a couple thousand words

2006-04-26T14:30:00.000-04:00

www.cornerbirch.com

folks. please update your links on your blogs and your rss feeds accordingly. seeing as i don't blog on blogger any longer.

2006-03-22T00:36:00.000-05:00

ok kids. i'm giving up on blogger. you can delete your bookmarks or discontinue looking for updates here at tstreams.blogspot.com

i'm not giving up on blogging oh no!!!!! you check me out on www.cornerbirch.com. check it out playa.

2006-03-20T13:08:00.000-05:00

i finally finished this book. it took me forefrickinever to read. it was a really good book and i recommend it to everyone.

here are some interesting facts that i learned:

"no two countries that both had McDonald's had ever fought a war against each other since each got its McDonald's."

"in 2003, some 25,000 US tax returns were done in India. in 2004, it was 100,000. in 2005 it's expected to be 400,000."

having global supply chains prevents war because the US will take away factories in india and china and elsewhere. and that means we could almost bankrupt a whole country. that's pretty cool.

we need to have more math and science initiatives in schools and universities.

2006-03-08T22:55:00.000-05:00

tbrooks meet coach jim mora. jim mora meet tbrooks.

coach mora has led our atlanta falcons through thick and thin. he's a great coach and a helluva guy. we met up at a party in atlantic station. he's crazy. some say he favors my looks, or i do his.... either way, we're studs.

2006-03-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

this is where i've been so far. there's no telling where i'm going.... but i do know that by the time i reach my 25th birthday i will have visited every state in our union.

2006-03-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

just a little glimpse...

2006-03-02T10:45:00.000-05:00

yeah it was baaaaaad. here's the setlist:

alibi
sail away
hospital food
long distance call
nos da cariad
lately
please forgive me
ain't no love
nightblindness
my oh my
the one i love
now and always
silver lining
freedom
shine
this year's love
alive (new song)
and of course babylon

2006-03-02T10:05:00.000-05:00

what a great time with friends at the ol' flying biscuit. food was great apart from the piece of plywood in a salad... what?

i love these picture. and here's why: because at first i really wanted to delete them. i was like, "well that's not a good picture of katherine and bethany or john." but, they grew on me. no one takes pictures of the moments in between. people want to capture only the posed moments. well what about the unanticipated, unexpected times? shouldn't those be remembered too? i think so. so here's to closed eyes and goofy faces! you're still beautiful; posing or not.

2006-03-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

two smiles, two serious. all happy. i love these guys.

2006-02-24T15:54:00.000-05:00

human superstar.

i don't know what it is about this video, but i found myself teary eyed after watching it a couple times. what was it that had me so moved? so enthralled? so emotionally driven?

i think it has something to do with seeing someone overcome. i'm so moved to see this underdog, human being be thrust into triumph and victory. he was probably outcast once. he was probably overlooked once. he was probably alone with only support from parents. now he's accepted and what an arms open reception he got. the story is not very dissimilar from ours...

granted, it was something he did to be received. but our story is what was done. we're complete, we're strong, we're wise, in Him. embrace it. now just a little note, he was and probably still is going to be defined as being "autistic." his sickness will follow him. not in our case. yours and my sickness, has been paid for. embrace it.

watch the video. it's stellar. then listen to charlie hall's "i will overcome."

i'm so stoked. merry friday.

2006-02-23T01:27:00.000-05:00

taylor: hello?
west coast: yes we're just calling you
taylor: and "you" is.....
west coast: the west coast we're calling taylor
taylor: ahhh so the west coast is calling my name eh?
west coast: bingo.

2006-02-22T00:57:00.000-05:00

so sbux started printing these really clever anecdotes on their cups.

i really liked this one... really made me think about things...

and for the movie buffs; no, diversity is not an old wooden ship. (2pts.)

2006-02-17T11:27:00.000-05:00

"i feel like a mongoose stalking it's prey."

i can't wait until summer....

