Music Video: "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"

So. 1) I love Taylor wholeheartedly and love this song and find everything she does inexplicably charming even if I would hate it from anyone else. 2) But even I can say that this is really weird, especially those giant . . . stuffed animals come to life? Is that what they are? 3) But her pajamas are really cute. 4) BUT THE IMPORTANT THING HERE - her wallpaper is knitting. Knitting. Cables. I don't even know what to do with that.

New Scandal & Good Wife Promos!

These are both SO GOOD.

Suri's Burn Book: The Book! The Party!

I know I've mentioned my favorite Tumblr, Suri's Burn Book, in the past, but if you don't know: It's a hilarious take on celebrity children written from the viewpoint of Suri Cruise (and actually written by Allie Hagan). And now it's a book! Suri's Burn Book: Well-Dressed Commentary from Hollywood's Little Sweetheart is thoroughly delightful and I highly recommend it. Even if you've read the entire archives of the blog (as, um, I have), there's tons of new writing here. (Many of the pictures will look familiar, but that's fine.) And it's full of advice: Two of my favorites are "Almost everyone is rich enough to afford pants without holes" and "Cute, clever, and symmetrical: these are my rules for haircuts and for life in general."

And if you're in the DC area, you should go to this book signing and cocktail party on Wednesday. Themed cocktails! It sounds like so much fun! Wish I could go.

Morning Coffee (8/31/12)

Happy Friday!

A good point to remember: Barack Obama spent a lot more time in the private sector than Paul Ryan

You absolutely must read this: Greed and Debt: The True Story of Mitt Romney and Bain Capital

Nifty: Campbell's Soup Creates Limited-Edition Andy Warhol Cans

Benedict Cumberbatch is doing a really good job of making me stop liking him.

Ann Romney Speech or Taylor Swift Lyrics?

Read Sarah Rees Brennan on Veronica Mars.

Morning Coffee (8/30/12)

Am I back? I don't know! We'll see. Let's try.

This profile of Al Gore and his family was fascinating.

I don't agree with all of this, but it's a good read and much of it is right on: How to Tell from a Pilot if a TV Show Is Going to Be Any Good

My mom has a fig "tree." We laugh at her. (It's tiny.) But hey, there's hope!

You may think you have no interest in reading a profile of Justin Bieber's manager. You'd be wrong.

This summer academy for recent immigrant kids is a great idea.

Look at these photos of a cave system in Thailand.

You've read the Times Magazine profile of the Williams sisters (and their family) by now, right? No? Here you go.

Finishing

I've suddenly been struck by a weird (er, for me) mood in which I want to finish things. Finish projects around the house, finish knitting that's been languishing, finish books I've been picking at for months. Will it last? Probably not. But I might as well see what I can get done in the meantime, and maybe getting some long-running projects out of the way will free up some psychological space. Or something.

I'm going to two big fiber festivals in the fall - NY State Sheep and Wool (aka Rhinebeck) in October and Kid 'N Ewe in Texas in November - so I think my goal will be to get my knitting stash organized by then and to knit up enough stash that I have at least half a bin free for any new purchases. Will it work? We'll see. In any case, it means you should be seeing some more knitting around here. (So, um, sorry to those of you who come to read about TV.)

First, a shawl I finished last month:

The pattern is based on the shawls in the recent Jane Eyre movie, and it includes several variations, so I will definitely be making more of these while pretending that Michael Fassbender might show up at any moment. (Yarn is some Plymouth Galway from stash.)

Morning Coffee (7/19/12)

Emmy nominations!

Via June Thomas, RadioTimes is doing this crazy/delightful Usain Bolt knitalong.

All five Star Trek captains, together for the first time.

The Neuroscience That Explains Why You Fall for Con Artists

When Rape Jokes Are Never Funny

Bullying & GoodReads

This is a fascinating and moving piece on depression from Jeff Eastin, creator of White Collar.

Happy Team Human Release Day!

Today, July 3rd, is the publication day of one of my very favorite books of 2012 so far: Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier. It's the story of a girl who doesn't like her BFF's new boyfriend . . . and to make matters worse, the boyfriend is a vampire. I had the opportunity to read an ARC, and it's SO GOOD YOU GUYS. You need to read it if you like vampires. (There are lots of clever little references to other vampire books, shows, etc.) Or if you don't like vampires - this is Team Human, after all. Or if you don't care about vampires one way or the other, but like stories about friendship, or first love, or social justice. Or funny things. Or mysteries. Basically, what I am saying is, read this book! To make it easy for you: there are links to a bunch of places to order the book or find it in a library right over here. Give it a try. It's the vampire book you never knew you always wanted.

(Full disclosure: I'm friendly with Sarah and know Justine's husband a little. But I would not say anything about the book I didn't mean!)

Morning Coffee (7/3/12)

Good morning! Tomorrow is a holiday and then I'm gone for a few days to be in a friend's wedding, so I may or may not post again until next week.

In case you somehow missed it, Anderson Cooper's coming out post is worth a read.

Sherlock Holmes vs. Frankenstein? Well.

Adam Levine is starring in a movie with Keira Knightley. So... that is a thing that seems to be happening.

Ooh! Every RAF Bomber Command base in England mapped.

Sure, a robot can win rock-paper-scissors all the time... if it cheats.

Were dinosaurs really cold-blooded?

A Christian textbook is using the Loch Ness monster as proof of creationism, so... that is also a thing that is happening.

Huh. I'd never thought of the sports-related issues with cloning competitive animals.

Morning Coffee (7/2/12)

July already! Wow!

Dan Fienberg joins me in being annoyed at the way Sherlock fans are talking about Elementary.

This vanishing book is the stuff of nightmares.

Cory Booker is getting involved in a social video startup.

Crock pot bread? My mind is blown.

I just loved this lede: "If Bernie Ecclestone gets his way – and he is not a man particularly at ease with compromise . . ."

Paging George Smiley: Tory minister spied for Communists in the House of Commons

Wonderful/horrible news for us Olympics addicts: NBC will show every Olympic event live online.

Stolen 415-year-old atlas returned to Sweden