Linkurday!

The Christmas spirit and my supreme laziness combine today to give you an extra long Linkurday post! Get excited; I'm giving you extra reasons to leave my blog. So here's where to go today:

1. I Was A Highlights Kid
Were you a Highlights kid? I was. You remember Highlights if you ever went to the dentist or the doctor between the ages of birth and 11. With its activities and stories-with-a-moral, it was the perfect parent-friendly way for kids to while away the hours spent waiting for a teeth cleaning or booster shot. Relive your childhood, and check out my favorite, the quiz to determine whether you're a Goofus or a Gallant. Three guesses which one I am.

2. The Digital Slay-Ride: What's killing newspapers is the same thing that killed the slide rule.
If there's one thing us journalists/aspiring journalists/ex-journalism students love to do, it's wank about the slow demise of our profession. When Julia was at my house recently, it took no time at all for our conversation to turn to the woes of the Fourth Estate, as we wrung our hands and lamented the loss of jobs we never had. Slate's always ten steps ahead of me.

3. Does She Love You?
Onto cuter news. This was a Reddit find (want to go someplace where every day is Linkurday? Try Reddit. That's where half my links come from, anyhow), a cute and clever response to the oft-asked question, "Does s/he love me?" My favorite is the one where she hides his shoes. If pranking people is love, then I love you all.

4. Dear Old Love
More bittersweet, now. This is a PostSecret-esque blog where people anonymously submit short notes to people they used to love. Some are sad; some are funny; most are poignant; all are pithy. You will find you've read hundreds before coming up for air. Between this and PS, we are that much closer to realizing what a small, small world we live in.

5. Let Me Google That For You
Moving away from love to marked disdain. Ever had one of those moments, probably with an older relative or clueless coworker, where you're asked a question that would take longer for you to answer than it would for the asker to just Google it themselves? And you roll your eyes and explain at length, or if you don't already know the answer, you Google it yourself as they watch over your shoulder, apparently unable to do something so simple themselves? Well never fear. Just go to Let Me Google That For You, type in your query, and it generates the perfect link for you to really stick it to 'em. If they understand the point you're trying to make. Some people are just beyond help.

6. Bacon Today
From disdain to deliciousness. It's a universal truism that bacon makes everything better (sorry, vegetarians), and here you will discover everything you ever wanted-- nay, needed-- to know about the smokey, savory, crispy meat. It's not just for breakfast anymore. I've been hearing good things about bacon chocolate lately, and I feel that my 2009 resolution may have something to do with it.

7. The Science Of The Hangover
While we're talking about greasy, fatty, yummy foods. When you're hungover, do you just lie prone, crook of your elbow covering your eyes, and moan for hours? Or do you wonder, "Why am I feeling how I'm feeling?" Okay, I've never had the mental capacity to wonder "why" during a hangover, but in hindsight, I've been curious. The Times article explores how a hangover manifests itself in all your body parts, and even better, how to cure or at least avoid them. Advice you'll read, file away, then forget about as you chug beer before liquor and wake up unhappy next weekend.

8. Is It Christmas?
Ever get those "Do you like me?" notes in elementary school? Circle one: Yes/No/Maybe. There's no "Maybe" here. It's either Christmas or it isn't. As I write this, it's not. But in two days? I'll be checking this site again.