"Those three slots on desktop, and four on mobile, earn 75 percent of the clicks on any given search term, from 'barbecue' to 'vegan tomato soup.'” https://slate.com/technology/2020/12/why-googles-recipe-results-are-meaningless.html

"More than a century ago Jews living in Palestine before the establishment of the state of Israel successfully turned Hebrew from a language of ancient texts and religious ceremonies to one used in everyday life." https://daily.jstor.org/how-to-revive-a-dead-language/

Did someone give you a smart watch as a holiday present? Larry Magid explains what it can do to monitor your health... and what to watch out for.
https://www.larrysworld.com/smart-watches-monitor-your-health/

Back in my CompuServe Sysop days, this was the scary day. Everyone who had been given a modem for Christmas signed onto CompuServe (it had a free "snap-pack" in every modem box, with a temporary password of explore*world). Which meant we sysops were overrun by clueless newbies for the next week.

People experience genuine pleasure—a rush of dopamine—when processing information that supports their beliefs. “It feels good to ‘stick to our guns’ even if we are wrong,” researchers say.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/02/27/why-facts-dont-change-our-minds

Lysol. The world-famous household disinfectant, perfect for cleaning toilets, that was once used by women as a feminine hygiene product and contraceptive. https://www.messynessychic.com/2020/05/19/how-she-kept-her-husband-with-lysol-the-disinfectant-of-choice-for-feminine-hygiene/

Archives, as presented in SF movies. You'll smile. https://peelarchivesblog.com/2020/09/10/an-archivists-night-at-the-movies-part-iv-science-fiction-edition/

A self-published cookbook about pickles has become a cult classic in India. #cooking https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/dining/indian-pickle-queen-usha-prabakaran.html

If someone gave you a Sous Vide, this cookbook probably should be your next purchase. #cooking #cosobookclub https://amzn.to/2KPxC4O

"Despite their parasitism, mistletoes may well be the Robin Hoods of plants. They provide food, shelter and hunting grounds for animals from birds to butterflies to mammals — even the occasional fish." https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/biology-mistletoe-180976601/

RIP Leslie West

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/leslie-west-dead-1106777/

“Love Actually,” the 2003 film that launched a generation of cinematic hot takes, is the story of nine interconnected relationships in the weeks ahead of Christmas in the United Kingdom. It has a plotline for every moment in your relationship, from first crush to the grave, and the story covers all the holiday season staples.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-definitive-analysis-of-love-actually-the-greatest-christmas-movie-of-our-time/

A Computer Chronicles episode about the Internet in 1993. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_o8gerare0

I've been feeling out of the loop on Rowling's transphobia. This helped me catch up. https://www.vulture.com/article/who-did-j-k-rowling-become.html

A lorem ipsum generator to commemorate the things from 2020 we’d probably like to forget. https://2020-ipsum.com

Early Warnings: How American Journalists Reported The Rise Of Hitler (2012) https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/early-warnings-how-american-journalists-reported-the-rise-of-hitler/254146/

The American Pet Products Association projects Americans to spend a record-high $99 billion this year on all things pet, ranging from food to veterinary care.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/05/americans-are-spending-more-money-on-their-pets-during-the-pandemic.html

"The miso maker, which has seen brisk sales of its bug products, is now preparing for a second round of soy sauce production."

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13984946