Christmas Links #14

Ohio family brings Griswolds' Christmas house to life:
"For the past seven years, Greg Osterland has decorated his Ohio home with 25,000 lights. His goal? A real life version of the Griswolds' creation in the classic movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

Here’s a Kinda Genius, Kinda Evil Way People Are Gaming Spotify Playlists:
"It’s just the latest trick in a long history of hacking digital music services to promote your own songs."

Anjli Mohindra and Laura Fraser to guest star in Series 12!
"With less than one month to go until the TARDIS lands back on BBC One, television stars Anjli Mohindra and Laura Fraser are set to guest star in upcoming episodes of the new series!"

The 100 Memes That Defined The 2010s:
"From planking to VSCO girls."

Sandra Bullock became a rom-com star with a cozy love story about crushing loneliness:
"Lucy Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) spends her days behind a glass window in a Chicago Transit Authority booth and her nights home alone with her cat."

Global Christmas treats come to Seoul: At markets, European countries cook up their tastiest delicacies for the holidays:
"The Christmas spirit was in the air at the Seongbukcheon Fountain Square in central Seoul last weekend as people braved the freezing temperatures to queue for Czech goulash or Ukrainian varenyky."

Christmas Links #13

Jimi Hendrix cleared of blame for UK parakeet release:
"The rumour parakeets arrived in the UK when rock star Jimi Hendrix released a pair in London's Carnaby Street in the swinging 60s has finally been scotched."

Four Ingredient Christmas Cake, 16p:
"Christmas for me is a disparate and disorganised affair – zipping between various peoples houses, delivering a Small Boy to all the relatives that want to pinch his cheeks and ruffle his hair, like an exasperated sugar-high parcel."

Why can’t more than four people have a conversation at once?
"t’s called the “dinner party problem”: A table of four or fewer people may happily converse as one, but a party of five or more will splinter fairly quickly into separate conversations of two or three four people each. What is it about the number four?"

Alternative Christmas events in London:
"Looking for something different to the festive classics? Here are the most weird and wonderful events happening in London this Christmas."

Berlin’s rubbish collectors say give time not stuff this Christmas:
"Waste management firm suggests greener ways of celebrating festive season."

Why like Emma Watson, we're happy to be single at Christmas:
"From trips to Winter Wonderland to mistletoe kisses, the Christmas season can feel like it's all about relationships."

Where Christmas trees come from:
"Every year, millions of Americans purchase and decorate Christmas trees to ring in the holiday season."

Christmas Links #12

Bernie, Elizabeth, My Dad, and Me — or How To Not Kill Your Family This Christmas:
"My father is voting for Bernie Sanders. I am voting for Elizabeth Warren. He’s a 75 year-old, brilliant man, who pioneered early software for the railroad and never went to college, who was a police chaplain and still isn’t quite retired from being a deeply liberal Catholic Deacon. I’m a 38 year-old filmmaker who has a medical crisis at least once a month. The apple fell far, bounced, and bruised."

7 of the best cult Christmas films:
"When you're sick of watching 'Love Actually' try these under-the-radar picks."

Bob Dylan Reads “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”
“Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…”

Women Rule 2019 National Film Registry:
"‘Boys Don’t Cry,’ ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter,’ ‘Before Stonewall’ Among the Titles."

Officials Warn to Check Christmas Trees for Praying Mantis Eggs:
"Officials in Erie County, Ohio are warning of walnut-sized and shaped masses in trees."

Hundreds of dead birds found in mystery mass death:
"Hundreds of birds found dead on a north Wales road are to be tested to discover how they died."

Police say mystery mass bird death phenomenon may have happened before on the island:
"Reports suggest that this is the second time this has happened in exactly the same spot."

Meat? In dessert? Why I made a Christmas mince pie – with beef:
"A US website went viral this week after it confused mincemeat and ground beef in a recipe – but would the resulting dessert taste as bad as it sounds?"

