudson is Penny Lane, the ultimate groupie, who inspires lead guitarist of Stillwater played by Billy Crudup to be a better musician. The band just got into a huge argument and is on the verge of breaking up and this is how they all get back together again. Through the song Tiny Dancer.

It somehow made me feel better. I don't really get how, but it did. Elton John had some good stuff back in the day. I highly reccommend the movie it is rated R so if that is not your thing look for it on cable to get the edited version. I guess posting this is my last effort in trying to talk to someone about a horrible day without having to actually talk to someone and burden them. Anyways I just want to forget about this bad day and fall asleep and start a brand new better day. Thats the way it works right?
Anyways, "Hold me closer tiny dancer. Count the headlights on the highway. Lay me down in sheets of linen, you had a busy day today...." Good song.

I've been tagged

So I don't do these very often but I thought I would do this one from Missy. Christmas Tag:
Tag:

3 Favorite Christmas movies:
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - By far the best
Home Alone
Four Christmases


3 Favorite Christmas songs:
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
O Holy Night
All I want for Christmas is You ha ha jk (kind of) but I am going to say The Christmas Song by Johnny Mathis


3 Favorite Christmas traditions:
Opening up pajamas on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve monopoly game with my uncle Kenny
My dad telling us his made up Christmas story that he has told us ever since we were little called "Tinkle Tinkle." The funniest story.

Snow or the tropics
Snow on Christmas day and tropics the rest of the time


Candy Canes?
Gross-I can't believe you people like them


Favorite Christmas gift you've ever gotten:
My fly fishing pole. I hardly ever use it anymore but it is probably my favorite gift. One day I will use it more often if someone will go fly fishing with me.

Sorry you guys. Another celebrity crush post.

So my life has been consumed by school and work for the last month so I haven't really done too many interesting things that are blog worthy. I wrote 28 pages worth of papers, helped put together 6,000 Christmas cards (yeah that involved three saturdays, and many late nights at work,) helped conduct a survey for Salt Lake County, dealt with some friend drama, set up the parentals Christmas lights, and got another cold. So as you can tell the lack of fun has made it so I haven't posted in a bit. So this is what you are going to get. You are going to get another celebrity crush post. I will refer you back to my top ten list I made a while ago.(http://b-radcummings.blogspot.com/2008/04/tuesdays-top-ten.html) Most of those will stay the same, although Rachel McAdams moves up on the list as well as LC, and Lauryn Hill and Halle Berry move down on the list towards the back of the top ten.. Anyways that is not the reason for this post. All of those on the previous post were obvious everyone has a crush on them crushes, except probably Lauryn Hill-I may be a loner on that one. Well this crush list is suprise crushes. The crush you don't expect.
Zoey Deschanel

I don't know what it is about her that I love, but I do. She is quarky, and goofy, and really cute. She just needs to pick better movies to be in. I know The Happening seemed like a good idea on paper and who wouldn't want to be in a movie with Mark Wahlburg, but I really don't think she read the script. Big points for Zoey, no points for The Happening.









Lo, from the Hills.

Now this may strike people as a little odd. Don't get me wrong, LC is on my top ten list, probably at number seven right now, but there is something about Lo, that makes her my second favorite on the show. I also think she is better looking than Audrina and Whitney. I will probably get a few weird looks on that one.




Maggie Gyllenhaal

You probably best recognize her from the Dark Night or Stranger than Fiction, my crush on her developed a while ago while I was on a date with this girl before my mission. I went and saw Mona Lisa Smile on that date. Her choice, definately not mine, maybe it was just because I really like this girl but I fell in love with everything that night. That girl, Maggie Gyllenhaal, the popcorn we were eating, the freezing cold night, the gum I stepped in, I fell in love with it all. Okay I probably didn't fall in love with any of those things, but there was just something special about that night. Anyways Maggie Gyllenhaal has carried on.

Nicole Richie.

Okay so I guess I have a thing for chicks who will junk punch you and then leave you. While the rest of the world was mackin over Paris Hilton, I fell for Nicole. And who wouldn't want to be Lionel's son in law?











The Biggest surprise...............Lindsay Lohan. Sick I know.

So I get that she is a lesbian now. I get that she does drugs. I get that she is basically an overall bad person. But there is just something about her that makes me say if I had no morals at all then ....maybe.

Poetically A-pathetic

So maybe I have been watching to much BET, but lately when I get really irritated I will come up with some rhymes in my head, stuff that just gets me to vent out a ton of frustration. Sometimes I write it down and sometimes I don't. This was one that I did. Am I the next Kanye? Probably. Here it is my blogger debut rhyme. Help me come up with a gangsta rap name.

Perfectly imperfect living out my days. The runner up, tagged out on my home run plays. The consistant second place, no trophy, no ribbon Just bumps and bruises I hang onto when I'm done. Seemingly forever lost I pretend to be found Living for laughter, my favorite sound. The jokemaker often turned into the joke... The fatman in a little coat... The constant bouey others need to float, until they can swim, sometimes ya just can't win. The fighter of the good fight, the last picked on the team. The diamond in the rough, polished but chipped. Too clouded to be on display too valuable to be thrown away. The "nice guy" who finishes last, the bait is set but the line not cast. The idealist living in reality, subject to human fraility. The kryptonite to the superman I wanna be.
That was then and this is now. I aint gonna sit and wait and wonder how. How you could have forgot about me, how you could make plans all over me. Tired of acting like its all okay, hide my feelings and put it all at bay. Its not gonna happen any more, not gonna be treated like a whore. Using and abusing me like I don't matter, then when something new come up I am second batter. Not any more I am tired of this shiz. This is something I really can quit. Not anymore. I ain't gonna be third or fourth place, I am the freakin ace who's gonna rock this base. Yeah I saw the sign, I hit it and it opened up my mind. Yeah I saw that sign.
Shoulda saw it coming a while back, when I thought it was something I could hack. History is a dirty switch, ya turned on the light and thought I could be ditched. Nope, not gonna happen any more, that was the last time my heart ever got tore up. I am gonna call y'all out when you be acting shady, not gonna act like some crazy old lady. I deserve much better than that, tired of jumpin so high but fallin flat. On my face is where I been, up in the starz is where I'll be. Lookin down on you and all that you've done, I sure hope it was fun. That it was worth it when you look back, that you don't feel like you got off track. As for me I'm done. Movin on with my life looking for a new one. Or two or three, there ain't nothing goina stop me. This shiz has got me thinking, about who I was and what I will be. I can thank you for that, you got me poetically apethitic. It about time I finally got something out of this 'ship, its been a good ride and a long trip.
Yep I got poetically a-pathetic.

Writers Block

Sucks big time, especially when you need to write a minumum of 16 more pages for some papers due on Thursday. Why, tell me why do I procrastinate? Homelessness here I come.......... ok maybe I am being a little dramatic but honestly people, why?

