Over the past month I have read a multitude of "Best of the Decade" articles on anything from movies to music to athletes to news events. I suppose I could write a best of list about any sort of cultural artifact. However it is people that move me. People that inspire me. People that energize me. With that in mind, I'm going to write about the people and friends that I have met at some point during the past 10 years that have had an impact upon me. (I could write a book about my friends that I have known longer than 10 years.) Some of these are close personal friends. Others are those that have had some impact upon my life even though we may not know each other that well. All are people that I would love to spend more time with. As I compiled this list I was stunned at the amazing people that I have met in the past 10 years. Hopefully I am a better person for having known each of these people. Books, movies, music, etc will eventually pass away. People last forever.

Listen in as I interview my friend Tyler Wigg-Stevenson about The Two Futures Project. Tyler and I discuss why the elimination of nuclear weapons matters in a post Cold War world and why this is a non-partisan issue that people from across the political spectrum should care about.

The Two Futures Project (2FP) is a movement of American Christians for the abolition of all nuclear weapons. We believe that we face two futures and one choice: a world without nuclear weapons or a world ruined by them. We support the multilateral, global, irreversible, and verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons, as a biblically-grounded mandate and as a contemporary security imperative. Our change strategy is based around the creation of a nonpartisan, conscience-driven, enduring majority of Americans who are committed to a nuclear weapons-free world. By joining together with one voice of Christian conscience, we seek to encourage and enable our national leaders to make the complete elimination of nuclear weapons the organizing principle of American nuclear weapons policy. We join in this work to the glory of God.

Check out the new interview with Mary Jane Mahan, author of "Love At The Pub". I love this story that Mary Jane tells about a great pub and more importantly a great place for community and conversation. The Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA is one of my favorite places in the world, as much for the great community as for the world-class beer. In this interview, Mary Jane and I discuss how she came up with the idea for her book, the importance of "Third Place" for community, and love for great conversation, community, and beer. Cheers! Related links:

• Love At The Pub
• Brick Store Pub
• Buy at Amazon
• Twitter
• Facebook group

I am often accused of being a right-wing conservative "Rethuglican" by those on the Left and a bleeding heart commie liberal by people on the Right. And the synthesis of these criticisms often make me out to be a moderate. While I am certainly not a moderate, I very much believe that we need moderate rhetoric and temperament in our political dialog and debate. A good friend of mine made this case far better than I can so have I included it below:

What bothers me is the absence of moderation--not necessarily in terms of political views but in terms of temperament and judgment--that is highlighted by shrill, self-promoting Manichean partisans like Malkin, Coulter, Olbermann, Maddow, etc. Honestly I don't remember a time in recent memory where I was less interested in politics. I'm not saying this is all good. After all, this is a time when our country is having big debates over important issues like health care. One big reason is that I still believe that the differences between our political parties, while real, are exaggerated. I realize that both sides vote differently (sometimes) and offer different agendas (if at all consistent)--but the reality is that together they have created the political culture in which major decisions are made and legislation is crafted. It's not just that they are bought and paid for by their respective interests and indulge in brazen hypocrisy as we've seen in the case of Christopher Dodd--though that's certainly the case. It's not simply the seduction of greed, perks and influence, though that certainly seems true. I'm thinking about how the Republican Party and Democratic Party have together created the channels and culture in which they operate, debate, compromise, pass legislation, and indulge in institutionalized, legal corruption. All this in an environment in which the electoral process powerfully shapes how decisions are made and votes are cast. The bailout vote in October was a powerful expression of this--Obama, McCain, Pelosi, Reid, Bush, the Republican leadership--all game and all in need of each other to support this. These parties are in a death spiral together and as Will has experienced and pointed out before, they control the electoral levers to prevent serious reform in the form of a major third party.

Much of the news of the past week has been dominated by the story of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates being arrested at his home by Cambridge police officer James Crowley. At a press conference last week, President Obama addressed this issue and eventually suggested that Gates and Crowley join Obama at the White House to discuss things over a beer. While most talk surrounding this story has been about questions of race and law, I'd like to address the beer question. Specifically, what beer would be appropriate for Obama to serve? Let me first preface my recommendations by stating that I hope and pray that Obama will eschew the typical American offerings of Bud/Miller/Michelob/Coors. Would Obama serve boxed wine or jug wine at a meeting at the White House? I don't think so; therefore he shouldn't serve the beer equivalent. Additionally, while it is often recognized that Belgium makes the best beer in the world along with Germany and England, I think we can assume that Obama is going to serve American beer. So Mr. President, if you are reading this...try one of these world-class American beers.

