Random

~ Dubai is cloning the city of Lyon, France on a 700-acre plot -- and apparently the French aren't complaining or screaming "copyright!" -- Link

~ Characteristics of the "Google generation" -- They use more technology but they also "tend to use much simpler applications and fewer facilities than many imagine." And they're not necessarily sophisticated when it comes to searching for information. They do like the "cut and paste" function of the computer, prefer visual over text, and are constantly multi-tasking. -- Link

~ "Sources at Google have disclosed that the humble domain, http://research.google.com, will soon provide a home for terabytes of open-source scientific datasets. The storage will be free to scientists and access to the data will be free for all." -- Link

~ The pope, concerned about the growing problem of demon possession, is reportedly setting up exorcism squads in each diocese. Sounds like an urban legend in the making or exaggeration of something happening on a much smaller scale. -- Link

~ Most children dislike clowns. So much for the clown ministry -- unless the goal is to scare the hell out of them. -- Link

~ "The United Methodist Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will ask its members to approve 'full communion' between the two bodies starting this spring." -- Link

~ NY Times: "Conventional wisdom, supported by academic studies using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, maintains that today’s young people -- schooled in the church of self-esteem, vying for spots on reality television, promoting themselves on YouTube — are more narcissistic than their predecessors."

But that's not the whole story.

~ New study suggests that Darwin was right -- evolution is not a random process -- Link