It's Pope Benedict's birthday and St. Bernadette's day. Rich took the car in for its tuneup this morning, so I walked over to Church. This was all well and good, till I came out and went over to the parking lot: where's my car? Why would someone steal MY car out of the lot? I'll have to walk home and... oh.

The car didn't take as long as he'd feared, and he got it back here before noon. I then took it back out to the booksale, which was a lot less of a zoo today. My finds this time:

• DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT GEOGRAPHY, Kenneth C. Davis. I have the history one... somewhere.
• THE BOOK OF ABIGAIL AND JOHN, ed. Butterfield
• HANDS ON THE PAST, C. W. Ceram
• MARY CHESTNUT'S CIVIL WAR, ed. C. Vann Woodward
• WHAT YOUR 3RD GRADER NEEDS TO KNOW E.D. Hirsch
• OFF THE BEATEN PATH, Readers Digest

It cost exactly the same as it had on Saturday.

My Brit friend's son is making chain saw carvings for Go Ape, in the UK. I looked them up, and it looks like fun!

Robert is in Cupertino this week (his new inventory program launches the week after the baby is due, talk about timing) so Bernadette came over for dinner. We kicked her out early so we could go see Mamma Mia!

Monica first told me about this musical some years ago when they were going to see it in San Jose, but I hadn't seen it before tonight. Just loved it... the songs, of course, are all favorites from ABBA, and then the energy the performers put into it, rather silly plot and all, was just great.

Before the show we pulled the radio station wheel and while I got a pass to a movie I don't want to see at a theater I don't believe exists, Rich got a dozen strawberries from Sherri's Berries! Uh, the Berry Factory, I mean to say. Pity, we need two full days before getting it or we could have them on Saturday.

Users Fight to Keep Windows XP.

Smart is not the same as wise:

Is McCain wise? I have various doubts about him, but I feel confident that he is far wiser than Barry or Hillary. For one thing, there's no doubt that he is a patriotic American, and that in itself is deeply wise. Because this great nation is herself "a well-known and battle-tested veteran," and the results have shown this a thousand times. Betting on America is the smart bet. Betting on Europe is the sucker's bet.

Civilized? I think NOT.

Austin Bay has a 21 minute presentation with lots and lots of information, an amazing production that explores the results of a rapid withdrawal from Iraq.

Bob Krumm in Iraq:

I couldn’t help but to contrast the lack of complaint from those actually willing to sacrifice in this war with what I’ve heard from so many of whom nothing is asked.

Actually, I have heard several people complain about one thing: the food in the mess hall. Even with new Soldiers some things never change.

I read a letter to the editor about all the people that wouldn't have died if only we'd have stayed out of Iraq. Tell that to the Marsh Arabs, and remember, it was also an ecological disaster.

Instapundit: "May all their luggage be lost, and all their seats non-reclining." Theirs, too!

Ray Fowler has a question.