Christmas Links #24

In Conversation: Charlie Kaufmann:
"The writer behind Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and, now, Anomalisa — a stop-motion animated dark comedy about a depressed customer-service expert who falls in love on a business trip, which Kaufman co-directed — discusses where his ideas come from, the TV shows he can’t get made, and the finer points of puppet sex."

Festive food on the BBC 25 years after Delia Smith's Christmas:
"2015 marks 25 years since Delia Smith’s Christmas, so Press Officer and foodie Alasdair Drennan remembers that landmark programme and looks back at Christmas food on the BBC."

Star Wars is dead, long live Star Wars:
"The Force awoke a few days later than most for me, but on Monday 21st December, I sat in a small cinema in Hammersmith and readied my body for Star Wars. Sweaty palms? Check. Slightly elevated heartbeat? Check. Stupid grin plastered on face despite nearby proximity of colleagues who consider me an otherwise professional and functional human being? Check. There are have been few cinematic experiences in my career where I have legitimately broken out in goosebumps, but Episode VII was one of them: if a new Star Wars trilogy can no longer be considered a once in a lifetime event, then it's still a rare treat to savour. Excitement, thy name is The Force Awakens."

As Climate Change Imperils Winter, the Ski Industry Frets:
"The typical scene at New England ski resorts over Christmas vacation—madhouses filled with students as young as 2 or 3 packing onto bunny hills while parents head to higher elevations for their first runs of the season—has been replaced by a sobering reminder that climate change is already taking a bite out of winter."

Exposed: How Keanu Reeves’ Newest Film Got Whitewashed:
"Originally called Daughter of God and directed by a black filmmaker who has since removed his name from the project, Exposed is Hollywood’s latest attempt to erase the work of people of color."

Christmas Links #23

The evolution of Christmas:
mid 1990s Xmas: Go to the shops to buy everything you need for Christmas
mid 2000s Xmas: Go to the shops to buy everything, except for a few books, CDs and DVDs from Amazon
mid 2010s Xmas: Get most of your Christmas stuff online, assuming it ever arrives

The Beatles Now On Spotify:
"On December 24 at 12:01am in your time zone around the world, The Beatles’ catalogue will be available on Spotify to all of our users."

The Year In Pictures 2015:
"THIS was the year of the great unraveling, with international orders and borders challenged or broken, with thousands of deaths, vast flows of migrants and terrorist attacks on some of the most cherished symbols of civilization, both Western and Muslim."

The first Christmas Radio Times:
"It was all very different to today's multi-channel, on-demand world. There was only radio, and London station 2LO had a meagre five-and-a-half hours of programmes on Christmas Day." [editorial interjection - post includes link to download a pdf of that very first issue!]

“There’s something rejuvenating about getting a good fright…” The Big Interview: Chipo Chung:
"You may recognise Chung from Danny Boyle’s Sunshine (2007), Thick of It spin-off In The Loop (2009) or alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins in Proof (2005); or perhaps you spotted her in Doctor Who, recent BBC crime drama From Darkness, or in Sky Atlantic’s Fortitude. The RADA trained Yale graduate also has some impressive theatre credits, including The Overwhelming and Phèdre at the National Theatre."

Christmas Links #22

How we made: The Muppet Christmas Carol:
"When I met Michael Caine to talk about playing Scrooge, one of the first things he said was: “I’m going to play this movie like I’m working with the Royal Shakespeare Company. I will never wink, I will never do anything Muppety. I am going to play Scrooge as if it is an utterly dramatic role and there are no puppets around me.” I said: “Yes, bang on!” He was intimidating to start with, but he’s a delight."

‘Wallace And Gromit’ Creators Release New 360-Degree Animation for Google’s Spotlight Stories:
"Santa Claus is coming to town — but one particular custodian really doesn’t like the idea of someone messing with his chimneys, or climbing around on the roof. He tries to catch the intruder, starting an epic and hilarious chase. That’s in a nutshell the premise of “Special Delivery”, a new animated short by Aardman Animations, the award-winning animation studio behind such hits as “Wallace and Gromit”, “Shaun the Sheep” and “Chicken Run”."

Tesco delivers our Christmas parcels to an address 700 miles away in Shetland:
"I ordered three items on 23 November. One arrived three days later but, according to my Tesco account, the other two were delivered to Shetland. We live on the Isle of Wight, nearly 700 miles away. I have phoned, messaged and emailed, but get nowhere, just a “we will get back to you” message."

‘The Quatermass Experiment’ Experiment:
"This caption is a blatant lie."

Love, SRSLY:
"It's the first of two SRSLY Christmas specials! First up, we revisit Love, Actually in great detail, with a little help from our friends. (Caroline Crampton, Anna Leszkiewicz, Anoosh Chakelian, Barbara Speed, Stephen Bush, Jonn Elledge)"

Christmas Links #21

The Complete Series Nine: Blu-ray/DVD details announced:
"The DVD and Blu-ray contains all twelve episodes from Peter Capaldi’s second series in the role, with guest star’s Maisie Williams and Rufus Hound as well as the brilliant Missy (played by Michelle Gomez). The Complete Boxset also contains the 2014 Christmas Special, Last Christmas and this year’s highly anticipated The Husbands of River Song and more than four hours’ worth of VAM, including ...."

