Afternoon Tea (6/24/19)

14 YA Authors on the Queer Books That Changed Their Lives

Americans Just Want Immigrants for the Food

Of course this was someone who worked for Goop: Welcome to the Era of Branded Engagements

I never knew the lyrics to this first verse and I am horrified: The Rolling Stones & Brown Sugar — way past time to let it go

The Art and Politics of Crosswords

Morning Coffee (3/22/19)

WHAT A WORLD: Pete Buttigieg is a Hufflepuff, husband reveals

This is a delightful update: We found the (actual) first Jewish woman to finish the Iditarod sled dog race

I am both excited and terrified! ‘Sesame Street’ Live-Action Movie Set for 2021

Progress! Buccaneers hire 2 female assistant coaches

Ooh: Oneworld snaps up Southon's 'dazzling' history of murder in Ancient Rome

Slate is now doing the very important work of telling us how scary movies are, starting with Us.

Leigh Bardugo reveals haunting cover, excerpt for adult debut Ninth House

This is so cute: Cover Reveal and Excerpt: HOW TO BE REMY CAMERON by Julian Winters

This is hilarious: How to Create Your Very Own Crossword Puzzle

Ooh, let's buy some sandals!

Morning Coffee (1/16/18)

This is a wonderful step: 'A great milestone': Somaliland adopts legislation outlawing rape

Jamelle Bouie, great as always: Donald Trump Is a Racist

Fighting Fake News Is Not the Solution

This is horrifying: 13 Siblings, Some Shackled to Beds, Were Held Captive by Parents, Police Say

WHAT A SHOCK: Nearly three out of four women in computer-related jobs report discrimination in the workplace

Yoga, basketball and a test kitchen: Obama’s presidential library plans

WILL SHORTZ IS MAKING A HALLMARK CROSSWORD MYSTERY MOVIE

Hilarious: Russian Embassy Criticizes BBC Drama 'McMafia'

This saga is wild: Vegas Golden Knights, Named to Avoid Trademark Dispute, Face Trademark Dispute

16th-Century Child Mummy Had Oldest Known Case of Hepatitis B

Afternoon Tea (10/24/17)

The quirky San Quentin crossword puzzle features prison slang and Solange

In Easter Island DNA, Evidence of Genetic Loneliness

I was wondering recently whether this was still around! Returning to Second Life

Amazing: Home Is Where the Corpse Is—At Least In These Dollhouse Crime Scenes

Fake News and Fervent Nationalism Got a Senator Tarred as a Traitor During WWI

Morning Coffee (8/19/17)

Stephen Bannon Out at the White House After Turbulent Run

Kenyan Democracy’s Missed Opportunity

The Obama-Trump Voters Are Real. Here’s What They Think.

Urgent research needed into 'boyfriend model' of sex abuse, say experts (Coronation Street actually had a plot about this that was handled quite well!)

People are complicated! What Robert E. Lee Wrote to The Times About Slavery in 1858

It says something about 2017 that this basically just made me shrug and say "Sure, whatever, pretty low on my list of things I'm worried about:" Amazon is experimenting with military tech to help it take over groceries

Ancient Skull Shows What the Last Common Ancestor of Apes and Humans Looked Like

The One Thing We All Agree On: 3-D Movies Must Die

I am not a cruise fan but this one is tempting: 'The New York Times' Is Hosting a Weeklong Crossword Puzzle-themed Cruise

How Much of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is in the Writing of Virginia Woolf?

Afternoon Tea (6/7/17)

This is wild: How D-Day code words ended up in British crossword puzzles

I love this: The Mathematical Poet: Exploring Edgar Allan Poe’s Logical Imagination

The Mummies’ Medical Secrets? They’re Perfectly Preserved

To Save Its Cliffside Towns, Italy Revives the Art of Terracing

The Delightful English Tradition of Beating Parish Boundaries With Sticks

Morning Coffee (12/26/16)

(I'm traveling, so this post was written in advance and does not take into account whatever additional horrors have recently been unleashed upon the world.)

