Lori frequently jokes with me that the iTest has been a terrible investment from the beginning and its only gotten worse. And from a current financial perspective, she would be right: thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours have been liberally poured into the project, with little financial return.

Additionally, it appears that our first sponsor, who will remain nameless here, has fallen through. This sponsor would have righted the financial ship, and then some, while using some of its technology to vastly improve the underlying infrastructure of the way I administer the annual competition.

Separately, the IRS is giving me a hell of a time with my non-profit 501(c)(3) application. They have issued a second round of questions, beyond the original application, for me to complete. Since I filed the form to apply for tax-exempt status, 9 months have passed and I still feel no closer to receiving the tax break. At this point, I am ready to discard them and move forward with the iTest as a private for-profit enterprise...but we'll see what happens over the rest of 2005.

I don't have time to feel sorry for myself, though. Nothing has fundamentally changed about the competition from when I created it in March 2004: the competition is a watershed educational tool that has never been done before, connecting the elitest of upper crust private high schools to the poorest of inner city public schools through mathematics and student competition.

Furthermore, there is no real competition. Competitive mathematics is a humorless field with a profound lack of innovators or capitalistic interests. Therefore, its not a surprise that the field hasn't moved forward much at all since I was in high school. Making this problem even worse is the growing disparity in the educational system between the "haves" and the "have-nots," which is creating a younger humorless class of high school students. I have witnessed many of these math-or-bust kids myself and found the experience disturbing.

Enough about those people. The key paradox here is that the more children we help and the more we improve the current state of the educational system, the more we set up the iTest to make a financial killing as a premiere educational brand.

My vision for the iTest is to become a portfolio of the nation's best competitions for high school students, while still being readily accessible to lower-income students as well as "normal" kids of all income-levels. We continue this march with a stellar iTest math exam to be given in September, and the launch of the iTest CS in April '06. Similar to the SAT II Subject Tests or AP exams, given in an array of fields....the iTest competitions will set the standard for high school academic competitions and will command interest through prizes, through innovation, and through humor.

This can't help but attract corporate interest. What we're doing is too innovative and too unique - and too popular! we're heading over the 30,000 student mark this year in math... - to not be noticed and funded. Or bought out.

Regardless of what the future holds, and Lori's instinctive questioning of my efforts, the iTest has begun, and success is not a matter of if, but when.

First blog post in a while...between a pretty intense job, tutoring an 8th grader in Franklin on the side, preparing for the iTest launch, working on a new album, and attempting to stay sane...I guess that explains it. And, lest I forget, moving into a new, bigger apartment. Oh, and one more thing...I'm married now! :)

I view being busy as a blessing. For me, it means I'm currently working on a combination of things that are my choice to be working on. Working from home facilitates this - though I spend at least 50-55 hours a week on my job, those hours can be moved and manipulated in ways typical office jobs could not to accommodate my other passions.

My job as Strategic Initiatives Coordinator at Actus Lend Lease is off to a good start. I feel like my boss has put me in a position to succeed - a position where I can bring something to the table. That is a very gratifying thing that I try not to take for granted. The ability to have an impact, and work with executives ranging from age 40 to 70 who control one of the largest real estate companies in existence is a very welcome change from previous school environments. It is all of this that led me to reject a job offered to me just a couple weeks ago, while I was just hitting the one-month mark with Actus, that actually would have compensated me a good bit more, though without giving me nearly as much influence and ability to contribute.

I feel very lucky to have Lori in my life, and look forward to her starting up at Vandy law school this fall after transferring over the summer. I know she is looking forward to it. Everywhere she has gone, she has excelled, in terms of her legal studies. She has especially turned her game up a notch at the Tennessee Supreme Court this summer, where she has gotten a remarkable amount of uncharacteristic praise from the justices there for her writing skills and the level of detail in her legal scrutiny of various cases. Vanderbilt will simply be another stomping ground on her way to a successful job somewhere.

The long-awaited fantasy football draft is coming up! Its a chance for everyone in our little group from high school to catch up with one another. I am really looking forward to it this year as well because ESPN's league is so vastly superior to Yahoo's in the way it enables even more communication between all of us.

Anyway, thought I would update the blog with what's been going on. I will be updating this more regularly as I learn to keep work from exploding into 60-70 hour weeks and keep it contained to about 50 hours a week. Its a lot harder than it sounds.

Been listening to the new Acceptance album ("Phantoms") and it has not exited my car stereo for the past few weeks. Production is amazing. Its a bunch of young guys, and while not the best instrumentalists in the world, their lyrics, harmonies, and melodies are great. And we're talking every single song on the disc here.

Just downloaded their Sessions@AOL songs. They can play well live, apparently.

Highly recommend them.

"So Contagious" - Acceptance

Oh no...
this couldn't be more unexpected.
And I can tell you
that I've been moving in so slow.
Don't let it throw you off too far,
cause I'll be running right behind you.

Could this be out of line?
Say you're the only one, breaking me down like this
You're the only one I would take a shot on.
Keep me hanging on, so contagiously...

Without going into much detail, "The Burning" is the dark tale of a man in jail, serving a life sentence for killing the man who murdered his daughter. This man escapes from prison and attempts to rebuild his life and find purpose in living. The album will be divided up into two distinct halves - the first centered around his prison life, and concluding with his escape. The second half will center around his attempt to start over.

This tells a good bit of background without giving away any details at all. I have been looking forward to crafting an album around a central story like this for some time now.

So, in other words, "The Burning" has nothing to do with some guy with an STD. Sorry to disappoint...lol...

After a bit of a blogging hiatus...lets get caught up to speed.

Lori got into Vanderbilt Law School! She was trying to transfer from University of Tennessee's Law School, and fortunately Vanderbilt agreed that she should be in Nashville with me! She'll start toward the end of August.

I have begun my job with Actus Lend Lease as their Strategic Initiatives Coordinator. I work from home. I have been able to contribute in tangible ways to the company even in a few weeks. This is exactly what I was looking for in a job out of MBA school.

Lori and I have been attending our marriage counseling sessions, which are generally something people do BEFORE getting married...but since we were in two separate cities, this wasn't exactly possible. But we have a "mentor" couple that is going through a workbook of various marriage issues with us, and we've been able to sit down with them once a week, have dinner, and discuss all sorts of things. It has really been great for me and Lori, and its just another reason I'm so glad we discovered West End Community Church in the past year.

Finally, I have some music news ... I have titled and dated my new album. "The Burning" will be a concept album (piano+vocals+various guest players) built around one central story, and will incorporate written elements in the liner notes to help tell it. Don't want to give much away, especially since the details aren't ironed out quite yet. Its tentatively scheduled for release on June 20, 2006. Long ways away, but gives me plenty of time to navigate around work, the iTest, the iTest CS (the April 2006 computer science competition that is the latest extension of the iTest venture), and various other projects to finish writing it and get in the studio to record it.

Well, Maintain Radio Silence's run on the New Age chart on iTunes was rather short-lived...its gone now, being bounced from #39 to #71 to #97 to off in a matter of half of a day. Oh well...it was fun while it lasted. And who knows, an effective iTest promotion might get it back up there in September.

Watching Spurs/Pistons, Game 5 ... this series is really starting to get intense. After one team or the other won each of the first four games in blowout fashion, this game was tied 42-42 at the half, and is now tied up late in the 4th. Could be a classic end to a classic NBA playoff matchup.

Seattle, having swept the ridiculous New York Mets over the weekend, now are in a position to finish June over .500, which is remarkable when you look at the number of rookies they have on their 25-man roster. We'll see how much longer they can continue to play at such a high level.

"Maintain Radio Silence" currently sits at #39 on the New Age Top 100 Albums chart on iTunes, which is kinda cool! The album peaked at #31 on the chart today.

While I certainly realize this probably means all of 4 people bought a copy online to get it there on the chart, it was fun to beat out albums from the likes of Yanni, Jim Brickman, Joshua Kadison, and the immortal George Winston, even if its for a fleeting moment...

(And if you don't have the album, go get it on iTunes! :) )

Back from Hawaii...what a place. Highly recommend it! I'm surprised we decided to come back, even as great as Nashville is!

I come back to Nashville immersed in new music. Lets get to it:

Coldplay - "X&Y." Brilliant new album that changes the core of Coldplay's sound they've developed over the past two albums...much less piano and much more guitar. The result is a grandiose, atmospheric masterpiece. "Fix You" - best song they've ever done?

Seal - "Live in Paris" CD/DVD. The CD is one thing...great sounding live stuff. But the DVD is really what I had been waiting for...I haven't seen Seal perform live before (with the exception of the 1996 Grammys (?) where he performed Kiss From A Rose) and he really knows how to put on a show. His backing musicians are excellent and his music really comes alive...fun to see.

White Stripes - "Get Behind Me Satan." This CD could simply have "Blue Orchid" on it and it would be great. This is a band that's been pushing the musical envelope from Day 1, and the latest result is a really good new album that's unlike anything I've ever heard.

Foo Fighters - "In Your Honor" double-album. Unbelievable...they hit a huge home run with this new double-album. Every single song is good, and it really reminds me of what I felt like when listening to "The Colour and the Shape" for the first time. Dave Grohl said a few months ago that he hoped "In Your Honor" would become the defining Foo Fighters work, and it looks like he might have actually been onto something.


Headed to Birmingham this weekend for City Stages, and then to Arlington toward the end of June to visit Lori's family...and still many thank-you notes left to write, as well as a variety of iTest-related tasks. And I've started tutoring an 8th-grader out in Franklin in Algebra I, for some nice extra cash...so as busy as ever around here. Until next time...

