Killings brings you our fortnightly selection of posts that have amused, enlightened and generally distracted us.

We’ll kick this week’s list off with a list: Time’s 100 Influential People for 2012  – are all of yours there?

In another ‘influential people’ list, The Guardian have nominated their top 20 champions of the open Internet.

Continuing with the list theme – this one is far less serious, definitely frustrating and quite funny: The 21 Absolute Worst Things in the World.

While we’re on aversions – The New Yorker look at words that people have nominated to be made extinct in their hypothetical ‘lexical purge’.

Is it your birthday today? Happy birthday! Find out what fictional character was born on the same day as you with this fun calendar.

For a further dose of reality injected into the fictional world – a real-estate expert explains the realistic price tags attached to various prime-time properties.

Want to have a leisurely look at some zines online? Have a look here.

Or a giggle at another grand McSweeney’s post? Go forth.

Perhaps you’d like to read of an interesting discussion about what the term ‘Young Adult’ in YA Fiction means? Then this is for you.

And finally, wrap your brains and eyeballs around Emerging Writers’ Festival 2012 program! So many good events!