Out With The Old, In With The New: Meet The Dems Who Will Defend Obamacare

Russia, NATO, Trump: The Shadow World

Important: After a Crime, the Price of a Second Chance

This is completely fascinating: The Most Politically Dangerous Book You’ve Never Heard Of

“In my defense,” he said, “I thought you were 13.”

The story behind The New York Times’ largest and most ambitious crossword puzzle

Kathleen Kennedy doesn’t think women are ready to direct ‘Star Wars.’ She can fix that.

Dungeons & Dragons’ Gradual Shift Away From Monster Boobs

Whoa: Found: A Roman Tombstone Buried in the New York City Suburbs

Deliver Me from Disneyland

Wow: Mahler's second symphony manuscript sells for record £4.5m

Feathered baby dinosaur tail found trapped in amber

Morning Coffee (9/3/16)

How Russia Often Benefits When Julian Assange Reveals the West’s Secrets

What I learned reading 3,721 pages of Hillary Clinton's schedule

What 11 million unauthorized immigrants heard from Donald Trump: be very afraid

This is great, from the Times editorial board: Donald Trump’s Deportation Nation

Donald Trump is never going to stop being Donald Trump

!!! Democrats Troll Donald Trump With a Taco Truck in Colorado

Vice shows how not to treat freelancers

Crossword puzzle spoilers but... this story about Thursday's puzzle is great.

Hidden horoscopes and puzzling predictions in Papyrus 98

This Guy Documented His First Week Of Work At Target & It's Hilarious

Morning Coffee (7/18/16)

Me elsewhere: The week's TV news.

This is very important and I barely knew about it until I saw this piece: Why thousands of indigenous women have gone missing in Canada

A Remote Pacific Nation, Threatened by Rising Seas

It’s time to put down the Hemingway and accept that the Running of the Bulls is horrifying

Why TV Shows Are Darker Than They’ve Ever Been (They mean it literally.)

I love the crossword, but this makes good points: Why Is the New York Times Crossword So Clueless About Race and Gender?

This profile of Marie Kondo is fascinating.

November Project is so weird.

Heh: Tips for Better Sleep That You’ve Already Heard and Refuse To Try

Fascinating: Inside an Elite Hamptons Sex Party

"Pause for a moment to consider the world in which Marie Osmond is a 'real' star and Kim Kardashian is an upstart phony."

Morning Coffee (5/5/16)

Me elsewhere: Doctor Thorne is coming to Amazon and Wednesday's Daily Read.

This is soothing: Bernie Sanders fans may not love Hillary Clinton. But they won't vote for Donald Trump.

So is this: Donald Trump Isn’t Going to Be President

We need to keep talking about white supremacists and Donald Trump.

Fascinating: Chinese Feminism’s Long Journey Takes Two Paths at Bookstores

Andrew Jackson’s Adopted Indian Son

Wow: Big Ben to Fall Silent During Renovation

Allison Janney did a White House press briefing!!!

I don't actually have much interest in getting "a thousand likes" on my food Instagrams but this piece has some good food photography pointers in general.

Vladimir Putin Tells F1's Nico Rosberg Good Job, 'If You Can Call It A Job' Oh, Putin.

I can't believe Timothy Parker still has a job.

I've never seen Ghostbusters and I don't recall ever drinking Ecto Cooler but somehow the news that it's coming back made me say "Aw, yay!"

Morning Coffee (4/15/16)

Happy Friday! As usual, we're going with lighter links to end the week.

Me elsewhere: I hated the new NBC show Game of Silence a surprising amount.

And if you want even MORE links from me every day for some reason, I've started a Daily Read section of Read the Screen, with adaptation news, interesting criticism, etc. each weekday afternoon. I guess I'll link it from here the next morning, at least for a while?

ICYMI, yesterday I thought way too much about Free Cone Day.

Every time a new Taylor Swift profile comes out I get worried because it's BOUND to do something to destroy the image I have of her in my head, but they NEVER DO and this one is great. (Note: Said image has nothing to do with her authenticity or anything; I don't care about that either way. I just want her to remain in complete and rigid control of her messaging forever.)