Blogging from the Hyatt Business Center in Hawaii...the weather here is absolutely amazing!! Perfect temperature, perfect breeze, just the right amount of clouds, and tons to do. I'll pick the blog back up from here when I get back into Nashville (our flight out of Hawaii leaves at 7:30 PM local time on Friday, and arrives back in Nashville at 12:30 PM on SATURDAY. Crazy.)

One quick note: if you read this blog on bradleymetrock.blogspot.com, then you're getting some sort of weird version where the last entry was months ago. I will attempt to update both, but keep in mind that the official link is right here at jbf500.blogspot.com.

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES.

On Lori's and my 1-Day Anniversary...a blog entry before heading out to Hawaii for the honeymoon!

The wedding weekend has been a blur. The rehearsal went great and really put my mind at ease that the wedding itself would be something I could enjoy without being nervous. Carter Crenshaw, our pastor at West End Community Church, did a great job telling everyone what to do and was extremely time-efficient in getting us out of there before the rehearsal dinner.

The rehearsal dinner at the Rotunda at the Country Music Hall of Fame was a lot of fun. My parents, as well as Lori and me, had fun piecing together the details of the event months ago, and we could only hope it would go as well as it did. Unlike many other rehearsal dinners, where only the wedding party is invited, we decided to open it up to everyone invited to the wedding. 90 people showed up in Nashville a day early for it (out of 110 who RSVP'ed to attend the wedding) which was really remarkable. My mom put together a video presentation of pictures of both me and Lori that was shown on a big projector, which she spent an incredible amount of time putting together. My dad started off the toasts, and it was really awesome to see and hear various individuals from both my and Lori's past get up, walk up to the front of the Rotunda to the main microphone, and speak to us. Its the type of thing you don't forget.

I hate to mention any of these individuals specifically, since all of their remarks were so great, but two stood out to me just a little more...my Uncle Jack speaking briefly about how my grandparents, all of whom are dead, would be proud of Lori and me...and Lori's brother, James, getting up to welcome me into their family. Both abhor public speaking (including several others who spoke as well) so I am even more thankful for their facing down their fears of getting in front of the mic.

I hosted a big poker tournament at my apartment after the rehearsal dinner. Though we got started a little late (around 11:30 PM), the field of 13 was whittled down to the Winner's Table (consisting of 6 people) by 12:45, and we declared a winner around 2:30 AM or so. Jay Prather, our friend from undergrad at Vanderbilt, took home "Da Cup of Bling" - the pewter poker-themed mug with $305 in it, in honor of my apartment number! Jay bested John Hart, my long-time friend from high school, but at least John got his money back for coming in second. The rest of us weren't so lucky...

So after going to sleep around 3 AM, I woke up around 10 AM in order to get a shower and pick up Matt, John, and Jeremy. We went to Cracker Barrel out in Cool Springs for lunch before heading over to the tuxedo place to try on our tuxes. I kept mine on (since I had a bowtie, and I didn't know how to tie it! So I had to leave it on.) but the other guys took it off and decided to change back into it later. Around 2:30 PM, we headed to my place to pick up an overnight bag (since I'd be staying in the honeymoon suite that night! sweet!), John headed off to assist Amy (Steven Denny's girlfriend) since her car wasn't running right, and the rest of us headed over to Loews to hang out and kill time.

4:30 rolled around pretty quickly, and it was time to hop in the limo and head over to Benton Chapel, the place on Vanderbilt's campus where the wedding took place. After taking some pictures with the groomsmen, we all headed down to the basement to hang out and kill even more time. Fortunately, time didn't seem to stand still like it often does when I'm waiting for something important, and all of a sudden, it was 5:15 and people began to arrive for the 6:00 wedding. 5:30, 5:45, 6:00...time to go.

What would happen over the next 30 minutes or so was as grandiose and dramatic as anything I have ever seen. After processing into the chapel to the sweet music of a 4-piece ensemble, handing my mom a white rose (she looked great, of course!), and taking my place at the front of the chapel, I then got to watch all of the groomsmen and bridesmaids file in. They all looked excellent...you don't get to see your friends in tuxes every day. And then...Lori came in.

I have never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. She just looked amazing.

The ceremony began and Carter took control. Much like he does every Sunday with his sermons, he spoke with a disarming, but very articulate, directness...with every sentence seemingly elevating the importance of what was happening. As my dad later put it, "he tied the knot tighter than I've ever seen!"

Speaking on marriage, he reminded Lori and I will be the people who won't just love each other the most, but will also hurt each other the most. Speaking to me, he challenged me to not allow my ambition to get in the way of caring for Lori, and speaking to her, he told her to be my biggest encourager, not my biggest critic. "There are already too many people vying for that role," he said.

As usual, I had trouble keeping my emotions in check, both at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding itself. So it goes.

The reception was absolutely magnificent. Hosted at Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel, the event was designed by Lori and I to have a more upscale, urban feel (in contrast to the purposefully informal, Southern-style rehearsal dinner). Lori and I arrived at the reception around 7:30 (after sticking around at the chapel to take the last few wedding pictures) and were introduced by Lori's dad as "Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Metrock." That was one of several weird moments.

We then cut the first pieces of both the wedding cake and groom's cake, feeding them to one another, and then had a toast. After grabbing at least a small bit of the dinner, we meandered around the room saying hello to friends before having our first dance as a married couple. After the next dance (this time with my mom), people swarmed to the dance floor, giving me a chance to mingle more with those who came to the reception.

There's nothing more gratifying than people showing up from across the country in honor of you and your wife. Its why I put such importance on making time for other people...you never know when its going to be your turn to ask for people to show up somewhere.

My Uncle Jack (same one from the rehearsal dinner) flew in from California, temporarily halting a 5-month roadtrip from Alabama to Alaska via the West Coast. Ben and Steven had to literally fly across Nashville after completing Phase I of the CFA exam (which they arranged to take in Nashville instead of Birmingham for the wedding), arriving at 5:45 to the chapel for the 6 PM wedding. Gaurav, who had led me to believe he would be unable to attend due to his medical school boards coming up in a week or so, showed up unexpectedly at the reception, despite having his flight delayed. Carlos, and his girlfriend Jessica, flew in from St. Louis on Saturday morning to be there. Ben Stark, and his girlfriend Christy (or should I say fiancee! he proposed to her earlier this week) flew in directly from their just-concluded cruise to be there.

Countless others had similar stories, and it was nice to come back to my apartment today to find a flood of congratulatory emails as well. And I know there's several others, including my Aunt Nova (a regular reader of this blog, I know!) who would have loved to have been there, but couldn't due to health concerns.

I just have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from all of you guys. There's just not anything more important in this world than taking care of friends and family, and showing them that you care.

What gets me even more excited is the prospect of reciprocating this generosity for friends getting married in the future. I can't wait.

Now...off to Hawaii. You never know, I might decide to just stay out there and not come back!

I'm sitting in the lobby of Loews Vanderbilt Hotel right now. Soon, the wedding reception will be held just down the hall and up a staircase. This is a pretty nice place...they even gave me free wireless internet access, but shhhh...don't tell anyone.

I have accepted a job, so I can post about it here finally! I am now the Strategic Initiatives Coordinator for Actus Lend Lease, a worldwide real estate project management firm that is based right here in Nashville, Tennessee. Actus Lend Lease did about $10 billion in revenue last year, and in the past four years, has grown from 20 employees to about 400 here in America. I am looking forward to joining their staff on July 1 and making a contribution.

Watching TV today, I happened upon the national spelling bee on ESPN. What an incredible thing they have done - they have turned SPELLING WORDS, for crying out loud, into a feat of public admiration. Its not like these kids are defining words that they are given, or even naming synonyms or some other practical exercise. They instead are becoming human equivalents of that little jagged red line in Microsoft Word, and are praised all over the country for it.

It is a testament to modern marketing. ESPN does a brilliant job using its resources, including highlights on SportsCenter, to build these kids up and really add an angle to the entire proceeding.

Competitive mathematics could use something like the Spelling Bee. The MathCounts national competition is aired on ESPN and does actually have some drama involved, but its not nearly as tight of an event and as clever as the Spelling Bee. Math could use an upgrade here, but I'm not sure anyone with the power to make a difference really cares about inventing a compelling mathematical TV event. Maybe someday.

Seems weird to think that I'm getting married on Saturday. I'm looking forward to it - I can't wait to turn the page on my life and move on to bigger things. One of my favorite quotes (which I believe is Robert Frost's, though I can't remember right now) is "when you reach a fork in the road, take it."

Well, 2005 has been a year of major decisions, and we're not even halfway through yet! While I've accepted a job in town that I simply could not refuse, and I've now found my wife, the end of 2005 will witness a major transformation to the iTest, as well as a revitalization of my label, Mariner Records. And I still haven't posted my short story I've been working on!

I'm excited about the future. Bring it on. And I'll be seeing a lot of you tomorrow at the rehearsal dinner...see you then.

First off, the first short story will be forthcoming next week. Job search and other stuff has tied me up big time the past couple weeks. And, oh yeah, graduation too...

For graduation, Lori got me a new digital camera, and I have had a blast using it. For someone generally living on the technological edge, I was late to the iPod party, and now late to the digital camera party as well. Damn, I should've had one of these a long time ago!

Since Barry Bonds has been out of commission for a while, BondsCheated.com has been out of commission also. Its all set up and ready to go, but there's no use in promoting the site without much media heat on Bonds right now. Once (if) he returns, then it will be the time to start raising awareness of the site and its story.

I picked up three books over the weekend as I continue my effort to increase my reading..."1ndispensable: How to Become the Company That Your Customers Can't Live Without" by Joe Calloway, "Winning" by Jack Welch," and "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. The last book is one that Satya recommended to me...its about how globalization has affected modern society...I'm sure I'll be posting about all three of these books as I get into them and finish them.