Christmas Links #11

The Deep Sea:
"Made with ♥ by Neal Agarwal"

Christmas Lights Safety:
"We all love getting into the festive spirit, decorating our homes, putting up lights on our Christmas trees, around bannisters and even hanging them outside to share the Christmas cheer with our neighbours."

My starring role as Santa Claus:
"University taught me many things to prepare me for the life of a journalist."

The 36 Best Christmas Movies of All Time:
"There’s a difference between a Christmas movie and a movie that happens to be set at Christmastime."

Christmas Cat on a Robot Hoover #XmasLife
"Feel the festive cheer with our furry friend, and live your best Christmas life."

Expect family talks about climate change this Christmas? Take tips from Greta Thunberg:
"As bushfires rage and our cities lie shrouded in smoke, climate change is shaping as a likely topic of conversation at the family dinner table this Christmas."

N.J.’s Four Queens whiskey fuels boilo, a Christmas tradition in Pennsylvania’s coal country:
"The closest coal mine is more than 100 miles to the west, across the river and up into the hills of Northeastern Pennsylvania. But each year, just after Thanksgiving, a Central New Jersey distiller sees an enormous sales spike in one of its lesser-known products out in coal country."

Christmas Links #10

Christmas tree in western Japan with 51,626 message cards attached sets world record:
"A giant Christmas tree at an elementary school here in western Japan decorated with 51,626 message cards was recognized by Guinness World Records on Dec. 8 for having the highest number of notes attached to it."

Amazon Fire HD 10 review: still a top budget tablet:
"Faster processor, updated software and good screen make Amazon’s 10in hard to beat for £150."

How to Install the Google PlayStore in your Amazon Fire Tablet:
"See how you can install the Google PlayStore in your Amazon Fire tablet and control your smart home with it."

As London’s Tube Expands, So Does the Fight Over Its Map:
"It’s never been easy to design a map of the city’s underground transit network. But soon, critics say, legibility concerns will demand a new look."

Here are the weirdest and worst Christmas gifts of 2019:
"Vancouver Courier’s 15th annual Dreck the Halls gift guide to the unusual, strange and just plain wrong."

Christmas Links #9

Will It Snow In London This Christmas?
"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... just like the ones I used to know."

Deep and crisp and vegan: now meat-free festive fare goes exotic:
"For years, a plant-based diet was seen as dull. But as more and more people embrace it, food stores are upping their game."

Fanny Cradock Cooks for Christmas:
"Fanny Cradock's recipes for a successful Christmas."

Borders towns see Christmas trees shrink by a third:
"Christmas trees put up at sites across the Borders have shrunk by a third compared to previous years."

Christmas tree of kegs lights up in New York:
"Genesee Brewery in Rochester, New York made a Keg Tree for the holidays out of 530 empty half barrel beer kegs."

Christmas Links #8

Lizzie and Tomas revisited:
"... Spoiler, but I predicted they would get married and… well, the reason there’s no review of the latest Blind Date today is because I am AT LIZZIE AND TOMAS’S WEDDING. I know. Amazing."

From cantatas to carols: the best classical Christmas albums of 2019:
"From small-scale Bach and Renaissance Spain to a poignant Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, there is festive uplift for all."

This 'underwhelming' roadside Christmas tree has delighted commuters for decades:
"'Some people talk about him being a little beacon as they drive home,' says Ed McHugh"

Devils chase children in Czech village's eerie Christmas custom:
"Masked devils march through the village, rattling their chains and clanking bells, going door-to-door to search for badly-behaved children."

Greg Davies switches on Christmas lights in Wem:
"He had one task and Shropshire-born comedian Greg Davies mastered it well when he performed the annual Wem Christmas Lights switch on."

37 Things That'll Make Late '90s Kids Say, "This Is How I Remember Christmastime!"
"It was a simple time, back when all you wanted was a Furby, Beanie Babies, and Old Navy Performance Fleece."