New Quote

After a bad day at the office and the upcoming horrible week I am about to have due to an overload of school work, Nicole, a friend of mine at work is letting me steal her favorite Jack Handy quote:
"I wish I would have a real tragic love affair and get so bummed out that I'd just quit my job and become a bum for a few years, because I was thinking about doing that anyway."
Yeah, I kinda wanna be homeless for a while. Just to see what it is like. No work no school = no problems right? I won't be one of the lazy hobos. I will perform a special talent. I don't know what talent that will be yet, but just know that it will be amazing and that it won't be called a trick. I made the mistake when telling Nicole my plan of being homeless to say that I could perform tricks on the street for survival money. After researching why she was laughing so hard when I said that I found out that apparently a trick is what a prostitute calls what she/he does with a customer.

Picture Tag

I saw this on Kelly's blog and liked the idea and am lacking for ideas of what to blog about because my life has only consisted of school, work, and then school work and then after hours real work. Lame I know. Here are the rules. Open up the folder with all of your pictures. Open up the fourth folder and post the fourth picture and then tell an accompanying story. Tag you are it if you want to.



This is me of course on the mission. When I got my call to the Southside of Chicago everyone kept saying you better bring a bullet proof vest. Well my mish president was contracted by the gov't to go to Iraq and help teach the new gov't of Iraq how to run a country. This was his vest, and this is a pic I had taken after a zone leader council me and Whiting held. Awesome, I love it. Too bad I couldn't have had it with me all the time. Good thing my muscles could prevent me from getting shot. Ha ha. Tag you are it.

My life since the last post.

First of all I need to put pics up about the Thriving Ivory concert. It was amazing. Such a chill band to listen to and I am soooooo glad I went.


Then on the 24th I went and volunteered at the Mexican Civic Center which held the annual Halloween Party for the children at the Rhodes Home Family Homeless Shelter. This was amazing and really helped put things into prospective for me. Me and Erik, a buddy in one of my classes, brought the costumes to the shelter that morning and talked with a few of the kids. Really made a huge impression on me. Then we helped set everything up and then walked back to the shelter to escort the kids/parents to the civic center. Had an awesome missionary discussion with Erik on the way there, which only added to the good feeling of being helpful. At the civic center we provided a big lunch, face painting, a juggler doing a funny act, story time, and then a pinata for each age group. I had to set up the PA system, and am shocked I did it. One of the kids I talked to at the shelter, AJ, helped me do it. He became my favorite kid of the group. Honestly so worth while and so glad I did it. The shelter is already completely full and they are having to turn families (children away.) Please try and donate something to the shelter this year. Here are some pics of some of the kids who are without a home this winter.



This last pic is of AJ. He was a cop and that is what he wants to be when, he said if, he grows up. No kid should have to wonder about if they get to grow up.
And lastly Kriddee's Halloween Party. It was awesome. I was MC Hammer for halloween. And I was 2 legit 2 quit. So much fun. Here are the pics.








And this is what I saw when I stepped out on my parents deck Sunday after Church. I love Mt. Ben Lomand. It looks awesome. One day I will climb it......will someone please go with me.

Sorry

So I haven't had a chance to post anything in a while. As you all know I procrastinate everything and the past two and a half weeks I have had 3 midterms and two papes to do. I am finishing my last midterm tonight and hope to post some of the fun stuff I have done when not cramming. So in a near future blog there will be tons of pics from the Thriving Ivory concert, the Halloween party at the homeles shelter I volunteered at, and a summary of what has been up in the life of B-rad.

The art of judgement

I apologize beforehand to all who read this, please do not take personal offense to what I am about to write. This is not directed at any one person but to all as a whole. What follows is a ranting and a plea. I want to hear what you think about this so please feel free to comment, this time it is a completely judgment free zone, we can judge eachother on my next political blog entry.

The famed philosopher John Locke, once wrote,“He that judges without informing himself to the utmost that he is capable, cannot acquit himself of judging amiss” I submit he is only partially correct. I would further add when judging a person's morality and relationship with Divinity, unless authorized and inspired by Divinity, one is always incorrect.

The culture that I live in and am a part of, as good as it is, in generality fails tremendously on this subject. I live in a culture where, speaking again in generality, peoples lives revolve around the way they worship. I consider this a great thing, my life does as well, especially since that devotion is centered around always striving to become a better person. One sad thing that I have noticed is that the striving to become better is starting to shift to being better than what we perceive others as. That by somehow thinking that if you are better than those around you; you are somehow exempt from harsh judgement because there are those that are perceived as worse. You can reserve your seat in heaven by not being your best but just moderately better than what you perceive your neighbor as. I regret to inform you that this is obviously not the case for the following observations:

1. You cannot and are not judged by the merits of others. You can only be judged by your own actions, thoughts, and inactions. Other's actions cannot restrict you from or guarantee your right to celestial glory.

2. One item that is so often mentioned but rarely internalized is that, with the exception of Divinity, no one is perfect. What I mean by this is simply no one is perfect. Definately not me, not you, not your mom, and as much as I love her not even my own mom. That's right, I just said that about my own momma.

3. Again, you are probably saying, "Brad, we already know this, why are you rambling saying the same things over and over again?"
This is the point I am trying (probably badly) to express, why then are we so quick to tell someone when they are wrong? We all have imperfections, we are all striving to do better, in general we are trying to progress but we need to recognize that everyone does it differently. I do it differently than you and you do it differently than me. Is my way better than yours? No. Is your way better than mine? Again a resounding no.

4. I am under the impression that we all have the ability to have a unique and deeply personal relationship with Divinity. Please note the usage of the words "unique" and "personal" in correaltion to "relationship with Divinity." My relationship with Divinity is inversely different than yours. Does that make mine better than yours or vice versa? We would all, unless responding sardonically, echo no. Then why are we so quick to tell someone that they are wrong?

5. I also believe life and eternal progression is hard. Very hard. Why then, would we want to make it that much harder for other people by condeming them by standards that we have decided are correct? In any sociology class that I have taken the theory of a self-fulfilling prophecy is always discussed. What this means is that when someone is conutinually assigned a label the chances of fullfilling that label are exponentially higher. When you give the label as sinner, charlatan, slut, overall bad person, you are helping to enable a person to fulfill that assigned label.

So to keep in line with the command, "Judge not," let us all put aside our spiritual judgements of others, and instead focus on how we can better ourselves as individuals. My life, as hard as it can be at times, would be so much better if others would keep what they think of what I do to themselves. Believe it or not I know the difference between right and wrong. It is left up to me, not anyone else, to decide what is right and wrong for me. If you do this for me I will definately do this for you. I will do it for you even if you don't do it for me.

What a weekend: figer tighting, movie night with me padre, flooded basements and a car that won't start

Figer tighting is an inside joke for those who were at Denny's after LAgoon friday. I don't know what we were on but it was fun. Saturday I went home to pick up my new phone and Saturday night my friends in o-town were too busy to chill-lame, see if I come to otown any time soon- so I chill-axed with my dad and watched I am Legend with him. I don't get to spend enough time with the pops so I am glad I did. That however was the only highlight of the weekend. The parentals basement flooded a little bit due to a leak in the water softener. Luckily I was spent the night there and caught it at seven in the morning before it had a chance to do extremely serious damage. Just some carpet padding and some books and some stuff we had in our storage. So Sunday I spent the day cleaning and getting the water out of the basement. I did that until three took a nap ate dinner and then did it some more. Exhausted I spent the night again there and woke up to my car not starting. Coldness killed my battery. Nothin like droppin a hundie before ten, good thing I got a job promotion or else I would have needed a parental bailout. Then I got to go to work and hear secretaries tell me how I need to do my job better. Gotta love my life... or not. So fun night with friends who turn lame the next day to flooded basement to bad battery to doing an apperently bad job at work. Yup sums up an awesome three days.