Please Stop Spreading This Nonsense that Rey From Star Wars Is a “Mary Sue”:
"Over the weekend, even as most of us were celebrating the fact that a new Star Wars movie did not in any way suck, some portions of the internet got sucked into a pointless, silly debate. Is Rey, the film’s hero, a “Mary Sue”? The answer is no. Next question?"

Christmas covered:
"Taking delivery of your bulging, bumper Christmas issue of the Radio Times is as seasonal as dressing the tree and basting the turkey."

Star Wars: The Feminism Awakens:
"Rey, the franchise’s newest breakout star, is a heroine fans can finally feel good about liking."

Our funniest moments of 2015:
"Here are some of the funniest moments and incidents from BBC Weather during 2015."

Christmas Links #20

Longfellow house opens doors for the holidays:
"The historic Henry Wadsworth Longfellow house is opening its doors for the holidays to give visitors a view of the how the poet and his family celebrated Christmas in the 19th century."

THE HATEFUL EIGHT: A movie is a really big thing:
"This is a picture of the last three Hateful Eight prints leaving our print assembly location in Valencia. They are destined for local LA presentation locations."

Eyewitness 1915: Bank failure ruins kids’ Christmas, but Frick comes through:
"When a Pittsburgh bank closed its doors three days before Christmas 1915, the move threatened the small accounts of thousands of school students."

Britain's favourite Christmas paintings:
"Christmas is the ideal time to visit Britain’s public galleries. With everyone out Christmas shopping, or stuck indoors with their in-laws, your local art gallery is the perfect refuge from the Yuletide madness. In December you can see great artworks in quiet seclusion, away from the commercial hubbub of the high street – and it won’t cost you a penny. To celebrate the festive season we’ve asked curators across the UK to choose a seasonal painting from their permanent collections. Here are their favourites. What’s yours?"

Meet the 'Christmas elf' who struggles to enjoy the holiday season:
"Christmas is one of the hardest times for people with depression and other mental health issues."

Christmas Links #19

Christmas ghost story: Frozen in Fear:
"Storms scare me, even daytime ones. The barn shook with every thunder clap. Joe tried to help by stroking me with his hairy legs. He’s very kind for a spider. Then the door opened. ‘People!’ I whispered. I don’t like strangers but I had to be brave, I had to ask for help."

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Reviewed BY ANTHONY LANE:
"O.K. spoilers first." [editorial interjection - yes - don't read this if you haven't seen the film yet]

Christmas cards that shocked the web:
"Meet the Johnson family from Louisiana. What began as an attempt at a humorous card soon spiralled into an online debate. Some defended the family's right to portray themselves in whatever way they choose. Others argued it was sexist, with one user writing: "Nothing funny about teaching your daughters they have less value than their brother. This is terrible."

Bridget Christie: The greatest gift of Christmas? A social media truce:
"It’s time for the Twitterati and Instagramati to take a rest, even if a mother does buy too many presents for her family."

Buffy The Vampire Slayer staked its claim to a twist on a Christmas classic:
"What this episode captures, and what so few other “holiday special” episodes of TV fail to appreciate, is just how dark Christmas despair can get. As any hotline operator can attest, the Yuletide season is noteworthy for the spike in suicide attempts it annually garners. And that downbeat statistic is only one way in which the end of the year triggers depression in people."

Christmas Links #18

Natascha McElhone: 'People talk about strong female roles – I shy away from that term':
"I have to ask you about this Jeremy Beadle panto that you once worked on at City Varieties in Leeds. You were an assistant stage manager for it? I read about it in an interview ..."

Carrie Fisher on Star Wars:
"Carrie Fisher being interviewed about her role as Princess Leia on BBC's Nationwide in 1977."

‘Xander the Slayer’: Steven DeKnight details the spec script that got him hired on ‘Buffy’:
“Somewhere in a storage facility in LA is a copy of that spec script,” said Steven DeKnight when we asked him about it. “I have actually no idea what box that particular script is in, but it’s out there somewhere. It’s like the lost ark. Yeah, that was a crazy little story.”

Christmas Links #17

Star Wars at the BBC:
"A long time ago in a TV studio not so far away, the stars of the original Star Wars film came to the BBC to promote their then-unknown movie."

A fan’s new hope:
"Ten years ago, in a movie theater not so very far away, the credits rolled on a Star Wars movie and I succumbed to a wave of unexpected emotion: relief. Not because it was good—no matter what anyone tells you, Revenge of the Sith is not a good movie—but because it was over. Done. After six long years of anticipation and anxiety, the prequels couldn’t hurt us anymore."

Master of the Darth arts: the man doing a Star Wars cartoon every day for a year:
"Star Wars fans are notorious for their devotion – just look at the growing number of people who list Jedi as their religion. But artist George Folz, a fan since the age of four, has found a more creative outlet for his obsession. Every day this year, he has posted a comic-book panel based on the original trilogy on Twitter, in anticipation of the latest chapter in the saga, The Force Awakens."

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' – John Boyega's Finn echoes Han Solo:
"Harrison Ford has offered no meaningful advice to his young co-stars in Star Wars: The Force Awakens because everyone’s burst into stardom is so different. “I’m not going to tell them how to navigate this personal space,” the wily Hollywood veteran tells a Star Wars press conference. “But they’re in for a big ride, and they know it, I think. I hope you know it!”