And now, to conclude, I have once again been called out - this time by Ben Stark - to complete another meme. Entitled "The Musical Baton," this meme requires me to post my opinions about music. This should be fun...

Total volume of music files on my computer

About 8 GB. And growing. Fast. I spend about $15 on music a month, mostly through iTunes, to keep the iPod fresh. But toss in the free songs from iTunes ("Free Song of the Week" and "Discovery Download") as well as new songs people send me, and its beginning to get a little out of control...


The last CD I bought

Stand Up by Dave Matthews Band. A solid effort from the group...these guys just tear it up.

Before that...I have no idea what the last CD I bought was (from a store). iTunes or bust!


Song I'm playing right now

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World (iTunes Originals Version)" - Tears for Fears

You gotta love those old-school 80's and 90's groups which have that one song everyone remembers, but really when you start to investigate them, they have several other songs you've heard before and liked. Tears for Fears are one of those groups for me. "Shout" and "Head Over Heels" are two great songs, but "Everybody Wants..." is the one everyone remembers. If you like it, go check this acoustic version out on iTunes. Its what the acoustic version of a slickly produced tune ought to be like.


Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me

U2 - "Pride (In the Name of Love)." What more, in the name of love? The Edge slams the door on any and all discussion, with this one song, that he is the greatest guitar player of the modern rock era (since 1980). His soaring guitar work, which made the delay pedal a staple of every guitarist born since then, makes the song special...but Bono's limitless emotion in the way he sings this song makes it so enduring. Larry Mullen Jr's. straight-ahead drumming and Adam Clayton's bass lay the foundation for the masterpiece. The crown jewel of the treasured U2 catalog, and a MUST-LISTEN when I'm getting ready for something big.

Van Halen - "Right Now." When you hear that piano intro...you KNOW something big is about to happen. Its a dramatic feel created only when the vision of a great band can be relayed through outstanding musicianship and clear, vivid lyric. This song is literally the perfect storm - a rock opera that feels like you've traveled for years in just a span of 5 minutes and 21 seconds. A remarkable tune that has never failed to get me pumped up and ready to go.

Sting - "Fields of Gold (acoustic unplugged)." Let me emphasize the "acoustic unplugged" there in the title, as this version is significantly better, in my opinion, than Sting's studio cut of the song (though its outstanding in its own right). Sting is notorious for being very demanding of the musicians with whom he chooses to play, and you can always tell they are incredible when you see or hear him perform live. The classical guitar and piano weave together to help Sting tell his story of making the most of love's (and life's) finite duration, and Sting's singular voice evokes so much more emotion than the sweetest harmonies that other entire groups can muster. You can tell the sun, in his jealous sky, that we walked in fields of gold.

Black Lab - "Wash It Away." This little-known group from North Carolina created one of my favorite albums of all time during the mid-90's ("Your Body Above Me"). This song, though, was the main single off the album, and once I heard it on the radio (Birmingham's 107.7 WRAX - "The X") I was captivated. A simple song, but with a U2-esque triumphant melody laid over a jagged and rough drums-and-guitar foundation. I had to know more about this group.

I have since listened to that album - a dark, twisted black raincloud of a rock album - so many times that I would be well underestimating the number if I said 500 in the 10 years that have passed since then.

The personal significance of the song comes from this little story: this same radio station, WRAX, had touring bands come into the area's primary music studio, Airwave Studios, to do lunchtime acoustic sets for a handful of people before playing at a venue in town that night. To win tickets, you had to call in and win them by being the 7th caller when they asked for people to call in. Well, I managed to win two tickets, and Carlos and I took in the show. It was the first time I had seen a rock band so up close and personal - I was literally 3 feet away from them, sitting Indian-style, watching them play on the hardwood floor of the studio's primary recording room.

I was intrigued by the group - they were strong players, but it all seemed so easy. I knew I could play, too, but I had never tried songwriting...it was that single show that day that made my mind up that songwriting was something I wanted to do one day. That show weighed on my mind a lot as I finally made up my mind to go take vocal lessons and get proficient enough to record the Jimmy B and the Fortune 500 albums...and I have continued to progress and improve in my vocal training to where I am really looking forward to recording a solo piano + vocal album sometime in the near future. My lesson for myself here is that sometimes, seeing something up close and personal, instead of at a distance like we're used to seeing it, really makes a tremendous difference.

A Perfect Circle - "3 Libras." While my favorite type of music is the upbeat, anthemic type of stuff of U2, Van Halen, and others, I love balancing out that type of music with the deep, dark, introspective stuff of groups like A Perfect Circle. "3 Libras" was a song that galloped me through many sleepless nights as an undergrad at Vandy (not to mention the priceless Days of the New albums, a good bit of Seal's work, among others). The fantastic production of the song's orchestral backing behind the band's precise playing really makes this a fantastic work, and one of APC's best songs. Difficult not to feel a little bit disappointed...and passed over...

Honorable Mentions: Anything off of Seal's self-titled second album; Smashing Pumpkins - "1979"; U2 - "One"; Billy Joel - "Lullabye (Good Night, My Angel)"; Coldplay - "We Never Change"; Vertical Horizon - "The Mountain Song"

(cheap way out of only being able to list 5 songs, I know, I know...)


The people to whom I'm passing the baton

Gaurav and Matt (two guys I know love their tunes as much as I do)

Tomorrow, my parents and Evan are coming up here for my graduation. Then, over the weekend, Matt and Steven are headed up.

Feels like I should be happier that I'm done with school, once and for all. I'm not, though...I guess its because I've been ignoring classes, by and large, for the past month, so now that they're over, I really don't even care.

I'm so busy with job interviews, turning in even more resumes and cover letters around town, and getting several necessary things done with the iTest that this week, which I thought would be really laid back, has been a killer.

One last note before I close, as I need to go to bed ... on Monday, June 27, Vanderbilt will run the "Day in the Life" feature they are doing on me on their homepage, www.vanderbilt.edu. Its a photo journal that they put together on various people. They chose me because of my involvement with the iTest program...kinda neat, huh?

Until next time...

Well, I've been called out by Mike, who passed the Caesar's Bath Meme on to me in one of his recent blog entries.

The Caesar's Bath Meme requires me to list "five things that people in my circle of friends or peer group are wild about, but you can't really understand the fuss over them." And then, I pass the edict on to others, assuming they read this blog. Not a good assumption...but here goes.

Alcohol. You could probably take all the alcoholic product I've ever consumed and fit it comfortably in a gallon jug or two, with most of it coming at my recent bachelor's party down in New Orleans. I don't mind being around people while they're drinking - I usually find it hilarious - but its not for me.

Coffee. Lori loves the stuff, but I never have gotten into it. I don't like hot drinks, for starters, and though I like the smell, the taste is revolting. And whoever came up with coffee ice cream just needs to be slapped.

Law school. Wow, talk about gluttons for punishment. Lawyers are, we'll say, a "unique" breed. And if you're in law school and reading this, I suggest you get back to reading one of those 58 books you'll be tested on at the end of the semester.

Mexican food. I don't like spicy food very much, and whenever I take Lori to Don Pablo's (her favorite restaurant), I get the hamburger. Yeah, the hamburger. Stop laughing.

Not checking email. Perhaps more disturbing than the number of friends I have who are law school students is the number of friends I have who simply don't check email on a regular basis. These people are fine checking email maybe once a day, maybe twice...or maybe once every couple of days...as opposed to my habit of checking it at least once an hour. Life can turn so fast on the basis of a single email - how can you NOT check it all the time? Time to embrace the 21st century, folks.


I pass the Caesar's Bath Meme to Gaurav and Matt. I expect to see your lists sometime soon!


One final note: I have spent some time recently writing one of hopefully several short stories. I will post it here upon its completion, which ought to be sometime in the next couple of weeks.

George W. Bush didn't impress me tonight with what I would characterize as "horrific" public speaking skills. But what really irritates me is that Bush can't seem to get anything done.

He better get to work. I believe Social Security reform is a good idea, but it requires caution that Bush may or may not employ in getting the job done. Tax reform is also critical, so its good Bush is taking that on in the fall.

Who cares about John Bolton? And Tom Delay dug his own grave. Bush needs to refocus on why anyone cares about him being in office...his ambitious domestic agenda.

If he doesn't get some substantive things done by 2008, he will most certainly go down as one of the worst, if not THE worst, President in the history of the United States. A combination of brutal arrogance and utter incompetence, made even worse by deliberate religious-right smokescreens and intentionally confusing double-talk.

Iraq is a mess that is actually beginning to give other problem countries confidence in dictating terms with the US, and terrorism worldwide has certainly not been solved by the administration. At home, the mediocrity of the economy is something we've almost started to take for granted, and the political climate is only slightly less poisonous than it was during the 2004 election.

I voted for Kerry simply because I thought a change might be good for America, though neither Kerry nor Bush are really fit to run a 7-11, much less the United States Government. Bush needs to slam the door shut on these Democratic filibusters and give us something positive to talk about for me to start thinking maybe I voted the wrong way.

Is it actually possible that a benevolent God would sentence non-believers to an eternity in hell?

I have to admit that I've never really believed this. I have always believed that God would forgive everyone of every sin, including failure to have accepted God as Savior by time of death.

Admittedly, we aren't equipped, mentally, to handle these questions. No amount of intelligence in the most brilliant of religious savants could conjure up enough mindpower to compute the rationale of our world's hidden machinery.

But we'll take a stab at it anyway.

Hell is, after all, the supreme weapon with which Christians judge others every day. Death-row murderers are, obviously, "going to hell" for their crimes, when in reality, we usually don't know if these people were Christians or not. Its pretty easy to forget that "don't kill" is no different than "don't lie" or "don't cheat on your spouse" in Christian law. Yet, every day, Christians judge others for crimes against this world, forgetting that the hierarchy of sins they attempt to construct is really a lie in and of itself.