Listen in as I interview my friend Jamie Tworkowski of TWLOHA (To Write Love On Her Arms). Jamie and I discuss the formation of TWLOHA, the recent death of Michael Jackson, and the importance of community. Read the entire TWLOHA story here...

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

VISION: The vision is that we actually believe these things… You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters.

We live in a difficult world, a broken world. My friend Byron is very smart - he says that life is hard for most people most of the time. We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that all of us live with questions, and all of us get stuck in moments. You need to know that you're not alone in the places you feel stuck. We all wake to the human condition. We wake to mystery and beauty but also to tragedy and loss.

Millions of people live with problems of pain. Millions of homes are filled with questions – moments and seasons and cycles that come as thieves and aim to stay. We know that pain is very real. It is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real. You need to know that rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, that God is still in the business of redemption.

We're seeing it happen. We're seeing lives change as people get the help they need. People sitting across from a counselor for the first time. People stepping into treatment. In desperate moments, people calling a suicide hotline. We know that the first step to recovery is the hardest to take. We want to say here that it's worth it, that your life is worth fighting for, that it's possible to change.

Beyond treatment, we believe that community is essential, that people need other people, that we were never meant to do life alone. The vision is that community and hope and help would replace secrets and silence. The vision is people putting down guns and blades and bottles. The vision is that we can reduce the suicide rate in America and around the world. The vision is that we would learn what it means to love our friends, and that we would love ourselves enough to get the help we need. The vision is better endings. The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships. The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love. The vision is graduation, a Super Bowl, a wedding, a child, a sunrise. The vision is people becoming incredible parents, people breaking cycles, making change. The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead. The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know. The vision is hope, and hope is real. You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.

Listen in as I interview Blake Mycoskie, founder and Chief Shoe Giver at TOMS Shoes. In this discussion, Blake and I talk about how TOMS was founded, how his for-profit model creates sustainability in helping others, and how TOMS has impacted Blake's life.

Items mentioned in this interview:

• TOMS Shoes
• FEED
• Blake's blog
• AT&T commercial with TOMS Shoes

Listen in as I interview Jeff Shinabarger of Gift Card Giver.

"Four friends had an idea to collect gift cards and give them to people in need. They went to a gathering and asked 8 people how much money in unused Gift Cards they had in their wallets and walked away with $50 in Gift Cards to help people in need. GiftCardGiver.com was born. Gift Card Giver is a new form of giving. The Gift Card industry has risen to be a 60 billion dollar industry. Ever wonder how many gift cards are unused? More than 10%. That means billions of dollars are waiting to be used for good on Gift Cards."

Listen in as I interview Craig Detweiler - filmmaker, screenwriter, and author. In this discussion, Craig and I talk about his documentary Purple State of Mind, the importance of civil dialog in an increasingly polarized society, and whether there is such a thing a Christian film.

Craig Detweiler is a recognized author, screenwriter, filmmaker, professor and the former chair of the mass communication department at Biola University. He left this position in 2006 for Fuller Theological Seminary, where he served as the director of the Reel Spirituality Institute and the Associate Professor of Theology and Culture. He is now the incoming director of the Center for Entertainment, Media, & Culture at Pepperdine University.

Items discussed in this interview:

• Purple State of Mind
• Sundance Film Festival
• John Marks
• Conversant Life
• Center for Entertainment, Media, & Culture @ Pepperdine University

Listen in as I interview journalist and author Cathleen Falsani. Cathleen and I discuss how grace is a counter-cultural concept, the role of Christianity in America, and how people can have dialog on contentious issues like religion.

Cathleen Falsani, author of Sin Boldly, The Dude Abides, and The God Factor, is the award-winning religion columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. She attended Wheaton College and also holds masters degrees in journalism and theology. She lives in Laguna Beach, California, with her husband and fellow journalist, Maurice Possley.

Items discussed in this interview:

• Vasco Sylvester
• The Dude Abides
• Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace
• The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People
• The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers