Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Summer Vacation

Hi everyone! Let's get right to it: I am, to put it mildly, extremely burned out. I'm in the middle of a huge stressful work project and also have had a bunch of personal stuff going on and I'm working on a writing project I actually really like and want to devote some energy to and . . . something has to give, and that something has to be these posts. Some I'm going on hiatus for a bit and then will reevaluate how to do something along these lines in a more sustainable way - maybe weekly roundups.

This wasn't an easy decision, because I really do enjoy putting these posts together, but at the same time - it's a fair amount of time and effort, making sure I have 15 links every single day, and also it's kind of a constant inescapable thing to know I have to either have time before 8am to write the post or do it the night before. I like it! But it's been YEARS of having to plan my life around this structure to some extent and I just need a break. (And since I left Substack because of their transphobia, I've been doing this totally just for free, so it's a hobby that is in fact just work. Which is often what I like in hobbies! But it has to take a back seat to actual work.)

So: Have a great rest of your summer! Pop around occasionally because I have some book reviews coming up. And I'll be back in some form in September.

Monday, July 17, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/17/23)

Today is Monday! My TV news roundup at The Televixen is on hiatus in solidarity with the striking workers.

I usually try to link to specific articles rather than liveblogs, but there's a bunch of breaking Russia/Ukraine news so: Ukraine attacked Crimean Bridge, official says; Russia says grain deal ‘being terminated’ (WaPo)

Of course: Iran's morality police to resume headscarf patrols (BBC)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Airs Bigoted New Covid Conspiracy Theory About Jews and Chinese (NYT)

With Democratic ballot filling out, the 2024 race for NH governor begins to take shape (NHPR)

Tomato crisis hits India as rain ravages crops and prices rise 400% (The Guardian)

Thousands of authors urge AI companies to stop using work without permission (NPR)

WNBA players take offseason into their own hands with new winter league (The 19th*)

Never Too Young: Why Kids Deserve Queer Friendly Libraries (Book Riot)

My hot take is that if they do this they need to make it universal, or it will just increase the problem of only wealthy kids getting into the higher levels: Electronic communication devices for high school baseball may be coming to Connecticut (Yahoo! Sports)

Painting reattributed to Gainsborough after six decades labelled unknown (The Guardian)

And some longer reads:

Riots in France Highlight a Vicious Cycle Between Police and Minorities (NYT)

‘A long slog’: Inside DeSantis’s early struggles and effort to rebound (WaPo)

Maryland Is Becoming the Patron State of Abortions (Slate)

An Era of Dynamic Catchers Is Upon Us (NYT)

How Samuel R. Delany Reimagined Sci-Fi, Sex, and the City (New Yorker)

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/11/23)

Today is Tuesday and we seem to have survived the storms. Hope you're all doing okay.

Turkey Clears the Way for Sweden’s Entry to NATO on the Eve of Summit (NYT)

Sudan on brink of all-out civil war, UN chief warns, after airstrike kills at least 22 (The Guardian)

Again, this will kill children: Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth reinstated (PinkNews)

Disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar is stabbed multiple times in prison (NPR)

This is bad for several reasons, including the fact that it's basically union-busting: New York Times will close sports desk, sending readers to the Athletic (WaPo)

Most Americans don’t agree with Supreme Court’s discrimination ruling (LGBTQ Nation)

NH utilities file new energy efficiency plans after controversy (NHPR)

Excited for this! Gallen, Cole get the honor of 1st career All-Star starts (MLB)

Yeahhhhh: Outrage over Jack the Ripper-inspired bar in Southsea prompts rethink (BBC)

Good luck!! Yankees reportedly hire broadcaster, former player Sean Casey as hitting coach after Dillon Lawson's firing (Yahoo! Sports)

And some longer reads:

Nina Totenberg: Supreme Court dissents and rejoinders, with respect and disrespect (NPR)

Rebecca Traister, great as always: RFK Jr.’s Inside Job: How a conspiracy-spewing literal Kennedy posing as a populist outsider jolted the Democratic Party. (NY Mag)