October and maybe November Playlist

Yeah it is a good one this go around. And I am a bit late with this so this may do for November, we'll see.
1. Human by The Killers: Awesome song. Really deep with some religious undertone, something I appreciate by the band a lot. "Are we human or are we denser?"
2. Love Lockdown by Kanye West: Kanye can sing, cool song, cool beat. I like it a lot.
3. Wild Horses by Alicia Keys and Adam Livine: Maybe my favorite Adam Livine (Maroon 5) Very soulful and a just an all around solid song.
4. Live Your Life by T.I. ft. Rihanna: T.I. is becoming a favorite rapper by me and no one is better to do a song with than Rihanna.
5. I'm Yours by Jason Mraz: This one is the better version of the two. Listen to the song at the bottom of the blog. There is one that is out on the radio a lot but this one is different. It features Joshua Radin.
6. I'd Rather Be With You by Joshua Radin: New artist I found playing on itunes indie pages. Great song.
7. Tell You Something (Nana'a Reprise) by Alicia Keys: Powerful. In my top four Alicia Keys songs. Has a whole lotta meaning.
8. The Resolution by Jack's Mannequin: Great song.
9. Father and Son by Cat Stevens: This song tells a story of a father and a son and the contention that exists between the two. I love it because I think that everyone can relate to it so well. I have only had maybe two serious arguments with my dad or with my mom for that matter but this song can totally tell how I feel sometimes. I am at a dramatic point in my life where decisions have to be made. I can feel both the dad's voice in the song and the son's voice pulling me in different directions. Each have an unknown and semi-scary outcome for me. Just don't quite know which one to follow.
10. Everything Will Be Alright by Joshua Radin: Seriously check this guy out, my pick for the next Jason Mraz.
11. All These Things That I've Done by The Killers: I've got soul but I'm not a soldier. Words I live by. ha ha
12. Better In Time by Leona Lewis: Just a good song, she has a cool voice.
13. Lucky by Jason Mraz ft. Colby Coleit: Awesome colaberation. good song.
14. Disturbia by Rihanna: freaky song but cool.
15. My History by 16 frames: My new Hills band I found and like a lot.
16. Perfect (Acoustic) by Army of Me: Again another Indie find on itunes. "These days it feels that everything is changing. Used to be that every stride, you were standing by my side. But now it feels I’m walking on a tightrope, As I try to balance out how to make you proud. One day I’ll be perfect, I’ll be so extraordinary. I will shine, I will radiate"
17. I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy: Basic song from a decent band. Worth listening to.
18. Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day: I swear September never ended.

New Tina Fey Sarah Palin Parody

Randomness. . . the subtitle of a future autobiography

A Sunset




I know that when some of you read my blog you are probably thinking what in the schitzo is this kid on. Well if you have thought that, that is rude. JK. I usually only post on this thing if there is something that pops into my mind and need to get it off my chest and don't quite know who to talk to that will get the proverbial it, and hope that someone who views this will be like, "what the schitzo? I get it!"
1. I dig sunsets. I dig sunrises even more but due to a need of sleep, sightings of these are rarer than a lib at BYU. Let me explain. . . about why I dig sunsets, not about libs and BYU, I am laying low off politics until something outrages me enough to post an apologetic tyraid of my own politco philosophy.
2. Back to the point at hand: Sunsets/rises are one of the great equalizers in our society. I derive this partially from one of my favorite books, The Outsiders and partially to my own thought. If you have read this book or seen the movie you may remember how Ponyboy and Cherry and later how Pony and Johnny talk about sunsets. During Pony and Cherry's discussion Ponyboy talks about how he likes to watch sunsets. After ranting about all the breaks rich kids get Cherry says something like, "Pony things are tough all over." Ponyboy disagrees and she asks, "Can you see the sunset on the southside?" Pony replies, "yeah." As she leaves she says, "Yeah, you can see them real good from the north side too." Later on in the narrative you have on the run criminals Pony and Johnny hiding out in an old abandoned church in the country on a hill. One morning they wake up early and see the sunrise. It is the first time Johnny has ever taken the time to notice one. He says that it is golden. Then Pony recites a poem by Robert Frost, that to this day after reading this book so many times I have memorized:
Natures first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold
Her early leaf a flower
But only for an hour
Then leaf setside to leaf
And so Eden sank to grief
As dawn goes down today
Nothing gold can stay.
3. As sad as it is, these moments of the true granduer of God are fleeting and are at an apex for such a limited amount of time that it is so easy in the hustle and bustle of modern day life to miss it. That is what makes Johnny's request of Pony at the end of the book to stay gold so poignant because the ability to stay gold is so universal, so tangible, but so often and easily missed that one needs to be reminded that "things are tough everywhere," but the ability to overcome lies in all if we allow it to. If we choose to stay gold.
4. I have not been to a lot of places in my life but the few places that I have been are tantamountably different. One common theme in all is that they all have killer sunsets/sunrises. Whether it is watching the sunrise over a snowcapped Mt. Ogden from under a blanket on my parents deck to watching the sunrise over Lake Michigan and the city of Chicago. Or watching it set over the cornfields of Indiana,or from the twelth floor of a fenced off balcony of a housing project in the inner city, or watching it set over a lake in the serene mountains oustide of Cedar the common theatric visage is possible to see everywhere. Echoing the true physiognomy of God, that he is there and the silenced plea to stay golden, to endure well, is echoed in the chromatic hues so effortlessly spread across the sky.
5. So sunrises, the one thing that we all got to remind us to keep on keepin on. If you are in Alaska I am aware that there are times that it stays sunny all day long so attatched are some pictures that I have taken to help remind you of what I just went a little overboard explaining.

A Sunrise

My life as a soundtrack Sept. '08

Here it is finally. The complete September '08 soundtrack finished and ready for your listening pleasure. Because I enjoy procrasitnating studying I found time to create the playlist for you down at the bottom of the screen so now you can listen to my September '08 playlist. Hope you enjoy it. I know I do. Thats what she said.

