Friday Grab Bag

*As the Olympics wrap up this weekend, I've been intrigued by the Nike Bode Miller commercials asking "are you a Bodeist?" If by "Bodeist" you mean am I self-absorbed, prone to overstatement, dismissive of others, rude, obnoxious, arrogant and fail to live up to my own hype, then I must answer a solemn and apologetic yes.

*I'm a little behind on my Sports Illustrated reading, but the SI from a two weeks ago (the Steelers Super Bowl victory SI with Hines Ward on the cover) reminded me why week in and week out I read SI just about cover-to-cover: it's one of the best-written popular magazines in print. Whatever you think about my blog-writing, I'm a better writer because I read SI. There was a phenomenal article about Don King-- how he is a symbol of all that is great and all that is disfigured about American culture. If you've got a friend who gets SI (they don't put their stories on line so that you'll actually buy the magazine) ask if they've still got that issue lying around.

*Some quotes that have been stirring in my soul this week:

-As you came into this life, I pray you depart
With a wrinkled face, and a brand new heart. -U2, War and Peace (or Else)

-Nothing is inexorable but love...For love loves unto purity. Love has ever in view the absolute loveliness of that which it beholds. Love strives for perfection, even that itself may be perfected--not in itself but in the object...Therefore all that is not beautiful in the beloved, all that comes between and is not of love's kind, must be destroyed. And our God is a consuming fire. -George MacDonald

*No posts over the weekend, Kelly's family is in town...which means that Kelly and I get to catch up on some sleep!