Well you gotta have an opinion! I mean do you think that God came down from heaven ... ?Wednesday, 31 December 2008
fiction?
Well you gotta have an opinion! I mean do you think that God came down from heaven ... ?Friday, 26 December 2008
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
about a boy
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Friday, 19 December 2008
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Rose
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Christmas cards
Saturday, 6 December 2008
songs and singers
"she had diamonds on the inside, she had diamonds on the inside" - Ben Harper
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
unpublished material
Friday, 28 November 2008
agnostic
not really a great-sounding doctrine to hold, I say... makes dictionary.com's definition of the word amusing:
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Monday, 27 October 2008
Durham student t-shirt
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
on interview technique
question 1
interviewer:
what makes you want to work at the college bar, and what makes you think you'll be good at this job?
interviewee:
*answers first question*
could you repeat the second half of the question?
interviewer:
what makes you think you'll be good at the job?
interviewee:
oh, my great memory, of course...
question 2
interviewer:
...on a more light-hearted note, if you were a drink; what drink would you be and why?
interviewee:
Guinness. definitely a Guinness.
interviewer:
...and why a Guinness?
interviewee:
well, because I'm black, of course.
*sniggers from panel stifled*
that's not the reason, obviously *backtracking* it's because... because... well, I'm just a little bit thick.
Monday, 20 October 2008
probably fairly racist...
Following the problems in the sub-prime lending market in America and
the run on Northern Rock in the UK, uncertainty has now hit Japan.
In the last 7 days Origami Bank has folded, Sumo Bank has gone belly upand Bonsai Bank announced plans to cut some of its branches.
Yesterday, it was announced that Karaoke Bank is up for sale and willlikely go for a song, while today shares in Kamikaze Bank were suspendedafter they nose-dived.
While Samurai Bank is soldiering on following sharp cutbacks, Ninja Bankis reported to have taken a hit, but they remain in the black.
Furthermore, 500 staff at Karate Bank got the chop and analysts reportthat there is something fishy going on at Sushi Bank where it is fearedthat staff may get a raw deal.
Thursday, 16 October 2008
I'd have done it for less
Saturday, 11 October 2008
Sunday, 5 October 2008
invite
in other news though, today at church they had their big ol' family service, kids jumping up and down and eating cake on stage with party hats and balloons. the talk was on Luke chapter 14 verses 15-24, and at the end the cake-covered kids handed each person in the church (yes, the one time in the history of the world where working with children worked) a little piece of A6 card saying:
Friday, 3 October 2008
rock
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Monday, 29 September 2008
back
Monday, 21 July 2008
Thursday, 17 July 2008
noah
Noah, flood, God judges sin etc. the story had me thinking quite a bit the other day - about how bad our sin really is before God, about how it deserves death...
then there's this bit towards the end. some translations have the word 'rainbow', but the original word (apparently) means the same for 'bow' like the weapon. so God stops his judgement, puts his arrows of lightning away and holds his bow upwards, promising to hold back his judgement.
when talking about Jesus' death, Paul says that "in his forbearance he [God] had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished". with his judgement in Genesis 8 in mind, how great is that 'forbearance'!
Jesus warns that this won't be forever;
"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man" when he returns...
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
paper
Monday, 14 July 2008
mess
Sunday, 13 July 2008
fluxx