[The other side of this, of course, is the chorus of non-believers who toss the word "hypocrite" around when this type of judgment occurs. Its the other side's defense mechanism that completely avoids the issue entirely. Not the point here, though...just an aside.]

We aren't here to judge others. Shutting down this natural defense mechanism, so we don't hold others in contempt for doing things that the Bible says are equivalent to things that we ourselves do, is something I believe to be an ultimate goal for every human being on this planet.

After all, judging others reveals an implicit weakness in our faith in God. If we were completely faithful in God's ability to judge others and restore justice, we wouldn't waste our time this way.

But will God actually send people to spend an eternity in Hell? How can a life of anywhere between 0 and 120 years in length merit an ETERNITY of suffering?

Furthermore, wouldn't the knowledge that others are suffering in Hell weaken the ability of Christians to enjoy Heaven? I wouldn't feel good about anybody, regardless of their crime, suffering for thousands upon thousands of years.

And what about many of my friends who aren't Christian? Don't I have to accept some responsibility for an end result of their non-conversion to Christianity? Its a tough question.

Jesus came to earth not as a warmongering chieftain, but as a peaceful messenger. When Judas sold him out for 30 pieces of silver, Jesus immediately asked for his forgiveness.

Clearly, its difficult to juxtapose Jesus' life on earth with the prospect of a Hell awaiting those who don't accept Jesus as savior.

But the Bible mentions Hell for a reason, and the sheer quantity of times it mentions Hell is cause for alarm.

And we're back at square one.

What does all of this mean for our practical living, day in and day out? For me, I can't pay too much attention to the question, as much as it bugs me sometimes. Thinking about Hell seems to be the religious equivalent of a tightrope walker looking down...doesn't get you any closer to the goal.

Hell could be any number of things, from the most nightmarish of realms to simply living out, in perpetuity, situations of pain and suffering within an otherwise normal context.

But attempting to use our own rules of reason to analyze what can't and won't be seen in our natural lives is just foolish. We need to be spending our time improving ourselves and the world around us, and thanking God that our existence is governed by benevolence and forgiveness...which we'll all need someday.

While I and several high school friends were down in New Orleans for my bachelor's party, I bought a PowerBall lottery ticket and talked with Ben about what I might do if I won. The prize was for $32 million, or $17 million if you chose to receive it all in one lump sum (my choice).

After taxes, that would be roughly an $8 million prize.

I put a lot of stock in thought exercises like this, as they accomplish a lot of different things. For me, thinking about what I would do with a lot of money helps me keep moving toward where I want to be.

I was a little surprised that when Ben asked me what I would do with it, I didn't really know. I've thought more about it, and I can now answer the question. If I received $8 million tomorrow, this is what I would do.

1. Put $1 million in the bank. $500,000, invested today and receiving reasonable interest for the next 20 years, should be enough to cover the education of 2-3 kids down the line. $500,000 is a "rainy day" fund, in case something happens to me or Lori.

2. Donate $1 million to West End Community Church. It started as simply a search for an officiant for our wedding in June, and ended with finding a wonderful spiritual place that, for once, I can't wait to get to on a Sunday morning. As many know, I leave Knoxville (on weekends I visit Lori) early Sunday morning to get to WECC for 10:30's service. Carter Crenshaw, the pastor there, is such a nice person and a solid community leader. I wish I had spent every Sunday morning in undergrad here...but better late than never, as they say. $1 million would improve their financial position considerably moving into their brand-new facility.

3. Give $1 million to Lori for whatever. As I've started to learn, girls are EXPENSIVE.

4. Put $2 million apiece into my two startups, Mariner Records and The iTest. I have been itching to get back into the studio, both for my own music as well as in a producer's role for a band I sign to my label. Genre's not that important, as I like a lot of different kinds of music...but I'd probably prefer a rock band. If not a rock band, then a jazz group or a pop group of some sort. Since recording can be done inexpensively, I'd use the money on promotion. Man, that would be fun! I'd also get back in the studio myself and record a dark concept album I've been toying with for years.

$2 million into the iTest would be immediately put to use hiring more PR services and the best marketing firm that money can buy. I would also hire a full-time employee to help manage the day-to-day operations of the contest.

5. I'd use the last million to buy several gifts for people who have hung around all this time to witness both my failures and successes. I'd do something nice for my parents, and it wouldn't take me long to do some things for my friends as well. There's a lot of people to whom I owe a lot.


Oh well. Guess I'll have to try to do this the old fashioned way. $8 million, maybe we'll meet someday.



Contents of "Bradley's iMix," now uploaded to iTunes:

Cities of Foam - "Out of Reach"
Snow Patrol - "Tiny Little Fractures"
The Donots - "We Got The Noise"
Jamiroquai - "Canned Heat"
Fusebox - "Light the Fire"
Snow Patrol - "Run"
Switchfoot - "Dare You to Move"
Seal - "Love's Divine"
Travis - "Turn"
Jamie Cullum - "All at Sea"
The Shins - "Gone for Good"
Ben Jelen - "Come On"
Sting w/ Twista - "Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)"
Van Halen - "Right Now"
Eminem - "Till I Collapse"

Its no secret to me that the only reason The iTest even exists is because of the massive inadequacies of the current crop of national math competitions. If they did their job well, I would have no opportunity to do what I'm doing with the AHSIMC.

Math competitions fail at THEIR ONE AND ONLY GOAL: to bring as many students into the world of competitive mathematics as possible.

The major written math competition in the United States, the AMC-12, has approximately 120,000 students that participate from the US every year. This number bounces around, but has no consistent growth pattern...when it should be growing by leaps and bounds as society has renewed its focus on education, and math education in particular.

The primary reason it doesn't grow is because the exam is a qualifier, in a series of exams, for the International Mathematics Olympiad, a very prestigious international math event. However, its a very prestigious international math event that few can qualify for.

Thus, its a very prestigious international math event that few care about.

Ask fifty employers what the IMO is. None of them know? Then we have a failure on our hands.

But the AMC-12 exam actually does several things right, including having some crafty problem writers that do a good job in writing an exam that augments the curriculums of most schools. Most math competitions can't even do that right.

Then, you have the regional and national competitions to which school teams travel and participate against other schools from across the country. These also generally fail in the same mission of continued growth and aggressive pursuit of "fringe students" - the students who COULD become interested in competitive math, but simply don't because the image of these events is so poorly maintained or because the events are so poorly run.

The link below details one example of a "recreational event" that students can participate in who go to ARML (American Regions Math League; one of the more elite national math contests). Don't ask me how these administrators decided that a 30-second song length would make this event worth anyone's while, or how the absence of any prizes or incentives to participate would help draw student participation, or how this entire blurb is written so poorly that any team reading it and deciding whether or not to even go to this thing might just toss it in the garbage. Seriously, how hard would it have been to ask a student or two for suggestions on this? IMAGE...something that math competitions don't have, and something they really need like never before to draw new students to the fold.

http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/topic-34540.html
(This links to the Art of Problem Solving, a message board for students looking to learn more math. Some of these students attend ARML annually. I post on the board from time to time, and AHSIMC has a forum here for kids to discuss the competition.)

Major corporations and the mass media absolutely have to step in and get involved. The sooner the better.

Building the iTest is a gradual process. But if we don't substantially grow our participation numbers every year, until we have saturated the United States and have a presence at every single high school in the country, we are FAILURES. There's just not going to be a tolerance for any other outcome.

How would you feel if you checked your balance at the bank and discovered you had a negative balance of -$6300?

Yeah, me too.

The good thing is that AmSouth, unlike with past mistakes, has gone WAY above and beyond in fixing the mistake, so I'll leave it there. Hopefully nothing like this will happen again.

The NFL Draft is about to begin! The Titans have several needs they need to address. Under Floyd Reese, their draft history has been extremely successful...so hopefully that will continue today.

Two final projects and one final exam are all that's between me and no more school! I can't wait. Looking forward to a relaxing May to finalize some things with the math competition, including finishing up the 2005 test, as well as "rediscovering gameage." Speaking of, a preview of Madden 2006 is about to come on during ESPN's NFL Draft preview. Gotta go!

I've been kicked in the balls so many times by AmSouth that I've been waiting for an opportunity to get them back.

That opportunity has arrived. I'll report in full detail tomorrow.

Over the weekend, I had an incredibly lucid dream. And I remembered it after I woke up.

You have to understand - I don't remember dreams. Ever. So this was a bit of a shock.

The content of the dream was equally jarring. Here it is, as best I can remember it. I've been thinking about it, as I'm familiar with all the classical psychoanalytical interpretations of dreams...and not sure how this fits into any particular archetype, or even how it draws from my own memories. I'm not sure what to make of it.


The dream began with me sitting at the counter in the kitchen at home in Birmingham. I was sitting there not really doing anything, when my dad arrived home, bringing my grandmother (my dad's mom) home from the hospital. She was apparently staying with us for a time, as she had dementia.

My dad walked her in to the kitchen, sat her down at the table across from the counter, and left the room. She sat there for a minute, seemingly aloof and not knowing quite where she was. All of a sudden, she sprung to life, and began walking at a fast pace around the kitchen before trying to climb up the pantry shelves.

I got up, pulled her down from the shelves, and sat her back in the chair.

All of a sudden, me and my family, my grandmother, and the Longs (family friends) were driving in my mom's SUV to a DRIVE-IN MOVIE (I have no idea where this came from) somewhere approximately in where Bluff Park is in relation to my house.

To get there, though, we had to drive down a ridiculously steep decline - so steep, that if any of us in the car had actually shifted our weight or pushed up on the roof of the vehicle, we would have begun to tumble over and roll down the hill, losing control. This was pretty scary.

