Friday, December 28, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/28/18)

It’s Cold, Dark and Lacks Parking. But Is This Finnish Town the World’s Happiest?

A brief history of the gingerbread house

The True Story of the Case Ruth Bader Ginsburg Argues in ‘On the Basis of Sex’

A Christmas gift for Charlemagne

And the follow-up to the one I linked yesterday: 35 of Our Most Anticipated LGBTQAP YA Books of 2019: May-June

Morning Coffee (12/28/18)

Time for Friday happy links!

This would be the first in Asia! Thai government backs same-sex civil partnership bill

Ooh! 'Hidden Figures' NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson to release autobiography next year

I remain cautiously optimistic: Agatha Christie’s ‘The ABC Murders’ Gets Premiere Date & First-Look Trailer

The Crown season 3 first look photos show majestic new cast

Watch original Hamilton cast members reunite to perform at Kennedy Center Honors

Aww: Tom Hanks’ Mr. Rogers Movie Gets ‘Beautiful’ Title

The Kid Who Would Be King looks really cute.

If you're stuck at your desk and bored today, this is a GREAT slideshow to flip through: 2018 Was a Very Big Year for the British Royals

Raven Cycle readers, make sure you catch this year's holiday short.

Champagne Cocktails Recipes For A Spectacular New Year's

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/27/18)

Todd VanDerWerff, great as always: Gritty’s evolution from googly-eyed hockey mascot to meme to leftist avatar, explained

Rising Instagram Stars Are Posting Fake Sponsored Content

This is lovely: These LGBT Bars Are Open on Christmas Day For Cheer and Company

Cooking With Fire

29 of Our Most Anticipated LGBTQAP YA Books of 2019: January-April

Morning Coffee (12/27/18)

This Washington Post analysis of the effects of school lockdowns is essential reading: ‘What if someone was shooting?’

Syria’s once-teeming prison cells being emptied by mass murder

Did a Queens Podiatrist Help Donald Trump Avoid Vietnam?

Hilarious: Suggested rules for the Democratic primary debates

Health care in this country is so broken: 'Wallet biopsy': Organ transplant often depends on patient's finances

Gov. Jerry Brown Commutes 131 Sentences and Orders DNA Testing in Death Row Case

Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88

Antarctic expedition sets out to map Larsen C ice shelf

Archaeologists find remains of horses in ancient Pompeii stable

I understand how there's no need to mourn in the way they mean, but this also shows what a toll elite sports take on young athletes: No Need to Mourn as Missy Franklin Retires From Swimming at 23

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/26/18)

This is quite a story but... probably less mysterious than the poor people involved want to think: He was told his father walked out in 1961. Then he started digging up the basement.

A True Utopia: An Interview With N. K. Jemisin

Fighting Authoritarianism, One Mass at a Time

Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’

Oh my God: ‘My Boss Wants Help With Her Dating App Profile!’

Morning Coffee (12/26/18)

Sorry this is a little late today - I got home from my Christmas trip late last night and crashed hard. Happy Boxing Day!

Der Spiegel's story about the internal journalistic fraud it uncovered is really fascinating.

Migrant boy dies in U.S. custody; Trump vows shutdown will last until border wall is funded

Arms Sales to Saudis Leave American Fingerprints on Yemen’s Carnage

Ethics official said Whitaker should recuse from the Mueller probe, but his advisers told him not to, officials say

Myanmar’s Buddhists block Rohingya Muslims from blood supplies, report says

Planned Parenthood Is Accused of Mistreating Pregnant Employees

This is an incredible quote: "The moment I found out Trump could tweet himself was comparable to the moment in 'Jurassic Park' when Dr. Grant realized that velociraptors could open doors."

The New Horizons spacecraft is about to explore the farthest object ever: Ultima Thule

Behold! The Traditional British Royal Walk to Church on Christmas!

Boxing Day, explained

Friday, December 21, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/21/18)

!! The Lost Christmas Recipes of Gourmet—and How We Found Them

Wills and Kate and Harry and Meghan Have Sent Out Their Holiday Cards

Ice Hotel opens with new designs in Swedish Lapland – in pictures

12 of the Best Romance Novels, According to the Author of The Proposal

A ‘Time Capsule’ for Scientists, Courtesy of Peter the Great

Morning Coffee (12/21/18)

Time for happy Friday links!

Aww: Ayanna Pressley Will Get Her Dream Office Thanks To Fellow Rep.-elect Katie Hill

AAAAh, the trailer for Men in Black International!

