Morning Coffee (4/12/19)

Wow, this week was very long. But time for some Friday happy links!

Katie Bouman: the 29-year-old whose work led to first black hole photo

I AM SO EXCITED: Get An Exclusive First Look At ‘Royal Holiday’ By Jasmine Guillory

I LOVE THIS BOOK: Amazon Studios, Berlanti Productions Win Casey McQuiston Novel ‘Red White & Royal Blue’

Good for her: …Ready for It? Taylor Swift Donates $113,000 to Tennessee LGBTQ Group

It's based on the sequel so this headline is a little misleading, but yay! 'Love, Simon' TV Series a Go at Disney+

Kate McKinnon to Play Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes for Hulu

This is amazing: Watch the Game of Thrones Intro, but With 3,000 Oreos

Aww: Great British Baking Show contestants had a mini reunion over the weekend for a fellow baker's wedding

Hahaha: Word Problems Harder to Solve Than the Real-Life Failures That Inspired Them

In case you need some menu inspiration: 9 Easter Brunch Recipes for Easy Entertaining

Morning Coffee (8/24/18)

Phew, we definitely need a break for Friday happy links.

Remember having a president who liked books? Here's Obama's latest reading list.

Eee, Outlaw King trailer!

I have never related so much to Rihanna: Here's Bridesmaid Rihanna Ducking Her Best Friend's Wedding Bouquet Toss

AMAZING: Natalie Portman To Direct And Star In Dual Roles In ‘Dear Abby/Ann Landers’ Biopic

This sounds neat: Yo-Yo Ma Celebrates Bach in Amazon Alexa Series

I'm listening: New Aldi Advent Calendars Have 24 Days of Wine and Cheese

I'm unsure about the new version of The Great British Baking Show, but at least now we know Netflix will carry it in the U.S.

Hmm: ColourPop Cosmetics Is Launching A Sister Skincare Brand, Fourth Ray Beauty

!! Twilight Is Coming Back To Theaters For Its 10th Anniversary And We Have Exclusive New Artwork

QUIZ: Which Of This Summer’s Rom Com Leading Ladies Are You?

Morning Coffee (6/17/17)

!! Amazon to Buy Whole Foods for $13.4 Billion

All The President’s Witnesses For The Prosecution

Meet the all-star legal team who may take down Trump

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ China Approves Nine Trump Trademarks Previously Rejected

How to Influence Trump

On a Tiny Norwegian Island, America Keeps an Eye on Russia

Huh! Macedonia and Greece appear close to settling 27-year dispute over name

This case is fascinating: A Second Chance for Anna Stubblefield

Aww: Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Prince Charles’s godmother, dies at the age of 93 (A side effect of reading that new Prince Charles bio is having lots of feelings about various Mountbattens. FUN FACT: Charles proposed to her daughter, with whom he was good friends; she basically said "yeah no that life sounds TERRIBLE" but she would have been better suited to it and him than Diana was.)

I'm so glad it has returned to us: The Great British Baking Show and the value of small stakes

GOOD: Instagram Just Added a Tag to Make Sponsored Content More Transparent

Morning Coffee (11/18/16)

Let's take a break for some happy Friday links.

National Book Award winners! I want to read all of them.

I'm glad the BBC understands that what the world needs now is more Mary Berry.

Oh, this could be fun: Broadway's 'She Loves Me' to Screen in Movie Theaters (I went when they did something similar with Company and it was great.)

!!! Dan Stevens & Christopher Plummer To Star In Charles Dickens Tale ‘The Man Who Invented Christmas’

This is an amazing headline: Cats colonized most of the planet by boat

A great escapist read if you like this kind of thing: Sex, Drugs, and Bestsellers: The Legend of the Literary Brat Pack

I haven't had a change to start watching The Crown yet but here's some good background info.

Let's go curl up with some tea and blankets and read the books that shaped President Obama.

I bet you need to see a polar bear petting a dog.

MATH KNITTING

Morning Coffee (11/14/16)

Current Events:

A letter to America from Leslie Knope, regarding Donald Trump

I have many issues with the Huffington Post in general, but I appreciate the way they're not mincing words: A White Nationalist Is The New White House Chief Strategist

Trump has no interest in living in the White House.

Trump U Lawyers Ask That Trial Be Postponed Until After Inauguration (Because then he thinks he won't be busy anymore???)

How Trump Conned America

Other:

This sounds like a thing some of you may need? PBS to air marathons of The Great British Baking Show spin-off

One Great Way to Reduce Gun Violence? A Whole Lot of Data

How Virtual Reality Is Helping Prosecute Nazi War Criminals

The age of streaming is killing classic film. Can Turner Classic Movies be its salvation?

Fact-Checking: the Polar Bear Test

Morning Coffee (9/30/16)

Time for some happy Friday links!

Me elsewhere: I liked The Exorcist more than expected, I guess?