• "Just Stand Up" -Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Natasha Beddingfield, Leona Lewis, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Ethridge, Rihanna, Ashanti, Ciara, Keisha Cole, Fergie, and a few others. Awesome colaboration song about fighting cancer. Also a good pick me up song. Here is a part thar sticks out to me, "The heart is stronger than you think, It’s like it can go through anything. And even when you think it can’t it finds a way to still push on, though Sometimes you want to run away, Ain’t got the patience for the pain And if you don’t believe it look into, your heart the beat goes on I’m tellin’ you that,
  Things get better, Through whatever. If you fall, dust it off, don’t let up"
• "Vindicated" - Dashboard Confessional. Explains a few things in my life so well. " I am Vindicated. I am selfish I am wrong. I am right, I swear I'm right. I swear I knew it all along. And I am flawed ... But I am cleaning up so well. I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself." In my life there have been a few people who have, even at my worst moments tried to make me feel good about myself. I am now just beginning to clean up so well - you know trying to come into my own again. Its hard but I will pull through.
• "Wake Up Call" - Hayden Panetierre. Basically only on because I heard it on a commercial she is doing for Candy's and I kinda liked it but needed to hear more of it. I am beginning to think that I just liked watching her in the commercial. Just a generic pop song.
• "So What" - Pink. I appreciate her honesty and she has a cool voice. It is just her newest song.
• "She Had it All" - Panic At the Disco. This is sort of a trippy song from Panic's latest album but it is really catchy if you listen to it more than once. I really like it. You will think it is weird at first but let it run through a few times.
• "Almost Lover" - A Fine Frenzy. I am not going to lie....I saw/heard this on an episode of the Hills. It explains a lot about my old dating life. Sigh.
• "Landslide" - Smashing Pumpkins. The best version of the song. Followed by the Dixie Chicks version.
• "Stolen" - Dashboard. I was in a Dashboard mood at the beginning of this month so there is another song as well by them on this list.
• There's Hope" - India.Arie. The reason I love her in song form. Also reminds me that I need to just be happy with what I have.
• "Pieces of Me" - Ashlee Simpson. I know what you are thinking, did he just turn into a 14 year old girl? No, it is just a good song.
• "Sugar We're Going Down Swinging" - Fall Out Boy. Their best song.
• "Dark Blue" - Jacks Mannequin. Cool song.
• "I'm gonna Find Me Another You." -John Mayer. Who would have known he could sing the blues like that. Awesome break up song.
• "Screaming Infedelities" - Dashboard. I was just in the mood to hear a lot of them.
• "California" - Phantom Planet. This was the theme song to the O.C. I never watched it but I am told I should. Awesome song that makes me want to go back to Cali.
• "Pressure" - Paramore. Alright song from an alright group.
• "Listen" - Beyonce. Wow this song proves that Beyonce can SANG. That is ghetto for someone who can sing really good. Everyonce and a while I will question my love for her and then I listen to this song and it makes me fall in love with her all over again.
• "If I Fail" - Cartel. One of my favorite newer bands. Not my favorite song by them but it is awesome.
• "Dreaming With A Broken Heart" - John Mayer. Probably his best song....ever.

Saturday Night Live Political Parodies

This weeks opening skit was the best SNL has produced in years.

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Pohler as Hillary Clinton

Sorry another political post.....

This may not be the most interesting post to some people but my friend Christa had me watch this last night on Countdown with Keith Oldermann on MSNBC. For his special comment he talked about how September 11, 2oo1 has become a trademark for the republican party using it to entice fear to gain support. In order to not ruin the greatness of his speech here it is via YouTube. Before you watch this I want to put out a disclaimer that by me posting this I do not mean to offend anyone, this is not a personal attack on anyone's political beliefs but rather a subject that I think needs to be discussed. September 11, 2001 was the most traumatic day in the life most Americans and the politicization of that day is a sad sad thing.

My Monthly Soundtrack

So at the beginning of August I made a mix of songs that either I really wanted to hear or songs that kind of repp'ed what I was going through at the time and what I thought the month would bring and decided to call it August '08. As I am piecing together Sep to the tember '08 I thought I would blog about it. So here is the my playlist to August of 08. And in a few days I will post Septembers list.

• Make Love in this Club -Usher and Young Jeezy.
• Paper Planes - MIA
• Buzzin - Shwayze
• Homecoming - Kanye West ft Chris Martin
• Better in Time - Leona Lewis
• 4 Minutes - Madonna ft Justin Timberlake and Timbaland
• Touch My Body - Mariah Carey
• Shake It - Metro Station
• Fall For You - Second Hand Serenade
• Lost? - Coldplay
• Time of my Life - David Cook
• Self Conscious - Kanye ft Lauryn hill
• If You Can Afford Me - Katy Perry
• Dreaming With a Broken Heart - John Mayer
• First Time - Lifehouse
• Drunken Lament - Ludo
• Bye Bye - Mariah Carey
• Wish We Were Older - Metro Station
• I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry
• Chasing Pavements - Adele

100 Things about me

So I have seen this on a few other blogs and have always wanted to give this a try, and since I have been bad at my top ten tuesdays for a while and will likely be in the near future I figure this should and will make up for that. This is a post about 100 random facts, thoughts, opinions, favorites, etc., of myself. So buckle your seatbelts and put on a helmet because this could be a bumpy ride.

1. I am a music elitist. If you do not have at least one of the following artists/groups on your list of favorite musicians then I secretly (or not so now) think you have bad taste in music: The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sam Cooke, The Killers, or Lauryn Hill.


2. I think that there is music and then there is music on a higher level. There is Blink 182 and there is the Beatles. Don't get me wrong, I love both bands, but is there really, in all honesty any comparison between the two. I think not.


3. I am an insomniac. I can't fall asleep before three. Haven't since high school.


4. I love old movies. I mean 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's old. Among my favorites are Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, To Kill A Mockingbird, Casablanca, and Rear Window.
   
5. One of my goals is to watch every movie on AFI's 100 years 100 films list. It lists the best movies of the last 100 years.


6. I have always pictured myself as an east coast person. This is weird since I have never been on the East coast.


7. During my last trip to Cali I have now decided that Cali would be an acceptable place to live.


8. I wanna learn how to surf.


9. I am afraid of the ocean. Meaning I am afraid of not being able to see what is below me. During my last time at Huntington beach I was body boarding and couldn't think about what was below me in the water. I decided I needed to overcome the afore mentioned fear but even after four straight hours in the ocean, the thought of it freaks me out.


10. I am also an avid shark week watcher on the discovery channel. This could be the reason for the afore mentioned problem.
    
11. Despite this fear I wanna be a beach bum.


12. I have seen every episode of the office three times, this is a low ball estimate.


13. I like to landscape my parents yard. I have always wanted to start my own business doing it, but keep pushing for law school.
    
14. Sarcasm is one of the greatest forms of comedy.


15. I laugh at most "thats what she said" jokes.


16. I am late, to a lot of things, except for work, almost always on time for that.


17. Loyalty: is huge for me. I am loyal to friends, fam, teams, etc. until they do something to damage that. Then it is hard to gain back my trust, real hard.


18. I am addicted to American Idol. I know lame, right? But I don't care. I always pick out two favorites from each season and here they are: 1. Tamyra Grey and Kelly Clarkson. 2. Ruben Studdard and Trynece. 3. Camille Velasco and Latoya London. 4. I didn't get to see any of this season. 5. Chris Daughtry and Katherine McPhee. 6. Lakisha Jones and Jordan Sparks. 7. Syesha Mercado and Brooke White.


19. I went on a date when I was 15. I have never told anyone about it because of the whole no dating before you are 16 rule. It is embarrassing. I walked over to her house and her mom dropped us off at the movie theater and three hours later came and picked us back up.


