Tag: internet usage

Jingle Those Bells

Recycled Tanenbaum

In addition to hearing their performances, another joy of attending the annual December concert of the Central City Chorus at the Church of St. Ignatius of Antioch is seeing the recycled holiday “trees” that are next to one of the entrances.

We’ve come to the boxes on the calendar when online activity seems to grind down to a murmur, even though the arbiters of the zeitgeist say that we want to and are supposed to remain connected 24/7/365 thanks to the miracle of digital technology and the fear of missing out. So instead of checking in on “friends,” it’s a good time to reconnect with actual friends and relatives in person. I’m currently sitting at home, not planning to return to the office or to wander out to anywhere that requires an airplane until the New Year. I’m online for a while today, but I don’t plan to remain so for most of the remainder of this week. Tonight we’re reconnecting with close friends with whom we have not had time to socialize for all of 2013. Sure, we’ve traded emails, liked each other’s status, but well, you know what it’s like….

Anyway, we are not planning to publish any new content on NewMusicBox for the remainder of December. As per a tradition we’ve maintained since 1999, there will be a new Cover as the ball drops on January 1, but—until then—this is it! For those who do take advantage of some quiet vacation hours to stop by the site, there’s still plenty to read. Now is maybe a good time to catch up on some of the longer articles and conversations we’ve published over the past twelve months or to keep the debate going on some of the hot topics that seem to press folks’ buttons whatever the season.

Or try temporarily turning off your access to the internet and write, play, or listen to some new music with people you love without any interruptions. Jingle those bells! There will be plenty of opportunities for all of us to be cyber-connected in 2014.