Tuesday Treasure Trove

• “Prayer-Shaming” Isn’t About Attacking Prayer. THIS EXACTLY:
  

  “And let’s be clear: This week’s prominent “prayer shamers” aren’t really against prayer. They’re against platitudes. The problem is when “thoughts and prayers” are the only response to a public event that calls for political action. It’s hard to imagine that even the most dedicated atheist objects to Ted Cruz kneeling by his bed at night to pray for the victims of yesterday’s shooting. What Cruz chooses to do in his bedroom is his own business. The issue is that politicians like him continue to offer thoughts and prayers and nothing else: no assault weapons ban, no universal background checks, no federal gun registry.”

• How criminals use Uber, Tinder and Airbnb. Well shit.
• Can a French Friar End the 21st-Century Slave Trade? “It’s 2015, and more than 20 million people are still held in some form of slavery all over the world.”
• The 2016 Pirelli Calendar May Signal a Cultural Shift. One can only hope.
• Book Repair 101. So useful!
• Surreal-funny and really random: Furious, Dive-Bombing Squirrels Injured 8 in the Bay Area.
• This article is after my own heart: the importance of lining your shelves with books. Physical books.
• And to end on some lighter notes: Hipster Santa Exists, And He Has A Man Bun.

Things of Note:

Well, I caught the husband’s cold last week, so haven’t been up to too much since the last triple-T. Mostly sleeping, watching Netflix (Person of Interest is my current binge of choice), and reading. I’m trying to power through the rest of my 2015 reading goal. Wedding planning put me a smidge behind; I have 14 books left to read this year in order to make it. Is it weird that I think that’s do-able?

I’ve also got my Christmas shopping all planned out. Now I just need a paycheck it order to actually do the shopping.

What’s the start of your December been like?