This guy’s one of the reasons that people bug me. Bode Miller, one of the top prospects for medals at the Winter Olympics, was a complete flame-out. But “Hey,” he says, “I got to party and socialize at an Olympic level.” Geesh… and Nike is paying this guy how much to promote their brand? I hope they have an opt-out clause in their contract, because Bode’s brand is a loser.

Contrast Bode in all of his self-important glory with Jason McElwain, a 17-year-old high school senior who got to play in the final four minutes of his last home basketball game. Jason gets in the game, misses his first shot by six feet, misses his next attempt (a layup), and then goes on to make six three-pointers in a row, setting a new school record. (It would have been seven, but his foot was on the line.) He finished with 20 points in four minutes.

The thing about Jason, though, is that he normally serves as the team manager. He’s also 5-foot-6; not exactly towering. He’s also autistic. Jason’s love for basketball, his enthusiasm for life, and his spirit carried the day; then his team carried him off the floor. Now *this* is a kid that rocked.

[See the video]

A couple of times now, a “quiz” has crossed my desk purportedly seeking to “learn more about people you know” and it contains things like “favorite ice cream” and “last person you talked on the phone with” and “shoe size.” Sheesh.

As you can imagine, I complained (a lot) about the quiz because I didn’t feel that these inane questions really offered any sort of insight at all. When I complained to my sisters, they said, “So smartass, make your own damn quiz!” So I have.

Feel free to copy, paste, and email to your heart’s content. And here’s to hoping you learn something new about someone…

[See the quiz]

Kate Nowak created a small experiment to see if, by using the broad-based reach of the Internet, she could pass on one million blessings in 100 days. She created a small movie designed to be a meditative experience for the viewer.

Kate says, “It has been said that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Every time you remind yourself that you are, indeed, blessed — even in those times when you do not see or feel the blessings — you are figuratively lighting a candle in your world.” View the movie, light a candle in your own world, and forward the link to someone else who needs it…

[View “May You Be Blessed” Movie]