The Rev. Brendan Powell Smith is a man surrounded in controversy no matter where he goes.  At home?  Controversy.  At work?  Controversy.  Even while on a simple jaunt to the store for a gallon of milk, Smith nevertheless invariably finds himself inextricably enmeshed in an abundance of controversy.

“Roads are looking clear tonight with only minor delays at the bridges, and a two car accident at the 270/46 interchange,” said Rev. Smith today in a grainy low-fidelty voice.  “Skies are cloudy, but no chance of rain.  Lows in the 40s tonight, rising to the mid 50s by morning. Your next update in ten minutes.”

A “mellow-tempo song with a different but eminent sound.  Don’t miss it! ” says mp3.com about HOMUNCULUS, a song from Smith’s 1998 album IDEAS FOR SONGS which is available at www.mp3.com/revbps.  This is Smith’s second time this month having a featured song in the Alternative/Leftfield genre where several of his songs are currently in the top 20 chart.

The prestigious C. Everett Koop Award for Excellence was bestowed today upon Rev. Smith’s BRAD: the game.  It marks the first time this award has been given to a website, usually having been reserved in previous years for canned good products and occasionally other members of the former US surgeon general’s immediate family.  “I am deeply honored,” said Smith at a gala event in Washington, DC, “and profoundly confused.”

IBM, Microsoft, and AOL today issued a joint warning against a deadly new computer virus that is rapidly spreading across the internet through the use of e-mails, file downloads, and even simple web-surfing.  Experts stressed that although this virus is entirely harmless to any computer it infects, its sole danger is that it could “completely annihilate The Rev. Brendan Powell Smith on contact”.

Slightly allaying people’s fears of overpopulation, Rev. Smith today announced that for the 26th year in a row, his poulation has held steady at 1.  ”This news comes as a great relief,” said Smith’s mother who has long been a proponent of controlled population growth.  ”When I first heard that he had doubled in size, I feared the worst.”

A pleasant social gathering turned ugly this evening, when Rev. Smith’s new facial hair styling came under heavy scrutiny by his peers.  ”Woah, what the hell is that?” asked one.  ”He looks like Hitler,” announced another.”  Smith, denying the similarity to the noted German evil-doer, has announced no plans to shave in response to these comments, and repeatedly made clear that he will not be attempting to grow it into a handle bar mustache despite perr pressure to do so.

The new album by The Rev. Brendan Powell Smith is now available through mp3.com, and for a limited time is being offered for a special low price.  Check the music page here for more info, or go straight to Rev. Smith’s site at mp3.com to hear several songs from the new album.  And then buy yourself a copy - heck, why not?

A new study published this morning by H-NET/Fritz Media lists The Rev. Brendan Powell Smith as the 3,043rd most famous living American.  This position places Smith just outside the category of “celebrity”.  Smith’s current status is 157 notches higher than last year’s study, but he has failed to rise above the “occasioanlly noteworthy” category since 1993.

Presented here are the titles of the songs that will appear on the upcoming album LIFE & DEATH by The Rev. Brendan Powell Smith: