Afternoon Tea (6/11/19)

The Making of a YouTube Radical

This essay by Amy Whipple is lovely and important: Foster Care: Heroic Measures

How Nuclear Bomb Tests Are Helping to Identify Art Forgeries

The First Woman Cabinet Minister: Margaret Bondfield, 1873-1953

When Tea Reaches Its Boiling Point In Fiction, So Too May The Story

Morning Coffee (2/1/19)

Time for Friday happy links!

Step into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with New Books, Comics, and Fables

Peter Jackson to Direct Documentary About The Beatles' 'Let It Be' Recording Sessions

AMC theaters to show ‘Black Panther’ for free to celebrate Black History Month

!! Centuries lost ‘Bristol Merlin’ uncovered at city’s Central Library

Oooh, the Criterion Collection is starting a streaming service.

Hahahahaha: All right stop… and listen to Chris Pine rap Vanilla Ice's 'Ice, Ice Baby' for Jimmy Kimmel

Always delightful: The Fug Girls on the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Dr Seuss's thank-you letter to man who saved his first book

Books to read with your favorite cup of tea

Heh: Hot chocolate is wasted on children

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

Morning Coffee (11/16/18)

FRIDAY HAPPY LINKS!

National Book Award winners!

The Dumplin' trailer looks great!

Aaaah: Lily James, Armie Hammer to Star in Daphne du Maurier Adaptation ‘Rebecca’

So cute: The British Royals Released New Family Pics

Well, this is exciting casting: J.K. Simmons Joins 'Veronica Mars' Revival

You have my attention: Jonny Lee Miller & Common To Star In Ursula K. Le Guin Adaptation ‘Nine Lives’

This is cool as art but also sort of upsets me as a person who likes order: This artist uses jigsaw puzzles, with the same die cut pattern, to make these terrific mashups

Intriguing: 'Somewhere Only We Know' By Maurene Goo Is Basically 'Roman Holiday' With A K-Pop Twist & You Can Start Reading Now

18 Thanksgiving Pie Recipes, Because You Gotta Have Pie!

Huh: Coffee or tea? The answer might be in your genes

Afternoon Tea (2/22/18)

A Literary Road Trip Into the Heart of Russia

At The Winter Olympics, Robots Are Here To Help. But Don't Assume They Work All Hours

Fascinating: Pakistan's white-picket fences

I'm not sure I want my tea disrupted: Tea-Brewing Hasn’t Changed In 100 Years. These Tea Crystals Could Change That

I love Ellie Marney's books and now I'm very excited for the next one: I left my childhood cult behind, but not the cynicism it instilled in me

Afternoon Tea (12/11/17)

The First Photos of a Pearl Harbor Warship’s Watery Grave

The Politics of Myanmar's Changing Tea Culture

Laura Ingalls Wilder and The Greatest Natural Disaster in American History

The Unexpected Logic Behind Area Codes

The Curious Case of August Engelhardt, Leader of a Coconut-Obsessed Cult

Fandom Tea: Game of Thrones Sampler (Part II)

As I mentioned in the previous post in this series, Adagio sent me some free fandom-themed tea to review. You can read post one, which includes some general thoughts on the packaging, etc., right here.

One of the items I picked was this Game of Thrones sampler. I liked the art and the flavors sounded interesting - lots of spice. The six tins came together in a cardboard box that was also decorated with the art for each flavor along with a general banner, as you can see here with my House Stark mug:

I really like the way the art incorporates the description of each flavor - not all of the fans who make the blends choose to do that, but it's helpful not to have to go look up what's in what. As you can see, I opened these all up and sniffed them; they were all pleasant and all spicy, as the descriptions suggest. I took the picture with the tins partially open so you can see how each tea looks different, which is good - who wants a sampler that's all similar? - and I was surprised by how different the different teas tasted. I'd been worried that they'd all just taste like spice, but they were quite distinct. The way the flavors and art adhere cohesively to thematic elements would make this sampler a nice gift for the Game of Thrones fan in your life who already has all the standard merch.