Greek shipwreck: hi-tech investigation suggests coastguard responsible for sinking (The Guardian)

When I got to a certain set of classmates in this I said WHY CHOOSE out loud to my computer, iykyk. Will Paul Skenes Be as Good a Pro Pitcher as His Teammate? (FanGraphs)

How Drag Queens Use Cookbooks To Flip Femininity (Eater)

Saturday, July 8, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (7/8/23)

Today is Saturday, but I'm writing this on Friday night because I'm going to try NOT SETTING AN ALARM. I'm sure I will wake up by 6:30 am anyway but we'll see.

Shooter who targeted Latinos in Texas Walmart gets 90 life sentences (WaPo)

‘Terrible mistake’: human rights groups decry sending cluster bombs to Ukraine (The Guardian)

Ukraine war: Front-line troops discuss counter-offensive (BBC)

Dutch Government Collapses Over Plan to Further Limit Immigration (NYT)

Not great!! Earth Faces Hottest Day Ever Recorded—Three Days in a Row (Smithsonian)

‘Peaky Blinders’ Denounces Homophobic Ron DeSantis Campaign Video: Cillian Murphy Footage Was ‘Obtained Without Permission’ (Variety)

After abandoning Northern Pass plans, Eversource turns over some land to recreation, forest management companies (NHPR)

Author ‘beyond angry’ as London children’s museum removes trans and queer books (PinkNews)

Getting Halfway There (Baseball Prospectus)

A Forgotten Minor Scandal at the New Yorker, Remembered 26 Years Later (Slate)

And some longer reads:

Adam Serwer: The Most Baffling Argument a Supreme Court Justice Has Ever Made (The Atlantic)

Why Is America’s Green Party Like This? (Slate)

REI fostered a progressive reputation. Then its workers began to unionize (NPR)

The making of Gavin Williams, the Cleveland Guardians’ latest pitching development triumph (The Athletic)

How Franz Kafka Achieved Cult Status in Cold War America (LitHub)

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Morning Coffee News Roundup (7/1/23)

Today is Saturday, and the Supreme Court has done so many terrible things that I haven't had time to find good pieces for all of them yet, so we'll be stretching that out for a while as I come across things worth reading. 

Sherrilyn Ifill: The Supreme Court’s Conservatives Are Breaking History and Our Future (Slate)

Kamala Harris says fundamental freedoms are at stake with the Supreme Court rulings (NPR)

France protests: nearly 1,000 arrested as riots surge in Marseille and Lyon (The Guardian)

Police say the stabbings of three people during a gender class in Canada were motivated by hate (ABC News)

Former top Ohio lawmaker sentenced to 20 years in one of state’s largest scandals (WaPo)

Sigh: A New Poll Finds Fewer American Adults Support Same-Sex Relationships (them)

NH activists are considering legal action over ‘Rebel Girl’ historical marker removal (NHPR)

Not good!! What is going on with Colleen Ballinger, of Miranda Sings fame? (AV Club)

Bad Bullpens Are Good Business (Baseball Prospectus)

This sounds interesting: A new documentary takes a deep dive into the ancient and modern practice of Sabbath (WaPo)

And some longer reads:

It is INFURIATING that no one even checked if any of it was real: The Mysterious Case of the Fake Gay Marriage Website, the Real Straight Man, and the Supreme Court (New Republic)

I see: DeSantis agency sent $92 million in covid relief funds to donor-backed project (WaPo)

Origin Stories: Plantations, Computers, and Industrial Control (Logic(s))

Boston gay sports bar — ‘home away from home’ for ex-MLB ump and a community — on the ropes (The Athletic)

Five Riveting Thrillers Unfolding in Wooded Isolation (CrimeReads)

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/29/23)

Today is Thursday and it's actually sunny at the moment! In case you're wondering, no, I will not be linking to anything about the perfect game that happened last night, as that pitcher is a known domestic abuser.