Posting Star Wars spoilers should be illegal, says Philadelphia PD:
"If you should accidentally discover, before you’ve even had the chance to view Star Wars: The Force Awakens for yourself, that Maz Kanata is Luke Skywalker’s twin, or that Chewbacca is BB-8’s uncle, you might well think the perpetrator of said spoiler ought to be locked up. According to police in Philadelphia, a change in the law is indeed well overdue: officers have taken to an official Twitter feed to declare that leaking Star Wars secrets ought to be illegal."

Filmspotting: Star Wars: The Force Awakens review:
"Are you looking for "the most non-specific, superficial" review of STAR WARS: EPISODE VII - THE FORCE AWAKENS? Then step on board the Millennium Falcon with Josh and Adam for a spoiler-free conversation – until the 22 minute mark, anyway."

Thanks to Star Wars, we know what movie tickets look like pretty much everywhere in the world:
"The whole world is eagerly anticipating the same movie at the same moment. So eagerly, in fact, that the whole world is posting images of their tickets on social media, in various languages and from various locations. So we at Quartz had a question: How different are the physical tickets—still given out in most theaters around the globe—from country to country?"

Carters bar unveils Star Wars menu - but you'll need to be quick:
"A popular Coventry bar and grill is cashing in on Star Wars fever - by transforming their dishes into ones inspired by the galaxy far, far away."

6 classic Star Wars games to help you celebrate ‘The Force Awakens’:
"We want to celebrate Star Wars by specifically looking at some of the best games to ever take place in a galaxy far, far away. If you want a list of recent games that may help you prepare for The Force Awakens, we got that as well. But this is all about remembering the games that made us fall even more in love with Star Wars over the last 38 years."

Christmas Links #16

Cate Blanchett and Ian McKellen on Rehearsals, ‘Lord of the Rings’
"After journeying to Middle-earth together for the “Lord of the Rings” movies, Cate Blanchett and Ian McKellen are playing more grounded roles in this year’s films. In “Mr. Holmes,” McKellen stars as the famous detective in old age. Blanchett pulls double duty in “Carol,” as a 1950s housewife who falls for a younger woman; and in “Truth,” in which she plays embattled “60 Minutes” producer Mary Mapes."

'Star Wars': How the Ewoks Came to TV 31 Years Ago:
"Long, long ago — try 1984 — on a network not so far away (ABC), Star Wars fans gathered around the TV to witness the next chapter in George Lucas’s beloved franchise. No, it wasn’t a long-lost Lando Calrissian spinoff or another terrifying Holiday Special. Instead, it was a feature-length family friendly adventure based around the furry woodland critters who had helped the Rebels defeat the Empire once and for all in Return of the Jedi. We’re talking, of course, about the Ewoks, who lived amongst the treetops on the Forest Moon of Endor and employed ingenious traps and other guerrilla tactics to combat Imperial troops and confused Jedi alike. Popular characters — and even more popular toys — with young audiences, Lucas saw the potential in giving the Ewoks their own adventure within the larger Star Wars universe."

The 25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time:
"It's no surprise that a Christmas song – Bing Crosby's "White Christmas"– is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling single ever. There's a universality to Christmas music that even transcends religion. Just ask Bob Dylan, who was raised Jewish but loved Yuletide tunes enough to record an album of them in 2009. From gangsta rap to jazz to reggae to indie-pop, from crooners to rockers, the impulse to knock out a "Blue Christmas" or a "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" knows no boundaries. Read on for our list of the 25 greatest Christmas albums of all time."

Flying close to Beijing's new South China Sea islands:
"Last year the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes travelled across the South China Sea in a fishing boat and became the first journalist to observe close-up how China is constructing new islands on coral reefs. A few days ago he returned to the area in a small aircraft - provoking a furious and threatening response from the Chinese Navy."

Alicia Vikander: ‘I made five films in a row before I had a scene with another woman’:
"I don’t have the best feet,” Alicia Vikander says matter-of-factly midway through our interview. She doesn’t speak in the smugly self-deprecating tone of unnervingly beautiful celebrities eager to point out that they, too, are humans with physical insecurities; rather, it’s expressed as a shrugging statement of fact."

Birmingham's former Central Library demolished:
"Demolition work has begun on Birmingham's former Central Library. Built in the 1970s in the brutalist style, the building has divided public opinion over the years. Prince Charles described it as looking like "a place where books are incinerated, not kept". A £189m library opened in the city's Centenary Square in September 2013."

Christmas Links #15

Eddie The Eagle: the first trailer:
"The movie - which we're hearing is really something quite special - stars Kingsman's Taron Egerton and Mr Hugh Jackman. And we've got the first trailer, the first poster, and an official synopsis for the movie."

Clarenville Chinese restaurant serving free Christmas Eve turkey:
"Uncle Li's will serve turkey dinner to people who can't afford to pay, or who don't have family to share a meal with — it will even do takeout for customers too shy for a sit-down meal."

The TV traditions that get us through Christmas:
"Whether it’s attending a carol service, heading for the sales on Boxing Day or buying two copies of Radio Times, one to use and one for best (that one’s just us, probably), we all have our own Christmas traditions – often involving TV. Here, we highlight some of the most cherished telly traditions which always get us in a suitably seasonal mood and which we’ve already marked in our TV guides (not the one we’re keeping for best, obviously)."