Yay her! Michelle Obama becomes first woman in a decade to top Britain's Christmas bestseller list

Oh, yay, well-deserved! Outsports Male Athlete of the Year: Eric Radford

<3 ‘Mum this is me!’: the pop-up bookshop that only sells diverse children's books

I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS: Greta Gerwig's Little Women assemble in first cast photo

Interesting: Johnny Weir Joins Netflix Skating Drama 'Spinning Out'

Look at These Incredible Dinosaur Footprints Found in England

Useful! How to Make the Best Holiday Cookie Assortment

Arts Meets Science and Chemistry Wins the Day

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/20/18)

American Women of the Far Right

The Real Sex Lives of Historical Queens

The Homer We Want

Translating Life in Iran

40 Years Later: How We Talk About Jonestown And Why It Matters

Morning Coffee (12/20/18)

Trump is pulling all US ground troops from Syria

Remember the Big Story in the Russia Scandal: Donald Trump Betrayed America

The mysterious grand jury appeal that may be tied to the Mueller investigation, explained

Republican Leadership Is Slowly Backing Away From Trump

Of course: GOP senator blocks reappointment of EEOC's only LGBTQ commissioner

Meanwhile in New Hampshire: Now In Control, Dems Move To Bring Back Ban On Guns In N.H. House Chamber

Families Are Still Being Separated at the Border, Months After “Zero Tolerance” Was Reversed

The Imagined Threat of a Woman Who Governs Like a Man

Whoa: Der Spiegel says top journalist faked stories for years

WHAT THE HECK: No Bed, No Breakfast, but 4-Star Gunfire. Welcome to a War Hostel.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/19/18)

Where Reindeer Are a Way of Life

Daniel Ortberg, magnificent as always: The best $6,250 I ever spent: top surgery

The Yoda of Silicon Valley

Hm, I've read very mixed things about this documentary: Evangelical Writer Kisses An Old Idea Goodbye

A Brief History of Spy Fiction

Morning Coffee (12/19/18)

Wow, a lot happened yesterday, now that I'm looking.

Imagine what would happen were this any other administration! Trump Foundation to Close Amid Lawsuit Accusing It of ‘Willful Self-Dealing’

Good! Trump Administration Imposes Ban on Bump Stocks

White House Signals Retreat on Shutdown Threat

Ugh, of course: Republican Martha McSally lost Arizona’s Senate race. She’s being appointed to the Senate anyway.

The death of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin in Border Patrol custody isn’t an isolated outrage

Michael Flynn’s judge suggested he might be guilty of treason. He’s not.

Report: US joins ranks of world's most dangerous places for journalists for first time

U.K. Begins to Think Seriously About a ‘No-Deal Brexit’

Bookkeeper Gets Two Year Sentence for Scheme that Destroyed Donadio & Olson I still want more details on how he got away with it for so long!

Evelyn Berezin, 93, Dies; Built the First True Word Processor

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/18/18)

Chris Hayes’s Work Diary: ‘My Life Is an Unceasing Festival of Impatience’

This is extremely sweet: My Dad's Friendship With Charles Barkley

Why YouTube’s Biggest Star Can’t Be Canceled

My Year with Julian of Norwich

The Crime Fiction of Galway

Morning Coffee (12/18/18)

This is just evil: ICE arrested 170 immigrants seeking to sponsor migrant children

Russian 2016 Influence Operation Targeted African-Americans on Social Media

Good for them: Opposition in Hungary Demonstrates Against Orban, in Rare Display of Dissent

How Progressive Activists Killed New Jersey Democrats’ Gerrymandering Scheme

Warning: Lots of disturbing content here: Courant exclusive: More than 1,000 pages of documents reveal Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza's dark descent into depravity

The ‘Good Guy With the Gun’ Is Never Black

The important truth about Alice Walker: The New York Times Just Published an Unqualified Recommendation for an Insanely Anti-Semitic Book

This Is How a Woman Gets Written Out of Her Own Obituary

Huh: ‘Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!’ TV Series Based On NPR’s Radio Show In Works At NBCU’s Wilshire Studios

What the heck?!?! A Human Heart Was Accidentally Left on a Southwest Flight

Monday, December 17, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/17/18)

I knew some of this, but seeing it all laid out is quite something: Is the Women’s March Melting Down?

Chris Watts Killed His Family. Then The Love Letters Started Rolling In.

