2008 Urlies : The distractions that stole your 2008

We'd all agree, the Internet is awesome. But, who is teh awesomest? Urlesque's 2008 Urlies took the time to rate, evaluate and rank the best of what kept us distracted online this year, and it's an impressive list.

What would the internet be without cats, Rick Astley, link bait and flash memes? Boring, that's what. Face it, without the constant stream of distractions -- cute kids, celebrities on Twitter, Obamamemes and, animals in compromising positions -- all we'd have to talk about would be far less important things like financial crisis, human rights violations and the threat of global climate change. What a miserable world that would be.

Instead, the internet is a constant stream of Chuck Norris jokes, kittens with attitude and local 'journalists' falling in vats of half-stomped grapes. Viva la meme! Viva la Internet!

Relive your favorites -- and catch up on the ones that slipped past you -- by wasting a little time with the ultimate list of 2008's best web distractions.

Tags: internet memes, InternetMemes, linkbait, links we love, LinksWeLove, urlesque