20. I have had six roomates in the last two years and am moving in with my seventh in the next few days.


21. I am also moving for the 5th time in the last two years as well.


22. If I could go anywhere I would do a humanitarian mission to Africa for six months.


23. I have been mistaken for being Asian my whole life. One time in kindergarten on a tour of the lunchroom a girl in the 6th grade stood up on her chair and pointed at me and said look there is the Chinese boy. It was traumatic. I pretended to be sick and had my mom come and get me.


24. I now embrace my pseudo-asianness and just go with it when asked.


25. I have a problem using change when buying things. I just feel cheap and or white trashy using change. I am trying to overcome this one, but it is hard.


26. I hate the look people give you when you tell them you are from a small town outside of Ogden, you get this mainly from those who live on the east side of Salt Lake County. Boo on the east side of salt lake county.


27. I love 80's power rock ballads. Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler and every Journy song as well as Alone by Heart are my favorite.


28. In the sixth grade the most important thing to me was getting the Hope of America Award. I don't know why, I look back and it means absolutely nothing, but at the time it was a big deal. ps I did get it.


29. I hate change but I need it so bad at the same time. Hence the moving all of the time.


30. I have more close friends that are girls than are guys. I don't know why but this is the way it has been most of my adolescent and adult life.
31. I hate drama in real life but love to watch it on television.
32. I am addicted to Runs House on MTV. Hilarious.


33. I enjoy sleeping in, a little too much.


34. One of my biggest pet peeves is how freaking selfish people are. I do a lot for other people, especiall when they need help, but when I need help they all seem to just to be too busy. It sucks I usually am the one to give more into friendships/relationships than I get out of it.
    
35. I used to be a bully. There was a kid who lived next door and me and my friends would make fun of him all the time. One time he left this nerf bow out in his front yard and my friend went and picked it up and brought it over and we broke it, kind of on purpose. I still can't believe we did that, it is something I still feel guilty over even though my parents bought him a new one.


36. In jr. high there was this kid in one of my classes and me and a friend gave him the nickname D.I. because that is where it looked like he got most of his clothing. It was rude and it is shameful. Again one of the things I would take back if I could.


37. I really like the show mean girls. It is what it is, hilarious.


38. I never drank caffeine until I turned 17. Now I am an addict.


39. This may sound gay but I get really pissed off when I have a bad hair day. I think it is a premonition about how the rest of your day is going to be, and generally a bad hair day does equal a bad day for me.


40. I have decided that I am going to grow my hair out again. We will see if I can go longer than last time.


41. I used to be anit-The Beatles. I was so stupid as a teenager.


42. I have only really dated people named Chelsie in all it spelling forms. As a side note it has never worked in my benefit.


43. I don't know if I could date another Chels(i)(ie)(ea) again. Its not that they are bad people, they are acutally the greatest but I think I should learn by now that a Brad and Chels duo is just not meant to be.


44. I am terrified to date a friend. I supress any feelings that I might happen between me and a friend because I am afraid of a bad outcome. I have been told many a time how dumb I am because of this, but it is what it is.


45. I listen to talk radio. Don't judge me. There are many a statistic out there to show how that makes you more intelligent.


46. I once yelled the f-word at my dad in the only real argument that we have ever had. It was one of like four times I have ever said that word out loud.


47. I used to have a curse as a kid that my best friends would move. My first best friend was Daniel, he didn't move but school boundaries made him go to a different school after kindergarten. My two best friends as a kid were Skyler and Mark. They moved when I was eight. Then it was Devin. He moved when I was eleven. Then it was Darren, he moved when I was 13. The list goes on. In two cases my best friend was about to move then I got into a big fight and we stopped being friends and they didn't move. Weird.


48. I occasionally watch landscaping shows on HGTV.


49. I think Chelsie Handler on Chelsie Lately on the E! channel is pretty funny. And I love that little nugget Chewie.


50. I wish I was black. I really do most the time.


51. I wish I was bilingual.


52. This list is taking longer than I ever thought it would.


53. If I could only listen to three cd's for the rest of my life they would be The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, The Beatles White Album, and Sams Town by the Killers.


54. I read the Outsiders every year.


55. I started writing a book when I was fifteen. It was really bad.


56. I am a vault. If you tell me something that you tell me not to tell anyone else I will take it to the grave. However I figure if you do not say do not tell anyone this then it might be okay to talk about with other people.


57. After three surgeries I have had over three hundred stitches. Some stellar scars.


58. I have broken both my feet.


59. Until those surgeries I had never had any stitches.


60. I hate cutting my fingernails with nail clippers. toenails no problem but fingernails freak me out.
61. As a side note I have a bad habit of biting my nails.
62. I need to budget my money better. Everyonce and a while I will get on this kick where I will actually balance my checking account everytime I spend money but it last like two days and then I stop for a month. I do however keep a mental count that is only off by ten dollars.
63. I can play around on itunes for hours. literally have done it way too many times.
64. I once wanted to form a band when I was in jr. high. At that time I could barely play the saxaphone- not the type of instrument I wanted in a band. But then I got into Ska music for a bit and thought that maybe it would work. Then I realized that was one dream that was just not meant to be.
65. I like to be surrounded by people but when I need my space I need it.
66. I have reached an olympic overload. I topped out at 10 days.
67. I am a political nerd. I watch CNN, HNN, MSNBC, sometimes even FoxNews (when I wanna puke) and if I am feeling especially nerdy C-SPAN. I balance this out by watching the Daily Show and the Colbert Report.
68. I am also a tennis nerd. I got really excited that my parents switched to Direct TV because now they permanently have the tennis channel. I also read every tennis magazine. I have a subscription.
69. I have this problem where I cannot fall asleep when watching a movie or television. I am always the last one asleep.
70. I really like IKEA. I bought a cool desk there.
71. I write goals on a whiteboard in my room. I have the goal of actually finishing those goals but do not write that on the whiteboard. I blame that for never accomplishing the written goals.
72. I have lived by myself for two weeks while my roomate is gone to Denver for work. It is weird to live by yourself. Kinda lonely kinda nice, really really quiet.
73. I have a curse where all my favorite roomates get married. It is a blessing for them but for me it means time to find a new place to live.
74. Me and my brother used to hate eachother growing up. Until six months before I left on my mission then we became really close. I like that a lot better.
75. I tell my sisters that they have different illegal pastimes and then make fun of them for it. Now when my friends as me about them they refer to them as the drug user or the prostitute. Not the nicest thing but it is hilarious to all involved.
76. In the fifth grade I got my first non A+ or A grade. I went home and cried. It was an A-. Oh my parents wish I was still like that.
77. I prefer bottled water when I am living in SLC. The water is just not as good as up north.
78. I am loyal. I will defend a friend, a movie, an artist, Ogden, etc. until the day I die.
79. In my younger years I used to go tanning every Tuesday. I miss being young and tan.
80. Sometimes I feel so much older than 23. Sometimes I still feel 17. I don't get it.
81. I consider my mission the greatest accomplishment of my life. It was the only time I was more worried about the welfare of others than myself. I need to get back to feeling like that.
82. I have this friend who is impossible for me to please. I don't know why but nothing I can do is right or good enough. It pisses me off but yet I keep trying. I am retarded like that.
83. I think the number three or six pasta (I can't remember for sure which one it has the spinach noodles) at Main Street Pasta and Noodle in Park City is the greatest pasta I have ever had. Try it. It is just up the street from the Quicksilver/Roxy store.
84. I love Park City. One day when I am rich I want to have a big old house up on a mountain in Jeremy Ranch.
85. I don't think I could ever live in Salt Lake County raising a family. It just doesn't seem like the wisest idea. I like it where my parents live.
86. I am liberal for Utah. I am sure you know that by now. Anywhere else in the country I would probably be considered conservative.
87. I wanna go out of state to law school. Preferably in a big city. I love the feel of a big city. I like how walkable they are, and how public transit actually work.
88. I would really like to be more green but lazyness prevents me from actually doing it.
89. I have extremely high expectations for myself. I always have. I am a hard worker and a smart person I just need to be more assertive to actually accomplish these expectations.
90. Generally I am an outgoing person, sometimes a little too much so. But not at first. I need to get a feel for a person before I can be myself around them. Then watch it.
91. I miss TiVo. Greatest invention.
92. I wish I was better at camping and outdoor stuff. But I come from a hotel family, not a camping family.
93. I like to find and discover new music. Some groups or people I started to listen to before they became really famous are Plain White Tee's I knew them four years before "Delilah". Norah Jones- yep before her songs from Come Away became huge I had her CD. Shwayze and Adele are two of my most recent discoveries that are becoming big.
94. I enjoy mowing the lawn. Weird I know but I like to do different designs like checker box or fairway style mowing. I need to have straight lines when I mow though- that is a must.
95. I make a mean fettaccini. So good.
96. Nostalgia for some reason effects me. I wish it didn't but I like traditions.
97. I wish I was a hat person. I just can't seem to pull them off.
98. I have never wanted a tattoo until a few months ago. I still don't want one but if I ever did get one it would be a four leaf clover on my calf.
99. I bleached my hair when I was a sophomore. I loved it. It was however the only time my grandma has ever gotten really mad at me.
100. I can't believe this is done. It took me forever. Like two weeks.

