Did Christmas shopping today

Whew, over and done with!

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From the memories of flowers to the sociability of trees, the cognitive capacities of our vegetal cousins are all around us

I'm Dreaming Of A (Black And Brown And Native And) White Christmas

Boats made by kids save Washington Christmas river crossing

The Mysterious Tradition of Hiding a Pickle on Christmas Trees

Joy to the weed! Marijuana legalization comes bearing gifts

The Poll That Built a University

Wilson A. Bentley: The Man Who Photographed Snowflakes

Dead Squid Moms Are a Gift to the Ocean Floor

Looking for Love in One of the World's Tiniest Religions

Older Indians Drive Millennials Crazy On WhatsApp. This Is Why They're Obsessed.

South Sudan's orphans are finding solace through song

Inside the High-Drama World of Youth Competition Dance

The Irony of Specialized High Schools

Somali refugees who fled drought, extremism face ration cuts

They escaped child marriage. Now they're speaking out (is it just me, or have we seen a lot of child marriage articles in the past two months?)

Dozens of Companies Are Using Facebook to Exclude Older Workers From Job Ads (Side note, I'm also shocked by the fact that the first ad they mention made a your/you're error. One expects better from national companies like Verizon.)

Cadavers in the ballroom: Doctors practice their craft in America’s favorite hotels

Atlanta power outage highlights a larger problem with aging U.S. airports

Child abuse on planes can create 'gray areas' for airlines

Each year, US cities give thousands of homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town. An 18-month nationwide investigation by the Guardian reveals, for the first time, what really happens at journey’s end

How the baby boomers — not millennials — screwed America

See Dioramas Of Refugee Homes, Each Re-Created In An Old-Fashioned Suitcase

Mosul's morgue men sought glimmer of humanity amid atrocity

How ISIS Changed the Yezidi Religion

Syria war winds down but tangled map belies conflict ahead

How a secretive police squad racked up kills in Duterte's drug war

'They use black men as slaves': Migrants tell of brutality in Libya

Uighurs fighting in Syria take aim at China

No, #MeToo is not a sex panic

The hurricane in Puerto Rico has become a man-made disaster, with a death toll threatening to eclipse Katrina’s.

Autopsy Doctor Resigns, Says Sheriff Overrode Death Findings to Protect Officers

Trump Escalates His Attacks Against FBI Officials

(no subject)

I need to do my yearly rewatch of Muppet Christmas Carol.

But maybe you're not a fan of Dickens.

Also, if you're sitting thinking "I want to get Connie a Christmas present" or perhaps "Shoot, I want to put in some charity money this year and the year's almost over!", the answers to those two questions turn out to be one and the same! I always appreciate a donation to CityHarvest, or else to the generally progressive charity or not-for-profit of your choice.

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Physicists Overturn a 100-Year-Old Assumption on How Brains Work

To Unlock the Brain’s Mysteries, Purée It

The Dancing King

25 Wonderful Facts About It’s a Wonderful Life

It’s A Wonderful Life

Why Iceland’s Christmas Witch Is Much Cooler (and Scarier) Than Krampus

The Story of the Christmas Wyrm

Healthy racial identity important for adolescent African-American girls

When it comes to culturally competent elder care, assimilation is not the goal, and everyone is not expected to be the same. Cultural differences are embraced, and fostered.

In and out: Hip surgery in the morning, home by night

What’s at stake when you marry for love?

A set of MeFi links on conjugal visits

Major Crimes in History: The Sodder Children Mystery

The Soviet Era's Deadliest Scientist Is Regaining Popularity in Russia

Severe Complications for Women During Childbirth Are Skyrocketing — and Could Often Be Prevented

What to look for from the Republican tax bill, month by month

The Trickle-Down Mythmaking Begins

Accidentally killing migratory birds not a crime, Trump administration says

Brain Drain At the EPA

Another court rejects Trump bid to stop transgender military recruits

North Korea: Trump praises latest UN sanctions over missiles

Can Cops Unlearn Their Unconscious Biases?

Wildfires Are Getting Worse. Blame Climate Change.

Thomas Fire Is Now California's Largest Wildfire In History

The Violence Behind Corporate Globalization Is Threatening Indigenous Communities With Extinction

U.S. memo weakens guidelines for protecting immigrant children in court

Increasingly a Necessity: A 15-Point Guide to Surviving Authoritarianism

White House Counsel Knew in January Flynn Probably Violated the Law

The FBI Routinely Abuses Its Powers but the Trump Investigation Has Been By the Book

One Nation, Under The Weight of Crushing Debt

They Lost Their Homes. Now A Reality TV Star Is Selling Them.

In Interviews With 122 Rapists, Student Pursues Not-So-Simple Question: Why?

How tribalism overrules progressive tenets like “believing women”

More than 200 killed in Philippines mudslides and floods as storm hits

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Have Yourself a Porny Little Christmas

Egg Nog: It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone Starts a Holiday Riot

Tracking Santa Tradition Is Serious Fun For NORAD

The Best of The Holidays on Texts From Superheroes and one more here

Why Does Santa Claus Come Down the Chimney?

Weird Letters To Santa From Rural Kids In The 1920s

Santa Facts and Figures (doesn't matter what he eats or how high he leaps, he's still bluffing!)

Physics Showdown: LED vs. Incandescent Christmas Lights

A collection of NZ Xmas ads. The embedded one is the best.

I Write Letters As Santa Claus: This Is My Crazy Job

Child Who Just Wanted Clothes Spares Uncle’s Feelings By Pretending To Like Xbox

The profane origins of 'Merry Christmas'

Also, bonus, this is one of my favorite fics ever, a Calvin and Hobbes / Young Wizards crossover. And it's winter-themed!