Once we got to the bottom of this precipitous hill, there was a man collecting tickets, standing out in front of his tiny office/booth directly in front of a gigantic gate. He said something - I don't remember what, though I think it had to do with the fact that we left our ticket at home, though I'm not sure - and all of a sudden, we were back at my house.

Only this time, it wasn't right. I could literally feel something in the air, though I had no idea what was going on. I was, again, in the kitchen.

Then, in a moment of clarity, it became clear what was going on - there were all sorts of demons in the house. I couldn't see them, but somehow I knew that's what it was, and I was also alerted to the fact that my grandmother's dementia had been caused by one.

Simultaneously in this clairvoyance, I was also made aware that the worst evil was in the basement. I'm still not entirely sure if I was told that it was Satan in the basement, or just something worse than whatever else was in the house. I forget.

So I walk out of the kitchen, turn the corner, and open the door to go downstairs to the basement.

Immediately once I open the door, I'm greeted by my dead grandparents (on my mom's side), who are horizontally levitating about 6 feet above the ground and semi-transparent. They looked different. Younger. But certainly recognizable.

My grandmother, on my mom's side, was in front of my grandfather (on my mom's side), and both had their eyes closed, but seemed to be communicating something. I have no idea what. And then, their eyes came open for about 2-3 seconds. It was at this point that I became aware I was dreaming, yet I was powerless to exit the dream. This scared the living hell out of me, and is still my most vivid memory from the dream.

Yet, I seemed to be completing some sort of script that wasn't quite done yet. I walked down to the basement.

I took a left into the recreational room built down there, but instead, there were no walls of any type and it was extremely dark, except for a window in the distance (where a window is actually located in my house, on the door to the back yard). In the light from this window, halfway crouched and hiding away, was something. A small person, or at least something that looked like a small person.

This thing took off toward me, and the dream shot into slow motion. I picked up a rod that was, for some reason, on the ground in front of me, and managed to get it out in front of me and thrust it, in jousting fashion, at the thing coming at me. I saw it just long enough to see it was just over 4 feet high and didn't really have a face. When I say "it didn't have a face," its difficult to describe - it DID in fact have a face, but its face appeared to be recessed into its head far enough to where skin had grown over it. I couldn't tell any more than that - and I have no idea if that's what it actually was, but its what it looked like.

The moment I jammed the rod into it to stop it from coming toward me, the dream ended.

I have no idea what the significance of this is, though it was extremely surreal seeing my grandparents on my mom's side in angelic dress and visage.

I am a believer that dreams either fall into one of two categories - ones which reflect a current reality, often where your subconscious is telling you something (e.g. finding yourself naked at school - afraid of being discovered, for some reason - or finding yourself falling, which would indicate being afraid of losing control over a given situation) and the other category being completely random firings of neurons at night, using any and all images the brain can conjure up to create a messy scenario that usually makes absolutely no sense.

Since this doesn't appear to get filed under either of these, I'm at a loss. I'm happy I wasn't afraid, at all, of fighting Satan or the demon or whatever it was in the basement, but what am I supposed to get out of any of this? If it weren't for my grandparents' heavenly appearance in the dream, which in no way could've been a projection of my imagination - especially the feeling of sheer wonder I had at that point - I would've moved on and forgotten about the dream by now, like all the others.

Anyway, off to bed once again. Sweet dreams! :)

At 1 AM, after my nightly ritual of listening to music in the dark before going to sleep, I took the headphones out and turned over...

Its two hours later. I closed my eyes a while, and I swear I must've had thousands of dreams...so I must have slept.

Time to get back to work.

"Things are only impossible until they’re done"

Blind medical school student earns M.D.

April 5, 2005 - Article taken from MSNBC.com

MADISON, Wis. - The young medical student was nervous as he slid the soft, thin tube down into the patient’s windpipe. It was a delicate maneuver — and he knew he had to get it right.

Tim Cordes leaned over the patient as his professor and a team of others closely monitored his every step. Carefully, he positioned the tube, waiting for the special signal that oxygen was flowing.

The anesthesia machine was set to emit musical tones to confirm the tube was in the trachea and carbon dioxide was present. Soon, Cordes heard the sounds. He double-checked with a stethoscope. All was OK. He had completed the intubation.

Several times over two weeks, Cordes performed this difficult task at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. His professor, Dr. George Arndt, marveled at his student’s skills.
“He was 100 percent,” the doctor says. “He did it better than the people who could see.”

Tim Cordes is blind.

He has mastered much in his 28 years: Jujitsu. Biochemistry. Water-skiing. Musical composition. Any one of these accomplishments would be impressive. Together, they’re dazzling. And now, there’s more luster for his gold-plated resume with a new title: Doctor.

Cordes has earned his M.D.


Many barriers to overcome
In a world where skeptics always seem to be saying, stop, this isn’t something a blind person should be doing, it was one more barrier overcome. There are only a handful of blind doctors in this country. But Cordes makes it clear he could not have joined this elite club alone.

“I signed on with a bunch of real team players who decided that things are only impossible until they’re done,” he says.

That’s modesty speaking. Cordes finished medical school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the top sixth of his class (he received just one B), earning honors, accolades and admirers along the way.

“He was confident, he was professional, he was respectful and he was a great listener,” says Sandy Roof, a nurse practitioner who worked with Cordes as part of a training program in a small-town clinic.

Without sight, Cordes had to learn how to identify clusters of spaghetti-thin nerves and vessels in cadavers, study X-rays, read EKGs and patient charts, examine slides showing slices of the brain, diagnose rashes — and more.

He used a variety of special tools, including raised line drawings, a computer that simultaneously reads into his earpiece whatever he types, a visual describer, a portable printer that allowed him to write notes for patient charts, and a device called an Optacon that has a small camera with vibrating pins that help his fingers feel images.

“It was kind of whatever worked,” Cordes says. “Sometimes you can psych yourself out and anticipate problems that don’t materialize. ... You can sit there and plan for every contingency or you just go out and do things. ... That was the best way.”

That’s been his philosophy much of his life. Cordes was just 5 months old when he was diagnosed with Leber’s disease. He wore glasses by age 2, and gradually lost his sight. At age 16, when his peers were getting their car keys, he took his first steps with a guide dog.

Still, blindness didn’t stop him.

He wrestled and earned a black belt in tae kwon do and jujitsu. An academic whiz, he graduated as valedictorian at the University of Notre Dame as a crowd of 10,000 gave him a standing ovation.

Cordes finished medical school in December but still is working on his Ph.D., studying the structure of a protein involved in a bacteria that causes pneumonia and other infections.

Though he spends 10 to 12 hours a day in the lab, Cordes also carried the Olympic torch when it made its way through Wisconsin in 2002 (he runs four miles twice a week) and has managed to give a few motivational speeches and accept an award or two.

He’s even found time to fall in love; he’s engaged to a medical school student.


'You deal with what you're dealt'
But Tim Cordes doesn’t want to be cast as the noble hero of a Hallmark special.

“I just think that you deal with what you’re dealt,” he says. “I’ve just been trying to do the best with what I’ve got. I don’t think that’s any different than anybody else.”

He also shuns suggestions his IQ leaves his peers in the dust.

“I just work hard and study,” he says. “If you’re not modest, you’re probably overestimating yourself.”

Through the years, plenty of people have underestimated Cordes.

That was especially true when he applied for medical school and was rejected by several universities, despite glowing references, two years of antibiotics research and a 3.99 undergraduate average as a biochemistry major.

Even when Wisconsin-Madison accepted him, Cordes says, he knew there was “some healthy skepticism.” But, he adds, “the people I worked with were top notch and really gave me a chance.”

The dean of the medical school, Dr. Philip Farrell, says the faculty determined early on that Cordes would have “a successful experience. Once you decide that, it’s only a question of options and choices.”

Farrell worried a bit how Cordes might fare in the hospital settings, but says he needn’t have.
“We’ve learned from him as much as he’s learned from us ... one should never assume that any student is going to have a barrier, an obstacle, that they can’t overcome,” he says.

Sandy Roof, the nurse practitioner who worked with Cordes in a clinic in the town of Waterloo, wondered about that.

“My first reaction was the same as others’: How can he possibly see and treat patients?” she says. “I was skeptical, but within a short time I realized he was very capable, very sensitive.”
She recalls watching him examine a patient with a rash, feel the area, ask the appropriate questions — and come up with a correct diagnosis.

“He didn’t try and sell himself,” Roof adds. “He just did what needed to be done.”


'What's the dog for?'
Cordes says he thinks people accepted him because most of his training was in a teaching hospital, where he blended in with other medical students. One patient apparently didn’t even realize the young man treating him was blind.

Cordes grins as he recalls examining a 7-year-old while making the hospital rounds with Vance, his German shepherd guide dog. The next day, he saw the boy’s father, who said, “I think you did a great job. (But) when my son got out, he asked me, ‘What’s the dog for?’"

With his sandy hair and choirboy’s face, Cordes became a familiar sight with Vance at the university hospital. The two were so good at navigating the maze of hallways that interns would sometimes ask Cordes for the quickest route to a particular destination.

Some professors say Cordes compensates for his lack of sight with his other senses — especially his incredible sense of touch. “He can pick up things with his hands you and I wouldn’t pick up — like vibrations,” says Arndt, the anesthesiology professor.

Cordes says some of his most valuable lessons came from doctors who believed in showing rather than telling.

“You can describe what it feels like to put your hand on the aorta and feel someone’s blood flowing through it,” he says, his face lighting up, “but until you feel it, you really don’t get a sense of what that’s like.”

Dr. Yolanda Becker, assistant professor of surgery who performs transplants, noticed that Cordes had a talent for finding veins. “I tell the students, 'You have to feel them ... you just can’t look.’ For Tim, that was not an option.”