Me and Kristy needed to escape life so we went down to visit our friends Sarah and Stephen in Cedar City for the weekend and they took us to this hike through
kanerahaha-ville canyon. I can't ever remember the name of it so I just say kan and then a bunch of slurred letters and then end it with ville canyon. Anyways it is an awesome hike and here is a slide show of it.

My rap off

So here is an embarrassing story- but hey, when honestly don't I have one to tell. So the other night I had a dream, one that I could actually remember- which is huge for me. Normally I don't dream and if I do then I can't remember them. But this one was so amazing I could remember it and pretty vividly. . . . anyways so this particular dream I was hanging out with the crew and we were talking about rap and rappers. Then me and one of my buddies started talking about how each of us could bust out a rhyme on the spot. So he challenged me to a rap off. Yup I felt just like I was in 8 Mile, and my rhyme is a bit Eminemistic-so a bit weak, but overall I am pretty pleased with what my asleep mind was able to come up with for my rap. It is funny and a little creative. I still can't believe I can remember the parts that I can, but here it goes:

So ya wanna know which one of my rhymes is best

I'll stand up and I'll take this test

And when I lay my head down to rest

I will have shown up all the rest

Don't smile at me through those dimples

You see this rhyme it ain't that simpe

I could pop you like a pimple

With you standin there all wonderbread

This is the day you will come to dread

That you ever challenged me

You should ask forgiveness of me

and get down on one knee

Cuz I just showed you that I am the king

My rhyme it is the real thing

Shines brighter than the freshest bling

Its something that can make choirs sing....(There is more but my memory is a bit fuzzy)

So there it is my dream where I do a rap battle with one of my buddies. Needless to say I won that battle. And won the dignity that I am going to lose by posting this, but it was just too funny to keep to myself. Another funny story is I was telling my friend this story in the checkout line of a supermarket. We had to go up to the customer service desk because lines were long and we had less than ten items and the people in line in front of me and the customer service manager overheard everything and she said she would let me rap it from the store's intercom and the guys in front of me along with my friend offered me five dollars a piece to do it. So I did.

Just kidding, I didn't do it I chickened out. Which makes me wonder if I should have been declared the winner in my dream. Would my buddy have done it? If so he should have won.

All These Things That I've Done

"When there's nowhere else to run

Is there room for one more son, One more son.

If you can hold on, If you can hold on. . . . hold on!

I wanna stand up, I wanna let go

You know, you know - no you don't, you don't!

I wanna shine on in the hearts of men

I wanna mean it from the back of my broken hand

Another head aches, another heart breaks

I am so much older than I can take

And my affection, well it comes and goes

I need direction to perfection, no no no no

Help me out Yeah, you know you got to help me out Yeah,

oh don't you put me on the back burner

You know you got to help me out"

Wow, this song by the killers sums up life right now. The past two days I have been in an irratable mood and am not really sure why. I hate when life kinda plateaus and you are just kinda hanging steady just rowing through the motions with no change in direction. I think this is the worst part because everything is just the same. I reach this point every year around this same time. I think I just get bored when there is no school and there is nothing I am really aspiring for. I work for the man for six hours a day commute for a total of 2 and 1/2 hours a day which I now use wisely, now that I take the train. There will be a blog about my train expiditions later. Anyways, I listened to this song on my ipod as I was trying to fall asleep last night and it hit me upside the head with reality's backhand that wow, this is why I love this band, they can sum up my life with a song.

As a side note I am now addicted to Prison Break and the game Rock Band.

"And when there's nowhere else to run

Is there room for one more son?

These changes ain't changing me

The gold-hearted boy I used to be . . . .

I got soul but I'm not a soldier, I got soul but I'm not a soldier."

A Day in the Life- Random thoughts of an insomniac

"I heard the news today, oh boy." That is the way I have felt for the past few days as I have been scrambling to figure out what I am going to do with my life. And one solution to a myriad of different problems was to move back home. Most likely temporarily, but who knows what the future holds. That solved the where am I going to live problem I was having after a few dudes i found to move in to my apartment bailed four days before the the end of my lease. Now there are other solutions to come up with. Like what classes I should take, should I really try to learn Chinese? And there is the whole job thing, somedays I really love it and others it is another story. Hmmm, dating. This I get asked a lot about lately so here you go. I went on this date with this girl who should be perfect for me, she was everything that I thought I wanted in a girl. Those of you who know me know my type and she fit it. She is cool, way hot, and funny. But for some reason the date was just alright. No fireworks, no birds singing, nada. Now I am a dating realist, I honestly don't think those things happen....ever, but the connection on a personal level was lacking, and I am just not shallow, I can't date someone if it is just alright. Luckily it never got far enough for us to lose the friendship vibe and we will still be friends. Then there was another girl who I kinda went on a date or two/hang out kinda thing and really kinda hoped that there might be something there. Unfortunately I don't think she either got that I was layin my flirt down or she just wasn't that into it and has found herself a boo that I now get to hear every once and a while about. Anyways both incidents have been sad reminders of why I hate the dating process. On a different note I have discovered upon moving back home that I have too much stuff. A lot of stuff that I really don't need and will really never need. So next week will be spent getting rid of it. Also my parents have been selected to host the neighborhood block party in their back yard, which means that I need to perfectify my landscaping before the party. For those of you who don't know, I landscaped most of my parents yard, and I want it to look perfect. So that will keep me busy for a bit. Also I am going to have Summerpalooza of a freaking good time with my friends now that I live close again. Check this out Monday smoothie night, wednesday will be volleyball, kickball, frisbee soccer night, and friday is breakfast/parade/ party all day and wall-e at night. And saturday is still up in the air. Heck to the yeah for summerpalooza.

