[New York Times]
Longtime combatants in the dating wars, psychologists and those who study the lives of singles talk about increasing dating fatigue. They say more and more people are taking dating sabbaticals or declaring they will let romance happen by chance, not commerce. Once-obsessive online daters are logging off, clients of speed dating services—which offer dozens of encounters in a roomful of strangers—are slowing down. A book due out in January, "Quirkyalone," offers "a manifesto for uncompromising romantics"—those not opposed to romance but against the compulsory dating encouraged by the barrage of books, Web sites and matchmaking services.

[Floraphilia]
Impressive presentation of flower photos.

[Wikitravel]
Wikitravel is a project to create a free, complete, up-to-date and reliable world-wide travel guide.

[Guardian Unlimited]
A panel of critics select their choices for the world's 40 best film directors.

[Pbase.com gallery]
Outstanding collection of photos taken by a soldier in the 101^st Airborne in Mosul, Iraq.

[Indiana University Archives/Digital Library Program]
A compelling collection of color photos taken between 1938 and 1969 by Charles Cushman, amateur photographer.

[Blind Honas]
Merriam-Webster caves to pressure from McDonald's to remove the term "McJob" from its online dictionary. A lexicon is descriptive. When a word has been used—and "McJobs" has been used since 1986, according to Merriam-Webster—it is the responsibility of the lexicographer to include it and explain it. Is this another case of IP laws undermining the cultural foundations of our society?

[New York Times]
Homeschooling takes off. At least 850,000 children nationwide are schooled at home, up from 360,000 a decade ago, according to the Education Dept. Newcomers to home schooling resist easy classification as part of the religious right or freewheeling left, who dominated the movement for decades

[The Australian]
Malaysia, which strictly censors foreign movies and books, has decided to ban tomes with "ghostly" tales and those touching on the supernatural. These include books within the categories of mystery, mysticism, fantasy, occultism and superstition.

[NPR]
Joan B. Kroc leaves NPR over $200 million.

[CNN]
British explorers Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud finished their seventh marathon in seven days, a global adventure that began in the wilds of South America and finished in New York's concrete jungle.