Becker soon became one more member of Tim Cordes’ fan club.

“He was a breath of fresh air,” she says. “He appreciated the fact people took time with him to feel the pulse, feel the grafts, feel where the kidneys are. ... He asked very good questions.”

Cordes’ training included observing surgery, helping treat psychiatric patients at a veterans hospital and traveling beyond the hospital walls to the rural corners of Wisconsin.

For six weeks, he experienced the front lines of medicine with Dr. Ben Schmidt, accompanying him from house calls to the hospital, tending to everything from heart trouble to chicken scratches.


Cars, camping and canoeing
They took time, too, to indulge Cordes’ passion for cars. Cordes, who reads Road & Track and Car and Driver magazines faithfully, is a Porsche fan. Knowing that, an internist in Schmidt’s clinic brought her husband’s metallic gray Turbo 911 to work one day. Schmidt took the wheel, roaring down the road with Cordes in the passenger seat — his keen hearing detecting the sounds of the valves opening up.

Cordes also enjoys camping and canoeing with his fiancee, Blue-leaf Hannah (her exotic first name comes from a character in “Centennial,” a James Michener novel). They met when both interviewed for medical school.

“I was just mostly curious how he was going to do it,” she says. “I must have asked him a million questions.”

“I figured she was just sizing up the competition,” he teases.

She was impressed. “He was smart and pretty modest,” she says.

“Handsome, too,” he adds.

“Yes, handsome,” she laughs.
They began dating and will marry this fall. It’s a match made for Mensa. Hannah is now in medical school. She already has a Ph.D. in pharmacology — her dissertation was on a human protein implicated in heart disease called thrombospondin.

“Too long for a Scrabble game,” Cordes jokes.

The two have talked about starting a research lab together someday.

Looking back on medical school, Cordes says he savored the chance to help deliver babies and observe surgery — things he’s probably not going to do again. “I just made it a point to treasure them while I had them,” he says.

He once thought he’d become a researcher but is now considering psychiatry and internal medicine. “The surprise for me was how much I liked dealing with the human side,” he says. “It took a little work to get over. I’m kind of a shy guy.”

Cordes plans to attend graduation ceremonies in May.

For now, he’s humble about his latest milestone.

“I might be the front man in the show but there were lot of people involved,” he says. “Everybody was giving a good effort for me and I wanted to do right by them.”

I finally got over to Blair earlier this week to practice the piano for the first time in literally 4-5 months. Fortunately, the rust came off easily, and I had fun just wasting a couple of hours toying around with a new composition I came up with that I really like. I've been storing up several different pieces for the next album I put together, which unfortunately may not occur for another 2 years. But it will happen someday, you can count on that. Its just too much fun to be in the studio working on music. I really miss it.

I've been on an 80's kick over the past month, and I don't really know why. Part of it is Napoleon Dynamite's 80's slant, which has reminded me just how effective a consistent, coherent soundtrack that uses songs that all have the same musical textures can really work to give a plot or story a solid infrastructure. The "square" synths used in most of the songs in that movie (excluding Jack White's "I Think We're Gonna Be Friends" at the beginning) really work to give the movie a listless, nostalgic feel that stays with you long after the movie's over.

Here are the songs I downloaded off iTunes in this 80's rediscovery. Don't laugh too hard. Many of these I remember listening to in the car with my mom when I was 6 or 7. Weird how entire musical periods of time - not just individual songs - come back to you at unexpected times.

Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper (of Napoleon Dynamite fame)
Kyrie - Mr. Mister (amazing voice)
Oh Sherrie - Steve Perry
Running to Stand Still - U2 (very moving tune)
Sara - Jefferson Airplane (stop laughing!)
Missing You - John Waite
Islands in the Stream - Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers (a weird song, admittedly...but this is one that evokes all sorts of memories of being at home growing up)
We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) - Tina Turner (a really dark 80's tune, and a good one)
Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
Sailing - Christopher Cross (no idea at all why I like this song, but I do)
Pride (In the Name of Love) - U2 (no description necessary. bona fide classic.)


If you compare the laundry list of 80's one hit wonders vs. the 90's one hit wonders, the 80's narrowly edges out the 90's in terms of sheer musical scope and lasting power. But when you also compare the bands from the 80's that have maintained strong careers over time with bands from the 90's that have done the same, its no contest. The 80's was a remarkable period of popular music, covering all sorts of new ground and musical landscapes.

Thankfully, the 00's are largely shaping up to be like the 80's in terms of variety. Lets hope it continues.

Do we make our own luck?

Or do we simply wish we had this much control over our own fate?

As the iTest reaches a critical turning point, in which the fires of skepticism have been extinguished and the core of the original idea lies exposed yet indestructible, I wonder just how much was pure luck.

I've been walking such a tightrope with this project for so long that it almost feels uncomfortable finally being on solid ground. But I think I'll get used to it.

Spending spring break here in Knoxville with Lori...

Its been a great week! Lori got the internship she wanted with the Tennessee Supreme Court, which is HUGE. Its tough enough to get any job the summer after first year of law school, but there are a few select plum jobs to be had. This is one of those. Congrats, L.

This week for me has been a mix of pure relaxation and looking ahead. AHSIMC iTest registration packets headed out to over 2400 schools across the United States this week, and next week will be busy with the beginning of the registration period. I have continued to write test questions, get the 2005 results database created, concoct a system of organization for the entire process once again, and even do a little bit of publicity for the 2005 competition this week. So I have managed to get at least a little bit of work done.

I have definitely gotten my gameage on this week, as you might have expected. I have logged several hours playing Resident Evil 4 on GameCube, and finally finished it last night. What a spectacular experience. Calling RE4 a "game" is misleading - this is an epic work on a massive Hollywood blockbuster scale. The gameplay is simple to learn and builds slowly, but some of the stuff the designers pulled off in the latter half of the game is just stunningly brilliant. It is, perhaps, the greatest single player video game of all time.

I've also been playing liberal amounts of Halo 2 and ESPN MLB 2K5 on XBox Live, as I won 2 of 3 matches against Dave this week in the ESPN baseball game. Only $20, a BIG steal if you're looking for a baseball game. I'm also working on finishing up FF1 in the Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls GBA game that Lori gave me for Valentine's Day just under a month ago.

Fantasy baseball is well underway, with the draft of one of my leagues occurring Thursday night, and the draft for Evan's league on Monday. The main event, however, is Wednesday night's kickoff to our perennial fantasy baseball league with my friends from high school. Having lost last year's championship by the slimmest of margins - a single hit! - I'm looking forward to the start of a new season.

Finally, I'm happy to report that I have started actually READING BOOKS AGAIN!!! I rifled through Jose Canseco's steroid tribute "Juiced," and now am on to Jared Diamond's follow-up to the critically-acclaimed "Guns, Germs, and Steel" ... which is called "Collapse." Good stuff so far...hope to finish it late next week, though it might be a bit ambitious with the start of the final mod of business school.

Lori's in town for the weekend! Unfortunately, as I sit here and watch the Lakers finish off the Mavericks, she's asleep trying to escape some bad food she ate at Boundry earlier tonight. We went out to dinner with Noah and his new girlfriend Caroline. We both had a lot of fun, but unfortunately, some of Boundry's more exotic options that Lori tried out didn't exactly agree with her. I'm sure a night of extra sleep will help.

I have a little side project to announce: BondsCheated.com. This will be a site ripping Barry Bonds for his wishy-washy steroid "non-denials" and making the case why Barry Bonds should not be taken seriously as he pursues and breaks both Ruth's record, and eventually, Aaron's.

We'll likely sell a piece of merchandise or two through the site - something that people can bring into the ballpark wherever Bonds is playing to protest his pursuit of the record. This really has some potential to get noticed by the media, who can't seem to get enough of Bonds, his mouth, his attitude, and his home runs. If the media pick it up even in a small way, this could become a profitable project in a hurry. If not, it'll remain a fun little aside to the baseball season, and a permanent testament to Bonds' steroid-powered records.

I just got sick and tired of hearing Bonds on TV and my general inability to escape hearing about him through the media. After reading Jose Canseco's book and finding it surprisingly believable - despite several egregious errors in the text - my tolerance for Bonds, and steroids, is very low. Bonds' recent press conference pushed me over the edge - he's just too big of an idiot to ignore.

Anyhow, enough about Bonds...I have a project for my Securities Analysis class that's due Monday that I haven't even started yet. Yay.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET ME OUT OF SCHOOL.

Heard a new song called "Run" by new band Snow Patrol...and feel a responsibility to bring it to your attention IMMEDIATELY.

A beautiful melody on top of some great lyrics. Sounds like a song Coldplay could've easily done. Check it out.


Snow Patrol - "Run"

I'll sing it one last time for you,
then we really have to go.
You've been the only thing that's right in all I've done.

I can barely look at you, but every single time I do,
I know we'll make it anywhere...away from here.


Light up, light up!
As if you have a choice.
Even if you cannot hear my voice,
I'll be right beside you, dear.

Louder, louder!
And we'll run for our lives.
I can hardly speak.
I understand why you can't raise your voice to say...


To think I might not see those eyes...
makes it so hard not to cry.
And as we say our long goodbye, I nearly do.


Light up, light up!
As if you have a choice.
Even if you cannot hear my voice,
I'll be right beside you, dear.

Louder, louder!
And we'll run for our lives.
I can hardly speak.
I understand why you can't raise your voice to say...


Slower, slower...we don't have time for that.
All I want's to find an easier way to get out of our little heads.

Have heart my dear!
We're bound to be afraid.
Even if its just for a few days,
making up for all this mess.


Light up, light up!
As if you have a choice.
Even if you cannot hear my voice,
I'll be right beside you, dear...