Tuesdays Top Ten........a day late

Here are ten of my favorite lyrics to different songs. It is in no particular order.

• "And so it goes that I never meant to hurt you, couldn't stay but I never meant to desert you. Whole lot of things that I just had to work through, time to heal and restore myself too. Confrontation of my fears and anxiety, cried a whole lot of years, I suffered quietly. I know it may have taken years, I can finally tell you that you were always on my mind. I had to lose myself, so I can make it better. I had to lose myself, I had to lose myself, so I can make it better. Had to lose myself in love, and thats just the way it is." -Lauryn Hill Lose Myself, cmon with lyrics as tight as that how can it not be amazing. Then you mix it with L Boogie's voice. Perfect. A song I listen to when I need validation.
  
  
• "Help me get downI can make it. Help me get down Help me get down I can make it. help me get down. If I only knew the answerI wouldn't be bothering you....Father, help me get down,I can make it. Help me get down, Help me get down I can make it.Help me get down. If I only knew the answer. And if all our days are numbered, Then why do I keep counting..."- The Killers, Why do I keep counting. One of my many favorite Killers songs. I listen to it when I need answers to different questions that I am having in life. Good song, good message.



• "Is there someone you know, you're loving them so, but taking them all for granted. You may lose them one day, someone takes them away, and they don't hear the words you long to say. I would give anything I own, Give up my life, my heart, my home. I would give everything I own Just to have you back again. Just to touch you once again." -Bread, Everything I Own. This song reminds me of countless family roadtrips growing up. The lead singer of the band, David Gates, wrote the song about his dad after he died. It makes me think of my parents, and how grateful I am to have them in my life.



• "I was born by the river in a little tent. Oh and just like the river I been a runnin' ever since. It's been a long, a long time coming, but I know A change gon' come. oh yes it will. It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die. Cuz I don't know what's up there beyond the sky. It's been a long, a long time coming, but I know A change gon' come oh yes it will." -Sam Cooke has one of the best voices of all time and you couple that with an anthem of the promotion of equality and you have a great classic song. I will also reccomend a rendition of this done by Lauryn Hill when she was with the Fugees that is fantastic as well.
  
  
• "How many years can a mountain exist, Before it's washed to the sea? Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist, Before they're allowed to be free? Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head, Pretending he just doesn't see? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,The answer is blowin' in the wind." -Bob Dylan Blowin in the Wind. Great song from one of the greatest American songwriters of all time. I am a hippie at heart and love this song.
  
  
• "Yeah, my girlfriend takes me home when I'm too drunk to drive And she doesn't get all jealous when I hang out with the guys. She laughs at my dumb jokes when no one does. She brings me mexican food from Sombrero's just because(Yeah, just because).... And when I feel like giving up Like my world is falling down, I show up at 3am, She's still up watching Vacation, and I, See her pretty face. It takes me away to a better place and (I know that everything [3x]) Everything's gonna be fine" -Blink 182's Josie. I want to find and date Josie.
  
  
• "So long astoria, i found a map to buried treasure, and even if we come home empty handed. we'll still have our stories of battle scars, pirate ships and wounded hearts,broken bones, and all the best of friendships. and when this hourglass has filtered out its final grain of sand, i raise my glass to the memories we had. this is my wish, this is my wish. i'm takin back. i'm takin them all back." -The Ataris- So Long Astoria. This was one of my favorite bands in high school and this song is inspired by one of my all time favorite movies, The Goonies. It just makes me think back on high school with all the crazy adventures I had back in the day, and I definately raise my glass to those memories. good song.
  
  
• "When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom Let it be, oh let it be. And in my hour of darness she is standing, right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom let it be." The Beatles with Let it Be. A great song of solace for me. I listen to it whenever I need to just let it be.
  
  
• "It was the wicked and wild windBlew down the doors to let me in. Shattered windows and the sound of drumsPeople could not believe what I'd become. Revolutionaries Wait For my head on a silver plate. Just a puppet on a lonely string, Oh who would ever want to be king? I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman Cavalry choirs are singing. Be my mirror my sword and shield. My missionaries in a foreign field. For some reason I can not explainI know Saint Peter won't call my name. Never an honest word, And that was when I ruled the world"- Coldplay Viva la Vida. Great song, and current theme song of mine.

• "The sun just slipped its note below my door And I can't hide beneath my sheets. I've read the words before so now I know. The time has come again for me.
  And I'm feelin' the same way all over again. Feelin' the same way all over again. Singin' the same lines all over again. No matter how much I pretend.
  Another day that I can't find my head. My feet don't look like they're my own. I'll try and find the floor below to stand And I hope I reach it once again.
  And I'm feelin' the same way..." -Norah Jones, Feeling the Same Way. Awesome song kinda on the soundtrack of my life right now. Just feelin' the same way.

Tuesdays Top Ten

Okay this is really not a top ten list but a list of ten random facts that some of you may not know about me.

• I like to have a soundtrack for different events in my life. If I am going on a roadtrip I will make a mix or a new playlist for it, if I am going on a first date that I am excited to go on I will make a mix, if I am throwing a bash I will make a playlist for it, everytime I move to a new place- boom I have a new list. I know crazy but I like it, I live my life to music. At any random time I can tell you what song my life is like at that moment.


• I hate dating. The whole process just sucks, the games you have to play, the fakeness, the trying to read signs. I hate it. I don't ask out girls just for the heck of it, if I ask someone out it is because I actually like them, and I won't continue asking someone out just because they are hot. I have to have a genuine interest in them. I hate chasing girls, I generally refuse to do it. I have made exceptions in the past but no more.


• I am an expert on dating rules. I am also an expert advise giver on the subject I hate so much.


• I am the worlds biggest loud mouth trash talker. I feel bad for anyone who has to play against me in anything. But I love talking trash on the tennis court or whatever I am playing. It makes it more enjoyable for me.

• I have had a few hundred stitches. I wish I was lying or exagerating on this one. And two broken feet, luckily at different times. Exactly one year to the day away from eachother. Needless to say April 8th is not a good day for me.

• I am one of the most loyal people you will ever meet. If someone trash talks someone I consider a good friend......just watch it buddy. I won't criticize them either. I try my hardest not to say something to someone unless I have told it to their face.

• I am a total insomniac. If you ever need someone to talk to at 2am I am your guy.

• My first celebrity crush was Stephanie on Full House. This was followed by Kelly on Saved by the Bell.

