Follow Friday: Put on your reading glasses

Lots of goodies in this Follow Friday.

I know, I know... It's Saturday. But Friday was a busy day. After working the nightside shift Thursday and getting home at midnight, I had a quick turnaround and was back at work before 9:30. The day didn't end til 11pm after reporting two stories and shooting three basketball games. Boy, I'm tired just writing that.

Anywho... This week's edition of my favorite links are four readers. Blogs and newspaper articles that I really enjoyed for different reasons.

What's the secret to happiness? It's money, obviously. Kidding. It's actually chocolate. Kidding again. It's playing and being a kid. (Silence). Yup, that's what it is. At least that's what some psychologists say. They claim having fun is directly tied to happiness. Makes sense.

Every football season my family and I make picks, guessing who will win each game. We've done this for the past six or so years and I don't think I've won yet.

My favorite team is the 49ers. While I don't always pick them, there's been a few times when I wrote that team against better judgement. Why is that?

I can't wait for summer.

Ok ok, I know I have to and I should enjoy the winter weather and snow and the playoffs and whatever. But I can't wait for summer.

Actually, I can't wait for everything that comes with it: long days, sandals, t-shirts, swimming, sun, and BBQ.

I think my favorite movie this year has been "The Social Network." Critics have said that it's the film that captures my generation; that is, a group of people who have only experienced a society where there are telephone options beyond landlines, internet is an everyday too, and social identities have importance on or near the same level of our real identities. That last claim is a bit hefty and probably could be expounded in a later blog (no promises).

Anywho... "The Social Network." Critics say it captures my generation. And shines a harsh, unattractive light on it. Filmmaker and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (pictured right in one of my favorite flicks, "(500) Days of Summer" [See! There's summer again!]) wrote an open letter to one of the aforementioned critics defending our generation and the role of technology.