Princess Charlotte & Prince George Play With Bunnies, Pop Bubbles & Melt Hearts in Canada

Mallory Ortberg on making friends on the Internet is wonderful, of course: The Companions of My Heart

This is great: Historic England to relist Oscar Wilde's home and others with gay heritage

I don't agree with all the rankings but Vox's fall TV feature is fun: Every new TV show of fall 2016, ranked

Speaking of, Versailles premieres tomorrow and looks very pretty.

Hee: Famous Illustrators’ Depictions of Knitting Ranked in Order of Competency

I love John Kerry on Rosalind in As You Like It.

How Bake Off led to the rise of Mary Berry, style icon

Oooh: A Journey to Bookland

Let's run away and go on pilgrimage.

Morning Coffee (9/24/16)

FIRST THE TRULY IMPORTANT NEWS: Mary Berry 'to lead new rival' to the Great British Bake Off on the BBC Yes, Mel and Sue are supposedly involved. THANK GOODNESS.

So, this COULD be a gigantic thing, but what's getting lost in some of the discussion is that it is being LOOKED INTO, not definite, yet: U.S. intel officials probe ties between Trump adviser and Kremlin

This is horrible: Assad and Putin are bombing Syrian hospitals on purpose

"Finally, the lie here matters because it shows how shameless Trump is and how reckless. He told this lie even though he knew he was standing next to a credible witness—Bush—who could contradict him, and he gambled that no one would discover his sworn testimony."

Palmer Luckey: The Facebook Near-Billionaire Secretly Funding Trump’s Meme Machine

Oh: Ohio Trump campaign chair Kathy Miller says there was 'no racism' before Obama

This story about the Verge employee secretly working for Apple is SO wacky.

Hahahahahaha: Studio Notes on the 2016 Presidential-Election Screenplay

!!! Apocalypse Meow: How a Cult That Believes Cats Are Divine Beings Ended Up in Tennessee

The Obscure Ultra-Endurance Sport Women Are Quietly Dominating

Morning Coffee (9/14/16)

"A Muslim Marine said he was called a terrorist and ordered into an industrial clothes dryer multiple times by a drill instructor who then turned it on, burning him."

Muslim Woman Set on Fire in New York City

Wow: NY attorney general launches Trump Foundation inquiry

Related: Donald Trump’s surprisingly shady charitable foundation, explained (Even if you don't think it's SURPRISING that it's shady, you'll want to check out the details here.)

Some good reads on the whole "false balance" issue: The New York Times Proves "False Balance" Is Ruining Good Campaign Coverage

And The Crisis at The Times And That Public Editor Piece

And: Why the Media Is Botching the Election

OH NO: Great British Bake Off: Mel and Sue to quit as hosts

Whee, look at our new Meg Murry!!!

Hey, it's the Man Booker shortlist!

Morning Coffee (8/19/16)

Friday! Let's take a break for some happy links.

This looks SO GOOD: Watch the Trailer for Hidden Figures, About the Black Women Behind NASA’s Early Days

Scandinavia’s largest library wins title of public library of the year

In the spirit of happy Friday, let's ignore the swimmer nonsense and just look at all their abs.

Please tell me we're getting this here: ‘Great British Baking Show’ Winner Will Judge Adorable Children in Spin-Off Series (Also in there: Tamal is doing a show about not self-diagnosing yourself online. I LOVE HIM.)

Leslie Odom Jr. in Murder on the Orient Express? SURE.

Eee, Max Crumm and Laura Osnes reunited for "You're the One That I Want" at Ham4Ham.

Whoa: Make Ice Cream Cones Out of Rice Krispies Treats for Instant Happiness

Interesting: Finland tops podium for most Olympic medals won per capita

Need a romantic movie to watch this weekend? The Fug Girls are on it.

Heh. The Onion: Queen Elizabeth Hoping She Dies Before Having To Knight Any DJs

Morning Coffee (6/12/16)

Woke up to terrible news about ANOTHER shooting in Florida, this one at an LGBT nightclub, with mass casualties. I'm still catching up on the details, but here's the Guardian's liveblog.

Two Bossy Dames on Lady Rage is a must-read.

For a bit of good news: The Great British Baking Show is returning to PBS on July 1st. (So it's going to be on Fridays now? Interesting.)

How N.H. Went from Deep Red to Swing State Over the Course of a Few Elections

I'd somehow never read about this Mickey Mouse cartoon that was the last thing the BBC aired before going off the air in WWII and the first thing they aired when they came back.

God, I'd sort of forgotten about the Lizzie Grubman thing.

More realness from The Onion: Elderly Voter Never Thought She’d Get To See Female Presidential Nominee Called Heartless Ice Bitch During Her Lifetime

This look at Beyonce fans is interesting but they don't seem more committed or "obsessive" than fans of lots of other things.

