Random links of interest, concern or curiosity from the past week or so, that deserve at least a SHORT mention:

 
Roads to Ruin: Towns Rip Up the Pavement ~ How bad is the Economy? Across rural America asphalt’s being replaced by cheaper gravel; ‘Back to Stone Age’ .
 
Popular Campus Crusade for Christ to Drop ‘Crusade’ and ‘Christ’ from Name ~ Because switching from “Campus Crusade for Christ” to “CRU” will “increase relevance and global effectiveness.”
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” ~ Mark 8:38
 
Avoid Harry Potter & Witchcraft ~ Food for thought. I’m not sure the Harry Potter books are “evil”. But they do seem likely to open the door to the “dark side” for anyone who might be tempted in that direction.
 
Can You Pass Harvard’s 1869 Entrance Exam? ~ I’ll answer that question for all of us…no. OK, there are probably a few math whizzes who can ace that part of the test. But Latin and Greek – history and language?! No way. Go ahead – give it a shot!
 
The tragic reality of euthanasia ~ I like to keep tabs on cultural trends in Canada – and Europe – because sooner or later the destructive ones seem to make their way to the U.S.. This growing “assisted suicide” movement isn’t looking good in the Netherlands where: almost 500 people are killed annually without their consent – or Belgium, where: a 2010 study found that in the Flemish part of the country, 32% of euthanasia cases were carried out without request or consent.
What happens if that whole end-of-life-discussion thing worms its way back into Obamacare?
 
Shock Study: U.S. Flag Only Boosts GOP ~ Great news: “A single exposure to an American flag resulted in a significant increase in participants’ Republican voting intentions, voting behavior, political beliefs, and implicit and explicit attitudes, with some effects lasting 8 months,” the study found.

Fly those flags baby!