Christmas Links #13

Love Actually: Watching the Film for the First Time:
"I’ve had it on DVD since forever — I bought pre-owned from the EB Games store I managed back in 2005; I still had the price stickers with the date we took it back in trade inside the case — and I’ve never watched it. I may have watched the beginning, as Bill Nighy trying to sing the lyrics to “Christmas Is All Around” and screwing it up, was familiar to me, but nothing else about the film was."

17 amazing Christmas hacks that will help you through the festive season:
"Follow our crafty tips and tricks for a stress free fortnight."

This AI’s attempt to write a Christmas carol is absolutely bone-chilling:
"Computers are getting smarter, but first they’re stuck in some sort of uncanny valley of intelligence, reassembling normal, everyday objects into increasingly creepy combinations. First came the revelations of Google’s DeepDream technology, which, in learning to “see” objects, “saw” creepy multi-eyed organisms all over the place, turning the world into a half-sentient dog-like mess."

Squirrel Wanted For Stealing 150 Christmas Lights:
"Margaret Rican of Seattle is having a hard time this year, as her Christmas lights keep disappearing. A squirrel has been making off with the bulbs one by one. The brazen thief pulls off his heists right in front of her sometimes, while other capers are recorded from a distance. She uploaded a compilation of his trips to chew off and abscond with the bulbs one by one."

The War on Christmas was settled a long time ago. Christmas won.
"Saying “Happy Holidays” at the mall won’t change that."




Liverpool Biennial’s Momentary Monument raises £1224 for Asylum Link Merseyside:
"This year’s edition of Liverpool Biennial may have come to an end but the most iconic piece of work, and arguably most successful, Lara Favaretto’s ‘Momentary Moment-The Stone’ has this week once again come into focus and proven its longevity."

I’m Still Here:
"I won the Internet on February 24, 2015. My tweet beat out thousands of other funny tweets on Comedy Central’s @Midnight to win their daily “Hashtag War.” The topic was #DogTVShows. Among my dozen or so entries was “Grrrrrrrls.” It was a crowning moment after a year of frequently making it into their top ten. During that time, I’d become known as quite the hashtag game player to my 30,000 followers. Never mind that I had been entertaining folks with my own hashtag games for about four years before @Midnight had even come along. At long last, I had indeed won the Internet."

Christmas advert songs that conquered the charts:
"Anticipating big brands' Christmas ad campaigns has become a festive tradition, with speculation over who'll be soundtracking them kicking off way before the last summer barbecue has stopped sizzling. We look back at tracks that enjoyed the boost of a big TV campaign."

Christmas, Made in China:
"Peter Day visits the Chinese city which makes most of the world's Christmas decorations."

I HAD to go to London to judge a cress competition with TV’s Konnie Huq from Blue Peter.
"I appreciate that this is an unusual move for a person to make, but what you have to understand is that I am not like you people. I am a much-loved commentator and newspaper columnist who appeared on Channel 5 News once."