EU mulls levy on frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine reconstruction (The Guardian)

Fatal police shooting of teenager triggers protests and arrests across France (NPR)

It's something: Portions of transgender youth care bans in Kentucky, Tennessee blocked by federal judges (PBS)

Good! NH is extending Medicaid coverage for new moms (NHPR)

Biden Issues Executive Order Aimed At Strengthening Contraceptive Access Ahead of Dobbs Anniversary (The Messenger)

Activists blast Tory conversion therapy consent loophole: ‘This will cost many lives’ (Pink News)

In a major discovery, scientists say space-time churns like a choppy sea (WaPo)

Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Rami Malek Among Actors Urging SAG-AFTRA Leaders to Take a Hard Line: ‘This Is Not a Moment to Meet in the Middle’ (Variety)

MLB denies request to revoke Giants' territory rights, give San Jose a team (Yahoo! Sports)

For Ugandan catcher, 'quitting is not an option' (MLB)

And some longer reads:

Heat and smoke are smothering most of the U.S., putting lives at risk (WaPo)

Democratic Frustration Grows as Right-Wing Figures Push RFK Jr. (The Messenger)

Lawmakers are at odds over bail reform: Here’s what to watch in talks this summer (NH Bulletin)

‘People still do not want women to succeed or be equal. While that is true, you need Virago’: 50 years of the warrior publisher (The Guardian)

MLB Player Poll 2023: Their thoughts on new rules, expansion teams and Shohei Ohtani (The Athletic)

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Monday, June 26, 2023

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/25/23)

Today is Sunday!

U.S. Suspected Prigozhin Was Preparing to Take Military Action Against Russia (NYT)

The mutiny in Russia may be over. But it still damages Putin (NPR)

37 people missing after boat capsizes between Tunisia and Lampedusa (The Guardian)

Clarence Thomas Went After My Work. His Criticisms Reveal a Disturbing Fact About Originalism. (Slate)

Well this sounds terrible: U.S. Catholic bishops to create first guidelines for transgender health care (WaPo)

It absolutely is not! Elon Musk claims use of ‘cis’ and ‘cisgender’ on Twitter is ‘harassment’, threatens to suspend users (Pink News)

Starbucks Agrees to Give Unionized Workers Back Pay for Missed UW Game Shifts (Eater)

How New Hampshire's housing crisis is making it hard to hold onto essential health workers (NHPR)

Heh: White House Alarms Triggered After Deer Jumps Over Fence, Hangs Out on Lawn (The Messenger)

Aww: Bo Naylor collected his first major league hit, and his brother Josh went nuts celebrating (Yahoo! Sports)

And some longer reads:

The Supreme Court’s latest opinion means innocent people must remain in prison (Vox)

Power of the Sash: How a beauty pageant became a platform for change in South Africa (NPR)

New England’s electric grid could be more stable than anticipated in the next few winters (NHPR)

For One Special Year, America’s First LGBTQ Cable Show Aired in Texas (Texas Monthly)

Chronicler of the Flower Moon (The Ringer)

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/24/23)

It's a rainy Saturday morning here and I'm trying to decide how committed I am to the farmer's market.

Wagner chief claims to have seized military sites in Rostov as Moscow implements anti-terror measures (The Guardian)

U.S. can send more aid to Ukraine thanks to $6.2 billion accounting error (WaPo)

This is huge: Red States Just Lost Big at the Supreme Court (Slate)

This probably won't work, but I'm glad they're trying: Lawmakers to take up legislation that would eliminate ‘gay panic’ legal defense (NH Bulletin)

(This actually goes way beyond decorations - check out this Twitter thread for more.) U.S. Starbucks workers join in a weeklong strike over stores not allowing Pride décor (NPR)

In other labor news: UPS Workers Authorize Teamsters Union to Call Strike (NYT)

Good! Nashua Planning Board rejects proposal for controversial asphalt plant (NHPR)

The Most Requested LGBTQ+ Books in Classroom Libraries — and How to Help on DonorsChoose (Book Riot)

