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Rutter Christmas

Lovely. As ever. (OK, a couple are overly bouncy. But I’ll gladly put up with them if I can hear “What Sweeter Music.”)

Auto-generated description: A colorful, artistic depiction of a rooster is featured on the cover of The John Rutter Christmas Album, alongside text highlighting the Cambridge Singers and the City of London Sinfonia.

Thomas Mitchell

When my wife is out of town, I often watch old movies. Tonight it’s Only Angels Have Wings with Cary Grant and Jean Arthur (plus Sig Ruman, Rita Hayworth, and others). They’re excellent – as one would expect. But I want to praise Thomas Mitchell, who was great in several Capra films and this one too.🍿

American character actor Thomas Mitchell

Scathing

Cory Doctorow:

I don’t want people to kill insurance executives, and I don’t want insurance executives to kill people. But I am unsurprised that this happened. Indeed, I’m surprised that it took so long. It should not be controversial to note that if you run an institution that makes people furious, they will eventually become furious with you.

Suffice to say, however, being furious is not justification for gunning someone down.

Two Kinds of New

From my friend, Dan Wilson:

We say, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” in one breath, and commonly refer to this time of year as the “Holiday Season”, as if it were all one singular event. There is an interesting irony in lumping the two celebrations together …

Song of Zechariah

In the tender compassion of our God
    the dawn from on high will break upon us
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    and to guide our feet into the way of peace.