2006-02-15T00:08:00.000-05:00

it doesn't take much to excite me.

for instance, my auburn license plate and my business cards came in the mail today.

i was giddy all day.

2006-02-10T12:42:00.000-05:00

so a dear friend of mine designed this. i thought it was pretty stinkin cool. who's that goofy kid though?

2006-02-07T14:36:00.000-05:00

"All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke

"We must always fear the wicked. But there is another kind of evil that we must fear the most, and that is the indifference of good men." -priest in Boondock Saints

oh how true!

2006-02-01T14:52:00.000-05:00

the future's for discovering.
the space in which you're travelling.

2006-01-29T02:51:00.000-05:00

problem: if you read tons of blogs or subscribe to a lot of rss feeds you probably use bookmarks or favorites to read all your friends blogs. but what if no one updates? your browser doesn't tell you that no one has updated.

solution: netnewswire

i've ran across a program called netnewswire. it's software that catalogs all your blog or rss feeds into one really great format. i suggest you check it out the link for screenshots and stuff. *i actually bought the full version. which i am just in love with. the free version called netnewswire lite is basically the same as the paid version. if you scroll down to the bottom of the linked page you'll see the free version available for download. i promise you if you start to use this you will love me for it.

check out my screenshot for a better idea of what i'm talking about.

this rss syndicator is for mac only. i don't know any for windows because i don't have windows. if you do have windows i've found a great solution, buy a mac.

about blogs and the sort
"blog" is the popular name for an rss feed. rss stands for "really simple syndication." blogs and rss feeds are written in xml code not html, so they catalog better with programs instead of browsers. browsers such as firefox, explorer, safari are great for viewing pages written in html and flash. they don't do well for reading rss feeds. you can also find some extensions for browsers that incorporate the rss readers into the browser window.

2006-01-25T13:13:00.000-05:00

so i saw "munich" last night.

it's a movie about events stemmed from the terrorist attack on 11 israeli atheletes during the 1972 olympics.

it's a worthy view. it really jarred my thoughts on our involvement in iraq. now i'm not so sure what my stance is on the whole ordeal.

bottom line. are we starting something where 20 years down the road my children and children's children will be targeted because of the administration is doing today? actually that's a selfish bottom line. here's the real one.

lives are lost every day. innocent blood is shed. i don't know if peace can ever be accomplished with so much hatred around.

2006-01-25T01:30:00.000-05:00

if this song doesn't make you want to love Jesus more I don't know what will. oh yes i do....

mix this song with a dash of great weather, teaspoon of creation all around, a little HS (or ruach if you will) here and there, and you're basically good to go.

"beautiful are the words spoken to me
beautiful is the one who is speaking

come in close, come in close, come closer to me

the power of your words
are filled with grace and mercy
let them fall on my ears
and break my stony heart

come in close, come in close and speak
come in close, come closer to me."

2006-01-25T00:42:00.000-05:00

marvelous light. oh the marvelous light. look at what i've found.

2006-01-25T00:24:00.000-05:00

my dead heart now is beating
my deepest stains now clean

my dead heart now is beating
my deepest stains now clean

my dead heart now is beating
my deepest stains now clean

lift my hands and spin around
see this light that i have found ......marvelous light

2006-01-25T00:07:00.000-05:00

i'm going to warn you. i've got a lot going through my head. good things, god things, so i'm just warning that i'm about to throw up all my thoughts electronically. i'll try my best not to make my blog boring and relevant to your life. here's to a string of good thoughts, god thoughts.

ps. i bet most readers were bothered by the fact that i didn't capitalize "god"
that's ok.

2006-01-22T01:22:00.000-05:00

it's been too long since i've messed with photoshop. it makes me feel creative again.

tward chuckles.

2006-01-20T18:40:00.000-05:00

i went to a PGA tourney late last year at east lake golf club.

whilst walking the course, i fell in love. in love with golf. it's not hard for that to happen when you're at east lake. every bit of this course is excellent and meticulous. i longed to play on this course. a couple dilemmas though:

a. you have to be a member or guest of a member
b. you have to be invited to be a member
c. i don't know any members
d. if i were invited and selected for membership, i don't have the entry fee, a cool $275,000.

so i thought and strategized about how to get on the course. well the saying is true, "if you can't beat them, join them."

and so here i am the newest employee of atlanta's most prestigious golf course.

