Random

• THE giant Gävle Christmas goat is up and lookin' pretty on the webcam. ~ link

• THE goat is tweeting this year. ~ link

• THE Swedes have refined the art of queuing. ~ link

• INDIA'S GDP grew 7.9% over the last 12 months. They're talking about raising interest rates to slow the rate of inflation. ~ link

• JULY 27, 2048 is the date that the witty Hans Rosling predicts the economies of India and China will overtake those of the West. Dr Rosling is always provocative and fun to watch. ~ link (via)

• CONCRETE Canvas -- just add water and it hardens up. ~ link

• WHY are we so interested in pressuring people who are not followers of Christ and have no real attachment to him into saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays"? And really, their Christmas has little to do with with my Christmas, anyway. I just think it's great that they're still talking to me.

• JOAN Palmquist Wolford nails it:

"Agreed. Think we should be cautious in using Christ's name. I'd prefer to see ads for holiday shopping than Christmas shopping. We should use the word Christmas for those things directly related to honoring Christ's birth and last year's slogan about being able to buy more Christmas at Walmart was more offensive than any use of the "h" word I've seen."

• ADVENT -- There is an app for that! ~ link

• ROBERT Schuller (the younger) has a new TV show. ~ link

• FROM The Solomon Secret: live below your means and devote yourself to the wisdom of giving. ~ link (via)

• THE US quarter (25¢) honoring the Northern Mariana Islands (US territory north of Guam) is going into circulation this week. Curious -- because on the islands the territory is usually referred to as the "Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands" (Marianas is plural) or just the "CNMI." The territorial seal refers to it as the "Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas" -- with a plural "Marianas" but without "Islands." Wikipedia refers to it as the Northern Mariana Islands (like on the coin -- singular "Mariana" but without "Commonwealth"). No wonder those poor people have an identity crisis. ~ link

• HOW to zest citrus. Hmmm? I always run the fruit across the fine holes on a grater. ~ link

• HOW to eat a pomegranate ~ link