And now some specific thoughts on two houses and one dragon:

Stark Winterbrew - I love how smoky the scent of this one is, but unfortunately I didn't taste the smoke very much. It is dark and strong, as Stark winter tea should be. It could use some more spice, though - the flavor was a bit flatter than the others.

Lannister Royal Tea - This one gets extra points for the pun, obviously. It's very smooth - the almond helps there - and the spice is more of an undercurrent, as seems appropriate for a refined court tea. (Murdery and incestuous, I guess, but refined.)

Rhaegal's Fire - This is a green tea, but honestly just read as "pleasantly spicy" to me. As a dragon tea should be! The green-ness does make it a bit lighter, which is nice, and as I'm not a huge green tea fan in general I was just as happy that that taste was not dominant.

Next time: Detective teas!

Let's try Adagio fandom tea! (Part I)

Adagio Teas has made a name for themselves in fan-created fandom teas - there are hundreds of fandoms, including TV shows, book series, movies, bands, even politicians. Adagio sent me a voucher so I could pick out some fandom teas and review them for you! I got small sizes of a whole bunch of different things to try, so my reviews will be split between a few posts over the next few weeks. But first, let's talk a little more about the concept, packaging, and other generalities.

Look, here's my box from Adagio!

As you can see, I opted for mostly little tins, so I could try as many teas as possible. (The teas also come in 3oz pouches and 5oz tins.) They came in boxes that hold six tins, with one tin and samples in packets loose. The scent when I opened the box was very strong and I worried a bit about all the teas kinda tasting alike since they'd been packed together that way, but that hasn't been an issue so far. Everything was covered in a fine coating of tea dust, though, so for that as well as the scent reason I wished the tins had been individually shrink-wrapped, though that might have been prohibitively expensive.

The tins and their art are decent quality - the art is provided by the fans who make the blends, and it varies wildly; I was careful to pick only teas with art I liked. (This meant ruling out some fandoms I'd otherwise like, but I figured the art is a big part of the point here, and I didn't want to think "ugh, that's ugly" every time I looked at the tins.) I figure I'll keep my favorites of the tins to use for bobby pins, knitting notions, paper clips, etc. These tins are COMPLETELY packed full of tea, and while I appreciate that they don't want to skimp, it makes them a bit hard to open without spilling. But after the first cup it should be easier.

My big struggle with anything like this is always that I want to pick by character/theme regardless of whether I'd actually like the flavor. And I'm a bit picky about tea - most of the fandom teas were some variety of flavored black tea and that's not my favorite. (I like plain black, or herbal with various flavors, but not... together? I don't know.) So while I was picking out teas I had to keep having very stern discussions with myself regarding ordering things I'd at least have a chance of liking.

One example of this was with the Women of Victorian Literature series. (As an aside: Some of these writers were not in fact Victorian. WORDS HAVE MEANINGS.) I liked the concept and design of the tins, but the flavor that sounded best to me was peach, and that corresponded to Kate Chopin. CONFESSION: I've never read Kate Chopin. (Maybe a story or two in college?) But... no time like the present, right?

This series is a blend of almond and vanilla oolong, with a different fruit flavor for each writer (some corresponding to where the writer lived, like cranberry for Alcott), and as I mentioned, Chopin was peach. This was an enjoyable tea - the peach flavor was present but not overpowering, and it tasted very natural. I didn't really taste the vanilla or almond in a distinct way, but I think they blend decently to make the flavor more complex. This might be good iced for your summer reading/sipping pleasure. And now I have an excuse to finally read The Awakening.

Next time... Game of Thrones tea!

If you'd like to try any of these teas, let me know and I'll send you a $5 voucher! Disclaimer: Adagio gave me free tea with the understanding that I would post about it; all opinions are my own.

Morning Coffee (4/15/17)

Oh, thank goodness: Federal Judge Blocks Arkansas Executions

Can Churches Hire Police? Alabama Legislators Reckon With the First Amendment

U.N. Experts Condemn Killing and Torture of Gay Men in Chechnya

The Islamic State has tunnels everywhere. It’s making ISIS much harder to defeat.