2006-01-15T01:04:00.000-05:00

i'm going through a very transitional phase in my life.

that's why it's not out of place or downright scary that i've been arranging calla lilies and rented "must love dogs."

2006-01-11T03:24:00.000-05:00

my head is in the clouds.

driving makes me think. i highly recommend staying up all night at least once every two weeks. it gives you a different way of looking at things. you think more creatively and you dream more. well, at least you dream with your eyes open and you remember your dreams better.

i dream of a time where good reigns over evil. i dream of marriage that weaves and winds its way through love. i dream of looking back on my life at the verge of death and saying, "it couldn't be anymore beautiful."

these are my dreams. as simple as they may be.

2006-01-08T02:06:00.000-05:00

john looks homeless and gay at the same time. he doesn't look old but he really is. and my natural talent as a hair stylist. i call this look "the hotness." within a year every major chick mag will feature this hairstyle. wait and watch.

2006-01-08T02:03:00.000-05:00

18,000 students. not one speaks.

2006-01-05T23:34:00.000-05:00

"the Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified for the display of his splendor." -Isaiah 61:1-3 niv/nasv mesh

ruach. the Spirit of the sovereign Lord.

2005-12-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

larry henry: a celebration of man.

the dude smokes cigars all the time. his sentences are constantly laced with "frickin" or "friggin." he's irrerevrent and untameable. he's plays a mean game of golf. he considers listening to audiobooks "reading." according to him he reads close to a book a week. he's an auburn grad. he doesn't hold back and tells you what he's thinking. he's a closet metrosexual. cross him or stand him up and you won't hear the end of it. the dude cracks me up. he's a member or Run Club USA, the best run club on the planet we inhabit. here he is after sinking a 30 ft. birdie put like it's his job.

2005-12-20T16:22:00.000-05:00

his is crazy. facebook released a new feature that tracks the keywords in your profile and shows the trends of them. top book... the bible. second highest club... encounter. that is absolutely insane to me. when i started going to encounter there were roughly 30 people that attended. everyone new everybody. it was personal, it was community to the 'nth degree. now they've EXPLODED. there is still community but not to the extent it was 4 years ago. life is at breakneck speed... blogs, podcasts, and iTunes have taken over as new forms of delivering information and media. stay tuned for life interrupted.

*note: if your job could be digitized or outsourced, it will be. find something that adds value, true value to the world and you'll never find yourself lacking in money.

2005-12-20T11:51:00.000-05:00

sometimes there's just not much to say. hence the hiatus in me writing anything lately. sometimes there is no wind in the sails. no air in the balloon. perhaps the balloon popped or the sails tore. or maybe it's just good to be silent sometimes.

2005-12-03T19:41:00.000-05:00

Through fire and water. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought... Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountain side. Darkness took me and I strayed away through thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and every day was as long as a life age of the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done.

2005-11-30T22:45:00.000-05:00

"I love December and January--endings/beginnings. Hmmm. Much to be
said. It's good to bring close to tasks, eh? The final step of a
journey, the last scratched word of an essay, the final period to a
book, word of a wedding ceremony, bullet of a war, punch of a key of a
business report, and beyond. But there's good in beginnings as well,
no? A baby, daybreak, sunset, the call to worship, the click of the
tracks in an ascending roller coaster climbing to its first fall,
introductions to new faces, a kiss, and beyond. They're necessary...and
beautiful for life and happiness, exhiliration and pain. Not knowing
how things will go at their inception, and reflecting on them all at the
close. It seems right that this should go on, these endings and
beginnings. Life seems a series of journeys, growth, and change. As
Tolkien (sp?) via Jackson suggested, even death is a path we all must
take. Into eternity, then? Not for a usurpation of "rest," no! But for
a final, true fulfillment of what it is to do and serve for the King.

