Perhaps it was the Champagne, but a small part of Ben felt the ghosts of all the players that ever kissed the Cup might just be able to body-check his cancer into oblivion.

-Narrator, One Week

Faramir, man of Gondor, son of Denethor:

… War must be, while we defend our lives against an enemy who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend … and I would have her loved … not feared, save as men may fear the dignity of a man, old and wise.

-The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien

Mad sweeties.

I like to read. I’m a reader. Not the voracious, abiding, tome-devouring reader, though there’s nothing wrong with that.

While I love books, I do better with non-book prose, like that found in magazines, essays, long-form journalism, newspapers, web sites, and (yes) blogs. So 2010 was not a spectacular year for me in the book reading department. I have read parts of lots of books — picked ‘em up, put ‘em down, buried ‘em under stacks of other books I haven’t finished.

In 2010, I finished one book. Just one. And that was a book of essays, so it probably doesn’t even count. If you’ve read Malcolm Gladwell’s other books, The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers, as I have, and enjoyed them, you’ll love this read. But it’s much more like having his essays compiled in one place. Exactly much more, in fact.

What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures
by Malcolm Gladwell

image: Flickr: superdan

• The Book of Eli
• Shutter Island
• The Ghost Writer
• The Crazies
• Alice In Wonderland
• The Town
• Babies
• Winter’s Bone
• The American
• True Grit

Somebody’s latté spilled on the beach. Pacific Ocean. Washington Coast.

• Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - III/IV
• Robert Plant - Band of Joy
• Red Letter - Red Letter
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Benefit Album
• Over the Ocean - Paper House
• The National - High Violet
• Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone
• Jack Johnson - To the Sea
• Helen Stellar - If the Star Could Speak, They Would Have Your Voice…
• Gil-Scott Heron - I’m New Here
• Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks
• Folk Angel - Headed Home
• Citizen Cope - The Rainwater LP
• Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
• Broken Bells - Broken Bells
• Brad Mehldau - Highway Rider

A video montage of the dozens of baptisms across Mars Hill Church campuses last Sunday.

Had a very shiny nose. Washington State Capital, Veteran’s Day 2010.

New Orleans. Jazz at Preservation Hall. Leah and I had our first Hurricane together on Bourbon Street during a great road trip from NOLA to the Gulf Coast and lower Alabama, back to Corpus Christi and San Antonio.