I cannot wait to watch this game: De La Cruz goes for cycle and Votto hits 2 clutch homers as streaking Reds stop Braves 11-10 (AP)

His layoff is such a loss: Fegan: The White Sox feats that expanded my mind, in baseball and in life (The Athletic)

And some longer reads:

U.S. and Iran in indirect talks over nuclear program and prisoners (WaPo)

The Texas Rangers are MLB’s only team without a Pride Night. That’s unlikely to change (The Athletic)

Related: Don’t Look Away from Queer Despair (Slate)

Black Women Are Being Erased in Book Publishing (Electric Lit)

‘The Flash’ Is the Depressing Culmination of the Great IP Experiment (The Ringer)

Friday, June 23, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/23/23) - Friday Happy Links!

Whew, we made it to Friday!

You Can Watch Three of the Country’s Biggest Pride Parades Live This Sunday (them)

I'm so glad he's back: Joey Votto returns and fits right in for the Reds: ‘He’s a Hall of Famer’ (The Athletic)

So excited! THE WHEEL OF TIME: Prime Video Releases New Season 2 Photos (GMMR)

This GAME was not fun to watch but this PERFORMANCE was: White Sox’s Zach Remillard Performs MLB Debut Feat Unseen Since 1901 (SI)

I love her: Sex Education star Gillian Anderson is ‘thrilled’ to have made a generation of people gay (Pink News)

Whoa: ‘The Vampyre: Blood & Ink’: Malcolm McDowell And Derek Jacobi Attached To Lead Feature Adaptation Of John William Polidori’s Classic Gothic Novel (Deadline)

This sounds great: Cover + Excerpt Reveal: A Lady to Treasure by Marianne Ratcliffe (LGBTQ Reads)

Fug Nation Loves Delightful, Possibly Unhinged Items for the 4th of July! (GFY)

What I Need Is a Literary Mood Ring (Tor)

The Most Memorable Libraries in Fiction (Book Riot)

And some longer reads:

Inside the Last Old-School Seltzer Shop in New York (NYT)

These posts are always expensive: Most Anticipated Young Adult Fiction: July-December 2023 (LGBTQ Reads)

Identifying baseball pitch types in 2023: A modern field guide to MLB’s diversifying arsenals (Yahoo! Sports)

Dazzling Dangles and Studs: Earrings for Children's Book Lovers (Book Riot)

Historical Mystery Reads for When Summer Is Calling Your Name (CrimeReads)

Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Morning Coffee Link Roundup (6/20/23)

It's a Tuesday that feels like a Monday, and somehow we're 2/3 through the month already?

I hope they are found safely, but also, this seems like a TERRIBLE idea: A search is underway for a missing submersible that brings tourists to the Titanic (NPR)

As Modi visits White House, India’s reliance on Russian arms constrains him (WaPo)

Good: Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking (BBC)

French police search Paris Olympics HQ amid embezzlement investigation (The Guardian)

This is awful: Manchester's only women's shelter to close due to funding shortfall (NHPR)

A ‘Soda Ocean’ on a Moon of Saturn Has All the Ingredients for Life (NYT)

Just 37 members of Congress are mothers with minor children (The 19th*)

Amid Catholic push to govern gender expression, a Boston parish staffer focuses on trans inclusion (WBUR)

Aww: A former MLB pitcher and his umpire father’s unforgettable moment in Cooperstown (The Athletic)

Carol Higgins Clark, Mystery Writer, Is Dead at 66 (NYT)

And some longer reads:

I see: FBI resisted opening probe into Trump’s role in Jan. 6 for more than a year (WaPo)

Out of Balance: The World Bank Group enabled the devastation of villages and helped a mining company justify the deaths of endangered chimps with a dubious offset. (ProPublica)

Black Artists Embrace Ancient Egypt. Egyptians Aren’t Happy About It. (NYT)

Braves veteran Charlie Morton opines on sticky stuff and a better way to control it (The Athletic)

Gibraltar: Crime on the Rock (CrimeReads)