BBC DJ not biased despite not playing Bay City Rollers on radio for six years:
"Complainant says band is ‘Scotland’s answer to the Beatles’ and Johnnie Walker not playing one of their songs in more than 310 Radio 2 shows is anti-Scottish..."

Get rich or die vlogging: The sad economics of internet fame:
"... despite this success, we’re just barely scraping by. Allison and I make money from ads that play before our videos, freelance writing and acting gigs, and brand deals on YouTube and Instagram. But it’s not enough to live, and its influx is unpredictable. Our channel exists in that YouTube no-man’s-land: Brands think we’re too small to sponsor, but fans think we’re too big for donations. I’ve never had more than a couple thousand dollars in my bank account at once. My Instagram account has 340,000 followers, but I’ve never made $340,000 in my life collectively."

Christmas Links #14

Rare old NYC subway photos of trains, overcrowded platforms and more:
"The images span nearly three decades, from the 1970s to the 1980s. And the more you look, the more you'll see echoes of your own experience of the subway system. Whether that's cause for lament is another point entirely."

1970-1979: Camilo José Vergara's New York:
"he crumbling spaces and resilient inhabitants of a decaying city."

Harper Lee: my Christmas in New York:
"One midwinter in 1950s New York, Harper Lee went to stay with friends. Little did she know she was about to receive the gift of a lifetime..."

Is This Real? Does It Matter? Follow — Reviewed:
"Splendiferous in white sports socks and grey leggings, sat at a Mac wearing a headset, LaBeouf occasionally jumps up from his office chair, proclaiming to the anonymous caller: “I totally disagree!”; or crumples in fits of laughter, responding to, we presume, a joke or filthy comment made by the person at the other end of the line."

50 years of Jackanory: what the TV show gave to me and other authors:
"Long, long ago, when the world wasn’t digital and there were only three channels on TV, there was a show called Jackanory. It seemed a simple little show - a grown-up sat in a peacock chair and read a story straight off the autocue, into the camera."

Christmas Links #11

Counterfeit Christmas: Fears over fakes on sale:
"Lucy Lane ordered what she thought was a Nutribullet blender on eBay in February 2015. It turned out to be a counterfeit. "I bought it from eBay and I paid £124.99 for it. I think they retailed for £150. That eBay [seller] came up as one of the cheapest but not by a dramatic amount. [...] I didn't think for a minute that it could be fake - I mean £125 is still quite a lot of money. It's not like I'm paying 25 quid and hoping that it's real."

We Called Shia LeBeouf’s New Hotline And This Is What Happened:
"This aside, what are you supposed to do? What is my role in this, when (or if) I decided to give Shia a bell? There is a sense of excitement, starfuckery almost, about being granted access to a ‘movie star’. Are you to enact the typical fanboy role? I’m sure many of us have indulged in a celebrity friend fantasy. Whether that be actor, musician, artist, we tend to confuse the enjoyment we gain from their work as a connection. Through this we create a personal simulacrum from that celebrity; an imaginary friend that other people would recognise."

Some kids taking Christmas snooping up a notch:
"Liz Ripking of CyberSafety Consulting suggested parents should change their email and online passwords, keep them private, and close all windows on the computer when finished browsing the Internet. She also said parents need to have ongoing serious talks with their children about what is and is not allowed online."

What a map of the UK's 1,650 branches of Greggs can tell us about the British high street:
"But then the questions started rolling in. Why only one in Northern Ireland? Why so many in northern cities like Glasgow, Newcastle and Manchester? Why none in Devon and Cornwall? And what, exactly, is a second-hand Greggs?"

Why Aren't Christmas Ads as Big a Deal in the U.S. as They Are in the U.K.?
"But mixed in with the warm and fuzzy holiday feelings these ads stirred up, Devra Pyrwes experienced another emotion: frustration. Because Pyrwes is an American marketer who works for a U.K. firm, the Unruly Group, which specializes in Web video content, and every year at this time she ponders the same question: If U.K. retailers are generating such enormous Web traffic and overall goodwill for their brands with touching short films, why don't their U.S. counterparts do the same?"

How ‘Turner and Hooch’ helped Pixar convince Tom Hanks to star in ‘Toy Story’
"On Thursday (Dec. 10), ABC's "Toy Story at 20" delighted fans with a trip down memory lane. The special served as a history lesson for those unfamiliar with the humble beginnings of the beloved movie that started it all."

'A Christmas Story' museum in Cleveland gets Red Ryder gun from 1983 movie:
"Now, visitors to the adjacent museum will get to lay eyes on the Christmas gift Ralphie longed for most of all: the "Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time."
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Christmas Links #10

Couple Marries in Christmas Tree Farm Wedding 15 Years After Planting Tree:
"Tis the season to visit Christmas tree farms and deck the halls with smells of evergreens and sights of twinkling lights and big red bows. But it wasn’t jingle bells this entrepreneurial couple were thinking of on their journey to Henry’s Christmas Tree Farm in Hope, Rhode Island last weekend – it was wedding bells."