Good background for the Nicole Cliffe thing: A Penthouse Divided

The Year Star Wars Fans Finally Ruined Star Wars

This book sounds really interesting: Is Empowerment Just a Marketing Strategy?

Morning Coffee (12/17/18)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

The Law Must Apply to Donald Trump

Ryan Zinke, Face of Trump Environmental Rollbacks, Is Leaving Interior Department

How Florida Is Thwarting [a] Voter-Approved Measure To Restore Felon Voting Rights

The Oil Industry’s Covert Campaign to Rewrite American Car Emissions Rules

Domestic slayings: Brutal and foreseeable

Oh good! Non-Binary Will Be An Official Gender Option At D.C., Arlington, And Alexandria Schools

I am FURIOUS about this: Offset Interrupts Cardi B’s Set at Rolling Loud

Uh, wow: Arizona newspaper publisher uses his publication to accuse wife of poisoning attempt

!! NASA's InSight Takes Its First Selfie

Egypt announces the discovery of a high priest's 4,400-year-old tomb

Friday, December 14, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/14/18)

Oh happy day! Queens of Infamy: Zenobia

ALWAYS MY FAVORITE: The 2018 GFY Holiday Gift Guide Is Here!

This exhibit sounds amazing: Armpit Pads, Petticoats, and Porcelain: How Stylish Dolls Taught Girls to Be Victorian Women

This story is WILD: How one man's quest to spread Christmas cheer led to a miserable four-year war with his neighborhood

Eight Dazzling Toy Train Displays to Get You in the Holiday Spirit

Morning Coffee (12/14/18)

FRIDAY HAPPY LINKS.

!!! Get a first look at Netflix's Carmen Sandiego animated series

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Here's When the Mr. Rogers Documentary 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' Premieres on HBO (and PBS!)

Ooh, Taylor Swift's Reputation tour movie will be on Netflix on New Year's Eve!

Tegan and Sara are writing a memoir!

Olympic figure skater Eric Radford is starting a gorgeous music career

This sounds great! Announcing IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY by Claire Kann!

Have a Gouda Time: There is a cheese theme park in South Korea with cheese wheel buildings and it’s just as glorious as it sounds

Fug Nation Loves Super Cozy Jammies!

Time-wasting quiz of the day: Which Dewey Decimal Number Are You?

Okay, one more: Which Ice Dance Team Should You Check Out?

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/12/18)

Elizabeth Rowe has sued the BSO. Her case could change how orchestras pay men and women.

Why Netflix could have lost Friends — and what it means for the future of streaming

As an Indian Bride-to-Be, Seeing Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Break Tradition Took My Wedding Stress Away

A ‘Honking Big’ Cave in Canada Lures Geologists to Its Mouth

The 20 Best Crime Novels of 2018

Weekly Rec: Starbucks Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

I am very susceptible to trying new seasonal drinks, but honestly, most Starbucks drinks are way too sweet for me to have more than once. However! I finally tried their Peppermint White Hot Chocolate on a whim and somehow . . . it's SO sweet that it comes back around to being okay? I'm not sure why - science? CHRISTMAS MAGIC? (I also have a higher sweetness tolerance for hot chocolate than for coffee drinks, I guess.) And when I say okay I mean RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS. It's not something I'd get often, but if you need to, say, have a big hit of sugar to get through a bunch of holiday shopping and deal with crowds? TRY IT.

Morning Coffee (12/12/18)

Time got person of the year right this time.

The fiery meeting between Trump, Schumer, and Pelosi about the border wall, explained

Trump Can’t Stop Confessing

Paul Ryan's long con

Not to be a buzzkill, but that viral story about gay WWI soldiers buried together is fiction.

Ooh, good finalists for the Morris award!

Investigation of generic ‘cartel’ expands to 300 drugs

British politics has worst record for antisemitism in Europe, poll says

The Arctic Ocean has lost 95 percent of its oldest ice — a startling sign of what’s to come

Putin's East German identity card found in Stasi archives – report

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/11/18)

At 70 Years Old, Raffi Is Singing New Songs and Fighting New Fascists

A Former Plantation Begins To Tell A Fuller Story Of Slavery In America

The 10 Best Crime Books of 2018

Gmail Smart Replies and the Ever-Growing Pressure to E-mail Like a Machine

Edith Thompson: The Innocent Woman Who Was Executed in Part Because of Her Writing Talent

Morning Coffee (12/11/18)