How Russia Hacked Obama's Legacy

Riddle of Why Hitler Didn’t Use Sarin Gas Remains Unsolved

Donald Trump and Paul Ryan are the problem — a staff shake-up won't fix anything

Mary Beard on Women in Power is definitely worth your time.

Chris Hayes's By the Book is FULL of things I want to read.

Ha! PG Tips triumphs as ASA rules pyramid teabags make better cuppa

Ooh: Found: A Silver Snake Ring Dating Back to Roman Britain

Astronomers Capture the First ‘Image' of the Dark Matter That Holds the Universe Together

Morning Coffee (3/3/17)

I'm still discombobulated from travel but I think it's time for some happy Friday links!

New music from Lorde!

YAY: Hidden figures no more: female Nasa staff to be immortalised in Lego

Aw, this is great: PBS NewsHour and the Washington Press Club Foundation Are Creating a Fellowship in Honor of Gwen Ifill

Awesome: Swedish Women’s Soccer Team Replaces Names on Jerseys With Quotes From Women

I saw this Beauty and the Beast tea at Disneyland the other day and didn't want to take it home in my suitcase, but if it pops up at my local store I'm sure I'll give in.

Ooh: IBM Watson Created a Modern Sculpture Inspired by the Work of One of Spain’s Most Famous Architects

This headline is AMAZING: Prince Charles is behind a plan to use nutella to help sterilize squirrels

KITTEN REALITY SHOW (I just looked and three of them were snuggling adorably.)

Heh: A Single Mouse Grounded a Plane in London

A Tolkien Truther From Colorado Says He's the Real King of England (In his defense... Donald Trump is president.)

Step Inside This Underground Cathedral, Carved into the Walls of an Abandoned Salt Mine

Morning Coffee (9/28/16)

Me elsewhere: Thoughts on Pitch and Notorious.

The night Donald Trump couldn’t call Sean Hannity

Donald Trump’s dispatches from fantasyland

Alexandra Petri's debate recap is hilarious, of course. "TRUMP: Call Sean Hannity. CLINTON: I would not wish that fate on my worst enemy."

This Sam Allardyce story is quite something, but I wanted Prince William to have to fire him personally, as he's the president of the FA and all.

The trailer for The Crown is out and it looks so good.

What a shock: U.S. Government Sues Peter Thiel’s Secretive Big-Data Start-up For Discrimination

You should take some time to read this long investigative piece about police databases.

Scientists reveal most accurate depiction of a dinosaur ever created

The Mythical Safe That Cost Jack Daniels' Founder His Life Just Turned Up in NYC

The Onion: Relaxing Tea Better Fucking Work

Morning Coffee (1/17/16)

Books: Not actually dying.

This profile of Damian Lewis is a delight.

Whoa: Unveiling the Titanosaur, which may be the world’s largest dinosaur

I've never really followed the Tournament of Books but maybe this is the year I will manage. Maybe I'll even read some of the books??

Speaking of books to read, here's the 2016 Amelia Bloomer List.

And YALSA's 2016 Best Fiction for Young Adults.

Picasso Bust at Center of Custody Battle Between Gagosian and Qatar Royal Family

Aww, bride and service dog!

This is some very old tea.

Every Meal Pippi Longstocking Cooks In Pippi Longstocking

Morning Coffee (3/30/15)

Me elsewhere: Here's your TV news for the week!

I deeply enjoy the feud between Stephen King and Gov. Paul LePage.

This headline was basically MADE FOR ME: Why Is American Figure Skating Losing the Cold War?

I agree with Alyssa Rosenberg that everyone should calm down about spoilers.

This idea is GREAT: I Paid a UX Expert $100 to Get Drunk and Evaluate Gizmodo's Design

I didn't know much about Steven Smith, who passed away recently, but if you're a tea drinker, his obituary is fascinating.