it's called Fluxx, and my good friend Tim introduced me to it at uni. you can click the link to read about it (not that it'll make much sense) - or go right ahead, buy it from here!
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Friday, 11 July 2008
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Saturday, 28 June 2008
Friday, 27 June 2008
mac vs pc - crash test
pc user:
grr! my pc's crashed again! I was only asking it to open up a video - how annoying! stupid machine... right, need more coffee...
mac user:
oh, my mac's crashed again. well, I suppose I was asking it to open up a big complicated spreadsheet... poor maccy... I love you. now where did I put that daisy chain..?
Sunday, 22 June 2008
prossibly
pro·ssib·ly (prŏs'ə-blē)
adv.
It is a Saturday. It will prossibly rain today.
Saturday, 21 June 2008
blyk
are you 16-24 years old? want 217 free text messages and 43 free minutes each month on a pay as you go mobile (you don't even need to top up anything)...Sunday, 15 June 2008
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
the inside
balls
today is the trevelyan college summer ball - the budget it £20,000 - that's just wrong. that's 400 people spending £50 a pop.
according to this website, that money could feed 20,000 children for a day. or if it's ok to do the maths this way, 54 children for a year.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
a real word I read today...
adjective
Of, relating to, or in the nature of an illusion; lacking reality
Monday, 2 June 2008
I do this (metaphorically speaking...)
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Jesus is for losers
Driven ahead by some noble ideal
Who took the wheel?
If I was given
Given a glimpse of some glorious road
When was it sold?
So caught up in the chase
I keep forgetting my place
Just as I am
I am stiff-necked and proud
Jesus is for losers
Why do I still play to the crowd?
Just as I am
Pass the compass, please
Jesus is for losers
I'm off about a hundred degrees
If I was groping
Groping around for some ladder to fame
I am ashamed
If I was hoping
Hoping respect would make a sturdy footstool
I am a fool
Bone-weary every climb
Blindsided every time
Just as I am
I am needy and dry
Jesus is for losers
The self-made need not apply
Just as I am
In a desert crawl
Lord, I'm so thirsty
Take me to the waterfall
And if you're certain
Certain your life is some cosmic mistake
Why do you shake?
And if you're certain
Certain that faith is some know-nothing mask
Why do you still ask?
They don't grade here on the curve
We both know what we deserve
Just as you are
Just a wretch like me
Jesus is for losers
Grace from the blood of a tree
Just as we are
At a total loss
Jesus is for losers
Broken at the foot of the cross
Just as I am
Pass the compass, please
Jesus is for losers
I'm off about a hundred degrees
Just as I am
In a desert crawl
Lord, I'm so thirsty
Take me to the waterfall
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Sunday, 18 May 2008
Thursday, 15 May 2008
unvitation
un·vi·ta·tion (ûn'vĭ-tā'shən)
n.
- The act of unviting.
- A spoken or written apology at someone's absence. Not to be confused with an uninvitation.
uncourage
un·cour·age (ûn-kûr'ĭj, -kŭr'-)
tr.v., -aged, -ag·ing, -ag·es.
- To inspire with warning, rebuke, or urgency; hearten.
- To stimulate negatively; press: uncouraging with the consequences of failing to work.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
hippy type things

went to a big hippy convention last weekend. well, sort of... it was very good, don't get me wrong - but there were one or two things you just had to laugh about.
Monday, 12 May 2008
Friday, 9 May 2008
forced rhubarb
Sleep.
Unable to sleep, the man takes a sleeping pill. Groggy in the morning, he finds he must pop a caffeine pill just to stay awake; a vitamin tab to stay healthy; and a good day herb to stay sane.
At lunch he takes a diet supplement drug. To relax in the afternoon he takes a sedative. For entertainment after hours he indulges in a sex pill.
The man takes a sleeping pill - unable to sleep.
In the morning he wakes to find a grizzly bear standing over him.
I kissed you, the bear says. I kissed you and you woke up.
Thanks. Want some breakfast? The man asks.
No, I'm not hungry. I just had a goldilocks and some porridge. Maybe later though.
Later, for lunch, the bear slashes at the man's stomach. Pills spill from his abdominal cavity. The man smiles and laughs. The bear wants to cry, but finds himself unable to cry.
The bear wakes to find it was all just a horrible dream.
The bear goes to work at the circus. People toss him hot dog butts and candyfloss sticks. They poke at him with rules and pelt him with stones.
He sues, but loses his lawsuit on account of bad lawyers he hired from a television commercial. The bear attacks the attorneys, tearing them limb from twisted limb. One of the lawyers cries out for his wife. She wakes him.
It was only a dream, his wife says.
I had the most horrible dream. I dreamt I was a lawyer, the man confesses.
The woman wakes.
I was married to a man dreaming he was a lawyer eaten by a bear. Now I can't remember whether I'm a woman dreaming of being a lawyer's wife, or a lawyer's wife dreaming that she is a woman.
love it.
coffee table bear
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Saturday, 26 April 2008
"Great is thy faithfulness"
great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
as Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
great is Thy faithfulness! great is Thy faithfulness!
morning by morning new mercies I see.
all I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
...
pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
great is Thy faithfulness!
[I don't deserve any of that...]
Friday, 25 April 2008
why oh why oh why oh why oh why?
well just for you then Gareth (unless other people are still doing reading here!) - the reason it's all a bit funky is I'm now at philbrown.co.cc. so go there, marvel at how slow it all is (and if you're a geek - at its poor design), and... and something.
you can also read my hanky story there. I kind of wrote it last year (when I found the hanky), and penned it down a bit more permanently since. do shoot me an email with any criticisms, critiques or comments (constructive or otherwise).
man that was alliterative.
for now... Phil, away!
the hanky story [continued]
...I got home, and decided to give it a bath. Quite a bit of lavender smelling liquid soap later, a blow-dry and a careful iron, and it was looking almost as good as new.
Now it sits in my room alongside everything else I own, and is still clean as can be.
The story's not just about the hanky I found though, it's also about God. When I began to get to know him, I felt like a dirty hanky, sinful and not worth the trouble. But the man Jesus was also God, and 'stooped down' to earth to rescue people like you and me.
He lived a sinless life, but when he died on the cross our dirt, stains and sin were counted as his. If we believe that we are sinners and that he died for us, we can be 'washed clean' like my hanky. To God, we're not simply discarded rags, but beautiful pieces of linen he longs to restore.
[...I'd love to hear your thoughts. do get in touch or click here for another story]
the hanky story
I found a hanky the other day. That's well rank, I know… I was walking along and spotted it on the pavement. It was pretty skanky-looking, and had probably been stuck out there for a while by the time I got to it.
As I was passing, I thought about how it's the sort of thing you just pass by. I mean, even its owner, if they spotted it, would hardly bend down to pick it up. So I decided that's what I'd do.
When I turned round to walk back up the hill, I wasn't surprised to find it still lying there unmoved amongst the other litter. I stooped down, scooped it up and took it back with me… [continue]
Monday, 14 April 2008
Whitefield to the Allegany Indians
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
sneaky sneaking pies
that is all
Saturday, 29 March 2008
rubbish

