I am inaugurating a new blog feature — a mostly-daily link round-up of things I read and found interesting.
It’s primarily as much for my benefit as it is yours, the reader’s. I see something, I have thoughts, and then I forget about it or, worse, post a Tweet with the link and then never think about it again. The thing is, I’ll think six months later, “Hey, wait, I read some article way back when,” only then I can’t remember quite exactly what it was.
These link round-ups will be eclectic because I have eclectic interests. This one covers Robert Plant, China, and Christmas songs.
Some days I might have two or three links. Some days I might have ten or more. It’s a matter of what interests me that day.
I’m using a WordPress plugin for this. It’s one I’ve had for a while, as I liked the concept of it, but I’ve never used. I suspect it may need some coding work; it was released a few years ago, then abandoned, and I’ve noticed that something about it doesn’t quite work. That’s something I’ll need to look at.
For our inaugural round-up…
The High Spiritual Stakes of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ – The Atlantic kicks off a series of essays on Christmas songs with this piece about the sinister message of the English carol “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” — and the peppy way that musicians cover the song now. The Atlantic
Flying close to Beijing’s new South China Sea islands – China is building islands in international waters in the south Pacific atop of atolls and coral reefs. One BBC reporter tries to visit them. BBC
How do atheists celebrate Christmas? – CNN wonders how atheists celebrate Christmas. Speaking for myself, Christmas involves putting up a tree, sending out Christmas cards, listening to Christmas music, giving out presents. In other words, the things other people do. I even call it “Christmas.” 🙂 CNN
The crazy life and crazier death of Tycho Brahe, history’s strangest astronomer – Born on December 14, 1546, Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe was more than just an astronomer and the last of the great naked eye astronomers. He was a badass with his own island, a reputation for dueling, and his gold nose. io9
Why Ted Cruz Could Have A Real Shot At The GOP Nomination – A look at why Ted Cruz could be the Republican presidential nominee in 2016 — his evangelical backing, the anti-establishmentarian mood, money, and his campaign organization. NPR
Robert Plant Covers Elbow For British Red Cross – The Led Zeppelin legend talks about his cover of Elbow’s “The Blanket of Night” for a forthcoming Red Cross charity album focused on the refugee crisis. Mojo