This One-of-a-Kind Christmas Tree Is Made of 2,000 Handmade Glass Ornaments:
"Since 2008, the world-renowned museum, which boasts a collection of more than 45,000 glass objects that span 3,500 years, has been drawing thousands of visitors each winter to marvel at its sparkling tree. There’s no other holiday tree like it in the world, and no two of the tree’s ornaments, which are created by a team of resident glassmakers, are the same. The tree is so elaborate that it takes several days to install inside the museum’s glass-walled lobby. Once the final sphere has been hung, lights from within the tree illuminate it from the inside, making it glow like a giant, festive lightbulb."

Longer News at Ten for the BBC:
"From 11th January, the 10pm news will be extended with a longer bulletin from the nations and regions following the main UK and international news with Huw Edwards in an extension that was initially trialed in the run up and immediate aftermath of this year's General Election."

White Christmas:
"Bing Crosby dreamt of it, children wish for it but what counts as a white Christmas and how likely is it to happen? BBC Weather's Helen Willetts explains."

Fly Over OP Mest and FOB Sharana:
"Bowe Bergdahl said he planned to cause a DUSTWUN by leaving his outpost, OP Mest, and running—or at least walking—to his base, FOB Sharana. This map (push play to fly over the area) gives a sense of the terrain he would have had to cross."

Father Christmas letter from the 1930s found up Powys chimney:
"A letter written by a five-year-old girl to Father Christmas in the 1930s has been found up a chimney during renovation work at a house in Powys. In the note, found at Garthmyl Hall, Berriew, Christine Churchill, now 82, asks for "some nice toys" and a hymn book."

Shia LaBeouf: 'Why do I do performance art? Why does a goat jump?'
"Shia LaBeouf’s artworks have been dismissed as stunts and ripoffs – but he doesn’t care. The Hollywood star and his collective explain why they’re in Liverpool taking calls from the public."

Austin Middle School 62nd Annual Singing Christmas Tree:
"The program will feature a 25 foot tree with students in the tree. Dancing elves with Santa, Rudolph, and a singing angel at the top of the tree singing "O Holy Night"!"

Christmas Links #8

Christmas In New York City - Rockefeller Center Tree:
"Last week, my hubs surprised me with a quick trip up to the City (our first since being back east!) and it was during the eve of the lighting of America's Christmas Tree, the tree at Rockefeller Center! We were there only a short time (and arrived later than expected due to weather delays), but it was still wonderful to "be a part of it." Seeing all the lights, decorations, people, and storefronts dressed for the holidays can really lift ones spirit - even with a few precautionary street closures..."

Lincoln's Christmas melted ice rink becomes giant puddle:
"An outdoor Christmas ice rink has turned into a giant puddle because unseasonably mild weather has caused it to melt."

New York Brewery Makes Giant Christmas Tree Using 428 Kegs:
"Using 428 empty kegs, they created a stack that comes in around 26-feet high. In addition to the 11 layers of kegs, there are also stands of lights and an electrical Genesee bar sign on the top. It’s a classic play on the “Beeramid” that I’m sure many of you have made before, except, you know, this is with kegs instead of cans."

Is BBC One really the same as ITV?
"The BBC should not start with a gap in the market, and try to fill it. It should start with its public remit and the creative idea, and then deliver programmes that fulfil them. The fact that the BBC makes some of the same types of programmes as the commercial sector means there is ‘competition for quality’ that benefits all sides and explains why this country has some of the best television in the world. If we withdrew, it’s likely that commercial broadcasters would reduce their investment too and audiences would have less choice. ITV is already spending less in real terms on original UK content investment, despite its strong advertising revenues and profits."

Rape is not a punchline – or a way to sell Christmas presents:
"Banning jokes and adverts is not the feminist endgame, but why is there a seasonal spike in tasteless advertising?"

Bill Murray's Little Christmas Miracle:
"Bill Murray’s “A Very Murray Christmas,” directed by Sofia Coppola, is full of little stocking-stuffer performances that add up to something that feels, almost unaccountably, like an instant classic."

Christmas Links #7

Simms Steakhouse Workers Feel Scrooged By Unexpected Christmas Duty:
"Instead of succumbing to just missing Christmas, plan another celebration with your family. Working on the holiday doesn't have to be a bad thing. With a little Christmas spirit and a great attitude, you can make the best of it. Not just for you, but for your co-workers and our guests!"

Orson Welles’s Forgotten Christmas Classic:
"In fact, Mr. Arkadin, shot throughout Europe during Welles’s nomadic exile from Hollywood, wasn’t even really finished. It was wrested away from the director after he took too long editing it. The result was different rogue cuts and no definitive version. The movie posits a mystery, but is itself a puzzle, a completist’s nightmare that has busied film scholars. And yet it’s also a great, dark Christmas movie, with gorgeous shots of snow-blanketed Munich and the saddest version of “Silent Night” ever recorded."

This Christmas Video of a Little Girl Asking Santa for Presents Is Going Viral:
"That's when Santa turns to the girl and speaks to her, in sign language, about what she wants for Christmas. The look on her face when she realizes Santa can sign is enough to turn even the grinchiest Grinch into a total holiday believer."

This novelty Christmas song only gets worse with age:
"The first time I heard “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer,” I thought it was the best Christmas song ever—which makes sense, as I was about 7 years old at the time. It’s a song that’s perfectly targeted to little kids: With wacky lyrics about a little old lady being trampled by Santa, and the somewhat lackluster response from Grandpa, it’s the epitome of “novelty holiday song.” And with every repetition of the track since that initial hearing, one thing becomes clear: This song is annoying as fuck."