A bit vague, eh? Just musings, no more."

.not my writing, as much as i wish it was. i thought it need be shared and celebrated. thanks friend for the email. you bless me more than you know. grace and peace to you. -tb

2005-11-30T00:18:00.000-05:00

a purple cow is remarkable. simply meaning that if you saw one, it wouldn't go unnoticed... you'd probably talk about it or perhaps "remark" about it.

how many people know that 3M makes security glass?
how many people care?
if you were at a bus stop with a little over half a million dollars in it, you'd probably do everything in your power to break it.
and after you couldn't break it, you'd go home and talk about the incident.
3M knew that it's security glass wasn't a daily conversation piece. but maybe for a day or week or month, it became a focus. and it was probably made headlines. all because they did something remarkable... they made a normal cow turn purple.

how many people care about what you have to say?
how many people actually, like really give two spits, about what you say? or more importantly what you believe?

apathy, complacency, and indifference are the enemies. rebel against your own indifference.

who knows? maybe you'll unleash something remarkable. something actually worth talking about.

2005-11-26T01:18:00.000-05:00

"your fans are church folk, johnny, christians. they don't want to hear you singing to a bunch of rapists are murderers trying to cheer them up."

"well they're not christians then."

2005-11-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

straight reppin' the ubd at the uga game, ya heard? i haven't been to a better game since my freshman year when we beat florida and sent spurrier to the nfl with his tail tucked between his legs.

2005-11-15T19:51:00.000-05:00

brown paper packages don't do it for me. here's my list anyway.

sunroofs
watching leaves kick up behind me as i drive
mozilla firefox
gmail
treo 650
bottled water
stainless steel
the sound of a sportbike at 13000 revolutions per minute
the purr of an M5 at idle
toasted peanut butter crackers
modern furniture
any of apple's products
auburn, al (the town, the mindset, the football games, and the people)
new pens
watching people laugh and smile
the history of kenneth cole
any of dr. kincaid's classes

2005-11-10T21:54:00.000-05:00

mr. pickles, our office pet drives me nuts by climbing the side of my cubicle. try working with that trash going on.

2005-11-08T16:33:00.000-05:00

i am absolutely infatuated with this company. check this writing on the back of a card they sent me and i quote:

"... so fear less, hope more, complain less, praise more, judge less, and accept more. love is the answer of our war. this is the seed we have planted... join us in watering it. jedidiah is for lovers. love and be loved. stay rooted."

what a fantastic verse!

for more on the history of this company read 2 sam. 12:11-25

2005-11-08T16:11:00.000-05:00

so i ordered this hat last week from jedidiah. and this is what it says underneath tag... funny because i was reading 1 thessalonians about 5 minutes before i saw this and i really felt like God was trying to tell me something but i couldn't really put my finger on it. so i took my hat off to scratch my head and saw this saying... "become what you are."

holy. righteous. blameless.

2005-11-06T03:09:00.000-05:00

if you're going to watch arguably the best golfer to have ever played the game, i would contend the best way to watch him is in an executive club box while eating grilled salmon and snacking on beef tenderloin. gosh, it's a tough life.

ps. this is the last picture i took after my camera was confiscated. the executive level pass doesn't stop the official from taking your camera.

2005-11-06T02:55:00.000-05:00

the tour championship.
the top 30 money leaders on the pga tour.
east lake gc, atlanta, ga.

vijay on 17.

2005-11-03T18:18:00.000-05:00

if i were a musician this would be my album cover.

2005-11-03T18:15:00.000-05:00

chris right before he started tossing road cones around.

2005-11-03T18:09:00.000-05:00

i came across i came across a friend i didn't trust.
i looked into his eyes and saw myself.

-shout out louds

2005-11-02T19:53:00.000-05:00

http://www.auburn.edu/~brooktc/

check out the pics. granted it might take a while to upload the page, just wait because it's well worth it.

halloween party 2k5!

