Yeah, libertarianism is cool.

The last two days of Utmost are about the Personality/Individuality distinction that I am always running on about.

More bombs in Baghdad - this one reminds me of the Tower of Siloam.

Bookcloseouts.com just announced their annual dollar for dollar sale, ending December 31. Pssst: there's one Os Guinness title, but I'm going to make you find it.

I'm an admitted tool-hound, but this is just too much. (From the recent issue of Backpacker.)

A friend just tipped me off on Alister McGrath, an English Christian Theologian who's website seems to have a lot of material available, both print and audio, notably on the lectures page. His particular interests in and qualifications for marrying science with theology accord him a uniquely useful perspective.

Everyone's favorite penguin is learning to drive. Don't ditch the windows, guys!

The Instapundit on blogging fatigue. He ought to know.

LVMI has posted a synopsis of an excellent article critiquing the NASA Moon-base project.

I especially like that he ridicules the government's claim that establishing a moon presence will help us create "heritage sites" -- i.e., nature preserves of nothing but lunar dust that no one would disturb anyway!

Bare lunacy.

A positive angle on the cell phone = brain cancer debate.

Around here:

• What used to be the Psychic venue in Coarsegold is now vacant and for rent.
• Carl's JR. is running a mean Philly Cheesesteak Burger.
• Susanna got her cast removed.

Cool visual post on the nature of church. Seems pretty accurate.

Fiji is going through some political upheaval - again. Wikipedia is quick.

Peter's really excelling with his pictures.

Making me hungry.

Martin Marty on Christian Books:

So many Christian books written today are either 'theologically theological' or 'practically practical.' What we need most are books that are 'theologically practical.'

- courtesy KP of The Christian Mind

Check out these tricked out public toilets. Nothing is simple in Silicon Valley.

Missouri is recovering from an uncharacteristically serious storm - 15 to 16 inches of snow in places - centered around St. Louis. National Guard personnel, local power companies, and other resources are working to answer the situation.

A hearty happy birthday to Jonathan Marshall!

Some great finds today at the library sale, but this was the last one until sometime in February. (*sniff*, *sniff*)

Japan's new prime minister is pushing patriotism in the school system. I guess it worked for the United States.

Abe, 52, the hand-picked successor to retiring Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, stormed to office as a champion of the security pact with its top ally, Washington, revision of the pacifist constitution, a more outspoken foreign policy, and more patriotic education.

Ron has posted some good stuff recently on the Blessed Economist, which is actually a pretty interesting blog.

A few of Murphy's other laws:

• The things that come to those who wait will be the things left by those who got there first.
• Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
• Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.

Go to Nevada to swap your marriage, go to New York City to swap your gender.

From the Voice of the Martyrs e-newsletter:

Christian Solidarity Worldwide learned about an internal Vietnamese government training manual, which outlines a plan "to resolutely subdue the abnormally rapid and spontaneous development of the Protestant religion." This plan seeks to dampen the spread of Protestantism among ethnic minorities in the country's northwest highlands. Pray God will continue the "abnormal" growth of His kingdom in Vietnam.