This London chip shop is selling deep-fried Christmas:
"Sutton & Sons is flogging deep-fried sprouts for £2.50 a go. A battered mince pie, meanwhile, will set you back £3.50, but does come with a dollop of brandy cream. "

Christmas Links #6

Recommended Last Posting Dates 2015:
"To help you get Christmas Sorted we’ve created a useful tool to help you remember the recommended last posting dates for destinations around the world. You can also create reminders for other important UK dates like Valentine’s and Mother’s Days."

German Gymnasium: restaurant review:
"You’d think, after all these years writing about restaurants, I’d be inured to its occasional stupidities, but I’m really not. The German Gymnasium, between London’s St Pancras and King’s Cross stations, is a case in point. I simply do not understand how the extraordinarily experienced company behind it, D&D London, can spend so many millions acquiring, converting and fitting out the building and yet be so utterly cack-handed when it comes to the food, which, relative to the build cost, is a small expense. The food also happens to be the whole point of the venture."

A Hipster Santa With a Man Bun Spotted in Portland, Oregon Wearing Jeans and a Stylish Sweater:
"A “Hipster Santa” with a man bun has been spotted at the Pioneer Place shopping mall in downtown Portland, Oregon sitting in a PDX carpet chair, wearing jeans and a stylish sweater that appears to be simlar to the one worn by “The Dude” in The Big Lebowski."

Santa's smiles better: We send Father Christmas out to spread some festive cheer in Glasgow:
"We’re supposed to be full of yuletide joy! But, with all the miserable news, you wouldn’t be blamed for just shutting your curtains tonight and praying it’s January 4 when you open them again."

No, Hanukkah is not Jewish Christmas:
"... on behalf of those unfamiliar with the Jewish festival of lights, I asked basic questions of Rabbi Motti Wilhelm, who leads Chabad of Oregon, a Jewish outreach organization based in Southwest Portland that operates Jewish schools, a synagogue, store and more. His responses have been edited for clarity and brevity."

Christmas Links #5

Scary Claus: Exploring Krampus and the Christmas Season's Serious Horror Creed:
"This year's holiday season officially kicks off with the release of the super-fun horror-comedy KRAMPUS, which may seem like a weird Yuletide viewing choice—that is, to those who aren't hip to Christmas' longstanding connections to all things macabre."

Access Denied: The media, after access:
"Earlier this year a young employee at a celebrity magazine explained to me a problem. The magazine was doing reasonably well, as was its website. But both were publishing photos taken from Instagram with increasing frequency. This was fine: the photos were good and people liked them. The problem, this person said, was that it was unclear when, or how, the further publication of Instagram photos would stop."

A Price Of Games Journalism:
"For the past two years, Kotaku has been blacklisted by Bethesda, the publisher of the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series. For the past year, we have also been, to a lesser degree, ostracized by Ubisoft, publisher of Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and more."

Fake War on Christmas Comes to Rome:
"How one school in Italy tried in vain to choose integration over segregation, sparking a national debate and exposing profound problems for the future."

Film of the Week: Film Firsts (1959-60):
"Produced for television audiences (ABC) but also screened for school groups and other non-theatrical audiences, the two-part, hour-long documentary does not exactly amount to a thorough and unbiased history but it is very representative of this reflexive sub-genre that dealt with the evolution of the motion picture. Often such films catered to the audience’s nostalgia in an era where memories of the nickelodeon and the picture palace were very much alive. They also provided a venue for studios to repurpose their library of films for the era of television. Finally, in a more implicit manner, they partook in an evolutionary rhetoric that cast the turn-of-the-century flickers as a primitive manifestation of an art and industry that by the 1950s and 60s had blossomed into a global entertainment empire."

Getting Personal With The Stars and Creator of 'Marvel's Jessica Jones' (And What They Know About Season 2):
"To celebrate the show's critically lauded premiere, this week showrunner Melissa Rosenberg ("Dexter") hosted a reception at her house (which was really, really nice, in case you were wondering), attended by cast and crew, including stars Krysten Ritter and Carrie-Anne Moss, as well as contributing writer Jane Espenson (whose nerd cred includes writing for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Battlestar Galactica")."

Christmas Links #4

Mona Shore Singing Christmas Tree:
"The person at the top of the Tree is known as “The Tree Angel” and is always a high school senior, selected by the director. This student is always one who accurately represents the hard working choir students, and exemplifies the spirit of the Mona Shores Choir."

Michigan students ascend 5-story Singing Christmas Tree:
"The Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree combines the usual elements into an unusual show that will draw thousands of spectators this weekend. The 67-foot-tall tree features 25,000 lights, 5,000 linear feet of greenery, and 15 tiers on which about 220 choir members stand. About 50 other students sing from positions near the base of the tree."

New Doctor Who clothing line coming to Hot Topic:
"Hot Topic is partering with the BBC to debut a limited-edition fashion collection inspired by Doctor Who. The new line includes dresses inspired by the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, a knit cardigan featuring Weeping Angels (if you dare), a sweater inspired by the Fourth Doctor’s scarf, and, of course, plenty of TARDIS apparel. Check out the video above to start planning which Sonic Screwdriver you’ll match with each outfit, then get an up-close look at a few of the offerings below."