Theresa May halts Brexit deal vote to avoid defeat, throwing British politics into chaos

And DRAMA: MP causes uproar in parliament by grabbing mace in Brexit protest

To Protect Migrants From Police, a Dutch Church Service Never Ends

Phew: Supreme Court sides with Planned Parenthood, declines to take case

This is an important read: The Hardest Glass Ceiling in Politics

Good riddance to John Kelly

Rosanell Eaton, Fierce Voting Rights Advocate, Dies at 97

Good: YouTube Bans Proud Boys Founder Gavin McInnes

!!! John le Carré’s Next Novel to Land in 2019

Oh no! Change Brewing in Harvard Square: Tealuxe to Close by End of Month

Monday, December 10, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/10/18)

This is fascinating: Black Lives and the Boston Massacre

Some Words Defy Translation. Angela Merkel Showed Why.

Ariana Grande and Priyanka Chopra don't need fans who send death threats. Fan culture needs a reboot.

Ooh, these all sound interesting: TBRainbow Alert: Heists, Thrillers, and Mysteries

The Playlist: Non-Christmas Music For The Holidays

Morning Coffee (12/10/18)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

An important refugee story: 'Death is waiting for him'

Republicans Are Using Potential GOP Election Crimes in North Carolina to Push for More Voter Suppression Measures

And: The Wisconsin power grab is part of a bigger Republican attack on democracy

Monumental Disaster at the Department of the Interior

Wow. Good for her for coming forward: Making President Trump’s Bed: A Housekeeper Without Papers

Democrats need some 2020 Senate candidates

In case this applies to anyone who hasn't seen it yet: Infant ibuprofen recall: Walmart, CVS Pharmacy and Family Dollar lots impacted

He's stepped down but this is still important: Oscars host Kevin Hart's homophobia is no laughing matter

‘Make better choices’: Endangered Hawaiian monk seals keep getting eels stuck up their noses and scientists want them to stop

Aaah, the new Les Miserables miniseries trailer looks so good!

Friday, December 7, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/7/18)

This interview is a delight: Danielle Steel, The Bestselling Author Alive, On Writing 174 Books & Raising 9 Kids

How Pink Salt Took Over Millennial Kitchens

This history is fascinating: Away with the Faeries

"My plan was to write myself something like a sexy Christian version of a Sweet Valley High book."

A perfect headline: Some Russian Cats

Morning Coffee (12/7/18)

Time for Friday happy links!

This is AMAZING (though, obviously, the system requiring it is bad): 2 New Yorkers Erased $1.5 Million in Medical Debt for Hundreds of Strangers

EEEE COVER AND EXCERPT from Jasmine Guillory's new book!!!

And Taffy Brodesser-Akner has a book coming out too!

Rare white reindeer calf spotted on camera in Norway

Ooh: Jameela Jamil, Freida Pinto, Kal Penn, more cast in all-Indian Disney cartoon Mira, Royal Detective

Go vote in the Book Shimmy Awards!

Awww: Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson admit they've played with their Marvel action figures

Fug Nation Loves a Festive Red Tartan Skirt

QUIZ: Answer 4 Questions, Find Out Which 2018 YA Release You Should Read

Nice roundup: Homemade Food Gifts for a Deliciously DIY Holiday Season

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/6/18)

Jameela Jamil and the Trouble With #NoFilter Feminism

How A Corporation Convinced American Jews To Reach For Crisco

(Not?) Petrarch’s Cat

Opera 101

7 Real-Life Spy Stories for People Obsessed with John le Carré

The CORRECT List of Best Christmas Movies

As you may have seen, Vulture put out a list of the best Christmas movies of all time and IT IS VERY VERY WRONG. Here is the correct list, using their inclusion criteria. You're welcome.

10. Love Actually
9. Little Women
8. Carol
7. The Holiday
6. Christmas in Connecticut
5. Miracle on 34th Street
4. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3. White Christmas
2. Goodfellas
1. The Muppet Christmas Carol

I am not taking questions at this time.

Morning Coffee (12/6/18)

This is important, from Jamelle Bouie: The Lame-Duck Power Grab

Wow, the Charlotte Observer: Hold a new election in NC’s tainted 9th District

Republicans Recommit to Trump's Impunity

Whoa: A Top Huawei Executive Is Arrested in Canada for Extradition to the U.S.

Hahahah remember how he was the cyber czar? Rudy Giuliani Says Twitter Sabotaged His Tweet. Actually, He Did It Himself.