I am fundamentally opposed to every single stunt proposal in history except for this one.

My friend Robin Wasserman IS AN ANSWER IN A BUZZFEED QUIZ, so clearly she has no more to achieve in life. Also, you should preorder her book Girls on Fire immediately because it is great.

The kind of important news story that needs our attention: Cute Firefighters Rescue Kitten from Well

And some international cat news: We Met The New Foreign Office Cat And Asked Him Five Important Questions

These new Penguin fantasy and sci-fi classics are gorgeousssssss.

This new late night breakfast restaurant sounds like it's probably obnoxious but let's be real, I would go at least once because LATE NIGHT BREAKFAST.

I suspect your Friday needs Will and Kate feeding adorable baby elephants.

This is lovely: Behind the Scenes at the Met

LEGO KNAUSGAARD

Morning Coffee (3/8/16)

ICYMI: A few thoughts on ABC's The Family.

So: Bloomberg is not running, but this piece about his plans and research is fascinating, and there's even a rough cut of an ad. I think his calculations about running now ending up making it more likely for Trump to win are probably correct, so I'm glad he's not, but this would have been SO INTERESTING to watch, and in a Trump/Sanders/Bloomberg race I would have at least . . . considered him.

I'm so happy that Erin Andrews won a big victory yesterday, and this piece about other female sports journalists and safety while traveling is a must-read.

Good: A Big Win for Same-Sex Adoption at the Supreme Court

"In short, Hillary Clinton is running to lead Democrats, and Bernie Sanders is running to lead liberals."

This is important: "Nothing Trump has said about immigrants, the Ku Klux Klan, or anything else violates the GOP’s baseline standards. The problem is that he implicitly proposes to invert the party’s hierarchy, prioritizing its right-wing social resentments while tolerating ambiguity on economics. And his popularity suggests that maybe average Republicans aren’t maniacally obsessed with shrinking government after all."

Crossword drama update!

Also: A bridge scandal! What a time to be alive. (Confession: I STILL have no idea how bridge nor poker work, at all. I understand other card games! Just not the ones people talk about all the time.)

Kelly Clarkson Says She Was ‘Blackmailed’ Into Working With Dr. Luke, Who Is ‘Not a Good Guy’

Whoa: Ego depletion may have been debunked.

America's Scandalous, Psychic, Forgotten First Female Presidential Candidate

Morning Coffee (3/7/16)

Me elsewhere: TV news for the week, including a premiere date for the Hot Vicar Show! Er, I mean Grantchester.

Important: How young ‘liberal’ Americans could become racist right-wingers

Fascinating: Inside the Republican Party’s Desperate Mission to Stop Donald Trump

Uncovering the Bad Math (or Logic) of an Economic Analysis Embraced by Bernie Sanders (They did a really good job of explaining how the economic analysis works here.)

Marcia Clark continues to be pretty awesome: I prosecuted O.J. Simpson. Here’s what I learned about race and justice in America.

I meant to link this last week but it's important and newly relevant in light of last night's debate: Hillary Clinton on ‘superpredator’ remarks: ‘I shouldn’t have used those words’

Marco Rubio’s Trump Attacks Expose Uncomfortable Truths for the Right

"Mr. Obama insisted that in private conversations, Republican bluster was tempered. 'They’re pretty sheepish about it,' he said." ONE WOULD HOPE.

Meet the man who can basically read President Obama’s mind

Whoa: A Plagiarism Scandal Is Unfolding In The Crossword World

This absolutely made me want to read/watch more Didion: How Joan Didion the Writer Became Joan Didion the Legend

Morning Coffee (9/5/14)

HAPPY FRIDAY. Finally. I just realized that I have enough items bookmarked to make this entire list about current and former British royalty, but I suppose I'll be nice and mix it up a bit and save some of those for next week sometime.

But really, you need this headline: Prince George adopts a lobster "We do not know if the crustacean has been named, nor if the adoption was a gift from The Duke to The Prince."

