Happy Holidays to everyone!
Some positive stories to share, because we need positive stuff and hope at this time.
From NPR’s Goats and Soda blog, on stories on global health and development: An Ebola vaccine that might be safe and effective? That’s really good news! Hope this does work out well!
Also from Goats and Soda: 9 Feel-Good Stories from 2016.
An interesting profile on the new Cardinal of the Newark Archdiocese, in the NY Times. The new Cardinal Tobin sounds humble and compassionate; here’s hoping that this will bring new hope to Newark.
At NPR: A Christmas story, indeed: a London restaurant to serve the elderly and homeless for free on Christmas, so that no one has to be alone on Christmas.
If it’s on PBS, it must be true: there’s a grain of truth to the idea that reindeers’ noses glow red (from Nature, on PBS, via tumblr). Even if it’s not all true, it’s still nice to imagine, even if in infrared.
A NY Times article on the (crazy) lights of Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. I haven’t checked them out in years (at some point, they got very over the top and concocted for me, and anyway, I don’t hang out in Dyker Heights), but I’m sometimes amazed by how people make this into a tourist thing now. Anyway, Gothamist had photos of what they thought were the best of the Dyker Heights lights for this year.
According to Gothamist: New York Public Library is putting on display its copy of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which he annotated and used for his public readings. The exhibit, “A Writer’s Christmas: Dickens and More,” is going on until January 8, 2017, at the Stephen A. Shwarzman Building.
About two weeks ago, I saw “The Hard Nut” at Brooklyn Academy of Music. It got me in the right holiday mood, I have to say. I never quite get my (entirely secular) Christmas unless I get a Nutcracker fix. Here is a video of the BAM TV spot from last year:
NY Times dance critic Alistair Macauley analyzes one of the party dance scenes of “The Hard Nut” in the NY Times earlier this month.
I’m pretty sure that I shared this on Triscribe; I know that I shared this on Facebook, but I’m too lazy to check. Anyway, here it is again:
I’m a sucker for a capella, but this is just great: over at NPR, presenting the Maccabeats’ parody mashup of “Hamilton,” with the Hanukkah story. A bad king (or some kind of oppressor); war; and history. Toss in a miracle. Serve. (the Maccabeats were/are a Yeshiva University group – their other Hanukkah video from last year is also pretty good too).
I apparently shared this previously on Facebook, but I can’t locate it (and I’m too lazy). The Maccabeats’ other memorable Hanukkah video, from 2012. (the NPR segment about here).
Oh, and a parody “Hamidolph” – Rudolph meets Hamilton, in a cappella by Eclipse 6.
The link to my post from last year on triscribe.
And this 2014 post included links to prior Christmas posts on triscribe.
Eventually, there’s the usual wall-to-wall Christmas NBA basketball on tv, and the return of Doctor Who, who might not have such an emotionally embroiled Christmas this time? (the last two Christmas specials were heartrending – reminding of us of time running on us, but still giving us hope).
Happy holidays! Stay tuned for possibly another post as a year end thing.