Random

• The Indian state of Bihar is hiring millions of people to plant and protect trees. ~ link

• As of this afternoon we have three unnamed gold fish in our family.

• Eugene Cho is letting his hair go while he raises money for his end extreme poverty project. This picture is from his Twitter account. He looks a lot like what I've always imagined John the Baptist looked like. Very scary. Could be a challenge for TSA.

• We met my parents for lunch at Ikea today -- took advantage of the $1 eight 10 meatball plate (with mashed potatoes, gravy, and lingonberries) special they're running this weekend.

• What if they covered all the parking lots in Arizona -- and put solar panels on top of the awnings? The cars would be protected from the sun and every retailer and office complex would also be in the energy business. The technology can't be that far away.

• In Fountain Hills if children break the law the parents can be cited and fined. Is that constitutional? ~ link

• Ed Stetzer on Matthew's Table, the church which meets in Java Joe's in Lebanon, Tennessee -- third place engagement. Includes pictures. ~ link

• Phoenix on the rebound -- noticed more new home construction today in Laveen, as well as a new QuikTrip going up fast. In Queen Creek things are looking up, too. I've been contributing to the recovery with my personal Home Depot stimulus plan. Today I bought another pomegranate tree and a passion fruit bush.

• This has been the 3rd driest Arizona summer in recorded history. But help could be on the way. The el niño pattern is strengthening -- and that usually means above average precipitation in the Sonoran desert. ~ link

• Student loan defaults -- another area where Arizona leads the nation.