Sunday, December 15, 2019

Sunday Best: A new way to think about these holiday movies

(And I’m not talking about “Love Actually.”)

Everyone has different rules for when it’s acceptable to get into the holiday spirit. Some think the Christmas season starts in November, others won’t listen to Christmas music until the third week of December, and some even wait until Christmas Eve to put up a tree and decorations. I fall into the category of celebrating throughout the entire month of December with my favorite songs on repeat, more peppermint hot cocoa than an adult should drink and a near assembly-line flow of cookie baking. Of course, I also watch holiday movies and lament the tired tropes of the woman with the big-city job having to choose the work she loves or her hometown sweetheart. This year, two Opinion writers gave me more to ponder about festive films: Is “Rudolph” the queerest holiday special? And why does Hallmark think Jewish people have no idea what Christmas is? — Alexandra March

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‘I Still Kind of Love the New York Subway’

Tomi Um

The city’s subway system leaves a lot to be desired — and it seems to be getting worse. But sometimes it offers up moments that make you stop, look up from your crossword and witness the best of humanity.

It’s 2071, and We Have Bioengineered Our Own Extinction

John Karborn

“We are currently in danger of being destroyed by the very organisms — micro and macro — that saved us from extinction via pollution, carbon emissions and superviruses.”

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Do You Mind if I Pet Your Dog?

“It looks like Sophie really likes me, don’t you, girl? Don’t you? Listen, do you see that girl over there? No, no, the one way over there by the pond. Yeah, the one with the glasses. Do you mind if I bring Sophie over to help me get her attention?

The Superpowers of Greeting Cards

This Hallmark greeting card comes with the message “You are like an explosion of awesome.”Patricia Wall/The New York Times

Next time you’re about to fire off a “happy birthday!” text message to a friend or a “congrats on the big promotion” email to a colleague, think again. Sending a handwritten note might mean even more than you think.

Terminally Ill at 25 and Fighting Fake News on Vaccines

RTÉ Television

In the United States, we’re seeing a formidable resurgence of diseases that until recently have been relatively rare, thanks to vaccines. In Ireland, a woman was able to flip the script on the medical misinformation trend — and the United States could learn a lot from her.

Editor’s Note: Last weekend, the link for the story “Finland Is a Capitalist Paradise” was not included in the newsletter. You can read the article here. We apologize for the omission.

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