• I can bust out most of the theme song to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air or a good portion of Shake yo money maker or Ignition remix. I'm tight like that.

• I am OCD about locking my car door. I don't know why, but I recheck it to make sure it is locked like at least twice before i leave it. I also do this with my house when I am the last one in.

There you go people, you now know me ten times more than you did at the before you read this.

Movie Reviews.....this is long overdue.

Okay so in the near recent past I have seen the following movies and here are their reviews as well.

What Happens in Vegas:
I went into this movie with little expectations and that could be one reason why I enjoyed it so much, the other reason could be because it was really funny. I am not a fan of chick flicks and for the first hour it was void of being a chick flick. The last thirty minutes were chick flickish but the ending right before and during the credits totally redeemed itself into being a really funny flick. Those who have seen it will concurr. I reccomend this film that I give a hearty 3.5 stars.

Baby Mama:
I went into this film with really high expectations, like 30 Rock or Mean Girls high expectations. Then I learned it wasn't writtten by Tina Fey and realized that it wasn't going to be as good as previously expected. Tina Fey was really good in it and Amy Pohler had moments of being great, Greg Kinnear was disappointing. If Tina Fey would have written it it would have been top notch, since she didn't you can only do so much with a bad script. I give Tina Fey a 3.5 star rating but sadly the movie itself only a 2.

Semi-Pro:
Let me preface this by saying I enjoy basically anything Will Ferrill is in, and it kills me to say anything negative about someone who has brought the joy of Anchorman, Taledega, Blades, and countless SNL skits, but I hate to say it, its like he didn't even try in this flick. I was bored, something I never thought I would say about a Will film. Sad to say but this barely gets the .5 star rating it is getting. I think it is more painful for me than for Will. Sad but don't waste your time.

Kung Fu Panda:
Again let me preface this by saying I generally don't like cartoon movies, I like to consider myself an adult, and stopped watching cartoons when I was nine. But this movie was hilarious. The beginning five minutes was Jack Black gone wild. It was great. Wow, I laughed a lot all the way through it. It is a flick good for everyone of all ages. I give it 3.5 stars. With the opening five minutes getting 4 solid stars.

Camping Trip

Okay here is a much requested and anticipated movie of pictures from my last camping trip with Kriddy, Chaney, Tyler, Brock, Lawrence, and Mike. We went up to Northfork. A quick expaination for some of the pics. The first few are of me and Kristy bored with a camera and with large muscles. Then there are a few of my new tent, I am very proud of it. Then one of Tyler by himself is him being surivor man getting a ton of firewood because it became apparent that me and Kriddy did not get enough. Then there was the marshmellow stuffing contest between me and Tyler. I won, I fit nine in my mouth compared to the seven Tyler did. It is confirmed that I have the biggest mouth of the group-on a lot of different levels. Anyways the first one is my moment of victory and the second the look of defeat on Tyler. We both almost choked and died. When we woke up we hiked up to the waterfall so there are few pics there and then we came back and played on the tree that fell over the river. Then the last are our ghettotastic pics. Good trip overall hope you enjoy.

My Mission Rap

One night on my mission I couldn't sleep for quite a while so I decided to make my sleepless nights useful and got into the urban vibe and created a rap with some sweet rhymes to express the way I was feeling at that time. I was serving in the inner city of Chi-town at the time and really fell in love with the place and this rap explains what was going on in the life of B-radLey at that time.....So roll out my red carpet and drop me a BEAT!

I just walked out of another project
waitin for the bus got time to reflect

So dazed and confused 'bout where I have been
I ask my companion who are these men

They don't know Jesus ev'n if they try
they live by the gun til the day they die

Why do we go out ev'ry single day?
Answer this question, huh, what d'ya say?

Their hearts are so hardened, what can I do
to help a brotha know that God loves him too?

Open my mouth, tell me what I should say,
help them Father, in Jesus name I pray.

So I go out and do all that I can,
and hope that they all will be a big fan

Of the word that I am 'bout to preach
to have some help is all I beseech.

What, huh, yup time to break it down.

God is my Father, Christ is His Son.
The prophets they send have helped me a ton.

Agency is giv'n to all of us
This life is a test so don't miss da bus.

Jesus Christ was here, he prepared da way,
but eventually his church, it all fell away

Apostacy happened both long and old
Period of darkness had been fortold

By Amos, Paul, ev'n Christ himself
Homeboys Bibles would just sit on a shelf

Til one night a boy read what James did say
If ya have a question ask God and pray.

Da boy was Joseph Smith he did just that,
knelt down in a grove, took off his hat.

Told God the thoughts that were on his mind,
so many churches and beliefs, had em feelin blind

Both God and Jesus came down in a light
pillar from heaven, brilliant and bright

They told em to join none, da church was not here
But the time of its coming was soon to be near.

He would be da prophet to bring it back
This disp'nsation gonna have nothing to lack

He translated a book for us to read,
Da Book of Mormon is what we all need.

It will teach us all what we should do
to go to heaven wit our families too.

So search, ponder, and pray and you will see
your eternal potential of what you can be.

So try it, test it, don't take it from me,
Gotta find out fo yourself, dat is da key.

I went camping with a bunch of buddies of mine and a few of us got talking about the mish which got me thinking about my rap and I thought I would share it with all of you. What do you think? Should I quit my day job and take this on the road?

Oh the stupid things that I do sometimes

So here is a funny stupid thing that I managed to do. On Friday night a bunch of us went to Brock's apartment to have a barbeque celebrating his new place. After we got done eating we played a game of two hand touch football (because girls were playing) and it was me, brock, and Kriddy against Missy, Chaney, Lawrence and Mike. I was a receiver for most of the game except for two plays when I was QB. During one play as receiver I went for a long pass, caught it and ran it into the end zone. After such an amazing accomplishment I felt I needed to celebrate and since I had not practiced my normal touchdown dances for quite some time I decided to try a round off backhand spring combination. Now it was a colder night and the grass was kind of wet, and I was attempting this on a hill, and I had been slipping and falling all during the football game, and I haven't done that combination in like 8 months, but inspite of these obstacles I honestly thought that I could pull it off and finish an amazing touchdown play the way it is meant to be celebrated. So I ran did the roundoff fairly well, as I landed I felt myself slip but tried to jump through it and bend backwards, unfortunately due to the slippage I did not get the jump right which didn't allow me enough time to bend my back enough to get my hands down on the ground and I ended up landing on my back and head and doing a backwards sommersault and hitting my head again on the ground. I may have given myself a concussion. But I went on to score another T-D and we won the game 3 or 4 to 1. Overall it was a fun game but I think I may need to retire from my gymnastics days. Sad.

A new thing I am amazing at

So I found a new hidden talent that I didn't know I had. I am exceptionally good at the msn game scrabble blast. I just got 107 points for finding the word crafted while getting a double word and a triple word bonus from it. I ended that game with a career high 1175 points. I think I should compete in the olympics, but then again turning pro will get me more money.......it gives me something to think about.
Anyways you should try and play it sometime. Here is the link: http://zone.msn.com/en/scrabbleblast/default.htm?intgid=hp_TopFreeOnline_6_SCRABBLEBlast