Armed with a wealth of music on my computer, I hereby declare this a "sleep-free" night, as I have 4 big projects in four different classes that I have to work on.

Which, naturally, is why I'm here :)

I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about "successful people." Since I'm not entirely sure how I would define "success," its going to be difficult identifying successful people, but it certainly hasn't stopped me from pondering it.

If we were to define success strictly on financial terms, then Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Donald Trump, etc. would be our biggest successes. Financial success of this type of magnitude implies visionary thinking, disciplined implementation of a gameplan to capitalize on these ideas, and refusal to quit when initial failure arrives.

If we were to define success strictly on fame, then U2, Michael Jordan, Chris Rock, etc. would be our biggest successes. We're talking persistent periods of fame here, not temporary one-hit wonders or flashes-in-the-pan...requiring consistently remarkable performance and, at some point, being able to call yourself the best in the world at whatever you do (and having the world actually care about it...the "best in the world" at eating pizza doesn't really count!)

Regardless of how we end up defining success, what types of characteristics in individuals predict it? What should we be looking for?

Raw intelligence is really not a factor - a big brain can always be hired to do the job. Hard work is not a factor either - this can be picked up anywhere for the right price.

To me, the biggest determinants in achieving success are effective communication skills and an uncontained passion for one's chosen line of work.

People who can communicate a vision clearly and consistently across a wide variety of people and demographics are simply inspiring. They are unfazed by the variety of responses they get, effortlessly defeating the rapidly-mutating forms of skepticism that seem to arise in response to people hearing something new.

People who have that raw passion for what they do are equally inspiring to me. They can't be defeated...no matter what disaster may occur, or setback may hold them up temporarily, the end outcome is never in doubt.

Happiness is borne when this passion matures over time, surviving failure and relishing the triumphs that come along. Wealth is a natural extension of this process as well - our world, and particularly our country and its capitalism, rewards success lavishly for all the risk it entails.

I'm fortunate to know so many people who have these characteristics. It will be fun watching how each of these people go out and define success for themselves - on their own terms.

A few random thoughts:

- Comments are now turned on for my blog. Let me know if you're out there reading the Travesty (tm)!

- Jose Canseco is a self-serving ass who, unfortunately, is probably telling the truth. I mean, just LOOK at Mark McGwire during the prime of his career sometime. Hopefully, whether Canseco's telling the truth or not, this whole fiasco will help steroids exit the game.

- Halo 2 might be the greatest game of all time.

- Pringles are delish.

- Lori has two interviews with Tennessee law firms on Tuesday. This is huge because plenty of 1L's don't get ANY interviews. Wish her luck!

- I don't like schoolwork.

- It doesn't like me, either.

- Just got the trademark confirmed for "iTest." Now I can start cracking down on the usage of the term over the internet. Time to pay up!

- If you're interested in participating in a Yahoo fantasy game based on picking who will get fired from the Apprentice every week, email me (bradley@bradleymetrock.com) today or tomorrow.

Wow, what an awful week of school. I need to graduate. NOW.

Nothing bad lasts forever, though, and I'm in the clear (in terms of work due) for a while. I've been in Knoxville this weekend visiting Lori, and while she's had a bunch of law school stuff to do, I've been able to not only get a lot of work done on this math competition database, but also on the new Zelda GBA game ("The Minish Cap"). Delicious.

The NFL pool is down to Lori and Steven. Lori has the Patriots winning it all, while Steven picked the Eagles. With $100 on the line, there's a lot at stake. Lori somehow won the pool last year, and now she is in position to win it again...how she does it, I have no idea.

The Nashville job search has also started, with Nashville MBA-related job openings beginning to surface. It will be an interesting process evaluating these different job options vs. continuing to develop the iTest into a financially-sustainable venture. Sometimes I wish I were better at doing work I don't have an active interest in. Life would be easier if I could hide my complete disdain for certain types of jobs!

Speaking of the math competition, it continues to progress. I have some key meetings coming up that could secure the future of the competition. Lets hope they go well.

Many people who know me know that one of my favorite artists is Seal. He got famous for combining his velvet vocals with synth dance beats, most notably in his first big single, "Crazy." Fans of his, though, recognize that he's done far more than simply make dance tracks a bit more interesting. Even outside observers realize that what Seal has managed to do in just 4 albums worth of material is to create such a unique sound that he has almost created a new genre all his own.

"Seal 1995", Seal's second album, is an absolute masterpiece. Drawing upon an image of hope in a world of immense self-doubt and anxiety, this album is one of my absolute most prized musical possessions. I would be hard-pressed to say how I would compare it to either of U2's premiere albums, The Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. Its right up there.

Seal released "Seal IV" in 2003, and it was viewed as a successful rebound from what was considered to be a lackluster 3rd album (although I disagree, obviously.) In Seal IV, for the most part, Seal doesn't venture nearly as deep into the human psyche as he did in Seal 1995. However, I want to take a moment to recognize one of the most poignant songs on this album.

To hear Seal tell the story of "Love's Divine," a man so wrapped up in his occupation and the trappings of society one day just snaps and realizes he has been missing out on a lot. Below are the lyrics...I encourage you to not just check out this song at some point, but Seal's entire body of work. You'll definitely be glad you did.

Seal - "Love's Divine"

Then the rainstorm came over me,
and I felt my spirit break.
I had lost all of my belief, you see,
and realized my mistake.
But time threw a prayer to me,
and all around me became still.

I need love...love's divine.
Please forgive me, now I see that I've been blind.
Give me love...love is what I need to help me know my name.

Through the rainstorm came sanctuary,
and I felt my spirit fly.
I had found all of my reality.
I realized what it takes.

Cause I need love...love's divine.
Please forgive me, now I see that I've been blind.
Give me love...love is what I need to help me know my name.

Don't bend, and don't break...
Show me how to live, and promise me you won't forsake.
Cause love will help me know my name.

Well, I try to say there's nothing wrong,
but inside I felt me lying all along...
but the message here was plain to see...believe me.

I need love...love's divine.
Please forgive me; now I see that I've been blind.
Give me love...love is what I need to help me know my name.

"Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account."

- Oscar Wilde



The end of the year - time to look back one last time before charging on ahead.

For me, personally, 2004 was a remarkable year that saw two major events in my life. First was getting engaged to an amazing woman. While I'm the one who's 6'7'' and she's 5'3'', I'm the one looking up to Lori in so many ways. 2004, if for no other reason, was a great year simply because of how much we've grown together, and for how much we have to be thankful for.

2004 was a great year for another reason. My dream project, release of a solo piano instrumental CD, was completed in February of this year. Even if "Maintain Radio Silence" had not been received in such an favorable way, I could still say I've managed to do one of those "life checklist" things that I've always wanted to do. I reflect back at the complete insanity that was the four-day recording period in August 2003 that made up the entire album - cutting the tracks, laying down the synths, and mixing it - and really can't wait to get back into a studio and grind out a sequel. (And if you bought it over the past year, thanks again!)

2004 saw the exit of my grandmother from this world. While so many things we take for granted, I consider myself fortunate when I say she was definitely not one of those things. The time we got to spend together toward the end of her cancer was invaluable to me.

Once we close the book on 2004, its time to look ahead and envision the new year. The first image that pops into my head upon reading Wilde's quote is the unbelievable masses of dead in Asia due to the recent earthquakes and resulting tsunamis. Earthquakes are so rare in the Indian Ocean region where this quake struck that the standard warning devices in the other major oceans weren't employed, and so the area was completely unprepared for the tragic disaster that literally left the rest of the world shaking. These people, just like the rest of us, were planning for a promising new year - a hopeful new beginning.

No one ever promised us anything. No one ever entitled us to anything. So let 2005 be the year we go out and do what we've always thought about doing - what we've always dreamed of doing.

2005 will be a very big year.

Auburn just closed out its SEC Championship victory over #15 Tennessee, securing its first 12-0 record in school history.

If they end up not playing for the national championship, something's really wrong. Of course we need a playoff in Division I-A football - everybody knows that. But for Auburn to get criticized for scheduling The Citadel and some other weak non-Division-I schools, when they have the 9th highest strength-of-schedule rank in NCAA Football (going into the SEC Championship) then they should certainly be playing for the national title. (OU and USC were both in the 20's and 30's in schedule rank.)

Meanwhile, having returned from a successful, adventurous one-day trip to New York City to launch AHSIMC fundraising efforts, I have had more time to spend with my new friend: Halo 2.

The game is just RIDICULOUS. Dave Cowart and I have been playing a lot, and we'll fire it up (frequently along with some other Auburn folks), create a party (a chat room where we all can talk to one another via headset until the game starts) and launch any number of different types of games and scenarios, all while staying on the same team and playing opponents of equal difficulty. The whole thing is really well done...guess there's a reason they've sold 5 million copies as of the beginning of December!

With the Nintendo DS arriving a week or so ago, as well as a plethora of highly-anticipated games (Metroid Prime 2, Half-Life 2, the new Call of Duty game, Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, etc., etc.) its amazing that Halo 2 is continuing to stand out as a premiere title.

One of these days, I'm going to get involved in the gaming industry. Just got to make some money before I can get in there and invest it!

Been a while since I've posted here. I'll try to keep this updated more regularly.

I've been listening to the leaked "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb", the upcoming new album by U2.

MINDBLOWING.

This album will go down as U2's best work since "The Joshua Tree", and perhaps - PERHAPS - is their best album of their entire masterful career. Yes, its that good. "City of Blinding Lights", track 5 on the album, is one of the best songs they've ever written. The entire album is of such astonishingly high quality that you forget its being released in a year that's seen a remarkable amount of highly mediocre mainstream music being peddled, including disposable pop lip-syncers and "teen angst" flavor of the month.