2005-11-01T15:01:00.000-05:00

don't be scared will. it's ok. auburn will win the game.

2005-11-01T02:30:00.000-05:00

and the second place costumes....

2005-11-01T02:25:00.000-05:00

sweet costumes. (pun intended) and kudos to the maker, you did an excellent job.

2005-10-25T22:47:00.000-04:00

it's the end of october and i've finally made it to the beach.

2005-10-25T22:40:00.000-04:00

i absolutely love this house! rosemary beach is prime rib on my menu. i think i'm going to subscribe to coastal living or something like that...

2005-10-25T22:37:00.000-04:00

walker is mad. brad is confused. it's a mixed range of emotions during the au/lsu game.

2005-10-23T22:17:00.000-04:00

this has to be the biggest dadgum pumpkin i've ever seen.

2005-10-22T23:51:00.000-04:00

the legendary john vaughn.

2005-10-22T23:43:00.000-04:00

check out the author's name. it reminds me of an old roomate of mine.

2005-10-22T23:38:00.000-04:00

just in case you don't like the one God gave you at birth....

2005-10-17T01:29:00.000-04:00

the old man finished. granted it was a shade under two hours and forty-five minutes after i finished. but hey... at least he got a banana and a t-shirt when he crossed the line. congrats on the run dad.

2005-10-15T23:04:00.000-04:00

when you combine a pumpkin pie, with homemade cookies, great weather, a day in Piedmont Park, and two beautiful women that drove 77 miles to visit you it really makes for an exceptional day. my smile doesn't lie. thanks girls you're the best.

2005-10-15T22:44:00.000-04:00

i think this is a really fun picture. kinda obscure but still fun. probably a good analogy of my life too. though things may seem upside down at times, trust that laws of motion (or Christ) will turn things right side up again. and when you land you'll be on your either knees or feet. whichever the case may be know that He is good and He'll put you in the posture you need to be in.

2005-10-15T22:40:00.000-04:00

oh what a beautiful view, if you were never aware of what was around you. -dcfc
i love atlanta.

2005-10-15T12:38:00.000-04:00

this is grand master sensei don swinford. he is the leader of run club usa. the best running club on the planet. anyway, his current fascination in life is what he calls "confrontational accountability"... which basically means he gives me a hard time about everything he doesn't like about me. here's my question for you don, did you finish before or after me in the race today?

2005-10-15T02:53:00.000-04:00

just wondering what this would like... a window into a window. (but by no means done in Windows)

2005-10-14T03:20:00.000-04:00

i didn't take the picture. i didn't carve the pumpkin. i actually wasn't even there. but that's absolutely no reason to not celebrate the fact that fall is here. and... there are a select few girls who are thrilled and respect this seasonal cheer. the pumpkin of the season award goes to.... andrea and katie!!!!!! we salute you miss pumpkin carver.

2005-10-13T05:01:00.000-04:00

your shades are hot.

2005-10-13T04:49:00.000-04:00

good ole b. carpino. many a hard day's work we put for "man and a van"

2005-10-13T04:43:00.000-04:00

just thinking that this kid used to be my roommate scares me.

2005-10-13T04:28:00.000-04:00

and this was 3 years ago.... i miss chan chan

2005-10-13T00:13:00.000-04:00

this picture was requested to be put on the blog. i don't even know where to begin about these two.....

2005-10-07T20:16:00.000-04:00

and this haircut (or lack thereof) is really really dirty. he looks like he just got off the mayflower.

2005-10-07T20:13:00.000-04:00

focus, to taurus, to ferrari.... my rental cars keep getting better. yeah right.

2005-10-07T20:05:00.000-04:00

a company's best marketing push is their retention of customers. well done hilton. well done.

2005-10-03T00:35:00.000-04:00

you are my joy. you are my joy. you are my joy. you are my joy.

2005-10-02T22:48:00.000-04:00

are you ready for the revolution?

2005-10-02T22:41:00.000-04:00

thanks for my ticket mr. plainsman. had fun running with you too.