I just like this headline: Searching for Atlantis Really Isn't the Best Career Move

Why Everyone Is Attracted To Baristas (It’s Because Of Late-Stage Capitalism)

Morning Coffee (6/7/16)

Well, last night was exciting. In case you were off doing other things: Based on a combination of pledged delegates and superdelegates, the Associated Press declared Clinton the presumptive Democratic nominee. Sure, it would have been more fun (and better optics) if this had happened on an election night - what changed Monday that allowed the AP (and then other news orgs) to do this was a combination of more results from Puerto Rico and previously unpledged superdelegates declaring themselves for Clinton - but this is still important, exciting, and historic - the first female major party nominee.

(But if you're in a state that votes today - go vote anyway!!!!)

Nate Silver has some good explanation and analysis: Hillary Clinton Will Be Nominated Because More Democrats Are Voting For Her

Related: "The nomination is won by adding up pledged delegates and superdelegates. Clinton has a large lead in pledged delegates, and an even larger lead in superdelegates. You could rely entirely on one or the other, or change the weights between them in any fashion, and Clinton would still win. Sanders simply refuses to accept the combination of the two, instead changing subjects from one to the other. Ask him about the pledged delegates, and he brings up the superdelegates. Ask about the superdelegates, and he changes to the pledged delegates. It’s an infinite loop of bullshit."

This seems like a good time to break for some celebratory Broadway Carpool Karaoke featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Audra McDonald, and more.

Welp: Florida AG Asked Trump for Donation Before Nixing Fraud Case

And: "Republicans working to elect Trump describe a bare-bones effort debilitated by infighting, a lack of staff to carry out basic functions, minimal coordination with allies and a message that’s prisoner to Trump’s momentary whims."

Good for BuzzFeed: "We don't run cigarette ads because they are hazardous to our health, and we won't accept Trump ads for the exact same reason." (I know this is, to some extent, a PR stunt, but honestly... so what? If we care about the public political stances companies take, then we should want PR stunts that mesh with our goals and priorities. Wondering what's truly in the heart of executives we don't know is a losing game.)

This is so good, especially about how we judge things young women are interested in: Why we're terrified of fanfiction

This piece on The Great British Bakeoff is delightful, as is the show: Let Them Bake Cake

Ooh: King Tut's dagger blade made from meteorite, study confirms

Morning Coffee (12/11/15)

Happy Friday!

This Daniel Radcliffe interview! He is a delight.

Cat gets advent calendar delivery after Royal Mail waives ID rule You may want to read this whole thing. There are official tips for best sending mail to cats. It's GREAT.

Amazon Prime is now doing one-hour alcohol delivery - or two-hour with no extra shipping fee! - in Manhattan. Living in the future is amazing.

British desserts, explained for Americans confused by the Great British Baking Show

How Kate Middleton Revolutionized the Royal Christmas

Awesome: A map of Finland's bear population, made up of bears

Sorry not sorry for the earworm.

Let's go drink hot toddies.

Similarly, you may find it calming to start your weekend with 45 minutes of Nick Offerman drinking whisky by the fire.

Antarctic Fairy Tales

Morning Coffee (11/20/15)

(A note for any new readers: on Fridays, I try to post all links that are light or funny or heartwarming or at least emotionally neutral, because I think sometimes people just need a break. It doesn't mean I'm not aware of important things going on in the world or don't care; I am watching the news literally as I write this. And don't worry, I'm still bookmarking all the terrible things and will have them for you next week.)

Awesome: Taylor Swift Donates 25,000 Scholastic Books to New York City Schools

It's Clueless's 20th anniversary (!!) and Tom and Lorenzo analyze the fashion. This is great, but I would have liked some inclusion of the fashion descriptions in Emma and how they are similar/different from the movie as far as certain characters being stylish or not, etc.

“This is in some way a nice problem to have, in the sense that you have a 103-year-old product that’s selling off the shelves like hot cakes, and yet we have customers who are on back order who are disappointed,” L.L.Bean’s chief executive, Chris McCormick, said in an interview at company headquarters in Freeport. “That doesn’t sit well with us.” (People have asked me if I'm okay in this time of L.L. Bean crisis. The answer is yes, because the Bean Boots I got for my 16th birthday are still basically pristine, because that's how great these boots are.)

It's been A Week. Let's ogle some holiday cocktails.

The War and Peace miniseries looks SO PRETTY. Can I read the book in time? The eternal question.

I'm going to link you to THREE thinkpieces on the Great British Bake Off because it's just that good: here's the Guardian, Vox, and Eater.

Once Upon a Time, a Cross-Stitch Sampler Counted as Official Paperwork

Will, Kate, and Harry: The Fun Royal Power Trio

London's Most Haunted Tube Stations

"Every time you have sex, someone drowns. This is not considered a notable occurrence, this is simply how sex works in Ireland.

Once a day, you feel a prickle on your neck, as if someone is watching you from across the lake. They are, and it is either your real mother or the man dangerously obsessed with you."