A Very Murray Christmas Director Sofia Coppola: I Wanted To Do Something ‘Joyful’:
"A Very Murray Christmas is not your average holiday film. Starring Bill Murray, it’s directed by Sofia Coppola and co-written and produced with Mitch Glazer — reuniting the trifecta for the first time since Lost in Translation. Taking inspiration from 1970s TV variety specials, the film boasts classic musical numbers and an all-star cast, including George Clooney, Miley Cyrus and the New York Dolls’ David Johansen. Filmed at New York City’s historic Café Carlyle, the romantic atmosphere radiates with holiday spirit. TIME caught up with Coppola to discuss the film’s cast, working with Bill Murray,and how Paul McCartney almost ended up in the film."

Getting Home Safely This Christmas Season Is One Big Mission We Can't Get Right:
"As Christmas nears, we begin to cut loose and celebrate. Replacing the dullness of months’ worth of grey skies with booze and merriment is such a deeply ingrained tradition; it’s existed long before Christ even turned up. Parties, overeating, awkward itchy jumpers, and thick red wine laced with spices have festered over thousands of years to become that old reliable departure from the constant ‘feeling really cold’ and ‘getting a bit mopey’ of winter."

The Simpsons: 25 years ago today: 20b. The Simpsons Sing the Blues:
"Two weeks after Do the Bartman, its long-playing parent appeared. Everything about The Simpsons Sing the Blues smacked of a rushed job flung together in lunch breaks and late nights. The front cover looked like it had been knocked up in less time than it took to play the entire album. Fully half of the 10 tracks were cover versions with little or nothing added. Another comprised a reworking of a scrap of a song from an episode in season one. This left just four genuine originals – only two of which merited repeated listens."

'Nothing Else Tops This': Oldest Full-Time Park Ranger, Betty Reid Soskin, to Light National Christmas Tree, Meet President Obama:
"When Betty Reid Soskin, the oldest National Park Service Ranger in the United States, lights the national Christmas tree and introduces President Obama on Thursday, the 94-year-old California woman will be carrying a special photo in her pocket."

Kansas City Symphony hosts annual Tuba Christmas concert:
"The sounds of the holidays will vibrate through the Kauffman Center Friday and Monday. The Kansas City Symphony is hosting a Tuba Christmas. More than 700 tubas, euphoniums and baritones performers will play holiday music."

The Big Chop, and the power of a haircut:
"“Don’t freak out,” says hair stylist Subrina Kidd as she takes her scissors to my afro. I’m in the chair at the Aveda Institute, Holborn, and no amount of calming liquorice root and peppermint tea can distract me from the fact that there are suddenly huge chunks of my hair on the floor. The appointment has been in my diary for over a month, so why is it so shocking seeing big fat clumps of my curls on the floor?"

'Tower of Pisa' Christmas tree removed from town centre over safety fears:
"A 35ft Christmas tree in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, was removed by authorities because it leaned “more than the tower in Pisa” and was raising safety concerns. Severe winds had caused the tree to tilt and news of its removal caused almost immediate concern there wouldn’t be another one in time for Christmas."

KitKat's Christmas Commercial Is 30 Seconds of Blankness, the Ultimate Ad Break:
"It takes a lot to stand out among the glut of Christmas ads in Britain, where brands jockey like nowhere else to have a hit commercial. KitKat and J. Walter Thompson's strategy this season is to cut through the clutter by uncluttering completely."

The town of women:
"A place where wives don't see their husbands for years."

Kermode Uncut: Harry, Sally and Nora:
"The BFI Love season is reviving all sorts of brilliant films including a real classic - When Harry Met Sally - featuring a script by the late great Nora Ephron."

11 best Christmas cake alternatives:
"Marzipan and icing covered fruitcake is a staple of the festive season – but it’s not for everyone. The good news is that it doesn’t have to mean missing out on a yuletide cake, thanks to the impressive array of alternatives on offer this Christmas. Ranging from an intricately designed Christmas Madeira cake to wreath-shaped chocolate biscuit cake, we’ve brought you the best of them."

Christmas Links #3

Bringing to life a Brussels sprout: Creating BBC One's Christmas veggie:
"We always saw him as a wide-eyed innocent, so excited that Christmas has finally arrived. He sees festive joy in everything, even if he’s not exactly welcomed with open arms. But despite his rejection, his spirit shines through and he never gives up hope. Finally, his persistence is rewarded."

Postpone Christmas: Why we should celebrate Jesus’ birth in early February, not the end of December:
"This may sound crazy, but delaying Christmas makes sense for a lot of practical and emotional reasons. As it stands, Christmas occurs far too soon after Thanksgiving. Four weeks, give or take, is not nearly enough time to recover from the culinary excess and psychological stress of Thanksgiving before having another almost identical meal with your crazy, lovable family. I appreciate stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie as much as the next person, but I could stand to have a little more downtime between the Thanksgiving feast and Christmas dinner."

Kylie Minogue – ‘Every Day’s Like Christmas’ (Stock Aitken Waterman mix)
"This is SAW’s first single release in a quarter of a century and Pete Waterman has described working again with Mike and Matt as “a hoot”. The result? Well, in the very best way possible, it sounds exactly like you’d expect, and in these turbulent times sometimes that’s just what you need."