you know what's really rubbish? that we think ourselves all 'ethical' and good just 'cos we recycle. don't get me wrong - recycling's good. it means there's not big rubbish dumps across england. but that's pretty much all it does.
it doesn't do a thing for this kid. imagine if that was a picture of an area of london, and he was a white kid. people wouldn't stand for it.
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
a larry norman song I like
"put your life in Jesus' nail scarred hands
put your life in Jesus' nail scarred hands
He's the rock of ages
He's the sage of sages
He's the key to the promised land
so put your life
in Jesus' nail scarred hands
I was blind but now i've learned to see
I was trapped but now i've been set free
I was lost and alone
so far from home
I was losing sight of me
but now i'm warm and safe as i can be
so put your life in Jesus' nail scarred hands
put your life in Jesus' nail scarred hands
you have heard the wondrous story
now go and tell it cross the land
tell em: put your life in Jesus' nail scarred hands
oh yeh right
I don't really have a verse to go here
so i'll just let the band play it one time...
put your life in Jesus' nail scarred hands
put your life in Jesus' nail scarred hand
He's the Rock of Ages
He's the Sage of Sages
He's the Key to the Promised Land
so put your life in Jesus' nail scarred hands"
Friday, 21 March 2008
Good Friday
Today is Good Friday…but what is so good about Jesus dying?
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
That’s what’s good
Thursday, 20 March 2008
death, where is your sting?
where, O death, is your sting?"
today I found out that Larry Norman (an old Christian rocker) died on the 24th february - last month. I'm sad, because he was an incredible lyricist and I really enjoy listening to his music. I'm also sad because I know that the end of his life was quite a struggle physically, he was very ill.
but I also rejoice for him. the writer of the book of hebrews in the bible writes
but maybe more of that tomorrow.
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Monday, 18 February 2008
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
Qtrax
this is quality... free peer-to-peer music downloading that's legal and the artists have got on board to receive commission. it works because they use drm to track what's being listened downloaded/listened to so they can work out how much to pay out - and their income is from companies keen to do advertising on such a brilliant product. (so far as I understand from the paper).check it out for sure!
Friday, 25 January 2008
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Sunday, 20 January 2008
Ethan
about
...who am I?
well you may have guessed, if you didn’t already know, my name’s Phil Brown. I’m a Christian and a uni student in the UK.
to get in touch, just send me a quick email:

...or click the link at the top, find me on facebook and say hello!
if you want to know more about what I believe, there's a pretty neat summary on this website.
also, this site looks loveliest in google chrome - take a look.
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
discrete maths (shh...)
Friday, 11 January 2008
two part special - communism
(this is part two of a two-part special on communism)
Thursday, 10 January 2008
two part special - communism
(this is part one of a two-part special on communism)












and in other news, yesterday I finally tripped over the box full of shredded paper packaging. grr.