DO BETTER, Durham! NH Town Denies Jewish Group's Request to Display Menorah

Les Moonves Obstructed Investigation Into Misconduct Claims, Report Says

Related: ‘If Bobbie Talks, I’m Finished’: How Les Moonves Tried to Silence an Accuser

As U.S.-China Trade War Rages, Some Australian Farmers See an Opportunity

Giving life to a woman found in a 4,250-year-old grave in Caithness

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/5/18)

This is an important story about a police shooting that does NOT go the way you expect: "I Don't Want to Shoot You, Brother"

This Artist Reenvisioned Marvel Superheroes in a Traditional Native American Style

2019 YA Books Starring Queer Girls

The Cranky Bookseller's Guide to Holiday Shopping

A [Medieval] calendar page for December 2018

Morning Coffee (12/5/18)

"Investigators say weapons from UK and US have fallen into hands of splinter groups in Yemen, some with links to al-Qaida and Isis"

This is horrifying: Born in Philadelphia, U.S. citizen says he was held for deportation to Jamaica at ICE’s request

North Carolina election-fraud investigation centers on operative with criminal history who worked for GOP congressional candidate

Trump appointee Whitaker opposed for attorney general role by over 400 ex-Justice Department employees

This is great: A Woman's Place is in the House

An important read about Bush and AIDS: History Will Recall, George Bush Did Nothing At All

Also: Bush Made Willie Horton an Issue in 1988, and the Racial Scars Are Still Fresh

Do Children Get a Subpar Education in Yeshivas? New York Says It Will Finally Find Out

Rare gold coins found in Israeli city of Caesarea

Ooh! Viola Davis Attached To Star In ‘The Fighting Shirley Chisholm’ For Amazon Studios

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/4/18)

I remember sort of following this case at the time, but . . . WOW: How a future Trump Cabinet member gave a serial sex abuser the deal of a lifetime

This is perfect: The Lady Hero's Journey

Young Women are Reviving Indigenous Food Traditions Online

6 Historical Crime Novels Set During The Gilded Age

Here are some GREAT terrible holiday workplace stories: Ho Ho No

Morning Coffee (10/4/18)

This is terrible and undemocratic, and it's happening in Michigan too: Wisconsin GOP uses rare session to weaken incoming governor

Dahlia Lithwick, great as always: This Was the Week the Mueller Probe Switched From “What If” to “What Else”

Civil rights 'under serious attack' across the globe

How Twitter’s Ban on ‘Deadnaming’ Promotes Free Speech

Interesting: Bret Stephens’ 2018 midterm analysis is quietly getting worse

I love her: Michelle Obama on ‘leaning in’: ‘Sometimes that shit doesn’t work’

This should be... something: Tumblr will ban all adult content on December 17th

!!!!!!!!!! Starz Acquires Crime Drama ‘Dublin Murders’

Yay! Hallmark Is Adding Hanukkah Movies to Its 2019 Holiday Lineup

Interesting! Polis Books Launches Diversity-Focused Crime Imprint

Monday, December 3, 2018

Afternoon Tea (12/3/18)

This was so interesting: For Jewish Israelis of Yemenite Heritage, Reviving a Past

The Depressing Phenomenon of Men Who Ask Their Dates No Questions

The Showgirl Who Discovered Lolita

Ooh: New interactive death map breathes life into medieval London

My Gender Is: Mind Your Business

Morning Coffee (12/3/18)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week.

Trump Ramped Up Drone Strikes in America’s Shadow Wars

This is awful and entirely the fault of the Republicans: Number Of U.S. Kids Who Don't Have Health Insurance Is On The Rise

Good! Neil Gorsuch and Sonia Sotomayor Just Came Out Swinging Against Policing for Profit

Well THIS was predictable: Celebrities Say White Supremacists Used A New Video App To Trick Them Into Endorsing Anti-Jewish Conspiracy Theories

These numbers for ALL of these countries are appalling: 52% of Americans would feel "very comfortable" with a female president

About 137 women killed by someone they knew every day in 2017: UN report

Harry Leslie Smith, veteran turned social activist, dies at 95

Mystery Writers of America Withdraws Fairstein Award

And the background, if you missed it: Writer Linda Fairstein's past as a prosecutor overseeing the Central Park Five case causes award controversy

Leda and the Swan: A Fresco Comes to Life in Pompeii Excavation