Net migration:
"Before I recycle this October 26 edition of the New Yorker by passing it on to my friend Lucy, I want to direct you to what is a typically very looooooong article detailing the journey of a young Syrian law student called Ghaith from his home town of Jdeidet Artouz, southwest of Damascus, to Sweden, where he now lives. (It’s available to read for free, in full, here.) I was struck, as I always am, by the sheer guts, determination and self-belief that takes a citizen from one side of the world to another, by land and sea. But then I have never fled from war, as I have never been in one. I have never fled from anywhere, except a dodgy early-80s houseparty in Northampton when the front door was being kicked in (a few of us actually escaped via the rooftops and ended up in an old lady’s back garden – she let us go through her house to the street outside and didn’t call the police). I won’t detail Ghaith’s entire, titanic journey – although X-Factor contestants should check their use of the term “journey” after reading about this actual one – as that’s not the point of what I’m writing about."

New Yorkers discover giant switch that turns on thousands of Christmas lights:
"Improv Everywhere is perhaps best known for their annual no pants subway ride, but they’ve been stepping up their holiday prank game for some time. Last year they staged a feat of epic caroling, and this year’s prank is simple but stunning. Charlie Todd, the leader of the “prank collective,” worked with his team to erect a 7-foot-tall light switch in New York City’s Father Demo Square. Passersby were then invited to flick the switch, and the results were dazzling: 50,000 Christmas lights came on at once."

The 58 most commonly misused words and phrases:
"Whether you're trying to sound sophisticated or simply repeating what you've heard, word fails are all too common and can make smart people sound dumb. In his latest book, "The Sense of Style," Harvard cognitive scientist and linguist Steven Pinker explores the most common words and phrases that people stumble over."

Have You Seen This? Orem pizza delivery turns into surprise concert:
"When you order pizza for a quiet night in, you probably don't expect it to arrive with a horse-drawn carriage and fireworks. More than 80 musicians helped surprise three families in Orem with an epic Christmas concert on their doorstep on a Tuesday evening. The families all ordered Triple Treat Box deliveries from Pizza Hut, which posted videos of the event on its YouTube channel and Facebook page Wednesday."

Food-Themed Christmas Ornaments Have Zero Calories and Oodles of Yuletide Spirit:
"Replacing the angel atop your Christmas tree with an actual Parma ham is probably not a good idea, but how about a hand-blown glass Parma ham ornament?"

22 Times We Reached Peak Guardian In 2015:
“Help! Is my quinoa destroying the planet?” [via]

Private Jets Descend on Nantucket for Christmas Stroll:
"​The airport manager said he's been surprised by some of the items unloaded off the jets: "There are a lot of things that come off those planes that make you go, really? You're traveling with that why? Like toilet paper. The Nantucket economy could use you to buy that here, but I guess butlers and maids are packing that for them to bring."

Christmas Links #2

Nottingham baffled over Hollywood horror film cameo:
"Nottingham is at the centre of a festive mystery after the city made a bizarre cameo appearance in the trailer for a Hollywood film. Krampus, in which a boy accidentally summons a Christmas demon, appears to have no connection with the East Midlands. The fleeting shot prompted bafflement on Facebook, with one person even demanding producers "pay royalties"."

Christmas biscuits tested by teenagers:
"Euphoria breaks out as the panel tuck in to a stack of the more chocolatey numbers in this box (“This is bare nice, you know”). No mean feat given that their pre-tasting summary was “Dunno about German biscuits, but I know some German footballers. So I’m not expecting this to taste nice.” Unfortunately, that all ends when one of them notices an inscription of “Ich Mag Dich” whose final letter looks quite like a “k”. “URGH! It’s a dick biscuit!” they squeal. “Get it away from me!”"

Forecaster: our experimental object-based weather forecast:
"By recognising the device used to request the experience, a number of decisions can be made to tailor the media served back to the client. For example, a TV that is incapable of executing code or low-powered mobile device that can only play a basic video stream is recognised as such, and is served a simple, traditional liner stream. At the same time, a device that is requesting the experience through a modern web browser can be served the full-fat reactive experience with all the enhanced client-side features."

Signed, sealed and delivered: posties test Christmas cake:
"This cake’s Christmassy good looks were worth writing home about, festooned as it was with nuts, cherries and marzipan stars, but it dropped a mark for being “a tad too dry”. “Might have gone better with a bit of custard or single cream,” suggested Sanjeev Ramdehal. Because what you need at Christmas is more calories."

The Marshall Islands Are Disappearing:
"The debate over loss and damage has been intense because the final language of the Paris accord could require developed countries, first and foremost the United States, to give billions of dollars to vulnerable countries like the Marshall Islands. Senior Republicans in Congress are already preparing for a fight, they say on behalf of the American taxpayer."

Enchanting snow art creates Christmas scenes in Berkshire windows:
"Delicate scenes of Christmas in snow and ice have been appearing in shop windows across the area. The man behind the Snow Windows is Tom Baker, 36, from Sandhurst."

Real Or Fake: Which Christmas Tree Is More Eco-Friendly?
"If opting for a fresh Christmas tree over a fake one is a no-brainer in your mind, you're at odds with a majority of the public: Approximately 60 percent of Americans set up fake trees for the holidays, according to polls by ABC News and The Washington Post. But—popularity aside—which is the healthier, more eco-friendly choice?"