2005-10-02T22:34:00.000-04:00

canadian geese, a bridge of doughnuts/awkwardness, and a friday night worth repeating.

the canadian goose (a.k.a. branta canadensis) is the most widely distributed bird. it can fly between 45 and 50 miles per hour. they are intensely loyal to their mates and known to stay with a mate for as long as 42 years. they communicate visually, tactilely (through touch), and acoustically. as far as acoustical communication they have the ability to make up to 10 different calls...

2005-10-02T22:06:00.000-04:00

and that's what a car with a wiener on top of it looks like...

2005-09-27T22:17:00.000-04:00

a lark ascending. (but the ground pulls at my feet)

and i'm trying to make you think
from inside where you believe
like it's something that you need
like it means everything

and i'm trying to make you feel
that this is for real
that life is happening
that it means everything

i'm just trying to make you think...

2005-09-26T17:28:00.000-04:00

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

I got an email from a friend last night that had this verse included in it. Today I talked to a business owner who moved to the States from Bolivia in the 60s. The only reason he moved here is because a missionary told him that God had big plans for him to impact a lot of people. Turns out his whole family started to follow Christ and moved to the US in search of the American dream. A true chance at freedom and opportunity. He calls the States the "land of milk and honey." At one point in the conversation he told me that Christ through missionaries are "a bright white light shining in the darkness." I thought that was pretty significant considering the email that I received a couple hours before that conversation. God works in mysterious ways for sure. I wonder what he's up to now?

2005-09-21T14:51:00.000-04:00

tbrooks live at red rocks.2

2005-09-21T14:44:00.000-04:00

tbrooks live at red rocks.1

2005-09-21T01:13:00.000-04:00

chris and i at the rockies game

2005-09-21T01:11:00.000-04:00

hello denver.

2005-09-19T01:45:00.000-04:00

in deep thought. haha i sneaky with the camera...

2005-09-19T01:06:00.000-04:00

you can't look at this picture and not help but laugh.

2005-09-19T00:58:00.000-04:00

i miss the old times. the old encounter. the old matt. the old crew. it's cool to see how things develop though.

2005-09-19T00:56:00.000-04:00

jeremy on the phone in houston.

2005-09-19T00:52:00.000-04:00

hey look it's tyler from texas. what a good night at the indie film theater in montrose. intown houston is a cool place to be.

2005-09-18T22:30:00.000-04:00

the shadow proves the sunshine.

think about that phrase for a while. let it sink it.

"hold fast till the break of day where the shadow proves the sunshine."

2005-09-12T00:25:00.000-04:00

i believe that salvation is progressive. it doesn't have a point a and a point b. meaning that it is constantly moving forward. it doesn't mean that you're constantly working for it and earning it. by no means. salvation is a gift. which is kind of a cool thought because we are always surrounding by the principle of input and output. you study, you get good grades. you work, you get a paycheck. you practice, you get better. etc. etc. a biblical way of saying this is you reap what you sow. in salvation's case there is no output. we get an undeserved output from someone else's input. that's a true gift. the thing that baffles me is what did Christ get from the deal. how did he benefit at all?

the picture of duncan and myself has nothing to do with these musings.

2005-09-05T00:05:00.000-04:00

samford hall is blurry.

2005-09-05T00:03:00.000-04:00

are we really brothers?

2005-09-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

i miss brad a lot.

2005-09-04T23:59:00.000-04:00

heather looks scary. this picture makes me laugh and smile.

2005-09-04T23:50:00.000-04:00

jeremy and i at the astros game.

2005-09-02T15:37:00.000-04:00

minute maid park. where the houston astros play.

2005-09-02T15:34:00.000-04:00

take the time to stop and stare, heaven's beauty everywhere.
memorial park
houston, tx

2005-09-02T15:32:00.000-04:00

driving fast through downtown atlanta. speeding home with the sunroof open.

2005-09-02T15:26:00.000-04:00

post college is the new middle school.