In other news, Halo 2 hits stores tomorrow night (Tuesday morning) at 12:01 AM. Haven't decided if I'll pick it up then, or after class on Tuesday, but I will be tearing it up over XBox Live Tuesday night and well into the rest of the week. Life is good.


Oh yeah, and thank God that the presidential campaign is over. While I voted for John Kerry, believing he brings a far greater foreign policy presence to the White House, I must say Bush's tax reforms and Social Security changes sound pretty good. Americans have simply had to endure too much over the past couple of years - sure, the Janet Jackson fiasco wasn't as huge of a deal as everyone seemed to think it was, but it was the icing on the cake after such utter travesties as trying to take "Under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance.

While the Democrats paid the price for their guilt by association for political misfirings like the aforementioned Pledge debacle, they could very easily be back in control as early as 2008, if they bring out their best folks - Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, with the latter being a particularly intriguing candidate. I believe both are smart enough to bring the Democratic party out of the left-wing nuthouse and back toward the center enough to be serious contenders in the next election cycle. John McCain, who the Republicans may counter with, would also be a great candidate.

Enough about 2008. I'm looking forward to seeing how much progress Bush can make over the next four years, and am just happy there's some resolution to all this political infighting...for now.

Just a quick blog entry to update about the math tournament - it has been an enormous success. I am the midst of grading tons of exams, but the main figures are in: about 200 schools and over 5,000 students from across the country participated in the First Annual American High School Internet Mathematics Competition (www.ahsimc.com).

The first checks have arrived from folks buying the 2004 AHSIMC Solutions Guide, which is a great thing too. Hopefully we'll sell them all before our big National Awards Announcement on November 1, where we'll announce the winner and runner-up, along with several other awards, via national press release.

Then it'll be on to the next step.

Be careful what you wish for.

Democrats should remember these words over the next couple of months. While George W. Bush is certainly a lightning rod of Democratic hatred and contempt, and has ended up on the wrong side of so many issues as to virtually guarantee a loss come November 2, those who have come to hate the President simply because of the "way he looks" or his corporate history, rather than his current policies, are making a big mistake.

I'm the first to admit that Bush is not exactly a smart man. He lacks communication skills - there's evidence he screws up personal, one-on-one communication as much as he falters in speeches to large groups - but is this a reason to vote him out?

He's also shown a remarkable inability to be compassionate. I couldn't care less what anyone has to say on the matter - a Constitutional ban on gay marriage is one of the most ANTI-CHRISTIAN acts our government could possibly commit, and should never have even been contemplated by any of our country's elected officials. I find Cheney's executive role in the party that proposed this bill to be revolting, considering his gay daughter.

Toss in an Iraq here, bad economy there, lack of contrition everywhere, and its most likely lights out for Bush come November 2.

But let me tell you why this isn't great news for Democrats. Being President of the United States means you not only have to deal with domestic policy issues and master international relations - both of which Kerry can do - but the President also has to have charisma and a sense of dramatic flair. This is the age of TV and the internet, after all, and a boring Kerry could lull Democratic hopes into a long-term coma.

With actually compelling Democratic Presidential candidates coming down the pipeline in 2008 and 2012, such as O'Bama from Illinois and Hillary Clinton, a Bush defeat could allow Kerry to thoroughly convince the nation's vast moderate constituency that electing a Democrat isn't such a great idea after all. It would be an ironic end to this political era for the political careers of these two people, with marks of true leadership and charisma, to be derailed by none other than George W. Bush.

So while Democrats rally against Bush with historic fervor and ferocity, don't let the long-term implications a lackluster Kerry tenure could cause get lost in the shuffle. After all, you gotta be careful what you wish for ... you just might get it.

Lots of change over the next few months, and certainly over the next year...getting married next summer, launch of the AHSIMC behemoth in just a month now, escalation of promotion behind "Maintain Radio Silence"over the next year, as well as school! And looking for a job next summer! Lots to do!!

I recently discovered this song and it really captures the feeling of questioning what's going on in life at any given moment. Not so much doubting that we are on the correct path, but just kinda taking a step back and looking at the big picture of life, and wondering WHY.

My faith in God only makes me want to ask "why?" even more. I am amazed that my years of prayer regarding my personal life, as well as prayer for the ability to contribute something to the world around me, has been answered in the incredible way it has at this point in August 2004. But it just makes the question of "why?" that much more compelling. Maybe over the next year, it will start to become clearer.

And with my grandmother, the last of my grandparents, on her deathbed even as I write this, the question of "why" takes on a different meaning. Why will she not be able to see me get married? Why does she have to suffer, dying a slow death to cancer?

And of course, I could just as easily ask why has she been allowed to be such a valuable part of my life for so long ... much longer than some people get to have family around them.

Its exactly what John Mayer's asking here. For now, we wait and wonder - and be so grateful for what we do have.

2005 will be a great year.


"Why Georgia" - John Mayer

I am driving up 85
in the kind of morning that lasts all afternoon...
just stuck inside the gloom.

4 more exits to my apartment,
but I am tempted to keep the car in drive...
and leave it all behind.

Cause I wonder sometimes about the outcome
of a still-verdictless life.

Am I living it right?
Am I living it right??
Am I living it right?
Why ... why Georgia, why?

I rent a room and I fill the spaces
with wood in places to make it feel like home...
but all I feel's alone.
It might be a quarter-life crisis,
or just the stirring in my soul.

Either way...
I wonder sometimes, about the outcome
of a still-verdictless life.

Am I living it right?
Am I living it right??
Am I living it right?
Why Georgia? Why?

So what? So I've got a smile on?
Its hiding the quiet superstitions in my head.
Don't believe me when I say I've got it down.

Everybody is just a stranger
but that's the danger
in going my own way.

I guess its the price I have to pay.

Still, "everything happens for a reason"
is no reason not to ask myself:

Am I living it right?
Am I living it right??
Am I living it right?
Why? Tell me why...
Why Georgia? Why?

Long time since I've posted here...lets get up to date!

Just saw "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle."  Really funny stuff.  A bunch of random humor about two stoners...I didn't expect to be that funny, but it was hilarious.  Check it out next weekend.

I did a routine check on Google to discover that the Toledo City Paper reviewed "Maintain Radio Silence" and had some nice things to say.  I have a quote from the review up on my webpage, www.bradleymetrock.com.  Its really cool to discover that your work has had a positive impact with someone you don't even know.

The 1st Annual American High School Internet Mathematics Competition is quickly approaching.  Ben has been hard at work polishing up the solutions guide, his girlfriend Ellen has been putting in some great graphic design work in designing us a logo, and I've been working on compiling a database of press contacts so we can get the word out about this thing!  Its a really exciting time, as every day brings the tournament closer, and an increasing realization that this will be really, REALLY BIG.

I'm close to wrapping up my music research project as well.  I've been running some regression analyses and compiling data on the effect of piracy, particularly across genres, and have some theories that I'll be putting out there in a paper by the end of the summer.

I happened upon the playlist of the person who downloaded the 100,000,000th song off of Apple iTunes, and have discovered two great new artists: Jamie Cullum and Ben Jelen.

Check these guys out ASAP!  I just downloaded Ben Jelen's entire album, and he's got some stunning pop songs on there.  "Come On" is simply gorgeous, and I highly recommend downloading it in your preferred method, legal or not...

I head out to Arlington, Texas, tomorrow to visit Lori and her family.  She's been out there the past week and a half hanging out with the fam before law school starts up at Tennessee in mid-August.  When both of us return on the same flight back to Nashville on Thursday, 7/29, things may be a little different...?  Did I just say that?

I had the good fortune of being able to take a day or two to drive up to Chicago and visit Gaurav and Carlos.  We all hung out, took in a Cubs game (Prior got hurt....not good...), and had some great food in Little Italy.  Its so wonderful to be able to hang out with friends and catch up...thanks guys for being so hospitable up there.

When I come back, it'll be off to Huntsville to meet Mathew Crawford, Tipton, and network with other math sponsors in promoting the AHSIMC.  Then on July 31, I'll be at Anita's wedding, and then on August 1, it'll be back to Nashville for a while until the school year starts.

If you're reading this, take care, and talk to you soon.

March has been a busy month! Let's get caught up.

First, Vandy made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1993! Great season for the Commodores, and a nice farewell for Matt Freije.

I'm going to temporarily hold off on discussing, in detail, what's going on with my album, but its very exciting stuff. In addition to promotions I've been doing, I've also been looking for a "residency" in town, where I come in the same night every week and perform songs from Maintain Radio Silence. Things are moving right along and some significant developments are close.

Another thing I've been working on is starting the National Online Mathematics Competition, which will be the United States' first online math contest. Yes, the AHSME (American High School Mathematics Exam), NME, and some others have been around forever...but no one has ventured online yet.

Our first test is completely written, and shortly a webpage will be developed for "NOMC". The idea will be to get schools to participate, at no charge, for the first year, and to develop fully fleshed out revenue streams once we have a base level of participation.

I won't go into much detail here on this issue either, but it could generate some nice income as early as 2005.

One final note...I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Owen officials that they are looking to license music from Maintain Radio Silence to use in some upcoming video material. Not only is this a great chance for me to help my school, but I could also be looking at some good money from the licensing as well. More on this soon too.

Hope everyone is doing well. The fourth (of 4) "mods", or quarters, is underway at Vandy business school, and it looks like a nice end to a great year. Taking courses in Business Ethics, Business in the World Economy (macroeconomics), and Corporate Financial Policy, as well as the Compendia music industry project that lasts all semester. So I'm keeping busy!

Remember, if you haven't purchased your own copy of Maintain Radio Silence, head on over to www.bradleymetrock.com NOW! Talk to you guys soon.