The 9 Weirdest Implications Of The Many Worlds Interpretation

Why “The Jinx” Is Better Than Any of You Whiners: A Visual Guide

Heh: Mindy Kaling on Whether or Not These 6 Classic Rom-Com Couples Are Still Together

Morning Coffee (2/13/15)

Sad news: David Carr has died.

On to your regularly scheduled happy Friday:

Chris Evans, with a beard, in plaid, talking about Transcendentalists. You're welcome.

My bookseller friend Jonny with an important message: Why books are the only Valentine’s Day present worth giving

16 Hilarious Literary Valentine's Day Cards

Speaking of, want some adorable Classic Alice valentines? Any donation gets you EIGHT.

Which "Shameless" Guy Should Be Your Valentine This Year? (I got JimmySteve, which . . . could be worse. Obviously the correct answer is Lip, but obviously I'd never get him because his quiz answers are all about sex and I want Lip for his BRAIN.)

This Is What A Cup Of Tea Looks Like In 22 Different Countries

A walk through the old pastry shops of downtown Tehran

How to Tell If You Are in a Logic Puzzle

Morning Coffee (4/25/14)

Happy Friday!

The final episodes of The Killing will premiere on Netflix on August 1st!

Happiness Study Says Library Trips Are As Good As A Pay Raise (They needed a study?)

The CBC has spoken: Anne Shirley is Canada's most iconic character

The baseball fandom statistics here and here are fascinating.

In Defense of Explaining Things

I can't quite figure out what to think about cat cafes.

This memo about potential Gone with the Wind screenwriters is great.

What's the Difference Between English, Irish, and Scottish Breakfast Teas? Interesting!

How To Tell If You Are In A Charles Dickens Novel

How Much of a Perfectionist Are You? (Very, very much.)

Morning Coffee (2/19/14)

Wow: Candy Crush game maker aims to raise $500m in IPO

An important read: The Monuments Men and Questions That Can’t Be Answered

Slate has some neat pictures of the first Winter Olympics.

Creepy TV ads can now target individual viewers

Punching Above Its Weight, Upstart Netflix Pokes at HBO

The Worst-Designed Sport of All Time

Interesting: Mount Hua, Home of the World's Scariest Cup of Tea

What Were The Highest-Grossing Movies Filmed In Each State?

Morning Coffee (12/10/13)

Heartbreaking and important: Invisible Child

Eleanor Parker, who played the Baroness in The Sound of Music, has died at 91.

Women Writers on Reading Literature's "Midcentury Misogynists"

If you're in New York, make sure you check out the Downton Abbey tea truck.

As someone who can barely tolerate needles over size six, arm knitting sounds nightmarish to me. But, um, I hope they have fun?

Period piece showdown: Mr. Collins vs. Mr. Collins

Whoa: Watch a Lego re-creation of The Blues Brothers’ mall chase scene

As always, Go Fug Yourself's gift guide is delightful.

Morning Coffee (6/5/13)

Because food in New Hampshire isn't boring enough, the white potato is now the official state vegetable. I mean, I understand the reasoning, and I love potatoes, but a) that's a bit dull and b) I can't applaud anything that encourages people to treat potatoes as vegetables rather than carbohydrates, nutritionally.

Ooh, pictures from the Queen's coronation anniversary service.

Whoa. Taylor Swift sang with the Rolling Stones. Whoa.

Seriously, don't microwave your tea water.

Check out these great "warning" signs at historical sites.

25 Things You Should Know About Young Adult Fiction

Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes

Aaron Sorkin's office is amazing.

Morning Coffee (3/25/13)

NPR reports on the important science: Cookies really taste better when dipped in tea.

I don't agree with this 100%, but it's an interesting read: The Case Against Fans

Fascinating: The Hoax Exposer

Whoa: Listen to the young Beatles sing "Besame Mucho."

Let's bring back the Ploughman's Lunch.

How air-traffic control can use television signals to plot aircraft

The American Who Shocked Victorian England by Picking the World’s Strongest Lock

Johnnie won’t walk out: Why Scotch-whisky makers want to stay in the European Union