And this one: Princess Anne to visit island where Prince Philip is worshipped as a god

Clarence House (the official presence of the Prince of Wales and his family; it's like saying "the White House" and not meaning the actual building) is Instagramming about Daleks, so I think we can all go home now.

One more: Someone bought a slice of Charles and Di's wedding cake for £828. Yum? I am bringing this up mainly because one of the articles I read about this mentioned a Seinfeld episode in which Elaine eats a piece of Wallis and Edward's wedding cake and I CANNOT BELIEVE NO ONE EVER TOLD ME ABOUT THIS. Why isn't Seinfeld streaming? I think I'd like it a lot better now than I did when it was on. (I know: because money. Still.)

No, wait, one more: BBC America is giving us a special on Harry at 30, because they love us.

OKAY MOVING ON: This is a little old, but Will Shortz's young female assistant is my new hero.

Awesome: Walter Tull, the first black officer in the British army, to feature on £5 coin

The 6 Reactions Book-Lovers Have to People Who Don't Read

This is good customer service. (Note: kitten!)

Science Headlines I Would Like To See More Of

Morning Coffee (12/20/13)

Happy Friday! Next week I'll be traveling and celebrating with my family, so I'm going to take the week off from regular Morning Coffee posts, though I will pop in if I have a moment or something I feel the need to share.

If you missed it yesterday, I'm having a little contest in which you can guess how many Christmas cookies I'll wind up making this year.

Alert: J.K. ROWLING IS COLLABORATING ON A HARRY POTTER STAGE PLAY.

And speaking of Harry Potter, check out these images from a new illustrated edition.

Prince Charles and Camilla's holiday card is adorable.

In other adorable Windsor news, Prince William left his brother a voicemail pretending to be Chelsy Davy.

Hot Men in Warm Sweaters

I almost said "I'd get a dog if it did my laundry," but no, a dog is way more work than laundry. STILL. Neat.

Here's the first teaser for the new Salem drama. HI THERE, Seth Gabel's voice.

Happy birthday, crossword puzzles!

First World War Christmas Cards

The Best American Infographics 2013 sounds fun.

There's finally a Star Trek version of those family car decals.

Hee: Bo Obama Receives Visiting Dognitaries From Furuguay

Morning Coffee (12/6/13)

Happy Friday!

I usually wouldn't think I'd link to an obituary from THE ONION, but this is kind of great: Nelson Mandela Becomes First Politician To Be Missed

I can't believe I never knew about the Beatles' Christmas recordings.

My friend Nicole has some great advice for minimizing holiday stress.

Wow. Check out Christmas cats TV.

In 1930, people were very concerned about the dangerous crossword puzzle habit.

Hee: Do you 'ship absurd fictional couples? This music video is for you.

Whoa, they've digitally reconstructed the tombs planned for Henry Fitzroy and Thomas Howard.

Malinda Lo's Adaptation keeps showing up on Elementary.

Morning Coffee (12/11/12)

It Matters If You’re Black or White: The Racism of YA Book Covers

A Saving Francesca movie? YES PLEASE.

Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan are teaming up to write stories about Magnus Bane. Eeeeeee.

Solving the Broken Crossword Puzzle Economy

Ooh, here's an interesting feature on costume design in The Hour.

HALLMARKGATE: Or, A Lesson On How The Internet Works

Morning Coffee (10/3/12)

Rebecca on Broadway: Cancelled again. Stop messing with my mind, Mrs. Danvers.

A children's clothing line called Flowers in the Attic? THIS IS SUCH A POOR IDEA.

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are releasing a Christmas album. Yes, this seems to be a real thing, and this is INCREDIBLE news.

Which candidate is better for crossword writers?

You know you want to read Glenn Beck's open letter to Matt Bellamy.

Look at these pretty costumes for The Tempest.

The potential winter storms have quite some names this year.

I know this isn't a final cast or anything, but WOW, this Into the Woods screenplay reading. Wow.